Day 16 and Thoughts on Changes in Plans

DAY 16. The cruise vacation was cancelled :( The weather was too bad to leave the port so we got a free night in what was essentially a floating hotel and then disembarked this morning. The wedding yesterday was so lovely, and it was great to have a free night aboard and enjoy dinner and dancing.

I was super proud of myself. There was temptation everywhere but I did not give in once. When I got up at 5 am, (gah! hair and make-up took awhile) I made my protein shake and brought an apple and some almonds for a snack. I didn't have anything to drink but lots of water and a cup or two of black coffee (with a splash of soy). I did my toast with sparkling water and lemon in a champagne glass. During the reception, I had some plain shrimp with marinara sauce and at dinner I asked to modify the entree to work for me (salmon with lots of green veggies and no potatoes please!). Breakfast this morning was a delish egg white omelet from the omelet station with spinach, mushrooms and salsa, yum!

Overall, yesterday was unforgettable... I had the most amazing time and spent the evening in the company of my friends, dancing and having fun til the wee hours of the morning. I should have put on my heart rate monitor, cause I'm sure I burnt a bunch of calories yesterday with all that running around and dancing!

New vacation plan: my boyfriend and I are taking off to Bellingham/ Seattle for the week. It'll be much easier to follow my plan when I can buy some groceries and make a few meals in our hotel. We'll definitely pick a place that has a gym too!

Day 14 and Thoughts on Encouragement

DAY 14. Because I’ll be away next week, I did my weigh in this morning. The scale reports that I’m at 279 lbs… down 17 lbs so far! One of my goals is to lose 20 lbs the first month, so it looks like not only will I be able to meet that goal, I’ll be able to leave it in the dust. I know that my blogs do try to stay optimistic, but this journey is hard. I am so proud to see that number dropping as my body responds to the hard work and willpower I’m putting in. I had no idea my willpower and resolve was so strong. It makes me wonder what else I could accomplish if I really wanted to.

Kick ass workout this morning! I had my new heart rate monitor on, so I could see where I was at during the workout. One particular station was a small unassuming blue ball, a little smaller than a volleyball. We had to lift it over our head and slam it to the ground, then catch it on the bounce. When I picked it up, that little bugger was heavy! And it did not bounce, well, maybe 3 inches off the floor. After 1 minute of that I was dizzy and my heart rate was up to 160 bpm. It’s always those unassuming exercises that get you, lol. It was a tiny bit satisfying to slam it on the ground though. There was what I thought was a great moment today too… I was trying to do push ups, and I was really struggling. I didn’t think I could do another one, but Tracy piped up and said “You can do it!” I actually felt really encouraged and lifted, and got through it J It’s really amazing how a few kind words of encouragement can really motivate us to keep going. The TF+ group is so amazing like that, we really want to see each other succeed and look forward to our workouts together. At the end of the workout my heart rate monitor reported that I had burned around 600 calories!

Last night was my best friend’s rehearsal dinner. Pizza and beer. Not just any pizza, the good pizza from Hell’s Pizza. My best friend and I discovered it in New Zealand when we were travelling through there, and they happened to open up a location in North Van when the owner came to Canada. They have awesome toppings like artichoke, avocado and brie. Drool. I outsmarted it though, I made some salmon and packed a salad to bring along, and stuck to water.

It’ll be great to see how my bridesmaid dress looks tomorrow with a few pounds lost J

DAY 13 and Thoughts on Comfort

DAY 13. Keeping it short and sweet today, so much to do before the vacation! Last night was not the greatest. I had to work much later than usual because of a downtown showing, and by the time I got home it was late, I was tired, cranky and not in the mood to cook. I made some plain air-popped popcorn and had a big glass of water and sat on the couch to decompress. Although I didn’t have my planned meal, I cling to the fact that at least I didn’t make a poor choice like I used to. On nights like that, I would usually order pizza or make mac and cheese. Comforting foods. Instead of turning to those unhealthy comforts, I made a healthy snack, called my dad and then my best friend for a chat. I made some new playlists to put on my iPod for my vacation. I curled up in bed and my boyfriend read a book aloud to me… his latest read is Stephen King’s The Shining. It actually turned into a lovely evening even without the comforts that I used to depend on, in the form of fattening foods.

