After my last blog I knew it was time to take some serious action. I have been watching for quite awhile now the Tone It Up Girls and had my interest peeked but left it at that. With my new outlook and the need for some structure I thought now might be the time to get involved and jump in! So did I?! Oh I did! It appears the Tone It Up Girls have a nutritional plan and in that nutritional plan also includes a 7 day slimdown. Well surprise in exactly 7 days from when I jumped in I had a family wedding so typical Yvonne style- why not?! Right then and there the next day I was starting. Talk about a shock to the system. Going cold turkey on all your bad habits lets you learn a lot. Third day in "headache" and I am sure it is was withdrawals from the bad foods. Bad food and maybe the red liquid that goes nicely with said foods. Honestly I am not a horrible eater in comparison to some so I could not imagine the withdrawals that some people would go through- youch! 5 days in and 5 inches smaller already. Additional lesson learned-portion control! Yes people you have no idea how much we over consume!!! I completed my 7 days with zero slip ups- I was so proud of myself and felt so much better than I had the week before. Yeah!!! I felt better both inside and outside! That every so great feeling of "I'm back"
Part of this program also includes the morning "Booty Call". You jump out of bed a half hour earlier so you can get in a workout! Yep sounds like torture especially if you have some of the really early shifts that I have. Well my little Kamie (Maltese/chihuahua puppy) thinks this morning booty call is the greatest creation in life! As a matter of fact on a few mornings when I may have slid back into old patterns she was there in my face, panting and smiling ready to go. When the magic words came out- "Booty Call" and she blasts to the front door you know your done. On our morning booty call we visit a park that I am sure my puppies believe has been created for their sole use. I started off with just the usual half hour stroll then creativity hit! I now throw in a few walking lunges, I have been known to drop to the ground and complete push ups or even a full set of ab workout. This morning a set of frog squats were thrown in. Meanwhile my girls are having the time of their life. On these morning walks I make sure to take time for some Nature Appreciation. One morning someone had placed a sunflower between the slats on one of the benches, another morning my Kama fell right into the pond in the middle of the park. All I heard was this big "splush" and suddenly her jumping back out drenched right to the top of her head. Every morning there is some kind of adventure and I use these as my motivation. When I find that something special I always remind myself "if you didn't get up for your morning booty call you would have missed out on this". A definite way to create motivation to get up early again the next morning!
I know it all sounds like roses but there are still definitely the challenges. We have travelled and we have had back to back company. At first I did a great job of protecting my morning booty call and being able to adapt the food I wanted to eat. As time goes on your just start to slide back to old habits! My challenge now is to figure out what it looks like to stay focused with your goals while maintaining the role of hostess. With the huge goals that I have coming up insert>Big Sur Marathon< I need to ensure that I keep my focus and not lose sight. Luckily I know I have amazing friends and family who are encouraging of my goals and will understand that I need to keep these things as a top priority. Funny I think I solved my own dilemma! Strange how you can put something out in words and there is your answer! Wow! Thanks world for the light bulb moment who knew it was such a simple solution?!
Thank you very much to Karena and Katrina- Tone It Up for giving me that nudge I needed!
http://www.toneitup.com/index.php
Thank you to all my friends and family in advance if I am sometimes selfish in fitness and nutritional needs. Remember you can always join me ;-)
http://www.bsim.org/site3.aspx
Friday, 12 August 2011
Monday, 18 July 2011
The Ongoing Challenges:
It's happened in the last few weeks I am finding myself worried when the camera comes out. Not all the time but once in awhile I catch myself doing the mental check- are you sitting/standing properly, suck it in, what about the lumps and bumps. I have not been this person for 10 years and here I am almost that person again. I say almost because thankfully I am catching this early. There is a picture of me almost 20 years ago and I don't even have to physically hold it in my hand. I know exactly where I am in this picture, what I was wearing, who I was with and worst part- I know what I looked like! This picture was such a horrible awakening for me that I hid it away. Once I lost my weight I re found this picture and that was the moment when it was emblazoned in my memory. No I am not posting this picture later- I seriously am WAY too embarrassed to every admit that was me. I am not sure that mentally I am able to convince myself that I was ever that person. There are times when that girl in the picture literally haunts me. Makes picking a salad vs a burger and fries a really easy choice when she is around!
