Week 1 Period 2 Weigh-In

First off ....a HUGE thank you to those who have honoured their pledge for period 1 and who are in the process of it 

I will give a total raised so far by next weekend :) 

I appreciate you all so much ❤️

Another huge thank you for those who are able to continue their support through this 2nd period  !! 

Well I did not lose, but I did not gain!!! 

215 again this week 

(Blurry pic ..... Sorry) 

This past 7 days I allowed myself

1/2  of a piece of cake 

1/2 of a caramal chocate square x2

2 or 3 spoonfuls of ice cream 

Extra bread 

BUT ...... 

I wanted to eat so much more .... Lol 

Game plan this week NO SWEETS !! 

Exercise 4 or 5 days 

And blog more, I think that helps me stay accountable 

Make sure to have healthy snacks ready and available to eat ! 

On my way now to a  meeting with my fellow team mates for Guatemala Mission Trip.

~ This really is becoming a reality !!!

Thanks again everyone for your support and encouragement.  xo 

Total loss for Period 1 is........

Good Saturday Morning !! My weight loss this week is 2.6 lbs!!!
I worked hard for it .....and it paid off :)
I got up twice this week at 4:30 am to ensure that I would get my work outs in and did one after supper.
I had a nibble or half bite of b'day cake and stuck to my healthy eating/ small portions.
Today is also the last day of Period 1!!
I am happy to say that this period I have lost a total of :

14.7 lbs 

My goal was about 10 lbs, so I am very happy with this result!
I will be in boxing/ texting  my sponsors to let you all know your totals.
Thanks everyone for cheering me on!!
Today may be the last day of Period 1 , but, it is the first day of Period 2

Enjoy your weekend!

Still losing it,
Loana xo

Not a morning person really ......

So, I have proven to myself once again that I was not designed to get up and go go go, in the morning! LOL 

I set my alarm for Wednesday morning to go off at 4:30 am ..... Gah ! I got up and struggled through my work out. I stayed upstairs in the living room and just made sure all the bedroom doors were shut, so I would  not disturb anyone. Well I tripped over the dog half way throught he work out ..... I had to move onto the ceramic tile to do the sprint portion so it wouldn't sound like  I was going through 

 the floor. During my cool down I lost my balance  and almost fell..... My 5 am shower is a blur, I know I had one, just don't really remember it HA ! 

By 11am I wanted a nap lol, then I was fine 

I set my alarm again for the same time  this morning, and I argued with myself until I decided I would skip morning exercise and got up at 5:30 instead . 

Now the challenge is to be sure I exercise tonight after supper .... 

Saturday is the end of phase 1, so it is a pay out from my sponsors, I am so very thankful for you all ! ❤️xo

Inches vs Pounds

After my weigh in Saturday, and my obvious  discouragement, a friend suggested I take note of my inches lost. 

Since I am working out , I could be building a little bit if muscle. so while I  am losing fat, I could be building muscle and my pounds may not always truly reflect my progress. 

This friend , along with another,said they would match what they sponsored  me per lb to apply to inches lost as well! 

I had no idea what to Measure, so I googled it of course ! Lol 

I had Jason measure me Sunday evening. It will be 2 weeks before I get him to measure again as suggested on site I used.

Here are my measurements: 

Bust - 40 1/2 "

Chest- 35

Waist - 38 1/2

Hips- 48 1/2 

Midway- 42

Thighs -R 31 3/4. L 32 1/4

Knees- R 22 1/4 L 23 1/4 

Calves- R 17 3/4 L 17 1/2 

Upper arm- R 14 3/4 L 14 1/2

Fore arm - R 12 1/4 L 12 

I am having a different week. 

I need to figure out how to fit my exercise in . It is looking like the only solution will be to get up around 5 am ...... 

I am not a morning person, but I have to do what needs to be done. So tomorrow morning me and my phone will be sneaking downstairs to exercise. 

I'll let you know how that goes ! :) 

Foods have been pretty typical to what I was eating at the beginning. 

Today is my babies 17th birthday, so I will have a little bite of b'day cake just to taste it. Literally a forkful, that is all that's really needed..... I will want more, but my goals are worth more to me than momentary sugary goodness ... :p 

I may be getting use of a stationary bike soon, it worked for me before, so convenient  to just crank the tunes and bike for 30 mins.

That's all for now! 

Here is my morning weigh in............

