Organized Home = Organized Mind?

I can tell you without a doubt most of the friends I have that are struggling with their weight will agree that they are disorganized in some part of their lives as well. When I look back at what was successful for me, it wasn't so much the diet and exercise but a big part of it was my lifestyle organization.

I used to spend my days gardening and organizing rooms, that fell to the wayside when I started my own business and added more children to the mix. Now that I'm semi-retired and my children are in school and daycare I can focus on getting our home organized and running like a well oiled engine.

Whenever I'm bored the first thing I go to is the fridge, let's make something exciting! After the meal or snack I'm guilt-ridden and I will either lay on the couch watching tv wallowing in my own self pity or I'll head out and buy stuff for my house that will never leave the bags I brought them home in, I never make it that far.

This year has been full of great obstacles and changes for me. I recently started taking cake classes and I enjoy it a lot, but I have to be organized if I want to make it to class on time and get my items ready so I don't fall behind in class. Once I started organizing my cake stuff it inspired me to tackle a room a week. I say week because it almost really does take an entire week for me to work on one room between kids, errands etc...

This week it is the master bedroom and I moved all the furniture, dusted, vacuumed and got rid of a lot of books and magazines I'd had laying around. It's not finished but I'll be sure to post pictures of my adventure.

I'm still doing Jenny, still losing small amounts and still running. My body isn't where I wanted it to be a year ago today when I thought I'd be at my goal weight, but it's in much better shape than 2 years ago (216lbs!)

One day I'll organize this blog, but for now, the home comes first.

I called Jenny!

My trip to being back on track was somewhat successful. I managed to get off the pounds that had crept up, but our lives in general were in an upheaval and the stress had me reaching for snacks and comfort food more than I care to admit.

Through it all, I did manage to maintain my workouts and that's something I think has definitely kept me on track. I have a trainer to keep accountable to and if I start to slip she knows how to get me back.

Now that the kids are back in school and my youngest is in daycare I have some breathing room again to write and work on the house, organizing and preparing for the winter. I have always been curious about Jenny Craig, after trying Nutra System two years ago after the birth of my son I was leery. The Nutra system seemed simple. I figured I would use it to get back on track and kickstart a ten pounds loss. I was struggling because I wasn't cleared for exercise yet and I wanted to make sure I got my portion control back in check.

The food arrived and nothing was refridgerated, that should have been my first clue. I dove into the reading materials and decided I would give it a go. I selected some sort of cranberry loaf as my breakfast, I bit into it and felt something hard in my mouth - it was one of those food preserving packages that states "DO NOT EAT". The bread was dry and it tasted like the box it came in. Not yet wanting to give up, I tried a snack instead, some sort of chips. Again, it tasted like the packaging, I contemplated eating the box from the previous meal instead. Lunch rolled around and I heated up some sort of pasta dish. One bite and I gagged, it smelled, looked and tasted like dog food. (And I know the taste of dog food thanks to my older brother telling me it was tasty when we were kids. Lesson learned, don't trust your brother and don't eat nutri-system!)

When I looked at the Jenny Craig website I thought about the chance I took on the NS food, and the expensive waste it became because I didn't return it in time to get my refund. Regardless I read over the message boards and support forums and picked out my favorite foods. Then, I called Jenny! Of course you don't speak with Jenny but the staff member on the other line was very enthusiastic, supportive and interested in hearing my story. We ordered the food and I received instructions on when my food would arrive (just a few days away), and that I would have a meeting each week with a consultant over the phone.

Thursday the food arrives and it's packed with dry ice - very interesting. Dry Ice can burn your hands so you have to handle it with thick gloves and tongs as they suggest. I only had one small piece in a bag leftover so it just stayed at the bottom of the cooler to evaporate. I unpacked cheesecakes, cheesy potatoes and chicken and pancakes with breakfast sausage. Overall the food looked pretty decent albeit very small. I was intimidated by a box of food. After I spoke with my consultant we discussed goals and any obstacles I might face this week. So far, none that I can think of - except maybe the cake decorating class I took - how can I not try some of the cake I made?

