Marvelous Monday!!

Today was AWESOME!! ! I feel fabulous.

MONDAY

Exercise
I rocked out the strength training session this morning and felt somewhat invincible. I don't know what it was, I woke up full of energy with the Black Eyed Peas song, "♫♫I got a feeling, that tonight's gonna be a good night ♫♫"stuck in my head!! It was crazy and awesome....I pushed through that session this morning.

Lunch time Kickboxing session with Ingrid was fab-u-lous!!! She totally killed our arms today but it was awesome. My Kickboxing partner (and friend) Nicole, had her camera today and we took a few shots after the class, for fun!!
That's Nicole, ME and Ingrid after sweating it out...at least we're still smiling! :)

I LOVE KICKBOXING!!! This one is of me getting Sensei Derek with a front snap kick, right where it counts (he's such a good sport)!! I am not displaying the proper form in this shot, but I just could not pass up the opportunity to get him. I wish you could see his face, he's such a cutie...MEAN...but cute. BTW, this wasn't a real kick, it was done for the camera!! :) Fun times!
I also went to the kickboing class at 430 pm today, taught by Sensei Derek and let me tell you he truly punished me for that kick....well, he punished the entire class!! We did 500 situps (5 variations of 100 each!) OUCH!!! This was in between kick and punch combinations!!! It was an awesome class -I was drenched and spent!!! He was a bit disappointed after class because he wanted us to do 700 situps and we "only" managed 500!!!!! Sensei Derek...you just gotta love him. Although the class is tough as hell, he somehow manages to keep us laughing while we're in pain - he keeps it fun!! I'm sure he'll make us pay at Friday's class!
Total Hours of Exercise: 3 hours, 20 mins

Nutrition
Breakfast: 3 boiled eggs (ate whites only), 1 turkey sausage, 800ml of water. Snack: vanilla protein shake, 500ml water. Lunch: veggie & grilled chicken wrap on ww pita, 500ml water. Snack: can of tuna with half an English cucumber (sliced), 500ml. Dinner: grilled chicken breast & garden salad, 800ml water. Snack: cup of green tea (having it right now)
Total Water: 3100ml plus 1500ml during workout = 4600ml(4.6 litres)

Until next time...
Joania

Blueprint 2010 Basics

This will outline the plan I've laid out in order to achieve my goals for 2010. My Blueprint 2010!!! It consists of EXERCISE (strength training & cardio) and NUTRITION!

Blueprint 2010: Basics

EXERCISE
I will exercise 6 days a week (Monday to Saturday); Sunday will be my day of REST! My exercise program will consist of Strength Training, Martial Arts (Kickboxing & Jiu-jitsu), Jogging/Running (outdoors when the weather permits & the old treadmill on those crisp Canadian Winter days),Yoga and Swimming.

Weight Training
I will continue using the services of my incredible trainer, Rob Lagana (http://www.laganafitness.com). My strength training programs are personalized and customized by Rob to whip me into the best shape of my life. He's my Jillian & Bob all rolled up in one! These are total body weight training programs - sometimes there's an emphasis on specific muscle groups (legs, arms, etc.) but for the most part it is a total body workout.

Martial Arts
I will continue my Kickboxing and Jiu-jitsu sessions at Therien Martial Arts with Sensei Derek and Ingrid (http://www.therienmartialarts.com). These sessions range from 45 mins to an hour. One day a week (Monday), I will be taking 2 kickboxing classes for a total of 1 hour and 45 mins of exercise.

Jogging/Running
After running my first 5K last October, I was surprised to learn that I liked running or at least I liked the feeling of completing that 5K race!!! I wanted to continue running. I did for a bit but I have not ran in a few weeks and really want to get back into it. I used the Couch to 5K (C25K) program to get myself ready last year and I am planning on doing that program again. I have a link on the right side of this blog for additional information on the C25K program.

In short, it's a popular running program designed to get you off the couch and running a 5K in 9 weeks time!! It works - I did it!!! Each session takes between 20 to 30 minutes, three times a week. This will also keep me in running shape for when I decide to run the "Try-a-Tri"(mini triathlon)!!

Yoga/Swimming
Once a week, I'd like to get back into taking a yoga class. It's nothing crazy, more to stretch and relax than anything else. I'm thinking of doing this every Saturday. I'd also like to get back into swimming, it's something I actually really enjoy and don't even look at it as exercise. I'm thinking for now, I could alternate between the Yoga class and Swimming session, one day a week.

BLUEPRINT 2010: WORKOUT SCHEDULE

Monday

• Weight Training (1 hour, 30 mins)
• Kickboxing (45 mins)
• Kickboxing (1 hour)

Tuesday

• Jiu-jitsu (1 hour)
• C25K (30 mins)

Wednesday

• Weight Training (1 hour, 30 mins)
• Kickboxing (45 mins)

Thursday

• Jiu-jitsu (1 hour)
• C25K (30 mins)

Friday

• Weight Training (1 hour, 30 mins)
• Kickboxing (1 hour)

Saturday

• C25K (30 mins)
• Yoga or Swimming (1 hour)

Sunday

• REST!! :)

NUTRITION
My nutritional plan will remain the same, that is consuming foods that come solely from the Whole Foods group. I know this won't ALWAYS be the case, however my goal is to aim for eating whole foods 90-95 percent of the time.
I will also continue eating 5-6 small meals throughout the day. I will also drink 3-4 litres of water everyday (this is easier than it sounds especially when you're working out - I can usually down about a litre of water during/after my workout sessions).

