And then there were 3.4...

Zowie! Down 1.6 this week. That was unexpected, especially after my Blizzard bonanza last week. I didn't even pay attention when I weighed in, since I was bracing for a possible gain. The receptionist nicely said "you're doing well" as she handed me my closed weigh-in book. I risked a peek in the car and thought "holy crap! Where'd that come from?"

3.4 pounds to go until 100 lost and I'm feeling like the countdown to Christmas is on! Which it is... I suppose... being as it's November 18th, but that's not what I mean, lol. I am very excited to be at this point. Very excited to be in the process of figuring this whole thing out. Learning how to maintain this loss without going to extremes. Sometimes it's a struggle, sometimes it's not. Sometimes it's a steep dive into pizza, or a Blizzard, or a few Lindor chocolates *cough*like tonight*cough*.

Anyway, at present it's been going pretty well despite my indulgences, which are a smaller part of the whole picture. Most days I eat nutritious foods, and, although I'm still not exercising as consistently as I'd like, I'm actively working on it.

The bathroom is still not done. Here's a picture of the cabinet and vanity while being built in the wood shop where I work. That's the wall cabinet on the workbench, and the carcass of the vanity down on the floor on the right.



As of tonight they're in my living room waiting for me to finish, which will occupy my exercise time and space for a few days anyway. Hmm, at least I can't eat and paint at the same time... well, probably not... can I?

Actually, the bathroom taking shape is a bit like Christmas, too.

More Christmasiness (yes, it's part of my vocabulary): I managed to get my H1N1 shot today. Not sure how H1N1 is affecting where you live, but where I work 2 people have been hospitalized with it so far. One of them for more than 2 weeks. I was glad to finally qualify.

Also this week, I was contacted by CNS Stores to review a product. I hadn't heard of CNS before, but have since learned that they sell all kinds of stuff, like dining room furniture and counter stools (yeah, I have a professional interest in these since my workplace builds and sells these products too) as well as items which are of interest to those of us who are health/weight conscious. It's one of those products that I will review in a post in the near future. I'm keen to try anything that might be a useful tool when it comes to living a heathy life!

Go big or stay home

I should have stayed home.

I've been craving something sweet and over the top for a week. A big piece of cake or a gooey pastry or an ice cream sundae. For days I held it off, telling myself that I would regret it, and that whipped cream and a cherry probably wasn't the solution to whatever it was I really wanted.

Yeah, well.

Last night we ate a meal out, then went to visit my Mother-in-law( who is doing really well after her surgery less than a week ago, pretty much her regular self.) On the way home, I suggested DQ. My husband was not adverse to the idea, so off we went. He was going to be moderate and get a cone, but I wanted a Reese Blizzard (over the top!), so he got a Blizzard too.

I enjoyed it. Every last bit of it. I even threatened to tear apart the cup to lick the insides. Day one of my week and I had already used up all of my weekly allowance points. I said I would have to brace myself for a maintain or a gain next week.

I came home and looked up my Blizzard... 820 freakin' calories! 35 grams of fat! Oh noes! At that moment I did regret it and my tummy wasn't too happy about it either.

This morning the scale shows me up by 1.2 pounds. I was expecting worse and I'm sure it will go away soon, but I hate seeing a gain! Phooey.

Surprisingly, I don't regret the indulgence too much now. I should, I know. I should tell myself that I was bad, that it won't help me get to goal, that it won't help my cholesterol level (16g of saturated fat, I do regret that a bit). I should learn from this, and maybe I will, but I won't know for sure until the next time.

What I am telling myself is that it was a treat, that I eat well most of the time, that this will not hurt in the long run. All true.

I think my craving might have been triggered after I went grocery shopping last week. The stores are now full of their Christmas foods and displays, and every third song on the intercom was a Christmas tune. Every aisle cap featured a Christmas indulgence: tins of Cadbury biscuits, butter fudge, chocolate Santas, gingerbread houses, Quality Street chocolates, etc. I think my inner brat started a temper tantrum in aisle 3 that finally went into total meltdown last night.

Anyway, it's done, and I've just heard another "oh noes!" come from the kitchen where my husband has just stepped on the scale, so I do believe we are going for a brisk walk this morning before we head to the cenotaph for Remembrance Day.

This week I'm down another pound. I'm very happy with that, to say the least. My eating was great this week, but exercise is still lacking.

Last night we took a brisk walk after I got home from work, tonight is flyball practise, and the next two or three days will involve a lot of leaf raking and bagging. Our bathroom is still not quite finished, there is still some stuff in the sitting room, but I should be able to clear a big enough spot for a WATP video! So, I think I'm on my way in the activity department.

This week my 95 year old (yes, 95) mother-in-law had emergency gall bladder surgery. About 30 hours after the surgery, she was back in her own apartment determined to get around on her own. She's a little old lady if ever there was one, but she is strong and she is tough.