I could go into great detail about the plan but what I can say for it so far is that it is very well thought out, planned and so far I'm not starving. Portion control, spacing, making the most of your meals - they actually encourage you to add items from the "free foods" list to each meal to bulk it up. So if you have a pizza for example, you can add your free veggies to it and make it personalized towards what you like. This makes me very happy, because I like to try new things and keep it interesting.

So why would I toot about eating non-processed foods and then switch to a program with just that? Well, I'm at a point where I want to make a change, I've been losing weight for a very long time and currently I'm at a plateau with my weight. I've maintained the same weight for an entire season which is a huge triumph but also a bit of setback at the same time. I want to keep losing and I definitely need a reality check on portion control and healthier eating. This program enforces eating a fruit with breakfast and a glass of milk - something I don't always do, heck I sometimes don't even do breakfast.

So far today I have eaten...

Blueberry Pancakes & Veggy Sausage Patty with light syrup

Peanut Butter Honey Bar (full of vitamens)

Apple

Glass of Milk

2 Glasses of Water

1/2 cup of peas

Cheesy Chicken & Mashed Potatoes

Later on I'll have a piece of fruit for my snack, up to two more free foods from the list and my dinner and desert with a glass of milk. To me it sounds like so much food, but it's all portioned out and healthy. If I chose the portions you can bet I'd have eaten three times as much at lunch because I wouldn't have had a filling breakfast and I'd be ready for a big meal.

My teeth that derailed my weight loss success are finally coming out. Two teeth just did not take to the fillings one dentist did and rather than go through Root Canals, I opted to have them removed instead of two other teeth that would be pulled for my upcoming braces! I haven't worn my twin bloc in a couple of weeks and I actually miss it. My teeth certainly do, and I am looking forward to having some progress once more.

I am back to running almost 6k now! Very excited about that, and since it's fall I'm more than ready to return to Hot Yoga & some Wii Fit games to keep me active when I'm not with my trainer.

The kids are napping so I'm going to take advantage of that and have a nice long hot shower and prepare myself for a relaxing evening with my family. Tomorrow I'm attending a cake decorating class and I can hardly wait. :) Pictures to follow!

Back in the Saddle!

So much has been going on, I'm not sure where to even begin! My running was going very well, in fact I was really kicking ass and doing 5k or more every Mon/Wed/Fri along with a weight routine in the mornings and going for a walk everyday with my husband that ranged from 5k-8k depending on how long we could get a sitter for. Yes, we really do hire a sitter so we can go for walks alone!

I was doing really well and expecting to have braces on my teeth when I arrived though, my orthodontist had a lovely little contraption called "The Twin Bloc" it's a set of retainers for top and bottom and they work on setting your jaw forward and fixing your bite. Not what I had expected but I had a binge before my appointment as advised by several close friends and family members who have done the same routine with the same ortho. Twin bloc on and I realize, you can't really eat with this thing in, and it's super uncomfortable. My teeth were already bothering me from a previous filling (top and bottom tooth) and super sensitive. Although I kept returning to have it fixed it remains unresolved - I can't drink anything to cold or too hot and definitely not without a straw and keeping it on the right side of my mouth. OUCH!

The twin bloc caused major saliva build up so the good side was that I wanted to take in more fluids, however my sore teeth sort of prevented this to a point. Eating hurt, my teeth ached, my mouth was sore from adjusting but after two weeks I was mostly okay and quite used to it. I wear it 24/7 and only take it out for eating and teeth brushing. After 6-8 months I'll end up with braces for two years. My teeth are a mess but the pain will be worth it!

