Day 8 - this is so easy!

Monday completed Day 8 of my 90 Day Challenge. It was a gusty, windy day as Hurricane Sandy is ripping through. I can't complain. We saw damage from trees and wires being ripped down, but New Jersey and New York were posting pictures of the streets being thigh high in salt water. My thoughts are with all those who are victim of the storm.

I felt it was best to say home. I never worked out with my niece. I have to admit, I love the feeling after working out, but really dislike doing the actual work. I never realized how lazy I am before. I mean, I knew I was lazy - I just never knew I was this lazy.

I try so hard to not hop on the scale as I do get addicted. However, I had a peek last night as I won't be going to the doctor for two weeks.

I AM DOWN 7 LBS IN EIGHT DAYS!!!!!!!

Hmmmm ... I guess I'll give this working out thing another try this week.

Days 5-7...an AMAZING weekend!

Day 5 was Friday. It was a great day, but a topsy-turvy day. Everything I “planned” to do at work was changed in some way, shape or form. It was still a great day; however, didn’t flow as smoothly and timed out as I wanted. In the evening I was fully planning on the gym. Instead, my husband and I made the decision during dinner that we would get up at 5am on Saturday and head up North to see the trees change colour, go to an auction house, and to one of the many lakes in Algonquin Park. Since we decided this at 7:30 PM and I’d been up since 4 AM, it was time to hit the sack soon. I didn’t mind. I had been doing my cardio and working out with my niece all week.

Day 6 was Saturday. Oh WOW! It was such a jam packed and incredible day! We picked up my husband’s step-mom at 6:30 AM. The drive up north was so beautiful. I have to say that in town my favourite leaf colour is yellow in autumn. But when driving through the wooded areas it is definitely the rust colour. I was very surprised to see that a lot of trees were already completely bare!

After a full day of: driving (total six hours), a fun time at the auction (3 hours) a trip to the cottage, one of the most flavourful meals and enjoyable dinners out I’ve had in a VERY long time (at a place we thought was going to be a hole in the wall…until we walked in), and a trip to Algonquin Park (that was cut short because the road very abruptly became a lake that was too deep for our truck); we still came home and sat huddled around a heater on the back patio for over two hours visiting and laughing. It was such an amazing day!

I only managed to get one ViSalus shake in on Day 6 due to poor planning. I portioned out my shake and had it in a shaker cup and then forgot the cup. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Today is Sunday…Day 7. I’m about to have my Chocolate and Banana Shake and head out for groceries, then the gym, and finally to work. I don’t often work the weekends and my boss is a huge believer in work-life balance and ensures that we have our weekends off. However, I have a deadline for tomorrow and he suggested that if I work today I can take the time off to head to St. Louis, MO even earlier than Friday. Wooohooo!!! I can’t wait! ViSalus has presented me with so many opportunities that I never had before. You don’t have to travel with ViSalus, but I get paid to party and I LOVE travelling. What a perfect fit. Might as well take advantage of the opportunity when it’s there!

Day 4 down...and a secret revealed to some folks

Day 4 has come and gone in a blink of an eye. It was a very long day, yet it flew by…if that’s possible.

I was busy at work and texted my niece to say I would be running 10-15 minutes behind. I offered that if that was too late that we could reschedule – which we did. I intended on going to the gym and doing some cardio, but then I logged in to work from home. Oh how I love work and VPN access! However, I got carried away and next thing I knew it was close to midnight.

I feel like I should have worked out and I do miss it. I’m ok with missing it though as it is ok to have a day off here and there. But I don’t want this to become a habit. So tonight, I will hit the gym after work!

There are two other things I am tremendously proud of. Lately, I have been telling everyone how I am finally doing a new activity daily and it is making a HUGE difference in my life. Every morning I wake up and choose my mood. It’s something most, if not all, of us have heard at one time or another, but it truly works! Every single day I wake up and decide that nobody will be able to bring me down….and they don’t! I don’t get sucked in by someone else’s negativity. That is the mood THEY chose. So I figured that if I could do that, I could stick to others things. The two new things I have consistently done are: 1) drink enough water all through the day (this was a very difficult task for me in the past and I have to make a conscious effort in order to get this done). 2) I am now smoke free!  A very large number of you didn’t even know I was a smoker. After finding out I had cancer, I became a smoker. Makes sense, right? HA! That was after the first time I had cancer….then I’d quit….then I’d get cancer….then I’d start. Well, I never really enjoyed it for the last while and after a little rough patch and wanting to say “this is too hard, I’ll just have one”, I finally got over the hump. I’m not having nicotine fits! I also have come to understand the reality that I am not a person who can just have a social cigarette.

