I've finally had enough...

...of my pants feeling tight
...of seeing a horrid number on the scale
...of realizing that I was in fact 10 lbs lighter last June than I am now
...of feeling like I'm not giving it my all
...of totally pigging out on the weekends
...of drinking too many glasses of wine
...of overeating after consuming said wine
...of feeling anxious all the time due to these pounds creeping their way back
...of staring at the size 7 pants hanging in my closet that I never did get in to
...of going to the gym everyday but still not seeing results because of my disastrous weekends
...of the lack of structure in my diet
...of my lack of motivation, determination and accountability

So what am I going to do about it you ask?
I'm going to inject my food plan with structure. S-T-R-U-C-T-U-R-E. What a foreign concept! I think I've realized that my lack of devotion to the WW plan has allowed the pounds to slowly but surely creep back on. I am still carrying around some weight from our trip to Dominican and that is just not acceptable. My "one little ice cream, chocolate bar, piece of pizza, bag of chips" attitude has got me here and now it's time for for an overhaul. It's summer time and even the thought of going anywhere near my bikini gives me overwhelming anxiety. Fitted shirts that once showed off my small waist and flat stomach seem to be showing off mini love handles and a small pooch. Ugh. So it's finally time for me to do something about it.

Remember last May when I tried SFL (Simply For Life) Remember how focused I was...EVEN on the weekends? Remember when I lost 13 lbs in 3 weeks and kept it off for the entire summer? Remember how awesome I was then? Well I'm reuniting with my May 2007 self and these last 15 lbs will no longer be. This is supposed to be my Summer of Hotness and I'm ruining it with my cavalier weight loss efforts. So off I go.....
Tonight I will be spending the majority of my night preparing pastas, rice and tons of chicken, veggies and other foods with tons of protein. My menu tomorrow is as follows:

1 C Kashi Go Lean
1 C skim milk
1 C fruit

1 oz almonds

1 Cup stewed tomatoes and WW penne pasta
3 oz chicken breast (may add to pasta)
2 1/2 C of veggies (salad with fat free Italian dressing)

1 C watermelon

3 oz of chicken (BBQ'd)
1 C frozen California blend veggies
1 1/2 C brussel sprouts

1 C Jello

I know, the lunch looks like a massive amount of food...and it is. It's hard to eat it all the first few days but you would be amazed at what it does for your metabolism. Eating your main meal at lunch leaves you feeling over full and bloated for the first day or two but by day 4, your starving at lunch and not as much at supper. It's very interesting actually. I've tried this plan before and it works. I will post my menu everyday to help with accountability but you may notice that it looks similar each day. At least for the first 2 weeks. My one change to the plan this time around is that I am going to allow myself one cheat meal. Saturday night. I think I've realized that depriving myself entirely doesn't really work and that I will eventually break down and go wild. So allowing myself once meal to eat what I want will give me something to look forward to all week and knowing that I will have that one meal will allow me to stay focused the rest of the week.

So here I go. Day 0 of my perfect Summer of Hotness.

I totally Rock!

Not only did I say no to ice cream cake....I said no to ice cream cake smothered in hot ooey gooey fudge! I seriously rock! To my husband's credit, he also resisted the cake (I think mostly just to support me but for the record, I would have stood my ground even with him chowing down on ice cream right beside me)

So we get to DQ last night after a very filling supper of Sheppard's pie and tossed salad (Yum!) and there is a huge cake there for 9 of us to celebrate Scott's uncle's birthday. So we do the sing and dance thing and then the cake is getting passed out. Huge pieces of delicious ice cream. hot fudge crunch and whipped cream. To top it all off, Scott's aunt ordered two huge containers of hot fudge for everyone to smother their cake in. Dear. Lord.

I politely decline the first piece that comes around to me and pass it on to Scott's father. Then I decline the next piece until everyone has a piece but Scott and I. Oh wait a minute, everyone turns and looks at Scott & I. Carolyn and Scott didn't get a piece of cake! As Scott's aunt starts cutting off a massive chunk of unnecessary fat and useless calories (this is how I must describe it to myself in order to truly convince myself that I wont' die without a piece) No thanks, no cake for me. WHAT!?!?! You don't want cake? No thanks. I'm quite full and I'm trying to be good. Then the huge hunk of cake is all of a sudden right under my nose. Are you SURE you don't want a piece??? Have a piece of CAKE! It's a BIRTHDAY! C'mon!!! Nope, none for me thanks. And that is how it all went down. Let June 11th, 2008 forever be known as the day when Carolyn took a stand against delicious ice cream cake covered in decadent hot fudge and WON!

Proud of me ladies?

After all that drama, heartache, and fuss over the cake, I jumped on the scale this morning to see NO loss form last week. Ugh.

I have decided that Monday I am jumping back on the Simply for Life bandwagon with serious determination. It won't be easy but the results will be well worth it and I'm to the point of desperation that I am ready to throw myself wholeheartedly into another plan. It worked for me last year, and it will work for me this year. I'll post more about it next week.

I can do it.....

I can say NO to Dairy Queen ice cream cake. I know I can do it and I'm going to feel like a million bucks walking out of there with a belly full of diet Pepsi and not DQ Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard ice cream cake. I love a challenge right? And this one is going to be easy peasy.

So tonight we are going to Scott's parents for supper (Sheppard's Pie) and then the whole family is going to Dairy Queen for an ice cream cake for Scott's uncle's birthday. We are all meeting there at 7:00, right after dinner. So my plan today is to hit the gym right after work for some HIIT and lower body weights, then I'm off to Scott's parents for supper and on to DQ where I will treat myself with.....................................a diet Pepsi! :) I figure if I order a diet Pepsi (something I never drink during the week) it will feel like I am having a treat and it will be easier to pass on the cake. I've already made up my mind that I'm turning down the cake. I was a bit wishy washy last night but this morning when I woke up, I decided I didn't need the cake and if I'm going to make a stand against these last 10 pounds, I better get a backbone and start saying NO! (thanks). Also, I've told Scott that I am turning down the cake and he's agreed to jump on board too. Although I have a feeling he will have a piece anyway. (Sorry babe, but you tend to cave around ice cream) But that's not going to soften my stand against the cake. I've made up my mind and I'm a stubborn one so I'm sticking to it.

In other news.....
I had a great OP day yesterday. 20 mins elliptical at the gym and 20 mins interval Stairmaster. Wowsa! Want to work up a super sweat? Interval train on the Stairmaster. I also did 25 mins of weights. Overall, great workout.
Tonight I'm hoping to run for 30 mins and get in 20 mins of weights. I'm in a bit of a rush today so hopefully I can squeeze it in before it's time to leave for supper.
Last night I also made the Pumpkin raisin muffins again - sans raisins. Instead I added 1/3 cup mini choco-chips. Yum!! These could be dangerous to have in the house though. Scott ate 4 of them last night! Yikes. I had 2 (Boo me...but I had the extra points left over, however not the best choice to make late at night).

Can't wait to tell you all how much I rocked the No Cake Rule tomorrow!

I feel so good about yesterday!

