Life Changes

A lot has happened since my last post 5 months ago! I have
- bought a house in Medicine Hat! It will be just the baby and me.
- ended the relationship with my partner. She will still be in our lives but just as a friend.
- continued to return to Calgary every 10 days for my baby's 4 day visitation with his dad. I really enjoy this time to work at the dress shop and be with my family and amazing friends.
- been working at Ricki's in the Hat and enjoy it very much
- started at a massage clinic doing my aromatherapy and relaxation massage!
- enjoyed my baby boy turning 1 1/2 years old (with his new day home, leaning new words every day, walking/running/climbing and 16 teeth, working on #17)
- survived the start of another Guiding year with my 5 & 6 year old Sparks

Unfortunately, I now weigh 146 lbs and my numbers are: A - 40, W - 41, T - 41 :(

My new goal is to weigh 130 lbs by January 1, 2011 (16 lbs in 7 weeks, 2 lbs/week is doable!)

I have been staying with my partners mom for the time being, the paperwork for our condo fell through. It's ok, because I ending up getting approved for my own house. The baby and I take possession tomorrow! Cooking and eating healthy in our own kitchen will be so good - no more junk!

In Calgary, I canceled my gym membership. This way I can get a cheaper one here in the Hat and still go in Calgary as they are affiliated. I'm looking forward to weight training again!
On Sunday nights when I'm in Calgary, I have rejoined the Hungarian Folk Dance group. It is great exercise and the people are wonderful. Also, I hope to do more ballroom dancing, and rock climbing too.

An update on life

Wow, times flies! It's been 10 1/2 weeks since my last post! Since then, I have:
- moved from Calgary to Redcliff (just outside Medicine Hat)
- returned to Calgary every 10 days for my baby's 4 day visitation with his dad. (4 trips to date)
- returned to work off of maternity leave (Ricki's in the Hat)
- enjoyed my baby boy turning 1 year old (complete with his awesome birthday party, 2 rounds of the flu and 4 molars to make 12 teeth total)
- wrapped up another Guiding year with my 5 & 6 year old Sparks
- started to fit into size 6 pants/shorts again!

I now weigh 138 lbs and my numbers are: A - 37, W - 39, T - 39, which is ok since I was up to 144lbs not that long ago!

We are staying with my partners mom for the time being, until we get the paperwork finished for our condo. Hopefully by the end of June we will be in our own place. I can't wait to cook and eat healthy in our new kitchen! In the meantime, I started bringing more veggies and fruit to work - and eating them!

I also really miss going to the gym, and dancing. While I'm in Calgary, I need to make time to go to the gym in between errands and my part time job at the dress shop. In Medicine Hat, I think I might get a membership for the Y....

The end of Week 10

Here are my numbers at the end of week 10:
A - 37
W - 39
T - 40
139 lbs

I lost 3lbs!!! I really don't get it, I can bust my butt at the gym and the scale doesn't move, or I can go twice and loose! (However, my fat rolls have not got any smaller.) Anyway....

The gym saw me only 2 times this week. Once for weights and once for the cardio Zumba class. I hope to go a few times next week, but it seems like my house is a work out right now, with packing, lifting and moving things.

I didn't eat much healthier this week. Eating while I'm out is fast and convenient. Plus with having the kitchen mostly packed, it's hard to want to cook. (Excuses, I know....) Hopefully, in our new kitchen I will be inspired to cook healthy and not eat out so much!

Week 9 Comes to an End

Here are my numbers at the end of week 9:
A - 37
W - 39
T - 40
142 lbs

As you can see, I didn't loose or gain. However, I can see more muscle definition in my arms and legs!

I made it to the gym everyday this week! Three times for weights and twice for cardio and dance on Sunday! It felt wonderful. I tried a new class on Thursday called Zumba. It's a cardio dance fusion class and I really like it, so I will go again next week.

I ate much healthier this week. I still would like to do better by having healthy snacks prepped on hand.

So obviously, I have resigned the fact that I will loose 20 lbs in the last 3 weeks. I am still very happy with the fact that I am eating healthier, improving my cardio by being more active, gaining muscle tone and definition and surviving my life. (We move out of our current residence in 2 weeks.) Hopefully in week 10 I will continue to do good!

