TEAM Weight Loss - THANKYOU

I have many many things to say about this being my last TEAM Weight Loss Class.  I dont even know where to begin.

Let's start with a picture - before and after.

I have so many things going on today - tomorrow being the celebration of my father in laws life - I can't begin to sit and write out a blog post.  I just wanted to post this picture to mark this day.

April 29 was the first day of my journey - November 21 is the first day of the rest of my fitter life!!

I'll be back next week.
Debbie

Quick UPdate on Life

Those of you who know me personally realize that we are going through some sad times right now with the recent passing of my father in law.  His celebration memorial is being held this upcoming Saturday (22nd) from 2 - 5 in the family home in Oakville.  He is sadly missed.

We also had the unfortunate decision to put our beloved pup down less than a week later.  She is very sadly missed as the home seems quiet and empty and I find myself thinking... I better get home and let her out or feed her.  Too much sadness in such a short period of time.

So I will just update and move on.  Like I said - this blog is a journey and includes up and downs.

Start               Jul 29  Sept 18     Oct 17           Nov 18          

Wht -190         162     155           152.2           146.5

BF% -47.8      33.4      ?              30.23%     29.4 (deemed above average my age)

W -40.5"         32         32             31               30

B -44"             39         38             38               37

H -46"             39         38             38               37

Arm -15"         11         11             12               12

C -18"            15.5       15.5          15               15

Th -26"          20.75      20.5          20.25         19.5

The end is in sight for sure. I had said I wanted to weigh somewhere between 140 and 145.  That was before I also understood about body fat percentages and muscle weight.  I haven't been as religious about going to the gym the past few weeks understandably.  After this is all over I will get back to a regular routine.

43.5 lbs.

18.4% bodyfat

If I wasn't living it - I wouldn't believe it!

Next Time...

How to get back into the swing and a recipe!

Debbie

Quick Post

Yah sure... a quick post.  

First off I have to say I am OVERWHELMED by the outpouring of support, likes, positive comments I have received in the past few days from my family, my friends, my clients and even from people I have never ever met or know in any way other than through the internet.

Wow.

I had over 800 views of my little blog in 2 days.  That is a record for me. I posted my side by side picture on the facebook page Single Dad Laughing Health Club and over 180 people liked or commented.  Postively.

On my own facebook page I posted the same side by side.  120 likes and comments by friends and family and friends of friends.

I have had random people who I do not know ask me for guidance.

Me.

5 months ago I was 190 lbs and horribly out of shape.  I hadn't any confidence in the world that I would be able to lose enough weight or reshape my life and if I did I assumed it would take months and months of ups and downs.

It didn't.

5 months is not a very long time really for me to have seen results.  And yes it has been hard work as you know if you've been following my blog.

If I can do it - any of you can do it.

You can.  Yes you can.

Look what I have accomplished in this relatively short period of time.  I joined a gym - BIG step.  I met some AWESOME inspiring people who pushed me and gave me the right information to make this happen and work.  I learned that I could push myself physically to do things I honest to god never ever thought I would do or even had a thought about. Running for one. Yes I am still running a bit then walking and then running.  But I AM doing it.  Weight lifting.  For strength and toning.  Not to be big like Ahnnold (Swartzenegger) but for the positive physical aspects of being stronger.  Stronger enough that I carried my own kayak up and down to the lake.  Stronger enough that I could help my husband with the heavy motor.  Important stuff!!  Climbing up and down my friend's stairs.  I never ever thought I would do that. Ever.  Let alone a total of 900 steps in one go.

And I feel GREAT!!  I feel healthier, I sleep better, I do not snore anymore.

And we eat really well!  There hasn't been anything in our new way of eating that has been a let down or hard to swallow. Literally.  We like the way we are eating.  It is clean eating and you know what?  If I'm out somewhere or at some event and I eat something that maybe I shouldn't have, I practice moderation and I do not beat myself up about it.  Tomorrow is another day and it's ok.  This isn't about deprivation.  It's about living.

And I'm LIVING.

I can run and play with my grandkids now.  It's not uncomfortable to bend down or crouch.  Who knew that so much would change.  Important changes.  

And people are asking me for advice.  What am I doing?  What diet am I following?  What do you eat for breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?  Everyone thinks that a "diet" is the key.  No.  Diets are not the answer because they do not work in the long term.  Changing your relationship with food and sugar is the answer.  It works.  I just had someone say "I go to the gym all the time and never lose a pound.  I eat no little to no carbs."  It's only part of the equation.  It's that nasty hidden sugar in the processed foods.  It's the carb loading at night - whether you realize its a carb or not.  It's the sum total of everything I have learned over the past 5 months and it works.  I am the proof of that.