1. I stayed OP all day and turned down chocolate chip cookies TWICE!
2. I ran at 6.0 mph for 20 mins (I usually stick to 5.0 or around there but I felt like a challenge yesterday. I actually didn't find it that much harder to run 6 mph, I could tell my body was working harder but my breathing basically stayed the same, just more sweat) I also jogged for 5 mins, ellipticalled for 20 mins and did 20 mins of weights.
3. I went for a 20 min walk after supper. Nothing big but considering I just came home from the gym, it was nice to get a little extra exercise in after supper. We basically just walked to our mailbox which is once street down from us. We've decided to walk this every night, instead of stopping in with the car to grab the mail. Plus it's a great time for Scott and I to just unwind and talk about our days.
4. I stopped eating after supper. No unneeded snacks. Especially since supper wasn't until 7:00 last night, I wasn't even hungry...so why load up on useless calories right before bed?
5. Randi rocks and has totally kicked my butt into gear yet again. Her no-nonsense approach seems to be working on me lately. I actually thought of you Randi while I was saying no the second time to the choco-chip cookies
6. I didn't sleep a wink last night because Scott and I had a close call on the way home from the gym last night. We were driving on this long stretch of woods about 5 mins before my house. The speed limit is 80 kms , which everyone takes advantage of. So there we are cruising along and I see something coming out of the woods out of the corner of my eye. So I gasp really loudly and grab Scott's arm. There are cars behind us and a few coming towards us in the other direction as well. So Scott slams on the brakes just in time for this MASSIVE Moose to come barrelling out of the woods and across the street right in front of us. My first instinct was to lay on the horn so that everyone would pay attention and a) not hit the Moose and b) not slam into the back of our car. Apparently your not supposed to honk the horn at a Moose because they may charge. Luckily this Moose was more interested in getting to the woods on the other side of the road so he didn't pay much attention but Wow! I think it really shook me up because I thought about it all night long. If he had of been only 2 seconds later, we would have ran right into him. Ugh. I can't even think about it. It was the first time I've seen a Moose up close. They are so HUGE!
7. This post is so random, I don't even know where to go next.
8. I'm moving into another position at work in 2 weeks. It's a position I have worked in before and it looks like I'll have a much better shot at getting a permanent placement from this position so I am excited about it but it does mean giving up my own office. Right now I am a casual employee with the Province (Dept of Social Development, formerly Family and Community Services) so I would love to get some stability in my job. Here's hoping!
9. That's it for me today. I've got a physio appt & a dentist appt today. Lucky me!

Monday Monday...la la....la la la la

Monday already? Seriously?

I must say I did pretty well this weekend, minus a few slip ups but I kept portion control in mind all weekend and even had a few minor NSVs over the weekend. Aside from the fact that I didn't get to see my hubby at all for the whole weekend (So yes, that means Scott & Carolyn day had to be postponed, boo) It was a pretty good weekend.


Friday we tried the Mexican Pizza recipe for supper and loved it! We even cut the points down further by using an extra large pita pocket for the crust instead of dough. I topped it with a little sour cream and it was sooo yummy. I think we may be having it again tonight. I was surprised at how filling it was too! Friday night was Scott's ball game and we were meeting the family at DQ before the game for an ice cream. I know I had resolved to get a plain ice cream cone but when we got there, the waffle bowls were calling my name. Keeping in mind though that they are a whopping 17 points EACH, I asked hubby if he wanted to split one with me. While he was shovelling it in, I spent time talking to my 2 year old niece and took 1 bite for his 2. So he ended up taking int he majority of the calories but I still felt like I got a treat.

Saturday Scott was out for the whole day helping a friend work on his house (which turned into an all day Sunday event as well) so I spent the morning cleaning the house and cooking up a few things and the afternoon was spent shopping with a friend. I got together on Saturday night with a few girls for a few glasses of wine and we ended up going out dancing so I'm pretty sure I burned a few calories on the dance floor. Hopefully I burned off the chocolate bar I had after supper and the 2 handfuls of chips. Ugh.

Sunday was a lazy day and since Scott was out for the entire day working on his friend's house, I ended up going out to brunch with the girls, where I did not make good choices at all. But I did keep portion control in mind and I stopped eating when I was full and even pawned the rest of my bacon off on my friend so I wouldn't sit there and pick at it. The rest of the day was pretty on plan. Weighed myself this morning and I'm right where I thought I'd be....but no where near where I want to be so I need to step it up. Summer is basically here! 2 weeks left in the Summer Challenge and I'm still hovering around the same weight. So for the last 2 weeks of the Challenge I'm kicking it up:

5 workouts this week AND next week so a total of 10 before the Challenge is done
I want to lose 3 lbs in the next two weeks. Completely doable.

We're in the home stretch. How are you ladies preparing for Summer?

2 New recipes!

Well I completely stole them from Amy's & Mandy's blog but they are new to me.


So last night after working all day, hitting the gym for 30 mins of cardio and 30 mins of weights, and after spending almost 2 hours roaming around the grocery store, checking out new products, I finally came home and hit the kitchen to spark up some creative geniusness. What's on the menu?

Red Lentil Curry & Pumpkin Raisin muffins

Both are sooo good! The curry isn't what all what I had expected but I had it with rice and veggies for lunch and it was super tastey. Next time, I may add a little sour cream like Amy suggested. For some reason though, mine came out pretty thick, more like a paste. Still yummy though. The muffins are great but next time I think I'll try a different type of raisin. The once I bought are maybe too big??

Yesterday I did the worst thing ever! Got to the gym, all psyched up to sweat it out. I get to the changing room, haul all my gym crap out of my bag and start undressing.....then I reach for my workout pants. Wait...where are my pants? I pause to retrace my getting-my-gym-bag-ready steps from that morning and realize I left them in the dryer! ARGH. I'm here, I want to workout but I'm wearing dress pants. Grrr. And I have about 1 hour before I have to be at Scott's parents for supper. Crap. I wish I had some amazing story about how I overcame this minor obstacle and magically turned my dress pants into a pair of workout capris but I don't. I just left the gym. Booo me. But life happens sometimes right? I was hoping to get in a walk when I got home but we didn't get home until late so I settled with a vow of kickassness (yes, I realize this is not a word) for the gym tonight.

Finally it's Friday!

Weekend plans:

Tonight we are having Mexican Pizza for supper, yet another recipe stolen from Mandy.
Can't wait to try this one out. Looks sooo good. I might throw on a little taco seasoning too. I'm a little surprised that wasn't any on there, and maybe a few black olives too. Yum. I'll let you know how it turns out. After supper is DQ with the family (I'm ordering a small plain ice cream cone) and then Scott's soft ball game is from 9:00-12:00am. It's supposed to rain so I might just putter around at home.
Saturday Scott is out all day and night helping a friend work on his house so I'm flying solo for most of the weekend. Not much planned. Hoping to get in a little shopping with the girls and possibly go out dancing tomorrow night. I might try out a few new recipes tomorrow if I'm home for most of the day. I always feel so productive when I cook in the mornings.
Sunday is Scott & Carolyn day. Just the 2 of us. We might head out for a hike and a picnic. I love Scott & Carolyn days, my favorite days! (How cheesy am I right now?)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Terrific Tuesday

1. I feel awesome today. No reason. The sun is out, it's warm. I like my outfit and my pants don't feel tight at all. I'm having one of those days where this whole weight loss journey actually seems possible, like I know I can do it, I just need to set my mind to it. (Aren't those the lyrics to some old 80s song?)

2. I bought the stuff today at lunch to make Red Lentil Curry. Got the recipe from Amy's blog. My kitchen is feeling neglected and the meals that I am popping out are BORING. Need to spice things up a bit. I just bought the ESBM cookbook and have only tried ONE recipe so far. Tonight, I'm going to pick 2 new recipes to try out this weekend.

3. I went over my point range yesterday without even knowing it. Guess it pays to journal, huh? I also felt like I had NO energy at the gym. I ran for 10 mins and then gave up. Boo me. To my credit, I could feel the blisters coming back on the arch of my feet so I jumped on the elliptical. I NEED to buy new sneakers this weekend. No ifs ands or buts. I did 50 mins of cardio yesterday and no weights. Boo me again.

4. I'm going to go see Sex and the City tonight with 3 other girls. Can't wait. In order to avoid the popcorn and candy, I bought a bag of baby carrots to munch on. Yay me! I also packed a supper instead of hitting up Wendy's or Tim's with the girls. I cooked some chicken on the BBQ last night, cut it up and I'm having a chicken and veggie wrap with fat free Ranch dressing for supper.

5. I ordered the Cheat to Lose Diet book from Amazon and got it on Saturday. You may have been reading about it on Angie's blog. I haven't started reading it yet but I'm anxious. The only thing that scares me is the first three weeks are cleansing, no cheats, no wine. That is big for me. I do loves me a glass or two of wine on the weekends. And with Summer here, we have something planned every single weekend. It usually involves wine and food. But if I'm going to get serious for Summer, I have to make some sacrifices right? So tough though. Obviously I need to do something since my weekends have been out of control. What do you ladies think?

6. I am almost 100% positive on signing up for a 5K on Canada Day, July 1st. Scott said he would sign up for it too but he runs quite a bit faster than I do but that's ok, he can wait for me at the finish line. If I'm going to do it, I HAVE to get some new kicks asap. I keep doubting that I can do it though and chicken out. I know I can do it....I just need to work myself up to running 5K. How long does 5K usually take anyway?

