My Weight Loss Journey

Guess who's baaaaaaaaaaack ;)

2010-06-15T01:50:00.001-04:00

HEYYYYYYYYYYY!
Long time no talk !

So, my back is pretty much better now although occasionally it hurts again :S... It was pretty bad actually. I ended up going to the doctors and had to go through massage therapy for a couple months... I'm just glad I'm better now. :)

I started back to the gym today! I’m so excited! I went on the ellipticals tonight and I burnt about 360 calories. OKAY OKAY it’s not what I usually burn (445 minimum) but I haven’t been to the gym in about 3 months so give me a break ;) haha. I’m hoping to increase my workout much quicker than last time so maybe by the start of next week I’ll be back to a minimum of 445 with a goal of 500. BUT no guarantees. Especially since I plan to walk to and from the gym (which is about 15-20 mins each way). So even though I didn’t burn the full amount of calories I still had an extra 30 mins of exercise, RIIIIIIIGHT!? ;)

hehe!

I’m also proud and very excited to announce that I maintained my weight the last few months. I thought with everything that went on and my eating habits (I found myself going through stages of not eating at all and then eating like a madman) that I would have gained because things were so inconsistent. I was actually kinda scared to step on the scale but apparently I had no reason to be scared! ;) :) So I’m still at about 179-180 pounds. :D!

Back's STILL out! :(

2010-03-15T22:36:00.002-04:00

I've booked an appointment with a doctor for later on this week... I just miss the gym too much! But more importantly, it's not fun to be in almost constant pain :(. I found out that I am covered for massages under my dad's medical plan, so hopefully I'll get a referral from my doctor, or at least learn what I can do differently to help heal myself. :)

My Back's Out :(

2010-03-10T23:42:00.002-05:00

Sorry to my lovely readers... I know I haven't posted lately. I've hurt my back pretty badly and I haven't been able to go to the gym since Friday (when I hurt it). I miss it desperately! I can't wait to go back!
I'm still taking fat burners, but since I can barely get out of a chair, sit through a lecture, or sit up after waking up, I can't do too much with my energy.
I have decided to quit cutting carbs and specific foods out of my diet and I'm going to start calorie counting.
I've been enjoying alot of peppermint tea lately, and a simple dish that I've made alot lately (I've been studying ALOT and haven't had much time to cook despite having the extra time from not going to the gym) is pasta with butter, salt, pepper, and occassionally some chilli sauce to heat it up and give it a different flavour. It only takes about 10 minutes to make and the simplicity of it is absolutely amazing. I've also been having Tim Horton's 12 Grain Bagels with light cream cheese when I'm on campus - a filling addition to my diet and I'm absolutely loving being able to indulge in carbs again. I missed them so much!
Sorry I don't have more to say for now. I hope to be back in my routine by the start of next week, but I really don't want to push myself to go back by a certain date in case I've not healed so that I don't do further damage.
Hopefully I feel better soon :)
I will keep you updated !

Spring?

2010-03-05T13:31:00.002-05:00

With the start of the month of March, here in Ontario we're starting to (finally) see some warmer weather. Sometimes "spring" doesn't start until April or May, so the sunshine and snow melting so early this year is certainly putting a *spring* in my step... I hope it stays! ^-^

I weighed myself again today, and I was down to 177. I was hoping I'd weigh less, but it's alright. I haven't had a perfect week by any means - I had dinner with my mom on Wednesday and I had half a bacon cheeseburger (my first burger for the last 8-10 years! It was sooo good! I felt like a greaseball afterwards but it was worth it!) and I've missed a couple days at the gym, so I guess I can't really expect any outstanding results. I'm keeping positive though; I'm heading back to the gym again today and this weekend.

I was talking to someone last night, who works at a gym. It was really neat for me when he said that "it sounds like I have it under control." :) He mentioned a few things that he'd do differently:

calorie count rather than avoid carbs
do many different programs rather than just sticking to the weight loss program on the elliptical machines
not use fatburners

I will definately try out different programs on the ellipticals. I might try calorie counting. As for the fatburners, no one *needs* them, but they help get your results faster and they're letting me completely avoid drinking coffee, so that cuts out a good couple hundred calories per day. I think I'm going to stick with them. I've also already spent the money on them; there's no point in just throwing them away! :P

I hope everyone has a great weekend! :)

:)

2010-03-02T12:13:00.002-05:00

I love life. It's wonderful!
I'm working hard to burn my calories and fat cells, and apparently it's showing! :) I was told that my legs and arms look thinner a couple nights ago. My calves fit into a a pair of boots that they didn't fit into about 3-4 weeks ago, so I bought them. and they make me incredibly happy. hehehehehe. :):D
I'm drinking about 2L of water per day. I'm eating healthy - lots of meat and veggies, few carbs. I've increased the number of fat burners that I take from 2 up to 4 and I'll stay on that for another week before upping it to the reccommended number of 6.
At the gym, I beat my goal of 500 calories on a cardio day, plus I walked home afterwards! I've changed how I work out slightly - the resistance is higher and instead of the incline being at 6/20, it's 10/20 which changes the areas of my legs are being worked out.
I'm changing my minimum number of weight lifting machines from 11 up to 12, and I have to do squats now too on weight lifting days. It helps build up your core.
I'm also going to try to walk home from the gym, weather dependant. It will depend on how I'm feeling as well, but it's nice to get some fresh air, extra cool down time, and a bit more exercise.
I always feel so clear - like my body has been cleared of impurities and toxins, and I'm getting that every day. I'm trying hard to get up at the same time every day regardless of whether or not I have early classes... it's hard... but it helps with concentration and I feel more like myself.
Loving exercising ! Loving life ! <3 :)

The Last Month Or So...

2010-02-24T18:46:00.002-05:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while.. I've been busy with lots of tests, assignments and midterms, and I had reading week last week! I got to visit with some of my friends and spend some time in my hometown relaxing.

As of Monday, I've started a new fatburner pill. It's called Hydroxycut Advanced, and it's a women's formula. It gives me a lot of energy, when I go to the gym I feel like I have more energy to workout and I think my body lags a bit behind! I'm getting more used to them though. I started off with 2 pills a day, and I'm going to stay at that level until the end of this week. They make me drink alot of water, which is good. It helps to keep me hydrated properly (I don't think I drink enough water normally) and less hungry ^-^.

I'm still enjoying my workout regimen, although I'm continually upping the number of calories I require myself to burn on cardio days (my min. now is 445 and a goal of 500, which I haven't quite reached) and the amount of weight and/or the number of repetitions I do on weight lifting days. I'm hoping to start doing pilates or yoga at some point, I'm thinking about joining a class to make sure I actually do them and go (if I'm paying for it, I'm more likely to want to go :P).

I'm also eating quite healthy this week. I've been having lots of veggies, I've tried steak (which I might be falling in love with), and as previously mentioned, lots and lots and lots of water.

I'm going to do a weigh in this weekend. Wish me luck!

What a Workout!?~

2010-01-29T20:14:00.002-05:00

I'm back on track again :)!!
I went to the gym today and cardio on the ellipticals, burning 438 calories. My goal is 445 calories, but my minimum is 370, so it was still a good workout. THEN! I did weightlifting too! SO, it was a wonderful day in terms of workout. :D I felt like my body was so clean and purified by the time I got home. It felt amazing!

I came home and had leftover roast pork and veggies... (Y). I feel so good. It's nice to be back on track! :D

I hope everyone has a great weekend! :) Speak soon!

I'm going through a rough time...

2010-01-26T01:38:00.001-05:00

I'm having a rough time right now in my personal life... I'll be back on track soon.

Today Was A Good Day :)

2010-01-21T00:26:00.002-05:00

I can't say this enough lately - I LOVE GOING TO THE GYM!

