I admit defeat

on keeping up with blogging about the 30 day challenge.  THings have gotten very hectic in my life so I haven't had a lot of time, when I get some more time I will blog more here about different changes happening!!

For now Happy Holidays everyone!!!

30 Day challenge Day 18

What are you favourite seasonal activities that change up your routine.

Spring: Walking along the river paths
Summer: Swimming or running or canoeing ( I don't do much canoeing but I would love to do more)
Fall: Hiking and walking along the river paths
Winter: Skiing or skating (but I don't do either of these very often because I HATE, LOATHE and DESPISE the cold)

30 Day Challenge Day 17

Challenge Day!!!!
Add 15 minutes of exercising to each day you work out.

This is what I call my commercial break exercising. For those of us with PVR choose one 60 minute show a week that you usually PVR and watch it during it's regular scheduled time. The challenge is to do 2 different exercises each commercial break.  It's not much but it will add 15 minutes of exercising to your day. 
I will be running the program like this.
first break : Cardio jogging in place
                  Strength: arms bicep curls
second break: Cardio: punching
                      Strength: arms tricep exercise
third break: Cardio: jump rope
                   Strength: squats
Fourth Break: cardio: cross country skiing
                     Strength lunges
Fifth break: Cardio: high knees
                  Strength: push ups
Sixth break: Cool Down Stretching
If all commercial breaks are 3 minutes in length that means you would spend a minute and a half on each exercise then switch.  It's not an exact science but it would make watching commercials more enjoyable :D

30 day challenge Day 16

What do you do for a warmup?

That really depends on the activity. But for the most part it is something the incorporates cardio and strength training for 7-10 minutes then it's onto the big part of the work out.

30 Day challenge Day 15

We are half way through, have you made any changes to your program if so what are they?  Do you want to make changes?

I have not made any changes. I would like to make some changes, more exercising, and more involvement from my family in these changes.  I am hoping to initiate an exercise schedule for our house for 7:30 to 8:30 each night.  Hopefully things will work out and we will keep this challenge going long after the 30 days.

30 Day Challenge Day 13

Name an exercise program you have heard of but have never tried that you would like to try and why.

This doesn't really fit into this category because I have tried this program but only once and at a stagette party so I wasn't really working out.  We did Chairtease dancing and I would love to do this as a program for a month. Not only would I be working out but I would be having fun and maybe learning a new skill ;). 

The other one I have heard of is a dance program as well it's called Zumba.  It sounds and looks like fun!!

30day challenge day 12

What areas of your body to you like the best?


 I <3 certain areas of my body.  I most certainly do, I know in my last post I jested that I did not like my body and that it was all a problem area but that's not actually true.  I do have at least three areas of my body that I <3. 
Number 1: I love my curvy shape.  I really do, and I think that that is a part of my body.  For a long time I did not like my shape as a whole package, but I do now.  I love all the curves it has to offer and now I just want to make those curves a little more compact. 

Number 2: I love my calves and ankles.  I throw them in together because really I think they are a package deal.  I love that I don't have cankles, I love the tapering of my calf into my ankles and I think that when I wear high heels I have great calves that I love to show off. ;)

Number 3: Ok here's where I sound like a man, I love my chest area.  I  do, I can't help it, I think it has something to do with having a curvy shape, you have to embrace what your momma gave you and I do.  So there I said it I love my breasts!!!

30 day challenge day 11

What are your problem areas that you feel need to be worked on the most?


When I think of my "problem areas" does my whole body count??  No ok well let's be specific, because I honestly don't hate all parts of my body and my body as a whole when in shape is very pleasing. 

So problem area number on would be my abs.  I always find them to be flabby, which may be why I am obsessed, and i do mean obsessed, with ab workouts.  I love doing them and I push myself hard on any ab exercise.  I don't know why, but I always seem to see great results when I do ab exercises and I see them quickly, I don't have to wait as long to see results in the ab area as my other problem areas.

Problem area number two are my thighs.  The thighs as a whole are too large and jiggly.  I would love for them to be more toned.  I would love to not have that tight thigh look in pants with every pair of pants I own even the straight leg and wide leg trousers.

Problem area number three would be my upper arms.  They aren't really a bad problem area I just feel like they are wider than they need to be.  I want to tone them and have them shrink a couple inches really.  Then life would be good. 

30 Day challenge day 10

Who do you count on when you are making lifestyle changes to support you and encourage you to continue?


I wish I had a lot of support people in place.  But it seems that everyone is so busy and no one makes time for each other anymore. I don't have a gym buddy and Adrian doesn't seem interested in becoming my workout buddy.  Maybe I need to ask him again. I wish I lived closer to some of my friends who are in the same situation as I am, then we would be going to the gym together and signing up for the same workout classes. 
 
This is hard, but I do depend on myself and Adrian even though he won't workout with me.  That's not a really fair statement as I haven't really asked him and I do my exercising when he is not home, I guess to rectify this situation I should ask him to workout with me after the children have gone to bed. We both may have more energy at night if we do that.
 
So I guess I depend mostly on myself but I have realized that I need to broaden my circle of support in order to be really successful!!

30 day Challenge Day 9

Holidays can be very detrimental to exercising and dieting, what is your plan to get through the holidays without jeopardizing your routine?

I do have a plan... and its a good plan, but I lost it lol.  Just kidding.  I think I am going to use moderation as my key. I cannot just snack on food because it's the holidays and I have to continue being physically active.  I am going to do my exercising and my healthy eating every day.  I am going  to set mini goals for myself, one for each day.  They will be goals like, eat a veggie snack instead of chips.  Or have an apple instead of a chocolate snack.  Depending on my craving as well.  But then after the 6th day I will reward myself and allow myself to have 250 g of a salty or sweet snack.  Maybe a popcorn ball. 
 
As for the rest of the food, this year it should be easy to not gorge myself on food as we aren't really doing a big Christmas celebration because we are all trying to save for the Wedding.  And with walking down in Vegas I plan to shed a few pounds that way!!!

