Let's Check Out My Food...

Hi guys,

I have been really trying these past few days to take pictures of my meals - I find that it truly does help me to say on track and let me tell you, I can use all the help I can get. So here we go...

Dinner: this is baked chicken breast (with onions, garlic, mushrooms and red peppers) with mixed veggies (broccoli, spinach, red pepper, mushrooms, onions, skim milk, seasonned with pepper, curry, garlic & onion powder) with a very small amount of whole wheat spaghettini. It was delicious. I don't usually have pasta but I splurged. It really wasn't a lot (maybe 1/4 cup); more veggies than pasta!

Close-up... The following was for lunch one day. A simple garden salad (spring mix & cherry tomatoes) with left over roasted chicken breast shredded on top. About 1 Tbsp of home-made dressing (EVOO, pepper, vinegar). It was great, quick, tasty and more importantly - filling! :)

Close-up... (you can see...very, very light on the dressing).

Dinner: My husband cooked this one. He was the grillmaster on the BBQ...Salmon skewers with grilled zucchini. There was also corn on the cob which he prepared on the grill but I didn't have any.

The following was another quick lunch. Sliced cucumbers with canned sardines (in water). I literally sliced up about 1/2 of an English cucumber, opened the can of sardines and poured it in the same bowl, added pepper, mixed it all up and ate it!!! No dressing required as the water from the sardines did the job. It was yummy - I've always liked sardines.

Close up...

Dinner: Roasted chicken leg with steamed broccoli and sweet potato mash! I baked a whole chicken (seasonned with pepper, garlic & onion powder, cayenne pepper). I baked the sweet potato in the oven, once it was done, scooped out the potato from skin and mashed it up in a bowl. It was quite moist. That's it!! This was a very filling meal and I had a lot of chicken left over to use in salads and for another dinner. Below is a close-up. So that's it so far. I have also been drinking between 3-4 litres of water each day. Hoping I can continue taking these pics. Just knowing that I have to take a picture helps me to plan what exactly I will be eating! Anyway, that's it for now, just a "food pic" post.

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!!!)

Wow....Incredible Support..Thanks

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

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

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

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

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

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

It is time to RE-FOCUS!!!

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

I'm Out of the Slump.....

Hey guys,

It's Saturday morning and I had a great workout this a.m. I rocked it!! I didn't work out on Thursday or Friday and I was starting to worry. But I must say, I received a few emails and comments after my previous post and they were so encouraging!! It really helped me to get back on track. Thank you so much guys!!

My trainer, Rob is awesome!! He not only provides me with the right tools to become physically fit, but every now and then he will send me some "words of inspiration"!! He just seems to always know the right things to say to get me pumped and ready to go. He just sent me the following, which I plan to recite on a daily basis:

"You were born with potential.You were born with goodness and trust.You were born with ideals and dreams.You were born with greatness.You were born with wings.You are not meant for crawling, so don’t.You have wings.Learn to use them and fly." Rumi

Anyway, I'm feeling better. Next week should be my last "crazy-busy" week at work and things should get back to normal after that. So for now, it's one day at a time!!!

Until next time...

Joania (2KMINE!!)

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!!)

Off to Edmonton AND Vancouver Next Week!

Hi guys,

I am sooooooooo glad it's Friday. TGIF!!!!!!!! This has been such a busy week for me. I was on course for work. It was 3 days at a different building downtown (downtown traffic stinks!) but anyway, it's over. I've also been busy prepping for another business trip. I'm off to Edmonton on Monday morning, then Vancouver on Wednesday and back home on Friday. It will be a very quick stop in both cities. Another busy week, but I plan to stay on track.

