Organization

Does anyone else have trouble with this. Scheduling and clutter in various areas of your lives. Well, since I'm home for a bit, my overall goals have changed. I was going to show a couple of the girls at work how to do vendor reconciliations since the AP clerk doesn't know how to do them. Training others had to do with freeing up my time from bookkeeping tasks so I could focus more on the stuff that management needed. Well, since none of that is any longer my problem I can reassess my goals and action plans and evaluate their importance in my life.

One of the biggest areas of impact in my life is - Decluttering!!! I am discovering that the little pocket book I bought for organizing events in my personal life is now insufficient. I have a template for tasks and stuff and will likely create a diary in a 3-ring binder. This will include a large lay-out page for each day (rather than a small lay-out page for each week).

I need to do several things, but first and foremost is to make sure I don't miss any WW meetings that I had committed to. Also, I need to plan for babysitters well in advance since so very few kids babysit these days and the times I need people really are helter-skelter now. Hopefully few and far between as well.

Next, I have to train hubby that his shoes belong in the kitchen closet, not the front hallway. Honestly, I picked up 3 pairs EACH of his and the 10 year-olds footwear yesterday lying in the hall and kitchen floors.

So, yesterday I went through the living and dining rooms and found a pile of books that need to be returned to the library. I also have a bag set to go to donations and a box of 'stuff' I'm not sure what to do with yet. I'm trying to take down winter decorations and replace with spring stuff and am, so far, pleased with the results. I now have some piles of stuff on my kitchen table that need allocating to various areas of the house. I think I will do the 'catch-all' room next. In there I keep the kids coats and outer gear with a shelf for things such as buckets of hats, mits or flip flops, depending on the season, the computer and my exercise equipment. Not sure what the matress, bed, molding, old armchair and various other stuff is doing in here though.

Goals and Challenges

HooBoy, Do I have goals. I was pretty lazy about getting them down this month, but here goes.

Physical Health: Back to tracking all food and attempting to stay within weight-loss points. Also, committing to a 4-day regime with 2 stregth session per week.

Give Back: I really think my roal with WW is a part of this. I haven't been able to go to other meetings this month as my husband is working evenings. Other than that, I'm focusing on preparing for the meetings ahead of time as best I can and sticking fairly closely to the meeting agendas.

Finances: In maintenance phase. Not a priority during the winter usually. Trying to stick to budget and not acquire further debt.

Continuing education: Sometimes I don't feel like I have the time for this. Last year I gave up the CGA program of professional studies. I've been thinking lately of other alternatives. Massage Therapy could be good...they have a weekend training for free in the city that sounds interesting.

Self-improvement: Something has recently caught my attention that intriques me about the masculine and feminine energies. I want to further explore this information in the next several weeks. As a result of this, I have had several conversations with my husband about my lack of vision - and how that's OK. He has vision and has struggled against me for years as I tend to live in the moment. I think it's time to let go of fear and allow him to create.

Take care.

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?

Weight Loss, Exercise and Goals

I haven't been around in a while. Life's been crazy, but I really want to commit to maintaining my blog. I have determined to reduce posting to once a week as I was finding the internet process very time-consuming. I have been busy enough that I actually haven't had a chance to catch up on reading blogs, and I do miss everyone. I will be popping in to say Hi to everyone shortly and hope everyone is doing well.

December looks like it's going to be equally busy. Most WW members know that there are some program changes in store. I'm very excited about these and looking forward to introducing the changes in a couple of weeks. All of the leaders and receptionists who have tried this are really psyched.

Well, in spite of not giving this month my best efforts I have succeeded in losing 0.2lbs in 6 weeks (my last weigh-in). I have not exercised one ioto (is that a word?) and, as a result, have puffed back up into size 10's. Yeah, I know, terrible stuff. Well, last year I actually developed a Holiday Eating plan (which I've moved to the top of the blog again) and will update it for this year. Also, last year I began with Phit-n-Phat. I'm ready to give 'er a go again. So, I expect to maintain through the holidays and then would like to get to that ellusive 140 by the end of March. Something new to look forward to.