30 day Challenge Day 8

When do you exercise???

I usually exercise in the afternoon, after work or in the early evening after work. I would love to be exercising in the morning but then I would have to get up in the middle of the night in order to exercise.  Seriously, I get up at 5 or 5:30 to get ready for work so if I were to get up to exercise I would have to be up by 4 and that's just crazy talk. So I have been exercising in the afternoons and early evenings and I will continue to do this.  I will win my Biggest Loser Competitions!!!

30 Day challenger Update

I sit here stuck on how to write this entry.  I will be disclosing some rather personal facts here and that is hard to do.  I am not proud of the facts that I am going to share and because people read this blog I am hesitant to disclose all the figures I recorded today.  But if I can't be honest here then I can't be honest anywhere.  I am not sure who all reads my blog, but if they are not happy with what they see then they can just not read my blog.  I am not doing this because I am in the best shape of my life, so obviously my weight and measurements won't show me as a svelte fitness guru.

So without further ado, here goes.  My weight when I started this challenge 7 days ago was at 195. (gag me the fact that I am close to 200 is enough to make me want to just die of shame, but it is also a good motivator)  Today when I weighed myself I was at 192.  Now that might not seem like much but in 7 days that is 3 pounds lost.  THREE!!! I am excited about that, but I know weight fluctuates so I won't be put off if next time I take my measurements I am not as low in the weight scale as I wish I were.  For my measurements, I did from Bust to ankles.  Bust was 41, Chest was 34 Waist was 35 hips were 43.5 butt was 44, Thighs were 26, calves were 15.5 and my ankles were 10. So not too bad really.  I don't know what I was 7 days ago because I put off measuring myself but now I have a place to make more comparisons.

I also did Jillian Michaels DVD today.  It was a great workout, it was the Fat burning metabolism boost DVD.  I felt like I was going to die, but it is going to become my Bootcamp work out DVD for the evenings from now on.  So here we go, 23 days left what will the final results show??

30 Day challenge day 7

Seven days in what are your results right now. Is there a change in weight, energy or motivation?

So I have successfully blogged about weightloss and stuff for 7 days, but the actual event is not going as planned.  I had my last scheduled work out class last Friday and I am sad.  I now have a month to get things going on my own, to get my own intrinsic motivation built up to be more powerful then my extrinsic motivation.  That is hard in today's society when so many things are dependent on external factors "creating" happiness.  Who knew weight loss would bring about this type of reflection??
 
I can say that after ending my 6 classes on Fridays there has been a change in my cardio and my upper body strength, so I guess there are results but I have to keep going or else they will turn into jelly.  Ok I will post stats tomorrow or later today.... I need to see this chart thing so that I can see that it is real.  Wii Fit here I come again :P

30 Day Challenge day six

What is your reward for sticking to a program?

My reward for sticking to my program is three fold.

1. I will be healthy and happy with my body image


2. I will be able to fit into a fantastic wedding dress and I will look great on the day when I am the center of attention


3. I will be able to fit into all my pre pregnancy clothes and wear a great bikini this summer!!!


Number one is the most important to me, but the superficial numbers 2 and 3 are my biggest motivators... if that makes sense.

30 day challenge Day five

What is your favourite type of exercise program?

My favourite type of exercising program would be any type of combination program.  I love doing cardio work outs, but I love strength training as well.  When I used to go running at the Collicut I would do weights for 15 minutes afterwards as well.  And of course a great program must have an ab portion to it or I would be greatly disappointed.  I have a great foundation for exercising I just have to continue working on it so that I can reach my goals.  I have done it before I can do it again!!!

30 Day challenge day 4

What hurdles do you face when trying to change habits like eating and exercising?

The hurdles I seem to face when I am trying to change my eating and exercise habits come from my excuse bag.  I will say I can’t change my diet too much because I have to make supper for three boys that I live with.  But, really, why can’t they change their eating habits for me.  And if I cook it, then they eat it or they make their own.  Little Man isn’t a big hurdle because he is still young, but  I do have to keep his calories up so he can grow into a big guy (I don’t mean fat, I just mean so he doesn’t become a midget lol)  I use my family as an excuse not to exercise as well.  It will be I have to hang out with them or I have to find a sitter and stuff like that, it’s not good but those are my hurdles, although I am fighting those hurdles and trying to make justifications to exercise instead of the other way around.

30 day challenge day 3

What is the start of your fitness challenge. What programs are you using and who is helping you reach your goals?

The start of my fitness challenge is setting goals for myself and making those goals visible to me around my house.  I am still looking for a photo to print off for a visual of what I am trying to reach, but so far no luck. That's what happens when your computer dies out on you.  
 
So I am starting a few 30 Day challenges x2 with a few of my friends.  We are taking 60 days to reach our goal. The winner of the challenge will receive $20 plus their $20 to go towards a new shopping trip to buy a new pair of jeans or some tops.  It's between me and the other person I am just having four of my friends keep me motivated because I want to beat them all.  That way I will get $100 to spend on some new clothes which would be AWESOME!!!
 
So they will help me keep motivated and I am going to get Adrian into this as well.  I am sure that once we start if we work together it will get more comfortable for both of us.  I want to challenge myself.  I need to challenge myself.  And I need to be accountable to myself because really at the end of the day I am the one that will win or lose for myself and it won't affect the other people involved!!!
 
If any one else is interested in keeping motivated by a challenge with me let me know and I can send you the details I am using to help myself out of this weighty mess.

30 Day Challenge Day 2

Where you would like to be in 30 days of consistent exercising and healthy eating?

So after some careful consideration I have decided that I would like to be in a very differnt mind set in the next thirsty days.  I feel that I am my own worst enemy.  I need to be more active and I need to stop making excuses for my inactivity.  I can be very active but I am easily distracted by television shows or the computer and will use those activities as excuses not to do fitness activities. 
 