I have always suffered from migraines and back pain. The migraines have ceased as promised by my orthodontist but several weeks ago I woke up one morning and pinched a nerve raising my head off the pillow. As soon as I did it I couldn't breath, I was stuck, rolled onto my back and realized I could move my hands and arms, my legs but I could not move my torso or neck at all - the pain was so intense. My husband and I had a conversation debating on whether or not to call the ambulance. I opted not to as the house was a mess - seriously! I couldn't bear to have the ambulance attendants see my skivvies on the bedroom floor!

Running or any type of working out was not an option for over a week. When I returned we did a couple of walks, and life threw me some curveballs that upped my stress level into epic proportions. Throw in a camping trip of silliness and bad choices in food and beverage and you have a seriously off track woman. I feared the scales in a big way, I came home to several extra pounds and vowed I would make changes and get back on track.

After a crazy week and no big changes, I knew that before long the scale would really get beyond my control and it would be a 10lb gain I'd be crying about during every workout and weigh in from now until Christmas. I don't lose fast so I know even a couple of pounds has to be nipped in the bud immediately.

After a week off from my trainer save one appointment where we walked and talked I spent some time meditating, planning and re-assessing my weight loss goals. I still have a bit to lose and I want to make sure I don't fall off the wagon into the abyss of binge eating and self-hating behaviour I've always reverted to in the past.

I went grocery shopping and picked up all the best of local produce. I live in Ontario and right now its prime season for the freshest fruits and veggies. I picked up blueberries, pineapple for juicing, red grapes and cucumbers, tomatoes and a few other favourites. Usually I will come home and throw everything in the fridge vowing to tackle it later. Not today! I know if I take the time to prep my snacks and meals for the week I'll be much more likely to succeed.

I rinsed all of my fruit and chopped it up storing in my favorite Glass Lock Containers. I picked up a set at Costco and I really wish I had gotten two. I love them! I also made up a quick and easy Cucumber/tomato Salad using a recipe I found on allrecipes.com - another favorite resource of mine. After that I sliced up some extra cucumber and tomato for sandwiches and sides and cleaned out any old or out of date items that needed to be pitched for extra space. An organized fridge always makes me feel much better and I can see what I want/need or can use much better.

My next item to tackle is throwing some chicken breasts in the crockpot with a few seasonings so I have some easy and fast protein to make sandwiches, salads and last minute meals. I also take out three supperworks meals. I make them at a meal assembly place and the place I go to always has fresh ingredients and all of them are pretty diet friendly. That gives me three meals to defrost and use for Mon, Tues and Wednesday, supper is done! Sides are done! Lunches and breakfasts are as simple as choosing a fruit and some yogurt or a muffin with peanut butter spread.

I promise to post more photo and visuals soon. I really need to get my posts looking prettier and sometimes a photograph can be much more inspiring than me describing it! This week I plan to drop a few fluffy pounds and get back under my wedding weight (167). It was the lowest I have gotten so far and since my wedding five years ago!

Triumphs not to be ignored - I purchased my first bikini and wore it proudly at the beach when we went camping. I didn't look perfect but I've come a long way and as I stood on that beach and looked around, there were a lot of women there twice my size proudly wearing a bikini and rocking it so I can too!

Back to running tomorrow evening with my trainer and nightly/daily walks will commence immediately. The fresh air and the activity always make me happier and much more inspired to tackle the bigger things in life!

Geocaching - Get Moving With the Family

Back in 2003 and 2004 we discovered geocaching via the recommendation of my American friends. It wasn't yet a popular activity that had caught on over here so there were few caches. Geocaching is like a big treasure hunt. Someone hides a rubbermaid like container with a log book, pencils and sharpeners along with some non-perishable goodies and trinkets - you post the co-ordinates and some hints on a site like geocaching.com and people search it out. Each visitor logs their visit, takes something and leaves something for someone else. Very fun and the kids absolutely love it. I had long forgotten about it until someone brought up geocaching to me again. I thought I should check and low and behold a geocache we had made and placed locally is STILL going. I couldn't believe it! People leave messages and let you know what they found, what they left, how they enjoyed the walk. It's a great way to get outdoors, discover new places and most of all to get in some great activity and exercise for the whole family.

