Mom, Chemical Footprint and a Weigh-in

Had a really nice weekend visiting my Mom. Bonus was it's warm enough to wear sandals for the first time this season! We went shoe shopping and I picked up a nice pair for work. My Mom chose a pair of Birkenstocks. Didn't know she was a hippie, ha ha! Made me realise how I've not been taking care of my feet over the winter, so we gave each other pedicures. Emery boards, foot soaks, olive oil and moisturizer, woo-hoo! No polish though... I'm just not into that.

Once home, I noticed I had some spring cleaning to do. Lots of dust and sand have come into the house from outside so after taking off a layer with a damp mop, I had a second go-round with a water-vinegar mix with a little bit of dish soap and some lavender oil drops. Did the trick. 

More and more, I'm looking to reduce the amount of chemicals I use. Like with food, just trying to make better choices. I use a damp cloth, vinegar water or baking soda water mixes as much as possible. I still keep bleach though... you never know when you have to disinfect. I use it rarely. Still haven't found a good 100% solution for the laundry yet. Method or Seventh Generation brands do an okay job.

One solution I found was for antiperspirant. I no longer use it. I use deodorant instead. I kept getting skin irritations with the standard antiperspirant brands that I had to find another solution. Also I had a couple of white dress shirts that became pit-stained. Apparently it's the aluminum that does that.  Finding a "natural" deodorant has been a trial. Going through over ten different brands until I found one that worked with my own body's chemistry.

As for sunscreen, I haven't found any ideal solution here either. The Environmental Working Group's Guide to Sunscreens is a good place to start. I use one that has zinc oxide or titanium dioxide even though they make my skin look a bit paler than I already am. Avobenzone makes me itch like crazy so I stay away from that ingredient. I also will wear a hat and stay in the shade whenever I can. But I love traveling to the beach and swimming at the lake so... I takes my chances :)

Weigh-in: 183.1 lbs

Not as good as I've been doing lately, but that number is still going down. This week I had a hard time getting a good night's sleep, which in turn made me extra groggy in the mornings and running late I had skimpy breakfasts. The domino effect set in and I became a hungry hippo at the end of the day. Yes, that problem again with eating big portions at suppertime. Also because of running late, I didn't walk in the morning and was too tired at the end of the day to make up for the lost workout.  Will do better this week!

Wonderful Weather and Weigh-in Wednesday

The weather here has been great this week, meaning no rain. Woo-hoo, bring on the allergy pills!  LOL  So I'm out walking in the morning part-way to work and after work walking part-way home. I try to keep a brisk pace and it takes about an hour of my weekday. It's a good way to relax before and after work. 

Maybe it's just the Spring, but I'm much more active outdoors. Even though I shoveled a record-breaking amount of snow this past Winter, I'm definitely more active now. There's the yard to tend to, lots of twigs and leaves picked up, lots of weeds to pull. Strength training or yoga or T'ai Chi at home in the evening is still on the schedule.

My man and I are giving some thought to Summer vacations... Lots of possibilities since we've been saving money like mad. I think one of the prettiest places I've been to was Monet's garden in Giverny. Here's a view from the flower garden looking toward the house.

I wouldn't mind going again but there's a big old world out there that we can explore.

Food-wise I've been keeping to my food plan and making sure to hit my protein targets for breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack so I'm not ravenous once I get back home.

I've also been much more careful with calories on weekends. I noticed in my food journal that my calories had been getting a bit too high and some meals I just couldn't be sure 100% of the calories. I know it's eating out that is the cause. Most of the restaurants my man and friends go to are small businesses that do not post nutritional information. (Here in Canada, it's mostly fast-food chains that do.) So the calories in my journal were guess-timations... yeah, that won't do anymore! I'd usually go for a chicken stir-fry, no extra salt please or a salad with grilled or Tandoori chicken, no salad dressing.  Instead, we've been hosting friends at home. At least this way I can have some measure of control. I don't want my hard work during the week wrecked by a meal or two over the weekend!

Still on a downward trend and weighing in at: 183.8 lbs

Quickie Weigh-In

Rainy days here. I'm on the hunt for a comfortable pair of rain boots. I just have a cute pair of uncomfortable ones. So for walking outdoors in the rain, I have a pair of fugly sneakers. Works for now.

A little more progress on the scale this week.

Weight: 185.0 lbs

A Last Minute Outing

So I didn't have much on the agenda for this weekend and while I was surfing on the interwebs, up popped an ad for Jillian Michaels' Maximize Your Life tour. Took a look and there were some tickets left. Called up a friend and she was willing to go with me. Hopped in the car and drove to Montreal and took in Jillian's show.

If you've read her books and listened to her podcasts, you'll already know a lot of what she talks about in her show. I do have a couple of her DVDs that I do once in a while (but put on mute because her voice is so grating LOL)

A few of parts of her show stood out in my mind. 

The big secret to weight loss:  Eat Less. Move more.

Ha! Simple but so true. Yep, she admits she and others make millions based on just this.

She doesn't mince her words:

It's your fault if you're fat. 

And I have to agree... it's my fault if I'm not in the place I want to be with fitness and weight. I haven't done all the work necessary to lose the excess fat. I can say I'm a work in progress. I'm definitely not in the same place I was at 220+lbs.

