THE Dress!

Was out with my Mom (who is visiting from New Brunswick) and my sister tonight to show my Mom the wedding dress my sister wants. It's THE dress. There's no doubt about it. Every detail is perfect for her and it makes her look so slim! I love it. Plus you can tell she feels gorgeous in it. Like a princess. And that's what you want for every bride. To feel like the most beautiful woman in the room. In any room. Well, she made the final decision and the dress is bought! In about 6 months it'll come in and she will physically have it. I'm so excited for her! They also had me try on a couple of bridesmaid dresses. The second one I didn't find all that cute, but the first one is definitely on the list of possibilities. It's really cute. For anyone interested in seeing what it looks like, here is the link:
http://www.venusbridal.com/bridesmaids/bella-maids/BM1267
I tried it on in that turquoise color but my sister really wants her bridesmaids in plum. Either color is great!

Anywho, so Brian should be home from jiu jitsu soon and we shall sit back and enjoy some TV before heading to bed. I think tomorrow my parents are coming over after dinner. My sister and her fiance may as well.

Meals for Wednesday:

Breakfast - 27 mini wheats, 1 cup of skim milk (280)

Snack - 1 cup of blueberries, Jello sugar free chocolate indulgence mousse, 2 cups of water (140)

Lunch - Weight watcher's smart ones chicken fajita pizza, Kiwi, 2 cups of water (430)

Snack - Quaker granola bar, 2 cups of water (160)

Dinner - 3 oz. of chicken, 2 tbsp. BBQ sauce, 1 serving of garlic flavored long grain rice, 1 cup of stir fry veggies in 1/2 tsp. of oil. Diet coke (420)

Snack - Mini bag of plain Miss Vickie's chips, 1 fun size mars bar, 2 cups of water (210)

Daily Total - 1640 calories, 24 grams of fibre, 9 cups of water.

Workout - Ran down and back up 21 floors of stairs on lunch break at work.



Meal Plan for Thursday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260)

Snack - Apple, Jello sugar free chocolate indulgence mousse, 2 cups of water (140)

Lunch - Everything bagel with 1 slice of fat free turkey and 1 tbsp. of light mayo. Del monte fruit twist, 2 cups of water (380)

Snack - Quaker granola bar, 2 cups of water (160)

Dinner - 1 burrito (homemade), 1 cup of garden salad with 1 tbsp. of light salad dressing, Diet coke (400)

Snack - Mini bag of plain Miss Vickie's chips, 2 fun size chocolate bars, 4 cups of water (260)

Daily Total - 1600 calories, 20 grams of fibre, 11 cups of water.

Workout - Ran down and back up 21 floors of stairs on lunch breat at work.

Monday....Sigh.

It was SO HARD to get out of bed this morning.... the freezing rain woke me up a few times through the night. It was dark, cold, rainy all the live long day. I turned up the heat when I got home from work, put the pj's on right away and am now content on the couch, wrapped up in my favorite blanket.

The rest of the weekend was really great. We had a lot of fun Saturday night when we went out for drinks downtown for a friend's birthday. Then Sunday we watched some Seinfeld, the movie Street Fighter, my sister and her fiance came over for a visit.... we even got some afternoon Christmas shopping done! Found a great Christmas gift for Val! Slowly but surely we're getting through all of the Christmas shopping. I try to put a lot of thought into each gift and it ends up being stressful! More than worth it when I see people open the gifts I've picked out for them though. At 4:30pm, we arrived at Brian's parent's house for a pot roast dinner. Brian and his Dad spent most of the night going over his exam.... I played cards with his Mom, his sister and his sister's boyfriend. They joined us at the end of the evening for a last couple of games. We got home around 9pm, I called my Mom to chat for a few minutes and then it was time to get ready for bed!

Work felt really busy today... so it went by fast, but it wasn't an overly enjoyable day. I'm feeling really healthy though, which is great! Really been focusing on staying healthy throughout the cold and flu season. So far so good!

Meals for Sunday:

Breakfast - 1 slice of toast, 1 tbsp. light peanut butter, Banana, 1 cup of chocolate milk (450)

Lunch - Smokin' stampede quesadilla, Apple, Diet coke, 2 cups of water (370)

Snack - Quaker granola bar, 2 cups of water (160)

Dinner - 3 oz. of pot roast, 1/2 cup of cooked veggies, 1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes, 2 cups of water (350)

Snack - 1 slice of Bailey's Irish Cream chocolate cake, 1 cup of water (350)

Daily Total - 1680 calories, 19 g. of fibre, 8 cups of water.

Meals for Monday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260)

Snack - Banana, Jello sugar free pudding, 2 cups of water (170)

Lunch - Soup @ hand cream of mushroom, Apple, Del monte fruit twist, 2 cups of water (250)

Snack - Quaker granola bar, 2 cups of water (160)

Dinner - 6 Blue menu chicken meatballs, 2 tbsp. of BBQ sauce, 3/4 cup of stir fry veggies in 1/2 tsp. of oil, Diet coke, 2 cups of water (285)

Snack - Mini bag of ketchup chips, Pecan cashew tart, 2 cups of water (600)

Daily Total - 1725 calories, 25 grams of fibre, 11 cups of water

Workout - Ran down and back up 21 flights of stairs.


Meal plan for Tuesday:

Breakfast - 1 slice of toast, 1 tbsp. light peanut butter, Kiwi, 1 cup of chocolate milk (390)

Snack - Apple, Jello sugar free pudding, 2 cups of water (140)

Lunch - 6 Blue menu chicken meatballs, 2 tbsp. BBQ sauce, 3/4 cup of stir fry veggies in 1/2 tsp. of oil, Del monte fruit twist, 2 cups of water (345)

Snack - Chocolate chip granola bar (110)

Dinner - Blue menu portion controlled burger, bun, 1 tbsp. ketchup, 1 tsp. mustard, onion, Diet coke, 2 cups of water (315)

Snack - Mini bag of ketchup chips, 3 fun size chocolate bars, 2 cups of water (320)

Daily Total - 1620 calories, 21 g. of fibre, 9 cups of water. No workout on Tuesday.

Beautiful Day, Beautiful Life.

I've got a lot to be thankful for, to be honest. And I know that. I love relaxing, lazy Saturdays. And I'm feeling accomplished. I got up at 7:30am, wishing I could sleep in a little later, but also aware that falling asleep at 10:30pm probably didn't help my internal alarm clock. Since Brian was still asleep, I crept into the family room, dragging my blanket behind me, and settled in to catch up on last night's 90210. Once Brian was awake, we caught up on Blue Bloods. Great new show. Police officers and lawyers within the same family. Shows different view points on crime. This week was a particularly interesting epsiode. After that I proceeded to get more last minute cleaning done.... and then got ready. We left the house around 10:45am and I did a bit of driving. I feel like I'm more nervous now than I was when I started practising. I think it's probably going to be beneficial for me to take some lessons in the spring. We then ran some errands, took a look around Chapters. Chapters around Christmastime is wonderful. I love all the overpriced decorations and chocolates filling up the entranceway. All the Holiday inspired Starbucks drinks. All of it. I just want to walk around and soak it all up. We met Melissa and her boyfriend Jordan at noon at Subway, grabbed our lunches and drove back to the apartment. Had a nice couple of hours to catch up with Melissa, who I haven't seen since my birthday (back in April). It was nice. Her and Jordan left around 2:30pm to continue making their rounds of visiting different friends and family members. I took a nap. I love when I have the time to do nothing but lay there, dreaming of things to come. Now Brian is completing a government exam online as I sit here and surf the net, with the time to blog, dinner in the oven. Tonight we're heading out for a friend's birthday.

Meals for Saturday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260)

Lunch - Subway 6" turkey on whole wheat with lettuce, onion, pickles, hot peppers and light mayo. 4 cups of water (380)

Snack - 100 calorie bag of popcorn, Quaker granola bar, Diet coke (260)

Dinner - Blue menu sheppard's pie with 1 tbsp. of ketchup, 2 cups of water (415)

Snack -100 calorie chocolate bar, 1 beer at the Keg, 2 cups of water (300)

Daily Total - 1615 calories.

No workout for today, but right now I'm focusing on my food. I also reluctantly put away my scale last night. I find with doing the stairs at work 3 times a week, I went up a couple pounds and then seem to be maintaining there. Which is fine because it's not fat, it's muscle and it's bound to happen. But I want that number on the scale down. I am sure a lot of people can relate. When I try to lose those 2 lbs and don't right away, I start to get frustrated, leading me to want to give up and over eat. I was weighing myself every day, sometimes more than once a day. So far it's 3 days of no weighing myself. Maybe I'll be able to last a week, maybe more. One day at a time. I just want to go by how my clothes feel for a little while. Sometimes I'll feel thin, clothes feeling loose, and then if the scale doesn't reflect it, then my thin feeling has gone out the window. Maintaining is MUCH harder than losing weight. When people tell you that, believe it! It's such a struggle.

Another issue is that I've got so many holiday events, dinners out, drinks, dessert coming up. Last year I was overweight and desperately wanted to lose weight. That makes saying no to all the sweets... not easy... but EASIER. Now that I'm at a weight I am happy with, it's hard not to give in. But I know I will be able to pick and choose my treats and not come out of the holiday season having gained weight.

Weekend How I Love Thee....

Ah.... 3:00pm on Friday afternoon and I ran out of my office for the first bus that came my way. Get me outta here! This week felt long. It was freezing out. I was exhausted. I even went to bed at 8:30pm on Thursday night. I'm ready for a lot of sleep and perhaps a drink or two ;)

I love my Fridays. When there's not much on the go at work, I go through all the online flyers and make my grocery list for the following week. At lunch time I go with my coworker to the corner store where we pick up lottery tickets and a magazine as a treat, hoping one day we'll win the lottery.... imagine.... this week's loot included People magazine - Sexiest Man Alive edition. Ryan Reynolds takes the crown this year and I've got to say... I approve! After work I hung out with my man, we had some mediocre pizza for dinner and then he headed off to jiu jitsu class. While he was gone I got into mega cleaning mode! The dishes are done. Every room is clean. Two loads of laundry, done. Scented candles lit. I am now able to begin my weekend of relaxation! I think tonight we'll just curl up on the couch and watch a movie.

Tomorrow Melissa and Jordan come for a visit around lunch time! It'll be her first time seeing my apartment and I haven't seen her since April so I'm looking forward to it! Then at night Brian and I are hitting up the Keg in the Market for some drinks for a friend's birthday. That should be fun! Hopefully on Sunday I'll do another driving lesson with Brian and then perhaps do a little Christmas shopping...

Meals for Thursday:

Breakfast - 27 mini wheats, 1 cup of skim milk (280)

Snack - Apple, jello sugar free pudding, 2 cups of water (140)

Lunch - Weight watcher's smart ones santa fe style rice and beans frozen dinner, Del monte fruit twist, 2 cups of water (370)

Snack - Quaker granola bar, 2 cups of water (160)

Dinner - 2 mini chicken pot pies, Diet coke (370)

Snack - 100 calorie bag of popcorn, 3 fun size chocolate bars (260)

Total - 1580 calories. Workout - ran down and back up 21 flights of stairs at work on lunch break.