Monday Monday

My weekend went by pretty quick. We were so busy all weekend that we didn't have much time to relax and enjoy ourselves.

Friday I was in another town for work and I met my Dad there for supper. We went out to a greasy diner type place but I ordered a salad and a grilled chicken and veggie wrap so I did pretty well there. Friday night was Scott's ball game so we went to watch. Had 2 glasses of wine after the game and 1 cooler. More points than I wanted to use but oh well. I was starving by the time we left the game and was CRAVING greasy cheesy pizza but I suggested Subway instead. Got a 6 inch turkey sub (although I could have easily polished off a footlong) and stuck with diet Pepsi. YAY me!

Saturday I had a pretty low point day. I was busy getting ready for a family reunion for Scott's family so I didn't have much time to munch. Ended up skipping lunch altogether in favor of making 30 homemade hamburgers. Supper was a BBQ at our place. Had potato salad (not much), 1 hot dog, a handful of chips and a bunch of veggies, and a few crackers snuck in there too. But I think over all I did pretty good for the day. I also made the Angel Lush Cake that I saw on Angie's blog. I topped it with blueberries instead of strawberries and it was SOOO good. Oh and I made the angel food cake instead of using a store bought one. So mine was only 2 layers but it was much bigger. Love this cake. It's absolutely perfect for a Summer BBQ type event because it's very light and yummy. Won't weigh you down. Overall, I could have done SO much worse at the BBQ. I kept my portions small and stopped eating when I was getting full. HUGE accomplishment for me. I did indulge in a few glasses of wine though. Probably more than I should have.

Sunday is usually my downfall but this was the best Sunday by far and my worst indiscretion was a chocolate bar. I know, still not stellar but my typical Sunday involves chocolate and chips and Delicsio Pizza and ice cream (I crave the sweets after a night of a little too much wine) So I definitely improved this weekend. Scott even asked if he should go to the store for more treats and I said no way and made a yogurt/milk/fat free chocolate pudding/fat free whipped cream milkshake which was just as good and half the points! Yum!

I'm anxiously awaiting for Randi to post today! Congrats on your Tri Randi! Can't wait to hear all about it.

Day 3

So within the Summer Challenge, Randi and I are counting down the days left and trying to pump up the momentum a little. Jaimie is joining in too and has challenged herself to 20 workouts in the last 28 days of the challenge....and I, of course, am following suit! 20 workouts in 28 days. Today is Day 3 of the last 28 days and I unfortunately missed the gym yesterday. With good reason of course. I had to travel 1.5 hours out of town to get a root canal done by a specialist. $1500 later....yes $1500. Seriously? Yowsa. Ugh. Move on Carolyn.

Right....so we now have 26 days left in the challenge. Are you still challenging yourself? Pushing yourself? Still motivated? Still keeping your goals in the back of your mind? If not, Smarten up Ladies! Summer is just around the corner. So run the extra mile, stay on the elliptical for an extra 10 mins, lift an extra set or just say no to the timbits flying around your office (I just did!). Do I sound like a cheesy infomercial yet??

If you haven't checked it out yet, Angie is completely 100% motivated and throwing herself wholeheartedly into a new meal/exercise plan that will no doubt have her looking radiant in her wedding dress. Check it out, her dedication is contagious! Scott and I are even thinking about ordering the book and trying out the plan. It certainly makes a lot of sense when you do some research on it and I even have a friend who joined Body for Life a few years ago with her hubby. And boy, did it ever work for them! My only reservation is the cheat day. I know, that sounds like the best part right? But I think of how much junk I could eat in one day and it scares me! Can you really eat junk all day for one whole day and still lose weight? This plan says you can, and who am I to judge? I'm going to think about it for a few days and see if I can find the book.

That's it for me today ladies!

Maybe....Just maybe....

I'm in better shape than I give myself credit for.

So yesterday I get to the gym after work and decide to mix things up a little. I'm planning on 30 mins of cardio and 30 mins of weights. Cardio first.....I sign up for a treadmill. 5 min warm up. Maybe I'll try running? Just 10 mins. I can do 10 mins right? So I set the treadmill at 5mph (I know, not super fast but it's still a pretty fast pace for a non-runner with really short legs) Typically when I try running, I used to get out of breath after about 5 mins and have to slow down. Either that or I give up when I get tired of my butt bouncing up and down over and over again. So a friend jumps on the treadmill beside me and starts running too. After 10 mins of running, I feel my body starting to warm up but to my utter surprise, I'm not out of breath in any way and I'm able to hold up a conversation with my friend just as if I was walking. Hmmm. Odd. This has never happened before. Granted I haven't tried running in about a year or so but a year ago, I could only get through about 8 or 9 mins before I had to slow down. Let's shoot for 15 shall we? 15 mins pass and here I am....INCREASING the speed a little. Still gabbing to my girlfriend about a future shopping trip and how much our men suck for having super fast metabolisms and being able to eat whatever they want. Before I know it, the clock on the treadmill says 35 mins. That's when it hit me.....I have been running for 30 mins straight, maybe I'm in better shape than I give myself credit for! Sweet! Cool down for a few mins and then off to weights. I think I experience the ever elusive "Runner's high" because I felt sooo energized and completely proud of myself.

Then 10 mins later, I noticed the arch in my foot is really sore. After my weights, when I get to the changing room, I notice that I have 2 big blisters right under the arch in my feet. As an inexperienced runner, I'm really not sure what this means other than that I probably need to invest in some new running sneakers. All you avid runners out there.....any advice, suggestions? What am I looking for when I shop for some new kicks? I know you can go and get an assessment done at the Running room but for someone who's not intensely serious about running, I don't want to fork over a massive amount of dough. I would love to incorporate running into my weekly plan but want to do so with minimal cost. What am I looking for? or what's wrong with my current sneakers? I'm pretty sure it's because they are about 2 years old. They never gave me blister when I ran in the before....

So I am counting down the days until the end of the Summer Challenge (and so is Randi!). I am staying accountable everyday for the next 26 days. Yesterday was Day 1. 26 days to go. 26 days to a leaner and fitter (sooo not even a word) body. 26 days for me to smarten up and hold myself accountable.

In 26 days:
The scale will be show me a kind and wonderful number
My pants will fit better
I will feel confident in my bikini again
I will look back on the last 26 days and know that I stayed accountable, even during the weekends
I will be see & feel the results of incorporating weights into my routine
I will finally take the tags off those size 7 pants that have been hanging in my closet for the past 3 months.

Here we go ladies, we're in the home stretch!

Scary Scale....

This weekend was better than the last few have been but certainly was not perfect.

We were on the run all weekend so we ended up eating out 3 times! Ugh! We made a pact though last night that we will limit the eating out to once MAX per week and it has to be somewhere good like Subway or another place that has healthy options. We used to eat out all the time (fast food about 4 or 5 times a week) before we started WW and I find we are slipping a little and getting back into eating out instead of preparing and bringing snacks or a sandwich with us. Friday night was Subway. Not bad, turkey sub with tons of veggies and sweet onion sauce. Mmmmm. I did eat a whole footlong though...I was starving! Saturday we went to Quizno's and got the Tzatziki Chicken sub and flat bread BBQ chicken pizza. Very tastey. Sunday we were out of town for a funeral so we stopped at a diner along the way and I got a chicken and veggie wrap. But the chicken was fried and the ranch dressing was full fat so I didn't really even consider this a healthy option. Blah. To my defense, it was the healthiest option on the menu. Everything else was deep fried (probably twice over to warm it up) and came with french fries or poutine.

I need to get control here ladies. Why have I been slipping so much on the weekends? It's been a year of hovering around the same weight and now the weight seems to be slowly but surely creeping back on. In May of 2007 I was exactly 10 lbs lighter than I am now. How did that happen? I know how it happened:

Weekends full of, but not limited to, the following:

Wine, chocolate bars, ice cream, big feet/hot lips, pizza, garlic fingers, chips, more wine and more JUNK!