Next time I have a bad day or want to turn to those unhealthy staple foods, I’ll remind myself again to find solace in another activity:

1.       Take a bubble bath

2.       Read a book

3.       Make a new playlist

4.       Go for a stroll

5.       Clean out my closet (somehow this one might never make the cut…)

6.       Call a friend or family member

7.       Make-out with boyfriend ;)

Any other suggestions that work for others?? Please feel free to comment, I could use the extra suggestions!

Day 12 and Thoughts about Push-Ups

DAY 12. I’m sitting at my desk munching on a salad and thinking to myself, “Man, this oven-roasted tofu is soo good.” Things have certainly changed in just under two weeks, lol. I don’t think I would have uttered those words before. I seriously need to find out their recipe though. I’ve also already started to notice a bit of a change on the outside, I have a suit dress for work that is a bit binding and had become more tight in recent months, today I was so happy when I noticed that it feels a bit looser and more comfortable.

My second early-morning workout today, Chris definitely kicked my ass again today. I was doing push-ups, even modified they were still really tough for me. I vowed, then and there, that I would be able to do a regular push-up by the end of this experience. Not a girly one, a proper one. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but it’s the little triumphs that add up to something great. As I progress on this journey there will be so much to look forward too, I can’t wait until I’m at a level that I can keep up my boyfriend when we go for a jog together. We live super close to Ambleside Beach and the seawall, so lots of quality time could be spent jogging together, enjoying the beautiful ocean views and salty sea air. J

I got my new heart rate monitor this morning too. It’s the most adorably pink monitor and I’m so excited to start using it. It’ll be especially great to have it while I go on vacation, cause let’s be honest, it’s a lot harder to push yourself as hard as the trainers can push you. The heart rate monitor will help me properly gauge my level of activity while I work out so I don’t go easy on myself.

One thing I’ve noticed this week that’s better than the last is that my body is becoming used to my new level of food and stuff. I’m not getting the same hunger pangs or cravings or random emotional breakdowns (yes, there was a couple occasions of these last week). This is probably not only good for me, but good for my boyfriend who is on the receiving end of such emotional breakdowns and complaints about hunger and cravings. If you’re reading this sweetie, I’m sorry… In terms of cravings, I’ve still had the occasional dirty thought about a veggie burger and fries from Cactus Club or the fettuccine alfredo from Carmello’s, but I’ve definitely not giving in to them. I feel a bit bad though, my favourite server at Carmello’s always waves when I walk by on my lunch break but I never go in anymore, lol. In terms of hunger pangs, last week there were a couple nights where I was still hungry at like 8 pm, so I had some plain air popped popcorn as a snack, but this week I haven’t needed to. Popcorn is one of my favourite things, actually let me clarify, movie theatre popcorn is one my favourite things, lol. Being allowed to eat popcorn as a light snack, however unlike the popcorn I love, is still comforting and somewhat filling.

I’m getting pretty darned excited about my vacation… just 3 sleeps away!

Day 11 and Thoughts on Sleep

DAY 11. It’s so weird but I didn't get tired enough to fall asleep for hours last night. Every morning I wake up with copious amounts of energy, pack my lunches and actually be productive at work. Up until I started with Team Fitness, I usually went to bed around 10:30 and woke up at 8 am, more sleep than usually needed. It was a regular occurrence for my boyfriend to become quite annoyed when we were having a lovely evening together but I fell asleep on the couch by 10 pm. Yesterday I worked til 5, had a work meeting, came home and cooked and ate dinner, met with my co-leader at Starbucks for herbal tea and Girl Guide planning, came home and watched a TV show with my boyfriend, then read for a couple hours. It was amazing. I don’t remember the last time I did that much in the span of an evening. When I woke up this morning after about 7.5 hours of sleep, I still felt great. It’s weird. I almost don’t trust it. I know that my body is beginning to heal from the inside and start running the way it’s supposed to, which is probably the cause of my needing less sleep and feeling great all the time. I found this photo online, seemed to fit…

