Update

So I know it's been a little while since I last updated. I've been doing circuit training 3x per week for 2 1/2 weeks now. I love the workouts but I've been struggling with feeling like I'm actually making progress. I feel like I've stagnated and I'm not losing. Of course this is a feelling since I don't have any proof (haven't taken measurements, weight, whatever). So I decided to add the 20 minute aerobic solution from my body-for-life program twice a week, together with yoga for 30 minutes. Now that weekends are calming down and we're not spending all our time working, we're going to start going for longer, brisk walks in the mornings after yoga, brekkie and latte.

I finally figured out that I need more structure in my life and my workouts. So I need to go back to basically the body-for-life program but change my strength training for circuit training. It means writing out my goals and reviewing them every day, planning my nutrition and practicing the Universal Law of Reciprocation. Then tracking my successes. Of course my naturopath wants me to track my caloric intake as well which is fine.

Then this morning my girl K. indnicates she needs structure too and she really wants to drop some weight so since we travel the train together, she's gonna be accountable to me. That is such a huge compliment to me. And it makes me more accountable to keep up my workouts and this blog. So thanks K.

I'll be sure to update more often. Until tomorrow!

refocussed effort

So I got over myself and my pity party. I got the OK from Karam to add regular walking to my schedule. So I went for a 30 minute walk at lunch (it was after eating lunch ... big mistake) and then another 30-45 minute (I didn't keep track) walk with hubby after work. Not as intense but we still went for a walk.

We had a great evening last night with B's father, his wife, brother and his girl (who's awesome btw). But it was late, I was hot and I ended up waking up every hour. So on about 5 hours broken sleep, I still got up and did my circuit training. It wasn't my finest hour, but it was good. And I kept a promise to myself. Which is the most important aspect of this whole process.

So tomorrow's yoga day. YAY!

The results are in ....

I'm not sure how I feel about them. I'm disappointed 'cause I was secretly hoping to see major results. I mean, I've gone from an 18/20 to a 15 or XL in most stuff. I tried on clothes I haven't been able to get into for quite some time and they fit. Barely. I wouldn't want to wear them for long, at least not yet. But soon. There's one outfit in particular that I absolutely love. It's so pretty, so elegant. But still way too small. Part of it's the material stuff is made of too. I hadn't realized that my upper body had gotten SO big. Especially my back. Presumably 'cause I don't see it often. Not that I see my toes very often either, but that's a whole other thing.

Anyway, my Naturopath came over last night for a consult and a BIA (bioimpedence analysis). I was so disappointed 'cause my weight is the same as last year (I hadn't realized it's been almost exactly 1 year (June 26th) since my last BIA and so is my bodyfat and BMI. In fact all my readings were almost the same. So I struggled with that for a while last night. After he left, we had dinner and I had a shower. My instinct was to say "I've been bustin' my rear for the past 3 months and what do I have to show for it? Why bother? Of course that lasted about a minute. Then I realized that yes, I have dropped a full dress size and I've lost 7 inches in the past 3 months. What I guess I had forgotten was that I had actually gained a fair bit since I saw Karam the last time. It was a little before Mom died and my weight was getting way out of control. So in October I started with a personal trainer until the end of the year then I spent most of the winter sick (but I was still at work ... helping to keep the illness alive in my office) so I wasn't working out much. Then I had heart palpitations and got scared. Turns out it was too much caffeine but I took a good, hard, long look at my body, my health and my lifestyle and realized I had to get my act together or I was going to end up in serious trouble. As a good friend of mine said, the work I'm doing now is laying a foundation for how I'm going to get through the next 20 years or so.

So in reality, I know I've lost a lot of fat in the past 3 months, it's just not visible in my BIA since it's been so long since my last assessment. So I'm going to double check with Karam to see how much extra cardio I can add to my lifestyle without overdoing it, I'm going to make sure I'm eating lots of fruits and veggies and lean meats and healthy carbs. We're going to run another assessment in 4 weeks. 1 week after the deck party. I guess I'll have to behave somewhat that day. But I usually do when I'm hosting a big party. And I'll just adjust my activity level the week before and after to accommodate any excesses. I can't believe the party's only 3 weeks away. I just REALLY hope it's a good day, 'cause otherwise we're going to have to reschedule. Of course I forgot to add a rain date on the invite but oh well. We'll just keep good thoughts and hope it's sunny and hot that day. Mid-July. Normally is.

So I guess I'd just say to anyone who's trying to lose fat (notice I say fat, not weight ... muscle is much heavier than fat), just be patient and consistent and if you're not seeing a lot of results, track what you're eating and your activity level for a typical week or 2. You might be surprised to find that you're not eating as well as you thought. Or check with your doctor and/or naturopath to make sure your thyroid and adrenal glands are functioning well. And of course we women have the added challenge of horomonal issues. Regardless of what stage of life we're at.

