Still Alive!

Filed Under 30-Day Shred, General, Recipes, Weight Watchers | 5 Comments

Hello All!

I’ve made it through day 4 of level 2, and I can still walk. Yay!

Does anyone else cringe a little when Jillian says “I want you to be gargling your heart” ??…GROSS!!

This workout is HARD- there are a lot of plank moves- good for the core, but brutal when you’re doing them!  I nearly died today during the plank-jacks.  I usually do pretty well with the cardio, but the 2nd circut cardio kills me. The jumping oblique twist and the skater lunges?!  Those will make you feel pretty unfit, pretty fast. I was sweating like nobody’s business by the end.

One more activity point and I’ll be on target for the week. Tuesdays are always a challenge because I have expecially long days- I always want to snack!  But, I generally bring WW-friendly snacks with me so that I’m not tempted to buy junky food. I figure it’s better to eat 3 apples instead of a croissant!

I’m making a modified recipe from the WW 20 minute cookbook: Spicy Mandarin Beef Stirfry. I was seduced by the picture- it looks SO delicious.  I’m changing it up a little bit- I’m using soy beef strips instead of regular beef (my BF doesn’t eat beef, so I have to get creative sometimes!)  I’m going to make some quinoa to go with it. Mmmm…dinner…I can’t wait!

Oh, the pain…

Filed Under 30-Day Shred, General | 1 Comment

It’s day 2 of level 2, and I woke up this morning SERIOUSLY feeling the pain….

I will do it again today! I WILL!  I have to. I was bad for missing a few days on level 1, and I’m not going to do that on level 2.

Last night I ate a bunch of crap. I was at an event, and all they had for dinner was caesar salad, bread, pasta (stuffed with cheese) and sauce.  Here’s what I did well: I didn’t have too much pasta (probably about a cup?), same with the caesar salad, I put red sauce instead of cream sauce on the pasta, and I didn’t butter my bread.  I drank lots of water, I didn’t drink alcohol, and I didn’t have dessert. I also danced! Yay exercise points. That could be contributing to my pain right now…

I didn’t even want to go to this event, but I ended up having a really good time.  I wore a dress that I’ve always felt self-conscious in, and I got lots of compliments.  I also wasn’t repulsed by my appearance in pictures, which is a nice feeling to have again.

I’m off to have breakfast and “shred” again…

UPDATE:

Workout done!  I honestly can’t believe how much more difficult level 2 is!

I feel like I haven’t been eating all that well this week.  I’ve been doing great when I’m at home, but I’ve had to eat out quite a few times this week, and I always feel better when I cook my own food.  I’ve done the best I could do, though, and I’ve decided to try to focus on the good more than the bad.  For example, I had homemade Indian food for dinner.  It was considerably more healthy than eating in a restaurant, and I had a whole wheat pita instead of naan.

I have a confession: I ate a piece of cheesecake today.  I had a friend over for dinner, and she brought it.  It was delicious and I enjoyed every bite. I feel pretty good that I’ve managed my points so well this week, even though I have had to eat out a lot. In fact, since I’ve been exercising and eating my APs, I’ve only gone 5 points into my flex points.  Pretty impressive considering the amount of treats I’ve had this week.  Hopefully I’ll still see a loss on the scale, because I have stayed within my points.  I’m hoping to stay within my daily points for the next 2 days leading up to my Weigh-In on Wednesday, which should be easy enough to do since I won’t be going out or having company. I can make up for the 5 Flex points with my APs between now and then. (In case anyone is reading this and thinks this is weird/obsessive, I just wanted to clarify that I tend to lose more weight when I work out, eat my APs, and don’t eat my flex points- my body is very particular!)  Tomorrow is another day, and another opportunity to do better… :)

Level 2, Day 1

Filed Under 30-Day Shred, General, Weight Watchers | 2 Comments

Oh.  My.  God.

That’s all I can say.

I really felt like Jillian was talking directly to me when she said “I want you to feel like you’re going to DIE!”  I guess I was doing it right, because I definitely felt that way.  I am really glad day one is over, and am praying that it gets easier.   There are a lot of planks in this level!!

I’m off to a formal tonight with my bf, and I’m happy to report that I can now fit myself into a size 10 dress that I bought 3 years ago (back when I was that size) and never wore.  It’s not loose, but I can breathe in it, so that’s good news!

Next challenge: the dinner at the formal! I have no idea what the menu is, and I imagine there will be lots of sauces, cheese, and sugar.  My game plan is “everything in moderation”.  I figure in a situation like this, that’s really all you can do- count the points, and deal with it!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend- thanks for reading! :)

Day 10 Measurements

Filed Under 30-Day Shred, General, Pilates | Leave a Comment

The time has come!!

