Updates!

Since its been over a year since my last post, here is an update:

Ryan and I got married! Everything went off without a hitch and it was the most wonderful week of my life. Im a huge advocate of destination weddings because you get to spend a week with the nearest and dearest to you, instead of just one day.

Work has changed a lot. I am still with the O&G company, however I had moved projects and now I am in the corporate side. This role is a new one for me and Im still spending time figuring it and my new team out.

The weight loss was a losing game for me so in July 2014, I made the decision to have a Vertical Sleeve Gastronomy (VSG) performed. This is when they remove a portion of your stomach to aid in weight loss. I paid privately and had my surgery preformed in Mexico as the wait in Canada is almost 4 years! Since then, I have lost a total of 86 pounds and have another 50 to go before I reach my first goal.

The decision to have such a drastic surgery was not an easy one. My husband was unsure of it, along with many friends and family members but I knew that if I didnt do this for myself, and now, I may not be around much longer. My depression and physical ailments were getting the best of me and despite being newly married, I couldn't find joy in anything. I felt like my life was a dark tunnel that I just kept going further and further down. I will admit that the surgery and weight loss associated have been amazing and lifted my spirits, there were a lot of counseling and therapy sessions to ensure I was making the right decision, but to also help my find my spark in life again.
Being 86 pounds down is fantastic and I am so thankful every day that I was giving this second chance at life.

Just keep going

Right off the cusp of my good month of losses in January, I've started to lose motivation. I don't know why, I was seeing great results and with the number on the scale slowly decreasing, it would keep anyone's head in the game. Except mine. 

Those old, sneaky habits were coming back. I missed one workout for a late dinner with Ryans family and then I had a migraine another day and next thing I knew, it had been 3 days without doing anything physical! This was definitely NOT what I signed up for and I needed that reminder. In comes my coach like a fairy godmother to remind me of how bad I wanted this and while I thought she would be pissed, she was supportive and wanting to know if there was something she could do. Her pep talk got me back into it. It seems like a common theme for me though. I make great strides in the right direction and then just stop. I'd like to figure it out one day but I think it will include more therapy and right now, I'm just trying to find 25 minutes to work out in my day!

So... If you're like me and need a little

Motivation, feast your eyes on these...

Sunday, Sunday

I can't believe February is already here but at the same it, it feels like

Christmas vacation was ages ago! This means we are one month closer to the wedding!

This last week I only lost .8 of a pound (boo!!) but that makes my total loss for January 7.5lbs. Not quite the 10 I wanted but I'll take it! 

My anxiety has been really bad lately. All I want to do is stay home and be with Ryan and Kilo. I'm not sure where this feeling has come from but I hate it because it makes me skip out on plans with friends and family and while Ryan likes hanging out with me, I'm sure he doesn't want to be attached to me. 

One of the plus sides to not wanting to be social means we got a ton of stuff done today and I got my meal prep going on. 

The things I've made so far:

Protein balls

Homemade salsa

Breakfast pancakes for the week

Lunches

And Ryan is currently whipping up some homemade burgers for dinner. 

I love productive Sundays. Now to finish laundry and get my workout in!

Tuesdays with Shaun T

Due to my raging migraine yesterday I didn't start my T25 Alpha program. I was super bummed because I was looking forward to adding something else into the mix. So today, after laying in a dark room taking migraine meds, I decided I felt well enough to pop that DVD in a give my all for 25 minutes. 

A few realizations: 

1) the cardio I was doing pales in comparison to the cardio that Shaun runs you through!

2) I am very uncoordinated. I always thought I had a grace in the way I moved, fluidly for lack of a better word, but that is wrong!! My balance/coordination is horrible!

3) I need to invest in a serious sports bar. Between the lunges and jumps, I almost knocked myself out! 

4) I am stronger then I thought but I have a long road ahead. And while I was doing the workout, I was watching the clock, but now that I'm done, I feel great! It's only gunna get better and easier, right?! 