 

I watched the documentary ‘Hungry for Change’ the other day, and if anyone is curious about what the Team Fitness meal plan is all about or curious about making a change to a more healthy and natural lifestyle… definitely check it out. There are some really interesting people featured in the film, including Kris Carr, the woman who started the ‘Crazy Sexy Diet’ and has used healthy vegan living to slow down and control her rare and incurable form of lung and liver cancer for 10 years now. As an aside, she also looks like she’s still in her twenties and she’s over 40… It’s really amazing what a healthy lifestyle can accomplish.

I’m also gearing up to start watching the Biggest Loser in a week! In the past I used to comfortably curl up on the couch with a bowl of buttery popcorn and a drink, and watch the contestants sweat it out. This time I’m going to be an active participant! It’s a 90 min show (once you PVR and fast-forward through the 30 min of commercials…) so I’m going to come up with some sort of Biggest Loser bingo, like ‘do 10 crunches every time Gillian yells at someone’. At that rate, I’m going to be buff after a few airings, lol.

My Vacation Plan of Action

After I read through and responded to a comment from my last post, I thought about it a lot more. It was absolutely right, I am entering into a situation where temptation will be everywhere, and I won’t be in my usual environment or have the same support system around me to deflect those temptations. I need to create a plan so that I will succeed. It’s not the exact meal plan I follow, because each day of the week cycles through different levels of carbs and stuff, and at home I have the blender to make green smoothies and stuff, but with Leanne’s help, here’s my vacation plan…

Meal plan

·         Sticking to the cleanse – No dairy or flour
·         Eat every three hours
·         If eating out, request substitutions!
·         Breakfast - egg whites with veggies and sweet potatoes, fruit and oatmeal
·         Lunch - seafood/tofu with salad and veggies
·         Dinner - seafood/tofu with salad and veggies
·         Snack of almonds and apple or similar
·         2 litres of water every single day!!!
 
Exercise Plan
·         Walk, walk, walk!
·         Do at least 2 – 60 min workouts between Monday and Friday

The vacation is for my best friend's wedding, so I may choose to allow myself 1 or 2 small glasses of red wine for toasts or the reception dinner, which is definitely not on the regular meal plan, but I may decide that sparkling water is just fine.

I will also have reschedule my Thursday morning workout for the week I get back, so with 4 workouts that week, I'm sure the TF trainers will sufficiently kick my butt back in gear!

Day 10 and Thoughts about my Vacation

DAY 10. Some research has shown that it takes between 21-30 days to break and form new habits, so I’m almost halfway there already!

Last night was the TF+ weekly check-in and group workout. Drum roll…. 12 lbs lost since the assessment 2 weeks ago, and only 1 week on the meal plan! So proud of myself so far, 8% of my goal complete already.

I love my Mondays now, I can’t wait to see my new TF+ friends and see how they’re doing. Leanne also had a surprise for us this week, she had another client come in to talk with us and then join our workout. This lovely lady has been on the meal plan and working out for 8 months now (including a 2 month vacation in Europe) and has lost 73 lbs. It’s so inspiring to hear about someone else who’s had the same struggles and triumphed over them. Not only that, to hear that she was able to go a vacation and not be totally sabotaged, that’s fantastic.

