no sweat!

thanks to a great deal on social shopper in the fall of 2010, i spent $20 for a 15 class pass at bikram yoga metrotown. even using it once would be worth it! with the coupon expiring next week, i finally built up the courage and went to a class tonight.


first: i was freaking out about the heated room. during vancouver's summer of 2009, i parked myself in front of our AC unit and didn't move. even at night we used it in gabe's room, and chris and i would lie in his room while he slept. how would i survive 90 minutes of hot & humidity? turns out i not only survived it, but i was in the room 15 minutes early :P


second: please don't pass out or throw up! that was my next fear. i called the studio in the morning and got some tips, the most important being don't eat within 2 hours of class. (it think that's where i went wrong at our girls' 30th celebration - we went to miraj hammam after brunch, and i ended up sick as a dog a few hours later.) i did get a little light-headed a couple times, but nothing major. it was a relief to see the experienced students having troubles and resting as well. halfway through class, my mind wandered and all i could think about was a snack :P



third: i was worried that i would feel horrible after class. aside from a slight headache, i felt fine. it's amazing how much sweating happens in class...it was pretty gross. but just knowing that with each droplet, i was burning that many more calories was really motivating. i did go a little hardcore at the beginning of class, and with 20 minutes left, i completely lost steam (haha!) and had to lie down.


fourth: throughout all my training with ryoko, i haven't had any sciatica problems, but with yoga lying down is really hard for me. i need to have my knees bent, or legs splayed, and then i just get fidgety after awhile. it's just really uncomfortable and painful on my back.

all in all, an ok experience. i think i will try and use a few more of the 15 visits...since it didn't kill me, it'll just make me stronger, right! what a day...2 workouts! good for me :-)

3 month update

so, it's been 3 months since i started my exercise regimen, and i met with ryoko for our 8th and last session today. after 3 months, here's how i've measured up:

bust: -3.25
chest: -2.25
waist: -3.25
hips: -2.25
thighs: -1.00

i'm pleased to see results, and i'm glad for the measurement tracking. i hop on the scale, but the number hasn't changed in awhile...but losing fat, gaining muscle. hard to track that :P

now i'm left to my own will. i really do want to see some weight loss, but our healthy eating sort of fell apart. there's always some dinner or function to go to, playoff games to watch, etc. etc. there's never a good time to "eat healthy". so instead, i'll try and focus on portion control and resisting food after dinner.

a new plan

seriously, i don't know what my problem is. i was doing great in january & february, and i'm still trying to get over my big march slump. i've lost interest in exercise. so, i have a new plan. every day i will get up and exercise. 30 minutes of cardio. that's it. then i'll go to work, do my thang, come home for dinner. then 2 (or 3) nights a week i will hit the gym for strength training - ususally happens on a monday/wednesday/friday. in support of my "new plan", i am buying an ipod shuffle. or nano. i don't know yet. i really like the radio feature on the nano, and who doesn't love the touchscreen? but i'm not sure if it's worth $100 extra. on the other hand...i only have 2 more sessions with ryoko and then i'm left to my own devices. i might need the "fun" features of the nano just to keep me interested in exercise. bottom line, i just need some fun and groovy music to keep me going. i find that starting at myself in the mirror while i do my "sumo squat" and bicep curl/lunges whilst counting to 20 repeatedly is NOT working for me. i have also re-started my food/exercise tracking on myfitnesspal. once i fell off that wagon i really didn't care what i was eating. so now to see an estimate of my caloric intake will be a kick in the pants to stop (some of) the snacking. at least zumba sunday continues to be a success! my mom and i might even try to squeeze in a friday night zumba class...but scheduling around HER social life plays a factor in this ;)

fail!

ok, so from my 8 pound, 10 inch "high", i've sunk to my low. i definitely have a monthly cycle...2 weeks are great, then along comes pms and the desire to eat everything in sight. i haven't dared to jump on the scale for fear of how much weight a person can gain in 1 week. i feel like in the past week i've derailed everything i've worked so hard for. i'm meeting ryoko on wednesday morning so i'll have to get back on track. it's brutal...i feel guilty, i feel fat, yet today i ate more chips and drank more pop.

on the other hand, i haven't re-gained the 10 inches...my "old" black pants still fit me, and are actually fitting even worse...with new saggy areas from my weight loss :P that in itself is also depressing because it means i`m at an awkward size...not old size, but not worthy of a new wardrobe yet in case i do lose more weight.

i'm gonna have to research the type of eater i am. i'm definitely an emotional eater, but i'm also an impulse eater. i am the worse. ugh. i'm gonna curl up and go to bed. even worse...tonight i'm going to bed on a full stomach.

at least i`m going to zumba in the morning...there`s a light at the end of this bleak tunnel!