My first thoughts....... ONE STINKIN' POUND.......... :(
I just wanted to go grab the cookies in the cupboard and eat them and the chips and whatever else I have sacrificed or given up and EAT!!! So I guess I eat out of emotion...  :/

Then I had to say okay....I didn't gain a pound... I am still losing.
I have already met my monthly goal of 10lbs, so I guess anything else is a bonus?!

Now the why's. Why only 1 lb ???
Well, I only worked out 2 days instead of 4.
I have not been snacking as often and drinking my water.
I felt like crap this week fighting off a cold.

Solutions
I MUST workout a minimum of 4 days a week that is what gets results!
I MUST DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!!
SNACK OFTEN!.......I need to be constantly munching on fruits and veggies, that is what I was doing my first 2 weeks, so it must work!
This cold has been kicking my butt......no more!
I slept for 12 hours last night and today I am feeling much better. I am sure I will continue to get well.
I need to be mindful to get the proper rest I need so my body does not get run down.
I also think it is best for me to journal everyday my foods and my exercise. It helps me to know what I am eating better.
I did not eat anything I should not this past week, other then crackers in my chicken noodle soup.
I thought I would feel better with some chicken noodle soup and then I opened the pkg of crackers and dumped it in ( I wasn't thinking at all, just doing) I had 10 crackers in my soup!! 10 too many!! I have been eating 0 crackers in my soup since I started this. I think I was just not thinking and I slipped back to old habits, too tired to make a healthy choice, I guess.

I had a friend tell me this morning, "Do not let a tough week get me down"
And my hubby said "You are still losing!"

Encouragement from family and friends is huge!
If you are struggling with weight loss and getting back at it, find friends that are positive and that will encourage you!!

So, today I will continue to make healthy choices.....
2 multigrain toast with PB for breakfast.
Filling my infusion cup with water and some lemon and lime slices.

Have a great weekend everybody!!

I took this pic of a simple smoothie I made last week.
2 cups of frozen mango,strawberries, raspberries and about a cup of almond milk.
SO YUMMIE!!!

Just Do It !

My last update was Saturday with my  weigh in and biggest 1 week loss ever for me !! 

This encouraged me so much and gave me the confirmation that what I am doing is working. 

I thought I would start out tonight by talking about food and how I am eating. 

I always read the label and check serving size to calories. I am  aware of calories but I am not religious about it .I am eating way less bread than I used to, staying  away from pastas . I am eating way more veggies and fruits. Trying to eat more lean meats like chicken and turkey. 

I am planning a head more, so that I am not in a situation where I have to eat foods I don't want to.  

Also, I am sticking more to whole foods or clean eating choices when I can. 

Best advice don't count the calories from fruits and veggies!!! 

Portions are playing a big role as well. 

I can have a dark chocolate bar, I just have 1 square ....... That's like 20-40 calories and I let it melt in my mouth. 

I am taking longer to eat smaller amounts so I feel fuller. Water, water and more water !!

Here is the lunch hubby made me on Sunday.

Voila ! Open face burger :) 

I really was craving red meat. Extra lean ground beef was on sale. Hamburg buns were not. English muffins were! 

So 1/2  English muffin toasted a layer of thin sliced cucumbers,  extra lean patty, mustard, grape tomatoes sliced ! 

I also had a side of sweet potato fries

17 fries are 140 calories and just the right amount :) 

I was going out Sunday night at supper time so Jason packed me a Granny Smith apple , carrot sticks, sunflower seeds and a large water bottle. I also had 1/2 small lunch size pack of brook dale dark chocolate covered acai berries with my to go coffee. During reception of event I wasn't tempted to eat the sandwiches and sweets that were there. 

I do however like to eat vicariously through my daughter and my friends. I'll get  them to eat something I want and tell me about it LOL  it works for me ;) 

So ya, being prepard is good 

I have also started to carry 100 calorie snacks, I prefer to have granola bars as my purse snack is usually to get me through, so I want something with staying power, not a 100 calorie cookie or chocolate bar (although I do carry those in the event of being struck with a sweet tooth) 

Oh my gosh !!!!! today I had the best salad ever !!!! 

Doesn't it look delish !?!? Topping and dressing came right in the bag, all portioned out for me. Toppings were almond slices, feta cheese, toasted quinoa and avocado dressing.... YUNMIE!!!! 

Here is a pick of the bag, I think I got this at superstore, of not walmart. I will be buying it again! 