My Food List
This list is certainly not inclusive of EVERY thing I will be eating, but it should give you a better idea of the types of foods I will eat. It's really just eating clean! This is the toughest part for me. I can work out until I puke, but where I really have to give 150% effort is with staying on track with my eating. Once I get going, it gets easier.

Avoid, Avoid, Avoid!!
I will avoid the following:

• Sugar
  
• refined, processed foods
• soft drinks/soda/pop
• alcohol :(

List
Choose from any of these:

• ALL vegetables, especially the dark green ones (spinach, broccoli, green peppers, brussel sprouts, romaine lettuce, kale, etc.)
• Fruits (melons, apples, strawberries, etc.)
  
• Eggs - I have eggs everyday
• Poultry (chicken, turkey, Cornish hen)
• Turkey Sausages
  
• Extra Lean Beef (sirloins, top round steaks)
• FISH (I love fish- TUNA, sardines, sole, haddock, salmon, snapper, tilapia, king etc) and seafood (shrimp & lobster, clams)
• Sweet Potatoes - these have been a God send this past year..it tastes like dessert on some days. It hits the sweet spot!
• Brown rice
• Whole grain pasta, multi-grain pasta (not everyday)
• Whole wheat pita (for wraps and/or baking to mimic a crispy chip, dipped in humus)
  
• Almonds (un-roasted, unsalted, "un-chocolated" :), Brazil nuts
• Oatmeal (I like the steel cut) - avoid the pre-packaged flavored oatmeal
  
• Cheese, yogurt (low fat - flavor with real fruit instead)
• Ice cream, chocolate bars, birthday cake - NOT!!!!!! Just checking if you're paying attention! :)

Overall, I am eating a lot of salads and mixed veggie dishes (stirfrys, steamed veggies, frittatas etc.) with some sort of lean protein. Omlets are great as well - you get your veggies and protein and you could have it for breakfast or for dinner! Occasionally, I had rice and pasta but no more than twice a week. I had sweet potatoes practically everyday (but I really like it)!

Towards the last few months of the year, I increased my protein intake based on how much I was exercising. I replaced one of my snacks with a protein drink (protein powder & water). I usually drank it after one of my workout sessions.

I'm sure there are other healthy stuff that I've left off this list, I just jotted these down based on what and how I ate last year. If there's anything that you think should be on the list, please write it in the comments section. Thanks

So that's the Blueprint for this year. Sorry for the lengthy post. This is exactly what I'll be following this year and I am confident that my goals are within reach.

Until next time...
Joania

Christmas Parties...PART TWO!!! :)

So yesterday (Thursday), I had an awesome day of eating and exercise...I had two boiled eggs and 1/2 a grapefruit for breakfast...yum! I consumed approximately 3 litres of water for the day. I had a nice grilled chicken breast wrap (chicken breast, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, green & red pepper..no sauce/mayo) on whole wheat tortilla for lunch. It was delicious. It was so big that I only had half for lunch and saved the other half for dinner. I went to my Jiu-jitsu class at lunch time ..which was awesome..learned lots of self-defense moves, including quite a few variations of "take-downs"!! IT 'S AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

So here comes the "Christmas Parties" part....

It really is the festive time of the year. Everywhere I turn, it's some sort of luncheon, party, celebration, dinner, drinks, etc. I have refused a few parties but this year I certainly plan to enjoy a few of them - especially after missing out last year. My plan is to keep up with my workouts EVERYDAY and eat healthy foods as much as I can, but have fun and enjoy myself as well! So far, sooooooooooooooo good!! :)

I was invited to my former team's Christmas Party (remember I only changed teams in late September - so I'd spent a good portion of this past year with these colleagues/friends). I didn't want to intrude on their "teambuilding" activities even though I know they would not have minded in the least. Plus I had just celebrated with my current team the day before and it was great fun.

Anyway, I did agree to come out for a drink with them later on in the evening. I made certain to
eat the other half of my wrap (from lunch) to ensure that I wouldn't feel the need to order any unhealthy foods at the restaurant. I also had a great deal of water as well. I walked in to a wonderful welcome from my old team and I too was very happy to see them. It was nice. I had a drink (Heineken) and it was on from that moment on!!! Well the drinks just kept coming (heinekens and shooters!!) I was feeling really good and more importantly having an amazing time, laughing and socializing with friends.

Although, I didn't EAT any unhealthy foods, I did consume quite a bit of alcohol - EMPTY, EMPTY CALORIES!!!! I got home pretty late that evening or should I say, pretty early in the morning, however, I woke up this morning, feeling like crap but still dragged my butt to the basement for my weight-training session!! You PLAY, you PAY!! I felt really yucky throughout but pushed through. I had to sweat out the toxins!! LOL!!!

