IS IT MARCH ALREADY!!!

Hello all!

It IS March already. Man - I'm not showing the virtual world any love lately.

WELL...OK, I'll fess up. Between mid-January weigh-in and the last week in February weigh-in I am (gulp) up 5.2 lbs. There you have it. I've been totally OUT of it. I'm not making any promises and what I'll do - because I obviously have no accountability to myself here. Still 0.6lbs under goal though.

SO - I'm going to Phat Camp with Phit-n-phat in June. Gotta start prepping for that. I also found my sign-in card for the gym, so when I'm ready to re-join I won't need to buy another one. Hubby is still on permanent evenings - so that still sucks.

What HAVE I done? Well, I realized my 'environment' was going to pot. Well, dirty pots, spilled molasses, frozen cake in front of the frozen veggies, pie on the counter, candy at eye level in the pantry instead of up high. You get the picture right? So, I resolved to fix it. I cleaned the pantry and am trying to take back ownership for the groceries that come into the house again.

I've also re-established my weekly meetings with my friend and unofficial life-coach. We're working our way through some 30 year-old Anthony Robbins tapes. Continuous improvement is important. I mean change is inevitable - we're not going to be in this same place next year anymore than we were here last year. Changing in a positive direction though is entirely under your control.

Next on my list is moving my computer into the dining room space and cleaning up my gym space. Right now the computer and related clutter as well as winter gear have taken over my gym space.

2008 in review

Hi everyone. I hope you had a great 2008 and have started planning for 2009.

What was great about 08?

Well, I spent the first part of the year focusing on physical phitness. I learned a lot about what my body is capable of and leared to plan menus. I struggles with this in the next few months, but was still exercising and planning until mid-summer. Since then...not so much. What have I learned? Maintenance is a continuation of skills you have learned, not abandonment of them. My commitment to exercise in the coming months will be to commit to movement every day - unless I am sick and can't move out of bed. Other than that, there is no reason I cannot get on the elliptical or go for a half hour walk daily. Ideally, I would like to participate in a couple of 5Ks and maybe even a triathalon, but we'll see how 'tings go first.
So, even though I fell off the phitness wagon mid-summer, I got through vacation with minimum damage food-wise and continued to maintain my weight throughout the year. Woohoo.
In case some of you missed it, I began training as a WW receptionist last summer. I worked at 2 meetings/week for my training then took Basic Leader Skills training in September. I moved directly into my own meeting on Monday nights as Terry, my mentor, was looking to move on. It's been a great learning experience for me. One lady made lifetime in November and I have 2 more making lifetime next week. What a great way to start the first meeting of 2009!!

What's on the plan for 2009?

I'm recommiting to strength training in January. Apparently, Corinne has a great running/ST routine that would fit with me for the first part of January. I'm commiting to movement every day and strength training twice a week for 3 months, when I'll re-commit.
As for food, I am going back to my excel spreadsheet each week and pulling my grocery list from that. It was the easiest thing I've done yet for journaling - and very effective.
I will attend other meetings for a few months. I have 4 leaders I would like to watch and will be attending 1 meeting per week to watch and learn for the first while. Unfortunately, I have my meeting on Mondays, so I'll be watching after-the-fact. That's OK though. I would also like to take on another meeting, but I'm not sure when just yet. I may post-pone this for a few months.

Financially - I need to clean up a small balance on hubby's MC, but it's been cancelled. I need to consolidate holiday spending on the Visa and Sears card to the LOC. We are not using these anymore. I'm paying monthly on the LOC and would like to cut it in half by the end of summer.

De-clutter - We've done a lot but have alot left to do. I'm giving us 3 months to fast-track any remaining decluttering, such as building supplies, etc. In 3 months I will be hiring a lady to come in and help organize. We'll also be renovating the kitchen this summer.

I will be reviewing my goals over the next couple of days and doing a SWOT analysis on each of them to pull out the top 3 to work on over the first quarter of 2009. I'll try to get a story board up for Q1 09 as well. I haven't updated it since last spring and it's time to do so.