One thing Karam said yesterday that really hit me ... concentrate on being healthy and the fat loss is an added bonus. I've been thinking the other way around. If I lose the fat, I'll get healthier.

But before you start any type of new workout schedule, check with your family doctor, get a blood panel done and get them to check your blood pressure and heart rate and give you the all clear ... especially if you have a fairly signficant amount of fat to lose. Of course I highly recommend a naturopath ... I'm fortunate to have one who'se also been a personal trainer so that's a lot of our focus. And proper supplementation. And detoxification. Gotta go get a detox kit today and get back on that.

It does make a difference. So wish me luck with my training and keeping a positive attitude. And thanks for your encouragement. It means a lot.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Yoga morning

What a great way to start off the day. Instead of sweating my ass off, I was stretching and breathing and generally finding my centre. Hmmmmmm. Shiatsu massage (which I highly recommend by the way) was wonderful last night. And tomorrow morning I'll be sweating my ass off again. If I do this too much,, I won't have much of an ass left at all. LOL
Anyway, tomorrow should be a great day ... circuit training, manager's out of the office so I can concentrate on a project, although I can't complain about her standing over my shoulder ... she's so flipping busy she certainly doesn't have time to do that, then my naturopath is coming over and we'll finally get the word on how much progress I've made. I'm waiting with bated breath....

MY ABS HURT!

OMG ... don't ever let your abs get out of shape cause man, it hurts like hell to get them back into shape. I worked them fairly hard yesterday ... on the ball no less ... effective tool. I guess I didn't really realize how poorly the Body for Life program was for abs. Now I know.

Anyway, tomorrow morning I'll be back at it.

Oh yeah! I tried on a skort in size 15 at Reitmans ... actually had a zipper and buttons. AND IT FITS!!!!!!!!! Can you tell I'm a little excited? Just spurs me on and keeps me on the straight and narrow. And I tried a top on Sunday morning that's been described at geometrically disturbing (thanks Gord!) and it didn't look too bad. I haven't worn it in ages. So my naturopath is coming on Friday night to check my bodyfat and BMI and a bunch of other stuff. I'm excited. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high ... and you'll definitely hear about Friday night. But I'll just kick it tomorrow and Friday in my workouts and keep moving otherwise. Tuesdays and Thursdays have become my yoga days. Very important. Gotta keep flexible you know .... wink, wink....

until tomorrow!

Day 1 of Circuit Training

Not to worry, every post won't be "Day ** of Circuit Training".
OMG ... I forgot what a workout it was. 55 minutes of continuous movement ... I think I lost 5 pounds just sweating this morning. At 4:30 a.m. no less. Yeesh. The things we have to do to look good and stay healthy. But it's paying off. I've lost about 7 inches in the past 3 months ... and that's just where I've been taking the measurements. I can actually wear a bra all day and not be uncomfortable. I haven't been able to do that in a VERY long time. I found one called a "Tab" bra which I believe is only privately distributed. Funky looking ... reminds me of a nursing bra ... but OMG the support! And when one is very well endowed ... one must take care of these things. They're situated where they belong and they don't really go anywhere ...
Anyway ... my ab workout consisted of 6 sets of 12 reps as part of the 2 circuits. and OMG I'm going to feel this tomorrow. I actually woke up this morning with some mobility issues but I still got up and worked out. Which is not to brag ... simply a reaffirmation of a commitment to myself.
So tomorrow's an "easier" day ... lighter cardio and yoga. Woo hoo!
Thanks everyone for your best wishes for our anniversary ... 12 years does sound like that long but we've been together for 17. That's almost 2 decades! But I'm even more in love with him than I was 17 years ago.
TTFN!

Sunday

Well, it's our anniversary today and of course we were working outside. But it was a good weekend. Didn't kill ourselves working. We actually stopped working today, created a new drink and sat and sunned ourselves with some tunes on from 4-5. It was great. At least we've been together and that's all that really matters.

Only problem ... my legs are killing me and my first circuit training is tomorrow morning. I'll do some stretching tonight and use the hot water bottle. Hopefully that'll do the trick. Otherwise I'll muddle though my workout and go see the chiro tomorrow.

I'll keep you all posted....

I'M DONE!!!!

My first challenge anyway. So we celebrated tonight with a few drinks. A little early, but hey carpe diem!

So the weekend's going to be busy and active so I'm not concerned. I just have to make sure my ducks are all in a row by Sunday night 'cause I start circuit training Monday a.m. can't wait!

Sunday is actually our 12th wedding anniversary. I can't believe it! It'll be 17 years together on August 2nd. Time flies when you're having fun. I've had a few people mention that we seem like newlywebs. We're both firm believers that it should stay that way. The last few years have been a little rougher. Nothing between the 2 of us really, just my attitude kinda sucked.

Thank you for persevering with me B. I know I'm not the easiest person ... and sometimes I might be a little late from the neighbours, but I'm so happy we're together....

You may not hear from me until Monday so have a great weekend and enjoy the weather for those of us in Southern Ontario.....

