Weigh-in Saturday ~ Week 52..Final Journey Weigh-in

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 173 lbs (Nov 28/09)
Current Weight: 170 lbs (Dec 5/09)
This Week: 3 MORE INCREDIBLY FABULOUS POUNDS GONE!!!!
Total Loss: 88 pounds!!

This is just awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I lost another pound...that's a 3 pound loss this week. I weighed myself on Thursday which was the "actual" anniversary day (Dec 10th) and I had dropped 2 pounds bringing my total to 87 pounds gone (and my weight to 171) I was thrilled with that loss. Today, I lost another so here it is: MY 52 WEEK WEIGH-IN SHOWS A LOSS OF 3 POUNDS BRINGING THE TOTAL LOSS TO 88 POUNDS!!!! AMAZING!!!

88 Pounds!! That's a new reward level!! I think it's concert or a play!! Whooohoooo!!! 2010 is gonna be JUST AWESOME!!!!!!

Next week, my weigh-in will mark the first of my "Lifestyle Maintenance Journey"!!

I'm preparing for tonight's big dinner party..got my nails done and everything (having a little trouble typing right now - lol, gotta get use to these THINGS!!) hahha Really excited about tonight!

I will try to take lots of pix...still trying to decide what to wear...last week, the weather was great; you could still see the grass outside. As of today, after a 30 cm dump of snow and a significant drop in temperature, I'm not too sure about that "little" black dress I was planning to wear!! We'll see!!!:)

Okay, that's it for now, until tomorrow...have a great Saturday!! :)

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Day 15 of My 30 Day Countdown

Halfway there!! Today is Day 15!

Very quick post today

EXERCISE:

1.5 hour weight training session which was awesome...my legs were on fire this morning

45 minute kickboxing class - high cardio today. It was awesome.

FOOD:

B - 3 boiled eggs (egg whites only), grilled tomato slices (medium tomato), 1L water
Sn - protein drink (vanilla whey powder, water)
L - grilled chicken breast, steam mixed veggies (spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms), 1L water
Sn - handful of almonds, water (1/2 L)
D - roast beef, green salad (lettuce, cucumbers, green peppers), 1L water
Sn - 1 small baked sweet potato, 1/2 L water

All in all a very good day today both on food and exercising! I'm still pushing through but I'm a bit tired today so I'm turning in shortly. Tomorrow is a new day.

Also something I'm thinking about is to have to a big celebratory party at the end of this. I was thinking sometime in December but since it's so close to the holidays, it might not be a good time. My birthday is the end of February - I could hold off until then and just have a HUGE BIRTHDAY-END-OF-JOURNEY-BASH!!!! And that will give me a little extra time to REALLY tone up!! I would love to hear what do you guys think...any suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks :))

Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Weigh-in Saturday ~ Week 43

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 192 lbs (Oct 3/09)
Current Weight: 191 lbs (Oct 10/09)
This Week's Loss: 1 lb

Another pound gone and out of my way!! YES!!! I am happy with the loss this week for a couple of reasons. First, a loss is a loss and is ALWAYS better than a gain!!! :) Secondly, it was one of my girlfriend's birthday so we celebrated by going to dinner at Moxie's and had a great time. To be honest, I was a bit worried that I would have had a gain this week so I am truly pleased!!

I've lost 67 pounds in total so far!!! 67 pounds!!!! I am 1 pound away from another reward (weekend getaway) and I "only" have 34 pounds left to go in order to achieve my 101 pound weight loss goal!! I can't believe how far I've come, I am so proud of myself!! As I was updating my blog, I also noticed that there are 9 weigh-ins left until the big one year weigh-in on December 10th!! Incredible!! Only 9 weeks left! :) This is just great! I think that birthday dinner celebration/planned cheat meal will be my last one for awhile. I may not have another one until my big final celebration in 9 weeks!!!!! I'll think about it and decide!! I'm pretty sure I'll do it!