So I have decided that I would like to lose a total of 3 inches in the next thirty days.  That would be an all over lose but it would definitely be a start to getting me jumping ahead of my New Years resolution. I have to buy a wedding dress in about a month, and I DO NOT WANT TO BE FAT!!!!
 
So I have decided that I need to do the following and I will keep an checklist for myself to help me reach my thirty day goal of a loss of 3 total inches.  I mean it may be half an inch here a quarter of an inch there but it will be a loss and it will be a start I do not believe that is asking too much.  I have to work out everyday, I can't eat junk food or pop, and I must increase my veggie  and fruit intake. 
 
I will be posting another blog in regards to my journey on information I find.  I was sent an email about eating fruit and it was really interesting so when I get home I will definitely post it here to share with all of you.
 
So far I have 4 girls joining me on a Biggest Loser challenge so this should be very motivating!!!

Day One :What are your starting fitness level for you at this moment in time?

My fitness levels at this point in time are mediocre.  I can complete an hour or two or cardiovascular training, I can do weight lifting of weights up to 10 pounds for repeated reps.  I don't get winded climbing up stairs, but I wouldn't say I ma in shape.  If I had to give myself a grade my starting grade during this 30 day challenge I would say I was at a C-. 
My goal for this challenge is to get to a grade of a B.  I don't know what that would entail exactly yet.  But I think it would look like getting my scale down another 6 pounds. It would have me being active on my own and not finding excuses for not going to a work out class, and if I do not go to a workout class I will work out at home instead.  It will also mean getting into a habit that when I go to Vegas I will actually pack work out clothes so I can workout while I am on vacation.
So that's it'... I will post my measurements later, like after I finally take them. hahahah.  I am thinking for this challenge I am going to have to be brutally honest about myself in order for it to get kicked into high gear for changes to be made!!!

So here's my new challenge....

On my other blog I am doing a thirty day challenge to keep writing on the blog, to fill the blog with stuff that is about me.  Some of the blogs are longer and some are shorter but it keeps my writing focused and gives me a goal to keep in mind.

So I have decided that for the next 30 days I must blog, by reporting on different changes I am adding to my life for the different goals I have set.  So the most important goal for me right now is the fitness goal.  Therefore, I am going to begin that 30 day challenge.

Here is what to expect over the next thirty days.  I will be blogging about my thirty day challenge using the Wii programs I have.  The first one I will be using is Wii Active, the others I will use are Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus and Jillian Michael's Bootcamp. 

1) What are your starting fitness level for you at this moment in time?
2) Where you would like to be in 30 days of consistent exercising and healthy eating?
3) What is the start of your fitness challenge.  What programs are you using and who is helping you reach your goals?
4) What hurdles do you face when trying to change habits like eating and exercising?
5) What is your favourite type of exercise program?
6) What is your reward for sticking to a program?
7) Seven days in what are your results right now.  Is there a change in weight, energy or motivation?
8) When do you exercise?
9) Holidays can be very detrimental to exercising and dieting, what is your plan to get through the holidays without jeopardizing your routine?
10) Who do you count on when you are making lifestyle changes to support you and encourage you to continue?
11) What are your problem areas that you feel need to be worked on the most?
12) What areas of your body to you like the best?
13) Name and exercise program you have heard of but have never tried that you would like to try and tell us why?
14) Fourteen days in summarize your results again.
15) Half way through have you made changes to your program, if so what are they?  Would you like to make changes to your program?
16) What do you do for a warm up?
17) Challenge: It's been 17 days how are the results going?  Challenge yourself to add another 15 minutes of exercising to each day you work out.  Tell us what it is.
18) What are your favourite seasonal activities that change up your exercising routine?
19) Describe the changes you have made to your diet to help you reach your fitness goals.
20) What is your workout playlist?
21) Less than 10 days to go, summarize your results.
22) What is your cool down routine?
23) What is your least favourite type of exercising?
24) What popular exercising/ dieting programs have you tried or researched?  Do they work?
25) What is your ideal weight and are you there?
26) The media bombards us with images of famous people and they criticize them for their weight, what is your opinion on what the "real" people should strive to be?  What type of body image do you want for your children if you have any or for younger people in general?
27) Do you watch the Biggest Loser?  Why or why not?
28) Have you ever entered into a Biggest Loser competition? Why or why not?
29) How have you felt completing this challenge?
30) Last day summarize your results.  What is your next 30 day challenge?

Swimming and Exercising

On the fast track to getting into shape.  There are so many things that I have been doing to try to lose this baby fat weight.  I am not one of those lucky people who drops weight while breast feeding.  Let me correct that, I did drop weight in the beginning, but as he stopped eating as frequently I stopped dropping the weight and without even realizing it I packed it back on. 

With that being said I have made changes in my life to accommodate my goals to lose weight for the wedding and for my life in general.  Stepping onto the scale and seeing XXX pounds was not a happy time for me.  Now I can say that I have lost 5% of my body weight and I have reached a lose of 26% of my goal weight which means I am well on my way to where I want to be.

The month of November has been incredibly busy.  I have been doing some kind of activity for at least forty minutes each night.  Forty minute swimming classes with Little Man, and then two hours of work out classes Tuesday and Thursday and an hour work out class on Friday.  That leaves my weekends free to spend time with the family doing Family activities.  I don't even miss my television on the nights that I am busy.  I just PVR the shows and watch them on days that I am not working. Which really isn't ideal either but it is what it is.

Now I need to keep this momentum up.  I have a gift card to one to one fitness that I will use during the month of December.  Monday's and Wednesday's would be a great days to go and work out with a personal trainer or just to go work out.  I need the motivation.  I need to post a picture of myself at the weight I want to reach and then just keep envisioning myself at that weight, (put the secret to work).  Then in January when the new look 'n book comes out book myself in for at least three classes and figure out what to do on Monday and Wednesdays.