Weeks 7 & 8

Here are my numbers at the end of week 8.
A - 37
W - 39
T - 40
142 lbs

I lost 2.5 inches! But at I gained 2 lbs :( I feel kind of back on track.

I didn't post for week 7, oops! Dance practice is also on Tuesdays, but I have never gone, till now! It was wonderful! The gym didn't see me at all that week, but cardio was to be had! Tobogganing, and walking added to the dance practice.

Eating healthy is still a challenge these 2 weeks. Week 7, I didn't eat well, due to being lazy and not prepping food to have on hand. Week 8 wasn't much better for food.

As for the workouts in week 8, I made it to the gym twice for weights and did mall walking once.

I 'restarted' my plan during week 8 and will really 'kick it up a notch' in week 9 to finish strong these last 4 weeks.

Week 6 in review

Here are my numbers at the end of week 6.
A - 38
W - 40
T - 40.5
140 lbs

So, I guess I didn't loose anything, but at least I didn't gain more!

I made it to the gym only once for weights. Did tons of walking though on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. (Dance was canceled again.)

Apparently I was out to lunch on when Lent started - a whole week ahead! (At least my conscious doesn't feel so bad.) My quest to not eat junk food was better this past week, although not perfect. My motivation has dropped, and I haven't been excited for eating well, actually eating at all, or working out. My posture was good though, so was drinking water, but I could have drank more.

Stress has kicked in with mediation with Corey. He says he's going to take me to court over moving and we still don't have a child support court order due to his job issues. I'm finding it hard to do everything all at once! (Eating well, working out, packing, raising a baby, dealing with mediation topics, finding child care and getting employment in the Hat, booking movers, Guiding, family/social commitments... oh and housework!)

End of Week 5

Well my period has come and gone, so has Valentines Day. Here are my numbers that got left in the wake of week 5.
A - 38
W - 40
T - 40.5
140 lbs

Yikes! I gained a total of 2.5 inches and 3 lbs! *sigh* I guess that's what happens with 3 Valentines parties and stupid period cravings.

I made it to the gym only 2 times - both for weights. Did mall walking on Saturday, my only cardio for the week. (Dance was canceled.)

This week I plan on getting back on track. Lent has officially started and that means no more junk food. Posture, drinking more water and going to the gym are my main goals for the week. Plus, I have a major push to pack the house - we can take possession in 4 weeks! (March 16th is tentative.) We will use that time to paint, before we officially move out of this place on March 31. So excited!

Week 5 begins

Here are my numbers for the start of week 5.
A - 36.5
W - 39.5
T - 40
137 lbs

I am down another 1 inch and 1 lb from last week. In 4 weeks I have lost a total of 3.5 inches and 6 lbs! Woohoo!

I made it to the gym 4 times! Three times for weights and once for cardio. Plus I went to dance on Sunday. It was a wonderfully active week!

Last week, I continued to eat healthy and drink water. After groceries, I took the time to cut up veggies and cheese and portion out cottage cheese and yogurt. This made snacking easy and healthy! This week will be fun as I have my period and will need to avoid cravings and still work out when I don't feel like it. Wish me luck!

Start of Week 4

Here are my numbers for the start of week 4.
A - 37
W - 40
T - 40
138 lbs

Down 1/2 inch and 1 lb from last week. Yeah!

Again this week I made it to the gym 3 times. Twice for weights and once for cardio. I had planned to go Wednesday, but the baby didn't want to stay with his grandparents, so I had to go back and pick him up. Thursday and Sunday were still really active days and were good cardio.

I felt really good this week, ate healthy and drank lots of water! Veggies taste good to me and junk food is starting to loose it's appeal. I hope to keep it up!

Week 3

Here are my numbers for the start of week 3.
A - 37.5
W - 40
T - 40
139 lbs

I am SO excited to see the scale this morning with the needle pointing on the under side of 140! It has been a long time!!! (I stepped off and on about 4 times just to make sure I wasn't seeing things.) Also I lost 1 1/2 inches!

