Surviving the Holiday Season...

The holiday season is upon us and "surviving" the holidays can mean so many things, for me this means enjoying the festivities, without sacrifice and keeping my health goals in mind. Life has been stressful and busy, so I plan to enjoy holiday celebrations without feeling like I am sacrificing, but I am going to be smart about my choices and plan my days to allow for a bit of indulgence without guilt!  
The invitations for get togethers are starting up. This means lots of eating and more drinking than usual - which equals WEIGHT GAIN. This year I am heading into the holiday season with a plan to maintain my weight - not gain. My plan is simple. First off - exercise a minimum of 5 days a week, especially on the days I plan to partake in "festivities". I will do a cardio workout a minimum on 3 days per week and Pilate's daily - either matwork or reformer depending on availability. 
Second, I will keep up on my nutrition goals. Eating clean - healthy, fresh food and small meals spread out throughout the day. On the days I have plans to celebrate the season, I will be more mindful of my choices - limit my sugar and carbs, drink more water and have a healthy snack before I leave the house so that I do not arrive at the party with an empty stomach. Also, (don't tell Kayla) I plan to add or alter my recipes to be healthier. It is so hard to ignore the cookie jar full of fresh cookie. I will feel no guilt knowing I am getting health benefits from the treats!
Thirdly, NO JUDGEMENT! The key for me is being reasonable on my expectations.  If I set up a plan I cannot live up to and fail - I will be much harder on myself and more apt to give up on the plan entirely. We are all so hard on ourselves, much harder than we should be. The holidays are about enjoying time with friends and family, so allow yourself to enjoy. January was created for resolutions, put off your weight loss expectations until then. Don't focus on the "cheats", rather the things you are doing that are good for your body and enjoy yourself. Laughter and happiness are so good for your over all health. Keep your expectations for yourself simple and easy to follow. Be mindful of what you are putting in your mouth and resist the temptation to hibernate, be as active as you can. 
This is all easier said than done...but having a plan/strategy will definitely help. I hope you will all "survive" the holiday season with me. I will do my best to keep you posted on my progress!

Family movie night on a Tuesday? Why not?

As I stated in my last post - life is busy and stressful right now. This is the stage of life we are in. Kids with activities, demanding careers, never ending "to do" lists and just plain life stuff. It is hard to fit in time for yourself and at times your family suffers by you trying to be a super-woman, trying to do "it" all!

I took some me time on the weekend and went shopping with my girls friends. 2 nights in the US, 10 hours straight walking on Saturday (did not feel guilty having fries) lots of laughing and tons of venting. It was great and much needed. We got back later than planned on Sunday night - Isabel had wanted to snuggle and watch a movie when I got home. But I was too late for that, so I committed to a Tuesday night movie night (if she got her homework done in time).

Isabel was so excited. Troy and Kayla joined us. I cannot remember the last time we all sat on the couch and watched a movie together. We had popcorn, a bit of chocolate and we all snuggled under blankets on the couch. Even Nico our golden retriever joined in the snuggle party. What a fun night!! Isabel was up a bit later than usual, but so worth it!

Despite the late night, Isabel woke up with the same amount of coxing as usual and was in good spirits. On the drive into school she asked is we could have movie night every Tuesday. So easy and obviously meant a lot. We get so caught up in the need to's that we forget about the want to's. Our house has been caught in a vortex of stress, always on the go, brining home the stress of our day and forgetting the need to slow down. 

Continuing with my current life themes: control the things you can, don't fret the things you can't and when life gets busy, stick to the basics!

When life is crazy, stick to the basics!

First off - have to say thank you to everyone who has run into me over the last couple of weeks and have started the conversation "you look great, how is it [my journey] going?". It is comments like that, that really keep me going. Lately I've not been feeling good about my progress, which is why I haven't written in a while.

I have not been making the time to exercise.  Part because life has been busy and stressful, which leads to just not wanting to do it and part is choosing to spend my free moments with my family. I am struggling with finding time in my day to fit it in. If it is not scheduled and I don't have someone expecting me, I won't do it. Plan and simple. I have to figure out a way to motivate my self and make it happen.

So I was starting to get down on myself for not making it a priority, not putting more of an effort into exercising. Then I looked down and I can't see my stomach anymore. I used to look like I was 6 month pregnant. My stomach isn't flat, but it's not protruding like it used to.  People are still commenting - that I am looking good. My clothes are still fitting better. I'm in a bit of a rut with not exercising, but I'm not gaining weight and I would even say I am still trimming. Why is that? ... My diet!

I'm still making healthy choices, making my shakes in the morning, taking time during the day to get in my healthy snacks and right now that is working without effort. I really hadn't even thought about it. It is really amazing how much of an impact eating well has on your weight. It's simple, it's basic and easy to do.

We are so hard on ourselves. We want to be Wonder Woman (or appear to be) and do it all, effortlessly. There are days when I feel like I can't do anything right, that I'm not great at anything I do because I need to be ok at so many things. UGH - so much pressure we put on ourselves. 

I think it's time for a weekend away with the girlfriends. Recharge the batteries and talk about all of our failures and remember I'm not alone. Every mom is in the same boat - working at home or out of the house. It's not easy,  however anything that is not easy seems to provide the greatest rewards!

My New Mantra - Focus on the things you can control

I am starting to look back on my life experiences and was feeling a bit old when I heard myself say "if only I knew then what I know now." There is so much in our lives we cannot control. I could put myself in the looney bin trying to (my apologies if that offends - going for comedic effect). So I've adopted a new mantra and it is really helping! I'm focusing on the things I can control. Making sure my girls and husband know they are loved, making time to take care of myself, getting my life organized and in order. Last week I cleaned out 2 of my kitchen cupboards. It was so therapeutic. Clearing the clutter seemed to help clear my mind as well. 

