Surviving Santa

Well Christmas Day has come and gone and I must say that after missing out on dinner and treats last year, I was expecting to GO NUTS this year. But, I didn't!! I had a fantastic Christmas! The spread of food was incredible. HOWEVER, I had only one plate..only one plate!! I took a little of everything. One thing I made sure to do was load up on the steamed veggies, spinach, baked sweet potatoes and turkey...that way there was very little room left for all the complex carbs (triple cheese baked macaroni, 2 different types of rice, mashed potatoes, gravy, etc). I had a little of each (just enough for a taste). I was so full. I also had one glass of white wine. For dessert, I had a piece of apple pie and that was it!!!!!!!!!! I felt satisfied and GREAT!

Throughout the last few days, I did nibble here and there on treats (cookies, chocolate etc) but it was nothing crazy. I'm really pleased with how things went!!

I SURVIVED SANTA!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

I stepped on the scale today and I am happy to report that I DID NOT GAIN any weight, however I did not LOSE any either!! I stayed the same and I must say that I am very happy with that.

Now it's back to the grind and realities of life. The journey continues so it's time to put the plans into action!! 2010 is just around the corner...

OH, by the way, you may have noticed that my reward for hitting 170-pound mark (losing 88lbs) is to see a fabulous concert or play...well thanks to my hubby, I will be going to see Alicia Keys perform in March when she comes to town...the tickets were one of my Christmas present!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Next reward a New York City Shopping trip!!!

Until next time
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!!)

Oh My Gosh, I Thought You'd Be Smaller!!!

Wow!! People just never cease to amaze me...good and bad! One of my "friends" bumped into me today and said, and I quote, "wow, you did lose a lot of weight, I've heard all about your journey from so many people, but I really thought you'd be smaller!!!"

"Uh, thank you,I think?!! What was I supposed to say to that? What I wanted to say was, "Oh my goodness, F U very much!" But I didn't, I just nodded and listened and waved goodbye and got out of there as soon as I could. Whatever. Yes, I lost a lot of weight but I do still weigh 191 pounds on this five-foot-five frame, so I'm still a big girl, but significantly healthier and happier plus I could probably kick her a** two ways from Sunday with some of my martial arts moves and strength training!!!LOL!! Kidding! Ah, it takes all kinds to make this world turn!!!

On another note, today, I pulled up those size 16 jeans without undo-ing the button or zipper...cool!! The journey continues and I'm smiling all the way to the finish line :D

Anyway, today was a good exercise and food day!!I'm excited because I'll be seeing my girlfriend Janet this weekend and really looking forward to it! Haven't seen her in a few months as she lives out of town.

Time seems to be flying by...I need to meet up with Rob(the best trainer in the world - I'm not just saying that so he'll go easy on my with this final workout and meal plan) LOL!! Seriously, he has been so kind to me with his knowledge, support and time!! He genuinely cares about me and my health and goals. He's awesome. If you haven't yet checked him out, this is his website here.

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

Break Fall Fears!!!

What is a Break Fall?

In addition to something I am currently terrified of doing in Jiu-jitsu class, it is defined as a specific method of falling designed to protect your body from damage as you hit the ground. There are many different types/levels of break falls found in Jiu-jitsu (I don't know them all - yet). The one used will be based on how one is thrown (that's right, I said "THROWN"). In all break-falls, one will attempt to control their body position while partially or completely airborne.

Break falls are extremely important since they allow you to land from throws as comfortably and as safely as possible. Safe fall??? Sounds like an oxymoron, I know.

I found a demo of one of these on the internet. Click on the link below to see the demo video of the back break fall (this is what I'm struggling with, but will keep at it):

http://www.ehow.com/video_2359088_back-break-fall-tang-soo.html

Now...after watching that, I think you know what I'm talking about. I've mentioned on quite a few occasions in this blog that this journey is sometimes more a mental one than it is physical and I believe this "breakfall" situation is a prime example of this mental battle.

