I'm Feeling The Magic, Mes Amis

Wow. Honestly, that's all that's going through my head these days. Wow. Awesome. Happy.

This Whole30 experience (today is day 23!) is probably the best health decision I've ever made for myself. I can hardly believe how amazing I feel. Want the list?

Here we go...

• I fall asleep as soon as I decide it's bedtime. My head hits the pillow and in moments I'm in sleepyland. This has NEVER happened to me before, unless I'm dead-on-my-feet exhausted or ill.
• I wake up early and get out of bed. No hitting snooze (I'm usually up before it goes off), no burying myself in pillow, no trying to convince my daughter to snuggle up and stay in bed just a little longer. My eyes open, I sit up, and I'm off to the kitchen to make breakfast. No yawning, no gimmemycoffee, nothing. I'm just awake.
• I never feel stuffed or bloated or ughIatetoomuch after a meal. Even when I eat a big steak and tons of veggies and eggs and a club soda and a handful of dates.
• I don't need to snack all day long to keep my energy level up -- they're perma-up. Three meals a day, minute munching in between (maybe some apple sauce while I'm at work, or a handful of almonds). I don't crave & my emotional attachments to carbs and sugars don't have the same hold on me that they used to.

I've actually tried to test myself on this front a few times... tried to picture having a beer or eating ice cream or munching on a bag chips... and I never feel like I NEED or even WANT those things. I get this little voice saying "that will make your body feel bad" and I can almost picture how I'd feel after. It's a crazy change that's happened. I wasn't entirely convinced that I'd ever feel REALLY DIFFERENTLY about the food I was eating, but WHAM. I do. I really do. 

And I love it.

I've honestly never felt healthier in my entire life. And as an added bonus, I've definitely lost weight. I haven't stepped on a scale since day one, and I won't til day 30, but my pants don't stay up any more and last week I popped on a pair 3 sizes smaller than the ones I'm wearing now... and they fit. Shock and awe, baby. My reward after this will be a new pair of jeans, for sure.

Now, in one week, after I hit day 30, then what? Well, that's a whole other post, but here's a wee hint... I will NOT be going back to the way I used to eat. I feel TOO GOOD to give it all up.

Stay tuned!

The Whole30: Let's Make A Change

Alright. I know that if I don't say it here, and commit myself in some way, it won't happen. So here it goes: Starting tomorrow, August 19th, I will be doing the Whole30. If you've never heard of it, take a peek over here to see what the heck I'm talking about.

My decision to do this comes from my recent feeling about my health & body. After taking over the shop, my diet and my thoughts around eating were pushed aside. I've been drinking too much coffee, eating out more than I should, and generally just not taking care of myself in the way that I know I can. My weight has gone up, and despite never stepping on a scale in recent months, I know that my clothing is more snug and my energy levels are dropping.

It's time to change some things up.

I know I can eat well. I know I feed my daughter better than I feed myself, and I need to make the time to reconcile these differences. When my daughter is in daycare, she eats lunch/dinner away from home, and I eat poorly while at the shop. I'll just admit that. I shouldn't be living off coffee & restaurants during the week, and eating well on the weekend. It's not good for my body, my mind, or my finances. Since I'm at the shop about 50 hours a week, I haven't been cooking the way I used to. Due to our current schedule, Gretchen and I have breakfast together at home, but I often eat nothing as I get ready, or just sip coffee. I'm not always hungry in the morning, but I know I won't have that mid-morning crash if I eat something fantastically nutritious when I wake up. Gretchen likes fruit & toast, or cereal w/ soymilk, or smoothies, or eggs in the morning. At this time she lunches/dinners at daycare, which means that I either eat nothing for dinner, or I snack sometime after she's in bed, usually around 9pm, which also doesn't make for a happy belly. Starting in September, I've made the decision to start Gretchen at a new daycare (for one last year), a daycare which meshes better with my parenting philosophy. It's been a difficult choice, but I wasn't feeling completely at ease with the current situation and so I've made a change.

Just as I'll make a change with how I eat.