Current weight: 181 (0.6 down from start)

Waist: 39  ( -0.3)

Thighs: both 25.5 (same as before)

Arms: L: 12.75 (-.25) and R: 12.1 (same as before)

Hips: 42.8 (-0.9)

Bust: 39.5 (-2.0)- Why does it always come off here first!?! Go figure…

Neck: 14.5 (+1.0)- how did I gain an INCH in my neck!? I think maybe I made a mistake when I did my initial measurements…

Overall, I’ve lost 2.45 inches since starting the shred, and 5.85 inches since starting Weight Watchers!  That’s almost an inch per pound. I’ll take it!

By the way, I was so excited to get everyone’s comments today- I love reading them!! Please feel free to comment anytime :)

I just got home from my second sushi dinner out in a row.  I feel a bit sick.  I didn’t over-eat, but I definitely want to eat at home for the rest of the week! I’m glad, however, that I had sushi again instead of something greasy.

Did anyone see the Biggest Loser this week? I love how they put this irrational pressure on poor Mike…as if it is entirely his responsibility to make a certain loss this week and save the team- nevermind that the others could have lost more!  I think that kid is amazing. He works SO hard.  I’m not going to lie…I got a little teary when he gave his free groceries for a year to Aubrey. And I’m not even a fan of the yellow team! Mike’s a good kid.  Ron, his dad, reminds me of an extremely overweight version of my own step-father (the sweetest man in the world)- similar voice and similar face, and I think that’s why I love him.  I’m rooting for the Brown team.  I often forget that this is a competition for money- it’s just so encouraging to see these people losing weight and making their lives better.

I think that’s all for now- I’ll report back after trying Level 2 of the 30DS tomorrow!

Back at it…

Filed Under 30-Day Shred, General, Weight Watchers | 4 Comments

Yesterday was my first day back at the 30DS after taking a much needed 3-day break from life in general.  Surprisingly, I made it through without too much trouble.  Today will be my 10th day on level one, so I’m planning to step it up to level 2 tomorrow.  I’m amazed at how far my endurance has come so far!

Last night I went out for dinner with some girlfriends.  We had a ridiculous amount of sushi, then went for coffee and dessert.  I had a brownie for 5 points, and didn’t finish the whole thing. It was quite delicious, and I almost stayed within my points (I used 2 or 3 flex points, which is fine).  The bottom line is that sometimes you need a night out like that.  I controlled myself, ate what I wanted (within reason) and I don’t feel guilty about it.  I think this is exactly why WW is so great- it teaches you to eat responsibly and to have a healthy relationship with food.  When I first started the program, the idea of going out to eat was very stressful for me.  Now, I’ve become good enough at estimating points and ordering food in such a way that I don’t end up with any unpleasant surprises that I actually ENJOY going out again!  It’s a really good feeling.

I’m off to “shred”, and then I’ll be taking my 10-day measurments to post…

VICTORY!

Filed Under 30-Day Shred, General, Weigh-Ins, Weight Watchers | Leave a Comment

After 2 weeks of plateauing (after losing only 5.4 lbs), I’ve finally gone down again!

Today was my weigh-in, and I’m down 6 LBS total.  I had really hoped that I would lose a bit faster (it’s been 7 weeks) but I’m really encouraged to see the scale moving in the right direction again.

I had given my tracking book to my leader last week so that she could look over it to see if I was making any glaring errors that were slowing my loss. She said I’m doing everything right, which is great, but confirms my theory that my body is just fighting me.

My meeting never fails to entertain me.  There’s one woman in particular who treats it like her own personal therapy session. She dominates the entire meeting. It’s a bit out of control.  My WW buddy becomes livid every time she opens her mouth- it’s always an excuse. A typical conversation goes like this:

Member: “I’m always hungry on the program”.

Leader: “Try eating more filling foods and drinking more water”.

Member: “I don’t like vegetables. I always want chocolate.  And I don’t like drinking water”.

This woman has an excuse for EVERYTHING!! She thinks she can just eat the same way she did before and lose weight. Today she was whining about eating chicken wings.  I suggested she try the buffalo chicken strips in the WW cookbook, but she “doesn’t like cooking”.  I give up!!  She just doesn’t want to try. She doesn’t frustrate me so much as make me sad- she’s obviously not ready to commit to losing weight.  I believe more than ever that the most important part of any weight-loss plan is being in the right mindset.  It just doesn’t work until you commit to it. Simple as that. You have to want to be healthy more than you want to binge eat. I still eat the foods I love, but if I know I’m going out for dinner, I eat a healthy lunch. It’s not rocket science!  I just wasn’t ready to do it before. I am now.

