Fitness Friday – I am in a funk and I need some help!

August 26, 2016 Cathy Unfiltered2 Comments

Maybe it’s because summer is almost over, and I am not happy about that. Or maybe, I let myself get too lazy when on holidays, but I just can’t seem to get my butt back in gear. Or maybe I am just not seeing the results I was hoping for, but I seem to be in a total funk. My motivation to go to the gym is pretty much zero and I’d much rather have a donut than a salad. I am still tracking everything I eat and getting my 10,000 steps in every day but I just don’t seem to have the “want” anymore.

I have been here before and this is where everything goes terribly wrong and I completely fall off the wagon. At least it is good that I am acknowledging it and not just ignoring it.

With winter coming, I am getting a bit nervous as I tend to fall into hibernation mode and pack on the pounds over the long Canadian winter. Let’s get real, aside from a bit of skiing and tobogganing, who really wants to go out in this????

The answer is NOT me!!

So as my title says, I need some help. Maybe some new workout gear would help or trying something new at the gym would give me more motivation but not sure. I have been trying to find a challenge or group that will help keep me accountable and get me out of this funk. Anyone have any suggestions??? Your help would definitely be appreciated.

Until them, I am going to try and keep pushing through this funk! Wish me luck!

Fitness Friday – Working towards a goal

August 19, 2016 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

My goal for last week was enjoy my time off with my son and focus on spending our last few vacation days off the summer. Having fun and just enjoying our time together were top priority. I wasn’t concerning myself with getting to the gym or counting calories. I was taking a vacation and would deal with the scale when I returned. And how could I not enjoy myself with views like this?

But sometimes that first day back after a nice week of vacation, I feel like I am being punished for ever taking said vacation. This past Monday was definitely one of those days. Although, I got my eating back on track my body was still in relaxation mode and Monday evening I didn’t get want to get off the couch. I got my 10K steps in and called it a day. However, now, I need to focus on having a goal in mind and getting back on track to reaching that goal.

I am not focusing this journey on reaching a certain weight. I feel like a goal like that can set me up for failure and disappointment. Perhaps my body is just not meant to be 120lbs and I am fine with that. I just want to be fit and feel comfortable in my own skin regardless of what the numbers on the scale say. But that being said, I still will use the scale as a guide and some motivation but I won’t get it be the be all and end all.

Instead, I am setting small attainable goals that can hopefully be achieved in small time frames. If I can reach the first goal, it will give me the motivation to try for the next bigger goal. My first goal is to hopefully run the 10K Terry Fox run coming up in September. I am planning to do this run for 2 reasons. First and foremost, the Canadian Cancer Society is a charity near and dear to my heart. I have had not only my Mom affected by cancer but other family and friends as well. And secondly, I take a bit of gulp when I even say 10K. It seems like a tough goal to meet but unless I actually commit myself to doing something such as this, I will never push myself to get there.

So Tuesday, I decided to forge ahead full steam and start really training. I knew I could handle a 5k, but now I need to focus on doing more. I hit the gym running….literally. And after being pretty much off the wagon for over a week, I am not going to lie, it was tough. I actually enjoy running, it is like an escape for me but after a week of chips and cookies and all kind of goodness, I definitely felt it. By 3km in, I was a sweaty gross mess.

I knew that there was NO way I would get close to 10km in, but at least it was a start. I will keep pushing forward towards my goal (only a few weeks left) and hopefully come run day, I will be able to complete my goal and move on to the next one.

Wish me luck!

Getting Fit · Uncategorized

Fitness Friday – It’s ok to enjoy vacation time

August 12, 2016 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

I have been enjoying another week off from work this week. Since it is my last full week of vacation time this summer, I am doing my best to enjoy every minute of it. And if that means not giving my fitness goals and diet 100% of my attention, I am ok with that. It doesn’t mean that I am not cognizant of what I am eating and doing, but I am not letting it get in the way of enjoying what little time I have off. I have committed to get right back on track come Monday morning, but until them I am in total vacation mode.

I had actually even thought about skipping my Fitness Friday posting this week as well, but I thought I better keep myself somewhat accountable and not go too crazy. LOL

One thing I am doing as part of my vacation is doing some new “fitnessy” kind of things. This past weekend, I ventured into the city to visit my BFF. We hopped on bikes and made our way down to the waterfront beach area. I never thought I would have the courage to ride a bike in the heart of the city but thankfully there were beautiful bike paths away from the crazy city traffic.

