Saturday Weigh-In ~ Week 53!!!!!!!!!!

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 170 lbs (Dec 12/09)
Current Weight: 169 lbs (Dec 19/09)
This Week: 1 POUND GONE!!!
Total Loss: 89 pounds!

Hi everyone!!!

THIS IS MY FIRST WEIGH-IN OF THE MAINTENANCE JOURNEY!!! I LOST 1 POUND!!!! I am so very pleased, at best, I was hoping to maintain or even accept a maximum 2 pound gain after the week I've had. I think what saved me from gaining (and even permitted the loss) was that I never missed a workout and I made sure I had healthy meals as much as possible. I had CAREFUL FUN with my meals.

I did have quite a few drinks at the 3-4 events I attended in the past 10 days and this would not normally be the case - it's the festive season. I will definitely be maintaining this regime and enjoying myself through the holidays but come January 2nd, I'm back on the journey path...HARDCORE!! I've got quite a few plans for this upcoming year!! 2010 won't know what hit it!! LOL!!

I can't believe I'm in the 160's...that's just amazing to me. Anyway, I've got a lot to do today so this will be a quick post. Just wanted to let you all know that THE JOURNEY CONTINUES!!!

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

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BLOGGIES!!!

Oh how I've missed you! :)

Okay, so Sunday was a total write-off!! I was wiped!!! I couldn't function the entire day!!! So that just pushed things back one day...I DID NOTHING!! :)

Let me start from the beginning!! First off, I want to thank everyone who came out and celebrated with me on Saturday night. I had a wonderful evening and lots of fun. Thanks also to all of you who were with me "in spirit"!! I felt the love..Thanks!! :))

The Gifts:

Although all I wanted was your company, quite a few of you brought and sent gifts. Absolutely overwhelmed and over the moon with happiness. Thank you. See pix below... so beautiful. I love the quote on that journal; "life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that takes your breath away!"


I really spoiled myself that day:

• I got my hair done at Miss Gail's - thank you Abby for hooking it up, I LOVE THE CUT.

• I got my nails done in Orleans ( at a great new place that opened recently called "Nice One Nails" - loved the name so I had to check it out. They were great - thanks Jennifer).

• I got my make-up done by MAC.

• I bought a new dress and new shoes!!!

Yeah!!! I felt amazing!! Even though it was freezing cold, I decided to wear the "little" dress anyway!! It's a SIZE 13!!!! SIZE 13!!!!! One year ago, I wore a size 18/20 dress and size 22 pants!!!! Now, I'm in a teeny little size 13 dress. When I picked it up off the rack, I looked at it and thought, "oh hell no, there's no way this little thing will fit over my butt!!" I tried it on anyway and to my delirious surprise, IT FIT!!

OH btw, my camera died with the first picture I attempted to take at the restaurant so these pics were taken by my friend Coco (and her beau) - thanks guys. I am still awaiting a second set of pics from my other girlfriend. Will post as soon as I receive them - I was kind of hoping I'd have them prior to this post, but no biggie!!

Anyway, here I am all dolled up (before removing the little sweater):



I will post more shots once I get the pics from my other friend. In the meantime, I've posted about 50 pics from this set of pictures on the Event page on the Facebook group (Joania's Weight Loss Journey) so you could check them out there. I also created an album on my Facebook page.

My trainer Rob came to the celebration dinner as well, with his beautiful girlfriend (sorry ladies - but at least she's beautiful inside and out). Anyway, I was so happy that he was able to make it as I truly believe that this was "our" celebration and not just mine. Here are some pics.

The student (yours truly) and the Teacher (my trainer Rob):



I tried to get a shot with each person as they came in so I will have quite a few more pics to post and I will as soon as I receive the other batch of pictures.

Dinner & Cocktails

Believe it or not, I had a pretty healthy meal. Blackened salmon, steamed veggies and dirty rice (rice mixed with ground beef, sausage, spices etc - creole style). Anyway, I ate the salmon and veggies and had literally one fork full of rice. I didn't even have dessert!! Not by choice, I was too busy consuming cocktails!! Lol!!! Cosmos and Jack Daniel shooters - now you know why Sunday was just a total write-off for me. But I was on such a high and simply had an amazing, incredible night!!! After the restaurant, I went to a dance club with a couple of friends and had a few more drinks there as well!! WOW!! What a night...my husband pretty well carried me home!! LOL!!! It was awesome!!

What Next??

Well, as much as I enjoyed my night, I knew I had to get right back on my wagon and I did!! Monday I woke up at 530am and hit the weights like usual...I had a renewed sense of power as I lifted each dumb bell!!It was phenomenal. I really do enjoy weight lifting. I just feel so strong.

After, I made breakfast and had an egg white omlet with veggies and a big cup of water. Got on with my day. At lunch time, I hit the dojo (gym) for my kickboxing class and worked it out!!! Ingrid really brought it with the cardio. I rocked it!! At 430, I was back for a second round of kickboxing!! I just felt like I had so much energy on Monday and wanted to take advantage of that and totally make it count and that I did!!

