Strike a pose

I strive to have this form one day:)

Today was my first gentle yoga class.  I thought that the hour flew by.  I surprised myself because when I attempted to do yoga on my own, I found that I could barely do any poses. Forget about holding them.  The instructor was good and I found her voice to be soothing, in a very non-annoying way.  This is a good thing because I get put off so easily by stupid stuff, like voices...or laughter (ie: the nervous kind).  You know, stuff that people have absolutely no control over!

I think that yoga will help me with my running.  I need more flexibility and to become more aware of my breathing.  My premonition did not come true.  I pictured me and Enz in a class with 10 seniors in different stages of immobility.  Truth be told, that would have been amusing and maybe I was just a little disappointed there was not one senior there.  We weren't even the youngest ones there!  There were women of all shapes, sizes, ages and skill level there.  I'm definitely looking forward to going back.

Last night I ran...in the snow, sleet and rain.  Talk about dedication!  We did 3 and 1's and ran/walked for a total of 3k.  I was soooooo relieved I could run for 3minutes straight and not fall over.  I actually did pretty good, if I do say so myself.  I kept right up with Beverly who had recently broken her tail bone.  In my defense, she's a pretty fast runner.  But on the downside...she broke her tailbone less than a week ago.  Hey, I say that slow and steady wins the race!  I'm a hare, but I'll get faster as I drop more weight.

I found this recipe that I'm gonna be trying out.  I need to purchase a whole chicken on my shopping trip tomorrow.  If you have a few minutes, check out this guy's website.  He's developed Paleo recipes, but I find that several of them can be easily altered to become either phase 1 or 2 Dr. Poon approved.  I'm still mostly on phase 1, so I'll not be returning the chicken to the crock pot after it's been shredded.  I'll likely just serve it with a phase 1 friendly vegetable and use the leftovers for salads.  I think it will still be VERY flavourful.  I'll get back to you after I make it.

To briefly revisit my last post where I talked about "why now".  I had the dream again.  The dream first happened last summer.  I dreamt that I was in good physical shape and I could feel my muscle and bones without the barrier of any excess fat.  It was this dream that also triggered my desire to get in shape.  I felt so good in the dream and it felt so real, that I definitely wanted to strive for that feeling again. I had the dream several times and had it again this past week.  I'm not a particularly spiritual or religious person, but maybe it was a premonition.  Only time will tell.  I'm currently not "fit" like I am in the dream, but that is what I aspire for.  To be fit, flexible and able to run 5k.

Running up that hill

I would be completely remiss if I did not mention the outpouring of support, input, advice etc. in regards to my last blog post.  I received numerous, and much appreciated, emails and comments on the subject.  My heartfelt thanks to all!  I would like to thank Angie once again for making me see the serious errors of my ways and righting me.  As well as for giving me the material for my last blog post.  My previous two blog posts have become my most popular EVER.  I also must give a holla to Allan over at Almost Gastric Bypass.  His eloquent rebuttal to my previous post is definitely worth the click (and then some).  If you haven't already been over there,  read Allan's refutation of the situation here.  Everyone's advice, input and opinions were received with gratitude and  respect.  Thanks again to one and all.

Moving on now.  Wednesday marked the end to my first week of my "learn to run" clinic through the Running Room.  For the first week we were doing sets of 2 minutes walking and 1 minute running.  We were supposed to do the same set on Wednesday but because our running group is so small, we were put with the group a week ahead.  So I had to do one minute walking and one minute running...a session early!  Initially I was a bit freaked out and anxious that I was going to be left behind, but I must say, the older group was perpetually in the back.  And, I survived doing one and ones.  Now I have a whole week to worry about whether or not I can do sets of 1 minute walking and 2 minutes running.  It really does get easier every time I go.  And I can totally see how running becomes addictive.  After each practice run, I'm so full of adrenaline and awe that I actually did it, that I can't wait to do it again.  Looking forward to tonight's clinic already!