For breakfast, I had some scrambled eggs (3 egg whites, 1 whole egg) and drank lots and lots of water! :) I went off to work and felt very tired throughout the day (I was only going on about 3 hours of sleep). Well today, I would normally attend my 4:30pm 1-hour long kickboxing (KB) class. The way I was feeling today, I knew that wouldn't happen...BUT GUESS WHAT????????????????? I WENT TO THE CLASS, thanks in part to two of my colleagues (K & D) who went to the class as well!! After that KB session, I WAS DONE!! I did not even want to get off the mat!!!!LOL

I feel great that I was able to enjoy the parties yet still made the effort to work out (even though I really did not want to - especially TODAY!!!) I also made certain to get right back on track with my eating!! NO GUILT here, just making sure to continue with the journey!! I'm feeling amazingly fabulous! :)

So here I am, my son and I just finished dinner and I'm just writing this quick post so that we can BOTH go to bed!!! Tomorrow, Christmas Shopping - that should be a work out in itself!!

That's it for now...going to bed...sweet dreams!

Until next time
Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Day 21 of My 30 Day Countdown - Almost There

Day 21....almost there!! Great day today. I had lots of energy today.

Weight training went well - still tough and kickboxing class today was killer today. Ingrid really brought the pain today...in between each drill (kick/punch combination) we did 10 push-ups/crunches or jumping jacks!! The warm up alone practically killed me today. It was a pyramid style warm up. It was 10 Jumping Jacks, 10 Pushups, 10 Crunches...then 9, 8, 7...all the way to 1!! It was sick! I wanted to puke (AGAIN)!!

Food was on point today - ate very well, drank lots of water. It was great. For supper, I actually went to subway. I had a 6 inch oven roasted chicken breast sub on whole wheat with lettuce, lots of cucumbers, green peppers, onions and black pepper. No cheese, no dressing. It was pretty tasty!

CELEBRATION!!

I am 10 days away from my year mark!! 10 DAYS!! JUST INCREDIBLE. I was going to wait til February and combine this with my birthday but I have decided to have a little mini celebration now (well probably the 11th or 12th of December). I'm thinking of a restaurant (Italian or Cajun). Open invitation to all who want to come...I will provide more details in the coming days!! AS ALWAYS, your thoughts and suggestions are appreciated...Any ideas to make this a special night!!! let me know

Thanks guys!!

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!!!)

Day 19 of My 30 Day Countdown - TGIF!!

I am tired y'all! Tough week!

Had an awesome day of exercise today. Weight training session was really tough especially when working my arms as my shoulders were so sore from the day before (Jiu-jitsu class). However, I pushed through. My arms are still a bit sore right now. Sensei Derek taught my kickboxing class this evening and wow - excellent workout. We did quite a few "Derek Pushups" (slow and painful, each pushup lasts for a 10 count). I work so hard in that class and although I am cursing Sensei Derek's name for most of the class, it's so much fun and I get such an amazing sweat/workout!! Love it!

I forgot to mention in yesterday's post that I earned my second stripe on my white belt at the end of yesterday's jiu-jitsu class. I am just so proud and still can't believe that I am doing this. It's just amazing. My break falls are also getting much better! Practice, practice, practice. I'm really enjoying it now. :)

Food

B- bowl of oatmeal, 2 egg whites, boiled,
Sn - protein drink
L - steamed broccoli and grilled chicken brochette, 1 litre water
Sn - handful of almonds, 1/2 litre water
D - small grilled steak, steamed asparagus, 1 litre water
Sn - small green salad with 1/2 can tuna, 1/2 litre water

Drank approx 2 additional litres during workouts

So tomorrow is another weigh in...hoping for at least a 2-3 pound loss this week. Will post tomorrow! That's it for now

Day 18 of My 30 Day Countdown - OH MY SHOULDERS!!!!

OMG!!!!Have you every worked out so hard that your body was shaking uncontrollably??? Your arms felt like jello? And everything in your rational mind was screaming, "What the hell are you doing?" WELL, I did TODAY!! Holy mother of ALL crap!!! Sensei Derek is CRAZY!! But I love it - so maybe I'm the crazy one!! LOL!! He destroyed us (well me for sure and the majority of the class, even the more advanced ones - I heard them huffing and puffing, I saw them giving it their all) at Jiu-jitsu today!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At the end of Sensei Derek's "warm-up", which btw, I have no clue of how long it was - assuming 20 mins or so!! No clue of the time - that's how hard we were being pushed today!! NUTS!!! We started off with a leg stretch which wasn't so bad until Sensei kept saying, "a little bit further, a little bit further!" every couple of minutes or so. We would then have to extend the stretch further and further each time. Then he had us cross our arms and we were NOT allowed to touch the mat as we pushed and held the stretch to our max - PAST OUR MAX!!!! I tried to find a picture and this is the closest I could find. In the pic below, instead of the hands being on the floor for support, our arms were crossed as we leaned forward -strength and balance- that made it just a weeeeee bit TOUGHER!!!!
Anyway, Sensei Derek started walking around the classroom as we were all DYING in pain, he kept pushing us. It's amazing how much harder you push yourself when you have someone pushing you - someone who knows what they're doing, that is! He walked around saying, "who will be the first to touch the mat, lets see who it will be?!?!!" as he grinned and smirked in pleasure!! I was shaking and sweating profusly...gritting my teeth as I struggled to hold the stretch (it's more commonly known as the "Jiu-jitsu smile"). I so desperately wanted to hold on but I couldn't!! Boom!! I was down!! Sensei Derek laughed and said, "oh, Joania's down, now we have to do something harder!!!" as if that wasn't hard enough!!! His comments were followed with moans and groans from the class!! He took pure pleasure in our pain!!