Thank you again to those who gave me the guidance and the tools to do this.  I am not done by any means.  The journey continues.  I still have some lbs to lose and inches off my waist to go.  Overall I am happy with the way I am looking.

Thank you for your encouragement, your kind and funny words, for the love.

I love all of you.

Here are the latest figures.

Start               Jul 29  Sept 18       Oct 17

Wht -190         162     155               152.2

BF% -47.8      33.4      ?                  30.23%

W -40.5"         32         32                31

B -44"             39         38                38

H -46"             39         38                38

Arm -15"         11         11                12 (muscle...baby)

C -18"            15.5       15.5             15

Th -26"          20.75      20.5             20.25

Holy - numbers still going down (up in one - thats ok)

Differences:

weight 190     152.2         - 37.8 lbs

BF%    47.8     30.23        - 17.57%**

bust      44       38             - 6"

waist    40.5     31            - 9.5"

hip        46       38            - 8"

arm       15       12            - 4" +1= -3"

calf        18       15           - 3"

thigh      26       20.25      - 5.75"

Total inches lost - 36.25
Total BF lost - 17.57%
Total Weight lost - nearly 38 lbs

When I first started and saw my 47.8% BF I cried.  I wasn't even ON the chart.  Today I am on the chart and I am sitting at the "women age 40 - 60 30% BF is considered excellent"  WHAT?  Now I just need to work on getting my waist to hip measurement within the healthy ratio.

I no longer have high blood pressure issues, my cholesterol is normal. I do not snore. (Yes I mentioned that before - it's a big deal really.)

I am happy.  My husband is happy.  My kids are happy.

Next time, who knows...a recipe??

Debbie

Picture Update and A Recipe!

Today is just over 5 months since I started on this journey.  I have had a lot of encouragement and so many kind words from so many people.  I even have people asking me for help and advice.  Me?  I don't even believe that I have been able to do this let alone giving guidance to others.

I guess when I see the side-by-side comparison it does really hit home just how overweight and tired I looked.  And old.

 I have to state that the weight is wrong on the before picture.  My fingers slipped and I didnt notice til I uploaded from the site.  It should read 190. Still a lot of weight.  

The after picture is accurate.  Even after my summer vacation, visit with my parents and Thanksgiving weekend I still am on the losing side.  Yay.

The downside - although most people would say the UPSIDE - to all this is that I don't have many clothes that fit me.  Certainly nothing from before does.  I am down 5 sizes in pants - from 18 or XLG to 8 or small/med.  That isn't an easy take in project on pants.

Shirts are another issue.  They literally HANG on me.  Sleeves are past my knuckles.  They look ridiculous.  Yes I can whip the sides up on my machine but do I want to?  After all most of these are things I bought to HIDE my fat.  COVER up my lumps and bumps.  And as such they still give me that feeling.  I don't want to hide under my clothes.  I want my clothes to be complimentary and flattering.  And classic.  So now I am trying to plan what I buy.  I don't want to spend a huge sum of money.  Thank god for outlet malls and discounted clothing.  It matters little to me if it is from last year's stock.  Good classic pieces never go out of style. I am looking for any input for puchases.  I know that good black pants and a crisp white shirt are key.  I have one pair of good bootcut jeans in a dark wash from Banana Republic that I picked up for 16.99 - yes you read that correctly!!

Fortunately I have a couple of things that I stubbornly hung onto in the belief that I would maybe someday wear them again.  Like the black raw silk wrap shirt in the above picture.  I made that to wear to a friend's wedding at least 10 years ago.  And because I had made it and loved it I kept it tucked away.  Thank goodness as it worked for what I had in mind for today.  I also have a few leather and suede pieces that now fit.  Good classic styling.  But you can't (or can you?) wear leather or suede everyday.  I need everyday wear for my work.  I like to be comfy and I have to take dye transfer from fabrics into consideration.  So that means usually blacks or dark colours.  Does that mean leggings will still be on the horizon for me? And yoga pants?  

Shoes too, I am thinking a good pair of brown leather boots, maybe a nice pair of black ballet flats. 

Wardrobe essentials - a pair of straight leg jeans?  Yes.  A blouse or two, one for sure white.  I would like maybe a plaid one as well.  Those seem to always stay in style for fall/winter.  I know that I will have to build my wardrobe fairly slowly - after all money is a big consideration.  But the outlet mall is where I will be spending most of it.  I'll keep you posted on what I buy and put it out there for your input.

I have had a few requests for recipes.  I am not nor do I pretend to be an expert but I do know what we have tried, loved and what works for us.  Today I will share a delicious steak recipe.  I have served this for company dinner.  Easily doubled but I find that the dressing does go pretty far.

