Lifestyle Challenge | Week Eight Update

Today is a bit of an up and down emotions day for me.  On one hand I have my weekly weigh-in results and on the other, the baseball playoffs story... either way, let's get started!

This weekend was the end of the Rookie Select season for the Clarington Colts.  Playoffs started on Friday night and continued through a rain soaked Saturday (including many tornado warnings) and on into Sunday.  Sadly, our guys didn't come in at the top of the league so our season has come to and end... bittersweet as I didn't want it to come to an end BUT I also didn't want to have another weekend away in London for the Provincials.  Either way, I feel a little blah today knowing that the team we cheered for all season will never be the same... BOO!  However, they did amazing and it was so much fun being on the sidelines with great parents and watching some fantastic kids do what they love!

2015/16 Rookie Select Clarington Colts (second place finishers)

As for the weekly weigh-in results, well, WE HAVE A VICTORY on the scale!!  I lost another 2.5 pounds this week for a new weight loss today of 22.5 pounds.  WHOOP!  We are now officially 4 pounds away from my first goal of 10% body weight lost (26.5 pounds).  So happy to see the weight continue to drop and the efforts that I am putting in be proven on the scale... yes, I know it's just a number but it's still nice to see it drop each week!

WINS for the week:

1. GYM - Still making the gym a priority in my schedule.  Now that baseball is over, scheduling will be a little easier, but I have gone 4 times per week for the last two weeks and I am really happy with that.  
2. Cravings - Odd win, I know, but last night was our 12th anniversary and we actually talked about how we would have been eating, pre-lifestyle change, on a weekend with baseball AND an anniversary.  Neither of us even has the cravings for fast food or junk like we used to.  It's so funny to picture eating a McDonald's meal now because I don't have any desire to get one.  Even things like Dairy Queen or a simple chocolate bar, the cravings are gone!  Will they come back, I have no idea but for now, I just don't want them!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Shin Splints - OMG... I am not even kidding when I say that shin splints are some of the worst pain that I have had.  SO MUCH OUCH!  I had been getting them here and there since starting this journey but this past week it was beyond my abilities to even walk.  I got them so badly on Thursday that I ended up skipping the gym to go and buy new running shoes.  Thankfully, they seem to be working and I have been able to walk at a slightly increased speed without any issues.  Fingers crossed that was the cause of the problem.
2. Baseball - Last weekend for this one (at least this year).  We had playoffs this weekend so I wasn't able to get to the gym and even though they were planned days off, the guilt factor still crept up.  I was able to get in all my steps (10,000 a day) and even had some nice longer walks with my parents but, missed my hourly goals and was a little less active than normal.

Asics Gel-Kayano 21's

All in all... a great week!  I took some new progress pictures yesterday to show the difference between one and two months but I am still a little 'shy' to show them here... maybe when I lose a few more inches I will be comfortable posting them!  

Diet Challenge | Week Seven Update

Happy Monday!  It is the start of another week and that means that it is time for the weekly diet challenge check-in... speaking of which, I think I want to change the name from 'diet' challenge to 'lifestyle' challenge because that's really what I am doing, changing my lifestyle.  A diet makes it feel like there is an 'end' date and once I get to my goal weight (swooooon) I don't plan on stopping.

With that out of the way, I am happy to say that the scale was very good to me again this week and I was down another 1.5 lbs for a new weight loss total of TWENTY POUNDS!  Let's dance!!  I am thrilled to hit this little mini-milestone and it is one that I have tried to hit again and again over the last couple of years.  Gotten close but never succeeded in reaching it.  Twenty pounds makes me feel like I am here... I am on the right track to changing my life for the better and I can't wait to see what else I can do!

We are now in the home stretch of baseball season so one more weekend to go... it will be a tough one though because it is playdowns (or playoffs to us regular people) which means Friday, Saturday and possibly Sunday.  UGH!  Not that I don't love watching my little man play ball but it really does make it hard to schedule in time at the gym and planning meals a little more challenging.  Oh well, that's why this is a lifestyle change... life has moments that are hard to plan and it all part of the game!