He had us elevate our arms. We were going to do the rest of our "work out" with our arms up and if we dared to drop our arms it would be push-ups and not just any push-ups......it would be DEREK PUSH-UPS!!! That's where each pushup is held for a 10 count, slow and painful!! I was determined (as was the rest of the students in the class) to keep our arms up even if it killed us!! Sensei bombarded us with a ray of exercises....wall to wall lunges, with our arms up; wall to wall squats, with our arms up; wall to wall lunge and kicks, with our arms up; 100 snap kicks with our arms up and finished with wall squats with our arms up!!! THE PAIN WAS INTENSE....I thought my shoulders would fall off!!! I looked like someone dumped a bucket of water on my head. It was F'ing AWESOME!!! None of us quit...we all got through the drills and Sensei was genuinely impressed. PAIN IS TEMPORARY, QUITTING IS FOREVER!!! My arms are KILLING me right now.

It was an amazing workout!! I'm telling you, I am really loving the workouts I'm getting at this place. it's phenomenal!! Therien Martial Arts, I WISH I STARTED YEARS AGO!! But I'm here now and it's NEVER too late!

Anyway, food was good today, I stuck to the plan. I ate exactly what I had yesterday. Sometimes it's easier instead of trying to plan my meals every day, I just double up when I prepare and I know I'm good for two days! :) I drank 3 litres of water today.

That's it for now...tomorrow is weight training day and kickboxing class!

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

Day 17 of My 30 Day Countdown - Kick Ass Kickboxing

Hi guys,

Well I am totally over the peanut butter and I'm actually quite grateful for the full day of rest yesterday. I woke up this morning feeling awesome and immediately got my weight training done. I mentioned before that it was a bit heavy on the leg workout (lower body) - lots of squats and lunges. I really pushed through this morning and felt great after.

I walked into the dojo (gym) at around noon today for my regular Wednesday Kickboxing session! Our teacher Ingrid, AKA "INTENSE" was ready and waiting!! Little did I know, she had something extra planned for the class today!! The focus was LOWER BODY today !!! OMG!! MY LEGS!! She had us complete numerous leg drills with various kicks repeatedly and in between sets, we were required to do FULL SQUATS!! My thighs were burning!! It was crazy INTENSE (hence her nickname)!! She pushed us really hard!! We were spent after wards and DRENCHED!! Awesome class!!

FOOD:
I ate very well today. I found that for whatever reason, I didn't drink enough water today. I had about 2 litres (I regular aim for 3 to 4). It just didn't happen today but I'm drinking some as I sit here typing so that should bring me up to 3litres for the day!

B - 3 boiled eggs (whites), warm cabbage salad (blanched cabbage and onions, garlic, pepper)
Sn - protein drink
L - 1 can tuna, green salad
Sn - small baked sweet potato
D - roasted chicken breast, steamed broccoli
Sn - a small yellow bell pepper

Today I was having a discussion with a few of my colleagues about what I plan to do after the journey!! There is no "after the journey", the journey continues. But I understood what they meant. I have been thinking, even planning on taking the week after the 10th of Dec to eat whatever I want, just no restrictions - only for that week, HOWEVER, today, my boss (who I also consider a friend) actually said to me, "Joania, can an alcoholic take one drink, can an addict do just one line of cocaine??" Shit! It really got me thinking. I don't believe I'm as bad as an alcoholic or drug addict, and he wasn't insinuating that, however, there was a lot of value to what he was saying. There I was just planning to eat (more like pig out) everyday for that week, not even thinking of how that may affect me or what that would mean for my new lifestyle!! That is no way to start my new lifestyle, right??

So I have now decided that I will have a few cheat MEALS during that week and not a cheat day, each and everyday!! I may have a pizza lunch one day, and even then not go overboard - moderation!! I've got to cut myself some slack because I've really pushed myself to the limit, especially in this home stretch but I do want to maintain this way of living!

In my heart, I truly believe that the maintenance of this new lifestyle will be equally or maybe even more difficult than the weight loss journey itself!! I need to give myself a fighting chance and find that balance. I am not going to deprive myself HOWEVER, I am also not going to go back to the way I used to be. No more sabotaging! So thanks for that lesson Bossman!! :)

Anyway, that's it for now. I'm still trying to figure out how I am going to celebrate this achievement! I'm leaning towards the birthday-journey combo celebration in February (my birthday)! I'll keep you posted.

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

Day 15 of My 30 Day Countdown

Halfway there!! Today is Day 15!

