to snow tire or not

We have never changed our tires over to snow tires. This year I feel that we really should do it. I never realized the significant safety differences but after reading articles on this issue I am now convinced that putting snow tires on is the way to go- especially as we drive little ones around all the time.
Just wondering if any (if there are any!!) of my readers use snow tires, and if so what type or do you have any recommendations on brand, place to go etc...

Tips and Tid bits

Since starting on Weight Watchers in January 2010 and losing close to 25 pounds lots of people have been asking me to share my "secret". I first want to make it clear that it is no secret. I tell anyone who comments or wants to know how I did it the absolute truth. I joined Weight Watchers, followed the plan and it worked. They then often want to know what it is I eat, so I thought I'd just share it here and give them my link rather than explaining over and over again...
here is a typical day/week of meals

Breakfast  7:15 am
28 grams all bran buds stirred into one source yogurt, banana

or

54 grams of Kashi Honey Puffs Cereal with 1/2 cup 1% milk, banana

or

one PC Thins Cinnamon Raisin Bagel with 1 tablespoon light peanut butter, banana

or

one packet of weight control oatmeal (any flavour) made with 1/2 cup %1 milk,banana

Snack  10:30 am
Coffee with milk and sugar ( won't ever give up sugar for sweetener in my coffee!!)
AND

6 almonds
or
carrot and celery sticks
or
one apple
or
2 triangles of Laughing Cow Cheese
or
All Bran Bar

Lunch

7 cups of salad consisting of either spring lettuce mix, romaine or  spinach AND 1/2 diced cucumber, 1/2 of a pepper (either yellow or red), cauliflower, 10 grape tomatoes cut in half, and either 1/4 of an avocado, 1/2 cup of beans/chickpeas or 20 grams of cheddar cheese or can of flavoured tuna or 2 oz  diced cooked chicken AND 1 tablespoon of dressing-any type.
Sometimes I'll bring left overs for lunch but usually stick to my salad. and very rarely I'll do the food court lunch in which i choose either a chicken skewer from the Greek place with salad or a turkey sub no mayo from Subway.

Dinner
I find dinner to be the hardest meal to plan for. As most working mothers this is the most challenging time of the day. After coming home from a busy day at work, the kids have been at daycare/school and are really tired- need to fix dinner, entertain the kids and get a whole ton of chores done around the house to boot it can be so difficult to make healthy choices the kids will like.
I refuse to eat a different meal than the one I cook for the rest of the family so I just have to be careful about portion control. Since I do have a food scale this is easier than if i didn't have one. I weigh and measure almost everything.
Since the usual reaction from my son lately for whatever i make is UCH...YUCKY, we decided to plan our weekly meals together. This has been so helpful and has seen us through the last 3 nights with no complaints and crying fits-and the kids have had more than just peanut butter on bread for dinner!

Some examples of dinner;
3 ounces chicken breast, steamed cauliflower, 1/2 cup of rice
1 cup of pasta 1/2 cup vegetarian  bolognese sauce
3 ounces tilapia cooked any way (this is about 1/2 of a HUGE fillet from the fish counter) steamed carrots, small baked potato with 1 tsp of becel
2 oz of beef with sauteed vegetables and 1/2 c rice
I find that buying prepacked foods makes life  a lot easier and I am able to count my points easier too. A family favourite is fish sticks, and sweet potato fries.
I also make a lot of vegetable soups. My favourite is cabbage soup which also happens to be the most healthy and least caloric of them all. The slow cooker is really helpful for this!
I eat cheese but really limit it to one serving by weighing it, (shocking how little cheese one serving is!!) or just stick to Laughing Cow Light. For 2 triangles it is only 1 point.  I have also had to cut out my snacking considerably. I used to eat chocolate chips from the bag before bed...don't do that anymore, and I could eat a whole bag of mini rice cakes in one sitting (still CAN do that-but choose not to) I also no longer eat cereal out of the box while watching TV.
The whole trick is making the right choices and learning what works and doesn't work for you. I remember commenting at one WW meeting about eating the same thing everyday-I am totally good with that-but most people there groaned and said they couldnt' do it- but that totally worked for me-and i try to stick to it!

changes....

well my commitment to working out in the morning has been more challenging than I thought it would be. I have however been getting on the elliptical in the evenings instead. I do like watching my favourite programs while working out but I used to feel so much more productive when working out in the mornings...i guess I can't have it all!

Pre-New Years Resolutions

Last January I resolved to take the bull by the horns and get my butt in gear to lose the baby weight once and for all. I managed to lose 25 pounds but was really really good about eating well and not so good about exercising diligently. I did start out the year getting on the elliptical 3-5 times a week at first but as time went on that slipped down to 1-2 and lately it's been nil.
During the late summer and early fall I started running. Again it wasn't that regularly and usually only when FP kicked me in the butt to get off the couch. I did complete one 5k and felt awesome about it but then only ran once after that.
Now that it is December and the New Year is coming up fast and furious, I decided I want to get back to the basics of exercising right and of course eating right too.
Since working out the evenings just doesn't work for me (I'm just too tired and honestly I have so much to do around the house-as I've discovered the house doesn't clean itself and meals don't get cooked on their own!!!) I have committed to waking up at 5:30 and getting on that elliptical for 25-35 minutes a day. It is a great way to start the day and gets me up to do other things before the rest of the family is up. This morning for example i was able to load (and turn on) the dishwasher, throw in a load of laundry and tidy the kitchen a bit all before the chaos called morning started! (and of course help get the kids ready for their 7:20 departure AND to top it off I was able to shower in the morning-which i love to do but normally don't because of time restrictions. (and morning showers really do wonders for my hair)
I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be able to keep up this commitment to myself for daily exercise!!

Some Things I want to try...

I saw a commercial recent for these Goody Spin Pins. I think they look amazing. Just wondering how well they would work on really thick hair. My experience with these products in the past hasn't been that great but I'm willing to give them a try...now off to try and find them in stores!

This product from Sephora looks interesting too. I have been trying to grow out my hair and as a result have been putting it up in ponytails a lot lately. Hercut perfect ponytail  might just help me get the perfect pony...okay might go a try this out today...and if the result is great, I'll buy!

Still searching for the best eyeshadow for me I am looking to get something like this.
I love Sephora!

observations and thoughts

that go on in my head sometimes make me laugh out loud...looking like a dope. But I can't help it if I find girls who wear thick winter boots to keep the toes all toasty with no stockings and the shortest skirts possible kind of ridiculous...or women who are sporting the most adorable shoes but forget to take that bright white priced tag off the bottom of the shoe...teenage boys who wear their pants so low the are walking like mermaids- please pull your pants up- we really don't all need to see your shorts! Or... sitting on the subway and noticing a young woman standing- and wondering if she is pregnant or just overweight so i would know whether or not to get up to offer her a seat. (not that i take it often but once recently i was on during rush hour and really didn't want to insult my fellow passenger so i didn't get up to offer her a seat-which i would have if she had been extremely large and obviously pregnant!)

Where did my motivation go???

For months and months I was doing SOOO well in both the eating and exercise departments. I stuck to the WW plan to a T and was motivated to exercise at least 3 days a week...then one day I was too tired to exercise so i let it go then one day turned to two and the downward spiral began...but even during that non-exercise time I always stuck to my WW plan keeping my goals in mind. I finally reached my weight loss goal in July and was elated to become a lifetime member- never having to pay for a weigh in again, provided my weight is never more than 2 pounds over my set goal. Lately i have been cheating on my plan A LOT. I have no idea why or what has gotten into me but I have been really horrible at tracking and I know that eating junk is not good for me- and doesn't make me feel good nor does it do any good for my weight maintenance... i plan on giving away all my baggy, too big on my clothes to charity so I have nothing to fall back on and HAVE to keep the weight off...just need some encouragement and motivational thoughts to get me back to it! (haven't gained anything more than .8 in one week yet but each small gain weekly will eventually be a large gain if not kept at bay!