It was a great workout, a little harder than last week, but it was actually great because the workout eased the soreness from Saturday morning's workout. Wes had us do this one core exercise where we lie on our back and hold the exercise ball between our legs and arms, then lower alternating arm and leg at the same time. omg. I think he must enjoy torturing us. Though I have to admit, it was a little bit fun to watch the others do that one while safely at another station... ;)

I’ve been thinking about my upcoming vacation next week. It's a cruise for 3 days followed by 3 days in San Francisco. I have to say that while I’m determined to stick with this over the vacation, I’m nervous as well. This phase of the meal plan is the cleanse, so no dairy, flour or alcohol… all things that will be tempting me more than usual. The cruise ship has all manner of wonderful cheeses, fried foods, cocktails and desserts, and San Francisco is one of the most fun culinary cities on the west coast. At home, things are getting to be routine, we don’t eat take-out or keep tempting stuff in the house, so it doesn’t cross my mind much. For the first time, I’m actually packing workout clothes in my suitcase (well, I’ve packed them in the past and never used them). I’ve also decided that I better make some specific vacation goals/promises:

1.       I will work out at least twice, as there will be a gym on board the cruise ship.
2.       I will stick to my no dairy, no flour cleanse.
3.       I will follow my meal plan as best I can, or at least some form of it.
4.       I will continue my journal and my blog while away to keep me on track.
5.       I will use this vacation not to gorge on fattening food and drink, but rather to relax, recharge and enjoy the activities and sights.

I guess the point I’m trying to keep in mind is that something will always get in the way or be there to provide an excuse… vacation, family get-together, change of job, moving, etc… I just won’t let myself give in to any more of these excuses.

Day 9 and Thoughts on Ryan Gosling memes

DAY 9. Yesterday’s lunch was the dreaded oatmeal. With my creative use of spices, it wasn’t bad, though it will never be my favourite. I made an awesome dinner which made me completely forget lunch though. Stirfry with bok choy, broccoli, green onions, snap peas, zucchini, black beans and prawns with a side of brown rice. I spiced it up with some Chinese five-spice, cayenne and chilli powder. I tried a little bit of Bragg’s seasoning sauce (a salt-free seasoning) on the rice which tasted exactly like soya sauce! So good. I'm getting hungry just looking at this post now. Dammit.

As it was pretty slow at work yesterday, I spent most the day at work on Pinterest, trawling for new recipes and inspiration. So many wonderful ideas and delicious photos of raw food. Pinterest is probably one of the best resources a person could have when starting on a healthy lifestyle change. If you have not already joined, do so immediately. I mean, where else are you going to get memes of Ryan Gosling encouraging you to workout??

The other day, after my change room meltdown over the Spanx, I found myself thinking about how I got here. It would be easy to blame my weight gain on how I was raised and all that (I think Gen Y has a thing about blaming their parents, more so than other generations). My dad was a single dad, he raised my brother and I from a young age, and he did a great job. Sure, there were a lot of meat and potatoes, spaghetti nights and such, but he also got us out moving. We used to go cycling along the seawall every Saturday afternoon when it was nice, he took us down to Grandpa’s boat and we would bugger off and run around the docks, he’d take us to the park after dinner or for a walk, and enrolled me in soccer and softball for ten years. Perhaps all the food choices weren’t always the best, but he did promote a generally active view of life. As a young girl, I was always more stout, but looking back on it, I probably wasn’t overweight, just on the heavier end of normal. The pounds definitely started packing on during university. I was working a part-time job to pay for my tuition, but I still had some extra cash, and bad food choices were all over the place. Forgot my lunch? No need to worry! Chinese food from the student union building, baked-potato pizza from Pie R Squared, burgers and fries from the Pit Pub, and of course, the world-renowned UBC cinnamon buns. Combine that with the stress of a full course schedule, commuting by bus for 2-3 hours each day, a part-time job that started at 5 am some days, and a night or two a week of having drinks with friends (and inevitably the McDonalds trips that occurred at the end of the night)… we’re not talking about freshman 15 here, more like freshman 50… or 80. After university I never made it my first priority to get healthy or even change the bad habits I was making. Stupid really, as I have missed out on so many more wonderful things by being overweight. I want to go back to 18 year-old Katharine and warn her that in 10 years, she’s really going to be regretting some of those decisions. I don’t want to go through my entire twenties without having done the wonderfully stupid things you do when you’re in your twenties, like bungee-jumping and sky-diving. I want to wear a bikini without shame or embarrassment. I want to think about starting a family in the next couple years without worrying about complications or being a poor role model to my kids.