2 inches!

i'm 1/2way through my sessions with ryoko, and she changed my program. i thought i was going to die this morning. my arms were shaking, my legs were shaking...it felt like torture. but at the end of it, when she asked if there was anything unreasonable or exercises i didn't like, i had nothing to say. now it's game time. i have to really dig deep to work through my program. but knowing i've lost 8 pounds this year, AND i've shed an average of 2 inches (pretty much from all my measurements from head to toe!), it's a really great motivator. i am determined to keep this up!

in addition to the program change, i'm now only seeing her every other week. we'll see how the next 2 weeks go and if i can keep up the pace. once my 8 sessions are over, i'll be on my own! it's a pretty scary thought, so as i was driving home this morning i decided i NEED that extra push. i'll probably need to check-in with ryoko once a month and get her to help with new exercises to keep my workouts interesting, challenging, AND results-driven!

happy happy tres!

little black pants

i have to say it...holy shit again! last fall, i bought 2 pairs of black pants at a gap sale. when i bought them, they fit just a little snug. then i put them away and forgot about them until christmas, only to discover they no longer fit AT ALL! i was mortified.

well, after discovering my 8 lb weight-loss, i tried on my black pants, and THEY FIT! they're not tight, not snug, but PERFECT! i'm in black pants heaven right now! now all i need is to get them back from the tailor... :-)

GREAT weekend!

after 8

holy shit...i'm finally losing weight! i actually don't even notice any difference yet, but the scale can't lie, right!? from my heaviest weight (ever - not counting pregnancy) earlier this year, i have lost 8 pounds! i am actually obsessed with weighing myself...really bad habit...but today was definitely a celebration! i stalled at 4-5 pounds for a really long time...and being sick didn't help...but i am so glad to see some results. it really does validate the changes i've made this year.

i think one of the hardest things i've done is cutting out snacks after dinner. after 8 p.m., there's no more eating. i do break that habit on occasion...i find i'm a little peckish after my evening workout so sometimes i'll have a piece of fruit - banana, apple, orange - whatever's easy and healthy.

this past wednesday ryoko changed my workout regime. she's noticed that i'm definitely getting stronger (whoo-hoo!), so it's time for new challenges. she kicked my ass! i was worried about the "day after pain", but it never developed...my body is definitely adapting well to consistent exercise. for me, getting to the gym is half the battle, so having a trainer to check-in with on a regular basis has been great!

my man's on board!

FINALLY! after all the harrassing and nagging, chris is finally on the wagon :-) last week he surprised me by going to the gym and working out twice! i'm very proud of him, and now we are both on the same page and aiming for a better lifestyle.

that's not to say we're perfect...far from it! i fell off the wagon over the weekend and ate a cinnamon bun with extra icing. not to mention my morning timmy's trips for a double-double. but after 2 great workouts this past week, i'm kicking my butt in shape again...back to granola bars and green tea to get me through the mornings!

holy crap!

seriously, how can you not be interested in a food called holy crap! i discovered it on my choices nutrition tour, and i saw it again at whole foods. so i bought a bag, and the rest is history. i had 1 tbsp for breakfast on my liberte organic strawberry yogurt. i wasn't completely convinced that i would enjoy it, nor did i think it would fill me up until lunch. truth be told, it isn't completely filling, but i do like it. i'm going to try adding some extra raisins to it, or add it as a topper to my cereal.

i'm almost finished my first bag of holy crap, and i'll need to re-stock soon. this week my goal is to prepare my healthy shopping list to take advantage of my 10% off coupon at choices.

i`m back on track with exercise, hitting the gym last wednesday and friday. going back was really difficult...i literally dragged my ass there, but i did it. and i`m back on track and seeing ryoko on wednesay at 6 a.m. yikes! i`m dreading the ass-kicking in store for me :(

healthy on hiatus

on sunday we noticed that gabe had a runny nose, and the lok household went downhill from there. gabe was fully sick on monday, and i caught it by monday night (but not until AFTER i got in my workout!). i had to cancel my appointment with ryoko for this week...good thing cuz this a.m. i was MISERABLE! i am full-on sick, and am suffering. no exercise plans until zumba sunday.

funny thing, at my parents on tuesday i was telling my mom that i go to zumba. she had heard of it, and is now planning on going with me! i was telling her it's a great class and there are a lot of older people who attend it. should be fun with my mom!

and now i'm off to bed for much-needed sleep. advil cold & sinus, here i come!

rough weekend :(

oy. this was a really really bad weekend.

