Sorry this post is a bit long...I have a little mini rant today...sorry guys! :)
Wheew! TGIF!! What a busy week! I'm tired. Tomorrow, my plan is to sleep in (hopefully my 3-year old will oblige) until about 830 or even 900 if I'm lucky. All week, I've been up at 500/530 so this would just be heaven - I will even take 730!! :) As far as exercising - I'm going to go for a 45 minute run (about 5K) and that will be it for the day...my body needs to rest.
TODAY'S EXERCISE
Today was awesome (again)! I started off with my 1.5 hour weight training session...which, after 3 weeks of doing it, is still incredibly challenging and gets my heart pumping like crazy! It's fabulous - a total body workout and I get both strength and cardio conditionning from each session!! I'm loving it!! It really is the perfect way to start my day and it keeps me going throughout the day! I work on the 4th floor of my building and went up to the 6th floor on 2 occasions today - both times I hopped up the stairs! I know it's only 2 flights but I always took the elevator before. The best part is that there was barely a change in my breathing when I got upstairs - just fantastic!
Later in the day (430), I attended an hour long Kickboxing class at Therien Martial Arts! WOW!! Sensei Derek killed it today! I still can't get over how much fun I'm having as this man punishes me regularly with crazy exercise moves!! I always feel like I gave 100+% at every class because Sensei Derek really pushes me to my limits - and I get the same sense from the other people in the class. It's a really friendly atmosphere where everyone is working hard! Do you know how hard you have to push yourself to actually want to puke? IT'S FRIGGIN' AWESOME!!!! I am really loving it - more so at the end of class than during!!LOL! This is such an incredible workout, you really get a high from it. It gets you in shape and we get to do some really cool stuff, totally different (and more effective, in my humble opinion) than the regular aerobic classes or treadmill.
Today's class was awesome...my friend Coco actually came tonight and boy were we ever breathing hard! Sensei Derek had us do a special drill today. He called on one of his pro-kickers (Nathalie) to help him demonstrate the exercise. We were paired up in two's. One person would straddle over a kicking pad and throw a non-stop barrage of punches until he said stop (about 1 minute, which seemed like forever). In the mean time the other person held a rope (actually one of the martial arts belts) around the other's waist - almost like a harness. When Sensei Derek said, "GO!", the person punching would jump up and sprint to the other end of the dojo (gym) and back ALL WHILE the partner is holding on to the rope/belt applying resistance (their body weight)!! Picture the sprinter trying to pull the other person along as they sprint to the other end of the gym!!! OMG!! It was super tough, but awesome. I was so winded and yes, the feeling of puking appeared once more... BTW there were a couple other people in there tonight who felt the same way!! :)
Sensei Derek is tough (and crazy) and fun and I mentioned before about him taking pleasure in inflicting pain, well tonight he proved that once more! While demonstrating this exercise with Nathalie, she was running, pulling him along...and he's yelling, "let's go!! move!! move!!!" and she's pushing it and then, you know what he did???? Well, let's just say he had some very interesting motivational techniques and if you want to know what those are, you need to come to the class ;) What happens in the dojo, stays in the dojo! (Some things lol).
Oh you guys!! I'm just really having a good time right now with this new lifestyle. I look forward to getting the workouts in and feel so good when it's done (and proud)!!! I'm in a really good place and I don't ever want to leave!
TODAY'S FOOD
Before I go over what I ate today, I have a few things to address (it's not a rant - well maybe a mini-rant). I just want to clear this up because at this point in my life and this journey, I want to maintain all the positivity that I can and just keep moving through to get to my goals!!
In yesterday's post, I addressed a comment that I received from my friend Nia (who's been following and supporting me from the beginning) about the food I'm eating and whether or not I felt hungry. Well, that seemed to open the door for a lot more comments on this issue...some not so nice comments. What amazes me is that these people always choose to send me an anonymous email. I don't have a problem answering questions or comments (to the best of my ability and based on my personal experiences).
Anyway, I received one email where the individual went on and on and said, "I don't think you're eating enough and from what you list, it seems like you're starving yourself to lose weight!" This one bugged me a bit!But I was determined not to let this bother me and thought I should address it. I know that obviously this person had not been reading my blog all along to understand the PROCESS that I went through to get where I am right now!!
I just want to say for anyone reading my blog who is wondering
I AM NOT STARVING MYSELF!!!! THAT IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING AND IF YOU KNEW ME OR FOLLOWED MY JOURNEY, YOU WOULD ALSO REALIZE JUST HOW RIDICULOUS THIS IS!!
My diet plan over the past 11 months has been developped specifically for me by a certified nutritionist after a very thorough analysis of my eating habits, body composition, health, blood type etc. etc. It is adjusted on a regular basis as I go through the various stages of progression on this journey. My diet consists of nothing but foods from the WHOLE FOODS group. I do not consume ANY processed foods. Only natural foods!!
After cleansing my body from all the unprocessed foods I used to consume (and trust me it was bad), I found that as I ate healthy foods, everything changed including the quantity of food necessary for me to feel FULL or SATISFIED!! I am eating 6-7 small meals on a daily basis and keeping properly hydrated by consuming between 3-4 litres of water, EVERY DAY!!! I don't count calories so I have no idea how many calories I'm eating.
I wake up in the morning and have 3-4 eggs (mostly eggwhites) with some sort of vegetable and water or a bowl of oatmeal or grapefruit.....THAT FILLS ME UP
Three hours later, I have a snack. Sometimes it's a heavier snack, sometimes lighter - all depends on how I'm feeling!! When I'm hungry I eat....what makes a difference is WHAT I choose to eat. Sometimes, half a cucumber sliced up does the trick, other times it's a can of tuna and some broccoli, a small baked sweet potato or a piece of chicken breast, some almonds an apple or just a protein shake!! It all depends!! Plus water!!
Two to three hours later I'm having lunch. Again, healthy. Usually a chicken/shrimp/beef stirfry, a salad with some form of protein (tuna, eggs, poultry), sometimes soup plus water!!
Three hours later I'm having another snack - see above, plus water
Three hours later, it's time for Dinner - this is where I'll have ww pasta, brown rice, quinnoa, sweet potato with some form of protein and vegetables, PLUS WATER
Two hours later, i have another snack, plus water!
That's it!! Trust me I am satisfied!! I eat when I am hungry! I do not starve myself! I am getting all that I need nutritionally to sustain and fuel me as needed.
Oh, another thing, when I increased my exercising, I did notice that I felt a bit hungry, I simply added another meal!!
Anyway, that's it for today. I hope I don't get any more "you're starving yourself" crap!!!
I ate really well today....I'll just jot it down quickly:
B - 3 boiled eggs (whites) with a warm tomato and spinach salad, 1L water
Sn - protein drink (vanilla whey protein, water)
L - Grilled chicken breast, romaine lettuce, bacon (one strip,crumbled), small pita, water
Sn - tuna and broccoli
D - baked salmon, steamed mixed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, green peas), baked sweet potato and water
Sn -10 almonds and cup of green tea.
After Kickboxing class, I had another protein drink!
That was it today! Sorry for the lengthy post. Day 12 is done...almost to the end, until then I will be PUSHING THROUGH!!!
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts
Friday, November 20, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
SCALE ALMIGHTY - Harmful or Hurtful?
**** I just noticed something....THE TITLE of this post...when I wrote this yesterday, I could have sworn I wrote "Scale Almighty - Helpful or Hurtful"....looking at the post today, I noticed it's actually "Harmful or Hurtful"!! Well, if that isn't a subliminal message, I don't know what is!! LOL****
What is it about this little thing, that barely takes up any space in the corner of your bathroom, yet, it has the power to make you cry and/or do a backflip with happiness (or at least attempt to)?? Do scales or more specifically, weighing oneself, cause more harm than good??? What does that number on the scale tell you about yourself? It may as well just read "you are good" or "you are bad" once you step on it based on the way it makes you feel...
What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the word "scale"?? For me, when I think of the word "scale", I usually think success or failure. How do you feel when you think of weighing yourself and how do you feel in that very moment prior to stepping on that scale? Personally, I sometimes I wish I could go without weighing myself or maybe just weigh myself every 2 to 3 months!!
How do you feel after? The results of the scale holds so much power. If it's a loss, I usually feel great and just on top of the w orld, even if it's only a small loss. If it's a gain, I start questionning whether or not I should continue on the journey and start asking myself stupid questions like, "what's the point of this journey anyway?" or even the ever too common, "why am I doing this anyway?" - it's crazy!!! I then have to calm myself down, give my head a shake and let logic sink back in.
If you never weighed yourself again and only had indicators like the way your clothes fit or whether or not you could run up and down a flight of stairs without gasping for air, would stepping on that scale really matter? I don't THINK it should but IT DOES matter to me and my new goal is to take away from the importance of that number on the scale.
I truly began to give this some thought based on the way I felt this past Saturday. I woke up with great anticipation as I had a great week of healthy eating and exercise. I was so looking forward to the number on the scale as I felt it would some how validate my hard work and I was quite confident that it would be a nice loss. Well, to my surprise and complete disappointment, the dreaded scale showed that I gained 1 pound and in that second, I was disheartened!
It's absolutely insane when you think about it logically. I have been on this amazing weight loss/getting healthy journey since Dec 2008. I'm down 60 pounds and in arguably the best shape of my life, yet in that moment of looking at that weight gain, none of that mattered. Somehow, I quickly forgot about all of my success thus far and focussed solely on that weight gain. Why do we (I) do this? Why does or why should that number matter so much?? Well, I've decided that I don't want it to matter that much and I WILL NO LONGER LET IT MATTER AS MUCH!!
I thought this would be a good time to share these feelings and take a look at the whole issue of using the scale to measure our success. There are all sorts of alternate ways to measure success when on a journey as such but for some reason I (we) seem to put the bulk of the "weight" on the results of the scale.
Our weight normally fluctuates somewhat from day-to-day, and daily weighing can lead to discouragement and potential diet sabotage if you see a higher number on the scale than you saw the day before. From what I've read and from what my trainer (Rob) has told me, a once-every two weeks or even monthly weigh-in is a more accurate reflection of weight control progress.
That being said, there are a few studies that show that overweight and obese adults who were trying to lose weight as well as overweight adults who were trying to prevent weight gain found that those who weighed themselves more often lost more weight and prevented more weight gain over two years than those who weighed themselves less frequently. Some potential advantages of daily weighing include recognition of slow patterns of weight gain that may not be immediately apparent and the chance to modify lifestyle habits before the total weight gain becomes extreme and difficult to control.