I had a slice of pizza for lunch - it was a team pizza lunch to help me celebrate my year anniversary on this incredible journey - where normally I would have eaten a minimum of 4 slices of pizza, I was quite content with 1 slice ...that was part of the reason I added the additional kickboxing session on that day. I felt really good. I ate healthy meals and consumed approx 4 litres of water for the rest of that day.

Today, Tuesday, I ate very well and had an amazing Jiu-jitsu (JJ) class with Sensei Derek and I have the bruises to prove it!! :) JJ class is getting increasingly more difficult and challenging as we learn more intricate techniques. It's really cool, I'm really learning some cool stuff and those break falls that once scared the living daylights out of me are not so bad anymore. I could see the amazing progress that I'm making!! Simply amazing - I am loving martial arts!! It's fun, bruises, pain, submission holds, throws and all!!

So I'm just continuing on with life, health and fitness. That's my plan for now. I am thinking of a bunch of new goals for 2010 and I'll tell you this, I really plan to challenge and push myself to my max. I truly want to see how far I could take this!! I'm excited!! More details to come...

So that's it for now...working on some new things but as always, you will be the first to know!!

Let me know what you think of the pics so far!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY - WE MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! WE DID IT!! ONE YEAR BABY!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I AM ON 2 CLOUDS RIGHT NOW!!!

I was planning a big long reflective post today, but I decided to do it after - kind of like a "My Year in Review" type of post. I will do that next week, after I've had time to soak up all this AWESOMENESS!!! :)

I stepped on the scale this morning and it read, 171!!!!!!!!!! Yeah!! That's 2 more pounds down!!! WOOT!!! WOOT!!!!

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS IN 1 YEAR: 87 POUNDS and counting!!! I WEIGH 171 lbs!!!

My Measurements:

BODY PART |DEC 2008 | DEC 2009

WEIGHT| 258 | 171

Neck |16.0 |14

Chest | 48.5 | 40.5

Right Arm | 15.5| 13.5

Left Arm |16.5 | 14.0

Waist |44.5 |37

Hips |50.0| 45.0

Thighs |30.0 |25.0

Shoe Size | 10 | 8.5 - 9

Bra Size |44DD | 38D


10 Things I've Noticed:

1. I've got some excess skin going on...tummy, booty, arms and thighs - I will be working very hard to tone up in 2010!! :)
2. Gravity is NOT my friend...things are sagging downwards ..the "girls" are not as "quick to say hi" anymore - there more like, "yeah, whatever!" :)
3. My skin is so much more clear...nothing like taking the toxic chemicals out of your system!
4. My hair is growing so nicely - thick and healthy!! Well, before I cut it all off, that is!! :) It's still very healthy.
5. It's kind of funny that I no longer have "bad knees"!! Those who've known me for years know that I always complained about knee pain. I guess taking 87 pounds off did the trick! :)
6. I have SO MUCH more energy!!! It really isn't a cliché.
7. I am happier.
8. It's hard to get going, but once you get to that start line, it's all good!!
9. Preparation is the key!
10. The journey NEVER ends! :)
    

OKAY, OKAY, THE PIX...I'm nervous..

Below you will see current pictures of me in the same outfit that I first took my "starting" pics back on Dec 10, 2008!!!!!!!!!! I have also posted some other "before" pics in which I've attempted to replicate the look to really show the changes and threw in a few "AFTER" shots. My husband and I had a bit of fun with the pix!! I can't wait for your comments!!!

BEFORE & AFTER: NO WORDS, JUST PICTURES.....
















Just For Fun!

Well that's it y'all!!!!! I know that I still have a lot of work to do but I AM UP FOR IT!! 2010 will be the year of completion and fine tuning!! What do you think? WHOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!! ! 1 YEAR BABY!! I DID IT!! ! HEY ROB, I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Joania (2KMINE!!)

Day 22 of My 30 Day Countdown

I missed my Jiu-jitsu class today. You know, I've mentioned before that this new way of living has given me a new lease on life, new perspective and a lot more courage. I'm taking a lot more chances, setting high goals and GOING AFTER THEM FULL FORCE!!!

One of the things I've always contemplated with my career is to go into management and for whatever the reason, I never felt that I was ready until now!! So a couple months ago, I applied to a management process. This is quite a difficult process to go through. Every year, there are approximately 1000 applicants which will eventually be dwindled down to 50-75 participants!! Well I decided to GO FOR IT. I was recently screened into the process and today (this morning) wrote my first test. The way I feel about it is simple, whether or not I succeed isn't really what is driving me (don't get me wrong, my goal is to SUCCEED), however, if I don't I will be proud of myself for actually taking the step forward to try to get it done - and I would probably try again. I'll keep you posted.

So anyway, the testing lasted until 12:00 noon so I unfortunately missed my JJ class today. I ate very well today -healthy, even brought my snack (almonds and water) to the testing so I could stick to the plan. I'm feeling really great. My colleague and I actually walked back to work afterwards. It was about a 20 min walk. Not a big deal, but a year ago, I would have DEFINITELY cabbed it back to work! :)

I'm getting so many emails and messages from people telling me that they can't wait to see me and my pix. I'm getting kinda nervous! I know there's a HUGE difference in my appearance. I run into people who haven't seen me in a while quite frequently and they tell me how different I look and how much weight I've lost. My awesome friends tell me all the time (especially my friends Kim and Linda) who would never lie to me, good or bad!! I am writing a post about the two of them and what they did - will post in a few days!