Today was a cardio day... I upped the amount of time to workout to 35 minutes + cool down of 5 minutes = 40 mins. aaaaaaaaaand I burnt ****445 calories!!!**** I've decided that I want to up the minimum number of calories I burn on cardio days from 310 up to 370.

I also rented a locker at the gym for $20 for the term. It's a full size locker. I really like it - it's in a less used locker room, (only rented lockers in that room so it's not as crowded with people.) I don't have to worry about whether or not I'll actually get a locker for my workout time, and the best part about it is I can leave my gym shoes, gum, perfume etc. there and just bring my clothes home when it's time to wash them. It's also nice because since it's full length, my coat isn't in the puddle of water from my boots at the bottom of the locker, there's a shelf.... it's more organized. I don't mind carrying my gym bag with me to class, but honestly it's a hassle because I have my purse and a backpack with me and there's only so much room underneath the desks to hold my stuff. So, this is a good, fairly cheap alternative.

I felt really hungry today around dinner time (probably because of the high energy workout I had earlier) but I stuck to my plan... I had meat and veggies for dinner at 5pm and had 2 yogurts a couple hours later. Hopefully this craving to munch on foods subsides soon. :P

Quick Update

2010-01-19T12:19:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone :)
I just wanted to let you know how I'm doing with my weight loss journey. I'm still going to the gym almost every day - I took Sunday off and I also took yesterday off - my best friend came down to see me and I wanted to enjoy my time with her as much as possible. Since I haven't been in a few days, I'm really itching to get out of the class I'm in now and get to the gym for a night long weightlifting workout. :) I can't wait!!!
Last time I checked, I was down to 180 pounds. So... I've lost 28/63 pounds. :) I'm almost halfway, and even more immediate... I'm almost down into the 170's! It's almost unbelievable to me! I love loosing weight... I love going to the gym... I love proving to myself that if I want something badly enough, anything is possible, even loosing 60+ pounds in a year. I hope anyone else trying to loose weight that they get as much joy and happiness out of is as I do. It's wonderful :).
I'd also like to encourage all my readers to support the efforts for Haiti... I've donated twice so far to a couple different charities and I encourage you all to do the same. The people there do not have the resources to manage their daily lives (noted by the poverty there) let alone the devestation that comes along with the massive earthquake that struck the poverty stricken nation. I've been very impressed with the efforts that I've seen so far - I've heard of Canadians that are going to Haiti to help out wherever they can, millions of dollars being donated to charities, the media coverage encouraging donations, even the facebook games that I already play have made gameplay include and make possible donations from the developers of the games. It's pretty incredible! But still, the devestation present in Haiti needs addressing, so please find a way to donate, whether it's at your local grocery store, through a text, calling a charity, online... and for all my Canadian readers, the government is matching all donations, so even the smallest donation is doubled and helps twice as much. My thoughts and prayers are with the people in Haiti - the people who have lost family, friends, neighbours, aquaintences.... the soldiers from all countries that are there helping out... the volunteers... the charities that are doing great work to help bring the country back to order... Hopefully they, together, can make some positive come out of such an attrocity.

-2 Pounds!

2010-01-14T00:41:00.002-05:00

I can't believe from Saturday to Tuesday (last night) I lost the 2-3 pounds that I gained over the holidays + 2 extra pounds! :D I'm down to 181 and I'm super excited! I can't believe that I'm almost into the 170's... it's almost unbelievable for me... it's been years since I weighed this much, and it feels so good to be shedding those extra pounds... I'm trying to keep in mind that some of the weight on me is turning into muscle, and how much you weigh depends on levels of liquids and foods and such... so weight isn't the only measure that I need to pay attention to. Still! I have been good the last few days and apparently it's paying off... maybe I'll reach my goal sooner than expected? Haha, we'll have to see...

Working out feels natural now. I love going to the gym -- I actually missed it over the holidays. Even though I'm often sore (but not too sore!) after weight lifting, it's a good thing - it means I gave myself a good workout and my muscles will keep burning calories for me even when I'm not at the gym. So far this week, I haven't been tired at the end of my cardio and I feel like I could keep weight lifting (but I have classes after my time at the gym and need to allow time to eat before them.) The effects of working out are showing as well - I have more energy, feel better about myself, and I see a bit of a difference in my ability to focus on my school work as well.

I Love Eating Healthy

2010-01-11T19:34:00.002-05:00

:)
My dinner tonight was delicious. As I was preparing it, my housemates kept commenting on how many veggies were in it. I put pork, onions, fresh garlic, carrots, broccoli, green peppers and tomatoes in a pan, drizzled sunflower seed oil on top, and added salt, pepper, and italian seasoning and baked it in the oven for an hour, flipping it half way through. I love the way it all tastes together!! And, since there were so many veggies, I have enough food for dinner tomorrow!
:)
Later on, I'm thinking of making a smoothie with "Carribean Treasures" frozen fruit mix (strawberries, mango, and peaches) with some frozen mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries), add some yogurt and some orange juice and blend it in the magic bullet for a minute or so... it makes a delicious smoothie. I don't have them all the time... but I've been really good and want something sweet for dessert/snack later on. I didn't wake up in time for lunch today so I've only had breakfast and dinner at this point...

Just thought I'd share.
I love my new lifestyle. :D!

The Weekend :)

2010-01-11T13:26:00.003-05:00

I had a great weekend! :)

I ate well, I felt great, I got caught up on some sleep... I purchased only healthy foods (almost all veggies, fruit, or meat) when I went grocery shopping and bought ... fish ?!?!?~?! I hate fish. Or at least I used to hate it... I'm trying to get myself to try new foods, or retry old foods that I don't like, and fish is supposed to be very healthy for you... so I picked up some tilapia and a scallop.. and on top of that, I ate all healthy food for the whole weekend... the worst thing I had was a hot chocolate full of alcohol and some whipped cream on top... but that was because I was hanging out with my room mates for a movie night.

I went to the gym both Saturday and Sunday (I felt I needed to because I couldn't find my lock for the gym til Thursday or Friday afternoon so I couldn't go last week.. it was in a random box thanks to my move before the holidays. :P) I'm quiiiiiiiiiite sore today after the weightlifting yesterday... but that just means it worked my muscles! I'll live! :P

All in all, I feel great, and I know it's only going to get better as I get healthier. ^-^

Note to self: weigh yourself! :P (I keep forgetting to do it when it is my "normal time" to weigh myself.)

Back To School...

2010-01-05T13:00:00.002-05:00

Alright! So, I'm back to school which means I'm back in the swing of things! Last time I checked I didn't gain too much weight over the holidays (between 2-3 pounds :() but I wasn't at home and I can't expect (and wouldn't want to expect) my hosts to follow my meal plans, especially when I was at one place for about a week! I had lots of the things I've been craving, like cheese and crackers, chocolates, nuts, pizza, etc. and I really enjoyed my holidays! Now it's time to get back into my weight loss mode.

One of the things I'm hoping to really work at in the next little while is making sure that I go to bed on time... preferably about 1am my time. This ensures that I will have 8 hours of sleep even for my morning classes. It's hard to sleep on time sometimes though, I'm living in a new house with 4 other girls and sometimes they're not always sleeping when I want to, and there's so many distractions and things that I want to do that it's hard to cool down and tell myself to relax.

Unfortunately, I can't find my lock for the gym, though I have all my gym clothes. So for the moment I'm holding off on going to the gym. I am eating right though - for example, I didn't have time to eat breakfast today so I brought a whole foods bar with me, some grapes, and a tea. Throughout the rest of the day I eat plenty of meat with fruits and veggies. :)

I'll let you know when I've properly weighed myself and give an update... :)

I hope everyone's holidays were filled with family, friends, and fun! :)

Guess My Last Post Was Kind Of Silly!

