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 Challenge | Week 17 Update

Happy Monday... it's a dreary, warm day here and it's supposed to be 26 degrees (31 degrees with the humidity) tomorrow and I am NOT a happy camper.  My life has moved into full fall mode and the warm weather doesn't work... I can't believe that I am actually thinking about flipping the switch on the air conditioner for the day.  GRRRrrrr.

On to better things... I changed up my weigh-in day to Sunday (but will still continue posting updates on Monday) to coincide with my rest day.  It felt off taking Sunday as my rest day and then weighing in on Monday's.  Not that I cheat on my diet, it's just not something that interests me, but I was feeling guilty about not doing anything right before stepping on the scale.  So, yesterday was my first official Sunday weigh-in and I am happy to report that I lost another 3 pounds!  My new weight loss total is 41.5lbs!!  WHOOP WHOOP... start the happy dance!!

It's safe to now say that the week before I get my period is definitely a good weigh-in week.  Not sure if there will be any bounce back next week because of such a large drop but hey... I am enjoying it while I can!

WINS for the week:

1. StepBet - DONE!  I completed the Step Through September challenge and am an official winner.  We haven't heard what the official winners are yet but I will add that in once I find out!  Also, I have already joined a new StepBet that kicks off today... it's only the warm-up week but I am going to just keep on keeping on.  My new daily goal will be 13,283 and the stretch days are now 16,972.
2. Flying Solo - The boys went away for the weekend so once again, I was flying solo.  Didn't really have any challenges and even made myself a BBQ Chicken Caesar salad for dinner... who does that when they are alone?!
3. Jeans - I bought a pair of new jeans in size 34 and not only did I fall over from shock that they fit but they are comfortable ALL DAY LONG!  Seriously, so excited!!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Period Woes - Once again, I had a 'hungry' day and I know that I have mentioned it before, but it seems like I get one, once a month, right before I get my period... it sucks!  I handled it but I'm telling you... I was ready for dinner at about 3:30 on Saturday.

Lastly... while the boys were away, in Buffalo, I was able to get them to swing by Target and stock me up on some Luna bars that aren't available here in Canada.  WOOOoooo!  I am nicely stocked up for a while and excited to have some new flavours to throw into the mix.

I am still in shock that I have lost over 40 pounds and have less than 10 pounds to go until my initial "Lifestyle/Diet Challenge" goal.  Insane!!!

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!

Lifestyle Update | Week 14 Update

Happy Fall!!  I am so excited that it is officially fall... last week was warmer than I liked but over the weekend, it cooled off and now, I am thrilled!  Candles burning, thriller books out and YES, I am ready!

Today was weigh-in day and I can't believe that I lost another 2lbs... usually the week of my period ends up with a lower than normal weight loss (I am backwards and lose more weight before I get my period and then less after it... not sure why!).  So that means that I have now lost a total of 35.5lbs!  WHAT?!?!  How friggin exciting is that?  I am less than 15lbs away from my next goal and totally on track for hitting it by Christmas (not that I am setting any official goal dates but hey, one can hope).

StepBet Update for the week:

Not much to report but did just want to check in and let y'all know that I made it through another week.  Got my two stretch days done on Monday and Tuesday and then legged out the active days on Wednesday thru Saturday.  Literally did NOTHING yesterday and loved it.  I actually decided that I wouldn't wear my Fitbit so that I wasn't thinking about how low my step count was and that seemed to make me feel better about taking a rest day!

WINS for the week:

1. Smaller sizes - WOOOOOOO!!  I cleaned out my closet and have a GIANT bag to donate full of plus sized clothes.  FULL!  I will have a separate blog post about this so stay tuned!
2. Fall TV - totally not weight loss related BUT, you guys... FALL TV is back!  I loooove watching TV (is that something to be proud of?) and most of my fall shows are once again back and I am loving it!  I don't generally watch them live because I am always watching baseball BUT, having something to toss on the boob-tube is always appreciated!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. None!

I feel like this wasn't the best post but I really enjoy the weekly update, even as something to look back on so, for now anyways, I will keep em coming!  