I guess if you research hard enough you can find a study to support almost anything. I think the above study is true for some but not all. This issue of using solely or mainly the scale to measure or monitor weight loss will have to be an individual one. For me, I think weighing myself every 2 weeks might present a more accurate measurement of my progress however, part of me still wants to see that weekly or more frequent result (good or bad). I guess I just have to work on how I process those results.
I must remember that the female body is quite complex on a regular day and I will look to a few indicators prior to reacting to those results. Some of the alternate measurements I will use to measure my success on this journey are:
What is it about this little thing, that barely takes up any space in the corner of your bathroom, yet, it has the power to make you cry and/or do a backflip with happiness (or at least attempt to)?? Do scales or more specifically, weighing oneself, cause more harm than good??? What does that number on the scale tell you about yourself? It may as well just read "you are good" or "you are bad" once you step on it based on the way it makes you feel...What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the word "scale"?? For me, when I think of the word "scale", I usually think success or failure. How do you feel when you think of weighing yourself and how do you feel in that very moment prior to stepping on that scale? Personally, I sometimes I wish I could go without weighing myself or maybe just weigh myself every 2 to 3 months!!
How do you feel after? The results of the scale holds so much power. If it's a loss, I usually feel great and just on top of the w orld, even if it's only a small loss. If it's a gain, I start questionning whether or not I should continue on the journey and start asking myself stupid questions like, "what's the point of this journey anyway?" or even the ever too common, "why am I doing this anyway?" - it's crazy!!! I then have to calm myself down, give my head a shake and let logic sink back in.
If you never weighed yourself again and only had indicators like the way your clothes fit or whether or not you could run up and down a flight of stairs without gasping for air, would stepping on that scale really matter? I don't THINK it should but IT DOES matter to me and my new goal is to take away from the importance of that number on the scale.
I truly began to give this some thought based on the way I felt this past Saturday. I woke up with great anticipation as I had a great week of healthy eating and exercise. I was so looking forward to the number on the scale as I felt it would some how validate my hard work and I was quite confident that it would be a nice loss. Well, to my surprise and complete disappointment, the dreaded scale showed that I gained 1 pound and in that second, I was disheartened!
It's absolutely insane when you think about it logically. I have been on this amazing weight loss/getting healthy journey since Dec 2008. I'm down 60 pounds and in arguably the best shape of my life, yet in that moment of looking at that weight gain, none of that mattered. Somehow, I quickly forgot about all of my success thus far and focussed solely on that weight gain. Why do we (I) do this? Why does or why should that number matter so much?? Well, I've decided that I don't want it to matter that much and I WILL NO LONGER LET IT MATTER AS MUCH!!
I thought this would be a good time to share these feelings and take a look at the whole issue of using the scale to measure our success. There are all sorts of alternate ways to measure success when on a journey as such but for some reason I (we) seem to put the bulk of the "weight" on the results of the scale.
Our weight normally fluctuates somewhat from day-to-day, and daily weighing can lead to discouragement and potential diet sabotage if you see a higher number on the scale than you saw the day before. From what I've read and from what my trainer (Rob) has told me, a once-every two weeks or even monthly weigh-in is a more accurate reflection of weight control progress.
That being said, there are a few studies that show that overweight and obese adults who were trying to lose weight as well as overweight adults who were trying to prevent weight gain found that those who weighed themselves more often lost more weight and prevented more weight gain over two years than those who weighed themselves less frequently. Some potential advantages of daily weighing include recognition of slow patterns of weight gain that may not be immediately apparent and the chance to modify lifestyle habits before the total weight gain becomes extreme and difficult to control.
I guess if you research hard enough you can find a study to support almost anything. I think the above study is true for some but not all. This issue of using solely or mainly the scale to measure or monitor weight loss will have to be an individual one. For me, I think weighing myself every 2 weeks might present a more accurate measurement of my progress however, part of me still wants to see that weekly or more frequent result (good or bad). I guess I just have to work on how I process those results.
I must remember that the female body is quite complex on a regular day and I will look to a few indicators prior to reacting to those results. Some of the alternate measurements I will use to measure my success on this journey are:
- How I feel (energetic, good, happy, strong, healthy, lean)
- How my clothes fit (getting looser or tighter)
- My fitness levels (how far I can run/walk without needing to stop, how much weight I can lift, etc.)
Sorry for such a lengthy post, I just need to get this off my chest. Blogging is quite carthatic!!
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
Friday, August 14, 2009
Had A Good Week
Hi guys,
Just wanted to pop on quickly to tell you all that yesterday (Thursday) was a great day!! I ate very well for the ENTIRE day (including dinner at a restaurant with colleagues).
THURSDAY
For breakfast I had:
2 boiled eggs (egg whites only)
about 1/2 cup of fresh fruit (oranges, apples and cantaloupe)
yogurt
3 cups of water
Morning Snack
Small banana
Lunch
green salad
2 thinly sliced pieces of roast beef
a few pieces of raw broccoli
750ml bottle of water
Dinner
1/4 chicken (BBQ'd, sauce on the side)
Steamed veggies (mix of broccoli, red onions, zuccini, red peppers and carrots)
1 glass of iced tea (unsweetened-and not a very big glass I might add - it was one of those slim, sleek ones)
several glasses of water
FRIDAY
This morning I had a pretty good breakfast...
2 eggs with a sprinkle of grated cheddar and about 2 teaspoons of salsa
1/2 cup of fruit
2 cups of water
Lunch
grilled chicken, onions, red & green pepper wrap (ww tortilla) with a salad
591ml bottle of water
Dinner
Roasted curried chicken breast
2cups broccoli
3 cups water
It was difficult sticking to those choices, temptation was so strong but in the end I am so happy that I stuck with it!! I did not have one drop of alcohol of any kind!! Usually, when I travel, especially if I go out to dinner with colleagues, I tend to have a beer or a glass of wine. I think it's the whole social aspect connected to it however, this time around I made a point of not having a drink...it was tough but obviously it's do-able!
On the exercise front, I hit the treadmill hard and for the first time since starting to train for my upcoming 5k (October 4 - CIBC Run For The Cure - check out my training blog for details here.) I was able to run continuously for 10 minutes (at level 5.6 on the treadmill) and did the walk/run combination for the remaining 25 minutes. I felt awesome!! Tomorrow, I will try to go for 11 minutes! I did my weight training routine on Wednesday evening and it was awesome (still working on those pull-ups!!). Tonight, I will do my weight training routine and continue on.
Weigh in tomorrow...very interested to see the results especially because I really tried hard to stick to the program.
So overall, it wasn't a bad week with a few exceptions which I mentionned in my last post.
Until tomorrow...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
Just wanted to pop on quickly to tell you all that yesterday (Thursday) was a great day!! I ate very well for the ENTIRE day (including dinner at a restaurant with colleagues).
THURSDAY
For breakfast I had:
2 boiled eggs (egg whites only)
about 1/2 cup of fresh fruit (oranges, apples and cantaloupe)
yogurt
3 cups of water
Morning Snack
Small banana
Lunch
green salad
2 thinly sliced pieces of roast beef
a few pieces of raw broccoli
750ml bottle of water
Dinner
1/4 chicken (BBQ'd, sauce on the side)
Steamed veggies (mix of broccoli, red onions, zuccini, red peppers and carrots)
1 glass of iced tea (unsweetened-and not a very big glass I might add - it was one of those slim, sleek ones)
several glasses of water
FRIDAY
This morning I had a pretty good breakfast...
2 eggs with a sprinkle of grated cheddar and about 2 teaspoons of salsa
1/2 cup of fruit
2 cups of water
Lunch
grilled chicken, onions, red & green pepper wrap (ww tortilla) with a salad
591ml bottle of water
Dinner
Roasted curried chicken breast
2cups broccoli
3 cups water
It was difficult sticking to those choices, temptation was so strong but in the end I am so happy that I stuck with it!! I did not have one drop of alcohol of any kind!! Usually, when I travel, especially if I go out to dinner with colleagues, I tend to have a beer or a glass of wine. I think it's the whole social aspect connected to it however, this time around I made a point of not having a drink...it was tough but obviously it's do-able!
On the exercise front, I hit the treadmill hard and for the first time since starting to train for my upcoming 5k (October 4 - CIBC Run For The Cure - check out my training blog for details here.) I was able to run continuously for 10 minutes (at level 5.6 on the treadmill) and did the walk/run combination for the remaining 25 minutes. I felt awesome!! Tomorrow, I will try to go for 11 minutes! I did my weight training routine on Wednesday evening and it was awesome (still working on those pull-ups!!). Tonight, I will do my weight training routine and continue on.
Weigh in tomorrow...very interested to see the results especially because I really tried hard to stick to the program.
So overall, it wasn't a bad week with a few exceptions which I mentionned in my last post.
Until tomorrow...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
Sunday, August 9, 2009
How To Get Fat Without Even Trying
Hi everyone....
Hope you all had a nice weekend.
A few weeks back, someone left an anonymous comment on one of my posts with a link to the following mini documentary. I didn't want to post it until I got a chance to view it. Well, I watched it and I must say that, this is a very facinating documentary that runs about 45mins with a few interruptions of sponsor messages (commercials). Thank you "anonymous" for this link. It's worth watching if you have some time; quite interesting. Please click on the title below to view.
Obesity is fast on its way to becoming the nation’s largest and most costly public health problem. While much of the public debate about obesity has focused on personal responsibility, PETER JENNINGS REPORTING: HOW TO GET FAT WITHOUT EVEN TRYING reveals how federal government agricultural policies and food industry practices are contributing to America’s growing obesity epidemic.
I do agree with a lot of the points brought forth in this documentary as it relates to contributing to our current situation with obesity (both in the U.S and here in Canada). However, I do also believe that we each have to take personal responsibility for ourselves and children, by making healthier choices when it comes to foods and including physical activity. Anyway, looking forward to your comments on this documentary.
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
Hope you all had a nice weekend.
A few weeks back, someone left an anonymous comment on one of my posts with a link to the following mini documentary. I didn't want to post it until I got a chance to view it. Well, I watched it and I must say that, this is a very facinating documentary that runs about 45mins with a few interruptions of sponsor messages (commercials). Thank you "anonymous" for this link. It's worth watching if you have some time; quite interesting. Please click on the title below to view.
How to Get Fat Without Really Trying (Peter Jennings Reporting, 2003)
Obesity is fast on its way to becoming the nation’s largest and most costly public health problem. While much of the public debate about obesity has focused on personal responsibility, PETER JENNINGS REPORTING: HOW TO GET FAT WITHOUT EVEN TRYING reveals how federal government agricultural policies and food industry practices are contributing to America’s growing obesity epidemic.
I do agree with a lot of the points brought forth in this documentary as it relates to contributing to our current situation with obesity (both in the U.S and here in Canada). However, I do also believe that we each have to take personal responsibility for ourselves and children, by making healthier choices when it comes to foods and including physical activity. Anyway, looking forward to your comments on this documentary.