So, not into planning or goal setting? Let's get ready and make 2009 a year for the record books. Many of us have a vague idea about what we want. Honestly, it's not enough. Fail to plan and you plan to fail. If you have a vision you are ahead of the majority of the population. Write it down and BAM! Your chances of reaching your goal have just sky-rocketed. Next, document what you need to do to reach that goal. Think this is the tough part? Really, it is. Because all you need to do after that is follow your action plan. Hmmm, tougher than it sounds, huh. Remember, "Before anything else, preparation is the key to success." - Alexander Graham Bell

What do you want to accomplish in 2009?

Progress pictures

Hoo boy, I can't believe I am DOING this, but I'm going to post the side profile before and after pictures from the 12-week Blast the Fat Challenge at PnP.

My daughter took the afters and I didn't have the heart to ask her to try to get the same distance and profile as the befores. I also couldn't find my shorts. I daresay the belly is shrinking though. I'm going to really focus on this in the next few months before NS beach weather.

The nice thing about this is, even with any flaws, the current after is going to be a before in a few short weeks. Onward and downward (the waist that is).

Oh, and I lost at WI last night. A nice 3 lb buffer between me and that WW 'goal'. Next week will be my last paying week - woohoo.

Cheers, and have a great day.

Phattie and Phittie

Say Hi to my Phat buddie. I call him Phat Pig. He and I are going to pack this little cooler every day with lots of healthy choices and stick to a menu plan we will draft each Sunday. Little Phattie isn't up to much exercise lately - he's a bit soft. Hopefully he'll be able to start a routine in a few months after incorporating some Phat eating philosophies.

I have a Phit buddie too. She is a faster runner, but I can lift heavier. Please excuse the bra straps. This was taken after a workout at home.

The Butcher, The Baker and the Candlestick Burner

Random thoughts:

Hubby is the cook in our house these days. I love it. This past week we have had spaghetti squash with pasta sauce and ground hamburg, pork chops, salmon and chicken. He's been buying lean and always cooks to perfection. He's come a long ways, my boy. We'll see how he handles raw ground meat this summer during BBQ season. A butcher he'd not make.

I do the baking though. As does the 9yo. Last night she had her hand on some LF Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies, a favourite. I made some protein bars. I've also been making some 'muscle' bread of last, which is a nice variation on the pro bars. These recipes I got off the PnP site and they've quickly become favourites in our house. Hubby has a 15-minute break over 8 hours and is looking for a 'drinkable' meal loaded with stuff. Gonna see if we can find him something that will keep 4-5 hours in a cooler over the summer.

The kids have started getting up earlier now that Mark is back to work. I wonder when they'll start going to bed earlier instead of being cranky all week. I wonder, because that will mean I can go to bed earlier too.

A New week

Yikes! It's been almost a week since I've posted. What's been going on in the life of Candace?

I got in 2 workouts the last part of last week and it felt good. I missed the rest of the weekend and this is why:

Mom got into town on Saturday morning and we went o-u-t. Normally I enjoy my quiet weekends at home and really need the time to refresh from the week. However, we picked up my wonderful nephew and his girlfriend and just hung out for the day. What can I say about Kyle? He's awesome! Plain and simply, I fell in love with him from the moment I laid eyes on him when he was 10 days old and am in love still. I moved away when he was just turning 3 and cried more nights for him and his sister because I missed them terribly. I'd get letters and pictures from him and cry so hard because he was so far away. Anyway, he's all growed up now and an amazing young man in 1st year university. His girlfriend is very sweet and I feel as though I've known her for a long time. It was a great day. After writing this paragraph I realize that I am NOT going to fare well when my girls leave home.

When we got home there was company in the yard. I was truly exhausted and spent Sunday recovering. Monday Mark started a new job and I had to get up and get the girls ready. By Monday evening I was exhausted. I think I'm finally in the game today.