So, back to year-end preparation. I have 2 weeks and 3 weekends to pull a lot of stuff together - wish me luck if you're reading. The life of a corporate accountant - ugh.

And, to leave you with todays inspirational quote:

I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do something that I can do.
- Helen Keller

Plan. And Plan to succeed. That is something you can definately do.

Learning From Our Mistakes:)

Well, after last week I was a little tentative about doing another WW meeting. BUT, like a good WW I evaluated the situation and examined ways to do things differently to get me to my ultimate goal. I kept what worked, asked for help from other leaders, and used some ideas from my past meetings that I attended.

Ironically, this weeks traditional meeting message is learning from our past (good and bad) and how this helps with our weight loss efforts. This Healthy Habit was/is key for me in both weight loss and my current maintenance efforts. A bad night on the scales is NEVER failure, only the opportunity to learn something new about ourselves (feedback) so we can move forward stronger than before.

Don't you love how the lessons learned in weight loss can help in other areas of our lives? Hmmm, maybe this is a lifestyle afterall:)

What are some of the things you have learned during your weight loss efforts (past and present) and how are these lessons helping you now?

Have a great week and remember, the only failure is giving up.

Busy Days are Here Again

Yup, life is getting busy. I had thought I would have time to help with Sparks, but I've decided this is not the year. So far my weekly schedule is:

Monday: WW meeting after work, then pick up Ci at dance. Get home after 9pm
Tuesday: Go home on time and enjoy family
Wednesday: At least once a month make my traditional WW meeting (not a huge time commitment)
Thursday: 7.45pm dance class (yup, I joined again this year)
Friday: meet with Peggy. We've set some ground rules for these meetings - goal reporting and plan to-do for coming 2 weeks, then we can chat for a while.

I met with Peggy last night, but next week we're back on the Friday schedule. I need to make my goals SMART. I also need to prioritize those items I want to work on until Dec 31. A lot of my goals may need to be put on hold, or are long-term, and so will be moved to the inactive file. I will review the goals to focus on quarterly. I want to make a list of several SMART goals to be completed before the end of the year, and really a lot of them are sub-goals of my big ones.

I'm pretty excited about my checklist. I did it up and had it laminated with the hard laminate. I'll review the checklist every six weeks - for $3 I think it's a good investment. I also picked up some wet erase markers in 4 colours to use for circles (scheduled items), checks (completed), and weekly additions (time-specific to-do's). The items on the checklist are goals, but the checklist itself is also a goal as I want to complete 80% of my scheduled checks each week. I will use a permanent marker and dates to record this ratio on the back cover.

Planning is great. Now follow-through. Meanwhile - have a great weekend. I plan to:)

Weekly Post

Hi there. It's been a pretty good week. I had a bit of an epiphany on Monday morning about my exercise when I realized my internal dialogue was using words such as "need to, ought to, must, should". What about the 'want to'. That really is what this is all about, isn't it? What do you WANT.

So:
Want it
Envision it
Plan it
Follow through

The keys to success are there. How bad do YOU want it?

Menu planning and Goal updates

Well, I wasn't going to follow Corinne's menu next week, but guess what? I looked at it and am psyched. Wasn't crazy about the chicken again (it was in 2 meals last week and 1 this week and what with egg whites I've started to grow feathers), but she said I could substitute white fish or sirloin for variety if I wanted to. So now I really need to decide when I want to sub what and that means...this won't impact my eating with the family for suppers. They can eat what I eat and everyone is happy.

Well, we're on the third week with asparagus on the menu. I'm enjoying it, too. So is the 9yo. She told me it was the best part of my menu - but she's also putting away her share of chicken breast, too.

I'd say the only thing I'm missing is my soy drinks, so I'm going to work it in. I guess, with subbing stuff, I can kind of still make this menu my own quite easily. I'll stick to the 'as written' version for during the day and just switch up suppers for variety.

My goals are going well. I don’t have my notes with me today, so I’m going by memory here.

