Weigh In and Struggles

I was somewhat sad but still gratefull at my weigh in last week. I lost 0.2 lbs. Yes a loss is a loss and I am totally happy with that, but after a week of struggling, I was really looking forward to a great meeting.

The leader was subbing for our regular leader and was less than inspiring, and therefore I got very little out of the meeting, which was so unfortunate. Especially at a time when I needed it.

We had a very busy weekend and I believe that the choices were not the greatest. I am really looking forward to the meeting on Thursday with hope that I can get some newly energized motivation out of it. I have not completely fallen off the rails, just slowing down a bit.

Positively Speaking

As I was lurking around the Weight Watcher's message boards, I came across an interesting post about "struggling with the feeling of not being good enough, of not being able to make anyone happy, and of being disliked by people they admire".

This totally got me to thinking, that when I started WW in January I was in the exact same space; however, with a few things in addition to including too embarrassed to go out more than I had to, felt I was letting my children down because I was too lazy to play with them, and numerous other issues.

Almost six months later and 50 pounds gone, I still have some of the same holdups, however, it feels like the walls are slowly being broken down. I believe I am making great progress and want to continue making progress. This is one of the main reasons I did not set a specific date as to when I want to lose my weight by. I want to see steady progress and when I get there, I will have achieved my goal.

I am worthy of achieving this goal because:

1. I deserve to be happy.
2. I have two children that need their mother as much as I need them.
3. I want to live a long and healthy life.
4. I want to socialize without trying to hide.
5. I want to be a great role model.

6. I want to make it through 1 day where nothing hurts.

7. I want to truly love myself.

I will not give up! I am not going to be a quitter. I will succeed!

Weigh In

So another weigh in down and am please to report yet another 2.4 pound loss. So now I am just 0.8 pounds away from a total of 50 pounds. Hopefully I will reach that goal next week.

I have also posted another progress picture. I sure have a hard time looking at myself in pictures. I always think I look terrible. However, I perservere so when I look back I will see how far I have come.

It is quite funny, even though I have lost nearly 50 pounds, when I look at the pictures to me it doesn't look like I have lost that much.

I can't wait to be looking at the progress picture in six months time. I am hoping that I will see a difference by then.

Day at the Spa with my lovely Daughter!

So as you may recall, my daughter and I had a special day at the spa, where we got pedicures and manicures. It was so much fun, and I must say, Jayda did amazing. She had a wonderful time and the girls treated us wonderfully.

We were treated with hot chocolate, cinnamon buns and water with real cranberries. (I had requested that they only bring a cinnamon bun for my daughter, I was so proud of myself - it smelled delicious).

It was so calming in here they had leather chairs divided by sheer curtains to give some privacy and a fireplace in the room. So cozy.

I have also included a couple pictures of Jayda and I during the pampering process.

Product Review-Island Way Sorbet

So I must share my most recent product find. I totally love these things. They are super fun to eat. As you can see by the picture, these little items come in a unique bowl of their own. In the box that I bought there were the 4 flavours: Lemon - in a real lemon half, Orange - in a real orange half, Coconut - in a real coconut half and Pineapple - in a real pineapple half. They are an amazing low point snack. Each of these are 2 points. I found these at Costco.

You can find the Nutritional Information at their website http://www.islandwaysorbet.com/products.cfm.

Weekend of Walking

So was able to get in two early morning walks on both Saturday and Sunday. I increased the walking distance a bit from my previous walks. The route was almost 3 kilometers. I walked this in about 1/2 hour. I would typically be able to do this much faster, however, my back was acting up with spasms, so just took it easy.

Week 21 Weigh In

Just a quick post to update on my weigh in this week. As many know, I have been pretty sick the past couple of weeks; however, I am still thrilled to report a loss of 1 pound.

I am totally flirting with 50 pounds gone. I am hoping to reach that little milestone by July 2, 2009.

Firming up the Arms!

I have decided that now is the time to firm up the arms. I have always had bigger arms, but I am going to try my best at least to firm them up so they do not appear so flabby. I have picked 3 exercises I will start this week. They are tricep dips, tricep curls and push ups. I have included a step by step tutorial on how to do each exercise. (In case anyone would like to join me).