I'm not sure where my weight is right now.  I can only say that I have been following phase 1 of Dr. Poon's religiously.  I take a bit more carbs just before I run (usually in the form of a protein bar), but other than that, I'm on track.  I tend to not weigh between official weigh-ins because then I become obsessed with the scale.  I do know that I now comfortably fit into regular 16's (pants) and that plus 14's are too big for me.  This happened over the last two weeks.  Who knew that there was such a big difference is plus sizes versus regular sizes.  That being said, I no longer have to shop in plus sized stores.  That's a NSV (non-scale victory) I'm really excited about.  I can now pay lower prices for clothes like other "regular" sized people.  The price of plus sized clothing is always more expensive.  Just another reason to keep on track!  I'm determined to never have to shop in a plus sized store again.

Due to my schedule, I don't have an appointment to see Dr. Pitt for a weigh-in until March 27th.  That's three weeks between weigh-ins.  I'm curious to see if I can truly stay off the scale until then.  Shouldn't be a problem.  I can see significant changes in my body every week.  New bones sticking out here and there, being able to fit into a pair of pants I couldn't get over my hips the previous month.  You know, the real significant stuff.  Enz has joined a yoga class with me that we start at the end of the month.  I really need to work on my flexibility and my toning.  Considering the fact that I am an admitted exercise hater, I now run three times a week and will begin a fourth day of exercise in the form of yoga in a couple of weeks.  And I still take the stairs religiously.  Not too shabby for a former couch potato.

Tuesday with Mildred

I've been meaning to post all week, and finally found time right now to give you an update!  I went to see Dr. Pitt on Tuesday for my weigh-in.  In an effort to get me in and out of his office and off to work in record time (since all I was doing was getting weighed and having my blood pressure taken), Dr. Pitt invited me to sit in his office while he readied room 4 for me.  He wants me to always get weighed in room 4 for consistency.

So, I hear him moving the scale to the middle of the small examination room, he pops his head out the door and calls me in.  As I'm approaching the room, he says "Don't mind Mildred, she's here for her physical and doesn't mind you coming in at all".  So Mildred is this sweet, blue haired elderly lady sitting on the examination table wearing a laced up smock.  She has a huge smile for me and the three of us squeeze into the examination room.

Mildred says, "I promise not to look" and hides her eyes behind her hands.  Dr. Pitt weighs me and announces that I lost 5 pounds.  Mildred cheers like I just hit a home run during a world series game.  I never thought someone so tiny could make such a racket!  I thank her for the congratulations, and tell her that in her excitement, her smock has started to fall off her solider.  She smiles and starts making small talk with me.  I can't be rude, so I answer her questions while the smock threatens to fall off her shoulder completely.  After answering all her questions to her satisfaction and listening to her stories about her toy poodle Mr. Bojangles,  I politely say goodbye, straighten the shoulder of her smock and ask her to give her bridge club my best.

As I walk away, I hear her say to Dr. Pitt "What a lovely young girl...and so pretty!"  What a great lady.  She is my newest favourite person.  First because she called me lovely and YOUNG!  I may be half her age, but I'm not 16.  And she said I was pretty.  I know she's in her 80's and looked like she had cataracts, but I'll take it!  Any confidence booster is appreciated!  Thanks Mildred, your a sweetheart!

The humour of this situation was not lost on me.  Dr. Pitt kills me.  This latest episode did not surprise me because he has done stuff like this in the past.  When I went to Cuba in the 90's and got bitten by sand fleas, he called me into the next examination room to show my calves to a man who thought that he had a rash.  It turned out he had bed-bugs and he wanted to compare the bites to show him the similarities.  That was a bit embarrassing since due to the scabs on my calves, I couldn't shave, so had hairy, scabby legs.

I'm officially half way there.  I've lost just over half the weight I need to.  Again, I'm really pleased with myself because I never thought I would get here without medical intervention.  Never in a million years did I think I would get here on my own.  What I have been doing since September (metabolic diet) and what I have learned about my metabolism has been a real eye opener and I truly believe I have learned the tools to keep this weight off forever.  I know that if I do gain weight in the future, it is because I'm eating too much of the wrong things.  It's not because I ate too much sodium or because I have my period, it's because I have ingested more calories than I have burned off.  Simple, common sense.