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Focus and Determination - No Excuses!!
See the man in the picture above?? Look at this man's face!!! Look in his eyes?? What do you see? When I first saw this picture, I thought, "holy crap, he means business, no excuses!" I want to ALWAYS have that kind of focus and determination while doing my workouts. His eyes are on the prize!! Making it count!!This man is my trainer Rob, y'all!!! He is hardcore and he certainly practices what he preaches. Apart from the obvious good looks (yes ladies, eye candy at it's best - he's gonna make me pay for writing that), he is obviously and honestly passionate about what he does and he does it very well.
I feel like I am at a very pivotal point in my journey. It is essential that I maintain the type of focus and determination displayed above by Rob, not only during my workouts but throughout all aspects of this journey. This is my new challenge: staying focused, motivated and determined for the duration of this journey.
Keeping my focus is crucial to my success on this journey. I have to stay on top of this..we all do in order to meet our set goals. We can't expect a plant to grow if we don't nourish, water and take care of it. Same thing here. I've got to make sure I stick with my workouts, stay on top of eating healthy foods and remember to take care of ME as well.
Taking care of me, means doing all I can to reduce and/or eliminate any and all stresses or situations which cause stress! Making and taking the time for myself, even if it's just an hour, just to sit and reflect and/or relax. I haven't been going to my Sunday yoga sessions in quite a while and I think it's time to start that up again.
Anyway, here we are, about to start yet another week (time is just flying by) and I want to do all I can to make each week a great one! So that's it for now, enjoy your Sunday and all the best with the journey this week!
Until next time...
Joania(2KMINE!!)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
I'm Struggling and a bit Frustrated, Y'ALL....
First off, let me just say that I have been on point (100%) with my exercising/workouts. I love it. So that part of the journey is not a problem.
HOWEVER, when it comes to EATING and FOOD.....I'm struggling!!!!!!! I knew this journey would be a challenge and I think I've been handling this challenge very well since I've started. Here I sit, in what should be the home stretch, having lost more that half of my goal and I'm struggling with stinking food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I knew I would have a tough time with the food aspect of this journey, but I was really starting to believe that I had a good handle on it and that I was well on my way to permanently incorporating this new and healthy nutritional lifestyle into my everday routine. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself....I dunno, I just feel like I'm slipping and I want to nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand.
Don't get me wrong, I have not totally fallen off the wagon (not even half off the wagon) but I do realize that I am not nearly as diligent as I have been in the past 6-7 months. I've been slipping a "little something sweet" in with my meals every other day. Today for example, I had a piece of carrot cake...loaded with icing!! It was delicious - I didn't and DO NOT feel guilty about eating it, but maybe I should have just had half of what I ate. It was a pretty big slice. I had a glass of red wine the night before and just little nibbles and tastes here and there of things I KNOW that I SHOULD NOT BE EATING! Thankfully I haven't had a major pig-out session...YET!!!
This is what the whole sabbotaging of the progress is all about. I mentioned before that this journey will be as much mental as it is physical, if not more and I'm really started to see that. So this just reminds me that I need to make that extra effort to work out and strengthen those "mental muscles" and not just the physical ones. I have to figure out the reason why I feel the need to eat these foods, especially now. You know, I've heard and read a lot of different theories as it relates to this issue and I've never been able to find anything that "fits" my personal situation. I've just always believed that I JUST LOVE food. I know some people overeat when they're happy, some when they're sad, others when they're angry or frustrated or stressed or even depressed!! To me, I eat when I'm hungry and the problem is that I always seem to be hungry...my issue is just conditionning my brain to eat the right foods.
The nutritional plan that I am currently following (created by my trainer Rob ) allows me to eat a lot of food throughout the day. In fact, he stresses to me repeatedly, the importance of eating and not skipping meals, or starving myself with crazy dieting, if I want to be successful on this journey. It's just ensuring that I eat the right things -- whole foods--healthy foods. I feel that I've made that connection and I understand what I need to eat to be successful, however I am struggling with sticking with it and I just need to understand why!! This is so frustrating!! I'm in a weird, strange place right now when it comes to my eating. I find myself wanting to rationalize to myself why it would be okay to have that Big Mac Combo with a Supersized Chocolate Shake....I find myself saying things like, "I deserve this, I've been working so hard!!" I have been working hard and that's more reason why I shouldn't go there...I dunno....just a bit frustrated and just really need to figure things out!!
I knew this journey was not going to be filled with ONLY nice smoothly paved roads along the way, I was fully aware that I'd eventually get to the roads that are still under construction or just full of pot holes. I just need to ensure that my vehicle is strong enough and doesn't fall apart going over those bumps and potholes!!! I have had a baby, after 16 hours of natural labour - that was tough!!! I am starting to believe that this journey may indeed be a more difficult task!!
Anyway, I had to get all that off my chest. Thanks for listening. I'm fighting hard to handle this. As always, thanks for your support! Weigh-in on Saturday morning.
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
HOWEVER, when it comes to EATING and FOOD.....I'm struggling!!!!!!! I knew this journey would be a challenge and I think I've been handling this challenge very well since I've started. Here I sit, in what should be the home stretch, having lost more that half of my goal and I'm struggling with stinking food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I knew I would have a tough time with the food aspect of this journey, but I was really starting to believe that I had a good handle on it and that I was well on my way to permanently incorporating this new and healthy nutritional lifestyle into my everday routine. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself....I dunno, I just feel like I'm slipping and I want to nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand.
Don't get me wrong, I have not totally fallen off the wagon (not even half off the wagon) but I do realize that I am not nearly as diligent as I have been in the past 6-7 months. I've been slipping a "little something sweet" in with my meals every other day. Today for example, I had a piece of carrot cake...loaded with icing!! It was delicious - I didn't and DO NOT feel guilty about eating it, but maybe I should have just had half of what I ate. It was a pretty big slice. I had a glass of red wine the night before and just little nibbles and tastes here and there of things I KNOW that I SHOULD NOT BE EATING! Thankfully I haven't had a major pig-out session...YET!!!
This is what the whole sabbotaging of the progress is all about. I mentioned before that this journey will be as much mental as it is physical, if not more and I'm really started to see that. So this just reminds me that I need to make that extra effort to work out and strengthen those "mental muscles" and not just the physical ones. I have to figure out the reason why I feel the need to eat these foods, especially now. You know, I've heard and read a lot of different theories as it relates to this issue and I've never been able to find anything that "fits" my personal situation. I've just always believed that I JUST LOVE food. I know some people overeat when they're happy, some when they're sad, others when they're angry or frustrated or stressed or even depressed!! To me, I eat when I'm hungry and the problem is that I always seem to be hungry...my issue is just conditionning my brain to eat the right foods.
The nutritional plan that I am currently following (created by my trainer Rob ) allows me to eat a lot of food throughout the day. In fact, he stresses to me repeatedly, the importance of eating and not skipping meals, or starving myself with crazy dieting, if I want to be successful on this journey. It's just ensuring that I eat the right things -- whole foods--healthy foods. I feel that I've made that connection and I understand what I need to eat to be successful, however I am struggling with sticking with it and I just need to understand why!! This is so frustrating!! I'm in a weird, strange place right now when it comes to my eating. I find myself wanting to rationalize to myself why it would be okay to have that Big Mac Combo with a Supersized Chocolate Shake....I find myself saying things like, "I deserve this, I've been working so hard!!" I have been working hard and that's more reason why I shouldn't go there...I dunno....just a bit frustrated and just really need to figure things out!!
I knew this journey was not going to be filled with ONLY nice smoothly paved roads along the way, I was fully aware that I'd eventually get to the roads that are still under construction or just full of pot holes. I just need to ensure that my vehicle is strong enough and doesn't fall apart going over those bumps and potholes!!! I have had a baby, after 16 hours of natural labour - that was tough!!! I am starting to believe that this journey may indeed be a more difficult task!!
Anyway, I had to get all that off my chest. Thanks for listening. I'm fighting hard to handle this. As always, thanks for your support! Weigh-in on Saturday morning.
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
Monday, July 20, 2009
Scale Neglect...and Loving IT!!
Hey guys,
First I just need to say how much I've missed blogging and reading other blogs this past week or so....I feel like part of my routine is missing and I can't wait to get back to it. I plan to spend all of Saturday (or as much as I need) reading blogs and catching up on what I've been missing. I will also be back to posting regularly...I've really missed it! :)
Anyhoo, it's been 2 weeks since my last weigh in. Right now, I have no idea if I've gained or lossed weight. All I know is that I feel great and really that should be all that matters!!:) I haven't seen the scale and I don't miss it one bit. For the purposes of this journey, I will continue to weigh my self regularly to be able to chart my progress but once I reach my set goals and I get to the point of just maintaining a healthy lifestyle, one of the first things I'm going to do is host a SCALE-SMASHING party!! YEAH!!! I'll invite people over with their respective scales and at some pivotal point in the evening, we'll gather in my backyard and smash away!! We may even do it to music - maybe somethng by ACDC (Thunderstruck, maybe) Sounds like fun eh?? :D
Seriously, I'm pretty certain that I haven't gained any weight because I've been working out regularly, including regular "pullup" attempts - still the most difficult exercise EVER and so far I still can only complete ONE full pull-up!!! My eating hasn't been perfect but it hasn't been terrible either. I would say, overall it's about 80-85%! So that's not so bad...
I will weigh myself on Saturday morning (July 25th --omg, that's my husband's birthday - must plan something fun- he's been so amazing through all this) and post the results and get back to business 100%.
On another note, I saw one of my colleagues today, who I haven't seen in about 3 weeks and I must say that he looked fabulous. He has been extremely supportive of my journey, and we often speak of my struggles, triumphs, etc. He was inspired to start losing weight and he has. I believe he's down about 30 pounds since April - just by making some healthy changes (including exercising and nutritious foods). He is also training for a 5K run. I'm so happy for him and could see the difference in him (both physically and mentally). It's awesome....he inspires me to keep going. I just wanted to say, "GO Rob Go!!!"
It's funny, just a short few months ago, I could barely climb my stairs in my home and now I'm training for a 5K run...it's amazing to me how quickly your body adapts to healthy changes and how strong one can get...
Anyway, that's all the ramblings for today.
