Surprise!!


Okay, okay, so I didn't get married. Probably would have told you all ahead of time. I did, however, get to play model for a huge bridal showcase. This was my third of three dresses, and probably my favourite (though the least elaborate).

More pics for you to enjoy! It was such a fun da





Because I'm too lazy for a real post...

So, fifty questions, stolen from Dr. Fatty!

1.What time did you get up this morning? 5:30am - well, 5:50am if you count when I actually got out of bed
2. How do you like your steak? As chicken
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The one with Leonardo DiCaprio... Inception?
4. What is your favorite TV show? NCIS
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be??? Here is nice. Or Ireland.
6. What did you have for breakfast? two pieces of whole grain toast topped with PB and a banana and a glass of skim milk
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Anything fresh
8. What foods do you dislike? Red meat, overly processed food
9. Favorite Place to Eat? Home or a farmer's market-y type place
10. Favorite dressing? Sun-dried tomato
11. What kind of vehicle do you drive? Hyundai Accent
12. What are your favorite clothes? Yoga pants, a cami with a built in bra, and a cover
13. What is your favorite number? 7.... or 48965321.
15. Where would you want to retire? Here would be nice. Or Ireland.
16. Favorite time of day? Morning
17. Where were you born? Antigonish, NS (Google it)
18. What is your favorite sport to watch? figure skating
19. How many siblings? three
20. Favorite pastime/hobby? RUNNING, exercising, reading, playing with my dogs, writing, photography
22. Bird watcher? well, I look at them when they fly by
23. Are you a morning person or a night person? Used to be night. Now more mornings.
24. Do you have any pets? Dogs, cats, budgies (I like plurals)
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Confidentiality might prohibit it
26. What did you want to be when you were little? A figure skater
27. What is your best childhood memory? The first day of school (I'm a geek)
28. Are you a cat or dog person? DOG - like cats, but I'm a dog person
29. Are you married? only to my law textbooks. It's not a happy relationship, really.
30. Always wear your seat belt? ABSOLUTELY
31. Been in a car accident? Yes
32. Any pet peeves? Too many to name. Inconsiderate people who drop their stuff at their ass at the gym...
33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Chicken, spinach, onions, white sauce
34. Favorite Flower? Roses
35. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
36. Favorite fast food restaurant? None
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Once - stupid examiner
38. From whom did you get your last email? My sister
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Running Room
40. Do anything spontaneous lately? Started Law School?
41. Like your job? I'm a student
42. Broccoli? Love it
43. What was your favorite vacation? VANCOUVER
44. Last person you went out to dinner with? My friend Kim
45. What are you listening to right now? Cars outside and my coworker who just came in
46. What is your favorite color? blue and pink.... yellow is my enemy
47. How many tattoos do you have? None, thought I want one. Like, soon.
49. What time did you finish this quiz? 10:00, crap, I have class soon.
50. Coffee Drinker? More than I ought to be, really....

Never turn down a PINT

Only Parent Chronicles











Change (or, the devil I knew)...

I love fall. I really do. It's cool and fresh and even though I know it means winter is coming, I can't help but step out into the cool air each morning and just feel a rush of energy (and then swear a little because I realize that without the extra poundage to insulate my ass, cool is actually quite cold - any of you on weight-loss journeys will know, or will eventually know, what I'm talking about).

Changing seasons is usually when I get motivated to make other changes as well. This year, maybe, not so much as I've made a huge change in my life with my decision to go back to school, but I still find myself tweaking little things to start adjusting my way of thinking and reorienting myself towards my "new" lifestyle. Sometimes it's just a mental headshake to prevent myself from slipping back into old habits - e.g., remembering not to grab that muffin on the way to class - and sometimes it's actually an addendum to the changes I've already made that I feel would be more beneficial.

The "old" me hated change. I liked consistency. I liked the idea of change; I just hated enacting it. The "new" me tends to change a lot. I always want to try new fashions I see in stores; I experiment with new workouts I find in magazines; I randomly throw together food to see what happens.

I think this tend toward change is good. I have a dear friend who is just starting her own weight-loss journey, and her biggest challenge has been, for years, her own fear of change. She was so convinced that she liked enough about the status quo that something valuable would be lost if she tried to move to something else. When we were talking about my journey once, and specifically about my own decision to radically transform my atrocious eating habits, she commented "You make it sound so hard and well... not very fun." I looked at her honestly and asked, "Do I seem more unhappy to you now than when I weighed 250 lbs?"

