Swimming Paddles

I’ve been wanted hand paddles for swimming for awhile but could never find them anywhere but random online stores. But on the weekend I saw them at a store and I was excited and decided to get them!

So went swimming today (after a weight session, my arms are going to LOVE me tomorrow) and used them! They can be a bit awkward you gotta be careful on how they enter the water, too close and they just kind whip your hand down. But loved them! Really tires your arms out fast I think I did like 6 laps with them (25m pool) and then I was like man time for break from those.

Felt like I was swimming in slow motion too, because it really does offer you mega resistance, you can’t swim fast, but because you’re pushing so much water, you go at the same speed.

But yeah, I was like whoa, I feel like I’m going in slo-mo, cool! ahaha

Fun times.

I’m getting laser eye surgery on Friday which means 3 days of no working out at all and no swimming at all for at least a week and then only with googles after that for a month, so I’ll be saying so long to the pool for a little while. I don’t know if I’ll go in that month, I really hate googles. lol we’ll see

Diet Cheating

Summer time happy times, went to my friend’s cottage on the weekend. Started with the best intentions.. ended with…less than that. Friday we had a fire, and I did not have a smore! I did have some graham crackers though because they’re crack. Saturday I went for an ‘easy’ run. Ie not easy because evidently cottage country = hills. Great because it’s a lot of flat around where I live (converted farm land), not great because it was tiring and suppose to be an easy run. Also got attached by black flies like hard core. I did not even know black flies were an issue in the summer. I was wrong. So I killed about half the population on that run so the rest of you can rest easy! I ate decently enough for that day. I did have a smore that night but just one. And then Sunday… Saturday was exhausting on top of the run also canoed and peddle boated and was just out in the sun a lot and my knees were feeling weak. So figured the 10k long run was going to have to wait a week as my body was not up to the challenge. So Sunday, enter all the eating. But don’t care! La la la don’t care! Because it was beautiful and didn’t trigger any set backs for the rest of the week so it was just a great weekend to relax and indulge.

I had ketchup on a hot dog for the first time since March. It was so beautiful. Do you know how much hot dogs such when you can only eat the actual meat part? They are not quality meat fyi, they suck. But Sunday I ate the white bun AND the ketchup, it was amazing.

So I was crazy tired Monday from the weekend and having to get up and go to work, I did nothing Monday and then ate a lot of crackers because coming back down from sugar is the biggest pain around. But by Tuesday I was getting there and now I’m good! So I did my usual yoga and run yesterday and weights and swim today so back on schedule after 2 day workout break.

Sunday me and my friends are having a sleepover and we’re going to make dinner/dessert together. Our dinner will be healthy, not so much dessert, I’m eating it anyways. This means multiple weekends in a row (had ice cream weekend before last) of cheating but WHATEVER I’m being good the rest of the time and I’m burning more calories then ever before! Yeah that’s a horrible excuse but you say no to desserts made with Oreos! Anyways I’ll be good after this weekend I promise!

Least I didn’t drinking this weekend and I won’t next weekend. I gave myself a choice, I could eat sugary foods or I could drink, I’m not big on drinking but am a huge fan of food so obviously I chose the food. One or the other but not both, I figure this is a good settlement?

Haven’t been able to weigh myself in a couple weeks, wonder if I’ve made any progress after all this. We will see this weekend!

Soreness is my life

Definitely feeling the last couple days… everywhere. And I like the next day stiffness, let’s me know I’m pushing myself. Over the fall I got into such a routine I ended up not getting very sore after awhile. But now I’m pretty much sore all the time because I’m doing so many different things and a lot more of it. Sunday I went for a 31km bike ride, it was lovely, little over 10km of that was on a lake front path we have in my town, so pretty and just tons of people out walking/biking/roller blading the path it was great to be one of them. But yeah that path is not close by so took nearly 10km just to get to it. Loved it though I’m going to do the entire path this weekend if I have the chance. Didn’t Sunday since wasn’t completely sure how many km’s were left on it and I didn’t want to increase my distance tooo much from the week before. In the evening I went for a walk with my dad.

Monday I did weights for about 50 minutes, I was going to do my long run since I didn’t get a chance to on the weekend but it was storming bad so gym it was. Then still wanted to get some cardio in so I ended up doing 20 minutes on the stair master. Enter all the soreness. I’m sure the bike ride didn’t help, my bum did feel weird when I was doing lunges, but Monday definitely did me in. I’ve been working a lot harder lately on really challenging my arms (paying off BIG time! They’re smaller and more defined already after just few weeks of slowly introducing more challenging movements) so they were feeling a bit sore the next day, and then yeah, the legs. But it was a manageable stiffness. Then came yoga, and the most slowed down version of flow we’ve done. It was GREAT but man muscles were working hard. And then I went for a quick 3k run that night. So last night, very sore, today, still sore. Sore enough when I first got up from sitting at my desk for an hour that a girl at worked noticed I was walking weird and asked if I was feeling okay lol. I was like ‘yup just stiff!’ ahaha

Anyways today another walk with my dad and then a swim. I am wiped! I was considering doing weights tomorrow but NOPE no need for that right now. I’m going to go to the mall after work, got a Victoria Secret coupon set the other day wooo free bag! and then I’ll go for a run later.

