A couple of goals I am setting for myself.......

So I have just checked on my calendar and it seems I have put on 10 lbs since last September.  It's funny how those pounds just creep on; though I was pleasantly surprised it was only 10lbs.  Mind you I have known about those extra pounds for a while now, as I could feel it in my clothes.  So I am in a frame of mind again to do something about it, and have set myself a couple of goals.

• Lose 30 lbs by the beginning of September.  Now that will translate to losing 5 lbs per month, which I think is doable....well I hope so.  If I lost 20lbs I would be happy.
• One of my weaknesses is eating on a night, so another goal is to not eat anything after I have had my supper.  We at 5pm on the dot and are finished by 5:30pm.  I normally eat breakfast around 7am.  I have been doing this for four nights and so far so good.  I drink either water or herbal tea, on a night but no food.
• Then my exercise of choice is walking.  I will admit to being terrified of slipping on the ice and snow, so that may be another couple of weeks until I pick that up again, as we still have a lot of snow around here.

One thing I am doing to stop myself eating on a night is keeping busy with my cross stitch.  

Do you tend to snack on a night?  Or do you have another time of day which is bad for you?

Two weeks later

 no I have not left the blog world again!

I have been busy with one thing and another.  Which includes the treadmill and walking.  I did slip and fall last week on the ice, so have been cautious with my walking.  Luckily I didn't really hurt myself.  My knee is all bruised up, but really my ego/pride was more bruised.  So because of that I only logged in 25 miles last week, I normally log in around 30 miles.

I have decided to try the treadmill again and have figured out a way of walking, burning calories on it, without it trying to kill me...LOL  I start off at incline 5, working my way up to incline 7 then working my way down to incline 5 again.  I can burn 400 calories in 40 minutes and walk 2 miles doing that.

Anyway, it means I have managed to lose 24lbs in 11 weeks, so I have 1lb to lose before I have my telephone appointment with the doctor on December 21st.  Hubby has also lost 21lbs which is a bonus.  This 25lb goal is of my own setting, not the doctors.

Could I murder a chocolate bar.....of course!!  We both have Lindt chocolate advent calendars to help with my sweet tooth.  I look forward to eating my one chocolate every day.

(image credit)

I will say there are more mini chocolate balls in it, than anything else.  It's a bit of a disappointment when you open the day's door and all you get is a mini chocolate ball.  I had hoped they were all full sized truffles.....

So there you go, a bit of an update.  I have blood work done this week, so it will be interesting to see if my numbers have come down for my diabetes.  I am guessing so due to the weight loss.  You can tell now that we have both lost weight, so it is encouraging.  We just have to keep on with it.

10/5-3-30 Challenge Day 10

I managed 20 minutes at incline 10 this morning, before dropping it down to incline 5 and working my way back up to incline 7 for the remaining 10 minutes.  So things are improving.

It snowed again, so more shoveling to do; therefore more exercise!  Also managed a small walk in the morning.

Something interesting.  The other morning I did my blood sugar when I got up before I went on the treadmill.  I then did it again after I had been on the treadmill.  It went up for 8 to 10.  All I had done was that exercising.  Someone suggested it was something to do with all the sweating you do when exercising hard?  Is that true?

So all in all on Tuesday, I did my 30 minutes on the treadmill.  Did two walks and shoveled the snow.  Plus pottered around the house.

Fitbit Stats:

Miles walked: 5.17

Step's: 12,500

Minutes of Exercise: 93

Water 16 oz x 3.....this is my good place to be with water, so that I don't spend half my life in the bathroom😊

10/5-3-30 Day 8

It was a snow day on Sunday.  It snowed all day.  Exercise was only a 34 minute walk round the subdivision.  Even then I puffed and panted all the way, which was not normal for me.  So it was a quiet day for us both.  I plan on trying to be back on the treadmill on Monday.

Fitbit Stats:

Exercise 34 minutes

Steps: 6,800

Miles: 2.89

Water 16 oz x 3

10-3-30 Challenge Day 6

I should change the challenge title again.  It should be 10/5-3-30 as I once again just did the inlcine 10 for 15 minutes then dropped it down to 5 for the remaining 15 minutes.

I was talking to a friend today and we were talking about exercising and due to a thyroid problem she has to exercise 5 times as hard as anyone with very little reward.  So she was saying life is way too short to be worrying about it all, and she will do the best that she can and eat that bar of chocolate when she feels like it.  I really do not enjoy those first 15 minutes on the treadmill, they are hard flipping work.  The second 15 minutes I can deal with.  It does make me question why I am putting myself through this.  I guess when I jump on the scales on Saturday we will know if it was worth all this hard work and sweat?

I guess on the upside I am nearly one week down on this challenge, so that is good.

