Time flies when you're having fun!

So it's been awhile.  I have gone into maintenance mode as it's just not realistic for me to be in losing mode over the holidays.

I had a great birthday, and had a great time in Ottawa with my family for Christmas.  I got home yesterday and I have a gross cold and feel like garbage.  Christmas was so much fun, we hardly left the house but it was so relaxing.  My parents are moving across the country in the spring so we had some good laughs cleaning out boxes.  They will be closer but still not in Alberta, which makes me sad.

I am on hiatus from WW until Monday.  I already have my exercise plan written down and will be tracking like crazy.  We're going to Arizona in March and Australia in July and I want to look super hot in my bathing suit.

We are planning on staying home for NYE, we had plans to go out but neither of us feel like it, so we'll just cuddle on the couch and watch movies.

Happy Last Days of 2010!

Points Plus!!

So I'm really liking the points plus program!  For me, it's not a huge change.  I converted an "average" day on the old program (23 points per day) to the new points plus values and it worked out to my new allowance, 29 points.  My leader said that meant I was making good choices before, and the new program isn't going to affect my choices too much.  Except for the free fruit!!  On the old program, fruit had a points value and I was choosing "treats" instead of fruit because they cost the same points.  On Points +,  fruit has a value of 0 as they have researched and decided that eating fruit (within reason) doesn't affect weight gain.  So I have been loading up on grapes and raspberries as snacks.  It's nice that when I have run out of points I can still have a sweet snack!!

I wore my punishment pants yesterday and they are feeling pretty good!  At the end of the night they were a bit punishing but I was still really happy!  I am so glad that I am back into them (fairly comfortably, without a massive muffin top and angry red lines in my skin when I take them off).

I tracked all week, even with a few crazy "food based events".  I had a teacher appreciation lunch, dinner out with a colleague, and M's Christmas party.  The food at the Christmas party was amazing, and I was happy to have the menu in advance so I could track as best I could.

I got a free trial of Etools on the WW site and I am really liking being able to track online.  I can also look up the points values without having to use my calculator, and they are lists of common food items.  It costs 18$ a month and I think I might sign up after my trial runs out.

Etools set up my weigh in day as Monday so I am going to record it tomorrow.

Only 7.5 school days until Christmas Break!!

Have a great week!!

On My Way

So I went to WW today to find out about the new program.  I bit the bullet and did my weigh in - 150.2 which put me back in goal range.  After how lame I felt last week having to pay I was thrilled.

The new program makes me feel like a newbie all over again.  I am so excited (and a huge dork).  I spent most of the evening looking stuff up and playing with the online tools.  I got a free trial for the online tools which made me happy.  They are cool but I don't know if I would pay 18$ a month for them.  We'll see how it goes.  I also bought the new electronic points calculator thing - also known as my "clicker".  I'm that dork in the grocery store calculating points :P

I am hoping the new plan will kick start my weight loss.  I have been doing my Zumba videos and have already noticed the definition coming back in my belly which makes me so happy.  Before I hurt my knee my abs were pretty ripped and I was so proud of myself.  After 10 months of very little activity I'm a more of a jelly belly and that might have something to do with making my fav jeans so punishing.  So here's hoping they will feel great again soon.

The rest of my week is super busy.  I'm working tomorrow night at London Drugs, Thursday I have physio and I'm going to the school play (which will be lame, but it makes the kids so happy when teachers come) and Friday is M's work Christmas Party.  I've seen the menu and there is no way it fits into Weight Watchers - I'm just going with it!

Only 10.5 work days until I'm on my way to Ottawa to be with my family.  I can't wait!!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

So I am starting to get into the Christmas spirit.  Last night M set up his tree then we did a Ginger Bread house.  Both look great.  Then today I did my tree and my Christmas cards.  I have finished shopping for M and my dad, now just for my brother and my mom.

So I have had a super good week on plan.  But it's also "that time" so the scale is a bit off.  I am curious as to what it will say tomorrow.  I plan to go to a meeting on Tuesday because they are launching the new program.  I don't have to weigh in if I don't want to but it would be nice to get it out of the way.  I will decide on Tuesday because there is no way I'm paying again!  I have heard great things about the new plan, I am hoping it will help me with these pesky 12 pounds I would love to get rid of!  We'll see how it goes.

Have a good week!!