I started my journey wearing a size 22/24 and I currently wear a 14.  I have not kept any of my bigger clothes like I have in the past.  I think that by doing that, I was giving myself permission to gain back weight.  I'm counting on my size dropping again in the next couple of months as Enz and I begin our running clinic (tomorrow).  We're also joining yoga through a local recreation centre which starts at the end of the month.  I have a feeling I'm gonna be sore on Monday because Enz emailed me and asked me to do the 30 Day Shred with her on Sunday after our run.  Wait!  That's Jillian Michaels isn't it?  I've already established that she's a sadist...so I just know I'll be hurting!

Phase two follies

Well I went to see my family doctor yesterday for my weigh-in.  I was one day shy of not being weighed for three weeks.  That is a LONG time.  Over the last three weeks, I have lost a whopping....drum roll please....one pound.  That's right, I said one pound.  I know, I know.  What happened to my 5 pounds every two weeks record.  I kept that up for a while.

Well I take full responsibility since I know exactly what I have done over the last few weeks.  I had a drinking evening with friends, I've been eating a lot phase 2 veggies (and not following the serving size restrictions) and I've also eaten more phase 2 carby stuff, and some phase 2 snacky things.  And most importantly, I stopped keeping a food journal for a couple of weeks.

I never full out cheated (meaning that I still have not had any processed carbs or sugar), but that's not the point.  I lost a bit of momentum and maybe I needed a bit of break.  Even though nothing like bread or pasta or rice or sweets or chips or anything like that has touched my lips, I have been sloppy with my diet.  And even though on phase 2 I'm allowed 8oz of wine in one day, on my drinking night, I had like 48oz!!!!!!  Yeah, I went a bit overboard, but I'm also exaggerating on the 48oz:)

So am I upset?  Nope.  Not even a bit.  I think I needed a bit of room to wiggle and now I'm good to go back onto strict phase 1 again.  I'm getting weighed in less than two weeks and I want to see the scale go down.  In two weeks today, I start the learn to run clinic with Enz.  I'm soooooooo excited.  We're also looking to sign up for gentle yoga with the local Parks and Rec.  So I really need to get my butt moving, and that will also help with the weight-loss.  On a positive note, I still do the stairs all the time!

I really hope that this is my yoga instructor...

I think I was getting lazy (and bored) with my meals and was making the same things over and over.  I have a bunch of new recipes to check out and I will start posting recipes again.  I was going to try some out this weekend, but new recipes will be delayed one more week because my hubby is away for the weekend and I have to keep the boy entertained.  So in order to get my weight-loss back on track, I have started back on strict phase 1 again, and I'm keeping my food journal again.  In a couple of weeks, I'll also be running three times a week.  I'm looking forward to seeing the changes once again!

Breaking up is hard to do

That looks nothing like Dr. Stephen or Jillian Michaels!
If only either one had such a prominent chin, or blue hair.

So, it's official.  Dr. Stephen and I have decided to part ways.  And not because of issues I have had with him in the past, but because the clinic I go to is closing.  It's the closest clinic for me, and the other 4 are waaaaaay out of my way.  So we are breaking up at the end of February on amicable terms.  I'm not sure how I feel about this.

On the one hand, he's made me angry more than once because I felt criticized and not supported a whole lot.  We did have a heart to heart today and he knows how he made me feel and I know that he was just trying to be supportive.  He called me a mystery because I loose the same amount of weight every visit and the amount of fat vs. water weight always fluctuates which confuses the hell out of him.  Even though I never change my eating habits or do anything different week to week.  I told him today and I told him before, I don't care if the 5 pounds I loose is fat or water.  It's five pounds lost!  Since starting the diet, I have not ever gained, which I think is testament to the fact that I have in fact, not cheated.

On the other hand, I like going in for "official" weigh-ins because it keeps me accountable.  So what to do?  Well we discussed and decided that I would see him 2 more times, then I would continue to be monitored monthly by my family physician Dr. Pitt.  I love Dr. Pitt.  He got excited if I lost a pound a month.  He's gonna wet himself when I visit him in March having lost 55+ pounds!  The only thing I'm not looking forward to is having the LONG wait.  Sometimes it takes over an hour to see him.

Well regardless, I feel good about being able to continue this diet on my own.  Dr. Stephen did build up my confidence today and told me that he knows I can do this on my own.  He was very sweet to me today.  And if I start to falter, I can go back to the clinic, I just have to drive farther.  When I go to the clinic every other week, I just get weighed, get yelled at for not bringing my urine (I always forget it on the back of my toilet-gross), get my blood pressure taken (which is normal by the way and I'm no longer taking meds), and sometimes get into heated discussions with Dr. Stephen about how I'm not cheating.  I think I can give that up:)

I've also broken up with Jillian Michaels.  This was a more abrupt and "I'll call you when I'm ready" kind of break-up.  I learned three things last night:

1. That Jillian Michaels is a sadist.
2. That I am the least flexible person I know.
3. That yoga should not be attempted by novices.

I still really want to learn yoga...properly.  I will take a "gentle" yoga class this spring when it's offered through my local Parks and Rec centre.  Gentle yoga is pre-beginner yoga.  The beginner yoga tape that Jillian Michaels put out is for the beginner with 5 years experience type of beginner.  I will use her tape, 5 years down the road.

So that's my update.  I lost another 5 pounds, joined the Running Room, and will be signing up for the Chocolate Race this weekend with my pal Enz.  I was texting my sister-in-law earlier today.  She's been a HUGE support to me and just wanted to wish me luck for my weigh-in.  She mentioned that she couldn't believe I joined the Running Room (and neither can I).  I told her about the marathon too and I said that I was either really motivated or really stupid.  I'm gonna stick with motivated:)

And after all, you're my Onederwall

I got a lot of feedback in regards to my post I did it my weigh.  I was overwhelmed by all the positive support.  I will talk to Dr. Stephen about how he makes me feel at my next appointment with him.  He really is a lovely man, and I know that he is trying to be supportive, but he needs to hear that I am doing the best that I can and I think I'm doing pretty damn well.  If he has quicker weight-loss aspirations for me, then we will have to agree to disagree.  I am not comfortable with losing more than 10 pounds per month.

Something I am still neglecting BIG time is my exercise regime.  And by neglecting, I mean I don't have one.  True, I take the stairs at work (always), and walk, even when it's uncalled for (ie: going with co-workers to get coffee so I can get the exercise and do the stairs), but I have no fixed fitness routine.  I need one.  The main reason why I don't exercise?  I hate it.  And by hate, I mean it is worse than having to give up all the food I love for the rest of my life!  Maybe that's a bit too harsh, but you get the gist, I don't like to exercise.  I hate the gym, hate team and individual sports...pretty much don't enjoy anything that is going to make me sweaty.

So I guess I am just plain lazy.  I agree 100%.  How do I work myself out of this funk?  Well, I do want the body of someone who does yoga.  But truth be told, I have looked into yoga classes, and until my weight goes down some more, I am not stepping foot into a beginner yoga class.  Oh the humiliation!  The closest I come to yoga right now is the yoga pants I wear on the weekend.

So what to do, what to do?  Well, a big moment for those of us over 200 pounds who are losing weight is getting to the all important milestone of Onederland.  For those of you who don't know what Onederland is, it's when your weight goes under 200 pounds.  In my ever ending quest to be different I have decided to call my Onederland the moment I hit my Onederwall (Wonderwall according to the Urban Dictionary means, an object of fascination), because I am now obsessed with reaching my goal weight.  Once I hit my Onederwall, I will enroll in beginner yoga.  


That's my promise to myself.  In the meantime, I will continue to climb the stairs and walk as much as I can.  Honestly that is way more exercise than what I did the last time I lost 100 pounds!   Happy Monday!  And here for your viewing pleasure is the total image of cuteness:)

My inspiration and wonderwall:)  The band aid is just because.
He loves wearing band aids, especially Transformers!
The scar on the other eyebrow? Split open by our old coffee table:(