Riri’s weight loss and fitness blog

I put sour cream on my chili
I put whipped cream in my coffee
I put mayo in my sandwich
I put mustard on my steak
I put whipped cream on my ice cream
I put sauce bearnaise on my fish
I put mayo on my shrimp
I put sugar in my tea
I put butter on my toast
I put butter in my popcorn

And so life goes on...

so... One week in the "program" and I already feel more energized. I managed to go to the gym twice, but also indulged in more sweets than necessary. No question why I haven't lost more. But I'm ok with it since all I'm hoping is to lose one pound a week... Since I give myself the entire year to achieve this, I may go up and down a little and I should not feel bad about it. Here are some pictures from my trip to the "Machines room" where I actually don't pump any iron because I am focusing on cardio for now. But the mirrors are making it all look quite impressive.

And I've been working like a dog... in the office, of course. I managed to go to the gym at lunchtime though, and it felt really good. I did an hour of cardio in the fat burning zone while reading a magazine and staring at the TV screen without the sound on. After the gym I went to Wendy's and picked up a Taco salad with all the extra goodies on top. I said I wasn't going to diet, right? But salads are good for you, even with the nachos and the spoon of sour cream. I also ate my fruits in between meals and drank my 2l of water. I think I'm doing good so far for not being hungry. I even managed to get totally disgusted by fast food the other night when we went to the movies.

I tried eating a chicken sandwich from Burger King, I could only swallow half. It had too much mayo and the chicken was disgusting. I then tried to eat a tiny slice of cheese pizza, but I found it had a taste of burnt oil. I ended eating popcorn, but it was too dry and not salty enough. At least that's what my mind was telling me and I would have rather munched on apples and carrots. Not sure if this is self-hypnosis or just a lousy fast food joint, but I know I'm going to stay away from it for a while. Here are some photos I took today :

Damn, when did I put all this weight on? 2007 was the year when I got depressed again, I spent more time decorating the house than taking care of myself, I ate like a pig ice cream after ice cream and overall ate less than one vegetable dish a month. As a result, I put on about 15 pounds. With the 20 that I had put on in the previous years, I managed to reach the same weight as the next day after I gave birth. But this time, I kept it and I'm quite ashamed of it. So, as a major resolution for 2008, I am going to try and lose 33 pounds (15kg).

How am I going to do it? First of all, stop eating junk and start introducing fruits and veggies into my diet. But I am not going to go on a diet per se, because I suck at dieting, but rather watch what I eat. I am going to go to the gym 3-5 times a week, drink at least 2l of water a day, take my vitamins, Omega 3-6-9, Iron and acidophillus pills, and not have more than one dessert a week. For extra motivation, I'll be taking and posting online a picture of my scale every week on Tuesdays.

Here is the starting point :

... Because I can. :-)

I was really not motivated to go to my Yoga class this week. I was feeling terribly sick to my stomach and I still am, for no apparent reason than eating too much and the increased coffee consumption, out of necessity because I need to remain productive in the office even when I go to sleep late. But my hubby kept insisting that I'd feel much better afterwards and indeed, I came back home with no more tummy pain and so re-energized that I kept doing Yoga poses for my weekly Yoga related picture until I found these two that looked good enough.

I was actually quite a lazy bum and didn't go much to the gym in the last few weeks. Been too busy at the office to leave before 5pm and make it to my Powerflex class and in the evenings, and too many things to do at home to prepare the Holidays and my son's birthday. Thank goodness my weight stayed the same, even after binge after binge...

I need to get back in track though before I lose my motivation. But is it really possible at this time of the year?

For those who don't know me yet, I've spent 10 years in France where I met and married my University sweetheart. While we were living there, in the Paris' burbs, we fell in love... with a cake. Le Trianon, only found in the Carrefour supermarkets. If there is one culinary thing that I really miss from France, it is this cake. For years I tried to find the original recipe, and finally, it looks like I've got my hands on something that may be as good as the original. I'll let you know how it turns out. For now, I'm drooling. Let's celebrate "put-on-a-pound day" and encourage people to taste good stuff... maybe less would die of anorexia. Let's spread the word... and pay it forward with the yummiest cake ever!

