Tuesday, April 22, 2014

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

"Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the fat girl's trail"

and right on into my mouth!

I tried to tell myself that I would be able to eat the chocolate and candy in moderation...enjoy a bit, but not over-induldge.

BIG FAT LIE!

I ate that crap like it was going out of style.

So, I went on to my meeting tonight to see just what damage I had inflicted.

Last week: 240.00 lbs

This week: 240.50 lbs

+ 0.50 lbs

Considering I ate my weight in chocolate, that's not so bad.

Here's the thing...why do I feel the need to buy my kids so much junk?  Between myself and my parents and our babysitter, they got 8 chocolate bunnies, 2 giant eggs and countless chocolate eggs, jelly beans and gummy bunnies.

I need to refocus this week and get back on track.  I have been floundering for the past month and barely hanging on.

At TOPS tonight, we had a nice meeting that encouraged us to write "our story"

It was broken into 2 sections.  My answers are as follows...

Section 1: My OLD Story

1. My old story, in 25 - 50 words, is this:
My desire to change for ME was not important.  I was only focusing on doing it to please others.
2. My story has been influenced mainly by these events or feelings:
A life of always being this was and thinking change was too hard or impossible.
3. If my old story was made into a book, a good title for it would be:
Diary Of A Fat Girl (Because my blog is my book)
4. I want to change my old story because:
I DESERVE a happy ending!

Section 2: My NEW Story

1. My new story, in 25 - 50 words, is this:
I am important and have decided to put myself first.
2. If my new story was made into a book, a great title for it would be:
Diary Of A Former Fat Girl
3. My first step in rewriting my story is going to be:
Being motivated to change and stick with them.
4. I may face the following obstacles:
Lazy days, poor food choices and a list of other "excuses"

It's time to start writing this new story.

Make sure you jump over and join Ashley and Julie as they write their own stories.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

I spent my entire drive home from work tonight, talking myself out of going to my meeting.  The conversation went a little something like this:

"You know you are up a TON after having a terrible week...you should take one more week off and get back on track"

"It wouldn't be fair to have the weight records with such a huge gain and throw off everyone's averages...you should just stay home"

"You are starving and need to eat dinner before you go tonight...it's not accurate to eat a big dinner and then get on the scale, you will be up even more!"


"You have a number of e-mails to write tonight and organizing to do for the girl guide units you are starting up in September....that  needs to be done ASAP"

That is the gist of them.  But in the end, I had my 3 slices of pizza and went to the meeting to pay the piper.

Last week: 238.50 lbs
This week: 240.00

+1.50 lbs

It wasn't terrible, but I never wanted to see that 240 and here I am...just at the cusp of it.  With Easter around the corner and the influx of chocolate, it will be tough, but I vow to lose for next week, even if it's only .25 lbs!

Don't forget to pay a visit to Julie and Ashley!


Weigh In Wednesday

Sunday, April 13, 2014

April Photo Challenge - Week 2

It's week two of the month long photo challenge.  I had a tiny bit of making up to do from last week.

If you need a reminder about the challenge, click this link.  If you missed last week, find it here.

Below is my collage of photos for week 2.



  1.  Movement - this is from last week, and I was so happy to see the movement of my sheets on the clothesline...nothing better then fresh hung sheets!
  2. Fruit - some lovely red grapes...they were so sweet.
  3. Inspiration - my kids are easily my best inspiration.
  4. Sweat - I don't work out hard enough to sweat...it's not my thing....but I always sing this song in my head when I hear the word sweat.  - "girl, I'm gonna make you sweat...sweat till you can't sweat no more"
  5. Outside - Abby and I enjoying one of the first nice spring days
  6. Body - While I don't have a full appreciation for my body yet, this is it in progress.
  7. Snack - I'm ashamed to admit is was "cookie day" for the girl guides.  I proudly supported them and continued on to eat the full box over weekend.
  8. Shoes -  YUP!  I am a croc wearer.  If I am not in my running shoes, you will find me in these.
Don't forget to check out Julie and Ashley...they are participating in this challenge with me.  You can still join in if you like!

Friday, April 11, 2014

Follow Through Friday - # 13

OH NO!  It's a Friday post that is number #13!  Good thing I am not superstitious!

Let's link up again, shall we?



Ok, so let's see what a crap shoot last week turned out to be, shall we?

