End of SSSDC and Beginning of a New Semester

Today marks the end of the Summer Sizzle Slim Down challenge hosted by Rochelle. First of all, I wanted to say Thank You for hosting the challenge. I appreciate the time you took to arrange and describe the weekly goals. Plus it was great 'meeting' new bloggers.

I'm pleased to say that I ended the challenge having lost a total of 18 lbs in the past 3 months. I'm quite proud of that number because it has shown me that I don't need to have the 'perfect' conditions (if they even exist) to lose weight. I've learned how to incorporate physical fitness into my lifestyle, even when on vacation. More importantly, I've been able to get a better grip with my food. Even when I've eaten things that were not healthy, e.g. the daily gellato in Italy (yikes!), I also made sure that it didn't escalate to horrible eating all day every day. There is definitely room for improvement. The number I saw the scale is the lowest I've been in over a year and a half. I can't wait to keep on working towards improvement.

This past week's challenge was to cut out bread, pasta, cereal, and rice this week as well as avoid eating out. I wasn't 100% on this. I didn't eat out at all, but I did have bread twice this week as well as a bowl of cereal. It wasn't a craving or anything. I just did it subconsciously. Ooops. Gotta be more vigilant, especially as the Whole Life Challenge approaches ...

I started my new semester today. Today was just an admin day so I wasn't there for long. Actually, this whole week is kinda scheduled as an admin week with student orientation on Tuesday and a diagnostic test on Thursday. However, I found out that due to a scheduling glitch, my class won't meet at all until next week! So other than attending 2 meetings on Tuesday, I basically have another 6 days off until I start teaching next week. Nothing like finding out you have a few more days off to mark the beginning of a semester :)

I didn't go to the gym today like I had planned. I was coughing a lot this afternoon - not sure why as I really thought I was getting better. I wonder if it's because I didn't sleep very well last night ... anyway. I hope I'm well enough to workout tomorrow.

I'm experiencing mega-soreness from yesterday's workout. You that soreness where you can't even unhook your bra without wincing in pain? That kind of soreness ... but damn it feels good ;) Can't wait for more!

Things I've Learned and SSSDC Week 12 Update

I got back home yesterday. My throat had been a bit sore the day before and it wasn't feeling any better. By late afternoon, I felt it move down to my chest and I thought - oh no, bronchitis. I have suffered from chronic bronchitis but have been lucky not to have an attack in almost two years. The suffocating cough that accompanies it is terrible. I felt like shit.

Having slept only 2 hours in the past day and a half, I decided to go to bed early. I took a huge dose of NyQuil, put on my sweatpants, turtleneck, sweater, and socks + a hot water bottle (imagine, all this while it's still summer in Kuwait!) and got into bed.

I slept for 10 hours!

I woke up, had something to eat and took some medicine then went back to bed and slept for another 4 hours.

That NyQuil stuff really does knock me out.

I'm feeling much better today. I haven't coughed as much but it's still lurking around in my chest. I just want to get over it so that I can get back into my routine. I think my body has had enough of the traveling and jumping from one time zone to another.

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So, I weighed myself this morning and was happy to find that I weighed the same as when I left. Given my eating, I'm definitely pleased. I hope that I feel better tomorrow so that I can go to the gym, even if it's just to walk for half an hour or so.

This week's SSSD Challenge goal was to surpass our fitness/weight goals from week 10.

I haven't been setting any specific goals for each week, especially setting a number to lose each week (e.g. drop 2 lbs each week) because I have found that to be discouraging. Plus, I've really been focusing more on making changes that I'm going to continue forever, not just for the duration of a week or a challenge.

In terms of that goal, I think I've been very successful.

All the travel that I did over the past three months has really put me to the test, and I think I've passed.

Anything that interferes with my routine - even something like a meeting at work running late and crossing over into my lunch hour - makes me crazy. I've been so obsessive about my routine that I think it has actually been counter-productive. What I've learned is that there's never a perfect time when everything will go according to plan, and if it does happen, then it's an exception.

Once I accepted that the majority of my life will be filled with things that I cannot control, I started to feel more relaxed. I started to understand that the changes I need to make in my life in order to adopt a healthy lifestyle need to deal with reality and not ideal circumstances. This means learning how to cope when I'm in the middle of writing an article, grading papers, busy running errands so I can't make it to the gym, I've fallen sick, or I'm traveling. Things happen. They happen ALL the time.

