how many hours in a day?

Couldn't I just get like 2 or 3 more sometimes? just so I can try and catch up??

The last three days have been flat out from sun up to sun down. I did manage to get in two walks of about 45-50min each. Very pleased with that....even though I have yet to update my goals on the side....(might do that next).

Monday night I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Raiders playing at a small venue here in the Big H-bomb. He is hilarious, and can really kick the crap outa a banjo!

Tuesday morning at 8am sharp I had a second interview with an O&G company... very pleased about that and am awaiting details. Better job - better $ and better benefits. They offered me the job - now awaiting the background check etc...Fingers crossed they don't find out about me being fat...oh wait.... haha!!

I'm now totally bagged - not enough sleep - stress and catching up at the office from my morning off (I did the right thing and lied about an appointment and booked personal time! haha).

Tonight we have a standard coffee date with a group of friends, but I was just not in the mood... convinced hubby to go walking with me. :) It was really nice out - getting dark and cooled off a bit from the sunny day.

Eating has been off. I'm feeling FAT really really fat. I think that this is both hormonal and mental... but it sure isn't fun. I have been off my counting calories - always bad... I have NO idea what is going in anymore and that spells disaster.

I tried to get some clothes for work this weekend and was disappointed in my size... I don't know what I was expecting... but this isn't it. Once again...goal setting and achieving has not happened.

So... here we go. I'm getting on the scale tomorrow morning - (because I lack the sack to get on right now) and I will say this now... and forever....

I (yes me) WILL (no excuses) LOSE 25lbs before JULY 30th - which is my 36th Birthday.

This weekend I will....

1. go to the gym
2. go for a walk
3. do something in the yard
4. read
5. relax

Between Wednesday and Friday I worked an extra 5 hours at the office. I'm fried, exhausted and I know that I'm losing an hour of sleep on Sunday. Boo. I like Lighter evenings, I hate getting up earlier.

I won't make my "step class" goal this weekend - that would have had to be this morning, and I didn't get up in time. So I'm going to do something nice outside in the yard instead. There is a section that needs some gravel and maintenance... Might have to get dirty doing that.

Friday I had some fabulous news from a friend. She has been trying to adopt a baby from china and this week she got approved. She is now waiting on immigration and then will be flying over to China to get her new little boy. I am so happy for her. I know that she has really wanted to be a Mommy, and this is now her chance. Its amazing. So there is a happy smile for all readers today.

Hope everyone is enjoying their time off.

In like a Lion!

lets just hope its not out like a lamb!

I posted up my new goals for March. My focus was on flexibility for schedule changes and so that I don't punish myself if I can't do "exactly this at exactly that time". I just find another day place to fit it in so that I have a week.

I'm going to attempt to be smart about it and try to get in as much as I can in the early part of the week so that I don't have to do three workouts on Sunday! ha! I'm thinking that this will work better for me.

The plan - 5 workouts a week. 3 at the gym, 1 step class, 1 outside walk.

The gym sessions are short or long - I just have to get there and do something... I can do that! :) Walk outside one day a week - for my weekends this is a great one - I need more vitamin D and outside fresh air. Step one time a week is manageable. There are classes Mon,Tuesday, Thursday and Sat morning. I can make one of those times.

So there you go. All ready to get roaring into March.

Today: Gym 1 - Done!

10min Elliptical warm up

3 set 10x each arm Dumbbell Snatch (teehee snatch)

2 sets crunches ... (I tried to do three sets but I actually got an ab cramp. Proof that they are REALLY IN THERE...deep down in there... but there nevertheless.)

YAY Welcome March! I'm so happy to see you.

Goals - February 2010

Time to set some better goals for February Goals that I can actually manage!

1. 30min of cardiovascular exercise on my feet 3 times a week. Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. I am not going to say where/when or what that form shall take. For now I just have to complete 30min of walking/running or elliptical machine sometime in that day.