Meals for Friday:

Breakfast - 27 mini wheats, 1 cup of skim milk (280)

Snack - Apple, jello sugar free pudding, 2 cups of water (140)

Lunch - Everything bagel with 1 slice of fat free turkey and 1 tbsp. light mayo. Del monte fruit twist, 2 cups of water (380)

Snack - Quaker granola bar (160)

Dinner - 1/4 of a thin crust pepperoni pizza, Diet coke (300)

Snack - Mini bag of plain lays chips, 3 fun size chocolate bars, 4 cups of water (320)

Total - 1580 calories.

150 Healthiest Foods on Earth...

My Dad bought me this book.... 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. And I'm trying to pick at least one thing from it each day to have. Every little bit helps right? An extra boost of vitamins and antioxidants never hurt anyone! Also read that a lot of vegetables have cancer fighting benefits. Who wouldn't want to reduce their risk of cancer?

So yesterday I had carrots which were on the list. I also had an apple. I think that may have been everything that made the list. Today was grapes and dark chocolate. Instead of having my usual 100 calorie milk chocolate bar, I decided to buy some 85% cocoa dark chocolate for the added health benefits of my nightly treat :) I'm not going to lie, it's definitely an acquired taste but after a few bites it was totally curbing my craving of having sweets!

I'm always really good with my water, but this week I would also like to work on my fibre intake. 25 - 35 grams per day! Helps curb hunger too :)

Meals for Saturday:

Breakfast - Mini wheats, 1 cup of skim milk, Banana (390)

Lunch - Smokin' stampede quesadilla, Apple (370)

Snack - Sugar free jello pudding, Del monte fruit twist (120)

Dinner - 1/4 of a Sicilian pizza (325)

Snack - Mini bag of plain chips, 100 calorie lindor bar, Hot chocolate (400)

Total - 1605 calories, 19 grams of fibre



Meals for Sunday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260)

Lunch - 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 2 tbsp. of light peanut butter, Banana, Apple, Del monte fruit twist (600)

Snack - Mini bag of popcorn (190)

Dinner - Honey dijon pork loin chop, cooked baby carrots, 1/2 cup of cooked corn (255)

Snack - Mini bag of ketchup chips, 2 fun size chocolate bars (290)

Total -1595 calories, 26 grams of fibre



Meals for Monday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260)

Snack - Banana, Sugar free jello pudding (170)

Lunch - 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 1/2 can of tuna, 1 tbsp. of light mayo., 1 cup of grapes (410)

Snack - 100 calorie fibre one granola bar (100)

Dinner - 1/4 pkg. of general tao chicken, 3/4 cup of stir fry veggies in 1/2 tsp. of oil (360)

Snack - Mini bag of plain chips, 3 squares of 85% cocoa chocolate (320)

Total - 1620 calories, 26 grams of fibre



Meal plan for Tuesday:

Breakfast - Mini wheats, 1 cup of skim milk (280)

Snack - Apple, sugar free jello pudding (140)

Lunch - 1/4 pkg. of general tao chicken, 3/4 cup of stir fry veggies in 1 tsp. of oil, 1 cup of grapes (460)

Snack - Chocolate chip granola bar (110)

Dinner - Blue menu portion controlled burger, bun, 1 tbsp. of ketchup, 1 tsp. of mustard (305)

Snack - 100 calorie bag of popcorn, 2 fun size chocolate bars (240)

Total - 1535 calories, 23 grams of fibre


Meal plan for Wednesday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260)

Snack - Apple, Sugar free jello pudding (140)

Lunch - 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 1/2 can of tuna, 1 tbsp. of light mayo., 1 cup of grapes (410)

Snack - Strawberry yogurt oatmeal bear paws (140)

Dinner - Chicken stir fry - 2 oz. of chicken, 3 tbsp. sweet chili thai sauce, 1 cup of rice, 3/4 cup of stir fry veggies in 1/2 tsp. of oil (415)

Snack - Mini bag of ketchup chips, 3 squares of 85% cocoa dark chocolate (310)

Total - 1675 calories, 24 grams of fibre

Motivated For The Week!

Good evening all,

So it's officially been a year since I started on my weightloss journey. And I'm still struggling on a daily basis. But I know I can handle it. Blogging everyday seems impossible now. I used to be able to do it at work, but they have that site blocked now. It's annoying... Anyways, I figure my best bet is to write my meal plan down for a few days at a time.

Tuesday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260)

Snack - Apple, jello sugar free pudding, 2 cups of water (140)

Lunch - 1 piece of leftover PC chicken parm, 1/2 cup of cooked veggies in 1/2 tsp. of oil, 2 cups of water, 1 cup of grapes (410)

Snack - 100 calorie Fibre one granola bar (100)

Dinner - Blue menu portion controlled burger, bun, 1 tbsp. of ketchup, 1 tsp. of mustard, Diet coke (305)

Snack - Mini bag of popcorn, 2 fun size chocolate bars, 4 cups of water (310)

Total - 1525 calories, 27 g. of fibre, 9 cups of water





Wednesday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260)

Snack - Apple, Jello sugar free pudding, 2 cups of water (140)

Lunch - Tuna sandwich with 1 tbsp. of light mayo, Del monte fruit twist, Diet coke (460)

Snack - Quaker chocolate chip granola bar, 2 cups of water (110)

Dinner - 2 mini chicken pot pies, 2 cups of water (370)

Snack - 100 calorie bag of popcorn, 100 calorie Lindor chocolate bar, 2 cups of water (200)

Total - 1540 calories, 20 g. of fibre, 9 cups of water

Workout - Stairs at work (21 floors down and back up)




Thursday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260)

Lunch - 2 slices of toast, 2 tbsp. of light peanut butter, Banana, Apple, 2 cups of water (530)

Snack - 100 calorie bag of popcorn, Del monte fruit twist, 4 cups of water (160)

Dinner - Blue menu sheppards pie, Diet coke (390)

Snack - Mini bag of plain lays chips, 100 calorie Lindor chocolate bar, 2 cups of water (260)

Total - 1600 calories, 26 g. of fibre, 9 cups of water

Workout - Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD.


Hope everyone is having a good week :)

Nice To Come Home After A Long Day....

Today was just one of those unbelievably frustrating days at work. You know the ones. The ones where no one answers your e-mails or phone calls... nothing gets resolved. I get home and Brian asks me to play Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars. He says it applies to me. Here's some of the lyrics:

Oh her eyes, her eyes
Make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair
Falls perfectly without her trying

She's so beautiful
And I tell her everyday

Yeah I know, I know
When I compliment her
She won't believe me
And it's so, it's so
Sad to think she don't see what I see

But everytime she asks me do I look okay
I say

When I see your face
There's not a thing I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for a while
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are

Her nails, her nails
I could kiss them all day if she'd let me
Her laugh, her laugh
She hates but I think it's so sexy

Oh you know, you know, you know
I'd never ask you to change
If perfect is what you're searching for
Then just stay the same

How sweet is that? Thank you Brian :) You sure know how to cheer a girl up on a down day!

Tonight we're just going to make some burgers, watch a movie and catch Biggest Loser. We're not liking it as much this season, but it's still keeping us entertained!

Meals for today:

Breakfast - 1 slice of toast, 1 tbsp. of light peanut butter, Banana, 1 cup of skim milk (375)

Snack - Sugar free jello pudding, Apple, 2 cups of water (140)

Lunch - 1 serving of pumpkin ravioli with 1/2 tsp of oil. Del monte fruit twists. Bottle of diet dr pepper (470)

Snack - Chocolate chip granola bar, 2 cups of water (110)

Dinner - Blue menu portion controlled burger, bun, 1 tbsp. of ketchup, 1 tsp. of mustard, 2 cups of water (300)

Snack - 100 calorie bag of popcorn, 2 fun size chocolate bars (230)

Total - 1625 calories

Blogging my meals again is making me feel healthier already! Hopefully I can keep this up :)

Loves the Feel of a Freshly Cleaned House....

I just spent the last hour and a half cleaning the apartment and doing my ironing. Feels good to sit down and relax after getting that done. I've got the scented candles going too so it really smells good in here.

The past couple weeks have flown by and I haven't been writing in here like I planned to! I've been off and on with my eating habits lately. It's hard because it's not causing me to gain weight... but pigging out definitely doesn't feel good afterwards. My sister has asked for my help in losing weight again and I vow to be a positive influence on her. Follow by example, right? I wish her all the luck in losing weight! I know how hard it can be. And she's got a wedding coming up in 10 months. What girl doesn't want to be a smaller size when they walk down the aisle?

I went to the doctor on Thursday for my annual checkup and loved when she did a double take when checking my weight at the scale. "You've lost 53 lbs?!?! That can't be right!" Oh, but it is :) Takes a lot of work, but it can be done!

I finished my 3rd driving lesson with Brian on the weekend. We took the lesson out of the parking lot and onto the road :) Not a road that anyone was on, but it still felt like a big accomplishment for me!

This weekend was Halloween and it.... SNOWED! It was crazy! I wanted to stay in and sip hot chocolate and watch Christmas specials :) But I made the trek out to a party, in my French Maid costume. It was pretty fun! But now that Halloween is over.... it's less than 8 weeks until Christmas! Need to get my shopping on ;)

Meals for today:

Breakfast - Nutrigrain bar, 1 cup of skim milk (220)

Snack - Sugar free jello pudding, Apple, 2 cups of water (140)

Lunch - 2 slices of wonderbread +, 1 tbsp. of light peanut butter, 1/2 banana, Del monte fruit twist, Diet coke (385)

Snack - Rainbow chip granola bar, 2 cups of water (130)

Dinner - Chicken stir fry - 2 oz. of chicken, 3/4 cup of stir fry veggies, 1/2 tsp. of oil, 3 tbsp. of sweet chili thai sauce, 1 cup of rice. 2 cups of water. (425)

Snack - Mini bag of ketchup chips, 2 fun size chocolate bars, 4 cups of water (280)

Total - 1580 calories

Workout - Ran up and down 21 flights of stairs on my lunch break.

So Not Down With The Sickness....

I got back to blogging and then went M.I.A! Sorry about that, it was hard to write about meals when they were all over the place. There was a 5 day period where I had a touch of the flu. But I am A-ok now!

What's new this week? Not a whole heck of a lot. I'm about to embark on my second driving lesson with Brian. Am I nervous? Yes. But I think I can handle it :)

Work has been leaving me into a ball of stress lately. Everytime I make a mistake, I get worried that I'll be fired. That's the thing about being a consultant.. they can fire you without giving you any notice, any explanation, anything. So you're constantly trying to prove yourself worthy of working there. I try to be perfect but it ends up making me screw up even more. I think it's time to try even harder to find that permanent job for me. It's got to be out there. Somewhere.

This weekend Brian and I have just been taking it easy... we watched the Blade trilogy and went shopping for a Halloween costume yesterday. I'm going to be a French Maid! Today we're going to go driving, will get the laundry and cleaning done and then we'll see! :)

Meals from Saturday:

Breakfast - 1 slice of toast, 1 tbsp. of light peanut butter, 1 banana, 1 cup of 1% chocolate milk (455 calories)

Lunch - Michelina's rigatoni frozen meal, Apple, Jello sugar free mousse, 1 cup of water, 1 can of diet coke (420 calories)

Snack - Quaker's reduced sugar rainbow chip granola bar, 2 cups of water (130 calories)

Dinner - 1/2 mozzarelli pizza (with tomato and pesto), 4 cups of water (440 calories)

Snack - 3 mini chocolate caramel cups, 1 cup of water, 1 can of diet coke (190 calories)

Daily Total - 1635 calories

I am back to the Blogosphere!