Very quick post today

EXERCISE:

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

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

FOOD:

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

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

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

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

Day 12 of My 30 Day Countdown

Sorry this post is a bit long...I have a little mini rant today...sorry guys! :)

Wheew! TGIF!! What a busy week! I'm tired. Tomorrow, my plan is to sleep in (hopefully my 3-year old will oblige) until about 830 or even 900 if I'm lucky. All week, I've been up at 500/530 so this would just be heaven - I will even take 730!! :) As far as exercising - I'm going to go for a 45 minute run (about 5K) and that will be it for the day...my body needs to rest.

TODAY'S EXERCISE

Today was awesome (again)! I started off with my 1.5 hour weight training session...which, after 3 weeks of doing it, is still incredibly challenging and gets my heart pumping like crazy! It's fabulous - a total body workout and I get both strength and cardio conditionning from each session!! I'm loving it!! It really is the perfect way to start my day and it keeps me going throughout the day! I work on the 4th floor of my building and went up to the 6th floor on 2 occasions today - both times I hopped up the stairs! I know it's only 2 flights but I always took the elevator before. The best part is that there was barely a change in my breathing when I got upstairs - just fantastic!

Later in the day (430), I attended an hour long Kickboxing class at Therien Martial Arts! WOW!! Sensei Derek killed it today! I still can't get over how much fun I'm having as this man punishes me regularly with crazy exercise moves!! I always feel like I gave 100+% at every class because Sensei Derek really pushes me to my limits - and I get the same sense from the other people in the class. It's a really friendly atmosphere where everyone is working hard! Do you know how hard you have to push yourself to actually want to puke? IT'S FRIGGIN' AWESOME!!!! I am really loving it - more so at the end of class than during!!LOL! This is such an incredible workout, you really get a high from it. It gets you in shape and we get to do some really cool stuff, totally different (and more effective, in my humble opinion) than the regular aerobic classes or treadmill.

Today's class was awesome...my friend Coco actually came tonight and boy were we ever breathing hard! Sensei Derek had us do a special drill today. He called on one of his pro-kickers (Nathalie) to help him demonstrate the exercise. We were paired up in two's. One person would straddle over a kicking pad and throw a non-stop barrage of punches until he said stop (about 1 minute, which seemed like forever). In the mean time the other person held a rope (actually one of the martial arts belts) around the other's waist - almost like a harness. When Sensei Derek said, "GO!", the person punching would jump up and sprint to the other end of the dojo (gym) and back ALL WHILE the partner is holding on to the rope/belt applying resistance (their body weight)!! Picture the sprinter trying to pull the other person along as they sprint to the other end of the gym!!! OMG!! It was super tough, but awesome. I was so winded and yes, the feeling of puking appeared once more... BTW there were a couple other people in there tonight who felt the same way!! :)

Sensei Derek is tough (and crazy) and fun and I mentioned before about him taking pleasure in inflicting pain, well tonight he proved that once more! While demonstrating this exercise with Nathalie, she was running, pulling him along...and he's yelling, "let's go!! move!! move!!!" and she's pushing it and then, you know what he did???? Well, let's just say he had some very interesting motivational techniques and if you want to know what those are, you need to come to the class ;) What happens in the dojo, stays in the dojo! (Some things lol).

Oh you guys!! I'm just really having a good time right now with this new lifestyle. I look forward to getting the workouts in and feel so good when it's done (and proud)!!! I'm in a really good place and I don't ever want to leave!

TODAY'S FOOD

Before I go over what I ate today, I have a few things to address (it's not a rant - well maybe a mini-rant). I just want to clear this up because at this point in my life and this journey, I want to maintain all the positivity that I can and just keep moving through to get to my goals!!

In yesterday's post, I addressed a comment that I received from my friend Nia (who's been following and supporting me from the beginning) about the food I'm eating and whether or not I felt hungry. Well, that seemed to open the door for a lot more comments on this issue...some not so nice comments. What amazes me is that these people always choose to send me an anonymous email. I don't have a problem answering questions or comments (to the best of my ability and based on my personal experiences).

Anyway, I received one email where the individual went on and on and said, "I don't think you're eating enough and from what you list, it seems like you're starving yourself to lose weight!" This one bugged me a bit!But I was determined not to let this bother me and thought I should address it. I know that obviously this person had not been reading my blog all along to understand the PROCESS that I went through to get where I am right now!!

I just want to say for anyone reading my blog who is wondering

I AM NOT STARVING MYSELF!!!! THAT IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING AND IF YOU KNEW ME OR FOLLOWED MY JOURNEY, YOU WOULD ALSO REALIZE JUST HOW RIDICULOUS THIS IS!!

My diet plan over the past 11 months has been developped specifically for me by a certified nutritionist after a very thorough analysis of my eating habits, body composition, health, blood type etc. etc. It is adjusted on a regular basis as I go through the various stages of progression on this journey. My diet consists of nothing but foods from the WHOLE FOODS group. I do not consume ANY processed foods. Only natural foods!!

After cleansing my body from all the unprocessed foods I used to consume (and trust me it was bad), I found that as I ate healthy foods, everything changed including the quantity of food necessary for me to feel FULL or SATISFIED!! I am eating 6-7 small meals on a daily basis and keeping properly hydrated by consuming between 3-4 litres of water, EVERY DAY!!! I don't count calories so I have no idea how many calories I'm eating.