Oh, I went pants shopping at Suzy Shier's on Saturday (before we picked up my nephew) and picked up 2 pair of pants in size 9/10. They fit snug, but not tight and I feel pretty damn good about that.

This is measurement week. I'm waiting until TOM leaves before dragging out the tape. Also, tonight is WI night. I've been mainly maintaining, so am not expecting anything this week. This is week 4 of maintenance. 2 weeks to go, but I won't be able to stay that night as Mark has to be somewhere.

GOALS:

• I'm going to work on abs this month with the PnP gals. I'd like to lose another 1-2 inches in the waist for the end of June.
• I need to take current pics and think I'll post with the Jan comparisons.
• Switch up the 12 lb weights for 15's
• BFI: last week it was 24.4. My current goal is to move to 24 or less
• Focus on food and break the 148 (small steps now). Get to 145 by end of June.

I'm so glad the weather is finally warming up.

Not ready to post pictures yet.

Swizz asked if I was going to post progress pictures of my PnP progress. I will - someday. I didn't take any when I started the end of November, but did take a few for the beginning of Blast the Fat Challenge. We will take more after the challenge and, depending on if I can see differences, I may post them both. This is huge, because of the way I have 'shrunk'. My tummy is still 'out there'. Head on - great. I can look in the mirror from the back side and say, "Not Bad". Then turn slightly and...ooooh, there it is. And, the progress pics are in workout shorts and a sports bra, so not much hiding behind clothes there.


Funny, in my July picture, it really isn't so bad (except the hair - what's up with that?), but I know that when I turned sideways my belly and butt were huge. I remember walking by windows, getting a glimpse and thinking, "I look like I swallowed a beach ball - an oblong beach ball.". Well, I guess I still feel that way about my front and, while I can put it down in words, I can't share the photos just yet - although I did send them to Corinne. I am hopeful that some sculpting will help carve some of that off. I know that after Ci was borne, my belly went back to normal (the bulge went back to below the belly button zone), but after J it decided to stay up high - it's also lop-sided, so I'm not sure what she was doing in there. I hoped that dropping weight would be enough, but it just wasn't.

To further emphathize, when I calculated my body fat index, it read around 30 (not so good)when I just put my core measurements in. Then dropped to less than 25 (healthy, thank you) after my arm and wrist were entered. I know I can make this work, and have found something that I have been able to stick with for 2 months now. That's impressive given my track record.


I will report monthly inches lost. Friday is measurement day, so I'll get those out soon. And seriously, we're just starting week 3 of the 12 week challenge, if there is a nice change, I will definately post my before AND after pictures. Hopefully my hair will have grown out some by then - I hate the in-between stages.


Oh, and I'll only be doing what I can for that abs routine, Swizz. I tend to not complete most of Corinne's non-strenght training workouts as written because I am a beginner and they would seriously kill me. So try it out and let me know what you think. I'm gonna have a go at it Wednesday evening. My tummy still hurts from another of her ab torture supersets I did on Sunday night. It seriously got my hear rate up and I was popping a sweat. I went to bed right after and couldn't get under the covers I was so heated up. I could only do 80% of the MINIMUM for that one.

Weekend and Cardio with 'The Man'

The weekend ended off in more of a weak-end, if you know what I mean. It was really just one splurge night, but the thing that gets me is that, when the event popped up last minute I quickly developed a loose 'plan'. I should have written it down. I'm not even going to calculate the points for a high-fat Chinese food and chicken wing dinner. I didn't go wayyyy overboard, just more than I am comfortable with. Also, skipped out on anymore cardio for the week Mon-Sun. Ended the week having done 2 Strength sessions and 1 cardio + a quick walk after Saturdays ST session. It was freezing out and even Baloo was contesting the walk.

So, Sunday night I did a kick-ass abs session. My gut is still burning today. Corinne challenged all Blast The Fat challengers to complete an insane abs session before the week is over. I took a look at it and will attempt it, but I can't promise my core will complete the quantity outlined. Check it out, give it a go, and let me know how YOU did.