friday: we went for all-you-can-eat sushi for ivan's birthday. i went a little bit overboard and ate even once i was full. to make up for it, i hit the gym after gabe went to bed but it only made me feel worse...i went straight to bed afterwards.

saturday: breakfast was fine. i had a light lunch since i knew there would be snacks at aly's birthday. i tried to restrain myself at the party, but sandra made a delicious avocado/salsa dip and once i started, i was addicted! that night we had the staff dinner for the shop, with a full-on 10 course chinese dinner. dinner was a bit long, and i was exhausted so i ended up caving in and had a glass of coke.

sunday: GREAT zumba class...i'm finally getting all the moves down and i LOVE the music the instructor plays. we hit granville island for a beautiful sunday outing, and i smartly chose fish & chips for lunch :P then as we were wandering around trying to figure out our dinner plans, chris found a canada prime steak with beautiful marbling :( all i can say was at least we showed some restraint and shared one steak.

and now a new week begins...time to get back on track. i`m sure i`ve just re-gained the 5 pounds that i lost earlier this month :(

wrong wednesday

so wednesday was wrong for a couple reasons:

• instead of running errands (i.e., grocery shopping), i took gabe to the aquarium. yah for gabe! not so good for me...as i was prepping dinner i realized why i needed to go shopping. we were out of brown rice AND i had no cereal for breakfast the next morning.
  
• i've been raving to everyone about my sunday zumba class because it is SO MUCH FUN! i went off in search of other zumba classes, and found one at renfew community centre. sadly it is NOT the same as at bonsor, it was more aerobics moving to a latin beat with a few cha-cha steps thrown in for good measure. the instructor was also sort of random, running around the class like she was a rock-star trying to pump up the arena. to irritate me further, i was so gung-ho about the class potential that i bought a 10 class pass. so now i'm stuck with it, all because i could save $3 over the drop-in rate. stupid stupid stupid.
  
• after being irritated about wrong wednesday, i messed up further, and binged after 8 p.m. i ate 2 cups of hickory sticks (ok, 1 cup was eaten for afternoon snack), then i had 3 (styrofoam) rice cakes with salsa. i only felt slightly guilty about it afterwards...

however, despite all the bads, i did have a great session with ryoko in the morning. after wrong wednesday, i'm back on track and ready to make up for it. looking forward to a great friday workout!

salba: the 3 day challenge

what is salba?


"Salba® is the richest whole food source of Omega 3 fatty acids and fibre found in nature. Every serving (12 grams or approximately 2 flat tablespoons) of Salba® provides over 2,400 mg of Omega 3s, over 4,500 mg of dietary fibre, with less than 0.5 net carbohydrates per serving. Gram for gram, Salba® provides six times more calcium than whole milk, three times more iron than spinach, and fifteen times more magnesium than broccoli. Salba® is all-natural, has no trans-fats, is gluten free, has almost no carbohydrates, and is certified Non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)"


as part of the samples from my nutrition tour at choices, included was "take the salba 3 day challenge".


day 1: add 12 g (approx. 1.5 tbsp) of salba to your cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, smoothie, or simply wash it down with water or juice. you will feel the exhilaration of having completed your task for day 1, and the joy that comes from giving your body such incredible nutrition. after breakfast you will feel full for a longer period of time without experiencing any bloating or distension in your stomach.


day 1 was on sunday, so i added salba to my yogurt and still had my bowl of cereal too. then i went off to zumba class, and then we ran some errands. it was a busy morning, so i was pre-occupied and therefore my focus wasn't on my next food source, and i truly wasn't hungry. day 1 was a success!


day 2: add salba to any breakfast food or continue to eat it on its own. if you are usually hungry by 11:00 and cranky by lunch, you will be amazed you are still not hungry by 12:30! by adding salba you have slowed your digestion and maximized the energy your body utilizes from the food you eat.


on day 2, i added it to my cereal (no yogurt today). work is really busy, so my mind was pre-occupied, BUT i was hungry by 10 a.m.! luckily i found a cherry & dark chocolate kashi bar in my desk to munch on :)


day 3: today is the last day of the challenge! energize your body by adding salba to your morning meal. today you will experience what a highly efficient 8:1 insoluble to soluble fibre can do for you: comfortable bowel cleanse and reduced food craving. all of this in only 3 days through a simple, natural and nutrient dense whole food!


on day 3, again i was hungry by mid-morning! this time i managed to tough it out and not snack on anything. i switched back to green tea, as opposed to the herbal teas (free samples at burrard stn!) i had last week, and i made it to lunchtime.