This week, exercising was awesome - as always my weight training is challenging and effective and I'm really starting to get into the kickboxing and Jiu-jitsu classes for my cardio. I stuck to my eating hardcore...very healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks and ensured I kept properly hydrated by consuming enough water. The only exception with my eating was the birthday dinner I mentioned above. I decided that I was going to have whatever I wanted and I did!!! It was amazing! I didn't feel any guilt because it was planned and it was only one meal and also, I got right back to business the following morning with an intense workout and right back on the nutrition plan. So here's what I had for my cheat meal session:

I started off with a couple of nibbles from a nacho plate...yum..yum...crunch..crunch!!More appetizers came out (dried ribs, sweet potato fries, sauteed mushrooms)....these were all shared but I know I consumed a lot of it....everything was delicious!! OH I almost forgot, I had a huge bellini (slushy type drink with alcohol - holy sugar!!) but it was yummy!!

My meal... I decided to go for the "fall off the bone" succulent slow roasted ribs with a loaded baked potato and a side of steamed broccoli (had to have some semblance of health on the plate)!! I then finished off the night with a sticky toffee pudding cake served with one scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzled in caramel. Everything was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!!!!!! I also had 3 shooters!! These things were amazing and I wanted more!! The ingredients: red bull, red sour and something else - I forgot what's in it but it's called a "FLORIDA TRACKSUIT"!! I don't know why, but it is GOOOD!!! My new favorite shooter!!

I had a fabulous time and what I'm starting to realize is that every now and then, this is exactly what I need. That whole "moderation" thing. After all it was only one meal! Not like in the past when I would eat like this every couple of days and not to mention all the other unhealthy stuff in between!! So it was a great time with great friends and great food! :)

Now, time for the food porn...at first site of the appetizers, I just started eating, then it later came to me to take some pics...lol. I took the pix with my cell phone so the quality is not the best, but here they are:
My Bellini: Slushy sweet alcohol drink! Yum! By the time I took the pic, the slush had melted (and half of it was gone, lol). I told you it was big.









Dinner: slow roasted ribs, loaded potato and broccoli. It was delicious!














Dessert: Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce - TO DIE FOR!!

Saturday Weigh-In ~ Week 41 (Confessions)

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 192 lbs (Sep 19/09)
Current Weight: 195 lbs
This Week's Loss: 3 POUND GAIN...

Hi guys,

Well unfortunately I have a gain to report this week... a 3 POUND gain!!! I can't be upset or even disappointed because I totally caused this gain. I wasn't at all careful with my eating and I missed a 3 days of exercise. I didn't fall off the wagon, I literally pulled it over, parked it and jumped off!!

As you know, I've been away on business this past couple of weeks. I also wrapped up phase one of my project at one of my pilot locations which in itself was a cause for celebration. I celebrated freely by eating cake (2 pieces) and rice krispies squares....yum-oh!!! I even had 1/2 a glass of Coca-cola (way too sweet btw - didn't really enjoy it) but the cake and squares were to die for!! I knew the scale would have no love to give this week. I also had "not so healthy" dinners, like spring rolls (fried), dried ribs, chicken wings and sweet potato fries. In addition to the bad foods, I accompanied my meals with a beverage or two or three (Heineken beer, wine and bellinis!!) I think the only thing I did right this week was my water consumption!! :)

So there, my confessions!! Forgive me Rob (my trainer) for I have sinned!! BUT THE FUN is over. This morning, I woke up and got right back on my wagon and going full force. I've just returned from my 5K walk with my son (stroller and all). I plan to do a weight training session later this evening as well. I had a 3-egg white omlette with spinach and broccoli for breakfast. So far I've had about 2 litres of water for the day. So it's all good.

Today is a new day and the past is in the past. So that's the update for today. I'm going to do some reading, catching up on my blog buddies and to get some inspiration!! Have a good day y'all.

Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Wow....Incredible Support..Thanks

I had a FABULOUS workout earlier!! Today, I did very well with my meals...all day!! I had eggs for breakfast, with two turkey sausages...yummy...for lunch I had an almond and feta cheese-stuffed chicken breast with steamed carrots, cauliflower and turnips and a side of tomato and cucumber salad. It was delicious!! Dinner tonight was roasted chicken, spinach and a baked sweet potato...tasted wonderful. I also had lots of water throughout the day!!!