Steak with Blueberry Roasted walnut Spinach Salad (2 people)

A good cut of steak - filet or tenderloin about 4 oz per person
bag of fresh spinach or bunch (about 8 oz)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries (or to taste) divided in 1/2.
1/4 cup roasted walnuts (to roast heat a small frying pan to med and gently toast walnuts stirring constantly to prevent burning)
1.5 tbsp raspberry vinegar
1.5 to 2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
feta cheese

1. Prepare salad dressing.  Take 1/4 cup blueberries, half of the walnuts and mix together using a mini food processor.  Add the raspberry vinegar and the olive oil til it is nice and creamy.  Add sea salt and black pepper to taste.  

Put a goodly amount (about 2 tbsp?) in the bottom of a large bowl.  Add the rinsed spinach and mix together so the spinach is well covered.  Add more dressing if needed.  Set aside while grilling your steak.  The remainder of the dressing will keep in the fridge for about a week.  You may need to stir it well before using it.














2.  Grill steak to desired doneness.  You can also pan fry using a little salt in the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.  Medium Rare/ Medium is best.








3. Place spinach on dinner plate.  Slice meat on the grain and place on top of the spinach salad.








4. Sprinkle the rest of the blueberries, the roasted walnuts and feta cheese over top of the steak.
Enjoy!!

 Next Time - maybe a numbers update and another recipe!
Debbie

HEY!! I'M BACK.... Update & Pics (warning - wordy and lots of pictures)

I suppose you all thought either I had dropped off the face of the earth or even worse fell off my health and wellness journey.  Well Surprise I did neither!!

I am fortunate that I have a cottage that I am able to spend a fair amount of time at.  For me that time comes in August.  As most of you know August was not the best part of the summer.  Actually I don't really think we had very much "best part" of the summer.  A few days here and there, maybe a whole 5 days at a stretch.  Doesn't matter to me as long as I am up north, in Muskoka, cottage country.

My original plan was to spend the entire month of August there.  Which I did.  However, when September began the weather had finally became stable enough that I decided to stretch it out one more week.  I did.  It was awesome.

I have amazing friends at the cottage.  Most of my besties and closest friends are there.  Some get to stay for an extended time, others 2 weeks and weekends due to work constraints.  We have family constraints as well since we share with 2 other family members on my hubby's side.  However, I am glad that I am able to spend as much time as I do there.  So many of my friends were surprised to see my in my reduced state.  At the end of July I had hit 160 lbs which was 30 lbs less than when I started at the end of April.  Most of them hadn't seen me since New Years.  It was fun seeing their reactions as well as all the very positive responses they gave me.  I had interesting conversations around our food choices, lifestyle change, workout regimen etc.  I just hope that I didn't come across in a bad way I was just happy to share what I had learned and what was working with me and Drew.

So how did I do over the past 6 weeks?  I did very well.  I still ate properly for the most part .  Remember while I am on a lifestyle change I am not going to deprive myself or totally avoid social settings and sharing of food and drink.  I do not look at any of that as failing, or falling off the wagon so to speak.  It is just one meal, or one day of having too much wine.  Tomorrow is another day and we just continue on as before.  You know what?  It worked.  I didn't weigh myself or measure the entire time I was away.  I didn't want to know.  I felt that maybe I had put a bit of weight on, maybe around the middle, but my new clothes (size 8 golf shorts ladies...) still fit comfortably, not any tighter and not any looser.  That was what I measured up to.

I had some challenges.  My daughter and her little family came for a week. However, since I did most of the cooking I just made my meals for all of us.  There was an exception. One night I made our family favourite Chicken Paprikash which has homemade egg spatzle, but I used low fat sour cream and the chicken part there is nothing bad there, the egg spatzle I imagine is high in carbs but they are soooo yummy and the best part of the meal.  I had one bowl.  That's it.  So as long as I can enjoy favourites and keep myself from going overboard - not a big deal at all.

Entertaining and going to social events I just kept my head and didn't overindulge (well maybe in some wine...) and then the next day I just worked a little bit harder.  Oh yes, I worked hard.  Every day was something.  We are privileged in our community to have a lot of exercise opportunities.  For instance, my 2 good friends and I pretty much every day went for a run/walk to and from another friends cottage.  At that cottage they have a staircase that climbs a very high steep cliff face.  I believe there are 175 stairs.  So once we arrived at the Cunliffe's we then attacked the stairs.  Since I have a huge issue with heights I stayed on the top 90 stairs.  Yes 90 - I did those suckers anywhere from 3 sets up to 10 sets at the end of August.  That is 900 stairs.  And then back on the road run/walk home.  This workout averaged 1.15 hours.  And burned a huge amount of calories.

The average run/walk was over 5k.  I have to say having friends push you along is great.  And when they weren't there I went alone and still managed to push myself to do the whole routine.