No one to blame but myself

So I went for my weigh in today totally dreading it.  I was going to skip but I forced myself to face the scale.  I was going to have to pay either way (if I was more than 2 pounds above goal or if I skipped a month) so I just sucked it up and went.  My current weight is 152, which is no surprise.  And now I'm not going to deny it anymore, I need to get myself back together!!  I am proud that I maintained at or below goal for 16 consecutive months, but I'm sad and disappointed in myself this month.

I have been doing pretty good with the tracking, but I get the munchies after dinner and then get out of control.  So that needs to stop!  I need to be accountable to myself - I'm only cheating myself.

I need to attend a WW meeting next week as they are launching the new program.  I am very interested to learn about it.  Maybe it will give me the extra boost off this plateau I'm on.  I tried my punishment pants on - they're still pretty punishing!!

I did pretty good sticking to my goals for November, I'll set my December ones tomorrow.

In other news, I finished Christmas shopping for M.  Well it's a combo bday / christmas shopping because his bday is the day before mine (his is december 15).  I did it all online and so far only 2 of 5 things have arrived so I'm a bit nervous!  But it's only December 1!!

I'm counting down to Christmas Break and seeing my Fam!!!  Only 15.5 work days :)

Not Again!

So the Riders bombed in the Grey Cup again this year.  I am not impressed.  My mom found this gem of a picture - from Christmas 1989

But I did enjoy watching the game on Marc's new 55 inch tv.  It's pretty awesome and now we're probably going to be even bigger couch potatoes than we are now!   Except he moved his "smaller" (40 inch) tv into the bedroom, so we might just be lounging in bed all the time!

I have been okay about staying on track.  I did use all my weeklies this week, which when I'm trying to lose I don't normally eat.  Hopefully I can see some action on the scale because I am getting frustrated.

My knee gets better everyday.  I can't wait to get back to bootcamp, hopefully after Christmas.

Only 17.5 work days until Christmas break :D

Busy Busy Busy

Well I've been a busy girl.  Back to work at school and at London Drugs.  I had a busy week at school and also worked all weekend at LD.  We went out for dinner at Moti Mahal last night - yummy!  I had to work this afternoon so we pvr'd the football game - so much better than watching the commercials!  I'm super pumped that the Riders are going to the Grey Cup!  I won't be there this year (and therefore won't be on tv, lol) but I'll be watching!!  Hopefully they can make up fore their bozo mistake that lost them the game last year.

I tracked pretty good all week and have been feeling pretty energetic.  My belly is still kinda jelly, and my favorite jeans are now what I call my "punishment pants".  I wear them alot to remind myself how uncomfortable I am and that I want them to fit.  They are a pair of Seven's that I bought second hand and they don't have much life left in them (I've pretty much worn them out) so I want to be able to enjoy wearing them (not being punished by them, haha).

Have a great on plan week!

Just keep tracking.......just keep tracking

So getting back on track has been going well.  I have written down everything I've consumed in the past two days.  I've also rediscovered Crystal Light.  I was having a hard time getting my water down but Crystal Light kicks it up a notch and makes it yummy and sweet (which is what I crave the most - candy, chocolate, sweets of all kinds).  I bought some of my favorite treats from my losing days - most importantly 1 point jello pudding!  After only 2 days on track I'm already feeling better.  Less bloated, and more energetic.  I missed these feelings!

My knee has been very sore.  I have an appointment with the sports med doc on Thursday, hopefully he can figure it out.

I've been reading on the ww discussion boards about the new program coming out in a few weeks.  I'm not sure how I feel about it.  I'll see what it's about but I might just stick with the current plan - it works for me!

Back to Work!!

Today was the last day of my leave from work.  I go back to school tomorrow and back to London Drugs next weekend.

My mom left (after 19 days) on Thursday.  We did pretty good, but were starting to drive each other a bit crazy by the end.  That's what happens when you're together pretty much 24/7 in a one bedroom apartment!  I'll miss her, and can't wait to go to my parents house for Christmas.

I had a good weekend with my friend J.  We had lots of fun but I am tired.  Might have 1 too many (alright, about 5 too many) drinks on Friday night and I'm still bouncing back from that!  Definitely can't party like I used to!

Physio has been going well and I'm getting anxious to have my knee work like it used to.

I am back on track tomorrow with WW.  Writing everything down, staying in my 23 points and drinking tons of water!

Have a great week!

I'm Back!