I know I have been saying this so often lately but after my scale scare this morning, I really have been psyching myself up all morning. Telling myself I have to get serious. In May of last year I was EXACTLY 10 lbs lighter than I am right now. 10 lbs! That is scary. 10 lbs is a lot and it certainly shows. I never really realized it until I took a good look in the mirror and I started remembering how my pants used to fit. How flat my tummy used to be. How great I used to feel.

So I'm going to start journaling everyday on here to help with accountability. On the weekends, I'm going to plan out my 35 bonus points and stick to them. Do you know how long it's been since I've had a weekend where I stayed within my 35 bonus points. Probably about 6 months. Can you imagine? 6 months?!? No wonder I'm gaining weight! I'm a saint all week and then a devil all weekend. Not a good balance. Not a balance at all really.

So here I am.

Journaling. EVERYTHING.
I have almost 4 weeks left in the Summer Challenge and I'm going to attack this last 10 lbs.

1/4 C Kashi Go Lean Crunch
1 C All Bran
1/2 C blueberries
1/2 C Skim milk
Flavored coffee with sugar (ran out of Sugar Twin)

Fruit to go Raspberry (fruit leather)

Tuna Sandwich
(weight watchers bread)
1/2 C Vanilla Yogurt mixed with 1/3 C Fat Free Cottage Cheese and 1/2 C blueberries

1 apple

Tuna Sandwich
(again)
4 point pasta frozen dinner
(I know this is not a great option and wayyyy too many carbs but we are staying in town after work for ball practice and I forgot to prepare something last night to bring with me for supper. At least there is some protein in there.)

Total points: 20

I may have a snack when we get home from Scott's ball practice. Either yogurt or fruit.

27 Days left in the Summer Challenge. 27 Days to make a good run at 10 lbs. I'm not expecting it all to come off but I am hoping for a loss of 5-7 lbs. I'm going to start weighing in on Saturday mornings to help myself stay accountable during the weekends. So here I go.....

Summer Challenge Update....Where are you girls??

Ok. So we are halfway through the Summer Challenge.

4 weeks down, 4 weeks to go.

How have you ladies been doing? Time to anti up.

If you've been rocking it, keep it up. If you've been kind of wishy washy, you've got 4 weeks left to kick it up and accomplish your goals and if you have completely forgotten what the Summer Challenge was all about.....time to seriously refocus, you have 4 weeks left until Summer! Remember Summer? That season that comes every year, where it gets really hot and humid and you wear way less clothing and an occasional bathing suit? Remember the shorts and tanks tops and cute summery outfits, the BBQs, the bonfires, the frozen drinks? It's all right around the corner so smarten up and start preparing. Envision the best summer of your life. One where you feel confident and sexy and you wear that bathing suit with pride. That great Summer where you see the results of all your hard work staring back at you from the mirror. 4 weeks is still a long time. In 4 weeks you can totally make a huge difference. You could be a whole pant size smaller in 4 weeks. All it takes is a little hard work....ok a lot of hard work but you wouldn't have signed up if you don't like a challenge, right?

So update me and all your fellow challengers.

How are you making out with your goals? And what is your plan for the next 4 weeks?

Quick refresher course on what you planned to do in 8 weeks when we began.....

Jen - wants to log 52 workouts & to follow the 8 healthy guidelines
Randi - wants to follow structured food plan, follow exercise plan and to lose 1 inch from her waist.
Kelly - wants to exercise at least 3 times a week.
Shannon - wants to be 130 lbs
Shelley -wants to see the 140s again
Jenn - wants to lose 8 lbs and be a "buff bride" Anneliese - wants to lose 13 lbs to bring her to the big (well actually, small) 145
Leigh Ann - wants to follow Canada's food guide, lose 12 lbs, and drink all daily water before hitting the diet Pepsi
Jaimie - wants to log in 52 days of following the 8 healthy guidelines!
Jennifer - wants to get back into size 10 AE shorts, log a 40 min run 3 times a week
Christina - wants to lose 10 lbs and to exercise 5 days a week
Vanessa - wants to lose 8 lbs and log in 1500 mins of exercise S
Suzi - wants to exercise 5 times a week and lose 12 lbs
Brittany - wants to lose 22.4 lbs and get in some sort of physical activity 5 times a week
Marissa - wants to exercise 5 times a week and be able to run 7 miles without stopping or walking
Neha - wants to exercise 4 times a week and lose 12 lbs
Fatinah - wants to lose 8 lbs
Seabreeze - wants to avoid emotional eating and to take part in an 8k race on July 27.
Krista - wants to fit into summer clothes, lose 7 lbs and exercise 6 times a week.
Caroline - wants to lose 19.6 lbs and to exercise 4 times a week
Sonya - wants to lose 10 lbs, & exercise 32 times
Carrie - wants to exercise 5 times a week, lose 18lbs, & do sit ups before bed 5 times a week SarahSundae - wants to lose 15 lbs and exercise 5 times a week
Deborah - wants to be able to climb her very steep driveway without stopping (Nice goal!)
Angie - wants to see that magical 163 on the scale
Jeannie - wants to lose 10 lbs, exercise 4 times a week and to be able to run 25 mins straight Healthy Mummy - wants to lose 10 lbs and exercise 5 days a week for 1 hour
Cara - wants to lose 12 lbs and wants to be able to run 5K
Amy - wants to lose 10 lbs and exercise 5 days a week Sara - wants to hit her 10% goal and lose 8 lbs Scott - to log in 40 workouts
Sparky - wants to lose 6 lbs
Kimberly - wants to lose 7 lbs and drink at least 2 L water a day
Christy - wants to lose 5 lbs, exercise 4 times a week and try a new recipe once a week (love that one)
Eurydice - wants to log 15 mile of running per week and try out a new veggie every week. Carolyn - to exercise at least 5 times a week and to find some balance on the weekends. Count ALL points. Post Dominican goal-lose 10 lbs.

***My update:
With the exception of the week I was in Dominican, which doesn't really count for me. (Hello? It's Dominican ladies!)
I have exercised every week 5 times a week. Monday to Friday I have been a total gym rat.
My weekends......could be better. BUT they have been getting better (I DID say no TWICE to DQ blizzards last weekend) and I'm trying to be more conscious of limiting my weekend treats instead of just having a free for all. So I'd give myself a C+ on that goal and an A+ on my gym goal. So far I have lost between 6 and 7 lbs post Dominican so I'm getting there for my 10 lbs goal. Over grade? B

Here's your chance ladies....whether you get to brag or you have to confess your sins. Let it out.

Workout Revamp

I seriously love you guys. Thanks so much for the tips on revamping my exercise routine.
I spent a good chunk of yesterday doing some research on High Intensity Interval Training and I'm totally psyched. I started off pretty slow last night at the gym but I think I'll really like it. I do believe I'm going to have to invest in a heart rate monitor though because there's really no way for me to know what my heart rate is at any given time. Any suggestions on picking one up? I've look briefly on ebay but I might take a look around at a few local sports stores too.

I've decided to hit the gym 5 times a week and do HIIT on three of those days. On those days I will do 30 mins HIIT and 30 mins strength training. I started with the strength training last night. One of my best friends is home from out West for 6 weeks for a work placement and she is a huge gym rat with a bodybuilding boyfriend so she is showing me some strength stuff. AND she has a membership to my gym! YAY! So last night we did lunges, LOTS of squats, and a little bit of ab work and a few plank positions. It's so great having someone else who is really motivated. I wish she would move home to stay!! Although my hamstrings are killing me today but I love it. It's been sooo long since I've been sore after a workout and I know I NEED to get some strength training into my workouts.

Eating has been good, well great actually. Went to get some groceries last night and did not buy ANY carby snacks. No All Bran bites, no Fiber Source bars. However I did buy an angel food cake mix and a can of pumpkin. I'm wondering if it would turn out well if I threw these things together with some pumpkin pie spice? Anyone try it before? Cupcakes maybe? I actually bought the angel food cake mix so I could make an Angel Lush Cake that I stumbled across on Angie's blog. Instead of using store bought angel food cake, I though I'd make my own, use rounds cake tins and make it a 2 layer cake instead. Sounds yummy though and it's perfect for a Summer BBQ. Mmmmm BBQ.