bottom line, the health benefits of salba are impressive. however, i just felt hungrier by mid-morning. soooo, i'll check out the other salba products at the grocery store and perhaps try them out. in the meantime, i've got my 7 grain kashi bars to keep me going! yum :P

withdrawal?

it finally hit me today...the withdrawal of all things bad. it started shortly after lunch and went downhill rapidly. in the hopes of feeling better, i hit timmies and got a small single/single. unfortunately it had the opposite effect and by the time i got home, i wanted to vomit :( so i had to bail on gabe's gymtime tonight...i just couldn't fathom a gym full of running screaming kids.

i popped some excedrin and sat in the dark while chris attempted to take gabe to the gym. unfortunately rush-hour traffic had them turning around as they wouldn't make it before the drop-in session filled up. so chris then tried to take gabe to our common room to kick a ball around, but gabe kept asking for me, so they came back up. so much for my rest!

fortunately the drugs are kicking in, and i've now had a bite to eat and am feeling so much better! just in time for me to go to the gym tonight :P good thing, otherwise this could have been the start of me "falling off the wagon" :)

nutrition, nutrition!

so i've been going to the gym for 3 weeks, i've had my first personal training session, and now i've met with a nutritionist and dietician at choices market. i really feel like january is setting the tone for a really healthy year and i'm coming out of the gate full force!


today's 2 hour 1:1 nutrition tour was really good. it started with a reuseable choices bag with a variety of samples and nutrition handouts, and the choices newsletter. when i first contacted christine about the nutrition tour she asked about any specific concerns i had. once we really get on track, i might go back again to get more inspiration for other food choices. today's goal was to get ideas to replace all the "bad" choices from our diet.


we went through the entire store, talking about serving portions, organic vs. non-organic, alternative meat choices (i.e. ground bison vs. ground beef), low-fat/fat-free options without the aspartame/artificial sweeteners, and how to read labels and make healthier decisions. it was a lot of information to take in, but i've already determined some areas we can experiment, starting with couscous and quinoa. i've also got some great ideas to jazz up plain yogurt, including dried (powdered) organic blueberries.


while shopping at choices regularly isn't in our budget, i will have to find the right balance for us. superstore has started carrying more "natural" products, and things like almonds (for my snack) or kashi cereals and bars can be purchased anywhere. brown rice and other grains and the "dirty dozen" produce i might be a bit more picky about and buy at choices or whole foods.


so much to think about and work on!

oh the pain!

wednesday's are my day off work, and what do i decide to do? meet with my personal trainer, ryoko, for a 6 a.m. workout! we didn't go too hard core, but she definitely pushed me...8-9 on a scale of 10. we focused on strength training as it helps burn fat. i worked my triceps, biceps, abs, quads...it was a good session. all i could think about was the pain i would feel the next day...i was convinced i'd have jelly legs. i was wrong. my arms and legs are totally fine...but my ABS are killing me! every time i laughed, i would end up clutching my stomach because of the pain :P


my goal is to do 2 strength-training sessions (3 would be ideal, including the session with ryoko), plus additional days of fat-burning cardio. i thought that increasing the intensity and speed of the elliptical machine and treadmill would burn fat faster, but it doesn't. i need to travel at a slower pace, but still get my heart-rate up using additional resistence.


since 80% of weight loss is what i eat, i'm also making reasonable changes to my diet. i try to stop eating after 8 p.m., but if i do get peckish, i have an apple or orange...something that i like but is also good for me (as opposed to the crap i would eat before). the white/brown rice combo's been working really well for the 3 of us. priscilla and i went out for lunch yesterday and my usual fare would be something like a burger and fries with a coke...instead gabe and i shared a turkey sandwich with dill potato salad and i had a glass of water. i'd say that's a step in the right direction :-)


i've also been eating breakfast at home...currently it's oatmeal crisp w/raisins...and because i'm not hungry when i get to work, i've stopped my trips to starbucks and tim hortons. i have kashi granola bars in my desk for a mid-morning snack, and i also pack along some fruit for the afternoon. to replace my coffee fixation, i now drink green tea throughout the day.

i will also pat myself on the back because i said no to several treats this week...timbits, candy, chocolate, pop...oh so many temptations. i will admit that i had a cupcake this morning, but after consultation with another "dieter", we found out the baker made them specifically "reduced fat"...less butter and sugar than a regular cupcake :-)

all-in-all, an excellent week! i'm looking forward to my friday night workout!

zumba!