I have to be at work at 8am - so my ability to manage a 6am wake up call is going to be hard if I'm going to get 30min exercise in before work. I'm going to try that, and I'm going to give the office gym a try as well. Mornings will require a LOT more prep from me, I'll have to take my work cloths with me and shower at the office (get a shower bag all set up...shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, make up....Damn this is going to be a lot of work!) - I will have to give myself some good lee time just in case. Also I will take some gym clothes with me to the office and get myself to the gym at the lunch hour and see how busy that place it. I can be creative if its is full! Stairs, what ever...or - I can get in some weights. We shall see...


2. Step Class 2x a week. Monday and Tuesday night step class! This class really kicks my arse, so I need to go. It is at 6pm - so perfect for me to get there directly from the office and into the class. Quick hour and I'm at home before I know it. Over and Done!


There is a Saturday morning class if I happen to miss one or the other of these - so that is my backup plan.

Todays weigh in was a godsend. Last weeks gain and mental funk were terrible. I needed to know that this was working, and todays weight is proof that I'm doing the right things. THat makes me happy. So I'm continuing with tracking my foods, I use the http://www.calorieking.com/ at the office and I keep a draft email open all day to add in what I've eaten. I get home and plung it into my spreadsheet and VIOLA! I stay on track and know what I have left for calories for dinner.

This next month is going to be tough - I know that already. Its always easier to do one thing....but this month I'm going to work on getting in my fitness AND making sure I'm eating well/tracking my food. Wish me luck!

Day One...Whos your Daddy!

6.50 am alarm rings. Me thinking - HELL NO! Its dark & I'm tired & I don't wanna go.
7.00 am alarm rings. Me - ug, I have to go, I need to go. I should go I will feel better about it and I still have time. I will have to do the run later and I dont know what we are doing tonight...and I need something to post about on my blog!
7.10 am in the car.

I did it. Put on my running cloths (that were already laid out), jumped into the car and went to the park to run. It was quite nice once I started. I changed my route slightly, and really the run was great. My Ipod was dead...thought that it would charge overnight, but my computer went to sleep and the charge didn't happen. So I had to listen to my own breathing and thoughts today. I didn't do too badly. Its so strange to think that I can now go for a 30min+ long run and feel good.

I'm not speeding along mind you - shuffling is more what I would descirbiee my pace as, but I did actually gain ground and pass some walkers... so that is something!

3 sets 10min running, 1min rest between and 1 5min extra run at the end. CHECK!

Distance that I covered today was 2.46miles... I'm really close to being able to run the loop of hte park instead of doing a cresent pattern!!! :)

Once it was over, I can see that my argument about it being too dark is foolish - its light out and the park is packed with runners and walkers. Its just another excuse that I try to fool myself into believing so that I can stay in bed.

However, I did go back to bed when I got home... foolish for two reasons, now I'm HUNGRY! and my pillow smells of sweaty hair! haha I'll have to wash the sheets today!

Today I really need to focus on getting lots of water and good food into me!

GOAL GOAL GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLL

Todays run is the four week final goal run that I set for myself and

it is now... COMPLETED!

And... It was a great one. I ran really hard, with .5 degree of incline for the first 25min of it... then 0 degree incline for the rest. It was great - I felt good while running, strong and without stress and pain. I have to say that this run was fabulous... a lot of that was that for the first time in a long time I have followed through and really worked hard. Oh yes, I missed a couple of runs... but ...

I completed 11 of 13 runs... 1 of the 2 I missed I walked instead, and then there were 2 days that I differed the run to the next day. I would like to say that I did my run on Christmas morning!! :) Very pleased with self on that one.

So there we go! 11 runs with an average of 2 miles completed means that over this challenge that I set for myself I ran 22 miles. YAY ME!!

Tonight is homemade pizza night and movie time. My legs are nice and sore/warm and I'm looking forward to cuddle time on the couch! Then tomorrow, I'm going to post the new goals that I've been thinking about. Might even.... go for a run! :D

HUMILIATION

I did it!!!!!!!


