Slacking but maintaining.

Alrighty,

I feel like I need to keep this up in some way. I last wrote November 7 so its been a little over a month.

I weighed myself yesterday morning and was 143 lbs. Pretty good considering I have been a slacker lately. Goodness do I hate winter and I hate it even more this year because I miss running outside. Now, I will run outside but the sun needs to be out. Has that happened much lately? NO!

I would also like to point out that I HATE GYMS. I have gone to Terwilliger twice to run their track and can't stand it. I don't like the atmosphere, the parking, the size, the people and the smell. I will try to use the rest of my 3 passes though. Ugh.

Lets talk, Jillian Michaels. I love this bitch. Again, winter makes me tired, low energy and wanting to sit on the couch. I have, as of late, found myself immediately on the couch after work watching Prison Break....but I've since finished all 4 season in an embarrassing amount of time. I need to find a new series or actually start working out again. I am thinking the latter.

Lets talk, Christmas. I love Christmas and I love baking. How many batches of cookies have I made in the past two weeks, you ask? ....about 15 dozen. Seems normal. Did I eat them all? No. Bake exchange at work helped, Justin and helped and Dallas helped. Thank you to all. You have probably saved me 5 lbs.

So now that I've laid out all of my excuses, which is what I will never stop doing....my new plan is.....

Start on Monday.... (please see very first post...tee hee)

Jillian Michaels is the way to go in the winter. I've done it before and got super fit and toned and I will do it again. I will not let myself get back to 167 lbs. NEVER AGAIN. So despite being a slacker, my weight is decent. Am I satisfied? No. Will I ever be as a woman? Probably not. I can just keep trying.

Till next time....

Oops, missed that 10 K.

Alrighty,

I supposed I should update.

So lets start with the wedding... I fit the dress, so that was no issue. I worked out for 2 weeks, hard. I ran and did Jillian Michaels, some days I did both. I felt good when I put the dress on. Did I lose 7? No, but I was lifting weights a lot so hard to judge that way.

So after the wedding, I kinda went on a workout hiatus and slacked for a bit. Running hasn't been happening. Kerry was super sick, then I was super sick so we just never got into it. We had a good run on one of the last nice days and then I went running at the Terwiliger Rec Centre track on Tuesday though, I ran for 40 minutes, so haven't quite lost it, thank God. I didn't realize that it was 40 dollars for a five punch pass at Terwilliger, and Terwilliger only. I won't be doing that again. NOT in my budget. So I am back on track, ran on Sunday, Jilliam Michaels Monday and today. Hope to go for a run tomorrow somewhere! I really hate this winter running thing. Ugh. Treadmill? Track? Outside? I just wanna go outside all the time but I'm too chicken when its real cold.

So Kerry and I were not training enough to be able to do the 10K, not to mention us being sick and how freezing it would have been at 2 am in November. Kerry and I were actually hanging out that night. She was on her way home from my house and I got a text that said, "We should be doing our 10K right now." There is always spring! ; )

So I'm pretty consistent in my weight, I would still like to lose a lot, but I need to get in back in a mode and start eating really good again. I'm trying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Till another day....

The next 4 weeks is massive. 7lbs and a 10K.

Hey there blog followers. August 19 was my last post! I'm sure you are all interested in knowing how I am doing.

So August 19 my weigh in was 149 and I am currently 148.  In the past month and a bit, I also completed my first race. Kerry, Steph, Jocelyn, Sophia, Marie and I all did the race on September 23! It was so much fun and  an amazing experience. It was a great run for the most part until I under estimated the the hill at the end and started to increase my pace too soon. I finished at 29:53 which was under my goal of 30 min. I came in 11 out of 51 in my age category and 69th overall. I was pretty impressed with that.

Soooo...148 lbs....Problem being.... I need to be about 143 or so to fit comfortably into a dress I want to wear for October 20 (Amanda and Shauns wedding). I wore it to Jon and Dana's wedding and was 145 so that works too but I would like to be a bit smaller than that. So the next two weeks I am on a crack down. I did groceries today (all healthy) and started Jillian Michaels despite being sick which includes extreme diziness. Ugh.

So why do I say 4 weeks? Well Kerry decided it was a fabulous idea to run a 10K Nov 3 at 2 am. Yep. 2 am. Oh and we have to wear gowns and head lamps. Sounds fun. BUT a 10 K in 4 weeks??!!! Possible? I don't know.... I shall check in with my coach Mike Brown ; )

Bought some winter running gear today so I am all prepped for training! HERE WE GO! I will keep you all updated!

No longer counting days. Just random updates

Hey there!

So the last time I blogged was July 22, just prior to leaving on vacation for 2 weeks. First off, my vacation was wonderful. Seeing all of my family and everyone commenting on my weight loss and telling me they loved my blog was really cool.

So when I was away I ate whatever I wanted. I ran twice a week, so twice in Ontario and twice in Rhode Island. It was decent I think considering the weather was excessively humid and scorching hot. I had pizza, burgers, hot dogs, bread, ice cream, dumpling and basically anything that was put in front of me. Was I worried about gaining weight? You bet, but I had urges to run and would start to feel really guilty if I didn't go.

I got home and weighed myself and to my surprise, I weigh 149! I gained absolutely nothing! I plan to get back on the run train on Tuesday with Kerry! She got me some sweet new run shorts too! : )

Not sure when I will blog next but will let you know if anything cool happens. My life is pretty uneventful.

Till another time...

Day 103 and happy with the results so far!

Hello Day 103!

I must admit I have become quite the slacker in the blogging department. This the the longest I've gone without blogging. Anyway, when I started this blogging biznass, I never had an end date or real big goal, basically something to just keep me accountable. It did exactly that until I was in the routine and became addicted to running. Ha! So at the beginning I stated that I weighed 160 when reality was at my heaviest I was 167 at one point. WOW. I would fluctuate quite a bit and I'm sure I had probably just eaten a savage meal and then weighed myself. So just to make it sound even better I currently weigh 151lbs to make that 16 lbs total. I know that I have lost inches and feel a hell of a lot more toned. I need new jeans as mine do not fit properly anymore.

So what have I been doing these past 3 weeks. Well...running at least 4 times a week, usually 5. Still hovering around 5 K, but threw in a few 6 and 7 K's as well. I also started doing stairs and hills, alternating between those. I was sitting at 155 for quite a while and decided with my partner at work that we would do  a challenge the 2 weeks prior to my holiday and hopefully continue to. So we challenged each other to healthy eating and not letting each other eat shit food. Of course Taste of Edmonton came around and we just watch portions and no dessert.  Anyway, last Sunday I was 155 and yesterday hit 151. Wow, amazing what food does eh!? Haha.

Well I don't blog as much cause as much as I hate to say this it is now just a lifestyle and no longer a big challenge or diet. I just run and eat better. That is it!  : ) In saying that, I still would like to lose 20 more lbs. I leave next Sunday for vacation with my family. I intend to run and am there for a ball tournament too. I am really hoping to not go off track there, which I doubt I will cause we usually just hang out anyway.

Alright that is it!

Day 83 - Inspiration.

Hey there, Day 83! 

So! I spent most of my weekend out at the Great White North Triathlon. Like I said before, my good friends have taken it over and needed some help making the weekend run smoothly. First of all, wow, that race is big. I was so taken back by the mass amounts of work and time that goes in to putting on a triathlon of that size. 500 plus volunteers! On the Saturday, I helped register athletes for the Sunday and then helped set up the bike-run transition. Sunday, race day I was just doing whatever was needed. It was raining but everyone's spirits were high and it all worked out and the sun eventually came out.


I remember watching Mike do Ironman Canada and how emotional it was and how insanely athletic these people were of all ages, and body types. It was so cool and watching this half iron man was equally as cool. The best was watching people cross the finish line ( I watched A LOT) and to see the emotion in their face whether it be, meh, yea just did another one, not even tired or fuck, that was not the time I was looking for, or the coolest, wow, I just did a half iron and I am so freakin proud of myself. Lots of people crossed the finish line with their kids, some sprinted through, some walked and some wanted to keep running. The one that got me was the older gentleman, overweight, blood covering his shirt cause of nipple chaffing, most likely his first triathlon, and tears running down his face after he crossed the finish line. He then walked up to one of his supporters and they hugged extra long, not wanting to let go. That was so wicked. Anyway, I could go on and on about watching triathlons. Kudos to Paul and Daryl from ERC for completing the race and doing AMAZING. AND kudos to Mike and Jacqueline for organizing and putting on the race. Oh and of course all the volunteers. It was fantastic.


So needless to say I came home Saturday and Sunday with intentions of running and didn't as I was exhausted. I spent all day running around at GWN and did a 1 Km kids fun run.?? Hahaha. So today, I figured, better do a run.