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
First I just need to say how much I've missed blogging and reading other blogs this past week or so....I feel like part of my routine is missing and I can't wait to get back to it. I plan to spend all of Saturday (or as much as I need) reading blogs and catching up on what I've been missing. I will also be back to posting regularly...I've really missed it! :)
Anyhoo, it's been 2 weeks since my last weigh in. Right now, I have no idea if I've gained or lossed weight. All I know is that I feel great and really that should be all that matters!!:) I haven't seen the scale and I don't miss it one bit. For the purposes of this journey, I will continue to weigh my self regularly to be able to chart my progress but once I reach my set goals and I get to the point of just maintaining a healthy lifestyle, one of the first things I'm going to do is host a SCALE-SMASHING party!! YEAH!!! I'll invite people over with their respective scales and at some pivotal point in the evening, we'll gather in my backyard and smash away!! We may even do it to music - maybe somethng by ACDC (Thunderstruck, maybe) Sounds like fun eh?? :D
Seriously, I'm pretty certain that I haven't gained any weight because I've been working out regularly, including regular "pullup" attempts - still the most difficult exercise EVER and so far I still can only complete ONE full pull-up!!! My eating hasn't been perfect but it hasn't been terrible either. I would say, overall it's about 80-85%! So that's not so bad...
I will weigh myself on Saturday morning (July 25th --omg, that's my husband's birthday - must plan something fun- he's been so amazing through all this) and post the results and get back to business 100%.
On another note, I saw one of my colleagues today, who I haven't seen in about 3 weeks and I must say that he looked fabulous. He has been extremely supportive of my journey, and we often speak of my struggles, triumphs, etc. He was inspired to start losing weight and he has. I believe he's down about 30 pounds since April - just by making some healthy changes (including exercising and nutritious foods). He is also training for a 5K run. I'm so happy for him and could see the difference in him (both physically and mentally). It's awesome....he inspires me to keep going. I just wanted to say, "GO Rob Go!!!"
It's funny, just a short few months ago, I could barely climb my stairs in my home and now I'm training for a 5K run...it's amazing to me how quickly your body adapts to healthy changes and how strong one can get...
Anyway, that's all the ramblings for today.
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Saturday Weigh-In ~ Week 26
Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 205 lbs (June 3/09)
Current Weight: 204 lbs
This Week's Loss: 1lb!!!Considering the week I've had....I WILL HAPPILY TAKE THIS ONE POUND LOSS!!!
This week was so very busy for me work wise. Staying in a hotel and eating out for every meal as well as long demanding days, makes it very difficult to stay on track! For the most part I stayed on track with some of my eating, but I did let myself go when it came to dinner. I had perfectly healthy breakfasts and lunches but dinners were a problem for me. One evening I had one slice of pizza, another night I had chicken quesadillas and another, I had lasagna. The one good thing was that I found that I could not eat a lot. In the past, I could polish off a medium pizza all to myself. However after eating about 3 quarters of the slice, I was full. The lasagna was a small order which I shared with colleagues - so not so bad and same thing for the quesadillas...I only ate half. So all in all it wasn't that bad.
SO What Was Bad???
- In 4 days, I only managed to get one workout in...which is really sad. As I metionned, my days were very long and tiring, I got to bed late pretty well every night. I didn't get much sleep. Anyway, I don't want to sound like I'm providing excuses. I sucked when it came to working out.
- I enjoyed the "liquid" diet a little more than I should. I did not resist on the alcohol. When it came to the pizza, it was accompanied by beer, I had some wine with my lasagna and more beer with my quesadillas and when it came to the last night (closing ceremonies), lets just say I enjoyed a nice variety from the liquid menu selection! :) I had a great time!!
Anyway, it's over. I will need to get in touch with my trainer to get my new program. Then get moving. When my photographer (husband) gets home, I will take my monthly pix and post them for your perusal.
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The Ottawa Citizen Interview
I had the follow-up interview with Alison Korn of the Ottawa Citizen today. It was really good talking with her. She asks such great questions and I really liked the last article she wrote. So I am looking forward to this one as well. I will provide them with a current picture as well!
The article should run in either the June 11 (Thursday) or June 13 (Saturday) edition of the paper. As soon as it's confirmed, I will let you know. I will post the link to the on-line version as well!
I've had a great day today! A good workout; good, healthy food and two great telephone interviews!! Awesome!!!
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
The article should run in either the June 11 (Thursday) or June 13 (Saturday) edition of the paper. As soon as it's confirmed, I will let you know. I will post the link to the on-line version as well!
I've had a great day today! A good workout; good, healthy food and two great telephone interviews!! Awesome!!!
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
Monday, May 18, 2009
Last Week's Weigh-In...oh oh!!
Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 208 lbs (May 16/09)
Current Weight: 210 lbs
This Week's Loss: NO LOSS...+2 lb GAIN!!!!!!!!
Okay first off, I am not upset with this 2 pound gain. I just need to figure out why, not why I gained the weight - just why I always seem to "put it in cruise control" when I'm doing well!!
This is the first time during this journey that I've gained weight and I truly hope it will be the last. I would like to say that these two pounds is from all the muscle I'm building BUT I know that may not be it. Seeing my little "weight loss progress badge" on the right side of the blog, go from '50lbs lost' back to '48lbs lost', really hit me and hopefully was enough to get me back on track!! This gain is from me not being 90% or better (my own goal for myself) with regards to my food and exercise!! And really, that's the secret to success, at least where weight loss is concerned. Eating the right foods and getting the right amount of exercise!! I KNOW THIS!!! Doing it, is what's difficult!!
The Last 3 Days...
While I was in Edmonton, I worked out EVERYDAY and stuck hardcore to my exercise training plan. I was also very good with my eating plan with the exception of having some alcohol and 1 and a 1/2 slices of pizza (small slice). I don't want to make excuses...just want to be straight!!I don't know what's going on with me, but I did not work out on Friday (I travelled that day - but that's no excuse) Saturday (got lazy), or Today (even lazier)!!! Why am I doing this?? Saturday night, I had a peanut butter sandwich on white bread!!!! It was sooo good. I literally said F' it and proceeded to eat it!! Why do I do this??
I can think of nothing that happened to trigger this. Home life is fine, work life is fine (busy, but fine)! I really need to understand why this happens. This journey is not only about me getting healthy and losing the weight, it's also, and most importantly, about me breaking that vicious cycle that has me sabbotaging my progress and regaining whatever weight I had lost!! I am committed to this journey but it seems that I have to kick this up a notch, I feel like I'm slipping and I know that I shouldn't be, because I've been doing so well. Arrrghghhgh...frustrating!!
Being Fat is Sometimes Comforting...
This may seem strange to some, but bieng overweight/obese/fat (whatever you call it) is somewhat comforting. For me, it's easier and I'm willing to bet that quite a few people out there would agree with me on this one! Before embarking on this journey, I would wake up, eat whatever I wanted for breakfast (if I ate at all) and go about my day, stopping periodically to "snack" on whatever I wanted. At work, I could go to the cafeteria downstairs and ordered whatever I wanted for lunch, most of the times not even thinking about what I ordered (usually way too much food - poutine, coca cola, something cheesy and rich with that insta mix gravy).
I would walk through the mall, go straight to the food court and had my fill of unhealthy choices. I wrote before of my love of Cinnabuns! I could order out whenever I wanted to and whatever I wanted to at pretty much anytime of day or night. That was the worst of them all, because after ordering my food from the telephone or internet, I would plop down on the couch, in front of the television as I ate.
As for clothes, I would make an effort for work, but at home it was usually some oversized T's and a comfy (there's that word again) pair of track or jogging pants, that just stretched with me - so the more weight I gained, the more my pants stretched. This is one of the reasons I felt so amazing when I fit into those size 16 non-stretch jeans!!
I hated walking (still not my fav, but I do it more often now)! I rarely moved but to get to and from places like the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom etc. I barely said the word "exercise" much less DID any!!
My lifestyle now is wonderful, I love how great I feel after dong 30 pushups or after strength training for an hour. When I first jogged for 1 full minute on the treadmill without stopping, I felt like I just ran and finished a marathon - I was so proud. When I run up my flight of stairs at home and it doesn't phase me one bit, I feel awesome!! I'm running around with my son and HE'S getting tired before me...this is why I'm doing this. I love these feelings of pride, confidence (not that I wasn't confident before - just more so now) and energy!
When I travel on business and eat out at amazing restaurants for EVERY MEAL and stay on track, effortlessy making healthy choices, I feel such pride.
So why the hell am I not staying on track?? Why am I doing this??
Well, I'll tell you right now, as of 5am tomorrow morning, I WILL BE BACK ON TRACK!!!! I don't think I've done any kind of damage that can't be repaired!!! This is just a minor bump in the road and I WILL get through it! I love how strong and proud I feel when I'm on track! The positive energy that surrounds me is just amazing!!
So, that's it for now. I slipped up, messed up a bit, BUT WILL BE BACK ON TRACK and moving forward as of this moment.
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE)
Friday, May 15, 2009
Temptations in Edmonton
Holy crap, I'm struggling y'all!!! Every where I turn, there is some form of temptation. I'm in a constant mental battle to stay on the straight and narrow!!! Arrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhh!!
I'm staying at this great hotel, with great food ( a lot of healthy choices) HOWEVER, there are also sooooooooooo many temptations for example:
I'm staying at this great hotel, with great food ( a lot of healthy choices) HOWEVER, there are also sooooooooooo many temptations for example:
- Everyday from 430 to 530 pm, the hotel provides a FREE wine and cheese for all its guests!! Everyday!!! Now the cheese isn't bad, but FREE alcohol as well as breads and crackers, OH MAN!!!
- Another hotel, just around the corner from where I'm working hosts a "Chocoholic Buffet" every Thursday and Friday nights - it's an all-you-can-eat chocolate buffet. These delectable offerings include an array of luscious cakes and pies, chocolate fondue and more.. how can one resist, well so far I have (I must be crazy!!)
- Fabulous restaurants and pubs all over the place.
I'm fighting to stay true to the journey, but I must tell you, it's difficult...anyway, I don't have much time so this will be a quick post, however I will return as soon as I gt a chance.
Until then...
Joania (2KMINE!!)
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Food Pix
Here are a few shots of some of the food I ate when I was away. Again, I didn't find it difficult to make healthy choices because it was always available.
This pic - steamed veggies (broccoli, cabbage, onions) and beef on the grill (yum)!!
This was from an all -you-can-eat sushi restaurant in Vancouver. Great atmosphere. I DO NOT LIKE SUSHI so thankfully there were lots of other items on the menu that I could eat. There was a grill in the middle of the table so that we could grill/cook our own meat/fish. Now although this may sound like a cool concept to some - I have a sneaking feeling that the owners are in the back laughing at everyone, thinking to themselves," look at them, they pay us money to come here and cook their own food!" :)It was great though and the food was quite tasty.
This was one of my breakfast from the hotel. Fluffy scrambled egg whites, some veggies and a side of fruit (strawberries & pineapples).
This was pretty tasty and very filling!