That's a wrap!

It's finally Saturday! It feels like it's taken forever to get here!! 

My week was crazy busy at work. My counterpart is on holidays so what is normally busy became chaotic. I think I clocked in about 55 hours!

I picked up my wedding dress yesterday (!!) and it fits and it's beautiful. Being able to see myself in a dress that fits properly and that is mine really made me feel like a bride. It's starting to hit home that this is real and it's happening soon!

On to the good stuff! Down 3.4 lbs this week which puts my total loss at 6.7 since the beginning of January. I'm so close to my 10lb goal for February 1st. I just gotta keep going. 

So, 2 NSV's (non scale victories) I had this week was wearing a dress a size smaller and it being loose and wearing a pair of jeans I had banished to the back of my closet!!

Here's to another successful week!

Sunday funday?

The weekend is on its way out and for me that means doing all the chores and errands for the upcoming week. It is Sunday but I wouldn't necessarily call it a 'funday'. I don't understand how people can go out and drink while watching football and still make it to work the next morning? Maybe it's just me but the consumption of alcohol does not go with Sunday. To each their own!

First off, I'm down 3.2lbs this week. I haven't taken measurements yet but I'm excited! Another push to stay focused and motivated this week!!

Yesterday we crossed more wedding stuff off the list (Ryans suit and the groomsmen's outfits have been picked and ordered!), started getting everything together for centerpieces and started working on music selections. We capped the day off by going to The Laugh Shop with one of our good friends and then hit the casino for an hour (everyone left with money in our pockets!) before calling it a night at 10.30! 

I have a double ear infection which has definitely put a damper on how I'm feeling today so once I get all my tasks done, I may try to wander over to the health campus for something to help. 

I'm also going to make our favorite protein balls! They are simple and consist of PB, honey, oats, and seeds and are perfect for that afternoon slump! 

I have a feeling this week is going to be crazy busy with lots of OT since my counterpart will be out of the office so I need to prepare as much as I can so I'm successful! 

Feel Good Friday

This week seems to have gone quickly, although thinking back to Monday, it feels like it was ages ago!
Not too much has happened this week to report on so I thought I would list the top 5 things that made me feel good this week and I'm thankful for.

1) I started with my coach and worked really hard on my meal planning and keeping my numbers down and I feel more energetic and less hungry. Two small things I learned from this: It is REALLY hard to drink at least 100oz. of water a day and second, trips to Starbucks dont do anything to help you, despite being soy and sugar free. I guess that relationship is going to have to end.

2) I had a meeting with my Dad regarding wedding stuff and the outcome was great! Ryan and I are spending an extra week in Mexico for our honeymoon (!!) as a gift from my Dad and his wife and we have an amazing opportunity on the radar for the next year and a half or so that is really exciting!

3) I'm between sizes. Normally, this would piss me off, but because my clothes are too big, I'm happy about that. Its given me that extra push to keep going.

2) STATurdays. I owe my weekly weigh in to my coach on Saturdays (get the joke?) so it forces me to be really mindful over the weekend when usually I was only giving a good effort Monday to Friday. I would suggest to anyone who has dificulty staying on track over the weekend to take measurements or do their weigh in on a Saturday or Sunday mornng so that you are forced to be mindful.

1) Hot pink nails. I was following the trend of the neutral or dark tones because of the weather and maybe its because of the balmy tempuratures outside but I felt that I needed something. It's definitely perked my mood!

I'm Backkkk!

I've been MIA for awhile because I needed to focus on getting my life in order. Work got nutty and I started feeling a little crazy so I dropped everything while I tried to get back to my happy place and here I am!

2014 was very welcomed in my life as I just wanted 2013 and all the ups and downs to go away.  A new year doesn't mean nothing can follow you from the previous one, but something in me always feels like I get to start over.