I have been overweight pretty well all my adult life and I'll tell you, one of my biggest fears was FALLING!! Now, I'm being asked to deliberately fall!??!?! Insane! I don't think the other students in my class TRULY realize just how difficult this is for me to attempt. I know that physically I am much smaller than I was and 67 pounds lighter but my mind has not yet caught up with the fact that I weigh so much less!! I know this by the extra caution I still take stepping in and out of my bathtub (not that you shouldn't be cautious - but I think I do so much more so because of my weight)!!!

Have you ever sat in a chair and have the legs crumble under you because of your weight? I'll tell you it's one of the most humiliating things to ever happen and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Then it was followed by a horribly uncomfortable laugh to try to make "light" of the situation and cover up my embarrassment - it was just horrific. To this day, I scope out the legs of certain chairs before I sit on them, wondering if they're strong enough to hold up my weight. So when I'm asked to throw myself to the ground (even if I am landing on a very thickly padded and sturdy mat and in a gym learning martial arts), it scares the crap out of me - but I'm trying!! I've got to face these fears! All of them, one at a time!

I dread icy winter days for fear of wiping out. I know a lot of people have this particular fear, but the thought of me falling especially in front of "witnesses" would scare me big time!! Living in Canada, where our winters are spectacular, I've had my share of wipe outs. The worst part? The imprint of your fat ass in the snow for the world to see!! I don't even think anyone really looked at the imprint in the snow but I always did!! Crazy, I know! But those weren't so bad because a lot of people fall in the winter time, for the most part I just laughed it off! Oh well, my ass print will be smaller this winter - I know I'll be falling! :))

A big part of this journey for me will be ensuring that my mind keeps up and adjusts with/to the physical weight loss. I no longer weigh 278 pounds (my heaviest)! I weigh 191. The chair will not break if I sit on it. I won't break anything if I attempt these breakfalls. I will be able to get back up. I can do this. There really is a whole lot of growing with all this shrinking!

Anyway, my journey continues.

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

Best Steps to Overcome Fluid Retention and Bloating

Here is another post filled with useful information and helpful tips from my trainer Rob.

Best Steps to Overcome Fluid Retention and Bloating by Rob Lagana

There are a few causes of water retention but for many an increase in sodium through the diet ( mainly salt intake ) is a common cause and research suggests it may contribute to high blood pressure and other health complications. Sodium is present in virtually all food products, so when a person consumes more food it's inevitable they also consume more sodium. Weight gains are very often a combination of fat stores and water retention.

Understand that there's a difference between water weight and fat weight. Even if you lose the water, your body won't lose the fat. So, you can watch your sodium, take water flushing herbs and drink more water for all you want, but your not going to lose the fat.Water weight is held under the skin and above the fat. Understand that the water weight I am talking about is the excess water weight, from ingesting too much sodium.The long term effect of too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure and kidney disease.Here are the best steps to Overcome Water Weight and Bloat.

1. Decrease your sodium intake. Various organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, have published recommendations for daily sodium intake. Most recommend between 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams (mg) a day for healthy adults.

2. Stay away from processed and prepared foods.

3. Stay away from condiments.

4. Identify ingredients that are loaded with sodium and stay away from them. Here is list, Monosodium glutamate (MSG), Baking Soda, Baking powder, Disodium phosphate, sodium alginate, sodium nitrate or nitrite.

5. Remove salt from recipes whenever possible. If you need to add salt, use sea salt as an alternative.

6. Use natural herbs, spices and other flavorings to enhance food.Of course, alot of sugars (carbs) also hold fluids, being sensitive or allergic to foods and being stressed (intestinal inflammation, higher cortisol) also will make you hold more fluids and cause bloat.

7. Deal with your stress. Learn to manage it. Start with breathing exercises, mediation, and problem solving.

8. Decrease your simple sugar intake or eliminate them completely.

9. Go to your naturopath or doctor and have a food sensitivity test done. If you live in Ottawa, this clinic offers it. http://www.oihc.ca/

Most people go way over the recommended sodium intake for your body on a daily basis. The easiest way to reduce your intake is to follow the tips above and start eating clean. Diet is a major key to wellness and healthy weight loss.

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!!!)

Saturday Weigh-in ~ Week 32...Time to Re-FOCUS

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 199 lbs (July 5/09)
Current Weight: 201 lbs
This Week's Loss: IS NOT A LOSS AT ALL......2lb GAIN
Total pounds lossed to date: 57!!!

