20 LBS Down! I’m So Excited And I Just Can’t Hide, About to Fade Away and I Think I Like It!

Hello All,

It has been very encouraging to read about everyone’s healthy lifestyle adaptations. I must say, that I am jealous that I can’t participate to the magnitude that you all can at this point.

However, being away from food for almost a month has definately given me some time to be introspective about food and why I got to be where I am. I have had the time to talk with my husband and decide what we will do differently as soon as I am phased onto food again in 60+ days. I’s so excited for us all and all the postive strides we’ve made.

Let’s keep this momentum going forward!

The junk food you crave for one hour? Or the body you have craved for a lifetime?

For the past two weeks I have been going to the gym Mon-Fri, every single day. Some days I have gone to the gym  in the morning and at lunch I have found myself on the track, or doing a fitness class. I have been really pushing myself hard and am starting to see myself gain the stamina I desire, yes I have been pushing myself hard and yes I make the choice of getting up early and incorporating an hour long a.m workout into my routine and YES, I am proud of myself…BUT…I found that when I am in a class or when I am with anyone else I push myself harder…but have come to the realization that on my solo workouts I am not pushing myself hard ENOUGH. Yesterday during the team building event when we were doing the SxC fit class I was giving it my all but there was one point where I needed  to step away, take a swig of water and a few breathes, I felt like I was the only one out of the 40-50 people who were KILLING the workout, I felt defeated a bit because I took a break, I should have just gave it my all and ignored the pains that were telling me to quit…I didn’t quit forever though, I had a sip of water and I jumped right back in…I was just disappointed in myself as I thought that I had been building up my endurance and I thought I could do a 16.5 minute workout – No problem.

Mind you, that was a crraaaaaaaaaaaaaazy workout…

This morning, even though I felt like I was 98 years old after my TWO hard workouts yesterday, I headed to the gym. I had in my mind that I would just do ‘my best’ and not really push myself…but when I go there my attitude changed quick, I said to myself, ‘What the hell am I doing here if I am just going to half-a@! it….nawww I’m going to GIVE IT MY ALL!! I even incorporated mountain climbers into my workout and some ab work, I have decided that I want to keep my body guessing and that I want to work harder to see results! I want to fall into the ‘habit’ of being healthy and pushing myself further. I don’t want to be stuck inside the house this summer because I hate the way I look in shorts or a bikini, I don’t want to be held back anymore due to my lack of self-confidence. Today, Tomorrow and the next day (not Sunday though, that is my one day off) I am going to continue to GIVE IT MY ALL….because what else do I have to give if it isn’t my all.

I encourage you all to push yourself, find your comfort zone and get out of it…If Forrest Gump can run for 3 years then you can finish your workout…and finish it GOOD!

Here are some tips to keep going:

-NEVER skip a Monday…just don’t.

-NEVER go for more than 2 days without exercising

-Try and do something when you are sick, don’t overdo it, just a light yoga DVD or some stretching

-Shake it up!! Don’t set the elliptical to resistance 6 and just glide through your workout for 20 minutes

-Ask an active/athletic friend or family member for motivation

-Document your progress, not with the scale but judge by the way your pants fit, take photos of yourself, measure yourself and compare

-Work out at least 3 days a week, do more if you can!

-Stop making excuses!

– NEVER, EVER, EVER…. Give up.

 

We are on a fantastic journey of becoming  a healthier, faster, fitter, stronger versions of ourselves, let’s hold on and continue with it!

 

Tara 2.0 (Yellow)

We Got Our Butts KICKED!!

The Blue and Yellow teams present their Team-Building Challenge featuring SxC fit. It was an amazing workout in such little time! I think we all got our butts kicked, good! Thanks everyone for be so enthusiastic and giving it your all, it was great to see so many of you pushed to your limits!