28 Inches: I am doing good with my food lately, as you can see from above. I’m really focused and am trying to get energized for ST. This week I am only focusing on my ST sessions, and I’m only concentrating on getting 2 in. Any cardio I do is bonus for this week and next – I am just enjoying life right now, but do want to begin incorporating more cardio in. It’s such a great time of year for it. I am inspired by the ‘Hood’ routine – check out PnP today for a blog post by Becca via Corinne on the subject of incorporating cardio and plyo into your daily walks. Corinne also did a video for this on YouTube.

Debt-Down: I was doing a bit of research for opening debt balances and finally broke down and called the student loan centres. I had guessed around $2K on the federal portion and $500 on the provincial portion. Well, the provincial in now paid off and the federal is just over $600. I felt like I won the lottery. I’ve decided to pay off the federal portion with the tax refund since it has the biggest impact on cash-flow, even though it is the lowest interest and the only interest I pay that is tax deductible. Cost vs. benefit – I’d rather re-direct that monthly payment elsewhere.

Positivity: 1) Find them right; 2) Thank them; 3) Ask them to do something easy. I have really been focused on thanking people lately. It is getting easier. Oh, BTW, thanks for reading meJ

Family time: This involves 1) weekly 1-on-1 time between each member of the family, 2) inexpensive or free family outings each week, 3) monthly family dates. We’ve been doing good on this one. Mark and I need to find time for more 1-on-1, but hey, we’re trying.

Learn to swim: I have done absolutely nothing with this. I mean, I learned to swim in the ocean growing up, but I’ve always wanted to learn proper technique. The 9yo taught me some stuff last summer, so I’m looking forward to learning more this year.

Have a great weekend ya'll

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!!!

YUP. It was May 23rd, 2007 that I realized that my 4 days of trying to cut out sweets and bready products was destined to fail. I sat at work looking down at my ginormous belly and thought about 2 of my friends who had lost weight on Weight Watchers. One worked out at Curves and the other walked up and down the highway and some other exercises. I'd seen both withing the previous month. The scale that I'd purchased the previous weekend scared the crapolla out of me. AND, my body shape came with all sorts of personal insecurities. If you're there or have been there, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't - well, kudos to you or maybe you're missing out on part of the journey we're on. Regardless, that's another post.

SO, here it is 1 year later, 40 lbs lighter, and what have been the highlights:

Octoberbest: Thanks to Kim for hosting this and introducing me to Sparks.
Silver 33's: 33 inch waist Silver brand cords. I couldn't believe they fit. They're getting big now.
Losing over Christmas Holidays: Thanks for my Holiday plan, and those of others I was ready for December.
Inches lost: I did not take my measurements until July when Octoberbest started. I'm am very pleased with my progress since joining Phit-n-Phat as well.
Increased Energy: Keeping up with my kids and actually having to help them along.
Making WW Goal and Making WW Lifetime.

There have been others too numerous to mention that have given me the motivation, encouragement or determination to continue. I'm still working on more goals and still want to lose some more inches. As it's been a year I'm thinking I'll stop updating my graph for now. What I know is I'm back to a body I can like and have brought with me a whole heap of confidence this time around.

Have a great weekend everyone. Believe in yourself and you can accomplish whatever goals you set our there for yourself. Cheers,

Goal Updates

It's been a crazy week I tells ya. The 4yo broke a fever again Sunday night, so I've been with her the past 2 days. Daddy took off work today to stay with her as Mommy needs to get caught up at work. But first:

The 9yo was in a dance festival last weekend. Her group took gold for their jazz routine and silver for their hip/hop routine. GO Sissy! This week she is at a Music festival with her school. I've never actually been able to see her at the music festivals, but will get to see them sing at their school soon. She's packing for the trips with brownies, pro bars, almonds and water. Not able to eat on the trip the say - ha! She hides the foods in her jacket citing that she just can't go that long without eating. And I agree. I couldn't either.

J is going on day 3 with this fever. I just called Mark to make sure her contacts the doctors office today. Hopefully he's there now. She's starting to get lethargic and has had very little to eat since Sunday mid-day.