I made this recipe for Mushroom soup.  Actually I used it as a base and made it my own.  If you read the comments you will get many ideas of what other people did.  Her recipe for Cauliflower soup is the best; and I did follow her recipe to the letter that time.

I didn't feel too good all day on Friday.  It took me until after lunch to realize why; I had my flu shot the day before.  It never normally bothers me, but for some reason I felt off all day.  I attempted to do this exercise class online, but only managed 20 out of the 30 minutes of it.  I was just too tired to do the rest.

We went for a quick walk after supper, once again though it was slippery, so pretty nervous throughout the walk.

Fitbit Stats:

12,500 steps

5.15 miles

93 minutes exercise

Water drank 4 x 16 oz bottles

Kicking and screaming all the way....

 

(image credit)

Saturday is my weigh in day.  I have lost 12 lbs in 5 weeks.  I would have loved it to be more but despite doing everything I can it feels as though each pound lost has had to be dragged from me kicking and screaming all the way.

I am not sure what is different this time round.  I have walked over 100 miles since October 3rd.  It is getting easier doing the walking.  I walk up and down hills, to elevate my heart rate.  My food intake is pretty good; it's not perfect but it's a whole lot better than it was.

My diabetes numbers are improving greatly, I guess I just have to be patient.  At the end of the day it's getting those diabetes numbers under control which is the number one concern.  I have blood work done the middle of December so that gives me another six weeks to try and lose another 12 lbs.  That should make a big difference to those diabetes numbers I am hoping.

I am having my physical at the end of November, so my goal there is to have another 8 lbs off by then.  That's with the nurse in the doctor's office.  I will then have a telephone appointment with the doctor just before Christmas to go over the blood work and the physical's results.  

So until then I just have to keep on doing what I am doing. At the end of the day I have lost over a bag of potatoes, plus a bag of sugar.  My clothes don't feel as tight and I don't feel as though I will die trying to walk up the hills anymore😊

Slow and steady wins the race as they say!

Back walking........

I am back walking again.  I managed just under 24 miles last week, which wasn't a bad start.  I just got a new fitbit, the Inspire 2.

(photo credit)

It's one of the low tech one, I have no need for anything high tech and so far so good.

Despite having new walking shoes I am suffering with extensor tendonitis which is a pain, literally😒  

(photo credit)

It's because I have just started walking and I suffer from tightness in my calf muscles.

The only problem with all this walking is how much I notice around the subdivision where we live!!  Gosh some people need to tidy up there places.  We are lucky our immediate neighbours make an effort.  It would drive me potty living next to untidy people.

One new thing I am seeing with walking is the amount of discarded masks.........I counted 5 the other day on my walk.  Not sure if it's from the kids or the adults.  As they are not just discarded where the kids get on the school buses?  

When the weather is bad I go on our treadmill.  At the moment I am watching Glow Up on Netflix while on the treadmill, it makes the time go faster!

Both kids have bought Peloton bikes which look really neat.  However as I am not a huge fan of exercise at the best of time........I am not going down that path and investing that amount of money!!

What is your preferred form of exercise?

First Walk of 2020

I went for my first walk on Friday.  It was a balmy 5 oC so figured this was as good a time as any to do some exercise.  I walked round the perimeter of the subdivision three times and it took me around an hour and I walked around 6,500 steps.........though that doesn't seem enough?  Regardless I at least hit the 10,000 steps on Friday for the first time in ages.

I found this on the internet and thought I might give it a try:

I have a goal of losing 15 lbs by the end of February.  I really must try and get off these diabetes pills as they are killing my stomach.  The gas and general overall upset stomach is awful.  I don't know how people put up with it?  I don't think it helps I seem to have inherited my dad's stomach issues.  His dad also had stomach issues, so at least I come by it honestly as they say!!

As we are in January and the brunt of the winter weather will be upon us soon enough I am going to start using the treadmill also when I can't or don't want to get outside, as another way of exercising.

I think I will try this when I am on the treadmill, as this seems doable as well:

Do you have a plan of action for exercising during the winter months?

Progress Report on the diet and exercise regime...

Back here I wrote about how I had been told by the doctor, that if I don't lose weight, exercise and change my eating habits, I was going to have to be put on diabetes medication.  

So here we are just over a month later and I thought I'd update you on how things are going.

We went to see the dietitian and the kinesiologist/diabetes educator.  Have to say it wasn't very helpful seeing the kinesiologist/diabetes educator; but did learn a couple of helpful things from the dietitian.  Which were:

1. every 4 grams of sugar per serving = 1 teaspoon of sugar
2. the 5% to 15% ratio.  Under 5% per serving is great.  Over 15% depending on what it is, is not.  For example sodium.  Between the two is okay in moderation.

So we have changed our eating habits.  I have been walking a bit.  Did not walk last week, as it was so hot and humid, but have managed to walk every day this week and have achieved over 10,000 steps every day since Monday. 