So... speaking on 2014 and resolutions, I've decided not to make many as I always give up by the second week in January but instead, I've decided to focus on a few small things that are achievable. The first being my tendency to procrastinate. I've downloaded an app and set small goals with the time lines being a few days and I get reminders. I've can also add comments on why I should complete those tasks in a timely matter so when I don't feel like doing it, it pops up with reminders on how I will benefit by getting it done right away.

Second, I've got a coach and signed up for T25 (similar to P90X and Insanity) and I've changed my whole diet to eating clean. I wasn't doing too bad to begin with, but I feel this will give me the extra push I needed. My coach is awesome and holds me accountable for everything and on my first week, I feel way better and more focused. I'm super excited to start the work outs and start seeing some changes.

Wedding plans are coming along as they should since the wedding is only 111 days away! My dress is in and we've booked our marriage commissioner and I'm starting to work with the resort for all my appointments and spa visits. Ryan and I are still debating on whether we will stay an extra week or not but that depends on whether we have the money to do so. If not, we'll take a late honeymoon in the fall and base it around my trip to Washington in October.

Work is going well. Lots of changes are going on which is great and my role is ever changing and bringing more challenges and learning experiences. I'm happy which is very important since I spend so much time there!

Where did October go?

Life has been crazy lately! While I am extremely happy at work I am also busy beyond belief. My new role is going well but without a replacement for my old position and personnel changes, I've found myself picking up a lot of pieces and ultimately doing 3 jobs. A regular 8 hour day is a thing of the past and I've been working more like 10/11 hours a day! My life feels like its work, home, eat, sleep and back at it the next day. I know this will only be possible for a short while so here's hoping we get some good candidates and I can start interviewing soon!

With all the craziness going on, October seems to have come and gone as quickly as the leaves on our pathetic little tree! 

Tonight I have my work Christmas party which seems premature but a reminder that the holiday season is just around the corner!

Wedding plans are coming along well. My lovely bridesmaids ordered their dresses yesterday so all that's left are playlists and the small details. It's hit me that it's only 6 months until we are boarding that big jet and being whisked away to our paradise! Eek I'm so excited!

So, with the wedding and the holiday season quickly approaching its time to find some healthy alternatives to all the noshing and drinking that happens. I'm going to start off by having one month dry starting tomorrow (tonight is my Christmas party and I'll need wine to get through that!) 30 days of no drinking is sure to help me kick my nasty smoking habit and shed a little of my booze butt!

What are some of your holiday health habits? 

Sorry, we're friends off for awhile...

Weekend Wrap Up

Well this weekend went by with the blink of an eye! 

Friday afternoon/evening I had an appointment at the Aveda Institute with a student near graduation. With the wedding only 6 months away (!!) I've had to scale my budget back which means no more expensive trips to salons. My stylist took me from my blindfish brown back to a rich brunette and I love it! By the time I got home I was tired and just spent from the week. 

                        New hair!!

Saturday was wedding dress shopping day. I was nervous which always makes me feel sick and I was not looking forward to it at all. I enlisted the help of my bridesmaids and managed to say 'yes' to a dress and put my deposit down and ordered it. It should arrive by April 1 which means operation shedding for the wedding has to get kicked into high gear!! 

We also managed to find the bridesmaid dresses so those will be ordered within the week and I have officially finished all the big wedding things!

Today was a productive Sunday. Normally I spend my day in my sweats on the couch but I managed to get up and run errands and be home just as everyone starts getting out of Sunday mass and starts their grocery shopping. 

I baked Ryan chocolate chip skor cookies and did all my meal prep for the week. After dinner with did the house chores and now I'm relaxing before calling it a day!

This week is definitely going to he busy and I know I'll be working long hours because I have so much on my plate! 

How did everyone else's weekend go? Anything exciting happen to you?