This was a spicy shrimp and veggie strifry.
It came with rice but I just ask the server to substitute with extra veggies. She did one better and substituted with roasted veggies. It was delicious, so flavourful...so good!
Now, I didn't take pictures of ALL my meals - on some days, I just grabbed a quick lunch while working from the cafeteria like a tuna and veggie wrap on whole wheat tortilla) with a bottle of water....or a quick soup. I did have some sweet potato fries one day..just couldn't pass them up - they were shared though!
Anyway just a few shots....
Joania (2KMINE!!)
Week 14 Weigh-In...1 Down, 67 More to Go!!!
Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 225 lbs (Mar 11/09)
Current Weight: 224 lbsThis Week's Loss: 1 lb
One more pound gone and I feel awesome about that....I've been losing pretty consistently for the last few weeks!!!! I feel really good about losing 34 pounds thus far. Plus, it's made such a huge difference in my health and fitness level - it's awesome.
I think I could have lost a few more pounds this week....my next post should explain why! Anyway until then...I'm signing off 34 pounds lighter....4 more pounds to my next reward level!! YEAH!!!
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!!!)
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!!!)
Friday, March 6, 2009
What Women Want....
TGIF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so happy this week is over....I "almost" fell off the wagon a bit with that whole "Easter Bunny/chocolate eggs" fiasco. No big deal, as my trainer put it, "it did more to your head than your body so forget about it, it never happened!" and I like Patricia's comment that it's "FOUR-givable" :) **smiles** When I started this journey, I knew there would be bumps in the road and I'm thankful for all the support I have from you guys to help get me through - but no worries, I'm back on track!!
Anyway, I had a conversation with a few of my female friends at work today and found it so enlightening and rather fascinating. I told them I would write about it - not sure they believed me, but I'm a woman of my word!!
Somehow, we got on to the topic of weight and what we like/dislike about our physical appearances etc... One of my friends - and in the name of anonymity, let's call her "Coco". First off, let me describe her. Coco is stunning!! Tall, lean, beautiful, confident, amazing features, fashionable, a body most women would cut off a limb for and on top of that, she's smart, has an incredible sense of humour and just an all around nice person. Well guess what? She doesn't like her stomach - her incredibly flat (to me) stomach!When you could lift up your shirt and see ONE smooth surface instead of 2 or 3 bumps...you don't have a problem (lol- just bugging you Coco). She wants to lose a few pounds. I told her I wanted to smack her, she's hot so shut up!! (I love her, really I do).
However, the more I spoke to her and listened to her rationale, the more I could relate with what she was saying and realized that who the heck am I to tell her that she doesn't need to...if she wants to improve herself and do something that will make her feel better, then she should and I should encourage her. Even though I think she's fine the way she is, I realized this whole weight/image thing is all individual and as long as it's not something unhealthy, then cool. I'm sure some people think I'm nuts for embarking on MY journey. So thanks Coco.
My other friend who we'll call, "Paris" (heehee), I think she is equally beautiful. She has a great body, fashionable, friendly, confident, extremely talented, (I told you she was funny)! Of course we laughed but she was serious...now, I don't think she'll go to drastic measures for the sake of boobs but my point with sharing all this is that I found myself amongst what I considered 4 very beautiful women, but we all had an issue or issues with how we looked in some way or another and it got me thinking!! The other two didn't share there "flaws" (if you can even call it that) but they were nodding and in obvious agreement with what was being discussed. One of them - let's call her, "Lola" agreed with me that Coco is hot and does NOT need to lose weight. But I've had discussions with that Lola before, similar to this one, and I know she has some stuff that she doesn't like either. She is also a very beautiful, confident and smart woman - friendly and nice. I just don't get it!! I guess I'll never really know what we women want.
I guess we all have little things about ourselves that we'd like to change and that's okay as long as it's not taken overboard or too far. This got me thinking that even though my main reasons for starting this journey was to get healthy, I still do like the physical changes that I'm seeing. I mean, I liked how I looked before and I am now finding that I am liking how I'm looking even more!!! What will I think when I look at myself in 6/7 months from now, after losing more weight?? Will I be satisfied with what I see OR will I be saisfied enough with FEELING great and BEING healthy? Will I start picking at little things and wanting to change them - I certainly hope not.
I'm am learning so much on this journey and not just how to do a proper push-up and eat well balanced meals. I am learning that this journey is as much mental and spiritual as it is physical. My goal is to strive for that balance between the three: mental, spiritual and physical. Someone once told me in an email, "if you get your head right, your ass will follow!" and that always stuck in my mind. For me it will be, "if I get my HEAD and SPIRIT/HEART right, my ass will follow!!" I am striving for that balance.
Anyway, that's it...what are your comments on what we women want and why it's so hard to be satisfied..I don't know... am I being hypocritical even talking about this when I myself am not currently satisfied with how I am?? I know for me, physical appearance is very low on the list of "why I'm doing this" but it IS ON THE LIST. Would love to hear what you guys think....
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
I am so happy this week is over....I "almost" fell off the wagon a bit with that whole "Easter Bunny/chocolate eggs" fiasco. No big deal, as my trainer put it, "it did more to your head than your body so forget about it, it never happened!" and I like Patricia's comment that it's "FOUR-givable" :) **smiles** When I started this journey, I knew there would be bumps in the road and I'm thankful for all the support I have from you guys to help get me through - but no worries, I'm back on track!!
Anyway, I had a conversation with a few of my female friends at work today and found it so enlightening and rather fascinating. I told them I would write about it - not sure they believed me, but I'm a woman of my word!!
Somehow, we got on to the topic of weight and what we like/dislike about our physical appearances etc... One of my friends - and in the name of anonymity, let's call her "Coco". First off, let me describe her. Coco is stunning!! Tall, lean, beautiful, confident, amazing features, fashionable, a body most women would cut off a limb for and on top of that, she's smart, has an incredible sense of humour and just an all around nice person. Well guess what? She doesn't like her stomach - her incredibly flat (to me) stomach!When you could lift up your shirt and see ONE smooth surface instead of 2 or 3 bumps...you don't have a problem (lol- just bugging you Coco). She wants to lose a few pounds. I told her I wanted to smack her, she's hot so shut up!! (I love her, really I do).
However, the more I spoke to her and listened to her rationale, the more I could relate with what she was saying and realized that who the heck am I to tell her that she doesn't need to...if she wants to improve herself and do something that will make her feel better, then she should and I should encourage her. Even though I think she's fine the way she is, I realized this whole weight/image thing is all individual and as long as it's not something unhealthy, then cool. I'm sure some people think I'm nuts for embarking on MY journey. So thanks Coco.
My other friend who we'll call, "Paris" (heehee), I think she is equally beautiful. She has a great body, fashionable, friendly, confident, extremely talented, (I told you she was funny)! Of course we laughed but she was serious...now, I don't think she'll go to drastic measures for the sake of boobs but my point with sharing all this is that I found myself amongst what I considered 4 very beautiful women, but we all had an issue or issues with how we looked in some way or another and it got me thinking!! The other two didn't share there "flaws" (if you can even call it that) but they were nodding and in obvious agreement with what was being discussed. One of them - let's call her, "Lola" agreed with me that Coco is hot and does NOT need to lose weight. But I've had discussions with that Lola before, similar to this one, and I know she has some stuff that she doesn't like either. She is also a very beautiful, confident and smart woman - friendly and nice. I just don't get it!! I guess I'll never really know what we women want.
I guess we all have little things about ourselves that we'd like to change and that's okay as long as it's not taken overboard or too far. This got me thinking that even though my main reasons for starting this journey was to get healthy, I still do like the physical changes that I'm seeing. I mean, I liked how I looked before and I am now finding that I am liking how I'm looking even more!!! What will I think when I look at myself in 6/7 months from now, after losing more weight?? Will I be satisfied with what I see OR will I be saisfied enough with FEELING great and BEING healthy? Will I start picking at little things and wanting to change them - I certainly hope not.
I'm am learning so much on this journey and not just how to do a proper push-up and eat well balanced meals. I am learning that this journey is as much mental and spiritual as it is physical. My goal is to strive for that balance between the three: mental, spiritual and physical. Someone once told me in an email, "if you get your head right, your ass will follow!" and that always stuck in my mind. For me it will be, "if I get my HEAD and SPIRIT/HEART right, my ass will follow!!" I am striving for that balance.
Anyway, that's it...what are your comments on what we women want and why it's so hard to be satisfied..I don't know... am I being hypocritical even talking about this when I myself am not currently satisfied with how I am?? I know for me, physical appearance is very low on the list of "why I'm doing this" but it IS ON THE LIST. Would love to hear what you guys think....
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Sunday BLOG LOVE - GRATITUDE
Hi guys,
Today's post will be all about gratitude...
When I started on this journey almost 3 months ago, I had a few different sources of inspiration and reasons for embarking on this journey. Number 1, was my 2 year old son - getting healthy to be around for him and be able to play with him was top of my list. My husband and family - just to be around to enjoy life with them! My health - just to do it for me...I did not want to be young and unhealthy or unhealthy, period!!! A few of my friends had lost loads of weight before and they also inspired me beyond belief (Julie and Jude), and lastly, Rosy, a woman who embarked on a body transformation project and successfully achieved her goals; she blogged about it, although she was not the first to lose weight and/or do it publically, she and her blog were inspirational nonetheless. I've always loved keeping journals and diaries and decided I too would journalize my journey, only this time electronically!
I wanted to write today about all the fabulously wonderful and supportive individuals on weight loss journeys, transformation projects or simply attempting to get healthy!! These are individuals who regularly check in with me, comment on my blog; whose own blogs bring me such wonderful inspiration and motivation, support, tips and tricks, and sometimes just simple entertainment.
I've come to find out that there is a very large community of individuals who are "blogging to lose" (myself included)! This has been going on for years and years!! I've been lucky to make contact with quite a few individuals who've gone through the process (successfully and some trying for the second or third time); those who are currently going through the process (like myself) and those maintaining after being extremely successful in the process. Their blogs are so inspiring and entertaining! It's wonderful.
There are also several websites dedicated to blogging for weightloss and/or overall health, even blogger conferences!! It's all been amazing and rather enlightening to me. Anyway, I think it's high time I showed some love to these individuals as they have helped me so much along the way and some may not even realize just how much. Some people feel that they are alone in their journeys and projects but I'm here to say that you're not!! Also, I've been receiving so many comments from individuals complimenting me on my blog and wanting to know how to start one of their own. I figured it was a good time to write this and show them that there is support out there, if they want it!!
Well, I am certainly not the first to create a blog of this nature nor embark on this sort of journey; and from all the blogging friends I've met over the past few months, these types of blogs have been in existence for years and years! I'm not sure that we could even pinpoint the first person who started - if anyone out there knows who was the first body-transfoming-weightloss-journey-blogger, please share!!!!!