You can download an app right to your iPhone or Blackberry to log local caches and start your treasure hunt. I usually recommend taking a grocery bag or two to pick up trash while you are in there. It's called, cache in - trash out, you have fun and clean up local parks while getting activity, another great bonus! Pick up some trinkets from the dollar store or items around the house you think people would find useful. Make up a cd with mixed music you think someone would enjoy, keychains, anything fun or interesting others might want to trade.

The reason geocaching is so great in my opinion is because not only are you doing something fun for the kids, but you are also teaching them that you can make a small difference by participating in "cache in, trash out" and how much fun it can be to be outdoors and away from the plugged in devices we all rely on for instant entertainment these days. I know we have plans to take the kids out on the next nice day for a refreshing round of treasure hunting and fun to kick off the summer!

Things I learned from my father...A Tribute to my Hero

In honour of Fathers day I would like to pay tribute to my father who carried around my last fathers day letter until it fell apart. This one is in cyberspace so it can't disintegrate in your wallet, enjoy Popi!

My father was never too tired for a a trip to the park. Even though I had a swing set and slide in the back yard I would beg my father to take me to "the castle". It was a park 20 minutes into town with a slide that had castle turrets. I loved that park and of course we always got a treat at the store located beside the park. When you're a kid you don't think about work or what parents do all day, the fact that they just came from the place you are making them go back to but Dad didn't mind. My Mum would even argue a case for the at home play yard extravaganza in our backyard but no, I had to go to the Castle and The castle is where we went.

At work my father was an engineer, he was not to accept any calls unless it was an emergency. Everyday when I got home from school I would call up the manor he worked at and tell the girls it was an emergency, could Walter please bring Crystal some smarties home after work. It got to be an on going joke at work and even some of the nurses that worked in the building got me smarties for the holidays.

On rainy days we went to the library and I got to hang out in the kids section by myself. I could check out as many books as I wanted. On Saturdays we went grocery shopping together and usually in the evenings we had family movie nights or went to visit family friends. Some afternoons I would ask him to play treasure hunt and we would trace our feet and make cut outs, we would place the feet around the house and at the end would be a treasure. My father somehow remembered and placed chocolate or gum coins at the end of the game for me to find as a big surprise.

My Dad read to me at night and taught me that when people treat you badly you can't wuss out, you have to stand up for yourself and stick it out. He took me fishing and to flea markets, we checked out yard sales and bought treasures at auctions. He let me make a million little projects with scraps of wood in the basement while he worked on projects for the house. Playing in the basement at his old desk and using all of his old letterhead and stamps from BP Oil were some of my favorite lazy afternoons.

He rarely got mad or had to shout, he didn't rat me out when I took the car for a joy ride and smashed in the side of the wheel well without saying anything. He let me then drive on back roads on the way to my friends house so I could learn to drive without hitting a mailbox. When I wanted a later curfew because all my friends had one, my Dad stood up for me and said as long as I left a number and was home before the sun came up it was fine.

When I became a mother at the age of 19 although he was upset he still took the time to make my daughter a beautiful cradle. When I went into labour he was in the city working, when I was pushing and my daughter was about to be born, my father called and left a message on the answering machine wishing me good luck and telling me he was just thinking of me and hoping I was okay.

When I called him crying to come and get me during a particularly bad breakup, he somehow showed up in a matter of minutes when it should have taken an hour. When I finally met my prince charming he made sure the day was special and walked me down the aisle. For our first dance he selected a song and kept it a surprise. I had no idea which song we would dance to and I was so excited when I heard the words to Ray Charles - If I Could. (Take a listen, you'll be bawling like a baby!) My husband and I got married in a castle like setting and on our wedding video my Dad told my husband to take care of his princess and it was now his job to take me to "the castle" which he had that day by making all of my dreams come true.