Lifestyle Challenge | Week 12 Update

Happy Monday... hope all you Football Widows made it through opening weekend.  My hubby is a 49ers fan and they start tonight so here's hoping the house is a happy one!

Today marks the official end of the first quarter of my new lifestyle... can you believe that it has been three months already?  I am shocked!  For my week 12 weigh-in, I am happy to report that I lost 1.5lbs for a new weight-loss total of 30.5lbs.  THIRTY POUNDS!!!

I just love getting new badges from FitBit... it really makes the journey so much more fun and rewarding.  Can you tell I am a competitive person?!  HAHAHA

Along with another month passing, it was also time to take some progress pictures.  I haven't shared them anywhere before because I was too self-conscious and it felt like such a personal thing BUT... it's time.  I am loving the changes that I see but because I don't have any new clothes (yet), most of the things I am wearing are too big so you can't really see any major changes.  The 'before' picture is actually already a month into this new lifestyle so I had already lost 13.5lbs and likely some bloat and maybe even a couple of inches but it still shows a dramatic difference between 4 weeks and 12 weeks.

WINS for the week:

1. StepBet - I did an entire blog post about joining StepBet but today is the official start of the elimination rounds and I am soooo excited to have some extra 'step' motivation.  I kicked the warm-up rounds butt so I am confident that I can kick the regular week's butt too.
2. Rest Day - I finally did it... I had a rest day!  No goals were met yesterday and it was planned that way.  I still went for a walk and did my normal daily things around the house but I also didn't stress the steps.  It was great... yes, slightly guily inducing, but well needed!  My plan is to take every Sunday, during StepBet, as a rest day to recover from the extra activity during the week.

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Mid-Week Weigh-In - Stoooopid me decided to step on the scale mid-week and it showed a gain of 0.5lbs... so of course I stepped on it again the next day... same... and the next day... up a whole pound.  The way it affected my mood was insane!!  At the end of the week, I clearly lost weight so the moral of the story is STAY OFF THE DAMN SCALE!!!

Loving life right now... I know that as we near Thanksgiving, Halloween and the Holidays that there will be some new challenges but I find that every day I put under my belt is another day closer to conquering these old 'diet' demons!

Lifestyle Challenge | Week 11 Update

Whoops... I totally forgot to post because weigh-in day was a holiday and we got busy doing things.  Hey, life happens, right?!

Monday was the end of week 11 of my new lifestyle challenge and I am happy to report that I lost another TWO pounds this week.  Yep, that means I am now down a total of 29 pounds!!  HOLY CRAP!  I know that I say this almost every week but I am still shocked with the ease with which I have been able to stay on plan... at how the cravings for sweets and eating out are basically gone now.

My husband and I talk about eating out and how it would feel like such a waste of both money and calories.  We can now look back on our past habits and see how 'gross' we would feel after splurging (read binge) on a GIANT bag of candy.  I used to get a huge bag of Malteasers and about 2/3 into it would feel full and starting to feel gross... would I stop eating them?  Nope, I would finish the bag because I felt that leaving 1/3 of the bag would be a waste... as if the treat wouldn't be enough the next time I ate them.  Did you know that a huge bag of Malteasers is over 900 calories?  NINE HUNDRED?  #dead

How Awesome is the 10% reward?!!?

WINS for the week:

1. Emotional Eating - Yes, this is a win... because I didn't do it!  This past weekend I found myself in an emotional/family drama moment and am happy to say that I laced up the running shoes and headed out for a walk instead of eating my way through house and home.
2. Clothes Fitting - One of my biggest wins so far is being able to wear clothes that I hadn't been able to before.  Murray bought me a size XL women's fitted shirts for Christmas and I knew on site that it wouldn't even go over my head.  Well, this Sunday, I wore it out for breakfast and it was totally fine.  In fact, more people noticed my weight loss than ever before.  LOVED that feeling!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Emotions - It hasn't happened often, which is great, but I do have very strong emotions and being an emotional eater, I have had to re-direct my feelings.  As mentioned in my wins, I seem to be okay with doing the right thing BUT am always on watch.
2. Lazy Day - Over the last 11 weeks, I haven't missed my step goal once and am finding it really hard to take a 'rest day' or a 'lazy day'.  I don't know if it's because I am afraid of failure or afraid that it will send me into a tailspin, but I just can't seem to let myself have a day where I do absolutely nothing.

