Change is in the Air...

To say the last couple weeks have been stressful would be a bit of an understatement. Truly, I have felt quite overwhelmed lately but mostly due to circumstances completely out of my control. It has been a bit of a wake up call however and it has me feeling much more committed to becoming healthier and taking better care of myself. Without going into much detail, I will say that I have seen people in my family go through some tough stuff. Namely, cancer returning and killing a loved one. Another loved one suffering a broken leg and needing surgery to get it back into place. And another loved one being admitted to the hospital. So, suddenly I am seeing multiple ways that health is failing in people that matter to me. It has provided a true wake up call and made me really think hard about taking better care of myself.

I know, broken record. But maybe this time will be different. We only get one body to last us a lifetime. It seems important to take care of it and give it what it needs. I know I have seriously lacked in motivation for quite some time now, and I am really not sure how to get out of that slump. But I have to try. For my sake, but also for my boys. I try and set a good example for them but lately it just feels like I haven't been doing that. I haven't been terrible, but I know I can do better. I am thinking maybe if I can get to this blog more often, that might help.

And I need to keep an eye on the calories going in, and the quality of those calories as well. I want to be eating a more balanced diet, in the quantities that I need to sustain myself (or perhaps a little less than I need so I can attack the extra weight that has crept back on). I want to be eating lots of fruits and vegetables. And I want to come up with strong protein sources that are not always based on animals. And I need to drink more water. That should be an easy one!! I need to concentrate on the part where the fuel going in is high quality and real. Yes, I will still have some treats. I have too much of a sweet tooth not to. But I need to make sure they are just that... a treat... and only sometimes. I need to resist the constant unhealthy snacks on display at my workplace. I need to remember that what goes in is what will be fuelling me. And I only need so much fuel. I should probably start tracking what I eat again, because the last time I did that, it was super effective.

But the other side of it is the exercise. Now I know the last little while has been a bit dictated for me, but it doesn't mean I still can't find a way to sneak in some exercise etc. I have not made it a priority. I need to. I need to because I want my body to be strong for me. I need to because I want to be strong for my family. So I hope that today gets me going again. I am going to put up this post, and see if I can try and add to this blog at least three times a week.

Today I made the decision to go for a run. Nothing long. Nothing far. Just a run. And I did. It was super hot outside, but I went. Just for half an hour. But it was something. Because I want to start making it a priority. For me. No more excuses.

And I guess I should document where I am starting. Ugh. Again. Not something I really want to share, but something I really need to so that I can try and improve upon it. The scale says to me 194.2lbs. I know. There is work to be done. The pants are pretty snug. I want them to be loose again. I want to feel better about me. I can do this... at least, I hope I can!!

Fitness Challenge: 1 week done

So the fitness challenge officially began on November 15th, and then starting on November 17th, the week one challenge rolled out. And, yikes, it was called revving the engine, and the challenge was 500 each of sit-ups, push-ups and squats. That was definitely a tall order, especially given I haven't been doing a whole lot of anything lately. Needless to say, I had my work cut out for me.

In the beginning, I tried to do full body push-ups, but it was just a little more than I was capable of, so I resorted to the girl version and was doing the push-ups from my knees, not my toes. And as for the sit-ups, I started doing them old school, and quickly moved to the exercise ball as I was finding them a bit too tough on my back. Let me tell you though, even with these modifications, wow, that was a lot of repetitions. I am happy to report though, that I am now finished them. Most days I broke it down into 4 sets of 25 each. With the push-ups, I ended up breaking those down into 15 and then 10 most of the time. Seriously. It was a lot to ask of me. Today, my arms, abs and legs are still a bit stiff, but the first week challenge is done!!

Weight is down two pounds from last week, so that is progress. I haven't been tracking my eating, but I have been very aware of my eating and made mostly good choices all week. Some meals are tricky to track and so I just didn't put forth the effort I should have. I will keep working on this, but so far, I'm happy with that progress. I also got in some cardio as well. And, I signed onto Strava. There might be some motivation there as well.

So now, I will look onwards to what week two has to offer. I'm excited to hear, even if the challenge might seem impossible. Hey, so did this week's but breaking it down, it was achievable, so there is hope!!

No sweeter reward!!