All I can say is that I am so grateful to Team Fitness for this fresh start, so proud of myself for taking these first steps, and so appreciative of all the support from my family and friends. Definitely feeling the love J

The First Week Complete and Thoughts on Cheese

DAY 8 brings the close of the first week of the cleansing phase. It's been a good day so far. I want to wait until the check-in tomorrow to post my weight loss so far, but according to my home scale, I've already lost a pretty good amount for only two weeks since the initial TF+ assessment and only one week on the exercise and meal plan. I woke up with lots of energy today, did the dishes, tidied a bit, packed my lunch and made another yummy omelet for breakfast, this time with sweet potato hash on the side. I used to think I hated sweet potatoes, but they're actually quite nice. Funny how we have certain food aversions from our childhood and once we try again in adulthood, they're gone!

Thinking about this first week, I honestly cannot believe that I went through an entire week without cheese. Seriously. Yesterday I was visiting with a friend and telling her all about my new meal plan and about the TF+ program. We're both vegetarians and she's done lots of raw cleanses in the past so we were swapping stories and recipes. One thing I mentioned was the hardest part so far was the omission of cheese from my diet. She laughed and said "Talk cheese to me". My response: "Creamy brie on crackers... tart goat cheese with fresh chopped herbs... earthy smoked applewood cheddar..." The conversation dissolved into laughter, but I was honestly almost drooling at that point. The problem for me is though, I don't know how to only have a small piece, I want the whole block of it. On an average Friday night I could probably have 6-8 servings of cheese with grapes, crackers, some walnuts and a bottle of wine, and it would be perfection. However, this is clearly not only packing on pounds, it's really not good for me. Now, grant you, I have cut out dairy, flour and alcohol completely for the cleanse, so it could be any of those contributing factors, but my insides feel great this week. I'm not going to go into great detail, as that would be waaayyy too much information, but my body is running so much better and I can really tell the difference. I hate to admit it, but though I love cheese, we may have to consider just being friends in the future, as our relationship has clearly soured and I'm doing much better without it.

A wonderful part of getting fit will be not worrying about things like Spanx. My best friend is getting married next week and I'm the maid of honour, so I went out on Friday night to get some shapewear to wear under my dress. That was a painful process. There I was puffing and panting in the change room, making noises like someone was torturing me to get on a contraption supposedly to shave a few pounds off my waist and smooth things out under my dress. After I got it on, I thought it looked good but my boyfriend said he couldn't tell the difference. Mini-meltdown. These sorts of change room meltdowns will hopefully become fewer and further between as I get into better shape. I love fashion and I want to be able to enjoy it fully. I want to try on clothes and feel confident and beautiful. I don't want to have to put on primitive torture devices or have embarrassing tantrums in clothing stores. I found the photo below on Pinterest and it seemed to fit with this situation. I'm letting the past go... this will soon be a distant memory to laugh about. J

Day 7 and Thoughts on Cravings

DAY 7 and the first trio training session at Team Fitness. Sarah definitely kicked my ass today! I managed to hold my plank position for 60 seconds this time, again shaking by the end but I did it. Cardio was intense today too. As I did my third or fourth set of stairs, all I could think was "This is how I'm going to die: death by stairs." As it turns out, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Though when I got home, I'm not going to lie, I took the elevator up to my apartment...

I had the most amazing brunch when I got home from my workout, an egg white omelet with strips of zucchini, chopped spinach, onion, garlic and some cayenne and chilli powder. With a little mashed avocado on the side to cool the heat of the peppers, it was so yummy! I would have taken a photo to share, but it was consumed before the thought crossed my mind. :)  I love that taking away all the salt and processed stuff makes me play around with flavours I didn't think I really liked. I never would have used chilli powder or cayenne before, but now I'm really embracing new flavours. I feel like my taste is starting to improve too, I'm enjoying new veggies and really appreciating different tastes and textures in them. I've always liked veggies and salads, but before they'd be coated in creamy dressings and cheese. This meal plan has allowed me to take it down a notch, enjoy the simplicity of the raw and natural flavours.