This will also mean that after September begins, my little one and I will be having dinner together more ofte. This makes me a VERY happy mama. It'll be great to be cooking again. I've missed it. The slow cooker is coming back out & meal-planning will once again be a part of my life. Thankfully, the little miss LOVES coming grocery shopping with me. She's such a helper.

Now, thinking about the Whole30 brings a few things to mind: What I anticipate will be easy and what I believe will be a challenge. So here we go:

The Easy Bits:

• I am NOT a picky eater. Veggies, fruits, meats, whatever you give me, I'll at least try it and probably I'll like it. Gretchen is this way too. I just don't believe in being a picky eater. Healthy food always tastes good to me, so there's no excuse not to eat that way.
• I WANT to do this. No one is making me. And it's the sort of thing you have to want to want. 

The Tricky Bits:

• I like my coffee with cream & sugar. Yup. And that's a big no-no. So if I really want it, it'll be black. Just like when I was vegan.
• I like my stout. I enjoy a bottle of stout at the end of a long day, but for the next 30 days, I won't be touching it.
• I'm a carb junkie. It's a fact. I adore bread and pasta and all of their glutentastic friends.

However. If you've ever met me, you know how stubborn I can be. Which means I'm going to kick this program's ass and I hope you'll ALL hold me accountable. Send me tweets to check in, pester me on Facebook, email me, shout it from a rooftop. Because I'm doing this. And I'm not going to let myself down.

Have any of you made a big change in your eating habits lately? Have you ever done the Whole30? Adivce, tips, stories, ideas? I'd love to hear about your experiences. Feel free to link blog posts if you've chatted about this on your own sites. I'm eager to get started and to jump right in!

August 19th. Day one. A big change. 

I can do this.

PS. Thank you to bloggers like Nicole who have really given me that push I need to do this. Reading your stories has filled me up with motivation and a craving for change. Thank you.

Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Fifteen

Source.

I hopped on the fancy gym scale today and THE 180s ARE HISTORY!

Today the scale said 178.8, which I will call 179 as not to split hairs.

179!!

I am OFFICIALLY back to my pre-pregnancy weight!

I was 179lbs when I found out I was pregnant and 229lbs the day before I gave birth -- it took about 6 months to get back here and I feel great!!

Now, I'm not at my goal yet, but baby steps, ladies and gents.

Today I was at the gym again, for personal training session #5. I am feeling so much stronger -- I even did 13 of those deadly, twisting, weighted crunches! They just about do me in but afterward I feel FABULOUS!

Friday will be my last session with my trainer. Then I will start going to lots more classes in the morning when there is daycare at the gym & I'll keep up the weight training that I've been taught. My routine with the trainer only takes about 30 minutes to complete and works out my entire body -- very nice. On Friday she's also going to take my measurements again to see if I've improved in that department as well. Fingers crossed.

Now, I know I haven't talked about the Weight Watchers portion of my weight loss journey in a little while -- and to be honest, I haven't been strictly counting points. I know, I know -- shame on me, but with the move I've been so preoccupied and really I'm just making excuses and not eating as well as I should be. However, I must be doing something right to still be seeing results. My eating habits could definitely be better, but they are nowhere near as miserable as they were before this whole journey started.

Once we move and get settled I will finally be able to cook at home again (all of my cooking gear has been packed up). I will also feel better knowing that I am getting all the fruits & veggies that I should.

Moving is a stressful endeavour, but, as with weight loss -- it will happen & it will be grand!

I hope you're all having a fantastic Wednesday, and once again -- thank you for all the support! It's so nice to read all of your comments each week, pushing me forward and sending your congrats! It really does make a difference to see you all on my team!

Peace, and thank you.

Stay tuned for next Wednesday when I see if I've conquered my bridesmaid dress fitting goal of 175lbs!

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Just 4lbs til my July 29th goal of 175lbs.
Just 19lbs til my final goal of 160lbs.

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Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Fourteen

Image by Mikey Bee.

This morning I weighed in at the gym (a post about personal training is coming soon -- promise). The fancy scale in my personal trainer's office read 180.8lbs, so I suppose I'll round up and call it 181lbs.

I'm up a 1/2 pound from last week, which I'll try not to get too frustrated about.

