It's gonna be a little while

Right now I am really mad at myself and the world...I can't seem get my shit together and figure out how to really stay disciplined and motivated.  I feel absolutely disguited with myself.
So for that reason I'm not gonna post until I am un-mad at myself and the world...sorry!  I have nothing positive to say, and don't want this blog to be a negative thing..
Be back soon, I hope!
Tanya

Halloween has no come and gone!

Oh my...Monday!!! 

Ok so all I have to say is that I royally fucked up this weekend.  I ate nothing but junk, no joke.  I feel quite guilty too...but today is Monday, it's a new week.  I work tonight at A/E, my first shift of Christmas season...then tomorrow I'll be working out, on my lunch and after work. 

This past weekend is exactly that, in the past.  Time to get back to it. 

T

Uck Mondays

Good afternoon! 
Well I had a nice weekend with plenty of activity. 
Saturday morning got up and hit the gym by 9:30am.  I managed to do 40 mins on the bike, 20 on the eliptical and 5 on the rower.  I did 20 mins of Abs but skipped arms. 
My eating was good as well.  Saturday morning for breakfast I had 2 hardboiled eggs with a small peice of ham.  Lunch Marty and I hit a vegetarian restaurant downtown London called Veg Out! I had the tofu panini, well half of it, and then the other half I shared Martys bean burger.  It was good, but a bit soggy, the bean burger that is.  We had a later Supper on Saturday...wasn't the best, but had corn chips in the over with LOTS of veggies and a bit of cheese...yes I guess you can say we had a Nacho...but minus all the fatty cheese that you would get in a restaurant and meet. 
Sunday, went for a nice hour long walk with Logan.  (babysat for my friend while she was in town for a photoshoot).  For breakfast I had Steelcut oats with skim milk and a bit of brown sugar.  For lunch, whole wheat spaghetti (small portion) with olive oil, pesto and vinegar made into a dressing..with cut up tomatoes and cucumbers.  Along with that had a Tuna sandwich.  For Supper, a peice of chicken breast, lightly tossed in Panko break crumbs and baked. 

I didn't drink nearly as much water as I should have, a bit disappointed in myself, but I'll get it.

How was your weekend? 

2 Down!, 69 to go!

Check out my ticker people...!! 2 pounds down...wish it was more, but 2lbs is 2lbs. 

Today

Breakfast: - Oatmeal and a coffee.  Morning Snack: Banada.  Lunch: 2 Hardboiled eggs, small peice of chicken, chopped fresh mushrooms, and sliced green pepper, Grapes and a handful of almonds. I skipped my afternoon snack, I know, very bad, but just forgot.  Supper: 1 egg, sauteed hearts of palm, with kidney beans and shrimp, glass of Skim milk. 
Gym: 20 mins on the eliptical and 20 mins on the bike and walked home, which was 15 mins.  No weights today, tomorrow though.

So there.  Not horrible, but not wonderful.  But that's ok, I'm pleased!

I still haven't had a chance to make something from the Eat Clean cookbook.  Working on it. 

I've been feeling so gassy lately.  May be from all the veggies.  Who knows.  I'll keep drinking water and hope it gets better.  I'll tell ya, I'm so due for a new pair of sneakers.  Mine are getting flat and my feet hurt a bit after a walk or workout.   I'm sure it doesn't help that I need Orthotics.  I got Friday afternoon for my fitting.  Saw a Dr. turns out my arch is stressed out and needs some help.  I'm glad that I'm going to go Friday, cause my heel is sore.  I hope the Orthotics help.

Tuesday...only 3 days to go.  Ahhhh weekends! My most favorite workouts are Saturday morning workouts...I feel like I give it more than my all on Saturday mornings.  Not sure what's up with that...I'll have to keep my mojo going for all my workouts.

Ok, night, Biggest Loser is on!

It's easy to judge

My gawd, what the hell is wrong with me.  So sorry for the delay in posting.  Thanksgiving has passed, my computer was on the outs and was in being repaired, and I have been neglecting my vow to get my shit organized to loose this fucking weight I'm carrying around.

So Saturday morning, Oct. 9th, I got up, went to the gym and had one of the best workouts I have had in ages.  I mean, I was given er.

20 mins on the Eliptical
15 mins on the treadmill (running for 5 of those 15, with walking breaks)
10 mins on the bike.

Then I did some arms, and also 15 mins of Abs on the mat.  When I left the gym I felt worked out...felt so good. 

