They Don't Call It A Challenge Because It's Easy

Let's face it, weight loss is chalk full of ups and downs. It's exhilerating, it's empowering and you feel great with a sense of accomplishment after a good workout. But then there are those other days, aren't there?

The other days where you didn't eat breakfast because you had an appointment to get to or you didn't eat protein in all of your meals because you had to go shopping or were lazy. You decided that "Hey, pizza seems like a great idea... and I REALLY don't want to make dinner in this heat tonight...". That craving for something sweet really caught up with you and you bought a tub of ice cream. OR your spouse makes it hard to stick to your diet commitment to healthy eating.

Since I have started my weight loss challenge on May 1st, I went from 180 lbs to 170 lbs (YAY!) but after a few weeks of inactivity and poor eating choices, I gained nearly four of those pounds back (nearly...)Since then, I have started the INSANITY workout with my friend Caroline, and I am almost back down to 170. One more pound to go until I'm back, baby!

Shortly after I started my weight loss challenge, I was having a rough time with my emotions from the miscarriage and found it difficult to get into workout mode. As I Was talking to one of my high school girlfriends she said:

"If anything, I have to look at you choosing a really hard time to make a change like this. Look at the good days as your time to relax and enjoy life, see what you are working for as something good for yourself and on the bad days, let them be bad. Go for a run, an fight it off. Like the punching bag effect I guess. Those feelings are so justified, I cannot even begin to understand or relate to them but just knowing you have to experience it makes me hurt. On and off (waves of emotion) is a good thing, that there are good and bad times now. Not all bad."

And she is TOTALLY right. I did chose a super hard time to try to lose weight and be disciplined when all I want to do (some days) is eat my emotions and take comfort in food.

The thing I have to keep reminding myself when I do have bad days is:

1. I do feel better when I am active and exercising, even when having a bad day.
2. I am worth it to ensure I am living a healthy lifestyle.
3. It is worth the effort to make sure that our future children have a healthy and happy mom who is a good role model.
4. It will (and is getting) get better, it just takes time.
5. I can let the bad days be bad and then move on.

I am also really excited to say, that as of tomorrow, I am starting to see a councellor about the miscarriage! Her name is Nancy and I'm looking forward to meeting here and hopefully together we can help me to move on and get prepared for my (eventual) next pregnancy.

How have you been doing lately? Are things crazy where you are or are you just strolling and enjoying the scenery?

Photo Friday! A Collection of Pics From This Week

SO!

I did have some really awesome photos that I took today from my walk, ALAS! I lost them all!

I usually edit my pictures while they are still on my camera while it's hooked up to my laptop, but after I edited them earlier, I absent-mindedly deleted them afterwards without transferring them to the laptop. 45 minutes well wasted don't you think?

I do, however, still have a few pictures left over from earlier this week.

ALSO! I have reached my first weight loss goal! I am now 170 lbs!

Home after a run. It's nice outside at night lately,
Might as well make use of it! Part of that "moisture"
is water... part of it is sweat.

This week I have been going for jogs. In between the periods of running, I do short spurts of walking.

I have, played with the idea of replacing my walking with a walking lunge, which I haven't gotten around to yet. I am, as many of my good friends could probably tell you a silly forgetful woman...

When it comes to some things anyway, my memory is a deep well when it comes to tiny insignificant details that no one else seems to remember. Time lines? No can do. Detailed conversations? (most of the time) Better luck next time. Random details from years ago? Bingo!

I went to a "Shape Up, Wake Up!" fitness class this week, for the low, low price of $3.00!

I thought that it would be a nice leisurely class with a bit of cardio thrown in for good measure. And I have to say, IT WAS INTENSE!It was a little warm in the studio, but I was sweating buckets! The instructer had a killer body, and it was such a good workout! I've been stretching my quads and hamstrings ALL week! I've needed to.

I will definitely be going back to get my ass handed to me again. It's three days a week, but I will probably only go twice a week.

My walking buddy, Bello. Bello is my neighbours

bossy beautiful husky. Such a sweetheart. I will
Train him yet <3

Every now and then, I walk my next door neighbours dog, Bello. He's such a sweet boy, but he is bossy and I'm working on training him.

I've also ordered and recieved the Insanity workout DVD's. It looks intense, but I'm really looking forward to starting it with one of my girlfriends :)

I'm fortunate, because I have so much time on my hands being a "Lady of Leisure" that I can really do my workouts any time during the day, without having to worry about squeezing it in between work and dinner or waking up early to get it in on time. We will be starting it hopefully the second half of June, as she doesn't have hers yet.

Isn't he so pretty? He loves his treats :)

I purchased some new Nike Free 3 running shoes online of the Sportcheck website (I really wish you could buy off of the footlocker site! I could have bought the purple ones instead of the plain old black!) and I'm really looking forward to taking them out for a spin around the neighbourhood.

A friend of mine who I met while working in a shoe store back in 2007 recommended them, and you know, he's sort of an expert since he has been management at Foot Locker for ages up until recent history.

 

This little guy got onto our side of the window screen somehow, he's
quite lucky that I just wanted to take pictures of him and not
squishing him with a tissue.

 I did fall off the health wagon yesterday. I went to a little Fish and Chips truck a few minutes away from home.

I'd been craving a burger and fries for a few days and decided to just go for it and indulge my craving.

I did have my burger and fries with a can of Coke...

This wasp was REALLY interested in our little friend and kept
hovering around him, which really freaked the spider out. He kept
trying to jump away. Eventually Mr. Wasp flew away for an easier
target.

And it was glorious. It wasn't the best burger I'd ever had, and definitely not the best fries I've ever had. It was, however, just what I needed to get over my craving, jump back on the health wagon and keep on going.

Just because I fell off, doesn't mean that it's the end of me trying to be healthy or that I should give up.

Just happens sometimes.



What have you been doing lately? Have you been getting into any awesome hobbies or activities? Have you been passionate about anything new lately?

I hope you have an awesome weekend, that you spend it doing the things you want to do with those whom you want to do them with. Take some 'you' time. And like Clinton Kelly says, "Wear something cute, and don't take any crap!"