So it's been awhile since I've been able to post anything.  I had my knee surgery on October 25 in Golden, BC.  We went out on Sunday and stayed in a nice condo at Kicking Horse.  It had a hot tub on the deck and was fun.  Monday morning we headed into the hospital for my surgery.  I had to be there at 9 and my surgery finally happened just before 11.  The surgeon insisted I be awake for the surgery which really creeped me out.  They totally froze my knee and then gave me lots of drugs to keep me calm but it was still very odd.  At the end of the surgery they did have to knock me out.  They looked at all my ligaments (which I could see on the tv in the operating room) and they were in decent shape so they had to figure out why my knee was giving me so much trouble.  Turns out I have damaged the cartilage under my knee cap and the ligament holding my knee cap in place wasn't doing it's job.  So they did some kind of release on that ligament which should keep my kneecap in place better.

I wasn't in too much pain as we were leaving the hospital because my leg was still pretty numb.  But once we got back to the condo I was very sore.  And the Tylenol 3 gave me such bad stomachaches that it was fairly unpleasant.  We spent the night in Golden then headed back to Calgary Tuesday morning.  The rest of the week was a blur of painkillers and sitting on the couch.

My first outing was to Market Mall because we read online that they have scooters available to borrow.  It was fun cruising around but I was very very tired when we got home.  We also had to go to Weight Watchers because it was the end of the month.  I am up to 151 pounds but the drugs were making me retain tons of water.

Last week I started physio and it was not fun!  My knee is very stiff and does not want to cooperate!  But it's slowly getting better.  It's still very swollen and I have one tiny knee and one big puffy fat knee!  Friday night we went to the Hitman game and the Saddledome is not very accessible!  So many stairs and hardly any elevators.  I was exhausted when we got home and my knee was very sore yesterday.

This week will go by fast.  I have a few physio appointments and on Thursday my mom is leaving and my friend Jay is coming for the weekend.  We are going to have so much fun!  I am excited for her to come and visit but I won't mind when everyone goes home.  I have hardly been alone in almost three weeks!

Monday I am getting back on the weight watching train.  I need to get the scale moving in the right direction.  Soon I can get back to working out which makes me so happy!  I just realized it's been two years since I started WW.  I am so glad that I did it.  There's been ups and downs (literally!) but it's totally worth it :) 

Have a great week!

Happy Hump Day!

I swear I am destined to be on a radio contest I hear on my drive to work in the mornings.  I think it's on 98.5 and they ask 10 "random but randomly related" questions in 1 minute.  If you get them all right you get 1000$ but otherwise you get 10$ for each one you get right.  Almost everyday I get all of the answers!  I want to win 1000$!!

Well tomorrow is my last day with my students at work (Friday is parent - teacher interviews).  It's very bittersweet.  My grade 11 and 12's are sad that I am leaving them.  I am the only French teacher they've ever had and even though I'm only going to be gone for 12 class days they are not impressed with me.  I keep telling them they will like me more when I get back :)  Part of the issue is my replacement teacher.  His teaching style is pretty much the total opposite of mine.  He's very regimented and orderly.  I'm pretty much orderly chaos!!  But I've been doing this job for alot longer than he has (even though he is significantly older than me) and I'm way more comfortable / confident with the kids.  I have been telling the kids to "embrace the change" and reminding them that it's only for a limited period of time but it still makes me sad to see them stress out.  But it's out of my hands now - I've prepared the kids and my replacement as best as I can and we'll see what happens when they collide!

A few weeks ago at a football game I bought a bag of Spitz.  I had some, then put them away.  Well yesterday I started snacking on them and just can't stop.  It's absolutely ridiculous.  My tongue actually hurts.  I might have to throw the bag away (which pains me - I might put it in the trunk of my car because I would like to have them at my last football game on Friday).  I also bought some treats for my kids for tomorrow (I'm leaving yet I'm bringing them treats -- seems a bit backwards :P)  They are also calling my name FML.  I will resist.  

I won't be able to make it to a WW meeting before my surgery.  I'm hovering at goal and hopefully a few days of being too sick to eat will earn me another free month.  That's a horrible attitude I know, but I am now totally struggling with not being able to work out therefore having to eat less.  At my lightest weight I was working out hardcore and could totally binge and still stay way belong my goal weight.