I haven't perfected it yet (not sure if I ever will), but I'm getting closer.

I'm happy that I've reached the point where packing my gym clothes when going on vacation isn't a waste of space but actually something that I'll use (and enjoy).

My workouts are not a chore, rather they're a challenge. The satisfaction I feel with each accomplishment surpasses any feeling that a piece of chocolate could ever bring me.

Eating good food makes me feel GOOD. I have no urge to eat out at restaurants. I know that preparing something at home takes time and effort. I used to hate making salads because of all the chopping etc. and then one day I timed myself. How long will it take me to prepare some lettuce, chop some tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, avocado, and add some tuna and black beans? Add some balsamic vinegar and less than 20 minutes before the meal is ready. It's delicious and healthy. It would take me more than 20 minutes to drive to any restaurant, park, and order my food - let alone eat it and drive back home. It's all about reframing the concept of time. The excuses are in our head.

Today D came home from work and told me that he had his usual lunch from a diet place that they've got in his office building - it serves low calorie meals but not necessarily healthy meals. He told me that his taste has changed so much and that eating the fresh foods that we've gotten used to at home has made him not enjoy these mass/commercially produced meals. I feel the same. Even though preparing lunches for him at home so that he can take them to work might take some extra time, I know that it is time well spent. What's waking up 15 minutes earlier in the morning to make a healthier meal in the scheme of things? It's probably 15 less minutes at the gym on a daily basis I think!

Whenever I think of the excuse of time I think of Jenn who has 2 kids and a job that keeps her really busy. She wakes up at 4:30 in the morning to get to the gym at 5 and get her workout done before getting on with the rest of her day. That's dedication. That's the foundation of success.

It just goes to show, if you want it, you've got to work for it - be patient and persistent - and success will follow.

I think the turning point for me was having lost 6 lbs after my 2-week trip to Italy. I feel like I learned how to balance my food and activity to a point where nothing felt a chore. I enjoyed myself. I had fun. I watched what I ate without being paranoid. I engaged in activities without exhausting or straining myself. Things just fell into place - it felt good. It gave me a new sense of confidence and dedication in my weight loss journey - 'Yes. I can do this.'

Now I'm back home. I've got a few days before my semester starts and I'll be back to work and a more normal routine. I've got the Whole Life Challenge coming up that I want to do with Jenn and that's going to take a bit of planning (I started planning some menus already on the plane!). Lots of things to do -- so I've just got to get down and do them.

The challenge for week 13 is a low carb eating plan + no eating out. This should be easy for me since I rarely eat out and I've been trying to go low carbs for ages. I need to get back to tracking my food and being more vigilant of what I eat, how much, and when.

It all feels like it's coming together. It's a good feeling ... now I just need to beat this bronchitis!

SSSD Challenge Update and Week 11 Goals

I've kinda been missing in action from the challenge for the past two weeks because I've been away. I totally missed out on the Week 9 No Sugar challenge - not intentionally, I just hadn't checked what the challenge for the week was.

Although I hadn't set out a specific fitness goal for week 10, I'd say my overall vacation goal/fitness challenge was to not gain weight while I was away ... so of course coming back with a 6 lb. loss ... and adding another 2 lb. loss since I've been back home has made me quite happy. Seeing the numbers drop has definitely kept me more focused and motivated than before to just keep on going. Though I still have quite a ways to go, I'm getting closer and closer to my goal - I don't want to do anything to detract from it.

Earlier this week I made a huge stir-fry and have been using it to supplement my meals. It's been quick and easy and it's full of lots of good stuff:

I'll post the recipe for it later. I've been adding bits of it to egg whites to make an egg white scramble as my pre-CrossFit meal. It gives me a good dose of protein and veggies. Sometimes I've just been having it plain or with some Greek yogurt to balance out the spiciness. There are other times when I had it with a slice of toast and sometimes along side a lettuce/tomato salad. All in all, having such a big batch of veggies prepared has saved me from mindless grazing - the food is prepared; it is all healthy - I don't really need to worry about portions, though I've still been careful.