Now, I'm all about inspiring and being inspired, hence my wrist tattoo. So I think it was a few things that inspired me this weekend to attempt a run longer than my typical 4 or 5 K. 1. GWN and seeing all the people far older and heavier than me. 2. My friend Chantal doing a 10 K over the weekend. 3. My new shoes. 4. Carlie telling me I need to push myself. 5. Dave Cracknell talking to me about running. He is a triathlon coach/consultant that was helping Mike and Jac out this weekend. He said, "The only bad run is the one that didn't happen"


So I headed out for my run and said, lets try for a 10 K. At about 2 K in my left calf was bugging me, as per usual. I stopped to give it a good stretch and kept going. I made it to the 5K mark, walked for a bit and kept going. I ended up doing 8.6 K and walked probably 1K total, perhaps less. So I figured that was good! I think I can do a 10 K. I just need to convince myself a little more. ; )


 I was telling some people this weekend that I feel like I've  reached a plateau and can't run any further than the 5K and then thought about how after 83 days I am still only running 4-5 K. Why? Well, because I haven't tried to  do a longer run. I just need commit to a longer run before I go instead of doing the same loop. So, here is to trying harder from now on and pushing myself more.


Lots of inspiration this weekend. Thanks to everyone that contributed to inspiring me this weekend. You are probably wondering if I was inspired enough to sign up for GWN next year....Nope. I would drown.

Day 78 - Leg pain and struggles but keeping it together

Day 78.

Well this week has been really spectacular as far as eating, I've been on par and not straying too bad. I have been struggling with my runs and am going to blame it on heat and biking. HA. On Monday I felt sick at the bottom of the stairs and and walked up them and had to stop again half way back. I felt discouraged but was "listening to my body" and need to break. Perhaps it was the heat or lack of water I drank before the run but I felt dizzy and nauseous. After work Steph and Kerry came over, we had dinner Steph and I went out. She was fruit booting and I biked. We did 13.5 K. I was feeling fine up until last nights run with Megan. I struggled again....this time my legs were just draining the energy out of me....I'm thinking it was the 4K run/stairs and 13.5 K bike ride on Monday. Regardless, I completed the runs and still got a workout in. Tonight Steph and I did 7.7 K with lots of hills and a bit of walking.

I am still super proud of myself from where I've come. I think after all these years I have my fitness in check. Chances for relapse are reduced significantly after 90 days. : ) Haha. I am at the point that if I miss even one day I MUST do something the following day. I give myself one rest day usually and the rest I'm given'r. Fitness, check! Eating....working on it! Check, for this week! HA.

I'm going to do Jillian Michaels tomorrow, rest Friday and then see what happens this weekend. I'm volunteering for the GWN Triathlon so we will see what that brings! : )

Till another time....

Day 76...Just ran my first marathon this morning...

Hi there Day 76,

So things have been pretty much the same, which is why I haven't reported. I have also been super busy and blogging hasn't been a priority. I have still been running lots and doing bike rides too. I am working out at least 5 days a week if not 6. I have put my Hot Yoga on hold as I do not like going there in the summer. I will start back up in September.

Weekends are still tough with eating and I don't exactly watch myself as much as I should. Like I said before, I am only doing one shake a day, usually for breakfast and then a small healthy lunch.  I have definitely plateaued but think that is my own "plateau" and I just need to work harder now with eating. I feel great however and my clothes fit awesome or are way too big. I have unfortunately lost 2.5 inches off my hips (not where I want to lose) and so none of my pants fit. I know, I shouldn't complain, but waist is my priority.

I've been tracking my runs with iMapmyRun and we average 4K each time we go, which includes stairs. We plan to extend that soon and start doing 5-7 each lunch. I'm running with my friend Megan tomorrow and she is a machine. This could be deadly. The last run I did with her was a record for me. Ahhh!


Anyways, hate to bore you  but I have nothing else to say! Did you really think I ran a marathon?? Hahahhaa.

Day 68 - Things are swell.

Day 68, hi!

Well, I sure have been slacking on the blogging but I honestly do not have time anymore. I feel like nights are consumed with dog parks, working out, visiting friends and doing yard work. So since my last blog, like I said I have been tracking calories and exercise on "My Fitness Pal." There were only two days that I went slightly over my calories and a few days where I didn't eat enough because of my workout. I should probably try to balance that and eat properly with balanced protein, carbs, etc etc. But lets just focus on getting this eating thing under control first.

I ran on the Tuesday and Wednesday, did Jillian Michaels Thursday, rested Friday, ran Saturday and did a walk and bike ride today. I am feeling like my fitness is still in check and I have not steered off course with it in 68 days, pretty good. : )

What I noticed on Thursday was how much I have improved with Jillian Michaels. I did her entire week 1 workout without breaking. YAY! It was also nice to do weights again. I know that is an important part of weight loss etc and I for sure need to commit more to weight training. Maybe at least 1 Jillian Michaels a week for now and work my way up to 3.

Another new thing I am going to try is maybe just one shake a day, whether that is breakfast or lunch, I don't know but I am going to try to just keep track of calories instead of the two shakes. Some days I might do two but I need to start opening myself up to controlling my calories at lunch or breakfast, and be normal. I just want to be aware of what I am eating as far as portion control to hopefully continue to prevent overeating. Just being mindful rather than sitting there and being psychotic about counting calories. Make sense? Kinda? I just read it over, kinda doesn't but I get it. HA!

Well, not much else to report. I will try to blog a bit more this week. I know last week I had a massive plan to blog about time, because I am so spastic about time. Time, time, time. Tee hee!

Okay, till tomorrow, or the next day...

Fun at the dog park with my bestie.

Day 63 - My Fitness Pal.

Hey Day 63, didn't you just creep right up!

So just to update, last Thursday I did follow through with everything. I went for my run, followed BBV and hit up a HARD Hot Flow class that evening. I packed up my stuff and headed out Friday morning to our Corrections, Police, Fire and EMS ball tournament. Kerry, Steph and I headed down with Stephs parents trailer, which was pretty sweet, cause I am a princess when it comes to camping. Must have trailer.

We played 4 games Saturday, won two, lost two. Not too bad for throwing this team together last minute. WOW, body aches that night and could barely walk Sunday. We played Sunday am in severe wind and rain at 1030 and lost that game. CYOC was lovely enough to come and say " Tie game?" for our 130 game. Everyone just wanted out of there, especially cause of weather. Anyway! Great group, so much fun, and can't wait till next year.

I took Monday off as I was still struggling to walk and my muscles are beyond aches. I went running and did stairs today. I also switched up my snack during the day to add some variety. I am ALSO using an app called "My Fitness Pal." It tracks my calories and exercise. So, as I thought, 1200 calories a day to lose weight. I have been keeping track on there and adding my workouts, its a good way to see what I have left for the end of the day and how much I can eat before I go over. Again, just another thing to keep me accountable. I'm still sitting at the same weight 153. I've been falling off and busy on weekends so food intake has sucked. My activity level is spectacular and hasn't suffered, which is pretty impressive. : )

I'm going to try to get some Jillian Michaels in this week as its supposed to be raining. I also want to do Hot Flow Thursday and Friday with Lindsay. Other than this, I have 2 months before my vacation to Ontario and Rhode Island. It'd be nice to feel a bit skinnier. : ) Work it, Lisa!

Till tomorrow, or whenever I decide to write again. : )

Day 57 - First bike ride in about 15 years. No big deal.

Day 57 - Food intake fail. Again. Today was bad. I ate out lunch and dinner. It wasn't super unhealthy but I need to get off that kick ASAP. What is wrong with me? Full blown food relapse! Ugggh. 

Activity today was a bike ride with my sweet new ride. That was way tougher than I imagined, especially with the wind. Good leg workout forsure though. Us girls went and picked up our food for this camping weekend. Complete right off that will be. Ugh. I'm a mess. What can I say? I started this new goal/challenge Sunday and look where I am. Eating out. Frick. The only good thing is I'm still working out 6 days a week.

Run tomorrow and Hot Flow with Lindsay. I SWEAR TO GOD I am doing Body by Vi tomorrow too. I am a failure at life right now. I cannot gain this weight back, especially after blogging and working so hard. I will also try to focus on portion control this weekend. : )

Here is my bike!

Till tomorrow....I WILL DO THIS TOMORROW! RUN! YOGA! BBV!

Day 56 - Pho and a 5K. Who doesn't like Jax Teller?

Day 56....Fail? I guess. I didn't follow Body by Vi again. I guess I'm getting sick of the shakes? The same old thing all the time? I don't know. It was Tracy's birthday and everyone was going out for lunch so I said okay! I had Pho soup but didn't finish it. I came home, ran 5K and then had a sandwhich ( I was craving sandwiches) HEY I wanted Mcdonalds yesterday!

The run was tough, my legs are still very sore from Saturday, but I made it! Hope to run again tomorrow, I've been thinking I should probably start Jillian Michaels again so that I can start doing weights. Perhaps next week! Nothing else to say really, other than I turned down ice cream cake today. Feat.