Last Week:
  • Walk my required km for each day - 5.70 km
  • Lose 1 lb
  • Food Journal EVERYTHING and stay within my calorie limit (1557 as per Lose It)
  • Focus on my 30 Day Water Challenge again
  • Accomplish the tasks on the April Fitness Photo Challenge 
  • TOPS Daily Inspiration Tasks
2 out of 6 (details below)

First off, let me say, the flu struck me last week and didn't leave for a good 5 days, and my daughter was sick the rest of the time, so not much got done, but I don't feel bad about it, it is what it is.
  • I could barely stand, so walking was out!
  • I always say a good stomach flu is all you need for weight loss.  I didn't officially weigh in and I don't actually count my 6 lb loss, but I didn't want to look like a total failure!
  • I didn't eat enough to bother food journalling
  • Ginger ale was my only friend
  • I got them done, perhaps not quite on the right days...but that doesn't matter
  • My head was too foggy to even remember these ones!
It's a new week though, so let's have at it!

Goals For The Week
  • Walk my required km for each day - 5.70 km
  • Lose 1 lb
  • Food Journal EVERYTHING and stay within my calorie limit (1557 as per Lose It)
  • Focus on my 30 Day Water Challenge again
  • Accomplish the tasks on the April Fitness Photo Challenge 
  • TOPS Daily Inspiration Tasks
  • Send a letter or card to someone in the mail
  • Eat one serving of fruit everyday
Food

Now that I am back to being hungry, I need to focus on better food and less of it.  The flu was almost like a forced cleanse.  I do wish that feeling of non-hunger would stick around.  As for water, just when I was getting into the challenge, I got sick and couldn't stomach water even.  Yesterday was my first day feeling 110% and I couldn't get enough water.  I was obviously dehydrated.  It was also my first day without any sort of pop.  We only have one kind at home right now and I don't like it, but let me tell you, I was craving one real bad.  I plan to just not buy any for a bit.  My girlfriend Julie set a goal to have at least 1 apple everyday and it inspired me to set myself a goal for at least 1 serving of fruit everyday.  It would not be odd for me to go a week without any fruit.

Exercise

I managed to get one walk outside, but I haven't done any form of exercise for the past week and will get right back into it.  I have a number of km to make up with my walking challenge.

April Fitness Photo Challenge

I will put my blog post up with the pictures on Sundays.  Check out Julie and Ashley's progress with the challenge too!

This week's challenges are:

9.    Sweat
10.  Outside
11.  Body
12.  Snacks
13.  Shoes
14.  Where you relax
15.  Sport

TOPS Daily Inspiration Calendar

This week's ideas include:

8.    Check out the tools available in the Members Area of www.tops.org
9.    Flavor your food with herbs and spices
10.  Don't dwell on the past
11.  How can you burn 100 extra calories today?
12.  Consider trying a yoga class
13.  When you think you are hungry, make sure you are not just thirsty instead.
14.  Check out the "Monday Moment of Truth" blog on www.tops.org

As for sending someone a piece of mail, you can comment on this post and let me know if you would like to be a recipient of some.  We will then make sure I have your address to pop one in the mail.  I used to write letters ALL THE TIME!  I now write none!  That also means I don't receive any either, even though I just to get mail ALL THE TIME too!  It's no wonder Canada Post just increased the cost of a domestic stamp by 0.22 cents...no one uses it anymore!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!

In March, I did something I never do.  I entered a giveaway on Facebook.

Part of the reasons I never enter is because I have trust issues and usually it requires you to be American.

Anyway, a friend on Facebook shared a company's page and I instantly fell in love with the product.  The company is named Old Town Glassworks, and they are based out of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.  They create both beautiful and functional items out of recycled bottles.

The work is stunning and the patterns etched in the glass are all northern themes, which call to my soul.

They were having a giveaway for 2 of their glasses and all you had to do was comment and they would ship them anywhere to the winner.  For the first time, I took a leap of faith and entered.  I felt they would be a perfect addition to my weight loss journey and provide me with the perfect water glass...you know, the one that makes you WANT to drink water!

Anyway, the following week, I was scrolling through the newsfeed of my Facebook account and low and behold...there is my name, claiming I am the winner!  I had to do a double take, because I was still all blurry eyed from just stumbling out of bed.  It was true!  I won and I could not have been more excited.  It was announced on a Monday and it was the perfect start to a week.

Wanna see them?


The picture is from their Facebook page.  Please make sure you head on over and "like" them.  They have done more giveaways since and I suspect there will be more, so you never know, you could win your own set.

I have since received these glasses and they are even more beautiful in person.  They still have the feel of holding a bottle, with the original stamping to make it unique.  They are comfortably heavy and I can tell they are going to hold up for quite some time.  Plus, they are even dishwasher safe!  I have yet to let anyone else in my house use them and make sure I put them up on a high shelf so the kids can't reach them.  They are too new for me to not be completely devastated if they got broken.