Okay, so I'm back in Twoterville!! CRAP!! However, I can assure you, I'm just back here to pick up the last of my things....this WILL be a very short visit. My new and permanent home will be in Onderland and I am heading there very soon.

I'm not at all surprised with this 2 pound gain with the way that I've been eating, however it has been a couple of weeks since my last weigh in, so it's really not as bad as I thought it would be. I remember when I first met with my trainer, he mentioned to me that success on this journey will be pretty much 80% healthy eating and 20 % proper exercise (don't quote me on the percentages)....the point is that I need to ensure that I'm eating well even if I am on point with the workouts. There has to be a balance and you cannot succeed with just one!

This was a huge lesson learned!! No dwelling on the past, time to re-FOCUS and start living in the NOW!!! It's time to enjoy my cheat meal and kick it up a notch from that point on. Had a great workout this am and a nice healthy breakfast. I'll keep you posted...

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

Scale Neglect...and Loving IT!!

Hey guys,

First I just need to say how much I've missed blogging and reading other blogs this past week or so....I feel like part of my routine is missing and I can't wait to get back to it. I plan to spend all of Saturday (or as much as I need) reading blogs and catching up on what I've been missing. I will also be back to posting regularly...I've really missed it! :)

Anyhoo, it's been 2 weeks since my last weigh in. Right now, I have no idea if I've gained or lossed weight. All I know is that I feel great and really that should be all that matters!!:) I haven't seen the scale and I don't miss it one bit. For the purposes of this journey, I will continue to weigh my self regularly to be able to chart my progress but once I reach my set goals and I get to the point of just maintaining a healthy lifestyle, one of the first things I'm going to do is host a SCALE-SMASHING party!! YEAH!!! I'll invite people over with their respective scales and at some pivotal point in the evening, we'll gather in my backyard and smash away!! We may even do it to music - maybe somethng by ACDC (Thunderstruck, maybe) Sounds like fun eh?? :D

Seriously, I'm pretty certain that I haven't gained any weight because I've been working out regularly, including regular "pullup" attempts - still the most difficult exercise EVER and so far I still can only complete ONE full pull-up!!! My eating hasn't been perfect but it hasn't been terrible either. I would say, overall it's about 80-85%! So that's not so bad...

I will weigh myself on Saturday morning (July 25th --omg, that's my husband's birthday - must plan something fun- he's been so amazing through all this) and post the results and get back to business 100%.

On another note, I saw one of my colleagues today, who I haven't seen in about 3 weeks and I must say that he looked fabulous. He has been extremely supportive of my journey, and we often speak of my struggles, triumphs, etc. He was inspired to start losing weight and he has. I believe he's down about 30 pounds since April - just by making some healthy changes (including exercising and nutritious foods). He is also training for a 5K run. I'm so happy for him and could see the difference in him (both physically and mentally). It's awesome....he inspires me to keep going. I just wanted to say, "GO Rob Go!!!"

It's funny, just a short few months ago, I could barely climb my stairs in my home and now I'm training for a 5K run...it's amazing to me how quickly your body adapts to healthy changes and how strong one can get...

Anyway, that's all the ramblings for today.

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

My NEW Strength Training Program.....Holy Crap!!!!

Hi guys,

A couple of days ago, I got an email from my trainer with my new, more difficult, kick-ass training plan for the next few weeks. OMG!!!

I will be weight training 4 times a week. I have 2 new programs - one day upper body, the other lower body with core and balance training incorporated in both programs. I have a choice of doing the program 2 days on,one day off (so Mon, Tues - workout, off Wednesday, Thurs, Fri -workout and have the weekend off) or do it on alternating days. So far, I've done 2 days on 1 day off! It is killer hard.

Lots of supesetting (when two exercises are performed in a row without stopping/resting). It's quite vigorous but really shows me how much my strength has increased. It's awesome. I think after this 6 week period with this new program, the definition in my muscles will really be noticeable - I can't wait!