Still on track and still totally motivated to keep going.  I am not setting any goals with dates attached to it because I don't want to miss and feel like I failed but I am so excited about seeing how far I can go!!

Lifestyle Challenge | Week Nine Update

Every time I title one of these update posts, I am amazed by the time that has passed since I started this challenge... it's been NINE weeks!  Insane!

For today's update, I am happy to announce that I am down another 2.5lbs for a new total of 25lbs... TWENTY FIVE.  That's only 1.5lbs away from my first goal of 10% body weight lost.

Each week that I step on the scale, I am so thrilled to see a change but something else has become clear to me... I am so much happier.  When I started blogging, I was on a 'quest' to become a healthier, happier version of myself and I can actually say that I am there... while still working on the healthy aspect, I am doing things that make me happy... smiling more, spending quality time with my family and just enjoying life.  Old habits that felt like a weight on my shoulders, like YouTube, are now something I do for entertainment.  I only watch videos when I am walking or working out and even then, I sometimes forget to see what's new.  WOW... such an awesome change in such a short period of time!

WINS for the week:

1. Water Intake - I don't know if I touched on this before but I guzzle my water like it's my job BUT, I decided to focus on increasing it to 120oz a day and did that everyday last week.  Not only do I think that's helping me eat less (thirsty not hungry) but my skin is so much smoother. However, I don't think that the nightly pee-breaks are as fun... hahaha!
2. Walking - While the gym was lacking this week, I was able to spend some great quality time with Steven going on almost nightly walks to catch Pokemon... sure, it's a silly game but we have a great time catching them and hatching eggs.  Family time plus activity is a bonus in my books!!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Hunger - I had a couple of days this week where I couldn't stop the feeling of needing to EAT ALL THE THINGS!  I didn't cave and now that I think about it, it was likely period cravings but it was sure a challenge to push through.  
2. Gym - Not sure what was up but I wasn't into heading to the gym at all this week.  I did go twice so that's still a win but my plan of 2 days on, 1 day off sure didn't happen.  While my steps each day are totally fine, I feel like I should be doing a little more.  Here's hoping that I can get back on the gym bandwagon this week!

Last up... I have to share my new nails!  I did another declutter (post to come) and actually went and got acrylic nails on Saturday.  Yep... I have travelled over to the dark side and am in love!  HAHAHA... who knew?!?!

Eek... now to Pinterest to find my next nail design!!

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 Six Update

I can't believe that it's already August... it blows my mine that we are in the last unofficial month of the summer.  Maybe it's just me but when August starts, I move into fall mode... I want it to be cooler, I want to burn candles and I want pumpkin everything!  Not sure how I will handle the need for all things pumpkin this year but we will worry about that in September!  LOL

Today was weigh-in day and I am, once again, thrilled to have had another scale victory and lost 1-lb for a new weight loss total of 18.5 lbs in just 6 short weeks!  WAHOOOO!  I am getting close to losing 10% of my body weight now and my goal for that is by IMATS on October 1st.  I don't like hard set goal dates but I think this one should be achievable!

Before I get into the WINS and CHALLENGES of the week, let's talk about the Baseball Tournament that we had this past weekend in London!  Our Clarington Colts did amazingly well and won 2 of 3 games.  We didn't make it to the final round but we had fun and it was a great weekend away.  The boys (and girl) had so much fun both on and off the field and as a parent of a 'socially quiet' child, watching him flourish in the environment was so awesome!  The whole weekend made me want to go to more and more road tournaments!!