Hi folks,

After a 5 month hiatus from blogging, I am back! I essentially hit the maintenance phase and wanted to go without talking about food and weightloss. But guess what? Even after you lose weight, your issues with food never go away completely. It's something I must learn to live with. My cheat days aren't nearly as bad as they were pre weightloss, but they still exist. I still emotionally eat. I have more trouble staying on track now that I've hit a healthy weight than I did during my weightloss phase. I think going back to writing things out will hold me more accountable and help me become a healthier person. Because as I'm sure everyone knows... 2 lbs can turn into 5 lbs, can turn into 10 lbs, etc, quite easily.

In addition to writing about weightloss, I really feel that getting my thoughts and feelings out about other things in life is a good idea. I've grown a lot this year and it's a big bad scary world sometimes. I have my failures and I have my triumphs and I'd like to write about them.

Big bad scary fear # 1 - Driving. I always told myself I wasn't cut out to drive. The busing system in Ottawa is fantastic, I thought. It's way faster to get around that way anyways. Besides, I work downtown where parking lots are nonexistent. Welcome to the bus strike of 2009. Life was brutal. And since then, buses have just not been up to par. Plus, what about when I have children? Am I going to be that woman that people sigh loudly at when I struggle onto the overcrowded bus with crying baby in one hand, heavy stroller in the other, and big purse weighing down on my shoulders? I'd really rather not.... So I surprised many people, especially myself, when I decided that it's about time I put this fear behind me and do some learning. Brian took me out driving on Saturday and I have to say, it wasn't quite as petrifying as I'd been expecting. Sure I was scared, didn't even use the gas pedal, but I got in the driver seat and got a feel for driving. And I will continue to learn once a week until I'm comfortable enough to take the test. It's going to be an adventure, that's for sure!

Anyways, better not cram everything into one blog post :) Until next time.....

Meal plan for Wednesday:

Breakfast - 1 pkg. of organic maple flavored oatmeal, 1 cup of skim milk (240 calories)

Snack - Apple, 1 sugar free jello pudding, 2 cups of water (140 calories)

Lunch - 2 slices of bread, 1/2 can of tuna, 1 tbsp. of light mayo, 1 pkg. of del monte fruit twists, Diet coke (370 calories)

Snack - Nature Valley fruit & nut granola bar, 2 cups of water (140 calories)

Dinner - 1 serving of southwestern baked chicken (2 oz. chicken, 1/3 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 tbsp. of light ranch dressing, 1/2 cut up green pepper, 3/4 cup of rice), 2 cups of water (360 calories)

Snack - Small bag of popcorn, Aero singles bar, 2 cups of water (290 calories)

Total - 1540 calories

3 times a week I do the stairs at work, meaning I run from the 21st floor down to the lobby and all the way back up to the 21st floor. It's really toning up my legs and even though it only takes 10 minutes, it burns a ton of calories. I will be doing the stairs tomorrrow.

Tuesdays Won't Be The Same...

Without The Biggest Loser! The finale was pretty entertaining - nothing new, exciting, or shocking... but a good episode nonetheless!

We got a working air conditioner last night... one that stands in the room and has a tube that sticks out the window... it's not the miracle I was hoping for, but it does help a bit and I'm sure it just takes a little time for it to cool the rooms down....

Today I'm heading to Val's after work for a lovely swim (our workout for the day!) and some dinner!

Meal Plan for Wednesday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Snack - Sugar free pudding, 1 cup of raspberries (170 calories)

Lunch - Tortilla, 1/2 can of tuna, 1 tbsp. light mayo, Apple, Diet coke (300 calories)

Snack - Special k granola bar, 1 pkg. of crystal light in 2 cups of water (100 calories)

Dinner - Chicken, BBQ sauce, rice, veggies (approx: 425 calories)

Snack - 2 favorites mini chocolate bars, Mini bag of ruffled all dressed chips (270 calories)

Daily Total - 1515 calories, 24 grams of fibre

SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

I'm quite tired today as we haven't quite figured out the portable air conditioner....apparently the one we bought won't work for the window we have... all I know is the heat is pretty unbearable...I'm hoping we get it figured out today so that I can sleep tonight :)

The weekend was pretty relaxing and as wonderful as I was expecting it to be! We had a friend over Friday night to play the game Scene It. I came last both times we played but still had a blast! We drove her home around 11:30pm. Saturday I slept in until 10:30am! It was pretty awesome! I met Val and Annie at the mall around 1pm and we went on a mega shopping spree until about 5pm! I got so many new things - 2 pairs of shoes, a bathing suit, 2 pairs of work capris, jean capris, jean shorts, pin striped shorts, 2 hoodies, a bracelet, a skirt, 3 blouses, 3 other shirts, a cardigan.... I definitely had fun :) Around 5pm we were done and exhausted! Annie drove me home and I just had some supper and vegged the rest of the evening.... Sunday Brian and I went to see Robin Hood, which was fantastic! And then we went to his parents house for a BBQ. We stayed there until about 9:30pm playing Skip-bo. I was on his sister's team and we won 2/3 games :) On Monday I decided to give my new workout dvd a try - Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown. I found this even more difficult than her 30 Day Shred dvd! It was intense! I definitely have some sore muscles this morning.... we also did a few loads of laundry, baked some muffins, a cheesecake and then made "smarter fettuccine alfredo with chicken" for supper.

As of Monday morning I was up 0.4 of a lb. So 147 on the dot. I did fairly well on the weekend... I didn't eat enough on Saturday though and perhaps ate a few extra calories on Sunday and Monday...the only thing I can think of is perhaps I'm gaining a bit of muscle or maybe my body is working on maintaining and is fluctuating like weight normally does...up a bit one week, down a bit the next, averaging out... I'll just keep an eye on it and hope that the number doesn't continue to go up.

Meals for Saturday:

Breakfast - 3/4 cup of honeynut cheerios, 1 cup of skim milk (200 calories)

Lunch - 1 slice of whole wheat toast, 1 tbsp. light peanut butter, 1/2 tbsp. honey, 1 cut up banana, 1 cup of raspberries, 1 sugar free jello pudding, 1 pkg. of crystal light in 2 cups of water (460 calories)

Dinner - Weight watcher's smart ones turkey and mashed potatoes frozen dinner, Diet coke (200 calories)

Snack - Skinny cow cookies and cream iced cream sandwich, Mini bag of Miss vickies chips, 3 fun size mars bars (470 calories)

Daily Total - 1330 calories, 21 grams of fibre



Meals for Sunday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Lunch - 1 slice of whole wheat toast, 1 tbsp. light peanut butter, 1/2 tbsp. honey, 1 cut up banana, 1 sugar free jello pudding, Diet coke (390 calories)

Snack - 100 calorie bag of popcorn, 1 pkg. of crystal light in 2 cups of water (110 calories)

Dinner - 3 oz. chicken on the bbq with 2 tbsp. bbq sauce, 1/8 of a package of pasta salad, 1 cup of garden salad, 1 tbsp. light creamy poppyseed dressing (475 calories)

Dessert - 1 mini angel food cake topped with 1/4 cup of berries, 1/4 cup of melted dark chocolate, 2 tbsp. whipped cream and 1 tbsp. caramel sauce (approx: 500 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of lays chips (160 calories)

Daily Total - 1885 calories, 25 grams of fibre



Meals for Monday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Lunch - 1 slice of whole wheat toast, 1 tbsp. light peanut butter, 1/2 tbsp. honey, 1 cup up banana, 1 cup of raspberries, 1 sugar free jello pudding (450 calories)

Snack - Apple, 2 cups of cheese puff crackers (170 calories)

Dinner - 1 serving of smarter fettuccine alfredo with chicken, Diet coke (480 calories)

Snack - 1 serving of kraft no-bake cheesecake, Mini bag of miss vickies chips (360 calories)

Daily Total - 1710 calories, 24 grams of fibre
Workout- 35 minutes of Yoga Meltdown dvd


Meal plan for Tuesday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Snack - Banana (110 calories)

Lunch - Subway 6" oven roasted chicken on whole wheat with lettuce, tomato, hot peppers and light mayo, Diet coke, 1 bag of baked lays (540 calories)

Snack - Apple, 1 pkg. of crystal light in 2 cups of water (90 calories)

Dinner - Blue menu portion controlled burger, bun, 1 tbsp. ketchup, 1 tsp. mustard (300 calories)

Snack - Skinny cow cookies and cream iced cream sandwich, Mini bag of ketchup chips (290 calories)

Daily Total - 1580 calories, 23 grams of fibre

It's looking like the long weekend is going to be full of sunshine (30 degrees and sunny everyday!) and friends :) I'm super excited to go on my big shopping spree with Val and Annie tomorrow, picking up lots of cute summer clothes! It's been forever since I've last been on a full-on shopping spree!

Other than that the plan is to have a couple friends over tonight to hangout, perhaps go see a movie at some point this weekend, and to figure out how to set up our air conditioner! We're going to need it :)

Now the workday must go by fast today because my mind has gone into long weekend mode, as I'm sure everyone elses has....

Adding the extra 100 calories or so into yesterdays meal plan really helped out a lot! I wasn't hungry once :) Hopefully I can keep that up because sometimes I find it hard to find enough different things to pack in my lunch!

Meal Plan for today:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Snack - 1 cup of strawberries, 1 sugar free vanilla pudding (110 calories)

Lunch - 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 1 tbsp. light peanut butter, 1 tbsp. sugar free jam, Kiwi (340 calories)

Snack - Quakers 100 calorie granola bar, Apple (180 calories)

Dinner - Quesadilla - 1 tortilla, 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, 2 oz. chicken, green pepper, 2 tbsp. light sour cream, Diet coke (375 calories)

Snack - 1 pkg. crystal light in 2 cups of water, Mini bag of ketchup chips, 3 mars bars (340 calories)

Total - 1595 calories, 25 grams of fibre

I came home after work yesterday STARVING.... so I ate a lot of extra food. It wasn't anything really bad for me - just a lot more than I normally would eat. So I've decided to try to add a bit more calories in the daytime so that I don't get too hungry on my way home from work. I figure it's better to add the 100 extra calories in than to wait until you're so hungry that you need 1000 calories worth of food in one sitting! I am continuously a work in progress.

Plan for today:

Breakfast - 1 pkg. of organic maple & spice oatmeal, 1/4 cup of walnuts, 1 cup of skim milk (415 calories)

Snack - Banana, Sugar free pudding, 1 pkg. of crystal light in 2 cups of water (180 calories)

Lunch - Weight watcher's smart ones chicken quesadilla, Kiwi (270 calories)

Snack - Fibre & Omega 3 granola bar (150 calories)

Dinner - 6 blue menu lean meatballs, 2 tbsp. bbq sauce, 2/3 cup of stir fry veggies in 1/2 tsp. of oil, 1/2 cup of rice, Diet coke (450 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of lays chips, coffee crisp singles bar (260 calories)

Daily Total - 1725 calories, 25 grams of fibre

I will also be going for a 30 minute run :) It's going to be a good day!

Sabotaging Your Efforts...

