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!!!)

Create A Morning Routine That Helps You Lose Fat!

A Post from my TRAINER, Rob Lagana

If you eat a decent breakfast and lunch, with perhaps a nutritious snack in between, you should be taking in enough calories to function properly throughout the day and feel alert until dinnertime. After dinner, many of us stop eating and do not eat anything at all until morning, while some of us snack once or continuously. However, throughout the evening and night, the body continues to function and burn calories, even when sleeping. After six to eight hours of sleep, we awake with a need to consume more calories to get through the day.

Morning is the time of day when the body is most depleted of calories. This is a great opportunity to burn fat from the body. Instead of the exercising at night to burn excess calories left over from your last meal, experts suggest a morning workout of the same intensity and length will burn three times as many calories as the afternoon or evening workout. This is simply due to the fact the body will expend the existing calories in the body then will dig down to use excess, stored fat to produce energy.

To get the most out of your morning workout, health experts recommend working out for at least thirty to sixty minutes for optimal fat burning results. Prior to working out, avoid consuming calories of any kind, as the body will use these before they begin to burn the body fat available for energy. Do not worry, however, as a good breakfast is part of a fat burning morning routine when consumed after the morning workout. Exercising in the morning kicks the body’s metabolism into high gear, burning many more calories throughout the day than if you wait to exercise until nighttime.

Of course, part of a fat burning ‘morning routine’ is...well... the routine. By consistently working out each morning, your workout for the day is complete, you’ll be better equipped to cope with the day’s stresses, and you’ll enjoy better impulse control over your food choices throughout the day. Choosing healthy breakfast foods, rather than skipping breakfast, and eating after your workout will significantly curb food cravings throughout the morning until lunch time. When that morning donut cart rolls through your office, you’ll be able to smile confidently and say “No thanks.”

Starting the day with a healthy workout and a nutritious breakfast is your best opportunity to commit to burning fat and getting into serious shape. Fitness expert Rob Lagana is available to help you, and will customize a nutritious, fat burning meal plan to help you reach your goals.

Thanks for this one Rob, very useful information! For more info and useful tips, visit Rob's website http://www.laganafitness.com and sign up for his newsletter!

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

On The Road Again.....

Hi all,

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday Weigh-In ~ Week 26

Starting Weight: 258 lbs (Dec 10/08)

Last Weigh In: 205 lbs (June 3/09)

Current Weight: 204 lbs

This Week's Loss: 1lb!!!

Considering the week I've had....I WILL HAPPILY TAKE THIS ONE POUND LOSS!!!


This week was so very busy for me work wise. Staying in a hotel and eating out for every meal as well as long demanding days, makes it very difficult to stay on track! For the most part I stayed on track with some of my eating, but I did let myself go when it came to dinner. I had perfectly healthy breakfasts and lunches but dinners were a problem for me. One evening I had one slice of pizza, another night I had chicken quesadillas and another, I had lasagna. The one good thing was that I found that I could not eat a lot. In the past, I could polish off a medium pizza all to myself. However after eating about 3 quarters of the slice, I was full. The lasagna was a small order which I shared with colleagues - so not so bad and same thing for the quesadillas...I only ate half. So all in all it wasn't that bad.


SO What Was Bad???

1. In 4 days, I only managed to get one workout in...which is really sad. As I metionned, my days were very long and tiring, I got to bed late pretty well every night. I didn't get much sleep. Anyway, I don't want to sound like I'm providing excuses. I sucked when it came to working out.


2. I enjoyed the "liquid" diet a little more than I should. I did not resist on the alcohol. When it came to the pizza, it was accompanied by beer, I had some wine with my lasagna and more beer with my quesadillas and when it came to the last night (closing ceremonies), lets just say I enjoyed a nice variety from the liquid menu selection! :) I had a great time!!

Anyway, it's over. I will need to get in touch with my trainer to get my new program. Then get moving. When my photographer (husband) gets home, I will take my monthly pix and post them for your perusal.

Until next time...

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

To Eat or Not to Eat (My Eating Plan)

Hi everyone,

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

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

So what am I eating??

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

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

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

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

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

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

Joania (2000 MINE!!!)