I usually take a few days to adjust to being back after vacation and don't start working out for 3-4 days after returning. This time I just took a day to rest and do all those post-travel errands and then got back into it. I was actually planning on taking today off, but then our CrossFit coach texted us about meeting up for a workout. We met at a mall near my place. I thought we were just going to power walk, but boy was I wrong!

Our workout involved walking, jogging, sprinting, running up and down flights of stairs with push-ups, walking lunges, squats, and ab twists thrown in. We did start doing 'box' jumps on the ledge of one of the fountains until security started to approach to shoo us away! ;)

I've been learning the choreography for Body Pump, so after I got home D allowed me to practice 2 tracks with him. We did the warm-up + squat track (150 squats!!) - and after that, I was totally wiped out!

So exercise has been good for me - eating has been really good too (tried another new recipe today - salmon burger on a portobello mushroom - oh so good! Again, will post the recipe soon!)

My goals for this week: Keep it up!!
This week's challenge: Reflect on the past 10 weeks and show your weight loss in food -- will do this at the end of the week :)

This week's challenge comes at a good time for me. I feel like I'm really on a roll with my food and exercise. I've had to make a few adjustments mainly due to the focus I'm giving CrossFit. The main struggle I'm still having is with sleep. Last night I only got 4 hours. I really, really want to get at least 6 hours of sleep. It shouldn't be difficult ... but it is. I find myself waking up after an hour or two and then unable to get back to sleep ... I've actually been trying to take afternoon naps, especially on CrossFit days because I really do need the extra rest and recovery time.

There are only 3 weeks left of the challenge, and though I'll be traveling next week, I still hope that I can be a better participant! I've been trying to catch up on commenting on blog posts, but there have been so many! Hopefully I'll be able to catch up this week!

SSSD Update & Week 8

Crazy busy day today -- lots and lots of errands. The good news, mom's paperwork is FINALLY ALL DONE! I managed to finish the last bit of paperwork that we had been waiting for. I'm so relieved - and so is she! Now this chapter is officially closed and we can all get on with other things.

This week was a good one for me in terms of food and exercise. However, it totally sucked in the sleep department! In the past week I got a total of 18 hours of sleep. That's averages out to slightly over 2.5 hours of sleep a night. I'm hurtin' real bad today but I've just had to push through coz' there's so much that needed to be done.

So, a quick recap of this past week -
1. Got all my errands done except for one.
2. Have started my workout plan for my holiday - but it'll have to be completed on the plane
3. Met my targets of working out for 5 hours & completing week 3 of C25K. I worked out for a total of 7 hours!
4. I'm definitely feeling more positive and determined than last week. I hope the attitude continues.

The challenge goal was to sign up for a 5K -- I've signed up for a 10K this coming November - fingers crossed I'm ready by then!

This week - Week 8: Embrace a Fitness Fear
I've actually already kinda started to work on embracing my fitness fears. However, there's still a lot more work to be done in this area. Embracing my fear will come in a two different forms this week:-

Fear 1: I'll be starting Week 4 of the C25K program, which will involve runs at stretches of 4 minutes and 6 minutes. If that's not facing a fear then I don't know what is! I'm also going to try and do one of these sessions outdoors. That'll be something new for me.

Fear 2: Burpees - For me, burpees are the worst part of CrossFit, but they're also one of the best exercises. I'm definitely improving, but I absolutely dread them. Each time I head to the Box I think - I hope there are no burpees today. During one of the sessions I missed I found out that they had done 100 burpees. *Gulp* To be honest, I was kinda relieved that I had missed that session ... and then I started to feel guilty. What's benefit will I get from hiding from this exercise? So I told myself there are two burpee challenges I want to put for myself - 1) complete 100 burpees and see how long it takes for me to finish; 2) see how many burpees I can complete within 7 minutes.

Both the run and the burpee challenge terrify me. Hopefully I'll be able to face my fears successfully.

I'm off to Rome in a few hours. I'll try to blog/comment as often as possible while I'm away.

Hope everyone has a great week :)

SSSD Update Week 7

This past week has been a big one for me. There were a lot of changes in my routine, and I didn't seem to follow any type of regular pattern at all when it came to eating, sleeping, or exercising - definitely not an ideal situation when it comes to trying to lose weight. Still, life/lemons/lemonade and all that ... After yesterday's little meltdown, I made a few realizations that I hope will help me keep perspective and maybe, just maybe, remain a bit more positive. So here's my update for the week.