This last week I went to the gym 3 times. Twice for weights (I didn't go on Friday for my 3rd weight day because of the snow and traffic lights were out, making traffic really bad.) Once for cardio. We were supposed to go swimming on Wednesday, but that fell through. So instead we went to the mall for a walk and window shopping. Sunday (yesterday) I was going to go to dance, but my parents came over for supper and it was nice to have an awesome visit with them instead. (I guess it was a different type of heart exercise!)

This is a great start and I hope that it continues this week.

The start of week 2

Here are my numbers for the start of week 2.
A - 38
W - 40.5
T - 40.5
141 lbs

My goal is to loose 10 inches and 20 lbs:
A - 34
W - 37
T - 37
120 lbs

Yesterday I went to Hungarian dance, only staying 1 hour, but it was quite the cardio and leg workout! Today, Ethan is booked for Kids Club at the gym so I can do weights. It looks like we might go swimming on Wednesday!

Week 1

Well it's the end of the first week and I had my period this week. It sucks looking at the scale because of my body doing it's thing. I hope to see an improvement next week.
I tried not to eat too much junk food. (Stupid cravings!) In between, I ate as healthy as I could.
Even though I didn't make it to the gym, I was active for most of the week. We went to the park and took the baby tobogganing (his first time) and played on the playground equipment, went for walks in a park and around malls and I am planning to go to dance tonight. The only 2 days that I didn't do anything active were Thursday and Friday.

I decided that I will post some numbers on here, making it public will hopefully help me stay focused! All are in inches (the circumference) from my tape measure or pounds on my house scale.
Legend:
A - Abs: the first 'fat roll' (under my bust)
W - Waist: where my belly button is
T - Tummy: the second 'fat roll' (above my pelvis)
lbs - How much I weigh (taken in the morning of that day - which is Monday - the start day of that week.)

Since I didn't do it at the start of week 1, I will post my numbers for the start of week 2.

Try Again!

I will start my next 12 week Body for Life session on Monday January 11 and it will end on April 4 - Easter Sunday.

The timing is wonderful:
- there is only one holiday during this session (Valentines Day - to celebrate loving yourself),
- it will be Lent (the perfect time for change and discipline)
- ending on Easter is the most wonderful reward (Jesus arose a new life, so will I)!
Also, we will most likely be moving at the end of March (to be determined) as a new owner takes over our rental property. So I can start a 'new life' at a new house with my awesome 'new' body.

During this time, I will be unpacking, giving to charity/throwing out/recycling and repacking all our stuff in preparation for our move. This way we won't be taking 'junk' to our new house. I guess our stuff is loosing weight too.

I am very excited for all the changes that will be happening!

Week 6 to Week 12

Well, my vow to do better the second half than the first was completely unfulfilled. I never did make it back to the gym or Fitmom after November 12. It seems that 'life' got in the way, then it was the holiday season. And with it, my yearly round of Bronchitis along with a sinus infection and Laryngitis. I have been sick for the last 3 weeks and I feel like a failure.

Because I feel like a failure, I looked long and hard at what has happened in my life in the last 6 weeks.
- My 8 month old son is happy and (according to my doctor) very advanced for his age. The patience and involvement that I have given him have contributed to this I'm sure. Plus, I have continued to breastfeed him, even though I am sick, to give him my antibodies. (When I have a coughing fit while nursing, he just holds on tight and stays still, then continues when I am done coughing. I have even thrown up on his blanket while nursing. I was so close to quitting and giving him a bottle - because I was frustrated with being sick and not being able to take medication. But I did NOT quit! I still believe that the pros to breastfeeding outweigh the cons.)
- I have survived 3 families worth of politics during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- I have NOT gained any weight or inches, in fact I have lost a pound or two due to sickness. This is a huge success for me, however I am still disappointed that I didn't make it to the gym and loose more.
- During the holidays, I could have eaten and drunk worse than I did. I tried to drink lots of water & tea and not pig out on all the crap foods.

I realize that I have not totally failed and I guess it's not as bad as I thought - although not even close to what I had envisioned 12 weeks ago. There is only one thing to do: try again!