As well, there was swimming, kayaking, biking (up to 14 miles) up and down the hilly road.  Every day I did something.  I also did a lot of jobs around the cottage that were physical.  My routine was pretty much like this every day.  Get up around 7:30/8 am,  have some fruit/granola/yogurt.  Go for the run/walk or bike.  Come back and stretch.  Eat some carbs (ie w/w toast with an egg).  Then I would tackle a job around the cottage.  Over the course of the month I did quite a bit.  (Some with Drew's help :) )

1) built a rock wildflower garden (the front left of this picture)

2) moved and laid a granite flagstone pathway to the hottub

3) stained the trim on the hottub and the dockbox (not done yet in the above picture)

4) raked up and moved about 18 wheelbarrow loads of leaves, twigs and crap from under and around the cottage and shed

5) cleaned out the shed (7 straight hours) and reorganized it completely.  Below is the before shot when everything is OUT and I have replaced the shelves inside.

This is the after shot...


6) disposed of 3 truckloads of junk, garbage, and hazardous waste (at our local dump - they had a special day just for hazardous waste)

7) cut up, moved and stacked about 4 cords of wood including wood for the campfire

8) cut up and burned the over 50 yr old falling down cupboards from behind the shed and burned a ton of old rotted wood etc.  (you can see that in the campfire pic above)

9) cleaned the cottage from top to bottom including a 3 hour stint of scrubbing the wood floors

10) cleaned out and reorganized the hall closet and laundry room cupboards

After stopping for lunch - usually around 1 or 2 - I would clean up and head down to the dock for some R & R.  That would be my reward.  This way not only did I not feel guilty about sitting on the dock reading or having some wine or other refreshments, I also managed to hit well in excess of 10,000 steps a day (my daily goal is 10,000) with a high of over 22,000 in one day.  At the end of it, a nice soak in the hot tub with a glass of wine and then dinner.

So - no I didn't gain anything over my month long vacay. My hope was that I wouldn't gain anything and I hoped that I might even lose a bit more.  However, I maintained.  EXCELLENT NEWS!!

Back at home I have yet to return to the gym.  My gym is wonderful in that they allow you to take a vacation or health break and instead of paying the entire membership monthly due you only pay 20.00 and that keeps your membership active but without being able to use the facilities.  Since I didn't return home til the 8th of September and I am leaving on the 22nd to visit family and attend a workshop in Nova Scotia, I am not going to reinstate my full membership til I return around the 5th of October.  I haven't been inactive though.  Every other day I go for a run/walk (still a run/walk do not know when or if I will ever be able to just run) of about 2.5 miles or 4K just around the neighbourhood. (Totally different experience compared to the cottage!)  As well Drew and I biked on Sunday for  21 miles (ouch my bottom) on my new bike (since mine was stolen out of the garage last week arggghhhh).  And we have signed up for Bike Mississauga which is this upcoming Sunday (21st) for the 60K route along with our friend Glenn.

Yesterday as I was dressing I noticed that my bra was too big around the back.  This was not the case just last week.  I thought - what the heck???  So I weighed myself.  I have now lost another 5 lbs!!  As of yesterday morning I weigh 155 lbs.  I am only 15 pounds from my absolute goal weight of 140.  Wow.  I can honestly say that I never believed I could do this.  And now it is in sight.  April 29 at 190 lbs losing 50 lbs to get down to 140 was daunting.  Seemed unachievable and it is now in reach.  Realistically, unless I hit another plateau, which is totally possible, I should reach my goal by Christmas.

Here are the statistics as of this morning.

Start           Day 19   Day 26   Day 34     Day 41   Day 48   July 3    July 8  Jul 15    Jul 29  Sept 18

Wht -190   181.9       179       179         177        173         167        167     165         162       155

BF% -47.8  41                         39          40           37.9         37           36      34.6       33.4  ?

W -40.5"     38"           36"        35.5       35           34           33.5        33      33           32     32

B -44"         42.5"        42"        41.5       41           41           40.5        40       40          39     38

H -46"         44"           43"        42.5       42            41            41           40.5    39        39     38

Arm -15"     12.5"       12"         12         12            12           12           11.5    11          11      11

C -18"         16.5"       15.5"      15.5      15,5         15.5        15.5        15.5    15.5       15.5    15.5

Th -26"        23.5"       22.5"       22        22             22''         21.5       20.75  20.75     20.75  20.5

So still moving down and now that I am comparing my weight chart I see that I had actually lost 2 lbs over my vacation.  For some reason I thought I had already hit 160.  Either way it is all good news. I am down another inch in my bust and hips and everything else is the same.  That is 8" total off my hips to date and 6" off my bust.