Golden Girls & Out of The Blue

Getting Back on the Horse

Ok, so the back pain in mostly gone.  I can feel a twinge when I turn the wrong way to fast but I am able to make dinner.  I have not made a home cooked meal this week but I will tonight.  I have all the ingredients for making Delmonico’s chicken with boiled potatoes, steamed broccoli and a tomato, bocconcini, spinach salad with homemade balsamic dressing.    I have a Pilates class after work today that should pull all the kinks that are still in my back out.  If I manage to do both these things today I will be on my way back on track.

Maya (Pink Team)

Past, Present and Future Me

I hope everyone had a great weekend and woke up early to catch the awesome game yesterday – GO CANADA!

I just wanted to take a moment to reflect a bit. This morning I woke up and decided to weigh myself – I have been trying not to look at the scale as it just discourages me if I have gained/haven’t lost or encourages me to have a bag of chips if I have lost a lb or two – whacked perception, I know but I’m only being honest! Anyway I feel I have been doing well, making healthier food choices, exercising like mad – 150% more than I have been previous the challenge! I know it’s weird but when I am walking I feel like I have more energy, more fluidity and I’m not sludge…I feel like my hips are ‘open’ and working better if that makes sense and I am standing taller, It feels good. Anyway…I weighed myself and I haven’t lost any weight…it’s discouraging and I feel like I am at a roadblock as I have been the same weight for a few years now, I can’t seem to surpass this particular number no matter what I do! Ughhhh! HOWEVER, past Tara would have been bluesed out to see that hard work hasn’t been paying off I probably would have skipped breakfast, the gym and choked down my coffee black, but present Tara says my hard work HAS been paying off based on how I feel NOT what that damned scale says. I am happy to report that the number hasn’t gotten me down, I went to the gym, I had my breakfast and I drank my coffee, just how I like it, 1 sugar, 2 milk. I will no longer deprive myself, let that injudicious notion that what I weigh matters it actually has motivated me to push myself harder, make myself stronger and hold my head a little higher…Rome wasn’t built in a day.

 

Tara (Yellow)

 

“Procrastinate now… don’t put it off”

Timothy Pychyl was right… procrastination is a much more complicated animal than we give it credit for. I’ve always wanted to blog, but when push comes to shove, I end up sitting at the computer screen with nothing to show for it. 

I suppose the fact that I’ve procrastinated writing my first blog entry for this long demonstrates a hesitance I didn’t realize I had towards sharing my experiences. 

So far, I’ve found this whole experience very positive and encouraging, albeit a little overwhelming. Adding a commitment like this into my schedule has forced me to explore a new concept: forgiveness. All week I was debating what to write, and would beat myself up for not having completed the task. Forgiveness becomes very important when it comes to work/life balance – a realization I’ve only recently come to. It wasn’t until I forgave myself for not having completed this task that I was able to think clearly enough to complete it. 

Though easier said than done, this competition has given me a new goal in mind: to work towards hitting that balance. 

Megan, Purple Cobras 

Green with Envy

I’m still trying to understand how my first blog post happened to appear a full two weeks after Tim Pychyl presented his ”7 Myths About Procrastination and Strategies for More Successful Goal Pursuit in 2014″ to my CU Healthier colleagues and friends. I must have procrastinated a little bit. Prior to his presentation I had been to his website, read and agreed with his blog posts and observations, and  resolved to start making changes to my procrastination tendencies right away.  I jotted down ideas for my first three blog posts, scheduled the time to take photos to document my journey, and scheduled time to attend the CU Healthier events and information sessions. I laughed with the other people in the room when Tim mentioned the fact that we drag our appointments in OUTLOOK around  a lot when we adjust our schedules…..and looking back…..I’ve done that a lot….with blogging.  Not a good start to the semester.  My green comrades have reminded me to do it more often so this is me turning over a new leaf …………again.  

Deciding to join the CU Healthier challenge was easy. I knew I wanted to lose weight, make better food choices and find a solution to my work life balance challenges.  The last three weeks have been challenging at work but I’ve found support in all of the right places and also in some unexpected forms which , actually helped to keep my on track.   

