Lifestyle Challenge | Week 21 & 22 Update & SUCCESS!!

You guys... YOU GUYS... I DID IT!  I actually lost 50lbs by Christmas.  I know, I have been absent from the blog but I promise it isn't from lack of activity or because I have fallen off the wagon.  I have been working my little(ish) tail off and staying on plan and this past weekend, I was rewarded with that elusive FIFTY POUNDs lost mark.  OH MY GOODNESS... I was so shocked to see it that I stepped on the scale 3 times to make sure and then sat on the bed for a few minutes to let it sink in... I DID IT!

One of the questions that I get asked the most is How Did I Lose the Weight? 

To be honest, there is no special secret behind it.  I was challenged by one of my friends, Tracy, back in June, to lose 50lbs by Christmas... two pounds a week and we could easily get it done.  For some reason, that lit the fire and I strapped on my Fitbit (was a Charge HR then, now a Blaze) and started walking and watching what I was eating.  I also upped my water intake and tracked my calories.  It's been that basic formula the entire time... calories in vs. calories out.  I try to have a calorie deficit of 1000 per day which SHOULD equal the 2lbs a week... sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't but that's what I try for each day.  Clearly it's working and I will be staying with this plan until my body decides it's at it's natural weight... until it doesn't want to lose anymore and I am officially balanced and healthy!

WINS and CHALLENGES for the week:

I am actually going to stop posting this section as it's been 6-months (almost to the day) of this lifestyle journey and I don't necessarily have WINS or CHALLENGES anymore... just everyday living and that comes with both but unless it's something special to note, like Halloween, Christmas or some vacation, I don't think it's necessary to put them down on paper anymore.

HAPPY NOTE for the week:

It's SNOWED today... anyone who knows me knows that I love winter and snow and Christmas and ALL THINGS that relate to that!  YAY!  

While we are at it... can I just say that Tim Horton's has stepped up their holiday game as well...

WOOHOO!  Let's bring it on!

Lifestyle Challenge | Week 20 Update & Tackling Halloween

Whoops... guess I went a little AWOL there for a bit, eh?  I kept meaning to post an update but sometimes life gets in the way and you need to just take the time to do what you are loving.  Lately, for me, that is reading.  Yep, I feel like I have come full circle and am back into loving life with my nose in a book.

Here is the update for the past couple of weeks... As I said, I moved my weigh-in days to Sundays because of my rest day and I have been loving it.  Not wearing my Fitbit on Sunday's has been wonderful... I can read, watch tv, hang with the boys and not worry about how many steps I am getting.  This past Sunday, I weighed in and lost another 2lbs which brings my new weight loss total to 45.5lbs.  YEP... we are less than 5lbs away from my original 50lbs by Christmas challenge.  WOWSA!!!

WINS for the week:

1. Halloween - this may be a longer WIN but it was Halloween on Monday and as a mom with a young child, I ended up with a LOT of candy in my house.  In fact, there were multiple stops to drop of more and more candy that included full size bars (Crunchies... YUM) and pop and chips and OMG... so much candy.  However, I didn't have a single piece... at all!!  Instead, as each pillow case of candy was dropped off, I dumped it out, sorted it (literally) and moved on.  Instead of eating candy, I drank a cup of amazing Peppermint Tea (a new favourite), watched Halloween (a fave movie) and walked around the house.  It was a TOTAL WIN!!!
2. Cooking - Yep... I have been cooking more and more, including making hamburgers from scratch.  I love it... creating (or re-creating) recipes and finding new favourites for the family!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Halloween - while I was able to tackle Halloween like a beast, I still have to say that it was a challenge.  I could have given myself an allowance of candy that I was able to eat but I honestly didn't feel the need!

Here's hoping that I can get back into the regular groove of blogging and keeping my updates coming at you on the weekly basis!

Lifestyle Update | Week 15 & 16 Combined Update

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian peeps.  I hope that you had a wonderful weekend and were able to spend some time with family and friends... and remember to think about all the things that you are thankful for!