I’ve had a friend visiting this week, and we did lots of travelling and eating in restaurants, so it just goes to show that you can eat more and still lose!  I am ashamed to say that I’ve missed 3 days of the 30 day shred this week.  I’m still on level one, but now that my life is back to normal I’m ready to step up my game and get back at it.

Another Day…

Filed Under 30-Day Shred, General, Weight Watchers | Leave a Comment

Yesterday was a bad day.  I wasted most of it feeling sorry for myself. I ate pizza and sushi and did not do my 30 Day Shred.  It’s the first day I haven’t worked out in over 6 weeks.  BUT- I did stay within my points, and I got right back at it today.  Today is another day, and I’m keeping at it.

I did well today- I had lebanese chicken salad (ww recipe) for lunch (delicious!) and homemade spaghetti sauce with whole wheat pasta for dinner (plus some homemade garlic bread).  I used up all my points (including my exercise points) and am hoping that I can jump-start my evil metabolism again.  I have a friend visiting this weekend, so I’m sure I’ll get in all those extra points. Lots of dinners out!

30 Day Shred- I finished day 7 today.  It’s certainly getting easier. I’m interested to see how the 2nd level compares.  One thing I love about this dvd is how Jillian talks about various things during the sets, instead of just saying, “5 more…4 more…3 more….”.  Personally, I like being distracted while I’m working out. It makes it less painful and it goes by faster. Plus, I think Jillian has a lot of good advice to impart.

I don’t know if anyone reads this, but if anyone has any workout dvds to recommend, I’d love to hear about them!  I’m always looking for new things to mix up my routine. Please leave comments :)

That’s all for tonight. Thanks to all the “chicks” for all the support as I struggle through this….you’re the best!

Still Shredding…

Filed Under 30-Day Shred, General, Recipes, Weight Watchers | Leave a Comment

I can happily cross Day 5 and Day 6 off the calendar! Only 24 more to go.

I was too tired to update last night, but I did spend my requisite 27 minutes with Miss Jillian. It was the first time that I didn’t “feel like I’m going to die”, to use one of her favourite phrases. I’m actually amazed at how far I’ve come in only 6 days- if nothing else, the 30 Day Shred is improving my cardio endurance. It’s remarkable how tired I am doing these circuits- it’s only 2 minutes of cardio at a time, but by the end of the 2 minutes I’m ready to quit (but I don’t!!). Jillian swears by her 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs routine, and so far I’m buying what she’s selling. I can really feel it. I’m also feeling a bit more confident that I won’t end up in the ER when I move up to level 2, which is good news.

Side note on “All Things Jillian”: I was so dismayed that Biggest Loser was only an hour tonight…Yes, I know the 2nd hour is on tomorrow, but I’m impatient. Hey, at least I admit it! This is the first season that I’ve been really into it. I really am rooting for the brown team- I know I may be alone in this as a lot of people think Ron is holding Mike back, but I love Ron for trying and for caring so much about his son’s success. I really want him to succeed! I’m a sucker for dads showing emotion on reality tv…gets me every time! I also think Mike is amazing for working so hard. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being one of the biggest losers when all is said and done. I also love Philipe and Sione, as well as Kristin…they work SO damn hard. It’s admirable. They may still be overweight, but they have become incredibly strong and are looking great. Overall, I really enjoy the fact that although it’s a contest, the participants this season are very supportive and congenial with each other. Can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow!

Tonight I tried a new recipe from the WW cookbook- Spiced Turkey Burgers. Delicious! And simple. Turkey, spices, yogurt, and mango chutney. I added some quinoa and steamed vegetables for a total of 7 points. Yum! This is NOT “diet food”, people!

Since I had some extra points, I had a Vitamuffin for dessert. If you haven’t heard of these, they’re little frozen muffins (find them in the freezer section, usually in the vicinity of the cool whip) that you can either defrost or microwave. They have about 7 grams of fibre, 1.5 grams of fat, and lots of other good stuff, and come in a variety of flavours. I had picked up the chocolate ones. I have to be honest- I wasn’t a huge fan. They’re only 1 or 2 points, but I doubt I’ll buy them again. But, I bought them because a friend of mine LOVES them, so maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m just spoiled because my mom makes such delicious muffins (definitely NOT WW friendly!!)

Again, I ended up with 2 extra points today, plus the 4 I just got for my 30-Day Shred! I really have NOT been very hungry. I don’t know what’s going on with me. I hope this hasn’t negatively affected my loss this week, because I have generally lost more when I eat my activity points.

Tomorrow is the day of reckoning- last week I lost 0- this week, hopefully more than that!! Keep your fingers crossed for me :)

Musings on Weight Watchers

Filed Under 30-Day Shred, General, Recipes, Weight Watchers | Leave a Comment

Hi Again!