Let's compare start to date....

weight 190     155       - 35 lbs

BF%    47.8     33.4    - 14.4%  ( this is the last number I have)

bust      44       38       - 6"

waist    40.5     32       - 8.5"

hip        46       38       - 8"

arm       15       11      - 4"

calf        18       15.5   - 2.5"

thigh      26       20.5   - 5.5"

Total weight loss  35 lbs

Total inches lost   34.5 inches OMG....

And here are a couple of selfies.  One from the cottage day before I left... (yes I'm wearing a bikini I was ALONE don't judge - and I was trying to get the weather and view in as well)

And this one from this morning after my run.

 I am off to Nova Scotia in a few days.  It's 10 days of family, socializing and a workshop which may or may not include some chocolate.....

I will fill you in on all the wonderfulness of that time when I return.  In the meantime, here are my goodbye shots from the last days of my cottage time and the last days of summer.

Good Night and Good Bye Porcupine Bay

CHEERS (and tables) (family injoke)

Next time - Nova Scotia good or bad?

90 Days - Its Here Folks...Picture Update etc.

Well technically this is 90 days since I joined the club.  And technically I started this journey that following Monday so 90 days is a few days away.  However, I do count that day I walked into LifeTime as the beginning of my journey.  April 29, 2014.

This past weekend my sister and her beau came for a visit.  I knew it was going to be a challenge cause my sister and I like to imbibe in a little white wine.  Ok A LOT of white wine.  And also there was a celebration of a niece's university graduation and subsequent acquisition of her RN that also involved a bit of wine. And food.  Sigh... But I did well.  Oh, I also forgot a visit to a friend's with my sis that also involved some wine and nibbles and red velvet cupcakes to celebrate my birthday (which was the previous weekend). There was a lot of wine and food this weekend.  So the fact that I managed to keep my weight stable was a good thing.  

Sis arrived on Thursday and I made a completely carb free dinner with teriyaki pork BBQ shish-kebabs on top of cauliflower "rice".  Friday was the open face burgers with balsamic caramelized onions and mushrooms. I still went to TEAM weight loss on Friday and sis came along to see what all the fuss was about.  She participated in the class and Maria put us through our paces on the eliptical.  We did full body with free weights and challenges to get our pace up to a certain level for a minute at a time.  We also worked on our gluts and our arms.  At the end of class we did a mini circuit with total body gym, ball sit-ups, rope work and pull-ups.  It was a good workout to start the weekend with.  I introduced her to Sara and Tyler the GM.  They were both very gracious and that helped confirm what I had told Sis about how lovely the people are at LTF.  Afterwards we hit the pool deck and caught a few rays, swam around a bit and then relaxed in the hot tub.  It was awesome.

Lunch time we headed over to my son's so Sis could meet the new addition to our family. Grand-daughter Elle is almost 7 months and so beautiful.  It was lovely for Sis to spend some time with her and Tess made us a perfect lunch.  Grilled marinated shrimp over arugula salad.  Delish.

Back at home we sat in the backyard with her beau and chatted with some wine (of course) and I set out some cheese and crackers as he hadn't had lunch.  Later that evening I made the burgers.  I was paid a nice compliment.  It was suggested maybe I should put together a HEALTHY food recipe book for the family.  I just may do that.  Even though these are not MY recipes, they have been tested and proven in my home.  If you would be interested in me sharing these recipes with you put a comment below.

Saturday Sis and Beau got up bright and early and headed into Toronto to do the Edgewalk around the CN tower.  CRAZINESS.  She is fearless and has things on her bucket list that I don't even have nightmares about - if that makes any sense to you.  They both did it and I have to say power to them but you could not pay me enough money to do that.

Nope - no way.

Monday am - I was back at the gym for TEAM weight loss workout.  Maria was not there and we were down considerably in our number. 5 of us.  That's it.  We still did a good 40 minutes and then I went upstairs to the Nutrition part of monday's class.  Sara showed me 2 trailers for food movies.  One was "Fed Up with Sugar" and the other was "Food Inc"  both just highlighted that the way Sara has us eating is on the right track.  Look them up on Youtube - you will be educated.  I spent the remainder of the day running errands and finishing up chores at home.  Drew and I shared some leftovers of the Thurs and Friday dinners and he went to jiujitsu.  Afterwards he went for a 2K run and I watched the Batchlorette Finale.  Sad but true....