SSSD Update 
Challenge for the Week: Eat Vegetarian (can eat fish)
As I said last week, this was a breeze for me because I don't eat chicken/meat anyway. Four years ago I woke up on Thanksgiving morning and decided - I don't want to eat meat anymore. I went ahead and cooked my 28 lb. turkey and I still prepare meat dishes for friends and family, but I don't partake. So, definitely a success for me!

Personal Goals
1. Not to let the stress of not having a fixed routine get me down and lead to bingeing -
This week, I accepted all that was going on around me. I realized that making the most of the last few days with my family were more important than anything else. Food wise, this week wasn't perfect. There were a few off plan meals and there were definitely more sweet treats this week than I would have liked, but no bingeing. 
2. Do at least 5 workouts - I didn't workout at all! Aside from one day when I did a few exercises at home, my week just consisted of running around doing errands and a whole lot of packing! Not exercising for a week isn't normal for me, so I'm not too worried about this though it feels terrible and embarrassing to write!
3. Back to tracking - I did take note of what I was eating, but I know that's not enough. I've got to write my foods down along with their nutritional breakdown. This was also a fail for this week :( 
4. Keep my weight loss goal in mind  - Weight loss is ALWAYS on my mind -- but having this as a goal is mainly to remind me to stay vigilant and remind myself, if I want to fit into that dress, I've got to make sure I make good choices. The only person I'm going to hurt by not working hard towards my goals is myself. I find it easier said than done. I don't know why; it just is ... but I'm trying to keep my focus and make sure my actions reflect my desires. 


Weight update - gained 1.5 lbs! :( 
Fat% - down 1% (perhaps the weight gained = muscle gain?)
Measurement update - mostly the same; a few tiny, tiny changes in some places like my neck and arm ... but the biggest change? 2.5 inches lost around my waist! I'm very happy with that!!

This week's goals
I've got exactly 1 week until I travel to Italy (though my visa hasn't come through yet, so I hope I do make the trip!) so there's a lot I need to do before then.
Challenge for the week - Commit to and sign up for a 5K - I've never done a 5K, but I've already signed up for a 10K that'll be held in October. I can't even run 5K at the moment, so working up to doing 10K is a mega-challenge!!

Personal goals -
1. Get my errands done - tons to do and not much time; going to make my final list today
2. Make a plan for my holiday to help me stay on track and not gain weight (in the land of pizza and pasta ... yikes!)
3. Get at least 5 workouts in & finish Week 3 of C25K!
4. Find a way to stay positive or at least a strategy to help me overcome those moments of negativity and pessimism

Just Going with It

I tossed and turned through most of the night. I think yesterday's stress/anxiety really affected me. Whenever my trend of insomnia starts to creep up, I get even more frustrated - I'm tired. I want to sleep. My mind just won't stop.

When my alarm went off at 7:15, I just wasn't ready to get out of bed. Not only was I tired, but I knew that I had a whole day of errands to run, and I wasn't looking forward to that at all.

I put going to the gym completely out of my mind. I had already worked out 5 days in a row so I figured a rest day was ok. Plus, as I said, there were tons of errands to run - not just any errands. Tedious, frustrating errands.

Still, we've got to go through this. If this is the anxiety I'm feeling, I can't imagine how much stress mom is feeling not knowing when she can leave Kuwait or when she'll receive her indemnity payment etc. So, I thought - just suck it up and go with it. Go with it I did ...

We ran errands from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30! There was a lot of waiting around involved, which I find more tiresome than when we're actually moving and doing something ... still, we made a bit of progress. No fixed departure date set yet ... more waiting to be done.

When my parents moved in, I set 2 rules - don't wash the dishes and don't cook. They were coming under a lot of stress. The least I could do was take care of them in this way so that they don't need to worry about food (plus it was my way of controlling the food situation at home). I finally had to cave in and allow them to cook. They were really insistent. So I thought fine - mom cooks on Sunday and dad cooks on Monday. I'll help set the menu so that it's as healthy as possible ... and then I'll just go with it -- and ENJOY it. They're both terrific cooks - why not take advantage of what will probably be my last home-cooked meals in Kuwait.