Some news that really made me sad, although she's not the first, nor the last. Ana Carolina Reston, model for the Elite agency died a few days ago from complications of anorexia. She was 1.70m and only 40kg (88lb).

It is such a shame...

I don't want to hear about anyone who wants to lose weight today. Not even myself. I actually went to Mario's and indulged myself with a salmon salad with bacon bits and asiago cheese, and for the first time in weeks a DESSERT! Cheesecake with raspberry sauce and whipped cream. It was absolutely marvelous! How's that for motivation to NEVER, ever get under your healthy weight?? You know, the one with meat on the bones and some cushioning on the tummy... Right?

See more pictures here.
Ana Carolina's Elite profile.
News of her death in Portugese.

(Cross-posted on my blog Riri's Brain Dump)

When you know that you've been eating badly, there's only one way to fight the extra calories. Go on the treadmill and exercise. I've been doing the "Fat Burning" program for one hour, trying to remain under 122bpm, which is the target zone for maximum fat burn. While doing spinning is pure cardio because my heart rate rarely goes under 155bpm, walking for one hour on the treadmill might become quite boring. So I loaded my iPod Shuffle with my favorite songs and off I went to the gym. The best part of the day's gotta be the 10 minutes in the steam room though. I feel awesome now.

Want to know more details? I set the program to 3.3 mph and the treadmill adjusts itself to keep my heart rate around 122bpm. What is interesting is that I start with a recline of 2.0 and by the end of the workout I'm at 8.5, for the same heart rate. Amazing how the body works, eh?

Below is a video that I found on YouTube and that makes me laugh each time I see it. I think it fits this treadmill centric post of the day. Enjoy!

Today at our office it was the last day of the fund raising campaign for the United Way and I was not expecting this... pizza lunch was served instead of the regular "healthier" alternatives, which usually gravitate around chicken and rice. I was sabotaged!! I had brought with me a Lean-something frozen dinner, chicken and pasta with some white sauce, but as soon as I saw the pizza, the Lean-something stuff went directly in the freezer and I served myself 2 mighty slices of pizza with a Caesar salad and a cranberry juice. I skipped the complimentary timbit though. But, I wonder how many calories I stuffed in me, right there, during that 30 minute lunch. Oh well, it was really delicious... so no hard feelings.

Especially after having worked so hard at Yoga tonight. Almost 2h of intense, sweat dripping power poses, breathing and balance. I am making a lot of progress, however every time I am trying to maintain a low Warrior 2 pose, the correct version with the knee aligned with the toes, it's damn hard! I am really proud of me though, I don't think many people can do head stands and bridges (or is it wheel?) poses, but I can without difficulty. Yay me!!

Have I mentioned how HUNGRY I am right now? I would eat a COW! But no, I won't have anything right now, that would be silly after all this hard work. I managed to lose 5 pounds in the last 2 months and I need to lose 12 more to reach my goal. I was so happy to see that I'm in the lower 65 kg in the last 2 days. I am motivated. I feel great. Who wants to join me?

To end this post on the food subject, my hubby bought me a President's Choice "Blue Menu" chicken and whole wheat pasta frozen dinner that I ate yesterday. The pack looked tiny, but I was surprised to see how full I was feeling after eating it. And it was really yummy too. Recommended! Here's the one that I had and I'm planning to try other recipes too. Too bad you can only find this stuff in Canada.

I am the only one who is disappointed by Tim Horton's choice to sell fast food look alike sandwiches? Seriously, just look and compare. I am ashamed for Tim Hortons. I can't even brag that I'm going to Tim's for a "healthier" breakfast anymore. I thought that Canada was growing increasingly aware of fast food's consequences. If this is the way menus get "healthier", than I'm going on a Big Mac diet right now.
Damn, I'm upset for Canada.