Well let's hope that by the time December rolls around I will see some actual visible results which will keep me motivated to work out through the holiday season!!!

Anyone have any suggestions for types of work out classes that are fun to participate in ??

So many things

It has been sometime since my last post, I have to really work on a schedule for myself so that I stay on track with all the things I want to do in a day.  That's the only way there will ever be enough hours in the day.  By dividing the days and hours into chunks of activities and maybe cancelling my cable.

I know cancelling my cable seems sacrilegious, but I need to do something because I am the easiest person to become unmotivated.  Take yesterday for example, I told myself that during Little Man's nap I would plan for my day today at school.  That was the plan.  When Little Man was down for a nap, I did not follow my plan, I watched The Talk, and Dr. Phil instead.  And neither show improved my life.  I wanted to slap Dr. Phil, I wanted to choke out Julie Chen and her View twins. 

So now that is my new goal, make a day plan to follow and stick to it for 21 days.  If I do then I will get to reward myself with a nice new purse when I go to Vegas!!! If I don't I can't have the purse.

I will keep you informed!!!

Total Body Blast

So this week began my six weeks of exercise classes.  I began on Friday going to a class called Total Body Blast.  I wasn't sure what to expect but it seemed like a good class. Mostly because it conveniently fit into my schedule and did not really interfere with Leigham's bedtime routine too much.  So to the Rec Center I headed.

First thing I would like to say is the instructor was very welcoming and very supportive.  She pushed but not too hard, and was always encouraging me through my workout.  Since I hadn't really done anything since March, when I stopped going to Crossfit.  (I don't know why I stopped, I just did, it was getting nice outside, figured I would stay motivated doing things outside....ooops I was wrong)  So I was a little slow but I was able to make it through the whole workout without dying of exhaustion.

It was a workout that's for sure.  My muscles were shaking as I left the Rec Center.  I knew I was going to be hurting the next day or the day after.  And do I ever feel it today.  Muscles I forgot I had, are crying out in protest, but not is so much pain that I am thinking I will never do that again. In fact I can't wait to start my next class. 

I am starting Firm Up Aerobics on  Tuesday. It goes Tuesday and Thursday and then I will have Total Body Blast on Friday.  It's going to be busy but in such a good way I am very excited.  Soon the numbers on my scale won't make me groan inwardly!!!

Exercising

I am sure exercise is the bane of my existence. On the one hand I love to get out and go running or walking or even going to the gym.  On the other hand, I have no motivation to get started.  You would think I have the biggest motivation to get started, I mean my wedding is coming up in less than a year and I would like to look my best.  Yet here I am completely unmotivated.  At least I am unmotivated to get out and do things on my own.  Like just going to the gym to work out, nope not doing that.

I have gotten a bit more motivated this weekend I signed up for 2 fitness classes. So starting this Friday I will be working out 3 times a week.  One class is every Friday and the other is Tuesday and Thursday.  I have also signed the boys up for swimming lessons on Monday and Wednesday so it looks like I will be out of the house every evening.  This should help in getting some motivation going. 

I know that by getting more active my weight problems will start to get under control, but I feel so tired during the day that when I get home all I want to do is relax on my couch or chair and be mindlessly entertained.  So now having to be out of the house every night may help change this situation. 

Here's hoping that this next alteration is the next big step to getting to my ideal weight!!!

Cash Diet

Haven't quite got the budget under control, but I do have a Cash Diet now.  With the exception of groceries and gas all of my purchases are now done on a cash basis.  Groceries and gas are budgeted for debit purchases and since I usually get my gas at Costco it has become a necessity. 

I am hoping that by limiting myself to $50 a week I will be able to have more cash on hand for paying off debts and saving for my wedding bill.  I am refusing to ever go on vacation again and have debts accumulated.  A vacation must be paid off before it has begun otherwise it is just stressful.

I know I can do it, so here is to turning over a new leaf in the spending department.  I do have a shopping problem but I should be ok if I really focus and work hard.  Subbing jobs here I come!!!

September First has arrived.

So with September 1 having come and gone I am supposed to be re-evaluating my goals.  Or a few of my goals.
Goal #1 with the whole weight loss issue is going well.  I have definitely begun to see some changes and I am sticking with my program of exercising and eating balanced meals.  I do feel I may need some help and I am still considering joining Weight Watchers to that extent.
Goal #2 I feel is in the bag.  I have not had fast food of any kind for so long. I rarely get cravings for chips or chocolate bars.  When I do they are so few and far between that I do feel I can treat myself every once in awhile.
Goal #3 is a little more difficult but I am working out our spending budget and putting us on an allowance.  The allowance is actually helpful and now I am only using my debit card for gas, groceries and this month school supply shopping.
Goal #4 is the routines goal. I feel I am in a routine most of the time. I don't do everything I am supposed to everyday but most days I do get them done. It just depends on how literally I want to follow my routines.  The getting up at 6 is hard at the moment because little man thinks he should still wake up in the middle of the night. :S  but I have been able to get up and be ready to go by 7:30 each morning which is exactly where I need to be!!!

So over the next few days I will be re-evaluated my goals, I will make some more specific and I will add a new one or two.  So let's see how this goes. I am sure that I can do it!!!

Update Goal #4

Goal #4 Update:

By October 2010 I will have a set routine for my daily life with little man, this will include getting up in the morning and going to sleep by 10:30 -11:00 every night.

I am going back over my four goals and looking at deadlines.  One of the first goals that needs to be accomplished or re-evaluated is goal number four.  I didn’t think this would be a hard goal, and it hasn’t been overly difficult, but sometimes I just don’t feel like doing things.