Relinquishing control does NOT come easy to me ... but I did.

Mom made a cauliflower, sweet potato, and carrot curry for me (not really curry though because it didn't have gravy) and a chicken korma for the carnivores in the family. There was some rice, roti, and yogurt as well.

It was delicious. {Do you like my curry serving dishes? Used them for the first time tonight though I bought them over a year ago!}

I'm trying to take it easy and not get myself worked up. I know that it has an effect on me physically (insomnia/abdominal pain) and mentally (anxiety) -- why freak out about things I can't control? I guess coz' I think that I can control a lot of it ... baby steps. Baby steps. I'm trying to make it work.

Oh - SSSD Challenge Update

Challenge for the Week - Lose 2 lbs
I really liked having this as my focus. I weighed myself each morning and kept asking myself with everything I ate - will this lead to your 2 lb loss?

I tried my best and saw my weight fluctuate on a daily basis - up a pound, down a pound, up two pounds, down a pound etc.

I didn't lose my 2 lbs but I'm still working on it. At the very least it made me even more conscious of not only what I was eating, but how it was having an impact on my body -- always a learning experience.

Personal Goals
1. Not to let the stress of not having a fixed routine get me down and lead to bingeing - Mostly successful with this, but I started to lose it towards the end. No binging - success!
2. Do at least 5 workouts of some sort - I managed 6 :)
3. Back to tracking - Only mentally, not on paper. 
4. Keep the 2 lb loss target in mind - I did keep it in mind, but it didn't get me to my goal! Gotta keep working on it. 

This week's goals:
Challenge for the week - Vegetarian week! Yay - easy since I only eat fish & vegetables :)
Personal goals -- Same as last week. Gotta try and make some positive changes and see some good results -- My trip to Italy is coming up soon!

Adjusting and SSSD Update

It's July 1st - can you believe it? I really thought I'd have accomplished so much more by this point, but live seems to have thrown me many curveballs. I've been swinging at them to the best of my ability but now I'm really ready for a time out. Actually, what I need is the time to get back to my life and all the plans I had set out for me for this summer.

So, my parents moved into the apartment last night. It all went relatively smoothly though I have to admit it feels a bit strange having them here. Still, it's all good. They're comfortable and that's all that matters to me.

So, it's the beginning of the month. I have just about 3 weeks until I travel again and I have tons to do before then - lots of writing, organizing, dieting, and working out ... feeling stressed again! Will this ever subside? Anyway.

The first thing I did this morning was head to the gym. I needed some time to just focus on myself. As much as I love the CrossFit community and working out as a team, there are some times when I just need some space. I got just that as I put on my boxing gloves and attacked the bag for an hour. It was intense and I loved it! What a great way to relieve some stress!

I followed my boxing with a few assisted pull ups (gotta improve that for CrossFit), some back stretches, and then 2.5 km on the treadmill. I should have done Day 1 of Week 3 of C25K but I was planning on going to the 10 a.m. Zumba class - it wasn't until I just finished my cardio that I found out it was cancelled ... will have to start Week 3 tomorrow. I can't put it off forever!

So, here's my SSSD Challenge update  for week 3:
I weighed in and was exactly the same as 2 weeks ago (didn't weigh in last week). I know I burned lots of calories, but the lack of weight loss just reminds me how important watching what I eat is to actually dropping the pounds.

Drink at least 100 oz. of water - no problem here! I drink tons of water on a daily basis. I have no cravings for any other drink except water. I think I'm lucky in that way as I hear of/read about a lot of people who can't kick the soda (diet or otherwise) habit. I do have a soda once in a while, and by once in a while I mean maybe 4 a year so I never really fret if I have one as 99% of all my other fluid intake is water. I'd say the 1% was comprised of tea/coffee and maybe fruit juice - but I know that I'd much rather eat my (healthy) calories than drink them!

Post a healthy recipe - I posted two this week (cauliflower soup and Mexican bean salad). You can find other links to recipes I've tried and liked over here.

Last week (yes, I'm behind), I didn't really have a new exercise to post, but this week I tried tire flips for the first time, and I loved them!! I also did the CrossFit workouts FRAN and BARBARA for the first time, OMG, tough but fabulous too!