What I AM getting frustrated with is being stuck in these low 80s for weeks and weeks -- I know that I need to step it up a notch. Today I made the mistake of a eating a burger, ice cream AND spicy Szechwan food -- my worst day of eating in a long time -- and I'm sure I will pay for it later.

Even after a great work out today I still let myself eat so much today and I'm disappointed, but I WILL bounce back.

My goal is to weigh 175 in two weeks (for my bridesmaid dress fitting) and hot damn I WANT IT. My personal trainer said as long as I eat well she can make it happen -- I feel like I'm letting her down too.

Tomorrow! It ends!

I'm going back to counting points in a more REAL way.
No more guessing, no more estimating.

The more I write about this the more upset I'm feeling with the way I treated my body today -- a great work out, tons of weight training, 30 minutes on the elliptical and this is how I repay all that hard work. I could almost cry.

I can feel myself falling off the wagon & it's a terrible feeling.

Send some good vibes my way, mes amis -- I will not give up!

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Just 6lbs til my July 29th goal of 175lbs.
Just 21lbs til my final goal of 160lbs.

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Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Thirteen

Today was a fabulous weigh in, ladies and gents.

I'm down 3.5lbs to 180.5lbs!

Feels good. Feels great. Feels AMAZING!

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Just 5.5lbs til my July 29th goal of 175lbs.
Just 20.5lbs til my final goal of 160lbs.

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Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Twelve

Another week, another step on the scales.

This week I was up a pound, however, considering my four pound loss last week, I'm not worried. I figure this is my body evening the score -- Looks like I'm sitting pretty at 184lbs.

What's important is the fact that my pants are fitting looser this week and a friend even commented on my saggy, baggy jeans today.

Take THAT waistline!

Unfourtunately this means that I didn't quite make my July 1st goal of 180lbs.

So? New goal! I'm giving myself til Jul 29th to get to 175lbs -- quite reasonable and completely doable. (Why the 29th? It's the day of my dress fitting for the wedding I'm in on August 22nd.)

Tonight I tried to sign up for the full Weight Watchers online package -- however the site was all wonky, I tried to pay three times, it told me my credit card was invalid and now there's about $350 missing from my account when I check online. Figures. (It'll all get sorted out -- this sort of weirdness has happened before -- the bank tries to set aside the funds you TRIED to spend and you're left with a weird balance for a few days -- nothing to panic TOO much about.)

Soon it will be all sorted out and I'll be good to go!

Thanks for your support! Peace & guten nacht!

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Just 9lbs til my July 29th goal of 175lbs.
Just 24lbs til my final goal of 160lbs.

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Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Eleven

This morning I was doing a little happy dance in front of the scales.

I kicked last week's ass with a weigh in of 183lbs! That's 4lbs less than the evil 187lbs that stared back at me last Wednesday.

My total loss: 17lbs!

Hurray!

I will assume that last week I was holding onto some water, or was just having an off day, which is to be expected in a long term weight loss regimen. Thank you for all of your supports, best wishes & encouragement! It really makes a difference.

Fingers crossed for a fabulous weigh in next week as well!

Note: I just wanted to mention that I don't want to keep up the 4lbs/week loss. I realize that this is a little extreme this week and that while breastfeeding I'd to lose weight a little slower. This week was a fluke, but a happy fluke either way.

Peace & good night! I hope you're all staying cool.

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Just 3lbs til my July 1st goal of 180lbs.
Just 23lbs til my final goal of 160lbs.

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Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Ten

This week wasn't the greatest.

I knew that I wasn't eating completely on plan and I had a few carb heavy days. I knew that when I stepped on the scale this morning that I would feel frustrated.

However, it could have been worse.

Today I am up 1.5lbs to 187lbs.

Not great. Not terrible.

I am still proud of myself for coming this far and this is actually the first week in ten weeks that I haven't lost weight, so that counts for something. Setbacks can be a bummer, but I won't let this get in my weigh.

I need to do some veggie-loaded groceries tomorrow. I want to eat a salad for at least one meal everyday (which I should have been doing all along) and I need to curb the carbs. They are my weakness, and the fact that I KNOW this, should mean that I can get ahead of it.