Anyway, I notice a difference especially as I've been going through a lot of "BEFORE" pictures and I myself am amazed at the differences. I mean, I'm not like "Biggest Loser" small, but I think I've done a great job this past year and as I've said all along, the journey continues - it only gets better from here!

Anyway, it's late - I really need to get to bed!! NINE DAYS TO GO!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!

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

Weigh-in Saturday ~ Week 50

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 177 lbs (Nov 21/09)
Current Weight: 175 lbs (Nov 28/09)
This Week: 2 FABULOUS POUNDS GONE!!!!
Total Loss: 83 pounds!!

Wow!! Week 50!! Only 2 official weigh-ins left!! Incredible! This week, I lost another 2 pounds and I'm thrilled!!! It's just awesome. I weigh 175!! I don't remember ever weighing 175. I feel amazing. I'm at about a size 14 right now, even 12 in certain clothes. I think I look really good. I'm not super thin or anything....just healthy which is all that matters to me at this point.

With only 2 official weigh-ins left, I know that I will not hit the "101 pounds" mark and I don't care. I remember at the start of the journey, I was doing some research to find out what I "should" weigh for my height - my ideal weight. I found out that for my 5'5 frame, being female, I should weigh 136 pounds!! 136 pounds!! I remember thinking to myself, "yeah right, 136 pounds!!" So I then just decided I would try to lose 101 pounds - why 101? I have no clue....there was no logic or strategy - it was literally the first number that popped in my head. Losing 101 would take me to 157 pounds.

Now that I can look at my body after losing 83 pounds, and assess how I feel, strength and health wise, I think I would be fine with maintaining a weight ranging between 145 and 155 pounds. This will be my lifelong goal. To be consistent with my training and nutrition in order to keep me at a healthy 145 to 155. That would give me 10 pounds to play with. I will be turning 36 on February 27, 2010 and I am now setting a new goal of weighing 150 by that date. That's 25 pounds away - I CAN DO IT! This will give me the incentive I need to stay motivated and focused. After that, I will be setting new goals, different goals that do not center so much on weight, rather on fitness and health. I think my first non-weight related goal will be to start training for a triathalon (a mini one - i think they're called "Try-a-Tri") and then possibly a 10K run - who knows?? The sky's the limit! :)

I was in the mirror flexing my arm muscles today and laughing at how silly I looked.LOL! But I've gotta tell you - I feel SO STRONG!! I have some loose skin on my arms (and tummy and legs) BUT, that strong rock hard arm (and abs and legs) is under there and you can see it!! Pictures in 2 weeks...

My journey will not stop after the next two weigh-ins. I have totally changed my life and lifestyle for the better and have done so many wonderful things because of it...AND WILL CONTINUE to be able to do even more wonderful things!! Can't wait for tomorrow, and the day after!! :)

Have a great weekend!!

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

An Article on My Journey

Hi everyone,

I received an email from a writer/journalist, a few days ago requesting an interview with yours truly. The topic would be health and fitness, my journey etc.

I responded to a series of questions and the article was written. Please check it out here:

http://hartwellsottawa.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/joania-burnett-blogging-for-weight-loss/#more-308

I really like this article and the way it was written. Thank you Britt! :)

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

Weigh-in Saturday ~ Week 47

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 187 lbs (Oct 31/09)
Current Weight: 185 lbs (Nov 7/09)
This Week: 2 more pounds Down!!!

Total Loss: 73 pounds!!

I lost 2 pounds this week!! Yeah!! Next week I KNOW that I will lose more than two pounds!! I'm going to WILL it and put in the work to make it happen. This was my first week with the new weight training program and although I gave 100%, it's a new program so I was focused on ensuring that I had the correct form and adjust my weight as necessary. I've done it 3 times now, so I'm GOOD TO GO for next week!! I'm going to ROCK it out!! I'm excited!

ONLY 5 Weigh-ins LEFT!! 28 POUNDS TO GO!!! 5 Weeks of intense, hardcore, bad ass training and clean eating!!!! 2 more pounds to shed until the big 75 pound loss!!! This is awesome! This journey is almost over, but the lifestyle has JUST BEGUN!! :)

WOW!! I am truly amazed at how quickly this year has gone by, especially the last few months!! It's incredible how far I've come on this journey and all the amazing things that have happened to me!I still can't believe I got to work with ParticipACTION and it's amazing staff (especially Katherine)!!! I met and hung out with an Olympian (Sue Hollaway), ParticipACTION President and CEO Kelly Murumets and Vice President of Sun Life Financial (Josée Dixon)!!! Insane!! I'm starring in a national television commercial that's running currently!! Crazy!! I've been featured in several major newspapers (see links on the right side of my blog - under "I Made The Papers")!!NUTS!!! I made the list for Ottawa Life Magazine's TOP50 People in the Capital!!! I've been on the radio (Live 88.5) talking about ME and MY journey!! Madness!!!!!

Most importantly, this blog/website has afforded me the opportunity to "meet" so many wonderful and inspiring people who have shown me such immense support over the past 10 months - it's just amazing!!In my wildest dreams, I never anticipated all of this would happen, just by me making the decision to get healthy!! I can truly say that I am different person and well on my way to continuing to do great things!