My new favourite appliance

So after my flat iron died I went on a search for a new one. I bought the FHI and used it for 2 weeks but was never quite satisfied with it. It worked okay but I just wasn't completely satisfied with it. So after continuously debating about whether or not I should shell out the extra money for a better one I finally decided I couldn't take satisfactory straightening any longer. I went to the Beauty Supply Depot and inquired about the different high end flat iron options. I knew that CHI would be the most available with the most options but didn't necessarily want that one. I tried the HAI and was instantly in love! It straightens my hair so quickly and leaves it very smooth and shiny. I absolutely LOVE my new HAI.

fear factor parenting

it started out innocently enough, I told my son if he didn't brush his teeth after every meal his teeth would fall out. Now he brushes them when he is done his morning milk and when he goes to sleep at night.He is very consciences about it too- if he has a snack after his teeth are brushed he will brush them again before going to sleep for the night. I am proud of this. I think that warning him about the ill affects of his actions is a good way to get him to understand how important it is to brush his teeth (or to eat his vegetables, drink his milk etc...) Some may not agree with this style of parenting. Recently we were criticized for using fear (warnings!!) to get him to listen... we really didn't know a better way- any suggestions?!?!

A new search

I have been using my faithful flat iron for a while now. It was a birthday present in April 2009. It was working really well, the heat element was still going at full force - and this is a problem I've had in the past- where the heat just stops working but this one was just fine! Then one day I was mid iron when pow...the iron just broke right in half- leaving me without a straightener and even worse only 1/2 a head full of decent looking hair! So now I'm on another search for a straightener. I like the one they sell at mall kiosks but i wonder if I'll like it  for long once I fork out the moula.... my Chi was pretty good but again I wonder how long it will last, i took it out to try after my Torlen broke but it wouldn't get hot enough to do anything worthwhile. Gotta find something fast because my hair is looking kind of mop like without my favourite appliance!

Depressing

The weather has been so dark and grey for the past few days. It just grates on my nerves and puts in a crappy (ok crappier than usual) mood!
I just want it the sun to shine and the birds to sing! I'm so waiting for spring- except that I love fall clothing!
I've been loving all the sweaters and scarves out there. So pretty and so functional too.
Then there are those walking around in complete denial...wearing capri pants and sandals- IT'S OCTOBER- IN CANADA!! !Get a grip- you can wear them again next year! Really I promise!
anyway rant over... just wanted to post something -anything really!

My plans

I had so many plans for my blog. It is just so hard to keep up with all things work and life related outside the blog sphere that this tends to get neglected. Even harder now that the new TV season has started. Sorry to say but true!
I did however start a new blog. I call it my daily dinner blog. I do hope to post dinner ideas daily and am really looking for feedback and comments!
Check it out here.

run away with me

In light of the recent heartbreak and stresses we have endured I have decided to really commit to the running thing. I took myself out Monday night and ran about 3 km. It wasn't a long run but it was a run and I did it alone- my first lone run in more years than I can count. Last night FP and I ran together. We did about 5k together, and she likely did closer to 6 or more! (Cheers for FP!!!) I am really enjoying the freedoms of running. There is no schedule to abide by, if I am running late than I can still get out and do my run without worrying about interrupting an instructor or about not getting a good spot in the class. I don't have to dress up in "designer" workout clothes, I don't have to worry about my messy ponytail looking just right (as the gyms I tended to go to were often fashionable, trendy places where the patrons were sometimes more worried about how they looked on the floor than what they were often doing there-not that I am into all that but they were convenient and usually offered great corporate rates!)
I know it is late in the year to start running and I won't have a lot of time left to get the runs in before the weather turns unbearable to run but I will enjoy it while it lasts.

good bye dear friend

My dear kittie Jamie was an "impulse purchase." I had always loved kitten and wanted one of my own so my dear friend Jill and I went down to the humane society one Sunday afternoon 8 long years ago to pick out a kitty. There were so many to choose from but this feisty black and white one caught my attention the moment he was carried into the viewing room. He was the cutest, friskiest cat I'd ever seen. He was my first baby. I named him Jamie because I always wanted to name my first born Jamie and at that point in my life I was certain I'd never have human babies of my own.
I took him home and for months he slept on my pillow. He was small enough to hide in a tiny paper bag. He was smart enough to get in the elevator of my building and take a ride down to the first floor, where the building super spotted him and brought him back up to me. Jamie was a regal cat, his fur shined and he always took such pristine care of himself.
One things is for sure, he always wanted to be an outdoor cat. I never let him out and often chased him down the block and carried him back inside but he longed to be outdoors, chasing butterflies and falling leaves. This time I just let him go, he ran past me and I didn't chase him and bring him back. I was in such a rush and figured he'd be fine, He'd been venturing out for a few months already and he always came back.

We came home after dinner and I noticed a note on the door. The neighbor said a few kids from the local high school had knocked on the door to say a cat had been hit. It wasn't their cat and they knew it must be ours. We went looking for him right away but couldn't find him anywhere. We called around and nobody had seen him. Finally after searching and searching, flashlight in hand my husband found him lying between two houses. He looked so peaceful. He was gone. I will miss him. He loved me and was so loyal to me. Sometimes he wasn't so nice to other people but he was always loving and affectionate to me. He got me, and i got him.

My dear Jamie. I will miss you always.

A great mistake

Yesterday I was making a tofu stir fry for dinner. In the morning I chopped up all the vegetables. Went to take the tofu out of the fridge drawer only to discover it had frozen into a complete block. I was quite upset because I thought it had been ruined and wasn't sure I could use it when it thawed. Either way I left it in the fridge to thaw out and went to work for the day. After inquiring with a friend at work she said it was perfectly fine to use the tofu once it defrosted and to just press out the water with a paper towel. So i did just that. It was amazing HOW MUCH water came out of the defrosted tofu. ANYWAY to get to the point, cooking it once it was pressed out made SOOO much easier to cook!!! Normally when i make the tofu stir fry the tofu gets all stuck to the pan and doesn't really get crispy...well this time it cooked perfectly, got really brown and crispy. It was DELISHOUS, I was so relieved and very happy!!!

Here are a few pics of dinner in progress

The tofu and onions

Once the vegetables have been added

Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Fall is looming

It is September...ALREADY!!! Where oh where did the summer go??? Each year just flies by so quickly I can't believe more than half of 2010 is gone!!!

Each month on the first I review my resolutions for the year and assess how I am doing so far. Well this year I have actually kept to a few of them with great strength! My most obvious was the goal to lose weight through Weight Watchers. I originally resolved to lose 25 pounds but found that was just a little too ambitious so I re-evaluated my goal and lost a little over 20 which is just fine with me. Now I must learn to live at my new weight without gaining it back and without tracking everything I eat for the rest of my life!! I know how to make healthy choices that work for me...just need to use that knowledge to my advantage!
I also resolved that I would workout daily. I was doing really well on that front-for a while. Then I just fell back into the habit of excuses to avoid exersize. I do take lots of stairs daily and I do walk a lot but not nearly as much as I should or I would like to. For some reason my motivation in this area is a little lacking...need kick in-butt from someone!!
I wanted to start wearing make-up every day. I do. Sometimes it's probably not obvious but I know it's there and I know that without I wouldn't feel half and good as i do!
hmmm.. that is really all i can think of for now.
Just need to put it out there that I will start a more dedicated running program-i will, i will, i will ! I am registering to run with FP at the end of the month and don't want to feel like a complete dork doing it so i must practise! and i will.

A funny thing

Well not really funny haha but kind of ironic none-the-less. I had been feeling down as I had seriously thought I'd gained back a chunk of the weight I'd recently lost. I stepped on the scale last week for my weekly weigh in and was actually down the 1.2 lbs I had gained the previous week. Great ! So why was I looking at myself in the mirror and seeing bulges that weren't there before??? I had no idea UNTIL I realized my pants were just too big on me and really should be given away pronto. I have been wearing my size 10's and felt decent in them, I knew they were a little baggy in the tushy area but after 8 months of climbing 10-20 flights of stairs a day and following the Weight Watchers plan my butt is no longer as wide as it was and my pants just hang there...no more wearing my bigger/older clothes with a belt. It just won't cut it! My work out pants which I LOVED, which were very flattering (IMO) up till now look ridiculous and make me look wider than they should...time to let them go too!!! I have a pile of dresses I can't let go of and will be taking them to get altered ASAP!! Since they are mostly big in the chest but still fit in the waste and hips I hope there won't be any problem altering them to fit again! and now I have an excuse to buy a few new thing!
Off to do some shopping I must go!

Bye-bye summer sad to see you go but...