WINS for the week:

1. GYM - I did it!  I joined the local community centre gym on Tuesday (first visit was Wednesday) and went 4 times.  My plan is to focus on going to the gym and get in a routine for the month of August... doing cardio and then come September, I will get a personal training session to learn about adding weights into the routine as well.  I am pumped, excited and totally motivated to see how life will change with adding this into the mix!
2. Loose Jeans - Technically I think this was a win for last week but it still applies!  I am able to pull my size 22 jean capris up and down without undoing the button.  WHOOOP!  When I started this journey, they were slightly tight (as in 'get these off me' status when the day was done) so this is a total NSV (non-scale victory).  I also went through my pants drawer and realized that I have sizes to get me all the way down to size 12!  So that should help the wallet out a bit!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Schedule - Not really anything new but with the addition of the gym into the routine, scheduling time has been a little more challenging.  However, with baseball ending and Murray's summer hockey coming to a close, those schedule conflicts should come to a close soon.

That's all I can think of this week... it wasn't a really up or down week (other than the awesome of 20 pounds and joining the gym)... these far outweighed the challenges!

So, for now... time to keep on keepin' on!  

Diet Challenge | Week Five Update

Happy Monday... no really, it's a HAPPY Monday!!  But before we get started... need to do a big Happy Birthday shout out to my amazing hubby, Murray!

Okay, enough talking about other people, let's bring the focus back to me ;)  I am SUPER pumped to report that this morning's weigh-in was successful and I lost another 4-lbs for a new weight loss total of 17.5-lbs.  I can't even express how happy it makes me to be down FOUR pounds in one week.  As I have said before, I am not expecting major drops and am happy with not gaining but seeing all the hard work that I am putting in, paying off, brings a GIANT smile to my face and makes me want to keep going!

My newest Fitbit badge!

WINS for the week:

1. First 'Eat Out' Meal - Yep, it was bound to happen, the dreaded restaurant meal.  However, if you read my blog post from last week, you will know that I did it with flying colours!  I planned it all before leaving the house and stayed totally on plan for the meal and didn't feel the least bit guilty with my choices!
2. Steppin' Up - Killed it with the steps this past week.  I did close to, or over, 12,000 a day and made sure to get two walks in each day.  Not sure if I will ever increase my step goal beyond the 10,000 but am more than happy to knock it out of the park every chance I get.  

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Making Cupcakes - I happen to be the cupcake queen of my family so for most occasions, I am asked to make some version of cupcakes.  Saturday was my niece's 5th birthday and, of course, I made cupcakes.  Usually my routine is to fill the cupcake wrappers and leave enough batter in the bowl for me to enjoy a super yummy, and horribly fattening, batter snack.  Add on top of that, the licks and tastes of icing and sprinkles and whatever else goes into making them look pretty and it's basically an all-out schmorgishboard (no idea how to spell that).  Not only did I not eat any batter, but I didn't even have a lick of the icing!  WOOHOO!
2. Birthday Party - Same day, different challenge!  My niece's birthday party was on Saturday and it ran right into when I would be having lunch (late, as usual) so instead of being tempted by snacks, I just brought along my salad and ate it instead.  WIN!!

This upcoming week is loaded with challenges so I am going to have to do some MAJOR planning to stay on plan, as much as humanly possible.  We have a baseball tournament this coming weekend, out of town, so that means staying in a hotel ALL WEEKEND long.  I plan to bring snacks (fruit and whatnot) to fill in the gaps and eat at Subway as much as possible.  There is also a gym at the hotel (I know, I actually checked... who am I?!) and I will be bringing gym clothes to work out each day in hopes that any extra calories I do eat are burned off!  Fingers crossed that next week's weigh-in, is at worst, a stand still!  My goal is for NO GAINS!

Restaurant Eating | How to Successfully Plan

It can be very stressful when you are in the middle of a diet-plan and a friend asks you to go out for dinner or a family event pops up.   My son's 9th birthday was on Monday and his favourite restaurant of life is Buffalo Wild Wings.

Restaurant food is high in calorie, high in fat and oh-so-tempting... but you don't want to trigger those guilty feelings that throw you off your plan or start a downhill slide back to the beginning.  So, how do you add in a visit to a restaurant without throwing in the towel on your diet?  Here's how I handled it...