On Biggest Loser last night (I won't post any spoilers for those who haven't seen the episode yet!) but a contestant slips up a little and talks about how they'd do fine all day and then at night they'd stay up late and eat to "sabotage" themselves. Maybe they don't feel they deserve to lose the weight... maybe the food makes them happy momentarily.... who knows the true reason. But I definitely related with that contestant at that moment.... it broke my heart to hear someone feel that way... especially knowing that I, too, have had those moments. But what I've learned is that if you have those moments of weakness, for whatever reason, you can pick yourself back up and keep moving forward... no sense in going back to the place you were in before. Next week is the finale!!!!!!!

Meals for Tuesday:

Breakfast - 1 slice of whole wheat toast, 1 tbsp. light peanut butter, 1/2 tbsp. honey, Banana, 1 cup of skim milk (415 calories)

Lunch -1 serving of leftover foil-pack taco chicken bake (310 calories)

Snack - Fibre & Omega 3 granola bar (150 calories)

Dinner - Blue menu portion controlled burger, bun, 1 tbsp. ketchup, 1 tsp. mustard, 1 cup of orange juice (410 calories)

Snack - Diet coke, 100 calorie bag of popcorn, 3 fun size mars bars (280 calories)

Daily Total - 1565 calories

Feeling Pretty Good Right About Now!

Just got back from an interview for a government screening and it went so unbelievably well! Now I just have to be patient and wait the forever it takes to get the results! It's looking good though :)

Yesterday after work Brian and I made this foil-pack taco chicken dinner off of the Kraft website. It was delicious! I also went for a run and then came back so exhausted that I just watched a couple episodes of Friends with Brian and then headed to bed early to be well rested for my interview!

Meals for Monday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Snack - 1 cup of blackberries, 1 sugar free vanilla pudding (130 calories)

Lunch - Tortilla, 1/2 can of tuna, 2 tbsp. cut up onion, 1 tbsp. light mayo, Banana (340 calories)

Snack - Fibre & Omega 3 granola bar, Diet coke (150 calories)

Dinner - 1 serving of foil-pack taco chicken bake, 1 cup of light caeser salad (400 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of lays chips, 2 chocolate covered digestive cookies (280 calories)

Daily Total - 1550 calories, 24 grams of fibre

Workout - 30 minute run, 5 minutes of stretching

Reached (and Surpassed) the 50 lb Mark!

It's a happy Monday for me :) I'm down another 2.8 lbs this week for a total of 51.6 lbs! I could not be in a better mood! I'm 146.6 lbs! I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing and anything I lose on top of this is just icing on the cake!

The rest of my weekend was good, but passed by way too fast of course! Brian and I had to go dog sit for his parents' puppy yesterday morning for an hour while there was a house showing (they were golfing). We took Bailey to the park to run around, then to walk around the neighbourhood for a bit, then to sit under a tree while we read. Poor Bailey was getting tired! We took her home and then we headed to get the car washed and then to our home! We watched Braveheart, which was pretty good, but 3 hours for any movie is far too long! We made a yummy chicken stir fry for dinner and had a relaxing evening in.... got organized for the week, etc.

Meals for Sunday:

Breakfast - 3/4 cup of honeynut cheerios, Banana, 1 cup of skim milk (310 calories)

Lunch - Tortilla, 1/2 can of tuna, 1 tbsp. light mayo, cut up onion, Kiwi, Sugar free pudding (340 calories)

Snack - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, Diet coke (160 calories)

Dinner - Chicken stir fry - 1 oz. chicken, 2/3 cup of stir fry veggies in 1/2 tsp. of oil, 1/2 cup of rice, 3 tbsp. sweet chili thai sauce (375 calories)

Snack - 1 cup of orange juice, 1 mini bag of lays chips, 2 chocolate covered digestive cookies (400 calories)

Daily Total - 1585 calories

Back From A Run.. Uphill AND Against The Wind....

Hey all,

Weekend is going fabulously! I was in the best mood yesterday! I was really stressed about a meeting out of office that I had to go to.... I was running the show, had to take a taxi there, just a number of things that would make any anxious person feel physically ill.. but the meeting went quite well! And a coworker came with me and he just signed out a car from the office so we didn't have to take a taxi... all was good! At lunch I got an US Weekly magazine for the bus ride home and that was all I needed to make me smile! Had some dinner with Brian and then we headed out to return some blinds and get me a new interview outfit! Black pencil skirt (size 7!!) and blue blouse. I'm all set to dress to impress on Tuesday :) I did some groceries at No Frills and then headed over to catch the last few minutes of Brian's jiu jitsu class, where he got his green belt. Way to go Brian! When we got home I baked some cookies and then we had a friend over and we all watched some TV. I was in bed by 11:30pm.

Today we went to Walmart to pick up a couple standing floor lamps and then to Shopper's Drug Mart to spend our optimum points! $200 of free stuff!! I love shopping for free!! We stocked up on necessities (laundry detergent, toilet paper, soap, etc) and fun stuff (snacks, pop, a movie, etc.) We got home around 1pm and watched Scream 2....those Scream movies are so funny to me now! I am really enjoying them but they almost seem like a spoof....very unrealistic...just entertaining. I can't believe I was so scared when I saw them in theatres! It just goes to show you how realistic movies have become in the last decade, and how used to violence we are now. After dinner I did some cleaning and then headed out for a run. Like the title of this blog entry states, it was uphill and against the wind... sprinkling off and on outside too, which was refreshing! It always feels good to go for a run :) Now I'm showered and in my pjs early on a Saturday night... Brian should be home from work in a couple hours and we'll settle in to watch a movie. I'm definitely much more well rested today! Getting 10 hours of sleep last night helped :)

Meals for Friday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Snack - Banana, Cheese string, 1 pkg. of crystal light in 3 cups of water (180 calories)

Lunch - 2 slices of Dempster's whole wheat bread, 1 tbsp. of light peanut butter, 1 tbsp. of sugar free jam, 1 cup of strawberries (350 calories)

Snack - Fibre one granola bar (140 calories)

Dinner - 2 mini chicken pot pies, 1 cup of garden salad, 1 tbsp. sundried tomato dressing, Diet coke (450 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of all dressed ruffles chips, 100 calorie coffee crisp bar, 1 mini cookie (340 calories)

Total - 1710 calories, 26 grams of fibre



Meals for Saturday:

Breakfast - 1 cup of Fibre one raisin and clusters cereal, 1 cup of skim milk, Banana (410 calories)

Lunch - 6 bagel criisps, 1 slice of turkey, 1 slice of kraft singles cheese, 1 fruit-to-go bar, 1 sugar free pudding (295 calories)

Snack - Pear (100 calories)

Dinner - Weight watcher's chicken flatbread, 1 cup of garden salad, 1 tbsp. sundried tomato dressing, Diet coke (390 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of ketchup chips, 3 fun size mars bars (330 calories)

Daily Total - 1525 calories, 25 grams of fibre

The Weekend Is So Close I Can Taste It....

I had so much trouble getting out of bed this morning.... with the move and then last weekend being so busy... I just need a weekend in to rest! So that's my plan! Tonight I do groceries, we may go see a movie, see some friends... and then tomorrow we're running an errand to Shopper's... but other than that, I'm staying in and catching up on sleep...watching movies....cooking....baking...working out....cleaning... all of my favorite things....

Last night was so fun! Annie and my sister came over around 4:30pm to see the place and my new couch (which I love!) We headed to Annie's around 5pm and had dinner with her, my sister, her sister and their roommate Laura. And we just talked and caught up for a few hours. I got home around 8pm and did the dishes, packed my lunch for today and then finally got to enjoy my couch! Curled up and watched a couple of my shows and then headed to bed....

Meals for Thursday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Snack - Banana, Sugar free jello pudding, 1 pkg. of crystal light in 3 cups of water (180 calories)

Lunch - 1 serving of leftover foil-pack southwestern chicken bake, 1 cup of mixed berries (415 calories)

Snack - Fibre one granola bar (140 calories)

Dinner - 1 spicy chicken breast, 1 cup of greek salad, Diet coke (350 calories)

Snack - two 100-calorie chocolate bars, 1 mini bag of chips, 2 servings of animal crackers (640 calories) - Yes, I overindulged a bit. I think I was jealous that at Annie's the girls had their dinner, were pigging out on candy, and then eventually went to McDonalds later on that evening... and I'm stuck counting out the calories I eat. Back on track now though!

Daily Total - 1975 calories, 25 grams of fibre

Couch!

We got our couch!!!!!! FINALLY!

And Still No Couch....

I'm beginning to think this couch doesn't exist! Let's recap: First, the Brick delivered the wrong couch. Then, five days later, they deliver the couch but it doesn't fit. So two days after that we go into the Brick to talk to them. We decide it's easiest just to get the love seat so that it will for sure fit and we will for sure get the couch. The delivery is scheduled for Wednesday between 3pm and 8pm. I spend my entire afternoon and evening essentially standing by the window incase they forgot to call ahead and let me know they're on their way.... 8pm rolls around and still no couch. I call the Brick and the woman there assures me that the drivers are running a little late but they will definitely be bringing the couch. I get a call from the driver around 9:30pm saying that we were the last delivery of the night but that on his way, his truck broke down.... sounds a little convenient if you ask me. So he says he can deliver it on Friday as they don't do deliveries on Thursdays. Well we weren't waiting another couple of days for the couch to be delivered after we've been waiting so long already! We told him we needed it today (Thursday). They're delivering it at 8:00a.m. this morning. If it doesn't come this morning, I am going to be so angry! DO NOT SHOP AT THE BRICK!

So that was my night. I didn't get to leave the apartment, to go for my run, to do anything (except a load of laundry). And I didn't even get the couch! Hopefully today runs a bit more smoothly.

Meals for Wednesday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Snack - Banana, Sugar free pudding, 1 pkg. of crystal light in 2 cups of water (180 calories)

Lunch - 2 slices of Dempster's whole wheat bread, 1 tbsp. light peanut butter, 1 tsp. sugar free jam, 1 cup of blueberries (380 calories)

Snack - Diet coke, Quaker fibre & omega 3 granola bar, 14 animal crackers (290 calories)

Dinner - 1 serving of foil-pack southwestern chicken bake (360 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of ketchup chips, 100 calorie thins bar (250 calories)

Daily Total - 1710 calories, 26 grams of fibre

We're Finally Getting Our Couch Today!

Fingers crossed that everything that could go wrong with our couch delivery already has.... because I would really like to relax on a couch after work! It comes tonight between 4pm and 8pm. I hope it's there before dinner!

Last night was a really lazy night because I could barely keep my eyes open... I'm so tired this week! Anyways, so we watched the movie The Surrogates, which neither of us really enjoyed.. and then we watched The Biggest Loser. They sent the last person home and it is now the final 4!! I think that means there is only 2 episodes left :) I can't wait to see who wins it all! I really do like them all but I think I want Darris to win....

Meals for Tuesday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Snack - Banana, Sugar free pudding, 1 pkg. of crystal light in 3 cups of water (180 calories)

Lunch - 2 slices of Dempster's whole wheat bread, 2 slices of lean turkey lunch meat, 1 tbsp. of light mayo, 1 cup of raspberries (340 calories)

Snack - Fibre one granola bar (140 calories)

Dinner - 1 portion controlled blue menu burger, bun, 1 tbsp. ketchup, 1 tsp. mustard, 1 cup of garden salad, 1 tbsp. sundried tomato salad dressing, Diet coke (380 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of ruffles all dressed chips, 100 calorie thins bar (250 calories)

Daily Total - 1540 calories, 27 grams of fibre

First Run In The New Neighbourhood.