I got up this morning and went on my run. It was hard, but not the impossible dream that it was last week. I had to keep telling myself that I would do it - rain, shine, sick, dying, winy... extra winy.... extra extra supreme winy.


I am starting to get a bit sick...I can feel the pressure in my ears... and I was pretty sure that I was going to use that as an excuse to not run this morning... but I didn't. Its just 30 minutes.... if you can't do it, you don't have to, but you have to try. And then I was out the door and off to the park.

Now then.... Running. I like to think of this in the loosest sense of the word. I use the word run and that means that I am "not walking". I would guess that I am moving at about the 3mile an hour pace... if not less. However today...I was out there.... in the final 5 minutes of the run... the thing that I feared the most happened....


A person walking caught up with me. They didn't pass me... but I am pretty sure that it was out of embarrassment for me that they turned around and went back the way they had came from... or got to their car mercifully before they could actually pass me. I did pick up the pace a little when I caught them in the corner of my eye... but by gawds.. I didn't have a lot of gas to give at that stage.

Anyway - I will live, and I will keep running, and soon I won't be passed by walkers!!

Dec 21, 2009 -
5min walk warm up
3x 10min run with 1 min rest between.
2.4miles completed

Also, here is another reason why running in the mornings isn't so bad. I brought my camera for a post run pic today... its so beautiful out.

Monday Weigh-In

Goodness.... its been a month since I posted a weight in. My gawd its good to get back on track again.

Weigh In - 273.6lbs
Goal - 274

Yay, just under my goal. Good start. Now to keep it going.

I had a friend over for bfast - she cooked whole wheat pancakes with fruit. Delish. I got the coffees and we gossiped and she took a bunch of my stuff that I'm giving away - candles, old clothes, various shittery (baskets etc) that I won't be moving. I also started a big box of clothes to take to the Salvation Army. Everything is going along smoothly.

I went for a walk - the weather is slightly poor - colder and light rain - nothing that long sleeves and a baseball hat couldn't cure. I did another 4.5km with a hill. It was nice to get out again.

Water - NOT getting enough. Must rectify that for the rest of today.

weekend win!

I've been a bad blogger, but I'm hoping to catch up and try to get into my daily postings again... seems that I'm at an intersection of busy right now... work, weight, sports, moving homes, and immigration stuff (I'm changing countries). Its been stressful to say the least. But things are getting smoothed out one wrinkle at a time and I seem to be on the winning side of these tasks now.

GOALS:
I've been doing pretty good on these actually. I've eat breakfast and walked to and from work almost every day. I'm enjoying it actually. I've not been getting in push ups and I've had a terrible week for sleep, but I'm hoping to redeem myself on that front starting tonight.

FOOD:
as per normal... food is touch and go. I was doing great - bringing lunches...then I got busy and was out of town a couple weekends in a row and that threw me off kilter...bought lunches lead to more snacking...poor choices of food. But I have the makings for a great 2 weeks of lunches now - and even have one ready for tomorrow done and waiting for me in the fridge right now.

I have 4 more weeks in this condo before the new renter takes over and I'm homeless for a stretch. I'm going to be staying with some friends while waiting for the rest of my immigration papers to go through. So now I have to use what is in the cupboards before I get more stuff (beside fruit and fresh veg). So I have 4 bags of pasta, rice, couscous....all sorts.

Tonight's Use It Up Dinner was:
Garlic/Parsley whole wheat pasta
3 Italian sausages
1 can peas
1 can cannelloni beans (white kidney beans)
1 jar garlic tomato sauce.

It was very tasty and made four portions. 2 in the freezer for later lunches, one for tomorrow and one serving for dinner this evening. WIN! 3/4 bag of pasta use, 2 canned goods used up.

EXERCISE:
Apart from walking to and from work and my Tuesday adventure (that left me sore as a sore thing for the next four days), I've been bad about getting to the gym, I need to start getting in there at lunches again.