I absolutely cannot wait to get back to bootcamp and running.  Right now, every time I see people jogging by the river I kind of want to run them over with my car I'm so frustrated :P  Hopefully in 6 months I will be right along with them :D

Here are some random pics for a Wednesday night

My brother is a huge "momma's boy" (even at 28!).  Him and my mom were excited about their "matching" teal shirts!

One week to go!

So only one week left before knee surgery.  I am very excited and slightly nervous.  I got my crutches today and "practiced" crutching around.  It's hard work!

Today I finally got back on track and tracked everything I ate.  I need to have two good weeks so I can have a good weigh in at weight watchers (probably next Friday).

Only three more teaching days before I am on leave.  I am nervous about being away from my students for that long - hopefully the replacement teacher does a good job and I don't have to redo too much.  I am really struggling this year.  I'm not enjoying teaching at all (partly the reason why I got my job at London Drugs).  The kids are driving me nuts and hopefully this break will help.

We rented a condo in Golden for the night before / the night of my knee surgery.  It looks really nice and has a hot tub to use the night before my surgery.  M, me and my Mom are coming from Calgary and my brother is going to meet us there.  Should be a fun (pain killer) filled few days :P

Time flies when you're having fun!

I have been silly busy in the last week.  Between working, cosmetics seminars and trying to have a life I am tired!  I have not been tracking, and have missed 4 days in a row.  Tomorrow I will track!!

We were in Edmonton for the weekend for M's sisters' wedding.  It was awesome, but very tiring!  The bride and groom were so exhausted they wanted us to open their presents while they watched.  It was fun and now I want to start a wedding present opening business, haha

Only 13 days until knee surgery.  I am so excited.  I saw a bootcamp group in the park today and I am so excited for March when I can join up again!  We are planning a trip for next summer and I want to (literally) wear my bikini all day everyday.

Here's a pic from the wedding

J'adore l'automne

I love fall!  I can't believe it's already October!  The leaves have turned and it's beautiful.  The football field overlooks the river valley and the scenery is awesome (almost makes up for watching really bad football games).

I've been super busy and have another busy three weeks before my knee surgery.  I work about 15 hours a week at London Drugs and am loving it - most days I work for "free" since I spend my wage on make up and skin care products!  But it's worth it and I'm learning alot.

I guess it's time to revisit my September Goals.  I did pretty good!  I took my lunch to work everyday which was a challenge some morning but I was happy to have something yummy and nutritious.  I got almost all my arms and abs of steel workouts in - I missed a few because I was so busy and I got sidelined by a UTI that left me curled in the fetal position!  I didn't ride my bike much - my knee has been ridiculously sore and for my sanity I just need to rest it.  Here are my stats!

                                       End of August                              End of Setempber
weight                            150                                                149.2 (- 0.8)
waist                              33                                                   33 ( no change)
hips                                40                                                   39.5 ( - 0. 5)
thigh                              22.5                                                23 ( + 0.5)
arm                                10                                                   10.5 (+ 0.5)
bust                               34                                                    35 ( + 1)
underbust                       31                                                  31 (no change)


October is going to be crazy busy getting ready to go on leave from work so I am planning my goals accordingly so that I don't set myself up to fail!  I will be successful :)

October Goals

• keep the scale moving in the right direction!
• take lunch to work (12 days - I'm missing a few for dr. appointments then I'm on leave Oct 25)
• Arms and Abs of Steel 2 times per week (each video) 6 times total since I'll be unable after October 25
• Bike when possible

TGIF

I have had a crazy week!  Between teaching, school football (I run the clock), working at LD and all the season premieres I have been a busy girl.  And busy = less time to stuff my face.  I did manage to get a couple of work outs in and was definitely on plan all week.  I hopped on the scale this morning and was happy to see 147.5!  I am going to hit a WW meeting at lunch so I can use it as my official weight for the month (the scale at ww is usually 0.5 heavier than my home scale).  I am so happy, and my hard work is paying off.  140 here I come!

I am headed to the airport right after to work to fly up to Fort McMurray.  M's best friend for life is getting married tomorrow.  He's the best man so I will be spending alot of time with his parents and sister and future brother in law - I've met them before but it will still be interesting.

I am one month away from knee surgery and couldn't be more excited.  The replacement teacher who will be covering my class was here yesterday to meet my kids - some of them took it better than others, and I spent quite a bit of time reassuring a few of them that I am not going to die - crazy teenagers.