Work went by fast yesterday for a Monday....which I'm more than ok with! Now if that set the pace for the rest of the work week, I will be a happy camper!

After work yesterday I made chicken meatballs, mashed potatoes and cooked baby carrots for dinner. I like being home early enough in the afternoon to cook a proper dinner because if I got home at 5pm, I'd be throwing frozen dinners in the microwave everyday! The dinner was delicious! I also went for a run last night along Montreal Rd. The second half of my run was all uphill, so I definitely feel it today! It was a quick 30 minute workout, but it felt good and was enough to rejuvenate me and keep me from feeling lazy in the evening. I got in from the run, showered, did the dishes, packed my lunch for today and then just vegged in front of the tv.

Meals for Monday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Snack - Banana, 1 pkg. of crystal light in 3 cups of water (120 calories)

Lunch - 1 serving of leftover chicken pasta skillet, 1 cup of strawberries (500 calories)

Snack - 100 calorie granola bar, Diet coke (100 calories)

Dinner - 6 blue menu chicken meatballs, 2 tbsp. bbq sauce, 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup of cooked baby carrots (425 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of lays chips, 100 calorie coffee crisp bar (260 calories)

Daily Total - 1655 calories, 25 grams of fibre

Workout - 30 minute run, 5 minutes of stretching

Down 48.8 lbs and Counting....

Down 1.8 lbs this week for a total of 48.8 lbs! I just need to focus my attention to working out now.... I can lose weight without working out, but I know working out is good for me and brings about other health benefits! So that's my focus this week.

Friday night I went to a party in Orleans.. was really nice to see everyone! Saturday we went to see Iron Man 2, which I LOVED! Did some groceries, some laundry, tried out a new recipe and then watched movies at home. Sunday we went out for Mother's day brunch and dinner. The weekends fly by far too fast!

Meals for Saturday:

Breakfast / Lunch - 2 slices of Dempsters whole wheat toast, 2 tbsp. light peanut butter, Banana, 1 cup of skim milk (570 calories)

Snack - 100 calorie bag of popcorn, 1 cherry fruit-to-go bar (160 calories)

Dinner - 1 serving of chicken pasta bake (pasta, chicken, tomato sauce, onion, green pepper and mozzarella cheese) (450 calories)

Snack - mini bag of ketchip chips, 100 calorie thins bar, diet coke (250 calories)

Daily Total - 1430 calories


Meals for Sunday:

Breakfast - 1 serving of scrambled eggs, 1 slice of toast, 1 tsp. butter, 1/2 cup of fruit (425 calories)

Snack - Quaker fibre & omega 3 granola bar, 100 calorie bag of lays, Diet coke (250 calories)

Dinner - 1 serving of spaghetti, 1 piece of garlic baguette, 1 cup of garden salad, 1 tbsp. calorie-wise creamy poppyseed dressing (750 calories)

Snack - 1 cup of herbal tea, 100 calorie thins bar (100 calories)

Daily Total - 1525 calories

FRIDAY :)

Good Morning!

My sister brought over my box spring last night so I finally got a good night sleep! Now we just need to pick out a new couch tonight and hopefully get it delivered sometime next week.... Third times a charm right?

Last night I just caught up on some of my shows, did a small workout and then napped a little. When Brian got home from work he set up the bed frame and whatnot so that I could go to sleep right away. I got such a better sleep having the bed set up as opposed to sleeping on a mattress on the floor....

This weekend should be hectic but fun and I can't wait :)

Meal plan for today:

Breakfast - 3/4 cup of honeynut cheerios, 1 cup of skim milk, Banana (310 calories)

Snack - 1 cup of grapes, 1 sugar free pudding (160 calories)

Lunch - 1/2 can of low sodium chicken noodle soup, 14 animal crackers, Pear (320 calories)

Snack - Fibre one granola bar (140 calories)

Dinner - 1 burrito made with extra lean ground beef, 1 cup of light caeser salad (420 calories)

Snack - 100 calorie pack of popcorn, 1 thins chocolate bar (200 calories)

Daily Total - 1550 calories, 25 grams of fibre

Workout - 30 minutes biggest loser cardio max dvd, 5 minutes of stretching

Would Really Like Some Furniture...

As I mentioned previously, the wrong couch arrived on Saturday. They rescheduled the delivery for last night. Well, they get the couch all the way up the stairs only to find out that it will not fit through the apartment door. So they take it back. Sigh. All I want is to have a comfy couch to sit on while watching tv at night. Too much to ask? We should be getting the box spring after work today, provided the rain holds off a while longer.... a good night sleep is definitely needed!

My brother, his friend Eric, my sister and her fiance Alex showed up for a visit last night. They brought flowers, which was really sweet. Would've been nice if they had a couch to sit on, but we made the most of it....

Meal plan for today:

Breakfast - 3/4 cup of honeynut cheerios, 1 cup of skim milk (200 calories)

Snack - Apple, sugar free jello pudding, 1 pkg. crystal light in 3 cups of water (150 calories)

Lunch - 1 leftover serving of crisp and creamy baked chicken, 1/2 cup of rice, 1/2 cup of cooked baby carrots, 1 fruit to go bar (460 calories)

Snack - 100 calorie granola bar, Diet coke (100 calories)

Dinner - Weight watcher's smart ones quesadilla, 1 cup of garden salad, 1 tbsp. sundried tomato dressing (380 calories)

Snack - 100 calorie pack of lays chips, 2 cookies (240 calories)

Daily Total - 1530 calories

Workout plan - 30 minute biggest loser cardio max workout, 5 minutes of stretching

Makeover Week!!!!!

Biggest Loser last night was the makeover episode. It's so amazing to see the transformation. I mean, you see the weight they lost, but then when they're given new clothes and a new look, you can really see their confidence shine through :)

Brian and I should be receiving our couch and box spring tonight. I'm so looking forward to having a couch to lay on while watching tv!!!!

Meal Plan for today:

Breakfast - 3/4 cup of honey nut cheerios, 1 cup of skim milk (200 calories)

Snack - Banana, Sugar free jello pudding (170 calories)

Lunch - 1/2 can of low sodium chicken noodle soup, 1 cup of grapes, 14 animal crackers, Diet coke (325 calories)

Snack - Oats & chocolate fibre one granola bar (140 calories)

Dinner - 1 serving of crisp and creamy baked chicken (kraft recipe), 1/2 cup of cooked rice, 1/2 cup of cooked baby carrots (410 calories)

Snack - Easter cream egg, 100 calorie bag of popcorn (260 calories)

Daily Total - 1505 calories

All Moved In!

Good Morning All,

Brian and I moved into our new apartment on Saturday morning. We're all settled in and enjoying the place muchly! Saturday morning we (along with many helpers) started moving everything over around 7:45am. We finished around 1:30pm, when we took a break for lunch. Everything arrived except for our couch (they initially delivered the wrong one) and the box spring for our bed (didn't fit in the SUV). So our bed and couch will be set up tomorrow evening. Very much looking forward to that! Everyone except one friend left before 2pm, and then we spent the next 8 hours or so unpacking / cleaning. At around 10:30pm, we decided enough was enough and we took a much deserved movie break. We watched one of our new movies, Slammin' Salmon. It was pretty funny; definitely a silly movie that you don't need to think about too much. After the movie, it was time to head for bed. It had been an exhausting day. Our building doesn't have an elevator, so I feel like I've worked out enough to last a month!

Sunday we got up around 9am... watched a couple episodes of Friends and then headed to Shoppers and Loblaws for a big grocery trip. We left around 10:30am and didn't get home until 12:30pm! After 3 trips up and down the stairs bringing all the groceries in, we made ourselves some lunch. We realized after lunch that the new shower curtain we bought, didn't come with the clips so we had to head back out. It had already been over 24 hours, not to mention the countless runs up and down the stairs, since I last showered. I needed a shower. So we went back to Loblaws, got the clips for the shower curtain and headed back home. I got showered and cleaned up by 2pm and then it was time to clean the place! We spent a good 3 hours cleaning and I'm now proud to say I can walk around barefoot without feeling disgusted! We then made some dinner and watched Sherlock Holmes. It had been yet another hectic day so I was in bed by 10:30pm. At this point I was soo thankful that I had taken Monday off work.

Monday we had to be up before 8am. The Roger's cable guy was coming between 8am-11am and we don't yet have a number for people to buzz up, so we had to sit by the window and watch out for him. He arrived around 9:30am and stayed until 11am. After that, Brian set up our internet password and then we made some lunch. We were due for a lazy afternoon so we watched Independence Day and caught up on an episode of House and Criminal Minds. Brian left for work around 5pm and I had my first night alone in the apartment. I was so exhausted so I can't say I did much! I napped a bit, watched 3/4 of a movie that ended up being pretty awful, and surfed the net a bit. I was in bed when Brian got home so I got up to say goodnight and then was dead to the world seconds later!

As for weightloss.. I did very well all week with eating well while not blogging, but then this weekend my meals were a bit messed up. I was over hungry from running the boxes up 3 flights of stairs, so I overindulged a bit in the pizza, the cookies, etc. As of this morning I was up 0.6 of a lb. I was essentially able to maintain throughout the big move weekend, but I'm looking forward to getting back on track and losing the last 6 lbs!

Meal Plan for today:

Breakfast - 1 pkg. 33% less sugar oatmeal, 1 cup of skim milk (210 calories)

Snack - Banana (110 calories)

Lunch - 2 slices of Dempsters whole wheat bread, 1/2 can of flaked white tuna, 1 tbsp. light mayo, 1 tbsp. cut up onion, Kiwi, Sugar free jello pudding (420 calories)

Snack - Oat 'n' chocolate fibre one granola bar (140 calories)

Dinner - Lean burger, bun, 1 tbsp. ketchup, 1 tsp. mustard, 1 cup of garden salad, 1 tbsp. sundried tomato dressing, Diet coke (415 calories)

Snack - 100 calorie pack of Lays chips, 100 calorie thins toffee bar (200 calories)

Daily Total - 1495 calories, 22 grams of fibre

Signing Off....

Good morning all,

I'm down another 0.4 lbs for a total of 47.6 lbs! Over the next few weeks I'm going to try to not rely on blogging and writing out my calories and see where that takes me. I won't be blogging everyday, but I'll be on here from time to time! It's been a great journey :-) And I'm excited to see how I do on my own.

XOXO

Last Grocery Trip Before The Move

After work today I went on a hardcore run with Val. I hadn't been out running as often as I'd like so I thought I'd be a bit rusty. Well we definitely stepped it up a notch and did a fantastic job! I'm pretty proud!

I also went grocery shopping this evening - the last trip before the move! Here's what I picked up for the next week and a half:

-Bananas
-Blackberries
-Strawberries
-Whole wheat tortillas
-Lean bologna
-Fibre one raisin bran clusters cereal
-Raisin and cashew trail mix granola bars
-Sugar free vanilla jello pudding
-Chicken pot pies
-Peach mango v8 splash
-Diana bbq sauce

Meals for Wednesday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 2 calcium chews (200 calories)

Snack - Apple, Kiwi (130 calories)

Lunch - 12-grain bagel, 2 slices of lean bologna, 1 tbsp. light mayo, Sugar free vanilla pudding (430 calories)

Snack - 1/2 bag of light popcorn (130 calories)

Dinner - Smokin' stampede quesadilla, Diet coke (290 calories)

Snack - 1 cup of peach mango v8 splash (1 fruit, 1 veggie), Weight watcher's double fudge cake (340 calories)

Daily Total - 1520 calories, 23 grams of fibre

Workout - 30 minute run, 10 minutes of walking, 5 minutes of stretching

Lease Is Signed!!

