Fly-by

1 - My weight is the same as before the holidays - woo hoo!
2 - I was up early enough to pack a lunch. I was actually awake since about 5am listening to the wind thinking my windows were going to shatter any minute.
3 - I have another gym session planned for today
4 - Only two parties to go to between now and the end of the holiday season!

Not so good.... I went to my mom and Rick's for supper last night cause Jeff was at the hockey game (Canada vs Germany) and I can not control myself around Quality Street chocolates. I had 8. Yes 8. That easily wipes out my gym workout from yesterday. Then Rick made the yummiest shrimp risotto for supper. At least I said no to the ice cream. That's gotta count for something right?

So while I am quite happy that I have maintained my weight over the holidays (which was my goal) I've realized that I'm using the fact that I've been consistently going to the gym as an excuse to indulge. I know it's Christmas. But that's no reason to eat 8 chocolates in one night. Or keep nibbling on all the yummy foods. Or for meeting friends to go out for lunch and supper and making not so good choices. I'm getting right back into it today... my goal? No chocolate for today! I'll report back tomorrow.

Maintaining

For approximately the last 2 months, my scale (besides the fluctuation down 2lbs up 2lbs this past week) has shown me the exact same number. It's not a pretty number, but it's not a scary number either. 158.8. I had gotten down to 151 post-Carson, but I've been around this weight since my gain this summer. I'm annoyed that I gained this summer and wish I hadn't, so I would be maintaining at a lower weight, but my goal throughout the holiday season, until January 2nd, was to maintain. And I'm so far doing a fabulous job at it. I'm indulging too much, I know I am. But I'm balancing it out with making it to the gym 4-5 times a week. I'm not counting points or journalling, but I'm being aware of what I'm eating. If I've gone overboard on one meal, I know to scale it back the next. I can imagine when I get to my goal weight, if I can live like this I will be one happy camper.

The funny thing is, the scale is showing me the exact same weight. My scale goes to 1 decimal place, and even that number doesn't change. Normally my weight was all over the place, up down and around, but I've been weighing myself every day and bam. The number is dead on. Funny.

Anyways.....yesterday I had to buy my lunch and I bought a delicious wrap on a spinach tortilla. It had roast chicken, a ton of veggies and a piece of cheddar cheese with pesto mayo (just a smidgen). It was YUMMY. I went to pay for it and it was 5.65! I never buy lunch, so for the rest of the day it annoyed me that I paid that much for a wrap I could make for half the price. So what did I do this morning? I made a wrap for less than half the price. We had chicken on the barbie last night, so I used that, spinach, sprouts, tomatoes, pickles, onions, cucumbers, pesto mayo and an oz of shredded cheese. My husband even got to share the wealth, I made one for him too. With a side of carrot sticks and an apple, I'm excited to eat my lunch!

Ooohhhh must be careful

Those two pounds I lost last week? They found me again!

And honestly I've been pretty darn good this holiday season so far. But apparently not as good as I thought I was being.

I was going to head to Costco at lunch today, but I think the gym is a tad more important.

Oh! And thanks to my super busy weekend, I didn't have time to do groceries. So I don't have anything for lunch today (I couldn't even take anything out of the freezer, the thought totally disgusted me) so I have to *gasp* buy my lunch today. In the past year that I've been back to work, I've only bought my lunch three times. Obviously I've planned to go out to restaurants a few times (with co-workers or with Jeff) but never had to buy my lunch just because I didn't bring one (if that makes sense at all). And this is a new cafeteria - so I don't even know what they have. And - I'm going to the body bar class from 12:15 - 1pm so I think I'll buy my lunch before (I wouldn't be buying anything hot, hopefully just a fully loaded sandwich, I'm sure they have them) just in case it's all gone by the time I get there. I'm pretty funny and I get all worked up about little things... like having to buy my lunch.

Sounds like fun

Today's class is "Cardio Sweat and Stretch". It's my first time going and I hope it's worth it.

Cardio Sweat: Come and sweat away calories. The Health Club Santé GroupFIT professionals will motivate and coach you to pace yourself as you move and groove to great music for 40 minutes in this low impact cardio conditioning and stretching class. Challenging, Fun and amazing!

I was also down 2 lbs this week - which is great considering I've already begun to partake in the festive eating season. So long as I can keep up my gym attendance from now until Jan 2nd (and beyond...) I think I can maintain. I'm not exactly watching what I'm eating, I'm just trying to make it as balanced as possible. In between the parties, the lunches, the showers, the birthdays, I am eating well while at home and at work. That's balanced, isn't it?

Update: Class was OK, there were only 2 of us (plus the instructor) but I certainly gave it my all. I know I need variety in terms of workouts, but I normally gauge my workout by the amount I sweat. My treadmill work out leaves me sweating buckets. This class my hair/shirt was damp but it wasn't a full out sweat or anything. Maybe it's not the best gauge. I jumped on the elliptical when I was done and put resistance and crosstrain up to 15. It was definitely hard and I was moving slowly, but I burned 115 cal in 10 minutes. I just wanted to get a little more sweat action happening.

Weekend of Chaos

This weekend is pure mayhem. My goals:

1/ I WILL stay within my points on Friday and Saturday.
2/ I will only eat ONE piece of Carson's birthday cake on Sunday
3/ I will focus on the VEGGIE TRAY before dipping into one of my yummy appetizers
4/ I WILL chase the kids around and spend my time minimizing the damage to my house (read: 12 kids + 14 adults) rather than sitting beside the table and eating non stop
5/ I WILL have one small spoonful of the 20+ dishes at the Caribbean potluck tomorrow night and spend lots of time on DDR rather than eating

I don't have high hopes of getting in much exercise, almost every minute of my weekend is booked.

I was going to go to the gym at lunch, but I think I'll do my Costco run at lunch rather than Saturday morning. Again, as I do every Friday, I tried to convince my husband to meet me for a big bowl of Viatnamese soup but he has a meeting and can't make it and I should just stick to the lunch I packed anyways.

Trying a new class...

At lunch today. It's called Muscle Fit and this is the description:

This class focuses on strengthening all the major muscle groups, on improving your musculature and overall performance of your functional movement. The class will use of the STEP, hand weights, body bars, tubing and FITballs.

Even though I'm dying to go out for lunch, I'll do the class instead. I'm not sure where this intense craving for going out for lunch is coming from. I never buy my lunch, I hardly go out for lunch... next Monday I have the day off (to spend Carson's birthday with him) so I forsee a lunch date with me and my boy that day. I'll just focus on that.

Must remember

To bring gum! I'm having that post-lunch afternoon craving for something sweet and in order to avoid temptation I need gum.

Maybe I shouldn't eat my apple with lunch but rather, save it for exactly this time when I NEED it.

Too many but not enough

Why is it that I have 27 (yes, 27) lipbalm/glosses in my purse and not one piece of gum?

I'm so hungry I can't think straight, apparently my couscous salad (with rosemary pork, peppers, onions, tomatoes and feta cheese) plus a couple cauliflours to munch on plus an apple doesn't do the trick. So rather than going downstairs and indulging in one of those homemade king sized cookies that are heavenly, I thought I would chew some gum. Then I ended up realizing what a cosmetic addict I am. An addict with no gum!

It should be noted that I have not bought a lipgloss or balm in 3 months. Baby steps!

Back early from conference

The conference wasn't exactly suited for me, so I decided to come back to work instead of staying there.

And I was stellar at the conference lunch, and had 4 pieces of sushi (the little bite size pieces) and about 1/2 cup of a beanish looking salad. Plus a chai latte with soy (my guilty pleasure).

There was a Starbucks next door and I had a gift card (that I've had in my wallet for almost 2 years now) that I figured I should use. It definitely wasn't as good as the place behind my house.

Then last night, because I had the chai latte, rather than the pasta that the rest of the family was having, I just ate a one egg (plus 1/4 cup egg white) omlette with roasted red peppers, onions and a sprinkle of feta cheese. I had the green verde salsa to dip it into and it was delicious.

I'm normally not a huge egg lover, but the past two nights I've had eggs for dinner (I maybe have eggs once a month) - so maybe it's one of those things that my body was craving it because it needed it?

In other news, last night Lisa, Carson and I went for a 55 minute power walk! We normally wait until Carson goes to bed, but it looked like rain so we headed out early. I asked Carson if he wanted to go for a walk in the stroller and he said yes. He quite loves Lisa so he was happy to come along. So a 7K run in the morning, a 5-ish K walk at night.... needless to say my arse and legs are a tad sore today, so will resume exercise tomorrow.

I really need to start again with the strength training. I've had the DVDs for PX90 sitting on a shelf on our desk for so long. I talked with a friend at the girls cottage weekend and she just got it and said she loves it. I was always worried I wouldn't have enough room, but her basement is smaller than ours (with a smaller space in front of her TV) and she said she's just fine.... I think I will get it all set up tonight and run down there first thing in the morning to get it done.

Scrummy Lunch

Two super thin slices homemade bread

Two slices chicken breast

Sprouts

Two thin slices of Balderson cheese

Red onions

Mustard

Paying for it now!

Evil scale. Evil Evil Evil scale! Why is that the more fun my weekend is, a higher number shows on the scale? I'm working on changing that.

Anyways, I've moved on.

I had yummy oatmeal (Organic quick oats, made with water), banana, almond butter and flax seed. Warmed me up and tasted oh so good.

Lunch is chili (we make a batch every couple weeks and freeze it in lunch sized tupperware), carrots and cucumbers.

Haven't decided on supper yet, I was home for maybe an hour this weekend (wake-time hours that is) so needless to say I didn't plan my meals or do a grocery shopping (that's on the TO DO for tonight). And, a walk with Lisa and Jenn (Jenn is who's cottage I want to this weekend and asked her if she wanted to start walking and she said yes!). Look at me, making friends!