I don’t know how my mind has changed…how everything has finally clicked, but I do know that every ounce of me (and that’s a LOT of ounces) is on board with this! This is my time to shine. I have made some incredibly positive changes in my life and it is all coming together: an absolutely incredible working environment; incredible Vinancial opportunities (get it? ViSalus + Financial….I just came up with that); and a new healthy lifestyle.

Who wants to join me on this journey? This is the best I have ever felt mentally, emotionally, financially and health wise. Well…health wise is coming along….it’s on the right track!

Day 3 - here it comes....

I was supposed to do 30 minutes of cardio last night and instead went out for dinner with my niece's parents and my husband. As I was telling her dad "your daughter is trying to kill me" it hit me....I was actually looking forward to Thursday night - my next workout. Yes folks, that sweet feeling is coming back. The feeling of longing for a workout.

My boss will be relieved. He got to hear my rant on how much I hated my workouts and how awful they are. As he continued to laugh at me, he told me to "use that anger and put it into your workout". I actually have been doing that. For the first time, I understand what "get mad at it" means.

As we were chatting, I told my boss that the real reason I was getting so angry working out was due to my extreme level of laziness. I did not enjoy sweating and actually putting effort into lifting weights or doing squats and lunges. Yuck! Too much work!

After dinner, I felt guilty that I didn't do my cardio. Well, actually, part of me was scared that without it the next workout would be even harder. So I went home and power walked for 30 minutes.

I cannot believe that this horribly lazy body of mine can't wait to work out tonight! However, lets see what I think about it afterwards....

Day 2 down...I am SO lazy

Day 2 of the Challenge = Day 2 at the gym. This time we focussed mostly on arms and cardio. I really dislike working out. I wish you could bottle the feeling you get after a workout as well as the physical results you will achieve.

I don’t recall everything I did today. I used free weights and the elliptical. That’s pretty much all I recall. This is also part of the reason I have a trainer…so I don’t have to think.

Day 3 is my day “off” from the gym. I am going to have to force myself to go and do 30 minutes of cardio. I am trying to psych myself up now at 5:30 in the morning. It will be an all day process.

I just keep telling myself “remember how you hated working out when you started last time? And then you loved it and wanted more? That will happen this time too!!” But I don’t think I am really listening or buying into it.

Don’t get me wrong, I WILL stick to this. I DO love the feeling after my workout and I KNOW I will soon love the accomplishments that I will see. I’m just such a lazy, lazy person.

I know this blog was all whiny, but I promised that I’d be honest and tell it like it really is. Just think, in a month I will be complaining that I only worked out once in a day and not three times. Well…maybe not, but you see what I am saying.

Day 1: PLEASE say it gets easier!

Day One of my Challenge was easy and difficult. I found it very easy to stick to ViSalus; however, my workout was a killer and quite difficult!

My Vi-Shakes today were both mixed with orange juice.

My niece and I will be working out 2-3 times per week together as long as I keep up my end of the bargain of doing 30 minutes of cardio on the other days. It sounded like a deal - until today. I am wondering if I will be able to move tomorrow.

She certainly didn’t ease me into working out!

-          5 minutes of cardio

-          120 wall push ups

-          80 squats

-          80 travelling lunges

-          80 supermans on a ball

-          90 crunches while tossing an 8 pound ball and catching it again during crunches

-          (the above were divided into sets that I did 4 times each)

I did not like any single moment of working out today. I went with a positive attitude and I truly did give it my all. My niece did recognize that and told me a couple of times how she was impressed that I was really pushing through everything and giving it my best effort. So I did try my hardest, but I certainly did NOT enjoy any of it. Not one bit.