2009-12-31T02:10:00.002-05:00

hehe, sorry about that - it's the holidays. I had exams, then I moved, then Christmas, then at family's homes - I won't actually get back to university until Saturday but figured I needed a bit of an update.

I can't say I've been following my plan closely over the holidays - I really needed to relax and enjoy myself, and especially since I'm not at home (and only spent one night at my mom's even!) I can't very well expect my hosts to follow my meal plan of no carbs and high amounts of meat. :P I also don't have the gym. and it's also hard to say no to those snacks and treats when they're laying so deliciously in front of you so I've relaxed on this weight loss journey for a bit but I should be back into the full swing of things for the start of next week. :D

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas and I wish you all a Happy New Year!!!

Amanda

K, Time to Start Blogging Regularily Again ;)

2009-12-19T15:50:00.004-05:00

One thing I'm having some difficulty with is studying when I'm limiting my portions and what I can eat. I have exams on Monday and Tuesday... so I'm not going to the gym this weekend as I need to study and then pack for my move on Wednesday. Still doing my best though :). I'm eating healthy even though I can't go to the gym right now... It's so liberating to have 25 pounds off me! I feel so much better! I had my boyfriend tell me that my arms look thinner... My bras have extra space in them... My legs are thinner... Jeans are more loose! 25 pounds! in just over 4 months! If I can keep up this pace I'll be at my goal weight by summertime! I think I want to set a goal for myself to be down to 145 by August 1st, 2010. That's 63 pounds in one year and will be about a pound a week from now on... which is very doable!

:D

My inspiration for today: JOANIA! :)

Yay! Another 2 Pounds Gone!!!

2009-12-16T22:26:00.002-05:00

Hehe, that's right! I'm down to 183 :) I'm very excited, because this is the first time I've lost weight in a while (since I got off track for awhile >.<) and I haven't checked my weight in about a week.

I've been pretty good lately. I have had some carbs lately since I'm trying to eat all the food in my house since I'm moving out... but no more than I normally would (I had spaghetti once or twice... and I had some soup that had rice in it...). I went away last week and to help ensure that I ate healthily, I brought half a backpack of fresh cut veggies with me and ribs that I had left over from dinner the night before, so I was able to avoid carbs even though I was living in an Asian household ^-^. I *DID* have bubble tea :(, but instead of getting milky I got a slushie kind so that cuts out alot of the fat in a bbt right there (I wasn't going to get one but I needed something to drink and there were no other places near us with drinks in the mall we were at). :)

I did have a treat yesterday, I bought myself a pack of (fat-free) swedish berries... I needed some energy and something to snack on while I studied and was at the convenience store getting milk anyway... but I'm ok with that. I've been good for about a week now... I deserve something once in a while ;)

I've been to the gym every day except when I was away. Yesterday I weight-lifted and did 12? machines... today I stair stepped, burned 360 calories, and then weight lifted on 3 or 4 of the machines that I skipped yesterday.

I feel so good. :D My clothes keep getting more loose -- I alwaaaays need my belt now, and I have a pair of boots that I used to not be able to zip up all the way, and I can now wear them properly! I'm really proud that I'm going to the gym every day even though I don't have any classes at the moment (it's the exam period right now at my university). Well done me :)

So. This is what's up.

2009-12-05T00:23:00.006-05:00

Sorry again for not writing... last week of classes for this term... I'm rather busy.

Although in the past week I've been to the gym more (there were a couple days I didn't go because of big tests the following day), I'm still not where I want to be in many aspects. Last night I had a bit of a revolution... I had a feeling that I needed time to myself to think, so I shut off the computer and I let myself go with my thoughts. Here's what happened:

At first I started getting upset. Quite upset. But then I realized - it doesn't do me any good to be just sitting here upset... what is the problem? The biggest thing that was bothering me was my weight loss journey. Although I've been going to the gym, I'm still eating some things that I shouldn't be... I haven't been in the right mindset. I think I got into this bad mindset when I was at home, and my sister offered me a rice krispie square. I declined, but she said something like "come on, you've done really well! You've lost 20+ pounds! You deserve a treat once in a while!" and that was the start of it. I think after that, I stuck with it and I thought to myself "You've done really well! Have a treat!" (which granted, it's okay to treat yourself once in a while, but it became a habit, which defies the essence of it being a treat.) This was the problem. So what am I doing to fix it?

First, I needed to get back in the right mindset. I thought of my reasons for doing this whole weight loss journey. (From my first blog: There have been a few reasons for my decision. 1) I want to live a healthier life - I've grown tired of eating and living the way I have, and I am making a change. 2) I have a 6 month old nephew, and I want to be around for as much of his life as I can. 3) It feels good to be eating healthier and not weighed down with many fatty foods.) There have been some other added benefits since this as well, and I want to continue those as well. I thought of how I want to continue looking and feeling better - yes, what I've done is great, but it's not enough, I'm about 1/3 of the way through this struggle and I will NOT quit now. I thought back to a conversation that I had with someone about whether or not they thought I would pull this off - in which they gave me a high percentage of doing it, but it still wasn't 100%, and that pushed me. I pictured myself thinner... I thought of how it felt good to be loosing weight up until I sort of.... slowed down... I thought of how I want to look better in Christmas photos with my family, for my boyfriend when I see him over New Years, and most importantly, of how I want to reach my goal for me.

I know that it's time to get back into the swing of things. Here's how my day went in terms of food/drink. I brought my tea with me to school as usual. I had a banana for breakfast, and drank water when I went to work out. When I got home from working out, I put some meat in the oven and started drinking [decaf] tea of a few different flavours (#1 it helps keep me warm, #2 it fills my stomach w/ a non-calorie/non-fat liquid that helps keep me full, #3 it helps flush out my system). I had a pork chop for dinner, and a smoothie (frozen fruit, fat-free yogurt and orange juice) for "dessert". That's it. ^-^ I pushed myself harder at the gym. I burned about 370 calories on the elliptical machine and then worked out on a few of the leg workout machines (I had a needle yesterday for H1N1 and my arm is still sore or else I would have done all the machines.) I portioned myself, I ate slowly, I didn't eat til I was stuffed, I didn't snack. I'm being really hard on myself to make up for these few weeks where I lacked the initiative to do so. I know that Christmas is coming and I want to have a chocolate peanut butter ball or two... and that there will be other treats over the holidays.

There's nothing in the house that I'm not allowed to eat, and I'm going to keep it that way. No carbs. No junk food. Tea/water to drink. Meat, veggies, fruit. Until I go home for the holidays. Gym everyday (except exam days.) NO EXCUSES! When I go to visit my housemate from last year, next week, no bbt, bring food with me so that I'm not required to eat rice and/or noodles. I'm keeping in mind that I can always eat "those foods" once I've lost the weight. I'm going to be very harsh with myself until Christmas rolls around. I'm back in the game. I'm back in the mindset for sure. I will succeed. I will do this. No matter what it takes.

[♪ Work it harder, make it better, do it faster, makes us stronger! ♫]

YAY: Progress!

2009-11-27T19:41:00.002-05:00

Oooook.!

So I've been to the gym every day this week. And: today, I was able to control my food cravings, I controlled my portions, and only ate things that I'm supposed to! :D! YAY ME! Looks like I'm getting back on track after all! :). I feel alot better about myself and what I'm doing. I also have more of a vision of what I'll look like when I get thin, and that's helping to promote my energy towards this cause in my life. I'm so happy to be on track again :)

... Sorry

2009-11-26T00:47:00.002-05:00

I've had alot happen in the last few weeks and although things are getting better at the moment, some problems are still persisting.

