Day 31: A Full Month (Reflection)

Day 31: A Full Month (Reflection)

An exact month has gone by since I decided to get serious about my new lifestyle. I have noticed a few things about healthy eating (and a healthy lifestyle) that I would like to reflect on here (in festive Christmas colours because why not?)

Obtained from Creative Commons

1) Losing Weight is Difficult when you're Sick:
During the third week of my weight-loss journey I came down with a terrible stomach virus (which I have now passed on to my man- sorry babe!). I was sick for three days, completely unable to keep anything down. The next 5 days (yes for a total of 8 days) I had absolutely now appetite. I was hungry, but every time I ate I felt so nauseous and so unsettled that my mind convinced myself that I was not hungry at all. This caused the scale to look pretty darn good when I stepped on it. I had lost so much weight. I (obviously) didn't track this weight as I knew that it was the fault of the flu. The lowest I saw on the scale was 190.8 (which was great to see... but a lie). I am now feeling 100% better and my weight has gone back up to 192.6, and I am ready to keep going for steady weight-loss.

2) It is so difficult trying to eat well when people around you aren't.
I am not going to lie to you. This is the hardest part of making healthy decisions. I know that what I put in my mouth is my own action and I am not trying to make this seem like it is the fault of others, but it is so hard to be about people who are not eating healthy with you. I have a girlfriend (bless her) who is also trying to lose weight and when she has a cheat day we often go out together to eat. I find myself, however, going out to eat with her when it ISN'T my cheat day and that is not good. I am super proud of myself though. Last Saturday was her cheat day and I went and had a sub instead of going to Fatburger (or McDonalds.. I can't remember) with her. My boyfriend is a completely different story. He is a lean man that can eat whatever he wants and will still weigh the same. I envy that SO much and I can only pray that our children get his genes and not mine. I have one french fry and the next day I've gained 45 lbs. I am doing well with that too though! The other day he bought some chocolate desserts (4 of them) and I haven't eaten a single one. I am trying over here. It's been hard... but I am trying.

Obtained from Creative Commons

3) I CANNOT go grocery shopping when I am hungry.
I have noticed that it never fails: if i go to the grocery store when I am hungry I WILL mess up and get junk food. I can't help it. A couple days ago I went to the store after work to get ingredients for a nice, healthy stew and I ended up getting Ruffles and Onion dip for a snack before supper. I am not impressed by this, it sucks. I had a plan in mind, and I simply could not fight the temptation. The will power was not there. This seems like such a stupid thing to say. I should be able to stop myself from wanting a bag of chips. Even if I can not stop the "wanting" of junk food, I should be able to just not put the chips in the basket. I simply can't. It is so difficult. I have decided now that I am going to go the store now with a list; a list that I physically write down. If something is not on that list it is NOT allowed in my basket, whatsoever. Mind over matter. I can control myself. I just have to be conscious about it.   

4) It is Amazing how far you can come in 4 weeks.

Four weeks ago I was 202.6lbs (potentially more). In these past four weeks I could have continued being unhealthy and gained 10lbs instead of losing it. I could be 212.6 rather than 192.6. It just required me to start. You can do anything if you put your mind to it. In another four weeks I could be 182.6, then 172.6, then 162.6, then 152.6 (my goal). That means, that if I put my mind to it and work extremely hard, I can reach my goal in 4 more months (5 months total). By the end of March I could weigh my goal. I know it is going to get harder, but I feel so motivated and so excited to do this. I really think I can do it: I really do.

Obtained from Creative Commons

That's all for now. I am feeling very grateful and motivated to continue on this journey. Please join me.

Take Care,

See you soon!

xo

Day 29: My First Gain

Day 29: Weigh In #4

Alright, quick post today. Let's Reflect:

Last Week's Goals

Goal #1: Drink 2L of water
Still not quite there yet. I have been so sick the past couple of weeks and so I haven't been eating or drinking regularly. I have really tried (I would say 3 days last week I have reached that goal) but I am not quite there yet. It's still an on going process. I do find, however, that whenever I have diet pepsi in the house I do not drink enough water. I am still going to try and drink the proper amount of water. 

Goal #2: Lose 2lbs this week.
Unfortunately, I gained this week (as you will be able to see below). I think this comes with the territory of being sick. Last week I was at 192.4 and this week I am at 192.6. I know it isn't much of a gain, I expected more since I haven't had an appetite for a while last week. I am happy I am still on track to be under 190 by Christmas. This is just motivation to do better this week! So far I am doing well (I know it is Wednesday). I am not going to have a cheat day this week to try and make up for this. 

Goal #3: Eat breakfast every day (Yes, I have been struggling with this again).

Still really difficult for me. I just do not have an appetite in the morning (especially when I was sick). I am going to try again to accomplish this goal. I know I can do it, I just need to be proactive in buying groceries and wake up slightly earlier. I am going to try this again. 