As for this week ... well, I was hoping to have more control over my time/routine/schedule, but it seems like I have even less this week with my parents (who are car-less) are staying at my place. Still, I'll do the best I can. I think the challenge of losing 2 lbs this week is a good one at this point in time because I really, really need to be careful of what I'm eating, how much I'm eating, and of course how much I'm exercising. I know I should be doing that anyway, but let's be honest - maintaining a consistent disciplined routine is hard!

So, this week's goals:
1. Not to let the stress of not having a fixed routine get me down and lead to bingeing
2. Do at least 5 workouts of some sort
3. Back to tracking
4. Keep the 2 lb loss target in mind at all times and think - Do I need to eat that? Can I be moving instead of sitting? - at all times.

I guess no specific goals for this week. I'm just trying to get through this disruption in my routine without adding a disruption to the scale.

Oh, and a reply to those of you who have commented on/emailed about my recent posts --
- Thanks for the best wishes regarding my parents' move!
- I've since added another 5 pairs to my give away collection {grand total of 45}. I know some of your are already surprised at the number ... but I have another 200 in my closet (well, 198 now)! I told you I was a shoe addict!
- I'm glad I'm not alone with my fear and loathing of burpees!!

Have a great week everyone! 

Winding Down and SSSD Update

Tonight the movers are coming to put the boxes into the shipping container. I know it'll be a big relief to my parents to see all the stuff go. I can't even begin to describe how difficult the past week has been. We've been working endless hours and have reached the point of total exhaustion. Needless to say, sitting down at my computer to write a proper blog post (or comment on other blogs) just hasn't been possible. I do hope, however, that as things are winding down, I'll be able to get back into the swing of things.

I can't believe we're so close to the end of June. I had visions of relaxation and easy days for my summer vacation. All I can say right now is, what summer vacation? Still, I'm glad I've had the time (and strength/energy) to help my parents. Moving is a monumental task!

I feel like I'm in an emotionally/mentally fragile state at the moment. The days have been punctuated with tears as the reality of their move is setting in ... the thing is, once they leave Kuwait, because of visa issues, they can't come back. That's what worries me the most - even though they've lived in Kuwait for 40 years, if I get sick or if something happens, they can't just fly over ... it's complicated. It's just something that's been weighing me down. Anyway. I'm trying to stay positive. I'm so thankful for email/FaceTime. Now making a phone call or even hopping on a plane to make a 6-hour flight to visit them in Bangladesh is not a big deal. It's the emotional distance that feels far.

Packing up my room in my parents house was also emotional. Even though I haven't stayed there since 2004, I always knew it was there. I've never lived in Kuwait without my parents being here. They are what made this country home for me. Without them here, it's just another country. I'm just another expatriate living and working here. It's not really that special anymore.

Ok. This is getting depressing!!

The good thing about this whole experience - I'm totally motivated to get rid of my clutter!! When I eventually leave this country, I do not want to go through what my parents just went through. I need to get rid of stuff now. I'm definitely making it a priority this summer. Yesterday morning I went to my closet and picked out 56 items of clothing and just put them in the charity bin. It felt so good -- what's the point in holding on to these things that I never wear? I hope that I can get rid of more stuff. Bit by bit, I'm going to tackle this!

I haven't had a proper workout since Thursday's CrossFit session. However, I've have definitely worked my ass off running from room to room, packing, cleaning, lifting and pushing boxes! I didn't weigh myself on Sunday (I've totally lost track of time) nor did I precisely track my food for the past 4 days. Still, I've been conscious of my decisions and have been trying to do the best I can.

The task for this week's challenge was to try a new exercise -- aside from all the physical activity involved in the move (definitely new for me!!) my schedule was normal, so nothing new to share with that. I had ambitious goals for exercise for week 3 - I only hit half of them. Until my parents leave, I'm not going to stress out about it. This is an important time in my life. I'd normally get really anxious if anything interfered with my workout schedule. This week, however, they take priority. I'm not stressed about it. I know I'll get back into my normal routine once they've gone.

At least I managed to get into the gym today and walk 5 km. Not much, but it was something.

So, a lot of emotional stuff going on here and not a lot of focused physical movement -- time will tell how it all turns out for me!