My bff had rented stand up paddle boards for us to use that afternoon. She had taken a lesson before and told me she would just show me how it was done. Truth be told, I was a little worried about not taking a formal lesson but trusted her instinct. I was so glad I did. I was up on the board first try. It was so much fun and I didn’t end up in the lake once. I would definitely recommend it to anyone and want to do it again soon.

The next day we decided to continue the outdoorsy theme and headed to a local conservation area/ski hill to do some hiking. The scenery was gorgeous. It was quite hot so we didn’t venture too far up the hills but still got a good long hike in. Afterwards we splashed in the lake for a bit to cool off.

We’ve been under a bit of a heat wave the rest of the week so I was more than happy to sit on the deck along side a friend’s pool and just enjoy the remaining days of my vacation. We’re heading up to cottage country this weekend and of course after an almost drought like summer, it is supposed to pour rain ALL weekend. It’s ok, my son and I can fish off the dock in the rain and as long as it doesn’t thunder and lightning, I am sure my son will be wanting to swim in the lake anyways.

I am not going to feel guilty about not going to the gym this week at all, I am not even going to post my accountability like I normally do. Only thing I will account for is I have continued to ensure I get a minimum of my 10K steps in each day. I don’t believe that one should feel forced into going to the gym or watching their diet every single second and enjoying a cheat day every one in a while. It’s only going to make someone hate it and not get back on track as soon as they have a bad day. I treat it like a lifestyle instead of a diet and every lifestyle gets a vacation everyone in a while.

Enjoy your week and Monday……back on track!!!

Getting Fit · Uncategorized

Fitness Friday – Fitting in Fitness

July 29, 2016 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

This past week I have been visiting my family out of town. I am sure you can all relate when I say that vacations and fitness often do not go hand in hand. Finding the time and motivation to stay on track when you are not on your normal routine can often be difficult. For me, on a regular week there are times it is hard to stay on track, so when away it can be even harder.

This week, I tried to focus on fitting in fitness in smaller units. Instead of an hour workout, I tried several 10 minute increments. Whether it was running up and down the stairs or walking places instead of driving or a few squats here and there, I was consciously trying to get exercise in when I could. Even when I took my son to the local pool, I made sure I was doing a few laps or running on the spot in the water while he played. A little bit adds up when you consciously think about it. Luckily, I was also able to fit in an Aquafit class there as well. I also have to thank Pokemon Go this week as we did quite a bit of walking around town trying to “catch them all.”

Food, however, wasn’t the easiest to keep on track. I was on vacation, so of course I was tempted on a daily basis to indulge. Thank goodness for the MyFitnessPal app for keeping me pretty much on track. Recording everything I was consuming made it much easier to realize when it was time to pull back to reigns and snack on some veggies sticks instead.

While away, I probably spent 90% of my time in my bathing suit and for the first time since I can remember, I didn’t feel like I needed to cover up. I was perfectly fine walking around without throwing something over my suit. I am finally starting to feel comfortable in my own skin. Sure I still have a bunch of weight to lose and my legs have way more cellulite than I would like but such is life. It was even to the point that I was comfortable enough to ask my Mom to actually take a photo of me in my bathing suit. And, I wasn’t even horrified with the result. I was actually quite ok with it.

Getting back into my normal routine after vacation is never easy but this time I am more determined than ever to stick with this health/fitness kick. Back to healthier eating and back to the gym for me. Wish me luck.

Weekly Accountability

Exercise: 2 x gym visits, 1 x 45 minute walk, 1x Aquafit class
Food Management: Stayed on track 5 of the 7 days (Not always the best choices but will do better this week)

This is also the final week the Team #fabFITbloggers are a part of the Kindness in Demand July fitness challenge. I am excited to see how we stacked up!!!

Getting Fit · Uncategorized

Fitness Friday – Don’t trust the scale

July 22, 2016 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

Anyone who has ever been on a fitness journey will probably agree the scale is not always your friend. In my case, a lot of times, it is not my friend at all. I will work so hard and at the end of the week, barely any movement. It definitely can be discouraging.

Only in the past year or so I have begun to only use the scale as a reference point and not something to base my motivation on. I try to base my success on how my clothes feel and comments from other people. In the past week alone, I have had several people comment on me losing weight. However, I step on the scale and it has barely moved.