I also have to add today that Randi rocks. Everytime I have a question regarding exercise or diet, she's all over it and has a definite opinion one way or the other. I don't always agree with her opinion and sometimes her opinion totally puts me in my place and kicks my butt but I can always count on her to be completely 100% honest all of the time and really...you don't find that very often these days! Thanks Randi! (plus she totally knows she rocks and I love that about her!)

and a HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my girl Christy! She's celebrating with a aLatte! That's an NSV if I've ever heard one.

Getting Serious...

Too many random thoughts to actually form paragraphs today so here we go...

1. Thanks ladies for all your wonderful comments on our Punta Cana pics. We are already planning our next trip down South for next March...we are thinking Jamaica (actually it's not really our choice since our good friends are getting married down South and we are in tow with them, but THEY are thinking Jamaica.) Anyone been? Suggestions?

2. I need to seriously re-evauluate my diet. Weekend splruges were far too many and included: wine, small handful of chips, 2 brownies, 2 slices of pizza, 1 cookie, 2 chocolate bars (yes 2!) and onion rings. Granted this was over the course of 3 days people. But added up, it looks like a massive amount of JUNK! It should also be noted that I did say NO to DQ blizzards 2 times this weekend.

3. I need to get rid of the processed junk in my lunch. All Bran bites, Fiber Source granola bars. Yuck. I know they are low in points and that's why I love them so much but they can't be good for me. I'm hoping to buy more fruit this week...anyone have any other suggestions for snacks that aren't high in carbs or sugar? Somethin I can whip on on the weekend and take with me for snacks all week long?

4. I also need to start doing some research on exercise. How do I get the most bang for my buck at the gym? Lately, I have been doing 20 mins bike, 20 mins elliptical and 20 mins Stairmaster and every other day I do 20 mins of abs on top of that. I know I need to incoporate weights. I'm starting this next week but....should I do 30 mins cardio, then 30 mins weights 5 times a week or should I do 3 days of cardio 60-70 mins cardio sessions and 2 days of weights. It's so confusing to me. Also, is it better to do 30 mins of cardio a day, everyday, 7 days a week? or do you get more benefit from 60 mins cardio intervals in one day 3 or 4 times a week. See? Confusing.

5. I had homemade Chili for lunch. Yummm.

6. I just spent an hour reading and catching up on a new blog. Check out Lex. It's seriously like reading my own blog, we have so much in common!

7. It's very dreary here today and I just feel like cuddling up on the couch with a movie or a good book. For the first time in a long time, I really don't want to go to the gym. But I will. I'll force myself. I'll go and I'll kick some serious butt. Then I will feel much better.

8. Is it Friday yet? Why do short work weeks feel so long after a long weekend?

Punta Cana Pics

As promised.....

Finally, the bikini pics


The happy couple


My handsome hubby



Awwwww


Getting nice and crispy

Mmmm Coco Loco's...

Before a show..

Another bikini pic

First day on the beach...that is a sunken ship in the water behind me

Ughhh...So tired...

of feeling bloated! I honestly feel like I have been forced to wear a fat suit for the last 4 days.
Monday I felt back on track and better than ever and even though I've been eating within my points and going to the gym (yesterday was 50 mins of cardio), yesterday and today I have felt like a total blimp. I'm so bloated! I think the Dominican food is catching up with me. TOM is also kicking around so that may have something to do with it. But Wowsa, I feel pretty awful. Isn't that the worst feeling, when you can feel your tummy protruding but it's so sore and bloated that you can't really do anything about it?? I can't even eat my afternoon snack today because I just don't think there's any room in there. Blah.

On a positive note, since I'm taking a cue from Christy and trying to be more positive. I got my Dominican pics from my broken camera. Scott was able to get the card read and the pics saved to a CD so I'll get to check them out tonight and hopefully post some tonight or tomorrow night. I long for those days again, I can't even imagine putting on my bikini now!
Another positive note, my wedding rings feel loose again. So I know that most of my awful bloatness is probably from re-introducing a ton of fiber back into my diet rather than from lbs gained in DR.

I'm all caught up on your blogs now and I'm so glad to see that most of you are still tracking your Summer Challenge progress. One of my goals was to keep track on the weekends so this weekend will be the big test. Worst weekend ever to do it since it;s a long weekend but I'm going to give it all I got.
Friday night is stay in movie night with hubby so I should be good there. One small treat and that's it/ Nothing more than 5 points.
Saturday night one of my best friends is home from out West so we're having a girls night, drinks and lots of dancing. This may get difficult but I'm thinking of drinking flavored Vodka and Crystal light instead of wine to cut down on the calories. Also I was going to make a cheesecake for her as a welcome home thing but maybe I should hold out. I know I'll just end up eating too much of it anyway so maybe I'll bring something else. Any suggestions?
Sunday I will be slightly hungover which means trouble. BUT I'm hoping to try a new recipe on Saturday to have on Sunday so if the food is already made and ready, I won't want to waste ti so it should help me stay on track.
Sunday night Scott and I are going to the drive-in movie theatre. Triple bill on long weekends and it's so fun! This may pose a problem because a) I will still be slightly hungover b) the concession stand sells very yummy onion rings c) what's the drive-in without greasy food and chocolate. So I will allow myself a treat on Sunday night IF and only if:

1. I'm good on Saturday night and don't eat any fast food or chips or junk
2. I'm good all day Saturday and Sunday. Regular lunches and suppers
3. My chocolate treat does not come from the Bulk Barn. Portion control is out the window at this joint and narrowing my choice down to one thing is impossible so I always end up getting way more.

That's it for me today!

I'm Back!!!

Not that I really want to be.....although I am happy to be home, I'd much rather be soaking up the sun on a white sand beach right about now.

What an AMAZING trip! Scott and I had the time of our lives. There was tons of drinking and eating and laying on the beach, dancing, relaxing, snorkeling, kayaking, boogey boarding, swimming with sharks and sting rays, shopping, more eating, more drinking and it was all soo much fun! It was soo nice to get away for a whole week with my favorite person in the world.

Scott and I flew into Halifax on Sunday morning at 5:00am into a snow storm! Seriously??!??! Scott and I in our flip flops and shorts and tank tops, walking through the slush and snow was not a pretty sight. Stupid winter, go away already.

Side Note: My damn camera broke as soon as we got back to Saint John so I can't get my pics off it. As soon as I do, I'll post a few of me in my Dominican bikinis!

So now I am home. And it's time to pay the piper. About 8 lbs worth of paying. Ugh. Would I do it all again though? Yup, in a heart beat. But I can't, I have to buckle down the hatches and get serious. Summer is on it's way and I'm ready to kick some serious butt and jump on the Summer Challenge bandwagon. I'm adding a poundage goal to my Summer Challenge. At first I was very reluctant to set a goal weight but I'm confident that I'm setting one that I know I can reach as long as I stick to the plan and be good on the weekends. There are 6 weeks left of the Summer Challenge and I think that 10 lbs is a reasonable goal. I'm assuming (and crossing my fingers) that I'll see a pretty big loss this week and maybe next week too since weight that goes on fast usually tends to come off pretty quickly. I already feel like I am "deflating" a little.

I totally rocked Monday although I was tempted to stay in "vacation mode" and eat a few measly chocolate covered almonds from the lunch room. But I didn't & I did great. Ate lots of fruit and veggies and protein and to top that off, I went to the gym and worked out for over an hour and a half! 75 mins of cardio and 25 mins of abs. Take that 8 lb vacation gain! Pack it up and get out!

Can't wait to catch up on you ladies and find out how everyone is doing with the Summer Challenge. Don't forget to e-mail me your progress so I can update everyone on how you are doing! I'll post an update on Thursday so get to me before then if you want your progress posted. Thanks ladies!

The Eve of Punta Cana

We leave tomorrow on the big trip...so unfortunately that means I won't be posting for over a week (We don't get back until the wee hours of May 11) and even more unfortunately, I won't be able to catch up on your blogs until I get back. But maybe the sun and sand will help compensate for my lack of contact with Blogger....I think it might :)

I'm so psyched though to read all about your goals and accomplishments with the Summer Challenge on all of your blogs. Last night the Summer Challenge (and the fact that I will be wearing a bikini in 2 days) saved me from a late night snack attack. I actually had my hand in the granola bar box but pulled it out and got a glass of water instead. By the way...has anyone tried the Fiber Source Honey Almond granola bars? Yum, only 2 points with 5 grams of fiber.