Successes

I have huge news!! I survived a 5 day weekend without gaining a single pound! To those who have never fought with their scales and spent their Monday's feeling bloated and wanting to wear sweatpants to work wont quite understand the excitement this statement brings.
It means, that instead of letting my good efforts all week be derailed by alcohol, irregular eating times and snacking, I managed to keep it under control, enjoy a delicious thanksgiving dinner, went to a surprise birthday an enjoyed a few drinks and did not gain a single ounce! I didn't lose anything either, but I'm focusing on the good right now!

I'm starting lunch time yoga at work with some coworkers. I've never really been one for yoga but with the crystal my coworker gave me and this power hour session, I should start feeling more at one with myself and peaceful. Or so they say anyways...

Kilo's blood work came back great, except for his kidneys. We now have to collect a urine sample for them to run before he can go on his Prozac. Ryan has nominated himself as the collector and I cant wait to get a video of him attempting this. I have a feeling Kilo will not let it go that easily!

Not much else is going on. I cant tell if this sore throat is from choking on a hunk of pineapple this morning or if that cold/flu virus that has been lurking is finally getting the best of me. I'm hoping it's the choking because I'm going to try on wedding dresses and its hard to feel like a beautiful princess when you have a fever and the sweats...

Been awhile

I suck as a blogger! 3 weeks since my last post? Lame!

Things are crazy busy at work which leads to not much of a personal life! I've moved from associate to admin analyst but also taken on some document control, project facilitating (along with project coordinating and I have yet to figure out what the difference is!) safety committee, fire warden and team building coordinator! I thought I was busy before but that's child's play in comparison to this!! But I'm super happy and excited to go to work and that's what counts, right?

Wedding plans are done. I've been told I'm cutting it close with buying a dress so that starts next week and I am hoping it's more pleasant then my first go round. 

Our dog, Kilo, has been deemed special needs by our vet due to his high anxiety, fear of male dogs and general inability to trust anyone so we've been working with him. This morning he had a vet appointment for blood work and didn't poop himself, scratch the techs or need to be hog tied. At the end of the appointment he kissed Our vet and let us weigh him. This was a huge success and Ryan and I were beaming parents. Dr. Borque has been absolutely amazing and I definitely recommend her and her amazing team!!

That's all I have to say for now but check in again for my thanksgiving weekend update!   

Week in review

My review for last week is a bit late but it was busy!

Firstly, you should know that as I write this I am laying in a pristine, king size bed in the Paris in Vegas sipping a glass of wine while Bridesmaids is on in the background. This is my home for the next week while I attend a conference. 

My niece was baptized today and I'm honored that I was asked to be her godmother. Today was spent at church before having a slice of cake and hoping on a jet. 

Yesterday was another family filled day as we all gathered at my grandparents house in High River to celebrate the fact that we have survived one of the most horrific events as a family. 

Things have changed at work for me and I'm super excited about them!! I can't divulge too much info until it becomes common knowledge but it's gooood!

Aside from all that, it was the normal hum drum of the week. 

How did everyone else fare? 

It's Thursday?

Some how I am still surprised that it is Thursday despite being a slow week for me. I feel like I haven't gotten much done but that's probably because I've been in meetings pretty much all week and fighting to keep my eyes open passed 6 every evening. I have a new list of my favorite things so lets do this!

5) Cleaning Supplies -  I like cleaning and I especially love cleaning supplies. If there is something new on the market claiming to make your cleaning a little easier and last a little longer, I'm all over it. Recently, after expressing my frustrations when after the 5th bottle of soap scum killer wasn't working on our glass shower, I was told about a cleaner that comes from grocery store branding and a sponge and my shower has never been cleaner. I'm half wishing I didn't buy a squeegee just so I could clean it more often.

4) Stationery - Pretty birds, zebra print, neon's, vintage inspired and a series all containing WTF are all kinds of post it notes currently on my desk. I am a sucker for nicely packaged and decorated stationery. Its as if my documents will be first to reviewed because instead of the boring old yellow post its, mine are neon pink and scream WTF on the top...