However, this weekend I did myself proud. I was dog sitting on Saturday and we went for a walk and Frisbee tossing session for over an hour, then today... I met some friends for coffee then went for a 5km walk. It was great. I'm very pleased with myself as I was already thinking of wussing out of my walk when I woke up this morning.

CHORES:
This last week I've been starting to clean out the place, starting with my closet - this weekend I got out all my old cloths and all the stuff that I have but don't wear. Washed it all, ironed what needed it and pretty much got it all ready to go to the consignment shop. We have a lovely Plus sized consignment shop here. If your clothes don't sell - they donate them for you. Its fab since I used to just dump them all off. I've made a couple hundred dollars getting rid of my old clothing in there.

So tonight - early to bed, then the start of a new week! Its going to be a good one...I can feel it.

daily goals&food and some more thoughts

Goals:
1. Done. banana eaten
2. Done. walked to office!
3. Done. Bed at 11pm
4. n/a
5. Done. 7 from the knees!

Food:
Bfast1 - Banana
Bfast2 - 1 pot yogurt, 1 coffee w/ cream
Snack 1 - 2 clementines
Snack2 - 1pot orange jello (post surgery left overs), coffee w/ cream
Lunch - 1 whole wheat wrap, 1 laughing cow cheese, 1T mustard, 2 slice turkey, 1c greens, 1/2c sprouts. 1 diet coke, 1 sm bag of sweet potato chips, 1 california roll (6 pieces).
Snack4 - 8 chocolate covered almonds, 4 chocolate turtles.
Snack5 - 7 strawberries, 2x coffee w/cream
Snack 6 - 2 slices turky, 3 laughing cow cheese
Dinner -2 small pork loin, 2T mint jelly, 1c asparagus, 1c spinach, 2 med baked sweet potato. This...was too much food, but I went back for more. Yes I did. :(

I wanted to thank justjuliebean for sending me to this blog. I did some reading today and I came across this entry and it really hit home for me today.

The 5 P's of weight loss.

Practice - remember the "Moonlight Sonata" example. We get better at the things we work on. I consider this to be the most important "P."
Persistence - just keep going. We lose weight when we just keep keepin' on, no matter what, no matter how badly our day, or week, or month has gone.
Progress - expect to make progress over time, as you practice and persist. Not necessarily immediately . . . remember that our bodies have their own wisdom. Don't rush the process. After all, you're going to be on this program (or something much like it) the rest of your life, if you want to keep the weight off.
Patience - what I said about progress over time, double. Don't be in a hurry. You'll get there. I took 2.5 years to finally get to goal. But I'm there now, so the time it took me is totally unimportant. And I got plenty of practice along the way.
Perfection (scratch that) - like I said, fuggedaboudit. Ain't a-gonna happen.

The rest of the day

Goals:
1. Done - shake this morning
2. Done - walked my lazy arse to work!
3. Done. I'm getting sick again...bed EARLY and not reading until all hours. I'm medicated and ready to right now.
4. n/a
5. Done. 6 from the knees


Food:
Bfast - choc protein shake
Snack 1 - pecan lara bar
Snack 2 - London fog latte (sigh)
Lunch - 1 whole wheat wrap, 1c greens, 1/2c sprouts, 4 slices turkey, 1 laughing cow cheese, 2T mustard. 7 strawberries, 1/4 clementine, tea
Snack 3 - 2 mini chocolate bars....yep...I know. Total epic failure to learn a lesson.
Snack 4 - 1 laughing cow cheese
Dinner - 1 whole wheat pita, 1T becel, 1 egg, 3/4c egg whites, 4oz feta cheese, 1/2c spinach, 1/4c red onion, 1/2c sweet corn cooked in 1T exvoo
Snack5 - 1c pancake mix (low fat mix with water and 1/4c egg whites) cooked with 6 strawberries, 2T maple syrup.

Rude awakening Weigh In

right... I often wonder how many times I'm going to go through this before the message sinks in...

Weigh In - 273.2lbs
UP 2.4lbs

This morning I didn't have my normal BM, so that is a factor...however this is more of a factor:

Friday - Latte, pudding, mini chocolate bars, latte, cookie, entire bag of terra chips, 2 dinners...
Saturday - Latte & cookie, Pumpkin loaf, bag of full fat microwave popcorn
Sunday - ENTIRE BAG OF TORTOLLIINIS!

Honestly, *shakes head*, is it a surprise anymore that the seemingly small accumulations of bad eating add up like this? REALLY TAMZIN. How can you think that daily cookies and chocolates are going to be cancelled out by some walking. Its not going to happen.

The bodies annoying tendency to put on weigh easier then shedding it is an annoying FACT. Its a fact. We are predisposed to adding fat.

Some other facts.... I am not working out hard enough to eat cookies and lattes daily.

more later.

Getting Started!

I did pretty good for goals yesterday, not 100% but it was day one and there was bound to be some hick-ups.

Goals 1 & 2 were out since I made them after getting to work.

Goal 3: Bed at 11.30
I was in the bathroom getting ready for bed at 11.30 last night...rushing. Then, in a fit of avoidance...don't ask me why, since I don't have a clue....I decided that I needed to wax my arm pits (yes...I'm sorry gentle readers, but since you are here reading, its too late to take that image from your head!). Of course, I've been doing this on my own for a long time so it took 5min (and really isn't that painful!). Then the typical zit picking, face-washing, and tooth inspection...I was in bed at 11.50pm. Better then usual and closer to the goal. I do need to get started in there sooner!

Goal 4. N/A

Goal 5: Push ups
I got home and thought - I should do my pushup!!! Then I got busy and did a few things and forgot. Then I remember when I was in bed already and I didn't get out and do it, mostly since the though of doing a push up naked in my bedroom was .... laughable. I am going to do them tonight though and I'll do yesterdays today...I hope that I can actually do three push ups! haha! :)

Today has been better.

Goal1 - Done. Got up - ate a pot of yogurt. Thought about the banana, but saved it.
Goal2 - Done. Walked to work and actually, did feel much better all morning for it.
Goal3 - Done. 11.13pm...and I'm going to bed!!!!!!!
Goal4 - n/a
Goal 5 - Done....but only just! LOL omg...I can only do three full pushups.

In general food has been good today - last night I ran a bunch of errands including getting top the grocery store. I'm so happy to have more good foods in the house!!!

Bfast1 - activia yogurt
Bfast2 - banana, 2 coffees with cream
Snack1 - Key Lime Lara bar (OMG YUM!)
Snack 2 - 1 sm tin tuna, 4 rye crackers 2 laughing cow lite cheese
Lunch - Tim Hortons chili, sm coffee w/1 cream, whole wheat bun, and (don't read this) a honey cruller
Snack 3 - 15 green grapes and an orange jello(left over from post surgery food)
Snack 4 - 4 slices turkey breast, 2 laughing cow cheese
Dinner - spinach & feta egg white scramble, 1 whole wheat pita, 1T becel.
Snack 5: 1c plain yogurt, 1.5T honey, 1 handful walnuts

April Goals!

Well I've been spending a fair amount of brain resources over the last day thinking on some goals for April….I'm not going to lie, its been hard… too many, too few, too easy, too hard…

So I'm going to focus on a few things that I think will make the biggest bang for the buck.

1. Eat Breakfast.
I will get up and eat/drink a breakfast every morning BEFORE I leave for work. I have enough protein shakes and almond milk to have at least one of those two things every morning before I go to the office. Most days its 10am before I eat something and that is just not good for the old body, I think that having a shake at 7.30am is going to be quite good for me.

2. Walk to work.
I have been slacking on the morning walk to work… for over a year. I have to start again. That 35min every morning really makes a big difference, not just physically, but mentally. Now that its April I should not encounter much in the way of really terrible weather. One month of walking to work in the mornings will be great on the belly and great on the brain!