Cross your fingers for me this week and NEXT week I promise not to disappoint you or myself.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy week. Peace.

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Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Nine

I am a happy girl today!

I'm down to 185.5lbs which means I lost 1.5lbs this week! I am feeling so proud right now -- it looks like I'm well on my way to my goal for July 1st!

The fact that I have actually lost weight every week for the past nine weeks blows my mind. This is such an amazing feeling & I know I can continue my success!

Much love to everyone who's been so good to me these past weeks -- the support has been phenomenal.

Have a fabulous night, mes amis.

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Just 5.5lbs til my July 1st goal of 180lbs.
Just 25.5lbs til my final goal of 160lbs.

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Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Eight

I almost forgot! This morning I weighed in at 187lbs which means I've lost 0.5lbs this week & that's alright by me.

I'm down 13lbs in total and my jeans are looking mighty fine.

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Just 7lbs til my July 1st goal of 180lbs.
Just 27lbs til my final goal of 160lbs.

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Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Seven

Success!

This week I'm down to 187.5 -- a loss of 2lbs!

This makes for 12.5lbs lost in total & I'm feeling fabulous.

Recap:
Just 7.5lbs til my July 1st goal of 180lbs.
Just 27.5lbs til my final goal of 160lbs.

This week I had two people say that they could tell I'd lost weight. It was such a good feeling to know that it shows! I'm also fitting into a pair of 'normal people' jeans (aka a pair of jeans which have a zipper, and a button & aren't completely elasticized).

Another neat thing about this week is that before I was pregnant, my previous highest weight was 188lbs. I am now below that weight & it makes me so happy!

I'm seven weeks into my weight loss journey and I still feel super motivated and excited -- thank you so much for all of the support & the love!

Peace & happy Wednesday.

Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Six

I have decided to continue following the Weight Watchers program from home as opposed to attending the meetings, which I was never able to make anyhow. I now have a fancy electronic scale & each Wednesday I will update you all on my progress. This is my economical solution to getting the weight off & staying sane!

So, how did I do this week?

Well, let's recap:
Starting weight, April 6th: 200 pounds.
Week 1: 198.5
Week 2: 194
Week 3: 193
Week 4: 192

And now Week 6 (I missed last week): 189.5!

A total of 10.5 pounds lost in six weeks!

This also means that I have reached my first goal, which was to lose 5% of my weight.

Originally my next goal was to lose 10% of my weight by June 17th, bringing me down to 180lbs. However, I'm going to reset my goal in relation to how I've been losing so far and so, my NEW goal is to be at 180lbs by July 1st!

Thank you all for your support and motivation over these weeks -- it's really helped me to stay focused and keep going! Muah. Much love to all of you.

Merci!!

Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Four

Another successful weight watching week -- I lost 1lb this week for a total of 8lbs this month! Four weeks on the program & eight pounds lighter makes me a happy, happy girl.

I have been making smart choices, showing restraint & finding alternative yummies to satisfy my cravings. Crystal Light, Digestive Cookies & Subway have been my friends.

Today a friend told me should could tell that I'd lost weight -- I'm sure you can imagine how amazing that made me feel.

Just 2lbs til I've lost 5% of my weight!
Just 12lbs til I'm at my goal for June 17th!
Just 32lbs til I'm at my goal for August 22nd!

Bit by bit, I'll get there.

Thank you for your support & have a fabulous evening.

The Fawn's Weight Loss Tips: Part Two

Greetings, mes amis! I have for you here, five more weight loss tips to get you motivated and moving. Happy sunny Monday! Here we go:

Partner up. Weight loss is one of those things that is easier when done with a friend. Right now I have a wonderful support group of about five ladies who are all committed and are fantastically motivating. Whether you need someone to help you make a healthy choice, go for a walk with you or remind you of why you're doing what you're doing -- having a friend by your side can really help you succeed.

Gulp before you gorge. If you're feeling exceptionally hungry try chugging a glass or two of water and waiting five minutes. Sometimes you will find that you were actually thirsty & not hungry after all.