She didn't answer me that night. But she thought about what I had said, and this week, as she joined me for a run (she's gone from 1min run/3 min walk to 2/2 splits in two weeks!) she mentioned it again, and compared what I had said to her own experience. "I do get frustrated," she admitted. "I do miss what I can't eat. But then I think back to what you said, and I am not more unhappy."

No one ever told me I had to change. No one ever told me I had to cut out what were my favourite foods. It's just that, after a while, those few minutes of mild satisfaction from eating those foods didn't compare to, say, the all-day glow of finishing a 10K run. Or fitting into a size smaller pants.

We always say, "Better the devil you know..." You know what? Not always. Sometimes the devil you don't know is just some guy who is very misunderstood, and when you change your thinking about him, he turns out to be a pretty brilliant guy. Try having a chat with him someday.

Time for a PINT or two!

Only Parent Chronicles










My first road race...

Done and done... 5K under my belt...

Not a phenomenal time, but within the 10:00 minute mile goal I'd set for myself. And it was gray and dreary and cold, and I went anyway.

Unfortunately, have been eating like a hound all day (presumably) as a result. What is up with that? Need to get that under control.

Called the bank (I am so being a grown-up this week) about opening a student line of credit. If I can get it through, I think I'm going back to training.

Unfortunately, afternoon also brought a migraine, so slept away a good portion of it. Thinking another nap sounds good right now too.... Hopefully the weather straightens out and migraines go away soon.

Mirror, Mirror...

When I was in high school, the highlight of the senior year was always the Senior Fashion Show. It was a huge fundraiser, and everyone waited in anticipation. Girls clamoured to be chosen as models.

I was the stage director. I designed the sets, organized everything, kept things running backstage, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I liked my job. But it was pretty well accepted that I was asked to be stage director because as a size sixteen, there was no way I was going to be a model. I would never look right among all those size fours.

My sister is organizing a bridal showcase, the centrepiece of which is yet another fashion show. I've been offering advice on set design, choreography, finales, etc. Then she dropped the bomb on me.

Would I model a wedding gown for their bridal boutique that was hosting the show?

There is a big part of me that wishes I had my current body back when I was sixteen. Back when I would wear outrageously short skirts and get away with it. Back when I missed all those opportunities. So, with all my trepidations shoved firmly aside, I agreed, and today, trotted off to the boutique for a fitting.

I learned a few things:
1) Me, in a wedding gown, with a veil, will almost make me cry. I look very grown-up. Too grown-up, really.
2) When you leave your insecurities in the car, you can have a lot of fun playing dress-up.
3) Sometimes to see the beautiful woman hiding inside, you need only to look in a different mirror.

That's what happened tonight. I put on a stunning designer dress that the ladies had been dying to put on a model, but hadn't yet had anyone tall enough, walked out, let Geri put a veil on, and turned to look at myself....

...and for once, I didn't see that overweight version of myself staring back. I just saw a beautiful woman in a beautiful dress.

I think I'd like to get married just to have a whole day where I can wear that dress...

PINT!!

Only Parent Chronicles


It's been so long since I could do a PINT....










That's that for today!!

Where does time go?

I blinked and it was a month!!!

I'm so, so sorry to all my followers. Law school... well, it is a real kick in the teeth. I'm loving it. I'm loving every second of it. But holy crap, is it ever kicking my butt.

My itinerary for a given day:

5:30 am: Get up (I know, gross, right?)
6:40 am: Leave home (after getting breakfast, taking care of dogs, etc)
8:00 am: Arrive at school. Read for class/Go to class.
4:30 pm: Head for home
6:00 pm: Actually get home. Get supper. Read my mail.
6:30ish pm: Read for next day's classes
11:00 pm: Go to bed. Wonder if I'm crazy.

I have started working out a routine where there is actually some physical activity worked into all that. I often hit the gym for a noon workout class when I can (I'm a five minute walk from the local Goodlife) and I have a couple mornings a week where I run at the university track. Yes, I'm finally back to running. It's the only thing keeping me sane. I also make sure to get a workout in Friday evening at my own gym and either Saturday or Sunday. It just helps to still have "my" gym.

The good news is, as nuts as it has been getting into this routine, and with eating habits that have gone a little wonky, I have not gained a single pound. I haven't lost any either, but I'll take what victories I can get. Hopefully as I start to settle into a routine a bit more, I'll manage to get off the last eight or so pounds I'm still looking to lose.