Love this quote:

“We have a right to decide how we want our bodies to look and feel, but unfortunately we do not exercise these rights. Instead, we tend to drift along, victims of our own ignorance of the fact that we can have what we want, if we are willing to take that first step toward developing the self-discipline to govern our thoughts.”
― Holly Mosier

Back to Focusing on my Diet

My energy has been low, PMS was the worst is has been in months and my food baby is starting to show again! No excuses, I know how to solve this problem and it is simple - no more bagels from Tim Horton's and start eating clean again!


Yesterday I decided to try making the 

Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats I posted on my recipe page a few months ago. I had not attempted making them until this weekend. Stacey did warn me that they are a lot of work - but I was not expecting this. 3 pots on the stove, slow cooker was started at noon with the chicken. Oven finishes off the dish and the rice cooker was also going. Without counting the 5 hours to make the shredded chicken, this meal took me an hour to make. The good thing about the labour put in to make this dish is that with 3 burners on and the oven pre-heating I sweated out 5 lbs! Kayla and Troy both said they liked this dish and would eat it again. Next time I make this I would do it with left overs, so I don't feel like I'm cooking all day.

It's another Monday and I am getting back on track with my goals. This morning I made my shake filled with all of the nutrients and supplements I need. I brought snacks to keep me energized throughout the day and will be heading to the gym before my class tonight to get in my workout. Breaking old habits and sticking to my MONDAY plan!

Diet Definitely Helps with PMS!!

It is so nice how many people are interested in how I am progressing with my goals! Lately my answer to everyone has been that I am in a valley right now. I've deviated a bit from my nutritional goals - as we all do when we get stressed. I'm not eating horribly - but I have not been taking my supplements or making my shakes in the morning. I got out of the habit at the end of August and am realizing how much it was helping me! The supplements and the Shake I was making every morning were really helping with my PMS symptoms. The pain in between periods is bad again and I had not realized how all of the other symptoms that come along with our monthly gift had improved. 

So, the good thing about this set back... valley...or deviation from my plan is that it is actually motivating me. Reminding me of how good I was feeling, and now I know how to get back there! Silver lining found! 

Don't fret the set backs, learn from them!

What is healthy?

I was watching Eat Pray Love on the weekend and thinking I wish I could go to Bali, make friends with a wise medicine man and find my inner peace - the life balance I have been working towards over the past 4 months. I know I've written about this before, but it keeps coming up. There is so much more to being healthy than eating well and exercising. Your mind and inner wellbeing plays such an important roll in your over all health. 

My life has been out of balance for a while, a long while and I think it has caught up with me. I cannot go into great detail about what is/has been throwing off my balance because I do not think it is appropriate (at least at this point) to go into detail. However, I can guarantee that I am not the only person who has gone through this or a similar situation. 

There is no such thing as an easy life. Happiness, good health and Love (with a capitol 'L') all take commitment and  work. It took Julia Roberts 3 country's to find her inner peace.  I wonder if I can find mine in one?

Our little peace keeper

Kayla (our oldest) and I have a very good, unique relationship. We communicate well and come across as bickering sometimes (drives Troy nuts). Last night we discussing my cooking lately and the addition of healthy food to already healthy meals - more specifically the addition of red peppers. Kayla does not like red peppers and was expressing her frustration. 

We did not even notice that our discussion had turned to an argument. Until Isabel asked us to stop fighting and told us that we needed to go to her office to "find a positive solution." It was so cute. She set herself up at the dinning room table and had us stand across from her. She gave us both an opportunity to provide our side of the story and she took notes. When Kayla appealed her case, she tried to relate Isabel's dislike of cooked carrots.
Kayla: "you know how you don't like cooked carrots?"
Isabel: "Kayla, we aren't talking about me right now. Let's stick to finding a solution for you"

Oh, my goodness - did we laugh!! Isabel's mediation resulted in an agreement that I will not try ti hide red peppers in our dinners and Kayla will be responsible for dinners if she complains again. I think I may hire her to help with some of our staff issues!!   

I am planning a 2 week jumpstart. for 2 weeks I will stick to a clean, fresh, well balanced meal plan and exercise 6 days out of the week. Krista will be helping me with a workout schedule sure to jumpstart my metabolism and fitness endurance. Each day I will provide my meal and exercise plan, as well as how I am felling and making it work with my already busy schedule. This also means every meal I make will have added nutrients hidden inside. Good thing Kayla does not read my blog - she won't know what I'm hiding in her dinner!!

Nothing new...sorry

So I've been holding off on writing until I had my new plan in place. It is almost 2 weeks later and I really do not have anything new to talk about, yet. Busy schedules have made it difficult for me to get time with Krista (check out her new blog at: http://welcomechangenutritionandfitness.blogspot.ca/ ) and get into classes at Create Balance. This is good, but not enough. 

Stay tuned. Krista and I are planning on getting together this week, and work out a new plan to help get out this rut I've gotten myself into. 

It is interesting how we tend to stop taking care of ourselves when we get busy and stressed. Something else I need to work on...

Time to reassess

I started this blog 3 1/2 months ago, May 20th. My goal was to loose 40lbs, or drop 4-5 dress sizes (which ever came first) and find better life balance through Pilate's training, eating better and enjoying more down time with my family and friends. These goals have required making changes in my life, some were easy and others I am still working on. I've also experienced some successes. My measurements at 8 weeks showed improvement, inches lost in my arms, thighs, hips and chest. My energy is definitely better and I am getting great support from friends and family. However I am not where I would like to have been at 3 months.