Now, gratitude.....You guys are absolutely awesome!! Thank you so much for all the supportive comments and encouragement and understanding regarding my previous post!! I TRULY APPRECIATE IT FROM EACH AND EVERYONE ONE OF YOU!!!! THANKS!!! IT REALLY DOES HELP!!! Also, thank you to all of you who sent me personal emails and messages on the facebook group as well...

Okay, so the message I got from all the comments is that I need to dust myself off, RE-FOCUS and move on. Don't let all my hard work go to waste by sabotaging the progress thusfar. There were many of you who've been down this exact road before and understand exactly what I'm feeling and going through (especially Kimmy and Kimberley)...thanks for your wise and encouraging words and for those going through the same thing and/or on journeys of their own (like my "twin" NIA, Crys, Lisa), we will get there!!! Steve and Joy, thanks so much for the great advice and encouragement.

ROB - you are amazing...you always know what to say to get me thinking and wanting and just to get that whole "eye of the tiger" back!! I am so pleased about having a cheat meal every two weeks...I know to some it might not seem like much but for me I think it will help greatly. You are right....my body is a CASTLE and I AM THE QUEEN!!! :) I love that :))) I will CREATE in the NOW!!! Thank you Rob....I don't say this enough, but I know that I couldn't get through this without your support....THANK YOU!!!

So here's my plan. Tomorrow morning, I will wake up, weigh-in, then get my workout done first thing in the morning. I will then have a nice healthy egg white and spinach omlette and be on my way.

Today is my 5th wedding anniversary and tomorrow is my husband's birthday so we will be going out to celebrate over dinner and a couple of drinks!! This will be my very first cheat meal and then back on track!! I will post details of my first "official" cheat meal and how the day went!!

It is time to RE-FOCUS!!!

Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)

A Fun Day ...Lessons Learned

Hi guys!! I had a GREAT time on Parliament Hill yesterday celebrating Canada Day with my family!! It was wonderful.

So yesterday, I decided that I was going to eat whatever I wanted. It would be my "free" day where food was concerned. I don't believe in "cheat" days, I never want to feel guilty for eating something. I realize that all things must be consumed in moderation but it's also important (very important, actually) for me to be able to live and enjoy certain foods from time to time without any burdening guilt attached. And I did just that!

My family and I usually have a jumbo grilled italian sausage with a poutine (a combination of fries, gravy and cheese curds) on Canada Day..it's become tradition and this year would be no different. Here's what I had to eat:

1. A medium poutine (I so wanted to get a large one but thought better of it). It was delicious (see picture below)
   
2. A jumbo grilled italian sausage - I thought I would load it up with all sorts of toppings (saukrout, hot peppers, onions, pickles - but I ended up just adding ketchup). It was so yummy.
   
3. I also washed it all down with a can of Coke and my goodness was that ever sweet!! I don't remember coke tasting so sweet..it was "almost" disgusting...almost! LOL!!
4. On our way home that evening, we stopped off and picked up Chinese food - chicken fried rice, chicken balls, garlic spare ribs...YUMMY!! I had a pretty decent-sized plate and OMG....yum-a-licious!!!
5. We put the kids to bed and my girlfriend and I capped off the night with a few (3 or 4) cocktails - chopped pineapples, chopped strawberries, VODKA and tropical flavor five alive juice with ice....YUMMMMMMMY!!!

So it's fair to say that I had a great time yesterday and surprisingly, my stomach held up...for now....

So here's my annual "Canada Day Face-stuffing" shot. I put up last year's pic to compare. I can really notice the weight loss, especially in my face. Check it out...





Canada Day 2008

Canada Day 2009

Now that I've posted these pix side by side, I notice a huge change in my arms and face. Wow!! What a difference 57 pounds make!!