It's been a very long weekend for me - dog show this weekend - and I'm taking tomorrow off to take my nephew apple-picking, so I must sign off. Will hopefully be chatting at you sooner rather than later!

It's almost over....

Orientation week, that is. I may actually survive. Thank you all for hanging in here.

The good news is, when I finally got to the gym on Friday, I hadn't gained any weight. That made me happy.

A picture because I don't have time for a real post. Me, all dolled up and ready for the orientation semi-formal. Can I just say I totally rocked this dress. Like, literally, guys were doing double-takes. That's a good feeling.


Just have dinner tonight, then we can get on to actually studying to be lawyers! At last!!

Quick update....

I am knee deep in law school orientation this week. I feel old, and out of touch, and can't remember why I thought I could do this. I am only hoping it will get better, and oh my God how I wish I could go for a run. But I can't.

My knee is feeling a little better, but I've decided myself to lay off running for another couple of weeks to really give myself time to heal. I might go nuts in the meantime, but at least I won't be physically broken as well as mentally.

(BTW, I'm sitting here typing while simultaneously gawking around the Dal library and am marvelling at how much my typing has improved since the last time I was a university student. I guess all that time spent as a receptionist paid off.)

We're going surfing today, and I need to buy books, so I must sign off. Cheers all!

More food for thought

I'm listening to the storm swirl around me... in an hour or so, it should have moved on to PEI and left only the wreckage to deal with. So far, I still have power.

...
...
...

I was waiting for the gods of karma to strike my butt for even having the nerve to type that. So far, they haven't noticed.

This is a little more introspective and even rant-y than most of what I write. I'll admit as healthy living/weight loss bloggers go, I'm a little... well. self-absorbed, really. Actually, I prefer to think of it as a "you do your thing, I'll do mine" mentality. I don't consider myself an expert. I know what has worked for me, but that doesn't mean I know what will work for you. My advice is generally based on "Well, this was really helpful for me" and I try not to judge anyone else based on what they do.

Lately, I'm having a harder time doing that. Even among some of the other blogs I read, I'm having a hard time doing that.

Recently a good friend decided to adopt a gluten-free diet, to test a long-standing theory that a number of health problems might in fact be linked to a gluten intolerance. She then, after the first day, proceeded to whine and moan about how her partner wasn't supportive, how she'd now have to cook all her own meals, how it meant she'd have to start reading all these ingredient lists, how she'd have to do her own grocery shopping, etc., etc. And there was so much she was expected to learn about eating like this. It just wasn't fair. How could anyone expect her to do all this?

Oh yes, this was the same friend who was wholly unsupportive of my own attempts to live a healthier life. The same friend who told me I was causing her anxiety when I got upset because I would make mistakes while learning to eat right. It was hard not to tell her "Welcome to my world."

Of course, that's a personal interaction. But I'm finding that even in other blogs, lately, I have the same frustration. There are people who complain constantly about how hard dieting is, and how it's not fair that they should have to measure portions or restrict calories. But really? If it was easy, no one would have a weight problem. And constantly focusing on what you can't have only makes it that much harder. Instead why not focus on what you are achieving?

And some of the (I'm sorry) stupid things people come out with. Like not wanting to {measure out food, prepare separate healthier meals, break up larger packages of food, insert whatever here} because it would generate more dishes to be washed. Give me a break. You're committed to losing weight, but not if you have to wash an extra bowl?

Or, the one that really gets me. "I'm just too busy to {prepare real meals /eat breakfast /exercise /whatever}." I worked forty hours a week, I put in a minimum of ten hours at the gym, I spent five-six hours commuting, and I run my own business ON TOP OF ALL THAT. I make every meal from scratch, I still get my workouts in, I get my work done, and live a reasonably balanced life. How? I prioritize and streamline. I have to cook supper anyway - a double serving easily becomes lunch for the next day. I have an afternoon free? I can make and freeze a few dishes to reheat. I eat lunch at my desk and run errands on my lunch break. I watch TV, but usually have something else going on at the same time. Unless you do everything I do and have kids, I don't buy the "I'm too busy" excuse. If it was important to you, you'd make time. (I actually find most people with kids are better at finding time, and rarely use the "too busy" excuse).

The other thing which really bothers me among the weight loss community is the prevalence of simply unhealthy behaviour the seems to get celebrated.

There is a healthy way to lose weight.

There is a healthy way to gain fitness.

There is a healthy way to relate to food.

You should strive not to "look good" but to "be healthy" and I read so many blogs that have people who seem to be concerned with looking good, and not being healthy and learning to maintain a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

  • People who subsist on incredibly low caloric intakes, insisting that they know more than the experts and that this is healthy.