Fear is what holds you back from pursuing your dreams.

Will have to think about this one some more.

The Q and A section at the end, she really impressed me with the answers she gave to:

Why can't I finish what I start?

Why are there so many negative people around me?

Why do you ride on the contestants on The Biggest Loser? 

Show us your abs! -- Oh yes she did!

She did her job as a motivational speaker and left me with a few ideas to mull over at home. And gave me a little kick of motivation, even though she says motivation begins with ourselves.

Would I go and see another speaker like Jillian? Hmmm, probably not again soon. It's just not my style. I'd rather learn from books, articles and blogs rather than spend 2 hours listening to someone speak.  

Overall it was an educational and fun night, especially with her sidekick and podcast producer Janice as comic relief.

Sticking to Plan and Weighing-In

Through Easter and for the most part of the week, I've been sticking to plan. Normal portions, getting enough protein, limiting sugar and salt and for activity walking, stretching and some strength training. I'm feeling good and clothes are a little looser in some spots.

After work, which has been a biatch lately, I do really feel like just getting home as fast as possible, grabbing a quick supper and curling up on the sofa and watching TV or going on the Internet for the whole evening. Instead of succumbing, I'm fighting against this!  

I walk part of the way home, stop to do groceries, prepare a veggie-filled supper with a lean protein and then take a full 30 minutes to relax by eating my meal slowly. Savouring the bites rather than inhaling the the meal down in five to ten minutes. I find this tip from my counsellor has helped me in the past few weeks. Just slowing things down and appreciating what I have. With cleaning my routines and bad habits, things just seem to be on the right track!

Weight: 185.6 lbs 

Easter Wrap-Up

So nice to get together with relatives I don't see too often as we live in different cities. There were a lot of laughs and a lot of reminiscing about good times.

The Bad: I had pie and I had some chocolate

The Good: I wasn't feeling like I had to eat anything out of guilt, sadness, boredom, awkwardness or some other emotion.  Since it was a special occasion, I decided to indulge just a little.

The Ugly: Tears from relatives who thought I was rejecting them by leaving food on my plate. This is an ongoing issue. I did my best to explain the meal of salad, ham and roast veggies was tasty, but that I was full. I can't do anything more...

From Good Friday to Easter Sunday there were three large meals with relatives. Most served healthy food, some did not. Fried anything did not cross my lips. No doughnuts, croissants, or Belgian waffles. I was able to stay on track through all the meals with the two exceptions I mentioned above.

Food highlights: 

• A stuffed acorn squash with ground beef, diced apple and carrot with a small amount of crumbled bacon.
• Baked Trout Almandine
• Spinach salad with baby arugula, caramelised walnuts and goat cheese (I only ate a couple of the walnuts as nuts are still triggering for me these days)

I'll weigh-in on Wednesday to see if I've really kept on track.

On the Road for Easter and Weighing-in

It's Easter and there are relatives to visit, so we're hitting the road. The challenge is not giving into temptations or guilt-trips! 

Like I've mentioned before in posts around the Christmas holidays, most of my relatives equate food with love. Since I've been eating healthier for a while now, most are well aware of what types of food I'll eat and which I won't. I shouldn't complain too much as most of the meals served these days are relatively healthy. Salad, some sort of roast beef, turkey or ham with veggies.

It'll be interesting to see if this year they try some subtle or overt sabotage. 
My Mother, for example, while making a lot of changes over the years, still sometimes will fall back into old habits too, like buying chips and Hawkins Cheezies "for anyone who wants any" but it's an excuse. She admits really wants them for herself. It's my choice whether or not to give in.

I've been making the right choices lately and it's showing on the scale. Walking, walking, and more walking as much as this crazy weather permits. One day beautiful, two days icy-cold and snow; two days rainy, one day warm. Gah!  

Food-wise: no excess portions, limiting salt and sugar.

Weight on Wednesday morning: 187.1 lbs

Wednesday Weigh-in

That number on the scale has gone down this week. I think mainly it's because I'm being more active overall. With the snow and ice melting off the sidewalks  and the weather warming up, I can do a lot more walking! It's still cold here in the mornings, around 0C (or 32F) then it gets a little warmer during the day. 

Making sure to get in more protein during the day so I'm not super-hungry by the time I get home. I add an extra egg in the morning then some tuna with veggies for an afternoon snack. My lunch is about the same portion and calorie-wise but my supper, in consequence of moving the calories around, is a little smaller.

Still fighting off various food cravings especially in the evenings. Definitely not hungry, just craving. Wow, it is ever a mental game these days! I usually ignore those thoughts, have a glass of water, maybe some tea, then keep busy and stay out of the kitchen. Doing laundry and keeping on top of chores helps before putting in a strength training and/or T'ai Chi DVD.

Still limiting my personal Internet time to an hour per day. It's still tough but necessary.

At work, I have been able to stay away from the pre-Easter treats left out on the common tables by the manager of another sector... who is struggling to lose weight. Great camaraderie, eh? I don't need that kind of sabotage.

Telling myself something like this helps: 

"It's just horrible tasting, cheap-ass chocolate and won't do me any good just make me fat!" 

Weight this week: 189.4lbs