There are so many wonderful transformations and weight loss success stories, journeys and projects going on! It's great!! These blogs/bloggers act as wonderful support/inspirational system for me and many others worldwide. They comment on my posts, give me advice - especially when it's something that they themselves have already gone through or dealt with or currently going through. It's amazing. Sometimes it's as simple as just finding strength from one of their posts.
One of my favourite blogs is by FatBridesmaid. She is amazingly honest and candid, whitty and just always seems to have the right things to say. Every Tuesday, she hosts an open, "let's all watch the TV show Biggest Loser together" live blog/chat event. It's just fabulous and I enjoy it so much. Thanks FB.
Another blog which I try to read everyday, as it is such a wonderful source of honesty, inspiration, motivation and pure entertainment is the anti-jared. He is fabulous. This man lost over 200 pounds in a year and has the pictures to prove it, y'all!! He has a very keen sense of humour and I just love the way he writes. He is my daily dose of inspiration and sometimes humour!! His only flaw - he loves cauliflower...yuck!!! Thanks Tony!!
Speaking of sense of humour and whit, Karen from Fitcetera. First off, I just love her - I love that she is "crazy ass happy and hopes that everyone else is too!" She is very honest with her journey and owns up to it!! I look forward to her blog as she exudes strength and inspiration. Keep it going girl!! :)
There's a woman who lives in Japan and I just adore her blog, ADivaOnADiet. I love her outlook on life (especially spiritual) and the manner in which she chronicles her weightloss struggle as a whole. I love her candid approach as well - her blog is quite inspirational to me. Keep on keeping on, girl!
Another one of my fav's is TheVegNextDoor. Her blog is full of wonderful and delicious recipes. I go there frequently for food ideas and suggestions. She's kind enough to put up pics and ingredients on her site - great stuff and delicious. She's helped to make my cooking life a bit easier!! Her "Neat Balls"...YUMMY!!!! Thanks!
Speaking of yummy foods, on this blog, TheIncredibleShrinkingFamily has loads of healthy alternative recipes and mouth watering food pics and just an overall great blog for inspiration showing you how to get it done with your family!!
As you can see, I could go on and on. There are so many from which I draw inspiration that I will from time to time mention more of my fav's, there are sooo many...like NIA (but for whatever reason I can't link to her blog) she regular checks in with me and sends me encouraging notes, and I always look forward to her comments and suggestions -thanks Nia!
I really would like to mention all of you and hopefully I will get the opportunity in future posts. When I make it to that finish line, I hope you will all of be there with me so that we can all celebrate like it's nobody's business!! You guys are awesome.Although I am thankful for all these blogs and blogger support/friends, I can't say enough about all the support I receive from ALL of you (including my non-blogging friends)...SO THANK YOU!!! Anyway, just thankful to all the people who started these "blogs to lose", "journeys", "transformation projects", etc.etc..
I also want to thank my trainer Rob, who has just been amazingly helpful and more importantly available to me. Thanks for your suggestions, knowledge and ALWAYS cheering me on!
Until next time....
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
Today's post will be all about gratitude...
When I started on this journey almost 3 months ago, I had a few different sources of inspiration and reasons for embarking on this journey. Number 1, was my 2 year old son - getting healthy to be around for him and be able to play with him was top of my list. My husband and family - just to be around to enjoy life with them! My health - just to do it for me...I did not want to be young and unhealthy or unhealthy, period!!! A few of my friends had lost loads of weight before and they also inspired me beyond belief (Julie and Jude), and lastly, Rosy, a woman who embarked on a body transformation project and successfully achieved her goals; she blogged about it, although she was not the first to lose weight and/or do it publically, she and her blog were inspirational nonetheless. I've always loved keeping journals and diaries and decided I too would journalize my journey, only this time electronically!
I wanted to write today about all the fabulously wonderful and supportive individuals on weight loss journeys, transformation projects or simply attempting to get healthy!! These are individuals who regularly check in with me, comment on my blog; whose own blogs bring me such wonderful inspiration and motivation, support, tips and tricks, and sometimes just simple entertainment.
I've come to find out that there is a very large community of individuals who are "blogging to lose" (myself included)! This has been going on for years and years!! I've been lucky to make contact with quite a few individuals who've gone through the process (successfully and some trying for the second or third time); those who are currently going through the process (like myself) and those maintaining after being extremely successful in the process. Their blogs are so inspiring and entertaining! It's wonderful.
There are also several websites dedicated to blogging for weightloss and/or overall health, even blogger conferences!! It's all been amazing and rather enlightening to me. Anyway, I think it's high time I showed some love to these individuals as they have helped me so much along the way and some may not even realize just how much. Some people feel that they are alone in their journeys and projects but I'm here to say that you're not!! Also, I've been receiving so many comments from individuals complimenting me on my blog and wanting to know how to start one of their own. I figured it was a good time to write this and show them that there is support out there, if they want it!!
Well, I am certainly not the first to create a blog of this nature nor embark on this sort of journey; and from all the blogging friends I've met over the past few months, these types of blogs have been in existence for years and years! I'm not sure that we could even pinpoint the first person who started - if anyone out there knows who was the first body-transfoming-weightloss-journey-blogger, please share!!!!!
There are so many wonderful transformations and weight loss success stories, journeys and projects going on! It's great!! These blogs/bloggers act as wonderful support/inspirational system for me and many others worldwide. They comment on my posts, give me advice - especially when it's something that they themselves have already gone through or dealt with or currently going through. It's amazing. Sometimes it's as simple as just finding strength from one of their posts.
One of my favourite blogs is by FatBridesmaid. She is amazingly honest and candid, whitty and just always seems to have the right things to say. Every Tuesday, she hosts an open, "let's all watch the TV show Biggest Loser together" live blog/chat event. It's just fabulous and I enjoy it so much. Thanks FB.
Another blog which I try to read everyday, as it is such a wonderful source of honesty, inspiration, motivation and pure entertainment is the anti-jared. He is fabulous. This man lost over 200 pounds in a year and has the pictures to prove it, y'all!! He has a very keen sense of humour and I just love the way he writes. He is my daily dose of inspiration and sometimes humour!! His only flaw - he loves cauliflower...yuck!!! Thanks Tony!!
Speaking of sense of humour and whit, Karen from Fitcetera. First off, I just love her - I love that she is "crazy ass happy and hopes that everyone else is too!" She is very honest with her journey and owns up to it!! I look forward to her blog as she exudes strength and inspiration. Keep it going girl!! :)
There's a woman who lives in Japan and I just adore her blog, ADivaOnADiet. I love her outlook on life (especially spiritual) and the manner in which she chronicles her weightloss struggle as a whole. I love her candid approach as well - her blog is quite inspirational to me. Keep on keeping on, girl!
Another one of my fav's is TheVegNextDoor. Her blog is full of wonderful and delicious recipes. I go there frequently for food ideas and suggestions. She's kind enough to put up pics and ingredients on her site - great stuff and delicious. She's helped to make my cooking life a bit easier!! Her "Neat Balls"...YUMMY!!!! Thanks!
Speaking of yummy foods, on this blog, TheIncredibleShrinkingFamily has loads of healthy alternative recipes and mouth watering food pics and just an overall great blog for inspiration showing you how to get it done with your family!!
As you can see, I could go on and on. There are so many from which I draw inspiration that I will from time to time mention more of my fav's, there are sooo many...like NIA (but for whatever reason I can't link to her blog) she regular checks in with me and sends me encouraging notes, and I always look forward to her comments and suggestions -thanks Nia!
I really would like to mention all of you and hopefully I will get the opportunity in future posts. When I make it to that finish line, I hope you will all of be there with me so that we can all celebrate like it's nobody's business!! You guys are awesome.Although I am thankful for all these blogs and blogger support/friends, I can't say enough about all the support I receive from ALL of you (including my non-blogging friends)...SO THANK YOU!!! Anyway, just thankful to all the people who started these "blogs to lose", "journeys", "transformation projects", etc.etc..
I also want to thank my trainer Rob, who has just been amazingly helpful and more importantly available to me. Thanks for your suggestions, knowledge and ALWAYS cheering me on!
So for any of you out there looking to embark on your own weight loss or body transformation journeys, and/or want to start and maintain a blog while you progress - take comfort in the fact that even though you're not the first, you're not alone. There is lots of support out there.
Until next time....
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Healthy Eating...not so Tough!!!
I wrote this post after returning from my trip to Halifax a couple of weeks ago. I did not post until now as I was waiting to upload the pix - i used my camera phone and lets just say it took a little "doing" to figure it out!! So here it is!
For the duration of my stay, all of my meals (lunches and dinners) included seafood (usually fish) and veggies. It was wonderful. For breakfast, we ate at the restaurant in the hotel. I was so pleased to see that they had a "Healthy Breakfast" (see pic below) option on the menu. This is what I had every morning. It was great. It included 3 scrambled egg whites, a small bowl of oatmeal, a small bowl of fruit and 2 slices of whole wheat toast. I never ate the toast. After having the eggs and oatmeal, I was honestly stuffed. It was just wonderful. 
This a pic of two of my dinners...Top is grilled salmon, shrimp and veggies (zucchini, mushrooms. onions)....this was from a restaurant called Hibachi....just amazingly delicious! YUMMY!! The next pic is just broccoli and salmon...yummy....
Well, I passed my first big test. I went on a business trip and like in the past would be eating out everyday and for every meal!! How could I possibly stay on track and maintain my new healthy eating habits??? That was my biggest concern with this trip. Well to my surprise, it was relatively easy to stay on track. This healthy eating isn't so tough!!!I couldn't believe it! Did you know that most restaurants offer a healthy alternative to most of the items listed on their menus??? I don't know if this is the case everywhere, but certainly in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia!!
My colleague and I arrived in Halifax in time for lunch and we found this quaint little bistro style restaurant (McElvies) which was just fabulous. I had a grilled salmon salad (see pic below). It was a generous piece of grilled salmon served on top of a bed of fresh salad with a vinegarette dressing. It was delicious.
For the duration of my stay, all of my meals (lunches and dinners) included seafood (usually fish) and veggies. It was wonderful. For breakfast, we ate at the restaurant in the hotel. I was so pleased to see that they had a "Healthy Breakfast" (see pic below) option on the menu. This is what I had every morning. It was great. It included 3 scrambled egg whites, a small bowl of oatmeal, a small bowl of fruit and 2 slices of whole wheat toast. I never ate the toast. After having the eggs and oatmeal, I was honestly stuffed. It was just wonderful.