Just finished the next treadmill run. I am watching Once Upon A Time while I run. This morning while contemplating a morning coffee, I opted for a small latte over a mocha. I know, trivial little decisions, but wait. By choosing the latte over the mocha, I was able to have the sweetest reward after my run. A glass of Avalon Dairies Organic Chocolate Milk.

 It is such a treat. And although it makes a pretty amazing mocha, a glass of chocolate milk, made all the fancier in a nice cup, is pure heaven. Try it. You will see what I mean. You might have to run a bit longer and a bit further, but it will be worth every sip.

In the meantime… another 4.98km run. Why not 5km? Because it was a preprogrammed route and that is just how far it is. This afternoon I will get a bit of a walk in, as the kids go on their walk-a-thon fundraiser at the school. Yay, it's a time to be active with the kids!! Love every one of those opportunities.

A Fitness Challenge...

As I was leaving work the other day, I noticed a poster for a fitness challenge. It is being organized by a police constable, but open to anyone working in emergency services, so I sent off an email saying I was interested if it wasn't too late to sign up. 

I have the information now, and just need to send it off. It should be interesting. It will be twelve weeks long, and every week there is a challenge. As well, you have to have a goal in mind. Then, there is this complicated formula based on percentage of weight lost, goal attainment and challenges completed that will assign everyone points, and from there we determine our top three. 

I think the competition will be good for me. I really want something to kick start me, since obviously I am not doing well on my own. It is exactly what I need right now. 

I vow to track my eating on MyPlate through LIVESTRONG. The challenge will last for twelve weeks and goes straight through the holiday season, and ends at the end of January. The whole point is to make some friends and work to better yourself. This seems achievable. I saw there are a few people on the list from my work, so I am certainly not in this alone. 

Given that I want to improve my body before I turn 40, this seems very well timed for me. So time to get out of this negative fitness and food funk and get moving. Again. Tonight I'll do all my measurements and get all that sent off. 

And then it is time to look at the race calendar and find something to inspire myself with for next year. My son has said he might do a 10km with me. I like that idea. Huge accomplishment for him if he does it, but something I'm certain he can achieve. That kid is quite the little runner!!

And so we begin again...

With less than ninety days until we leave for a long anticipated family vacation, once again I must try and be disciplined and a little more in charge of myself. I work hard to be active with my kids yet I can't seem to stay focused on myself and my food choices sometimes.

Part of it is just self sabotage. That's terrible I know. And that might not even be the right term. Making bad choices in the moment for short term pleasure rather than thinking about the long term goal. But if I am serious about the long term goal, then the short term decisions really do matter. I need to keep that big picture close by so that my day to day decisions take that into account. 

So where do I stand... Well, here...

See what I mean? It's not pretty. Two years ago I was very disciplined with eating and my weight was at about 164.  Last year I was disciplined with exercise as I trained for Ironman Canada. At the moment I'm not being very disciplined at either. That needs to change. That HAS to change. 

And so I once again, I commit myself to this journey of eating better and exercise. I know the journey is not always easy. But it can be done. I know it's a mindset. I have done this before and I will do this again. Because, I know I want the bigger goal now more than the quick sugar highs. 

I also want to feel more comfortable in my own skin. I know being back at this weight that I just don't look how I would like. 

I do make fairly good eating choices. Like breakfast today. I had my muesli with half a peach and blueberries. So tasty. And I had one small mocha. Eight ounces. See, very portion controlled. I will track my eating again. Truly, tracking your eating is key. If you don't hold yourself accountable, you'll cheat. If one cookie is good, two is better. That kind of thing. So I will track it. And I will blog about it. And maybe I'll find some other people facing a similar journey. 

It is mind over matter. And I know I have a strong mindset. I'm an ironman for goodness sakes. So if I can accomplish those huge physical tasks, I know I can do the eating ones as well.  

I want to do this for me but also for my kids. Part of being an active family is setting a good example. That means being active but it also means consuming the best fuel for that activity. It means no snacking on junk food once the kids go to bed. If I need a snack, making it wholesome and healthy and within the guidelines I need to sustain myself, not pushing over that. 

So, there you have it. Post Ironman has been less than ideal. I've slumped back into some bad habits but the time to get good habits going again is here. I have big dreams. I have big goals. There are so many races, hikes, bikes, runs and more to do. But I want to get faster and not just finish. The time is now. Today we get going once again. Better eating, more focused exercise. And...GO!!