Summer is obviously coming to an end. The mornings are getting cooler and the days are getting shorter. There is more need to bring a sweater than ever before.
This summer the fashion trends were quite varied but a lot of them leaned towards the super short shorts. I will not be sorry to see these go. So many girls have been sporting this style when really they should think about wearing their shorts just a wee bit longer. I really don't think everybody needs to see your almost bikini line or the hem of your panties peaking out from under the shorts. Then there is the too heavy girl wearing the too revealing shorts... i won't even go there, no need to create such an unpleasant picture in your mind on that one!

The next summer trend I'll be happy to go is the sandal boot. I just don't like them. I did try a pair or two on out of curiosity but really they do nothing for your foot/leg and I really don't think they look good with short, or skirts. Maybe, just maybe they are okay with capris and more okay with long pants-but so many people don't wear them with capris or longs... please ladies take a really good look in the mirror before you head out the door in these sandal/boots! UGH.

The gladiator sandal is another summer foot trend I just didn't get into. I like the beaded sandals and the ones with stones but ones with straps half way up the leg or too much leather on the top are just not my style (and honestly I have yet to see a woman pull this off looking chique and stylish)

Of course there were a lot of fashion trends this summer I will be sad to see go.
I love peasant tops. They are so cool and breezy, come in so many colors and fits- i had 2 which I really loved wearing with capris or jeans.
Printed t-shirts. I love all the butterfly and floral prints I found this year. I just hope they are trendy again next summer as I'd hate to only get one seasons wear from them!

Sundresses. These do come back from summer to summer and usually the styles are pretty similar so I'm sure that next year I'll be able to sport the ones I bought this year without much thought. I was never into dresses before but became somewhat addicted to them this year. I bought 4 summer dresses and wore them as much as I could. I have even purchased a little shrug I hope to wear over them when the weather gets cooler but still warm enough to wear skirts without hose/tights.
Dresses with leggings. I love this look but could never actually find one that suited me. Of course I only tried on one or two and then gave up... perhaps if i'd searched harder!

Can't wait to see what becomes all the rage this fall! I did notice some fall clothes in the store windows this morning...maybe i'll take a peak to see what i can find!

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

I used to LOVE cutting out recipes and trying them. I keep them in a binder and must have hundreds of them which look/looked good to me but I have never made. Yesterday my little guy wanted to bake a cake with me. I thought that was a great idea but couldn't find a suitable recipe for which I had all the ingrediants. Then I found this gem which was cut out of a Post Bran Flakes box in 1995!!!! (Yup you read that right. I had this recipe in my possession for 15 years and just NOW made it for the first time!!! )
Anyway here is the recipe:

2 eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup bran flakes
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

• in a large bowl combine eggs, honey, oil, banana, peanut butter and vanilla
• combine flour, cereal, baking powder, baking soda and salt
• add dry ingrediants to wet mixture and stir until flour is just dampened. Spoon in 12 greased muffin tins, filling 3/4 full.
• bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and cool on rack.
  Makes 12 muffins

Nutritional Info

1 muffin: 278 cal, 5.7g protein, 15.6 g fat, 31.7 carbohydrate, 2.1g dietary fibre

They came out really fluffy and light. I did throw in a handful of chocolate chips in half the batter. They are quite high in fat and calories, equaling about 6 points each on WW. Next time I try these I would replace the oil with applesause for added flavour and to reduce the fat/calories. Since they don't have any sugar they aren't very sweet but my kids still ate 2 each!

My first run

in a really really long time.
A few nights ago I went for my first run in probably 7 years. I was inspired by Fansy Pantsy and since she asked if I wanted to meet up and join her for a run, I thought it couldn't hurt! Well I did about 3 k and felt really good about it. I know 3k isn't that much but I did that without any stopping or "wind sprinting" (running 1 minute, walking 3 etc)
Running is something I could definitely see myself doing regularly. It is so freeing and easy (not the actually running but the fact that you can put your shoes on and go-no driving to the gym, no hopiong something good is on TV while you pound it out on the elliptical) You just put your shoes on and off you go! Wonderful!
My legs were quite sore the next day and had a fairly hard time going up my 5 flights of stairs so opted for the elevator once or twice rather than kill myself. Today (Friday) my legs and butt muscles are kind of sore but I'm not sure if that is the running or the Zumba class I did last night!

A quick review

I had been eyeing these Skechers sandals for some time and when the went on sale recently (and I had an additional %10 off coupon) I decided to make the investment. Well they are supposed to help tone and shape your legs while you do the regular walking you do daily.
So far I have been very impressed with how comfortable they are. The souls of my feet don't hurt, in fact they are cushioned so well and almost feel like i'm walking on air. The toe thong isn't quite at comfortable as it should be but I think I need to brake them in a little more ( I often wear sandals with toe thongs but these just fit a little differently than the ones I normally wear)

They look great with jeans, capris and even some skirts...so shiny and lovely bling-perfect for our upcoming cruise!

I'm not sure my calves are really getting any more toned from wearing them but really I'm not overly concerned. All the stair climbing I do should certainly do that for me!

flashback to the past

This weekend we went all retro. Our computer was in the shop being debugged, our phone line had been accidently cut and niether of us have an i-phone, blackberry or any other method of checking email. We were forced to spend quality time together without all the luxeries of modern day communications. It was really nice!!! Since our computer is currently in the family room someone is often sitting there with their back to the room looking at the screen rather than talking and communicating with the others. I didn't realize how anti-social this was until we no longer had that option.
I am hoping to use this experience to change my internet-usage habits and spend more time talking, playing and getting down on the floor with the kids (and hubby too:)

Happy Anniversary

after months and months of talking and debating Gav and I decided that a much need vacation was in order. We then debated and discussed to DEATH where to go. Cuba and Mexico are both fairly reasonably priced but have reputations for sometimes being kind of -eh (and the food at the all inclusive resorts are often really blech) Jamaica and Dominican were also contenders but we couldn't find a resort that had a kids club for those aged 2+, most kids clubs only start at age 4. That just wouldn't work as I just know as soon as we left our big boy there the little girl would freak out and want to stay with her big brother (and frankly i don't think i'd want to leave him there without her- what is the point really?) So we opted for a Carnival Cruise. They have "Carnival Camp" for kids aged 2-11 and it is open from 9 am till 3am!! (Not that we'd ever leave the kids there for that long nor that late but it's available if need be!)
The cruise stops at a whole array of awesome places and we have choices of so many excursions to go on. I cannot wait!!!
and this is of course just another motivator to keep my hand out of the chocolate chips!
AND the absolute best part...the ship sets sail on our 6th anniverary- what a way to celebrate!!

Finally...

it's happened to me!!!
I finally got to my goal and maintained it for 6 weeks which means that I have now become a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. I am very excited by this as now if I am able to stay on track and keep my weight within 2 pounds of my set goal I will never have to pay another penny to WW!! All I have to do is weigh in at least once per calander month and be no more than 2 pounds over of my goal weight-after some clarification from my leader I discovered that if i do decide to lose a little more now I can still keep LT status-that made me really happy. I am now planning on adding in more exersice and hope to start a really healthy routine for a lifetime of health and happiness :)
It is very important that I set a good example for my family and by eating right and exersicing I hope to do just that!
Looking forward to starting Zumba again soon and also plan on getting out my bike, which has been sitting untouched for almost 5 years now! I wonder if it still works! Maybe I will dust off my runners and take inspiration from Fancy Pantsy to start running again too! Time will tell :)

On A Search...

for spiritual guidance.

Recently I attended the funeral of a co-worker who passed away very unexpectedly. She was healthy one day and sick the next, then after a 2 week stay in hospital she was gone. I went to her funeral really not knowing what to expect. I had never been to a non-Jewish funeral and had never experienced any service with a gospel background of any kind.
I was in complete and utter awe. The family of my co-worker was so strong and so inspiring. They spoke with such truth and compassion about their loved one but they also thanked g-d and their lord with such deep rooted belief for allowing her to do her work in the afterlife. They truely believe that she is now performing her duties to g-d in her next life. They thanked g-d for lending her to them for the 40 years she was on this earth but were not angry and resentful at g-d in any way. I was so amazed by this, I realized that this is what I've been missing in my life. Spiritual guidance and unaffected belief in g-d. I am now searching for a place where I will gain a trust and deep belief in my g-d and find a community to become a part of.

Top Five things I've learned lately

All weight loss related...

5. come prepared. To work, to the zoo, where ever you are going, bring lunch, bring healthy snacks and you won't be tempted to buy the garbage. I always bring my lunch and always carry healthy snacks with me now. Makes life a lot easier!