Brian and I have been very productive, ironing out all the details before the move. We signed the lease yesterday, got our renters insurance.... just need to rent the u-haul and we'll be set!

We also went to CD Warehouse to bring in some dvd's and cd's that we don't want anymore. Came out with $115 that we can spend on new movies without the guilt!

After all the errands we settled in to watch Biggest Loser. Last nights episode made me cry. A lot. :(

Meals for Tuesday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Snack - Banana, 2 calcium chews, 1 pkg. crystal light (160 calories)

Lunch - 12-grain bagel, 2 slices of lean bologna, 1 tbsp. light mayo, Kiwi (420 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of soft baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, 1 vitamin water (140 calories)

Dinner - Lean burger, bun, 1 tbsp. ketchup, 1 tsp. mustard, Diet coke (325 calories)

Snack - 1/2 bag of light popcorn, Easter cream egg (290 calories)

Daily Total - 1585 calories, 23 grams of fibre

Ugh. Too. Much. Chocolate.

So I guess I got too hungry today for some reason (growth spurt perhaps?) anyways, I decided to let myself have a "cheat night." I ate extra chocolate (leftover from Easter) and now I just feel gross! I used to enjoy the extra indulgences, but now I'm MUCH happier just having my little treats each night. How did I manage to eat so much junk before? I physically cannot hold the extra calories anymore. It feels gross! Anywho, I kind of see that as a positive thing - now my desire to overindulge will be gone because it really doesn't feel good! Now back to my healthy eating for the week....

Down 47.2 lbs....

Happy Monday Everyone!

I had another successful week - down 1.2 lbs for a total of 47.2 lbs! Only worked out twice, but I think the packing and moving boxes up and down the stairs counted for a bit of exercise!

Friday evening we saw the movie Date Night, which was really funny! I love silly movies like that where you can just forget about any stresses or worries and just laugh for an hour and a half. Saturday we did some baking and watched a whole lot of Friends. Sunday we did some crazy furniture shopping! At the Brick we bought a new couch and recliner chair. Then headed to IKEA and bought a coffee table, side table, 2 bookshelves to house our dvds, a lamp, curtains for the living room, curtains for the bedroom, measuring spoons.... we were really productive this weekend! It was exhausting though! I feel like I need another day to recoup! Oh well, the weekdays seem to be going by fairly quickly, so I'm sure it'll be Friday again in no time! And we've really gotten most of the shopping and packing done at this point, so it'll be a little more relaxed from here on in.

Meals for Friday:

Breakfast - Blue menu cinnamon apple muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260 calories)

Snack - Banana, 2 calcium chews (150 calories)

Lunch - 1/2 can of Campbell's Selects low sodium minestrone soup, 1 cup of blackberries, Sugar free vanilla pudding (240 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of soft baked chocolate chip oatmeal cookies (130 calories)

Dinner - Subway oven roasted chicken on flatbread with lettuce, hot peppers and light mayo, Diet coke (430 calories)

Snack - Small bag of baked lays chips, Reese peanut butter cup chocolate bar (3pk) (390 calories)

Daily Total - 1600 calories, 23 grams of fibre




Meals for Saturday:

Breakfast - 3/4 cup of apple jacks cereal, 1 cup of skim milk, Banana (310 calories)

Lunch - 1 slice of oat and honey toast, 1 tbsp. light peanut butter, 1/2 tbsp. of honey, Sugar free vanilla pudding, 1 cup of blackberries (380 calories)

Snack - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin (160 calories)

Dinner - Smokin' Stampede quesadilla, Diet coke (290 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of Ruffles all-dressed chips, 4 butterfinger mini eggs (330 calories)

Daily Total - 1470 calories, 21 grams of fibre



Meals for Sunday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin (160 calories)

Lunch - 1 slice of oat and honey toast, 1 tbsp. light peanut butter, 1 tbsp. no sugar added wildberry jam, Banana, Sugar free vanilla pudding (400 calories)

Snack - 100 calorie granola bar, Apple (180 calories)

Dinner - 1 spicy chicken breast on bun with 1 tbsp. light mayo, 2/3 cup of stir fry veggies cooked in 1 tsp. olive oil, Diet coke (450 calories)

Snack - Sobe low-cal raspberry lemonade, Mini cookies and cream bunny, Mini bag of lays plain chips (345 calories)

Daily Total - 1535 calories, 20 grams of fibre



My goal for this week is to workout: Monday, Thursday and Sunday.

We Got It!!!!

So we got our apartment officially! We sign the lease on Tuesday and then it's ours in just two weeks :-) Now the organizer in me has stepped forward with full force! I am packing up a storm and making lists left and right!

Last night I got home, did some packing and then watched the movie Away We Go. It was pretty cute, I must say!

Meals for Thursday:

Breakfast - Blue menu cinnamon apple muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260 calories)

Snack - 1 cup of blackberries, 1 sugar free vanilla pudding (130 calories)

Lunch - Baton Rouge - Garden salad with 6 oz. grilled chicken, pineapple soy dressing (500 calories - approx.)

Snack - Kiwi (50 calories)

Dinner - 1 slice of oat and honey toast, 1 tbsp. peanut butter, 1/2 tbsp. honey, 1 cut up banana, Diet coke (360 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of lays plain chips, 100 calorie aero singles bar (260 calories)

Daily Total - 1560 calories, 22 grams of fibre

And Waiting Some More....

We never got a call from the owners of the apartment we applied to. But thankfully I called the Real Estate company and they informed me that they just finished our application, were faxing it off to the owners, and the owners should have their decision to us by tomorrow.

I've been stressed out about work lately.. it's probably a mix of figuring out where I'll be living, while learning a new job... but truthfully I'm not in a job that is suited to my skill set... I feel like I'm in over my head sometimes. But today I got this wave of calm, like I can handle it. I panic a lot; sometimes I just need to sit still and breathe. I'm still very nervous about the next year at work and I'm hoping for better opportunities to come into my life, but in the meantime, I think I can do this. I'm like Thomas the Tank from the kids book / show, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." And then he does!

After work today I came home and took advantage of the sunny weather by going for a run. It was extremely windy, but it felt good to get some cardio in. I felt lazy only working out once last week, so I'm glad that it's Wednesday and I've already worked twice!

This evening I went grocery shopping, which I always love to do! And then watched Brian's jiu jitsu class, where he got another stripe added to his orange belt. Way to go Brian!

And now it's time to veg for an hour before heading to bed.

Here's what I picked up grocery shopping this week:
-Bananas
-Blackberries
-Kiwi
-Lean bologna
-Minute rice
-Smokin' Stampede Quesadillas
-Jello sugar free vanilla pudding
-Case of bottled water
-Ketchup

Meals for Wednesday:

Breakfast - 21 mini wheats, 1 cup of skim milk (280 calories)

Snack - 1 cup of pineapple (80 calories)

Lunch - 1 sesame bagel, 2 slices of lean turkey, 1 tbsp. light mayo, Apple (430 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of soft baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (130 calories)

Dinner - 1 spicy chicken breast, 1 cup of stir fry veggies cooked in 1 tsp. of oil, Diet coke (300 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of Miss Vickie's plain chips, Easter cream egg (310 calories)

Daily Total - 1530 calories, 20 grams of fibre

Workout - 30 minute jog, 5 minutes of stretching

Waiting Game....

We're still waiting to hear back about our apartment... should know by this afternoon... so much to do, so little time!

Last night we went to go view another apartment (just incase we don't get approved for the one we applied to). And they were so unprofessional! First of all, they waited until we arrived last Thursday for the showing to inform us that the tenant cancelled all appointments and that they'd reschedule for Tuesday. So we show up yesterday and the office doesn't have a key for the apartment so we can't get in to see it! You'd think they would've looked for it beforehand and called ahead to let us know we wouldn't be able to see it. So frustrating! Now we really have to hope we get the one we applied for!

After that waste of time, Brian and I headed back home to make dinner and veg. We watched Black Sheep (hilarious Chris Farley movie), and Biggest Loser. I fell asleep before Biggest Loser and almost missed it! Thank goodness for the pvr!

Meals for Tuesday:

Breakfast - Blue menu cinnamon apple muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260 calories)

Snack - 2 calcium chews (40 calories)

Lunch - 1/2 can of Campbell's Selects low sodium minestrone soup, 4 triscut crackers, Apple, 1 cup of pineapple (350 calories)

Snack - 21 mini wheats (190 calories)

Dinner - 1 compliments lean burger, 1 bun, 1 tbsp. ketchup, 1 tsp. mustard, Diet coke (325 calories)

Snack - 1 mini bag of lays chips, 1 small bag of mini eggs (360 calories)

Daily Total - 1525 calories, 24 grams of fibre

Another Manic Monday is Over!

Today seemed jam packed and crazy busy, but I don't feel a lot got accomplished! I had a meeting out of office in the morning so by the time I got there, had the meeting and got back to the office, it was time to go out for lunch with a former colleague of mine! We headed to Eggspectations and caught up on the last six months or so which was nice. I got home from work around 4pm and did the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred workout dvd before dinner. After dinner an old friend stopped by to pick up her rollerblades (which have been in my garage about 3 years). We ended up talking for 2.5 hours! Needless to say my packing did not start tonight. Sigh. My laundry did not get folded. Sigh. And I still need to get organized for work tomorrow. Sigh. On a positive note, it was nice to play catch up!

Meals for Monday:

Breakfast - 21 mini wheats, 1 cup of skim milk (280 calories)

Snack - Banana (110 calories)

Lunch - 1 grilled chicken burger on 1/2 bun with veggies and 1 tbsp. gucamole, 1 garden side salad with 1 tbsp. of balsamic vinagrette dressing (475 calories)

Snack - 100 calorie granola bar (100 calories)

Dinner - 6 blue menu chicken meatballs, 1/2 cup of multigrain rice, 1/2 cup of peas, Diet coke (340 calories)

Snack - 1/2 Hershey's dark chocolate bar (230 calories)

Daily Total - 1535 calories, 18 grams of fibre (need to up my fibre!)

Workout - Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred dvd (20 minutes plus 10 minutes of warmup / cool down)

Down 46 lbs and Counting....

Down another 0.4 lbs this week for a total of 46 lbs! It's a smaller loss this week, but I want it to go a bit slower now, and I only got a chance to workout once last week. This week I should be good to workout 3-4 times. I just rested all of Saturday and my sore throat was gone by Sunday morning! Yay!

Brian and I will be applying for the apartment we saw on Friday today. Well we've already gotten the application filled out, he's just going to hand it in before he heads into work today. Keep your fingers crossed!