3. Be in bed at 11.30pm or earlier Sunday through Thursday.
I never get enough sleep - lucky to get 7 hours (and typically its more like 6) and this is effecting both goals 1 and 2 since I roll out from under the covers with 20min to spare before I HAVE to get to bus to be on time to work. **motivation** I am going to keep a piggy bank at the office and every morning I walk I'm going to put my bus fair in there…$2.50 a day 5 days a week…I should have $50 at the end of the month!!

4. Weekend Adventure.
Every weekend I need to spend both Saturday and Sunday doing something OUTSIDE and fun for at least 60min. Walk, hike, throw a ball, kick a can, go for a run. Any thing - but I need to be sweaty after and have a smile on my face.

5. Push up Challenge
This is just something fun for me. I am going to (attempt) to do a push up equal to (or as close to) the days date every day. No time set - just whenever I have the time. i.e. tonight, April 1…I have to do 1 push up. Then I can see over the next few months just how far I can go up the calendar! Plus I will get sexy shoulders!!

I think that this is enough. Of course, these are on top of - eat sensibley, drink lots of water, try to get in more time at the gym, etc etc. How do you think I did?? Too hard? too easy? … not specific enough?

and the show must go on....

I really didn't feel like blogging last night, or today. I was in the mood for a great big pity party... but... in actual fact the only person who I am punishing if I unplug from this is me. Blogging is a really important tool for me and this weight loss jazz!

anyway..... The show must go on. Its good to read, see what everyone else is doing, post and struggle onward.

I also wanted to thank all who commented yesterday. I read those at the office and they really give a fresh set of eyes to my situation. I appreciate those a lot.

I have done a fair amount of bad things & good things, however, today's post is going to focus on ALL THE GOOD! Hows that for a change!

Yesterday:

• walked to work
• drank lots of water
• walked home
• went running 7sets of 2min running 1min walking for about 2.5km
• bought healthy food (big box of cutie clementines! omg yum).
• went to bed early
• had a good sleep

Today:

• packed a lunch
• felt more alert then usual
• enjoyed my day at the office
• went running after work - 5sets of 3min running and 1min walking! 2.5km
• walked home after running - another 2km
• realized that I wasn't actually hungry so had some fruit for dinner and a bowl of plain yogurt with honey&walnuts. I'm feeling peckish right now. Might get a small snack.
• caught up with a friend who was on msn that I havn't talked to in ages. He is in a tough place and he felt better after using me for a sounding board and I feel great after getting to be useful.

I start my yoga class this Sunday after my run in the morning. I can't even tell you how excited I am about getting to give that a try.

Good Night All. I'm about to set out to perv upon your posts before bed time!!

Monkey Say ... Monkey Do

I was out getting my morning coffee at the local Starbucks...I use the word "morning" in the loosest sense of the word as it was 1.30 is the afternoon, and I started thinking about the difference between saying and doing.

What sparked this was while waiting in line (at every Starbucks that I have been too - and that's a LOT (from Seattle (mecca of coffee) to TX to Hawaii, just about every stinking province in Canada, England, Ireland, Wales & Scotland) - and even though Mr.K hates Starbucks I must be caffeinated each morning or things will get ugly fast), you have to stand next to the tempting, tasty, sugar filled, very sexy cookies, cakes, donuts, fudge bars, scones etc etc. In my 2min wait to order, I thought about eating eat one of these bad boys and did a significant amount of mental math on how I was going to work a "low fat" scone (HAR HAR low fat).

The (normal sized) man in front of me fell for the temptation...and I got to witness the conversation:

Man - I'll have the choco-chunk cookie
Barista - one or two cookies?
Man - one please
Barista - the white chocolate one or the double chocolate one?
Man - oh, well....
Barista - they are BOTH very good ((Barista gesturing over the cookies seductively))
Man - alright then one of each
Barista - no problem sir, would you like me to apply these directly to your ass for you?

...oh, that last bit only I heard.

I got my weekend treat - venti half sweet skim milk mocha latte without whip. That is treat enough and as it stands, more then I should be having!

This little adventure got me thinking about what I'm saying and what I'm doing. Also my post regarding my friend and the butternut squash incident. I'm pretty close to being hypocritical, if not past that line already since I spout off about how I'm doing better and changing (I am - but I'm letting some things slide).

There are a number of things that I am doing that are really REALLY counterproductive to my goals here:
I have not been exercising for at least three weeks now;
I've only just started trying to get more water in me; and
chiefly, lack of Sleep.

A typical night for me M-F is into bed at 12.30-1.30am and wake up is 7am and I'm at the office at anywhere between 8 and 8.30 (well 8 is the start time, but there have been whole months where I have not showed up to work "on time" once and I NEVER have time to blow dry my hair....woolly hat to work if its cold!).

I use my weekends as "sleep catch up". Its not uncommon for me to sleep to noon or 1pm on Saturday and until 11 on a Sunday. The MOST sleep that I will get on a weekday is 7 hours and that's if I lay in for an extra couple of snooze hits. Not the best quality for sure, typically getting about 5.5 - 6.5 hours of sleep a night. Not good enough.

I know that getting more/better sleep does a body good, especially if you are trying to "lose weight". Staying up late is a terrible habit and I need to break it. I have done some reading on it and I'm going to make a new month goal.

For January, I'm going to make it my mission to get +8 hours of sleep a night.

Two hormones that signal the appetite, in opposing methods, may explain why we overeat when we under-sleep:

Shortage of sleep lowers levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses the appetite. When leptin levels are depleted, the body thinks it needs food, when in fact, adequate amounts of food may already have been consumed.

Another hormone, ghrelin, sparks the appetite. Research has shown that insufficient sleep elevates levels of ghrelin, making you hungry.

So there you go, I need to feed my body the good food (check), water it adequately (check) and let it rest and recover. ...nope.... Magic? Nope. Common Sense? Yes. Can I do it? I can, but I'm going to have to work at it. But some things are work working hard for, I think Mr.K would agree that I'm one of them.

Top 10 (David Letterman Style)

I was tagged at Getting Healthy and given the task of listing off my top 10 reasons to burn off 10(or more) pounds. I had been reading them as they went through the circle of blogs I frequent, and thinking that I should do it, so thank you for the push. Nothing wrong with a little nudge into some introspection.

My Top Ten (in no particular order):

1. Buy clothes off the rack from any store;
2. Fit into an airplane seat without encroaching on the person sat next to me;
3. Get fitter, stronger, healthier;
4. I told my husband that I wouldn't get pregnant at this weight, I want to be fit and healthy and strong to carry a baby (see associated reasons #3, #5, #6, #8). I want to enjoy the experience and not lay around eating junk because "I'm hormonal" complaining about my fat ankles, swollen feet and a sore back…although I'm sure that all of those will happen… but I want to try and mitigate them as much as possible;
5. So that I can participate in regular activities without worrying about how out of breath I'll be/sweaty I'll get;
6. Better sex (I stole that one from someone else… don't get me wrong the sex is great - but I still have issues with how I look neked in the belly area!! );
7. Enjoy looking at and having pictures taken of myself;
8. To learn to eat and enjoy food (good and bad) without the crazy binges - so that any children we might have don't end up with my monstrous food issues;
9. Hair cuts…I hate going for haircuts right now - squeeze into the little chair while Ms.Skinnystylist pumps away at it like a freaken Sherpa trying to get the chair up to a reasonable height, and then get out the cape, desperately trying to get it to snap shut and thereby accentuating and adding to my chins and choking me. Then sitting there, in a room full of mirrors, while trying to not move my neck and pop open said cape, and be even more embarrassed. (hello, my name is Tamzin and I have issues with hair cuts); and
10. So that I can cross the "I'm too fat/out of shape" excuse from my list of excuses.

well... most of these are pretty superficial, and I suppose that since the fat that I'm carrying around is superfluous then it shouldn't be a surprise. I occationally get concerned that most of my get "fit/burn fat" goals are really "get thin/beautiful" goals...but I can save that exploration for another day.

Anyway, I can think of 100 reasons why I don't want to be fat anymore, but these are the ones that are foremost in my mind at this point in time. I'm actually looking forward to reading this in a year and seeing how far I've come from this.

I'm also not going to tag anyone. Seems that this one has been getting around a lot, so I'll leave it as this. Unless someone WANTS to get tagged. Then just poke me and let me know and I'll amend this.

motivational crisis. aka - Snow

Ug...okay I wrote that meme, surfed blogs and have been sitting here thinking about all the excuses that I have so that I don't go for my walk... since its SNOWING! :(

I'm going to get in my car and go the the gym (free underground parking) and get on the elliptical machine with my ipod and imagine the fat burning off me.

Today's goal - soak my tee shirt with sweat. Now that I've posted it... I have to do it.

Interesting BodyFat Link

Today I found this link for measuring your body fat with inputting your measurements.

I put in my numbers and this is what it spat out:
Body Fat - 28.5%
Lean weight - 196.5 lbs
Fat weight - 78.5lbs

Interesting. I was thinking that I would set my goal weight at 190lbs. I guess you can look and look and look and try to get all these calculations and numbers to tell you what your ideal numbers are... but in the end your body is going to have to find its own place. I'm afraid that 190 is too light. I've been 190before in my adult life and it was for about a week, maybe 200 is a better goal?

I guess this is just like the BMI rubbish, its a tool, it gives a measure and something to gage but it is certainly not a professional body fat inspection with calipers or in the water submersion thing.

I'm going to have to set some goals very soon though. Or I will get lost in the weekly workouts without the proverbial carrot on the string to keep me going.

Office Hell Day

Today was a pretty darn Good day all things considered. Wednesday is "Treat Day" at the office, and unfortunately for me... the kitchen is steps away from my desk. A bevvy of sweets and pastries every Wednesday. Its tough to not indulge.

I tried to think about the story that I read on Prior Fat Girl. To give you the clift notes, she sees cake in the kitchen and the other ladies are eyeballing it. They see her and basically make some comments about how bad they are, and how good she is/she would never be caught eating cake. Ironically, PFG had been debating have a "small taste", but thier comments reminded her that she didn't need it.

I managed to hold off for a couple of hours, but at 11am....Cinnamon Bun from Treat Day was in my hands. It was a mini one, and only one. So I can't decide if this is a FAIL or WIN? I'm going to go with win for now, in the past is would have been 3 or 4. Although I'm inclined to feel fail since I ate it at my desk "fast and low" so that no one saw me. Guilt eating....I don't like how I feel when I do that, and in the end I didn't get to enjoy the damn thing anyway.

On to the good stuff.

Today was long walk day - 6.5km done. Big huge hill near the end...I don't know how long it was, next time I'm wearing my watch. I'm guessing 6min up.

All in, I'm going to give this day a positive review for exercise and a negative review for food maintenance.

Breakfast - pot of yogurt, coffee (3...that's bad), cinnamon bun
Lunch - small slice of lasagna, a big salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing
Afternoon Snack - Melba toast, little can of tuna, diet coke, and a mandarin orange.
Pre-Dinner snack - 30 Goldfish crackers, and 10 almonds
Dinner - Rice, 1/2 chicken breast, curry sauce, spinach and 1 med sweet potato with 1/3c lite coconut milk mashed in it (very yummy).
Dessert (which I didn't need but had anyway) was a very large slice of banana bread with 1/2 tsp of becel marg.

I need to get a better breakfast in me. I'm crazier with the eating at night when I don't have enough in the morning. Nothing revolutionary, I'm just going to have to make an effort to start packing lunches and more food for the office.

Today was full of struggles and sucesses. I just have to keep moving towards more days of success and less struggling and then.....all WIN!