Yesterday was 50 mins of cardio (20 mins elliptical and 30 mins bike). This is a pretty low intensity workout for me but for some reason I was sweating like you wouldn't believe! I couldn't get over it. I sweat more yesterday than I usually do after a good long haul on the StairMaster. I couldn't figure it out, then I got thinking. I've been tanning in the tanning bed (not something I usually do but I'm attempting to prep my skin for the Dominican sun) and I think I got a little burnt yesterday at lunch...I wonder if that had anything to do with it. Ladies who tan....any insight?

Short and sweet today.
I'm completely in line with my Summer Challenge goals so far. I've logged in 3 workouts so far and I'm going today after work and I'm even going tomorrow before we leave for Halifax (where we are catching our flight) That's right ladies. You heard me. I'm not letting the fact that I am leaving tomorrow for Dominican keep me from getting in my 5 workouts this week. How's that for devotion??

3 Days to Punta Cana......

Summer Challenge Update - So the final tally is in and there are 36 of us who are going to rock some hardcore goals. Get ready to look and more importantly feel fantastic this summer. Haul out your shorts and tanks and skirts and bathing suits ladies because we are going to be seriously strutting our stuff in no time. The goals are absolutely fantastic, I wanted to take on all of them myself! Eurydice had a great idea with a goal to try a new veggie every week, Deborah had another good one with being able to climb her very steep driveway without stopping. Seabreeze's goal was to not give into emotional eating. I love that, because we've all been there. I think this challenge may make us much more aware of where our bad habits lie. It makes me so ecstatic to see you ladies getting excited about the Challenge and excited about meeting your goals. You have no idea what this is doing for my own motivation. I was seriously just two seconds away from toasting a WW bagel that I didn't have the points for.....but then I thought, honestly, "what would the Challengers think? I can't post about eating stuff outside of my points!" So THANKS!

Two NSVs to post about today!
1. Yesterday at the gym I was working out on the elliptical and a man that works out at my gym everyday came over to strike up a conversation. We were talking about how dreadful/awesome the StairMaster is when he said "By the way, I've been meaning to tell you that you have been doing fantastic and your hard work really shows! You have been shedding quite a few pounds." It was said in a very non-creepy/stalkerish way and I thought it was so nice! Made my whole day! I went on to tell him I haven't lost any weight at all and he said "Don't let that fool you, you have been toning up and that's what's important" I seriously wanted to jump off the elliptical and give this strange man a hug. Especially since it's something my own Father would never say in a million years.

2. I completely tore it up at the gym tonight. This was my longest workout in the history of me working out. It was 80 mins from start to finish. I know most of you have probably doubled this time but up until about 2 months ago, I was one of those "count every second and don't go a single minute over what you planned to do" exercisers. I would get to the gym and jump on a machine, then I would watch every single minute pass until I finally, finally hit 40 mins. Then I was out of there before the sweat dried. Lately I have been watching the clock far less and have been concentrating more of getting a great workout. Tonight I did 20 mins on the elliptical, 15 mins on the bike, then 20 mins of abs, then I hopped on the StairMaster and did 22 mins. I even raised the intensity every few minutes and did this until I literally though my legs might give out, I was basically running up the stairs as fast as I could for 2 mins. I love to challenge myself on this thing. This is workout #2 of my 5 for the week.

And now the downfall....

or the bright side......

(ha, as if going to the Dominican Republic is ever a downfall)

We leave for Punta Cana in 3 days. Weight will inevitably be gained, desserts will be enjoyed in copious amounts, Banana Mama's will come one after the other on more than one occasion, bacon will be had for breakfast, deep fried food will wiggle it's way onto my lunch menu. It's going to happen, I'd be kidding myself if I thought for one minute that I would count points in Dominican. But I can set SOME guidelines for myself right? Well I can try anyway...

So Carolyn.....

1. Walk whenever possible. Trolley smolley. You have two working legs and a bunch of extra calories to work off. You'll feel better and you know it.
2. Drink plenty of water, it is your friend. Pina Coladas are not a breakfast side dish. Grab a bottle everywhere you go. You'll need it after your pale self gets burned by the sun and you need to rehydrate yourself after all those drinkies last night.
3. Don't eat foods that you know are only going to make you sick in the morning. If you have to indulge, try to at least pair it with a salad.
4. Take advantage of the amazingly fresh fruit you'll find at the resort.
5. Being in another country is not an excuse to eat everything in sight. It's not your last meal, you'll eat again. Probably in another hour or 2 so don't stuff yourself until you feel like you may explode. It's uncomfortable and your bikini clad bod that you busted your butt for at the gym will not appreciate it.

I'll going to have to print this off and bring it with me! When I come home, I'll be setting a weight goal for the last 6 weeks of the Challenge so watch out!
Hope everyone is keeping the Challenge in mind and it sounds like we already have a few successes! Congrats to Caroline who lost 3 lbs this week! Wowsa! Let's follow suit ladies!

And we're off!

Wow Ladies! I am seriously impressed with participation level in this challenge. I'm going to have to enlist some admin support if this gets any bigger. The Challenges you ladies have decided upon for yourself are amazing! I can't wait to hear all about your successes and triumphs along the way as we get closer to summer...and more importantly, closer to reaching our goals. I want to thank each and every one of you for stepping up and joining the Challenge.

After a little encouragement (ok, a lot), even my hubby has decided to join the Summer Challenge! He's challenging himself to log 40 gym workouts & to stop trying to entice me all weekend long by offering to go to the store for chocolate and candy. (yes, he does this at least 4 times every weekend)

Jen - wants to log 52 workouts & to follow the 8 healthy guidelines

Randi - wants to follow structured food plan, follow exercise plan and to lose 1 inch from her waist.

Kelly - wants to exercise at least 3 times a week.

Shannon - wants to be 130 lbs

Shelley -wants to see the 140s again

Jenn - wants to lose 8 lbs and be a "buff bride"

Anneliese - wants to lose 13 lbs to bring her to the big 145

Leigh Ann - wants to follow Canada's food guide, lose 12 lbs, and drink all daily water before hitting the diet Pepsi

Jaimie - wants to log in 52 days of following the 8 healthy guidelines!

Jennifer - wants to get back into size 10 AE shorts, log a 40 min run, 3 times a week

Christina - wants to lose 10 lbs and to exercise 5 days a week

Vanessa - wants to lose 8 lbs and log in 1500 mins of exercise

Suzi - wants to exercise 5 times a week and lose 12 lbs

Brittany - wants to lose 22.4 lbs and get in some sort of physical activity 5 times a week

Marissa - wants to exercise 5 times a week and be able to run 7 miles without stopping or walking

Neha - wants to exercise 4 times a week and lose 12 lbs

Fatinah - wants to lose 8 lbs

Seabreeze - wants to avoid emotional eating and to take part in an 8k race on July 27.

Krista - wants to fit into summer clothes, lose 7 lbs and exercise 6 times a week.

Caroline - wants to lose 19.6 lbs and to exercise 4 times a week

Sonya - wants to lose 10 lbs, & exercise 32 times

Carrie - wants to exercise 5 times a week, lose 18lbs, & do sit ups before bed 5 times a week

SarahSundae - wants to lose 15 lbs and exercise 5 times a week

Deborah - wants to be able to climb her very steep driveway without stopping (Nice goal!)

Angie - wants to see that magical 163 on the scale

Jeannie - wants to lose 10 lbs, exercise 4 times a week and to be able to run 25 mins straight

Healthy Mummy - wants to lose 10 lbs and exercise 5 days a week for 1 hour

Cara - wants to lose 12 lbs and wants to be able to run 5K

Amy - wants to lose 10 lbs and exercise 5 days a week

Sara - wants to hit her 10% goal and lose 8 lbs

Scott - to log in 40 workouts

Sparky - wants to lose 6 lbs

Kimberly - wants to lose 7 lbs and drink at least 2 L water a day

Christy - wants to lose 5 lbs, exercise 4 times a week and try a new recipe once a week (love that one)

Eurydice - wants to log 15 mile of running per week and try out a new veggie every week.

