Some Updates on my Weight Loss Journey

I am not even sure where to start.  Do I start by apologizing yet again for not posting regularly?  Do I moan about the new format on Blogger which has me baffled and confused (and frustrated)?  Do I just make up every excuse I can imagine as to why I haven't committed to putting entries into my blog?  Nah, why bother?  I really don't think anyone is reading this anymore so this blog is just for me now, I suppose!

Here is an update from the past few weeks (some good, some terrible).

Week 33 (May 3 - 9, 2012)
Loss or Gain: 0lbs
Total weight loss since beginning: -27lbs

Week 34 (May 10 - 16, 2012)
Loss or Gain: +2lbs
Total weight loss since beginning: -25lbs
Eeek - this probably had something to do with the heavy duty dinner I ate on Mother's Day and the fact that I was bloated beyond belief the day I weighed in.  Either way, the scale was going in the wrong direction!

Week 35 (May 17 - 23, 2012)
Loss or Gain: -3.5lbs
Total weight loss since beginning: -28.5lbs
Now this is more like it.  These are the numbers I would like to see more often.  I would really like to get to the -30lbs mark very soon.  I am tired of being stuck around 27lbs where I have been for about 2 months. 

Uh-oh - LONG overdue post

Uh-oh!  I've been bad.  I didn't realize that it has been so long since my last post.  I have just started Week #33 and I haven't posted since Week # 27.  Oopsies.

So here are some results:

Week 28 (Mar. 29 - Apr. 4)
Weight Loss or Gain: -0.5lbs
Total weight loss (since beginning): -26.5lbs

Week 29 (Apr. 5 - 11)
Weight Loss or Gain: 0lbs
Total weight loss (since beginning): -26.5lbs

Week 30 (Apr. 12 - 18)
Weight Loss or Gain: -0.5lbs
Total weight loss (since beginning): -27lbs

Week 31 (Apr. 19 - 25)
Weight loss or gain: +0.5lbs
Total weight loss (since beginning): -26.5lbs

Week 32 (Apr. 26 - May 2)
Weight loss or gain: -0.5lbs
Total weight loss (since beginning): -27lbs

I think I was so consumed with my trip to Las Vegas and trying to sell one of our houses that the past few weeks have just flown by.  I have managed to stay on target and not gain any crazy amounts so I am happy with that.

I am also back from my trip to Las Vegas so I will have to post a separate post for that.

I hope to post more regularly!!

Shopping for Vegas!

To those who doubted me, I told you I would try to post more.  


Unfortunately, this is will probably come off sounding like a negative post.  I don't want it to be but this has been on my mind. A.LOT.  


I am heading to Vegas in 3 weeks with 3 of my close girlfriends.  Why, you ask?!  Well, we are all celebrating our 40th this year and we thought this would be a great way to celebrate.


Here is where I am a bit nervous.  I am going with 3 very beautiful women with pretty great bodies.  I am not necessarily comparing myself to them but I do worry what I will look like standing beside them.  I am happy with my 25lb loss and am much happier going to Las Vegas at this weight then I would 25lbs heavier BUT I am still not going to feel completely comfortable.  


I am going to have to buy some items of clothing because some things are too big on me and make me look frumpy while some things I can't squeeze into yet.


So, you know what I decided, as a treat to myself for my 25lb loss so far, I am going shopping tomorrow night.  Hubby is going to pick up the kids from childcare and I am going straight to the mall right after work.  I don't want to go too fancy and spend oodles on dresses that I'll never wear again.  I am looking for some funky/dressy tops to go with jeans and dress pants.  Fingers crossed that I can find some fun Vegas-type clothing!!


Wish me luck.

Week 27 Results

Week 27 Results (Mar 22 - 28, 2012):

Weight Loss or Gain: -1.5lbs
Total Weight Loss (since beginning): -26lbs

Yipppeeeeeeeeee!!!  I hit (and passed) the 25lb mark.  I didn't think my loss would be such a good one this week.  It isn't that I overindulged or anything this week but a 1.5lb loss during a week where I just ate like normal and worked out twice didn't really warrant such a loss.  I was thinking that maybe I would stay the same or lose 0.5lb.  Oh, I should also mention that I am bloated like anything today so when I stepped on the scale, I was thinking that I may actually be up a bit.

In any case, I am super excited.  Yipppppeeeeeee!!

Week 25 & 26 Results

Boy, oh boy, am I ever bad at promises.  I promised a few times now to start posting more regularly and I have gone back on my word.  I am sorry to anyone who may even be reading my blog.  Somedays I feel like I have a lot to say but I am nowhere near a computer but other days I am at a computer and I have nothing to say.  I'll try to be better.

In any case, I have two weeks of results to give you:

Week 25 Results (Mar 8 - 14, 2012):

Weight Loss or Gain: -1lb

Total Weight Loss (since beginning): -23.5lbs

Week 26 Results (Mar 15 - 21, 2012):

Weight Loss or Gain: -1lb

Total Weight Loss (since beginning): -24.5lbs

Wow, I am very close to the 25lb mark and I am quite excited.  I am a bit hesitant though getting too excited for last week's loss because when I stepped on the scale yesterday morning, I was actually up 0.5lbs.  I don't understand how someone's weight can fluctuate so quickly (1.5lbs in one day).  Oh well, I'll take it!  

