I didn't go anywhere. I've just been busy with work, sending my baby to big school and now we've added Beavers to the mix (great program by the way). Tomorrow's meeting will include a hike!
I confess I don't get to walk as much as I was when I wasn't working but I try to make up for it as much as I can on my weekend walks. Yesterday I left the house at 10:30am and once I got through the first km (remember that past post about the first km seeming more challenging for some reason?) I just kept walking. I went further than I normally go because I got to this new stretch of the road and felt so peaceful. The sun was out yet the road was still wet. There were farmer's fields, oak trees (well all kinds of trees but I particularly like oaks), a deer, an old barn and the familiar sound of crickets and birds. For a moment I could have imagined I was in NB with my Grampie. I know it doesn't make sense to anyone else but it does to me. Anyone driving by could see the dumb smile I had on my face walking down the road, rain coat tied around my waist, water bottle swinging from my right hand, and I didn't care. I am thankful for my ability to walk. For the willpower that has led me to a 63lb weightloss. For a place to live in the country where I can walk and reflect on happy memories, current successes and future achievements. To be able to think clearly and enjoy some time by myself in nature. I decided I couldn't very well walk forever because hubby and son were expecting me back home at some point so I picked a house with an acceptable civic number, 1589. (*Warning: A bit of Aspie Sarah coming out here). I have this thing about numbers. I always have yet I was always terrible at math. Anyway my numbers are 5 and 8. It may have something to do with my birthdate (actually it most likely has something to do with that). I am forever adding license plate numbers, civic address numbers, phone numbers, prices and costs. If I can somehow get it added or reduced to a 5 or an 8 then it's acceptable in my mind. Our phone number adds up to 8, this year my birthday added up perfectly. 2012 should be a good year. I can see the looks on all of your faces as you read this and your mouse is moving toward the 'Unfriend' button on FB. HAHA
Anyway back to the walk. I turned around at civic # 1589. When I got home I had been gone for 1.5hrs and had walked 8.2km. I felt amazing! I wish I had the time to do that every day. Unfortunately life gets in the way which is why you should all pool your money and buy me a treadmill so I can walk after dark in my basement. I will walk on it with a fan blowing on my face, nature sounds in my ears and a blindfold on to ignore the laundry in the corner.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Pushing myself
I know you guys are missing my Facebook posts about how far I walked each day. Truth is I went back to the working world on Tuesday and didn't walk all week. *gasp*
I think a treadmill might be beneficial now in case I feel like walking after dark but don't want to be eaten by the wild animals. There is only 1 street light on my whole road and since I live in the sticks, only the stars and moon light the way.
Hubby went to work today with my car so I couldn't drive anywhere, my son went next door to visit Grandma and Grandpa, and I decided there wouldn't be a better time to go. No excuses! With the threat of a thunder and lightning storm I laced up, put on a raincoat and headed out. I always try to push myself everytime I go (unless I am on a time constraint or I'm not feeling good - another post perhaps about my leftover gallstones). Last week when I walked in the rain I went to civic # 1763 (Antrim Rd). There and back from my house is about 4.8km. Once I get past that first kilometer I always feel like I could walk forever until I realise that I do have to eventually turn around and make it back home. Today I reached civic # 1763 and decided to keep going. Once I hit civic # 1724 I decided to turn around and head home. 68 minutes and 6km done; half of it uphill (have I ever mentioned how much I hate hills?) and I feel great!
I think a treadmill might be beneficial now in case I feel like walking after dark but don't want to be eaten by the wild animals. There is only 1 street light on my whole road and since I live in the sticks, only the stars and moon light the way.
