day 10

This morning started off early for a saturday.  I went to the gym bright and early.  I did about a 40 min strength training workout from a collection of workouts I have from Jill which seemed like a great workout.  I added 2 ab focused workouts to it.  I am loving the strength training and for my cardio I am going to start doing some running on the treadmill for those days that are just to cold to run outside (which have been a lot this month).  I have a decent interval training one written in my workout book so will hopefully try that the next time I want to run and have time to get to the gym (I may try to get out there early monday morning before I go to work…hopefully the doors will be open just a tad bit before they actually open which will be great or maybe I will do that tuesday and do a ST workout in my basement before work).  I want to make sure to get 3 ST workouts in each week).

I will be working on meal prep today as I am working the next 5 days (3 days and 2 nights).  I want to make sure that I have everything ready so I can just pack it all up which makes for a more successful week of eating clean then if I have to think about what I will be having to eat the day of.  It is one thing to make the menu but another thing to do the prep.  

I am loving what I have been having for suppers lately, so simple but yet so good.  just a meat and some veggies but with fresh lime juice which really adds a yummy flavour.  It doesn't seem like much but it is satisfying which is so important.

well I am going to do some more browsing on the computer while I drink my coffee and then get some housework, meal prep done.

Have a fantastic friday :)

Week 1 results

I full week of eating clean and getting some exercise in and I feel great.  More then great actually.  I had 2 workouts at Jill's and this morning I went to the gym and did one of the workouts she gave me in the past.  Lots of legs and shoulder work with a little bit of triceps.  I actually felt pretty good at the gym and stronger then when I had gone in the past.  I had been doing some classes with Jill since December so I am sure that is why it felt a bit better.  Still not a lot of cardio workouts since it is so cold but I need to get some running in.  I may try and run tomorrow outside as long as the windchill isn't crazy (I don't think it is supposed to be).

My eating has been almost perfect…my lunch yesterday is not something I normally would have had but since I was eating out I tried to make the best choice that I could.  Next time (and I knew I should have done this) I get a salad I will ask for dressing on the side.  I don't quite get why the drown the salad in dressing.  It actually takes away from the enjoyment of eating the salad.  You really don't need that much on it to make it taste ok.

I am working on my menu for next week and will get groceries tomorrow and will do the prep on saturday.  I am working 5 shifts this week so I want to make sure I have enough meals made so that I can just grab them.

Now for the WI…down 9 lbs!!!!!!!!!  I know that is a pretty big result but I was eating that bad that I am not totally surprised by that result.

My plan for week 2 is to maybe do a ST workout at home before a day shift, out to Jill's one day and to the gym one day.   I hope to get 2-3 days of running outside too.  I really need to try and do one run after working a night shift since I don't want to be running outside really early in the morning.  sounds pretty reasonable.

I need to keep reminding myself each day that eating clean makes me feel great and when I include exercise with it I feel on top of the world.

My menu for today:

greek yogurt protein pancake with 1/4 c blueberries

turkey shep pie with 2c of romaine lettuce

red pepper with hummus

chicken with lime juice and 1 tsp honey and broccoli, few red peppers and onion

smoothie (greek yogurt, almond milk, tbsp of PB and banana)

sounds so yummy as I am typing it.

I need to go get my measurements done by jill, get to the bank to get my debit card fixed, make a to do list for my days off, and try for better luke bryan seats for this concert May 1st :)

Have a great Thursday!

Day #5

Time please slow down a bit (well now that we have freezing cold weather the time can speed up til spring then slow right down).  So I am going on day 5 of this 4 week "intense" challenge and after 4.5 days of eating clean and getting some training classes in I am feeling amazing already.  I need to remember this feeling.  I had a peak at the scale this morning and was happy with the result.  My official WI day will be wed or thursday.

Today was an awesome workout (as it always is with Jill).  I know my shoulders and arms will be feeling it tomorrow.  Because of this crazy cold weather I probably will hit the gym a couple of times to do some running on the treadmill.  I won't be able to go right to bed tomorrow so we will see if I make it there or not.

Yummy meals were made today which should help me stay on track for Day #5.

Well I should go.  Need to get ready to go to work tonight for night 1/2.

A new year

Wow, I can't believe we are already in the 2nd day of January.  Sometimes I wish time would just slow down.   Instead of making yearly resolutions I am going to make goals for the month.  If they are just monthly goals I won't feel as overwhelmed and I may be more apt to achieve these goals.

1.  Give 100% to the 4 week challenge that I am doing with Jill.  Seriously, it is only for 4 weeks.  What I hope to take from the 4 weeks is that I will incorporate resistance training to my weekly workouts and that clean eating will become part of my lifestyle again.  I need to stop putting the crap into my body.  When I eat clean I feel great, when i don't I feel miserable and it shows to those around me.

2.  Weekly menu's.  This will not only help me to eat clean and stay on track but it really should help with finances too.  I need to stop with the daily trips to the grocery store!!!

3.  Start running again.  For the month this month if I can get out 3x/week I will be happy with that.  I need to remember that I haven't been running that often so it will take months to get back to where I was.  Plus I have a bunch of extra pounds on so it won't be as easy.

4.  Try and tidy things each night and do a really good clean 1x/week

5.  Do laundry 1x/week and that includes folding and putting it away.

6.  Work on a plan for finances.  Save money for myself and start putting some away for Matthew every 2 weeks (or look into a plan for him so he will have money in his future).

7.  enjoy life, don't sweat the small stuff.  Take time and breath before saying or doing something that is stupid or that I will regret.

This holiday season brought lots of emotions for me.  I felt sad because I was working the entire cmas time and then my husband went to work for 2 of the 5 days that I was off and I just felt that we didn't really do anything as a family.  We ended up having a great time as a family (minus Chris who was with his mom) by going to 2 hockey games for the world junior championship and then spent the rest of the evening ringing in the new year with friends.  I am so thankful for being able to do that.  I had so much with with my family and friends.

I will try and give daily updates on how the challenge is going which will include my food diary and what I have done for activity.

I love this saying and I think that it was brad paisley that said it "Tomorrow  is the first blank page of a 365 page book.  Write a good one."  I will try to remember that each day.  I should write it out on something that I will look at each day.  Maybe I will make an inspiration/motivation board and put it above my dresser.

Here is to a great and successful year :)

4 weeks

So when I got home after another very busy shift at work (both of my days we much busier then I thought they would be for christmas) I noticed that I had an e-mail from Jill.  Basically what it was is and invitation for the first 5 people to join a 4 week intense challenge.  This is exactly what I need.  4 weeks of being very accountable for what I eat and what I do for exercise.  It starts in January and I am really looking forward to starting.  I hope that this will help me have a jump start on getting myself back in shape.  I am going to do my best at making this a lifestyle change and not just a temp fix.  I must say that I do make healthy meals for myself but it is all the other stuff that I put in my body that I don't even need as I am not even hungry when I eat them.  Why put stuff that doesn't even taste that great into my body that actually stays on the body as fat and makes me feel miserable??

I am hoping to head out for a walk at some point today before going to work.  I would love it to be a run but to be honest after 2 days of eating crap I am not feeling up for a run.  Maybe tomorrow I will providing that I eat healthy today.

I am working at making a week long meal plan which is somewhat difficult.  I will plug away at it today.  I have enough food here to get me through the next 2 days at work (as long as no one eats it).  Menu planning and meal prep helped me before so I will do it again.  I so want to have this extra 50 lbs off by the summer and I know I can do it!!!!

10 weeks until we go see Garth and 14.5 weeks til we go to nashville.  These are little milestones that I will have some goals set for.  I know I won't be at my goal weight but I will have quite a bit off if I eat as clean as possible and fit regular workouts in my schedule.  I need to be patient and realize that it will take time to get the pounds back off.  It will be harder too as I am older!!!

well I must get back to meal planning.

Christmas Eve

I can't believe that tomorrow is christmas (well tonight is for us as I go back for 4 shifts starting tomorrow).  We will be having a green cmas  this year and I can't get over how mild it is today.  For whatever reason it does not feel like cmas to me.  I will do my best and try and make it a great christmas for the boys.  We will be heading out soon (the husband and I) to get a couple of more things and then we should be done.  he has to go out later this afternoon for a quick job and then should be home so we can enjoy the evening.  We will be having our traditional bbq steak for supper tonight and then we will open the presents after.  The kids will still get a "santa" present in the morning and their socks will be filled.  I will try and wake Matt up before I have to go to work tomorrow morning and see his reaction for his santa present.

i have had a workout with Jill 2x this week and it feels great (well my muscles hurt but in a good way). My resolution is to see her 2x/week and then 1x at home or the gym.  I want to run 4-5x/week too.  I sent around the bay an email and dropped down to the 5K race which I should easily be able to train for this winter.  I have been so unhappy lately and I know that part of the reason is because I am not leading a healthy lifestyle.  I really hate to say this but when I was eating clean and at a healthy weight I felt so  happy.  I want to get back to that point.

Well that is all for tonight.  Hope everyone has a merry christmas :)

day 3

Well I am going on my 3rd day of tracking and I feel pretty good and confident.  I thought I was going to get away with not eating out but an invitation just came up for lunch on friday so I will have to just make sure that I am perfect before and after and make the smartest choice possible on that day.

I have run 2/3 days now and it feels good (but very hard) to be doing it again.  I am going to go slow and try not to focus to much on how I used to be able to do it.  I didn't start off running like I did when I was at my peak and I know that it will take time to build up to that again (and it is hard to run with all this extra weight on….which I am working hard to get rid of).  I had a workout at Jill's today too which was great.  I was actually quite impressed with how I did at the group PT session.  I don't really know why I was so worried about doing it.

I just need to make sure I have enough food packed for my 3 nights at work.  I need to pace my snacks throughout the night.  I switched what I had planned on having for lunch and supper so my supper at work will be a little more fun ;)

I am hoping to get runs in tues/wed/thurs and then to Jill's on friday.  I think weather may be an issue but I guess really only if I make it an issue.  I can run in rain and snow.

well I should do the dishes from yesterday.  Still working on the goal of keeping my house organized.  Hard to do on my set of working.