Till tomorrow....

Day 56 - Feed me!!! Argh! Run time. Cramp. Smarties.

You failed me Day 56....kinda...not really.

Alrighty, so started off with a shake, had some popcorn and then was STARVING. I went to Brownlee and got a small soup. (not bad but not a shake...most likely same calories). Then I had my apple and piece of cheese. I headed to Stephs thinking about Mcdonalds non stop, texted Steph ( who just started Body by Vi today) and said " I want McDonalds." I went to her house and steered clear of Mcdonalds. I walked in an said " I want Mcdonalds." She was not happy and said I was mean as it was her first day. Hahahahahahah, okay okay, that was mean. We never got Mcdonalds...but boy did I want it. BAD. I had some chips to curb that craving and then a cookie. Steph made chicken vegetable stir-fry and then we did a run.

Kerry, Steph and I went running on the north side ( Scary, I know). We did 4.5 K and lots of hills. Ugh. Cramps galore....way too much food prior. I drove home and had some Smarties. Damn it, what is wrong with me?!

I don't even know what to say. Run, partial good on diet and then chips, cookie and Smarties. I'm a dummy. Dying my hair! Time to wash out! Here is to tomorrow! : ) 

Day 55. I've been slacking. Yep. New Challenge.

Day 55. I have been slacking a bit in the eating department. I admit it. I have done better than I usually would but not as good as I should. I felt like I ate out a lot this past week/weekend and haven't been putting in a solid effort. I took a rest day Friday and played in that Charity Beach Volleyball tournament all day Saturday. Goodness, that was fun! I've never really been a team sport person, and never really excelled at it either. I was sooooo nervous Saturday morning and was trying to get Jay to find someone else to play for me. I think this goes back to a fear in junior high, teachers not being fair, and riding the bench, hahaha and having to play, screw up and let people down. I don't know....probably why I do more individual stuff, no letting anyone down. Anywho, we had a blast and I wasn't as bad as I thought but WOW if that isn't a good work out, I don't know what is! I can barely move today....my fingers even hurt, no joke. I've retched my back as well. Chiro is in order for tomorrow for sure. I can barely turn to shoulder check and am in constant pain...not cool. I took a rest day again today, doubtful I would be able to move anyhow.

Running starts again tomorrow and I am challenging myself to follow Body by Vi to the tee this week and running at least 4 days this week, hoping to do yoga twice as I have been slacking in that department as well. Busy week ahead and slo pitch tourny this weekend! Can't wait!

Perhaps this is what I needed. A slight relapse, a sorta, not really that great week. Set some new goals, be a bit more strict in the food area and go from there. Still got some lbs to lose so everyone stops calling me lb's. ; )

Till tomorrow.... back to daily blogs too until the weekend (out of town).

Day 52 - It's a stair day!

Hi there, Day 52

Well, today was fantastic. A little sore from yesterdays workout, but felt good enough to go run some stairs. Kerry and I ran to the stairs and did a few sets. Not sure how many? 2.5?  I think. In total it was 3.5 K. So we ran to the stairs, did them and ran back. Great workout, but my legs would not move any more.  Food was good today too.

For dinner I made my fave pasta dish ever! My Mom came over to drop off the dogs and stayed. I debated the entire way home whether or not to go buy the stuff to make it. Mainly because it is soo good, all portion control goes out the window. Thank God my Mom was here to help eat some. I had two servings though. Oops. Its just soo good! What I have wanted to do since about 630 was eat the rest. I have really struggling and have forced myself not to eat the rest and have it tomorrow for dinner. Ahhhhhhh!!! Torture.

I'm debating on a run/stairs tomorrow. I think I'll just play it by ear and hit up Hot Flow on my way home. Till tomorrow...

Day 51 - Best run yet. Proud.

Ola, Day 51!!!

Today we took a break from a lunch run/stairs and we went to Kingsway. I had Pad Thai....I know, I know. BUT, I ate about half instead of the entire thing which is typical of my past eating habits. I am not proud of this, but this is all I ate all day ( not good either, I know). I was super busy at work this am and didn't do my shake which led me to tell myself I could eat out...NO! Lisa!  I will make time tomorrow and won't eat out. For dinner I had 5 pergoies. Hahaha. It was a late dinner and didn't feel like getting into a big cook fest. Excuses, excuses, excuses. Yep. REGARDLESS.....

I went to Megan's house after work, we visited and then went for a run. I was a little nervous running with her. Megan is quite fit and runs a lot. I should probably stop that negative thought process and stop mentioning to people that " I suck at running, " or " I'm really not all that good," etc etc. We ran 6.3 K. That included the hill near Dawson Bridge and the stairs in the river valley. Pretty impressive. We breaked after the hill for a bit and after the stairs...other than that, straight running. I must say, I really surprised myself and am really proud. It wasn't easy, but it is sooooo amazing to be able to run like that and not want to stop for breaksall the time. YAY Lisa! : ) Did I mention Megan talked the entire time? How do people do that? I can barely breath let alone talk!

I am using the app MapmyRun and it is amazing. Tells me everything I need to know and keeps record of my runs. Keeps tabs so I can see records being beaten or increased pace, time, distance etc. Pretty cool.

That is all for now...Till tomorrow.... Oh yes, we planning to run to the stairs and then do them a few times....my legs will be jello by Friday, I'm sure of it. : )

Day 50 -Devon Days.

Hi Day 50.


This past weekend was Devon Days, I just love love love Devon Days and always have. I LOVE the fact that most of my friends from high school still all hang out together. Devon Days is just another reason for us to all get together, catch up and drink. Friday night we had the funeral for Rose, which was beautiful. We then all went to Flo Pie, had some drinks, laughed and decided what to do. A few of us went down to the park and played catch, had beers and chilled. We then ended up at friends house and then to Pals. Always a good time, especially when my parents were drunk and dancing till 2 am. Ha.

Saturday morning was the parade. Last year, I was seriously intoxicated at 10 am with Bonnie in the clothes from the night before....we clearly hadn't sobered up. We watched the parade, embarrassed my Mom and walked to Flo Pie for caesar (How do you spell that word?) with Tom, Dillon and Gar, who stayed at the Key West (strange) and then bought really ugly earings for an inflated price. I was sober this years parade....it was long and boring. Soooo much different sober. ; ) Saturday night was good ol Beer Gardens. Past years there have been riots that include pepper spray, chairs being thrown and moms being punched out. Most years at least 7 of our friends end up in the drunk tank and we're all trying to find them in the am. I think at 29 years old, we've tamed down a little bit and everyone goes to beer gardens and feels old. Just plain old. We still have fun and everyone kept it under control. No one in the drunk tank....Thank God. Till next year. ; )


So I am guilty. I missed a few days over the weekend and yesterday. I wasn't too too bad on the weekend for eating, if I ate something bad, it was most likely because that was all I ate all day. Time was a factor, I felt I didn't have time to eat. I did not run or do anything but played catch and ran a lot from the ball being thrown over my head, KELLIE! So a little bit activity on the Friday. I had my cheat meal Sunday and had lasagna from Flo Pie.

I started running and Body by Vi again yesterday. Run and stairs. Its 4K total and that includes the stairs. I plan on Hot Flow tomorrow and most likely a run/stairs again too.

I am still feeling good, maintaining the 13 lbs loss...and several inches. I know I could be doing better, but I am not feeling like I am lacking anything so I'd rather just lose slowly and be happy in the process. Funny story, I agreed to play in a charity Beach Volleyball tourny. I haven't played since Jr. High. Jon, Jay, Trav and I  are on a team. This should be interesting. Beer Gardens and an after party. Ahhhh! Should be a good weekend...AGAIN. : )

Should be back to daily blogs. : ) Till tomorrow...

Day 45 - HOT YOGA - What I LOVE.

Day 45.

Today was extra active! I did Hot Yoga at 5, then went to the dog park and then did 3.5 K run. I was hurting. My legs were like Jello, especially after the yoga class. Followed Body by Vi and had about a 600 calorie dinner! Alrighty, what I love about yoga.

What I LOVE: 

1. Sweating. Anyone that has ever gone, knows that you will never ever in your life sweat as much as you do in a Hot yoga class. I think this is the number one reason I go. I LOVE that feeling.

2. Nice skin. The sweat makes your skin soft as a baby's bum. Love it. My skin is amazing from hot yoga.

3. Scale tells me I weight less. Haha. I love weighing myself after yoga too. Always weigh a few pounds less.

4. Water intake. I LOVE water. I do not drink anything else but water, oh and coffee and sometimes vodka with my water. I love how yoga forces me to have insane water intake the day of.

5. Lean. Goodness. Yoga makes you lean. Trust me. I've noticed tons of toning in my legs and arms from yoga, its awesome.

6. Strong. When I first started yoga I was never able to hover after the plank....no upper body strenth. I hover like a mo fo now. Its awesome to feel so strong.