My M-I-L has always said that she will do what she can for as long as she is able. She gets in her daily exercise by walking up and down her apartment building's hallway with her walker. She knows the value of staying as active as she can, for as long as she can.

Good advice for anyone.

Over the Top

I received the Over The Top Award from Blendergrl

35 questions are involved ( there's always a catch! ;)


1)Where is your cell phone? In my purse.

2)Your hair? It's natural colour(s) after years of pasting chemicals onto my head

3)Your mother? Passed too soon.

4)Your father? next!

5)Your favourite food? Pizza was the first thing that popped into my head, I must admit.

6)Your dream last night? Don't remember.

7)Your favourite drink? Water, always has been.

8)Your dream/goal? To live a healthy life, emotionally and physically.

9)What room are you in? What we call The Office. The room where our computers are.

10)Your hobby? Flyball

11)Your fear? The dark, being left alone.

12)Where do you want to be in 6 years? With my husband.

13)Where were you last night? Home.

14)Something that you aren't? An extrovert.

15)Muffins? Ezekial English muffins. Other kinds of muffins, not so much.

16)Wish list item? A cleaning fairy.

17)Where did you grow up? Same town I currently live in.

18)Last thing you did? I ate breakfast.

19)What are you wearing? PJs

20)Your t.v.? Is turned off.

21)Your pets? 2 crazy border collies, 3 senior & sedate cats

22)Friends? Never enough.

23)Your life? Always changing.

24)Your mood? Variable ;p

25)Missing someone? Always.

26)Vehicle? Toyota

27)Something your not wearing? A smile.

28)Your favourite store? People have favourite stores?

29)Favourite color? Green.

30)Last time you laughed? Last night, playing with the dogs.

31)Last time you cried? On the weekend, rooting through old things, old memories.

32)Best friend? My husband.

33)One place that I go to over and over? Work. It's the only way they'll keep paying me.

34)One person who emails me regularly? Verrena.

35)Favourite place to eat? Home. I know what I'm eating, and it's always delicious.

Some people don't care for these things, so I'm going to skip the tagging part :)

Ever closer

Despite my Halloween face plant into the candy bowl, I'm down a pound this week and into a new weight decade.... Actually, my goal decade. Ooooh! Aaaah!

I can't quite wrap my head around it. I've actually lost 94 pounds? That doesn't seem possible. And yet, there it is.

Oh, and I did take the leftover candy to work, as I said I would. It didn't stick around like my husband's birthday cake.

Joe was thrilled. I felt one tiny "but it's MY candy!!" tantrum as I gave it away (along with a momentary urge to clutch the box to my chest and run), but seeing Joe with a fistful of Smarties made me happy. Seeing my coworkers also dive into the box like chocolate zombies told me that I knew it was for the best, as confirmed by the scale.

The morning after

I indulged in the candy last night! Hoo boy, did I ever. Three bags of Halloween Lays and many itsy-bitsy chocolate bars. Ugh. Oh, and we had Chinese takeout for supper, our Halloween tradition. I am feeling the sugar and sodium today. Yeah, I look a bit like the pumpkin there.

We didn't have as many Trick or Treaters this year (114 at final tally), so we have leftovers(!) Last night I stayed up after my husband went to bed (I've been having insomnia lately, usually getting up 3 hours early) and munched a handful. Note: I can't tell you how many because I didn't count, so I don't know. I wrote "Chocolate" in my food journal and in the quantity/point column I wrote "!" :p

I got up this morning and argued with myself: I cannot eat them, I cannot eat them, I cannot eat them, one won't hurt, NO! I cannot eat them. I don't want them, I do want them, I do! Take them to work for Joe (a little, old, mumbly man with a tremendous love for chocolate. Seeing Joe with chocolate makes everyone smile.) Just let them go, they're only candy. If you really need some later, I will buy you a chocolate bar. (Here's the sticking point. I won't, and my whiny-wants-the-candy-self knows it. Right now, there are chocolate bars in the house: special purpose chocolate bars that had special permission to come into the house. They are available to be eaten. Later I will not buy a chocolate bar and eat it because I won't want to then. And chocolate-loving me knows it, so it doesn't placate me. Yes, I'm crazy.)

Finally I stuffed them all into one box and my husband sealed it all up with packing tape, ready to go to Joe. The chips (not my nemesis) are also sealed in a box and squirreled away. They will be taken to our last flyball tournament of the season and thrown to the ravenous seagulls.

I feel quite at ease about it now. Can't wait for next year.

PS - Here's what my husband did instead of using the bathtub. He threw together some stocks out of leftover bathroom materials.

Happy Halloween

Note the blue jays eating the corn :)