This time, I am not even phased at the thought of going away and worrying about my new lifestyle. Not the slightest regarding what I will eat or if I will exercise. Last month, prior to my trip to Halifax, I was losing sleep worrying if I would sabbotage my journey. But not now!!! I have my game plan. Both hotels are equipped with top of the line fitness facilities (and swimming pools) so I have no excuse when it comes to working out and I KNOW I will make healthy choices when it comes to eating. Don't get me wrong, I'm not over confident...I mean, temptation is temptation and I will have to be on my toes, but I am not worried like I was last time.

Anyway, looking forward to getting the trips out of the way. My only concern -and it's not even really a concern because he will be with his Daddy - but I always feel so sad when I leave my little munchkin...I must admit it is a nice break....even though I'm working, I'm not cooking, cleaning or picking up etc....it's a nice chance for me to get away from the routine and just re-boot... but I couldn't do it too often...I miss my sweet little hugs and kisses and all the crazy and wonderful moments!! My husband is really a great support which allows me the opportunity to this every now and then. Anyway, so I'll be gone for a week.

Just wanted to fill you in. Also, i will take picks of what I eat (it really helps to keep me on track). This time I will have my colleagues take the pics as PROOF THAT I ACTUALLY ATE THOSE MEALS (I received that as a suggestion after posting the food pix from my last trip)!! I may even take pix of me working up a sweat!!

Until next time...

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

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!!!)

Joania, How Are You Losing This Weight???

Well, my inbox is full again with numerous people asking the same question. I started responding directly to them but realized it would make more sense to post a general response that everyone could access. I find that I get this question more so, after posting my anniversary pics. I do appreciate the interest and the questions but I just wanted to stress that there really is no easy, quick fix and that I am working hard everyday to reach this goal. So with that said, here's what I am doing:

EXERCISE
I am working out six days a week. I rest on Sundays (not for long as I am currently considering taking a yoga class on Sundays - in efforts of increasing my flexibility; ). I alternate workouts each day. One day I do 20-25 minutes of cardio - using treadmill, elliptical, bike, powerwalk, etc. The next day I do my strength workout; it lasts about 1 hour and includes core, balance, and strength training. This is the program that my trainer specifically designed for me based on my fitness level and goals. It's a progressive program so it gets more difficult as I go along. I am currently on Phase 2! I try to never miss a day of exercising and if I do miss a day, I get right back on track the following day.

FOOD
This is so important, I really should have put it first but anyway, here's what I eat/don't eat. The following are on my "FOODS TO AVOID" list:
Fast Food (McDonalds, Burger King, Dairy Queen, Harveys, Manchu Wok, KFC, Pizza, Beaver Tails etc.), alcohol, fruit juices, sugar, flour, white rice, bread (whole grains will be introduced later), refined and processed foods, refined oils, soft drinks, cakes, cookies, chocolates, chips.
What's Left??
I eat LOTS of fruits (berries, apples, oranges etc) and bright coloured and dark green veggies (spinach, broccoli, kale, sweet potato, green and red peppers, lettuce, celery, cucumbers and zucchini etc.), Lean Meats (chicken, turkey, beef, fish/seafood, tofu), eggs, almonds. I've also started buying a lot more organic foods.
I try to do groceries once to twice a week, just to ensure that I always have food on hand.

I eat 5-6 times a day....3 meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and 2-3 snacks (healthy). I also try to never miss a meal. You've got to eat to lose weight. I always make sure to prepare my food ahead of time, especially my lunches and snacks. This is so that if I'm hungry, i could just grab something and eat, instead of having to try to figure out what to make. I usually cook a couple batches of food on Sundays and pack them in tupperware - grab and go or zap and eat!! :D

WATER
I cannot stress enough the importance of staying hydrated throughout the day. I love water - even before I started this journey and as badly as I ate, I still drank a lot of water - so this was not a difficult thing for me to include in my program. I drink between 3 to 4 litres of water everyday and some days more! I have reusable water bottles (the stainless steel ones) everywhere. Two at home, two at my desk at work, one in my car and one in my purse. I just fill up all bottles and drink throughout the day. Lots of trips to the bathroom, but it's a good thing.