They have a wonderful online store and their items, including vases, wine glasses and bowls would make wonderful wedding gifts!  Or any other kind of gift...like I need something for me, kinda gift!

My non scale victory is that I am a WINNER!!

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

It has been a rough week!  Last Thursday I entered the land of Flu-Ville and haven't felt human until today.  I have also been nursing a sick 4 year old too!

Because of all of that, I did not attend my TOPS meeting last night.  I could have went and the loss on the scale would have been impressive, but it would not have been a true reflection for my journey.

I always say there is nothing like a stomach flu to help with weight loss.  Judging by the scale at home, I lost a good 4 - 6 pounds in a week by not eating much and visiting the bathroom too many times to count.

Today I am back...I am logging my food, drinking my water and walking on the treadmill.  Abby is still not feeling well again today (she was fine yesterday), but perhaps I will put her in the stroller and take her for a walk...the fresh air would do her some good.

I'm so excited to not be posting alone on Tuesdays anymore, don't forget to visit Ashley and Julie to see how they made out on the scales.

I'm also linking up with Weigh In Wednesday!


Pretty Strong Medicine

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

April Photo Challenge - Week 1

I had hoped to have this post up on Sunday, but myself and my daughter were hit with the stomach flu and I did well to just get out of bed since last Thursday.

If you need a reminder about the challenge, go and read this post that introduces it.

I had to improvise my pics a bit and didn't end up taking them all on the appropriate day.


  1. Dinner - This is not the perfect example, but April 1st happened on a Tuesday, which is  my TOPS meeting night and I don't eat before the meeting and grab something when I get home around 8:30 pm.  I also usually allow myself a treat those nights and this dinner was leftover chocolate chip pancakes!
  2. Work Out Clothes - This is my typical workout wear.  I have my Team Dean shirt from my favorite show Supernatural (interesting fact...my bff Julie has a Team Sam one that I sent her for Christmas), my grey capris, socks, running shoes and a pony tail.  
  3. Water - A sample of my different water glasses and containers.
  4. Breakfast - When I am on the ball, this is a perfect breakfast for me....poached eggs.  This actually was dinner Sunday night..the first thing I had eaten in a few days.
  5. Smile - A smile with me and my little girl...she makes me smile everyday.
  6. Movement - I missed day 6, which was movement...there just hadn't been any opportunity for that lately.  I will catch this one up!
Don't forget to check out Ashley and Julie's blogs to see how they are doing with this challenge.


Sunday, April 6, 2014

Follow Through Friday - # 12

I forgot to post this Friday!

First up, the review and breakdown of last week's goals!

Last Week:
  • Walk my required km for each day - 5.70 km
  • Lose 1 lb
  • Food Journal EVERYTHING and stay within my calorie limit (1552 as per Lose It)
  • Maintain my uncontrollable PMS eating this weekend.
  • Be awesome!
2 out of 5 (details below)
  • I at least had my walking going for me this week, and I'm sure it helped a bit
  • No loss this week, a gain of 0.75 lbs actually
  • Towards the end of the week, things got a bit out of control food-wise and my journalling didn't reflect it 100%
  • The PMS eating would be the reason for the failure of the above 2
  • I'm always pretty awesome...I included it so I could accomplish at least one goal this week!
Goals For The Week
  • Walk my required km for each day - 5.70 km
  • Lose 1 lb
  • Food Journal EVERYTHING and stay within my calorie limit (1557 as per Lose It)
  • Focus on my 30 Day Water Challenge again
  • Accomplish the tasks on the April Fitness Photo Challenge 
  • TOPS Daily Inspiration Tasks
Food

I need to stay under budget this week.  As I type this, I am making myself my own frozen lunches of chicken linguine with mushrooms and tomatoes.  There is a Lean Cuisine version that I like.  The only problem is the chicken is gross and feels like rubber.  I realized that I can make my own version that is yummier.  I intend to keep it under 400 calories, which is a reasonable lunch.  I'm also not going to drink as much pop.

Exercise

Walk, walk, walk...that is still where I am.  The weather is getting nicer, so I am hoping for some family walks after dinner.

April Fitness Photo Challenge

This is a new challenge that myself and a couple others are doing this month.  You can read my original post here.  I will put my blog post up with the pictures on Sundays.  Check out Julie and Ashley's progress with the challenge too!