GOAL#1: Project Manipulation.
Updates on this: I have really been focusing on asking the family to do simple tasks and making sure I thank them. I must admit though, that I've gotten grumbly a few times and let them know that the requests did not have optional answers. Gotta focus on NOT doing that. However, they have helped a few times with getting ready for dinner and putting some things away. The 9yo drew up a schedule for brushing the dog. Mark put my bench together. I've been focusing on being grateful to them. It's a work-in-progress.

GOAL#2: Operation Debt-Down.
GROCERY BUDGET: This is always a trouble spot for us with several small trips at $20-40 per trip plus the weekly trips. I managed to stick to my grocery budget. We did a really good menu plan last weekend involving treats, awesome suppers, etc. I'm testing the waters of batch cooking. I made lasagna Sunday night (serves 8) so there were left-overs - with a salad. A large chicken cooked in the crock Monday had enough meat for a couple sandwiches, lunches, and soup. Ground chicken was on sale so I bought that and did up a large batch which later was divided in 2. I mixed half in a small casserole dish as the base for sheppherds pie and the other was drained and returned to the pot and I added most of what I need for chili. When we want chili it's just add the beans and adjust the spices. Honestly, I think the only thing I'm running out of is milk for coffee. I even cautioned the 9yo that I made/bought her 12 snacks and when they're gone, that's it until Saturday. She's been a little more careful about eating them all up and is saving them for school snacks when she needs them, rather than wants them - hoping this kills 2 birds with 1 stone.

BUDGET PLAN: I drew up a base budget with all my monthly payments and monthly income. I called most of the credit card companies to get balances, due dates and minimum payments due and documented everything and made sure they were up-to-date. This is still in its infancy and I will need to work on this for a while. For now the student loans are just fixed monthly payments even though the balances are quite low. I think they're paid off next winter but don't want to check on that just yet.

EMERGENCY FUND: This is where I'm starting to waver. I put my money in the emergency fund last week, but realize that there is enough there to eliminate the HBC card (28%). Also, I have $1,000 room on the Visa if I need it. I guess the idea is that, as long as I have access to my emergency fund, does it matter if it's cash saved? Or am I running with the mindset that got me here in the first place?

GOAL#3: 28 inches.
Ab routine: I have not focused on that this week.
Strength training: I am thinking about dropping out of the Fast and Furious challenge at PnP for now and focusing on doing 2 ST/week plus 2-3 cardio session/week. I think that, right now, expecting myself to do more leaves me feeling guilty for not doing it. I may mean that the results won't come as quickly - or maybe it'll mean that I will actually stick with my routine and get there more quickly.
Menu planning and journaling: As mentioned in the budget message this is going very well. I know they grumble when I want to sit for a half hour and document meals for the week with their input, but this is such an important part. I need to know that I can stick to budgets and provide healthy, well-rounded meals that everyone will EAT. So, with the roasted chicken we also needed to provide canned gravy for the 9yo for dipping. Important information. I haven't been doing as well journaling - or measuring. Call it an emotional break. Will re-focus after weigh-in tonight.

Weigh and Measure

This is what keeps us accountable everyone. You don't have to post it, but do it for yourself.

Isn't it loverly that at first the scale loves to co-operate, and then we become complacent and can't figure out why the scale isn't moving anymore. Yeah! Measure your food. Weigh your food. The scale will then co-operate. Hey - so will the tape measure. I love the tape measure when the scale stops showing me some lovin'. I regret not having taken more measurements and pictures when I first started this. I mean, at the time I just didn't want to know - I could see my reflection as I walked by windows. Wasn't that enough? I was the woman that swallowed a beach ball.

Anyway, since meeting goal my weight has been dropping regularly. I struggled for so long - since October - with the last 11-12 lbs and now I'm dropping and am down 6.4 from goal weight. Granted, I haven't returned to maintenance mode since week 1 of maintenance, but since Easter I've had a real mental struggle to stay on track and I'm surprised at the scale and its continued downward movement. I knew I had a good week, and maybe April 16ths 0.2 lb gain was an illegal gain (ALL my gains were illegal since I started this, you know).