7. Flexibility. I am one flexible individual to begin with, but yoga is making me even more so. I am an average yogaer (is that a word?) but because I am so flexible I look WAAAAAY better cause I can do all the flexy moves. Hahaha. Its fun to get more and more flexible each time.

8. Improving poses. I love getting better at poses and then doing the advanced ones. Its a fun challenge.

9. Running. My running is way better when I do yoga. Helps me with breathing.

10. You just feel good. All round a way better feeling, you feel energetic, healthy, fit, relaxed, flexible and awesome.

So, that is about all I can think of right now...I know there is supposed to be this spirituality and sense of being and calmness and letting go, welllll... I'm not quite there yet. I like yoga but I'm not one for meditation etc.

See! I love just as much as I hate. : ) I forgot laundry on my HATE one. Always gotta do laundry.

I have a funeral, so tomorrow will most likely be a rest day. RIP Rose.

 Devon Days this weekend, but plans to run in Devon while I'm there. This weekend will NOT be a repeat of last years. My poor mother. : ) Till tomorrow...

Day 44 - HOT YOGA. What I HATE. LOVE is tomorrow.

Hello Day 44...

Today was a fantastic day. I fit into my size 4 dress pants! BOOM! Chris and Scarlett said they were tight...well ya! I barely fit into them two weeks ago. Okay okay, so they JUST fit. Hahaha. I also had a friend at work tell me I look good and skinny! Oh so nice. : ) Not sure I'd use the word skinny but I'll take that. Followed Body by Vi and hit up Hot Yoga. Now, lets talk about my love hate relationship with Yoga. Lets start with what I hate.

HATE about Yoga:


1. You gotta prep. You're not supposed to have a meal 2-3 hours before and you need to drink lots and lots of water. Sucks if you are having an off day, forget to drink lots or don't go right after work. I was however informed the other day that I am a bit crazy for thinking I need to follow those rules so strictly. Haha.

2. Snoring. Are you fucking kidding me? Anyone that knows me, knows that I CANNOT STAND the sound of snoring. I ALWAYS end up beside the dummy that is snoring. This is not your bedroom where you can NAP....for GOD SAKES. Also, you should probably be pretty embarrassed.

3. Heavy Breathing. I know, you think, same thing. YEP! Basically is! WHY are you breathing so heavy in Shavasana? The instructor says, "natural breath." If that is your natural breath, I seriously feel sorry for you and you should probably see a doctor. Just sayin.

4. Smelly feet. My Yoga studio smells amazing! There is never a sweat smell ever! What there is though, is people will grossly disgusting smelly feet. Sick. Remember how close people are to your feet. For real.

5. 18 year olds. Oh, hey I'm gonna show up to Hot Yoga wearing BASICALLY nothing and show off my teen body that doesn't even begin to show curves cause I just hit puberty last week.. You wait till you turn 25 honey.... you won't be wearing that to Yoga no more... Hahahaha, alright, I'm just jealous. The girls that are 25 plus and rock that shit...good for you. I want to be like that one day. : )


7. Immediately home. After Hot Yoga, there is no heading to the grocery store after, doing a little shopping, meeting a friend for dinner. Soaked in sweat like you just got out of the shower, is not the ideal situation for after workout activities...soooooo straight home I come and straight to the shower I go. Thats kinda annoying.

Okay, can't think of anything else that I HATE. This is too long already so I'm going to do love tomorrow.

I have lots of LOVE too....so don't think I'm all negative quite yet. ; )

Till tomorrow...

Day 43 - Sick and Boring.

Hey Day 42...

Followed Body by Vi and had about a 500 calorie dinner. I developed a bad bad headache at work and was not feeling well so I did not go to Hot Flow. I came home and slept for a bit. I still do not feel well at all, perhaps just lack of sleep. At least I ate good... : )

Till tomorrow...

Why isn't it nice out? and Why are my property taxes now $215 a month. : (

Day 42 - Putting the Pieces Together...

Day 42.

2 inches off waist, 1 off hips. Still down 10 lbs. Mini update.

I woke up and chilled on my deck with my coffee ( my favourite thing to do on weekends). I went for a run (about 4K) and then watered my flowers, trees and shrubs. I also planted flowers for the first time in my life....hope I did it right. I also got to spend the morning with Carmen as she tried to put the pieces together from last night. That is easily one of my favourite things to do after a night of drinking. Needless to say, I was "putting the pieces together" Sunday. Our friend Taryn was down from Calgary...things always get crazy when she gets to town. We all went out for a late lunch, caught up, put more pieces together and had lots of laughs. At Original Joes I ate a veggie burger (no top bun) , soup and vegetables. Went out again for dinner and had sushi. Mmmmm. I was also propositioned to go for Marble Slab ( my fave) and declined. Good for me! YAY!

I plan to start Hot Flow again tomorrow, I really slacked in that area last week. Dog park too! Blue and Charlie won't stop asking to go. ; )

Tomorrow at work shall be interesting..... ; )
Till tomorrow...

Day 41 - HOLY MOLY.

Day 41

Missed writing yesterday cause this blog site wasn't working.

First off, I am WAY to old to drink like I did Saturday. I could barely move yesterday. Ugh. I did not do anything active, I also, however, barely ate anything. I had some chicken and salad at Justin's birthday BBQ and ice cream cake of course. So another rest day yesterday?! Yep! Guess so!

I will post this photo again....because it was just so damn true!

Day 42 will be later....after I go for my run.... : )

Day 40 - Ever wonder what day I'll go up to? I do...

Why hello, Day 40...

Today was fantastic. We went for pedicures, compliments of my ex, who bought me a couples pedicure for my birthday last year. Got myself an oil change and hit up Famoso for lunch. San Andreas of course. Steph and I relaxed a bit and went for a 5K run. It was awesome. Felt so good and much easier than last time. 

The plan is to go again tomorrow. I'm going to make us a Body by Vi shake and then fill myself with alcohol to make up for all the calories I just lost. Smart. Not much else to report but FEELING AMAZING.

Till tomorrow my little friends...

Day 39 - Ooops, missed a few days...

Oops, I missed a few days. Excuse? Don't got one. Bottom line, things have been going good. Run and stairs on Wednesday, slo pitch Thursday and rest day Friday (today). At Slo pitch I got nailed in the back of the head with a ball. Some guy from our team was throwing it in from a home run and I was walking in as the inning was done. Man, that hurt. Some minor headaches today throughout the day, but obviously nothing serious. I haven't been feeling super good this week, and the plan was Friday run with Steph. We changed that plan as the weather went "not so good" and I still wasn't feeling amazing. We drank wine instead. Ha! Steph and I ARE running 5K tomorrow am and will be doing Body by Vi. I found a new shake that is amazing.Trop 50 1/2 cup, then 1/2 cup of water, with shake mix, frozen mango and ice! Mmmmm.

So, in saying all this, I am feeling really good. My jeans are big, baggy and kinda look dumb. People even mentioned today that my jeans were too big...YAY! As well, (this may sound crazy to some), but when I was at H & M today trying on some stuff, they have those mirrors where you can see yourself from behind. I used to HATE looking, HATE it. I remember looking the last time and thinking. "Wow, Lisa, you are fat. You need to fix this." Well, today when I did that I noticed a HUGE difference. I feel amazing. I still would like to lose a lot more, and get toned up in the stomach area and get a bigger ass. ; ) For real. I want a bubble butt.

Not much else to report...I will try to blog daily again...perhaps a drunk blog tomorrow? That could be fun!!!

Till tomorrow, or the next day....

Day 36 - The ecards are endless for today...

Hi,

Ugh, again, I am getting sick of writing. I better start doing something more exciting. My partner is gone this week at work and I wasn't at work yesterday. Well...you should see the ridiculous requests I got today. 20 or so and each inmate thinks its important to put in at least 3 requests, juuuuuust in case I didn't get their first 2. Really? I told one guy today that him putting in 4 requests asking for the same thing in 4 different ways makes me come see him last....he didn't like that. Meh.


Day was pretty average...went for a run and stairs with Kerry at lunch. I thought I was going to puke at the top of the stairs but held it together. Kerry, Steph and I went for dinner to Earls. I had a salad and a spicy caesar of course. We then hit up Rundle park on the northside, almost got jumped a few times, people drinking beer down by the river, witnessed cops staking the place out, saw stray dogs, northside people trying to play tennis, you know, the usual. I like it most when we see inmates on the street and especially the ones that I just recently pissed off and am terrified of. Anywho, good evening with my best gals. I had to ditch them early to come home and water...thats annoying. " Its called pride of ownership" says my Dad.

Tomorrow I will run, do stairs and do Yoga.

Till tomorrow...

Day 35 - Sick day and a cheat day ALL IN ONE!