BLOGGING
I'm so serious about this. Diarizing my daily ups and downs; opening myself up to everyone regarding this weight loss journey is really helping me to succeed. I feel accountable to all of you reading my blog and following my journey, not just to myself. I really feel that not only do I have to this for me and my family, but I can't let you guys down either. There have been so many of you who have shared your stories with me and I've come to realize that I am not alone in this at all. The kind words, support and encouragement that I receive on A DAILY BASIS, is simply amazing and I can't say enough, just how much I appreciate it. I am so motivated to do this, just to show that it can be done and that it can be done by regular people like you and I!! :)

AN AWESOME SUPPORT SYSTEM
My family (especially my husband) has been there for me and with me throughout this journey and just knowing that they will be there to the end is enough to keep me going. My friends and blog friends, who check in regularly and leave comments - it's just wonderful. Last, but certainly not least, my trainer Rob, for always responding to my emails/questions; addressing my concerns and always providing me with helpful tips and tricks and even recipes to help me get through. I think it's essential to have a good support system in place cause this type of journey really puts you to the test and you will need support.

HARD WORK & DETERMINATION
I will not tell you that this is easy. This is one of the hardest things I've ever attempted to do in my life. However, I am so determined to get this done and I truly believe that determination and hard work are two of the things necessary to succeeding on a journey of this sort.

ENJOYING LIFE
I don't want this journey to consume me. I mean, it takes a lot of time and effort on my part to maintain this blog and facebook group in addition to working out, eating right and everything else that comes with this, but I don't want my life to be only about this weight loss process. So it's important for me to take time to do other things, enjoy life, spend time with family and friends, get out and do things and not let it be ONLY about this! I believe that's contributing to my success thusfar.

So that's it, it doesn't seem like much, but it is. This takes such dedication and commitment. There really is no quick fix, it's about taking it one day at a time, one difficult step after another, but that's what makes the success so rewarding. I can't wait to get to that finish line.

I hope that helps and addresses the questions, if not, feel free to email me...I will help however I can.

As always, thanks for all the support.

Joania (2KMINE!!)

Happy Family Day

It's a provincial (Ontario) holiday today - Family Day! This is not a federal holiday so I had to take today off to stay home with my two year old (his daycare provider is off today - rightfully so, she works too hard!) and it's a good thing because he is sick.

My son has been ill since Friday - running a fever and not keeping anything down, he's been so lathargic . I hate when he's sick...kids should never get sick. It's just sad to see a kid with no energy, but he seems to be on the mend, we'll see how tonight goes. I've been down with a cold/flu as well.

Needless to say, this weekend has been tough. I find it's harder to stay on track food wise at home than at work. It's even worse when you and your child are sick. I haven't drank as much water as I should over the past few days...it's the last thing you want to drink when you have the chills. Although I didn't have any junk food, I did not eat my regular meals - skipped a couple only because I felt nauseous. I missed two workout sessions, but I'm back on track today. My food will be back on track tomorrow. Well, it should be.

What I've learned over the past few months is that even though I'm on this journey (which I'll be on for the rest of my existance), life still goes on, I'll still catch colds, my son will get sick...and even if i don't follow exactly for a day or two, what's important is that I get right back on it ASAP!! So I worked out today - I don't necessarily feel better physically but happy that I got it done...hoping I'll be back to my old self this week and more importantly that my baby will be back to his old self. It hurts me to see him so low on energy - poor little thing.

Anyway, that's it for today, just feeling a little low on the energy scale.

Joania (2KMINE!!)

GOOD LOOKING FOOD!!!

This eating healthy thing is really starting to grow on me. I was speaking to one of my girlfriends a few weeks ago and she mentioned that I should make an attempt to make my food "look" very presentable...she practically guaranteed me that it would make eating healthy a bit easier and quite enjoyable. "Okay, I'll try it", I said but really I was thinking to myself, "Girl, I love you, but you done lost yo mind if you think I could make broccoli look good enough to eat!!"

