omg, i've cracked the scale! i'm officially under 170 pounds. i've actually lost a total of 16 pounds since i started my workout regiment back in april. i see small subtle changes here and there, but considering i've lost 16 pounds, i'm still wearing the same size clothes (they're just a little loose). by the time Fall rolls around, i'll definitely be needed to update my wardrobe ;-)
i was reading back on my earlier blog entries, and things have really changed. i'm still super motivated. i LOVE taking sweaty selfies at the gym. i work out 6x/week with purpose - a variety of HIIT that I copy from my trainers, followed by 15 fat-burning minutes on the stairclimber (with leg extensions). my instagram followers and followees have definitely become health/fitness focused, and that's helping with the motivation for healthy eating, and stealing some workout/food tips.
i don't feel guilty. i'm not perfect. i'm eating food that isn't on my meal plan. the difference NOW vs. back in april/may/june, is that i'm making mindful decisions throughout the day. yes, i ate a piece of chicken karaage at meal 4. but it was only 1 piece...not 3 or 4 that I would normally eat. however, i also ate salad for meals 2, 3, and 5. i'm thinking ahead to meals that i may not be in control of (when we eat w/my parents or out with my in-laws), or where healthy options may be more limited (restaurant food). and despite that piece of fried chicken (and 3 pieces of gyoza), i got right back to salad to finish my day. there's no point in beating myself up about eating off-script...that's just going to derail my mindset and cause me to screw up everything else. i'm in control of this.
16 pounds. BAM!
Friday, August 18, 2017
Friday, August 11, 2017
3 week update
so i started this update awhile ago and forgot to post it, so here it is (2 weeks later):
i've lost 2 pounds. i've attended 7 classes at drench. i've been to the infrared sauna 3x. i'm averaging 6 workouts per week. 85% of my meals are on-target for the deficit diet that was created for me.
and i'm tired.
partly is late nights at the gym...sometimes i'm there until closing, then i have to come home and shower, have a snack cuz i'm usually hungry again, and by the time i get to bed it's closer to midnight. partly it's almost THAT time of the girly month. partly, it's all the hard work of being healthy.
being mindful of your health isn't easy. it's so much easier to eat a bag of chips or crackers vs. washing, peeling, cutting up some vegetables to snack on. our fridge is so full of vegetables it's borderline ridiculous. i always have greens ready to make a salad at a moment's notice. baby carrots are convenient because they're just sitting in the bag to be eaten. peppers, cucumbers, celery - i have to put aside 30 minutes to get those all prepped and containered so they're ready to be consumed. creating a meal to meet my current diet takes a lot of thought...making sure each meal covers the protein, vegetables, fat, fruit, carbs category...or depending on which meal number it is...NOT having one of those categories in it.
and what was i going to wear to the gym? shorts need to have an inside liner, so when i'm doing floor exercises, i'm not flashing other people (note: running shorts are NOT suitable). black bottoms are now preferable, since dripfit has me showing sweat EVERYWHERE. and then i can't totally clash my sports bra and tops. and let's not forget about the hair. short hair (translation...above the shoulders) is NOT workout friendly. i can't pull it back. my hat doesn't always stay on, and when it does, i look like a boy. so now i have a plethora of headbands...but the colours don't exactly match my tops. vain, i know. oh yah, and i wear purple trainers. so bottom line...i care slightly about how i look when i work out. but if i'm wearing it, then it means it's comfortable. so there fashion people.
so, am i noticing any physical changes? yes and no. i haven't had to buy a smaller size wardrobe (yet). i'm due for my measurement check next week so that'll be a good indicator. but i do feel like my face shape has changed, and i'm pretty sure i've lost at least an inch around my stomach.
i've lost 2 pounds. i've attended 7 classes at drench. i've been to the infrared sauna 3x. i'm averaging 6 workouts per week. 85% of my meals are on-target for the deficit diet that was created for me.
and i'm tired.
partly is late nights at the gym...sometimes i'm there until closing, then i have to come home and shower, have a snack cuz i'm usually hungry again, and by the time i get to bed it's closer to midnight. partly it's almost THAT time of the girly month. partly, it's all the hard work of being healthy.