I started running 1x per week in July, that really helped and encouraged me to get in more cardio. So I got up to 2x per week running for a half hour or so. In August my exercise schedule was challenged, and even more so the first 2 weeks of September with adjusting to back to school. 

If you check out my Exercise page, I really have not updated it since the middle of July. Vacations and travel have gotten in the way of private Pilates session and participating in classes. I've stopped doing a food journal (again) and have not been taking my supplements. No wonder I am feeling moody and tired this week - I'm also PMS'ing which does not help.

This is not out of the ordinary. What I am experiencing is the same as anyone else trying to improve their life, make changes and LOOSE weight. I am not feeling discouraged (only hormonal). I am still committed to making these improvements, I just need to look at the obstacles I am experiencing and come up with a plan to overcome them. 

My commitment today is to reassess my goals and how I plan to achieve them!

Not bad for a Monday morning

I don't want to jinx anything but my talk with Isabel last week about letting me leave without tears seems to have worked!!!! Thank goodness!!! I did have a back up plan for this week - thanks to my extremely knowledgable and resourceful girlfriends. Even though today worked I may get started on two of them just to help ease Isabel's anxiety. 

One suggestion was from my friend who is a nurse. She used this to help her daughter with the same issues and she got this idea from the Children Hospital. It's called bravery beads, each time you are brave, you get a new bead and eventually they've made themselves a pretty necklace, or in the case of my friend and her daughter they made a bracelet. I've come to understand with Isabel, the anxiety is about the fear of the unknown. Back to school with a new teacher, new care givers, and new friends...and all of the insecurities that come along with that. She needs to be pushed to try.

The other idea was from my friend who invests time in researching how to be the best mom she can be. (Actually they all do - way more than me). Her son is a worrier and has high anxiety. She purchased a workbook called I Bet I Won't Fret. She has found this very helpful in providing her son with the skills to help him cope when he is feeling anxious.

This brought us to a very interesting subject. Are we doing too much for our kids? In our efforts to support, nurture, educate and prepare our children for the real world are we actually making it harder for them to independent. Which of course brought up some fun stories about our childhood and how our parents survived. 

I loved the story one friend shared. She has a boy and a girl. One morning Dad mixed up the water bottles. The pink Hello Kitty bottle went in their son's school bag. That night when he got home he told them that the mix up hurt his feelings. To which her husband apologized for hurting his feelings... Then she speculated how her Dad would have handled such an exchange - "Be grateful you had water to drink! Next time you can use the water fountain." 

I think what it all comes down too is that we all to the best we can with what we have. Yes, we parent differently from our parents. Our parents made mistakes and we all turned out relatively well. We will make mistakes too and our children will survive and learn from them just as we have. On the bright side, if we really screw up we will end up with a creative kid who will end up being a musician or actor and make tons of money and support us one day!! 

September = Order and Chaos...

Back to school for me means back to schedules and order. The family calendar is starting to fill with activities and evening routines now consist of cleaning out school bags, signing forms, and more importantly watching the clock to ensure all is complete by 9pm, including bed time. 

Back to school also means bad mornings! I have the usual struggles as other moms in getting Isabel out of bed. Once she is up, she's pretty good. She usually picks out her clothes the night before and makes her own breakfast. There's a bit of a struggle to get her to put her shoes on and out the door - but that's my fault I let her put the TV on while she's having breakfast, so she is distracted and does not want to leave the show she is watching (that's easy to fix). The challenge comes when I drop her off at school. 

Drop off = frustration, guilt and anger (embarrassed to say). We are 2 days in and I am struggling to hold on to my sanity!! I've had Isabel in daycare since she was 8 months old, she is now in grade 3. She has always struggled with saying good bye to me, which I can appreciate,  but you would think that she would be used to it by now, I've always come back. Each day this week I've had to get someone to hold on to her while I pry myself away from her grip. Today she had a strong hold on my arm - which hurt. I start off very patient, we talk about it the whole ride in, I've given her a necklace from when I was a kid and told her that it will help when she feels anxious. Still she gets upset and holds on and the longer it last the patience turns to frustration and then to anger. By the time I get to the car I am fuming. The whole 20 min ride into work I am racking my brain, trying to figure out how I can fix this. By the time I get to work I am still worked up and the tone of my day is set. UGH!!!!!!!

Writing about it is helping. I guess I am concerned about the anxiety she is feeling. She is struggling with coping with her feelings. We've talked about it and she has said she cannot help it. She was worried about going back to school because kids tease her, call her a cry baby and princess. So all summer we talked about being brave and not accepting negative comments. People who tease want to see you react, so show a strong face in front of them and wait 'til you get to the washroom to cry. You cannot stop how you feel. Feelings are important and justified. She is a sensitive girl, very empathetic - it is in my opinion a beautiful quality she possesses - but unfortunately it seems to be working against her right now. 

The anger is melting away, now I just feel sad. Hopefully a good talk tonight will help.

Check out the Chicken Zucchini Enchilada recipe on my recipe page. I've been getting such great support from everyone from Create Balance - this treat from Stacey was much appreciated! 

What is the universe trying to tell me?

I've been dealing with uterus issues for at least 5+ years now.  I haven't shared this yet, because in April I had surgery that was supposed to fix the problem. This was actually what really got me thinking about my physical and mental health, I saw the end of my "women" problems as the beginning of a new healthier me! Unfortunately the procedure in April did not fix the problem and I am really wondering why I keep having issues with my health care providers?? 

Over 5 years ago I went to my Dr. complaining of heavy, painful and long periods - I won't give the gory details, but it was hard to function in public during my periods. The ultrasound from that appointment showed a Fibroid. So I waited to see the first Gynaecologist. Her assessment was that the Fibroid was not large enough to be causing the problems. Her recommendation has hormone therapy or a hysterectomy. The appointment was quick, I remember being out in the hall still asking her questions. I did not feel good about her assessment or recommendations, so I went back to my family Dr who referred me to another Dr - the best in the city, which meant a 2 year waiting list.