Getting To It and SSSD Update

I started back at the gym today. It felt good to be back though I could have used a few more hours of sleep before doing my workouts. Still, I wanted to do the Body Pump and Zumba classes which meant getting to the gym by 8:30 a.m.

I used slightly lighter weights for Body Pump today - I haven't done the class in just over two weeks plus my right arm/shoulder is still feeling a bit sore so I didn't want to push it. The class was mainly help me warm my muscles up since it's been a while! I don't want my body to go into complete shock once I get back to CrossFit!

I then went to Zumba, which I also haven't done in about two weeks. I have missed that class!! I forgot how much fun I have dancing. At first I was a bit stiff plus there were a number of new songs that I didn't know ... still, once I warmed up, I was good to go! Shakin' my ass like it was nobody's business ;)

I did absolutely nothing for the rest of the day. I just vegged in front of the TV watching Season 7 of Grey's Anatomy (yes, I'm really behind!). The best part about having the hubby home on a day like this is that when the DVD was over, I just had to text him to come and change the disc for me. Yes, I was that lazy today! :) [He's such a sweetheart for indulging me like this - as long as I don't make a habit of it!]

So, on to the SSSD update:

I haven't even been back a full week so I've only been doing the challenge for 6 days. Plus I gave myself the week off from exercise, so as you can imagine, getting in 6 hours of activity was not easy. Still, this is what I did accomplish:

Weight
I have no set goal of weight loss on a weekly basis. I do know that I want to lose 7 kg (15 lbs) by July 22) so I'm just going to keep working towards that.

This week: Lost 2 lbs (which is not bad considering it hasn't even been a full week!) 

Tracking Calories
Tuesday-Friday I tracked everything I ate. Laziness got the best of me yesterday and today.
Although tracking was the challenge for week 1, it is something that I want to continue as best as possible for the rest of the challenge. It really does come in handy.

Reflections on Food
Damn those carbs! Yesterday and today I ate too many carbs and too much salt. These are the two things that really affect me badly. I need to totally cut them down this upcoming week.
Water intake is good but I'm not back up to my normal intake yet. I think this will change once my exercise routine is back in play.

Exercise
The challenge for week 2 was to get 6 hours of exercise. I did 2 hours at the gym today and I'd say another 2 hours of other types of 'more than normal' activity - the running around/packing/moving with my parents. So I think I can safely say that I did 4 hours this week. I'm not obsessing over the number because it was my week off ... I'm sure I'll hit 6 hours this upcoming week. It'll be another goal that I'll try to maintain throughout the challenge.

My plan for the upcoming week - get in at least

• 1 swim 
• 1 boxing lesson
• 2 CrossFit sessions
• 2 C25K sessions
• 1 free weights session
• 1 body balance/yoga/pilates class

Ambitious, isn't it? Fingers crossed I can get them all done!

Challenge for this week: Try a new exercise/gym equipment
Hmmmm I'm not sure what I'll try this week. There aren't too many things that I haven't tried at the gym. I'll hunt around and see what I find and let you know in next week's update!

The Next 40 Days & SSSD Challenge

I have exactly 40 days until my next trip. It's a good amount of to plan and implement some solid lifestyle changes that will help me reach my goals. For these next 40 days I have the luxury of time since I am on summer vacation. I wish I could say that I have no work to do during this time, but that is not the case. I have quite a few tasks that need to be completed in terms of my research and writing along with a humongous list of things to do that needs to be tackled (is it just me or does the list of things 'to do' always seem to grow?).

I've also joined the Summer Sizzle Slim Down Challenge (SSSD). I know I'm more than a week behind all the other participants, but better late than never I guess!

I really benefitted from the Ready for Summer Challenge that was hosted by Maren. Not only did the weekly challenges provide some sort of structure for me to follow, but the support from fellow bloggers served as a huge source of motivation. I'm hoping the SSSD will help me do the same.

The SSSD Challenge started on June 3 and will end on Sep 2 -- it's perfect timing as it covers my entire summer vacation. Within this time period I have two more trips planned - a 2 1/2 week trip (July/August) and then a 5-day trip in August. Actually, the rest of this year is filled with several other trips as well - particularly my best friend's wedding. So, I'm basically going to be setting weight targets with my travel dates as guidelines.