Well, today I'm eating some serious crow!! She was right!! Debbie, you were right!! Thanks girl!!! I now make a conscious effort to prepare my food so that it "looks" and tastes very good!!

I started taking pics of what I'm eating and decided it may be helpful if I posted some to show what I'm eating. I'll start taking pics of my breakfasts soon...for now it's just lunch and dinner. I don't know if I'll post meal pix everyday, maybe for now a couple times a week. Let me know if it helps or if it's useful for you guys. Thanks.


Here's what I had for lunch on Sunday...


LUNCH:

Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Sardines



Ingredients:
1/2 English cucumber
1/2 tomato
1 can of sardines (in water)
very small amount of thinly sliced onions
black pepper
onion powder
squeeze of lemon juice

I just chop up veggies in a plate, open sardines in same plate (don't drain the water - once seasonned it makes a great dressing) season, then eat. It takes 10 mins tops!!!

How did it taste??
Really good!! Seriously!! I like sardines so for me it was really good and quite filling. I had a glass of water with it and I was good to go!!



Here's what I had for supper (my favourite meal of the day - because I could eat whatever I want as long as it's from the Whole Foods Group with controlled portions)


SUPPER: more fish!!

Fillet of Sole, Broccoli, Spinach and Baked Sweet Potato

Ingredients:
Baked Sweet Potato
Steamed Spinach and Broccoli (seasonned with onion powder and black pepper)
Fillet of Sole -seasonned in a baking dish with onions, garlic, black pepper, a bit of curry powder and bake for 35 minutes (350F)

How did it taste?
Yummy...the fish was quite flavourful and the sweet potato always feels like a dessert for me...so sweet. Again, I follow with a glass or two of water and I'm so satisfied!!

I hope this helps a bit....I don't know exactly how many calories are in these meals but I know it's healthy...and so far I've lost 22 pounds and a ton of inches eating this way! ;)

Until next time....

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

To Eat or Not to Eat (My Eating Plan)

Hi everyone,

I previously outlined my workout / exercise plan and now it's time to tell you what I eat or at least try to eat on a daily basis. First off my trainer stressed the importance of eating properly to the success of this program and to my journey as a whole.

I am a carbohydrate-sugar addict. No surprises there - I've always known. I don't care much for chips or pretzels, french fries (except McDonalds)!! I could do without the salt. But when it comes to the sweets, and I mean anything from cakes, cookies, donuts, ice cream and not to mention chocolate - chocolate anything!!! That's my problem, I'm weak!! So of course I knew all of those goodies had to go if I wanted to see any success with this program. They wouldn't be gone forever, I just have to be disciplined for a while until I learn how to properly and moderately incorporate some of these foods back into my diet. Let's get real, THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL that I plan to live the rest of my life without ever having chocolate or sweets again. That just wouldn't work for this girl!!

So what am I eating??

Well right now, I'm eating a lot of veggies (spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cucumbers, green peppers) and lean meats (chicken, turkey, beef, fish). I'm on a low carb diet. The carbs that I do ingest are from healthy foods like sweet potatoes and broccoli. I've been trying (so hard) to stay away from sugar, flour, salt, breads, white pastas, rice, potatoes (regular), processed foods, fast foods, fruit juices, soda, alcohol (that was hard). What's left??? Suprisingly a lot. When I say "low carb"I certainly don't mean "NO CARB" because as my trainer says, we need carbs to live, function....
Above is a pic of what I pack to take to work. Morning Snack - 1 hardboiled egg; Lunch (a spinach and cucumber salad with tuna fish and EVOO, vinegar and red pepper flake dressing - which I made myself); Afternoon Snack - cucumber slices and almonds...the only thing not in the shot is my water (I have four 800ml water bottles- one in my car, one at work, one at home and one in my purse).