I am so pumped...had an amazing workout this morning...tons of squats and lunges. I'm really working hard on trimming my thighs as they are my most "troubled" areas! My trainer ROB really put together a great routine that will not only strengthen my entire body, but targets my legs as well!! I'm really going to push my body to the max the next 5 weeks!! Leave everything out there. I don't want my last weigh-in to come around with me regretting that I hadn't pushed myself hard enough in some workouts!! THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!! I plan to make EVERY WORKOUT COUNT!!!

For breakfast this morning, I had a soft boiled egg, a medium tomato (sliced), two turkey sausages and an 8oz protein drink (8oz of water & 1 heaping scoop of vanilla whey protein) right after my workout!! Also drank about a litre of water! For lunch, I'm having a cucumber and tomato salad with sardines for lunch and about a litre of water. Not sure what's for dinner as yet, but I'm leaning towards roasted chicken breast and roasted veggies (broccoli, zucchini, sweet potatoes and onions). YUM!!☻

Tomorrow is my "rest day" but I'll probably get a yoga session in, just to help relax the muscles or take a nice walk with my son.

That's it for now...hanging in strong!

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

Goal Setting: Believe to Achieve

I'm on a serious mission to succeed! I'm not only talking about by Dec 10, 2009; I'm referring to the rest of my life. I'm trying to lay out the blueprint for building my life the way I want it. As this year is quickly coming to an end, I want to be ready and as prepared as I can to continue strong as of Dec 11, 2009. I want to aim high, try things I've never tried before; commit myself to completing certain things as I did with the 5K run. Just getting out of my comfort zone. As LesBrown says, "shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land amongst the stars". So I'm currently in the research and planning stages....researching things that I am interested in or want to try (for example rock climbing, a mini-triathalon -"Try a Tri", joining a recreational sports team - soccer or baseball, taking tennis lessons) AND SO MUCH MORE and just planning out what I need to do to get there!!

I feel like I am so close to really breaking through and continuing on with my life - living the best life I can live! I feel there's just so much more to come and I want to live and enjoy all of it! I know it won't always be all good but right now it just feels like it will and I don't want to lose that. There's so much I want to do! I'm rambling...sorry...

Anyway, I had a good workout this morning but had to stay home with my son as he's under the weather and I think I may be coming down with it as well...cold symptoms. Hoping I can fight it off! I still have to make some time to meet with my trainer so that I could get my new program to propel me to that finish line! A lot of challenges have surfaced throuhgout this journey; from my travelling, exteme cravings and just overall busy life working fulltime and family. One of my biggest challenges have been and still remains, TIME!!! Making the time to workout, to prepare meals, to meet my trainer, to get to the gym, time for myself!!

I just started a new job a couple of weeks ago and just starting to get into it right now; I have a few deadlines this week that I MUST meet and quite a bit of work to do - so that's filling up the schedule right now. My husband is really busy with work so less available to pick up my slack with our son and at home. I said it so many times before, I could not have gone through this journey without my husband and his never ending support (in so many ways). All this to say that the next few weeks will be crazy busy for me. I'm hoping that I could meet up with Rob on the weekend, even if it's for 1/2 an hour to get the new program and instructions and be on my way..time is of the essence and I don't want to waste a minute.

So I'm going to check on my son (who should be sleeping - but probably isn't) and get myself off to bed. I've received a few requests to write my daily schedules down every now and then so I will try to that. Here are my plans for tomorrow ( which is the same on Thursday) I will do Monday and Wednesday's tomorrow)...

5:45am Wake up (have a cup of water)
Start my cardio (a 45 minute walk/run on treadmill - too cold outside in the am now)

6:30am Make breakfast (4 egg white/spinach omlette) and either eggs and toast or cereal
(for my son and hubby)

7:00am Wake up the boys, shower get ready as they eat

7:30 - 7:45am Get my son ready as hubby cleans up downstairs andgets ready (a joint effort - we make a good team)

8:00 - 8:15am Leave the house, drop son to daycare, head to work (both hubby and I)

9:ooam - Start work

10:30am Have morning snack (apple and 5-8 almonds, water)

11:45 -12:45 Jiu-jitsu class (drink water)

1:15pm Back to work....eat lunch at my desk while working (steamed broccoli and chicken breast, water)

3:00-3:30pm Afternoon Snack (boiled egg, cucumber slices, water)

5:00pm Leave work for home (hubby would have picked up son from daycare)

5:45pm Make dinner

7:00 -8:00 Playtime

8:00-8:30 Get my son ready for bed

9:00 - 10:00pm Weight Training

10:00-11:oopm Shower, Blog and BED!!!!

I only do cardio on Jiu-jitsu days.....on kickboxing days (Monday, Wednesday) - no cardio!! :)

As you can see the days are quite long and full; not much time to spare, hence the reason why my weekends are my time for family. We try to pack a lot of things in for the weekend - just making sure to spend some quality time making memories. Crazy life but fun, nonetheless.

Anyway, that's it for now...