First off, sorry for not posting last week, the week got away from me as I was dealing with a stomach bug and before I knew it, it was just easier to wait and post the two weeks together.  SOooo... For the last two weeks, I have lost a combined 3 lbs for a new weight loss total of 38.5 lbs.  Yep, I am now just 11.5 lbs away from my Christmas goal of 50 pounds total.

As I hit the 4 month mark of my lifestyle overhaul, I also took some pictures to show the differences in my body... it's really remarkable how the body works and I am loving the changes.  There is one week left in my StepBet and then I am hoping to add weights (arms) and ab work into the routine to start tightening things up!

I had already lost 13.5lbs in the first set of pictures!

WINS for the week(s):

1. StepBet - I don't know if this counts as a win but I'm still going strong with the steps so, to me, that makes it a win!
2. Thanksgiving Dinner (see picture below) - I decided that I wasn't going to worry about calories at dinner because it really makes it so hard when you aren't the one prepping the food.  Happy to say that I had a full plate of food, stopped eating when I was full, and didn't feel the least bit guilty.  #WIN

CHALLENGES for the week(s):

1. Being Sick - I mentioned it above but I had a bit of a stomach virus/bug this past week and even with that, I was able to stay on plan and still got my steps in... not easy when all you want to do is lay on the couch but if I could do it, I was going to get it done!

So, that's the story for the last couple of weeks!  Nothing too exciting or too challenging BUT, I foresee some temptations coming up with Halloween... hoping to breeze through as I have with most of the challenges thus far!

Diet Challenge | Week Three Results

They say that it takes 21-days to form a habit that will last... don't ask me who 'they' are but that's what I have always read and yesterday was day 21 of the Diet Challenge!  I can tell that new habits have already taken root just by the simple fact that I spent 6+ hours on the ball field yesterday and didn't cheat on the diet... even when the fellow parents I was sitting with decided a trip to the Chip Truck was necessary...  THREE TIMES!  Legit almost died!

Picture Source

Week three is now in the books, a thing of the past, and I am happy to say that I have lost another 1.5 lbs for a new weight loss total of 12.5 lbs.  As I have said for the last two weeks, the losses will slow down and settle at a more 'normal' range and I am thinking we are there... losing between 1-2 lbs per week is what I am hoping for!!

WINS for the week:

1. Baseball - I already mentioned my big win on the field yesterday (both the team won and I did!) but I think that was a HUGE sign of how far I have come.  Not going to say that I didn't spend some time researching which fast food restaurant had the lowest calorie foods, but I didn't cave and that is the most important thing.  We went home, had what was on the menu and went to bed completely satisfied with another awesome day under our belts.
2. Steps - Another amazing week when it comes to my fitness goals.  I increased my step count to 10,000 (the most I have ever tried for) and beat that by a mile most days.  It helped that Murray was also wearing a Fitbit so we did a Workweek Hustle Challenge (kicked his butt)... we are too competitive for our own good!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Baseball - Do I sound like a broken record yet?  My biggest challenge for the week was by far Sunday on the field.  Just the smell of those Chip Truck fries was enough to make me want to dive off the edge and into a bucket of greasy goodness.  However, I planned ahead and brought a sandwich, fruit and other snacks so was able to fight off the desire.
2. Mental Cravings - There were a couple of nights this week that I felt as though I needed to eat out... I craved junk food like McDonalds or my standard Malteasers.  I don't even think I was hungry when I was having these cravings so honestly think they were more mental than anything... like my mind was in sugar overload withdrawal.  Again, I didn't cave but it did take some serious self-reasoning to keep myself on track.

Overall, a great week!  I did end up eating at Subway on Friday night while the boys were at the WWE event but again, like last time, I only had a 6" sub and water so don't really consider that 'eating out'.  Still haven't had any pop or candy or junk food of any kind so I do really feel like I have made some positive steps towards healthy habits.