I've never seen some of these exercises before; like one where I'm working my triceps as I'm balancing on an exercise ball!! Insane!! There's another one that I'm calling the "Lagana Lunge-a-palooza"!! I'm doing all sorts of lunges (side, back, front) and balance moves all in ONE exercise!! It's crazy and really gets your heart going!! Mother of pearl!!

MrLagana (my trainer) wasn't playing around when he put this program together! I'm really going to give it my all and will be really excited to see the results. Thanks Rob!

Until next time...

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Weigh-In...Week 29 ~ ONEderland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)

Last Weigh In: 201 lbs (June 27/09)

Current Weight: 199 lbs

This Week's Loss: 2lbs!!!

Total pounds lossed to date: 59

Well...this is my GOOD NEWS!!! I have FINALLY made it to ONEDERLAND!!! The actual weight on the scale read 199.4 yesterday. It could have read 199.9999999 and it would still be awesome to me!!! I was out of TWOterville!!! YEAH!!! It was fabulous!! I've done it and I feel great about it!! I am down 59 pounds!!! This is amazing!! Starting this journey back in December, I remember saying to myself, "If I could lose 50 pounds and weigh around 208lbs, I'll be happy!!" Well now I WEIGH 199lbs!!! This is only the half!! I have no doubts that I will lose the rest of the weight and reach my overall goal of losing 101lbs!! I can't wait 'til that day!!:) I feel great!! That picture on the left is exactly how I feel, crazy hair and all!! :))

Another reward level accomplished!!! My reward for reaching this level (58lbs lost) is a "C'est La Vie" eat-whatever-I-want-day!!! Well, yesterday, I ate very healthy all day. At the wedding reception I had steamed veggies and fish and a salad. It was delicious. I had a small piece of cake. HOWEVER, I thoroughly enjoyed the wine (both red and white) in addition to a "few" rye and gingers and a shooter!! :) Hence the reason why this post did not go up last night nor early this morning :))) I wouldn't have been able to type my name last night, if you paid me lol!! So although it wasn't an "eat-whatever-I-want" DAY, I think that qualified as my reward. It worked out better this way, plus I don't really want to eat badly ALL day. The cake and alcohol were good enough rewards!! It was a great wedding, fun...I danced all night....it was wonderful!

Anyway, that's it for now...signing off very happy today. Off to get my cardio workout in for the day.

Until next time...

Joania (2KMINE!!)

Happy 4th of July!!!!

Hey y'all...just wanted to come on quickly to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July!! Enjoy those BBQ's!!

I'm busy getting ready to go to a wedding. I weighed in this morning and have good news!! Will be on later tonight topost details!!

Until next time...

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Saturday Weigh-In...Week 28

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 202 lbs (June 20/09)
Current Weight: 201 lbs

This Week's Loss: 1lb!!!

Total pounds lossed to date: 57

Slowly but surely, I'm getting close to breaking that 200 pound mark!! I thought I would have done it this week, but either way I WILL GET THERE!!

I'm happy with the loss...A LOSS IS A LOSS and WAY BETTER THAN A GAIN or NOTHING AT ALL...so I am happy with it. One pound away from next reward level...almost there. This month's total loss was about 5 pounds which is a bit low compared to other months,but I realize that I won't have a huge loss everytime and I did have a lot of changes in my schedule this past few weeks. I'm still happy quite with it! :)

Where the heck are the PORGRESS PIX, Joania?????

I've been so busy and out of town so often the past couple of months and my poor husband (my photographer), he has been so busy with his work and taking care of our son while I'm away, that we haven't had a chance to take some pix. He worked today....by the time I opened my eyes this morning, he was already out the door. He's off tomorrow so we will have a big photo shoot in the morning. I apologize for taking so long to post these pics....there is a recent picture of me from the last Citizen newspaper article....it was from a couple of weeks ago..but it's not the same as my full body, front, back and side shots...tomorrow for sure!!

Believe it or not, I received a couple of emails from people who thought the reason I haven't posted my progress pics is because I'm gaining weight and I don't want to share that, basically calling me a liar...which is nothing short of BULLSHIT and it ticked me off at first but I just shrugged it off - not even worth my time. Pix will be posted tomorrow and the proof will show. Some people...I will not waste my time on it!!