Then Sunday we had friends over for dinner, instead of the traditional turkey we made ham, potatoes (mashed with butter and sour cream, ya not the lowest of fat I know), carrots, brocoli and crescent rolls.  Needless to say it was a really great meal, tasty and comfortable...isn't that how it always is:

Fat = Comfortable

So anyway, now that I got all that out of my system...

I need to name drop...Thanks to my girl Miranda for all the awesome tips, she's Eating Clean as well...and not only that, she had the opportunity to meet Tosca Reno, the creator of the Eat Clean Diet and also the author of the recently released, Best Body Now.  Check out her site, she's amazing and so inspiring!  www.toscareno.com  Miranda has been trying alot of Tosca eats from her first cookbook, which by the way, I freaking own...!  So I probably need to get my ass in gear and start making more of her recipes and I promise that in the next few weeks I will share some ideas with you.

I have weighed myself today, I am still the same which makes me sad.  It's been over a month now, and not even a pound.  I know why though...I haven't gotten my routine down pack yet.  I can surely talk the talk, but really...I need to move it.  MOVE IT MOVE IT MOVE IT...I always seem to come up with some sort of excuse for myself...I want every workout to be like last Saturday workout. 

Here's the running program that I have come up with, with help from the internet of course.  I will start this next week...let's hope I can stick to it.  Challenge me...anyone...!  I walk home from work and think to myself, shit I need a Bob or Jillian to kick my ass...I wonder if I would work out harder or more if someone was screaming at me...who knows.

Do you think this is realistic?

8 Week Running Program

Time Required: Eight weeks

Here's How:

1. Get medical clearance from your doctor before you get started.
2. Getting the right running shoes for your foot type is crucial for comfort and injury prevention . Visit a running store to get expert advice on buying the right running shoes .
3. Before you start your workouts, make sure you warm up properly by walking for 5-10 minutes. You should always end your workout with a cooldown.
4. Week one: Walk for 6 minutes, then jog at an easy pace for 1 minute. Repeat 3 times. Aim for three sessions with that same sequence for week one.
5. Week two: Walk for 5 minutes, then jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Aim to do three sessions in week two.
6. Week three: Walk for 3 minutes, then jog for 4 minutes. Repeat 4 times. Aim for four sessions in week three.
7. Week four: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 5 minutes. Repeat 4 times. Shoot for four of those sessions in week four.
8. Week five: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 8 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Do four of those sessions in week five.
9. Week six: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 9 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Try to do four sessions for week six.
10. Week seven: Walk for 1 minute, then jog for 11 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Do four sessions this week.
11. Week eight: Congratulations on making it to week eight! For your first run this week, try walking for 5 minutes to begin and end the workout, and run for 20 minutes in between. By the end of the week, try to run for 30 minutes without stopping.

Aim to run for 30 minutes four times a week, and you'll notice that your stamina and fitness will continue to improve. Soon you'll be ready to run your first 5K!

Water is Important...don't deny it!

Water makes your metabolism burn calories 3% faster.

Drinking water is important if you're trying to lose weight, some studies have shown that thirst and hunger sensations are triggered together. If there is a slight dehydration the thirst mechanism may be mistaken for hunger and one may eat when the body is actually craving fluid. As most food contains some water, if one doesn't drink much they may be subconsciously driven to eat more to gain the necessary water supply however, you also gain the undesired effects of increased calorie consumption. Drinking more water can help to prevent overeating and benefit weight loss.

Importance of drinking water in the modern diet

So many new food product created today not only contain high amounts of energy from added sugar and fats, they also contain very little water. Foods today need to be stored for longer periods and foods with a high water content tend to spoil much faster, think about milk, yogurt, eggs, fruits and vegetables. It may be great to think that we can stock our cupboards full of all these tasty foods that last for months, trouble is, it means less water consumption from foods.

If a weight loss diet doesn't allow much food or if food consumption is mainly in the form of processed, TV dinners it may be necessary to drink even more water to help stop strong cravings for food.

How Much do I need to drink to benefit losing weight?

For the average person experts suggest getting at least 64 ounces of water daily or eight 8-ounce glasses. If you are on a diet to lose weight it is more important to consume more and keep drinking water throughout the day, unless you have any medical condition that doesn't allow much water intake. A good guide for daily intake is to drink 1 ounce of water for every 2 pounds of body weight. A 200 pound person should be drinking around 100 ounces (12.5 cups) of water in order the gain the benefits of increased energy and metabolism.

If exercising is part of a weight loss program a bit more water should be included to account for water loss from sweating. Drinking water before, during and after exercise will keep energy levels high and help recovery after training.