Last cardio day today!

YAY! Only one more day to go! I can't believe the difference in how I feel. So much more confidence in so many areas of my life. There's only one problem. I feel so good, and I'm just bouncing around the office, all smiles and happy and SO many people are just moping around. Good God! They're reasonably healthy, they're employed, the company is strong, it's almost summer, and even though the weather hasn't been amazing at least we're not getting snow instead of flowers. I know economic times are challenging but why let that get you down if there's nothing you can do about it. Same with the weather. It's gonna be what it's gonna be. No sense whining about it. I know, it's easy for me to say these things 'cause quite frankly, my life is fantastic. Are there negative things going on? Sure. Are we in great financial shape ... hell, no! But I'm healthy, and loved and employed and I choose to look in the positive side of life instead of moping around. It's a choice. 2008 was one horrendous year for us. I was like so many other people. One thing after another happened that was really quite crappy. I'm extremely grateful that it finally turned around. But a lot of that was, quite frankly, my Mom dying. The stress of her deteriorating and having to watch her was way more than I realized.

And then I met Ryan, who's a personal trainer. He hooked me up with one of his staff who taught me circuit training. I met with him the day before my Mom's wake. I think I started with the trainer a week later. It was ok for me to put myself first for once and take care of me instead of everybody else. Best $400 I've spent outside of my Bowflex which was a little more than that. But totally worth it!

I try to never forget where I was, physically and emotionally, but I sure don't dwell on it 'cause life is way too short for that nonsense.

So I'll be up at 4:30 tomorrow morning to do my last lower body workout for this challenge. It's gonna be a very active weekend. Then circuits! I can't believe I'm so excited about them but I am. After all, I have a dress I have to look amazing in 4 weeks from tonight.

See you tomorrow!

2 to go!

well, I finished my upper body workouts today. at least for this challenge. I'm so anxious to start circuit training again. I actually bought a new dress today that looks pretty good except for the tummy area. we're going to see Zappacosta at Hugh's Room on July 9th so I really want to wear that dress. So I am focussed on getting to the point where I'm really comfortable in that dress. We went shopping for Barry again the other day ... he's looking pretty hot so I figured I needed to keep up so I bought a new dress. And I found a pair of capris that I actually like on my body. Butt looks ok in them too. All the hard work is paying off! I'll be taking measurements and pictures on Saturday and getting my bodyfat and BMI done the following Saturday so it'll be interesting to see what kind of progress I've made. Nutrition is my biggest challenge. But I'm up for it!

wish me luck everybody!!!

3 days left ...

Only 1 more upper body, one more cardio and one more lower body workout. WOO HOO! I am so freeking tired tonight. SOMEBODY kept me awake late last night .... But I still got up after 5 1/2 hours of somewhat broken sleep and did a good cardio workout.

But it's 8:45 p.m. and I'm ready for sleep. I think it'll be an early night tonight.

Until tomorrow.....

almost there .... 4 to go!

So I'm really anxious to get this finished. I was so tempted to start circuit training this week, but I made a promise to myself that I would finish the 12 weeks. And I will.

Even though I haven't made the progress I had hoped to make (it was the nutrition, not the program), I'm still proud of myself. I made a commitment, and I stuck with it. I only missed 2 workouts altogether over 12 weeks, and that was because I was sick. I think I had 2 other workouts that got changed a little because I was injured. But I kept working through it. Perseverence has helped at work too. It really does change your life. Making a commitment.

One of my favourite quotations is "To change your life: 1. start immediate. 2. do it flamboyantly. 3. no exceptions." I keep this quote pinned up at work as a reminder. I shared this with a good friend today and he wrote back "TNT ... Today, not Tomorrow". I LOVE IT! One of my biggest challenges is procrastination. So ... Carpe Diem! Sieze the Day! 'cause you never know when your last one will be. Life is far too short and far too precious to waste. And we do tend to waste too much of it. We abuse our bodies, neglect our physical health and completely screw up our mental health by not taking the time to take care of the body, which in turn helps the mind.

Remember to tell those you love that you love them. Don't wait until tomorrow. Maybe somebody needs to hear it today. You never know what kind of impact you have on someone else's life.

BTW - changed my mind ... circuit training starts next Monday ... I was going to take an active week off ... can't wait that long. I'm back in the mindset of getting and staying fit, of making smart choices with nutrition, sleep, relaxation, fitness....

To all my friends of family ... I love you all very much. Each one of you has contributed so much to my life. Thank you.

6 days left ...

today was the best day I've had in a week. Went to lunch with a great friend of mine (thanks again Steve!) and actually had a really healthy lunch ... shrimp, mangos and TONS of veggies in a humongous salad with a very light dressing.

then dinner with hubby was chicken fingers and fries.

time to get tough with the workouts and the nutrition.

tomorrow's a free day but I'm going to take it easy. I've gotta get things under control. This past week has been a little rough. time to get back on track.

later!