I said I would never marry anyone unless they were like my father. My father loves his wife and is always respectful. He left her love notes and flowers, they went on dates and dragged all of us along with them for trips down east every summer. I definitely found someone that lived up to the high standards my Dad had set by example.

My parents gave up fancy vacations and cars so that we could all have the type of life they did not and I know I am so grateful for the sacrifices they made. I never use to play the lottery but every few weeks I buy a lot of tickets and tell the cashier it's for my parents, if I win I can send them on a trip around the world and buy them a castle. Heres to hoping!

My father has given me many gifts over my lifetime, earrings from his trip out west, glasses from Maine with sun moon and stars on them I had admired, the hand made cradle, his time, love and energy he spends with my children and helping our family. But my favorite gift of all was the gift he gave me in November when he chose to have bypass surgery to repair the damage to his heart. We now have a happy and healthy father, popi, grandpa, Dad, friend. We could not be more relieved and excited to celebrate this fathers day with the worlds greatest Dad, my hero.

xoxo Love Crystal Lee Wally L********

Why am I not seeing results?

If my fathers quintuple bypass surgery wasn't enough to keep me motivated, I have dozens of reasons I can tell you that do. However, hearing my fathers personal account of being wheeled into the operating room and facing a table full of saws and knives doesn't exactly make me want to eat a cheeseburger and skip my workouts. Given the inspiration there are definitely times when the scale does not co-operate and I want to pack it in. I wonder why it's not complying, so here are some common complaints I have had, have heard and the answers to those problems.

I see a trainer and I'm not getting the results I want!

When I got into seeing a personal trainer I had some high expectations, but here's what you need to know. Personal trainers can train you physically, emotionally boost you when you are down, encourage you, review your food logs but one thing they absolutely cannot do, is eat for you. You can do all the personal training work you want, but if you go out and eat a donut or grab a Happy Meal, or a little "treat" to reward yourself you've blown your hard work with a few simple bites. One of my very first sessions where I puked during a run on the treadmill my trainer said, "Okay, now how many calories did we burn...150...so that's one of your little 100 cal packs burnt off - how's that taste now?" For me, it really put food into perspective for me. I use to think if I exercised I could eat whatever I wanted and it would balance out. Wrong! Be sure to be honest with your trainer, if you binge, fess up! They can't help you if you aren't honest with them and you really are only lying to yourself. If you are doing everything right and you don't feel a connection with your trainer don't hesitate to switch to someone else. You want to have a great relationship. I love my trainer, I consider her one of my greatest friends and motivators!

I don't eat that much, so what gives? My scale is not moving.

Well what are you eating exactly? Are you keeping a food log and being 100% honest? Usually when the scales are not budging you either need to check your food or your exercise. If you recently lost some more weight and are in a different decade. IE) 178 now weighing 165 - recheck how many calories you should be eating each day. As you lose your calorie intake will decrease until you are at the stage where you want to maintain the weight. If you haven't changed your workout in awhile and do the same routine, running program or walk, switch it up. Add a kilometre, do something different, you're body is telling you something and it's usually that it needs change. Try to eat different foods, try new recipes and keep it fresh!

Plateaus - I've hit them, and they do suck. What I've learned is when you ride the wave and truly stick it out, (I'm not saying you can't cry, moan, bitch and let everyone know about it) it's so worth it. You're body is usually about to let go of several pounds at once and it's preparing for the change. That's what I tell myself to get through it. Whenever I gave in and started eating like crazy, I regretted it. Recently I was ready to scream and then I woke up and BAM! Gone was a good 4lbs of weight I'd been stuck at for several weeks. Trust me, I had the nutrition and the calories down and there was no reason for the stall so I just kept plugging along and it finally paid off. Don't quit!

I'm doing a 90 day program, there are two weeks left and my results are pretty disappointing, I want to quit.

Many years ago I did Body For Life. It was pretty hard core for me. I was perfect with the eating, my gym routine was flawless and I took pictures every 4 weeks. I got my measurements at 8 weeks in and I was livid. I was only down 4lbs and 8 inches all over. I expected more based on the photos I had seen in their advertisements. I had put a lot of money into this program and I wanted results dammit! We were moving into our first home. People started complimenting me on my flat stomach and my cut biceps. I quit the program at 10 weeks, I only had 2 weeks left and when I look back I am kicking myself! The most progress is often made in the last 2 weeks of those 90 day programs. It goes to show you, just when you want to quit, you should hold out just awhile longer and it will be worth it.

I think I'm pretty active, I eat pretty healthy and I only indulge in a glass of wine or two...

Everyone loves to treat themselves. I am not a big drinker but I do enjoy a glass of wine and as much as I have tried my share of red wines I have yet to find one I can tolerate to sip. I don't want to waste the calories if I don't enjoy it. I rarely justify an alcoholic beverage as being worth the waste in calories but there are exceptions. I use to drink Wild Vines Strawberry Wine. It's like drinking juice and I could easily drink two large bottles on a girls night out once or twice a year. After one of those events I would be up on the scale seven full pounds. YES, SEVEN POUNDS! I would be so upset, I would cry, it would take me a month to get that seven pounds gone again. No one else seemed to struggle with this that I knew of but I found out something very interesting.

While watching a television show, they showed someone a glass of wine and then a glass full of sugar beside it. They were equally full. This is what a sweet white wine contains and that would be why you aren't losing weight. Put down the booze, or if you must, try to mix a couple of ounces with some club soda or a diet soda/juice that you like. My doctor told me the main reason for weight issues with older women is usually because they will eat perfect but consume a bottle of wine each night. Ladies, let's be sensible! Put down the glasses and take a walk, I promise you it will feel much better to get some fresh air. Save the wine for a special occasion. (Not that men don't consume their fair share of beer and alcohol but I think women can agree that we usually reach for wine and it's affects can be pretty detrimental to our weight loss efforts)

Whatever weight loss program you follow, as long as it works for you and is not harmful to your long term health go for it! At the end of the day you have to be happy with what works for you. I've settled for working with The Bodybugg and counting calories, but I know many people have had great success with Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Sugar Free, or Vegan diets. These are just some of my common reasons/complaints for scale issues. Feel free to leave any questions or comments and thanks for reading :)

Run bitch Run!

I have been gaining and losing weight since I started having babies almost 11 years ago. That makes me sound old, but really I'm just a baby at the ripe age of 30. My oldest child is 10 years old (going on 20), the second 4 and our littlest bug is almost 2 years old. A brief rundown of my weight struggles.

1998 - Left school and started working, gained 10lbs and kept it on until I got pregnant

1999 - Pregnant, gained 65lbs eating poorly and being lazy.

2000 - Joined Weight Watchers for the first time of many and lost a fair bit of weight.

2001 - Met the love of my life and continued losing. The lowest I saw on the scale was 148 and I joke it was for only a few seconds. Maintained in the 150's for several years until we moved into our home.

2003 - Moved into our first home and I was just in the last few weeks of doing Body For Life. I had some killer results but back then it wasn't enough. I had lost 4lbs and 4 inches all over in 8 weeks. I didn't think that was good enough and quit in week 9, I still kick myself over that one. If I find the photos I will dig them out and post them here.

2005 - Almost married and gained 15lbs after spending everyday in the gym for several hours a day. Sabotaged myself and so upset that I did this right before our big day. I miscarried two weeks before our wedding and ate my way through the pain. One month later I was pregnant and sick as a dog.

2006 - Bedrest with the pregnancy and in a lot of pain. The worst pregnancy I have ever had, but it was worth it. In the end I gained over 75lbs on my little 5'1 frame. I topped out at 246lbs.