ANYWAY... I've got myself a new outfit which I will be posing in and I may even show some skin this time...I actually have curves in my waist and I may just show it off (still deciding!) :)

Until tomorrow...
Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Saturday Weigh-in ~ Week 27

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 204 lbs (June 13/09)
Current Weight: 202 lbs
This Week's Loss: 2lbs!!!

Total pounds lossed to date: 56

OH YES!!! 2 WHOLE POUNDS!!! I'm sooooo happy with that. I think my 5K training is giving me an extra boost. This is awesome. I weigh 202 lbs, I am 3 pounds away from ONEderland!!! I can't wait!!! I am also 2 more pounds away from my next reward!!! I still haven't done my full spa day (which was my last reward for losing 48 pounds) - I've just been too busy, BUT I WILL MAKE THE TIME!!!

I looked at my ticker on the bottom of the page, and it says 45 pounds to go!! 45 Pounds!! I'm passed the halfway mark of my overall goal of losing 101 pounds!! I remember when I first set this up and how daunting it was to see "101 POUNDS to GO!!" And now, here I stand with ONLY 45 pounds left to go. I know I shouldn't say only, but coming from 101 pounds, I'm really psyched and truly believe 45 pounds is possible!! I'm on a total high!!!

This is awesome...my body is weird right now...very loose, almost saggy skin in the stomach, leg and arm areas, but you can also see the muscle underneath - I'm hoping with my strength training that those muscles will soon takeover ..lol!! I know it's just one of the many phases that my body will go through. Progress pictures will be up in the next post.

With the change in weather - it finally looks like it will be warm - I've gone through my closet, pulling out my summer clothes, well, NOTHING FITS!!!! It's awesome. All shorts/capris are falling off, it's a wonderful feeling...not good news for my wallet but great news overall!!

It looks like my weigh-in will be on Saturdays now...since I've been out of town the past two Wednesdays, I've had to weigh-in on Saturdays. It may make more sense to keep the weigh-ins on Saturdays; just more convenient.

Anyway, that's it for now...feeling great with this weeks loss!! Yeah!!

Until next time...

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Happy Mother's Day!

First off, I want to wish all the moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day!!! All the Mommy's, Grand-mommy's and Mommy's to be!! Happy Day ladies!!

This is always a bitter-sweet time for me. I'm a mom to a perfect little angel. Being a mom is the greatest and most important thing I've ever done and ever will do in my life. I love all that comes with it!! However, as most of you already know, I lost my mom almost 17 years ago, so this day is always somewhat difficult for me as well. Over the past 17 years, I've learned to focus on the memories and wonderful times we spent together and that has helped to make the day easier; however it's still difficult. I miss her so much. When my son was born (almost 3 years ago), he brought new wonderful meaning to Mother's Day and made it once again a day I could enjoy. That's what I meant by bitter-sweet.

A little bit about my mother...

She was a wonderful lady, a fabulous spirit and always had this positive energy that seemed to just surround her. She had me when she was only 19 years old. We were very close. This may sound cliché, but she truly was my best and closest friend in this world. We shared everything with each other. When she was 32, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It was such a devasting shock to me, that from that moment on I truly remained in what I call a "functional state of shock". It shook my world.

My mom was a fighter, she fought as hard as she could and managed to fight this disease for next 5 years!! She perservered through 2 major surgeries, and 3 bouts of chemotherapy, never once complaining as she dealt with what I know was the most difficult, painful and scariest time of her life. She was amazing.

In the end, the cancer unfortunately returned and spread rapidly to her other organs. I graduated high school in June 1992 and remember how sick she was on that day. I told her, "Mommy, I don't have to go to commencements, the school will mail my Diploma or I could pick it up later." She looked at me, with such a sadness in her eyes and said, "I want to hear your named called and see you walk across that stage!" And she did. She was so weak, but managed to summon the strength to come to my high school graduation commencement and witnessed me walking across that stage. I heard her cheering so loudly for me and it just broke me. At the time, not many people understood why I was as emotional as I was that day...but we knew. A few months later, she passed away at the age of 37, peacefully in my arms at home on December 10, 1992.

