Wow! I'm Making Progress

I can't believe that I haven't blogged in over a month...whoops!

This has been a month of activity...I'm dancing, I'm working, I'm working out, I'm laughin' and lovin'.

As of this morning, I am 12.5 lbs down - I have met and passed my goal for the first quarter of 2009 and now I get to think on my next goal...hmmm, what to do next?

I'll let you know by the weekend!

Yup, Now we're working it!

Here's the update - I'm down 6.4lbs in total and here's how I'm doing it. I am following the detailed plan provided by my dietician. There are three suggestions that I have incorporated that are making a difference:

1. I have a small, simple carb (like 4 oz of fruit juice added to my water bottle) before my workout. I had been working out on a fast because I'm in the gym at about 6 am when I have NO appetite for food.

2. I have more protein early in the day - 10-12 gr for breakfast and another 9 grams or so by mid morning. This keeps my appetite satisfied 'til well into the day.

3. I am learning to have MORE fat - OM*!! I was raised in a home with a parent who was diagnosed with high-blood pressure early in my childhood; I grew up on low sodium/low fat and have never really liked sauces/gravies/dressings/etc. I've been experiementing with flavored oils in my cooking to add flavor and stuff and I'll admit that one night when I sauteed onions in butter, I had butter nightmares that night! LOL

It's weird but my story is upsidedown compared to what you hear on tv and read in magazines (lower your calories, cut out the fat, etc.) But no matter how you cut it, CHANGE IS HARD! I have committed to the process of asking for help, following those suggestions and guess what - it is working, WOW! :) :):)

Thanks for your input and I hope that my feedback is helpful to others who are struggling to make the changes that lead to health.

All the best,
Glynis

Okay, now I'm scared

I'm down 4.5lbs since I started Jan 2, 2009 - this also means that I'm down one pant size already! I feel good and I think it shows...so now the hard stuff starts.

I met with my dietitian Celeste this week and she's made a couple of observations right off. I don't eat enough and I don't nourish myself well enough to fuel my workouts. I have four goals that I've been working at this week and they are:

1. Because I've been out of touch with my appetite for so long, I'm working on tracking hourly my appetite both physically and emotionally - am I hungry or emotional or tired?


2. Because I've been starving my workouts, Celeste has me increasing my 6am workout carbohydrates by taking in 8 oz of fluids {4 oz juice plus 4 oz water};


3. To support better caloric intake, Celeste is suggesting taking in more protein in the morning which increases my calories and takes a bite (pun intended) out of my hunger later in the day. We are increasing my morning protein to about 20g at my 7am breakfast by adding things like soy milk or yogurt to the meal and to about 5-10g at my 10am snack;


4. Again because I'm so out of touch with my hunger and satiety cues, I'm to monitor how full I feel at the end of each meal - am I hungry? over hungry? over full? or satisfied? The funny thing is that I could not give ANY answer to the question of what does hungry feel like except in the extreme - like "I feel pain in my stomach, a headache, or I feel faint". These are apparently feelings of over hungry...who knew!!!

I start tomorrow morning with my personal trainer and friend, Jackie. We are looking to incorporate fat burning, lean muscle defining exercises in two day splits (that's working all muscle groups over two weight training days as opposed to working the whole body twice a week) in addition to my current 3 days of gym cardio and 2 dance workouts per week. I'm already logging 10.5-12 hours of activity each week for which I am very proud. I'm looking forward to seeing great results in the coming weeks.

Emotionally, I'm aware that I am scared - scared of getting out of control. I have a problem with weight loss that is not talked about much. I don't eat enough calories for my active lifestyle. As I've been logging my food and activity this first month on MFD (MyFoodDiary.com), it became apparent that my food intake was consistently under my caloric needs for the activity that I do. Now I'm terrified and feeling out of control for eating. For most of my adult life I've tried to limit my calories believing that that is what has contributed to my climbing each year to my current weight. Now that I have to change, I'm scared of getting out of control. Has anyone else ever had this problem? How does one make the changes to one's internal conversation that will help turn fear into success? I'm hoping that even one person can relate since I've never heard anyone indicate this is a problem before. Thanks for any and all input...

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=mVdbuNpsryI

The journey continues...

The journey continues... to be full of joy!

I've lost 2.1lbs in the first week and I'm anticipating another good week when I way in on Tuesday.

In addition to my five workouts a week, I've been dancing up a storm; I started back to my salsa dance classes on Saturdays and managed to get out dancing at the Commercial each weekend. Toss those hips around plus an hour and half of Latin rhythms each week certainly burns some calories! I received some lovely compliments from my instructor and my classmates which make me feel sooooo good right down to my cute dancing shoes!

Another perk has been that Naomi has taken to coming to the gym with me each weekday morning. 5:45am is early for most people but for a night owl teenager I am very proud indeed!!! And she is kicking it at the gym - what a great motivator for me.

Each of you in your own way has been such an encouragement to me as I embark on this journey. I know that there are going to be struggles and celebrations, laughter and tears...thanks for joining me!

Got to run for now, whoot! whoot!

Shot for the moon!

a journey of a thousand steps...

a journey of a thousand steps...
...or several pounds, begins with a single step.

I have arrived in the year 2009 with a clear sense of "this is my time"; my time to begin living my best life now!

I had a difficult time through 2007 & 2008; suffering to the point of needing to take time off from work due to exhaustion and stress overload!

I spent from Oct 25, 2008 to this point at January 4th, 2009 "recovering" myself. I have tried everything from acupuncture to meds to calm my body, my mind, and my spirit. I have had to rediscover what feeds my soul and this is what I have discovered thus far - I am still a sexy, hot momma with lots of mojo left in the tank!!

I have returned from a refreshing trip to Vancouver with a drive and a determination to take my nutrition in hand (to get back to fit), return to dancing (to fuel my "fun" tank), and to learn more about the word "NO" and its varied applications.

I no longer want to deplete myself in order that others may succeed - I wish to succeed so that others may benefit!

I no longer want to struggle to live - I want to LIVE in spite of struggle!

I want to discover my best life. A life that is full of love, laughter, and fun.

Will you join me?