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

Weigh-in Saturday ~ Week 44

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 191 lbs (Oct 10/09)
Current Weight: 188 lbs (Oct 17/09)
This Week's Loss: 3 lbs

Great week!! Great Loss!!

70 POUNDS GONE BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm absoulutely THRILLED with the loss this week!! 3 POUNDS!!! I now weigh 188lbs!!! 188lbs!!! I am out of the 190's!! I also hit another reward level, another milestone!! I will be planning a weekend getaway (more details to follow). 188!! I can't believe it.

Where has the time gone??? Although my "deadline" (for lack of a better word) is fast appoaching, I WILL definitely continue on this journey!! This journey will be for life and I am looking forward to it....I can't and I WILL NOT go back. I am starting to think of my new goals, new objectives because come Dec 10, 2009, I want to ensure that I am prepared and that I have planned for the next phase of this journey - the lifelong phase, which I believe will be the most difficult of all. To be honest, I don't see how it will be really different from what I'm doing currently.

My plan is just to continue on, striking that balance with everyday life and my new lifestyle. That is the reason it was so important for me continue with my life throughout this past year on this journey. I did not want to put my life on "hold" while I was on this journey. I have made quite a few sacrifices over the past while and I realize that those sacrifices were warranted, however I did enjoy my life and friends and events, special occasions etc. I didn't go nuts and I think that has helped me to keep my sanity and move forward and that will help me as I continue on to the next phase. This is one of the things that has worked for me and works for me - it may not work for everyone.

Until next time....

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Nine and a Half Weeks..

Do you guys remember that movie?? I was 12 years old when that movie came out in 1986 and I know I should NOT have watched that steamy movie, but I did. It was on one of those channels (superchannel, I think it was)....and I watched it... muted! This movie was an erotic story about a woman, the assistant of an art gallery, who gets involved in an impersonal affair with a man. She barely knows about his life, only about the sex games they play, so the relationship begins to get complicated. The scenes were quite graphic (especially the kitchen/ice/food/sex scene). It starred Kim Bassinger and Mickey Rourke.

Well boy did I ever get an eyeful and since that then, anytime I hear or see the words "Nine 1/2 Weeks", it makes me just a wee bit uncomfortable - just a little!! :) So why am I telling you this? Well, I found it ironic that as I was just looking at the calendar today, I realized that I only have "nine 1/2 weeks" left to the "end" of my journey. Nine 1/2 weeks!! I feel like this past 9 months just flew by!!

This time, I don't feel uncomfortable - just ready!! Ready to finish strong!! 9 more weigh-ins until my one year anniversary. I still have lots of time to do some serious damage where this journey is concerned, so I want to ensure that I maintain my focus, momentum and motivation.

Food and exercise were on point today!! Kickboxing class at lunch was tough and good!! I only drank about litres of water today so I need to do better tomorrow.

My goals for the next nine and a half weeks:

- stay focused /eyes on the prize
- eat clean - very clean
- rock out the workouts
- drink enough water
- Enjoy every moment

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

Attacking My Fears

I am afraid of so many things. I always put on a brave face but inside I have a lot of fears, as I believe many of us do... I know that fear is a part of everyone's life and can be good or bad depending on the situation. Fear can help to keep you safe and alive if you need to escape a dangerous situation. Fear can prevent you from doing things that are not safe or endangering your life like robbing a bank or driving with your eyes closed!!

I think that more than anything, fear is a limiting factor in most of our lives. There are so many common fears that keeps us from reaching our goals and achieving our dreams. It is really important for me to determine what my fears are, especially when it comes to achieving the goals that I've set for this journey. I really have to look closely at each of my fears and determine whether or not it's an excuse or some sort of tactic for procrastinating when it comes to getting things done with regards to weight loss. As I've said many times before, I've been overweight all my life and trying to lose weight for the last 20 years. Why has it taken me this long to truly get this done? I know my fears have something to do with it.

I need to take action. Attack those fears. What will really happen if I take martial arts? I used to think that I'd fail and fall flat on my ass (literally). But I've come to realize that the failure comes from not even trying something that I know that I want to do! No more!

One thing this journey is teaching me is that I need to attack my fears head on!!! I have to do this in order to LIVE the life that I want!! Earlier today, I was watching a clip of Will Smith (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Smith), one of my favorite 'people that I don't know' (celebrity). He made a statement, "I am motivated by fear" and that statement just stuck with me. I decided to adopt that philosophy. I will be motivated by my fears by attacking them one at a time!! I've always hated feeling scared to do something, but no more!! This is part of the reason I decided to sign up for Jujitsu and Kickboxing. I've always had a fascination with martial arts - you wouldn't know it by looking at me, but I have!!