I wake up in the morning and have 3-4 eggs (mostly eggwhites) with some sort of vegetable and water or a bowl of oatmeal or grapefruit.....THAT FILLS ME UP

Three hours later, I have a snack. Sometimes it's a heavier snack, sometimes lighter - all depends on how I'm feeling!! When I'm hungry I eat....what makes a difference is WHAT I choose to eat. Sometimes, half a cucumber sliced up does the trick, other times it's a can of tuna and some broccoli, a small baked sweet potato or a piece of chicken breast, some almonds an apple or just a protein shake!! It all depends!! Plus water!!

Two to three hours later I'm having lunch. Again, healthy. Usually a chicken/shrimp/beef stirfry, a salad with some form of protein (tuna, eggs, poultry), sometimes soup plus water!!

Three hours later I'm having another snack - see above, plus water

Three hours later, it's time for Dinner - this is where I'll have ww pasta, brown rice, quinnoa, sweet potato with some form of protein and vegetables, PLUS WATER

Two hours later, i have another snack, plus water!

That's it!! Trust me I am satisfied!! I eat when I am hungry! I do not starve myself! I am getting all that I need nutritionally to sustain and fuel me as needed.

Oh, another thing, when I increased my exercising, I did notice that I felt a bit hungry, I simply added another meal!!

Anyway, that's it for today. I hope I don't get any more "you're starving yourself" crap!!!

I ate really well today....I'll just jot it down quickly:

B - 3 boiled eggs (whites) with a warm tomato and spinach salad, 1L water
Sn - protein drink (vanilla whey protein, water)
L - Grilled chicken breast, romaine lettuce, bacon (one strip,crumbled), small pita, water
Sn - tuna and broccoli
D - baked salmon, steamed mixed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, green peas), baked sweet potato and water
Sn -10 almonds and cup of green tea.
After Kickboxing class, I had another protein drink!

That was it today! Sorry for the lengthy post. Day 12 is done...almost to the end, until then I will be PUSHING THROUGH!!!

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

Day 10 of My 30 Day Countdown

Quick post today..

Still on an awesome roll!!

FOOD!!!

Breakfast was 3 eggs sunny side up (only used one yolk, 3 egg whites) and 1L water

Morning Snack - protein drink (vanilla whey protein powder, water)

Lunch - Shredded grilled chicken breast with about 2 cups of spinach, 1L water

Afternoon snack - small handful (10-12) almonds, 1/2L water

Egg and Chicken frittata with veggies ( like a crustless quiche - beat 6 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 2 cooked chicken breasts cut in cubes, chopped zucchini, onions, broccoli, red and green peppers, seasonned with black pepper, thyme, garlic. I mixed it all in a casserole dish and baked in the oven - pretty yummy!! 1L Water

I'm having a cup of tea right now (green tea - unsweetened)

EXERCISE!!!!

1.5 hours of weight training (full body)

45 minutes kickboxing

I wasn't able to do a second KB class today. My husband had to work. That's okay, I gave it 110% today!!

Tomorrow will be Jiu-jitsu for an hour but I think I may add an evening run to that, I'll let you know!! :)

I'm feeling great y'all and hoping I can pull off another nice loss at this weeks weigh in!! Only 3 1/2 weeks to go!! 3 1/2 weeks!! That' s INSANE!!!

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

Day 8 of My 30 Day Countdown

Hi guys...hope everyone is well today! Here's a little update/recap on the weekend (Day 6 & 7 on the 30-day countdown to the end)!!!

Day 6 (SATURDAY) was one of the best day's I've had on the journey. I woke up early anticipating my loss on the scale. I stepped on and to my surprise, I had dropped 5 pounds for that week!! That was awesome!! I'm still on a high and trying to keep that momentum going!!!

Day 7 (Sunday) was pretty much a day of rest! I wanted to do a Yoga session but just didn't have it in me. I've been fighting off a cold/flu for a few days now and Sunday was the worst! I couldn't stop coughing, had chills...it was awful! I stayed home under covers trying to sweat it out, took some Cold FX and one small shot of cognac and did nothing but watch NFL football ALLL DAY!! It was just what my body needed! The rest did me some good! Still not 100%, but I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to let this stinking cold get the best of me, or even slow me down for that matter! I can't be sick now!! NOT HAPPENING!!

So here we are today...DAY 8 - Monday!!

Today was PHENOMENAL!!!! I woke up at 5am, and got right into my weight training session. It's 1 hour and 35 minutes of pain!! But good pain....those squats were killing me this morning, and the lunges - even worst- but I pushed through! I'm telling you, I don't know what it is, but I am feeling invincible!! LOL!! I picture this fit body (in my mind - I'm thinking like body builder, fitness model type of body) just pumping those weights and pushing through the routine. Yes, I know I'm nuts but for whatever reason, it works, especially at 5 in the morning! This new routine is tough....Rob really took his Lagana-Kick-Ass pills when he put this one together!! If you want one like it, check him out. He'll send it to you electronically:) (http://www.laganafitness.com)

So when I was done, I had a protein drink (whey protein, water) for breakfast (more to hold me over until I got to work). I got my son ready and all the usual routine and went out the door. I got to work and about an hour later, I had a 3egg white omlet with spinach..I made it in the microwave at work! It turned out pretty well! I'll be doing that again - it saves time!