I’m happy to report that I’ve survived another day of the 30-Day Shred. Somehow in the past 24 hours I’ve managed to injure my tailbone. I have an old ballet injury from about 10 years ago that seems to be rearing its ugly head once more. It’s more irritating than anything else- basically I can’t comfortably sit. I’m hoping it’ll disappear by the time I wake up tomorrow! Unfortunately it has prevented me from doing my pilates, as there is a lot of sitting involved.

I made a delicious stir-fry tonight: Marinated teryaki tofu, frozen veggies, ginger, garlic, and some extra teryaki sauce, and a tsp of olive oil to get in my oil serving for WW. I served it over quinoa (my preferred alternative to brown rice- I try try try to like brown rice, but I just don’t! Quinoa is apparently the world’s most healthy grain, so that’s good news.)

I’m currently forcing myself to eat a larabar at 11:55pm, since I still have 6 points left for the day. It’s amazing how some days I feel like I could eat 50 points, and others I struggle to get through 25. It just goes to show that when you make healthy choices, you can be MUCH fuller on fewer calories. I almost always finish all my points- however, I have a big problem with forcing myself to eat until I’m sick. I’ve done it once before to finish all my points and literally ended up sick on the bathroom floor…not fun!

A few weeks ago, I was discouraged by a small loss (0.6 lbs). I spoke with my leader and she asked if I had been eating my activity points. I had not been, and she suggested that I could not be getting enough calories. This was a difficult idea for me to get my head around- How could eating more equal greater weight loss? I decided to give it a try. The next week I lost 2.4 lbs! I couldn’t believe it- my biggest loss to date. I also shared this tip with someone on 3FC who also had great results. So, if anyone out there is reading this, it may be worth a try!

I have several friends who have done WW with great success. They always have lots of great advice to give, too. However, it’s often conflicting- some say that they always lose the most when they eat their Flex Points and Activity Points, and others tell me that they don’t lose when they do. What is a WW newbie to think!? What I’ve figured out is that it’s different for everyone. I have a very sluggish metabolism, so it’s a fine balance. I’ve lost the most when I’ve eaten my Activity Points but NOT my Flex Points.

I did well at the movie last night- I only at half the popcorn (about 3 cups). I just can’t go to the movies without popcorn! I’m so glad that WW gets me :)

Day 3 of The 30-Day Shred

Filed Under 30-Day Shred, General, Pilates, Recipes | Leave a Comment

Well…It’s not getting any easier! And that’s a good thing.  Jillian is kicking my ass into shape, and call me crazy, but I can already feel my body changing shape. It’s probably just that the muscle gain is making me stand up straighter, but I’ll take it.  I can’t wait to finish the 30 days and see if I lose any inches.  I honestly don’t know how I’m going to manage an increase in difficulty, though- It’ll be a serious challenge to my body!

I bailed on my Upper Body Pilates workout today.  My arms are SO sore from 30-Day Shred!  I am going out for dinner and a movie with my BF tonight, and so I’ll see how I feel when I get home.  I’m not going to lie- there were more than a few times that I did my workout at 1am during my last 30-Day Challenge.  Better to do it then than not at all!

I fear that I might gain weight this week, or stay the same. I’ve been reading a lot lately about how when you work out really hard, your muscles retain water to repair the tears that the exercise causes.  I am REALLY hoping to see a loss this week, since I stayed the same last week.  I had been on holiday, and the general consensus is that I should be happy that I didn’t gain.  I am happy about that, but when you’re paying for Weight Watchers and following the plan to a T, you want to be seeing results. I’m not really sure what went wrong, but oh well- fingers crossed for this week! My body likes to fight me every step of the way.

In other news, Last night I invented  a delicious pad thai recipe.  Here it is, in case anyone is interested:

- Cook 1 Package of Rice Noodles according to directions on package

- In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp Chunky Peanut Butter (all natural), 1/4 c. Ketchup, 1 Tbsp low-sodium Soy Sauce, and 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

- In a large saucepan, sautee 2 Garlic Cloves, Fresh Ginger (to taste), 1 cup of low-sodium Chicken Broth, 1 cup of Shrimp, and 2 cups of Frozen Vegetables. When the broth cooks down, add 1/2 of the Peanut butter mixture to the pan and stir.  Then add the noodles and the rest of the Peanut Butter mixture.  Serve with lime wedges.

It worked out to be about 7 points per serving with this preparation.  I know the Ketchup sounds sketchy, but it’s often used in Pad Thai.  It was really good!  Definitely didn’t taste like diet food, and my BF approved, too.

I’m off to treat my poor abused body to dinner! Mmmm….Vietnamese…..

« go back — keep looking »