3) Sweater Jackets - I recently got a sweater that resembles a pea coat and I am in love with it! Its perfect for these cooler mornings and great for around the office when my coworkers all have their hot flashes and fiddle with the thermostat all day. I complained about it once but having 4 angry women on my ass was terrifying. Now I know why the male engineers tend to keep to the other side of the floor.

2) Modern Dads - An A&E gem about 4 stay at home dads in Austin, Texas. You have Nathan, Rick, Stone and Sean. I found myself flipping through the channels last Sunday and ended up watching about 6 episodes! This is definitely on my PVR!

1)  iOS 7 update - I was bitching about wanting a new phone since my 4 seems like old technology already but the iOS 7 update came out and now my phone is like new! The icons are rounded, keyboard is modernized and with my phone being white, it just adds that sleek look to it. Hopefully there aren't any crazy glitches!

Week in review

Happy Saturday loves!!

Part of my job at work is reporting on the weeks activities so it seems only natural that I give ya'll an update on what I've been up to. 

Firstly, I hit a 3lb loss this week!! Things have been plateaued for a few weeks so it's awesome to see I'm a loser again!!

Second, I got to spend some QT with my little niece and sisters. They are fantastic people and what better way to spend Friday the 13th than with baby cuddles and good conversation?

I took a vacation day on Friday and actually missed not being at work. (I guess Friday the 13th did have some affect on me!)

And last night I had a dream it was our wedding and not only did we end up camping at the resort, I almost got attacked by a bear, sprayed by a skunk and didn't buy a wedding dress so I had to use one of the resorts spares. Then Ryan left the next day to go to the Superbowl. 

I woke up with two realizations, I need to start dress shopping ASAP and confirm there are no major sporting events on May 8th!

The sun is just starting to peak through the overcast and the coffee is brewin' so I should make a move and get ready because today, I'm going to check out a show home with my besties as one is possibly going to buy!!!! Then we have an end of summer sizzler to say good bye to what was one of the best summers! 

Enjoy the weekend kids!! 

A few of my favorite things

Hey everyone!

Since Thursday is my favorite day of the week, I thought I would do a list of my top 5 favorite things as of today. Anyone who knows me well knows that my favorite anything changes almost on the daily, so I'm sure this will become a weekly post. Lets count em' down, shall we?

5. Skulls and studs - I don't aim to dress like a biker and usually when I am wearing skulls, studs or a mix of both, I try to add something super girly into the mix, like hot pink, lace or a red lip. I'm not hard as F*** and I don't ever want to appear that way. Its not me, babe. I also try and find delicate little accents so it's not in your face. Today I have my mini skull rings and my favorite pair of blue suede studded smoking flats from Vancouver on. Yay!

4. Singing words - Ryan can attest to this as he is not quite a fan, but I love to sing everything I'm saying. I am by no means the next Whitney (although there is something to be said of my rendition of 'I will Always Love You') and I definitely don't do it to showcase my "talents". It's fun and makes you feel awesome and that's reason enough for me! I also think the dog prefers it because most of my made up songs are about him and we dance around the kitchen. This happens when Ryan isn't home. You know what they say about keeping some elements of mystery in a relationship. 

3.  Avocado - I just can not get enough of that fatty green fruit. Its delish. When I grocery shop, I purposely pick avocados that are soft, harder and hardest so I know I will have a week's supply without spoiling any of them. I have actually become known at the avo-addict at work. I suppose if I was going to be referred to as an addict, avocado would be my preferred drug of choice.

2. Justin Timberlake - Does this really need an explanation? I think not!

1. Fake nails - I know what you're thinking, "Fake Nails? Girl, could you be more boughetto*?" But there's a reason! From my first post, you would have learned that I used to spend my time and money having acrylic perfectly sculpted to my nails to make me feel better about myself. These days, I will glue on my own to save time and money plus theres a new fad of having intricate little designs painted on your perfectly manicured nails, and I wanted to hop on that bandwagon. Only draw back, I keep my nails fairly short and I can barely paint them nicely, forget decorating them so I've found a happy medium. Claire's carries a more modern designed press-on that don't look terrible and at $8 a pack, you don't feel bad when you rip those babies off when you get bored. Plus, a little boughie behaviour is good once in awhile!