So - here is it Tuesday, July 29, 90 days, and here are the numbers you are waiting for:

Start           Day 19   Day 26   Day 34     Day 41   Day 48   July 3    July 8  Jul 15    Jul 29

Wht - 190   181.9       179       179         177        173         167        167     165         162

BF% - 47.8  41                         39          40           37.9         37           36      34.6       33.4

W - 40.5"     38"           36"        35.5       35           34           33.5        33      33           32

B - 44"         42.5"        42"        41.5       41           41           40.5        40       40          39

H - 46"         44"           43"        42.5       42            41            41           40.5    39        39

Arm - 15"     12.5"       12"         12         12            12           12           11.5    11          11

C - 18"         16.5"       15.5"      15.5      15,5         15.5        15.5        15.5    15.5       15.5

Th - 26"        23.5"       22.5"       22        22             22''         21.5       20.75  20.75     20.75

So proud how far I have come in 90 days.  Its not just about the numbers but also:

1. I learned how to run and can now run/walk up to 5K
2. I can do weight lifting/barbell strength class and I am not the one who gives up early
3. I can swim laps for 1+ mile 
4. I went from a tight size 18/ Xlg to a size 10 (and 8 in some things)
5. I lost almost 30 lbs
6. I've lost 29.25 inches overall
7. I've lost 14.4% body fat
8. I no longer have double/triple chins and an leg sized arm
9. I feel healthier, stronger and definitely more fit
10. I have more energy (during the day)
11. I sleep like a log and can't stay awake past 11 - ideally 10
12. I no longer snore - as a matter of fact I don't even move over 90% of the night
13. I can touch my toes!!!
14. I like the way I am looking
15. I stand taller
16. I AM HAPPY

I'll post a picture here but seeing as how I am at work the lighting isn't the best and I am wearing size 12 jeans that are pretty baggy on me but I still love them.  I only just purchased them the beginning of July at LOFT so I am not ready to put those on the give away pile.

Next Time - the final number before my August vacation

Debbie

Day 80 - Update, Pictures

Everyday is a new day, right?  No matter what I may do say on a weekend, I make sure that first thing Monday I am back in the saddle and working out.  TEAM waits for no-one.  Maria never quits, she is a dynamo and is very inspiring.  Currently we still have 6 of us on a regular basis and a couple others that come maybe once a week now. Also we have a changing cast of new characters.  Anywhere from 2 to 4.  Summer looks like it is going to be difficult for some to continue their commitment.  I for one will not be there for the month of August as that is my time for the cottage. However, along with my good friend Brenda, we have promised that we are going to keep working out.  We have a good 5k trek that we do up and down 3 major hills and back. We powerwalk up the hills and run down.  As well at the 1/2 way point is a set of stairs (from hell) up and down another friends property.  There are 175 stairs.  I have an aversion - ok - a fear of heights but I have ventured to doing the first set of 36 stairs.  Also we are going to intersperse the 5k with biking and don't forget swimming.  I fully intend to keep our eating habits as they are although I will not deprive myself of all goodies on offer.  I will just be much wiser - and then work harder.  In our local town (Dorset) there is yoga at the library/community centre and we will be attending those.  Hopefully that will offset the wine ingestion ( ;p).  At the end of August I am hopeful that I will still be on the downward track and not have slipped up a few pounds.  I was hoping to be closer to my goal by August 1, and I am closer but not as close as I was hoping to be.  There are still 2 weeks to go I don't know if I will get down another 5 lbs.

Last week I played baseball again.  And again I strained my quad muscle in my left leg.  This is not good.  If I do worse damage than that it will set me back as I won't be able to get to the gym.  So after the first up at bat and subsequent dash for first base, I let a pinch runner take over for my subsequent at bat.  That worked out much better.  We play again tomorrow night and I do believe I will keep the pinch hitter thing going.  This ol girl can't seem to do sudden explosions off the plate.  Maybe next year - who knows.  At least I am enjoying myself and getting out there.

It's been amusing seeing the way people react to the way I look.  So far it has all been positive and with only one exception  has anyone been negative or non-supportive.  And I take that from where it comes....

Size wise I am still losing inches and that is encouraging.

Here are the updates as of today - which isn't a Friday but I will be upnorth and not able to blog.

Start                      Day 19   Day 26      Day 34     Day 41   Day 48   July 3    July 8  Jul 15

Weight - 190         181.9       179             179         177        173         167        167     165

BF% - 47.8           41                               39          40           37.9         37           36      34.6

Waist - 40.5"         38"           36"              35.5       35           34           33.5        33      33 (crap)

Bust - 44"              42.5"        42"              41.5       41           41           40.5        40       40

Hip - 46"                44"           43"             42.5       42            41            41           40.5    39

Upper Arm - 15"     12.5"       12"               12         12            12           12           11.5    11

Calf - 18"                 16.5"       15.5"           15.5      15,5         15.5        15.5        15.5    15.5

Thigh - 25 or 26"      23.5"       22.5"            22        22             22''         21.5       20.75  20.75

Do not know what I can do to get that waist down.  Still have a bit of the smile thing going on (I HATE THAT the most).  Only lost 1/2 inch since July 3.  But down a bit more in the hip and arms.  That flaggy thing is going....