For a week or so, I stopped going to the gym. I had assignment after assignment, test after test, and I barely had time to sleep, let alone go to the gym, but I'm getting back on track.

I've been to the gym Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday this week, I'm not eating enough at the right times which causes some unhealthy habits, but I'm taking my fat burners, vitamins, and doing more exercise than I usually do lately. (Like for example today I burnt about 380 calories - 100 more than my minimum goal and 70 more than my maximum goal.:] )

I know I've fallen behind where I should be right now (I haven't gained any weight but I haven't lost any either) but I've gotten myself through some academically stressful yet important work, and some personal growth. I believe I'm truly back on the road I should be on. Wish me luck for the rest of the week :) All the support is appreciated.

I also want to thank my family for helping me through a particularly rough incident. I wouldn't be the same without you. ♥

Getting Better...

2009-11-09T23:17:00.002-05:00

OK. So. I didn't get to the gym on the weekend but if I remember correctly, I went every day throughout the week, so I still got there 5x last week. On Saturday, I was too busy and didn't have time and on Sunday I was still sore from Thursday (I increased the weights I lift on 2 chest muscles working machines... and they were pretty burnt out afterwards.)

I went to the gym today - it was a cardio/elliptical day. I worked myself pretty hard but it felt good afterwards to be putting in effort once again. :) I am getting slightly better at controlling my eating - today I had breakfast at noon, had a couple small snacks (an apple and a yogurt) during classes, went to the gym, came home and had a pork chop and some boiled carrots for dinner and then had a snack of a couple whole what reduced fat crackers with some turkey polish sausage and an 80 calorie cheese stick for a snack. No thinsations. No temptations to eat things I shouldn't be eating. I'm getting stronger again at telling myself "no" to eating once in a while, and am eating slower.

Today was a good step towards getting back on track. I'm not quite there - I'm still eating more frequently than I would like to, but it's all healthy and it's smaller portions. It's starting to feel (again) like it should. I think I'm getting over my first major fallback on my weight loss journey. :D!

smacks self

2009-11-06T17:08:00.002-05:00

Last night after I wrote that blog about how I wanted to be more strict with myself, I ended up having a bowl of popcorn (hence the title of this blog). I think it's important to share this with my readers because I post alot of my successes and I haven't had too many serious fallbacks until this week... but I just want you to all know that it's not all easy. There are times that I break and eat something I shouldn't... or don't do as well at the gym... no one's perfect. I'm trying my best though.

Today I haven't had anything bad and I worked out longer than I normally do on the elliptical machines. I know I need to make up for what I've been doing the last week or so and I really want to reach my goal. As someone put it to me last night "there's always a chance to eat popcorn AFTER you reach your goal... it's not like you'll never have it again.." just not until I get where I want to be.

Part of what caused me to work out longer today was me reading one of my textbooks while on the elliptical machines and having music so I was never fully focused on the thoughts 'my legs are starting to hurt,' 'I'm tired' and whatnot. I also accidently reset the machine half way through my routine :(. But it gave me a chance to keep going (longer than I should - there's a 30 minute time limit on the machines but there was no line up and free machines today so I figured it wouldn't be too big of a deal). I know I burned 307.2 calories on the second portion of my workout and on the first half my guess is that I had burnt about 150... so say around 450 calories for my workout today. I didn't push myself to go really fast - my pace stayed at about 120 strokes per minute regardless of whether or not the incline or the resistance was increased so the lower resistance gave me a bit of a chance to catch my breath for the harder sections where it was back up.

Tomorrow is going to be the first day that I go to the gym on the weekend as part of my regular schedule. I'm upping my gym days to every day except sundays... so that in case I need to take off a day for school I can do so and so that I get even closer to my goal sooner.

I want to reach my goal so badly - not only for myself, but for my loved ones too. I'm not going to give up. Yes, I've had a bit of a rough patch for the past week or so but I'm getting myself back on track and I will keep this up.

URGH!

2009-11-05T17:38:00.002-05:00

The weather is getting so depressing!!!! Anyone want to switch some of their warmth and sunshine for our snow?

Ok, so I've been a bit better today... and by a bit I mean a bit. I still bought an unhealthy snack today, but I walked myself away from the cookies and the muffins at the library... I'm taking snacks with me and I'm still hungry! I brought an apple and a ziplock bowl of veggies and I still wanted more food :S. I really need to remember to take my fatburners in the morning. >.< I'm getting really frustrated with my lack of self control over food even though it's better than it was a week or so ago.

I've got some pork in the oven (with General Dao's sauce and almonds on it ^-^) and a fruit smoothie (mixed frozen berries with orange peach mango juice and a bit of milk) waiting for me... I've also been really enjoying Tetley's spiced plum rooiboos tea lately.. it's delicious :D

Hopefully tomorrow I'll have more control. :S
Wish me luck! (I need it!!!)

My Current Difficulties

2009-11-03T17:27:00.002-05:00

Lately I'm finding it really hard to stick to what I'm supposed to eat. I don't know if it's partly because I've been really busy with school work lately, and it's just so much easier to eat something pre-made (but unhealthy)... or I'm just weaker than I used to be.... :S. I'm trying to be better though. I'm trying to remember to make snacks of fruit or veggies to bring with me to my classes. Yesterday it was an apple and a few carrots... today I didn't have time. :\

Another thing I'm finding difficult is to portion myself. I haven't been taking my fat burners properly lately, so that could have something to do with it, but I've been so hungry lately... all the time... I feel like I just eat and eat. :( For example, I had breakfast at about 9am this morning, I ate again at around 10:30... I was hungry by 11... it's too much! For the past few hours at least I've been pretty strict with myself, and I'm building up more of an appetite for dinner, but it doesn't matter if I eat a big meal or a snack, I'm hungry an hour later or less :(

So obviously my downfall right now is the food. I'm trying to keep in mind that I want to lose the weight so much more than I want that food... hopefully my mindset will help. But... for now, this is what I'm finding tough.

Wish me luck!

Down to 185!

2009-11-01T16:32:00.002-05:00

I weighed myself today (at the proper time) and my weight is down to 185! (which is what it was after last weekend...) YAY! 23 pounds down, ony 40 left to go! I'm over 1/3 of the way there! :D

I'm eating more veggies these days. Also keeping on top of my multivitamins, vitamin c, echinacea once in a while, fat burners.... I'm the healthiest I've been in a loooong loooong time. I feel really good. My jeans are getting even more loose, the ring on my finger slides off with ease now (must be careful I don't lose it!) and I can run up a set of stairs without feeling winded at all. :) I love it!

Update

2009-10-30T17:29:00.002-04:00

Alright. I weighed myself this afternoon (NOT my normal time for weighing myself) and I'm currently sitting at 187. Which is 21 pounds below my starting weight :D! I'll try to remember to weigh myself in the morning before breakfast and give you a proper update... but I'm liking my progress.

One thing that I've noticed the last two times I went to weight lift is that I'm gradually being able to increase the amount of weight I'm lifting on the various machines. For example, with the bicep pressdown machine, when I first started, 15 pounds (x20 x3) killed my arms, and now that's too light and I'm up to 30 pounds there. The benchpress incline machine is one that I couldn't handle before, and I tried it today, and I could manage 15 pounds (x10 x3)

Although it'd be nice to loose weight faster than this, I don't want to get too hard on myself because I'm keeping in my mind that I'm gaining muscle all over my body and muscle has some weight to it. I am gradually stepping up my routines. In stair stepping, I try to burn at least 10 calories more each time I work out - I'm up over 300 calories per workout now and I also use a few weight lifting machines that use your legs as well after those workouts to stretch out my muscles as much as possible.