*Someone, usually a female, who wants to be bougie, but who is in reality ghetto according to Urban Dictionary

A little deeper...

To everyone who read my first post yesterday, thanks!
Today I figured I would give you a little more insight into my life because that's what blogs are for, are they not?

I'm 28 years old working in the booming oil and gas industry in Calgary. Its a'ight. Nothing to really write home about though. When I was younger I always looked up to my Mom, who was a big mover and shaker in the oil world (or at least thats what I thought when I was a kid) so part of my dream career was to wear business suits and sit behind a big desk, attend important meetings and come home and discuss aquisitions and mergers over cocktails with my husband while our two children quietly read with the nanny in the next room a la Mary Poppins.

In reality, I sit at a cubicle (although with a window), shlep to work entirely too early to enjoy cocktails during the week, attend meetings only to document them and I have never owned a business suit. My long time boyfriend just became my finace and the only child we have is an special needs, overactive American Bulldog who has a script for xanex. Picture perfect, it is not. Although, I dont mind the view.

My fiance is Ryan. Hes a man's man. Hes hilarious and kind and spends his day outside and often smells like dirt and I love it. The real kicker though is that he wants to spend his whole life with me because the silly boy loves me and when he finally asked last Christmas, I was floored and relieved. 

So now we (and I mean me) are planning our wedding for next May in Mexico. Do I love weddings? Yes! Do I love the idea of love, being in love and all things romantic? YES! Do I want to plan a wedding? HELL NO! So since we got engaged, we've been going back and forth with my nutty ideas of what to do, until my darling sisters stepped in a made the decision for us. I love em' for it!

I promise this will be the last 'get to know me' post and the next one will be something much more entertaining!

Just scratching the surface

Had we met a few years ago, you wouldn't have recognized me. I was trying to buy my self confidence through superficial things like new clothes, extensions, fake nails and designer handbags. It was as if I could mask the fact that I was overweight and unhappy with flashy things but guess what, people are smarter then we give them credit for (albeit some aren't but they don't tend to last in a friend roster for very long).

With the unavoidable move from mid-twenties to late, I decided enough is enough. Not only can I not afford to keep up with that look, I figured it was about damn time I work on liking the person I am and the vehicle I've been given to get through life instead of spending so much time unhappy (go figure!)

So I did what any person who wants to lose weight did and went to the Internet. I read up on the latest diet trends and tricks and would write out long lists of things I could and couldn't eat, calorie allotments and plans and I would follow them for a few days before I would be come this awful, grumpy, sleepy bitch because I was hungry. I would give in to my temptations and nosh for a day or two then wallow in self pity and hate before doing it all again the following Monday.
Repeat this pattern for a few months and we get to where I am today.

I've been working on eating clean and working hard. When I remember to pay my gym membership, I'm usually there a few times a week otherwise I'm at home, playing with the dog or doing circuits in the basement. By no way does this mean I failed for months and then one day just got it. HA! It's a daily struggle between knowing what I should eat and what I want to eat. For examle, the large Pad Thai I just had for lunch? That falls on the want to eat list. But at least its starting to make sense and becoming more of a lifestyle then a diet.

So here we are, 8 months until I marry my fiance and I've got a lot of weight to lose. The fact that I want to be the hottest bride and that we've chosen to have a destination wedding is my motivation. (If wearing a wedding dress isn't stressful enough, lets add a week of wearing a swimsuit in front of your closest friends and family to add to the pressure).

This is just the tip of the iceberg but I promise not to be lame and boring and shove health information and my successes (if I have them) down your throat because no one likes that and plus, there is so much more to my life than that!