Have a great weekend
J

Brrrrrrrrr

What the heck is up with this weather????  It's not supposed to be winter until at least Halloween!

I've had a great week.  Tuesday was watersliding - so much fun!  Thursday I started my new job at London Drugs and I'm really liking it.  I find all the different skin care products very interesting.  I can't wait until my employee discount kicks in because I've got my eye on a few things!!

Food wise I've been making better choice and tracking.  I hope to be back down a bit this week - I was really retaining water because it was my tom.  I have to get a workout in tomorrow and I'll be on track there.

Just headed over to M's - I love the weekends because it means sleepovers (he only has one bathroom and that would equal disasters in the mornings if we had sleep overs during the week).  We're having KFC (which I love but never have) and chilling on the couch :D

Talk soon

Jenn

The best part of Mondays.........

Is when they are over, lol

Had a good weekend.  It was long with my London Drugs training but I wrote my exam this evening and got 100%.  I am looking forward to starting as a "beauty advisor" on Wednesday :)

Exercise wise I am on track.  Food wise - not so good.  I have been tracking everything, but that doesn't mean I've been eating good things :P.  I really need to get my act together!!!

Tomorrow one of my best friends will be in Calgary so me and M and another friend are going watersliding at her hotel.  I love waterslides!!

Will weigh in tomorrow and update (but expecting a gain)

Jenn

TGI (almost) F!

I like Thursdays almost as much as Fridays.  Fridays are a short work day (done at 2:06) and the day always flies by.  And Thursday night is TV night.  Soon Grey's Anatomy will be back and there are some new shows I plan to check out (I love my PVR and time shifting channels!)  Right now my Thursday night guilty pleasures are Big Brother and *blushes* Jersey Shore.  It's like a train wreck - you don't want to watch but you can't look away.  And I'm absolutely in love with Vinny - I even think Marc looks a bit like him :P

Tracking and getting work outs in have been going well this week.  I am such a dork, I love being able to update my "goal stats" (cough**nerd**cough)

This weekend I have training for my new part time job in cosmetics at London Drugs.  I can't play sports or do anything fun because of my knee so I might as well make some extra cash.

Talk soon

Jenn  

Same Old, Same Old

So I weighed in this morning and the stubborn scale is still on 150.  I am not surprised, we ate out Sunday and Monday nights and I hardly drank any water after Friday.  I've also upped my activity level and my body takes a week or so to figure out what's going on (and to figure out that it's not starving).  This weeks' plan - drink all my water, keep moving as best my gimpy lower body will allow and go out for poutine and a bucket of bacon on Friday (yes, a bucket of bacon at a restaurant called The District - I have seen pictures of this amazing phenomenon and I am so excited)

I saw the doctor today and she prescribed me "the good pills" aka Tylenol 3.  I am very hesitant to take many pain killers but my knee surgery is only 48 days away so it's not like I will be taking them forever, and hopefully will have better sleeps so my body can rest.

Making mini pizzas tonight - english muffins with a bit of meat, cheese, pizza sauce broiled until golden.  They were a lunch box staple when I was a kid and I'm already looking forward to eating them!

Having a pity party

Ugh.  Had a great weekend but am having such knee troubles.  Like keep me up at night pain.  I have an appointment at the doc tomorrow to get something a little stronger than advil so I can sleep.  To make matters worse I tripped of the curb this morning and twisted my ankle.  Currently I have ice on both my knee and ankle, FML.

Will have to change my fitness goals again for this month.  No more lower body workout videos for now.  So I will do my upper body videos and try to get some bike in.  I can't wait for my knee surgery - only 49 more days!

Will weigh in tomorrow AM and post the results.

What's Cooking Good Looking?

So I might love to eat but I don't really like to cook.  Since I've got some free time this weekend I decided to try a few things out.

First, I made a half recipe of Weight Watcher 1 Point Chili  I halved the recipe because my slow cooker wasn't big enough.  I used crushed tomatoes instead of diced, omitted the green peppers because I don't like them and the zucchini because I couldn't find it in the store (and there was no one to ask).  It smells fantastic and I had a small taste and it's pretty good.  Will be yummy for lunch at work!

Next I tried out Corn Chowder and failed miserably.  I burned the potatoes a bit and then the finished product tasted yucky.  I plan to try again because I like Corn Chowder.