I have to come clean too, yesterday I drove past about three McDonalds while running errands and some devious thoughts did cross my mind. I kept thinking "No one would have to know, just a few fries would taste so good..." But someone would know, I would. It was tough, but I didn't want to disappoint myself. I also realized that one bite would turn into ten, and then I'd feel disgusting and weak. I was proud for overcoming all the temptations this first week, but it also made me realize that it will be a continuous struggle. I just need to keep telling myself to get through it one day at a time and when my new healthy habits are formed it'll get easier. One day at a time.

Day 6 and Thoughts About Pasta

DAY 6, omg, woke up so sore from yesterday morning’s workout. I think this means there must be abs under there somewhere cause I can definitely feel them today!

The trainers at Team Fitness are awesome. Chris pushed me to my limits, but I also felt great camaraderie, like he knows what I’m going through and really wants me to succeed. We joked and chatted (as best I could being out of breath) and he told me about a friend of his that started a weight loss blog and his struggles along the way. I look forward to seeing the trainers and to seeing my co-conspirators in the TF+ class on Monday nights when we do our check-in and group workout. It’s a really cool group of people who all have a larger amount of weight to lose and are all working toward that goal together. For once, it’s nice to have some like-minded people who understand what each other are going through, and trainers that understand us as well. There are some inherent challenges and set-backs that make going to some of the regular fitness classes a struggle, and I found that in some of the regular fitness classes out there, I felt embarrassed. In the TF+ class, I don’t feel that same frustration at not being able to do a particular exercise (and end up sitting out more than exercising) or embarrassment at being the largest person in the class.

Yesterday was my boss's birthday so I went out and bought the cake for the office and with sheer willpower, I actually said no to a piece! I think my boss was disappointed but I've told my co-workers about my plan so they didn't push it. That's a great thing about telling people about my weight loss goals, they want to help and it wasn't too awkward or anything that I was refusing, cause they knew why. 

Last night I went grocery shopping on the way home… for the first time ever, I ran out of greens before the end of the week, lol. Usually they sit in the crisper until they start producing new life forms, then they go down the garbage chute. It’s almost surreal to myself how many changes I’ve made in only a week, but not only that, how I’ve been sticking to it. I bought a new toy last night, a julienne-slicer to make vegetable noodles with. I am half Italian so loving pasta is just part of my DNA, so when I found out that pasta was off the table, at least at first, it was tough. With my new slicer I made spaghetti out of zucchini last night, with a little herb, basil, lemon zest and light olive oil. It was delicious! Totally hit the spot and curbed my pasta cravings. That alongside some salad and chia-crusted salmon… I thought it was a pretty damn good dinner.

 

Me, my new toy, and the dinner resulting 

I’ve gotten pretty adept at planning my meals already. I pack them up as a cook dinner the night before. My boyfriend has even figured out the plan (which I keep taped to the fridge), so last night I was pleasantly surprised that he had taken the fish out of the freezer to defrost before I got home. J It does require more planning… and more Tupperware… but not only am I losing pounds, I’m saving money! Great side effect of planning and making your own meals is not spending money on eating out. This was a huge problem for me; there are about 30 restaurants within 3 blocks of my work so I was spending so much extra cash and usually making bad food decisions. Today my lunches look a lot different:

Day 5 and Thoughts on my Goals and Health

DAY 5 brought my first 7 am personal training session, yikes! Lol, I'm actually a morning person usually, so it wasn't too bad. I had my almond milk and protein shake, a little boost, but not too heavy. The session was great, the hardest part is always making myself get to the gym, but once there I feel pumped. It was obvious during the session that my core definitely needs more strengthening: after 15 sit-ups on the exercise ball I was done. It’ll be interesting to see how many I can get up to eventually and how long I can hold the plank position. Today’s plank was 40 seconds but I was also literally shaking by the end. Chris also had me do these leg lifts while balancing on my hands and one knee on the bench. I thought I was going to fall off and my glutes hurt like hell by the end but I got through it. By the end of the session I was as red as a tomato and could already tell that I’ll be sore later, but it feels so good.

