I love Mondays

I have always loved Mondays - new week, new outlook, new attitude.  Monday mornings are my step class which I just love although I have been cutting my class in half the past few months - I do about 25 minutes of it and then hook up with Meaghan to do big muscle lower body.  That way I get the best of both worlds. I have really amped up my walking too - I've been averaging 15,000-17.000 steps/day and I think thats making a difference.  The weekends are still tricky for sure - I tried to be careful on Saturday at the cottage.  We had a big dinner party and the meal my sister in law served was amazing but sooo not healthy so I ate small portions of everything and didn't get seconds.  She did beef tenderloin, twice baked potatoes that just are soooo good (I had half of one) and her corn casserole which should be illegal its so good.  Dessert was an abundance of things but I stuck to the homemade rice crispy square and stayed away from the gooey brownies.  Her appetizers were to die for as well - huge cold shrimp - I tried to stick with those - had a few cheese and crackers, 1/2 crab cake.  Champagne.  But I looked at that whole meal and said to myself I probably indulged in half of what I normally would have and still enjoyed myself and thats all I can ask.  Tom and I were up early Sunday morning and we walked the dog for 50 minutes along the Lake Huron shoreline - got in almost 8000 steps just in that walk.  Plus Avah and I walked again last night.  So I'm definately moving more.
I think that everyone that is reading this blog is on Michelle Pfile's Support Group and honestly what an inspiring group of women. I just love going on there and seeing what everyone is doing and eating and recipes and suggestions….etc….Michelle has been the most amazing online coach.  Im anxiously awaiting my Shakeology to arrive this week and I just ordered PIYO so I'm excited to try something different - I'm not a huge workout at home gal but I think doing PIYO 3-4 times/week will be a great change.
So on with my week and I will let you know how the Shakeology goes.

Coming in to another weekend

We spend most of our weekends at my sister in laws cottage in Hillsboro and this consists of drinking a lot of champagne and wine, eating a lot of snacks and meals, sitting around visiting, suntanning etc….I decided to take a bit of a different approach this year starting last weekend.  I know that I am still going to eat the snacks and drink but I can modify it somewhat.  So last weekend for every glass of champagne I had, I had a glass of water in between so that cut my drinking down in half.  I tried not to sit myself right in the middle of the table where the snacks are kept and I definately helped myself to less than I normally would.  It helps that my sister in law is in awesome shape so I sort of watch her and eat when she does - lol - she knows that I am really motivated and trying to eat well so she planned a nice healthy meal on the weekend which was great.  And I cooked the other night and made grilled scallops, ribs (I don't eat ribs), a huge salad, a pasta salad and roasted asparagus.  The other change I'm making is to not just sit on my ass all day long at the beach - to get up and move more.  So this past weekend for the first time I went tubing behind the seadoo.  I went with my son and we had a blast - I never do fun things like that.
I plan on doing much of the same this weekend.  Lots of walks at the beach, lots of sea dooing.  My workout pal/trainer Meaghan is home from 3 weeks away (I missed her like crazy) and we did a great workout today - 15 minutes on the cross trainer and then a pretty intense back and chest workout.  I got 18.000 steps on my fitbit yesterday which was awesome for me.  So I feel like I'm back in the game.
Here's to a great weekend of nice weather, great eats and tons of movement.

Feeling great today

I woke up this morning for the first time in weeks feeling great and motivated and ready to tackle my next challenge.  I did 45 minutes of step class today to get in my cardio and my steps for my fitbit.  Then I did a quick 10 minutes of biceps and triceps which is really all you need for those small muscle groups.
I finally took the plunge after thinking about it for a few weeks and signed up for the 30 day Shakeology with the 3 day detox.  Crossing my fingers that I can do it, well actually I know I can.  If anyone has followed my blogs before you know I have tried everything…..I lasted only a few hours with Isagenix but I believe that Isagenix is not the choice for me.  I could never live on 2 shakes a day plus their weird packaged snacks.
My idea for shakeology is that it will replace my egg white omelette in the morning which I DETEST or maybe on days where I have the omelette it could replace my afternoon snack?  Need to ask Michelle about that one - afternoon snack is where I have the hardest time.
I feel like I've really got a good handle on the workouts now, the motivation is back so now if I can get the food in line I'm golden.  I was looking at myself in the mirror today at the gym and thinking god, I have the perfect boobs now that I've been waiting two years for - now lets get the rest together and I could have a banging bod.  Is the crap food really that worth it?  No way…..
I have a good dinner plan for tonight.  Grilled shrimp that I'm serving over my huge red leaf and vegetable salad with olive oil and Olive Me Pear Balsamic Vinegar, mashed cauliflower and spaghetti squash.

And once again for the cheap seats in the back….

Here I am again, so frustrated and annoyed that I am back in this position again.  This time I am 90% blaming the hormones, all the IVF and the estrogen - it has ruined my body.  I was doing so well maintaining all my hard work after Rita last year right up until this past Oct when I had my boobs done for the third time - old implants out, smaller ones put in.  Long story short it was a botched job and I was left with rocks in socks.  Depression big time.  I finally had them fixed once and for all at the end of Apr with a wonderful new surgeon and I'm thrilled with the result.  Now that my boobs are fantastic again, its back to the rest of my body which is in dire straits.  I'm back up to 140.2lbs and so upset about it.  I look awful again, puffy, not cute in a bikini, there is a layer of fat around my tummy and my legs look big.  I've been working out pretty steadily and eating 80/20 but nothing is happening.  I am frustrating the heck out of my friend Meaghan who I train with.  She can't understand why I can't just stop eating crap….and I can't understand it either.  I went back today and read my blogs from when I was with Rita and when I did the 2 week cleanse and how in those 2 weeks I lost 10lbs - bam….it wasn't easy, there were tears involved and detoxing and frustration but after it was over I was able to maintain that weight, add in more foods and felt great for a good 8 months.  So how do I do this again?  How do I make myself detox again?  Why can't I get the incentive to do this?  I am my worst enemy.  My goal is to get to 130lbs again and stay there and then have a wee bit of lipo done around my waist and back.  I know that if I just do this clean eating thing for the next week 2 weeks - no dairy, sugar, grains, fruit - I can get right back to my weight - now how do I make myself do it?
I'm just venting to myself because at this point I don't plan on sharing my blog - maybe with the Fit Pfile's support group but that is it.
I have all the toosl that anyone could ask for - this amazing chat group at The Fit Pfile's, a trainer that works me really hard, my friend M who also works me and is a great sounding board, pilates reformer once/week…I mean what else can a person ask for - well maybe a personal chef to actually serve me the meals and make sure I only eat good stuff…..lol…
Oh and I pretty much gave up diet pepsi which is huge for me.  I don't have it in the house any longer - so its a treat if I go someone and I have one - that happens maybe once/week.
Today I didn't even start the day off right -  I had a bowl of Vector which I crave sometimes….a girl can only eat so many omelettes…..gawd……did 30 minute step class and 30 minute glut/ham workout.  Lunch was a huge salad with red leaf lettuce, broccoli slaw, peppers, cukes, carrots, sprinkle of olive oil and pear balsamic vinegar….unfortunately there was also a handful of my kids bbq ringolos.  I haven't planned the rest of my day yet - the planning will start tomorrow.  I'm so sick of my excuses and little cheats here and there which don't seem like much but add up in the big picture.
Maybe by blogging on here I will make myself a bit more accountable.