Fighting the Fat Dragon

2008-02-17T16:08:00.000-08:00

Oh dear ....

It's been awhile, I am almost afraid to show my face around here !

I'm going to come clean though .....

I haven't been here since summer.

That's right ...... I thought I didn't need you ......

I thought, what the hell, I can do this ....

I can keep it off .....

( oh yeah, I was WELL on my WAY)!!

Then ,,,,,outta the blue ......diaster struck .......

Eeeeeeh GAWD,

Christmas .....

and then New Year's .....

Holy ......

and now Valentine's .... ( I scarfed down a box of chocolates all by myself !)

Yeah, the big dragon slayer ......caved like a dirty shirt .....

and I'm right back to where I started ( actually) I might above where I started .....

Damned dragon ........I curse you .....

Alright .....here we go again .......

Weigh in tomorrow .....

I'll be back later with the bad news ......

2007-08-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it's been awhile.

I took a break from the "non diet" diet scene BUT the good news is that I have lost another 2 pounds and I have joined a running club.

Woo hoo !!!

( I think )

2007-08-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

OK .....do you want the good news or the bad news ???

Ok ..here's the scoop ....

I'm not a loser today BUT the good news is that I'm not a winner either !

A BIG FAT ZERO is what I lost ....

Damn cake .....hehe

I'll take it .....

2007-08-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

I have a prediction for my weigh in this week ......

I think I might have gained ....

Can you guess why ???

If not, check out the photo below ....

It was a complimentary dessert in celebration of my 15th anniversary ...

I did share it though ....( honest)

2007-07-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

That's right .......

I'm a loser again ...and I lost a whopping 5.75 pounds this week.

Woo hoo !!!!

One small step for me , one giant step forward to my size 10's ......

2007-07-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Ok ....I'm back to behaving myself .....

Gosh, it's tough not to dive into the carbs, sweets and salty snacks ....

Today I pretty much stuck to my non- diet diet.

Here's proof .....

It was a stir fry with chicken ( without the rice) for dinner .......

It was yummy too !!!

2007-07-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

Dang it .....

I gained this week .....3.4 pounds to be exact .....OUCH !!!!!!!

I have returned from vacation ( and what a great vacation it was ).

Smores, and wine and carbs and bbq's and salads and .........

I could go on and on .....

Now, it's time to get back on track .....

I'm pictured here with a good ole' pal .....

I've missed you Crystal .....

What's that ???

Ahhhhhhhh .....you've missed me too , huh ??

2007-07-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo !!!

Down another 2.75 pounds ....

I'm smilin'.

Can't you see ???

Off for vacation with the kids and hubby.....

Crossing my fingers that I can maintain this week.

2007-07-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

A picture of the dog taking me for a walk ....

Notice she is avoiding the snap of the camera ??

She doesn't like having her pic taken I guess :)

I'm back from a few days away and managed to ( for the most part) stick to my eating plan.

I have been a bit deliquent with the exercise but am planning on getting myself back on track today.

Would you believe that I kinda missed the gym ??

Who woulda' thunk it ???

I squeezed in a few walks with the kids and kayaked so I guess I wasn't a total failure.

Weigh in tomorrow .......

Damn .....where did the week go ???

2007-07-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

I cheated last night .........summer, friends , food and great wine is a dangerous combo for me.

Thank goodness my weigh in is 6 days away .......

Out for a bike ride with Miss Aly today and ate sensibly ( so far).

Have a birthday bash tonight with friends ......

I promise no cake for me ...........just a sniff maybe.......lol

Siesta Chicken and a Garden Salad

Wanna Know Something ??

2007-07-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

and I LIKE it ,,,,

I am down 2.75 pounds since Monday ....

Yesiree .....that is 2.75 pounds closer to my goal ......

Let's see 24 pounds minus 2.75 ='s : 21.25 pounds

21.25 pounds to go !!!!!!!!!!!

Doing a happy dance here .....( I wonder how many calories that burns ?? )

EXERCISE:

30 minutes on the elliptical trainer and 25 on the circuit.

High Ho , High Ho ...

2007-07-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

....its to the gym I go ......