Hubby went to work today with my car so I couldn't drive anywhere, my son went next door to visit Grandma and Grandpa, and I decided there wouldn't be a better time to go. No excuses! With the threat of a thunder and lightning storm I laced up, put on a raincoat and headed out. I always try to push myself everytime I go (unless I am on a time constraint or I'm not feeling good - another post perhaps about my leftover gallstones). Last week when I walked in the rain I went to civic # 1763 (Antrim Rd). There and back from my house is about 4.8km. Once I get past that first kilometer I always feel like I could walk forever until I realise that I do have to eventually turn around and make it back home. Today I reached civic # 1763 and decided to keep going. Once I hit civic # 1724 I decided to turn around and head home. 68 minutes and 6km done; half of it uphill (have I ever mentioned how much I hate hills?) and I feel great!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Improper form and the french toast
Yesterday I took the day off (from exercising)... and eating properly (apparently). I wasn't planning on lazing around but it rained most of the day and I figured it would be ok since I had walked a total of 15km in the three days prior. Apparently I thought it was ok to bake banana bread (intended for my son) and lemon meringue pie (intended for my husband) and have some of each. I didn't eat a lot of it but still felt guilty about it so laying in bed at 11pm, did 101 crunches (sets of 25 + 1 extra in the last set for good measure). There's my proper form again. What would Jillian Michaels say?
Today is a new day. Half of the banana bread is gone and I made hubby finish the lemon meringue pie for breakfast (as if he was complaining). I'm debating whether to have some Kashi (Honey Almond Flax) and vanilla almond milk, or 2 pieces of french toast for brekkie. Normally I'd have the Kashi with blueberries except I ate the full package of blueberries the other day - in one sitting. French toast it is! If you're wondering how I make it, here it is:
2 pieces of Ben's Smart Sandwich bread (I know I could buy something healthier but I don't eat a lot of bread and this is the kind my son and husband prefer)
1 large egg (yes I use the yolk)
1 tsp white sugar (again I know I could be using something better)
2 tsp cinnamon (I like the cinnamon)
1/3 cup vanilla almond milk (I am using Earth's Own)
That's it! I usually eat it with a bit of margarine (sometimes Becel Light) and Aunt Jemima Light Syrup (3 tbsp).
Here are the stats:
Ok so it's worse than the Kashi but I don't have it every day. I'm trying to learn moderation (except junk). There can be no moderation for me and junk food because I don't trust myself yet to not fall back into bad habits.
One more thing - I am writing it here to keep me accountable. I will walk 4.4km today!
Have a great one :)
Today is a new day. Half of the banana bread is gone and I made hubby finish the lemon meringue pie for breakfast (as if he was complaining). I'm debating whether to have some Kashi (Honey Almond Flax) and vanilla almond milk, or 2 pieces of french toast for brekkie. Normally I'd have the Kashi with blueberries except I ate the full package of blueberries the other day - in one sitting. French toast it is! If you're wondering how I make it, here it is:
2 pieces of Ben's Smart Sandwich bread (I know I could buy something healthier but I don't eat a lot of bread and this is the kind my son and husband prefer)
1 large egg (yes I use the yolk)
1 tsp white sugar (again I know I could be using something better)
2 tsp cinnamon (I like the cinnamon)
1/3 cup vanilla almond milk (I am using Earth's Own)
That's it! I usually eat it with a bit of margarine (sometimes Becel Light) and Aunt Jemima Light Syrup (3 tbsp).
Here are the stats:
One more thing - I am writing it here to keep me accountable. I will walk 4.4km today!
Have a great one :)
Monday, July 30, 2012
Walking Challenge and letting go of the mat pants
There were a few different Walking Challenges on My Fitness Pal so I joined one. The goal was to walk at least 30 minutes every day of July. After my walk tomorrow morning I will have walked 79km (1435 minutes) total. I'd say it was a success :)
I'm thinking about continuing this for August.. anyone else in?
In other successes, I weighed myself this morning and saw a number I haven't seen in at least 8 years. I was kind of shocked and yelled for Mike (hubby) to come upstairs and see for himself. He smiled so I think he's proud (don't tell him I said that). I weigh 8-10lbs less now than when I got married (2005)!