Although I miss her terribly, I feel her presence all the time. It's incredible. Especially on this journey, I think of her often as she too battled with her weight pretty much all her life and I wish she was here, because if she was, I know that we would be doing this together.

I see so much of her in my son, from his smile to his personality - it's amazing! Anyway, I just felt that I needed to honour her on this Mother's Day eve. Wherever you are, just know that I love you and miss you - always.

I want to wish all the moms out there a fabulous day tomorrow!! I also wanted to send love and hugs to all of those who've lost their moms - please take solace in the memories that you shared with your love ones.

Until next time...

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Week 18 Weigh-In...2 Pounds Down!!!

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 216 lbs (Apr 8/09)
Current Weight: 214 lbs
This Week's Loss: 2 lbs!!!!!!!!

Another 2 POUNDS GONE!!!!!!!!!! Yes!! I weigh 214 lbs!!! I cannot remember the last time I weighed that amount!!! This is great. I'm so happy with the progress thusfar.....can't get over it!!

I must tell you guys a quick story. I was talking to my girlfriend Coco today and she brought something to my attention. Lately, I've pulled out my heels (heeled boots, shoes, wedges etc.)...so we were talking and she mentioned to me that she noticed I'm wearing some sexy shoes lately (she used to bug me 'cause I ALWAYS wore these blue boots before...comfy, very comfy, but not at all fashion forward) anyway, my response to her was that my shoes are now comfy again.....my feet use to kill me whenever I wore heels before I started this journey...I guess losing these 44 pounds is helping to improve my fashion style, right Coco???!!!

That's it for now...

Signing off 44 pounds lighter!!!!! WHOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Living in the Present

My life is a journey, not a destination. This weight loss journey that I am on is just one of the MANY things I'm doing with my life. I've said it so many times before in prior posts, "although, this weight loss journey is very important to me, I don't want it to consume me, there's so much more to me than just this - as encompassing as it is!!" From the very beginning it has been important to me that I do not miss out on life as I attempt to get healthy. I'm at a good place (very good place) in my life and now is the right time for me to be on this journey but at the same time, I am also enjoying life as I go along! I certainly will not let life just pass me by!!! I don't want to put anything on hold so that I achieve these goals. Because if I was to do that, what would I do when I achieved those goals? Where would I start? I'd be lost!!!

Don't get me wrong, I realize that I will have to make some major changes to my lifestyle, particularly with regards to my nutrition and physical activity and committment to this (and I HAVE) and I will continue to make those sacrifices BUT I won't sacrifice living.....I am enjoying my life, my family and my friends and my work, even as I go through this journey!! It's great! No regrets. I certainly don't want to look back in 7-8 months time, having reached my goals and be miserable due to the things I've missed out on!! What brought these thoughts on, you may ask? Well I'll tell you.

I bumped into one of my old friends today; haven't seen her in about 2 years! She was so pleasantly surprised when she saw the change in my physical appearance...she complimented me over and over and wanted to know what I was doing. We grabbed a seat and I proceeded to fill her in about the whole journey/blog experience. It was really nice. We were having such a good time. Anyway, we started talking about old times. I asked how her sister was and it's then that the mood of our conversation changed. "Oh crap", I thought to myself...."something's wrong, I hope her sister is okay!"

She then started filling me in that her sister (who was always a bigger girl, like me) had lost all of the weight!! She did it using the South Beach Diet and running (she ran 5K's, 10K's and was even training for a half marathon). "WOW", I exclaimed, "that's amazing". "So why so glum", I asked. Well she continued to fill me in.

In her words, her sister had become so obsessed with losing the weight that it was all she did, spoke of and lived. She cut off ties with many of her friends and even some family members. She stopped attending functions etc. This was all that she was about, losing the weight. Anyway, in a nut shell, this went on for about 9 months or so. It has been a little over year since her sister lost the weight and has now been battling depression. She even attempted suicide ...she said that she felt that after she lost the weight, it's almost like there was nothing else and at first it wasn't so bad but she just slipped further and further into depression. she's currently on medication and showing signs of things getting better.