This week's challenges are:
  1. Dinner
  2. Work out Clothes
  3. Water
  4. Breakfast
  5. Smile
  6. Movement
  7. Fruit
  8. Your inspiration
TOPS Daily Inspiration Calendar

This week's ideas include:
  1. Look for ways to cut 100 calories from your meal plan today
  2. Add fiber to your diet through vegetables, fruits and whole grains
  3. Dining out?  Skip the bread or chip basket.
  4. Grocery shopping? Park farther away and walk.
  5. Add an extra block to your walking routine.
  6. Add sliced cucumbers to your sandwich or salad.
I have a lot on my plate and I don't intend to accomplish all of them, but I now have enough choice to pick and choose.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Road Trip Review - 2014 Edition - Month 3

Is it sad that I could not WAIT for this month to be over so I could do this review?

The reason?   Because I will shamlessly admit I kicked ass for the month of March.  I got all caught up on the km I was behind and then some.  I really wanted to gain some extra under my belt for unforseen circumstances.

Before we get into the nitty gritty details, let's remind ourselves of the "rules"

The Facts:
  • First Pit Stop of the journey is Crowley State Park, Arkansas - 1399 km
  • Next stop and final destination is Devil's Den State Park, Arkansas - 325 km
  • Total of 1724 km
  • 5.70 km a day, 40.95 km a week and 172.40 km a month
  • We have 10 months to complete the journey, from January 1 - October 31
  • Our daily, everyday walking counts, but only up to half of our required distance - 2.85 km
  • Each 30 minutes of non-walking/running exercise counts as 0.50 km, up to 3.20 km of our total
The Road So Far:

Month 1 - January

- total walked: 197.53 km
- total eligible: 174.22 km
  ( + 1.82 over)

Month 2 - February

- total walked: 180.13 km
- total eligible: 160.05 km
  (- 12.35 behind)

Month 3 - March

- total walked: 242.54 km
- total eligible: 201.23 km
  (+ 33.22 over )

GRAND TOTALS:
- total walked: 620.20 km
- total eligible: 535.50 km
  (+22.69 km over)


I have made some good progress from home

I appear to be around Toledo, Ohio

In the middle of nowhere

Camped out in the bush

Me and the boys are on our way!


I can only hope to make the same level of progress through April.  It's my birthday month, it's gotta be awesome, right?

Julie's making her own awesome progress...go see for yourself!  She was worried she was going to be behind this month, but she pulled off some extra miles instead!  She must be a bigger fan of The King Of Hell than I am! 


Tuesday, April 1, 2014

April Fitness Photo Challenge

You know me, I'm always up for a good challenge to get myself motivated.  I had already decided to re-start my 30-Day Water Challenge.  I wanted to do something else as well.  I turned to my most reliable source for all things, Pinterest, to see what kind I could find.

This time around, I found something a little different.  It's a Fitness Photo Challenge.  Now, it's fair to say I am not one for taking a lot of pictures.  I don't have an I Phone, so I don't have a camera on me at all times.  I have to plan and well...planning for anything is not my strong suit.

The one I found initially was not the most ideal, it was "sponsored" by Shakeology.  I have no interest in the product and certainly didn't want to endorse it, but I figured I could modify it.

Then, my best buddy Julie sent me one and it was much better...the link is here, and Julie's prettied up version of it is below.


Feel free to join me...even if it's just once in awhile during the month.  I plan to post on Sunday's for this, so check back then for the pictures from the week!

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

First off, I have to put a shout out to a couple of my blogging buddies who are joining me for my weigh-in's on Tuesday:



Go check them out now and show them some love please!

I had a rough end to the week last week and into the weekend...and that would be putting it mildly.  The worst part is I knew what I was doing was distructive to my hard work, but I couldn't stop.  I was in full PMS eating mode and just drifted from one thing to the next.  Chocolate would be the favorite "go-to", just ask the bag of chocolate chips, but it wasn't limited to that.  There was ice cream, chips, beer nuts, candy, cheese and just about anything else to help fill the craving.  It's the one aspect where I don't have a firm grasp of moderation.  Try as hard as I might, I can't seem to convince myself to say no.  It's easier at other times of the month, I can convince myself to just pass it up. Anyone have some good suggestions for coping?

So, in light of the weekend, let's take a look to see how the scales reflected that shall we?

Last week: 237.75 lbs
This week: 238.50 lbs

+ 0.75 lbs

It was clearly not as bad as I had thought, but I was hoping to keep my 1 lb swing in action.  Next week will be better.

I should report, I was a "winner by being a loser" again at TOPS.  At the beginning of every month, we reward the person who lost the most the previous month by rewarding them with 1 month of free dues ($10 value)  This is the second month in a row that I won.  It's such a good pick me up!

So, it's a new week, so here is to being awesome!  Let's all be awesome together!


Pretty Strong Medicine