being mindful of your health isn't easy. it's so much easier to eat a bag of chips or crackers vs. washing, peeling, cutting up some vegetables to snack on. our fridge is so full of vegetables it's borderline ridiculous. i always have greens ready to make a salad at a moment's notice. baby carrots are convenient because they're just sitting in the bag to be eaten. peppers, cucumbers, celery - i have to put aside 30 minutes to get those all prepped and containered so they're ready to be consumed. creating a meal to meet my current diet takes a lot of thought...making sure each meal covers the protein, vegetables, fat, fruit, carbs category...or depending on which meal number it is...NOT having one of those categories in it.
and what was i going to wear to the gym? shorts need to have an inside liner, so when i'm doing floor exercises, i'm not flashing other people (note: running shorts are NOT suitable). black bottoms are now preferable, since dripfit has me showing sweat EVERYWHERE. and then i can't totally clash my sports bra and tops. and let's not forget about the hair. short hair (translation...above the shoulders) is NOT workout friendly. i can't pull it back. my hat doesn't always stay on, and when it does, i look like a boy. so now i have a plethora of headbands...but the colours don't exactly match my tops. vain, i know. oh yah, and i wear purple trainers. so bottom line...i care slightly about how i look when i work out. but if i'm wearing it, then it means it's comfortable. so there fashion people.
so, am i noticing any physical changes? yes and no. i haven't had to buy a smaller size wardrobe (yet). i'm due for my measurement check next week so that'll be a good indicator. but i do feel like my face shape has changed, and i'm pretty sure i've lost at least an inch around my stomach.
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Drip Fit
when i signed up at drench, i knew brenley had created this product called Drip Fit. it's a cream and a waistbelt, designed to work together to help increase bloodflow, help with sweat production to eliminate toxins from your body, and aids in post-workout recovery. i was following the instagram posts and i was intrigued. so of course i bought it. anything that's going to help with my workout regime!
so, now i've hit drench and snfw and i get excited for every workout. i actually sweat quite easily, so i didn't really need help in that area. but it is super exciting to see how much sweat i'm producing during a workout. when i take my dripfit off, i am literally drenched...my pants/shorts are wet, my stomach is wet, my back is wet...i'm just a mess. and i LOVE IT!
combining drench classes, my independent workouts at snfw, meal-planning, and dripfit...i can't wait to see what my results will be at the end of the transformation challenge!
so, now i've hit drench and snfw and i get excited for every workout. i actually sweat quite easily, so i didn't really need help in that area. but it is super exciting to see how much sweat i'm producing during a workout. when i take my dripfit off, i am literally drenched...my pants/shorts are wet, my stomach is wet, my back is wet...i'm just a mess. and i LOVE IT!
combining drench classes, my independent workouts at snfw, meal-planning, and dripfit...i can't wait to see what my results will be at the end of the transformation challenge!
Drench
Who's Alice?
a mom at G's school
a workout animal
an NPAA competitor
a mentor
a (motivating) friend
I called her up during my 2 week low, and we talked for an hour. I realized that while I really like the trainers at SNFW, they aren't all the same. Some are more knowledgeable about fitness and health, but some of them are straight out of university and still learning. But most of all, they're selling a business. I also couldn't remember WHY i was doing all the exercises i was doing. i just knew that i was sweating A LOT, and i translated that into progress. And once my 15 sessions were over, the fitness manager was trying to sell me another 15 pack. I told Alice how much they were going to charge me..."mind-blown"! Then she told me about Drench.