We do a lot of walking on Canada Day. My husband always thinks we're nuts for walking so much..he's always so tired after! :) We spend the whole time (about 5-6 hours) walking around from place to place, checking things out (vendors, shows etc)...so I think I got a good amount of cardio in for the day! :)

Back to my stomach holding up.....So how did I feel after eating all that greasy, yummy, fatty, sweet, wonderfully tasting food??? I FELT GREAT and SOOOOOOOOOOOO satisfied......until about....4 in the morning when I was awakened by serious stomach cramps....oh my goodness, I FELT HORRIBLE!!! Let's just say, I spent a whole lot of time on that "porcelain throne". It was not good!!! I made a number of "frequent visits" to that throne right through the morning. I started feeling better around 11am!! MY BODY LET ME DOWN, Y'ALL!! I felt awful!! I did go a bit overboard yesterday (lessons learned) but that's in the past and I'm back in the groove....back to business!! I have no guilty feelings about it!!

Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Back in the Habit...

Hi everyone,

I'm back in town and so tired but very happy to be back. I had a very successful trip, both on a professional level and in regards to my journey!

I had no problems making good and healthy food choices....and both hotels in Edmonton and Vancouver were equipped with top notch fitness facilities!! It was great.

The time zone changes is having a bit of an effect on my fatigue/energy level but other than that...no issues. I did not work out yesterday, just busy packing and getting to the airport. I will workout today as well as weigh myself to see if I "totally" stayed on track this past week. After all, Tuesday was St. Patty's Day!! Did I break tradition? Did I celebrate? We'll find out in my next post.

I'm off to weigh myself - will be back shortly...

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Birthday Poll

Well guys,

So far the poll shows that the majority of you want me to stay true to the journey and celebrate at the 1/2 way mark!! Secretly, I was hoping that you would vote "celebrate like nobody's business". Why, you ask? Well as one of my colleagues pointed out to me today and I quote, "Hey, Joania...I voted on your poll for you to stay true to the journey. I think the reason most are voting that way is because we don't want to be responsible for you sabbotaging your progress/journey!!" WELL THANKS A LOT!!! :) I was hoping to use that as my excuse for endulging!!

But as it stands right now, "staying true" is leading the way, so it looks like I will have to find another way to celebrate this birthday. It's still early and I really don't know what I'll do tomorrow...well, whatever it is, I am not stressing about it.

I'll let you all know what I decide tomorrow evening!! Wish me luck!!! :)

Joania (2KMINE!!)

My Birthday Poll

Only 4 days left until the poll closes. Friday is my 35th birthday and I put up this poll for suggestions on how to celebrate or not. As with all polls, majority will rule!! So far, it's a very tight race and "staying true to the journey" has a very slim lead.

Keep those votes coming!!

Thanks!

Joania (2KMINE!!)

Wow..Time Surely Flies...

I originally contacted my trainer Rob on October 24, 2008 asking questions about his services. When I finally decided to start the program with him on December 10, 2008, one of the things I told him was that I would be turning 35 on February 27, 2009 and I want to have a handle on getting in shape and finally losing this weight by then. I wanted to be well on my way to doing that. Back then, February seemed soooooo far away!

Well, my 35th birthday is 10 DAYS away and I really feel that I am truly on my way. I've lost 25 pounds, a ton of inches and I am much healthier than I was at this time last year. Can't wait to turn 36!

Now birthdays have always been about the cake and good times (good times usually include some "special juices") for me!! I have always looked at birthdays as a time to celebrate and live it up!! Never cared that I was getting older - always felt that each year would be better than the last! This year, I'm turning 35, very excited and really believe the next phase of my life will be the best yet, especially with this new lifestyle I've adopted! So, lets get back to the cake and special juice. I have three choices:

1. It's my birthday, do it up right (that would include cake, special juice and whatever else I feel like having on that day!!
2. Have a piece of cake OR one drink! One or the other and be satisfied with that!
3. Have NO CAKE, NO DRINKS, just stay true to your program and do it up right at my half way mark (a couple of months!!)

Oh, what to do....we'll have to see how I feel. I don't plan on stressing about it. It's just when it comes to BIRTHDAY CAKE (well cake in general - oh, just got a memory flash of my friend's mom's carrot cake with cream cheese icing...oh my yumness), needless to say, I have a serious weakness - and quite a few of my friends can attest to this fact!! I think I may have to figure new ways to "celebrate" and "live it up" that do not necessarily include excess calories!!

Ideas and suggestions always welcomed...

Please take a minute to fill out the poll on the right (top). Thanks!

Until next time...

Joania (2KMINE!!!)