I'm merging my personal goals with my SSSD targets - here's the plan.

1. SSSD -- before/after pictures; measurements; weight

Pictures. Pictures. Pictures. Ugh!!! I've been resisting posting these details up until this point. My hesitation is a combination of embarrassment and shyness since I have friends that I see on a regular basis who read this blog. There's also the issue of privacy of course. Once it's up on the Internet, anybody can see what you're posting ...

Despite these hesitations, I've decided to post a bit more about my journey.

The main reason for this is because I have found this blog to be incredibly helpful to me -- very cathartic. I am also quite proud of the progress that I have made so far (something I never would have even been able to say before). I still have a long way to go, but I've worked hard to get to where I am now ... and I intend to share the rest of my journey as well. Finally, and probably most importantly, I have drawn such strength and motivation from other bloggers who have faced their fear and have posted all the details about their weight/measurements/photos etc. Some of the transformations have been phenomenal. These blogs have shown me that it is possible ... I can do it ... I hope that through my blog I can impart even a fraction of the inspiration that I have received from others.

I'm still apprehensive so all I'm going to do is start with a few pictures. I've posted these on a new page that will be at the top of my blog. These will count as my 'before' pictures ... we'll see how I look on September 2nd!

I weighed myself this morning and was dismayed to see a 1 kg gain over the past week. Still, I'm confident that once I get into a regular routine (including sleep - I've been up since 1:45 a.m. - damn jet lag!!) things will fall into place (and fat will fall off my body!!). I also took my measurements. Most of my measurements have stayed the same, though I was happy to see 1/2 inch lost around my abdomen and another 1/2 inch from my thighs and calves -- not sure how that loss translates into the number on the scale. Oh well.

I'll be weighing myself every Sunday and measuring myself on the 1st Sunday of every month.

My Long-Term Weight Loss Targets
July 23 - lose 7 kg (15 lbs) and maintain until after my August trip
September 2 - lose a total of 10 kg (22 lbs) [end of SSSD Challenge]
October 6 - my best friend's wedding (ceremony 1) - lose a total of 14 kg (30 lbs)
December 18 - my best friend's wedding (ceremony 2) - lose a total of 18 kg (40 lbs)

Those are some big targets. I hope I can reach them.

2. SSSD -- Week 1 challenge: Track your food; Week 2 challenge: 6 hours of exercise
I'm combining these two challenges together since I missed Week 1.

Tracking my food is going to be a priority over the next few months (maybe forever??). I've become careless with my portion sizes and I've been slipping more and more into the whole 'a little bit won't hurt' mentality. I don't think that a little bit will hurt ... but do that on a daily basis and it's not a little bit anymore! So, starting from today I'm tracking my food. I'm not using any websites to do this because I don't think I'll be able to keep it up. Instead I've got a little chart that has space for me to fill in all the nutritional breakdowns etc. of everything that I eat. I'm going to fill it in myself.

I've been hearing a lot about the Paleo eating plan as well as the Dukan diet. I'm not going to follow a particular type of diet -- however I have downloaded the books and plan on trying out some of the recipes. I'm still figuring out the exact details about my daily calorie intake and amount of protein etc. I'm guessing I'm looking at a daily calorie intake of around 1400-1750 depending on my workouts for the day.

I've also got to come up with a workout plan. There's tons that I want to do - CrossFit, Zumba, Boxing, Body Balance, Weights - but I haven't figured out what my schedule is. I have to get the gym's summer schedule. I also have to confirm what days there will be CrossFit training. So my intentions are there, but the plan has yet to be organized.

I've told myself that I'll take the next few days to rest, get organized, and catch up on sleep ... it's always a bit counterintuitive to me to just sit down and do nothing ... but I really do think I need the rest. It's been a very hectic past 5 months (not to mention 4 1/2 years)! In any case, taking this week off to recuperate kind of negates Week 2's challenge of 6 hours of exercise ... terrible start to the challenge, isn't it? I'll do what I can, but after writing all this stuff down I feel like it won't really be until the upcoming Sunday that things really start to fall into place.

I've got more to write in terms of my summer plans, but I think I'll end this post here for now and continue tomorrow. In the meantime, this summarizes my basic summer plan quite well: