Day 9-13 of 90

I have had literally no time carved out for this because I made my hubby a priority but I still made sure to eat properly and hydrate.  Lately, I can't stress enough the importance of water and green tea over milk, juice, pop etc.

NEVER drink pop on a day you plan to exercise, and really just stay away from pop.  Soda of any kind is not good for your body.  Think of it this way, if everything is in moderation why would you put really old oil in to your engine if you KNOW full well that this oil (substitute this for a second as the pop being ingested in to your body and then being filtered) will not, in any way, benefit or make your engine run better.  Remember that pop is full of sugar, that OJ is necessary but not in huge amounts to maintain the sugar intake you need in a small way.  Milk in copious amounts will not benefit you in the long run.  Milk is HIGH in calories and while you should drink it, and it offers calcium, potassium and calorie intake benefit when consumed properly, but that's it.  There is also, I just noticed last week, over a 100 calorie difference between 1% and 2% milk.  Milk is mostly water but when you get higher percentage, think of it as drinking liquid fat.  And a chocolate milk is over 450 calories easily.  If you're addicted to those and still working out while plateauing all over the map, there's part of your answer right there.  Soy milk I won't ever try again, huge calories and way too rich in taste for me.  I'm also in an age group that doesn't particularly need Soy milk.  I happen to like my 1% and feel heavy in the digestion area if I have 2%.

As soon as I cut chocolate milk down to bare minimum, I started seeing results.  And then even more when I began to drink Green Tea (loose leaf or bag) regularly.  It is such a relief to be feeling good after ingesting a liquid beverage rather than feeling physically drained because my body is working so bloody hard to digest whatever I just had with my meal.  

Everyone is different but basic nutrition remains the same for EVERYONE as human beings combined with exercise.

That being said, the second I started doing cardio, and as I said it is different for everyone, I started noticing that my thirty to forty minutes jogs combined with strength training were starting to make me look more fit.  I can move better and I can breath better.  Having the right bra is key, if your diaphragm is squished you can't breath when you jog correctly.  And half of working out is how you breath and flex.  Guys, can't help you there, my suggestion would be to start lifting weights and have a low carb diet for a few weeks and build up some muscle in your upper torso,  That might help you with the breathing eventually, and it will strengthen your back.

I'm by no means an expert but I have eyes in my head and when see results like I described I see that men/women can breath and move easily.

So these last few days for diet have been quite interesting.  I've been cooking different meals here and there, making sure not to over do my portions.  (I'm starting to improve my talent in the kitchen so having self control is key here).

Fibre breakfasts with bananas
KD (I know, I know, bad girl)
NO MCDONALDS!
Chicken, onions and veggies
Lasagna
Multigrain bread sammiches with pickles, ham, mustard, and mayo

I've done yoga and jogging and strength training these four days, I'm still at 203lbs and looking forward to being around 195lbs in October.  I'm not expecting that but at the rate I've been dropping this fat off my tall figure I'll likely be half way to my goal by Christmas.  (I don't plan on breaking my habits just to eat copious amounts of turkey and ham).  

It helps that hiking around here is year round and hunting season is upon us.  That kind of exercise is like no other, beats you up, spits you out some days and always helps you sleep well.  Has to be that mountain air! *wink*

Day 8 of 90

Hello fellow couch potato,

I worked out today but that I cannot share. *wink*

I did also watch the entire first series so far of Outlander and the Celt in me is inspired, satisfied and happy that historical information is so accurately portrayed.  I'm also part Brit so the 1940's rings home for me as well.  Family lineage and war experience and all that. :-)

Not much to share today except I snacked most of the day and kept it healthy.  Carbs balanced with protein and greens.

Can't say that I had a lot of water though, and for one day I'm sure that's fine.  I had a LOT of tea.  Made the mistake of having Blueberry Tea which is partly a sedative.  Oops.  Middle of the day I should have stuck to my green tea.

That's all for now.

Day 7 of 90

Hello couch potato,

Prepare to be envious!  I had a radical day!!!  My fiance took me up in an Aurora today, and I got to sit in the cockpit in the pilot seat.  I was allowed to have a conversation with the co-pilot who offered me the chance to fly the plane but I turned it down.  It made my heart soar (pardon the pun) just to be in the seat and have that head set on so I didn't need more.  The VIEW. . .wow, never have I ever seen BC like that.  Even in the Buffalo airplane and the Cormorant helicopter you don't get that kind of view.

The pilot took us right on around the Comox Glacier, I have fantastic pictures of the snow pack, which is not really there right now.  I mean, the glacier itself is there but the snow pack is just not.  I thought this place was beautiful from the ground, and admired it from far away because I never thought I could get THAT close but up above the topography changes dramatically.