I knew she had left her corporate job to be a partner at Drench Fit. And I had heard of Brenley (owner) through Facebook posts that people like or comment on (my former dragonboat team train with her). Alice told me about the Transformation Challenge - a 3 month program focussed on small fitness classes (8 max.) targeting specific body areas, meal planning support, infrared sauna treatments, and accountability phone calls with Brenley. Of course there's a cost associated with it...but it was comparable to the cost of 15 personal training sessions (2 months) at SNFW. So I signed up at Drench :P
Why is this going to be different? Because Alice & Brenley have my number. We're Facebook friends. We follow each other on Instagram. I'll see Alice at school and in the 'hood. I'm being held accountable and I have nowhere to hide. I also appreciate the food support. Knowing that the trainers at Drench care about each member, they share all of their knowledge about food and eating and post it on Facebook. Yes, some of it is so ridiculously healthy I could gag. But once in awhile, a picture will catch my eye and i'll bookmark the recipe to see if I can make it work.
I've gone to one class at Drench. There were 5 of us in the class. Since the other 4 were "regulars", the trainer spent time focussing on me and my (poor) technique. I was sweating before the warm-up was over. My knees were shaking after 10 minutes. It was a LEG CLASS, and it was a killer. Thank goodness I'd been going to the gym for the past 3 months...if I'd been a complete newbie, I would probably never go back.
I've had all my measurements taken, and there were more than i expected...the usual inch measurement, plus the scale they use spits out all sorts of useful information. Turns out my body is more 57 vs. 39 years. And I'm super dehydrated. I thought I was doing ok with the water consumption :P So, every 2 weeks, I'll check in at Drench and get new numbers and hopefully see some more progress. All is not lost with my progress at SNFW...my first weigh-in at Drench, and I'm down 9 pounds since i started working out in mid-April :-)
a mom at G's school
a workout animal
an NPAA competitor
a mentor
a (motivating) friend
I called her up during my 2 week low, and we talked for an hour. I realized that while I really like the trainers at SNFW, they aren't all the same. Some are more knowledgeable about fitness and health, but some of them are straight out of university and still learning. But most of all, they're selling a business. I also couldn't remember WHY i was doing all the exercises i was doing. i just knew that i was sweating A LOT, and i translated that into progress. And once my 15 sessions were over, the fitness manager was trying to sell me another 15 pack. I told Alice how much they were going to charge me..."mind-blown"! Then she told me about Drench.
I knew she had left her corporate job to be a partner at Drench Fit. And I had heard of Brenley (owner) through Facebook posts that people like or comment on (my former dragonboat team train with her). Alice told me about the Transformation Challenge - a 3 month program focussed on small fitness classes (8 max.) targeting specific body areas, meal planning support, infrared sauna treatments, and accountability phone calls with Brenley. Of course there's a cost associated with it...but it was comparable to the cost of 15 personal training sessions (2 months) at SNFW. So I signed up at Drench :P
Why is this going to be different? Because Alice & Brenley have my number. We're Facebook friends. We follow each other on Instagram. I'll see Alice at school and in the 'hood. I'm being held accountable and I have nowhere to hide. I also appreciate the food support. Knowing that the trainers at Drench care about each member, they share all of their knowledge about food and eating and post it on Facebook. Yes, some of it is so ridiculously healthy I could gag. But once in awhile, a picture will catch my eye and i'll bookmark the recipe to see if I can make it work.
I've gone to one class at Drench. There were 5 of us in the class. Since the other 4 were "regulars", the trainer spent time focussing on me and my (poor) technique. I was sweating before the warm-up was over. My knees were shaking after 10 minutes. It was a LEG CLASS, and it was a killer. Thank goodness I'd been going to the gym for the past 3 months...if I'd been a complete newbie, I would probably never go back.
I've had all my measurements taken, and there were more than i expected...the usual inch measurement, plus the scale they use spits out all sorts of useful information. Turns out my body is more 57 vs. 39 years. And I'm super dehydrated. I thought I was doing ok with the water consumption :P So, every 2 weeks, I'll check in at Drench and get new numbers and hopefully see some more progress. All is not lost with my progress at SNFW...my first weigh-in at Drench, and I'm down 9 pounds since i started working out in mid-April :-)
Saturday, July 8, 2017
dead end
i lost 7 lbs. i also lost something else along the way. my motivation.