SO - MINI GOAL ACHIEVED>>>>>>LESS THAN 145>>>>>>>143.6

Slept in this morning, but pinky promise to post measurements tomorrow.

It's a Lifetime

In the right corner, we have Candace weighing in at 147.2 lbs, 2.8 UNNNNDER GOAL!!! In the left corner, we have a series of supporters, including Weight Watcher leader, workers and members, Blog friends and motivators, and PnP drill sergent, moderators ANNNND members. Finally, ther is family and friend supporters.

Last night I officially made lifetime status. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! Thank you all for helping me along this fat loss journey to build a healthier me.

As you're aware, the journey doesn't end here. Now it's maintenance and continued loss until I feel I am in the right 'place', physically, for me. 150 is arbitrary and designed for a lifetime, but for today I want more. Also, as you will see in the coming weeks, I am expanding my weight loss knowledge into other areas of my life to achieve thinner stress (at work), thinner clutter (at home) and thinner debt. All in all, I believe I have gained enough confidence in myself to take other steps to improve my life. I look forward to sharing my continued Journey to Thin with you.

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.

Weekly Goals

I used to list out a bunch of goals that I would then forget I listed until the end of the week or month. Sometimes it helped and sometimes it didn't. These are a little different than the "I should" goal lists of several months ago. This is more of an action plan.

GOAL #1: Spend more time with family
GOAL #2: Work towards feeling more supported at work

Lofty goals - and long-term in many cases. What am I going to do this week towards moving towards these goals?

GOAL #1
Action #1: Set alarm on work computer and leave at 5pm
Action #2: Schedule workouts during other 'interrupted' evenings (i.e. after WW meeting) or when family has other activities (i.e. during kids dance classes).
Action #3: Get kids to bed at reasonable time so that when we are together we're rested and can enjoy each other.
Action #4: Engage family in household chores. (i.e. instead of cuddling with Jess on the couch, explore/clean her room together. Take time and play games as we go - there's no hurry since it's been a mess for weeks) (i.e. #2 - help Ci with new baking/cooking recipes)

GOAL #2
Action #1: Complete Feb monthly FS and submit with notes by end of Monday (almost done)
Action #2: Request 'annual' evaluation be sceduled this week (I've been here for 16.5 months and have received little to no constructive criticism, but also no positive reinforcement - this has lead to extreme frustration on my part).
Action #3: Request mentor to guide on how to become more efficient/effective (this had also been requested at interview in Oct 2006).

We'll call this stuff mental health improvement. The physical health reserve has taken a nose-dive the past couple of weeks. What is WRONG with me? Wait - Don't answer that.

So, the nasty scale is up again this morning. Swiss Chalet on Saturday night may not have been the right choice. I must check points on chicken soup and chicken pot pie. Good news: no BLTs of french fries, pizza or fried chicken from the other 4 at the table. FF (full fat) ice cream for dessert last night, even though in a tiny bowl, may have also been the wrong choice. Husband packed lunch this morning and told me it was ONLY 1C rice and 1.5-2C chili right after I got off the scale. He got a quick and dirty lesson in rice and chili points and re-packed my lunch ASAP. I MAY have been a little over-the-top with my explanation, but after what I'd just witnessed on the scale, I think my reaction was justified. ONLY 1C - HA! 1/2C is a splurge for me, big boy!

We were visiting mil this weekend. She did enjoy dinner Saturday evening, but later took an angina attack. It was a late night and the ambulance took her to the hospital around midnight. She is fine now and came home around noon Sunday. Very tired when we left last night. Ci is worried for her and thinks someone needs to move in. I told her Aunt E is trying to sell her house so she can do just that. I realized if we weren't there that she may not have remembered to press the emergency button or would have been in too much pain to get to the phone to call E. I'm glad we were there as it was a last-minute decision to go up for the night. She is no longer in the beginning stages of dimentia, but does still know everyone. It makes me grateful for all that we have and determined to get the most out of life.

Take care and have a healthful week.

