Lest We Forget

Today, November 11th is Remembrance Day, are you wearing your poppy? I've been wearing mine since November 1st. I hope everyone takes a moment out of their busy lives and observes a minute of silence at 11am. Take this time to stop the chaos and focus your thoughts, prayers, and energy on those who served to help form the world we live in today, those who are currently serving in Afghanistan and other areas of the world to help protect the rights of the innocent.


Thank you to all the men and women who have served, are serving and will serve in the future. We could not have the wonderful lives we do without you!

At work we'll be marking this day with a fantastic Remembrance Day assembly.

Nike+ Sensor

Back in October I treated myself to a new running gadget, running isn't something I'm SUPER seriuous about but I do kinda enjoy it, and its a great calorie burn.  I think its part of whats shaped my body to what it is today.

After a little online research I decided I wanted a Nike+ Sensor to pair with my iPhone which I always have with me when running (I once had a serious medical situation while out running on my own on a backroad...with no phone) on the roads.  iPhones and iPod touches already have the Nike+ app/sensor built into it.  I also didn't want to spend my money on the Nike+ shoes.  I found out there's a little case/clip you can get to attach a sensor to your laces, saves the expense of a new pair of shoes when I already have a perfectly good pair of runners.  So for me the total investment was under $40

The software does some great things, I can set it up for an open ended workout.  This means there is no goal time or distance.  I used this all the time at first.  You can do a timed workout, haven't used this yet.  Distance (3K, 5K, 10K, 2mi, 5mi, 10mi, half marathon full marathon, custom), I am using this one reguarly now.  Finally calorie burn.  I haven't used this one yet either.  Once you've selected the type of workout you then select if you want it to use one of your playlists or shuffle the music on your device.  When setting up the app you also can set one song as your "Power Song" its that one song that gets you through that tough hill, that last mile, those last 5 minutes.

At any time you can get an update on how you're doing with a voiceover.  It'll let you know how far you've gone and how long you've run.  When using the distance workout I love how it tells me when each kilometer has passed, when I'm at the half way point and when I'm down to those last couple of hundred meters.

When you're done your workout, the app gives you a summary of distance, time, and calories burnt (based on settings you put in when you set it up).  When you're done you can sync your phone with iTunes and it upload your run data to the Nike+ website where you will get a cool line graph or your pace during your run, its neat to see those peaks and valleys.  It also helps to track the total distnace you've run.  There are coaching programs to lead you up to a 3K, 5K, 10K, 1/2 and full marathons, you can challenge others and use it to share your runs on Facebook and Twitter.

 So all in all I love my Nike+ sensor and I don't run without it!  I think its motivated me to run more often and try to run a little further.

Meeting Topic : Challenges aka : the Christmas Season



Me & Master Lu, I started Taekwon-Do as one of his students
Christmas 2009



My American readers might think I'm crazy that we're already talking about Christmas at Weight Watchers. We're not crazy, for us Thanksgiving happened AGES ago!  We have said goodbye to the Turkey and the Pumpkin, now we're saying hello to the Christmas Tree!

This time of year leading up to Christmas if FULL of challenges!  There are the parties, the dinners, the pot-lucks, the after work drinks and nibbles and more!   Here are a few things we need to keep in mind to try and keep us on track, or as close to on track as possible!

TRACK - Track what you eat and if you can, plan ahead.  Plan your meals ahead.  If I know I'm going to be at a social event with food I often will plan most of my meals to be low point so I have some extra points to enjoy a few of my favourites at said social event.  I'll also do my best to eat "lighter/healthier" a day or two leading up to and following the event.

STOP! - How many of us have felt we have "blown" our day and we think "what the hell, I might as well keep eating"!  I think we all have.  This isn't an excuse to keep eating.  If you think you've blown your day, try to stop yourself, sit down and figure out how many points you've eaten that day.  It might not be as bad as you think, or it might me awful!  You can use this instance as a reminder for the next time you're tempted to keep eating once you've blown the day.