What all this translates to is I have lost 8 lbs since June 25th.  Not the greatest loss, but it is going in the right direction.  I have booked an appointment to have my blood work done on August 27th and am back at the doctors on September 4th.  So I have another month to work on it all.  I would love to get another 10 lbs off by then, but we'll see.  

Eating better is more important that losing the weight the dietitian said.

However despite me not being a big ice cream fan I could murder a hot fudge sundae😁

Garden/people/dog watching while walking...

I have to say when walking around the subdivision there is plenty to see.  I enjoy looking at other people's gardens seeing what they are doing, or in some cases NOT DOING!!!  I am always confused as too why people live in houses and do no gardening what so ever!! Why not live in a condo or apartment where you don't have a garden to look after?

One house I go past has grass that is knee high.  I saw the other day they had finally cut it, but what a mess.  You can tell the lawn mower was struggling and it chopped the grass all up.  Just looked like a bad haircut.

I tend to go walking first thing in the morning.  I try to beat the heat.  It seems we have rabbits galore around here.  Some are even verging on to being quite tame.  We have a number of woods around so plenty of birds.

There are a lot of dogs and their owners.  I am still wary of the smaller dogs, but have made friends with a number of the bigger dogs.  One huge boy is so friendly and was a rescue and couldn't be more friendlier if he tried.

There are a number of people who walk, but not as many as where we used to live.  On Thursday morning I was laughing to myself, as Thursday is garbage day.  It was Canada Day on Monday so garbage pick up is a day later this week; on Friday.  It was crazy how many people had put their garbage out.  I guess people just forgot this week? 

I walk two to three times around the subdivision, takes me around 50 to 55 minutes to walk three times around and I do around 6,500 steps.  I walk up a steep hill three times.  By the time I have done that three times I am pooped!!!

I am trying to walk 10,000 steps a day again!! 

One week and 3lbs down........

So I am one week into this eating better and losing weight.  Now will admit I haven't been stringent in the exercise department, but I have had a few 10,000 step days.  With it being a long weekend, I didn't get the walking in, but was busy otherwise.

My eating is a whole lot better, but of course could improve, but with losing the 3lbs, I am happy, as it's 3 lbs in the right direction, and slow and steady wins the race as they say.  I have another 9 weeks before I see the nurse practitioner, so losing the 20 lbs by then seems to be doable.

I am finding life busy at the moment with the gardening, the walking, the business and just the general day to day things and when I am busy I don't have as much time to eat!!  There is always room for improvement and I want to concentrate on walking more this week, as that is the best way for me to lose weight.

So my goals for this week:

Up the walking.

Cut back on my sweet things.....had a bit of chocolate mousse cake on Tuesday as it was someone's birthday.  But did have an hour in the swimming pool with the grandkids......so that should count for something....LOL

Remain positive!!!

"If I don't do the work, then I will pay the price."

So I haven't been well for a little while.  Nothing exciting, just niggly stuff that is more annoying than anything else.  Anyhow, I was back at the doctors the other week and ended up having to go and have my blood work done.

I got a call and had to go in too see the nurse practitioner.  It turns out I am on the verge of being diabetic unless I do something.  I have two choices, I either lose weight and exercise or they will put me on medication for diabetes.

So I have decided I will go with the changing the way I eat and take up walking again.  I have until the end of August to lose some weight and get my numbers down before I see the nurse practitioner in September.  I have to have my blood work re-done at the end of August.

We are going to see a dietitian and someone who will educate us on diabetes.  I am saying we in this, as I figure there is a good chance if I am on the verge of being diabetic is, dh will be as well.

So wish us luck.  I have been watching what I eat since Tuesday and have managed to walk over 10,000 steps everyday since.

My Fitbit week.............

starts on a Sunday through to Saturday.  So I am starting a new week today.  I managed to walk 35.45 miles this past week which was pretty good.  I also managed to lose 3 1/2 lbs.  When I cut out the cookies, bread, potatoes, pasta and rice, this is what happens, I drop the weight.  Cookies, specifically granola bars are my downfall.

Also when I sit down on a night to watch tv that is when I have a habit of snacking, so now I have to keep my hands busy and if I have something to eat it is fruit or fat free yogurt.

Bought a big watermelon yesterday and had two big bowls of it last night while watching tv.  

Note to myself: do not eat two big bowls of watermelon on a night, as you will be up countless times peeing😉

Have a great Sunday!!

(image credit)

Bit more of an incentive now........

to lose weight.  As we have booked a trip to Britain in September, so I want to get at least 10 lbs off before we go.  I have 40 days, give or take a day or two, so I need to get cracking.  I would love to get some new clothes from Marks and Spencer and Asda while we are there, and would love to buy them in a smaller size.........