Super tonight was spaghetti and tossed salad. Because I did not want pasta calories , I baked a potato in the microwave and used half off it and put spaghetti sauce on it the other half my plate was all salad toped with a few black olive slices, a sprinkle of feta and about 1 tbsp balsamic dressing. Okay I have to say here that I do measure my condiments and I always check the label. I loved condiments and I used way too much, just being aware and reading labels helps me make better choices and portion sizes. 

It doesn't look like much but so tasty. Salad was just made with what I had on hand: romaine , green pepper, celery, cucumber. 

Part 2 exercise .... 

I did not exercise my 4 days last week due to an event I was helping put on. I was going to exercise 2 times on Monday, but something came up and then something else and previous commitments etc etc 

Today I just didn't feel like it, my nose was stuffy, my throat was scratchy and I was over tired, I had had a super late night.  I then thought about the weight I had lost the past 2 weeks and I did not lose it by not exercising. So, I got myself talked into it, got on my work out clothes I filled my water bottle and was like "let's do this !" 

I decided to take it up a notch and chose Biggest Loser Power Walk 3. It started  off pretty fast paced and had me doing standing up crunches and some speed skating move thing, running with jumping jacks between each 15 second of running hard. Look, my heart rate was not only up it was beating out of my chest, my chest and throat burned ii couldn't hardly breath I was stopping and drinkng water. I was pushing myself hard, but unable to complet each set, I continued and pushed for 3/4 of the way through and that was it I was done .... I stopped the video, caught my breath had some more water and put in power walk 2 !

It still challenges me and I think I jumped the gun with number 3. I am not looking at this as a failure. I did 1 and 3/4 workouts, I worked hard I was a hot sweaty mess and I felt good for making myself  exercise I'll do #2 for the rest of this week and try #3 again next week.

I am noticing changes in my body my pants are looser around the waist! 

I put my leg on the side of the tub today and I went to wash my calf and It was as hard as a rock !! It feels good to see change! To be the change ..... To stop making excuses and to just do it ! 

*** it is not too late to sponsor me! I am so thankful for the support I have, but I still need more people on board :) 

Have a great night, sweet dreams xo

Weigh in Day .......

The  past two days I have spent helping set up and execute a PD Day for HENB with my awesome friends Melanie and Aralee and our collective teenagers! ( note Mel does not have teens...yet ;)
I am so proud of the teens, but particularly proud of my Hopey( I can single her out 'cause I am her Mom <3 )
So I said that to say...I didn't get to work out Thursday. I swear I got more of a work out the past 2 days!!
We had for food on Friday a ridiculous amount of food!!
I am so proud of myself!! And it is becasue I am accountable to you all( totally recommend making weightless public ;) )
I had 2 green apples, 1/2 a large bowl of meatless taco soup, a few frtios cornchips...maybe 6. and the tiny tip off of a decadent dutch brownie slice ( its my favorite I just had tot have a taste!! ) I had a 1/2 large bowl of chili for supper.
Lots of water through the day and 2 large coffees with cream and raw sugar.
I could have had so much more desserts, any kind of muffins, jumbo delish looking and I heard very tasty cinnamon buns, rolls, corn breads etc etc
Okay new treat I found at the grocery store Thursday ....

It is pretty tasty, but not Skinny Popcorn but has all the same great features, no  gmcorn, no preservatives, just popcorn, slat and sunflower oil...nice little snack for this popcorn loving girl!
Also on Thursday I was short for time and I was hungry and had to get a supper made.....I had McCains pizza , I had I/6 slice ( meaning we cut the pizza in 6 pieces) and then 1/2 of that again. A cereal bowl of my new popcorn for a snack.
The rest of Thursday was my typical granola and greek yogurt , salad for lunch with some chicken breast and 2 green apples


Pretty excited about this weeks weight loss and I put it off to tease you ??
Did it work? lol

I AM DOWN ANOTHER 7.3 lbs!!!
This is by far the most I have EVER lost in a week!!! Biggest loser walk videos  and watching  portions and making the healthy choice ...WOW!

Please know I am not bragging ............<3 I am just so excited to be getting results
I have felt pretty down on myself for the last year about my weight

Thank you all for your support, have a great weekend. xo

~still not too late to sponsor for weight loss per pound ;) 

Before Pics

I forgot to take before pics!!!
So here are my 1 1/2 weeks in pics ;)

I think it will be good to have something to compare to. I see all kinds of people do before and afters, so I thought why not.