Meals for Saturday:

Breakfast - 21 mini wheats, 1 cup of skim milk, Banana (390 calories)

Lunch - 1/4 of a Marinated Tomato and Chicken pizza on Multigrain Crust, Apple, 2 calcium chews (345 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of soft baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (130 calories)

Dinner - 1 turkey sausage, 1/2 cup of multigrain rice, 2/3 cup of mixed veggies (peas, corn, carrots and green beans), Diet coke (320 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of baked lays, Easter cream egg, 100 calorie granola bar (420 calories)

Daily Total - 1605 calories, 22 grams of fibre



Meals for Sunday:

Breakfast - Banana, 1 cup of skim milk (200 calories)

Lunch - 12-grain bagel, 2 slices of lean turkey, 1 tbsp. light mayo, 1 cup of pineapple, 2 calcium chews, Diet coke (490 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of soft baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (130 calories)

Dinner - 6 blue menu lean italian meatballs, 1 tbsp. honey garlic bbq sauce, 1/2 cup of multigrain rice, 1 cup of stir fry veggies cooked in 1 tsp. of oil, 1 G2 drink (480 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of Miss Vickies plain chips, Easter cream egg (310 calories)

Daily Total - 1610 calories, 17 grams of fibre

Feeling Sick....

My throat is killing me, my body feels like it weighs 3000 lbs and as a result my workouts ths week have been slim to none, but on the bright side I think Brian and I have found our future home! We just need to get approved now, but we really like the place and the area :-) I'd be very comfortable there!

Yesterday after work / dinner, Brian and I headed to an apartment showing. It went very well as I'm sure you've guessed. So we're quite excited about the possibilities! But also now the stress of packing and whatnot is coming into effect. Brian went to jiu jitsu after the showing and I headed to the mall to run some errands. Zellers had some good sales going on for household items so I took advantage of that. We then went to see Clash of the Titans. I loved the action scenes, but all in all it wasn't really my kind of movie. Brian loved it though so I'm glad about that :-)

Meals for Friday:

Breakfast - Blue menu apple cinnamon muffin, Banana (280 calories)

Snack - 100 calorie quaker granola bar, 1 packet of crystal light in water (110 calories)

Lunch - 1/4 of a Marinated Tomato and Chicken pizza on Multigrain Crust, 1 cup of green grapes (325 calories)

Snack - 21 mini wheats (190 calories)

Dinner - 2 mini chicken pot pies (370 calories)

Snack - Diet coke, 100 calorie bag of crunchy cheetos, 1 mini bag of m&m chocolate eggs (290 calories)

Daily Total - 1565 calories, 25 grams of fibre

Weekend Here I Come!!!!

I am happy it's the weekend.... can you tell? I could barely get out of bed this morning! I'm definitely going to enjoy a relaxing, relatively plan-free weekend. After work yesterday Brian and I went to see an apartment. It was gorgeous - recently renovated, new kitchen, new floors, etc. Very nice place. But the tenant living there told us that the building recently had issues with bed bugs (not his room, but still!) and that there's an 18-month-old living above him and it can be noisy. This was good because the people working at the rental office wouldn't tell us these things so now we're hoping the condo we go see tonight or one of the two apartments we go see on Tuesday is nice enough to call home!

After the apartment showing we grabbed some Subway, headed back to Brians and watched the movie Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I hadn't seen that movie before; what a great movie it is! I definitely recommend it. It had action, definitely comedy and was done in a really unique way.

Meals for Thursday:

Breakfast - Blue menu cinnamon apple muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260 calories)

Snack - Apple, Banana (190 calories)

Lunch - 1/4 of a Marinated Tomato and Chicken pizza on Multigrain Crust, 1 cup of green grapes (325 calories)

Snack - 21 mini wheats (190 calories)

Dinner - Subway 6" Oven Roasted Chicken on whole wheat with lettuce, hot peppers and light mayo, Diet coke (410 calories)

Snack - 1 bag of baked lays, 3 mini dark chocolate lindt eggs (210 calories)

Daily Total - 1585 calories, 27 grams of fibre

Maintenance?

So I was thinking to myself.... I only have about 7 more lbs I'd like to lose.... if my body lets me! I'm just going to continue doing what I'm doing and see where it leads me and hopefully be more relaxed and not expect a weightloss each week. I think I'll continue blogging, but I want to change my focus into maintaining my weight. Any suggestions bloggers?

Last night I skipped my usual Wednesday workout because the rain caused a lot of pain in my knee! So I took some advil and vegged. It was a very early night.

Meals for Wednesday:

Breakfast - 21 mini wheats, 1 cup of skim milk (280 calories)

Snack - Banana, 2 calcium chews (150 calories)

Lunch - 12-grain bagel, 2 slices of blue menu tomato and basil turkey, 1 tbsp. light mayo, 1 cup of mixed berries (435 calories)

Snack - 100 calorie quaker sweet and salty granola bar (100 calories)

Dinner - 1/4 of a McCain's International Marinated Tomato and Chicken Pizza on Multigrain Crust, Diet coke (225 calories)

Snack - 1 mini bag of Miss Vickie's plain chips, 4 mini butterfinger chocolate eggs (330 calories)

Daily Total - 1520 calories, 23 grams of fibre

You Can Go Away Now Rain, Ok?

Not so much a fan of this rain! The thunderstorm overnight was alright because there's something about rain and thunder that allows for such a peaceful sleep.... But as soon as I need to be outside, I'd like it to be dry please!

Yesterday was a fabulous day! The rain held off so I was able to walk to the bank and to Shopper's to run some errands on my lunch break. I like lunch time walks.... the fresh air and time away from the office breaks up the day a bit. I definitely don't do that enough! Although I know why... I went to Shopper's for laundry detergent and dental floss.... I came out with those items plus shaving cream, lysol disinfectant wipes, honey nut cheerios, 100 calorie quaker granola bars, some easter cream eggs and a flavored water. In my defense, there were a whole lot of sales going on!

After work I headed home where Brian and I caught up on our pvr'ed shows, almost finished season 1 of Friends, and enjoyed The Biggest Loser.

Meals for Tuesday:

Breakfast - Blue menu apple cinnamon muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260 calories)

Snack - Banana, 2 calcium chews (150 calories)

Lunch - 1/2 can of Campbell's Creations beef terriyaki noodle soup, 1 cup of strawberries, 1 cup of pineapple (280 calories)

Snack - 21 mini wheats, 1 Dasani Natural Essense Mixed Berry water (210 calories)

Dinner - 1 portion controlled blue menu burger, 1 bun, 1 tbsp. ketchup, 1 tsp. mustard, 1 cup of garden salad, 1 tbsp. sundried tomato dressing, Diet coke (380 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of plain Miss Vickie's chips, 1 Easter cream egg (310 calories)

Daily Total - 1590 calories, 25 grams of fibre

Back to the Grind....

Well, it's back to work today, and I gotta say, I'm not feelin' it! I wish I was home.... just waking up from a wonderful sleep.... getting to have some breakfast, relax, workout, enjoy the nice weather outdoors..... Give me four days off work and then I never want to go back! Ah well, can't really complain... weekend was fantastic, and only four more days to go until another one!

Yesterday was so much fun! Annie and Val came over for 10am and we did the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred workout dvd. They now know what I mean about how intense it is! After the workout we went grocery shopping and then home to make a delicious lunch. Annie and I are addicted to the spicy chicken breasts from M&M Meat Shop, plus she loves the greek salad from Farm Boy.... so we had that together! So much yum! After lunch, Val headed home to work on homework and Annie and I settled in to watch Couple's Retreat. Then Annie went home and I napped. I think I got a ton of sun over the weekend and my body just isn't used to that yet! So I enjoyed an hour and a half doze on and off on the couch. Made some dinner for Brian and I for when he got home from work, and then we settled in to watch Season 1, disc 3 of Friends. It was a relaxing night and I'm definitely well rested today.

Meals for Monday:

Breakfast - 21 mini wheats, 1 cup of skim milk, 1 cup of pineapple (360 calories)

Lunch - 1 spicy chicken breast, 1 cup of greek salad (350 calories)

Snack - Blue menu apple and cinnamon muffin (170 calories)

Dinner - 6 blue menu chicken meatballs, 1 tbsp. honey garlic bbq sauce, 1/2 cup of stir fried veggies cooked in 1 tsp. of canola oil, 1/2 cup of multi grain rice (395 calories)

Snack - Diet coke, Mini bag of Miss Vickie's plain chips, 1 Reese peanut butter cup egg (320 calories)

Daily Total - 1595 calories, 23 grams of fibre

Workout - 20 minute Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred dvd, 10 minutes of stretching

Down 45.6 lbs and Counting....

I can't freaking believe it, but I lost 2.6 lbs on my birthday / Easter weekend! I'm so happy about that! I worked out four times this week (as opposed to my usual 2-3) so I think that was a big help. I'm almost to where I want to be!

Easter weekend was great! Saturday Brian and I headed to our first apartment showing. There were things we liked about it....things we didn't. We definitely liked the way it was layed out, but the building was old, the kitchen was old, etc. We're going to go see a bunch more before we make our decision obviously.

After the apartment viewing, we went back to Brian's house where we had Eater dinner with his family. We got spoiled with chocolates.... but it's great because I LOVE chocolate! I also got stemless wine glasses and a casserole dish with a container to keep the dish cool or hot, plus a gift card to Walmart from them for my birthday.

Later that evening we went with my family to Yuk Yuk's. We were in the front row so we got teased mercilessly. It was fun though! And my sister and Alex gave me my birthday card while we were there, which had a La Senza gift card and a Cineplex movie gift card in it. Woo! My sister keeps talking about how small my boobs are now, so I should've expected it! :P

Sunday I went for a run in the morning. The weather was gorgeous, but it was the most windy run I've been on yet! So my timing wasn't quite as good as what I'm used to, but I pushed through. Then I got spoiled with chocolates from my own family. Man, I'm going to have enough chocolates to last a while! Yum yum!

At my house we decided to enjoy the weather and just do chicken on the bbq for dinner rather than a big turkey dinner where we'd have to be indoors cooking all day. It was delicious! My mom also made these angel food cake cupcakes that were low in calories for dessert, so that was good since I had rich desserts both Friday and Saturday night!

In the evening Brian and I started watching Friends from the beginning. It's cool to watch the episodes in sequence! We've finished disc one and two of the first season.

Today I'm going to be working out with Val and Annie, having lunch with them and then we'll watch a movie. I'll be having dinner and hanging out with Brian tonight. Relaxing before going back to work. Sigh. This weekend was so busy that it just flew by!

Meals for Saturday:

Breakfast - Blue menu apple cinnamon muffin, 1 cup of skim milk, Banana (370 calories)

Lunch - 1/2 can of Campbell's Creations low sodium beef terriyaki soup, 1 serving of no salt added soup crackers, 1 cup of strawberries (290 calories)

Snack - 100 calorie pack of fudge dipped pretzels (100 calories)

Dinner - 3 oz. of turkey, 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes, 1/4 cup of corn, 1/4 cup of carrots, 1/2 cup of broccoli (375 calories)

Dessert / Snacks - 1 small slice of turtle cheese cake, 1 mini bag of Miss Vickie's plain chips, Diet coke (370 calories)

Daily Total - 1505 calories, 23 grams of fibre



Meals for Sunday:

Breakfast - 21 mini wheats, 1 cup of skim milk, 1 cup of mixed berries (345 calories)

Lunch - 1 slice of 12-grain bread, 2 slices of lean bologna, 1 tbsp. light mayo, 1 cup of pineapple, 1 source yogurt (450 calories)

Snack - Whole grain peanut butter granola bar (170 calories)

Dinner - 3 oz. of chicken, 1 tbsp. honey garlic bbq sauce, 1 mini baked potato, 1 cup of salad, 1 tbsp. of sundried tomato dressing, Diet coke (355 calories)

Dessert/Snacks - 1 angel lush cupcake, 1 mini bag of Miss Vickie's plain chips, 1 small cookies 'n' cream bunny (410 calories)

Daily Total - 1730 calories, 20 grams of fibre

Workout - 30 minute run, 15 minute walk, 5 minutes of stretching

Woah Busy!