Third attempt was Hungry Girls' Grab and Go Breakfast Cookies  I omitted the raisins and craisins because I'm not a fan and I couldn't find the pureed peaches so I used mixed fruit.  They taste yummy and are going to make a quick breakfast.

My last challenge was Hungry Girls' Swirls Gone Wild Brownies  I used my hands to mix the cake mix and the pumpkin because it was hard to do it with a spoon.  I didn't understand the "swirling" of the topping so just spread it around.  They are cooling right now but I'm hoping they will be a yummy treat!!

Tomorrow I am going to attempt Hungry Girls' Red Velvet Insanity Cupcakes  I love red velvet so hopefully they turn out.

My freezer is going to be full of yummy heat and eat treats!!

A couple changes

So I've been meeting my fitness goals so far for the month but have realized I need to cut them back a little.  It's been too hard on my knee to ride my bike after doing my workout videos so I'm gonna modify my goals to

Bike 60 minutes (5 times)
Abs of Steel + Legs of Steel (10 times)
Buns of Steel + Arms of Steel (10 times)

I am so glad it's the long weekend.  The first days back at work are a bit of a gong show and I'm tired.  M is out of town until Sunday afternoon so I'm going to enjoy some "me" time.

Talk soon
J

Here we go!!

Alrighty!  It's September tomorrow and I'm hardcore back on the weight loss bandwagon.  I had my WW weigh in today and the results weren't pretty - 150.  Still a free month because I am within two pounds of my goal weight (149) but more than I want to be.  I got a jump start on my exercise goals and counted yesterday and today as part of September.  I am going to weigh in (at home) each Tuesday and will update my weight stats then.

I borrowed 2 of the Hungry Girl cookbooks from the library.  M is out of town for the weekend so I'm gonna chef it up and freeze some meals.

Here are September's Stat - will update on October 1

weight - 150 lbs
waist - 33 inches
hips - 40 inches
r thigh - 22. 5 inches
r arm - 10 inches
bust - 34 inches
underbust - 31 inches

Talk soon
J

And then there was one

Well, this is it.  Summer vacation is over.  Tomorrow is back to work.  I am excited, and will pick out my outfit later.  I'm saving my new outfits for the "real" first day of school on Thursday.

Last night we went to a dinner party at M's colleagues house.  The food was fantastic and dessert was Crave Cupcakes.  Sometimes I honestly want to be fat so I could eat a Crave Cupcake everyday :P

It's freezing here in Calgary today.  I am bundled up on the couch with no motivation to move and I'm downing peppermint tea like it's going out of style!  Since I'm not leaving the house I have been mulling over what my September goals will be.  I weigh in on Tuesday at WW and will use that as my starting weight.  Some other goals for the month:

• track and be accountable every day (even the bad days)
• take my lunch to work almost everyday - and poutine is not a good cafeteria choice!!
• make some headway in my "last 10 pounds" - long term goal is to have them gone by Christmas
• Arms of Steel + Buns of Steel + 30 minutes bike twice a week (10 total)
• Legs of Steel + Abs of Steel + 30 minutes bike twice a week (10 total)
• 60 minutes bike once a week (5 total)

Talk soon

J

TGIF

So today is my last day of summer vacation.  Back to work on Monday.  I'll admit I'm excited - it will be nice to be back.

So my new work out dvds arrived from Amazon and I LOVE THEM!  I ordered Legs of Steel, Abs of Steel and Buns of Steel.  They are 35 minutes each and I think they are a good workout.  I was in the best shape of my life after a year of bootcamp and lots of the exercises are very similar to ones we did.  I like the "leader" and she doesn't annoy me (like a certain someone, lol)

I tried out two new recipes this morning.  Hungry Girl's Death by Chocolate Cupcakes  I tried one and they are really yummy.  Each cupcake was about 1/3 cup of the batter (I like to use a measuring cup from bowl to pan because it makes them all even).  I had to bake them for about 25 minutes before they were done. Edited to add - make sure to use liners.  I didn't have enough and the 4 cupcakes without liners would not come out of the pan, despite me spraying with Pam before using.

I also have White Bean and Ground Turkey Slow Cooker Chipotle Chili in the slow cooker.  It's not quite done but it smells delicious!  If I like it, I plan to portion and freeze it to take for lunch at work.  Edited to add - it was delicious!  Next time I am going to up the spices as it was a bit bland.