I'm just trying to work harder but not so hard that I get frustrated and feel like quitting. I'm still enjoying what I'm doing, I just want to do better. ^-^

Good News/Bad News

2009-10-29T21:42:00.002-04:00

Again, sorry for not writing... >.< As I'm a university student there will be periods where it gets really busy and difficult for me to find the time to write.

I'll start with the good news today :)

So, over the weekend I ate whatever I wanted (it was my weekend off because my boyfriend who lives in California came up to visit me :]) and I lost 3-4 pounds over the weekend bringing my weight down to 185! :)

Bad news :[

For various reasons - such as not having time to go out to grocery shop, and being distracted by bad foods in my house when there was nothing healthy for me to eat - I ate pretty badly yesterday and kind of bad the day before that. Hopefully I haven't gained it all back, although I don't think a day or two of eating badly is going to completely ruin it.

I'm still working out every weekday and I think I'm going to start working out on Saturdays too, so that in case I need to take a day off for some reason throughout the week (like I did yesterday - I had a midterm today that i needed to study for instead) I won't feel as guilty, and won't need to work myself 2x as hard the next day ^-^

Feeling Good :)

2009-10-22T16:08:00.002-04:00

I went to work out again today... I love weight lifting. ^-^ Some of the machines are harder for me than others, but at the end I feel like I've done something good and I've spent my time well.

I'm taking the weekend off (from everything), so I'll probably write again early next week. Have a good one! :)

Sorry! (Again...)

2009-10-21T10:36:00.003-04:00

I've been so busy this week (I've had 2 tests and I have a midterm later on today...) and on top of that I'm taking this weekend off school work because I'm going away for the weekend, so I'm in the process of catching up from last week (when I was sick) to getting *ahead* and having my work done for all my Monday classes on Thursday.

With regards to my weight loss journey, I'm doing OK. I've lost another pound (down to 189! :]) and I'm just starting my fat burner pills. I'm finding that they have me quite wired alot of the time so I only take 1/day until I get used to them.

I'm still going to the gym Monday-Friday and loving it... the time to myself is a good, healthy break from the rest of life mentally and physically.

I've got to go now to continue my studies for my midterm today... wish me luck!!! :)

Sick :(

2009-10-15T17:54:00.002-04:00

I apologize for not writing much this week... I've had a very bad cold and was in bed from Sunday to Wednesday. Today (Thursday) was my first day out of the house for classes (except for early Tuesday morning for a test) all week.

As I've been sick, there's not too much to say - I haven't had the energy to work out, although I've tried some pilates, and as long as I can get food down, I'm happy - my throat has been quite sore.

However, on my way home today, I picked up some fat burner pills. They're called "Extreme Lean", and they've got lots of natural ingredients in them. They should help to boost my energy and curb my appetite. I'm not sure when I'm going to start taking them - I'll have to be going to the gym that day... but I'm going to start taking them slowly. The bottle suggests 2 pills at breakfast and 2 pills at lunch for a total of 4 pills a day but I think that might be a bit of a shock for my body, so I'll start with one and see how it goes. :)

Saturday Treat

2009-10-10T16:02:00.002-04:00

Since I went to the gym today and I had to go well out of my way (I missed one bus by like 3 minutes so I had to wait another half hour for the next one, plus travel, plus workout time = about 2.5-3 hours total) to go to the gym, I decided to give myself a treat today. ^-^ I went weight lifting even though my knee is bruised and it's hard to go up and down stairs, I used 14!!! different machines, and was working out for about an hour, I figured I deserved it. What I really wanted was noodles from an Asian restaurant, but all the Asian food places in the plaza at the university were closed for the whole weekend (it's a long weekend here in Canada...), which is really surprising because there are like, 10 of them. o.O So instead of noodles, I had a latte from Second Cup. Dark Chocolate flavour...mmmm...♥ (non-fat, of course.) It was delicious.

I also had a chance to check out a place in University Plaza that sells all kinds of supplements. There's a few there that I'm going to do some more research for online before I make any decisions but the two I have in mind are a energy boosting weight loss supplement (natural product) and a veggie supplement which helps with digestion and especially digesting acids which supposedly can hold onto fats?? We'll see. I'll keep you informed! :)

I'm in really high spirits lately. I REALLY like what I'm doing and how it's making me feel. :) YAY!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Just Another Day ^-^

2009-10-09T19:24:00.002-04:00

I didn't go to the gym yesterday (weight-lifting day) for two reasons. #1 I was still sore (a bit) from Tuesday and #2 I went out last night and didn't think it would be worth being sore all night! I'm going to go tomorrow (Saturday) to make up for it.

I did go to the gym today though, my friend was already on her way home for Thanksgiving so it was just me...and I didn't remember to bring my mp3 player :( so I was just watching the calories I lost tick upwards :). I also didn't bring an energy drink today (I was in a bit of a rush to get out the door this morning). I didn't bring a towel either... I really must start bringing a gym bag with all of the things I need! hahaha. I found out though that the gym has a towel rental deal that's free for students - you just have to swipe your student card as you take one out and return it. I ALWAYS have my student card on me, because it's my ticket to the bus! So that shouldn't be a problem, and it's one less thing I have to carry around with me.

I'm really starting to enjoy my time at the gym. It gives me a chance to be completely cut off from the outside world and gives me some "me time", where I don't have the computer or my phone to be distracting me from wherever my mind wants to wander. It's a good 40-50 minutes to myself (by the time I change, work out, cool down, change back). It's really nice actually. BIG PLUS! that I actually want to go on my own now.

That's the kind of reason that I call this a lifestyle change rather than a diet. I feel so much better about myself, where I'm going, and I'm getting alot of benefits. I'm more active, need less sleep, eat healthier... I'm craving certain foods less, and if I do crave something, I'm learning how to curb those cravings.

I love life. :)

It's Been a Good Day!

2009-10-07T18:56:00.002-04:00

Today I:

burnt 250 calories
played with resistance levels: I started at level 1 for about 5 minutes, walked at level 5 for 3 mins, walked at 3 for 3 mins, then back to level 1 for 5 minutes
had better endurance (walked for about 40 minutes vs. 34)
kept my heart rate at a healthier level - between 165-170 most of the time

I don't know if it's because I was in high spirits because of other things going on in life and school work, but I really put in a good effort today, and I feel really good! On top of going to the gym I had to sprint the equivalent of a 5 minute walk to catch the bus, so there's some more fat and calories gone. ^-^

I'm really pleased with the way things are going (even though I'm still stiff and sore from yesterday :P).

My First Day at the Gym....AGAIN!

2009-10-06T23:17:00.000-04:00

Today was my second day at the gym... but, it was my first day on this routine. Something I didn't have time to explain yesterday is that my exercise routine changes every other day. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I will be using the stair stepping machine (with my friend, as long as she sticks to the plan with me), while Tuesday and Thursday are weight lifting days. The reason that I am doing this is to work out different areas of my body (weight lifting is actually a total body workout!) and to get the lean muscle mass in my body to be burning calories rather than just sitting dormant while the bottom half of my body does most of the work.

I'M SO SORE!!!!

I tried a bunch of different types of machines on the lowest weight setting for today (which is about 20 pounds). On each machine I did 3 reps of 20, giving a minute or so in between reps. I tried machines that worked the calves, inner and outer thighs, (virtually) all of the arm, shoulders, lower back, and chest muscles. Some machines are harder than others... like for example, I found that lifting only 20 pounds with my legs was very easy. Some of the machines which required you to lift with your arms straight up and down were very difficult for me. Others that required to lift with your arms in other forms (pulling, side to front, front to side, or where you only move the part of your arm attached to your hand) weren't so difficult, but still gave a workout.