Many people don't like drinking pure water. Gaining water from eating fruit high in water content is a great way to boost water consumption without drinking it directly. Fruit will also help fill up the stomach with low calories and gain tons of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients to increase vitality. In fact, any food with high water content can boost water consumption, most foods high in water are naturally occurring, healthy foods, another reason to eat a healthy diet!

Try adding flavors to your water for a better tasting beverage!

Water Tip:

On feeling hungry

drink some water

15 minutes before

eating!

Health benefits of drinking water

• regulate appetite
• increase metabolism
• boost energy levels
• less water retention
• alleviate some headaches
• help reduce blood pressure
• help reduce high cholesterol
• ease joint pain
• decrease in risk of some cancers
• less chance developing kidney stones
• release toxic waste products
• improves skin

Cautions to consider

People with kidney problems or other conditions were fluid intake needs to be limited should follow their doctor’s recommendations with correct sodium intake.  One potential but rare side effect of fluid intake can be hypoatremia in which electrolytes become imbalanced. Always seek advice from your doctor before trying any new diet or changing eating / drinking habits!

Hope this helps you!

Tanya

Don't shoot me!

Ok, so this weekend was full of awesomeness...but not in the weightloss and fitness department.  My brother came for a visit, our first visit in over 3 and a half years, so needless to say there were a few beers in that mix.  But, that was only 1 weekend and really, it wasnt that bad.

I will give you an example of how the weekend panned out.  Roast beef dinner on Friday, with beers that night and Jamaican Rum Cream...Saturday a burger, with more beer that night...need I say more.  Not very proud of myself, but I*m moving forward. 

So it*s Monday and the week is beginning!  So, a picture as promised.  More to follow with updates.

I forgot how good it felt!

Ok, so today was a not so bad day.  Got up, got ready for work and off I went.  I have been getting ride with Marty, since he's been off.  I REALLY need to get out of that habit.  It's just so nice to not have to walk in the morning.  My goal for next week, work out before work. 

Breakfast: 2 peices of Whole Wheat toast, with a peice of cheddar cheese and a Vanilla Earl Grey tea with skim milk and raw sugar.  My toasts were lightly buttered with butter.
Mid morning snack: Kiwi
Lunch: Whole Wheat couscous, with diced tomatoes and cucumbers, 3 peices of leftover pork from last nights supper.  Grapes and Rasberries with a large tablespoon of cottage cheese.
Afternoon Snack: Banana
Supper: Whole Wheat fettucini, with whole tomatoes made into a sauce with chopped fresh garlic, onion, mushrooms and green peppers, with chopped lean beef added, 1/3 cup of shredded cheddar cheese topped.
Evening snack: Timmies, large 2 milk 1 sugar, 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese and a handful of almonds.  And then to sabotage myself, I had a small brownie.   I had them in the freezer, and was looking for a sweet snack, that's my problem! Arg! But it is what it is.

On my lunch today with a co-worker I went to an Abs class, also did 10 minutes on the treadmill at speed 3.5 and incline 5%.  Then 10 minutes on the bike at 5.  I walked home from work, which took me 25 minutes. 

You know, that might not have been a hardcore workout, but man, I felt so good afterwards.  Why the hell have I stopped treating myself to this wonderful feeling.  Why have I allowed myself to rob myself of this wonderful feeling...I just don't know why.  But I'll ya, not anymore.  I'm so fucking mad at myself.  But slowly getting over it.  I remember last year when I was working out just before the wedding.  I remember that I was feeling so good.  I'm gonna get back to that feeling.  I will.

It's a short post, but a post none the less.  I will post a current photo of myself soon too.  Stay tuned!

Tanya xox

Digits

As promised, the digits, the embarrassing, awful digits.  But, it is what it is, and those numbers are GOING DOWN!

Starting Weight:  259lbs (September 24, 2010)

Waist: 50 inches (I'm so embarrassed, please don't judge)

Hips: 49.5 inches

Bicep (left): 15 inches

Bicep (right): 15 inches

Thigh (left): 28 inches

Thigh (right): 30 inches (2 inch difference, I have no clue)

Here are the main areas that I hope to see the most results.  So I have pretty much layed it all out and hope this is what I needed to stay on top.  I know there are days where I will fall off, but I'll get back up and keep climbing.  

In case you wanted to take your own measurements, here's a little guide.  Good Luck!