Ok ....like I've said, I'm still in my honeymoon phase of this lifestyle change but I have to confess I feel really good doing it.

My danger time is about 2-3 weeks into a routine.

That is when I need a kick in the backside .......

Can't let the dragon win .....

Here are a few of the tasty recipes that I have been "gobbing" on .....

By the way, I weigh in tomorrow ....

Chicken salad with pear and nuts :

Strawberries and cottage cheese .....

They look yummy , huh ??

EXERCISE:
40 minutes on the elliptical trainer and 25 minutes on the circuit

Woo Hoo !!

Up Hill and Down .......

2007-07-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful day today and Alyana and I decided to hit the walking trails at the park this AM.

We were out for about 40-45 minutes and hit the hills head on .....

Here's the proof .......

No wonder she is smiling ....Mama did all the work .....;)

BUTT the fries tasted good at the time ..........

2007-07-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

OK ....this picture is sure motivating ......

Damn ......THIS is what the world sees when I walk away .....

tsk ..tsk ......tsk .....

The french fries were not worth it ........that is for sure .......

OK .....this is day two of my ' non diet" diet ......

Water is a bitch to get in but I'm doing it .... not to mention ( but I will anyway) that I have to pee every ten minutes ........

This too shall pass .......

Went to the gym this AM:

EXERCISE:

27 minutes on the stepper and 25 minutes on the circuit .....

PS: 10 pm: Just got back from another walk with a friend. It was a very brisk , hour long walk ....but we cheated and had a light beer and a glass of wine ...
Fun, but not on my "non diet "diet" ....tsk ....tsk ...

BUTT it tasted sooooooooooooooo good ....lol

2007-07-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

Taco Salad

I started my "diet" today.

It has wonderful, delicious recipes.

I began the day with : Oatmeal Pancakes, topped with berries and light maple syrup for breakie, lunch was a grilled chicken salad on a bed of salad and tonight I had the above dish, taco salad.

All soooooo yummy.....

EXERCISE:

40 minute brisk walk ( thanks too some newly downloaded music to get your body moving !!).

Weigh In on Friday .....

Confessions From A Couch ...

2007-06-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

Shame on me ..shame ..shame ...shame ...

I didn't do anything physical yesterday and I felt guilty ......BUT ..... today was a different story .....

Today yours truly kicked butt !!!

Check this out :

I hit the gym for an hour and 20 minutes ( 40 minutes on the stepper, and a round of full body circuit);

I went strawberry picking with my kiddies and handsome hubby;

and when I got home I mowed my lawn (and no, not with the ride on ) for 30 minutes ...

Damn .....even I impressed myself .... lol

Gym Today .....

2007-06-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

Today's Activities :

Activity Time Spent (1 hrs)

Bicycling, stationary: 15 minutes
Circuit training: 20 minutes
Stepper: 25 minutes ( eliptical trainer)

Total Calories Burned 355

Woo Hoo !

Now, I just have to tackle the food department.

:)

These Toes Were Made For Walking ....:)

2007-06-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

A great friend, myself and
Ben and Aly

Yesterday we ventured back into the woods and to my amazement we found our way out into the parking lot at the end of the walk with little trouble.

We also discovered a beautiful garden in the centre of the park. See picture above.

It was a BEAUTIFUL day and we spent about 2 and a half hours walking.

No gym yesterday but did walk lots.

Sunday I start my new menu.

24 pounds to go and counting.

EXERCISE LOG:

WALK 2 and a half Hours

A good friend of mine told me about this website and I calculated my total calories burned today to be 420.

Check it out : http://www.fitday.com

Lost In The Forest

2007-06-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

I didn't quite make it to the gym today BUT before you go booing me I will tell you that I did get out to get some exercise.

Ben and Aly ( my two most favorite kiddies in the entire world) and I ventured out into the woods today in search of a teddy bears picnic.

While no bears we found, we did have an adventure.

We got lost in the maze of paths in the park and spent a great deal of our time in search of a way out.

Most of the track back was all up hill. My butt will thank me tomorrow.

Now we are back safe and sound and Ben and Aly are lounging.