Last night I convinced hubby, who does seasonal physical work, to join me in a cardio session. This is one of the cardio no-equipment routines Corinne developed for upper body. We decided that, on the 2 minute stairs parts, that he would take the high road (go upstairs) and I'd take the low road (to basement). He was DIEing. After less than 1.5 minutes of jumping jacks he was thinking I was crazy. Everytime we switched he tried to sit down and I'd call out, 1 minute dips or what-have-you. I found it hard, too, but not as bad as he did, lol. I think he convinced himself to start doing something or he's going to be in a world of pain when work starts up again. I told him we'd do the ab challenge (above) together tomorrow night.

Challenges Past and Present

More of the ongoing saga aptly named 'Journey to Thin'. Blah, blah inches down from diet alone and I feel great. More energy than I thought I'd ever have again, but why is this beach ball still in my tummy. Somewhere along the lines my tummy decided to move up from the area where it had been housed forever into the 'pregnant-only' zone under my chest. Unfortunately my chest decided to drop at the same time to join the belly in an oh-so-confusing mish-mash of what's what. So, not much I can do about the chest without surgery, so I invested in some good bras - stay up, damn you.

But the belly...

Well, as it has shrunk there has been a wee bit of downward movement. Not as much as I'd like though. So, even though I'm still working on WW goal I feel that my rib cage, waist and abdominal measurements really need a good kick in the butt.

I began strength training in late November and am really enjoying it. The cardio aspect of exercise almost seems like a punishment though. Last night was strength, but I just couldn't bring myself to jog in place or walk the stairs for 20 minutes of cardio afterwards, regardless of benefit - apparently your hemoglobins are spent from ST and this forces the cardio to burn fat instead of muscle.

So, onto the competitions. It seems all of the competitions I join are tied into trying to make exercise a regular part of my life. Why should the latest one be any different.

Octoberbest: a 12-week challenge proposed by Kim in July. This was housed in Sparks and I constantly tried to get in 150 hours per week of activity. I didn't always succeed, but I did enjoy several noon-time walks and began the C25K, but cold weather hit and that was that.

New Years Best: Following Octoberbest, some of the Sparks girls continued the tradition of weekly weigh-ins and support into the new year. I continued to report my weight, but didn't utilize the group as I had done in Octoberbest. Still, Sparks is a great resource and this challenge kept me connected.

Christmas Challenge: Simultaneous with New Years Best I joined a blogging challenge that Carolyn proposed. The Christmas challenge was to keep us all on track during the most challenging eating months of the year. These included Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas. She and Randi headed up a blogsphere support system and, with the 2 of them focusing on the gym I really spent a lot of time figuring out what I wanted to do in the arena of exercise. Tese two ladies really motivate me.

PnP: Not a challenge, but an on-line personal trainer. I joined PnP in November and focused on strength training. There was a challenge going on at the time, but being new I focused on my beginner routine and struggled with getting the cardio in. Now, there is a new challenge. Very simply, members pick a program and go to it. Report each week your compliance with food and exercise. So, since I don't want to report a non-compliance I need to do the right things. Oh, and as proof of our compliance, we sent pictures and measurements into Corrine and will re-take more at the end of the challenge. Pictures of front, back and side while dressed in shorts and a sports bra are always an eye opener. I just know I'm not ready to post them here yet. I'm hoping to receive as a reward for this competition a smaller waist, smaller bum, and bigger guns. Check out Dawn from the last challenge. Isn't this awesome! Crazy what 12 weeks will do.

New Post, New Year, New Ticker

I decided that my new goals deserved some space here, and I picked a new ticker that would reflect that.

Over the past few months I have been rather slack in journaling. I have bouts of good journaling here and there, but I realize my biggest success is going to come through the use of a pencil. Both in planning my meals and workouts ahead of time and in recording them to stay accountable.