I am really feeling the burn with The Biggest Loser walk 2 video, so it must be working right???

Proud of  myself, tonight I packed my supper. We have supper at our church every Wednesday, for $4 we have 3 meal choices and then for $2 we can have fries or onion rings. Tonight the main meal was a chicken leg and pan fried wedges. I don't like dark meat, the soup meal was potato and ham soup and flaked ham sandwich. I am trying to stay away from creamy soups and the potato plus the 2 slices of white bread was a lot of carbs for me. The kids choice was pogo  and smiley fries.....ummmmmm....yes please!!! LOL I would have really enjoyed that, pogos are sooooo good!!!
Instead I packed a big salad.......romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, 1/2 chicken breast diced, crumbled feta and a balsamic dressing sprinkled with a few roasted unsalted sesame seeds.....it was delish and satisfying!
I then snuck out just before bible study started and bought a coffee, 1 cream, 1 sugar. I forgot to pack a no bake protein bite , so at the coffee shop I bought a 100 calorie dark chocolate bar, I had 1/5 so only 20 cals :)
Because I knew I was using the last of the chicken tonight and having no breads, for lunch I made a yummie smoothie and had a piece of 12 grain bread toasted with a thin layer of real butter. What???? BUTTER!!!! Yes, butter. It is all natural and I only used a bit. Our bodies were created to digest real food, not a bunch of man made chemicals, that is also why I don't use sweetners like aspartame and splenda. I am going to get some raw sugar for my coffee so I can get off the processed white.

Here is my very simple yummie smoothie recipe:
2 cups frozen fruit. ( 1 cup raspberries and 1 cup mango and strawberry)
1 serving of vanilla Greek yogurt
add almond milk until it is the consistency you want.

 Very filling and good for me!

So, the other day, maybe a month ago, Jason and I were talking about the yummie treats you used to be able to get at Tim Horton's, eclairs, bow ties and more. Look what I just saw on my fb news feed..........

     Mmm hmm right when I can't have it!!! LOL

My friend asked me if I am starting to feel better. To be honest the answer was not really....I think it will come, I need to be more scheduled and really be sure to get all my water in everyday. I do feel good that I am losing weight, I mentally probably feel better in that sense.

That's all for tonight........sweet dreams <3 xo

The Biggest Loser ....

Found some awesome exercise videos on YouTube (of course) filmed at biggest loser resort. 

I have never watched the show (no tv channels, yes I live In the sticks lol) 

WOW did I feel the burn today !!! 

I even sprinted on the spot....when I showed Jason , he said they did it in football drills. 

I liked this work out, I liked that real people were doing them on the video  and they mess up just like me lol 

Foods today ...... I feel hungry :( time to get groceries. Lots of high calorie foods so eating half portions and small quantities leaves me unsatisfied and wanting more. 

I guess I have a few things here, but they require more preparation and I honestly didn't feel like doing it :p 

So tomorrow I will buckle down and prep my snacks! 

I baked carrot muffins today with a low sugar/ lowfat cream cheese frosting ..... I only had 1/2 of one it was pretty good ! 

I needed to make a dozen muffins for an event on Friday, so I had to taste test. 

That should be intersting ..... Being away from home all day where there will be snacks galore, going to have to really put on my will power and a good attitude.

Well, that is all for now! 

PS ~ there is still time to sponsor me ! 

Thanks everybody who has sponsored and those who are cheering me on ..... Some days I really need the encouragement more  than others ❤️ 

Saturday /Sunday

The weekend always goes by too fast, doesn't it ?!

Saturday I started out with a coffee......ahhhhhh so nice.
I find I really need that morning coffee to unfog me and get me started. So, from now on coffee it is .......and then I'll flush it out with water. I will add here that I have about 3 cups a day and I take 1 sugar and cream, we just switched over to a lighter cream and it's all good.......I don't like to mess with my coffee!!

I have decided not to log all of my food intake, unless I try something new, I don't want to bore you. If you find the daily menu helpful, let me know, or if you think I should just share it, I will...lol I'll wait to here from you!

I do not exercise on the weekend for now. We are pretty busy running errands, and doing life, trying to catch up etc. So I am sticking to Monday-Thursday.
I am finding lots of great workouts on YouTube.