"Zumba fuses hypnotic Latin and international rhythms with easy to follow moves to create a dynamic workout system that will blow you away. The class format combines fast and slow rhythms that tone and sculpt the body in an aerobic/fitness fashion to achieve a unique blended balance of cardio and muscle-toning benefits. Zumba utilizes the principles of fitness interval training and resistance training to maximize caloric output, burn fat and tone your body. A variety of styles are used in its routines, including Cumbia, Soca, Merengue, Salsa, African, Reggaeton, Flamenco, Funk and Bellydance. Zumba is a 'feel happy' workout that is great for the body and the mind."

i went to my first zumba class this morning...i couldn't believe how many ppl showed up for it! women, men, seniors, 30's, 40's, big/small, it was a class for everyone! definitely a good workout...i'm still feeling the burn! i was really clumsy at first with no rhythm, but once i started following the girl in front of me, i was doing a lot better. while it does interfere with "family" day, i hope to continue this as often as possible. there are other locations, but for $5.35 drop-in at bonsor, the price can't be beat (especially since i'm paying for fitcity also) :P

my other "first" this week will be my wednesday session with ryoko. all of our work together will focus on weight/strength training and i'm responsible for my own cardio. she's made me promise to exercise at least 3 times a week...otherwise, we're just wasting my money and both of our time. so far i'm off to a good start :)

the other area i need to work on is food nutrition. i'm trying to be more aware of portion size, but yesterday after cutting down, i ended up with a wicked headache and let gabe watch 1.5 hours of tv :( i've done ok today, but i notice that all i do is think about food...when is a good time for a snack, when's my next meal, i wonder what's in the fridge? i think the next month is going to be a real challenge as i try to set healthier goals for myself :(

to help me along, i have an appointment on saturday at choices with the nutrionist and dietician...i'm really looking forward to it!

fit city

so i joined fit city in basically for 2 reasons: first, it's a women-only facility, and two, it's close to home (my plan for the summer is to actually walk there and back PLUS a workout). gold's gym is across the street from us, but i've seen enough people coming and going to know it's a pretty intense place...i don't think any of those ppl have an ounce of fat on them!

i thought once the new year rolled around, fit city would be really busy and there'd be time limits on the cardio machines. but i was wrong. this is week 2 and i've always gotten a cardio machine i want and BONUS there's always a tv that i can choose my programming :-) it probably helps that i go after 8:30 p.m....not ideal for workouts, but that's what works for me.

i got really ambitious at my last workout and tried RUNNING on the treadmill. ok, so it was more like a really slow 1 minute JOG that i interspersed between 8 minutes of walking. i actually felt pretty good and thought i'd try doing it again today. so NOT happening...i'm just not cut out for it and i should probably consult with my doctor and/or a trainer before i even think of doing that again. in the meantime, i don't mind the eliptical machine :)

only 2 workouts this week...i didn't want to drive in the snow last night. i might try and work out after my personal trainer appt on friday...we'll see.

no new recipes to report...nothing overly healthy on the menu this week. stews, ribs, blah blah.

what a weekend!

ok, so the entire weekend was a write-off for healthy eating. sunday we had our annual dim sum with our friends, and yes, i enjoyed all the deep-fried goodness they served :-) for dinner i made tuna casserole with catelli smart macaroni. i really didn't know the difference between the whole wheat pasta vs. the smart pasta. which leads me to my next discovery.


choices market offers free nutrition store tours! i don't know all the details, but just the description alone is intriguing. while i was surfing the site, i also discovered new year, new you individual nutrition consultations. i might try that one out, too...we'll see what i can schedule in first.

no exercise on the weekend, but i did do a 40 minute cardio workout on monday night.

personal trainer?

to further assist in my quest to become fitter and healthier, i am consulting with a personal trainer this week. i really need help to figure out what exercises are best for me to focus on full body weight loss and core conditioning. i'd rather not just randomly do cardio for the sake of burning calories...i want to maximize everything i do. hopefully after the consultation we'll be able to start scheduling workouts over the next couple months. after that, we'll see what happens.

i sort of slipped on friday...after my healthy breakfast, i was hungry by 10 a.m. so i ended up eating my veggies & guac early. so i was left snackless in the afternoon...hence, i ended up at big orange for a bubble tea :P obviously there were healthier alternatives, but after my bean salad lunch, i said screw it! and girls night was definitely a food bust...duck carpaccio, fried chicken & gravy, burrata & prosciutto platter, chocolate stuffed fritters w/creme anglais! it was an evening of eating bliss :-)

today wasn`t exactly a stellar day either...i had a piece of (leftover) teriyaki chicken for breakfast, lobster ravioli for lunch, (more) bean salad for snack, and then chinese dinner with chris`parents. i did cut down on the rice at dinner and ate more of the lettuce, fish and tofu. but still, i ate too much again :(

there you have it...all the gory details of my food indulgence. and there`s more eats again tomorrow at yum yum dim sum!