I've watched so many Kung-Fu movies (it's one of my many guilty pleasures) and I'm sure I've seen every Bruce Lee movie ever made!! I'll challenge anybody to have a Bruce Lee-karate-sound-making contest with me!! LOL!! Whatahhhhhhh!! :)

When I was younger (high school age), I remember seeing the movie, "The Karate Kid"...trust me it was a big deal back then. I wanted so desperately to take Karate classes but was too afraid to do it so I didn't bother. A few years later, "The Next Karate Kid" was released and the lead character was a GIRL, fighting Karate and kicking ass!! I think it was Hilary Swank who starred in it. Anyway, I wanted to take karate again but chickened out once more! Until now, here I am 35 years old and just signed up for martial arts classes!! It's never too late y'all!! But can you imagine where I'd be today if I attacked my fears back then??? Can someone say 10th degree triple black belt and the body of a goddess!!?!?!?!? Oh well, nothing before its time :0)

So my new pact with myself is to face all of my fears one at a time. I will attack the things that scare me and use that fear as motivation to succeed. Didn't some great person say, " there's nothing to fear but fear itself" (who said that? I'll have to google it). Anyway no more!!

I am more than half way to reaching my goal weight and I still have so many fears. Now some of these fears may be irrational but still real. I want to attack all of these to ensure I make it to the end - I want to succeed. Below will be a list of only 5 of the fears I am currently dealing with. There is an old saying that sums up why we have and hold on to our fears, "It’s easier to stay in a known hell than to risk an unknown heaven". Well I think this risk is worth taking!

You will notice that I have a plan of attack for some but not all - feel free to give suggestions. I am afraid of:

1. I'm afraid of gaining weight - my plan of attack will be to stick to my exercise and healthy diet plan!!
2. I'm afraid of losing weight - my plan of attack will be to no longer sabbotage my progress/success and get to the bottom of what I'm really afraid of. What is this fear really about?
   
3. I'll let myself (and others) down if I regain all of the weight - Plan of attack....?
   
4. I'll lose my overweight friends - this one may sound a bit strange and really if I lose them over this then they weren't really friends to begin with...BUT they are really friends and already, after having lost 60 pounds, I'm starting to see and feel a difference with a few of my relationships. I now have new interests which they don't all share and I now avoid some of the activities we used to do because they are no good for me and could be detremental to my success (not healthy). My plan of action will have to be honest and open communication with them and go from there.
   
5. Other people's reaction to the "new" me - do I really want to deal with it (resentment, jealousy, maybe even anger) Plan of attack ...?
   

I don't know...am I nuts to have these thoughts?? Regardless, I know that these are some of the fears holding me back and I plan to attack them however I can, starting now!!

Look forward to your comments...

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

Time and Motivation

I was going through my emails this evening and a couple of them really got me thinking, which led me to write this post today.

One of the questions came from a stranger following my journey and the other came from a friend of mine (from way back in our University days). The first question (from anonymous) was, "Where do you find the time to work out, while working full-time, having a toddler and all the traveling, etc.?"

Well, anonymous, lets just say that my days are very full! I will not sit here and tell you that this just comes easy after a while and it's no big deal, just do it, blah, blah, blah!! This shit is one of the hardest things I've ever done!! It may even be harder than labor because at least I got a beautiful son at the end and it "only" lasted 17 hours!!

What I've come to learn (and still learning) is that when you truly want something, you go get it....you make the time!! I really have to "MAKE" the time. My son (family) is the most important thing to me and although part of my reason for doing this is for them (especially my son), I also don't want to take time away from him either. I work full-time, so that's already time away from him. When I pick him up after work, I want to make sure we get our time together - it's for that reason that I don't workout after work! That's his time.

So I make the time by waking up early enough (530am) to get my workout done prior to heading to work. I also work out on my lunch hour at work so that leaves my evenings free. Don't get me wrong, there are times when it's not perfect but I make do!! Some evenings I go for a power walk with my son (in his stroller)...I then stop of at the park before heading home. we play together and I get some exercises in as well ( like dips and push-ups on the park bench) while my son goes up and down the slide/play structure.

I also try to keep my weekends free for family....I try to get an early morning walk/run in on Saturday or a yoga class and that's it for the weekend!! The rest is for family fun!!! :) It keeps me sane!

The other question came from my girlfriend Tasha who asked me, "How do you stay motivated?" And as I told her in the email, it is really a struggle, it is difficult but I credit a big part of being able to stay motivated to the fact that I've put myself out there for all to see - that whole accountability factor. It is definitely helping to keep me on track. The extra attention I've received from the media is helping as well!! Nothing keeps me sweating it up, than the thought of a journalist calling for an update article and progress pic!! :)

Also, blogging about it helps a lot. I can't tell you how grateful I am to have an outlet in which I could express all my feelings throughout this journey - it's been quite therapeutic to write about it - all the ups and downs!! Sometimes when I feel like I can't do this anymore, I go back and read some past posts and trust me it helps, especially the incredibly supportive comments.

I pray a lot. Prayer and more prayer also helps me to keep going. I have a very strong belief in God and His grace. Praying to me is also a form of meditation and reflection, you know? I take comfort in the fact that I am loved and blessed, daily!

Of course the support I've received from my trainer has just been fabulous. I cannot tell you (or him) enough, just how much it means to me to have him in my corner - not only providing me with the tools and guidance that I need to succeed on this journey but just incredible support.

My family and friends keep me motivated with continuous support, encouragement and loving me regardless - nothing beats unconditional love!!

I've said this many times before but the incredible support that I receive from the blogging community - who regularly check in on me, leave encouraging, supportive messages/comments...IT IS JUST AMAZING and a HUGE part of what keeps me motivated. I don't ever want to let them (you guys) down!!