In the fall I rejoined weight watchers weighing 216lbs. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. I couldn't believe I had let myself get that bad. The sad part is, after our second child was born, I actually dipped below 200lbs within a couple of weeks but I had eaten like crazy with the stress of a newborn and dealing with emotions has always been my weak point, why get help when you can eat right? *sigh*

I was able to get down into the 170's by the following winter. I had joined and rejoined Weight Watchers so many times that I finally quit. I had enough of the weekly weigh ins and the push to eat as much processed crap as you could for little points. The whole program was decent for someone who could truly control their portions and eat real food, but I felt it steered the whole mindset into, "How much crap can I eat for 22 points a day?!"

I had asked my husband for the gift of a personal trainer for Christmas. This was going to be the year that I did it. I was turning 29, no way would I enter my 30's obese. My husband bought me 10 personal training sessions with B and B had trained me when I looked my best before. I was thrilled.

On New Years Eve, I woke up from a dream where I was walking out of my then storefront, with a little blonde haired boy. I had one of those pregnancy shirts on that said "What's Kickin'" and the boy was so cute holding my hand. When I went over the dates in my head I thought, "Hmm, maybe I'll just get a test and make sure I'm not pregnant." Several hours later, positive test in hand I broke the news to my husband on our way to our favorite sushi restaurant. He thought it was a joke, and I think he was totally freaked out. The timing was not ideal but soon we were thrilled and I was determined to have a healthy pregnancy after the last ordeal. Being already 170+ pounds, I wanted to make sure I didn't go crazy with the food.

A couple of weeks later at work, in walked B. She plunked her day planner on the counter and said, "Alright when are you coming to see me?!" I laughed and said,"I'm pregnant silly, I am going to save these until after I have the baby." She laughed at me and explained there was no better time than now to start. I begrudgingly agreed and we started meeting three times a week every week from then on. I gained a healthy amount of weight for the pregnancy and I think my last workout was about 2 weeks before my due date! All low impact but I truly felt it made such a huge difference in everything about that pregnancy and delivery.

After our little guy was born, six weeks later I walked back into weight watchers and into the studio to workout again. It seemed so hard but I knew the benefits would pay off. Because of my old mindset with weight watchers, I started eating the same old crap. Processed diet foods, fat free, etc.. etc.. For five very long months I didn't lose a single pound.

When the plateau finally broke, I had quit weight watchers and most processed foods. The difference was astonishing. I felt so much better, I was sleeping better and eating much healthier. I'm not perfect and never pretend to be. I indulge a lot and that's why you'll see my weight isn't something that comes off quickly, but I'm consistant!

I got back down to 170lbs before some surgery I was to have. Before I was fully recovered I received the news that my 69 year old father was in need of a triple bypass. It was my worst nightmare, I'd be expecting it my entire life because of his heart troubles. You see my father looks healthy and is a tiny man but for many years he ate very poorly because he was always on the road for work. The idea of losing my fathers life because of food sent me into a tailspin. I got down to 163lbs very quickly. But being the youngest child of six, I went with them to the hospital and spent over a week in Toronto walking back and forth to the hospital with my Mum and sitting in the hospital room all day and night. The toll the entire ordeal took on me mentally was more than I realized. Of course I turned to food, and by Christmas I was back in the high 170's.

I continued to work out but I kept skippign workouts, I was feeling sick a lot and sore from my surgery. I had started running prior to my surgery and I had loved it, I needed to get back. After a few more months, we started running again and things fell back into place.

Currently I'm running outdoors and LOVING it. My fathers brush with death because of food really motivates me everytime I don't want to exercise. (He ended up having a QUINTuple bypass instead because it was so bad) I'm still fighting to get out of the 170's but I'm much more motivated to keep moving and get this weight off for good. I sold my business, so my only focus is me right now and that should be everyones top priority.

I'll post a little more later on about what I use to help me keep going.