I Did It!

Well folks, I did it! Today is the final day of my 21 day No Junk Food Challenge!  I can't begin to tell you how invigorated I feel right now!  I just got back from my final workout at Curves before it closes and weighed in at an even 145 lbs!  So, since the first time I weighed myself starting the challenge I was up to 150.5 lbs (still cringing about that!), my total loss over the three weeks is 5.5 lbs!  I also managed to hit my 300th workout before the closure today!!  This just goes to prove that all it takes is WILLPOWER and DETERMINATION!


Sure, some days were tougher than others - when I had a big cake order and banoffee pie to fulfill, suffering through the aroma of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies my daughter baked last weekend...but I made it through and am all the stronger for it!

My eating habits have changed and I'm hoping the impact will be lasting.  This afternoon we are heading up to our condo in Boyne Falls for a weekend of blissful skiing!  My big indulgence this weekend will be that pizza grinder from the Trophy Room at Boyne Mountain and perhaps a cup of hot cocoa at the top of the slopes!  Other than that I'm pretty confident my choices will be healthy ones!

On Sunday night my daughter wanted to make dinner.  In the fall while I was laid up with a broken ankle and John was recuperating from a hernia surgery, she enlisted my mom's help to create her very own thought out concoction which she has aptly named Broken Shepherd's Pie.  She really wanted to make it again and was insistent about doing all the chopping by herself!  I'm so proud of my little chef!  She took care of everything - even setting the table with serviettes and candles!  Revelling in the praise bestowed upon her, she suggested that from now on, the three kids should take turns making dinner on Sunday nights!  DONE!  What a superb idea!  So next weekend Jacob decided he'll be making pork chops with carrots and corn.  I think it's great!  As I've learned myself over the past two years, there is such pleasure derived from creating a lovely meal and watching others enjoy it too. 

Although it was bittersweet leaving Curves today, I am happy about discovering a new little gem within the same plaza that just opened this week.  Farmer Jack's Market!  I walked in on Monday night to a little produce wonderland of sorts!  They sell organic and local produce, but they also make homemade soups and smoothies!  I was so impressed that I went back the next day to order a smoothie and a snack mix to take with me today.  While I was there I met Felicia, the owner and soup chef!  All the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better.  Felicia's soups are amazing!  I've tried the Potato, Leek and Spinach as well as the Creamy Coconut with Jasmine Rice.  I couldn't resist getting a bowl of soup as well.  I highly encourage you to visit this place!  What a great alternative to caving to the drive-thru beckoning at McDonald's, or other fast food joints!  As I type, I am slurping a Blueberry Bliss smoothie (blueberry, banana & spinach) that I picked up right after my workout!  There is no guilt after consuming a bowl of healthy soup and/or smoothie!  There is no feeling about your choices, making you upset with yourself for making those choices leading you to stress eat



 

There is no guilt to be felt after consuming a bowl of healthy soup and/or smoothie!  No need to feel bad about your choices, leading to depression and despair, causing you to stress eat and further the cycle like you might have had you gone to that fast food restaurant instead! 

So I'll end by urging you to go visit Farmer Jack's Market and Felicia and keep this quote in mind!

Now, I must go and pack!  But Colin, why oh why did you back away from the voice of Paddington?  I saw the film last weekend - loved it, but missed your voice!



No Junk Food Challenge

 Well folks, I am now halfway through my 21 Day - No Junk Food Challenge!  I'm not going to lie to you and say it's been easy as cake, hmmm...cake (don't even think about it!).  But it has certainly gotten easier!  By lunch on day 1 that pumpkin pie was staring me in the face but I held strong and had a bowl of borscht instead.  I also printed out my two words WILLPOWER and DETERMINATION to plaster around the house - on the refrigerator, inside the pantry, on the television!  I printed off smaller copies of the challenge rules and taped one to the inside of my iPhone case as a 'mobile' reminder!                  

 

 

 

 On the Saturday morning, my kids were begging for pancakes so I made them challenge friendly!  I made my yummy Pumpkin Pancakes - made with whole wheat flour so it was ok!