AND last, but certainly not least I really don't want to let myself down - you know!??! I make sure I keep myself motivated by constantly reminding myself of the reasons that I'm on this journey. I frequently go back and read past posts just to keep it fresh in my mind and avoid complacency.

So that's my rant for tonight, bottom line - if it's important enough to you - MAKE IT HAPPEN, KEEP MOTIVATED, MAKE THE TIME, you deserve it.....it's still a difficult thing to do, but the rewards are definitely worth it!!

Wow....

Hey guys...

First off, thanks for all the nice comments on my last post. I'm amazed at the differences in the pix.


Anyway, I had a very interested day today!! It started off with one of my friends at work. She came to visit me in my office and presented me with a little silver star that had the word "Bravo" written on it (See pic below). She recently joined weight watchers and had lost a total of 7 pounds thus far!! "Awesome!!" I exclaimed, "Keep it up!!" She'd been given this star as a result of her hard work and weight loss and decided to give it TO ME, because she thought I was a good support to her....We always talk about my journey, she follows my blog and always compliments me on how I'm doing!! IF anyone is supportive, IT'S HER!!! Anyway, she wanted to show her appreciation for supporting her!! I was so touched...I mean, I know it's a little silver sticker but the thought and sentiment behind it just means so much. So I wanted to say THANKS DEBBIE!! Keep up the great work and you know I'm rooting for ya!! :)
Okay, so the sticker is a cute little thing - I really tried hard to get a clear shot of it, but my photography skills aren't the best. It does say "BRAVO" on it (in red). :)


Later on that day, I had a very interesting conversation with another friend. This conversation had more to do with me and life and trying to figure out what exactly I want out of life. It was quite fascinating and shed some light on a lot of things I've been pondering of late, specifically as it relates to my career and life in general. You see, I'm going through a lot of very important changes in my life right now, number one being this journey. For the first time, I've decided to invest the time and effort required to assist me in being the best I can be. I'm investing in my health and well-being which will also greatly benefit my family!! So with that, of course, I find myself re-evaluating various other aspects of my life...just an interesting time for me right now and the conversation just captured that.

Anyway, I came home and check my emails (as usual). I received and email titled, "You Can Cross This Off Your Bucket List". I was intrigued. If you notice at the bottom right side of my blog, I have a section titled, "Top Items From My Bucket List" and I've listed certain things I'd like to try at least once before leaving this wonderful earth!! I don't know if I'll ever get to do all of them but I plan to try and I'm certain I will be adding more items to this list as I go along in life - I hope to cross off quite a few as well! :) Anyway, back to the email.

This person started off by saying, "YOU SAVED MY LIFE - Well improved the quality!!"...those words immediately brought chills to my body. I was a bit nervous to read on because I didn't really know what to expect. I continued reading and to sum up what was said, this individual recently found my blog and decided to read every post from the start. Well she read my post I wrote on FIBROIDS and my experiences with it. She's been having some lower abdominal pain and for the past couple of years have just disregarded the pain thinking it had to do with her obesity. Anyway, after reading my post, she recognized a lot of the symptoms that I described and decided to go to the doctor. She was diagnosed with numerous, large fibroid and eventually received treatment. Her pain is now gone and she too has embarked on a weightloss journey of her own!!

I am so very flattered. I don't believe I saved her life -I'm awaiting her response for more details - however, I'm very happy the information from my experiences could help her to resolve her own. This is great and I'm thrilled that I am able to positively affect people and help them out. So thank you for that email and I look forword to your response.

Anyway, today was a good day regarding my food but I DID NOT workout today...I was running late this morning and did not get a chance this evening. I will be up first thing in the morning sweating it up...no worries...

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

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:

• 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!!!)

On The Road Again.....

Hi all,

Well I'm on yet another business trip. These are getting tough.. I'm just finding it very difficult to stay on track when it comes to my eating and exercising...MORE SO MY EATING!!

Most of these hotels are equipped with top of the line fitness machines/facilities so it's not really difficult to stay on track..it is however, a different experience as you go from hotel to hotel. There are different machines at each hotel, different set-up and different equipment!! It throws me off a bit, I must admit. It just makes it that much more difficult because it breaks my routine...however it does keep it interesting (so I should look at it as a positive).

Also, since I've been training for the 5K Run, all this travelling makes that difficult as well. I have a mapped out route that I use regularly when I'm at home. Being in a different city makes it difficult so I find myself training on the treadmill as opposed to running outside. Hopefully that won't hurt me when it comes to race day which is an outdoor event. I guess it's just about making the necessary adjustments at the time. Working with what I got!

Eating-wise, I messed up a bit today...nothing too damaging. I was in such a rush today, I ran out of the house without eating breakfast! I haven't done that in about 6 months - prior to this journey, skipping breakfast was a regular part of my day. I was so busy at work today, by the time I realized I was hungry, it was a little after 11 am. I bought a mini quiche. I ate only the middle which was eggs and veggies and I threw out the mini crust...I had that with a bottle of water. A few hours later, I was rushing to the airport, I grabbed a toasted bagel from Tim Hortins (it was multi-grain) with another bottle of water!! On the flight, I ate that little puffy-pretzel-snacky-thing they hand out with more water. Unfortunately, I did not properly plan or prepare meals for today and that caused me to slip up by grabbing crap.