Before I knew it, it was noon and I had a Kickboxing class at 1215...rushed out to make it (the dojo(gym) is just across the street from the building where I work so it' like a 3-5 min walk! That class was tough. The teacher (Ingrid) really gave our legs a workout and the heart was just pumping! 45 minutes goes by so quickly in kickboxing class, it's amazing! I was drenched and winded ..it really is a great feeling because you know you've pushed yourself to the max! The drills were great!

I took a shower, went back to work and had my lunch (a grilled chicken breast, steamed broccoli). It was delicious, really hit the spot. By lunch time, I had consumed about 3.5 litres of water (including what I drank during workouts). Pretty good day so far, RIGHT?? NOT FOR ME!!! My crazy ass decided that I would go to the 430 kickboxing class!!!! It worked out that my husband could pick up our son today, so that gave me the option and I took advantage of it!!!

I walked in to the Dojo (gym) and of course the first person I see....SENSEI DEREK!!! He looked pleasantly surprised to see me AGAIN!! He smirked and said, "Oh, good luck today, I have something special planned!!" OH Great!! What have I done - it's not like I could turn back. For a quick second, I thought about pretending I forgot something earlier and I just came to pick it up - but I didn't. I went to the changing room and put on my gear - thankfully, I had extra workout clothes in that bag because the ones from earlier were soaked!!

This class was LIVE y'all!! Sensei Derek is a maniac!! After his warm-up, I wanted to just pass out!! Today, he pulled out the quotes! "EXCELLENCE IS A HABIT, NOT AN ACT", "THE ONLY FAILURE IS QUITTING" and one of my fav's, "THE BEST WAY OUT, IS THROUGH!!!!" Who's gonna want to quit after hearing those read out loud with the amount of passion he had!! NOT ME, man! I took my place on the mat and thought to myself, "BRING IT!!!" and GOD did he ever!! I think this man is on a neverending quest to make me puke!! There were drills and circuits and reps and squats and kicks and punches!! It was INSANELY INTENSE!! Just Awesome!! So glad I went.

I gotta tell you, I have taken cardiokickboxing classes at regular gyms in the past and THIS IS NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENT, in terms of EVERYTHING!! I know I said it before, but if any of you are looking for a GREAT WORKOUT, intense and just different than the regular stuff, look into kickboxing at a martial arts studio...and not just any old place, check out Therien, especially if you're in the Ottawa area! They have a few locations. Check out their website for more information, if you're interested (http://www.TherienMartialArts.com).

Dinner was Chicken and spinach caserole ( I just cut chicken breast in big cubes/chunks, add spinach, mushrooms, onions, garlic, black peper and stuck it in the oven to bake! It was just okay - nothing special! Hey, I gotta be honest! ;)

Anyway, so I am wiped right now. Plan on turning in early tonight! I sent Rob(my trainer) and email asking him if it was okay to workout as much as I did today! If he gives me the okay, I will be doing this every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday for the next few weeks (AT LEAST!)

Until next time...signing off happy, tired and pumped!!!
Joania (2KMINE!!!)

Day 5 of My 30 Day Countdown

Hi everyone!!!

The week is over! Day 5 is done!! Whoohoooo!!!

First off, thank you so very much to all of you for the wonderful and supportive comments this past week (and always). It really keeps me going!! Thanks :)

Okay so it's Friday already!! I had ANOTHER FABULOUS DAY!! This is amazing...I am in such a good place. This week, I just proved that I can stick to a plan, once I make up my mind, stay focused and JUST GET 'ER DONE!!!! I don't know just what it is, I just feel great!! I'm FULL of energy and all I want to do is workout and eat right!! Who would of thunk it??? I look forward to my weight training sessions - it makes me feel so powerful!!! And kickboxing and Jiu-jitsu have just brought out a new person in me altogether!! I don't know if it's just exhilaration from realizing that I've stuck to this for a year!! I gave it my best and I just want to give it even more than that as I push through!! I'm just happy and proud of myself!

Okay, so this morning I slept in!! I didn't hear my alarm and missed my regular 5:am wake up!! CRAP!!! It was 6:30 in the morning, there's no way I would have time to do my weight training session and make it to my son's daycare on time or make it to work on time for that matter. I would have to do the weights in the evening!! I was a bit worried, I'm usually so wiped by the time I get home that I just wasn't sure I'd have the energy to get the job done tonight. Plus, I had a 4:30pm Kickboxing class today!! I'll just DO IT!! I'LL JUST DO IT!!!