The new Gyno was great, very thorough. She sent me for extensive blood work and another ultrasound. The results of these tests showed that the cysts on my ovaries had changed in size (was not told about the cysts on the first ultrasound) and  that I had polyps (also not told about that), which were most likely causing the issues. Polyps could mean cancer so she did a biopsy, which came back negative (YAY). She also explained that the Fibroid was in the muscle of the uterus and was not the issue at all. 

Dr. # 2's recommendation was a polyp resection and ablation to reduce the chance of the polyps returning. Finally a solution was given that was minimally evasive with a short recovery time and no long term drug dependancy. So the surgery was booked in December 2011. I was so nervous going into it, I remember laying in the hallway waiting to go into surgery - it was all I could do to keep from crying. I was so relieved when I woke up and could not remember a thing - it felt like a good sleep. Then I found out that during the procedure they had perforated my uterus. Lucky I recovered without any further complications.

My surgery was then rescheduled for April. I had to get the pre-op nurse add the resection to the paper work, the Dr had just put ablation on it. This time I knew what to expect and was looking forward to finally getting everything fixed... and the great sleep! Recovery was a bit harder this time, I was pretty sick from the anaesthesia. No visit from the Dr after I woke up in the recovery room, so we assumed all went well. I was supposed to go in 6 weeks to visit the Gyno for a follow-up, which ended up happening at 11 weeks. During that wait to get in I actually had 2 periods - both were just as bad as before the procedure. 

The downside to having the best specialist in the city is that they are very busy. My follow-up appointment was booked for 3pm, I did not get into the exam room until 6pm. I was her last patient of the day and the appointment felt rushed. I did not get a break down of how the procedure went, she wasn't going to do an internal exam - until I asked if one was needed, and the issues I was having with my periods she assessed to be post-op effects and would re-assess in 6 months. I also had another issue that required a pap, so she gave me a lab request. 

So I made an appointment with my family Dr for the pap - rather than a lab and I was able to discuss my concerns. My family Dr. sent me for another ultrasound. Today I got the results - POLYPS! I'm not sure if they are the same ones, or if new ones have grown back already. My guess would be that since the problem has been there since the procedure that the Gyno failed to remove them during the procedure. I am experiencing quite the range of emotions right now - mad, sad, frustrated, confused... this will be issue 2 with the "best" Gyno in the city. My trust in her is now gone. To get another Gyno will definitely be a wait. None of this makes sense and I feel like there is no outlet to deal with these issues.

Now, I wait. Wait to hear back from my family Dr on her recommendations for the next step.   I believe that everything happens for a reason. I can look back on major events in my life and see how they now make sense, how they have helped guide my life path in some way. I am looking forward to figuring this one out. The universe is trying to tell me something, just not sure what ... yet.

You'll never regret pushing yourself to exercise!

My new Nike "kicks"

I was not feeling great the last couple of days. Since we got back on Wednesday I haven't been sleeping well, so I've been tired and GRUMPY! So this morning when I woke up for the 5k Run/Matwork class at Create Balance I did not want to go. As I sat and drank my coffee, I debated going back to bed. I got a new pair of Nike's while in Nashville which I was looking forward to trying out and Collette (our instructor) was expecting me. So I dragged my butt out the door and off to the studio and I am sooooo glad that I did. It felt so good to get out there and sweat. 

Now, I am thinking that part of my problem the last couple of days was that my body needed a workout. While we were away we walked over 3k per day, but no Pilate's (even though I brought a flex band and workout clothes). Part of the reason I'm not sleeping well is that my body is achey, which means it needs to be stretched and worked! It is really cool how your body gets addicted to Pilate's.

There's no better motivation to workout than when you feel better after the workout!

Back from Nashville, Tennessee

We just spent 5 days in Nashville, 3 days were meetings and 2 days were for fun. Thanks to  the Air Canada ticket agent in London, I managed to get my work out in at Pearson Airport. Our flight was at 6:10am Saturday morning out of London, ON. If you've flown out of London you know arriving a half hour in advance is plenty of time to get through security and to the plane. We arrived at least 45 mins early. There was one person at check-in counter waiting, but no agent. We had to ask a security guard to check if there was anyone working. I'll spare the details - but we ended up being put on the 7am plane, giving us 1 hr to make our connection in Toronto. 1 hour to get our bag and head through customs. We had 2 minutes to make it to the plane, so we had to RUN to the gate - only to find that we had run to the wrong gate. So we turned around and RAN to the right gate in the opposite direction. We make it to the gate huffing and puffing to find no attendant and the plane pulling up the stairs and pulling away. Luckily the rest of the day was smooth, and we made it to Nashville 8 hours later than planned, our suitcase arrived 7 hours later. 

My plan while I was away was to continue making healthy choices and use the exercise facilities at the hotel every day. It was almost impossible to eat healthy. Everything was fried, salads had iceberg lettuce and fattening creamy dressings and the fish dishes were smothered in cajun spices (I don't do well with heat). So my nutrition plans were challenging, but everyday we walked at least 5k. Everything in Nashville is in walking distance - except the outlet mall, which is the size of 2 football fields. So even though we cabbed to the mall we still got in a good walk.

Despite the nutrition challenges, it was a great get-a-way. Nashville is definitely a party town. All day long, every restaurant and bar has live music. It was also nice to have a change of scenery with Troy. Just like all other professional parents out there, we get bogged down by our everyday responsibilities and fall into routines, we forget about quality time together. With all the challenges we faced on Saturday, we laughed and made jokes. I enjoyed some quality time with my hubby! It was a very good reminder of the need to have fun together!!