There are still a few machines that I didn't try either because they were unavailable, I didn't know how to use them properly, or I know that at this point I do not have the strength to use them. there were probably 12-15 different types of machines, and I used 8-9. There's always room for improvement, and I know I'll be sticking to the lightest weight for a while until I am not quite this sore when I finish. Even though I'm sore all over, it feels really good to know that I'm improving myself and working parts of my body which I don't use regularly, which could be (more like "are" rather than "could be") storing fat.

One thing I noticed is that I was the only female using the weight lifting machines. There were men of all ages and sizes using them, but I was the only girl..... oh well :)

I'm getting more used to the idea of going to the gym. It feels like a lot of work at times, but it's completely worth it. It feels good to know that I'm starting a routine that I can stick to which isn't too intensive. As I become more familiar with the machines and my capabilities, I'm planning on doing more research on a weight lifting program that works best for me.

...did I mention that I'm sore?! :P

Wish me luck tomorrow! Back to the stair steppers!

Tip: A common misconception about weight lifting is that you'll start to gain lots of muscles no matter what. This really only happens when you're lifting so much weight that you're pushing yourself to your limit, gradually increasing the weight you're lifting as your muscles become more capable. Although I'll be gradually increasing, it will not get to the point that I'm all muscle, because I'm lifting a low amount of weight a high number of times. In doing so, I'm working my muscles only to burn calories.

Exercise...at...THE GYM!

2009-10-05T19:52:00.003-04:00

Today was my first day going to the gym! I had a friend go with me and it was good to have someone with me that I knew. I thought I might feel uncomfortable in front of others, but everyone there is a person... a lot of the people there were skinny or athletic, but there were people my size there as well. I'll explain what my planned routine is later, but for today, I went on the stair stepping machine. It had built in programs of all sorts, but was easy to figure out. It kept track of your heart rate, the number of steps you took, and the number of calories you burned. The only thing that was difficult was keeping my pace low - I find that I keep wanting to push myself to go further, and I ended up having my heart rate above the cardio level for most of the time (my average throughout was 173bpm). It's do-able! I'm really happy that I took this step... I'm used to walking and running (a bit) on flat ground so it will take a bit of getting used to, but it's definitely something that I feel I can keep up. ^-^

I don't really have more time to talk or else I'd go into further detail tonight because I've got a test at 10am tomorrow! Wish me luck ;)

Trees are Turning Colour...

2009-10-02T15:09:00.004-04:00

My goodness, it's only the start of October and the trees are already changing colour. The rain was so cold today, I almost didn't walk home because by the time I got to the north end of campus, my arms and face were already stinging from the rain. Buuuut I pulled out my jacket and kept going :). Thankfully, I'm going to start going to the gym next week with a friend of mine, so I won't have to deal with the rain/cold/whatever else mother nature decides to throw at us here in Ontario...

So last night I went to the mall and got some exercise clothes. Zellers currently has a sale on their activewear. I got 2 pairs of pants, one is sportek platinum (it has wicking, to remove moisture through the fabric of the clothes and keep it away from your body, is stretchy and breathable), and the other is a yoga pant (which is 95% cotton, 5% spandex - will help keep me warm on cooler days.) I also got a shirt which is sportek platinum as well. I'll let you know how I feel with them next week when I start at the gym :).

I also had to buy a belt, because my pants are coming more loose (giggle). :) :)

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend! :)

Today's Walk Home

2009-10-01T15:29:00.002-04:00

Today's walk home was good. I ran 3 times! (The last one was kind of pathetic, but every bit counts!) Since Tuesday and Thursday are the days that I have a shorter walk home, I wanted to push myself harder, especially since I've eaten pretty poorly the last few days. I'm finding that having caffeine of some sort (unfortunately for me lately, it's been double-double coffees :X) really helps in energy levels when I'm walking home. I've been drinking more fluids lately and this also helps subside my hunger. :)

I'm now off to the mall to look for amp. It's an energy drink that doesn't taste disgusting (unlike red bull), which is available in a low calorie, no sugar, high energy variety. More info at: http://www.ampenergy.com/.

Eating Out ... Bad Few Days

2009-09-30T23:57:00.003-04:00

I went out with a friend last night and it started out well... but we ended up at the pub, and they changed the menu... my choice for food ended up coming down to chicken wings or a sandwich with loads of unhealthy things on it... I went for the 10 wings ($.44 each! :O)... Wings are bad because they're usually fried. So last night wasn't such a great day for the new lifestyle change...

Then today, by the time I got out of my last class, I was so hungry that I was shaking, so I went to the student run convenience store looking for something to pick up that I could bring with me on my walk home, which I found out afterwards was really greasy, and it ended up making me feel not so well.

The last few days haven't been so great on the weight loss front. I know where I need to go though. I need to pick myself back up and put myself on track. I've still been getting exercise for the last few days, so that's good. But, I'm finding it hard to eat properly as I keep getting busier with school. I'm going to try to have some thinsations, a granola bar, or something in my backpack or purse from now on so that if I'm out and I get into a situation like today, I've got something to eat that's *healthy* so that I don't have to worry about making sure that I can find something that I can eat out. Since I don't eat carbs most of the time, and I try to only eat low fat things, it can be very difficult to find things while out that follow my diet plan.

Therefore, my
Tip:
is to always carry something that follows your meal/diet plan with you, so that if you get to a point where you need it and can't get home right away, you've always got a backup. :)

Hahahaha, I Love Myself.

2009-09-28T23:21:00.003-04:00

Funny story:

I was walking home today in the pouring rain, I was absolutely soaked yet sooooooooo happy!!! (ps, I love running and dancing in the rain.) I was listening to my Asian music, in particular a Japanese rock band. One of my favourite parts of the song came on, and since it was raining, and there aren't usually people out walking when it's raining, I figured that it'd be ok to yell my favourite part of that song (I had checked earlier in the walk and no one was around.) But what I didn't realize is that a walking path had connected to the road I was on, and there were actually about 3 people in my vicinity.... Here I am yelling "FUKAKU!" practically as loud as I can, hands flailing around, looking ridiculously happy, and I turn around to these strangers giving me the strangest looks.... hahahahahaha. It made my day!

Tip of the Day: Cravings

2009-09-27T14:23:00.001-04:00

If you're having cravings for a particular foods, here's a few techniques I use to stop myself from giving in.

anytime I start craving something, I like to make sure that I'm not just hungry (try to eat a meal instead)
if I'm craving something sweet, I'll eat a fruit which has natural sugars to give myself a healthier sweet
if I'm craving something fatty (say, chocolate or poutine), I think of how bad that food is for me
no matter what I may crave, I know that I want to loose this weight A LOT more than I want to eat that food, and the lack of indulgence now will pay off even more in the future :)

I saw a quote that I liked in my French text book last night: Il faut manger pour vivre, et non vivre pour manger.

English translation:

"Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat."
- Socrates
Greek philosopher in Athens (469 BC - 399 BC)

Yay! I Ran!

2009-09-26T14:03:00.002-04:00

On my way home from class yesterday afternoon... I kept my pace up for most of the walk... and I was almost home and I felt that I wanted to run. So I did! I picked a target - a lamp post - a distance ahead of me, and I ran to it! I was so surprised that I actually did it, and didn't feel like I was going to topple over at the end of it! I know I've ran a few times before but this time I actually wanted to... on my own! :) I walked the rest of the way home, and when I got home, I felt like that hadn't been enough exercise, so I played a 3-4 minute song on my mp3 player, then ran and jogged on the spot, and jumped to the song. It felt so good :)

I've cut the time it takes to get home from that class by about 5 minutes, which is pretty good because it was only 35 minutes to begin with.