Thinking about my core strengthening and how it will improve made me want to share some of my goals, not just to put them out there, but also to stay accountable:

1.       Short term weight loss: lose 20 lbs in first month, then aim for a 2 lbs/week loss
2.       Long term weight loss: lose 136 lbs, goal weight of 160 lbs
3.       Workout a minimum of 3 times/week for at least 30 mins
4.       Run a 10 k/ Do the Sun Run for the first time
5.       Integrate new healthy eating habits into a lifestyle change
6.       Inspire others to make and work on their own weight loss goals
7.       Wear a bikini for the first time in my life!!!

I’m really proud of myself this week, I know it’s only day 5, but on other diets that I’ve been on I’ve usually cheated by the end of the second day. With this meal plan, yes it is very different than what I was eating before and yes it is challenging, but I’m not feeling hungry or deprived all the time. I haven’t felt a huge desire to cheat. I’m not going to lie, I’ve had some cravings for cheese and movie theatre popcorn, but they didn’t overcome me. I look forward to trying out new spices and herbs at each meal, and different ways of cooking besides frying. I definitely have to thank my friends on Facebook for their suggestions on how to dress up hot oatmeal. I tried it yesterday with some cinnamon, ginger, clove and allspice and it was much better. If I closed my eyes and imagined really hard it was almost like pie. J

I’ve also already noticed some good things on this plan. I used to get heartburn and acid reflux fairly often, obviously from what I was eating. For the past week, it’s been gone completely. I also noticed that after the first two days in which I did have headaches and fatigue, I now have a bit more energy. I’m hoping the good side effects continue, cause while I don’t have a problem falling asleep at night, I don’t always get the best sleep and I know that I sometimes snore which drives my boyfriend crazy.

Last week, I had gone to get my blood work done as well, so it’ll be super interesting to see how that changes in a year. I had never gotten any blood work done before and generally avoided doctors. It’s not that I’m afraid of needles or anything, I was  just so afraid that they would give me bad news, tell me I had diabetes or heart problems or something due to my weight. This process has definitely helped me confront some of those fears. As it turns out, my blood work was fairly normal, my blood sugar a bit high and my good cholesterol a bit low, but nothing off the chart. I’m really glad I did this though, because while everything was okay, it’s probably just because I’m young still. If I had waited another 5-10 years, this might be another story all together. All I can say is, I’m on the right track now and feeling good about it.

The First 3 Days!

DAY 1 of my meal plan couldn’t come at a better time, the day after my best friend’s bachelorette party. Body definitely needed to start detoxing and liver will be thanking me. I went to the supermarket to stock up for the next few days. My cart full of greens and nuts and fruits, I felt so strange and kind of self-righteous. I wanted someone to look into the cart and praise me or something, give me a gold star for excellent grocery shopping. My first meal was the first bowl of hot cereal I’ve eaten in 20 years. Dad used to make oatmeal and cream of wheat on Saturday mornings when we were younger and we’d choke it down only because we wanted to get back to our cartoons. It was much similar an experience. However, I asked for some suggestions on facebook for spice combinations and low-calorie ways to dress up oatmeal and now I can’t wait to try some of my friend’s interesting ideas. At work that day I made a point to tell some of my co-workers about my TF+ win and my new plan. I feel like the more people I tell, the more people there are to support me, and thus I cannot fail. My manager even offered to go jogging with me sometime! When I got home from work, I made spicy prawns, black beans, rice and salad for dinner, which was actually really tasty. I like playing around with spices and herbs, so this meal plan will definitely make me more adventurous. My boyfriend said he’d stick to the plan with me, modified for him a bit, so he made some chicken so go along with his dinner. I’m so glad to have him supporting me. We even cleaned out the cupboards last night and locked all the crap food in a big Tupperware in the storage locker.