So I got to work this morning and couldn't wait for the day to be over to get my workouts in! Can you believe that? It's true. Finally, the day was done. I headed off to Kickboxing. Sensei Derek's first words to me were, "Oh, have I got something planned for you guys today!!" as he smirked and walked away. That meant only one thing......PAIN!!!!! He hit us real hard today, drill after drill of punches and kicks and core work. He split us up into groups of 4. We were doing 30 second intervals of a particular exercise - each person did something different - from holding the plank position for 30 secs, to non-stop jumping jacks, non-stop crunches, jack rabbits/mountain climbers (you're on all fours taking giant strides - it sucks) then we'd rotate every 30 seconds. I think we did that 8 times!! We were dead after! He was just smiling!! Evil!! Evil but awesome! I am really enjoying his class and feel great...AFTER!! Once again, I was drenched in sweat and just ran out of there at 530 as my husband and son came to pick me up. We headed home.

I literally got in the house, changed my clothes, it was just soaking and went to my basement to get my weight training session in. I could do every exercise but one at home - which is what I did. There is a ton of squats and lunges in this routine (don't worry upper and total body is covered as well)!! I really pushed through and got such a great workout - it was incredible!!! I was amazed at my energy level. My son is really cute! He came downstairs and counted with me as I did reps - it was sweet and he sat on my back as I did push-ups!!He's almost 40lbs, that wasn't sweet!! :) I came upstairs after and had a protein drink (whey protein, water). I feel good

So tomorrow is weigh-in Saturday!! I can't wait to step on that scale, I really gave it my all this week so I'm hoping the scale will cooperate!! I will be a bit disappointed if it doesn't but it won't be the end of the world! I'm down 73 pounds and I feel fantastic - so that's all that should matter!

Food was great today.

I tried something new ( I mixed tuna and broccoli together, sprinkled some black pepper, sliced some red peppers and wow!!) It was actually really good!! That was lunch today. Breakfast was a 3-egg white and mushroom omlet. Dinner was a roasted chicken breast and steamed veggie medley (cauliflower, onions, spinach and zucchini - basically whatever veggies were left in the kitchen). I'm off to the grocery store tomorrow! :) Snacks were brazil nuts and a protein drink. About 4.5 litres of water today - the extra 1.5 litres was because of the workouts!! I just couldn't get enough water today.

So that's it for today... I'll be posting the weigh-in results tomorrow..a bit anxious to see!

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!!!)

Don't Ever Look Back, You're Not Going That Way!!!!"

My friend Mark sent me this quote yesterday, congratulating me on my 5K run!! I LOVE this quote - it is so fitting for how I'm feeling right now (thanks Mark)!! The way I'm feeling right now is just incredible. I am still on a 5K HIGH!!! Still amazed that I did that!! I feel like I can do anything.

I received such incredible comments from all of you out there in blog land...just awesome!! Your support has just been amazing! I truly appreciate it!! I am still walking on air!! I keep reading yesterday's post over and over and it makes me smile each time! I was (and still am) just so very happy, ridiculously happy. I think I ended every sentence with exclamation marks :D

With this latest achievement now behind me (but ever so fresh in my mind), I really want to use this momentum to propel me forward to success. I do not "ever want to look back, I'm not going that way!!"

Setting this goal and actually going through it - seeing it through was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. You may have noticed that I set rewards for certain milestone weight loss achievements (right side of he blog). Crossing that finish line was so far the BEST reward that I have obtained on this journey. If any of you out there are thinking that maybe you want to run a 5K someday....DO IT!!! REGISTER, SHOW UP and RUN IT!!!!

I'm telling you, I wasn't sure that I would show up to run this race. I had so many doubts and as the race day approached those doubts increased and I found myself contemplating whether or not I would go through with it. "Maybe I need to lose a few more pounds first" I thought to myself. "Maybe I should work on improving my cardio some more"; "I think I need more time". This silly voice inside of me which I had listened to for so long, telling me that I COULD NOT DO something!! Well not this time!! I really just decided to silence that voice and I told that little voice to SHUT UP!! I registered and went to the race with the attitude that I just wanted to FINISH the race regardless of how long it took me, whether I walked for most of it or ran for most of it, I just want to finish!! BOY, I'M SO HAPPY I WENT THROUGH WITH IT!!!

The benefits of that day, of those 43 short minutes and 48 seconds are immense and will be with me forever!

Anyway..................................

I woke up a bit sore this morning...I know I really pushed myself in that run yesterday. I RAN through my "walk periods". I was just so excited and full of adrenaline that it did not matter. So this morning, I was feeling it!! LOL!! I had my upper body workout (weight training), it felt really good to push through the soreness and get that done. I had my kickboxing class during my lunch hour today and God Almighty did it ever hurt. The teacher had us do this leg stretches and my goodness, I was groaning and moaning through the entire thing....then the workout started....it was intense and awesome!! I felt so strong!! He finished us of with a killer abdominal set...it was great. I'm really loving Kickboxing. Tomorrow is Jiu-Jitsu class and Lower body weight training. Looking forward to it.

Food
I did very well today with my eating. I had 2 eggs and a turkey sausage for breakfast, I had a grilled chicken salad from Subway and tonight I had roasted chicken breast with spinach and broccoli. I drank about 3 litres of water. I had a banana and apple for my snacks today!

I'm feeling good...really good...if I had wings right now, I'd be soaring!! (is that corny?) I'm just feeling amazing!

I'M NOT LOOKING BACK!!!:D

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