Carolyn - to exercise at least 5 times a week and to find some balance on the weekends. Count ALL points.

Here we are!
I will be following along with all of you and checking in on you. The first update will be around May 12 so I will be asking all of you ladies to comment or e-mail me and let me know how you are making out on your goals (hello accountability!) I'll be posting updates as we get closer to Summer. Don't forget to check out the blogs of your fellow challengers and make sure to leave some encouragement!

8 Weeks til Summer Challenge!!

Alright Ladies. Summer is coming, there's no way to stop it. Short, skirts, tank tops, bathing suits, it's inevitable. Do you really want to go through another summer not loving your legs in a pair of shorts, or wearing a t-shirt over your bathing suit, or suffering from thigh chaffing (hey, it happens)??? Here we are, on the brink of hitting our summer goals. I say this because I know we can ALL reach our goals, whatever your goal may be, in 8 weeks you can do it. Whether your goal is to hit the gym 4 times a week, or to lose 10 lbs, we are all going to get there. So here's the deal...


1. Pick a goal. It can be to lose 10 lbs, to hit the gym 4 times a week, to stay on track on the weekends, to break the "up a pound, down a pound" cycle, to look smoking hot in your wedding gown, whatever. All I ask is that you choose something that's challenging to you. Push yourself. It's YOUR goal. You name it, you rock it!

2. E-mail me or comment to let me know that you're in, what your goal is, and how you are going to kick some serious butt.

3. I will ask everyone to check in with me every 2 weeks (dates to follow). Update me on how your doing with the challenge, your struggles your triumphs and most importantly, your successes! (ohhh there will be plenty of successes ladies!) Before and After pics are always a great measure too!

4. I will post updates every 2 weeks and other sporadic updates as I read your blogs and see you ladies kicking butt and taking names.

5. Check out the blogs of the other challengers! Very important, chances are you have a similar goal to the next blogger or it's a goal you've been working toward and achieved. Many of us have gotten here today due to the inspiring posts and constant encouragement of other bloggers. We've all been "down that road" before and we've learned from it. All these ladies are unbelievably intelligent, witty, and wise, so use them! Soak it up, they may have thought of something that you might not of!

I will post the official Start of the Challenge on Monday so you have until Sunday night to join in, think of your challenge, and get it to me. Here are a few ladies who are ready to rock the next 8 weeks....


Jen - Jen wants to get in 52 gym sessions/workouts in the next 56 days. I love this girl for setting the bar so high! We'll all be counting the days along with you Jen!

Randi - Challenging herself to put more structure in her menu. Want to add a weight loss goal to that too Randi? We all know you love challenges! ***She's going to lose 1 inch from her waist too!
Kelly - Challenging herself to get in 3 workouts a week. Hmmm I know you Kelly, I know you can get in 4 every week! What do you think?!

Shannon - Wants to hit 130! She's so close! (and already smokin hot!)

Shelley - Wants to see those 140s once again (I'm soo with ya Shelley, except it would be my first time seeing them!)

Jenn - Wants to kick Billy Blanks butt and lose 8 lbs....AND be a "buff bride"!

Anneliese - Wants to lose 13 lbs and see that magical 145 on the scale.

Leigh Anne - Wants to meet all requirements for Canada's Food guide...and to drink all daily water before hitting up the diet Pepsi. Drink up!

Carolyn (ME!) - I want to start holding myself accountable on the weekends. Count EVERY point...and I'd just love to see the 140s (It's about 5 lbs away)

Krista, Christy, Eurydice, Fatinah - I'm counting you ladies in since you wanted in but I need to get some goals :)
Everyone else is welcome to buy in...just let me know the details. Those who are already in can change your challenge before Monday, just let me know.

***Update

Jaimie - just stepped it up and joined the challenge! Sweet! She's got a good one too, she's challenging herself to 52 workouts in the next 56 days, Wowsa! That's exactly why this girl rocks!

Jennifer - is trying to get back into size 10 American Eagle shorts (the sizes run so small there!) She's also challenging herself to a 40 min run, 3 times a week.

Christina - wants to lose 10 lbs and exercise 5 days a week (I think I'm going to join you on the 5 day a week rule. We can soooo do that right?)

Vanessa - just joined! She wants to lose 8 lbs and log in 1500 mins of exercise. (She's got some ever popular skinny jeans to reunite with)

Suzi - is in too. Goal is to exercise 5 times a week and to shed 12 lbs. Thanks for joining!

I can't even believe I'm typing this.......

...but I have come to LOVE the gym. Who friggin knew?

The girl who once used any and every excuse to not go to the gym, including forgetting a hair elastic (seriously?) now can't go a weekday without hitting up the gym. Wowsa. How times have changed. I remember 4 months ago, every day at 3:30pm on the dot, I would begin to think of reasons to miss the 4:30pm scheduled gym visit; forgot my socks, too tired, PMSing, headache, sore back, too hungry, bad day at work, too many things to do at home, forgot my sneakers (on purpose), forgot socks, don't want to get all sweaty before a dinner out. You name it, I've thought of it. But now....

I feel awful if I can't make it to the gym at LEAST Mon-Thursday everyday after work. I have to get in at least those 4 workouts in order to function throughout the week. Most Fridays I hit the gym for a light workout but nothing too intense since I usually have dinner plans on Fridays. But then the weekend hits.....and my exercise mojo is thrown out the window. It's not like I sit home on the couch all weekend watchin reruns (although it's tempting...) I'm usually puttering aorund the house or running errands or shopping but no formal form of exercise has been consistently showing up on the weekends. So my goal? 30 mins of something on Saturday AND Sunday. Whether it's yard work or a walk to the store, or mowing the lawn. I need to get something going on during the weekends. Maybe that will be my Summer Challenge goal....hmm. Anyone else think of any ideas for the Summer Challenge? Let me know if your interested!

Last night at the gym, I had one of those awesome workouts where I honestly felt like I could keep going for hours. I did 12 mins on the rowing machine, 5 mins on the bike, and 38 mins on the stepper (Wow that thing is brutal...in a good way) I was soaked by the end of it. Oh and I also threw in 150 crunches at the end using the stability ball. It took about 65 mins for the whole workout and I left feeling refreshed and super energized. Tonight I'm planning on something similar.

Who's in for the Summer Challenge? It starts this Saturday since that is 8 weeks exactly from Summer. What are your goals?

Picture Post

My Dominican Motivation:

I know, I know, I'm totally coping out by not putting pics of me IN the bikinis.

Wedding Pics from last weekend....

Hubby and I

Not quite sure why my face looks all squishy...it was sooo hot in there!

I saw this pic and was so proud of my collarbone!! Where did it come from? Haven't seen it in YEARS! (me on the bottom left)

Random Pic from Girls Night out. (Me far left)

And Stagette...Moi and a friend
Moi and the Bride...the back says Maid of Honor

That's it Folks.....who doesn't love some pics though!

Also, I'm still sorting out the details for Summer Challenge but if you're interested, leave a comment and I'll put you on the list!

Thanks ladies!

Summer Challenge Anyone?

So I briefly mentioned yesterday something about a possible Summer Challenge, and many of you seemed interested. We have about 8 and a half weeks until Summer gets here so throw out some ideas for the challenge and maybe we can get something together before the 8 week mark. I can't believe it's so close!