This weekend is so busy so I am just taking a moment to catch up on the last few days here.... Thursday was fabulous. I headed to the mall after work to pick up a few things... came home and hungout with my sister and her fiance before my parents arrived. Spent some time with them and then headed to Brian's. We watched the original Scream movie, which I hadn't seen in forever! It entertained me so much more than I remember. I stayed up until after midnight so that Brian and I could spend the first few minutes of my birthday together. That was really nice.

I woke up on my birthday to a gloriously sunny day! Came downstairs and my parents got me some workout clothes for my birthday (a nice green nike top and some black yoga capris). I also opened some cards from my Aunt, Uncle, cousins, grandparents and friends of the family. I had my breakfast, did the Jillian Michaels workout dvd with my sister (wearing my new workout gear, of course) and then got showered and ready for the day. Brian came over for lunch and we spent the afternoon reading and tanning on the deck. Tanning in my bathing suit on April 2nd? Who would've thought we'd have such amazing summer weather so soon! We made a chocolate truffle pie for my birthday dessert that afternoon and it turned out rather delicious if I do say so myself. Headed to Montana's for dinner on the patio with Brian and a bunch of my closest friends. Afterwards they all came back to my house for some truffle pie. I got three cookbooks from Melissa and her boyfriend, a cookbook and a necklace from Annie, flowers makeup and bath stuff from Val and pretty much every season of Friends, the movie My Girl, and a book about Gwen Stefani, all from Brian. Was I majorly spoiled or what?? Went to bed with a giant smile on my face, that's for sure! Lots of good times with family and friends.

Today I've been up and about, grocery shopping with my mom, spending time with my family. In a couple of hours Brian and I are going to our very first apartment showing (there's 5-6 we want to see). This could potentially be our new home! After that is Easter dinner with his family, and then a comedy show at Yuk Yuks with my family. It's gearing up to be another great day! And apparently the weather is going to keep getting warmer!

Meals from Thursday:

Breakfast - Blue menu apple cinnamon muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (260 calories)

Snack - Banana, 1 cup of strawberries (155 calories)

Lunch - 12-grain bagel, 2 slices lean bologna, 1 tbsp. light mayo, 2 calcium chews (410 calories)

Snack - 1 cup of raspberries (60 calories)

Dinner - Subway 6" roasted chicken on whole wheat with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and light mayo, Diet coke (410 calories)

Snack - Aero chocolate egg, Mini bag of original Miss Vickie's chips (270 calories)

Daily Total - 1565 calories, 27 grams of fibre



Meals for Friday:

Breakfast - Blue menu apple cinnamon muffin, 1 cup of skim milk, Banana (370 calories)

Lunch - 12-grain bagel, 2 slices of lean bologna, 1 tbsp. light mayo, 1 cup of strawberries (415 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of kettlecorn popcorn (150 calories)

Dinner - (Montana's) Apple pecan harvest salad with balsamic vinagrette dressing, Diet coke (380 calories)

Snack - 1/12 of a chocolate truffle pie (240 calories)

Daily Total - 1555 calories, 26 grams of fibre

Workout - 20 minute Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, 10 minutes of stretching

For My Birthday, I Give You All Gorgeous Weather!

Seriously, it's supposed to be shorts weather on Friday! I'm so excited to enjoy my birthday dinner out on a patio somewhere, working on my tan..... I feel like I haven't worked yet this week and tomorrow is already the last workday before the long weekend! You can't beat that feeling!

Tuesday was a busy and quick moving day at work. When I got home that evening I relaxed with Brian and we watched the end of Season 10 of Friends, as well as The Biggest Loser.

Today I took the day off of work to take a government test for a job I got screened into. There were a couple hundred people taking the test, but the test seemed fairly simple and straightforward. Even if I don't get this specific position, I'll still be considered in their job pool for a couple of years. My test ended at 11am and Brian picked me up and we headed around town looking at the areas of some apartments we found online. It's getting stressful because it seems everyone and their dog has an opinion about different areas in Ottawa! It ends up scaring me a bit, until I tell myself that every single place has sketchy people. You never know your neighbors.... it doesn't matter where you live. Yes, that's a sad thought. And yes, this is one of the reasons I am such a homebody. The world is not a good and safe place. Anyways, after we did our little search, we headed to the movies to escape reality and see Alice in Wonderland. While it was entertaining, I had pretty high expectations for it and was left slightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it's good movie, it's just not as amazing as I know it could've been! After the movie, we did some grocery shopping.

Here is what I picked up:
- Raspberries
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- 12-grain bagels
- Lean bologna
- Blue menu chicken meatballs
- McCain's International Deluxe pizza
- McCain's International Multigrain tomato and chicken pizza
- Mini bags of Miss Vickie's plain chips
- Skim milk
- Eggs
- 35% Whipping Cream
- Baker's semi sweet chocolate

I also went for a run with Val before dinner. Our time was about 30 seconds longer than last week, but we also got stopped at two fairly long red lights. It's frustrating because I feel like I ran so much faster today, but I'll just have to pick it up again next time and hope for less red lights cramping my style!

This evening I just did some spring cleaning and vegged. Ahhhh... bring on the weekend please and thank you :)

Meals for Tuesday:

Breakfast - Blue menu cinnamon apple muffin (170 calories)

Snack - Kiwi, Sugar free pudding (105 calories)

Lunch - 12-grain bagel, 1 tbsp. of peanut butter, Apple (430 calories)

Snack - 21 mini wheats (190 calories)

Dinner - Blue menu portion controlled burger, bun, 1 tbsp. ketchup, 1 tsp. mustard, Diet coke (290 calories)

Snack - Mini bag of ruffles all dressed chips, Aero singles bar (250 calories)

Daily Total - 1435 calories, 27 grams of fibre



Meals for Wednesday:

Breakfast - Blue menu cinnamon apple muffin, Activia yogurt (290 calories)

Snack - Apple (80 calories)

Lunch - Subway 6" roasted chicken on whole wheat with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and light mayo, 1 bag of baked lays chips, Diet coke (540 calories)

Dinner - 6 blue menu lean italian meatballs, 1 tbsp. kraft bbq sauce, 1/2 cup of cooked multigrain rice, 3/4 cup of cooked veggies (mix of corn, peas, carrots and green beans) (370 calories)

Snack - 100 calorie bag of yogurt covered pretzels, 1 rolo egg (260 calories)

Daily Total - 1540 calories, 25 grams of fibre

Workout - 30 minute run, 10 minute walk, 5 minutes of stretching

Short Work Week!

Oh man, I'm so psyched to have a long weekend coming up! And I'm off work tomorrow to do some government testing so I just have today to get through and Thursday. Plus for my birthday / Easter weekend, we're going to be having the most insanely nice weather! It's supposed to hit 25 degrees on my birthday!

Monday after work I headed home and made myself some dinner....made some muffins.....did some laundry, did the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, and then vegged the remainder of the evening.. if you ever have trouble sleeping, try that dvd! Usually a workout gives me more energy... this one always tires me out so much! I definitely was in bed early last night.

Meals for Monday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Snack - Kiwi, Sugar free pudding (105 calories)

Lunch - 1/2 of a 12-grain bagel, 1 slice of lean bologna, 1/2 a tbsp. of light mayo, Apple, 2 calcium chews (320 calories)

Snack - 21 mini wheats (190 calories)

Dinner - 2 mini chicken pot pies, 1/2 cup of peas (440 calories)

Snack - Diet coke, Cadbury caramilk egg, 100 calorie pack of cheetos (260 calories)

Daily Total - 1565 calories, 26 grams of fibre

Workout - 20 minute Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred workout dvd, 5 minutes of stretching

Down 43 lbs :-)

Good morning!

Well, I am down another 1.8 lbs this week, for a total of 43 lbs! I don't know if I deserved to lose though, to be honest! I mean, I had a fantastic week full of workouts and healthy food, but I did drink a fair amount on Saturday and then yesterday was a bit of an off day. But I'll take the weightloss and continue working hard!

Friday after work I met up with Brian and Greg and we headed to the Boston Pizza in Kanata for dinner. I tried the "delicious alternative" spicy chicken & garlic pizza (650 calories for the entire individual pizza!) It was fantastic! We then went to Scotiabank Place and saw Billy Talent in concert, with Cancer Bats, Against Me and Alexisonfire all opening for them. The concert was really fun and I had a blast! I got home around 11:45pm and was asleep by 12:30am.

Saturday Brian and I had a lazy day.... slept in..... watched the movies Tommy Boy and Step Brothers. We also did the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred workout dvd. I wanted to get an intense workout in before drinking at night. My birthday party was that evening and it was awesome! Val did an Easter Egg hunt for us and the hiding places were really creative (some eggs were hidden in blown up balloons!) I stayed out til about 3:30am and was in bed by around 4am.

Sunday I got up around 9am and spent the day in kind of a daze.... when you go to bed so late, the following day always feel like a write-off.... We watched some tv, went to Danielle's around 2pm to help clean (though she'd already done most of it), brought the empties back to the beer store.....then Brian had to go into work for a meeting so I went home, got myself something to eat (it was now 3:30pm and I hadn't eaten yet!) and just napped on and off on the couch. Brian came back over around 8pm and we watched some episodes of Friends....

Meals for Friday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Snack - Kiwi, Activia yogurt (165 calories)

Lunch - 1/2 can of Campbell's Creations low sodium soup, Apple (190 calories)

Snack - 21 mini wheats (190 calories)

Dinner - Boston pizza delicious alternatives spicy chicken & garlic pizza, 2 diet cokes (650 calories)

Daily Total - 1445 calories, 25 grams of fibre

Meals for Saturday:

Breakfast - Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin, 1 cup of skim milk (250 calories)

Lunch - 1/2 of a 12-grain bagel, 1 slice of lean bologna, 1/2 tbsp. of light mayo, Sugar free pudding, 1/2 cup of mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) (310 calories)

Snack - Wholegrain peanut butter crunchy granola bar (170 calories)

Dinner - 6 blue menu lean italian meatballs, 2 tbsp. honey garlic bbq sauce, 1/2 cup of multigrain rice, 1 cup of spinach and arugula salad, 1 tbsp. of sundried tomato dressing, Diet coke (410 calories)

Drinks - 6 bud light with lime, 3 jello shots, 2 spiced rum and diet cokes, 1 shot of malibu rum (1176 calories - yikes!)

Daily Total - 2316 calories, 16 grams of fibre

Workout - 20 minute Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred dvd, 10 minutes of stretching

Meals for Sunday:

Lunch - 8 triscut crackers (160 calories)

Dinner - 1 cup of v8 fusion (1 fruit, 1 veggie), 1 small blue menu mushroom and garlic pizza (1030 calories)

Snack - Diet coke, 2 servings of mini eggs (400 calories)

Daily Total - 1590 calories, 10 grams of fibre

Alright, time to get back on track!