This a pic of two of my dinners...Top is grilled salmon, shrimp and veggies (zucchini, mushrooms. onions)....this was from a restaurant called Hibachi....just amazingly delicious! YUMMY!! The next pic is just broccoli and salmon...yummy....
I did catch a cold while I was there and one morning I thought maybe I needed to up my vitamin C, so I ordered a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice in additional to my usual glass of water. I took my first sip and found that it was so ridiculously sweet that it wasn't even enjoyable. I did not finish it. My water tasted so much better. I'm noticing so many changes in my taste buds - it's crazy! Sweet, not enjoyable??? I never before thought that was possible.
Anyway, just wanted to share that I found it very easy to make healthy food choices while eating out. I had a wonderful dinner at another place. It was steamed halibut, baked sweet potato slices and steamed veggies (unfortunately, it's one of a couple of pix which I guess I did not save properly). It was sooooo good! I also had a lobster dinner one night ( a 2lb stemed lobster, grilled asparagus and sauteed mushroom and onions!! So fabulous.
I must admit that i had two martinis while I was there...that same night, I emailed my trainer to confess my sins...the guilt was killing me!!! I was so surprised at his response, "consider it a treat, since you were so good with your eating and exercising!!' I felt so much better!! Anyway, I ended up losing 2 pounds, so no harm done!!
So, I did good!!!
Until next time....
Joania (2KMINE!!)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Somebody Really Pissed Me Off Today!!!!!!!!!
I apologize in advance for this lenghty rant but I really felt it was necessary and I would really appreciate your comments on this one. Thanks. If I'm wrong, please let me know!
So I got an email today and to be honest, it really just pissed me off...I know of no other way to put it. It just pissed me off!! The sender did not want to be identified and sent this message to my personal inbox(which I don't have a problem with)..I will respect that individual's wishes and not identify him/her. I did let that person know that I would be writing about this in my blog, and I did make my feelings of "pissiness" (is that a word?) clear in my response. I asked the individual if they'd object to me posting their email anonymously so that all could see - he/she (lets name this person "Sunny") did not want that. I don't mind if people don't agree with what I'm doing/saying/writing and want to voice that - I'm fine with it. I do moderate all comments, however so far I've allowed 100% of the comments posted to this blog. The only time I won't allow it is if it's degrading, derrogatory or malicious and would offend others. I will also respond to it directly, especially if it's warranted as I did in this case.
Anyway, "Sunny" started off by complimenting me on my efforts in embarking on this journey and then went into the longest "HOWEVER" I think I've ever seen. I won't copy and paste the entire message, but will summarize one of Sunny's key points from that message - this is the one that really pissed me off. Okay, I said I wouldn't copy and paste the entire message but the quote below is a direct quote which I copied and pasted...I was attempting to summarize it but felt I would change the meaning if it wasn't left exactly as said...Sunny is not identified so I don't see the big deal. Message to Sunny : if you have a problem with this, please feel free to email me - we can discuss further.
Quote taken from email message:
"I think you're wrong to associate weight with health. Being fat doesn't mean that you are not healthy and I just don't think you should be promoting publically that you are attempting to conform to someone else's beauty standard despite being healthy. You wanting to lose 101 pounds seems a bit out there and I think it sends the wrong message"
My Disclaimer: I've already admitted that this message pissed me off ( a lot!) and this response will be very honest and straight to the point - I always speak my mind, and it will be no different here!!
I must admit, I did not know where exactly to start in responding to this - I just had so many things to say; some harsh and some not. But here goes:
I want to assure you that I have never conformed to someone else's beauty standard and take great offense at the thought of anyone thinking that this was my reason for embarking on this journey. Frankly, if you read my blog or knew me, you would see how ridiculous a statement that was!! I've said it before (a few times in the blog actually) and I'll say it again. I have never ever looked at myself negatively. I am one of the most positive and confident people you could ever come across - I owe that to my mom who pretty well told me every day how beautiful I was...and I AM beautiful, matter of fact, I'm fine as hell!!! My reasons for doing this are so far from esthetic, you may not believe it. MY REASONS!! MY REASONS!! No one else's. If someone looks in the mirror and decides they want to embark on a similar journey because they want to LOOK better or they don't like the way THEY currently LOOK and want to improve on that, and most importantly are taking healthy steps (doing it the right way) to achieve those goals, then who are you or anyone for that matter to look down or speak negatively to that individual??? What's wrong with trying to improve yourself for YOURSELF?? Nothing!! Not a damn thing. What's wrong with trying to improve your health?
Also, I do want to improve how I look. I no longer want to see rolls of fat when I wear my clothes!!! I no longer want to wear spanx and gurdles to have the appearance of a flat stomach!! I want to cross my legs when I sit and be comfortable instead of having to sit to one side to do it!! I no longer want to feel "things" shaking AFTER I've stopped laughing!! That's my damn business!! :)
Don't get me wrong, I am quite aware of what's going on in this world with serious circumstances and situations having to do with anorexia and or bulimia and other eating and image disorders and the significant impact it's having on numerous women (young and old). Rest assured, this is not the case here and no where in my blog am I "publically promoting" this. Get your facts straight before you start with your nonsense!
This is MY PERSONAL JOURNEY TO LOSE WEIGHT AND GET HEALTHY!!! I didn't associate weight with health. I associated MY WEIGHT with MY HEALTH. You went on to say that there are lots of fat people out there who are healthy and that I was wrong to associate health and weight. I say good for them...my issue is that THIS FAT PERSON WAS NOT HEALTHY!!! I can only speak for myself. I cannot be healthy and fat, for me that's bullcrap (I wanted to use a different word here, but that one will have to do). At my fattest, why the hell could I barely walk up my stairs at home without feeling like I was dying for air??? I doubt it's because I was so healthy! Why could I only play with my son in the park for a few short minutes before needing to rest/catch my breath????? Because I was fat and healthy?? Give me a break! I have health issues that are directly related to my weight and since losing just 25 pounds, my doctor and I have started noticing huge improvements with some of those health issues.
I've already personally had my battle with cancer!! My mother died of cancer at the age of 37!!! She was overweight. I'm not saying she got cancer because she was overweight, but what I am saying is that I am directly at risk, it's in my gene pool. Why would I not do any and everything I could to ensure that I was as healthy as possible? Wouldn't I be in a better situation to FIGHT and kick the crap out of cancer if I was as healthy as possible if it decides to come back my way??!! I currently have fibroids which are related to being overweight and thankfully are non-cancerous. Those growths have started to reduce in size since I started losing weight!! You need to just back your shit up....cause where my story is concerned, you don't have a clue!
I think what I am "publicly promoting" is how a regular person with all of life's ups and downs and ins and outs can achieve a weightloss goal by using proper exercise and healthy meal plans and maintain a healthy lifestyle. THAT's ALL I'M PROMOTING!!! So if you see something else, I just don't know where you're getting it! How is me attempting to show people how to get healthy following the right tools sending the wrong message??? What would you say if I was telling people to starve themselves and don't exercise, take pills etc to lose weight? Get real!!
This is one of things that bugs me about people. I understand that everyone has their opinions and that's fine, but don't start making ridiculous statements without having the facts or knowing the full story!!
Anyway, I had to get that off my chest (and there was more, but I responded to Sunny directly). I am on my lifelong journey and more motivated and determined than ever to reach my goals which includes LOSING WEIGHT, GETTING HEALTHY, MAINTAINING THAT HEALTHY LIFESTYLE and FINDING THAT ALL IMPORTANT MENTAL, PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL BALANCE!!
Sorry for the rant today guys. As always, thanks for your support. I'll look forward to your comments!
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!)
So I got an email today and to be honest, it really just pissed me off...I know of no other way to put it. It just pissed me off!! The sender did not want to be identified and sent this message to my personal inbox(which I don't have a problem with)..I will respect that individual's wishes and not identify him/her. I did let that person know that I would be writing about this in my blog, and I did make my feelings of "pissiness" (is that a word?) clear in my response. I asked the individual if they'd object to me posting their email anonymously so that all could see - he/she (lets name this person "Sunny") did not want that. I don't mind if people don't agree with what I'm doing/saying/writing and want to voice that - I'm fine with it. I do moderate all comments, however so far I've allowed 100% of the comments posted to this blog. The only time I won't allow it is if it's degrading, derrogatory or malicious and would offend others. I will also respond to it directly, especially if it's warranted as I did in this case.
Anyway, "Sunny" started off by complimenting me on my efforts in embarking on this journey and then went into the longest "HOWEVER" I think I've ever seen. I won't copy and paste the entire message, but will summarize one of Sunny's key points from that message - this is the one that really pissed me off. Okay, I said I wouldn't copy and paste the entire message but the quote below is a direct quote which I copied and pasted...I was attempting to summarize it but felt I would change the meaning if it wasn't left exactly as said...Sunny is not identified so I don't see the big deal. Message to Sunny : if you have a problem with this, please feel free to email me - we can discuss further.
Quote taken from email message:
"I think you're wrong to associate weight with health. Being fat doesn't mean that you are not healthy and I just don't think you should be promoting publically that you are attempting to conform to someone else's beauty standard despite being healthy. You wanting to lose 101 pounds seems a bit out there and I think it sends the wrong message"
My Disclaimer: I've already admitted that this message pissed me off ( a lot!) and this response will be very honest and straight to the point - I always speak my mind, and it will be no different here!!
I must admit, I did not know where exactly to start in responding to this - I just had so many things to say; some harsh and some not. But here goes:
I want to assure you that I have never conformed to someone else's beauty standard and take great offense at the thought of anyone thinking that this was my reason for embarking on this journey. Frankly, if you read my blog or knew me, you would see how ridiculous a statement that was!! I've said it before (a few times in the blog actually) and I'll say it again. I have never ever looked at myself negatively. I am one of the most positive and confident people you could ever come across - I owe that to my mom who pretty well told me every day how beautiful I was...and I AM beautiful, matter of fact, I'm fine as hell!!! My reasons for doing this are so far from esthetic, you may not believe it. MY REASONS!! MY REASONS!! No one else's. If someone looks in the mirror and decides they want to embark on a similar journey because they want to LOOK better or they don't like the way THEY currently LOOK and want to improve on that, and most importantly are taking healthy steps (doing it the right way) to achieve those goals, then who are you or anyone for that matter to look down or speak negatively to that individual??? What's wrong with trying to improve yourself for YOURSELF?? Nothing!! Not a damn thing. What's wrong with trying to improve your health?