I've included some of the images I took today.  Others I am not permitted, as this is a combat ready airplane, to post them.

You might be wondering why I'm posting this is my health transformation blog.  That's okay, and I can explain that.  I want people to see that there are GOOD reasons to not work out some days.  I didn't work out today, I ate as healthy as I felt like it.  Saying that you just don't feel like it and stay on the couch, not okay.

I took time out of my life to enjoy myself and a healthy mind is exactly what the doctor ordered.  I've been working out yes, but there have been some personal things that have brought me down to a point I haven't seen in about three years.  Today was just awesome.  I can't believe that just happened.

Day 6 of 90

Hi couch potato,

Despite getting up far too late in the morning, and trying for FOUR hours to get out and be active I managed to get my awesome hubby out there with me to go scouting for a hunting hole.

If anyone has ever been 1) hunting 2) stalking for deer 3) hiking you will know that all three of those things takes you from the hassle of daily life to the pristine wilderness where your fitness is tested.  Mind body and soul.  I'm proud to say that because I've lost 10lbs it was much easier for me to breath evenly, and to walk through dead fall in the afternoon light and dusk.

I had a healthy bagel for breakfast with a nice glass of orange juice.  Lunch was deviled eggs and peanuts and water.  Dinner was a half a sammich shared with my man.

I will likely need way more calories later on but I'll get there when I get there.

Sadly no deer today but -- quite the work out.  And I fell over but I'm fine.  Just scratched up and I didn't fall half as badly as he did.  He did a face plant and somehow walked away from that unscratched.  Still have no idea how.

Here's a picture or two from the day.

Day 5 of 90

Today is an overcast rainy day, that is still hot when the sun comes out and cold when it hides behind the clouds.

I will set aside time to work out today but I'm thinking limited cardio and yoga in the house.  I like doing what I can to keep up and go along with P90X YogaX.  Some of it is entirely too hard for me to do at the moment -- but I still TRY at least once to see if I can.

The chair pose is extremely hard and you have to have no gut in order to do this.  And guess what I have?  A gut.  It's going away but it's there and is hampering my ability for now to do that pose.  So now I have a goal.  Yay me!

The repetitive nature of Yoga or Pilates is what makes me break a sweat, and shaking muscles actually means "yes" you are doing something right.  It used to be, back in the day, if your muscles were shaking it was considered "weak" and "potential for injury".  I think that there is potential for injury if you haven't consulted your doctor (which I have) and you haven't bothered to follow instruction and do something with cold muscles and tendons (which I don't).  Easy as pie.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

I have experienced my own body stretch farther and more comfortably with warmed up legs and arms.  My back absolutely loves stretching once I'm at my weight loss heart rate which is 158bpm (my resting is 82).  I nearly fell asleep stretching after cardio and a yoga session once.  

I'm not a fitness buff or fanatic but I DO know that I feel better already in my body, and I happen to like jogging.  I've never liked that before.  Lots of changes happening lately.  

This mornings meal was a breakfast bun and some bacon to get that calorie intake going.  I've been watching what I eat all week so far and I think I need more calories in the morning.  We'll see if my theory is sound.

Day 4 of 90

Hello couch potato,

I have another entry that I forgot to put in here yesterday.  I think yesterday was a good day to relax and get back in touch with the cleaner side of life.  My leg was also making it quite difficult to move around.

I worked on that as much as possible, stretching and walking as much as I could throughout the day.  I had a cheat meal not a cheat day and kept up my hydration with water, green tea and milk.  Some coffee but not an entire pot like I used to.

I'm finding that the green tea is really helping me stay regular and comfortable in my own body during a day where I might feel a little bloated or totally normal and aware that my meal is going to be harder to digest.

It was raining yesterday too, and I have yet to discover the desire to run in the rain.  I suppose since we're headed in to rainy weather for the fall I'll have to get over it.

So let's see this is what I had to eat:

Breakfast was cereal with milk and no sugar/drink was milk
Lunch was kraft dinner (cheat meal, there is nothing healthy about KD)
Dinner was pan cooked (not fried) chicken with herbs and seasoning, pasta and mushrooms with low fat spag sauce

Somewhere in this week I had a banana.

Day 3 of 90

Hi all,

Today is a great day!  I went for a 4.7KM power walk today which took 58 minutes because I didn't waste any time.  I forgot my pedometer but I remember my hydration and my sunglasses.  The weather here is amazing lately and not that much rain has come.  Dry pathways await!

I didn't go as far today and I did jog part of it, partly because I really wanted to be outside and get fit and partly because I have a charley horse in the back of my calf.  I went out today to work that out of my leg, I didn't want to stay at home because of that.

Now I have to go out again because I forgot to buy milk.  Can't make my lunch without that!  So this means I'll be getting double the work out I planned for the day.  Nothing wrong with that.