Last night was.....ok. I had a half a piece of lasagna, some Caesar salad, one small piece of garlic bread and a tiny piece of McCain Deep & Delicious cake. There may have been a few scoops of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups ice cream as well. Ooops. BUT I did kick some butt at the gym last night. 40 mins of cardio and 10 min of abs. I'm planning on hitting the gym at least 5 times this week. AND I'm hoping to get in some form of activity over the weekend (Billy Blanks/walk outside)

Anyone else find themselves slipping a little? I feel like lately I have just been kind of drifting on and off plan. I do good during the week and then the weekend is just kind of a free-for-all. I don't like that feeling. I think if I keep going on this way then I'll end up with another 20 lbs hanging around without me even realizing it. Before I know it, I'll be back to hating my body, hating the scale & hating the way my clothes fit. I've been using WAY too many excuses lately, birthdays, girl's night out, hell I'll even use Friday as an excuse to have a few glasses of wine, a few pieces of pizza & way too much chocolate. It wasn't until I was reading Amy's Post about Girl's night and how she totally rocked it OP. She stayed within her points and drove herself home! She didn't use it as an excuse to over indulge. When I read that, it just seemed so foreign to me. Can she really go out and not overeat? overdrink? overindulge? And THAT'S when I really realized that I have been getting way out of hand. Using lame excuses to have way more treats than I should. The funny thing? I enjoyed my treats SO MUCH more when I was having them far less frequently. I really looked forward to that glass of wine or that Mars Bar or the homemade pizza on Friday night. Probably because I felt I had worked so hard and I deserved it. Instead of just mindlessly munching away, I was actually looking forward to that homemade pizza all week and saving up all my flex points for it. That's exactly what I want to get back to. And maybe a Summer challenge is just what this chick needs.

How is everyone else making out?

Weekend/Wedding recap

What a hectic weekend...sometimes I wonder when life is actually going to slow down....oh right, life should slow down in about 11 days when hubby and I hit the beaches of Punta Cana, Dominican with a pina colada in each hand. :) Can't wait! Although I must say my weekend indiscretions have left me feeling a little less prepared for my bikini than I'd like to be.

My weekend actually started on Thursday when I hit up a buffet after work for the wedding dinner. I had a small piece of lasagna, Caesar salad, 3 meatballs, a small piece of garlic bread and 2 small brownies. Did I mention the 2 glasses of wine as well? Not a good start to what was already a super busy weekend. Friday went well. Subway for supper and a few snacks after the wedding rehearsal but nothing major.


Saturday, wedding day, actually wasn't too bad. I had a WW bagel for breaky and then didn't get a chance to eat again until 6:00 that night! I was starved! The wedding supper was good but the portions were small. I did have a piece of cheesecake for dessert but after not eating all day, it was heaven. Note to self: Not eating all day does not lead to good choices later on. I say this like there is a ton of days where I just "forget" to eat. Yeah right. Even when I am eating lunch, I'm thinking about what I'm going to have for supper.

Sunday was the downfall. There was a wedding burnch at 10:30 which consisted of a huge buffet breakfast. Hash browns, waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit, cereal. I had a little bit of everything but mostly stuck to the cereal and OJ. It kept me full until about 6:00 when supper rolled around. Homemade pizza was on the menu. Yum. But certainly not the best choice point wise.

Anyway enough dwelling on the past, Today is a new day and it's my Hubby's B-day!

Happy Birthday Babe!

So tonight's supper is going to be a tough one but I can divulge in case hubby happens to check my blog today. Not very point friendly but I think I can manage to control myself. I better anyway. 11 days until it's bikini time. Yikes!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! We need some kind of summer challenge me thinks. 2 months today until Summer is officially here!

I'm Back!

So I've been away for a little while. Sometimes life just gets in the way, ya know? But I've missed blogging! and I've missed reading your blogs everyday...although I have been keeping tabs on you ladies, just haven't done much commenting lately. What's been going on with me? (in case you were wondering...c'mon I know you were!)

1. Birthdays, Mine, 2 close friends have passed, and Scott's is coming up on Monday. Birthdays, I have concluded, equal cake and wine and ice cream. Not good.

2. Weekends are still a bust for me. I can't seem to keep it on track. Although I have been doing much better and I haven't been throwing complete caution to the wind, but I have let it get a little carried away at times. Seriously Carolyn...Peanut Butter cups as an after dinner snack on Sunday???

3. Weddings!!!! I am the maid of honor in a wedding on Saturday so that has seriously taken up most of my spare time. Showers, Stagettes, wedding favors, cake ordering, dress altering, you name it. Tonight is the rehearsal dinner and tomorrow is the actually rehearsal. Saturday is the wedding and Sunday is a wedding brunch. 4 day wedding anyone?

4. I am still hovering around the same weight. 154ish. I'd like to get down to 149. Wow 5 lbs just seems like such a little amount of weight but it has been like 8 months since I've been there. Isn't that crazy??? Ugh. That sounds so depressing.

5. If you haven't checked it out. Check out Randi's bikini pics....seriously. If I was her I would be wearing a bikini to work everyday. You look AMAZING Randi!!!

Now 5 random reasons why I am awesome: (I sound like Randi)

1. I love going to the gym now! & when I am there, I push myself. I will do a good 45 min intense cardio workout and then just when I am just about to finish with about 2 minutes left, I challenge myself to 5 or 10 more minutes. I love this about me. I also don't feel right if I don't go to the gym Monday through Friday. I need to get those 5 days in. I just feel off if I can't make it.

2. I bought 2 new bikinis for Dominican and can't wait to get in them. Granted I certainly don't have the toned abs that Randi does (losing 70 lbs has left me with a few little stretch marks that I am NOT happy about. But they are a reminder of how far I've come I guess. They are barely noticeable but to me they stick out like a sore thumb.......hmm...does a sore thumb really stick out? When you think about it, what an odd expression...) I would post bikini pics but I'm not sure I have the courage...

3. I love my body. I do, I love it. It has it's flaws. My thighs are not as toned as I'd like them to be, along with my butt, but over all I know I look good, even great. I get checked out at the gym and 2 weekends ago, when we had a girls night out, 1 guy offered to buy me a drink and another tried to pick me up (with some super cheesy pick up lines!) Of course I'm happily married but it's still flattering!

4. At work yesterday, there was a Birthday in my department. We all got together and had the most insanely delicious chocolate caramel cake. I asked for just a small small piece, had a few bites and then rolled the rest of it up (it was the best part too with all the icing!) in a napkin and tossed it when no one was looking. Sweet.

5. I'm finally buying girly clothes! Last weekend I bought my first strapless bra (I could never wear them before because I was always so heavy chested and there was just no support.) So in honor of my first strapless bra, I went out and bought 3 strapless tops for Dominican and a fancy black skirt. Plus a pair of sandals, and two tanks tops, and a bikini. I'm way overbuying for a vacation where I'll most likely just wear bathing suits and wraps most of the time!

I'm off to check up on you ladies!

Oh. My. Cake.

I'm not up to formulating full paragraphs today so point form it is!

1. Ice cream cake. Not just any old ice cream cake. Blizzard cake. Have you seen one of these things?? Take the yumminess of regular ice cream cake and add in Smartie bits throughout and top with chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate sauce and whip cream. Oh. My. Heaven.

2. I did exercise some willpower on my birthday yesterday. Yay me! I passed on Montana's for supper and instead hit up Subway for a 6 inch turkey breast sub...yum. Just as good and probably 1/5 the points! AND as much as I wanted more, I stayed away from the leftover cake last night after everyone left.

3. Hubby gave me the best birthday ever. Surprise presents all day long. Placemats from Peir 1 that I've been wanting, under the counter wine rack, tickets to a hockey game tomorrow night, and a beautiful framed black and white pic of us that I adore. and did I mention the Smartie/chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard ice cream cake? (side note - Smartie/Chocolate Chip cookie dough Blizzards are my absolute favorite!)

4. On top of all that wonderfulness, when we got home, his family, my family and my best friend were all waiting for me at my house...with presents!

5. This morning I feel super nauseous and have a fever. Hope I'm not coming down with something. I'm hoping it will pass in a few hours. It may have been the cake. Not sitting well with my tummy...at all.

6. Tonight I am meeting up with about 10 girlfriends and we are going to a fancy Thai place in town in honor of my birthday and 2 other friends that have birthdays this week. Then we are hitting up my favorite wine bar (mmm wine) and then going out dancing. I'm hoping I'm feeling better. My plan for points? No dessert at dinner and I'm limiting the wine consumption to 2 glasses. I'm going to enjoy the company instead of the extra booze. :) Work off that Thai food on the dance floor!

7. Tomorrow is Scott & Carolyn day fully equipped with shopping for new spring clothes and Dominican stuff, buying some stuff for the house, and a playoff hockey game for our local team. Can't wait!

Hope you ladies have a fabulous weekend!!!