Instructions

The tape should be pulled to where it is lying flat against the skin all the way around. Like with taking skinfold measurements, your goal with body tape measurements is consistency. Take them the same every time you take them and you will get an accurate view of your progress with each body part. 

Below and pictured to the right is a list of suggested sites to regularly measure.

Neck - Standing, measure your neck at its largest girth, right over the Adam's apple.

Shoulder - Standing, can either be measured as a straight line from the largest points on each shoulder across the chest or as a girth measurement all the way around the body.

Bicep - Measure at its largest girth, can be taken relaxed with arms at side, relaxed with arm bent, flexed with arm bent or all three.

Chest - Standing, measure with breath out just above the nipple.

Waist - Standing, measure at the narrowest point or at the midway point between the top of the hip bone and the bottom of the rib cage.

Hips - Measure at the largest girth, where the butt is protruding the greatest.

Thigh - Standing, measure at the largest girth, just below the butt.

Calf - Seated if you are measuring yourself or standing if you have a partner, measure at its largest girth.

Your body tape measurements will tell you where you are gaining but you still won't know what you are gaining.

Alone, body tape measurements aren't enough. You need to know what is responsible for your increased size, is it fat or is it muscle? You find this out by tracking your body fat percentage.

You can learn all about how to get a good estimation of your body fat on the body fat percentages page.

Tanya xox

Ok, here we go!

Well yesterday afternoon was my first test of tests.  We had a team outing, so we got to leave at 2:30 pm to meet at the Waltzing Weasel for food, but before food we played mini golf...and it was fun!  Very beautiful afternoon for mini golf.

So I had in my head that I was ordering healthy, well, as healthy as it can get at an Old English Pub...then what happened...well I look around at some plates that were pre-ordered...sitting 2 people down from me...Wings/Onion Rings/Springs Rolls...ect...all deep friend of course.  Looked so goooood!  When the waitress came to me and took my order, it's almost as if I didn't control what was coming out of my mouth, "I'll take the the Munchie Platter please"  WHAT?!?!  No way, did I just order that...I can't order the Munchie Platter, I have to blog about my food...what will my friends think of me then.  I am suppose to be committing to Healthy Eating and Lifestyle...instant guilt! 

What did I do..."Excuse me, can I please change my order"  I DID IT...I changed my order to a side Greek Salad with a Grilled Chicken Breast & Brie Sandwich on panini Bread.  Granted the bread wasn't whole wheat, but it WASN'T deep fried and at that very point, that's what mattered to me.  I mean, shit, I needed to eat right.  Ok, on top of that I did have a light beer with a side of clamato juice. 

Surprisingly, I'm not mad at myself like I normally would be.  But normally I would have order all the deep fried stuff too. 

My activity/exercise for the day was:  45 mins of walking, and 45 mins of mini golf, if that counts.  It was a crazy day, that shouldn't matter, but I will be fitting more exercise in for sure very shortly.

So there you have it.  Not so bad eh.  I will post later this evening with reference to Amandas comment.  I want to weight myself on the scale at my gym.  The digital scale at home says one thing, but I want to compare to the scale at the gym which is one of the older ones that has the balance thing on the top.  Check back, I'll take my measurements too.

Thank you
Tanya xox

First Entry

Thanks for checking in on my new blog.

First I want to let you all know that unfortunately I did not make it in the top 12 for the Lose it Weightloss Challenge.  I honestly have no clue why, no explanation was given.  When we arrived home from NB there was a message left for me saying, "Sorry, you didn't make it in the Top 12, but we are offering each entry a 1 month membership and consult".  Nice gesture - but no thanks, I am already a gym member at my work gym - which is an awesome gym.  

I am bit disappointed - Well, more than a bit - but I guess it just wasn't meant to be, right.  It is what it is.

Ok, so I have decided to do it myself - with your help of course.  I am going to blog about my new weightloss journey.  I will post of everything weightloss related - I want comments and suggestions from all who will take the time to read.  I appreciate all suggestions - and really look forward to hearing from you.  If you have tips and recipe please share!

I will share my daily eating habits, exercises - and all my thoughts and challenges - up and down of this new new I am embarking on.  I will try and post as much as I can, please be patient with me.

I promise myself that I will be 100% honest on what I am eating and not eating - and all the exercise I plan on doing.  I am tired of the lifestyle that I have been living...and it's time to get my shit together, or else...I will be fat and unhealthy forever, and I don't want that.  I want to be healthy and happy...for me first then my future family.

I will need all the support I could get!  So stay tuned, for the brutal honesty of a girl who just wants to fit into that little black dress!

xox Tanya