I came up with a morning schedule. In my morning schedule I would get up by 6 am and do a thirty minute work out.  After my workout I would make a smoothie for myself and let Little Man have part of his breakfast.  After we had eaten our breakfast then I would go and shower.  Little man would be with big brother if big brother was home or he would be in the bathroom with me whilst I showered and did my hair and makeup.  So the schedule went something like this…. Exercise, smoothie, shower, wash face, brush teeth, get dressed, hair, makeup, get little man ready for school, ensure that big brother was ready to go and then out the door for us (this would be true if I had a job, but school starts next week, and I think I should be good!!).

I also came up with my evening schedule.  At night I would shower, wash my face, brush my teeth, get my pajamas on, take pills and vitamins, and read or write for 15 minutes.  Those things have been going well. It helps to have a routine in place for after I put Little Man to bed because often I feel like my whole world is only about Little Man and that should not be the case.  I will admit that he should be a large part of my life, but I should still be able to have me time.  So it’s nice to have a routine in place that is just about me!!

With that being said I have determined that there are some changes that need to be made.  One showering twice a day is too much, my skin was getting dried out and I am not in the habit of washing my hair every day.  So I have decided that I will shower in the mornings, then every other night so I can wash my hair.  The other thing I determined is that the trying to fit everything in an hour and a half is doable but I can extend the time if I need to.  I have the ability to be flexible. 

So with a little tweaking in the next little bit I will be able to have a working routine for my life as I prepare to return to the working world.  I have been working on this routine for two weeks now.  Week one was an amazing success, week two not so much, but week three is starting out better.  I have two more weeks to go and then I will be well established with my routine, it should be a habit by then!!

Budget Workings

I loath to admit this, but I hate working out budgets.  I know they are important, I know that to effectively manage your finances a budget is a key tool.  But I HATE them.  I just hate feeling so restrained with being able to spend money. 

I have live my grown up life with this philosophy.  Pay bills first, buy groceries next, and the rest of the money is mine to spend as I so choose.  This has obviously not left me with a lot of savings.  It's frustrating because I am now seeing the importance of savings but at the same time I still like to have things to entertain myself with. 

I have made a decision though, as of this moment, meaning the Month of August I am on an allowance.  I am allowed to have $200 in spending money a month.  This spending money is to be inclusive of my gas money as well.  It will not cover things like oil changes and maintenance on the car but gas money, coffee money, buying movies, going out money will be limited to this $200.  I have to start living within this very small amount so that I can pay off my bills and start a savings.  Granted this will have to be altered a bit if I start subbing and have to drive more than I do or if I start working again because then I will have a bit more money to work with.  For now though and until I have a full time job, $200 a month is my spending money.  That is it that is all.  Let's hope I can stick to this!!!

Life Style Life Interrupted

I have been working so hard to reach my weight loss that goal that I seem to neglect my other goals.....  I tend to do that get very focused on one thing and put blinders on to the rest.  I am getting up every morning and turning on my work out DVD.  I am feeling that I am going to have to start doing some other things as well to increase the effectiveness of this work out routine, but so far it's going great.

One happy thing to report is I have been watching my scale.  I have completed 14% of my weight loss goal, and dropped 6 pounds.  See now I am encouraged because I am seeing changes, not really seeing them in my clothes fit yet but it will come give me another 6 pounds and I will be floating down the road.  I guess it is true about working out, you will hit that hump where it just seems like everything is for naught, then all of a sudden you make it over and Voila things are moving forward.

Do I still have changes to make??  Most definitely, and I will make them.  Hopefully my family will support me in this and hopefully they will stop trying to sabotage my momentum.  Little Man is the worse for this at present.  He is not sleeping through the night again and he wakes up at odd hours just completely out of sorts.  I feel he may be teething, so hopefully this will end soon and he will get back into his routine. Tonight we are home alone and no one has to get up to work in the morning so he gets to cry it out.  I know it seems mean but I will go in and comfort him for a bit then it is time for him to fall back asleep and if that means he has to cry for an extended period of time then so be it.

Give up or Give In

Not sure what happened last night but it was a rough night.  Little Man went to bed around 7:30 which is becoming more and more usual.  I wish he would stay up until 8:00 then both boys would be going down around the same time.  Yes my 11 year old still goes to be around 8, his choice.  So Little Man is a little out of sorts lately, he is cranky and is waking up again in the middle of the night.  All he wants is to cuddle so I am not sure what's going on with him.  Last night he woke up at 1:30 and again at 4:00.  Usually it only takes around 10 minutes to soothe him the first time he wakes up and at 4 I would usually pull him into bed for his morning feeding.  But not last night, he cried for over half an hour and only fell back asleep when I laid with him on the couch, but even then, he kept thrashing around and tossing like he couldn't get comfortable.  It made for a very long night for me.

I have been following my night routine, but getting out of bed this morning at 6 am was not something high on my priority list.  Then I didn't know if I was going to do my exercise routine or anything for that matter.  I seriously considered taking a lazy day.  However, better judgement won out and I got up at 6:40 and made smoothies for Adrian and I then started my work out at 7.  So I was an hour behind schedule but I still got up and followed my routine.

It was hard making that first step to get out of bed and turning on the work out DVD was another hard task but once I had done it I just got going and I feel so great!!  I am happy I did my routine and work out, it has set the tone for the day!!

Routines routines routines

Today marks the beginning of my 21 day "let's make a routine a habit".  I have set myself up with morning and evening routines that I must follow for the next 21 days.  I have certain things I must do when I get up and when I go to bed.  These things include showering, exercising, brushing and flossing, make up breakfast, BCP, just regular stuff really, but things that need to be done.  I have also included in there 15 minutes of me time at night, 15 minutes for me to read or write or both, but just 15 minutes for me to do what I want before going to bed. 

Let's see how the next 21 days go to see if I can turn these routines into habits, that way I will have met another one of my goals.  Soon it will be time to re-evaluate my goals and come up with new goals or restructure the old so I can experience success in these goals.

That budget goal is now going to drive me crazy, but I think I may have it licked.... just got to put some stuff down to paper to work it out and then I think I will have it!!