Over the weekend I put on a pair of jeans I had bought before I got pregnant with my son (2006) and found they were a bit big. Bummer (kinda) because I was excited to wear them again and now they're too big. Someone is going to get a good deal when I sell them because I had only bought them a few weeks before I found out I was pregnant and fell into maternity-clothing-heaven. Yes maternity clothes are amazing. Like wearing your favorite sweatpants all the time except they're more socially acceptable. For the record I wore my maternity pants until a few weeks ago. I think the problem with wearing them post-baby is that they are TOO forgiving thus you don't notice the effects that the 3am feedings are having on your body (I don't mean the baby's feeding, I mean the 6 fudgee-o's you stuff in your face while you're waiting for the bottle to warm up). It has taken me this long to let go of the comfort of the belly panel in mat pants. I know it doesn't MAKE you look skinnier, but it makes me feel "held in"; like a secret hug for my fat.
104lbs to go!
Sarah
I'm thinking about continuing this for August.. anyone else in?
In other successes, I weighed myself this morning and saw a number I haven't seen in at least 8 years. I was kind of shocked and yelled for Mike (hubby) to come upstairs and see for himself. He smiled so I think he's proud (don't tell him I said that). I weigh 8-10lbs less now than when I got married (2005)!
Over the weekend I put on a pair of jeans I had bought before I got pregnant with my son (2006) and found they were a bit big. Bummer (kinda) because I was excited to wear them again and now they're too big. Someone is going to get a good deal when I sell them because I had only bought them a few weeks before I found out I was pregnant and fell into maternity-clothing-heaven. Yes maternity clothes are amazing. Like wearing your favorite sweatpants all the time except they're more socially acceptable. For the record I wore my maternity pants until a few weeks ago. I think the problem with wearing them post-baby is that they are TOO forgiving thus you don't notice the effects that the 3am feedings are having on your body (I don't mean the baby's feeding, I mean the 6 fudgee-o's you stuff in your face while you're waiting for the bottle to warm up). It has taken me this long to let go of the comfort of the belly panel in mat pants. I know it doesn't MAKE you look skinnier, but it makes me feel "held in"; like a secret hug for my fat.
104lbs to go!
Sarah
Monday, July 23, 2012
Painful day.. no Jillian Michaels involved but there will be banana bread!
If you've ever had a gallbladder attack (or a non-medicated baby delivery), you can sympathize with me. I had my gallbladder removed (June 15th) and have had 2 attacks since then. WTF!? Today's started the same.. poop cramps that move to the middle of my chest, itchy hands, feet and neck, feeling like I have to puke. Thank GOD I kept some of the Buscopan (stops involuntary internal muscle spasms) the surgeon gave me (after I landed in the hospital with gallstone pancreatitis in May). I took one of those and a benadryl for the itchies and laid down. I fell asleep for an hour and a half and woke up feeling ok. I called my husband during the attack and he told me not to call the ambulance again. One more trip and they'd be giving me a Frequent Rider Card (I've been rushed to the hospital twice now at $137 a pop). We joked on Saturday that the ambulance at the parade (Mastodon Days) must have been there for me. They knew I'd be there so came just in case. Hardy har har.
Supper tonight was 20 Our Compliments Multigrain tortilla chips with flax (pretty tasty), 1/3 cup of Our Compliments Mild chunky salsa (also tasty) and 1/2 cup of Sargento shredded mozza and cheddar (can't have nachos without cheese, duh). It worked out to be:
475 calories
40g carbs
25g fat (EEP!!.. obviously the cheese)
21g protein (decent for a veggie supper.. could be better though)
6g fibre (meh not great but I'll take it)
1090g sodium (WHAAAT!? oh yeah cheese and salsa tends to have a lot of salt in it)
Overall not too bad I guess (could be MUCH worse.. like the take out pizza I have been dreaming about for 2 months now but can't bring myself to give in to). I will definately be hungry soon and plan on having a bowl of strawberries and maybe a tea biscuit with them.