BE POSITIVE - Don't spend every waking hour beating yourself up for eating something "bad".  This is the beauty of WW, we can have those small indulgences.  Even when you have a slip up, instead of beating yourself up know that you ARE doing better than you used to!  Think back to how you used to act/eat at social events and how you handled it this time.  Next time you will handle it better

FRIENDS/FAMILY - Use those who care about you and are close to you.  Ask a friend to remind you not to stand near the food, or in the same room as the food (I'm okay as long as I'm not standing next to the food).  There is power in numbers!

PLANNING - Plan your meals and snacks to fit the day and the event!  Don't go to an event hungry, and don't go too long between meals.

EXERCISE - If you know you're going to be eating a little extra, get in a little more exercise as well.

ONLINE - The Weight Watchers communities, blogs and e-mails are a GREAT way to get support from those around you.  If you ever need some help or support please, don't hesitate to e-mail me!  I'm always there to help, make a suggestion, or just help you celebrate a Non Scale Victory or Milestone!!

RECIPES - Go through your cookbooks or the Internet come up with a few low calorie/fat recipes and make them your signature dishes for those potlucks.  The only way you can help yourself is by bringing a low point WW friendly dish!

REST - Don't burn the candle at both ends (I am SOOOOOOO guilty of this!), get some sleep.  When we're tired our defenses are down.  We eat more, and sometimes we eat just to help us stay awake (I know I do this!)

WATER - Drink your water, lots of it!  A lot of these party foods will be much higher in sodium than we're used to and you will retain water.  The only way to get rid of the fluids you're retaining is to... drink more water!

BE PREPARED - Look up the points of your favourite holiday treats, then you will know if its worth having or not!

FIRST BITE - That first bite always tastes the best, savour it.  Have a second bite, it may not taste as good anymore.  Maybe that one bite was all you needed?  There is no rule that we have to finish everything on our plates.

Here's my little party tip.  Don't grab a BIG plate, actually don't grab a plate at all if its nibblies.  I take only a napkin and I put one or two things on that napkin at a time.  Its a round about way to control portions.  I also do my best to be in a different room from the food or as far away from it as possible.  I find if I stand next to the nibblies, I start nibbling even though I don't really want the food.  Also take some gum with you.  Its hard to eat potato chips when you're chewing a piece of gum!

An Interesting Question...

Yesterday a member on the Weight Watchers Canada message boards in the Newbie forum asked

"I am just starting and I was wondering if you could tell me what is the biggest benefit to your weight loss?"

Well I jumped right into answering this question and here were the points I gave and I wanted to share them with you!

• I've lost over 60lbs
• I've gone from a size 20 pant and a 2-3X top to a size 8 and a M-S top
• For the first time in my adult life I own a bikini
• I can run... I've run 10K and thinking about a 1/2 marathon
• My ability to be a martial artist improved dramatically
• I am a better example/role model for my Taekwon-Do students, I mean really a instructor who was over 200 lbs?
• I look like an athlete
• I stopped having problems with plantar fascitis
• I look hot
• I have the body I used to dream about having.
• Increased confidence
• I used to be terrified of going to a gym, I now go several times a week
• I fit in the bathtub nicely with extra room!
• I can wrap a hotel sized towel around my body
• I can buy clothes anywhere
• I feel awesome all the time
• I've barely been ill in the last 2 years

 For some odd reason I'm having trouble with migraines again.  I'm not sure where' this is coming from.  I had one start up Saturday afternoon but managed to take care of it with some Excedrin for Migraine.  It came back last night and I had to give in and go to bed.  It was back again this morning, but the pills didn't help.  Tonight its left me feeling quite nauseous.

I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with them lately, but I am.

Is That Really Me?

Today, I saw a picture of myself (it was taken today), and I did a double take, is that really me?  Am I really that small?  Loosing 63 lbs is a big deal, a very big deal.  Even now, after being at my goal weight (ish) for over a year I still have this picture in my head of the old me.  I think it takes a long time to adjust to the new image you have.  I was used to seeing this fat girl staring back at me in the mirror and that image has been in my head for so long its hard to see the "real" me.  The me who weighs 135lbs, the me who can run for 70 minutes non-stop, the me who isn't out of breath anymore, the me who fits into a size 8 pants went from a size 6 TKD uniform to a size 3 (and there's lots of room).  Its a big change!!!