Support where I expected it –>  My wife, the members of the green team, and my closest friends have all been encouraging my healthy lifestyle changes.  We swap recipes; prepare healthy meals and eat together; discuss exercise plans, failures and successes; chart progress towards goals; and motivate each other on a regular basis.  We discuss temptation and ways to cope with the steady stream of treats that seem to show up in our offices and at our friends houses. 

Support where I did not expect it –> My students seem to have eyes everywhere. I mentor a lot of students and I hold them accountable to the goals, schedules and plans that we work out together.  What I did not expect was for them to do the same for my CU Healthier goals which I had done on my own.  It has been quite amusing fielding questions about my lunch and dinner plans and having to account for my exercise on a regular basis.  They hold me accountable for the goals I set for myself and I have actually had to work harder to ensure that I fit everything in where I’m supposed to.  I did not expect to have to defend my lazy days or poutine cravings.  

I’m looking forward to the next few weeks.  I’ve read the posts that the teams have been blogging and I’m amazed at how the other participants have stepped up their activity in so many ways. My Green with Envy title is really me envying the commitment that everyone has shown to improvement.

Keep it up everyone!!

 

John Team Green

Love and Gratitude

This week I took time to meditate…best gift I have ever given myself…time to sit quietly and just let time go by without a care in the world…time to find inner peace in this crazy world…time to just be with me. Shall be forever grateful to a dear friend who suggested this to me when I was having trouble with insomnia, meditation has been a lifesaver for me and I cherish the time I have to just be…
Chantal (Green Team)

Blog Week, Challenge Week – Sarah getting out of the Blue(s)

It’s been such a whirlwind the last few weeks starting this whole challenge. Ironically, however, I have been finding that the commitments of doctor appointments, blood work, kickoff, holiday, lunchtime sessions, personal training appointment, and team challenge planning have had a serious impact on my actual workout plan!

I’ve been finding this quite frustrating, and am really hoping that after our Blue & Yellow team challenge on Tuesday (which is going to be awesome, by the way!) things will clear up a little, and allow me to get back to my real goal, which is to hit the track a few times a week.

One of the reasons I joined this initiative was to get some ideas on how to better fit fitness and healthy eating into my life – little did I realise that in joining, it would actually make the challenges I was already facing even more difficult… Perhaps that’s the gift – that afterwards, it will feel like I have more time!? 🙂

Even writing this blog post over my lunchtime has taken up time scheduled for my first run in ages… So. Reframe. Restart. Refocus.

S.M.A.R.T. – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. One thing Tyler, the personal trainer, emphasised to me the other day, was the need to reassess based on reality within the context of SMART goals. And making the plan or goal public. So here it is.

I will no longer obsess about how many workouts I’ve missed, I will simply write out my plan from today forward. I can’t “catch up” (not realistic).  On Monday (time-bound), I will do the next workout I had planned from where I left off, and get back to my 3x/week (measurable).

I love the running plan I’m following – it makes training for a 10k seem manageable, so that helps – no single workout seems unreasonable. Next week is the new ‘week 4’ of training (a so-called ‘easy week’ which will work well as it will be my ‘get back in the game week’), with #1 being run 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes X 6. The 2^nd session is run 2, walk 2 X 5. And the 3^rd is run 2, walk 3 X 6. (Specific).

So there it is – nothing more public than this inter-web, right?

Til next time!

Sarah – BLUE

Another lazy excuse!

This week, I have disappointed myself.  I have eaten things I should not have, had Starbucks almost every day and not exercised when I should have.  I lost another two pounds last week (yay) and then I do this act of self sabotage.  What gives?!

This is how bad it got – Last Sunday I was supposed to go to a 10 am yoga class.  I woke up and 9:15 and said, “Ah well, it’s too late, I’ll take the 3 pm class.”  Then in the afternoon, I fell asleep and missed the 3 pm class.  For shame!

Today is Friday and I have set my punishment; not a single glass of wine this weekend, gym tomorrow and Sunday (which is not the punishment, the wine is!) and low cal meals!  No weekend cheats after a week of cheats!

I have had my setback, time to move on!

Sorry Cobras for the let down!

Meg – Purple Cobras