Tricep Dips:
1. Use a bench or chair. It will need to be sturdy enough to hold your body weight. Stand in front of the bench, with your back to it.

2. Place your hands on the bench with palms down and your knuckles facing forward. Hands should be slightly closer than shoulder width apart. As you are doing this you will bend at the knees and your legs should be at a 90-degree angle.

3. Lower your body by bending at the elbow. Exhale slowly as you bend. Lower for a count of two. Elbows should not point out away from the body as you lower.

4. Straighten your arms out. This will push your body back up. Inhale slowly through your nose as you straighten your arm.

5. Complete 10 to 12 repetitions. This is considered one set. Towards the end of the set it should get difficult to perform the exercise. Perform enough repetitions of the tricep dip to work the muscle to fatigue without causing pain.

6. Do two to three sets. Rest your triceps for a minute in between sets. Work your triceps two to three times a week, with at least 24 hours' rest between workouts.

Tricep Curls (with free weights):
1. Stand (with legs slightly bent and feet hip-width apart) or sit on a bench. Raise your arms straight overhead while keeping them close to your ears.

2. Bend your elbows, lowering the weights behind you. Straighten your arms to raise the weights to the starting position.

Modified Push Ups:
1. Start on all fours with hands a bit wider than the shoulders.

2. Walk the knees back a bit in order to lean your weight on the hands and flatten the back from the head down to the back of the knees.

3. Pull the abs in and, keeping back straight, bend the elbows and lower body toward the floor until elbows are at 90-degree angles.

4. Push back up and repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 16 reps.

Feeling slightly normal again!

After a week of being extremely sick, I am glad to report that I believe I am on the upward swing. I have coughed so much this week, I was actually getting sick of hearing myself. Unfortunately, I couldn't leave. Was able to get about 5 days of good rest (thanks to my wonderful children understanding that mommy was not feeling well). I made a conscious decision to not worry about following any program or try and make it to weigh in, just to get lots of fluids and sleep. I am back at being a little more aware today and will have my weigh in on Thursday.

I feel pretty good other than still being slightly tired, but should regain the energy in the next day or two (I hope).

Will take it easy tonight and watch the hockey game with the kidlets and try and get on the treadmill for a wee tiny bit. Will have to gauge this, as when I start to do too much, I start to cough.

Sick of Being Sick!!!

Last Friday I was blessed with a head and throat cold. It has totally taken me out. I have no energy and if I am not coughing or throwing up, I just want to sleep. I have not achieved very much in the last 4 days in the form of exercise. I am hoping to feel better in the next day or two.

My weigh in this week will be on Saturday morning. I am going with my son's Grade 2 class to the Children's Festival on Thursday and then with my daughter to the spa on Friday. So as you can see, I really do not have time to be ill.

While I was talking myself out of exercising the past few days, it got me to thinking if exercise would really make me worse or if it would help me get over this bug. So I researched a bit on the internet and found the following rule of thumb:

The age old question. I have the sniffles, not feeling so great, can I work out? Should I skip?

Maybe you’ve heard the old wives tale “sweat out a cold”? Not necessarily true. A brisk walk can help clear a stuffy nose for a short-term fix but working out when sick can make you even sicker. The rule of thumb is the “neck test”.

Sick above the neck? If you have a headache, stuffy nose or scratchy throat, go ahead and exercise. Keep your intensity a little lower than normal and monitor how you feel. If you feel dizzy, stop.

Sick below the neck? If you have the aches and pains of a fever, coughing, chest congestion, or upset stomach skip that workout. Your body has a certain amount of energy and it needs all that energy to fight your illness. Working out will take that energy away and you are likely to remain sick or get sicker. Let the illness run its course then get back to your normal routine.

Another consideration, if you have a cold and are heading to the gym, keep the other gym goers in mind. I’m sure they would not appreciate your sneezing and coughing on the elliptical machine. Would you want to work out next to someone who is sick?

As we get into our routines and are finally developing good strides in our workouts a cold doesn’t have to ruin us. A few days off is not the end of the world. You can return to your routine rested, refreshed and roaring to go.