Maybe next week I'll change things up a bit (eating or exercising) to see if I can get down at least another 0.5lbs to reach the 25lb mark.  That sounds like such a nice number.

Week 24 Results

Week 24 Results (Mar. 1 - 7, 2012):

Weight Loss or Gain: -1.5lbs
Total Weight Loss (since beginning): -22.5lbs

Well....ya-frickin'-hoo!!!  Woohoo!!  Doing a happy dance over here.  I am very excited with that loss.  Actually, I peeked at the scale 2 days ago and I was actually down 2lbs but I went out for a work lunch yesterday and had an incredibly delicous lunch (pitas, tzatziki & greek salad).  It sounds healthy enough but I had tonnes of pitas (too many carbs for what I am used to) and the greek salad was quite oily and very salty (much more than usual).  It doesn't matter though because 1.5lbs is awesome. 

I am making another small goal for myself.  I want to lose another 7.5lbs between now and the end of April.  That is 7 weeks so it is doable but I am not sure if I can do it. 

Why the new little goal?  Well, some girlfriends and I are making a trip down to Vegas for 4 nights at the end of April and it would be really nice if I could have lost 30lbs in total by the time I go. 

I am not going to put too much pressure on myself though because I hate disappointment but I am going to try.  Wish me luck!

Week 23 Results

Week 23 Results (Feb. 23-29, 2012):

Weight Loss or Gain: -0.5lbs
Total Weight Loss (since beginning): -21lbs

I am happy with the small loss because I thought last week's visit with my sister-in-law would have caught up with me but I am not ecstatic because I have been at the -21lbs before (just 2 weeks ago).  When I hit another loss, I'll be much happier. 

Week 22 Results

Week 22 Results (Feb. 16-22, 2012):

Weight Loss or Gain:  No Loss and No Gain
Total Weight Loss (since beginning): -20.5lbs

I will admit, I am really surprised about this.  I had completely expected to gain about a pound (and hopefully not more).  My sister-in-law was visiting from England so we were out and about acting like tourists in our own city.  It included a lot of eating out and drinking wine.  Check this out:

Thursday: popcorn at the Disney on Ice show with our kids and wine with dinner later on in the evening
Friday: dinner out at an amazing Italian restaurant (lots of wine and a delicious pasta dish with rose sauce)
Saturday: a Beavertail at Winterlude (if you don't know what a Beavertail is, imagine a very flat and very large doughnut which is full of sugar and fat); wine later on in the evening
Sunday: breakfast at a restaurant (omelette with salsa and cheese), ice cream cake for dessert at dinner (sister-in-law's birthday celebration), about 4 glasses of wine
Monday: pancakes at a sugar bush and a few licks of maple taffy

OMG.  Looking at that is rather embarrassing.  Please believe me when I say that this is not a regular week's menu AT ALL.  We really were all over the city at various toursit attractions so there were just some things that I couldn't turn down. 

Now can you see why I am pleasantly surprised that I didn't gain a pound (or two).

Fingers crossed that it doesn't all catch up to me next Thursday morning. 

Week 21 Results

Okay, okay, I know, I have been pretty slack with the blog entries.  I am really sorry.  Don't think for a minute though that I am giving up on my weight loss goals though.  That is definitely not the case.  I am just in a writer's slump and can't think of anything clever to write about.

In any case, here are my Week 21 Results (Feb. 9-15, 2012):


Weight Loss or Gain: +0.5lbs
Total Weight Loss (since beginning): -20.5lbs

I am not completely surprised by the gain because I had a few little hurdles to get over in Week 21.  The main hurdle was going out for a really nice dinner on Saturday night.  Besides drinking a 1/2 litre of wine by myself (which was SO delicious), I also ate a CRAZY number of calories.  I had a gorgeous salad with roasted vegetables, goat cheese and balsamic dressing.  Then my main course was a mediocre pasta but full of calories and fat.   The other hurdle one night was the tempting pizza that I ordered as a treat for my kids.  I loaded up on salad but definitely sampled some of their pizza.   

I wasn't shocked by the gain but a little worried because I know Week 22 is going to be a hard one.  My sister-in-law is visiting from England for that entire week and there will definitely be some extra calories and wine consumed as well as no time at the gym.  Fingers crossed that it isn't too bad.  

Week 20 Results

Week 20 Results:

Weight Loss or Gain: -1.5lbs
Total Weight Loss (since beginning): -21lbs


Ya-freakin'-hooooooo!!!!  I'm so excited, I just can't hide it.  I'm about to lose control and I think I like it (haha - you are going to have this song in your head now)!!  Can you tell I am happy?  I was hoping to reach my half way point this week.  I have been sort of stuck between the -17 to -18.5 for the past 2 months so it is about time my body starts doing what I want it to do.  I think (maybe) my body was getting used to the loss of -18lbs and just decided to stay put for a bit.  Hopefully with a 1.5lb loss this week, I'll start losing regularly again.