So here's a sample of a day in the life of the new and improving Joania:

• Wake up and workout ( one day 1hr 15 mins, the other 20mins and I just keep alternating)
• Drink Water - I usually drink about 800mls by the time I'm done the workout
• Make Breakfast - {2-3 egg omlette with chopped green peppers and onions (very little)- YUMMY (really it is) and 500ml of water.
• Off to work
• Morning Snack - {Celery sticks with Almond butter (I'm loving almond butter - never thought I would)} about 500 ml of water
• Lunch - usually a salad (baby spinach, spring mix or romaine lettuce base) with a lean meat (chicken breast, turkey, or lean beef, sometimes shrimp) and 800ml of water
• Afternoon Snack - a few almonds (raw,unsalted, unsweetened, unchocolated - *heehee*) or some cucumber slices, some cheese or even a few slices of lean meat. Just enough to get me to supper time AND about 500 ml of water
• Go to daycare to pick up son and then home
• Dinner - This is my favourite meal of the day. This is where I can pretty much have what I want as long as it's a whole food and the portion is balanced. I usually have baked or roasted chicken with steamed mixed veggies and a baked sweet potato - YUMMY and this meal is really good!! Seriously!! Sometimes I make a 3 egg omlette and load it with veggies (mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes and some cheese - really good). This is where i have pasta some times but it's whole grain pasta and a very small amount!! Also 500ml of water
• Evening Snack - Usually a cup of peppermint or cinnamon tea (unsweetened of course)...
• OFF to bed to do it all over again the next day.

As you can see I try to drink at least 3.5 to 4 litres of water. I'm not sure that you have to drink all that water but for me, I use the consume that much liquid in a day (just that most of it was either juice or pop and probably only 500 ml of water)!! So I decided to just sub water (around the same amount) every where I'd normally have a drink. DRAWBACK: Frequent Bathroom Visits - I visit the bathroom more often than when I was pregnant!! Question: How come I never had to pee as much when I was drinking soda and juice???

There are so many other different options of what I can eat that were provided by my trainer Rob (http://www.laganafitness.com/). Contact him if you're interested and the best part is that the plan is individually customized for you and it's also progressive...so it will change (can't get bored !)

I hope that helps a bit and sheds a bit of light on HOW I'm losing the weight. I must say that this is very difficult to do but it's a matter of living a healthy life or not for me!! So I just try my best to stay focused and not stray....SPEAKING OF STRAYING.....please see my next post titled, Cinnamon or Cinnabon!! :)

Joania (2000 MINE!!!)

Survived my First Weekend!!!!

Well, it's done!! Weekend is over!! I'm getting ready for bed and just feel so happy and proud of myself. I stuck to my diet 100%!!! I did not miss one workout!! In fact, I pushed even harder during my workouts!! It was awesome!! I feel great!! I had so many temptations and opportunites to fall off track, but I STUCK TO IT!! It was very difficult for me, because in the past, I usually did all my damage on the weekend - from desserts, to wines and fast food and sleep!! Well no more!!

I spent today prepping my food for the next couple of days and I've also decided to keep a food log in order to keep track of everything I eat! I think that should help. I already know what I will be eating tomorrow and the day after!!

I don't want to make it seem like this is just a breeze because it isn't!! I find myself telling myself practically every hour why I'm doing this and reminding myself why it's so important to me! The workouts are so hard, it takes everything out of me, my body pretty much feels like jello when I'm done - but I want to make sure that when I'm done each workout, I leave everything out there!! The meals have surprised me because they are quite satisfying, it's just my mind telling me things like, "just a little something sweet!!!!" But I just need to keep telling myself to stick to it, and so far I have.

Wednesday (which will be my 1 week anniversary and first weigh in since starting) is fast approaching. I can't believe it's already Monday tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous about my first weigh in, but I know so far, I've done my very best and I really hope that shows up on the scale and even if it doesn't I will still "keep on keeping on"!!!

Anyway, that's it for now, until next time!

Joania