I also went for an additional walk last night, that took about 30 minutes with a friend of mine.

I'm so pleased with myself lately. :D I feel that I'm doing well and I'm getting results! I weighed myself today and I'm down to about 191/2 pounds, which is another 2/3 since Tuesday! Guess I'm working off all those birthday treats ;) I had someone who I hadn't seen for a few months tell me that he could see the weight loss in my face, and he hadn't seen me since before the summer. :) ahhhh... I feel so good right now! :)

Now to get working on my homework -_____-

Hope everyone's having a good weekend!

Try to stay on track...

2009-09-25T12:34:00.002-04:00

I've been really busy with my school work this week... and although I'm ok with the change in my eating habits, I'm finding it really hard to keep with the exercise in particular. This is especially true when I have things that I need to go out for, such as groceries, laundry, or other errands wherever or whatever they may be. Maybe this is because these things take further energy out of my day, or I feel that the bus is faster and so I can get them done more easily because I'm not depending on how fast I walk to make sure I can get them done before the businesses close?... I'm really not sure, but my mindset about exercise really needs to change. For me, it's not optional, I must exercise to keep losing weight, so I really need to push myself harder to get it done every day.

On a bit of a happier note, I'm eating fewer thinsations snacks per week! I don't know how I'm curbing my sweet tooth, but I am! :)

Hmmm...

2009-09-23T21:20:00.002-04:00

I'm finding that the last few days I've needed to eat less than I normally would to keep my hunger satisfied...
For example, I had cereal for breakfast... 2 small pieces of chicken for dinner... and a peach. I might have a yogurt or something later. But it's a bit weird because I'm getting exercise, doing homework, and going to classes, which all take some form of energy, whether it be physical or mental. Maybe my body is getting into more of a routine? I'm also going to bed slightly earlier every night... I'm hoping to end up going to bed at 1am, and waking up at 9am every day. :)

Sorry, I didn't blog yesterday!

2009-09-22T14:04:00.002-04:00

I took my birthday off. :P. Today's going to be a quick one because I have SO much work to do right now...... anyway...

So I weighed myself today, and I'm down to 194 pounds! Yay! I've lost 13-14 pounds total. I know that I have some birthday treats to work off over the next few days, so I'm pretty happy with these results.

Alright, I need to get down to my work! Hope my readers are staying healthy and happy!

Tip: Weighing yourself every day will give you small results. I generally weigh myself one or two times per week so that I'll have dropped a pound or so in that time... and I'm not trying to remember how close the needle was to the next pound down last time. ;)

A Real Blog Post!

2009-09-20T22:18:00.004-04:00

Now that you know a few of the tricks that I'm using, I want to start daily blogging. As I try new things, I'll keep you updated on my new strategies and how they are working out for me.

I'll admit, today's been a bit of a bad day on the eating scene. Tomorrow's my birthday and I had dinner (and dessert :O! :X) out with my family at Montana's. Since I'm not planning on doing too much on my actual birthday, today was a bit of a break day for me. I had my cereal for breakfast, got ready to go, and walked to the bus stop. (This particular bus stop is about a 15-20 minute walk from my house and it's mostly uphill.) I haven't taken on exercising on weekends yet so that was a bit of extra work for me. For dinner though, I had a half chicken (I brought half of it home), broccoli, and mashed potatoes (no gravy). I haven't had potatoes since the beginning of August so I almost died when I first tasted them. Delicious :)

My mother brought me a scale today, so tomorrow morning I'll weigh in and let you know how I'm progressing! I haven't been able to weigh myself since the end of August (I was at about 197-198 then.) I've put in a lot of exercise, and eaten quite healthy for the last 3 weeks, so hopefully my determination and work is paying off. :)

Tip: There is a 10-20 minute delay between your stomach and your brain. Often, people will over eat and not realize they're doing it, because they eat until they feel full. To avoid this: 1)Eat slowly, 2) portion your meals out and if you are still hungry 20 minutes after eating a smaller portion of food, then eat again. I've often found that I'll feel full after I've given my body time to realize the food is there. :)

Strategy 4: Exercise (continued)

2009-09-19T17:05:00.014-04:00

If I had put everything in one blog about exercise, it would have been really long, so I figured I would continue it today.

You need to find some form of exercise that you can stick with. There are all kinds of activities at different levels of impact.. you might want to start out with a low impact activity and work your way up... but it's really whatever works for you that you think you can stick with.

Impact Level	Examples
Low	swimming and water aerobics cycling rowing yoga, pilates tai chi strength training
Medium	walking stair climbers elliptical trainers aerobics dance classes (no jumping)
High	running kickboxing aerobics dance classes (with jumping)

Think of the pros and cons of the various activities as you try them out. For example, running is a major calorie burner and you need little equipment to do it.. but it can be boring or it could aggrevate knee or ankle problems. Another thing to consider is if you have low self esteem, you may have trouble going to a gym to work out next to those stick thin people... or swimming might be a problem if you don't want to be in a swim suit in front of others... so make sure you'll feel comfortable in the place that your activity will be taking place.

Of course the examples listed are just that, examples. There are many other sports, activities, and forms of exercise that you can do. You might want to take up tennis with a friend, or join a team sport like baseball. Whatever the case... make sure it's something you can enjoy and will be comfortable doing. You CAN do it!!!

Tip: If you're finding that water is getting too boring for you, try adding crystal light singles to your water. They're low in calories, add some flavour to your drink, come in many flavours, and are much cheaper than buying other beverages.

Strategy #4: Exercise

2009-09-18T17:34:00.007-04:00

If you're like me, you probably don't think you can do it. It is important because it burns calories and it helps grow your muscles.

Every bit of activity helps and you can start out small:

take the stairs instead of the elevator a few times a day

do 20-30 reps of lifting a 10 pound bag of potatoes 2 or 3 times a day

do 10 minutes of pilates a day (youtube has many pilates videos such as this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQAKl2FGeTI which have easier steps if you can't do the full workout.)

However, it's best to work your way up to at least 30 minutes to 1 hour of exercise a day. It's important that whatever you choose to do, you feel like you have accomplished something at the end of it and you can motivate yourself to do it every day. It's also good to know that you can increase the intensity of your routine gradually as you continue to get more fit.

For me, this activity is walking. I incorporate it into my daily routine by walking home. By the time I have reached the bus stop, waited for the bus, been driven home, and walked home from the bus stop, it only takes about 10-15 minutes more per day to walk home rather than bus depending on where my last class was at the university. I can motivate myself to do the walking because I know I want to reach home so I can have lunch/dinner, get working on my homework, and finish what I need to before I can relax. I make it fun by walking along to upbeat music and dancing a bit on the way. :) Of course it's going to be hard to walk home during the winter, but I figure that by the time the snow comes around, this form of exercise will be pretty routine in my life and I can keep myself motivated by making a playlist and walking on the treadmill at the gym until it is over. I also know that I can increase the intensity (slooooowly, over time) by jogging, running, and ellipticals (using an exercise machine that simulates walking uphill). For example, when I got to the end of my street, I got myself to run up the street to my house rather than walking. Every bit helps.

Tip: Bring water with you when you go to exercise. LOTS of water!

Strategy #3: Move At Your Own Pace

2009-09-17T15:48:00.004-04:00

Even though it'd be nice to say out of the blue.. "hey! I'm going to eat healthy, exercise, cut junk food out of my diet, and live a healthier life!" it's not quite that easy. There are some days where it might take alot out of you mentally just to eat healthy, and there's no sense in pushing yourself too hard right from the beginning. This could lead to you feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.