Also can we just talk about how much it sucks having to buy new bras in the middle of your weight loss? Like I’m pretty sure my last 5 pounds came straight from my boobs because up until now I’ve gotten by with my old bras, some more than others. But now, omg they’re all so horrible I had to buy new ones. and it’s just like man this sucks to buy something so expensive that I want to be to big for me soon. Like a month or so ago, last time I had the coupon set from VS actually, I bought these 2 bras that were a BIT too small. And now suddenly they’re getting too big. Hence why I said the last few pounds came directly from my boobs. I think I might asked to get measured tomorrow because I have no idea what size to try on since what I bought there is getting big. Bought the same size at La Senza on the weekend and they’re fine but I’ve always found them to be bit smaller than VS

I thought the pants issue was the worst but no this new bra issue is way worse. So much more expensive. With the amount of dresses and skirts I wear I can get by with my now 1 pair (but probably should buy a second, I had 2 but the other is too big now) of dress pants and 1 pair of jeans. But bras you gotta wear every day so there’s not a whole lot of bra washing going on at the moment…

First Bikini(s)!

I did it! I bought a bikini! and actually I bought 2 since the second set was half off. I told myself I would try one on when I could fit into size 8 jeans, and I don’t yet, American Eagle size chart says I still half an inch to loose on my hips before that is happening. But, I’ve been mentally working hard to try to convince myself that I could do it, buy a bikini. And I saw a couple bloggers here posting how they got their first bikini recently and today since I was going to the mall anyways I thought, alright, I’m going to do it! I’m going to try one on! And I did! And then I bought them!!

I’m too lazy to get up and take a picture but they are little! as in the bottoms are as low as they can be, not as in bits of me are falling out all over, I assure you nothing is falling out, I like my support. I’ll do a progress picture soon and I’ll wear one of them to show.

I forget when I last blogged, but I think I’ve changed my breakfast since then, I’m just eating frittata now. No fruit and yogurt, partially because I wanted to lower sugar intake more but more partially because I’m too damn lazy to prepare it everyday lol.

This week has been good, after a couple weeks easing up on running because I was feeling some pain in my achilles I’m back at it full force now and did my longest run yet (by 100m) of 4.5 km! Sooo I will be doing 5k for my next long run in a couple days! I started going to a yoga class at my gym, I love yoga and have been meaning to go for ages but I have to go right from work and I never put enough thought into it until last week. And it was great so every Tuesday I’m going to ‘beginner yoga’ as it is labelled but turns out is yoga flow. Thursday has a yoga class too, this one labelled yoga flow so I wonder if it might be a bit harder? Anyways after a few weeks and I’m back into yoga more I might start going to that one as well. Then I went for a run later in the evening that day.

Wednesday I went to the gym to do weights right after work and later on in the evening went for a quick swim. Today I shopped for like an hour and a half and then did a 30 minutes interval run. And tomorrow is rest! Which is super well deserved I must say. I am stiff all over. Stretching has never felt as good as it did after my run this evening.

Weight is still around the same, 178 when I weighed myself on the weekend. Really hoping to see a drop this weekend! Especially after 2 days of double work outs. I really just want to see the number 175 on the scale, just so bad. Then I’ll feel like I’m on ‘the last 5lbs’ except not since I need to loose at least another 10 after that. According to those ideal body weight charts for my height I should be 156 I think. But we’ll see, I know I weigh more than typical due to my bone structure and that I’m naturally more muscular but who knows! Maybe I’ll be 156 one day and still have a belly and body that could comfortably loose another 10! That is soooo not in my sights though 146? No.

Month 4: Day 23

All was usual except I didn’t have lupini beans, I’ve decided to just eat hemp seeds more often instead, except I forgot to eat the hemp seeds to my protein intake was way too low for today. Tomorrow!

Dinner was gluten free pasta with meat sauce. And then aero bubbles… gahh this is what happens when you don’t eat enough protein! Yes that’s what I’m going with.

Swimming, it was busy, made me not be in to it, but I made myself stay the hour still

Had some chocolate milk, half a banana and some ritz crackers when I got home.