I was truly stunned to hear all of this. I realize that this may be an extreme case (or maybe not, I don't know) but I just found it so sad. This is exactly what I don't want to happen to me and I don't think it would with me because I love life and people (especially my family and friends) and although I want to lose this weight, I really want to lose this weight, I DO NOT want to cut off my friends and family to do it. This does take a lot of time, effort, dedication, sacrifices and resources and I can see how it can get the best of you but I do not intend to let it!! I'm trying to get fit so that I can ENJOY LIVING even more than I currently do.

I always think back to a comment one of my new Facebook friends sent me, "Joania, if your head is right, your ass will follow!" It really is all about finding that balance and if you don't, you might get lost in the end, as was the case with my friend's sister.

Sorry for such a downer post but I really think it's important that I shared this with all of you, especially those of you on this journey with me or on journeys of your own and even those thinking of starting a journey. Stay true to who you are and live in the moment, enjoy the small accomplishments no matter what. I don't know, I'm no expert but it just makes sense to me that this weight loss thing (and everything else for that matter) should be about balance. I mean we all make mistakes but it's that big picture that matters in the end. Your overall accomplishment, right???

I would really love to hear your thoughts on this one, please feel free to post comments!

Thanks.

Until next time...

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Week 15 Weigh-In.......1 More Pound (66 to go!!)

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 224 lbs (Mar 21/09)
Current Weight: 223 lbs
This Week's Loss: 1 lb

WHOOOOOOOHOOOOOO!! Another pound gone!!! Only 66 more to go!! I am EXTRA pleased with this loss considering I just weighed in this past Saturday..so that's 1 pound in 4 days!! That's awesome. I 'VE LOST 35 POUNDS!!!! I'm 3 pounds away from another milestone - to lose 38 pounds and get a very long massage. I feel awesome about the progress so far and so pumped to continue.

My trainer is working on a new program for me and to quote him, "Your program is almost ready and you'll feel a new level of hurt!!" I'm scurrrrred, y'all - but excited at the same time!!

Until next time...

Signing off 35 POUNDS LIGHTER!!!

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

I Weigh More than a UFC Fighter!!!

Hey guys,

I was watching TV last night, just flipping through the channels and came across the Ultimate Fitghting Championship (UFC). BTW, I find myself watching this stuff more and more...don't know what it is, but I am slowly but surely becoming a fan of this sport!! Just in awe of the raw strength and martial arts skills (and I like the hits and blood - my sick side is coming out). It's becoming one of my guilty pleasures - hey, it's fat free!!!;)

Anyway, one of the announcers was just going over some stats of a couple of UFC's star heavy weight fighters and I realized, when I started this journey, I WEIGHED MORE THAN QUITE A FEW OF THESE GUYS!!! That's nuts!!! At my heaviest, which was 278, I weighed more than this guy:

Brock Lesnar

Height: 6'3

Weight: 276 lb

Yours Truly

Height: 5'5

Weight: 278 lbs

When I started my journey, I weighed 258 lbs, which was more than this guy:

Frank Mir

Height: 6'3

Weight: 251 lbs

Me (With my "Bad ass" face)

Weight: 258 lbs

I currently weigh 225lbs, which is more than this "little light weight":

Chuck Lidell

Height: 6'2

Weight: 205 lbs














Me...kicking ass at 225 lbs!!




Anyway, I'm just having fun with this. I'm really proud of how far I've come and just so excited for the future. I'm in a really good place right now and I have all intentions of staying there!!

Happy Sunday...off to workout!

Joania (2KMINE!!)

Week 13 Weigh-In....2 More GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)
Last Weigh In: 227 lbs (Mar 4/09)
Current Weight: 225 lbs
This Week's Loss: 2 lbs

Hi guys,

Sorry for the late and what will be short post!! I'm so happy!! As busy as I've been this week, I kept up with my eating AND exercising and managed to lose yet another 2 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That brings my total to 33 pounds!! Isn't that awesome!! I'm so happy!!!


Anyway, it's 730 and I literally JUST walked through the door....I need to give my son supper (which is in oven as I type), make myself supper, then give him a bath and put him to bed and off to bed myself. I will try to post those pix soon....promise!! Thanks guys!!


Untill 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!!!)