I have always struggled with weight since I was a kid. My Mom has completed pretty much every diet out there and I usually joined in when I was younger. If I recall our first shared diet was when I was 6. Not because I needed to but at that age it honestly sounded like a fun thing. Weight Watchers had a pretty wicked fake banana split in its day. I knew the whole calorie in calorie out! I knew how many calories were in most foods without having to look at a label. I have seen Shape magazine since I was little. Oh and Rachel McLish for those too young to know her- google! She brought what a fit woman should look like to mainstream against all the amazon woman of the day. Loved her and was clueless on what the steps would look like for me to be my own version of that. (Appears I still am a tad clueless). As the majority of world I did the usual had two kids at a very young age, got married, stayed home, lost most of my friends and replaced them with prefab food aka Costco specials. I shopped at those stores that lie to you about your size. You know the ones if you are or have been over weight. Most stores you can't get a 13/14 past your knees and these stores they fly on then you fight with the zipper but at least they are up. Or the fat persons blessing one size fits all! Basically maternity wear but hey its all about denial! As the years went on I become more unhappy and gained more weight. Through most of this I still worked out, had a gym membership- I could probably lift more then than I can now. It was the food! I had the fitness lifestyle but depression hit the second I was out of the gym and off to the fridge you go. I have never been one to fear the fitness side of things- I have successfully completed a marathon, several half marathons, take on "Insanity" workout with a smile. Push Ups hated them so what do I do; create a challenge to conquer them. The fitness side is so much easier than the bigger picture of eating what you need to fuel that fitness. Little did I know that regardless of my efforts I was self sabotaging due to the fact I was miserable in my marriage. Once enough became enough and I decided to take my life by the horns everything in the weight world changed and boy did it change. In something like 6-8 weeks I went from a size 13/14 in the special stores to a size 2/4 in any store. I literally would lose a dress plus a week. It sounds like a fantasy but honestly there was days that I was scared of the speed everything was happening. Of course everyone around me was happy to see me the lose the weight but it was always followed with- "it's because she is under so much stress" , "it won't last she will gain it back." Yeah well I easily maintained that weight for almost 2 years then went up to a whopping healthy sized 6 (LOL) and have pretty much stayed there until recently. This winter definitely did something to me what I have no idea?! I have decided that it chemically screwed around with my mind and body. My professional diagnosis. I have been aware since the fall of last year that the weight demons have been close by as my clothes have gradually gone from uncomfortable to in some cases not fitting. I have no idea weight wise what I have gained as I am a "NO" scale person- they are danger!!! Clothes tell you everything you need to know if your listening. Well body I am listening..... I am hearing the hints and trying to put the pieces together. I am stopping the bus early and we are turning it around. I have recently rededicated myself to my running in a minor (LOL) fashion- I registered for the Big Sur International Marathon spring of 2012! Oh yeah baby! So if now is not the time to fuel the machine I don't know when is.
It's happened in the last few weeks I am finding myself worried when the camera comes out. Not all the time but once in awhile I catch myself doing the mental check- are you sitting/standing properly, suck it in, what about the lumps and bumps. I have not been this person for 10 years and here I am almost that person again. I say almost because thankfully I am catching this early. There is a picture of me almost 20 years ago and I don't even have to physically hold it in my hand. I know exactly where I am in this picture, what I was wearing, who I was with and worst part- I know what I looked like! This picture was such a horrible awakening for me that I hid it away. Once I lost my weight I re found this picture and that was the moment when it was emblazoned in my memory. No I am not posting this picture later- I seriously am WAY too embarrassed to every admit that was me. I am not sure that mentally I am able to convince myself that I was ever that person. There are times when that girl in the picture literally haunts me. Makes picking a salad vs a burger and fries a really easy choice when she is around!