Day 35, 

Hello!!!!! Today I was sick. I have heat rash and am super burnt from the weekend. My Dad came over to finish some stuff up in the yard, I helped where I could. I went to Devon to drop off the dogs and hit up Flo Pie, had my cheat meal and shared a pizza with my parents. Mmmm. Back to my runs tomorrow at lunch! Hot Flow at 5!

These are getting boring again, I know, I know...

Till Tomorrow...

Day 34 - Yard work again and Mothers day.

Hello, Day 34

Woke up today, had my coffee and about 1/2 a cup of bbq'd potatos from yesterday. Parents came over and we went shopping...AGAIN. Came back and had an hour to start some stuff. We went to CHOP for brunch at 1. I had an open faced omelete with avocado, feta and tomatoes. It came with a few cut up red potatoes. Pretty decent.

After another 5 hours of yard work and a severe burn I had a left over steak skewer and some salad. Not going for a run, the heat and yard work has done me in. I will run tomorrow at lunch. : )

That is all my friends, nothing much else to say. : )

Till tomorrow...

Day 33 - YARD work workout and rest.

Day 33.

Well my lovely parents took the time to come over today and help me work on my yard. Anyone that has seen my parents yard understands how beautiful their work is and can only imagine that ideas they may have for my place! YAY! While they were here I got a lovely message from a girl I went to high school with, Nicole Giles - Van Dolder. She mentioned how she loves the blog and even the font. ; ) She had a lot of kind words, encouragement and understanding. Again, it is so nice to hear from people that read the blog and make it  positive (which is the point).  Unfortunately, some people only like to comment when it is something negative. Thanks Nicole, that meant a lot.  : )

So my parents got here at 11:30 am and we headed to Home Depot. I have a 75 dollar gift card for there so we used that up and then some. We edged the front along the driveway and the front area with shrubs. We got some black lava rock to put in the front to be maintenance free. I mowed the lawn once to "thatch"? and then to mow...tough work. We also leveled out my trees in the back and cleaned up a few other areas. 6.5 hours. Wow. I then BBQ'd them dinner for their hard work. Thank Ma and Pa!

I am exhausted and dirty as hell. I think the work done today was enough of a work out and there is no way I have enough energy right now to go running. For food today, I had half of a turkey sandwich from Good Earth cafe and then a beef skewer with some potatoes for dinner.

Tomorrow is another yard work day and mothers day brunch. I hope to fit in a run tomorrow evening.. not as much hard work tomorrow.

Till tomorrow...

Day 32 - "Unless you puke, faint or die, keep going."

Day 32.  Let me start off by saying, WOW 105 reads to yesterdays blog. Impressive. I also must clarify something. I am not hating on anyone or thinking people are criticizing me in any way. I do not think people are malicious in their annoyingess ( I know, not a word) or trying to bring me down. I was just simply saying its sometimes annoying when that is all people want to talk about and its the same question everyday. Regardless, today was interesting as I had so many people come up to me to talk about yesterdays blog. Officers, nurses, admin people, it was pretty cool. So thank you to everyone AGAIN who reads it. I appreciate the likes and comments. Glad I can make these blogs entertaining at times. I've also had some feedback from some people, not to name names, Jon Clark and Kelly Burke, who hate my font. I am always one to try and see the other side of things, but I am telling you, I absolutely cannot wrap my brain around how this font would be tough to read or why people would have such hate towards it. Hahaha. Regardless it is the content, not the font. Lets focus on the content.

 I loved the words my brother wrote today when discussing his hate for the font - " I love your writing, it's engaging, funny, and really connects with what a lot of people are feeling and thinking..." I have always admired my brothers natural ability to write, draw, paint and play music so effortlessly, so to hear that from him was pretty cool. Thank Kel.

Today was full of should I run, shouldn't I run... I had a good week, Mon, Tues, Wed and Thursday I was active, and two days I did both run and yoga ( I think). It was mother f'ing windy out today and COLD. I contemplated a run at lunch but instead opted out when Scarlett texted me saying it was windy and freezing. I sat downstairs at lunch and had nice, non annoying conversations. My friend Keba, one of the ones asking a million questions....and she knows it ; ) says she is going to start Body by Vi soon too and get a gym membership. YAY Keba!  I tried the Pistashio shake today, it was okay, not a favourite though. After work I had planned on Hot Flow but decided to just come home instead.  I had a cup of baked sweet potato fries, and a turkey patty with avocado for dinner. As I began cleaning my house and working up a sweat I figured, well perhaps this will be a rest day. Once I was done cleaning I sat on the couch and had an instant feeling of guilt. I checked out the weather network... 15 C at 8:45 pm! WHAAAAT? Instantly got off the couch, changed and did a quick 3.5 K. I will admit, it was tough! I struggled, but I don't think I have ever pushed myself that much before. It may have to do with this photo I saw on FB just prior to leaving...

Soooo, potential rest day turned into a beautiful evening run! YAY! Yard work tomorrow and a plan for a run...Till tomorrow... ( I won't call you mother fuckers today) ; )

Day 31 - Life, motherfucker. Life.

Oh, hi Day 31.

Did not do Body by Vi today. I got to work, drank my coffee and had to leave for a telehealth conference. After that I went for lunch with my dear friend Kate. We went to Colonel Mustards on 124th, we both got tomato soup and shared a Cobb sandwich. Not super healthy, but not even close to being bad! : )

I went to a Lindsay Hot Flow class (hard) and came home to eat a salad. Pretty uneventful day...

Side note: 
People are still obsessed with my fitness and eating and I have a feeling its not from the "I'm so proud of you" side of things. I don't think it is malicious either, but maybe just a curiosity thing, or because they can't think of anything else to talk to me about, I don't know. I am usually gone for a run at lunch (Thank God) but should I come back, change and go back to the lunch table with my popcorn. WHOA! It never ends.... " You still doing your shakes?" " Popcorn? That's an interesting lunch" " That's it?" "Have you had your shake yet?" So not only is there THAT, but today when I came back from lunch I sat at the table for a bit and the first thing out of everyone mouth is " Oh, no run today?" "Too cold?" " Are you training for something? a marathon?" Its a fucking rest day. How bout that. How bout you stop asking and go on eating your KFC (Scarlett will like that one). I really don't get it. Maybe I should analyze this a bit more and inquire if its only when it comes from specific people or if its the repetitive questioning and annoyance. I don't know really. Perhaps it is the tone in which people comment or ask. What I do appreciate though is David Lawerence who is so supportive and just sits back and say " Good for you. It feels good to run, doesn't it? Its like a drug hey? You're doing good"  Those comments are nice, helpful and endearing. The wise words of old people eh? ; ) Its to the point that I don't want to sit downstairs and eat because I will most likely have to explain my reason for not running or barely eating anything at that hour. Guess its just more motivation to keep running.

Till tomorrow, motherfuckers

Day 30 - Weigh in. ; )

Hello Day 30! Wow! I wish I could give everyone a weigh in...sadly, my scale is STILL broken. Haha.

Bottom line is I weighed myself on Thursday and had lost 10 lbs. I don't typically like to judge how I am doing based on my weight as I gain muscle pretty quick. I do it based on how my clothing fits. So what I did yesterday was tried on my shorts for the summer. They fit great, some too big. : ) I feel my legs are more toned, as well as my arms. Still working on the stomach but I feel it slightly shrinking slowly as well. I will give myself 90 days before I really start looking for a massive change. That will be just in time for summer! : )

Today I followed my Body by Vi but realized I am getting sick of the same shakes everyday. I went today to get other stuff to try different recipes. Tomorrow I will have a pistachio shake and pomegranate blueberry. I ran 3.5 K but did the Hotel Mac stairs twice. I run the first set and then skip each step (lunges) up the second time. I also hit up the 5pm Hot Flow class. For dinner I had a turkey burger patty with fat free cheese and a quarter of an avocado. I also baked a cup of sweet potato fries. I was FULL.

Tomorrow is a rest day for running but will be going to Hot Flow and Slo-pitch.

Till tomorrow...

Day 29 - 5K and a cheat meal.

Day 29.

Well I had a super fabulous run today. I took a different route and made it a bit longer to make it a 5K...plus stairs. I really impressed myself in how far I can run without stopping....all the way to the top of the first mini set of stairs, I then walk from Hotel Mac to Jasper Ave and run the rest of the way back. So fun! I intend to do it again tomorrow. : )

I hit up the driving range with Carmen and her friend. Ellerslie driving range is BRUTAL. Low budget shiat happening there. Ugh. Well at least that is what I am blaming my shitty hits on. I think I need to let my hands recover from the debauchery it endured Sunday and Monday. Ok, I just continue to make excuses.

Here is where I will make an excuse for why I ate BP's pasta. My good friend Justin loves to eat out and eat shit food. I haven't eaten out with him in over a month so thought I should use my cheat meal with him. : ) This means no more cheating at all till Monday at least. Ahh!! I didn't finish the dish. Usually I kill it.