Secondly, I began to strength train and have fully completed 5 weeks of free weights twice a week. I am also averaging 2 low to medium cardio sessions a week. I'd like to say it was 3, but I can't. I keep working on it, but know that getting out of bed in the morning is going to be the challenge. This morning I did sneak in a quite intense 16-minute cardio session involving jumping jacks, quad jumps, pop squats and lunges mixed in amongst stair climbings and marching. Basically, these workouts are the other portion that will keep me moving in the right direction, build muscle so I can eat more, and add definition to my shrinking frame.

• I am planning to reach my WW goal of 150 by mid-March at the latest. Any earlier is gravy (turns out canned gravy is fairly decent point-wise).
• I am planning to continue the intensity of my workouts or add to them each week.
• When the weather warms up, I would like to maybe re-start the C25K training. I did enjoy that.
• I have a goal of size 10 dress pants, but really have no idea how long that will take. I'm not even sure if I could go below that due to bone structure, but it'll be fun seeing.
• I am thinking that a 'real' 2-piece bathing suite may be doable this summer. As you may recall, my fatty bathing suite was actually 3-pieces turned 2 last summer when I ditched the shorts. It involved a top that flowingly met the bottoms and the bottoms provided lots of coverage. I'm excited to find out if I can sculpt my core enough to actually do that.
• As always, I want to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight - that weight that seemed so easy in my 20s to maintain - 140. No deadline, but getting there by the end of June would be great. Hard to believe I once effortlessly was 135 and ate like a man **sigh**
• I will be keeping my eye out for treadmill sales in a couple of months. Surely some people will realize that they can buy a clothes rack at WalMart for $20 and pocket the difference.
• I will also need to schedule lots of study time to successfully complete my current course. Last time I took it I deferred the exam due to a job change that was time-intensive and then didn't study enough 3 months later and missed passing by 3pts. Never put off next session what you can do better this session.
• Finally, I am going to get on that 'save for a summer holiday' plan that I said I was going to start last September. My kids, and I, deserve something awesome this summer. I may even need to buy a 1-piece suite for water-slides and such ;0

Want to Look GREAT!

It's never been easier to look great. As Corrine pointed out today so many people don't really know how to work out. I thought I knew how to eat (lift food, put in mouth, chew, swallow) until Weight Watchers taught me a thing or two. I also know that when you join most gyms, you just get the standard circuit training session which is included in your membership fee, then have to pay for more personal training as you go. This doesn't give you the ability to switch up your routine as needed and ensure you (and your muscles) don't get bored. This doesn't address your personal questions or concerns as you go and allow you to ask questions about things you didn't even know you didn't know.

Now Corrine is teaching us how to exercise right. This is something our mothers never had. Today she has posted links to several of her materials, including the introductory and intermediate work-out schedules. (Check them out) Thinking of introducing strength training into your eliptical or treadmill routines? Check out this material.

*This is an unsolicited plug for both PhitNPhat and Weight Watchers because of all of the wonderful things they have to offer.

Here's to a healthy and happy 2008. And to steal someone else's cliche (Sparks New Years challenge team name) here's to a Happy New Rear.