Out of the mouth of babes!

My sweet Isabel has always been one who speaks her mind. If she thinks it, she says it! This is a good thing...sometimes. I was curious this week and decided to jump on the scale to see if the scale agreed with the 3 other people who had commented on my weight loss and...drum roll please...it did! I've loosed 5lbs. Just as I'm about to step off my sweet Isabel comes around the corner and says - "wow, you weigh that much!?" 
Still on track and seeing progress - despite what Isabel thinks. ;)

Another Monday started the right way!

I spent my weekend cleaning out the clutter in our home office. I really want to redecorate, but it needed a purging before that can happen. I'm up to 1.5 bags of shredded paper and made 2 trips to Goodwill! It feels good to get rid of junk!

Hey - got a bit of a theme going here! I have also organized our Refrigerator and pantry and back on track with eating better and cutting out the junk. The Food Journal is open on my computer and I am back to tracking what I eat. It is Monday and I have followed through on my Monday plan!! It feels good to break my old cycle. I totally would have given up by now if I did not have support, encouragement and accountability. The best was when Troy told me on the weekend that "all my hard work was really showing". Just what I needed to hear. Last week I did not feel like I was progressing and his comment gave me the boost I needed.

Thanks to all who have been encouraging me on Facebook and in person!! 

Falling off the wagon...

I've gotten a bit off track this week. I stopped keeping a food journal during my holidays last week. I figured that my diet was set, and that there was no need to keep track of everything - WRONG! Without tracking my organization has also gone out the window. I haven't been planning my meals, which means I'm not eating well and going for more convenience processed foods AND there's no record. Nothing to hold me accountable! ... Except this blog and knowing that measurements will be taken - people are going to find out! 

Food journals are weight loss 101. Dr. Oz tells us to use them, every nutritionist will recommend it...but why? A study in the US followed 1800 men & women over 6 months and found that those who kept a food journal lost 50% more weight than those who did not. Just like writing this blog, the food journal holds you accountable, helps you self manage and assess what, when and why you are eating. You think twice before you eat, when you have to write it down.

Why is loosing weight so hard, when gaining it was soooo easy??

Why can't Women's sizes be standard like Men's???

Felling very frustrated after an unsuccessful shopping trip with Kayla on the weekend. My Gap skinny jeans are starting to wear out in undesirable places, so we went shopping for jeans on the weekend. Although I was feeling good about my measurements 2 weeks ago I was realistic and grabbed my current size - hoping I would need to go down a size. Not the case at all! I could not fit into the size 14! All the jeans I have already that fit...and even have some space in them are 14's. 

I do not understand why they cannot standardize women's sizes. My hubby Troy has been a 32/34 since the day I met him (that's a rant for another time - lucky bugger!). He can go into any store and grab a pair of pants without even trying them on and know they will fit. Boys are so lucky that way!!

So now I am in an awkward phase of my weight loss. All of my pants are loose in the tooshie  and thighs. Knowing that I plan to loose more weight, it seems wasteful to buy anything right now to get a better fit. Very frustrating.

I need a little perspective - I could have more serious problems than droopy drawers! 

Keeping my goals in mind and not giving up yet! 

Lov'n this summer weather!

I've been off all week and this my first time on the computer.The weather has been great! I went for a jog on Tuesday, just before dinner. I should have waited until later - the sun was unbearable at times, but I did it! I went just over 3km in just over a half hour. It was my first run on my own and I have to admit - I did not enjoy it too much., a lot of cursing and swearing as I was running. Once i was done I was so glad that I did. I haven't done much Pilate's this week, but we walked almost everyday. On our first walk Monday night we took our usual route that starts with a slight hill. Usually I am out of breath by the top. This week I climbed with ease, talked the whole way up and was ready for more!!  It felt so good and is giving me the drive to keep it up.
I am starting to feel like I am on my way, getting my groove. I've been focused for 9 weeks now and  this healthier lifestyle is just starting to feel natural, like it is part of my life. I have to admit though, I am considering trying one of those weight loss programs that promise to melt off weight and inches in weeks. It is so tempting. Maybe In September if I am not seeing a reduction in my waistline by then.

Single Thigh Stretch - A Full Body Exercise!

This is why I love Pilate's, one exercise works your entire body. This exercise is called - "Single Leg Stretch". After 8-10 reps, your abs will be screaming and your heart rate will rise. 




How to do this exercise:
Laying on your back (Supine), move your pelvis into imprint ( gentle pelvis tilt bring lower back to mat) then bring one foot at a time off the floor to table top position (knees up, legs bent at 90 degrees). Nod chin to chest and flex forward bringing shoulders off the floor. Hands rest against outside of the leg, scapulae are stabilized.


Exercise:
Inhale to prepare
Exhale - extend one leg out on a diagonal, moving outside hand to ankle and inside hand to knee of flexed leg.
Inhale begin to switch legs and hands
Exhale - fully extend other leg, changing hands to flex leg
Inhale switch legs


Focus:

• ensure transverse abdominis is engaged throughout to keep abs flat
• use vasti muscle to pull patella (knee cap) up as knee extends and toe reaches away
• extend leg only as low as pelvic stability can be maintained -if you feel this in your low back -you are not maintaining pelvic stability
• stabilize scapulae to avoid neck tension
• avoid gripping hip flexors

Good-bye Biggy

RIP Biggy

This post does not have anything to do with my healthy journey - but it is related to my life. Isabel lost her first pet today, our 2 1/2 year old fish Biggy. Biggy was a gift from our oldest daughter Kayla to our youngest daughter Isabel. He received his name because he had huge bulging eyes. For a fish, he had a lot of personality. Biggy would beg for food when you walked by him, suck up and spit out the rocks on the bottom of his bowl and loved to show off when he knew you were watching. Over the last few months we had a few scares. He kept getting stuck in the decorative castle. He would lay on the bottom not moving, looking lethargic, Then you'd feed him or clean the tank and he'd come back to life.