I know there is the age old statement of “muscle weighs more than fat”. By no means am I any sort of fitness expert, but a 1lb of fat weighs the same as a 1lb of muscle. They both weigh 1lb. From what I understand is that muscle is leaner than fat, so a 1lb of muscle takes up less space than a 1lb of fat. Therefore, if you lose 1lb of fat but gain 1lb of muscle, the scale will not show a loss of any sort but your body will have changed.

It’s all just a numbers game. Not one I am happy to play.

Nothing feels better than putting on something that use to be tight fitting only to find it lose on you. To me, that is more motivating and rewarding than anything else. Being able to wear a size smaller feels so much better than saying you lost 5lbs. It is something real, something tangible.

I have been faithfully tracking my food and exercise but now I think I really should be tracking my measurements. Maybe I am totally missing it, but I can’t seem to find somewhere to track it on the Fitbit or MyFitnessPal apps. However, I have just found I can track it on my PC via the MyFitnessPal website. (If anyone knows how to on either app, please let me know.) I look forward to seeing these results.

This next week I am taking a much needed vacation from work. Pretty much a stay-cation but being out of my normal 9-5 routine, I am sure staying on track will have it’s challenges. I am pledging to try and make good choices with my food. As for exercise, we downloaded PokemonGO when it finally became available in Canada, so I am sure we will be taking a lot of long walks to catch some Pokemon.

Weekly Accountability

Exercise: 4x gym visits, 2 x 20 minute walk
Food Management: Stayed on track 5 of the 7 days (Sunday was definitely a cheat day and the calories in 3 slices of pizza sure add up)

Don’t forget to keep cheering on Team #fabFITbloggers!!!

Recipes · Uncategorized

Versatile Veggie/Ham Egg “burgers”

July 21, 2016 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

After going through my refrigerator the other day and was seeing what I had to use up before they went bad, I found had a 1/2 dozen eggs, a bunch of veggies and some leftover ham. Also wanting to be able to make something I could use for several meals this week, I through together these egg “burgers”. Using a larger muffin tin, the end product was a burger size patty that I find gives it much more versatility. They can be eaten as a main with some additional veggies on the side or as part of a sandwich/burger.

These freeze quite nicely and can be reheated easily in the microwave or thawed overnight and reheated in the oven.

With harvest season soon upon us, there are so many variations of this recipe that you could make depending on what veggies you have on hand. I have seen similar recipes where grated cheese has been added. For this recipe, I opted out of the cheese, planning to add it to my “burger” instead.

Veggie/Ham Egg "burgers"

Stuffed with veggies and ham, this egg “burger” can be used for any meal of the day.

6 each eggs
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup diced sweet peppers ((I used a bit of each for a variety of color))
1/4 cup green onions
1/2 cup diced spinach
1/3 cup diced ham
1 tsp spices ((I used Epicure's Fine Herbs))

Preheat oven to 375. Dice sweet peppers, onions, spinach and ham.
In a medium heated pan with a bit of Pam, add the peppers and saute for a minute or 2, then add the onion and ham. After another minute or 2 add the spinach. Stir and remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, milk and spices.
Pour equal amounts of the egg mixture into a well greased muffin tin. I used the larger muffin tin (6 per pan) as I want the end product more “burger” size. Add equal amounts of the veggie/ham mixture to each muffin.
Cook for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes clean.
Let sit until cooled and remove from pan. If you wish to freeze, let them cool completely.

Getting Fit · Uncategorized

Fitness Friday – Staying Motivated

July 15, 2016 Cathy Unfiltered3 Comments

Yup, it’s about that time in every fitness journey that I have tried that something throws me off track and I lose all motivation. It could be a really bad eating day or a several day stretch where I can’t get my exercise in and I get completely derailed. I am not going to lie, at the beginning of the week, I started to feel this way but this time I didn’t let it defeat me.

I have a bit more motivation this time having to blog about it each week. Being accountable to someone other than myself have really helped me stay motivated and wanting to stay on track. I am also thankful for keeping my FitBit charged and on my wrist constantly. Today I am on track to be 10,000+ steps for 13 days in a row. Historically, if at bedtime, I wasn’t at my 10,000 steps I would chalked it up as a busy day at work and not able to leave my desk and just go to bed. The past 2 nights I haven’t been even near my goal and wasn’t about to let my track record be broken so instead of sitting on the couch watching TV, I have walked in place to get those steps in. Sure it’s not high impact cardio, but I can at least say that I did it!

Another big motivator this week came from the Kindness In Demand #DidSomething campaign. If you recall, last week I mentioned that This Messy Season blogger and I had teamed up to be apart of their fitness challenge for the month of July. And we found out on Monday that we were the Week 1 high scorers!!!! It definitely gave me some motivation to keep on track this week. Yeah Team #fabFITbloggers!!!!!