I am also working on some banana bread (so far I just have the bananas mashed in the fridge.. need to find my loaf pan first). By the way, banana bread SOUNDS somewhat healthy, but it's not - unless you find a recipe that includes applesauce, greek yogurt, maybe some rolled oats, etc.. and then it might not be too bad.
This is the recipe I plan on using (the bread is for my son since he loves it and isn't keen on healthy alternatives).
Supper tonight was 20 Our Compliments Multigrain tortilla chips with flax (pretty tasty), 1/3 cup of Our Compliments Mild chunky salsa (also tasty) and 1/2 cup of Sargento shredded mozza and cheddar (can't have nachos without cheese, duh). It worked out to be:
475 calories
40g carbs
25g fat (EEP!!.. obviously the cheese)
21g protein (decent for a veggie supper.. could be better though)
6g fibre (meh not great but I'll take it)
1090g sodium (WHAAAT!? oh yeah cheese and salsa tends to have a lot of salt in it)
Overall not too bad I guess (could be MUCH worse.. like the take out pizza I have been dreaming about for 2 months now but can't bring myself to give in to). I will definately be hungry soon and plan on having a bowl of strawberries and maybe a tea biscuit with them.
I am also working on some banana bread (so far I just have the bananas mashed in the fridge.. need to find my loaf pan first). By the way, banana bread SOUNDS somewhat healthy, but it's not - unless you find a recipe that includes applesauce, greek yogurt, maybe some rolled oats, etc.. and then it might not be too bad.
This is the recipe I plan on using (the bread is for my son since he loves it and isn't keen on healthy alternatives).
Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Amount Per Serving Calories: 229 | Total Fat: 8.8g | Cholesterol: 56mg
So 8.8g of fat sounds reasonable per serving but what size is 1 serving of banana bread? Can it be half of the loaf?
MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter
^^^ In the words of Pauly D.. YEAH BUDDY!!! Looks like it's going to be another hot one. I should have gone for a walk first thing this morning.. maybe the afternoon will be somewhat forgiving so I can go. I'm undecided about breakfast this morning. So far I'm having a cup and a half of Welch's seedless green grapes. I need to have some protein though to help get me to lunch so maybe a half a cup of Kashi Honey Almond Flax and half a cup of Earth's Own Vanilla Almond Milk. Yummm it's really good guys; try it!Sunday, July 22, 2012
Some crunches and a walk
This morning I woke up and did 5 sets of 10 crunches before I got out of bed. I know you're not supposed to do them in bed but whatevs, once upon a time I used to do 400 crunches a day and I probably didn't do them properly either but they worked!
After supper I went for my (somewhat) regular 5km walk. I knew I should have worn my sunglasses, but didn't, and ended up with a black fly in my eye. GROSS!! I freaked out a bit and wondered if I was going to end up blind. Got home and noticed it was stuck on my face, squished and dead (that's how I like my black flies).
Mental note: next walk I'm either wearing my sunglasses, safety goggles, or a welding mask... perhaps I'll wield a machete in case of coyotes or cougars (yep the rumor is there is a cougar stalking the baby calves 2 roads over from where I live - not confirmed by DNR yet. Still I don't want to take any chances).
Nighty night!
After supper I went for my (somewhat) regular 5km walk. I knew I should have worn my sunglasses, but didn't, and ended up with a black fly in my eye. GROSS!! I freaked out a bit and wondered if I was going to end up blind. Got home and noticed it was stuck on my face, squished and dead (that's how I like my black flies).
Mental note: next walk I'm either wearing my sunglasses, safety goggles, or a welding mask... perhaps I'll wield a machete in case of coyotes or cougars (yep the rumor is there is a cougar stalking the baby calves 2 roads over from where I live - not confirmed by DNR yet. Still I don't want to take any chances).
Nighty night!
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