Isabel is hart broken. We all had tears in our eyes at her reaction this morning. After 2 years I think we are past the flushing option, so we will have to plan a proper burial this evening. So hard to see your child in so much pain. Unfortunately there is no way around it when you have pets and we have 3 more, 2 cats and 1 dog that are all around the same age. I hope that this experience will help her deal with future loss. 

The Measurements are in!

I am happy to report that my measurements are headed in the right direction! 
                 Start            8 Weeks
Arm           14.5             14
Chest        37 3/4         36 7/8
Waist        38.5             38.5
Hips          45 2/8          45 1/8
Thigh        26 5/8          26
Calf           14 9/16       14 7/8


Weight is the same - but I have definitely gained muscle so I am ok with that.


What is contributing to these results?
Nutrition 
- cut out gingerale and sugary drinks
- eating what my body needs, with guidance from Krista Dolbear, a holistic                                 nutritionist
- eating more throughout the day 
- starting the day with the proper nutrition - for me it is a Vega shake every morning
Exercise
- Pilate's 3x per week at Create Balance
- Private sessions - averaging 1 a week. When I could not get in for a private I did an extra class
- The occasional walk - started running 1x per week 2 weeks a go.


Life Balance
As a result of everything I've been doing for the past 8 weeks, I am noticing a big change in my energy which is improving my quality of life. I am feeling stronger, looking forward to exercising and wanting to do more at night because I feel good. I have a ways to go before I reach my weight loss goals, however the hardest part is done... getting started!


Thank you again to those who have been helping and encouraging me!!

If you feel good, you WILL look good!

I truly believe that your attitude effects how others see you. If you feel good about yourself, comfortable in your own skin, then others will sense that and react to it. I saw a video the other day on my sister Paula's Facebook wall of a beautiful young lady who is a blogger and was criticized for being over weight. Follow this link to see it: www.upworthy.com/internet-calls-fat-girl-fat-and-her-response-is-perfect. Her response was perfect! You've got to be happy with you - it does not matter what other people think. I wish there was a universal remote that could mute those insecure, negative people.


It got me to thinking about women of all shapes and sizes. In my opinion no one is safe. I have friends of all shapes and sizes and every woman I know has their own insecurities. Things about themselves they wish they could change, weight struggles either up or down, but you would not guess that by looking at them, each one is beautiful and confident.  I don't understand why people feel the need to point out other people's uniqueness. What does it accomplish?? 


Imagine if we all took the time to compliment one another. Point out a positive rather than a negative. Just the thought of it brings a smile to my face. I'm going to try this and I invite you to join me. Have you complimented anyone today?

Coming soon...Measurements!

It has been 8 weeks since I started tracking my food and increased my exercise plan. Time has flown by. I am feeling pretty good, which is a huge win already. I have energy at night when I get home from work, I don't need a nap on the weekends and I look forward to exercising! This plan is really working. 


I have to admit though, I am a bit nervous to do my measurements. I haven't weighed myself since the balance incident and I'm not noticing a huge difference in my waist line.  What ever the result - I will keep the big picture in mind. This is not a quick fix, especially when you consider it has taken me 6 years to gain this weight. All in good time! 

Feel'n fit today!

Feeling pretty good about myself today. Last night I went for a run with Megan, did a reformer class right after and another this morning. I am feeling so strong right now! On the run we followed the learn to run a 5k method. Walk for 2 minutes, run for 3 minutes. We made it 2.5 km and I have to say the first 3 minutes of running was very hard. I believe I was cursing quiet a bit and questioning myself... why are you putting yourself through this??? With Megan's encouragement I pushed through and I am glad that I did. The buddy system definitely works!! Doing cardio with someone else really helps keep you motivated - you will give up on yourself before you give up on a friend. 


I do not plan to become a marathon runner or a die hard that runs no matter the weather. My plan is to start running during the summer to help get my cardio endurance up, so that in the cooler, bad weather months I will want to jump on our Elliptical. Cardio for me is to help me slim down, burn off that pesky fat and more importantly help keep my heart healthy! 

Keeping the Balance

With summer comes party's, BBQ's and temptations! I have had 2 weekends now of party's and with both came unhealthy choices - but I tried to make the healthiest choice of the unhealthy. Lite beer, vodka and soda ... more salad and less chips... and during the week, balance will come. Back to eating right and exercising. As one of my Create Balance supporters pointed out to me last week - you still have to enjoy life if this is a long term change, you can't expect that you will restrain from goodies all the time.


At Create Balance we have introduced a new class. It is a "learn to run a 5k and matwork combo" class. I was supposed to attend on Saturday morning, but Isabel was not feeling well, so I chose to miss the class and snuggle with my girl. I've managed to recruit Megan Orser, (also a fellow blogger) to run with me Tuesday before my Reformer class at Create Balance so I will still get my run in. I'm also booked into 3 other classes this week, so I am getting my workouts!


I am also going to try to cut out bread this week. Years ago I did the Atkins diet. The first 2 weeks I ate only proteins and veggies (very hard and went thru crazy withdrawal!). Then after that I added fruit back to my diet, but stayed heavier on the protein than anything else. My body really responded to this diet. I was down to a size 6 and not even exercising. Not sure how that worked, but it does not seem to healthy. I was eating bacon, full fat beef... no fish. So I am going to try a modification and just remove bread from the equation for a couple of weeks. I will keep you posted on how it works for me.