4. Think ahead. This goes hand in hand with come prepared. If I am going out to eat I check the menu before hand and try to determine the points value of foods available in order to make the best choices. OR I only go to restaurants that offer their nutritional content information online-keeps it simple. If it is absolutely impossible to do this I really carefully evaluate my food options and choose what I feel is the healthiest alternative.

3. Don't cut everything out. I love my daily coffee. I cannot imagine giving it up. BUT instead of getting a double double proper, I have switched the cream to milk and have cut my points from 4 per cup to 2. I also love sweets, nuts, salty snacks etc...I still have them once in a while but now they are an indulgence and I carefully weigh and measure before digging my hand into a brand new bag to grab and eat! Once my portion is done, it's done, there is no more! It is just not worth it!

2. Don't talk about it to everyone. People just don't want to hear about my "diet". If someone comments on my weight I am happy to share my not-so-secret, secret. I blog about it more for myself but if my reader(s) want to skip the posts they can!!

1. Do Be persistant. A bad day or even a bad week doesn't mean the end. Each day is a new chance to make good choices and to start over again. A gain or not doing as well as you would have liked one week is not reason to give up! There were times when I was ready to give up hope and i just chalked up those bad weigh ins as learning experiences and kept at it. Now I am where i want to be, give or take a pound or two and I am happy with that!

Before and After

I thought i'd post some before and after pics of my weight loss...

here is a pic taken in January. Just a couple of weeks after I joined Weight Watchers. I hate this pic- even for a before pic it is super awful...

Here is a more recent pic...much better although my makeup probably melted off my face that day it was so hot.

What's in my bag???

I came across a post like this on Indy grrrl and kind of liked it so i thought i'd copy her....





In my purse (as we call it here in Canada) I have my cell phone, a small wallet, my sunglasses, my WW journal/tracker, a few pens and my spare face powder...not much but WHY is my bag so darn heavy?!?!



Would love to post pics but can't from my office and probably won't get around to it otherwise!

Amazing

who knew what fish, chips and a little food poisoning could do for ones weight.... while on our road trip to visit Chrissy we ate a lot of junk...A LOT! We stopped at McDonalds on the way for lunch and while my son wouldn't touch the hamburger i bought him and my daughter only ate a few fries I finished off those fries and even had a bite or two of the hamburger (which was really disgusting IMO-as a side note- the guy in front of me in line got one for his dog-said he'd never eat one himself) Then we had pizza for dinner one night- 3 peices later- even if it wasn't the best pizza around- i just couldn't stop myself and the topper of it all was the huge pile of fish and chips we got for lunch one day. They were the traditional British style ones wrapped in newspaper and all... my son wouldn't touch his and daughter again only wanted the fries, I finished them off- because there was nothing healthy on the menu for me to eat- so even though I only ordered the children's size portion it was HUGE and definitely enough grease to give a 300 pound man a heart attack! (although it was really tastey- irresistable actually) So after that eating fest I thought I'd better get on the elliptical pronto- and did 45 minutes which felt really great- and then 30 minutes running slowing on the treadmill the next day.
Then in Niagara Falls we did pretty well on finding healthy options, even at Mandarin Buffet we did well but somehow my son and I managed to get food poisoning from some watermelon I had brought with us...it completely emptied me out and the little guy too for that matter...
anyway to get to my point...Last night I went to my weekly weigh in and was DOWN 3.8 pounds!! In ONE week!!! I was in complete shock - and that is the most I've lost in one week since i started on Weight Watchers!!! Now my issue is that I am UNDER my goal weight. Crazy as that sounds- in order to make it to lifetime and keep it, one can't be more than 2 pounds over or above goal weight to maintain lifetime status...so now my goal is to GAIN one pound and stay there for the next 3 weeks...oy vey- never imagined this would be my predicament!! I actually think it might be harder than I thought to maintain my weight without fluctuating too much up or down!

Shake Shimmy and Roll

The desk shook, the moniter was hopping around the desk...it wasn't just me. Everyone around me was asking if others had felt it too...a small earthquake hit today and after much confusion and debate the higher ups finally decided that an evacuation was in order. What a nice break in the other wise mundane day!!

Happy Birthday

My sweet boy!!! I can't believe that you are 4 today. This time 4 years ago you were only a couple of hours old and already the light of my life. You changed things for me in a way that nothing else ever could. I felt love like no other and of course still do!! You are becoming such a big boy with an incredible imagination and a smile so sweet i want to eat it up!!
Each day you prove to us how special and unique you are. You are the protector of your baby sister like no other, you are so helpful and always want to give me a hand around the house! Everybody loves you and cherishes you! Always remember that!

things that baffle me

1. seeing random shoes on the street.... how can someone lose a shoe and not realize it?? do they walk home with only one shoe and then discover they've lost one on the way





2. size zero....if someone is a zero does that mean they are not really there???



3. standing plop right in the middle of the escalator. Isn't it common knowledge that the left side is for standing and the right side is for walking??? if you are standing in the middle than those trying to walk up or down are blocked(and aggravated!!!)



4. not holding a door open for a person walking close behind you. Don't you realize that if you just let the door close it is slamming in that person's face?!?! (although I think this one might be cultural- we true Canadians might be more polite and thus maybe expect more from others)



5. the fact that I actually think about things!!! what a waste of time!

Leggings are not pants

so please girls...wear a longer top or put on proper pants!!! I have been noticing a trend these days where girls/women are wearing thin, undergarment revealing leggings in leu of actual pants. Now don't get me wrong, I love a nice pair of leggings, paired with a cute skirt/dress or long shirt dress but they are just not appropriate as a replacement of pants!
I myselfhave been searching for a great pair of leggings for myself and I think I have finally found them! H&M has a bunch of different ones and some are super thin while others are a good quality...just need to make sure I pick up the right ones (tried them on but didn't have time to buy them) Rest assured I will not be wearing them as a replacement to my fave jeans/pants but will have a dress on to cover my butt!

almost there...

I have been working on this weight loss thing for almost 6 months now. I joined WW on Jan 1 2010 and have been doing fairly well. I have definitely been seeing result on the weight loss front and can now wear most of my size 8 clothes and a few of the size 6 pants. BUT I just can't seem to get to final goal weight. I am less than 2 pounds away and have been struggling to get there for a few weeks now. I set this goal thinking it was 5 pounds more than what I really wanted to obtain for myself and now i just can't seem to get there!!! I guess I was definitely keeping it real!
I know that if i upped my exercise I would be at my goal (and I'd probably have a lot more energy as a bonus) but I am finding it so difficult to get exercise in when there are so many other things that need to be done around the house! - how can we add more hours to the day??

I am gonna whine now...i want to be at goal and on maintenance by now...boohoo....

what to do...

when you make a HUGE pot of soup from a recipe you've never tried before and it turns out tasting completely blech- nobody wants to eat it- even you gag when you put in your mouth.
I made a giant pot of minestrone soup that was supposed to be yummy and so good for you! It is definitely good for losing weight- I can't stand it. The flavour is just too strong and I really don't know how to fix it. I absolutely hate throwing away food- in fact I normally refuse to toss anything that is still edible away ( I just see it as tossing $$ in the garbage) but this pot of soup may go that way depending on if I can do anything to save it!
Any ideas on how to save my soup ???

wii woo and other ohhs!

I finally used the Wii fit. It can be described in one way so far. Frustrating! I am 55 in Wii age and find that totally disgusting.-sure i'm not the queen of fit, nor am I an exercise fanatic but 55 that is just gross! I can't decide if I can use that as encouragement to get in better shape or use it to say FORGET IT!!
I'll try it again tonight to see how it goes!

On another completely unrelated note- my little guy is starting JK in the fall and tonight we have the orientation. So very exciting! I can' t believe he will be 4 in a few weeks time and starting Junior Kindergarten in the fall!! Where or where does the time go??? OOOH boy!!