Anyway, I plan to run tomorrow, perhaps the 5 K again, I figure why not as I can clearly do it. : ) I will also go to Hot Flow...I skipped it today to go to the range. Golf is still active. Have I mentioned that it hurts to laugh and cough? It feels like someone has punched me repeatedly in the ribs and my back and arms are aching  A LOT. So Hot Flow Yoga tomorrow will be essential.

For the rest of the week I'd plan to run Thursday and am playing slo-pitch that evening as well... Friday will just be a yoga day...maybe a run if I'm feeling up to it! Saturday I am doing yard work with my parents, but will hopefully fit in a run before they get here.

Things are on track workout wise, still struggling with the food thing. I crave eating out now after my weekend episode. Frick. Groceries tomorrow and plan to try out a few new shake recipes.

Till Tomorrow...

Day 28 - Back on and feeling good!

Hello Day 28...

Today I followed my Body by Vi and ran and did stairs at lunch. Run went really well...again, super exciting to see how much better I've got. Can't wait to try a new route and see if I can do that one too! I had a salad for dinner as I wasn't very hungry. I went to the driving range after work and hit two baskets of balls. I lost my glove on the course yesterday and so my hands are mangled. I quickly went to Canadian Tire and got another glove where the 15 year old boy helped me pick one out. Nice to see there are still kids out there with work ethic. He then had to escort me up to the check out ( they were locked up). People steal golf gloves? Weird.

Soo my back is killing me from golf, but feels good. Run/Stairs and Hot Flow tomorrow I think unless I decide to hit up the range again...we'll see how my hands feel. I must say, I am improving my golf game, surely it must be better than this game in 2008, quite a few beers in, and barefoot and my cousin being a dink.

Check out this link for a good laugh.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=77377630410


Till tomorrow my friends...

Day 27 - Good and VERY BAD.

Sooo, my last post was Wednesday and things kinda went downhill from there. Thursday I did Hot Flow with Lindsay which was killer and food intake was good. Friday I took the day off and had planned on a run but didn't have time. I went to my friend Jonna's where my other friend Steph was getting her hair done. I weighed myself there. WAIT for it!!!!..... LOST 10 lbs. YAY! ( This was the good) So, I did exactly what addicts are NOT supposed to do to celebrate a feat. I ate...BAD. However, I will give myself the credit for slight moderations when I did eat out this weekend, for example choosing vegetables and not eating the top part of buns. Regardless, I fucked up.

I'm not gonna go through everything I ate but it was every single meal out. Frick. Frick. Frick. I also drank every day this weekend, beer here, Caesar there, vodka here. Ugh. I got into the mentality of "Oh I already ate bad today, oh I already ate bad yesterday, might as well continue and start again Monday." So here I am Sunday evening, huge guilt but huge motivation at the same time. I am excited to get back to my lunch time runs, I am children free this week and plan to do yoga at least 4 times. I am about to go make my shakes for tomorrow and get back on track. 20 or so more lbs to go! : )...perhaps 30 as I probably gained back the 10 I lost. HA.

Shitty weekend but a bit more motivation to get back in the game. I also plan to blog daily again. Clearly I need to do it. Soo back to daily blogs. : )

Till tomorrow...

Day 23. Mental Health and Yoga

Hello! I said it was my last daily post, but felt the need to write today.

Today was a sick day for me. I am mentally exhausted, frustrated and discouraged at work and in my personal life and I needed a day to recollect my thoughts and not think about stuff. I relaxed at home and then went to Hot Flow with my old yoga buddy Megan. The class was sooo good! I love feeling stronger and able to hold poses longer...makes the class more fun.

 I did really well eating too. I had a piece of toast with peanut butter for breakfast, some popcorn and a shake for lunch and a salad for dinner. My friend Dallas came over with his dog Brew and we all went to the dog park, only after Blue and Charlie repeatedly attacked Brew. Poor Brew. I now have a massive headache and am hoping for a drama free work day tomorrow. Knock on wood. Ha.

Till the next fun and exciting day...

Day 22 - Final daily post.

Alrighty, I will NOT continue to post daily, but will post several times a week. I am just finding it tough to post on days that are boring, the same and like every other day. I will keep track of what I did and recap on my post for the days I missed.

Day 21. Kinda a blah day. Had my morning shake and soup at lunch, snacks in between. I was craving tacos so on my way home I picked up ground turkey and made turkey tacos. I, as always, ate too much and now I feel sick. Note to self: when I think turkey tacos is a good idea, well... they're not.

After dinner the kids and I went to the dog park and walked around for 45 minutes. That is always fun. I went to go buy new runners but mine were at work and I wasn't quite sure which ones they are. I am too scared to get a different kind. I wanted to run tonight but since my shoes are not here, that will not happen. Jillian Michaels it is. Ugh, I'm so tired. It was painful to write that. Jillian Michaels. Ugh. Okay, gotta go do it.

Till the next time something cool and fun happens...

Day 21 - Bored of this, blah, blah blah

Day 21. I will be honest, I'm getting sick of blogging daily. I will continue to do it but I'm becoming annoyed. Ha. Anyway, today I had a piece of toast, 2 eggs and tomatoes for breakfast, (usually I have a egg, cheese and tomato sandwich, today I just took off the top part of the bread and asked for no butter. We then went out for lunch after a tour of the New Edmonton Remand Centre. I had a cajun chicken wrap with sweet potato fries....oops.

I went to the 5pm Hot Flow class and it was awesome. I held all the poses and my legs weren't burning like usual. I really enjoy the instructor Jackie. : ) I came home and had a small salad as I kinda indulged today.

I have nothing else to say. I am tired and just watched the movie Contraband. It was good! Tomorrow I intend to run and do stairs, but no yoga.

Till tomorrow....bah blah blah blah blah...

Day 20 - Fuss cupcake.

Day 20. Not much to report today. I woke up and had some coffee, popcorn and cheese. I then went to my friend Jen's house where she was doing eyelash extensions for a lookbook for her salon. She had fuss cupcakes there and well...I ate one. I unfortunately let that be my lunch. Oops.

I got home and went for a 25 minutes run...was struggling a bit, most likely because I upped my pace.
I bbq'd a chicken breast and made a salad with cucumber, tomatoes, half of an avocado and cheese. Tomorrow I plan on the 5 pm Hot Flow class. I know what you're thinking. Yea, she said that all last week. Haha.

Till tomorrow...

Day 19 - 5K. Proud.

Day 19.

So, like I said yesterday, back on track. I woke up, had a coffee, visited briefly with my Mom and cousin on their way to the farmers market, drove to the dog park, met one of my besties Amanda and my niece Ollie. We did an hour walk with the dogs and I came home. I had my morning breakfast shake and some cottage cheese. I checked out runmap.net and created a 5 km route around my house. I completed a 5 km! YAY! First time since highschool I've ran that long. I did take a 1 minute walk break though. I did it in about 35 minutes, which is slow, but it was completed so that is good enough for me at this point. I think that if I was running with someone I could have ran the whole thing and most likely at a faster pace.

Anyway, I am proud of today's comeback; 1 hour walk and 35 min run and 2 shakes ( about to go make another shake right now). Tonight I'm going to Famoso for dinner...obviously I will be eating the San Andreas. I will go for the half one and half salad, as hard as it is...or perhaps Amy and I could share a large and share a salad. Oh, the possibilities!!!! After that, we 're heading to "The Bend" to watch Jonna sing! YAY! I thought I'd blog now as I will have nothing to update later.

Tomorrow's aim is yoga or a run. I am getting eyelash extensions at my girlfriends spa and then we're taking photos so she can create a look book, that is at 1pm and photos at 3pm. I will most likely hit up a evening yoga class or do an evening run. Will let you know, my cute little followers!!! Thanks again to everyone that has been liking, commenting and telling me they read the blog and are inspired. The response from people is not what I was expecting, but it is so great! Thanks!!!!!!

Till tomorrow...

Day 18- Sexy Cook made me cheat.

Day 18 - Epic Fail.

I had a shake for breakfast, then a burrito at Mucho Burrito, but said no to the cookie...and then went to Devon and ate at Flo Pie. The sexy cook always makes the best burgers and fries. SHIT. No workout either. Frick.

Alright, no excuses. Intent was to go to Yoga but I went to Devon instead. I didn't realize my cousin was in town and that the plan was we were all going for dinner. Of course we go to Flo Pie and there is absolutely nothing healthy there,except a tossed salad. I HAD to eat my cheat meal. I guess I had two cheat meals today, not to mention felt sooo sick after dinner. My body does not appreciate healthiness to shit food at all. I have learned from this relapse and will get back on track tomorrow! I promise! Especially finding out today that people I never thought would read my blog are....now I know more people are reading it than admit. Hahahaha. MORE ACCOUNTABILITY for me! Imagine 2 months from now when people see me after reading all these and I look the same!? EMBARRASSING. Back on track as of NOW!