Busy relaxing!

It has been over a week since my last post, my apologies to my faithful readers but I was busy relaxing! I've been off work since last Friday and it was wonderful. Troy took his first flying lesson Friday morning, Kayla had her birthday party with her friends Friday night, Saturday was recovering, Pilate's and chores,  Sunday we celebrated Canada Day with our great group of friends and Monday we headed to Grand Bend to celebrate Kayla's actual birthday with dinner on the beach. Sounds like a lot, but in between we did nothing. I finished a book "The Secret Daughter" and laid by the pool. Our biggest accomplishment during our time off - we cleaned the basement! 3 trips to goodwill, and a dumpster bag full of junk later and we are all feeling better having purged and organized. 


We did a lot over the past 6 days, however I would not have classified us as being busy - rather enjoying life...living. Troy sent me this great New York Times article; The 'Busy' Trap. It is a great article about how we use the term busy as a badge of honour, a way to let others know how full our life is. I love how author Tim Kreider refers to what regrets he will have on his death bed, will it be that he did not work harder or that he could have had more time with his friends and loved ones. We work hard to one day be able to enjoy life - how backwards is that. This brings me back to my last post - Who does own your happiness?? We should be putting as much time and energy into enjoying life. Recognize that we are in charge our quality of life, being busy is our choice. 


I've had many people at Create Balance over the last few days asking about my progress - am I reaching my goals? I would say YES! I am starting to notice a difference in my body - not huge, no change in pant size yet, but my face looks leaner and my clothes are fitting better (I can enjoy dinner without worrying about cutting off my circulation). The big difference is in my energy! Tuesday night I did Collette's reformer class at 6:30, then when I got home Troy and I went for a walk. That would have been unheard of before. It feels so good to have energy. I am looking forward to exercising and I think that is one of the biggest challenges for me. I was not happy with my body, my shape. I wanted to loose weight, but I got into a rut, exercise was another chore I had to do, it felt like work. Now that I have pushed past that - it feels great!!! Thanks again for your continued support!!

Who owns your happiness?

Mom & Dad's place in
Penticton B.C.

My mom sent me a link this week to Life Lift, the Oprah Blog. The link she sent was about  teaching your brain to be happy through meditation.  I do not currently meditate, but have always been interested in starting. At the end of my Pilate's classes (time permitting) I guide my clients through a relaxation exercise where I have everyone lay still on their backs, eyes closed, focus on their breathing and then slowly work from head to toe relaxing each and every muscle. It always amazes me how I feel better at the end of the exercise, even though I was guiding them and not participating. I guess this could be considered a form of meditation?


The mind is an amazing force and I starting thinking about my happiness. Often times I blame others for steeling my happiness or being a road block to me feeling happy, but now after reading this blog and researching a bit - turns out I am in control of my happiness. It is my choice to allow others to influence my state of mind and I have the power to develop my own happiness. Wow! What a concept! So I am adding, Learn to Meditate to my goals list, starting with Mindfulness of Breathing meditation that I found through my research. I see this as starting point to finding my life balance. 


The more I read and linked from one blog to the next on the subject I wondered, what makes me happy? The answers to this question came to me quickly. My family came to mind first, my friends - all make me laugh and I feel happy when I am with them.  Teaching Pilate's and participating, I love the positive energy in the studio. Then things came to mind that I don't do anymore like dancing (not in a formal disciplined manner), painting, drawing... and why don't I do those things? The answer...Time! But is time really the answer or an excuse? Hmm... I don't know. This is one I am going to have to think about and report back. That Oprah...always making you think and stuff!  ;) 

I'm a lucky lady!

What a wonderful weekend I had, as I had expected! I am a very lucky lady. First, I have a beautiful group of girlfriends - both outside and in. I enjoyed a relaxing weekend with Jenn (our hostess), Robin, Renee and Tara up at Port Bruce. Second, I am lucky because I have a husband that not only is supportive, but is fully capable of and enjoys being on his own for the weekend with our girls. I know there are women out there that cannot get away because they do not have that kind of support and confidence in their partner. I am truly grateful!


To most our weekend would probably appear boring - but to 5 busy moms, it was heaven. We took care of each other, each time one of us got up, the rest benefited either with a snack or fresh drink. Majority of our time was spent sitting and chatting - we all agree that we could be together for 4 weeks straight and not run out of topics. Our weekend together was so good for our minds and souls, we make each other laugh and feel good about ourselves. As my mime (grandmother) always used to say - "it's good to laugh!"


We drank (moderately) and enjoyed treats, but I do not feel like I completely abandoned my health goals. It was a well balanced weekend. Our snacks were not the healthiest - but our meals were. We walked each day, and with each walk had to battle a very steep hill to get back to the cottage. Walk  1 - I could not talk as I struggled up the hill feeling the weight of gravity pulling me back down. By our 4th trek up the hill on Sunday, I was starting to feel my stride and able to get out more than one word answers as we walked and talked. It felt so good, each time I made it to the top was a victory! It also really reinforced my need to up my cardio - get my hart rate up regularly. So - I am carrying over my goal from last week, to get out and walk 3x this week - now that I've jump started my cardio over the weekend.


Thank you my girls for another great weekend!

Everyone needs a little Me Time

Well my goals for this week will have to carry over into next week. I lost Tuesday, I was sick as a dog and spent the day in bed. Not sure if it was the Green Machine smoothie or the slightly pink chicken for dinner Monday night. Either way, my day in bed threw off my week. But I am not fretting about it - not one bit. This is life! 