A big part of my weight loss has been drinking tons of water.  WW recommends 6 glasses a day but I try to get at least 9, sometimes more.  The downside of this is I have to pee sooooo often, but it's worth it.  If I've got the munchies I have a big drink first, then get a snack if I need one.  My skin is also a lot clearer. One way to make this easier is to have a bottle / glass that you know the amount it holds, making it easier to track.  At work I have a stainless steel water bottle that holds 2 cups of water.  At home I use a cup with a straw (I really like drinking through a straw, apparently I am a toddler).  It holds 3 cups of water.  I got it at the Flamingo Hotel in Vegas and it was 18$ with a margarita in it.  My brothers exact words to me when I bought it "That is ridiculous to spend that much on a glass, you better use it everyday and I will not talk to you for an hour because I think you're being dumb".  Well it was well worth the 18$ and I do use it everyday (and he didn't talk to me for an hour).  I keep it beside me pretty much all the time, which makes it easy to sip throughout the day.

  Talk Soon

J

Happy Hump Day!

Well it's almost back to work time!  I stopped by my school yesterday to pick up my keys and it's sinking in that summer is over.  One thing I love about going back to work is getting back into the routine.  It helps me feel productive and also helps in my weight loss journey.  Summer time can be a challenge because of all the free time and sometimes mindless snacking!  I've almost gotten rid of the few pounds I packed on during vacation (thank you wine, chocolate and fried food - worth every calorie).  I have to weigh - in by the end of the month and I'm back in my goal range (149 - 151) so it should be another free month.  I am really tracking so that I can make my way to my personal goal of 140.

Another exciting thing about back to school is some new outfits and a hair cut / color.  I got some great deals at Reitmans and this afternoon I have an appointment at the salon.  I am thinking about going a bit darker.  I love my blonde but I really think it's "summer hair" and might change it up a bit, at least for the winter.

I had a notice from UPS that my dvds from Amazon are here - hopefully they deliver while I am home today or tomorrow.  I can't wait to try them out!

Talk soon

J

No so sunny Sunday

This weather is really starting to get my down!  Where is the sun?  I was very lucky to spend almost 4 weeks in Kelowna where it was hot hot hot but now that I'm back in Calgary I am sick of this dreary cold weather!

It's been a busy few days and my knee is very sore.  Thursday we went rafting and learned a very important lesson - if the forecast is for thundershowers, don't get into a raft to float down the river!  We were 3/4 the way down when it started pouring rain and hailing.  We managed to huddle under a bridge while someone ran for the car.  Despite us being the Griswolds (again) I still love rafting!

Yesterday we headed out to Banff to do a little hiking.  We did the lower and upper falls at Johnston Canyon which was very nice.  We also checked out Banff Springs Hotel - beautiful!

Trying hard to stay on track with WW.  I'm tracking every little thing (even the Taco Bell feast I had on Friday!)  Hopefully the scale starts to budge from it's stuck position!  My new workout videos should be here this week and I'm looking forward to trying them all out.

Talk soon

J

Rollin' Down the River

So I have recently discovered my favorite summer activity in Calgary - rafting on the Elbow River!  Our first rafting experience was like "The Griswolds Rafting Adventure"!  We didn't know where to park, where to launch, and M's raft sank!!  We had two small (8$) boats and were each in our own (with the cooler in mine).  Well much to the entertainment of the people watching us in the park we ended up both in my little digny (not meant for two adults!) with the cooler in the sinking raft.  Despite almost getting hypothermia we kept doing it (and got a bigger and sturdier raft)  It's so much fun and is essentially free now that we have a raft, lifejackets and a cooler :)  As summer winds down today might be one of our last rafting adventures of the season

I've also been test driving various work out dvds (from my collection - some that are collecting dust and from the library)  I like to work out at home because then I can do it when I feel like it.  Some days it's hard to find the motivation but I've just got to get it done (bonus  - I work out in my sports bra and underwear half the time, haha)

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred

This video is an excellent deal.  It has 3 levels of a 30 minute full body workout.  It is very challenging and I found the levels to be good variations.  What I don't like about it is Jillian gets very annoying, talks alot and "gives advice" instead of coaching through the exercises (which could totally be my preference)

Biggest Loser Cardio Max

I did not like the video at all (it was free with the 30 Day Shred).  It has past participants from the Biggest Loser who didn't seem to know the routines so I found it hard to concentrate on the Bob, Jillian or Kim with them in the background

Jillian Michaels Banish Fat Boost Metabolism

I must admit I've never done this video.  It came also free with the 30 Day Shred.  Given my dislike of Jillian I'm in no hurry to give it a try

Dancing with the Stars (Dance Body Tone & Dance off the Pounds)

I really like these videos.  I like to dance (like nobody's watching :P)  I have zero rhythm and limited coordination so I'm sure I look crazy doing them but that's the beauty of being in the privacy of my living room!  They are fun cardio workouts and get easier as you learn the routines.