1. Figure out which restaurant you will be dining at.  If you have the choice, pick somewhere that you know serves healthy foods but if you don't, don't worry... you can still make it work for you. (Our restaurant was Buffalo Wild Wings... home of the deep fried everything!)
2. Go to the restaurants website and search for the nutritional information section.  If you can't find it, you can always google for it or call the restaurant and ask them to fax/email you a copy.  Almost every restaurant has their ingredients and nutritional information available for their customers. (I had to google for the nutritional info but was able to find it fairly easily... although it was the American version, a lot of the dishes carried over to the Canadian menu)
3. Determine how many calories/grams of fat/sugar (whatever you are counting) you are okay with eating for that meal and then search for items that fit within that limit.  I tend to stick to the appetizer section because the 'meals' are smaller.  If it's ever possible, try to go for lunches so you can get even smaller portions... makes eating seem less daunting when you can order a 'full' sized plate and it still isn't HUGE! (I opted to stay below 500 calories which is still more than I normally have for lunch but figured I could just swap my dinner and lunch around and not worry too much)
4. When you are at the restaurant, drink WATER... don't waste your calories on alcohol or soda because it's not worth it.  Even diet soda is full of sugar (the fake kind which is actually worse for you) and it will make you bloated and crave more of it in the future.  Keep your glass full and keep sipping!  
5. Don't look at the menu because you will be tempted by other choices... order what you planned and don't veer off course. 
6. Once everyone is done their meal, pay up and head out... maybe to a coffee shop to continue your visit (less tempting than the dessert menu) or perhaps for a walk! (If you do indulge, just remember you need to work off those extra calories!)

Shown: Southwest Street Tacos - 480 calories

Like I said, restaurant meals are going to happen... friends are going to ask... family events will come and go but you do not have to give up on your diet to participate.  Just make smart choices.

Planning is the key to success!

The Next 28 Days | Fit Girl's Guide

WOW, am I actually sitting here, typing out this post, and able to say that I have almost made it to the 28-day mark of my Diet Challenge? I can't believe how far I have come in such a short period of time.  Not only am I happy but I am getting healthy and feeling more fit!

So, what does the next 28-days look like?  Well, I have decided to step up the game just a little and join the Fit Girl's #28daychallenge (look up the hashtag on Instagram and you will see all sorts of amazing inspirational pictures).

I purchased the Fit Girl's Guide & The Jumpstart Journal to not only teach me how to become more fit but to also help me along the way... both with diet and fitness.  The book was great and I was able to power through it in an evening and the Jumpstart Journal is so much fun... I even grabbed the pencil crayons and coloured the cover page!

After reading the book, I printed out the exercise/fitness portion and am ready to start using that on Monday but I am still a little stuck on the menu/food planning portion.  While I would love to go into this full tilt, I found that a lot of the foods they suggest are just not to my liking (like avocado, sweet potato & mushrooms).  I am willing to give most things a whirl but I know that these things are not up my alley of likes so will need to tweek the recipes to get them to work for me.  If I can get these worked out by Monday, then I will definitely give the diet a whirl too.  However, I am feeling really good about my food choices thus far that I really don't think it is THAT big a deal if I follow my own diet plan (counting calories using the Fitbit App) and incorporate the new fitness aspect.  We shall see how that works out and if needed, perhaps I can add the full diet in for the THIRD 28-day cycle!

So, this weekends plans are to get some 'before' pictures taken (okay, not officially before but close enough) and to take my measurements.  I won't post any of that right away but at the end of this 28-day cycle, I will post a comparison photo to see what kind of change took place!

Here goes... as I have said, my motivation is just as strong now as it was when I started.  Being past that 21-day hump really gives me hope that there are many brighter days ahead!

Recipe | Chicken, Peppers & Rice

Being on a diet means a lot of the same old foods... you get used to the routine and it is hard to find new recipes that work, not only for the calorie count, but also for the entire family to enjoy.  This past week, I saw a post on Pinterest that showed a picture of chicken with peppers, served over rice and I thought, 'Hey, that has to be low in calories... let's give it a go'.  So here is how I made an amazing 450 calorie dinner.

Chicken, Peppers & Rice

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 each of red, yellow and orange peppers

1/2 lrg white onion

2 cups of brown Minute Rice

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp Soy Sauce

Medium dash of Mrs. Dash (original)

Red Pepper Flakes to taste (depends on your desired heat)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

1. In a large pan, dice onion and saute in olive oil
2. Cut up chicken into small pieces and toss into pan
3. Add in minced garlic and cook until chicken is cooked through
4. Season mixture with Mrs. Dash, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire Sauce and Soy Sauce
5. Prepare rice as directed on box.  I use the max serving (6 people) 
6. Add peppers into the pan with chicken and onion and cook until the peppers are the desired tenderness (generally 10 - 15 mins)
7. Once cooked, add rice to pan and mix everything together
8. Let simmer for another 5 minutes and add any additional seasonings you feel it needs.  I sometimes add an extra dash of Worcestershire Sauce or some more red pepper flakes.
9. Serve it up

This makes 4 servings and each servings is approximately 450 calories (depending on how big your chicken chunks are and just how much seasoning you used!)

Super tasty and very easy to make... something the whole family will love!