What do you WANT from this Journey

Or whatever journey you're on. I can across this great article yesterday and it really opens the door for thinking about goal setting in a new way. Why go for lbs lost when you can determine what it is you REALLY want. For me, it was energy. I'm working on my new goals, but need to determine the TRUE goal behind it. WHY do I feel the need to continue with working out, cleaning the clutter in my house and why am I considering career changes (not necessarily a job change, but a long-term career switch)? I'm more messed up than ya'll know.

According to David Wood, "The "Things We Chase" list often includes: money, fame/recognition, sex, power/responsibility, achievement, big house/car, more time.
The "Things we REALLY want" list often includes: love, intimacy, adventure, peace, security, creativity/expression and freedom.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but why chase the things that aren't what we really want. Why not spend our valuable time doing things that will bring ourselves closer to our true goals. For me, the thought of getting into a 2-piece bathing suite is nice, but it's not my 'goal'. It may be a result of achieving other goals, but it's not my true goal. Why do I want this then? I'm guessing acceptance - being able to go to the pool and have fun with my kids without feeling self-conscious.

Take care.

March Break and Upcoming Foodies

Well, this is March Break and we're down to 1 car until later in the week. I took the LO to daycare today. Yesterday I let her stay home since she was as exhausted as everyone else and I thought it wouldn't hurt her. She had a lot of fun with Daddy and Sissy. She told me all about how Sissy had put sprinkes on her face and how she looked 'weyard'. They were basically full of *iss and vinegar last night.

We ended up going to the grocery, pharmacy, dollar store and tried at the discount store, but they were closed. Allowances are burning a hole right through someone's little purse and she just couldn't find 'IT' - the thing worth spending that money on.

So, my plans for the gym took a back seat. I'll get there tonight though, I hope. I've a hair appointment. Just a trim, but it'll be a first step towards my new look. Oh, measurements - here goes:

I've lost 4.25 inches in each of January and February. Kind of funny when I look at them though, because I consider the bust and rib cage losses the same losses since they're so close - you know - back fat. This is good, though, and I'll take it. I think my waist is slowly moving. The waist is measured at the smallest spot, which isn't necessarily where you think it is. I think of waist as, when you look in the mirror straight-on that part that indents the most. Not so for me. I need to look in the mirror from the side and it's that part just above where the belly starts to protrude. This is still around an inch above where the sides are smallest, so as this number changes, hopefully the location being measured will change, too.

Also, new goal for a reduced BFI (or Body Fat index). As near as I can figure, the 'healthy' range for this runs parallel to BMI (Body Mass index), but has more to do with muscle content in the body. As of Sunday:

BMI: 24

BFI: 25.3

I had set my goal for BFI at 22, but am thinking just to try and lower it 1 point at a time. So, while 22 is a long-term goal, I am going to work first towards a BFI of 24. I also have a waist goal of 28 inches. There - it's out there.

I don't think Easter is going to be so tough. I plan on indulging in a green beer next Monday, and maybe some green eggs for breakfast. Not sure if I'm up for the traditional fare, and since hubby and I rarely get out together I can't see us getting to visit some of the metro establishments. As for Easter, so far the cream-filled eggs haven't bothered me in the least. My biggest problem is when bite-sized pieces end up lying around. Although I had a chat with everyone and told them that the other day. Last night the 9yo informed me that they were 'helping me out' and that they had hidden the latest creation of chocolate macaroons (or haystacks, or frogs, whatever you call them, they're yummy). So I'm hopeful that gentle reminders will keep the BLT's at bay. And that's all today kiddies. Hope you're having a great week.

She Shoots, She Scores!

A tribute to Canada's favourite passtime. Can we draw a parallel to scoring and reaching goal? What? Goal, you say!

HELLO! My name is Candace and I'm at GOAL!!!

Actually, the whole thing is rather surreal. I didn't expect to reach goal tonight and was rather surprised that the scale read 149.8

I need to thank everyone who has ever left a comment here or inspirational post or comment on other sites. I guess now we start into maintenance phase. Lose 1 pt for dropping another 10 and gain 4 pts for reaching goal. I'm not sure how this ties into my whole wanting to continue to lose weight, but I also know I have to get back to dance tomorrow.