Celebrate. Whether you've lost a pound or five or twenty, celebrate your victories, big & small. Buy yourself a new pair of pants, or go see a movie or buy a new book. It always makes me so happy when I treat myself to something nice when I've done well. It's all about being good to your body, as well as your soul. How about that.

Dance! Or run, or swim or hop to it! Exercising is just a fancy way of saying MOVE! It doesn't have to be lifting weights or working the elliptical. Do what makes you feel good and move move move. I love to walk with Gretchen through the park, so this is what I do for exercise -- remember, even something like cleaning your house rigorously counts. Take that, calories!

Happy thoughts. I find it so important not to beat myself up if I gain weight, or if I indulge in that cheesecake, or have a day where I eat too much bread and not enough veggies. These days are going to happen and you can't be your own worst enemy about it. It's just one day -- move along and think positively. You can do it!

I hope you've enjoyed my tips! Bye for now.

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You can find part one here.

The Fawn's Weight Loss Tips: Part One

As you all know I am doing Weight Watchers & so far everything is off to a great start. I've lost seven pounds & I feel fantastic.

In light of my recent healthful escapades I thought I might share with you some of the tips & tricks that are working for me & have worked for me in the past.

Eat slowly. I am, by nature, an incredibly slow eater so this one comes quite easily to me. I find that you are much more likely to enjoy your food if you chew slowly and take little bites. Try this experiment: the next time you are craving chips or cookies, or something that you'd usually consume an entire bag of, try taking just a little out and putting it in a bowl. Eat the bowlful slowly & take thoughtful bites. Make sure to taste your food and enjoy its quality instead of its quantity.

Cut it up. I often break/cut my food into very small pieces. This helps to satisfy the urge to eat one thousand of something. For instance, if I'm letting myself have three cookies I will break them all in 1/2 and tada! I now have six cookies! Miraculous.

Think brown. Switch to whole wheat pasta, brown rice, oat bran, seven grain, flax seed -- you name it. I tend to find these starchy foods very comforting & it's nice to know I'm getting more nutrients this way than if I were eating their white counterparts.

Liquefy. Increase you fluid intake, especially water. Where we live the water tastes rather chlorinated so I tend to get my water in by drinking Crystal Light. However, even a soda can hydrate you a little, as long as you watch your caffeine intake. I think that water is one of my main reasons for weight loss success -- it's also great for me to be hydrated while breastfeeding. It's incredible how thirsty nursing can make you.

Step off. If you have a bathroom scale, hide it, forget about it or get rid of it. Stepping on the scale every day, hour, minute is not an accurate measure of your success. If you keep your scale, set aside one day each week to step on it to check your progress. This gives you a much more reasonable visual of your weight loss. Our bodies are incredible and depending on what you ate or even if you've gone pee lately, the scale may not be completely truthful. Go easy on yourself & weigh in each week.

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Stay tuned for part two.

Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Three

Today I weighed it at Weight Watchers and...

I'm down another pound!

This makes for seven pounds in total & I'm rather pleased with myself.

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In case you missed it: details from week two.

Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Two

On April 6th I hopped aboard the Weight Watchers train once again. I was on the program before I was pregnant & now that it's safe for me to start losing weight again (doctor & midwife approved) I am back on the program.

So far, things are going great. In my first two weeks I have lost a total of 6 lbs! My short term goal is to lose 20 lbs to get back to my pre pregnancy weight and my long term goal is to lose an additional 20 lbs to get to my happy weight -- 40 lbs in total & just 34 lbs to go!

Theoretically I would like to be at my long term goal by August 22nd since I'm going to be a bridesmaid that day (for a friend who is also doing Weight Watchers). I would like to be at my short term goal by June 17th (coinciding with a another friend's birthday who is also on the program & in the wedding).

So, to break it all down:

April 6th, starting weight: 200 lbs
April 22nd, current weight: 194 lbs

Goal for June 17th: 180 lbs
Goal for August 22nd: 160 lbs

I will be updating each week with my progress and should I forget, please hold me accountable! I want to do this & I want to do this right!

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If any of you would like to join me in my weight loss journey, please let me know & link me to your blogs -- sometimes it's just easier to do something when you have a friend doing it with you.