So at this point, I feel like I have my exercise game down and able to keep it on track. Now, it’s my healthy eating that really needs some focus and work. I have been very conscious about my grocery shopping and trying to only bring good, healthy foods into the house. If it isn’t there to be eaten, I can’t eat it. With harvest season soon upon us, it’s going to make meals full of fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables so much easier and tastier. However, it’s been a stinking hot week and have had no ambition to turn the stove on to make it even warmer in the house. It’s times like that that it is just too easy to go out and let someone else cook. Having a bit of a meal plan this week and thinking about making dinners that didn’t involve a lot of cooking has helped a lot, but there have been a few trips for ice cream to cool us off. A little treat here and there is fine, I just need to make sure I stay on track and accounting for it each day.

Once again this week, in the spirit of accountability, since my last post:
Exercise: 4x gym visits, a nice of dancing with friends (great exercise), 30 minute walk
Food Management: Stayed on track 6 of the 7 days (Nobody’s perfect all the time, that is how life is!)

Hope you all have a great week and don’t forget to cheer on Team #fabFITbloggers!!!

Getting Fit · Uncategorized

Fitness Friday + Kindness in Demand team up

July 8, 2016 Cathy Unfiltered1 Comment

With a holiday weekend and travelling, it isn’t always easy to stay on track. I tried my best and even when I didn’t make the best of choices, I still made sure I tracked it so I wouldn’t fall so far off the wagon that I couldn’t find my way back. Monday, I started with a clean slate and hauled myself back to the gym. Hey, everyone is allowed to fall of the wagon once and a while, it is only human nature. You just need to be sure to get up, brush yourself off and get back on track.

This week, This Messy Season and I have teamed up (Team #fabFITbloggers) and participating in the July #Didsomething Initiative with Kindness In Demand. For the month of July we, along with 3 other teams, will be focusing on our health and fitness. Each week we will calculate our points, using the preset point system. The team with the highest ending points will be the “winners” for the week. We will be using to hashtag #DidSomething as part of this campaign so you can follow along and cheer Team #fabFITbloggers along this month!

Photo courtesy of @kindness.in.demand (be sure to follow them on Instagram)

This whole fitness/eating right and losing some weight has really gotten real for me now. Between teaming up with all of the #fabFITbloggers for our weekly fitness posts and now being a part of the Kindness In Demand #DidSomethingCampaign, I am not only accountable to myself, I am accountable to anyone who reads my blog and anyone else’s blog who is involved. I definitely don’t want to fail publicly so this is GREAT motivation. Doing it on my own behind close doors, it is so easy to push it all off to tomorrow. Now, there is no escape. Thanks everyone for helping me out this with journey!

I have definitely noticed that I actually stop and think about what I am making for my meals these days and if I have to stop while I am out to get something to eat, I am making better choices. For example, the other day, I had forgotten my lunch and instead of hitting the drive thru, I went to our local Farm Boy and picked up this amazing Detox Salad. If you haven’t tried, it is a must!!!!

And with my fitness, again, I am making better choices. Earlier this week, the hydro went out at my office building. Not sure how long it was going to be off, I decided to make the best of my time and walk on the spot and get my steps in while I was waiting. Before I knew it, 40 minutes had past. In doing that, I got my 10,000 steps in shortly after noon. On a work day, that is nearly impossible for me. I am truly trying to adopt the whole #DidSomething attitude.

Once again this week, in the spirit of accountability, since my last post:
Exercise: 2x gym visits, 1- 40 minute walking on spot in office, 2- 20 minute walks
Food Management: Stayed on track 7 of the 7 days (Not always the best choices but stayed in calorie range.)

Hope you all have a great week and don’t forget to cheer on Team #fabFITbloggers!!!

Getting Fit · Uncategorized

Fitness Friday – You are what you eat – #fatFITbloggers

July 1, 2016 Cathy Unfiltered1 Comment

It really doesn’t matter how much you exercise, if you intake of calories is more than you outtake of energy, you’re still going to gain wait. And that is my biggest weight loss issue. I have always seemed to have an appetite that doesn’t quit. And it really doesn’t help that I have a wicked sweet and salty tooth.

When I am trying to really watch what I am eating, my best tool is some sort of food tracker. I am currently using MyFitnessPal. It is great because it a has a huge database of food available and I can also link my FitBit to track the calories burned. It’s quite surprising how quickly I can burn thru my daily calories. It’s really been an eye opener.