I have a few events coming up in the next few weeks including:
- a couple dinners out (both at yummy Italian restaurants);
- Winterlude (which, if you have ever been, you really can't enjoy completely without having a Beavertail); and
- a 5-day visit from a family member in the UK which will mean some glasses of wine to celebrate (also her birthday dinner).

I am sure it will be okay though.  I have proven in the past 4 months that I can still stay on track while enjoying life and the various events that come along with it!

Week 19 Results

Week 19 results:


Weight Loss or Gain: -1 lb
Total Weight Loss (since beginning): - 19.5 lbs


I am super duper excited!  I only have a half pound to go before reaching the half way mark of my goal of 40lbs lost by the time I turn 40.  As you all know, if you have been reading my blog, my ideal goal is actually 50-60lbs but my realistic goal is 40.  Once I get to 40 (and dammit, I WILL get there), I will see how things are progressing and make a new goal. 


I don't have too many challenges in Week 20.  I do have a lunch date but that should be easy to take care of.  I have been to the restaurant before so I know they have a nice vegetarian sandwich with veggies and falafal and then I add a side salad.  It is a higher point/calorie meal then I am used to for a weekday lunch but I'll just have a lighter dinner.  No worries.


Fingers crossed that I make it to -20lbs!!   

The Soup Lady

Recently I have been wondering if I should call myself the "Soup Lady".  When I started this journey almost 4 months ago, I realized that I needed to pay close attention to my lunches at work.  If I didn't plan ahead then I would be forced to grab something quickly from home or buy something at work.  Both options would mean more calories then I needed to have and buying something would mean spending too much money.

My solution - make my lunches ahead of time and freeze extra portions for future lunches.  I have been doing such a good job of it that one day I counted 30+ lunch size containers in my freezer for upcoming lunches at work.  All were low fat, low calorie and extremely nutritious.

Apart from some batches of vegetarian chili, I have been trying out some soup recipes.  Before this, I had never even made homemade soup.  I had been collecting recipes for years but just never got around to making any.  To be honest, they all looked very time consuming (chopping up the veggies, blending batches of the soup in the blender etc).  Anyway, I finally tried my first soup a few months ago and it was so much easier then I thought.

So, here is my list (so far) of soups that I have made:

- broccoli soup (which I posted about here before);
- potato soup;

- butternut squash soup;

- lentil soup (this was a flop but I have a new recipe that comes highly recommended); and

- cauliflower and roasted red pepper soup.


I really have to say that having these ready for lunches is really contributing to my weight loss.  It is so easy to grab a frozen soup (yes, I freeze them so they don't leak in my bag on my way to work) and go to work.  I always pack some fruit and, depending on the soup, some additional veggies to munch on with my soup. 


I will post some of the soup recipes in case any of you want to try.  I'll also post my vegetarian chili recipe because it is absolutely amazing.  I could eat it for lunch and dinner for weeks on end. Yummy, filling and very flavourful.

Week 18 Results

Week 18 results:


Weight Loss or Gain: - 0.5lb


Total Weight Loss (since beginning): - 18.5 lbs


To be honest, I wasn't expecting a loss at all this week so I am quite excited about the 0.5lb loss.  I had two dinners out last week which put me way over my calories (points) for those days.  I stayed within my daily target range for the rest of the time and I went to the gym 2 times so I guess it paid off.


I know I have been quiet on here lately and I have been meaning to fix that.  I hope to start posting more exciting stories and recipes soon.

Week 16 & 17 Results

I know, I know, I've been slacking.  The good thing is, I have only been slacking with my blog.  I haven't been slacking with my food and exercise.  I am still watching what I am eating, writing everything down AND going to gym 2-3 days per week.

So, here are the results from the past 2 weeks.  They aren't brilliant but they show that I am still on track.

Week 16 results:

Weight Loss or Gain: -0 lb
Total Weight Loss (since beginning): -17lbs

Week 17 results:

Weight Loss or Gain: -1lb

Total Weight Loss (since beginning): -18lbs

So, there you have it.  It isn't mind blowing but it is still okay.  

I have a couple of events to go to during Week 18 so let's hope I'll be okay by the end of it.  

Toodles!  I hope to be writing more regularly.  Sorry if you have missed me.

Week 15 Results

I should have posted this 5 days ago.


Week 15 is now over, thank god!!


Week 15 results:
Weight Loss or Gain: -1 lb
Total Weight Loss (since beginning): -17


I know that looks good but trust me, the scale is not going to be pretty next week.  Why you ask?  Well, to start with, I over indulged on alcohol on New Year's Eve and I guess it just hasn't caught up with me yet.  I won't even tell you how much I actually drank but I can tell you that it is more than I am used to drinking (guess I needed to party).  Hee hee oops!!  The next thing, I nibbled on some junk food the next day to help cure my small hangover.  I am in so much trouble next week.  Well, at least I had a tonne of fun on New Year's Eve this year!!  :)