I started off the week strong. Monday and Tuesday were good - I worked out, ate pretty good and felt good. Then on Wednesday I fell off the wagon with a bang! I don't know why, but I just felt like I couldn't do it any more! I couldn't eat good, couldn't workout, couldn't stand it any more! I just wanted to eat whatever I want, whenever I want! So that's exactly what I did.

But to be perfectly honest, I've been indulging in so many cookies, chocolate bars and bottles of Coke that I've actually got to the point where I don't want to see any of that stuff again for a while!

I'm going to avoid the scale for a little bit while I try to get back on track. I'll start off by going to a spinning class tomorrow morning. Then the exercise might be at a minimum for the rest of the week as we're going to the lake. But on the plus side, since we'll be in the Okanagan, I'll be eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies while playing with my kids in the sun!

On a completely separate note, my husband completed the Ride 2 Survive yesterday. They got into Delta around 9:30 p.m. and were a little tired since they left Kelowna at 4 a.m.  He's feeling fine, which is a testament to what great shape he's in. He helps inspire me to change and get crazy fit too. 

Here he is...

 

I just wanted to take a quick moment to let you know what my husband is up to, since it's pretty incredible. On June 21, he is going to join in a 400km bicycle ride from Kelowna to Delta to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. Oh, and he's going to make that ride in only one day!

Here's what he has said about his reason behind getting on his bike for this event.

"I have signed up to participate in the ride to raise money for cancer research. I have lost an aunt to cancer, a former boss and mentor died due to a bone cancer and a co-worker died from pancreatic cancer a number of years ago when he was only 32 years old. Everyone of us knows someone who has, or knows someone who will get cancer. Raising funds for research intended to prevent, treat and hopefully cure cancer is definitely a good cause! Please help me raise funds for the event."

He's really committed to this event and has been putting in long hours on the bike (while I've been putting in long hours with the kids wondering when Daddy is coming home!).  Needless to say, it's been a commitment by our entire family for Ken to participate in this event.

Ken just sent me an e-mail that I wanted to share with you. It's the story from one of the riders about the impact cancer had on his life.

“We think this is going to be one tough day, we'll it probably will be at some point, for each one of us. I want to tell you about one day that I watched a spinal tap. This is the insertion of chemotherapy drugs into the base of the spine. The needle is something you do not want to look at. It is very painful, and once you experience it, watching it go into someone you really care about, you know there has to be a better way. The eradication of this insidious disease is one way, through our continual fund raising. You will never want to experience this vision of watching your child receive a spinal tap, radiation, or chemotherapy drugs.

Michael was in remission for almost a year and was set to go back to school when the cancer returned, now you go through the process of battling the cancer all over again. It is the most brutal time. So when you think how tough it may be on the 21st think again, and you'll get through it...

The person I was watching receive this Spinal Tap, and battle the relapse, always with hope was my son Michael. Michael passed away in 1997, of Leukemia. This is my reason for the Ride of 2008, helping to make a difference in this battle. I never want to hear of another parents anguish in having to battle Cancer in their child...Duncan"

If you about to, please help Ken and the team raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society on this ride. Their goal is to raise $150,000 on this ride and they have already raised just over $133,000. Ken's personal goal is to raise $2,000 but with your help I think that can be beaten.

To support Ken and the rest of the team please visit his fundraising page. 

To learn more about the event, visit the Ride2Survive web page. 

After writing my last post I decided not to let the scale get me down. Instead, I decided to take action!

Although I was planning to wait until my hubby got  home from his race to go to the gym, I called my mom to see if she could watch the girls while I went to the gym, and she did! So I actually got to the gym at a decent time and had an awesome workout. I was very proud that I found a way to get to the gym after all.

Then my hubby suggested that I step up my exercise with spinning classes at the gym. So this morning I got up at 5:30 to get spinning. It was a great workout.

I was feeling so pumped from my workout that I decided to move a bit more today. The girls and I had a park party planned with some friends this morning, so I decided to walk up. It was about a 40 min. walk each way. Plus I chased the kids around the playground for several hours. It was a good day :-)

Tomorrow is a weight/circuit day, which I plan on doing in the morning. Plus I'm hoping to add in cardio.

Part of not letting the scale get me down is to increase my activity level. I'm going to try to do an hour of cardio every day in addition to my 4x a week circuit/weight routine. Plus I'm going to try to start walking more. Now that the weather is actually getting nicer, I can walk around town for most of my errands. 

I haven't decided if I'm even going to step on the scale this week or not. The scale calls to me every morning, but when it doesn't go down (or creeps up a little) I get so depressed that I just want to give up!

Let's see how it goes...

 

Yesterday I did something stupid, I stepped on the scale to sneak a peak at how I'm doing... It went up 2 lbs! So now I want to smash my scale into a million pieces, dive into a big bowl of ice cream and chocolate and forget all about getting back in shape. 

But instead I stepped up my workout yesterday with cardio, weights and dance class. I had planned a busy day of exercise for today, but my youngest daughter is sick with a cold, and since she's only two, she needs lots of cuddles and can't really be dumped off at daycare at the gym today. So my chances for an awesome workout today don't look too good. 

I guess I'll have to improvise with a speed walk and the stroller or a workout video (or something) or go later tonight when hubby gets home from his bike race. 

Sigh. It's always something!

But I am seriously frustrated with the scale. Even my husband is starting to feel very frustrated for me.

Since yesterday was my no carb day, I've decided to make Tuesday's my weigh-in day. Here's how it looked today...