WINS for the week:

1. HIT THE GYM!!  Yes, that deserves all capitals!  The hotel that we were staying in this past weekend had a little gym (2 treadmills, 1 bike and some weights) but I made it my duty to hit it up on both Friday and Saturday to get as much of a workout in as I could before hitting the fields.  It felt AWESOME!!  So much so that I am going to be heading to the community centre this week and joining the local gym!  WAHOOOO!!!  TOTAL WIN!
2. Staying on plan - Yep, being away for the weekend was so challenging when it came to eating. We brought lots of snacks and breakfast foods but nothing that was perishable because we didn't want to overdo it.  Thankfully my parents came up on Saturday and brought a nice healthy lunch of chicken salad sandwiches with lots of fruit and veggies... couldn't be more happy with that!  We also did a lot of restaurant research and found dishes that I could eat that would fit into my calories allotment and would be filling... check out my Instagram for my choices!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Out of town - I already touched on this but the biggest challenge of the week was being out of town for three days.  Not knowing the area we were staying made it hard to pre-plan but we made it work and it was a successful weekend.
2. Water intake - Again, this stems back to the travel but I found that I was a lot slower on my water intake than I normally am.  The ice in the hotel ice machine made the ice taste funny so I ended up not drinking the water I prepped for the field.  I tried to make it up once we would get back to the hotel but knowing the bathroom situation at the fields was less than stellar, I didn't want to overdo it either... UGH!  Such a catch-22.  

Overall, week six was great!  While the loss on the scale isn't huge, it's a loss and I know that after a weekend away, any loss is a sign of success.  WOOHOO!  I am dancing right now.  Now we get to see what August brings.  I have no goals or expectations because I find that takes away the disappointment and pressure... just going to do more of what I have been and keep my fingers crossed that my efforts don't disappoint!

Diet Challenge | Week Four Results

First off, this post must start with a GIANT HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my little man who is 9 years old today!  He brings me joy every single day and is inspiring me to become a healthy mom!!

Okay, onto week four's results... I weighed in this morning and was down 1lb for a new total weight loss of 13.5lbs!!  To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect on the scales this morning because yesterday was Steven's birthday party and while I know that I made really good food choices and got in all my steps, I still think my calories were higher than normal.  However, I cheered for myself when I saw the drop on the scale... at this point in my life, I have yo-yo'd enough to know that a loss is a loss, whether it's 5lbs or 0.5lbs, you celebrate the loss regardless.

Before I get into the WINS and CHALLENGES of the week, I wanted to talk about how I am feeling after a month of 'dieting' or a month into the new 'lifestyle'.

I am overwhelmed by my motivation and extremely proud of my success.  Having been on this journey before, I have never had the ability to stick with it for longer than a week or two.  The only two major successes I have had have been my two stints with Jenny Craig (losing 38lbs the first time and 90lbs the second... and then gaining it all back).  Knowing that I am doing this ON MY OWN this time... prepping the food, doing the exercise, being my own coach, is making me understand what it will take to be a healthy, happy person for the long run.  I am not even close to being where I want to be but I know that this time, it will stick and I will reach my goals.

WINS for the week:

1. Motivation - It has to be said that one of the major keys to my success the last month has been my motivation!  It's still at an all-time high and it's helping me get through each challenge as it presents itself!
2. Floors - Kicked it up a notch this weekend and nailed enough floors to get my next badge from Fitbit.  Yep, I did 25-floors in one day and for someone who lives in a townhouse and works in a one-level building, that's pretty impressive!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Baseball - I know, it's starting to sound like a broken record but seriously, it's every weekend!!  We had another double header this weekend and I was 'forced' to plan for 6-hours on the field.  I ended up grabbing another 6" from Subway because we didn't have good 'portable' meals but overall, I think I did well.  My water intake was a little low because there weren't any bathrooms nearby so I didn't want to be in an emergency situation.
2. Birthday Party Number One - Yep... we are in the middle of the birthday bonanza so the first party was yesterday.  I did the best I could for planning and prep and made sure I got all my steps in but there were some foods that I had to guesstimate the calorie count on... I only had a small amount of those to be safe but still, posed a big challenge.  Not to mention the dairy queen cupcakes... those were definitely a challenge - but I resisted!  Not worth the guilt!

Plans for the upcoming week include another birthday party, a birthday dinner and perhaps more baseball.  

Today marks the beginning of the second 28-days so I will be adding in some more exercise and also planning to decrease my calorie intake by 100 calories a day (from 1700 to 1600)... time to step it up a notch!