I would like to let you all know that I had, in essence, already achieved my greatest reward last weekend. Several meetings ago we were asked to close our eyes and envision what we thought goal would look like. It could be a bathing suite, new outfit, whatever. All I could see was a night sky with the word 'ENERGY' across it in sparkly letters. Last weekend I mentioned about our walk in the Glen while visiting at my mothers. 36 lbs ago I would have settled into the bench near the start of the walking path and told the kids to play in the field. The walk was up and down hills and through the woods, down by the marsh and back up to the start. I not only had the energy to finish the walk, but also to carry approximately 50 lbs extra during the last stretch of hill. This is the ultimate gift for me, but I'd like to thank WW for the lovely silver star as well. I will carry it on my WW key chain proudly.

Weight Loss and Other Cool Stuff

I made it to weigh-in last night. I'm now 1.8lbs from goal. That's down 2.6 from the last weigh-in 3 weeks ago. Woohoo. So, I have 3 weeks to make 150 - that was the date I set for myself that I was going to just take the number on the scale. Of course, I'll likely wear shorts and a tank top that night even if it's freezing out if I'm not there yet.


Another cool thing is I realized I've been 'tucking' lately, as in my shirts. Not every day, but as in today I'm wearing a jean skirt and a top I had given up for dead long ago - it's form fitting and tucked, baby.


I took a picture of me and my running pardner, Baloo, the other night. Will post once I find the connector cord to the PC (yeah, I thought it would still be plugged into the PC too...)


Oh, and today is a great day for planning your weekend. Do you have any challenges or events scheduled? How are you going to deal with them. I have my menu planned and we'll be scheduling dinners for next week tonight or tomorrow night so I can build my shopping list for the weekend. Tonight is Dance/Yoga class - I'm going to try it out with the sneakers I'm trying out this week.


And, anyone drink protein powder? Have you tried BSN Lean Desert? It's incredible. My favourite is the Banana Nut. This stuff is incredibly delicious. If interested, I also recommend purchasing from bodybuilding.com - they're top notch.


Take care ya'll and have a fabulous Thursday.

Race? What Race?

OK, I originally thought I'd be at goal by December 12th weigh-in. In the summer that seemed to be my target spot. Sweet! Maintain over Christmas and stop paying mid-January. I had it all worked out.

Some things happened along the way.

I could wine about plateaus, my lack of focus during certain time periods, inability to embrase exercise through the summer and fall. Instead we'll chalk it up to learning a new lifestyle. To making changes at a pace I can live with. I never took my eye off the prize - and don't intend to even yet, but I learned something about myself at every stage. Every month I got closer and closer to who I wanted to be. In early October I was 160.4lbs and before Christmas I was still 158. So, in almost 3 months I had only moved 2.4lbs. So much more happened during that time.

I developed a holiday eating plan, I learned that not journaling contributes to BLTs (for me), I learned to change my definition of exercise.

Pre-October defintion: Exer-Cise. Two 4-letter words that should never be said together. Can be replaced by Activity which includes leisurely walks or fun things that require mild exertion.

New definition: X-or-Size. "X" as in X-tra large fries and X-tra large T-shirt "or" "Size" as in the size you want/deserve to be. This involves embrassing the benefits of sore muscles and a bit of sweat. It also involves abdominal moves to get rid of a bulge (described earlier this week)

All of this actually reaped some benefit on the digital devil in the past few weeks and I finally broke the plateau. It wasn't the first plateau I experienced, just the longest. I'm hopeful that, with my new-found knowledge and exercise regime I won't experience another plateau at least until I reach goal, because I'm starting to get tired of paying for meetings...

So, the bottom line. We're not in a race. I'm not going to win any prize for getting to the finish line first. Enjoy the journey - there's more to it than lower numbers on the scale. There's great recipes, great company, and a lot of stuff to learn. And where is the finish line? I am having the distinct impression there isn't one. So, unlike exercise, you oughta take some time and enjoy the journey, with a mild exertion that can be maintained for the long haul.

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