Thank you

This is a big THANK YOU to those of you who read and commented on my previous blog.  I am being very diligent in not getting discouraged but it is hard when I feel as if I have been working so hard to lose this extra weight and I am not seeing any results (scale or clothing wise). 

After much consideration and thought I have determined that this is what is going to happen in the next few weeks.  1) I am going to go and see my doctor for a check up and try to figure out with him a healthy plan for me... maybe it will be to keep doing what I am doing and the results will come or maybe there will be something else we will add into my regiment.  2) I am going to become more Calorie aware with my eating.  I believe I am eating healthy but it may be that I am eating too much or still too many calories so that my metabolism is not really kicking in yet.  3) I will not be focused so much on the numbers but I will focus on my energy level, my moods, my fit of clothing, and my ability to challenge myself more in workouts.

If all this fails I will most likely be following a diet plan like Weight Watchers.  I have never been a big fan of diets, however, I do think that Weight Watchers is one of the better ones out there.  They don't give you prescribed meals, but let you eat a certain number of points per day.  So in with changing my lifestyle, this will help me to become more aware of what I am eating and how that eating is effecting things like my weight and moods. 

I have always said that if I have plan I am not stressed, it's when things don't work out or I don't see things working out that I get stressed.  As I have grown though I have learned to sit back, re-evaluate the situation and come up with a new plan to make my goals attainable.

Weight Loss Goal Update

So I am reaching a road block in my ambition to lose weight.  Not that I don't want to lose weight but it is so discouraging when the weight loss does not seem to be happening at ALL!!!  It is so frustrating to be doing all the right things, not eating junk food, not drinking pop, exercising, eating balanced meals and still the results do not come forth.  


I understand that I am not a 400 lbs person (friends if I ever get there please do me a favour and lock me in a room with only a mail slot to pass me carrots and water).  I don't want to die but I will obviously have a problem with food if I get to 400 lbs.  I understand that I may not see the results that the contestants on the Biggest Loser see in the first week, but I should be seeing some kind of results.  I just don't feel like I am seeing any.


Now with getting that out of the way, I am here to say that I am not giving up.  I am just going to up my conviction to this goal.  I am going to really start watching what I eat, and I am going to be exercising more consistently.  Harder work outs for longer periods of time with little workouts in between.  I have to lose this weight.  I want to feel great about myself again.  I did it before and I will do it again.  


If anyone has any suggestions or tips please let me know I will take them and adapt them for myself and my family.  Not only will I get healthy but my family will be healthy as well.  It will become a snow ball effect!!

Working out Schedule

So with a friend of mine I have started working out daily.  Right now it is easy because school is out, I am not working and neither is she, however we did talk and starting next week we are going to pick two days a week that we work out during the evening that will be set up for when winter comes. 

I have been working out with Little Man, so he is part of my workout.  I will be pushing him in a stroller or carrying him in a snuggli.  He weighs about 19 pounds now so that is a lot of weight to be carrying or pushing around.  It should help with the workout by having a little bit of weight added.  I am hoping that by the middle of August I can start reporting seeing results.  At times I feel like I am not making any progress, in fact at times it feels like I am moving backwards instead of forwards.  Or rather I am making the scale move up and not down.  I am trying not to get discouraged but changing a lifestyle takes a lot of work.  If I am successful maybe I can start this as a business to help other people as well.  Become one of those life coaches lol.

Making a routine

So it has taken some time but I can now say that I have developed a night time routine that seems to be working.  My next step will be to write out a step by step checklist that I can ensure I am following it every night.  It's a way to keep my following the routine consistently so that I don't start getting lazy.

i asked a friend the other day, and it made me really start to think, but how come it's so easy to break good habits but to break a bad habit seems to take the work of God in will power to make it happen??  People always say it's hard to quit smoking, quit eating junk food but have you ever heard anyone say it's hard to quit dieting or exercising???  I really do want my life to have good habits that are hard to break, but I think after years and years of bad habits and routines this may not be the quick fix I want it to be. 

However, on the bright side things are coming together.  I am scheduling my life so that I am comfortable with it. Now just to decide what I am going to do about work in November.......

Eating out while traveling

So the other day I was taught an invaluable lesson from my stomach.   It was a lesson that I shouldn't have needed to be taught as I am a grown woman and should know better.  But here is the lesson I was forced to learn.... If you are not accustomed to eating greasy fast food, do not binge on greasy fast food....  I did not think I was binging on the greasy fast food, but apparently my stomach knew otherwise.

The day started out fine, had breakfast at my cousins then we got ready to head to the beach.  We decided we would stop at a fast food place for the trip out, just for convenience sake.  We stopped at Jack in the Box and had burgers.  The next thing I ate was ballpark food, fried chicken strips and garlic fries.  I also consumed a lot of soda that day, it was diet soda, but it was as much soda as I would have had in the last two months.  Seriously it was all I drank that day.

Well my stomach got me back that night.  I was sick as a dog.   I learnt my lesson, and now I am very aware of what I eat because the greasy food is making me sick.  But I guess in the long run this is a good thing, it is going to keep me on track for losing the weight I want to lose and also keeping me honest to this Life Style Lift as it is a change for all times in my life not just for when I am at home.

I now know that I am not as young as I used to be and my stomach is not as resilient  to ingesting crap food that it used to be able to do in any situation.

Weight Loss Goal Update

So I am almost to the end of my four weeks.  The time has flown by!!  But I have some positive things to report.  My four week goal was to lose 10 pounds, unfortunately that may have been a bit of a lofty goal beacuse I have not lost ten pounds.  However, I am not upset by this, I am actually happy with the progress I have made.