I am not one of those people that can follow a strict diet plan. I can’t follow one of those plans that tell me what to eat when. That just doesn’t work for me, my schedule or my life in general. If I am feeling deprived, inevitably I will crumble and binge on whatever it is I am craving. For me, it is all about balance. If I want to have french fries and a burger then the rest of the day I need to be eating mostly fruit and vegetables and lean proteins. Sure I can talk the talk, but practicing what I preach isn’t always easy.

I find my greatest weakness comes when I am away from home. I don`t always make the best choices. But it something that I am definitely working on. I am trying to keep as much junk out of my reach and really thinking about what I am putting in my belly. I also really want to work on this so that I can pass these better eating habits on to my son. The last thing I would ever want is for him to struggle with his weight the way I have.

I have started a few things to try and prevent me from making unwise eating choices.

When I go grocery shopping, I always make a list that I link to a eating plan for the next few days – less chance to pick up unnecessary, unhealthy food items.
I always pack a lunch to take to work. If there is already a meal waiting for me in the fridge, I am less tempted to go out and hit the drive thru.
I always try to have a bottle of water with me. A lot of times when I think I am hungry, I am just thirsty. Zero calorie water is much better than eating something that I really don’t need.

I am definitely not close to perfect, I am not even close to good about my eating, Each day is a struggle, but I am trying and that is at least progress.

Again this week, in the spirit of accountability, since my last post:
Exercise: 3x gym visits, 20 minute walk, 45 minutes of swimming
Food Management: Stayed on track 6 of the 7 days (Yesterday was a complete disaster.)

Getting Fit · Uncategorized

Fitness Fridays – Trying to Make Fit Fun – #fabFITbloggers

June 24, 2016 Cathy Unfiltered1 Comment

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I will ever truly feel like working out and getting in shape is “fun”. It’s called a “work” out for a reason.

Over the years, I have probably joined and quit over a dozen fitness facilities just due to the fact that I wasn’t using my membership. I could find almost any reason to use as an excuse to not go to the gym that particular day. Not having someone to go with was a huge factor. I have found that being accountable to someone makes a big difference in my fitness journey. So now that I am accountable to anyone reading this, it has definitely given me a bit more a push this week to make sure I am keeping myself on track.

Aside from my gym membership, I am also using my Fitbit and the MyFitnessPal app to track my daily activity. I find that having to enter my daily intake of food and drinks and watching the calories drop and drop has really been an eye opener to me. It has really helped with my portion sizing and definitely the decisions I am making at each meal.

I have a bit of a competitive edge to me with my Fitbit, so if I am anywhere close to getting my 10,000 steps in at bedtime, I will walk in place or around the house just to hit that goal. There is quite of bit of satisfaction to feel that vibration on your wrist when hitting that goal.

So for me, a large percentage of it is accountability, having someone to face up to when I am not staying on track. But that is all fine and good but if you are hating every single minute of it, it’s never going to work.

That is why I have seen progress when I find something that I actually somewhat enjoy doing. At my gym, I have found this great Zumba instructor. She makes the class fun and I actually now look forward to it. I have made a few friends in the class and they have even started to comment if I miss a class. So there is it again…..accountability.

My suggestion is try a few different classes or activities and see what you like. For years, I swore up and down that Spin class were NOT my thing. But recently, I was convinced by an employee at the gym to try this particular Spin class. Yes, for days afterward my butt ached but otherwise felt amazing after the class and have gone to several others since. It’s definitely growing on me.

Personally, I prefer classes over just using the machines at the gym. For me it is just too easy to step off the treadmill at the first signs of sweat. But in a class, I would personally rather die that admit defeat and leave a class. I do also like to get out and run, but I always have to go with a route in mind. If I don’t have it all mapped out, again it is too easy to just turn around and go home.

So this week, in the spirit of accountability, since my last post:
Exercise: 3x gym visits, 30 minute walk on lunch break, 40 minute bike ride
Food Management: Stayed on track 6 of the 7 days (Saturday and bbq’s are always my downfall)
This next week may be a tough one to keep everything on track with my son’s last day of school and a few days off for me, but I will try my best and share the results next week. I would love to hear what you do to keep yourself on track and make fitness fun!

Don’t forget to check on the progress of the other lovely ladies that are on this journey with me.

Tuesdays With Jacob
This Messy Season
MrsBishop