Weight: 144 lbs (The same, grrrrrr)
Chest: 36
Waist: 30 (actually, it's a little under. I'm just rounding up.)
Hips: 37.5 (down half an inch!!!!)
Upper Leg: 22.5 (down half an inch!!!!)
Upper Arm: 12 (this was a little lower too, so I rounded up again.)

Although I was a little disappointed my weight didn't change, I'm thrilled with getting rid of an inch! That feels so good.

As I mentioned, yesterday was my no carb day, so it was a rest day from weights. But I did 20 minutes of high intensity interval training on the bike first thing in the morning and felt good about getting even a little bit of cardio in while watching "Bo on the Go" with the kids :-)

Today is a low carb day, so I started the morning with egg whites and then hit the gym. I did 10 min. on the treadmill to warm up, then I did my circuit training routine (I'm following the routine from Jillian Michaels book "Making the Cut" and it's an intense 45 - 50 min. weight routine that gets me sweating like a pig!), then I did another 30 min. of cardio on the elliptical trainer. Then I came home and rewarded myself with a bowl of oatmeal and a protein shake. 

Tomorrow is my high carb day and another weight day. 

Oh, gotta run. One of my baby girls is screaming for me - apparently she wants to cuddle and is demanding it on the top of her lungs. Oh well, I can't resist an opportunity to cuddle, so off I go!

 

Dance class was awesome! I had so much fun and really enjoyed workin' it! It was so neat to see my body actually move to the music - I've never done that before.

Unfortunately, my diet was a little challenged this weekend. Make that seriously derailed!

On Saturday I took my two girls to watch their daddy/my husband in a mountain bike race. We stood out in the rain for a couple of hours and sancked on some chips from the consession stand (I don't know why I forgot to bring snacks! I'm usually loaded down with more food than we need). After the race (hubby came in 5th), we hit McDonalds and I didn't show any restraint. I ordered a meal, complete with fries and a coke. That was my bad move for the day. I went out with some girl friends that night and actually did pretty good with my eating (cheese cake aside).

Then today I was totally craving pizza. So that's what I ordered for dinner. But I didn't stop there, I also ordered chicken wings and cinna-stix for dessert, plus a coke. After eating two pieces of pizza, 4 wings and two cina-stix, I feel like puking. I'm way too full and don't know how I'm even going to sleep tonight. I was planning on doing my weight-in tomorrow morning, but I think now I'll hold off for Tuesday.

Poor eating wasn't the only mistake of the weekend, I also skipped my planned workouts (circuit training) on Sat. and Sun. I do have excuses - I couldn't make it in the morning when child minding was open (hubby's race then teaching Sunday School this morning) and hubby was away the rest of the time - but that doesn't seem like a good enough excuse.

Monday morning I'm starting fresh! Here's my plan...

AM Cardio
Clean Eating - No Carb Day ( I don't do weights on no carb days)
Drink Lots of Water!
Eat lots of green veggies

It's almost 10 p.m., so I think I'll get a head start on getting back on track by getting ready for bed soon. Here's to a better try tomorrow!

I started carb cycling on Monday and wanted to post an update :-)

Monday, No Carb Day
This day was actually really difficult. Since I couldn't have my regular morning bowl of oatmeal, I started the morning off feeling cranky and deprived. By the evening, I was downright nasty! I was very hungry and just didn't feel satisfied eating protein and green veggies. The funny thing was, that my diet has been seriously low carb lately and the only thing I would have done differently would have been to have an apple or a rice cake in the afternoon and maybe in the evening. Oh, and my yummy bowl of oatmeal in the morning!
Exercise: No carb days are rest or cardio days. I took the day off due to my serious lack of energy.

Tuesday, Low Carb Day
 This day actually felt like HEAVEN! I felt satisfied all day long. I started off the morning with my oatmeal mixed with protein powder (I cook 1/2 cup oatmeal and then mix in 1 scoop lean dessert protein powder, banana nut flavour). It's so yummy and is a great way to start the day. For lunch I had a chicken wrap (whole wheat) and dinner was whole weat pasta with chicken and a homemade sauce of tomatoes and zucchini.
Exercise: Today I did 50 minutes of circuit training - chest, triceps, abs and legs. Intense training with a very high heart rate.

Wednesday, High Carb Day
This day was actually tough. I couldn't figure out which meal of the day to make the fourth carb containing meal, since I wasn't really hungry at all. I also felt a little guilty being so satisfied throughout the day. 
Exercise: I started the morning off with 20 minutes of high intensity interval training on the bike. Before dinner I did my circuit training, hitting back, biceps, abs and legs. Once again, it was very intense!

Thursday, No Carb Day
I felt a little better on today's no carb day. I actually wasn't hungry/starving today like I was on Monday. But by dinner time, I was ready to eat!!! I chowed on the protein and green veggies and am still hungry. Guess I'm going to grab a bowl of cottage cheese soon for my last meal and hope it tides me over until morning, when I can have some oatmeal again!
Exercise: None - just took it as a rest day.

I'm dying to step on the scale and take my measurements today, but I promised myself I would go a whole week without obsessing about it. So I have to hold strong until Monday.

Tomorrow I will have to do my circuit training routine in the morning as my day is just too jam packed to squeeze it in any other time. So I'm going to get to bed early tonight so that I will be able to actually get out of bed when my alarm goes off at 5:30 a.m.

Oh, and tomorrow night I'm going to my very first dance class EVER! I'm so excited. I'm watching So You Think You Can Dance and having visions of being a natural and tearing up the "stage" tomorrow :-)