I had decided that in order for me to lose the weight I would have to do six things consistently.  These six things were exercising, cutting out junk food and pop, eating 6 servings of fruits or veggies a day, drinking 6 glasses of water, and not eating after 8 pm.  My most successful areas were cutting out pop, and not eating after 8 pm.  Adrian tried to foil my plans a few nights by eating in bed, but I think my not eating after 8 has also influenced him as he has not eaten in bed half as much as he used to.  I was also very successful at drinking at least 6 glasses of water a day.  I did notice that since I have started this, that when I do not drink those 6 glasses I get headaches and don't feel too good.  I welcome those feelings becasue then I will be encouraged to drink water in order to continue to feel good.  Junk food is my nemisis, in this I include chips and chocolate bars and fast food.  In this four week time I have eaten two meals from a fast food restaurant, and I have indulged a couple times in chips and sweet snacks.  The bonus of this is that I am cognizant of what I am eating and I am not ingesting as much as I would if I were not keeping track.  I have cut out pop from my diet (YEAH ME) because I was addicted to pepsi and I have only drank pepsi on one occassion and that was at the wedding.  Exercise has been the most disappointing goal.. and I can only blame myself.  I started picking up with the whole exercising then I let it fall out again.. But I am going to change my goals for the next four weeks to be more specific especially with the exercising portion.

So now for the good news! I have three different sizes of pants, I have my fat ass pants, my acceptable size pants, and my desirable sized pants.  Nevermind what those actual sizes are lol.... But when I realized that I was living this horrible nightmare of me vs the scale, I was only able to squeeze into my fat ass pants...  couldn't even pull my desirable sized pants up over my extra large thighs.  Today I was able to pull on all my acceptable size pants and do them up comfortably.  It's time for a celebration!!!! Not a really big celebration but a little one.

Just remember it's those small steps that will consistently and assuredly lead us to what we want, the big leaps often leave us with less then sure footing so we fall back and often have to start again. 

Hiccups in Goal #4

So I have been trying hard to go to sleep at the same time every night with the intention of getting my full 8 hours of sleep then getting up and starting my day at a normal hour.  However, Little Man does not think I need, nor deserve 8 hours of sleep.  He has gotten into some otherworldly routine where he does not want to sleep in his own bed at night.  It's becoming a problems.

I haven't even written out my ideal bedtime routine because he's been such a little monster.  But I guess I can't blame him, and I should do my routine around him regardless.  I have a basic routine just not a set routine, which I feel I need to make this goal successful. I believe it's just my need to follow a schedule that has me set on creating this to see success, becasue without I am more whimsical and to make changes being whimsical is not going to help me.

Little Man's problems stem from not wanting to be put in his crib.  He has this inate sense when I am putting him in his crib, he wakes up, tenses his little body and starts to cry.  I try to soothe him but it's not use, he just cries, so then I let him cry.  I am trying to let him cry it out, but after an hour, I've heard enough.  So I go and get him and cuddle with him in my bed until he's asleep then I put him back in his crib.  Usually he will stay asleep then, but not always.  He has also attempted to give up napping as well. 

We have ended the midnight feedings and things were going well.  Then Little Man got sick and he started to wake up in the middle night and won't go back to sleep.  So now I have a sick child who is waking up at 1:30 and not going back to sleep until close to 4.  Then he's up again at 6 and that's when I take him into bed with me.  I would love to be up at 7 and getting ready for my day, but apparently my son has other plans for me.

I am not sure what to do, but I am open to suggestions, because I am coming to the end of my rope.  What do you do when your baby just cries and cries??  How do you get them into a good night time routine where they sleep for 8-12 hours??

Weight Loss, let the Journey begin

I find it confusing that I can gain weight in the blink of an eye, but it takes eons to lose it.  So I am starting, I know that maintaining and losing weight is about making changes to your life and eating better, being more active and shutting down those excuses, but it still seems so hard.  It also seems very discouraging when it seems to take forever to lose any weight, but it seems like no problem to pack on the pounds.  I know that the weight gain is my fault, I don't blame anyone else it is simply me not being diligent with my exercising and eating habits.  But I am changing those now....

So here are some of my before pictures they are so not flattering, but they are my encouragement to change and work towards a weight at which I am comfortable and feel good and healthy.

Update June 11, 2010

Last Friday I went away on holidays.  I went to Prince Edward Island for five days.  Usually when I go on holidays I go for food and shopping, my two comfort items.  But as I was determined to begin my Lifestyle Lift I was consciencous of what I put into my body.

The food part was taken care of but I didn't do so well on the exercising part.  I did quite a bit of walking, but no real aerobic exercise to get my heart rate up.

Other areas where I struggled were with spending money, I don't think I did to bad.  I spent $400 in total while I was there so that it acceptable, but I could have done without  buying some of the things I bought. 

I stayed on schedule with waking up at the same time and generally going to bed around the same time.  This stayed truen until the night we came home.  Silly time zones and silly planes coming in late at night.  It definitely threw me for a loop and yesterday was a write off. 

Well more later, must go to the other blog to blog about Prince Edward Island.

Long Term Goal #4

By October 2010 I will have a set routine for my daily life with little man, this will include getting up in the morning and going to sleep by 10:30 -11:00 every night.

Short Term Goals:

1. Write out ideal Bedtime routine and follow it for 21 days straight.
2. Write out ideal morning routine and follow it for 21 days straight.
3. Set alarm clock and sleep clock on tv to coincide with sleep times once routines are established.

This goal is more for my sanity and to help keep me motivated during the days I don't want to get up and to keep me on track when it feels like my day is running away from me!!

Long Term Goal #3

By November 2010 I will have a budget by which I live reducing my spending and creating a lifestyle that is cash based only, using credit cards to secure purchases only.

Short Term Goals

1. Create a monthly spreadsheet for spending and income and fill in for the month.  Monitoring all little spendings as well.
2. Evaluate bills by September 15, 2010 and make reductions where we do not need to be spending.
3. By October 2010 have all credit cards paid off and only use them in emergencies.

This will be a hard goal for me to maintain or would be a hard goal to maintain because I have a habit of spending money, but I am making a change and I will beat this goal and live a life where I don't have to worry about money!!!