Ben said it was the longest walk of his life .....lol

MY EXERCISE TODAY:

15 minute down hill, 10 minutes looking for teddy bears, 20 minutes wandering around and 15 walking back up the steepest hill Ben has EVER seen.

Total: 1 hour

2007-06-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

Yikes !

My BMI is 27.3.

What is a BMI ?

What does it mean ?

I took a few paragraphs from an article that I found on the net.

Go here to read the entire article: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/adult_BMI/about_adult_BMI.htm

What is BMI?
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of body fatness for people. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).1, 2 BMI can be considered an alternative for direct measures of body fat. Additionally, BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems.

How is BMI used?
BMI is used as a screening tool to identify possible weight problems for adults. However, BMI is not a diagnostic tool. For example, a person may have a high BMI. However, to determine if excess weight is a health risk, a healthcare provider would need to perform further assessments. These assessments might include skinfold thickness measurements, evaluations of diet, physical activity, family history, and other appropriate health screenings.

Interpretation of BMI for adults
For adults 20 years old and older, BMI is interpreted using standard weight status categories that are the same for all ages and for both men and women. For children and teens, on the other hand, the interpretation of BMI is both age- and sex-specific. For more information about interpretation for children and teens, visit Child and Teen BMI Calculator.

The standard weight status categories associated with BMI ranges for adults are shown in the following table.

BMI Weight Status
Below 18.5 Underweight
18.5 – 24.9 Normal
25.0 – 29.9 Overweight
30.0 and Above Obese

For example, here are the weight ranges, the corresponding BMI ranges, and the weight status categories for a sample height.

What are the health consequences of overweight and obesity for adults?
The BMI ranges are based on the relationship between body weight and disease and death.5 Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many diseases and health conditions, including the following: 6

Hypertension
Dyslipidemia (for example, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides)
Type 2 diabetes
Coronary heart disease
Stroke
Gallbladder disease
Osteoarthritis
Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

2007-06-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

I suppose I should just get to the facts about my stats and get that outta the way right now.

Yup, get the dirty details out in the open !

I am 38, 5'5 and weigh 164 pounds. Yikes ! That is the heaviest I have been ...

and you wanna know something?

It may not seem like a lot to lose but for me it's a mountain to climb ( remember I'm a food addict). Hey, the first step is admitting it right ?

Oh yeah, back to the stats ....

I take a size 12 and let's just say I'm quite blessed (yeah, right) in the booty department. Thanks to Mom ..;)

I am aiming for a 24 pound loss of weight over the next couple of months. I joined a programme that will help me with this goal weight.

It entails eating a certain healthy menu for 6 days and on the 7th I am allowed to sin. So much for stopping and smellin' the roses. I'll be wishing time away my friends on this "non diet".

WHAT I DID TODAY :

Went to the GYM ( 20 minutes on the stepper and 10 on the bike)
Circuit Train for 15 minutes and a 40 minute walk with the loves of my life ( my son and daughter).
I haven't started my new menu yet.
Have to grocery shop but plan to start in the next two days.

My new favorite quote:

I can and I will.

Just what am I doing here ???

2007-06-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

Ok ....so I have tried soooooo many diets .

Dare I admit this live??

Weight Watchers , points, no points , Aitken's, low carb, cleansing diets, 8 weeks to optimum health etc.

Trust me, the list goes on and we could be here alllllll night.

The truth is, I love food.

I'm an addict you see.

I'm an emotional eater , a social eater, a binge eater .

Hell, I love food and food loves me ...

well actually, it loves my thighs to be more precise ....

I've dieted all of my adult life and just when I think I've fought the fat dragon and won.

It comes back with vengeance and I'm back to square one ....

So now, I've decided to try to blog my way back to a healthier me.

That's right ...I am committing myself to blogging until I drop my backside .....all 30 pounds of it.

Yup, I'm out there .....I'm flippin', I'm floppin' ......

and

you know what ???

I feel damned exposed .....

( thank God I'm not though ....cause it's not pretty)

I'm glad you are along for the ride .....

Just don't offer me a cupcake .....ok ???

You might just lose your finger .......

Ok .........time for this princess to suck it up ....so to speak .....

Bring on the carrotts ....

It's show time .....