I bought all the ingredients to replenish my no-bake energy bites.I tried the cocoa nibs in place of chocolate chips, purchased the chia seeds and flax seed and honey. I got it all at Bulk Barn !!
Really like the cocoa nibs! They are actual bits of the roasted cocoa bean. Much healthier than chocolate chips, no sugar and aren't processed.
I am using up the PB we have here, then I may switch to pure, no additives, peanut butter.
I also should mention that I got ground chia and flax. I have read that in order to benefit from the flax it must be ground, and I assumed the same for chia.
So my bites are all natural except PB, pretty good eh?
Jason likes them, but they are off limits......just for me! ha
I am not eating any other treats....these are it. I did purchase a dark chocolate bar if I am freaking out and need something, in that case ,I would only have one square and let it melt in my mouth  <3 So far, so good ;)

I also decided NOT  to have a cheat day.
It works for some, but for me it is just a big FAT step backwards, I would just want more......

I made my own little supper Sunday night.


150 cals worth of multigrain tostitos (same cals as the average slice of bread)
1/2 cup chopped up chicken breast,
green and yellow peppers diced
3 Tbsp of salsa
and some tomato basil feta diced.
Heated it all in the oven at 350 for 18 mins
So tasty and filling :)





I don't typically prepare meals on Sunday, Jason would make me something or we would just snack. Now, the type of snacking I did in the past,is not an option. LOL

So that was my weekend in the eyes of  "Losing it For Guatemala".

One more thing a friend said to me Sunday.....when you are eating better and exercising you carry yourself differently because you feel better, and you look better! She noticed a difference after one week! I was encouraged <3 :)

Yesterday and my weigh in this morning !!

Okay I am down 3.8 lbs and I am very happy with that !! 

Jason guessed 4 :) 

Friday

I learned the value of planning ahead....

I had to run some errands I had a quick small bowl of granola grabbed a water bottle and I was off ! 

Well nothing seemed to work out as I had hoped and we made a lot of stops, but none too successful. 

I stared to get a major headache and I felt foggy/ not with it..... I was hungry !!! 

It was lunch time and my lunch was home waiting for me, I did not pack any snacks :(  I could have ate in town, but Jason had made me egg salad the night before so I could have it for my lunch and I wanted that .

We were in the check out at Walmart and I grabbed a bag of Special K cracker chips low in calories and under $1 ;) 

We next hearded to Second Cup and I got a very large coffee and headed for home. 

It didn't take me long to make my lunch!!

I had a wrap with egg salad with some tomato, shortly after,  I noticed my headache was gone!! Hope said, Mom you needed to eat !! 

Next time I go to town I will be planning better..... Packing some carrots or an apple, no bake energy bite 

I wanted to cave and buy a chocolate bar, but I didn't !! 

Supper was DELISCIOUS !! 

Friday night is pizza night and we generally pick up a couple of pepperoni pizzas in sale. We all ear 1/2 a pizza !!! A big glass of Pepsi and some potato chips.

Not this Froday night ! My friend Mel told me about pita pizza! She said put low sodium pizza sauce , veggies and cheese I too of pita and bake OR bar-b-que chicken pizza.  I made the later. Boneless skinless chicken breast was on sale and I cooked all 4 in oven with just a little seasoning. ( I only used not even 1 for the pizzas and the rest we can have for sandwiches, wraps  or salad through the week ) 

I put Bulls Eye sauce on the pita, chopped up some green and yellow peppers, put shredded chicken breast and some cheese. Baked at 400 for about 18-20 mins and voila !

Soooo good and filling! I had water to drink and no chips ! My hubby and daughter had one also. Still cooked up a frozen pepperoni pizza (I didn't have any) 

Pita pizza was a hit with most !! Hope enjoys this also at her grandparents :) so I think it will be our Friday night now meal for now ;) Jason said he really enjoyed it am found it so flavourful compared to the pepperoni. 

I had a coffee and a no bake- protein bite. 

In the evening I had hot air popcorn with butter ..... Sooooooo good .... Probably had more than I should have, but it's all good! ( it was not microwave full of  calories which I would have an entire bag to myself several nights a week ...) I am going to put a shout out for "Skinny Popcorn" you can't get it at Costco the best popcorn !! And I am a popcorn fanatic ! ( must go with one of my costco friends soon to get some ;) ) 

No exercise , too  busy running around town! Lol 

I am thinking of keeping my work out days Monday  - Thursday , thoughts ? 

Have a great weekend everyone !!

I 'll likely wait until Monday night for an update, but you never know!!  

~ trip update, Hope and were able to get passport pics taken~ 

They are so flattering lol