Long Term Goal #2

By August 1, 2011 my diet will consist of 6 glasses of water, 5 servings of fruits or veggies, 1-2 servings of protein and 1-2 dairy servings and 3 carbohydrates, completely eliminating fast food, chips, candy bars and soda.


Short term Goals

1. By August 15, 2010 I will have not had Pepsi (soda) for one full month or more.
2. By November 9, 2010 as a family we will have eliminated Fast Food Restaurant dining from our eating menu including delivery and take out.
3. I will drink at least 6 glasses of water a day and record this in my exercise journal.

I like to set dates for certain criteria that way I can work on portions of the goal and thus complete the goal fully but not feel like all my vices have to be given up cold turkey. ;)

Long Term Goal #1

1.By August 1, 2011 I will be 150-155 pounds in weight, which will put me at roughly a size 8.


Short term Goals:

1. I will creat an exercise journal and exercise at least 3 times per week recording those exercise times down in the journal.
2. In four weeks I will have lost 10 pounds and will have completed 540 minutes of exercise.
3. By October 28, 2010 (one year after the birth of little man) I will have reached my prepregnancy weight and maintained or dropped below it for four weeks.

Here is a chart that I am going to use to help me maintain this goal and Goal #2.  Thanks to Nellie for the idea!!!
Goals: To lose 10 pounds in 4 weeks                    M T W R F S S Total M T W R F S S total


Exercise for twenty to sixty minutes (3 pts)

Not eating junk food (1 point)

Eating 6 servings of fruits or veggies a day ( 1 point)

Not eating after 8pm ( 1 point)
Drinking 6 glasses of water a day (1 point)

Not drinking pop (1 point)


In it's chart form on my computer it looks great, but for this it didn't copy so well.  However, what happens is each day I complete one of these goals I give myself a stamp and total up the points at the end of the week.  It will then give me a visual representation of how well I am doing at maintaining my goals.  Some areas I have to work more dilligently at, but others I am well on my way to perfecting!!!

Setting Goals

I have never been good at setting goals, or sticking to them.  Often times I will set them then promptly forget about them until something reminds me that I have not been fulfilling my goals.  Well that is the first change I wish to make.... I am going to set goals and stick with.  I am going to set 4 long term goals and then I will set 3 short term goals for each of those long term goals.  That way I can see myself progressing.  As I reach a short term goal I will re-evaluate the long term goal and make changes I see fit.  I will never lessen the goal, but I will increase it if it seems like the mark is too easy to reach.  Especially if it is only a partial goal.

So after much consideration here are my first four long term goals:

1. By August 1, 2011 I will be 150-155 pounds in weight, which will put me at roughly a size 8.
2. By August 1, 2011 my diet will consist of 6 glasses of water, 5 servings of fruits or veggies, 1-2 servings of protein and 1-2 dairy servings and 3 carbohydrates, completely eliminating fast food, chips, candy bars and soda.
3. By November 2010 I will have a budget by which I live reducing my spending and creating a lifestyle that is cash based only, using credit cards to secure purchases only.
4. By October 2010 I will have a set routine for my daily life with little man, this will include getting up in the morning and going to sleep by 10:30 -11:00 every night.

I have set these long term goals and will post separate blogs with explanations into my short term goals that will enable me to reach my long term goals.  With the wedding approaching in just over a year I want to be healthy, and looking fabulous, with no money stresses from the big day!!! 

Taking Back Control

The other morning started as all other mornings do in my house, the waking up to a baby crying and two other members of my household preparing to go to work and school.  Slowly, the baby and decided to begin our day.  I got up checked my emails and Facebook accounts, I always check my emails first as they will tell me if there is anything interesting on Facebook that requires my attention.  I turned on the television to have Ellen playing in the background.  I served myself breakfast and made breakfast for the baby.  I had two English muffins with pb and j, the baby had cereal.  After I changed baby into a clean diaper and outfit for the day I placed him down on the floor in my room so I could begin to get dressed.  That's when disaster struck!! 
I had grabbed a pair of jeans out of my clean laundry basket.  I pulled those jeans on, right leg first then the left leg.  I hoisted the jeans up over my knees, skimming over my thighs and tugging over my arse to my waist.  (Not really my waist but two inches below as is the style of this particular pair of jeans.)  Placing my hands on either side of the buttons I pulled,  and pulled and yanked to make the button hole and button meet, but WHAT THE HECK (wth)!!!  I couldn't make these two meet, there was a solid inch of skin in the way of letting this happen!!! These were jeans I had only worn last week WTH!!
So out of the blue I had packed on a bunch of weight, weight I never saw coming.  I didn't think I was eating like a porker, or gorging myself to justify gaining so much weight and frankly so many inches.  I don't feel like I look fat, I don't feel like I am obese.  Ok maybe obese is an exaggeration but I don't think my WII Fit will agree.  It will most likely call me obese. 
How come it always seems to go this way??  You are always very conscience of when you are losing weight because of all the effort you are exerting to get to your desired weight, but when you gain weight it happens so slyly that it just smacks you in the face one day when you least expect it.  I had thought I was losing weight or at least maintaining my weight, but nope, not EVEN close.  Has this ever happened to you?  It's the time when you realize you are simply a passenger in YOUR life's drive, not the DRIVER.  It is at the time when you are simply going through the motions and the motions have made you sedentary and unhappy. 
The unhappy reality, for me, is this has very recently happened to me.  I am letting too many outside variables direct my life and I have decided to make over my life.  From this day forward I am taking back control and giving my Lifestyle a Lift. 
Like a face lift, my Lifestyle Lift will take me to a point in my life that is very altered from here, where I will be healthy and happy with all the choices in my life. 
Do not be surprised to hear me talking about the 7 habits of Highly Effective People, or Grace Cirocco, or The Secret because these are influences I have come across and I feel the need to incorporate them into my life.
First things first let's set some goals!!!