Let's get to the Weigh In!

Weigh In #4
Original Weight: 202.6 lbs

Last Week's Weight:   192.4 lbs         

         This Week:  192.6  lbs

Weight Lost from Last Week: +0.2 lbs                  

              Total Lost: 10 lbs

This week's goals:

1. Drink 2L of water at LEAST 3 times.

2. Go for a walk/run this week

3. Eat breakfast every day!

Have a great week!

See you soon!

xo

Day 22: Another Weigh In!

Day 22: Weigh In #3

Alright, quick post today. Let's Reflect:

Last Week's Goals

1. Water: Drink 2L of water every day (it's not as hard as it seems). I love drinking water so there is no reason why this isn't already happening.

I did much better this week than last week (I did not quite make 2L a day, but I think I did really well). I drank water instead of pop, milk, or juice even though I had all three of those on hand. I think I did really well with this. Still not at 2L per day (I will get there!).

2. Say NO to little treats throughout the day.

I DID do this! There were timbits, wings, donuts, chocolate bars all around to tempt me and I did not cave! I did really well with this goal this week. Super proud.

3. Lose 2lbs this week.

WOOHOO! Lost exactly 2lbs this week. Feeling great!

Let's get to it then

Weight In 3:

Original Weight: 202.6 lbs

Last Week's Weight:   194.4 lbs         

         This Week:  192.4  lbs

Weight Lost from Last Week: 2.0 lbs                  

              Total Lost: 10.2 lbs

I have officially lost 10.2 lbs in three weeks, which I think is incredible. I am so proud of myself for not having a gain yet on this journey. Let's get to this weeks goals!

Goal #1: Drink 2L of water

Goal #2: Lose 2lbs this week.

Goal #3: Eat breakfast every day (Yes, I have been struggling with this again).

Have a great week! I am hoping to blog more this week. 

See you soon!

xo

Day 15: Where I've Been

Day 15: Where I've Been

What a hectic week! We had loads going on, and I unfortunately didn't have the best week. Monday was weigh in day (yesterday). I weighed myself, but I haven't been able to post yet. Let's reflect on my last week's goals and how I did before we talk about weight lost.

1. Water: Drink 2L of water every day (it's not as hard as it seems). I love drinking water so there is no reason why this isn't already happening.

I am in general drinking more water, but since it has been such a busy week I have not been concentrating on any of my goals. I have had a least a liter of water every day (2 of my water bottles). I will continue to work on getting my water in. I truly do feel much better the more water I drink.

2. Say NO to little treats throughout the day (continuation from last week).

This continues to be a struggle for me. I don't know why. Hubby's birthday was on November 8th last week (Tuesday) and I made a birthday cake for him. I have had a slice a day, even when I tell myself I won't have one. There is still a little cake left over and I am thinking of just throwing it out completely. I also had timbits at work (the middle part of a doughnut) and just general snacking when offered. 

3. Lose 2lbs this week.

I didn't quite make it this week, mainly because even though I was eating in moderation and eating small portions, I was still not eating the healthiest (Tacos on Tuesday, Pizza on Friday, etc). 

Weight In:

Original Weight: 202.6 lbs

Last Week's Weight:   196.0 lbs         

         This Week:  194.4  lbs

Weight Lost from Last Week: 1.6 lbs                  

              Total Lost: 8.2 lbs

Goals for this week:

I am going to keep my goals for this week the same as last week, and really focus on them this time.

1. Water: Drink 2L of water every day (it's not as hard as it seems). I love drinking water so there is no reason why this isn't already happening.

2. Say NO to little treats throughout the day.

3. Lose 2lbs this week.

Here's to hoping for a better week!

xo

Day 8: Weigh In Day!

Week Two: Day One (Weigh In Day!)

So, the hubby went out and got me a scale yesterday. He was afraid that I would obsess over my weight if we had one, but I have promised him that it will not. It will keep me motivated and feel the real consequences of "off" days. I understand where he is coming from, but I need a way to remain accountable. So we got a scale from Canadian Tire and therefore today is weigh in day!

Last Week: 202.6 lbs

This Week: 196.0 lbs 

Loss: 6.6 lbs

I could not be happier. I worked really hard this week (especially in the kitchen) and this has really motivated me to continue. I know a lot of this is probably water weight, and I do not expect this kind of a loss every single week, but what a great way to jump start this journey!

This Week's Reflection:

Goal One: To eat breakfast every day.

I did eat breakfast a lot more than normal this week. I missed a day or two, but I brought some yogurt and a banana to work to munch on before the kids get to school. 

Goal Two: To reject snacks offered by others (and to not feel guilty if I give in).