But it is still there. But my arm is down 4 " in diameter.  Holy smokes thats a big difference.

Here's the update picture.

Isn't that skirt cute?  Got 2 of them from Costco for 9.99 each.  (Size M).  And it's stretchy and has shorts attached.  The top I picked up at Garage.  Haven't been inside one of those in awhile.  I was looking for inexpensive white t's and tanks. Had 3 hours to kill in Milton yesterday so that's what I did.  Tshirt shopping.  Size Large cause their sizes are junior.  16.00.  Not bad for a summer outfit - 26.00.

Got a few other goodies last week.  Lots and Lots of excellent summer sales on right now.  50 - 70% off most places.  Picked up a pair of size 10 boyfriend jeans from Gap - 19.99 (woohoo), a Bench lightweight sweater marked down and then 50% off - 30.00 - a pair of off white lace shorts from Loft size 10.  I also tried on a pair of their boyfriend jeans size 10 and they were too big on me and they didnt have an 8 so good thing as the Gap pair were a much better deal.

Just picking up a few things here and there when I see a good sale.  Don't want to spend alot of money but damn it if I'm going to put anything on thats falling off me now.

Next time, not sure but I am sure I will come up with something.

Debbie

Day 49 to ... what day is it? I've lost track somewhere. Oh yes Day 72

Trying to blog this daily has become a chore to try and find new ways to say - today is TEAM day or today I did Yoga. Or weights.  Or swimming laps.  Most of the time it is really just the exact same routine day in day out.  I still go to the gym almost every day.  Sometimes other things happen and I may not get there in the morning so I have gone a few times in the evenings.  Quite a bit of difference in atmosphere between AM and PM.  Rather than try to go back over these past few weeks I will highlight some of the things that happened, give a couple updates and try to keep up on a weekly basis.  I also had my laptop crap out on me and my inhouse computer techies are supposed to be fixing it for me. (Drew/Nick).

Highlights over the past few weeks - in no particular order.