Also, I do want to improve how I look. I no longer want to see rolls of fat when I wear my clothes!!! I no longer want to wear spanx and gurdles to have the appearance of a flat stomach!! I want to cross my legs when I sit and be comfortable instead of having to sit to one side to do it!! I no longer want to feel "things" shaking AFTER I've stopped laughing!! That's my damn business!! :)
Don't get me wrong, I am quite aware of what's going on in this world with serious circumstances and situations having to do with anorexia and or bulimia and other eating and image disorders and the significant impact it's having on numerous women (young and old). Rest assured, this is not the case here and no where in my blog am I "publically promoting" this. Get your facts straight before you start with your nonsense!
This is MY PERSONAL JOURNEY TO LOSE WEIGHT AND GET HEALTHY!!! I didn't associate weight with health. I associated MY WEIGHT with MY HEALTH. You went on to say that there are lots of fat people out there who are healthy and that I was wrong to associate health and weight. I say good for them...my issue is that THIS FAT PERSON WAS NOT HEALTHY!!! I can only speak for myself. I cannot be healthy and fat, for me that's bullcrap (I wanted to use a different word here, but that one will have to do). At my fattest, why the hell could I barely walk up my stairs at home without feeling like I was dying for air??? I doubt it's because I was so healthy! Why could I only play with my son in the park for a few short minutes before needing to rest/catch my breath????? Because I was fat and healthy?? Give me a break! I have health issues that are directly related to my weight and since losing just 25 pounds, my doctor and I have started noticing huge improvements with some of those health issues.
I've already personally had my battle with cancer!! My mother died of cancer at the age of 37!!! She was overweight. I'm not saying she got cancer because she was overweight, but what I am saying is that I am directly at risk, it's in my gene pool. Why would I not do any and everything I could to ensure that I was as healthy as possible? Wouldn't I be in a better situation to FIGHT and kick the crap out of cancer if I was as healthy as possible if it decides to come back my way??!! I currently have fibroids which are related to being overweight and thankfully are non-cancerous. Those growths have started to reduce in size since I started losing weight!! You need to just back your shit up....cause where my story is concerned, you don't have a clue!
I think what I am "publicly promoting" is how a regular person with all of life's ups and downs and ins and outs can achieve a weightloss goal by using proper exercise and healthy meal plans and maintain a healthy lifestyle. THAT's ALL I'M PROMOTING!!! So if you see something else, I just don't know where you're getting it! How is me attempting to show people how to get healthy following the right tools sending the wrong message??? What would you say if I was telling people to starve themselves and don't exercise, take pills etc to lose weight? Get real!!
This is one of things that bugs me about people. I understand that everyone has their opinions and that's fine, but don't start making ridiculous statements without having the facts or knowing the full story!!
Anyway, I had to get that off my chest (and there was more, but I responded to Sunny directly). I am on my lifelong journey and more motivated and determined than ever to reach my goals which includes LOSING WEIGHT, GETTING HEALTHY, MAINTAINING THAT HEALTHY LIFESTYLE and FINDING THAT ALL IMPORTANT MENTAL, PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL BALANCE!!
Sorry for the rant today guys. As always, thanks for your support. I'll look forward to your comments!
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!)
Monday, February 16, 2009
This New Way of Eating is $aving Me Money!!
I've heard quite a few people say how expensive it is to eat healthy. Well, now that I've been doing this for awhile (3 months), I can honestly say that I DISAGREE with that statement - if anything, I've saved so much money. Now this may vary from person to person but for me...I've never before kept cash in my wallet for this long!! In the past, when I went to the ATM, took out some cash - say $20 or $40 bucks....it would be done in two days and sometimes even sooner. Now, I take $40 bucks out of the machine and a week later, that same $40 bucks is still sitting in my wallet!! This is what used to happen...
Monday morning, I would take $40 bucks out of the machine. I RARELY brought my lunch to work, much less snacks!! There's a cafeteria in my building and several vending machines which fed me on a daily basis!! I would get to work and buy my breakfast which usually was a fried egg and cheese sandwich or bagel, egg and cheese, with a bottle of juice and a muffin (for later - who am I fooling? I ate that muffin as a morning dessert!!). There went about 7-8 dollars. By mid morning, I'd grab a coke (I know it sounds disgusting having a pop so early, but it was a bad habit at the time - and more common than one might think). That's another $1.50 or $2.00 depending on the size (can or bottle). That's $10 bucks and I hadn't even had lunch yet.
Lunch would usually be around 9-11 dollars and would comprise of a mixture of items from the buffet (chicken, fries, some sort of pasta, pizza, corn and a couple pieces of vegetable- covered in dressing). Don't get me wrong, there were healthy options like the salad bar and wraps but I never really went there - the buffet was always more appealing! Running total $18 -$20 and the day was not over...
I would always have an afternoon snack which was usually a chocolate bar or a Jos Louis (moon pie), some sort of sweet cake or tart and it was always around 2:30/3:00 o'clock!! Never failed. That's about $2-$3 dollars. So you get my drift...I would spend between $20 to $25 dollars each day on food,THAT's $100 to $125 A WEEK!!! FOR ONE PERSON ...and that does not include supper and whatever may come later...it was CRAZY!!!. There is light at this expensive tunnel, y'all!!
So now, I spend about $40-$60 dollars a week buying tons of fresh veggies and lean healthy meats and foods for me AND my family!! That's a $40 to $60 dollar saving on a weekly basis!!I'd say 90% of the time I bring my lunch and snacks to work. I've also cut out alcohol from my diet. I'm saving major mullah here. My vegetarian husband does not drink so I was the only one consuming all that "special juice" - usually Heineken or Wine or vodka, which I used to make my fruity calorie-loaded drink mixes! So overall, I am saving a ton of cash.
I've decided to take $20 bucks a week from these savings and treat myself. Some days I'll save it up to get something really good (purse, boots) or put it towards my New Wardrobe Fund - which I will need at the end of my goal!!
So that's it...just wanted to share that there's even more than health and fitness to gain when you adopt a healthy lifestyle - you can save money too!! :)
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!)
Monday morning, I would take $40 bucks out of the machine. I RARELY brought my lunch to work, much less snacks!! There's a cafeteria in my building and several vending machines which fed me on a daily basis!! I would get to work and buy my breakfast which usually was a fried egg and cheese sandwich or bagel, egg and cheese, with a bottle of juice and a muffin (for later - who am I fooling? I ate that muffin as a morning dessert!!). There went about 7-8 dollars. By mid morning, I'd grab a coke (I know it sounds disgusting having a pop so early, but it was a bad habit at the time - and more common than one might think). That's another $1.50 or $2.00 depending on the size (can or bottle). That's $10 bucks and I hadn't even had lunch yet.
Lunch would usually be around 9-11 dollars and would comprise of a mixture of items from the buffet (chicken, fries, some sort of pasta, pizza, corn and a couple pieces of vegetable- covered in dressing). Don't get me wrong, there were healthy options like the salad bar and wraps but I never really went there - the buffet was always more appealing! Running total $18 -$20 and the day was not over...
I would always have an afternoon snack which was usually a chocolate bar or a Jos Louis (moon pie), some sort of sweet cake or tart and it was always around 2:30/3:00 o'clock!! Never failed. That's about $2-$3 dollars. So you get my drift...I would spend between $20 to $25 dollars each day on food,THAT's $100 to $125 A WEEK!!! FOR ONE PERSON ...and that does not include supper and whatever may come later...it was CRAZY!!!. There is light at this expensive tunnel, y'all!!
So now, I spend about $40-$60 dollars a week buying tons of fresh veggies and lean healthy meats and foods for me AND my family!! That's a $40 to $60 dollar saving on a weekly basis!!I'd say 90% of the time I bring my lunch and snacks to work. I've also cut out alcohol from my diet. I'm saving major mullah here. My vegetarian husband does not drink so I was the only one consuming all that "special juice" - usually Heineken or Wine or vodka, which I used to make my fruity calorie-loaded drink mixes! So overall, I am saving a ton of cash.
I've decided to take $20 bucks a week from these savings and treat myself. Some days I'll save it up to get something really good (purse, boots) or put it towards my New Wardrobe Fund - which I will need at the end of my goal!!
So that's it...just wanted to share that there's even more than health and fitness to gain when you adopt a healthy lifestyle - you can save money too!! :)
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!)
Friday, February 13, 2009
Two Month Anniversary Pics
Hi everyone,
It's been TWO MONTHS!!!! Two Months and 25 POUNDS less!!! That's more than 10 pounds per month AND I'm doing it the right way with proper nutrition and exercise - no quick tricks, just hard work and dedication. There is NO turning back now. I am so pleased and proud that I have been able to last this long and I have no doubt I will make it to the end!! This is the longest I've ever TRULY and HONESTLY committed to losing weight and getting healthy!!! I really feel like I am on my way to making this a permanent lifestyle change. The longer I do this, the harder it will be for me to go back to my old ways and I'm thrilled about that because I DO NOT want to go back!!
SIDE: (Top: Jan 10/09 - 242 lbs, Bottom: Feb 13/09 - 233 lbs)
It's been TWO MONTHS!!!! Two Months and 25 POUNDS less!!! That's more than 10 pounds per month AND I'm doing it the right way with proper nutrition and exercise - no quick tricks, just hard work and dedication. There is NO turning back now. I am so pleased and proud that I have been able to last this long and I have no doubt I will make it to the end!! This is the longest I've ever TRULY and HONESTLY committed to losing weight and getting healthy!!! I really feel like I am on my way to making this a permanent lifestyle change. The longer I do this, the harder it will be for me to go back to my old ways and I'm thrilled about that because I DO NOT want to go back!!
I feel amazing, full of energy!! I'm feeling so much stronger especially during and after my workouts! It's awesome!
To be totally honest, I don't see a huge difference like in the last pics but I do feel smaller and stronger and for now that's important to me.
What I've Noticed...
The Front Shots: My stomach, hips and legs are a bit smaller, less fat on my chest, under my neck area
The Side Shots: My stomach (especially the lower abs area), less rolls, butt's smaller, thighs just a bit smaller
The Back Shots: My waist and hips are a bit smaller, things feel different, I feel like everything is falling down wards! My legs appear bigger this month - I dunno!!
The Fun Shots: My arms seem smaller and shoulders more defined, thigh is smaller and starting to get some definition, my butt is definitely getting smaller.
Anyway, really anxious to hear what you guys think. I'm hoping that next month's pics will show much Bigger changes!
Anyway, here are the pics. I've posted last month's to compare to this month's!
FRONT (Top: Jan 10/09 - 242 lbs, Bottom: Feb 13/09 - 233 lbs)
SIDE: (Top: Jan 10/09 - 242 lbs, Bottom: Feb 13/09 - 233 lbs)
BACK (Top: Jan 10/09 - 242 lbs, Bottom: Feb 13/09 - 233 lbs)
FUN (Top: Jan 10/09 - 242 lbs, Bottom: Feb 13/09 - 233 lbs)
Until next time...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)
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