This weekend I am heading off to my friends cottage for a girls weekend! There is nothing like a weekend with your girlfriends. We all take care of each other, eat well, laugh a lot and even get in some exercise. Every year we plan to do Pilate's outside  and just don't get to it, too busy relaxing.  Hopefully this year we will be able to fit it in. 


That is one thing I have come to appreciate, as a parent & spouse, we need to make time for ourselves. I used to feel guilty going away on my own and hurt when Troy wanted to hang out with the guys, not anymore.  When I take time for me, I feel better and that makes me a better mom/wife. I love my family - they don't stress me out and I enjoy being with them. My husband is my partner and shares the load around the house. Kayla is like another set of adult hands and Isabel is hilarious, we call her our little stress reliever. The appeal of my girls get-a-way is not to escape my home life, rather recharge my batteries!


Hope you all find a little "Me Time" this weekend! 

Not a fan of the "Green Machine"

Monday afternoon I was hungry and looking for something nutritious, that would not fill me up too much since it was 3pm. So I stopped at Williams Coffee Pub. Right when I walked in the door was an ad for  their new Green Machine Smoothie. The ad boasts "real ingredients" of fresh baby spinach, avocado, coconut water, kale and organic blue agave. So I went for it - even though the gal at the counter was not exactly talking it up. I did not like it. It tastes like avocado and bitter grass. I brought it home and added frozen strawberries to it which helped cut the bitter grass taste, but after I finished it I felt like I had indigestion. Disappointing, I thought I had found a great solution to a convent healthy options when I am out and about. 

My goals this week

My plan for this week is to eat more during the day to keep my energy up and get in a walk each day, either before work or after dinner with Troy or Kayla. I'm only booked into 1 Pilate's class this week, so I am going to have to be more disciplined and work out on my own. It is so much easier when I have my workout scheduled with someone - then I am accountable. It's booked - I have to go... so I guess this week I am accountable to you, my blog reading public!


So far I am off to a good start, I woke up this morning before my alarm went off (I love that!!) and gave Troy a loving nudge. While he got dressed I let out the dog and put on the coffee for our return. When I ran back upstairs to get my socks, Isabel (our 7 yr old) was in the hall way all dressed. So I told her that we were going for a walk to which she replied - "ya I know, I'm coming with you." 


What a lovely way to start our day! The neighbourhood was so quiet and a bit heavy with fog. The temperature was just right - not yet muggy. I did not walk to the pace I had hoped, but we had fun and that is what life is all about!

Raising the bar on my goals

From the very beginning of this journey I committed to doing this slowly so that the changes I make become part of my life style. The other day someone asked me what am I finding to be the most difficult part of these changes. Without thinking I said eating. I still struggle with dinner ideas to please everyone and I am not preparing my lunches as I had planned. My struggle is not making healthy food choices more with seeing meals as a chore!


Today I've been thinking about this and how am I going to solve this problem? My solution; to get my daughters involved in planning our meals for next week. Troy is so easy going, he will eat anything I make - even if it does not taste great! He's usually the chief in the house and I don't think he wants to discourage me from cooking when I do. 


So, on Saturday afternoon, hopefully by the pool, I plan to get out the lap top and plan out our week as a team. I have a few sources picked out. One is http://www.skinnytaste.com/,  recommended by Stacey one of our clients at Create Balance. The other is Looneyspoons, from the sister team Janet & Greta who take everyday favourites and make them healthier. This will get us started - I would love to hear of any other great sources out there for family friendly healthy recipes!

STRESS - another contributor to weight gain

I have been talking a lot lately about dealing with work stresses and how it effects my ability to simply be healthy. Everyone has their own coping mechanisms for stress, some eat, some drink, some smoke, some clean, some exercise... me I tend to shut down, turn in-ward and not eat well.  


When under stress our body's go into defence mode to deal with the stresses, the fight or flight effect. Your heart rate rises, hormones are released etc and how we respond will determine how the stress effects our health. I am not an expert, this info has been provided to me from several sources, including Krista Dolbear (holistic nutritionist). 


Those who deal with stress through exercise support the body in coping with the stress and recover. Exercise helps decrease the "stress hormones", increases endorphins that make you feel good (runners high) and helps distract you from your stresses and in my case - helps me think more clearly to work out the problem causing the stress. 


It is interesting how once you start looking at your life from the perspective of improving your health and well being, all of the negative in your life seems to come to the service. To truly feel good and be balanced you have to work on every aspect of your life and this takes some work. Those who look like they've got it all together either don't really or they work at it. Me, I'm realizing I've got some work to do!

Skipping Meals - 1 of 9 Contributors of Weight Gain

Krista (click here for Krista's website) provided me with a sheet outlining the 9 Contributors to Weight Gain. Number 3 on the sheet is one of my big issues - SKIPPING MEALS.  Why is it a contributor? Here is what my source says; Many people think if they skip a meal their body will use fat for fuel. Nothing could be further from the truth. When there is no food for fuel, the body holds onto fat and uses lean muscle tissue, which is a cleaner burning fuel for the body. Consequently, we loose muscle mass and become soft and spongy (exactly the word my 7 year old uses to describe my belly!). Going any longer than 3.5 hours between meals also causes blood sugars to drop which can lead to hypogylcaemia and in some cases, diabetes.

My snack stash!

To resolve this issue I now have a container of nuts at my desk, almond butter in the board room fridge and Mary's Cracker's in my drawer. Then I also bring fruit and/or veggies to snack on. As a result I am not getting the 3pm headache and I have more energy to do things at night. Even at the end of a stressful day I am still able to function.


Now I'm driving my family crazy calling food fuel and telling my 7 year old that she needs more protein in her lunch to help give her more energy during the day. To which she replied; "stop using grown up words, I don't know what that means!"