I love my decision (so far) to commit myself to not using my car as much.  I also plan on selling it but that's for another blog altogether.

Ciao!

Day 2 of 90

Hey there couch potato,

So today was particularly emotionally painful.  The kind that makes you want to eat your feelings.  I did well not to do this until supper time and I caved.  I had cereal for breakfast, and sammich for lunch and for dinner. . . I went to Triple-0's.  .  . which is probably the worst food in town.  My stomach went for a bender the whole night, my fiance couldn't stop gassing me out of rooms.  It was awful.  So today I make myself the promise that I will no longer be eating shitty food.  I will make food at home and if I have to move my routine around a little, so be it.  That's a small sacrifice.

I did work out as well.  Something happened in my life that caused me to throw myself in to my work out.  I jogged and powered walked a 10.5KM route.  I don't recommend this to anyone who isn't ready for it.  As for my legs right now, I do feel a little pinch but I'm okay all around.  I can still walk! Yay!

I stood on the scale to see where I am just for fun, and it looks like I dropped 2lbs of water retention.

I have been careful not to live by the scale and to hydrate as much as possible.  Also, 5lbs (aside from the 2) disappeared after my cycle.  Women will understand that one.  Over joyed to see that I am in actual fact 205lbs not 215 and not 210.  Sqweeee!!!

Okay, that aside, I am extremely tired and need to sleep as I feel drained and I'll talk tomorrow.

(I wrote this last night, forgot to post it, lots going on)

Day 1 of 90

Hi all,

Some of you know me, some of you don't.  Doesn't matter.

Anyone can relate to what I write in this kind of arena.

The last time I remember being 165lbs and SMOKIN' HOT I might add, is 2001.  It is now 2014 and I am over 200lbs.  No reason except not making the right choices and letting my previous depression dictate to my mind what was right for me.

I have been over 200lbs for 10 years.  I might be lying about the extra few years but I can't remember when I wasn't over 200lbs unless I think back to when I was literally starving while living on my own.  Work didn't cover much for food and my transportation was my feet and the bus.  That'll whip anyone in to shape in a sprawling concrete jungle.

I never, ever, thought I would get this big; thinking how awful it would be if I did.  I used to be able to eat anything I wanted, carbs, carbs carbs, sugar, sugar, sugar - - - and then get up in the morning and do it again if I wanted to.  But then I was in every sport I could be in, I didn't drive, I walked or biked everywhere, and I was swimming often.  That connection didn't click until this week.

I even competed as a lane swimmer and a synchronized swimmer when I was younger.  Believe me, that type of competitive athleticism doesn't allow room for junk food, there was a time when sugar wasn't part of my diet that much.

But I let that be a part of my mind set far after I dropped out of the things I was successful at.  I had an awful teenage rebellion and then my attitude got the best of me.

It's time I took my body, mind and health back.  I already saved my soul by finding true love, that was my life hack.

So in order to keep myself accountable for what I'm doing, I am starting this daily diary of my routines without apology.  Every day it will be kept up, and every day I will list what I'm eating and doing to work out.  I may or may not have a cheat day.  I'm afraid of the cheat days because of the fact that I might just get lazy enough to create a cheat week.

If I want to fit in to my wedding dress, I can't have too many of those now can I?

I know wedding the dress style I want and I absolutely, will NOT, fit in to it at the size I'm at now.

So.

Day 1: 210lbs (lost 5lbs already)

Breakfast: Pan fried bacon, mini pancakes, turkey breakfast sausages.
Lunch: pasta
Dinner: pasta (left overs from a casserole)
Green tea, coffee, water, OJ, milk.
Snacked on chips and a kitkat.

Ugh.  Okay I need to make this a better balance.  And COMMIT to this.  I'm finding that this is exactly like quitting smoking, I'm waffling instead of actually fucking doing it.  Time to change that for a start.

How about this: cereal in the morning.  Sammich for lunch.  A chicken dish for dinner.   That sounds normal.  Perhaps a protein shake before or after my jog?

Work out today: around a 35-45 minute walk to the mall & back.  17 crunches but done in a separated rep tally and each different muscle groups.  Chair sit ups, regular sit ups. 5lb weights each hand, squats, and overhead lifts.  I was going to attempt V-Ups but my stomach warned me of certain up chucking.  I know I should power through that though, so tomorrow I'll take my time and do it all.  I found this amazing ab work out list on-line and I've begun to apply it.  So far I feel that I can do most of the list but some of it is extremely hard to get coordinated with.  I'm already fairly clumsy. . .but I will work on it.

I KNOW in my heart that I CAN do this, I just need to keep reminding myself that this is a lifestyle change not an over night fix.  

"[The key to] transformation is to fall down seven times, and get up eight." - Chris Powell.