I have always struggled with weight since I was a kid. My Mom has completed pretty much every diet out there and I usually joined in when I was younger. If I recall our first shared diet was when I was 6. Not because I needed to but at that age it honestly sounded like a fun thing. Weight Watchers had a pretty wicked fake banana split in its day. I knew the whole calorie in calorie out! I knew how many calories were in most foods without having to look at a label. I have seen Shape magazine since I was little. Oh and Rachel McLish for those too young to know her- google! She brought what a fit woman should look like to mainstream against all the amazon woman of the day. Loved her and was clueless on what the steps would look like for me to be my own version of that. (Appears I still am a tad clueless). As the majority of world I did the usual had two kids at a very young age, got married, stayed home, lost most of my friends and replaced them with prefab food aka Costco specials. I shopped at those stores that lie to you about your size. You know the ones if you are or have been over weight. Most stores you can't get a 13/14 past your knees and these stores they fly on then you fight with the zipper but at least they are up. Or the fat persons blessing one size fits all! Basically maternity wear but hey its all about denial! As the years went on I become more unhappy and gained more weight. Through most of this I still worked out, had a gym membership- I could probably lift more then than I can now. It was the food! I had the fitness lifestyle but depression hit the second I was out of the gym and off to the fridge you go. I have never been one to fear the fitness side of things- I have successfully completed a marathon, several half marathons, take on "Insanity" workout with a smile. Push Ups hated them so what do I do; create a challenge to conquer them. The fitness side is so much easier than the bigger picture of eating what you need to fuel that fitness. Little did I know that regardless of my efforts I was self sabotaging due to the fact I was miserable in my marriage. Once enough became enough and I decided to take my life by the horns everything in the weight world changed and boy did it change. In something like 6-8 weeks I went from a size 13/14 in the special stores to a size 2/4 in any store. I literally would lose a dress plus a week. It sounds like a fantasy but honestly there was days that I was scared of the speed everything was happening. Of course everyone around me was happy to see me the lose the weight but it was always followed with- "it's because she is under so much stress" , "it won't last she will gain it back." Yeah well I easily maintained that weight for almost 2 years then went up to a whopping healthy sized 6 (LOL) and have pretty much stayed there until recently. This winter definitely did something to me what I have no idea?! I have decided that it chemically screwed around with my mind and body. My professional diagnosis. I have been aware since the fall of last year that the weight demons have been close by as my clothes have gradually gone from uncomfortable to in some cases not fitting. I have no idea weight wise what I have gained as I am a "NO" scale person- they are danger!!! Clothes tell you everything you need to know if your listening. Well body I am listening..... I am hearing the hints and trying to put the pieces together. I am stopping the bus early and we are turning it around. I have recently rededicated myself to my running in a minor (LOL) fashion- I registered for the Big Sur International Marathon spring of 2012! Oh yeah baby! So if now is not the time to fuel the machine I don't know when is.
I want to be me!!!
I want to be the me that was confident in my own skin because I had finally found the true me and owned it!
Monday, 4 April 2011
Reuniting with my Inner Runner
Yesterday it finally happened!!! It was late afternoon, the sun was shining and mother nature was giving another tease that spring might actually appear. I was enjoying my new ride heading off to work when out of the corner of my eye I saw it..... a runner! Then another one and another one..... when yes it finally happened. That flutter of envy!! If your a runner you know the one I am referring to. Where you become mesmerized for a fleeting moment and you are there with that runner. Your body, your mind wants to be there on the road, trail whatever it may be. It has been a very long time since I have felt that flutter in my soul. Never one to deny myself of what I truly desire today became the day that the runners were laced, the I pod loaded and lululemon graced me with her glory to take on the streets and parkways of Lethbridge. Then reality..... I have not ran on pavement other than a short "Girls want to go fast" moment. My line on the treadmill "this is boring" so I jump on my spin bike. Well today let me know it wasn't boring it was hard! So much for the theory- "3K! Whats the point in even tying up my laces?!" as I ran 5K wishing I was only running 3K. As I am plodding along thinking this will be one of the longest 5K's of my life I am quickly reminded of what the beginning stages of running felt like. I originally decided to try running as I believed it was something I honestly was not going to be able to do. Well surprise when you commit to something anything is possible. When I started a minute was torture..... well today it took 10 mins before I was really whiny. When I started running the concept of a negative split was uh?! you just go all out and hope that you can finish strong. Well today a true negative split the first half sucked! yep sucked! By the halfway mark my body started to remember what it was suppose to do. Lo and behold by the end the old runner in me was taking over. At no point am I going to say this was an easy run and I spent a lot of the run hoping to not run into another a runner as that would be embarrassing. Actually it might sound like this- "S***T do you think they saw me take a walk break?!" Although I have a way to go before I am back to being the runner I was the love what you hate runner still resides inside me. Straight, flat and a break from the wind my attitude "this is okay!" Then a hill "Oh yeah baby!!" Then a hill and wind "Hell yeah I was made for this crap"
My PR for a 5K sub 24 mins. Today's comeback 5K 32 mins and 42 secs. Thank goodness there was not a lot of runners out there and for the one's who were. Thank you for running in the opposite direction :-)
My PR for a 5K sub 24 mins. Today's comeback 5K 32 mins and 42 secs. Thank goodness there was not a lot of runners out there and for the one's who were. Thank you for running in the opposite direction :-)
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
The Mental Game of Fitness.....
loved every minute of it. Nothing like training for a half marathon running 20 KM's in minus 20 something temps. Running in blizzards, the heat of summer looking for sprinklers. I was one of those people you drove by and thought is that girl crazy and I would have proudly responded "hell yeah"!