Dance with Julianne - Cardio Ballroom

Very similar to the DWTS videos.  Lots of fun and good cardio.  There is an option in the menu to take the "private lesson with Julianne" where she breaks down the steps and it's very helpful.

Kathy Smith Lift Weights to Lose Weight

I picked this up at the library and am glad I didn't buy it.  It was a good workout but I didn't care for Kathy as an instructor and there are so many people working out in the background.

Arms of Steel with Leisa Hart

Another library find.  I did the 4 workouts (which target the arms, chest and back) that total 35 minutes (3 x 10 and 1 x 5)  I really liked this workout.  It was challenging and I can see myself doing it on a regular basis.  I enjoyed Leisa and there are only two other people working out to show the variations.  Based on how much I enjoyed it I've ordered Buns of Steel, Legs of Steel and Abs of Steel from Amazon.  Hopefully they're as good as this one.  

Talk soon

J

Write it all down! Even that bite of cheese!

My summer vacation is winding down and I'm starting to look forward to getting back into a routine.  I really like routines - I like to plan, schedule and make lists.  During the summer I take a break from tracking and counting points and try to make good food choices.  I got back from 4.5 weeks of holidays on Saturday and got out my trusty food notebook and points calculator so that I could start tracking on Sunday.  And I've tracked every bite since and love it!  I am trying to get to my personal goal so I'm back in "losing mode" (as opposed to "maintenance" where I get more points per day).  It's almost like a game to me, seeing how much I can get for my daily points!  I truly think my success with weight loss is due to tracking absolutely everything.  I look back in my food journals and most days I am on track but there are some days where I eat double (and once and awhile even more) my daily allowance.  But that's life!  And that's the beauty of the program - you can eat whatever you want, as long as you portion, track and move on.  I love to eat, but unfortunately don't love to eat vegetables  - so for me it's all about planning.  I would rather eat smaller portions of things that I enjoy than eat salad everyday (I hate lettuce - you don't make friends with salad!)

Since my knee injury I really can't do much physical activity, so I have to be even more diligent in my tracking.  When I was doing bootcamp 3 times a week I could eat pretty much whatever I wanted, but now that I'm a couch potato things have changed!  The only cardio that is (relatively) pain free is riding my stationary bike - which I love since I can watch TV at the same time!  I'm also trying out different weight training dvds from the library.  I will hopefully be back at bootcamp by March and don't want to be completely out of shape.  When I first started bootcamp it was the worst hour of my day - it hurt so bad and was so hard and I never want to feel that again!

Talk soon

J

Who's this girl?

This is my second foray into the blogging world.  I kept a travel blog while backpacking in Africa and Europe in 2007.  Just looking for a place to put my thoughts down, and who writes on paper anymore :P


I am a 25 year old Alberta girl currently living in Calgary.  I have an awesome job (teacher), own a great condo and have a wonderful boyfriend.


I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers.  I struggled with my weight my entire life and hit my breaking point in October 2008.  I joined Weight Watchers and slowly but surely reached my goal in June 2009.  I have been at or under goal for over a year now!  I love food and I love to eat.  Everyday is a challenge.  Starting weight - 179  WW Goal - 149  Current weight - 149  Personal Goal - 140


I like to run but am definitely built for distance, not speed!  I have been skiing since I was 4 and can't get enough.  I am on the bootcamp bandwagon and it's the best workout I have every done.


Currently my journey has hit a bump as I have severely damaged my right knee.  I have a bone disorder called Scoliosis (severe curvature of the spine) that was surgically corrected in 2000.  As a result things aren't so straight in the back and I favor my right leg.  That combined with a fall in February 2010 has left me with ligament damage and an unhappy kneecap.  I am super bummed not to be able to participate in anything active and I have a lot of pain, but my MRI is on October 7 and surgery is scheduled for October 25.  It will be better soon - there's always a bright side!! 


Talk Soon
J