Day 9 – 100 squats, 9 push-ups, leg raise rest

(apparently I forgot to hit publish on this last night)

Month 4: Day 21 & 22

Saturday

2 egg omelette with chia seeds, orange and yellow peppers, and a slice of ham

Only swam for 30 minutes I don’t know it was super busy and one lane was too fast the other way too slow, and it was busy and I just gave up 😦

Had some hemp seeds and green tea.

Dinner was some kind of spinach cobb salad from Kelseys, it was okay, I didn’t finish the whole thing though, there was seeds in it and they were filling.

Did Day 7 of the challenge – 70 squats, push-up rest, 55 leg lifts

Sunday

Same omelette but with some cheddar cheese too

I was busy so I didn’t go to the gym.

Dinner went out, had a chicken wrap, I’m not really sure what was in it, I don’t remember, basic things though.

Had cheddar popcorn as a snack *sigh*

Did day 8 of the challenge – squat rest, 8 push-ups, 60 leg lifts.

No change this week in weight and I slacked off this week on exersing so I need to not do that this week.

Month 4: Day 18

Only had 1 cups of tea because I ran out, rest was usual.

Dinner was a chicken breast, home fries and broccoli

Did day 4 of the challenge, squat rest (YES!!!), 7 push-ups and 40 leg raises.

Then went swimming for an hour, been working on switching up what I do more frequently, so I did some sprint laps and recovered for some interval and through in breast and back stroke laps for more variation.

Got home and had bit of chocolate milk, half a banana and a few Ritz crackers.

Month 4: Day 16

Ahhh this 30 day challenge sucks already. Day 2 and the front of my thighs are sooo stiff. Is it obvious I don’t do squats?

Back in to a routine now, yay! Usual breakfast lunch and tea drinking.

Dinner was gluten free pasta with meat sauce and a banana.

Did day 2 of the challenge. Squats, eh little more challenging after being stiff, push-ups, no biggy. Leg raises. ahh me gwad. I’m a fan of leg raises, in small doses, like, 10 is more than enough, they’re great you feel it in your legs and lower abs. But ahhh soo many.

Then I went for a swim, cut it short a bit I’d had enough, got out 5 or 10 minutes early.  I did do some sprints though.

Came home and has some chocolate milk.

Month 4: Day 13 & 14

Happy day! 4 pound loss this week! And yeah I wasn’t feeling too good so I had a couple days of not eating fully, but I also wasn’t drinking water or tea or doing real exercising, so I like to think some of that comes from working for it, because that’s a lot for just 2 days of little food, least for me. So I’m now at 179! The 170’s! My old friend! I’ve missed you so. And now I’m only 9 pounds away from my goal that is still over 2 months away! YAY!!

But for real! 9 pounds left! 21 lost! WHAT!

Oh and ps I do feel better now and was able to eat (sooo much) last night without it bothering me.

Also have a mentioned people are starting to notice my weight loss in a more significant way? It’s great. Also my collar bones are on the verge of making an appearance for the first time ever, is it just me or is that the dream? I literally spend way too much time touching my collar bones now because I can feel them more lol.

So Yesterday

I didn’t eat breakfast, we had a trade show yesterday so I was a bit stressed and didn’t feel like eating anyways in the beginning, also I was sacred to have to deal with an upset stomach with everything going on. Lunch I ate a few pieces of cucumber and peppers with hummus before I felt like my stomach was going to start going again. It did a tiny bit but nothing upsetting. By dinner, I was at my friends house and she was like, let’s order pizza I was like whatever I’m eating this! This pizza was huge had 2 big pieces and garlic bread. ALL GOOD wohoo!

So no working out but did do a lot of walking and standing at the show.

Today

WEIGHT MYSELF! AHH I’m just so so happy to be back in the 170’s! And my jeans have been slowly getting more and more loose, I think I’m a lot closer to needed size 10’s then I realised which means I should have bought them last week ahead of time when they were on sale but I was too lazy to buy them since the line was so long lol

Anyways, had a 2 egg omelette with chia seeds, bit of orange pepper and a slice of either pastrami or corned beef I couldn’t tell what which exactly.

Went swimming for an hour, man its been tiring since I haven’t gotten back in to a rhythm with it yet. But I was glad that I could get back to exercising now that I’m over the stomach bug.

I had a bit of left over macaroni and cheese from the other day, not much then kind of forgot to eat dinner as I was going out and was nervous about it. But had some crackers when I got home. 

 

Month 4: Day 9

Breakfast/tea/lunch/tea all the usual

Dinner was gluten free pasta with meat sauce.

Swimming today! That was a long hour oh my! I felt a bit sluggish sometimes but some hard other time, all my muscles were tired from this so I was switching stokes constantly which probably made me feel more sluggish since using more parts of my body more often then normal.

After I had a bit of chocolate milk and a giant strawberry.