As time Flyes

Can you believe it's almost Christmas? Wow! I usually ask for...not much. This year I've got a list. I need some new clothes and lots of accessories to help with my weight loss and strength training efforts. Looking for a heart rate monitor, some whey isolate protein, cardio videos, an exercise bench, more dumbells...
Oh yeah, I'm working the dumbells. I'd like a bench for my dumbell flyes - it's hard to keep those elbows off the ground at home. I've been tossing between feeling pretty damn good about how far I've come and pretty sheepish about how far I have to go. Joining phitnphat has been an extremely humbling and rewarding experience. I have learned so much over the past 7 months and have been extremely grateful to everyone. Phitnphat has made me realize that I have sooo much more to learn. And if I want to be thin and still flabby (calves, thighs, arms - all getting quite flabby as the fat melts away) keep going as I am. If I want to be tight, something else is required.
If you asked me a few months ago if I'd ever wear a 2-piece bathing suit that didn't come with a long enough tank top to cover my tummy I'd have laughed. I'm not saying skimpy bikini, but a regular 2-piece that comes up far enough to the belly button to cover the forest of stretch marks is actually something that I think could be attainable - maybe even next summer. Wow, the thought is invigorating, thrilling..... daring. Understand, I am now a 38 year-old Mom of 2 who at the start of last summer was wearing bathing shorts and flowy top to the pool to hide the perceived sins.
Over at PNP, Trish has been helping us do up Storyboards. Those in Weight Watchers have used this tool (or not, I never put much thought into them except to jot down some food goals). She has given basic ideas and left the creativity of these to us. A living proof of our goals and what we need to achieve them. I'd like to share mine here and hope that it inspires someone else to try something similar. Many of the girls used photoshop with color strips, but I'm still technically incompetent and did mine in Word. I know it's hard to see/read.

#1 - At home beginner strength training, Pump out the cardio 3x a week, and focus on the core. Measurements monthly

#2 - Increase water to help muscle re-build, Choose more protein for muscle development, Focus on Core food choices with lots of fruits and vegetables

#3 - You have an amazing support system. Each one is a special gift along this journey.Use them. (The runners caption says, To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.)

#4 - Get over weight-loss hump and get to Weight Watcher goal of 150. Be able to flex and have stronger arms than ever before by Valentines.

Wednesday Wine

Hi ya'll!

Well, I suppose it's that time of the week to reflect on what I've done and not done that may affect the scale tonight. What a crazy week. I've been very busy at work and my sleep got thrown way off Sunday night to around 4-5 hrs only. Anyway, I'm still feeling it today.

Foodwise, my indiscretions on Saturday night I estimated as 15 pts - I have no idea what the actual damage was, but it involved shared handfuls of bits n bites and a couple bowls of potatoe chips - I have to move on and stop thinking about it because my mouth keeps watering. That coupled with 12 pts of beer Friday night and it put a good dent in my FPs. I've also gotten into protein bars this week a bit. A nice filler if you're waiting for dinner - I may substitute these on occassion as I usually have nuts. Same diff point wise, but when taken after work-outs could have added benefits.

Exercise - I've been thinking a lot about this - and finally doing something now. I've joined Phit N Phat and have a weekly work-out schedule. My schedule currently involves 2 strength training days and 3 cardio days. Each session takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. The ST sessions involve 4 supersets (for a superset you do a set each of 3 activities before breaking, such as 10 lunges, 10 this, 10 that, break 30-60 secs, repeat). Good stuff. I'm currently using 8lb weights and am ready to get some 10 lb ones for some of the bicep moves. I'm having a hard time with actually getting in the cardio sessions and owe 1 session before tonight - guess that's a walk at some point today.

So, because I've been working a lot I've eaten frozen dinners steady. Last night I finally ate 'real' food and brought 'real' food for lunch today, too. I've also been drinking water to flush the sodium out. A double-whamy is the retention the ST activities may cause due to muscle re-build holding onto some water. Anyway, I don't think I 'blew' the week, but just imagine what could have happened had I exhibited some restraint on Friday and Saturday evenings. As I've read over on PhitNPhat - it's week-end, not weak-end.

I'm walking into this weekend more focused (I know, it's only Wednesday already - but isn't that when we should be planning). We have my staff party Saturday - it's at Hatfield Farms (sleigh-ride, hot chocolate, Santa, etc) in the afternoon with kids and all. It should be fun and I'll be pocketing a banana or two and a protein bar. I'll have a hot chocolate, but will skip the hot dog or hamburger and fries. J was invited to her 1st birthday party ever for Sunday, so I will likely stay with her. I'm glad it's an at-home weekend and look forward to getting the house ready for Christmas.