Almonte Taekwon-Do Students at the tournament

Today was the Capital Cup Friendship tournament, I attended today both as a judge and as a competitor, something I haven't done since 2007.  When I last competed in a tournament I was over 200 lbs and a very bad case of plantar fascitis!  Today I was a different person!

All the black belt team pattern competitors

I completed in two divisions, Team Patterns with Paige and Jason and individual patterns.  Now this team we essentially put together Saturday afternoon, Paige and I figured out which pattern we'd do, where the breaks were, and positioning.  We then called Jason up and pretty much told him we were doing a team pattern (at Mr. Marin's request ... school owner) at Sunday's tournament.  We met up early, before the start of the tournament, practiced a few times, but then we were all sent to judge at assorted rings.  The end results from today?  Almonte Taekwon-Do did very well!  I am very proud of all the students and all the students I teach on a regular basis, its a good measure of how I'm doing as an instructor when my students attend tournaments, conduct themselves with honour, and do their best in the ring.

Me & Paige with our medals -- Jason had left by the time I was free to take a picture

In team patterns, we just killed it!  Paige, Jason and I won the gold medal!!!  However in individual patterns I didn't do so well, I made a mistake and ended up with a bronze medal.

Metabolisim Part Deux

My plans for today fell through so I was at a loose end today!  I figured I'd get up around 8am and hop on my scale.  Yes, I know, I know we're not supposed to weigh ourselves daily, and I don't.  I figured if I was in my "safe zone" I'd drive into town and go to the Saturday morning Weight Watchers meeting and weigh in for the month of November.  Next weekend will be one full of food, temptations, and sitting on my behind stitching so if I can get it out of the way now I've technically got until December 31st to recover.  Not that I'm planning on being bad... I rarely plan on being bad but I know there will be an abundance of food and some of it VERY tempting.  My plan is to take a fruit bowl!  I'm going to take a nice big bowl and fill it with apples, clementines (yeah!  Its clementine time of year!), bananas and grapes.

Anyhow despite yesterday's 2 cookies for breakfast, a sliver of pizza at lunch (and I mean a sliver!), 3 fajitas for dinner and 1/2 a chocolate bar that I shared with my friend Christin... I was down another 1.5 lbs!  Yup, 135 on the nose!  Sadly there is a 1 lb difference between my scale and the Weight Watchers one but its still within the acceptable range.  So off I went!

I got a little more GREAT information on metabolism at Saturday's meeting as well.  That's the beauty of Weight Watchers is that each meeting leader has a different take on the same subject.  Did you know that there are 3 types of metabolism?  I had no clue!

Resting - this is 70-75% of your metabolism this is the energy you body needs to sleep, to breath, your hear to beat.  Essentially the calories your body burns while you're sitting on your behind (stitching?) or even sleeping.

Food Digestion - 10% did you know you'll burn more calories eating an apple than a container of yogurt.  Your body has to work harder at chewing and digesting it.  Cool eh?

Physical Activity - disappointingly this is only 15-20% of our metabolism

I thought those were three really cool facts I picked up at the meeting!  As usual there was a lot of laughing a few comments about sex and raising your heart rate to increase your metabolism.  I think that's why I love these Saturday meetings, the ladies just put it all out there and we have a good laugh (which burns calories too).

Tomorrow I'm expecting a long day!  I'm at a Taekwon-Do tournament, where I'll be assisting with the 4-6 year old obstacle course, judging patterns & sparring, also competing in patterns and team patterns, a last minute plan with Paige and Jason.

The Terrific Trio - My team for team patterns!

Wish me luck!

Good Weigh In

Today was my first Friday weigh in, and guess what it was a good one!  I'm down 1.5 lbs this week, so back within my "safe" zone but not quite at goal.

I have had just an awesome week.  Nothing really cool happening, but I just had one of those weeks were I was busy, active and not once did I feel exhausted!  Its been a long time since I've felt this good.  I hope it continues!