DAY 2, I woke up and made my green smoothie for breakfast. I had been making these on occasion before I started the meal plan, so I like trying weird kale/spinach/fruit combinations. I went into the living room to find the remains of a bowl of pie and ice cream and several cupcake wrappers... my boyfriend's last hurrah after I had gone to sleep last night, at least it’s not in the house tempting me anymore, lol. I found that today was a bit harder, I had a headache for most of the day, my body unbalanced from not eating sugars, salts and processed foods. It definitely helped alleviate it by keeping up my intake of water and  ensuring I got all my planned snacks in. Group check-in and workout at Team Fitness tonight. Upon weigh-in, I have already lost 5 lbs this week, probably most that is water weight, but that’s still an amazing start! By the end of the first circuit I was feeling pumped, by the end of the second circuit, I was ready to take a nap. There was one exercise, a simple leg lift that Wes demonstrated and looked so easy, man oh man, that one burned! So deceptive…grr! Got home, showered, cooked dinner by myself (chia-crusted salmon with a little mustard dill glaze, and mounds of salad) and enjoyed relaxing on the couch and watching a show. There is something so much more rewarding about relaxing at the end of the day when you feel like you’ve earned it. Great day J

DAY 3, hit the snooze a couple times, not gonna lie. Eventually got up and made my breakfast smoothie, and my snacks for the day. I had an important client come into town today, so my boss and I took him out for lunch, which was a bit of a challenge. I didn’t even bother looking at the menu, I just ordered plain greens with grilled salmon and balsamic dressing on the side. They brought me some fancy salad with cheese and candied nuts and the works. I started trying to pick it off, too embarrassed to send it back in front of my boss and client, but after a minute I thought “Screw it, this is not what I asked for, and I’m going to stick with my new lifestyle changes” so I sent it back and waited for my lunch, nursing my water and watching my boss and client tucking into their steaks. It’s all worth it though; the only one I’d be cheating is myself. After work my boyfriend and I went on a spontaneous little adventure to Cleveland Dam to stroll and enjoy the nice weather. After dinner we went over to Walmart and got the super-size box of Tupperware for all my lunches, it felt like Christmas when I got home and opened it. My boyfriend was less than enthused, lol.

Starting my journey... NO MORE EXCUSES!

Last Monday night after I found out about my win, I went home and sat down to tell my boyfriend about it. I really wanted to be open and honest about the whole endeavor, so that he could help me on my road to success. For the first time in our relationship, I actually told him my real weight, my weight loss goals, some of my struggles in the past, and the help and support I needed from him. It was really tough for me, I know that it might sound stupid but I was so afraid that if he knew my weight he would judge me or see me as someone he couldn’t love. Of course, he was so wonderful, reassuring and loving and supportive. He even offered to go through the cleansing phase of the meal plan with me as a show of solidarity, which I will hold him to J

Last Wednesday night I took my ‘before’ photos, against the white wall, tight fitting gym clothes. It was pretty brutal when I looked at them, I actually started crying. I know I have a lot of weight to lose, but when I look in the mirror, I certainly don’t see the person in those photos. It was an honest, unflinching and unflattering portrait. Wiping away tears, I called my best friend for a self-perception conference. She reminded me of how these before photos will just a trophy of my hard work someday, but more than that, she reminded me of how brave I am for putting myself out there publically and sharing my weight loss journey.

It’s funny, before this Team Fitness experience, I had always been super covert about my attempts at weight loss. I remember going to Weight Watchers meetings furtively, checking that no one I knew was around before darting in the door, jumping on the scale and trying to ensure that no one saw the number I was putting up. When co-workers and I held a mini-Biggest Loser competition, I never told my other friends or family. Perhaps I was afraid that I would fail so I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. However, without telling anyone what I’m trying to accomplish, how do I stay accountable? Plus, what was I afraid of, really? Am I afraid that if I admit that I’m overweight and need some motivation and support to get healthy people will make fun of me, like mean kids on the playground?? Since I started posting on Facebook this week, I have only had people say kind and encouraging things.  No more excuses.

Well done to our TF+ 1st Place Winner........Katharine Olson!!!!!!!!