(It's not - women should *never* drop below 1200 unless being supervised by a doctor, and men below (I think) 1600. I don't care if you've lost weight, and I don't care how much, it's not healthy.)

  • People who insist that certain "types" of food (i.e. carbohydrates) will make them gain weight.

(Carbohydrates are an important part of a balanced diet, and should be included - hence why all nutritional guidelines call for so many servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.)

  • People who work out every day, sometimes more than once a day, for hours at a time.

(Okay, I'm guilty here of having to watch myself for over-training. But I *know* it's a bad thing. I know I shouldn't be congratulated. And I know the most I should be working out is five days a week. And my hour and half is likely pushing it, but I do a buttload of stretching, so it's probably less than that really. I am never going to congratulate you because you did four hours at the gym. I am going to cringe because I know an injury is in your future. See above.)

  • People who constantly berate themselves for "falling off the wagon", apparently looking for the emotional reassurance from commentors.

(Seriously, when you give food that kind of power over you, you're contributing to that tendency to eat when life deals you an emotional blow. So you went out with your girls and had too much pizza and beer. Trust me, your body will tell you it wasn't the best idea. To drive the point home, go to a step aerobics class while still a little hungover. And drink some water.)


There are a few people who I am truly in awe of in this community, because I think they have the right idea of understanding balancing a healthy lifestyle with weight loss. They understand it isn't easy. That's not to say they never complain. I complain - I'd feel like something was wrong with me if I was the only one. But they move on. They admit some days will be hard. They laugh at themselves sometimes, because they see that we just have to have a sense of humour about all this. They celebrate their successes, learn from their struggles, and find another success to celebrate. People like Jack Sh*t, whose comedic genius and tenacity leaves me envious. Or MrsFatAss, who obviously understands that a healthy lifestyle includes her family and school and LIFE, and that sometimes it's hard and we screw up, but we just keep on going. Or Dr. Fatty, who might be one of the few people in the world I consider worthy of using the excuse "I'm busy" and she doesn't. She's my inspiration, and I wish she was my doctor.

I have a hard time writing this post; I want to be the blogger everyone loves. And lots of people will not love me for this post. Because more than being loved, I've realized, I want to be the blogger that people might read and think about. Even if you don't agree - just think about what I've said.

At least this food for thought comes calorie free.

Get to the basement!!! Wait, no, that's tornadoes...

Sorry for the lack of updates. We're preparing for Hurricane Earl, which is due to make landfall tomorrow morning. Eek. So much to do! (I asked a friend of mine today "So, have you battened your hatches yet?" and he replied "You know, the sad thing is, if we didn't live in Nova Scotia, that would have sounded a little dirty... but I knew exactly what you meant.")

Some good news! I got into Dal's Health Centre today (I love being a student!) and was able to have my knee looked at. The doctor thinks it is likely a tibial plateau bruise - so not really that serious at all. It'll need some time to heal, and means still no high-impact (i.e. running) for a while, but at least it isn't a cartilage or ligament issue, and no surgery. What a relief. If it isn't showing signs of improvement, or worsens at all, I'm to have x-rays done next week just to be safe, but having done some reading, it does seem logical with what I'm experiencing (including why it wouldn't respond to icing).

I've been running like mad getting ready for school, getting ready for the hurricane, getting last minute stuff done... and the funny thing is, I find the busier I am, the healthier I want to eat. Unfortunately, I also want to seem to eat more. I'm trying very hard not to do the calorie counting thing, because I just don't think it's necessary - I'm not gaining weight (and I know my lovely monthly friend is looming, so even my current weight is not accurate) though I'm not losing either. I've hit a bit of a plateau. However, it's been a really nutso month, the next week will continue to be nuts.... so maybe that's just all contributing. I think once I'm settled into my new routine and my current injuries have healed, I'll try shaking things up a bit.

I have swapped out running for spinning - I still don't like the bikes. But, I stuck with it. Twenty-five whole minutes. I also walk with a lot of fairly intense inclines. Neither quite has the kick running does (nor do they burn the calories) but it's cardio. I'm also going to have the strongest core muscles in the world.

Anyhow, I have to keep getting ready for our storm, so I must sign off. If you don't hear from me, assume it's the Hurricane and NS Power's famed incompetence.

TGIF!

Time for a PINT!

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That One Mom
























That's it for me!! Go enjoy your own PINT now!

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