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!