7 Weeks and 17 Pounds

Sounds like a Jenny Craig ad, but its just me. I still have a few pounds to shed, but I am feeling pretty good about myself right now. It started just over 7 weeks ago, our staff Christmas party.... a good time was had by all, until I saw the photos a day later. We have all had those moments in life when you look at a photograph and say oh my god is that me, I look so huge or the complete opposite when you look at pictures from the past and say god I was so small. Either way we start to question ourselves and ask what has gone wrong. I'm lucky I am just over 5'8" tall so I can carry a bit of weight and most people don't notice, the problem is that I notice and as far as I am concerned when it comes to my body and health its only my opinion that matters. So when I looked at the photos I was a little disappointed in myself. Over the past 6 years I have been a workout fanatic on and off, more off than on, for some reason I haven't been able to stick with it even though I feel better when I do.

I think my problem with sticking to an exercise routine, was my schedule, some days I couldn't find the time to make it  to the gym and its much easier to break a routine than to make one. I also didn't really change my eating habits... I figured that if I was working out then its gotta be better than not working out. So this time around I tried a different approach.... exercise and a healthy diet. 

I didn't rush out and buy a gym membership or get myself a personal trainer, I ran out and bought a Nintendo Wii. Thats right a video game console. I had seen an add for the Jenny McCarthy, Your Shape interactive game and thought this could work, its like having a personal trainer at home. I figured I wouldn't have to worry about finding the time to get to the gym and factor in travel time every day. I could just work out everyday when I had the time and I didn't have to leave the house. But I didn't buy the Your shape right away.. being that it was just after Christmas it was hard enough finding the Wii console, but eventually with a lot of shopping around my Husband and I purchased what I think was the last console in the city. It comes with the standard games baseball, golf etc. but thats not what I was looking for, so I sent my husband on a search and he came home with the Wii Fit Plus (a return from some gift giving gone awry). Its fabulous. It gives you the option to weigh yourself everyday to track your weight loss, it lets you know your BMI so you can figure out whether you are overweight or underweight and helps you determine a healthy weight for your body type. There are many exercise routines that you can put together and it will even put one together for you. It tracks how many calories you burn and even has a place to keep track of outside activities.

The best part about the Wii fit and the reason why I think it works so well, is when you first use it, it asks you your goals. It asks how much weight you want to lose or the BMI you would like to achieve and in what time frame you have set for this goal. Now I am pretty stubborn and don`t like to fail so if I set a goal, I like to reach it. If you miss a day the Wii will call you on it, its scary how smart it is. So here I am 7 weeks in and haven`t missed a day, it does take a lot of determination and will power, but like I said I don`t like to fail. I just recently got the Your Shape game and its also fantastic, again it tracks how many calories you burn and determines your fitness level so the routine it chooses for you is challenging but not impossible, and it constantly pushes you to do just a little bit better.

The healthy diet part is actually the easiest part. I don`t really like the word diet I think it implies a set of strict eating guidelines, like Atkins or Weight Watchers and their points program. But what I really mean is just proper healthy eating. Fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains and protein (lean meat of course), basically just follow the food guide, chances are if you have to process it yourself or it does not need processing at all, (like an apple or carrot sticks not a chocolate bar) its good for you. I just read something that stuck with me, when you go grocery shopping, shop the perimeter of the store stay away from the centre  aisles. The perimeter is where you will find the healthy foods your body needs, everything in the food guide, so true. I'll admit I have to make a few detours down the aisles, I have a real weakness for cereal, cereal bars and on occasion I allow myself to have a cookie or two.  I said healthy eating was the easiest part, but still every once and a while it has its downfalls. I love McDonald s and potato chips! So I have had to make some sacrifices although I think its alright to indulge once and awhile, and I don`t mean once a week more like once a month. Again it takes a lot of determination and will power, which I have.  Don`t be fooled... just because food is good for you ...it can also taste good. Learn to experiment with your food the simplest thing can be changed into something extremely delicious. Maybe that will be my next post, transforming simple foods.

So anyway thats how I came to be seventeen pounds lighter and I`ll continue to lose a few more pounds. What happens when I reach my goal weight, you ask? Simple, I set a new goal.