in typical "me" fashion, i hit hard and was balls-to-the-wall hard-core working out. and then i got bored. dead lifts, lat pulls, trx pull-ups, russian twists, leg extensions, battle ropes. we did different things, different variations, different weights, but basically the same HIIT over-and-over. plus, just as we were nearing the end of our 15 sessions, my trainer went overseas to a powerlifting competition. he left me to finish my sessions with another trainer, and he really pushed me hard. but it wasn't the same. it felt like it didn't matter if i kept up with my eating habits.
so, for 2 weeks, i just didn't care. i ate cake. i went 6 days straight without going to the gym. i ate chips. i walked around the track a few times and did some HIIT exercises. i ate french fries. i had hit rock bottom (again) and i was feeling guilty. i was better than this. i had a goal to accomplish.
so i called Alice.
in typical "me" fashion, i hit hard and was balls-to-the-wall hard-core working out. and then i got bored. dead lifts, lat pulls, trx pull-ups, russian twists, leg extensions, battle ropes. we did different things, different variations, different weights, but basically the same HIIT over-and-over. plus, just as we were nearing the end of our 15 sessions, my trainer went overseas to a powerlifting competition. he left me to finish my sessions with another trainer, and he really pushed me hard. but it wasn't the same. it felt like it didn't matter if i kept up with my eating habits.
so, for 2 weeks, i just didn't care. i ate cake. i went 6 days straight without going to the gym. i ate chips. i walked around the track a few times and did some HIIT exercises. i ate french fries. i had hit rock bottom (again) and i was feeling guilty. i was better than this. i had a goal to accomplish.
so i called Alice.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
5 pounds
it's been over a month since i started working out with newton. we do a weigh-in at every session, and i've lost 5 pounds. the trouble with this 5 lbs, is it's stalled. i've yo-yo'd between 4-5 lbs of weight loss for a couple weeks. part of it is the diet...i have my weak moments of indulgence. part of it is "girl issues".
i really can't obsess over the scale though. i've made so many improvements to my eating habits...i haven't had a pop since mid-april. that's HUGE for me!! i'm eating salad ALL THE TIME!! i choose healthier snack options (less chips/candy/chocolate, more fresh popcorn, veggies, smoothies)!! i track all my food intake...so at least i'm aware of my bad days, and i'll try offset any slip-ups. these small changes are definitely helping. plus the fact that i'm gaining good muscle.
at our first training session, i was cursing up the wazoo, sweating like mad, and just suffering. but 5 weeks and 12 sessions in, i'm actually feeling really strong. from a shaky 20 second low plank on day 1, i've now progressed to rolling plank with a balance ball, and single-leg (alternating) high-plank. i feel like this has been my best success measure. but really, there are so many ways to measure my success:
i realize my big goals have a big timeline, so i need to celebrate these small successes. i've lost 5 pounds (i haven't gained weight), and i'm more aware of the decisions i make (in terms of quantity and quality of food)!
i really can't obsess over the scale though. i've made so many improvements to my eating habits...i haven't had a pop since mid-april. that's HUGE for me!! i'm eating salad ALL THE TIME!! i choose healthier snack options (less chips/candy/chocolate, more fresh popcorn, veggies, smoothies)!! i track all my food intake...so at least i'm aware of my bad days, and i'll try offset any slip-ups. these small changes are definitely helping. plus the fact that i'm gaining good muscle.
at our first training session, i was cursing up the wazoo, sweating like mad, and just suffering. but 5 weeks and 12 sessions in, i'm actually feeling really strong. from a shaky 20 second low plank on day 1, i've now progressed to rolling plank with a balance ball, and single-leg (alternating) high-plank. i feel like this has been my best success measure. but really, there are so many ways to measure my success:
- using heavier weights
- shorter recovery period between sets
- with shorter rest, means more workout activities. i started with 3 different sets of 3 reps, we're now up to 4 rounds of sets
i realize my big goals have a big timeline, so i need to celebrate these small successes. i've lost 5 pounds (i haven't gained weight), and i'm more aware of the decisions i make (in terms of quantity and quality of food)!