So the best way for me to lose weight is by walking and eating correctly.  I managed to walk just over 96 miles on July, which isn't the best but it is better than nothing.  I didn't lose my 2 lbs like I mentioned the other day, but am 1 lb down from the other day.

Are you all still managing to walk during this heat?

(image credit)

Still Walking.........

I have too as I have put on around 6 lbs............bad, bad me.  So I need to take control before it goes completely out of control.

Mind you there is nothing like a walk when it's as humid as heck out there.  You come home soaked through sweating like a pig.  Though ladies don't sweat do they; they perspire!!

(image credit)

Last week I only walked 16 miles which is nothing, so far this week I have walked over 7 miles, so I need to keep up that up and get back on the ball watching what I eat.

One of my biggest downfalls, is granola bars and eating on a night.  I also don't drink enough water.  So I am going to try and see if I can lose 2 lbs by the end of the month.  I think it's doable, as long as I keep walking!!!

Are you all still walking despite it being hot and humid? 

Walking month end check in........

The month of March just flew by didn't it?  Still cold here and no sign of it getting much warmer any time soon.  So still wrapped up in my winter layers when walking.

I walked 122.65 miles in March to bring my yearly total to 339.18 miles.  I am hoping the warmer it gets the more miles I will walk each month.  However today (April 1st) we have snow forecast, so not sure how many miles I will be walking today?  Did my usual 40 minute walk this morning, but that may be it.

Now for my weight loss, it has been and up and down month.  With having the colonoscopy and then the stomach flu, I had a weight loss of 5 lbs at one point, but everything has evened out and I ended the month with a 2 1/2 lb weight loss to bring my total up to 42 lbs or 3 stones for the British crew.

Bit disappointed in myself, but onwards and upwards as they say.

How did you do this month?

M.I.A. not really

I know I haven't posted in over a week, so this is a catch up post.  

I have been sick with a head cold thingy.  Felt rotten for a few days; over it now, still a bit tired, but that could also be due to the clocks changing.  I don't do well with the time changes at all; in fact I am worse than a child with it.  My body just does not like it.

I had my birthday last week.  At my age, over 29, it's just another day, although dh did spoil me.  I started off my birthday by having a mammogram.  Nothing like getting your boobies squished on your birthday!  Haven't heard anything, so everything should be alright.

Got my new sewing machine, now to train the person using it how it all works!  So far so good, I will post more about all that in the next few days.  I have a couple of neat things to show you.

If you need me this afternoon I will be in the bathroom, as I am prepping for my first ever colonoscopy tomorrow.  I am having a rip roaring exciting month aren't I!!!  Should have made an appointment for a pap smear then it would have been even more perfect!

We are over half way through the month, so I am hoping everyone is keeping up with their walking?  I have around 80 miles in, so am keeping up with my challenge this month.  Just going to head out for my morning walk when I finish this post.  I have lost my half pound so finally got my 40 lbs off.  Sort of hoping to lose another pound or two over the next day or two with the clean out I am going to get over the next 24 hours!!!!

Weather up and down, but the spring bulbs are starting to peak through the soil.  As today is the first day of Spring, about time I say!

What's happening in your neck of the woods?  Off for my walk now............enjoy the rest of your day.

Walking month end check in..........

How did you do during the month of February?

I managed to walk 102.78 miles this past month.  I walked like a crazy person over the past few days to get me past my 100 mile goal.  I have to be more consistent with this walking, rather than cramming it in during the last few days of the month.

I was lucky though, as we have had some lovely weather which has made walking a joy.  My year to date total is 216.53 miles.

Now for my weight loss for the month.  The other day I mentioned it was non existent for February.  Well in my peri-menopause brain fog that I seem to be permanently in I thought I had lost more than I had last month.  When I checked back to see how much I had lost overall, it turns out I have lost another 4 lbs this month, to bring my total weight loss to 39 1/2 lbs.  Drat, half a pound off the 40 lb mark.  

I have been at this weight loss, exercise thing for eight months now.  So as you can see I am in the slow and steady lane, rather than the quick and fast lane.  Which I personally think is a better way, as my body is adapting better to all the changes I have been making.  Which is giving me positive results.

One of the down sides though of losing weight is my clothes are all getting too big, but I am between sizes so want to wait before I buy anything else new. 

So my goals for March are to walk the 100 miles (hoping for more) and lose 5 1/2 lbs.

I am excited to hear how everyone else did?

Winnie the Pooh sort of day on Sunday.....

(image credit)

Managed to walk 7 miles though over three walks.........should have got more credit though for walking into a gale force wind!!

Quick Reminder........

There are only 4 days left in February for those walkers out there.  

Luckily for us we are in for a few days of warmer weather, so I hope to take advantage of it and boost up my miles, as I only have just over 74 miles in for this month!!  Also my weight loss is non existent 😨so I need to up my game to the end of the month!!

Here's hoping you are having a better month than I am?