Jumping back to the current and now.... I have lost my fitness edge?! I find it interesting how its there and the engine is burning hard and you can't contain it and then one day you turn around and realize some how you lost your fitness mojo. Although my training has lacked the enthusiasm and spirit I have consistently kept a training calendar and have continued to workout without the spark. You still have those moments where you feel yeah its coming back then the next round of burpies remind you that your not so hot!
My current training program consists of Jillian Michael's Making the Cut training program where I get to have my ass and every other body part handed to me on a daily basis. I don't remember what it feels like to walk up a flight of stairs without the words "owh!" "owh!". Which brings me to today- As I was holding boat pose and attempting to distract myself from the torture using my yogi drishti powers I found myself staring intently at all my race medals. There I am holding boat pose and just taking in all that I have accomplished. This person who is struggling to complete 20 burpies is up there in with those medals. I have spent the last few months fully aware of my level of fitness and how it has been slowly sliding away from me.... I had a really bad flu back in November and it has been my crutch to explain away my lack of fitness ability. Now that I am in my meditative state and yes still holding boat pose the questions start: "is my issue really recovering from that flu?" ' Is there a reason I got that flu?" I believe there was warning signs that I missed along the way.The whole actually being excited about not having a goal race- that wasn't a hint! The fact my heart didn't quicken when I read an inspiring quote involving running- that wasn't a hint. I was no longer envious of the peeps on the side of the road running along while I was off doing errands- that wasn't a hint. As my flu has remained my fall guy for me in my struggles to regain my fitness levels I have had to reconsider and yes I am still in boat pose. Thankfully once inspiration hits I am pretty quick thinker.
My last year of running was all about getting the elusive sub 2 hour half marathon. I wanted it and it was
going to happen! 2010 was a big year for me. I created my first "Will do List" at the beginning of the year and just kept checking off the list as the year went.... unfortunately the sub 2 was the only thing on my list that that didn't get checked off. Here is where we head full circle back to the Power of the Mind- let me take you to the Big Run in Calgary last May. I would say it was near the top of my running game if not at my personal best. I was completely set up to succeed and accomplish my goal of a sub 2 hour half marathon. Training was done and I was extremely fortune to have a friend stay with me during the race to be my own personal pace bunny... Jeff I will never ever forget what you did for me that day!! At the beginning of the race all is good actually all was really good! How could it not be, armed with an I Pod of good tunes a personal pace bunny who was also my personal photographer for the event. Great weather and eager to go...for the beginning few K's we were are ahead of pace and life was grand. Jeff had me on track and this was really going to happening and yep you guessed it the big BUT... who the hell forgot to mention frickin hills and I mean hills. Not one or two but several and all after the 16k mark I think. I have selective amnesia on portions of this race. Then look another hill and then surprise Jeff tells me all is okay only one more hill left and then the words "heartbreaker hill" or "vomit hill" or something to do with blood....comes out of his mouth. Are you kidding me..... anyways life goes on and so shall I end result I kicked ass and had a fabulous run but missed my sub 2 yep missed her by a whole whopping 2 mins (2:02:34). Sadly this was also a personal best that I did not take the time to celebrate. Too much time spent thinking about the goal vs the accomplishment. Now we head to Edmonton for the ING- fabulous race. I mean fabulous, tag name to this race "Super fast and flat" for someone with a time to beat it is like music to your ears. Here we are raring to go and excited this one is my opportunity! I can't go wrong on this one, it's going to happen.... and then as it happens in all races they start to get harder, the body starts to fight the process but no this is my chance. Chanting to myself "super fast and flat, Yvonne". End result another 2:02 finish (2:02:01) I have a race with hills to no tomorrow 2:02 then I hit the super fast and flat and 2:02. Now please tell me that your mind is not a factor. Talk about a fear of reaching your goal. It is the only answer I can see. Wow what if I made my goal...seriously brain get out of the way of my success. Here I stand today finally, fully realizing although I am an athlete and some consider me crazy for the things that I do in a physical aspect. I am fully capable of pushing myself to physical limitations, a drive to train yet come race day my mind doesn't allow me to succeed. I know my body is fully capable of a sub 2 hour yet mentally I can not get out of my own way to make it happen; yet?! As true with running we learn a lot about ourselves while out there pounding the pavement and here is my a ha moment.... where else does the power of mind hold me back? Although I am feeling much more enlightened about my challenges ahead I am still unsure of what the steps are from here.... admitting you have a problem is the first step right?!
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