June 1st...

a new start, a new month, a new goal. I have been doing really well on my weight loss journey and have only gained .8 pounds in any given week. I almost always lose and have only 1.8 pounds left to my goal weight. My new goal is to exercise more. I really have no excuse except for exhaustion, little time and lack of motivation...I am taking a great Zumba class and really enjoy it but unfortunately I had to miss the class last week and will miss it again this week. The instructor is off next week so that will be 3 weeks in a row without zumba :( boohoo!
I was given Wii Fit for my birthday and have yet to use it. I really want to figure it out. I did finally take it out of the box and then couldn't get the thing to turn on. FUG!!
Since it is the beginning of a new month and we are going to a wedding in 20 days I should have lots of motivation to get my butt in gear.
Maybe, just maybe I'll be able to wear the dress I wore to a friends' wedding in 1998. I looked at it in my closet and think it is still stylish enough to wear-just been a little scared to try it on! Wish me luck on that

to run or not...

that is they question. I used to run- well i ran for one summer and completed a 10 k back then. It was really awesome and I was really proud of myself. The problem is I haven't run since. I tried to run with my husband a few years ago but he complained I was going too slow for him and he wasn't getting a proper workout so that ended before it really began.
Then there was the issue with my shoes. For years I thought I had some condition that would be revealed under the supervision of a specialist. I was scared to mention it to my doctor, I just grit my teeth and endured....the numbness of my toes. Yes my toes were going numb every time I put on my running shoes. I had no idea what the problem was, i even bought shoes a 1/2 size bigger trying to alleviate the problem. Then one day it hit me- I was doing up the darn shoes too tight. I pulled the laces to tight that I was almost cutting circulation from my feet! How DUMB!!!
So now I don't pull the laces as tight, which is great but they are constantly undoing mid-exercise session- damn if you do, damn if you don't!!!

I have been following a blog written by a woman who started running a short time ago and has now completed her first 1/2 marathon. It is amazing to read about her transformations both physically and psychologically. She has lost oodles of weight and has started a long term addiction (to hear her describe it anyway)
I'm not sure I could have as much dedication as she does but maybe I can get a little motivation and inspiration from Alice at mommy Blog.
Maybe tonight I'll just kick myself in the arse and get my shoes on and GO!! as NIKE says, JUST DO IT!!!!

a walk down memory lane

Just recently I started thinking back to the days I spent as an Engrish teacher in Korea. I never loved the teaching much but the food left a permanent mark on my heart. I just adore delicious Kimchi and almost all the chigae's (soups/stews). I can't walk past a Korean BBQ restaurant without my mouth watering!
But for some strange reason the thing I have been missing most about the food are those crazy, unhealthy, super duper delish fried egg sandwiches. It was like heaven to scarf down one or two of these after a night of drinking soju kettles at Polly's. I wonder if I could stomach one of those nowadays?!?!
One day when i'm feeling like really cheating on my WW plan I'm going to attempt to make one of those bready, eggy,buttery delicacies!
Another thing I have been craving recently is that "fish on a stick" i can't remember what it is called. but boy was it gooood!!! i thing it is odeng or udan or something along those lines. It is also mixed in with Tuk Boki occassionally and that is also something I could definitely have one day soon-- spicy yummy rice cake goodness!
Years ago someone bought me a korean cookbook and i have never once used it. Maybe i'll dig it out and try my hand at some of those foods I loved so much!

what's old is new again

As i've mentioned before, i have been holding on to a BIG huge box of old, much smaller clothing in the hopes that one day I'd fit into them again. Well that day has finally come (well for some of it-some is still too small and will likely never fit again)
I pulled out a few pairs (okay 10 pairs) of pants that I really wanted to wear again AND today I am!! I bought these black casuals pants in the summer of 2003 (that is the same summer I met my Hubby!!) and have not worn them since around 2004- they are fairly newish in that respect! and unlike my old jeans which i now really dislike, these pants are awesome!!! I am not usually into hanging onto old clothes but for some reason I just couldn't donate these pants (and the 9 other pairs) so now I have a whole new wardrobe for summer :)
The one thing that doesn't fit and I would really really love to wear again is the LBD I wore to our engagement party- i can put it on and I can even zip it up but it is really way tighter than it is supposed to be as I'm sure that my weight distribution really changed after 6 years and 2 babies!! (and getting closer to 40 than 30 probably has something to do with it too!!)
Even though I gained at my last weigh in (.6 pounds) I can still fit into my "new" pants and am happy with that!!!

summer is coming

well at least it is coming in theory anyway. As it stands right now the weather is too cold and damp to even conceive of summer being here soon. BUT we are still making plans! I booked 2 seperate weeks off and we have been trying to decide on what to do for our first week. The first choice was rent a cottage for a few days with another family. We did this last year and had fun for the most part- the only problem was the cottage we rented was so old and dirty we actually decided to leave after 2 nights instead of staying the planned 3! We looked into renting one at this same cottage resort again but since all the old cottages were torn down and replaced with nice new luxery ones they are all booked up. Our second choice for the week is going to Great Wolf Lodge. I think that would be great fun. Not so sure it is appropriate for my will be 2 year old but the other kids would love it i'm sure! Seems that we will run into lots of people there as 1/2 of the "hood" goes there on any given weekend! We'll have to decide pretty soon!
My second week off is later in the summer and just to be nice, i'm going to give hubby a break from me and the kids by taking a road trip with Dani and her 2 kiddos to visit Chrissy. The 3 of us used to live together back in our 20's and it will be an interesting reunion. Now that we have hubby's and kids of our own I'm pretty sure the focus of our visit won't be sitting around with Smirnoff Ice but rather chocolate milks in sippy cups! I'm pretty excited for the visit but am having a really hard time wrapping my head around the fact that we are going to be in a minivan with 4 yes FOUR kids under the age of 5. The thought actually gives me a headache but hopefully they will all entertain themselves and having more kids than normal will be a blessing! Thank goodness Dani has a built in DVD player in her car!



Looking forward on both occassions to building wonderful memories!!

Update

It has been a while since my last post. Life just seems to get in the way of my blogging sometimes!
The past few weeks have been hectic and chaotic, filled with too much drama for one person/family to handle. We had some family drama/uproar which took a toll on both hubby and me, then some sad news about the death of a friend which has been on my mind since. Luckily the uproar has settled as everyone has realized what is important in life and we need to focus on that rather than silly things.
In spite of all the drama I have managed to stay on track regarding my health plan and weight loss journey. I am really super close to my goal which i finally set at 140 pounds. This weight will not make me "skinny" but a healthy, not obese woman. I cannot imagine being able to maintain a weight of less than 140 pounds. I had wanted to reach my wedding day weight of 135 but have to stay realistic so 140 it is!! Amazing that at 37 years old 5 pounds can make such a huge difference! I have the eating well plan down pat but the regular exercise is still a bit of a struggle. I have been going to zumba once a week which is awesome and I take the stairs up to my 5th floor office at least 3 times per day BUT I need to workout more often and more vigourously still. Once i get a routine for working out in I think I'll get to my goal more easily and also maintain this weight as well.
As a joke or something I decided to try on the capri jeans I've been saving since my honeymoon. They fit. But after being my absolute favourite for YEARS (i bought them in 2001 and wore them last on my honeymoon in 2004) I now HATE them. They are ugly. The colour is all wrong, the cut outdated and now I can safely put them in the bag of clothes i'm going to be donating shortly to Goodwill! I wonder if this is going to happen to all the jeans/clothes i've been saving for the past 5 years!

what ever happened to common curtesy?

Have thank you cards gone the way of the horse and buggy? Have they become obsolete or saved only for the old fashioned?
I was thinking about all the functions and parties I've been to over the past year or two. Some of them were big fancy affairs, where big fancy gifts were expected and of course given. Some of them we received thank you cards promptly- much appriciated! Some of them we received nada! One particular event we went to and I forgot the gift so the day after the wedding the bride (my friend) came by to get it from me personally! I have yet to get a thank you card for this gift- that was almost a year ago. I also never received a thank you for the bridal shower gift i gave (and I hope she received, because I ended up leaving before she got to my gift as my little one had had enough and needed to go)That was OVER a year ago! I actually emailed my friend and asked her if she had my new address as we moved between the time of the events and the expected time frame for sending thank you cards (Normally 3 months IMO-although I had my thank you cards out 2 or 3 days after the wedding-refused to have to think about them while on our honeymoon) She replied that they hadn't sent them out yet- that was more than 6 months ago!!! Call me old fashioned but I am annoyed! I took time out of my schedule to go buy a gift for the shower, shlepped WAY out of my way to attend the shower, gave my hard earned moula for a wedding gift and then I never receive so much as a thank you!
There have been several other occassions lately that make me wonder if thank you is just not the chique way to express gratitude for what was given!!
A couple of baby gifts where thank you cards were not sent- one was a very old friend who sent out an electronic generic thank you to all the guests who attended the event ( that is better than no thank you at all but still very impersonal and again I have no idea that my specific gift was actually received by the intended recipient!!) and another similar situation. IMO a simple, we love the books or clothes or whatever would have been soooo nice!! A third event was a family wedding. We did not give a family gift but we only received our names on a thank you card written to all members of the family including my in-laws and my SIL's family- this was sent out to my in-laws house! Thank you cards were not sent for the shower either-but at that event teh Bride announce she wouldn't be sending thank you cards because she would be too busy between the shower date and the wedding- I guess that is okay then?Just not nice IMO!!

why oh why

do the constructions crews have to do their work during rush hour??? I have been late for work almost every day for the past week or two- why you ask? Well not the obvious my kids won't get ready in the morning, i slept in or I left late...they get ready just fine, I wake up at 5:30 and I always leave on time. It's the flipping construction on city streets that make me late. My normal 30-40 minute drive to work has been extended on some days to 50 or 60 minute+. The obvious solution might be to leave home earlier...a reasonable solution when one does not have kids but this is not an option. Daycare only opens at 7:30 for her and 7 for him - i refuse to drop him off at 7 am as I cannot pick him up before 5:30 and that makes for a very long day for him, which results in a very cranky kid in the evening.
I cannot move closer to the office. I cannot move work closer to home (I have tried-believe me!!!) SO the solution is- late for work every day!!! The joys of living in a huge city with no regard for the livelyhoods of commuters (lucky for me i work in a nice unionized environment where there is no way i could get fired for being late-now if i embellezled loads of $$ that might be a different story!!)

Public Service Environment Week

is coming this way soon. I volunteered to stand on the committee organizing this week of events. It is going to be interesting to see what ideas and projects actually go beyond the week to positively impact peoples thoughts and actions in everyday life.
Any ideas on what type of activities and events we can organize to create mass awareness of just HOW important the preservation of our environment is? I personally want to increase awareness of the effects our carbon footprint will have on future generations although some of the suggestions for taking public transit, walking or cycling to work are really not realistic in Toronto. (the transit system sucks, most people work too far to walk or even cycle to work) carpooling might be an option for people who don't have to drop off/pick up kids at daycare super early, just not an option for me at this point in my life.
I try not to use plastic bags- at least at the grocey store i always bring my own, if I take a plastic bag i always reuse it until it's falling apart. I try to bring a litterless lunch- which isn't always an easy task! any littter i do create i recycle when possible.
At work i always turn off my moniter at the end of the day. I recycle all the paper I use (i've tried to go paperless at my desk but found I just couldn't work as effectively so had to drop that idea.)
This whole Environment Week planning will be very interesting and an eye opener I'm sure!

Wii

My loving husband forgo my request for a new Coach purse for my birthday and got me Wii and Wii Fit instead. I was a little surprised at first but happy none-the-less. I haven't really had a lot of opportunity to use it yet but decided to try it out a little last night at 10 pm. Well I did the Wii age test and was brutally surprised to find out i'm 79 in Wii age!! come on! Am i really that unathletic? I guess so. I wasn't the girl who ducked from the volleyball or basketball in highschool gym, or the girl who was ALWAYS picked last for team sports in grade school was I? Well yeah I was. So really this lack of sportability shouldn't be a big surprise!!
I plan on tackleing the Wii Fit some time soon. Just have to take it out of the box first.

gag...

Today is the first day since I started on WW that I have not been able to eat my salad and tuna. For some reason while eating my lunch, the same lunch i have had every day for the last 3 months I started to gag. The salad tasted dry, the spinach tasted bitter,the tuna just plain gross, the only part I could eat was the red pepper and cucumber.
I really hope this doesn't mean I won't be able to eat my salad for lunch from now on! It ensures that I get my 5 vegetables a day and I know it is super duper healthy. If the same thing happens tomorrow than I'll have to rethink what I bring for lunch! Oh No! What to bring for 3 points or less? I try to keep my breakfast to 2 or 3 points,(plus 2 points for my coffee-i tried hard to take it with milk and sweetener but enjoy it much more with milk and sugar) lunch to 3 or 4 points and the rest for dinner and snacks.
Maybe i need to mix it up a little anyway because I actually gained .8 pounds this week. I was very dissappointed with this result-and i've heard that when you start eating the same thing everyday your body can get used to it and stop losing weight. I didn't believe it because i have a friend who has been eating the same thing everyday (including dinner) since December and has lost 32 pounds to date!
I'll have to see what next week brings!

was freud right?

There has got to be something to Freud's Oedipus C0mplex. The boy has recently been very very clingy with me and wants me to do everything with him. He won't take a bath unless i'm the one bathing him, he won't get dressed in the morning unless it's me there with him and now his latest "thing" is he won't go to sleep unless I lay with him for "4 minutes"...which usually turns into 40 minutes (a really bad habit we have to get out of ASAP!!)
We noticed this change in his attitude and behaviour over the course of a few months but when I really took note of this is on a recent trip to Niagara Falls. On the way home we stopped at the outlet mall, I wanted to go into La Vie En Rose for a quick look around. Well the boy wouldn't let me go alone so he tagged along while I looked for "new pajamas". He picked out a very sheer, flowy nighty and told me i must buy it because it would look very pretty. So since it was on sale and was the right size I humoured him and bought it....well dont' you think that very night he asked me to put on the pretty pj's because he wanted to see...he was very excited when i showed him the pretty pj's!! Lucky he is not quite 4 yet and his innocence is so beautiful!!

yeah for me...

i've lost 13 pounds to date. That gives me 3 more till i get to my %10 goal. I am going to really try and make it there in the next 2 weeks. Time to get back into the exercising and tracking more regularly. I have been really slack the last 2 weeks-although i haven't really gorged on goodies since now over eating really gives me tummy issues!!
I think my final goal will be 140 lbs. That is more realistic for me to maintain and I think also most realistic at my age!!

37 and counting...

well the big 3-7 is coming tomorrow...cannot believe it! I somethings think i'm 17 and am shocked when i think 20 years have passed since then!!!

On the last day of my 36th year i'll share 37 random things about me..

1. I have lived in the same general neighborhood almost my entire life (within a 5 km radius)

2. I HATE mushrooms but will eat them if they are in a dish and can't be pulled out.

3. Mushrooms and eggplant are the only vegetables I don't like.

4. My last car lasted me 10 years!!!

5. I had the same part-time job for 18 years.

6. I learned to ride a bike at age 8

7. I sucked my thumb till grade 3

8. when i was 4 my neighbor cut off my pigtail!

9. i love taking pictures

10. i have friends from grade one...

11. i get really bad headaches.

12. i am now a nervous driver- amazing what carting kids around does to ones' driving confidance

13. i often worry about my retirement

14. haven't been to a beach since my honeymoon

15. lived overseas for about 18 months

16. i love brushing my hair and keep a comb in my desk at work for when i'm bored

17. i bring my lunch 14 out of 15 days !

18. if i don't bring my lunch i eat a toasted bagel with butter from tim's

19. i stopped drinking double double coffee after discovering HOW fattening they actually are!

20. i take my coffee with double milk and sweetener

21. i love my bran buds with yogurt for breakfast

22. i have held on to a pair of jeans from 1996 in hopes of fitting them again one day (I know-get real!!)

23. my cat Jamie now really annoys me

24. i named my cat Jamie because I was convinced i'd never have a husband and kids and I wanted to name my first born Jamie

25. i have a wicked temper

26. i give in to gossip even when i don't want to

27. i love watching 90210 (even the new one)

28. i often screen my calls

29. i hate cleaning but hate mess

30. instead of cleaning i complain about the mess

31. i love buying cleaning products

32. it takes me forever to find clothes i like

33. i hate spending money

34. i love reading cookbooks/recipes

35. i hate cooking without recipes

36. my favourite color is red

37. i want to train for a 10k run again (did one about 7 years ago and really loved it)

love me a pony tail

I love pony tails. They always look so sexy, young and lovely- on everyone else. Whenever I wear one it just looks like i didn't have time to get ready in the morning (which is usually the case). I would love suggestions on how to get that sexy,cute pony tail I see on so many people (like Sharon on Y&R was sporting a couple of days ago) Perhaps if i had a team of stylists to make my ponytails perfect I could pull them off too?!?!

Spring has sprung

and I know this because the hotdog cart is now outside my office building!! Oh how I love those yummy delicious hotdogs....and oh how I will have to watch others enjoying them while I continue on my weight loss journey. I cannot even imagine how many points are in one of those devine dogs- all beef or not!!

The sun is shining and I have started noticing all these lovely sandals in the windows of my fave shoe stores...do i try on and make an investment or just wear the ones i've got and leave it be- a look at my funds will make the decision for me!!

Should I try on and get a new spring jacket...i have a beige one i bought last year-which i loved but now reminds me of a grandma for some reason, i also have a lovely red Eddie Bauer one I bought a few years ago which i still love but can no longer do up all the buttons (around the hip area to be specific...)...ahhh all these decisions to make!!!

just a few ramblings from a very slow work day!!

product reviews

Once again I'm on a search. I am now looking for the face powder I can find...I have recently tried the Body Shop's all in one face base. It was okay. I don't think it really provided the coverage of both a foundation and a powder- i often found I needed to use foundation first to get the smooth/matte look i like. I used it because I had it but I won't be throwing down another $20 for this again!
Once i was done with that one I moved onto another "all-in-one". This time I tried the Ultimate Finish liquid-powder make-up by cover girl. Again I am dissapointed- this time I think I still need to apply powder over the product as it's just too creamy and not powdery enough.
I am starting to question these products that claim they can do it all!! I mean really, I gave up on 2-in-1 shampoos years ago!!

friday frustration

I have been trying to buy a few new clothes...not an easy task for me for some reason. It always takes me forever to find things i like. (it took me 3 years to find new winter boots) Today I tried on a pair of pants and aside from being way too long (which will always be the case-and easily fixable) they kind of sagged in the crotch but fit well in the waste and hips...i tried one size smaller and they were way too tight. I had the same problem with pants i tried yesterday too...maybe i'll have to start going to dresses- something i never got into. I did try an awesome dress at RW but it was just too pricey and I know that it is going to be on sale in like 2 weeks. that always happens at RW! Maybe i'm just too picky?!?!

a new favourite

Since joining WW I have been very diligent at bringing my lunch to work everyday. I bring a variety of different salads and always add a protein. Sometimes I will throw in a 1/2 cup of chickpeas or beans but most often I have a can of flavoured tuna. I LOVE this stuff. It is very flavourful and just the right about of moisture so that I don't have to add salad dressing which obviously adds extra points.
I have tried almost all the varieties. I like the lemon pepper best. The spicy peanut satay is super duper spicy and I was having a little trouble finishing it and the spicy thai chili was also a little suicidal. Will have to remember to avoid those particular flavours as my tummy sometimes can't take the spicy and I do have to work after lunch... I was adding salad dressing but forgot to bring it one day so i went without..i won't use it again now!
My favourite salad is spinach greens, one red pepper, 1/2 a cucumber, diced tomatoes and carrots with the lemmon pepper tuna...sometimes i shred in 1/2 an apple for a little sweetness and crunch or add 2 tbsp of dried cranberries-YUMMY.

Oh what TO wear...?!?!

This upcoming weekend I have a bridal shower to attend. I haven't been to a shower is some time- and the last one was an evening affair at a fancy home where most of the girls were dressed up more than I usually dress to a wedding!! (the bride for that one was VERY young and most likely the absolute first of her friends to get married so they were really excited and all likely still do the club scene etc..) This one is also for a youngish bride (25) but it is an afternoon affair and I just cannot imagine the hostess of this one dressing up (she NEVER dresses up- and even when she does it just doesn't appear dressy)
anyway my whole point of this post is I have no clue what to wear. I do not own a pair of dress pants. I never have to wear them- to work or otherwise. I have a couple of skirts but haven't worn those in a long time either.. my closet is not a typical female closet. I have a handful of tops/sweaters that I rotate for work, about 5 pairs of jeans, and that is about it. Finding clothing that fits, looks good and doesn't break the bank is always a problem for me. I went to Fairweather yesterday, tried on about 6 items and came out empty handed- their stuff looks so nice on the mannequins but just cheap and flimsy on. The price is right but that is about it. I have been into Reitmans about 1/2 a dozen times in the past few days and they just don't seem to want to cater to the average size woman anymore- the petit stuff was very cute and the plus sized things looked nice too but they had really nothing for me...argh!! Today it is off to Jacob to see what I can find... unfortunately the outfit i do end up I can't even wear to the Passover Sedars because the shower is on Sunday, the first sedar Monday and second on Tuesday..and most of the same people will be at all 3!! oh such dilemas!

FINALLY!! or not

I have finally lost about 10 pounds. It has taken me 12 weeks and I am slightly annoyed with myself for not being more diligent and taking the program a little more seriously. My meeting leader asked me to consider my final weight goal and I really don't know. Originally I was hoping to get down to 135- the same weight i was at my wedding in Dec 2004...that weight suited me and I was very happy there- not overly skinny but healthy looking (although even at my absolute thinnest when i was about 22 I was never under 130 lbs) The only problem is at that time in my life not only was I able to workout 5-7 days a week I also had way fewer responsibilties (no kids!!) and way more free time- i didn't really watch what I ate yet I was able to maintain my weight easily- fast track 6 years and I am now closer to 40 than 30 and i have 2 kids, NO time and way more going on....is 135 pounds realistically maintainable at this time in my life??? Maybe I should aim for 140 and if i get to 135 that would just be a nice bonus!
I don't want to get right down, love being at that weight then slowly see the weight creep up as i get back into old habits (which i kind of hope doesn't happen but I gotta keep it real!)- but let me get down just a little more before my next weigh-in and we'll take it from there!

Start Weight: 160.4
Current Weight: 149.8

i made it

to my %5 goal...which means that I have lost 8 pounds to date. Another 18 pounds to my goal! I am happy and am actually able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Tonight i did allow myself a treat of coconut shrimp while out to dinner with some friends- they were YUMMY but probably 10+ points (or equal to 1/2 my points allowance for one day). I feel so stuffed and actually have heart burn but boy did i enjoy them !! I do know and understand that once in a while eating like that is okay-and it won't kill me to indulge a little- which is probably healthier and more realistic for long term goals!

My beef for this morning is nothing major but annoying none-the-less.
I went for my daily coffee to my fave coffee spot- Tim Horton's in the SCT and handed the girl my travel mug...got my coffee and she then gave me a paper cup- because of Roll Up the Rim to Win...well i do love to play RUTR but I couldn't believe the girl handed me a whole cup rather than a scratch card or something less wasteful!
I am going to write a letter of complaint!

Breastfeeding Nazi?

On a completely non-weight loss related topic I need to express my opinions, thoughts and feelings about something that has really irked me for days now.


Saturday evening we went over to friends' place for a (not-always) monthly get together with 3 other couples. One of these couples just recently had a baby and is in the 4 week post-partum stage, she is still unsure of many things and also seems upset about her decision to formula feed rather than breast-feed. In this group I am the only one who chose to breast-feed and I am very proud, and even a little arrogant about this fact. I cannot believe how quickly people give up on breast feeding and am even more annoyed by others who go on and on about how it's just as good to FF. BUT this isn't what is what is seriously bothering about the evenings conversation...it is the use of the term "breastfeeding nazi". I have been guilty of using this term in the past but after giving it a lot of thought I realized using this term is just not appropriate. The Nazi's tortured, persecuted and murdered millions of people. People who who work in hospitals and who have jobs to encourage new mothers to breastfeed are not related in the least to this type of behaviour. Perhaps people who strongly believe in the benefits of breastfeeding may make some new moms feel overwhelmed but all they are doing is trying to make these women realize that breast is best and even if you do have initial problems nursing your baby these will diminish with time and persistance. The term Nazi can only be associated with negativity and has absolutely nothing positive about it. Breastfeeding and feeling that bf is best can only be positive and those who believe in it strongly should be called mothers who want best for their babies not Nazi's

The Wall

I feel as though I've hit a wall and I just can't get around it. I am SOOO tired and feel like sleeping more than doing anything else these days. This eating healthy thing and exercising is supposed to give me energy and make me feel great...so what is wrong?!?!
I was so tired last week that I didn't get on my elliptical at all. Finally on Monday night I'd had enough of being lazy so I hopped on that darn machine for 75 minutes! I had the best workout ever but I have only been back on it for 35 minutes last night- had set it for 55 minutes but my little boy started screaming and crying in his sleep I jumped off to see what was wrong and never got back on-in fact I never made it downstairs again- went to bed at 9:30 (well lay in bed and read my book- finished it finally) He had to pee and was scared of the dark washroom and got tangled up in his pullup so he needed help...after this ordeal he went right back to bed and didn't make a peep for the rest of the night.
This past weigh-in I only lost .4 pounds. I was dissappointed but not surprised! This small loss has motivated me to keep to the program a little more closely if nothing else! I really want to reach my 5% weight loss goal by the beginning of March...that would be a total of 8 pounds lost at that point...and I can't imagine ever reaching my 10% goal of 16 pounds lost!! and my final goal...well i won't even think about that now! I know i will get there but boy does it feel like an impossible dream at this very moment!

This seems to have become my weight loss blog rather than my working mommy, busy lifestyle, trying to do everything at once blog...but that is okay. Whatever keeps me motivated these days. I have been trying to keep to the tracking as best I can and I do exercise more than I had been for years but this week was not the best one! I only got that elliptical once this week but I did a good 60 minutes before collapsing of exhaustion!
I did manage to lose another 1.6 pounds at my last weigh-in. Not bad! This brings my total weight loss for the month to 6 pounds. I am hoping to meet my %5 goal by the beginning of March- another 2 pounds to achieve that!
I am hoping to come up with some new interesting meal ideas as I am getting sort of bored with my daily salad for lunch (although it does get me to eat my 5 servings of vegetables a day) and it does get me to my weight loss goals. Evenings are really hard and late evenings are the hardest so I need to come up with something to do other than sit in front of the TV and eat!!

an old love comes back in the picture

I suddenly remember why i used to love exercising! Many years ago, before kids, before marriage and before I had even met my hubby I used to spend hours a day at the gym. I just loved it, working out was fun, it was something to do and it gave me such a high...then marriage, kids and other responsibilities got in the way and going to they gym became such a chore. Now I no longer go to a gym as I really don't have the time to travel there and back but I have been working out at home and I really enjoy it. Really. It is so much fun and I love to challenge myself. Each day I try to up the speed a little or increase my time on the elliptical just a few minutes. Last night I set it for 30 minutes and watched The Biggest Loser while exercising. I then continued the exercise as the show wasn't over, before I realized it it was 50 minutes on the machine! I was zonked out and really happy that my legs weren't feeling the burn at that point (although I did feel it this morning while walking the 15 minutes from my car to the office)
I just have to get my ass off the couch and get on the elliptical more than 2-3 times per week! I can't use the I'm too tired excuse too often or else my old habits will resume and i'll get out of the exercising regimine again.
BTW- i'm now down 5 pounds since Jan 4!!! whoot whoot! only another 30 to go!!

Week Three Weigh In

I was much happier this week with my weight loss results. My Monday weigh-in resulted in proof that I lost 2.8 pounds last week. I attribute this to a few factors, first I started taking the stairs up to my 5th floor office each morning, second, I cut out my double double coffee, and lastly i have been making much smarter food choices each day. I no longer buy food at the food court. I had been doing the mall food court 1-2 times per week but now I always brown bag it. I can control what and how much I'm eating much easier that way. I bring a huge salad with me almost every day, then I throw in a cup of chickpeas, 1/2 a chicken breast or a can of flavoured tuna. It is a complete meal-so healthy and yummy too. I do mix it up a little by changing the dressings or using spinach instead of salad greens. On the days I don't do the salad thing I like to bring home made soup (always vegetarian-sometimes barley, sometimes cabbage) and a hard boiled egg along with a big container of raw veg- i was eating TONNES of baby carrots but now i've been bringing cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and peppers- so easy and filling too!
One thing that really helps is cutting up a bunch of vegi's on Sunday evening and just refilling my container each day-saves me time in the morning- and ensures i get in the vegi's i need.
I have really been watching how much fruit i eat. Fruits are healthy but they do have calaries and therefore higher points value than vegetables. Instead of an apple, banana AND an orange, i just eat one fruit a day-usually at morning break.
I am slowly getting in the habit of tracking dinner too. this is something I have been having trouble with but I usually have a pretty good idea of how much i've had during the day in order not to go over too much...and there is always activity points earned to help balance out any over eating!

hair dilema

My hair has been looking kind of shaggy these days...this pic actually acurately describes how I look these days.

This is me a couple of years ago (and boy i can't believe how i've aged since this was taken!!!)

Here is a picture of some hair i really admire...i've posted this before...i like the look but am also thinking i really like my hair longer ( i find longer hair more managable as I dont' HAVE to style is as much as shorter, trendy hair)

My dream hair... how many years would this take to grow? or how much would this cost to get extensions????

results:week one

Not as much a weight loss as I would have hoped for. I expected my first week to blast me from 22 points a day downt o 20 or even lower....well no such luck. My weight loss for the week was only .6 pounds. I really hoped for at least 1 pound weight loss! But what can I do now? Only work harder and work out more diligently this week.
I also know where I went wrong...here are a few things I learned during my first week.

First- look BEFORE you leap!! I had a few surprises after eating/drinking something and then checking the points value. My beloved double double coffee equals a whopping 4 points!! Who knew that double cream and double sugar pumps up the calarie and fat intake of coffee from 0 to 275 calories and 12 grams of fat!! YUCKYYYY. I have been able to stop drinking DD but not given up coffee altogether. I have replaced the cream with milk and use it towards my dairy servings for the day. The calories are now down to 150 and 2 grams of fat. Not bad.(but not as tastey!!!)
TRY not to eat after dinner. This is big one for me. I used to find that after getting the kids to bed and doing a few chores around the house I craved something...so i would sit and eat chocolate chips out of the bag, crackers or pita bread with hummos...unlimited quantities and right before bed too. Now I just keep myself occupied and keep a glass of water in my hand. If I'm really craving something I'll have a few craisons or a glass of diet pop. So far I haven't seen the results in weight loss but I think it will happen eventually. I also wake up feeling hungry which I think is a good thing.
EAT BREAKFAST. I'm finding that eating a decent breakfast like oatmeal made with milk or a high fibre cereal is much more satisfying that toast with butter or peanut butter. It keeps me full for longer and I don't crave an early morning snack at 8 or 9 am. (i usually eat breakfast at 6:30/45)
I've taken the "challenge yourself" part of the program to heart. Each morning I have been trying to take the stairs at work. My office is on the 5th floor so I am huffing and puffing by the time I get there but hope after a few more weeks my stamina will have improved greatly! I also think about working out and actually do it. I was waking at 5am to do my 45 minute elliptical training before work but found after 3 weeks that I just couldn't do it anymore so now I get on that machine at 9pm and "just do it!!" Watching shows like the Biggest Loser and X-Weighted while working out really helps the motivation factor!!

Week One, day One

I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting last night. I decided on a whim to join and I just called up the 1-800#, pulled out my credit card and paid for 6 months then and there. The woman on the phone kind of giggled when i told her I was planning on going to the meetings starting the next day- guess with it being New Years and all they have been getting more registrants...
Anyway the meeting was ok. I'm not sure the leader is the kind of inspiration I need but I'm going to stick to it regardless. She has been on maintnance for 18 months- which means that she reached her goal weight loss and has kept it off for 18 months. I would be more motivated by her if she'd said she kept it off for 18 years...but maybe i'm just asking too much. BUT even if the leader herself wasn't the most inspiring I did learn a few things from other members that will be useful in my overall new eating habits (or in slowing changing my eating habits- can't expect things to change over night)
So far it's been about 3 hours and I have been doing okay....not long but a start. No more double double coffee for me (boohoo- but not worth it) and no more tea biscuits or cookies as midmornig snack, these carrots i'm munching on are pretty tastey and they ARE really filling- really!

I did skip my 5am workout and am thinking I might have to rearrange my schedule because I'm just SOOO tired in the mornings PLUS my daughter is such a light sleeper that often when I walk past her room to get downstairs she wakes up and hubs isn't too happy about having to entertain her at 5am while I go workout. I'll figure something out.

I was going to keep my WW journey private but I'm hoping that by blogging about it I'll be motivated to keep it up. As FP noted in a recent post, it is like you are now accountable to someone and when people are watching you tend to be on your best behaviour.
Starting weight... 160.4 Ultimate goal: 135