Well guess what? 1.5 hours later and I feel incredible. I feel better than I have in ages! I look forward to that feeling again tomorrow….and I will still go in with a positive attitude. Though, at this time, I’m not thinking I will be loving it any time soon.

This is was I need though. I NEED a trainer/work out partner. I NEED someone to keep me going. I am so blessed to have my niece helping me out. She is my favourite ViSalus transformation story and I will be her favourite workout transformation story! You wait and see!

This is NOT failure! I still won!

I know it has been quite a while since I’ve updated my blog. There has been a lot going on and I chose to focus on work and my health for the last few weeks.  

The short story….earlier this month, I had a tumor removed. I wasn’t the least bit nervous leading up to the surgery. Not even the day I had surgery. Truthfully, my biggest thought was “I hope I am ok to go back to work the next day” (which I was). However, that’s all I thought about afterwards…wondering if they got it all…wondering if I would need further treatment…dreading going through this alone with only my husband’s support (which I am so grateful for!). Not to worry! They got it all! No further surgery or treatments required! WOOHOO! 

During these last few weeks, I was also taking a prescription which had the side effect of weight gain. Grrrrr. I gained 4 pounds. It’s all good! The medication is completed and I can go back to staying focussed on losing the weight I desperately need to lose! 

If you recall, my original 90 Day Challenge was to lose 35 pounds. I was on the right track. At the beginning of the month, I was down 27!!! Now, with the gain, I am still down 23! AWESOME!!! With six days left of the Challenge, I won’t be losing the 12 pounds that I would need to lose in order to meet my goal of being down 35. Therefore, I am going to stop my 90 Day Challenge and start a new one on Monday.  

This is NOT defeat. I do NOT feel like I failed. I feel so proud of myself for losing the 23 that I lost!!  

For my next 90 Day Challenge, I will be working out again often. My niece (who is my transformation inspiration) will be helping me. I am so lucky! She is going to be working out with me 2-3 times per week if I commit to doing at least 30 minutes of cardio the other days. DEAL!  

For those who don’t know my niece, I’ve included her before and after pictures below. She is one of many of my customers who have achieved amazing results with ViSalus. Of course, those who combine exercise with the ViSalus Shakes see the best results and my niece worked hard at the gym. But look how it paid off! 

So, starting tomorrow I am on Day 1 of my 90 Day Challenge. Coincidently, I am also working out with my niece on Day 1. 

 

This time, I do not have a weight loss goal; nor body fat goal; nor inches lost goal. I know for a fact that I will decrease body fat; lose weight and lose inches. So, this time, my goal is to be able to go up the stairs at Union Station and NOT be puffing and panting on the train. Ugh…I hate that feeling. 

 

Anti-Bullying Month! (post includes "LOLs" - sorry)

This is a long read, but I really hope it reaches at least one person who takes the time to read it. I have something extremely personal to share and YES – it will be a shock to ALL my family and friends. October is a special month. It is my Anniversary AND it is National Anti-Bullying month. (I am passionate about wanting bullying to STOP!!) Why do both go hand in hand? 

 Well…for one, my husband and I have endured so much over the past ten years. We had several miscarriages; my cancer; dealing with the reality that we cannot have our own children; deaths in the family; pneumonia; living apart for over one year due to work; and just last week, I found out I had a tumour that needed to be removed ASAP. I took a vacation day on Tuesday from work and had surgery (they got it all thank goodness!) and returned to work Wednesday. Not a soul knew.

 I mention this to say “10 years!!!” 10 years we’ve stuck together through thick and thin (hopefully I will be thin again one day…LOL!)

 But I also say this to drive home another point. You NEVER know exactly what someone is dealing with in life. You will NEVER know how hurtful your words or actions can be. Don’t be so quick to judge! STOP BULLYING! I wasn’t bullied over this…that isn’t my point. My point is, none of you knew what we were dealing with. What makes you think you know what others are dealing with? BE KIND!!! SMILE!!! And enjoy life!

 On a funny note…I took a vacation day for surgery and returned to work the next day and no one knew. But today I am off work because of Bronchitis???? LOL. Seems silly when I say it out loud….but I can’t laugh – it hurts to breath :(