1. Learned a few new machines at the gym.  One is really tricky and one is a "treatment" machine.  The tricky one we all tried in the group during a class session.  Basically it is like surfing.  You stand sideways on the machine and it goes up and down while going around in a circle.  BUT the trick is that you can't or shouldn't move your upper body.  Ok sounds simple?  NOPE.  Very difficult actually and a real workout in your buttocks and legs.  Did I like it?  Not especially but I will try it again.  The other machine is basically a vibrating plate that you put your say leg or foot on and it vibrates at a very high speed.  This sounds not so thrilling perhaps but the benefits are huge.  This machine (which is a very expensive and closely monitored machine) has been used by NASA to help returning astronauts to combat and reverse bone density loss.  That is one benefit (and a very important one).  The other is that it helps to break down scar tissue on injuries.  Or if you have very tight muscles or sore knees from muscles pulling this machine aids that.  Not sure how it works in that respect but it does.
2. Set a new swimming laps record.  Finally I hit the 1 mile mark - I did 37 laps in a freestyle way in under 40 mins.  What a feeling that was.  I have tried to use the outdoor lap pool but have gone at odd hours (for me) so have had to actually use the indoor one as I do not like to share a lane with 2 or 3 other swimmers.  In fact the last time I did laps I quit after 25 as a group of unruly under 15 yr old decided to horseplay and throw each other into the lap pool and mainly just frig around and mess it up.  Also unfortunately the lifeguard on duty was ineffectual in telling them to stop or move on and gave up and walked away.  Definitely a downside.
3. Funny thing - went to the pub and people who I've seen every week for years said to me (and this was more than one) Did you do something new to your hair???  I know the pink is new but that's been there for a little while now. And...there is something different about you.  LOL.  So I played along, asked them well what do you think it is?  One waitress looked and said well I HOPE you didn't get a boob job.  ROFL.  I'm like NO but look at this picture from April 29 and tell me what you think is different?  Then they got it and that was so funny to me.  A boob job.  Really?  Guess my thinner tummy makes my boobies look bigger - even though they are smaller too.
4. Tried some excellent new recipes found through Google.  Amazing that you can just type in say Shrimp and Bok Choy and presto a variety of things pop up and by carefully perusing the ingredients you can find the perfect healthy dinner choice. (Still no carbs for dinner).
5. Had my lovely sister-in-law and brother-in-law over for Sunday dinner and made them the grilled steak and spinach salad with blueberry/roasted walnut dressing and feta.  For dessert I made gin,mint, lime and cucumber sorbet.  Delish!  Just 1/2 ounce of gin/person but so cool and refreshing. It was a hit and we still ate properly (ok maybe the gin counts as a carb).
6. Also had our friend GG over for BBQ open face burgers with caramelized balsamic onions and mushrooms.  Very Yummy!
7. Said goodbye to some of our TEAM group as they finished their 90 days.  In celebration and to send April off to her new home in Georgia we had a little party after class. We were all challenged to bring a treat.  Maria (Team leader) made black bean brownies.  I googled and found a simple gluten free/grain free low cal Blondie recipe.  It was awesome. I even printed out recipe cards for anyone who was interested.  There was fruit salad, a light tasting lemon mousse and a tsatziki chicken salad on lettuce with gluten free crackers.  We all received a certificate of achievement stating our weight loss and body fat loss to that point.  There were some 50 lb losers in the group.  How amazing for them.  It was longer than 90 days (a year) but that is still an accomplishment indeed.  My loss to that point was 23 lbs and 11% BF.  I love my certificate!
8. Long weekend at the cottage - where do I start.  Father In Law's wife said she was glad for me and that to reward me she was going to give me 2.00/lb lost since someone had told her I was down 20 lbs.  I said actually it is 23! (certificate in hand) and she said "oh, I don't think I have 46.00". I said um ok no worries really...you don't have to do that. (she didn't :p )
9. Boat ride over to neighbours dock to drop daughter off and I hear " Hey Drew - where's the rest of Deb?"  BEST COMMENT EVER!!  Thank you Rick - made my DAY!  Love my friends.
10. Sitting on another neighbour's dock next day and she sent a picture of all of us to friends in the US who couldn't make it up that weekend.  He noticed the difference and made a comment right back. :)
11. Did a big thing - ok a couple of big things.  On my own (but with my GearFit as witness) I walked and ran 5K! Yes I did!  I couldn't believe that I did it.  When I reached the halfway point  (up and down 3 major hills mid day @ 33 degrees C) I was like YES  I DID IT!  OMG I DID IT!  After catching my breath I turned around and ran/walked back.  Total time was 41 minutes but that included 2 minutes at least talking to Sharon as she sat on the side of the road waiting for James and I couldn't just run by without saying hello.  So realistically @ 39 minutes.  And then 2 days later I did it again.  This time earlier in the day and not stopping for chitchat.  I was joined by my frienda Brenda on the way back and she talked me into going a bit further.  I did it.  Amazing for me.  Honestly the difference from last year is lightyears away.  Saying all this I am in no means ready to run/walk a 5K race but I am going to work up to it.
12. Swam back and forth 6x from swim raft to dock and then right across the bay and back again.  I felt strong and not tired at all.  No idea how far that actually is but we will figure it out.  Hardest part was avoiding the damn weeds.  Ew.
13. Went to see a friend perform at a local bar.  For a lark I pulled out a pair of my fave jeans from a few years back to see if I could get them on.  I did.  I zipped them up.  I wore them out that night.  I could breathe in them.  They are a size 10!  Remember those size 14 shorts I got at Joe Fresh?  They are baggy on me now. Still wearing them cause I love em but I need to take them in and wear a belt!
14. Played my first baseball game in 28 years.  Yes - 28 years.  I hit the ball.  I caught the ball.  I ran to first base.  That's it.  I'm happy with that.  Gonna play again next week.

That's alot of highlights.  I am pretty sure I didn't miss anything.  At least those are all the moments that stand out in the past few weeks.

Here's the updates.

Start                      Day 19          Day 26      Day 34     Day 41   Day 48   July 3    July 8

Weight - 190         181.9             179             179         177        173         167        167

BF% - 47.8           41                                     39          40           37.9         37           36

Waist - 40.5"         38"                 36"              35.5       35           34           33.5        33

Bust - 44"              42.5"              42"              41.5       41           41           40.5        40

Hip - 46"                44"                 43"             42.5       42            41            41           40.5

Upper Arm - 15"     12.5"             12"               12         12            12           12           11.5

Calf - 18"                 16.5"             15.5"           15.5      15,5         15.5        15.5        15.5

Thigh - 25 or 26"      23.5"             22.5"            22        22             22''         21.5       20.75

So let's look at the numbers:

190 - 167    23lbs

47.8 - 36     11.8%

W - 40.5 - 33 - 7.5 inches

B - 44 - 40 - 4 inches

H - 46 - 40.5 - 5.5 inches

A - 15 - 11.5 - 3.5 inches

C  - 18 - 15.5 - 2.5 inches

Th - 25 - 20.75 - 4.25 inches

That's a mind blowing 27.25 INCHES total off my body.  Am I happy YES.  Am I slowing down?  NOT on your life.  Also 11.8% body fat loss.  I am building muscle and we all know that weighs more than fat and that shows on my little friend who shows I am more evenly distributed.  Instead of being more on the fat side each measurement is now starting to lean towards more on the lean/muscle side.

Thank you LIFE TIME.  Thank you.  I heart you.

Next time - more news.  And a picture.

Debbie