Sunday, April 30, 2017
smoothies
a few weeks ago, my older son G was having major stomach pains which took us to children's hospital. after a 2.5 hour wait and 20 minute visit with the doctor, he was diagnosed with constipation. i always knew G was "regular", but given that he's 8.5 years old, i never bothered asking him "did it hurt?", "how much did you poop?", "anything unusual?". so as it turns out, he may have only been pooping every couple of days, and more than likely it was tough to push out. so, with doctor's orders, we've been giving him a laxative every morning, and increasing his dose of fibre-goodness.
so what does my son's constipation have to do with my healthy journey and smoothies? simply put, we're throwing all of this fibre-goodness into a smoothie and increasing our veggie & fruit consumption! so, at least 3x a week when G has after-school activities, i whip up a smoothie for his snack and we share it on the road. what's our smoothie of choice?
1-2 cups spinach
1-2 cups water, varies depending on consistency
1 cup frozen fruit of choice (we've used pineapples, mangoes, or blueberries)
1 banana
(honey for sweetness if needed)
i played around with it and threw in a cup of greek yogurt for protein, but it changes the consistency and alters the taste. neither of us is a fan of adding dairy. this week i bought some kale, so i'm going to try doing 1/2 spinach, 1/2 kale. i don't want to overdose on the spinach...we'll get bored of it soon enough.
my trainer also realized that i'm not getting enough protein at breakfast to kick-start my day. so he's suggested that i add a protein shake. i hesitated at the idea, and told him i'd figure out some foods that i could eat instead in the morning. after a hectic week with the kids, i wasn't successful. so, i bought the epicure protein powder (a friend share a 50% coupon, so i figured why not)...and the verdict is....i hate it. it's coconut flavoured so it has to be incorporated appropriately. and it's gritty. and brown. and it ruined my spinach smoothie today.
i told my trainer about my experience with protein, and he said to stick with vanilla or chocolate protein powder. and he also said the dot fit (sold at steve nash) is the best out there. but it comes with a $60 cost. so, i'm back to square one, wary of protein powders, but still lacking protein in the mornings.
however....today i had a kick-ass breakfast! poached egg and avocado on an english muffin. so simple. so good. but definitely something i don't have time for on most weekday mornings. so we'll see what i can come up with next!
#smoothies #protein #constipation #30before40
so what does my son's constipation have to do with my healthy journey and smoothies? simply put, we're throwing all of this fibre-goodness into a smoothie and increasing our veggie & fruit consumption! so, at least 3x a week when G has after-school activities, i whip up a smoothie for his snack and we share it on the road. what's our smoothie of choice?
1-2 cups spinach
1-2 cups water, varies depending on consistency
1 cup frozen fruit of choice (we've used pineapples, mangoes, or blueberries)
1 banana
(honey for sweetness if needed)
i played around with it and threw in a cup of greek yogurt for protein, but it changes the consistency and alters the taste. neither of us is a fan of adding dairy. this week i bought some kale, so i'm going to try doing 1/2 spinach, 1/2 kale. i don't want to overdose on the spinach...we'll get bored of it soon enough.
my trainer also realized that i'm not getting enough protein at breakfast to kick-start my day. so he's suggested that i add a protein shake. i hesitated at the idea, and told him i'd figure out some foods that i could eat instead in the morning. after a hectic week with the kids, i wasn't successful. so, i bought the epicure protein powder (a friend share a 50% coupon, so i figured why not)...and the verdict is....i hate it. it's coconut flavoured so it has to be incorporated appropriately. and it's gritty. and brown. and it ruined my spinach smoothie today.
i told my trainer about my experience with protein, and he said to stick with vanilla or chocolate protein powder. and he also said the dot fit (sold at steve nash) is the best out there. but it comes with a $60 cost. so, i'm back to square one, wary of protein powders, but still lacking protein in the mornings.
however....today i had a kick-ass breakfast! poached egg and avocado on an english muffin. so simple. so good. but definitely something i don't have time for on most weekday mornings. so we'll see what i can come up with next!
#smoothies #protein #constipation #30before40
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