The next two weeks are going to be a bit more of a challenge and take a lot of planning on my part because it is basically a BIRTHDAY BONANZA up in our house.  Steven's 9th birthday is on the 18th and Murray's birthday is on the 25th... sandwich my niece Emma's in on the 23rd and you have the birthday trifecta!  Here's hoping that some good pre-planning and smart choices leads to another positive win on the scale next week!!

Diet Challenge | Week Two Results

Another week has come and gone and the results are in... I am happy to say that I am down another 3.5 lbs for a two-week total of 11 lbs lost!  WAHOO!   I wasn't expecting such a big loss this week because of how much I lost last week but I will not complain.  It has now been two weeks since I have eaten out (other than a trip to Subway which I only had a 6" sub) or had any pop... which was a slight addiction that snuck up on me.

WINS for the week:

1. Planning - Still making a menu for family dinners and ensuring that I have all of my fruit and veggies for the week prepped and ready for easy to grab lunches.  Honestly, this takes about 30 - 45 mins on the weekends and saves so much time in the morning... also makes it easy to have healthy options for lunch.
2. Steps - I participated in a 'Workweek Hustle' this week and there were 8 of us working to have the most steps from Monday - Friday and I came 4th.   I hoped to win but the leader killed it and was a ton of steps ahead of me.  However, I was so motivated to put in a good showing that I did over 10,000 steps a day (my goal was 8,500).

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Period - Oh the joys of being a woman... not only do we lose weight slower than men but we get that one week a month of bloating, water retention and cravings.  
2. Canada Day BBQ - Yep, week two and we hit a long weekend which means a family BBQ and no option of planning my meal.  However, I knew ahead of time what the menu was so was able to plan for some additional calories and do some extra steps during the day to compensate. 

All-in-all, a great week.  I felt like I kicked butt on my goals and am still feeling very VERY motivated.  Being over 1/5 of the way to my '50 by Christmas' goal is so thrilling... yes, I know that the losses will slow but for now, I am taking it as I can get it!!

Diet Challenge | Week One Results

The results are in from the first week of the 50 pounds by Christmas challenge and... I lost 7.5 lbs!!  I am so thrilled to have such a great kick-off week loss.  Yes, I know that the majority of that is water weight and that I will not have losses like this moving forward, but to start off the challenge with such impressive results has really upped my motivation and made me ready to tackle week two!

WINS for the Week:

1. Planning - Not only did I have a menu and follow it, but I prepped all of my food and snacks for the work week.  Honestly, the mornings are very hard for me so having my fruit cut, my veggies back and my cereal portioned really made a huge difference.
2. Goals - Setting attainable goal on my Fitbit helped me get those steps in every day.  Whether it was walking outside or on-the-spot inside, I was moving as much as possible.  I also really like the 250 steps every hour goal so that it made me get up and move while I was at work.  Desk jobs can be challenging!
3. Accountability - I started an Instagram account for tracking my fitness and diet progress because I didn't want to bombard my nail polish account with Fitbit pictures and motivational quotes.  Posting my results each day has kept me accountable to anyone who is now following me.

Week two is all prepped and ready to go!

CHALLENGES for the Week:

1. Schedule - We have an insanely busy schedule which generally ends up in at least one, if not all, of us out of the house during the dinner hour.  However, planning a menu and knowing ahead of time that there is a commitment that evening, I was able to get in my steps when I needed to and plan for my dinners accordingly.
2. Weather - I don't do extreme weather of any kind and this past weekend was HOT!  Not only was it hot and humid, but we were on the ball field for a good majority of it so I was not looking forward to getting my steps in BUT, I got the suntan lotion out, walked earlier in the morning and then did a lot of it while grocery shopping in the air conditioned store.  

All in, I think my week was an enormous success and I couldn't really ask for more.  Moving into week two, I have increased my daily step goal by 1,000 so we are now at 8,500 per day... not too hard and I actually hit that most days last week anyways!

So, here we go.. onwards and upwards!  Only 42.5 lbs to go before Christmas!