Run tomorrow 100 percent as I've been missing it... perhaps, Hot Yoga if I have time.

Saturday is my get things done day. I need an oil change, have my mom and cousin coming over, need to run, take dogs to park, take back some running shorts, and pick up some cleaning stuff all before going for dinner and to watch my beautiful friend Jonna sing in the semi finals of a Karaoke competition. : )

Till tomorrow. Lesson learned.

Day 17 - "How's that diet going?"

Day 17. Hello all blog readers. I am feeling like I'm getting a little off course. Despite me saying I won't feel guilty about yesterday's rest day, I do. Today, I had my breakfast shake but was craving some soup so I went to brownlee to get a bowl of soup, it was vegetable noodle. I then had the full intention of Hot Yoga until I went to my afternoon meeting.

I will not get into it too much on here, but it just adds to the shitty week I've already had of meetings. We are, as my co-worker would say, "doing ground breaking work." Yes, we sure are. Exciting, yet sooooo frustrating at the same time. Three meetings discussing integrated addiction and mental health in two days has stressed me out, discouraged me and drained me, just as I'm sure it has Scarlett. She wrote me a very kind text yesterday and because my phone was down, she read it to me today. I thought she had read my blog from yesterday about being exhausted but turns out she hadn't and it was just spidy senses. Scarlett and I work very closely and well together. When one person is off, so is the other. I am soooo lucky to have her as a partner (work partner, not life partner ; ); she is supportive, a good listener and an amazing counsellor. I can tell her when she is "on fire" or acting crazy and she does the exact same to me. Hahaha. In saying all this, I understand that yoga is meant to release and let go of any problems or stress, HOWEVER, for me it does the opposite. If I am not in the mood for it, I have a horrible class. ( I've tried this twice)

So....I didn't go. Instead I went to go visit Carmen at Walkabout, had a Strongbow and ate chicken strips and a salad. I know, I know...drinking is not the solution, but have you had a Strongbow before??? My fave. So as I'm sitting there eating a salad drenched in salad dressing (thanks Jimmy) and chicken strips tossed in hot sauce, who walks in?... Mike Brown. ANYONE that knows Mike Brown will know what I am talking about when he looks at me eating (knowing that I am blogging, working out and eating healthy) and says, "Hows that diet going?" in the most sarcastic voice. He then says, "You might as well go eat 5 Big Macs, same as eating this salad you got going on" Mike, is an Ironman athlete, he even owns a triathlon. I've known Mike for about 8 years..I can tell you, he never used to be in shape. He will now be the first to tell you you've gained weight, give you advice on food or fitness, encourage you to get in shape and make you feel great when you are doing well. Mike is full of humour and easily one of the most hilarious people I've ever met. He goes from cutting me up about my diet to commending me on my runs. (We have that sort of a relationship, haha) But, let me tell you....right after he made that comment I ensured that I came home and did the 45 minute Jillian Michaels workout video. Soooo thanks Mike. Side note: He probably won't read this as we are not Facebook friends cause he doesn't like my Facebook updates, but we never fail to confirm with each other, that is more important to be real life friends. ; )

I worked out today which was good, but I really do feel like I'm failing at Hot Yoga this week. Anyone wanting a good at home workout, JILLIAN MICHAELS DVD's are amazing! So so good!

I cannot wait for tomorrow, I need this break from ERC so bad. I will go to Hot Yoga at 5 and then need to go to Devon to get my children. I have custody this week. Till tomorrow...

Day 16 - Much needed rest.

Day 16. Well, today went well food wise... I skipped my breakfast shake so I could have a slice of banana bread. It was Administration assistants day so we had snacks out to celebrate them. I'm still waiting for Addictions Counsellor day... Hmmpf. At lunch, I went and changed, put my new shorts on and a long sleeve....walked out the doors of ERC and walked right back in. Way too cold for this girl in shorts. My plan was to go to Hot Flow at 5.

As the day went on I started to not feel good. I am feeling exhausted mentally and physically. Work has been excessively busy, there has been several challenges, people are stressed and we have way too many meetings talking about the exact same thing. I hate hate hate talking things to death. 2 meetings today that consisted of that in the morning and then 6 interviews in the afternoon. What was best about the afternoon was the crazy inmate that was doing the "walk like an Egyptian" dance, among many other crazy dances in a tank waiting for court all while yelling at me, "You are beautiful lady!"  THEN, I had another interview where the inmate spent the entire time glorifying and trying to impress me with his drug dealing and "high end lifestyle." My job is so entertaining. So, at the end of the day when I went to see who the instructor was for Yoga, well, it had changed. I cancelled my class and declared this a rest day, mentally and physically.

Sooo, lets talk about this 30 Hot Flow classes in 33 days. Not doing it. Clearly. I'm not gonna say I'm never going to, but at this point I'm just gonna aim for 4 times per week. I will continue to run, do yoga or Jillian Micheals 5 days a week, sometimes running and doing hot yoga in the same day. What I will also continue to do is eat well. If I have a "cheat day" it will be on a work out day. Perhaps I set too high of goals, perhaps to vague? I don't quite feel like a failure as I haven't totally fallen off the wagon, just altered my lifestyle slightly. Let me set out some more realistic goal for myself and if I go above and beyond, great.

 Goal:  Each day, I will follow through with Body by Vi, or appropriately portioned breakfast and lunches. I will participate in a run, hot yoga or Jillian Michaels 5 days a week. I will allow myself one cheat meal and I mean CHEAT MEAL per week, but it must be on a day I am active. I will allow myself one rest day. I will also listen to my body and mind and adjust accordingly without feeling guilty.


Setting goals is so funny. I used to HATE it and now I make my inmates do it all the time. What is also interesting is that I always have them set a total goal at the beginning of the program and then half way through after they have thought about things a bit more, they set 3 more realistic, detailed goals. Sometimes at the beginning we get so excited to set a goal and realize there is a lot more to, "lose weight and get fit" and "stay clean and sober."  I, again am seeing the parallels of my goal, now more realistic goal and what  I have my inmates focus on. Tomorrow I will hit up Hot Flow. Its a Lindsay class so this should be  killer.

Till tomorrow...

Day 15 - Kate.

Today is Day 15. I must start by speaking of a lovely friend of mine, Kate Schneider. Anyone that knows Kate will know exactly what I am talking about. I met Kate back in March 2010 when she came back from mat leave and we shared an office at the PChAD building. We connected right away.  I trusted her and confided in her almost immediately. Kate is easily the most kind, genuine and warm hearted person I have ever met. Its not everyday you meet someone that exudes the beautiful warmth that Kate does. As a counsellor at PChAD, I was banking on the few times I had been commended on my work and that fact I was hired to make me believe I was good at my job. Kate was always genuine in telling me when I handled something well, ideas of when I could have done better or different and complimenting me on my skills. I am a better counsellor because of her. Its a tough job and I'm not sure I could have got through that year at PChAD without her.  Not only has Kate been an inspiration to me professionally  (P.S She is soooooo amazing at her job and now a Family Counsellor), she has also been much of my inspiration for this blog and becoming healthy.

Kate is miniature. First, she is SHORT. Second, she is freaking tiny and sooo cute. Kate has lost over 80 lbs in the past year with Body by Vi and looks amazing. What an amazing accomplishment!!!So proud of her. Anyways, I emailed Kate this morning to see if she could call me as I was needing to run a situation by her to see if I was overreacting. Kate called me immediately, we caught up a bit and she confirmed I was not crazy. ; ) We talked about the blog, the challenges etc. I sent her the link to my blog so she could read it. I went about my day and did some interviews. I came back up to my office to the most amazing and inspiring voicemail. I even saved it. Kate, you are so wonderful and that message made my day. Thank you my lovely lovely friend. Love your guts.

No run today, but did Hot Flow at 5. Wasn't really into the class...the instructor wasn't my fave and I wasn't in a good mood. I pushed through though. For dinner I met with my friends Alice and Carmen at Local. I kinda cheated. I had a veggie burger, no top bun and about a handful of yam fries. Better than normal but not the best I could have done tonight. Run and Hot Flow tomorrow!

Support from friends/family and people telling me they read my blog keeps me going. Even if its a "like" or a comment, its so nice to know people actually read it. This website shows me how many visits I get too! Haha. So THANK YOU to everyone that shows support, admits they read it, posts comments and "likes,"  runs with me and stops me from eating bad food. I really do appreciate it.

Till tomorrow...

Day 14 - Butterfinger shake. WOW.

Hello Day 14.

Today went okay... I ran and did stairs with Kerry. I am having some serious issues with my calf. I ran through it today and it felt better once I finished the stairs. Today was a super tough run, my calf was burning and the pain was going into my achilles and arches of my feet, but I managed to complete it which was impressive.  In saying that I need a break and will be taking tomorrow off running but will hit up the 5 pm yoga class. I did not do yoga tonight, instead came home, relaxed and voted, of course. NDP.