I know that in order to loose 60 pounds, I cannot just eat healthier. This requires exercise as well. I wasn't ready to stick to a workout routine as well as eat healthier, so I chose one to stick with for a while until I was ready to start working out. Some of the benefits of eating healthier (not being weighed down with fatty foods and higher energy) gave me the push to start exercising regularly.

Keep a pace. Make goals and stick to them. Only you know how fast you want to go and whether or not you can handle it. :)

Tip: When cooking, use olive oil instead of margarine. The oils in olive oil are much healthier for you than the hydrogenated oils in margarine.

Strategy #2: My Diet

2009-09-16T23:35:00.004-04:00

Here is an explanation of what I eat throughout the day and when:

Breakfast

I eat a fairly high protein cereal every morning for breakfast - it's an "Irresistibles" muesli (you can buy it at Food Basics or Metro). It has whole grains, dark chocolate, raspberries, cranberries, almonds, and hazelnuts and is delicious. It also keeps me from craving chocolate (my biggest vice), if I have a little bit each morning. This also ensures I get a good portion of dairy every day - calcium is good for the bones!

Lunch

For lunch, I'll eat a combination of the following: salad, a yogurt, cold cut veggies, fruit, polish sausage, and cottage cheese. I'll occasionally eat soup, but not too often as many soups have high amounts of salt in them which retains water and adds to your weight. I'll also occasionally eat a whole wheat wrap filled with mixed greens, chicken, cucumbers, etc.

Dinner

For my last big meal of the day, I make a lot of stir fry’s with plenty of veggies and meat. I have a few different bottled sauces that I like to eat on my stir fry’s including tangy thai, general Tao’s sauce, and just plain tomato sauce. Salads are also a good dinner. Sometimes it’s very difficult to think of new ideas that don’t use bread, potatoes, rice, noodles, or other pasta for dinner… but I’ll keep you updated on my new ideas as I try them once I get to my daily blogging. :)

Tip: Stay conscious of how long eating various foods takes to digest. Eating meat takes your body around 6 hours to digest, and if I eat within 6 hours of going to bed, it's generally fruit and/or veggies (which only take around 4 hours to digest), but could also be a 100 calorie snack, yogurt, or almonds.

Strategy #1: Things I Avoid

2009-09-15T11:42:00.007-04:00

Carbs

I avoid carbs whenever possible but haven't cut them out of my diet completely, as any weight I have lost from not eating carbs would be just gained back once I start eating them again. I doubt many people can avoid bread, rice, pasta, noodles, wraps, etc. for forever! When I do eat carbs, I eat whole wheat/whole grain, and I try to eat them in the morning as carbs release energy slowly relative to other foods, and there’s not much sense in releasing energy to my body while I’m sleeping.

Beverages

Another thing to keep in mind is that many drinks are high in fat. I personally absolutely LOVE coffee, lattes, and bubble tea. If I drink a latte out, I get it non-fat (many coffee shops such as Starbucks and Second Cup will make drinks non-fat if you ask for it). If I make a pot of coffee at home, I only have one cup, and I think of it as a treat to myself. I've cut bubble tea out of my diet except for special occasions, such as when a particular friend of mine comes to visit me at university. (The tapioca is high in carbs, the drink portion [particularly in the milky ones that I like] is made with condensed milk, and is high in sugar.)

Others

I also avoid cheese, as well as junk food. I can't say that I'm never going to eat these foods again. If I want - say ice cream - if I feel that I've followed my meal plan fairly closely, and I REALLY REALLY REALLY want it, I'll have a scoop of ice cream. Any time I am "treating myself" I try to eat/drink the treat slowly so that I enjoy it more, and I make sure to portion the amount I'm intaking. I have also bought the 100 calorie ice cream cups from Breyers (English Toffee = ♥) and a bunch of other 100 calorie snacks just in case. They actually taste pretty good and are good for a light snack, something to add to your lunch, or a bit of a burst of energy.

Tip: If I am going to have one of the above foods/drinks, the key is to know that it’s a treat and to portion it. I know that I can’t eat chocolate every day, so when I do, I want to make it last… I also do not let myself eat a huge chocolate bar to make up for lost time, as that would defeat the whole purpose. If you cut all the foods you love out of your diet, you could end up getting frustrated with the whole thing and quitting. Instead, allow yourself to have small treats once in a while (for me it’s currently once a week or so) to enjoy your successes and to keep your spirits up. :)

The First Few Weeks

2009-09-14T11:22:00.002-04:00

I want to catch you up on the difficulties and results of first few weeks, as I’ve already been changing my life for about a month and a half. The first 2 weeks have been the hardest so far.

Reason #1: I’d get cravings for chocolate, ice cream, candy, popcorn… anything unhealthy. One thing that I’ve noticed over the last month and a half is as I’m eating healthier, I’m craving unhealthy things less, and I’m craving healthier foods more. I had a bit of a shock when I was craving cucumbers, bread, and pasta rather than junk food.

Reason #2: Friends and family didn’t understand that I wasn’t eating fatty foods and would ask me to eat some with them. I remember the first night of this change in my life, I had a friend staying the night with me, and she wanted me to eat poutine with her. I remember fighting with myself (and her) saying that I’d have a nice spinach salad instead… and trust me, it was hard to say “no”. But, I think that was an important step. Now I know that I can say “no” to the foods I want even when there is outside pressure to eat them.

Reason #3: Since I was living at home for the summer (I’m a university student), I had little control over what foods were around and had less control over what I eat than I do now. (I have moved back to university now, and I love living on my own). If you’re living with others, it does get easier. Once you’ve been sticking with it longer, and people see that you’re serious, they will (at least in my experience) be more understanding and purchase/cook healthier foods.

Although the first few weeks were tough, I know that they were possibly the biggest step I could have taken towards my goal. Those 14 days proved a lot to me – I do have a lot of willpower, I can say no to junk foods, I can eat the types of meals and foods that I’m used to and still lose weight. Afterall, with just changing what I eat and when, I lost around 8 pounds, and was about 13% of the way through!

Over the next few days, I will get into more detail about specific aspects of my lifestyle change which are helping me to obtain my successes. :)

Intoduction

2009-09-13T18:34:00.000-04:00

Hi there. I'm Amanda. I'm 18 years old and I've decided to loose weight.

There have been a few reasons for my decision. 1) I want to live a healthier life - I've grown tired of eating and living the way I have, and I am making a change. 2) I have a 6 month old nephew, and I want to be around for as much of his life as I can. 3) It feels good to be eating healthier and not weighed down with many fatty foods.

For me, food is a huge comfort, and I have often found myself snacking on ice cream, chocolate, chips, or candy if I'm upset or if I've had a bad day. Sometimes, there is no real reason for gorging myself with all sorts of junk food - just a craving, or habit. So I've decided to take control of myself and my life. For the past month and a half I've been eating much healthier. My diet consists mostly of:

meat - largely chicken, some beef and some pork
vegetables - anything from zucchini to broccoli to carrots
fruit - apples, bananas, oranges, peaches - whatever I fancy when I'm in the grocery store

I have cereal in the morning for breakfast, and I will eat yogurt once in a while too. It's amazing how a small change can bring such great results! In the first 2 weeks of this change in my life, I lost about 8 pounds, bringing my weight just below 200 pounds. My goal is to bring my weight down to 145 pounds, and then continue to keep myself healthy afterwards so that this work and effort only has to be done once.

You'll hear me refer to this journey I'm taking as "A lifestyle change" rather than "A diet" because it's more than just something that I'm going to do for a month or a even a year, and it is not just changing what I eat. This is something I plan to stick with for a long time.

My hope in creating this blog is to give me more incentive to keep going with this on the tougher days, as there could be someone out there going through the same things that I am, and that by continuing to write this, I'll help them out as well. :)