Anyway, once I checked into the hotel, it was dinner time. I had a nice green salad with a light vinigarette and a couple of pieces of chicken breast (grilled) with more water. It was great. I'm back on track, tomorrow is a new day. My plan is to wake up at 530am get my workout in and have a nice healthy breakfast. A good start to what I hope will be a great and productive day!! Good night.

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

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!!)

On the Road Again...

I knew going into this that this journey would be long and as I'm learning each day, it will be filled with ups and downs. How I deal with those ups and downs is one of the things that will impact whether or not I succeed on this journey. I just need to stay on the road and I WILL succeed on this journey. I am so appreciative of the amount of support that I have from my family, friends, trainer and blogging friends/family!! Thank you so much for the kind words and always rooting me on!!

Now, I'm coming off a 2 pound gain last week which put me back in the land of Twoterville. A place where I am unfortunately quite familiar. As I sit in this "land", I am comfortable and I'm nervous at the same time. I am nervous that the feeling of comfort comes so naturally. I can see how easy it would be to fall back into my old ways. I think the nerves are here because I know for a fact that this is no longer for me. My time has come!! I am also CERTAIN!! I am certain that I no longer want to live here and although I left this place before (during this journey and on a few other "unhealthy" occassions), this is the first time that I'm giving it this much thought. I now have a better understanding of why I've lived here for such a long time even knowing that I needed to move out and everyday, I'm finding out a little bit more.

It is very easy to live here in Twoterville...it requires very little to no effort on my part, but it also means that I don't make myself a priority and that I take myself and my health for granted. Making that conscious move to Onderland will be difficult at first, but I will get use to it and will start reaping the benefits. I'm ready. I may be somewhat dramatic here, but I really feel like this is turning the page to start writing a new chapter of my story, always remembering (but not dwelling on) the events of my past. I've got to remember where I came from in order to get to where I'm going but I need to make the necessary adjustments to make it successful. In this case, I must always make the effort to remember how long I stayed in Twoterville, including how close I came to moving to a place where the name starts with "Three...."!! Most importantly I need to understand the reasons why I stayed there and FOCUS or should I say, RE-FOCUS on the reasons I have for getting out!!

So all this is part of working out those "mental muscles" as well as the physical ones!! I'm back on the road and the journey continues. I will give it my best and I know the results will follow.

Cheat meal over and back on track. I had a bowl of creamy fettuccini pasta with a nice piece of chocolate mousse cake for dessert and 2 glasses of white zinfandel. It was yummy. This morning, I had a 3-egg white and spinach omlette for breakfast, a grilled chicken breast with salad for lunch, a boiled egg for snack...lots and lots of water (about 3 litres so far) and I haven't yet decided on dinner...probably fish..salmon on the grill with grilled veggies!! I'm back on track and feeling great.

Anyway, that's all my ramblings for now.

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

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!!!)

Trainer, 5K's, Belts and Things

Hey guys,

I have just been swamped of late with work and travel. I do have quite a bit more travel coming up over the next few weeks - by August, things should hopefully settle down. I have been so busy with work conferences and business trips that I haven't even had the time to see my trainer. We've been in touch regularly via email but I ABSOLUTELY need to see him. He has a new program for me which I haven't yet seen. He will email it to me and hopefully I can follow up with him after. In the meantime, I will try the new program and just email him with any questions or concerns I may have. So it will be on-line training...my e-trainer....should be interesting. I just don't want to fall behind and it is time for a new program (it's actually past the time - my fault).

Anyway, I've started my 5K training and holy crap it's tough. I'm blogging about it specifically at http://www.my5k.blogspot.com/ , so please check it out. Jogging is excrutiatingly tough for me but it really is one of those things I want to tackle in my lifetime and I've started. My goal is to run a 5k race in October and I will!!! One of my girlfriends has actually started the training as well. She's in a different city but following the same program. Right now, I think she hates my guts for asking her to do this with me..lol!! She told me how sore she was after Day 1!! Hang in there BEH and keep it up!!

Something else I wanted to mention which I just found amazing, is that I can no longer leave my house without wearing a belt!!! I remember days when I left the top button of my pants un-done (so that I could breathe)....and my pants could stay up for days!! LOL!! Belt??? There was never a need. Now, most of my pants require one! It's amazing to me. As I was walking from a meeting today, I could feel my slacks slipping down, I kept tugging at them to pull them up...this stuff just freaks my freak!! So my plan is to go and purchase a couple of belts (pairs of belts?? I don't even know what it's called - 2 or more belts) lol!! It's something I never thought I'd have to purchase.

Anyway, I will weigh myself and take some pics in the morning and post tomorrow. This month the weight has been coming off literally 1 pound at a time...hey, at least it's not a gain. This is my big flashing sign that I need the new program, one that is just that much more challenging than the current!! I think I'll see a jump in the loss once I start that!!

All in all, I'm still feeling great...I've noticed that extra effort is required on my part to stay with it, but I try to re-focus daily and remind myself of the reasons why I set out on this journey in the first place.

Anyway, that's it for now...

Until next time

Joania (2KMINE!!!)