So let me talk about the butterfinger shake I had today! Wowsers. Two tablespoons of fat free butterscotch pudding mix, a bit of cocoa, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, 2 scoops of the Body by Vi mix, some Almond milk and ice cubes. UNREAL. It was sooo good! I made one for tomorrow too! : ) I also found a site that has several new shake recipes that I haven't seen before...excited to try some!

For dinner I had a chicken breast and small portion of sidekicks. I counted out the calories on it and left the rest in the pot. THAT was hard. Usually I'd eat the entire thing. I also went shopping tonight to Joe and got myself some new workout clothes! : )

So, as I continue to do this I am realizing that if anything, I am learning to stop myself when needed and learning to push myself when needed. I'm actually quite proud of myself in regards to the limitations I put on my food consumption and super impressed with how much I push myself in my runs. I've for so long wanted to be a runner and I'm slowly starting to think this is possible more and more. I think working at ERC and having my lunch hours and the river valley so close has helped, as well as friends to run with on my break.

Back to yoga tomorrow. I will try for the 30 day challenge again! Haha. 30 in 33....more realistic. As of right now, I have worked out 13 days at least once per day in the past 14 days. Does that make sense? Basically, I missed one day and that was the tattoo day. I am hoping that getting back into the yoga routine helps out my leg cause goodness that is painful. So....

Till tomorrow...

Day 13 - "No, I really don't need you to read it out to me"

Hello!!!!!!!!!

Day 13...WOW. Alrighty, food intake today was great, missed one shake but that's because I slept in BIG TIME today. I went for a run today but it was rough. In the winter I was at the dog park and it was pure ice covered snow everywhere. I slipped a million times and in one of my slips I pulled my left calf muscle. I let it heal (or so I thought) but it bugs me occasionally. Today, it freaking hurt. I had to stop two times to stretch it out but goodness did that hurt. I still did the same route Carmen and I did on Saturday so it wasn't too bad. 30 minutes total.

For dinner I went to my parents. I had a small tenderloin steak, half of a potato and some salad. Before, I would no word of a lie eat two steaks and at least one full potato smothered in sour cream and bacon bits. So this was a good portion size for me tonight.  This is my favourite meal ever in life. I LOVE the way my parents cook my steak and I LOVE tenderloin. So after dinner I tell my Dad about my blogging and he doesn't really get it, so I say, well let me read one out to you. He says, "No, I really don't need you to read it out to me." Anyone that knows my Dad can just imagine the way he is saying this. I argue and say, "No, let me show you." as he continues to repeat the above quote about 5 more times. He really didn't want to hear what I had to say. I started reading the "Everyone is a weight loss expert, in case you didn't know" blog and he was captivated. He was laughing and at the end says, "That's what you wrote?, that funny, I like that Lisa, good for you" Hahaha, so funny he is. No faith that I can write a funny little post. His favourite part was me talking about how I am the size of a medium sized man.

I did groceries tonight too. It really blows my mind how my mind set is so different. Every Sunday I used to go there and buy sour soothers and those mini Oh Henry bites. It didn't even phase me to buy them, I just walked by that oh so fun . I spent a lot of money today on food. I usually spend 60 dollars or so every time I go and today was 90. I got lots of Special K snacks and vegetables. I'm hooked up for a good week and a bit forsure.

Lunch is made, yoga tomorrow at 5 and a plan to run and do stairs at lunch. My 6th best friend Robson is running with us too tomorrow! YAY Robson!! Till tomorrow...

Day 12 - Lapse turns into Relapse....kinda. Happens all the time. Frick.

Alrighty, I had no time to blog yesterday so here is what happened. First of all I went to the Oil Kings game and then out with some friends from work. I ate a Taco salad for dinner, not so healthy but considered that my meal, so wasn't too concerned. After the bar I figured what a great time to have a cheat meal. Mcdonalds. So that was my cheat meal right?

Woke up Saturday, had so much to do. I came home from Stephs, hung out for a bit, cleaned  and ate half of an apple and a shake. I then went for a run with Carmen. I came home, had to go the grocery store, come home get ready, make a dish and go to David's retirement party. I ate a banana, half an apple and a shake before the party. I had intended on eating way more to prevent me from becoming a pig at the party.

PARTY TIME.FOOD GALORE. Wow, so much amazing food at Kory's, I indulged. I will give it to myself that I took smaller portions of everything but then continued to graze the entire night. I should blame this on Scarlett and Kory who  continued to say "Come on guys, we need to eat this food!" So I helped of course. I'm a helper by nature. ; )

So I guess I could consider that my lapse and if I continue it would be a relapse, but I think the Taco salad at Brewhouse was the start. The good side of all this is that David's party was amazing. I work with such awesome people. Everyone is so much fun. I stayed sober and that was one of the best sober nights I've had in a long time. Great party!

I was also planning to go to Yoga yesterday, however they were having a workshop and have limited classes. I didn't have time to get to class before I had to leave. I did my run though so as long as I'm doing something I'm happy.

Today I will be following my normal eating plan and running. Yoga will commence tomorrow and I will be doing a run/stairs at lunch. I will admit to this slip but I'm also proud of myself for continuing to be active each day by running or yoga, as well as following my day time Body by Vi.

Will blog later tonight about today.

Day 11 - Earlier than usual!

Day 11. Today is not very interesting, ate well and ran to the stairs, did the 2.5 times and then ran back to to work. Going out tonight with some friends so won't be able to blog later. I will eat a decent meal, regardless of us going out. Should be fun! Yoga starts again tomorrow!

Till tomorrow...

Day 10 - Is that a trick question?

Day 10!  Okay, so today I missed my first shake. I knew I was running and felt like a egg and tomato sandwich. So that was my breakfast. I had a shake for lunch and some snacks. If anyone has been to Famoso and had their San Andreas knows what I mean when I say obsessed. I think about it often. So I messaged my dear friend Amanda and asked her to go. We met at the Magrath location which her fiance owns. We sit down and I say, which is healthier, an entire San Andreas or a small San Andreas and a caprese salad. She laughs and says, "Is that a trick question?" I didn't think it was but apparently its pretty obvious. Here is where my success comes in. I wanted an entire San Andreas but opted for the little one and a small caprese salad. Good decision making Lisa! Oh, and I was totally full after that.

I had another success today. During my run at lunch I was able to do the run from ERC all the way to the Mac stairs. I usually have to stop at the bottom of the first little set at the bottom of Grierson Hill, but kept up the stairs, around the detour and to the top of the first set of the Mac stairs. YAY! Its so funny how when I first started I needed to stop at least 5 times before hitting the stairs. Steph and Kerry must have been so annoyed. God Bless them for putting up with me. God Bless Kerry for continuing to put up with me. That girl is a machine and could kill that run and stair and not even be close to out of breath. Anyways, it was a good run. We plan to do stairs tomorrow, run there, do stairs a few or five times and then run back. This will be killer.

All in all, a fantastic day. Tomorrow shall be wonderful. I will most likely blog during the day as I have plans for tomorrow night.

Till tomorrow...

Day 9 - Jealousy and being auctioned off for a date. Please help!

So last night before I went to bed I did some yoga just to keep up with the stretching.

My foot hurt today a little more than expected. I did not run, but it was a cool feeling of jealousy seeing some of my co-workers come in from their runs. I wanted to go sooo bad. I probably would have gone but my partner at work, Scarlett, who is full of tattoos advised against that....so I listened. No problems eating today which is nice. Its been over a week now of appropriate portions, calories etc. Pretty good! I feel like I've lost weight, basically feeling less bloated, bit more toned too. This could also all be an illusion.

Workout: (hasn't happened yet, but once these hockey games are over, it will.)
25 minutes Jillian Michaels

Dinner:
Salmon and Rice

I've found myself psychotically watching hockey and surfing nhl.com as well as hockeydraft.ca. The pharmacist at work got me into a hockey draft and I can't stop watching and following up. Kinda fun. Makes me more appealing to men too right?! Haha.

Speaking of men, I must put out there that I am being auctioned off for a date on May 4 at the Irish club on the northside. A few of my friends at work are doing an amazing trip to Africa in November where they are building houses. They are hosting a few fundraisers.  I am hoping to God that this turns out well. There are three ways this can end. One, NO ONE bids. Wow. That would not be cool. Haha. Another girl being auctioned off fears this as well. Two, I have some sick old man "regular" at the club that bids highest. Three, I have a normal person I know, from work or personal life that bids and we go on a fun little date. Never know what could happen right?! I am hoping for the third. really hoping for the third. So this is a call out to all my friends, men and woman... Come down May 4 to this auction, there are other single girls other than me being auctioned, so it just might be your lucky day! PLEASE come down and support my girlfriends doing the trip and me, mentally. When I have more details I will post. : )

Run is planned for lunch. Till tomorrow...

Go Pitts and NY!!!!