This goal is a lot harder than the last one. I feel rude for saying no so I usually say yes. I have been able to say no to my hubby's banana bread (which he only made yesterday... we will see how successful I will be with that). I did eat a donut from work and a small Hallowe'en treat (caramel), I also had a slice of homemade pizza offered to me by a grade 7 home economics student. I did not feel guilty. I counted the calories and moved on with my day. 

Goals for this Week

1. Water: Drink 2L of water every day (it's not as hard as it seems). I love drinking water so there is no reason why this isn't already happening.

2. Say NO to little treats throughout the day (continuation from last week).

3. Lose 2lbs this week.

That's all for today!

See you all soon with a "what I ate today" blog.

Have a great week!

xo

Day 6: The Importance of a Cheat Day!

Day 6

The day I have been looking forward to since Monday: cheat day! 

Now, I know that having a cheat day makes it seem like I am not taking this very seriously. However, I think that having this to look forward to every week will allow me to stick to healthy choices!

 I have decided that my cheat day will be on Friday or Saturday every week, dependent upon how well my week has gone. If I had a bad eating day I will not be having a cheat day. Easy as that. I decided on Friday/Saturday because the weekend gives a solid time for reflection of the entire week. I also have weigh-in day on Monday, so I chose not to do Sunday because I don't want to be bloated or weighing extra the next day. 

Retrieved from Creative Commons

MY CHEAT DAY RULES:

1. You are allowed to eat ONE thing for ONE meal of the day without looking up calories or fat. 

2. It is not an every meal all day thing (like I did the last time I lost weight). Pick one meal.

3. You are allowed to drink on this day (on top of a meal).

As it is Saturday, I am currently waiting for my cheat meal to arrive. My boyfriend has gone out to get me a grilled chicken burger.

Still going strong, even through the cheat. 

All my hard work has paid off this week.

See you on Monday for my first weigh in!

xo

Day Four: Stressful Day

Day Four

What a day. I had such a rough day today. Sometimes being a substitute teacher can be so difficult. I was supposed to have today off, but got a call at 7am asking me to come in because a teacher I usually substitute for was sick. Of course, I am a YES man when it comes to substituting and I jumped at the opportunity. I haven't had a bad day yet (and we are in November!). However, today was a different story. Children weren't behaving and it just became a stressful day.

From Creative Commons

The first thing I wanted to do when I left school was stop at the grocery store and get some ketchup chips, curl up on the couch and veg out until I eventually go to bed. 

However, even though this temptation was intense I DIDN'T DO IT! I was so happy. Instead, I went home and had some ritz rice crackers (80 cals for 12 crackers) with some spicy hummus. It was such a huge step for me. I have always been an emotional eater. This just help affirm that I am in it this time, and my goals are achieveable. It just shows me how my mind set has changed.

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. Here's to a strong first four days.

Short post today (I won't be posting every day), but I really wanted to get this small victory up to remind me when days are rough that I can do it.

So can you.

xo

Day Three: "'Tis One Thing to Be Tempted, Another Thing to Fall" --Shakespeare

Day Three

Tuesday and Wednesday have gone well so far! I am keeping my calories around 1200 and it seems to be going well. I am not hungry at the end of the night. I forgot to eat breakfast this morning (I just ran out of time: I need to fix that). I realize that today I wouldn't have had the calories for dinner if I had breakfast, which isn't the lifestyle I am going for.

Goal alert: Have breakfast everyday. I have Raspberry Yogurt (what I had to eat at work today, but didn't get to). I also have toast, apples, pineapples, peanut butter. There is no excuse to not be eating breakfast. 

Now, moving on from listing off all of my mistakes.

Temptation is a whole other thing. 

Thank-you William for some perspective today!

Today at work (I am a teacher) the principal did a teacher appreciation. He bought coffee and donuts to say thank-you for all of our hard work and dedication. It was very thoughtful and so I decided to have one. This needs to be a new goal as well: it is okay to decline unhealthy food. You do not have to eat the donuts, chocolate bars, candy that are put throughout the staff room and given to you by co-workers and children. Temptation is everywhere. Just because you do not buy the junk food, does not mean that it is okay to eat. That being said: you do not have to beat yourself up because you gave into temptation. You were tempted but you have not fallen. 

Today I went for a hike (in loads of snow-- YAY Canada!) with my friend to help burn off some extra calories. We took her dog around a lake. There were loads of hills and we were walking at a good pace. It got my heart rate up, which is better than nothing. Right now, I am focusing on being better in the kitchen before I throw in exercise too. I really want to make sure that I do not over whelm myself by changing my life too much. 

So NEW GOALS:

1. Eat breakfast every single day.

2. You can decline unhealthy gifts (but if you don't you do not need to beat yourself up because of it).

I think these are achievable, baby steps here. I can do it.  

Have a great day!

xo