 

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

pinch of salt

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups milk

3/4 cup cooked pumpkin puree

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

 

*In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. * In another bowl whisk the eggs, then add the buttermilk, pumpkin puree and oil and mix until combined  *Add egg mixture to the dry ingredients, whisking just enough to combine.  Let stand for 5 min.  *Heat a non-stick griddle to medium heat.  Drop the batter onto the griddle according to the size you wish and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes or until tops look dry and bubbles begin to break.  Do not flatten with a spatula.  Turn pancakes over and cook for another minute or two until browned.  Serve and enjoy!

 

 Last Monday, with the first three days of the challenges successfully under my belt, I went to Curves and was utterly discouraged when the scale told me I was now 150.5 lbs!!!  Yikes, didn't it know it was supposed to move the other direction???  How did that happen?  At any rate, after allowing myself to wallow in self pity for almost a minute, I closed my eyes and envisioned those words emblazoned in front of me WILLPOWER and DETERMINATION!  I'll show those scales who's boss here!  My progress seems staggeringly slow but by Thursday I was back down to 149 lbs!

 

 My first real test came on Wednesday when 5 of us went to Serendipity for lunch to celebrate Carla's birthday.  I have become quite a regular patron since the tea house opened a couple of years ago and I always order the same thing - the Cream Tea.  This is essentially two lovely scones accompanied with a small pot of clotted cream and jam, some fresh berries and a pot of tea.  Serendipity is my go to crutch for both celebrations and pick-me-ups!  I take great solace in every bite of those scones!  Well, it was with great sadness that I gave it up for the sake of this challenge.  Instead I ordered a turkey club sandwich on whole wheat bread - my dessert... the small garden salad joining it!  Surprisingly, I didn't suffer as greatly as I had anticipated when each of my friends savoured their own scones right before my eyes and taste buds!  I did it!!!

 

 

 And then...the next day...alone in my kitchen...oh, the torture!  I made a banoffee pie for Carla's actual birthday and baked a three layer chocolate chip cake for a 16th birthday - and I couldn't even lick the spoon!  The lovely smells emanating from my kitchen all day could have surely broken the most determined of people, but I remained steadfast and in control (of course I did fix my eyes on the words on the fridge enough times that they are now burned in my psyche!) and danced my way through it listening to Colin sing on my Mama Mia soundtrack!  That night I very successfully completed week 1 of the challenge and lived to tell you about it!

 

 Today we drove up to Kingston to meet my new niece Annie for the first time.  John planned to stop at this place called The Big Apple for lunch and to pick up a pie to take with us.  Knowing that that meant junk food which is not permitted for me, I packed myself a banana, some whole wheat Melba toast with sliced Gruyere cheese and some homemade quince butter I made the night before.  While John and the kids mowed down on pizza, pop and fries, I ordered an apple cider to drink with my lunch in the car.  And you know what?  I was totally ok with that!

 

What they ate

What I ate!

  I'm so pleased that I inspired others with this challenge!  My friend Michelle started the challenge the day after I did, and Brenda will be starting it too!  Michelle has upped the ante on the challenge and we will also be drinking at least 60 oz of water every day!  Some days are harder than others, and things will spring up to test you - but if you have the WILLPOWER and DETERMINATION, I assure you, that you can do it too!  Don't put it off thinking you will start after so-and-so's birthday, or after Valentine's day etc. because there will always be something else ahead.   After the first few days, I didn't even feel as hungry as I thought I would, and the temptations are becoming easier to bare and dismiss!

 

 





Willpower and Determination

Just when you think you've got yourself sorted out and are gung ho for a fresh start...the trap door opens! 

The year began with the death of a friends' sister-in-law dying of cancer, another friend suffering a stroke, the mother of a friend nearly entering the pearly gates, news that Bono may never play guitar again...and Curves will be closing at the end of this month!  Hard not to view the glass as half empty!

On Tuesday, the skies seemed a bit brighter as we celebrated my son's 12th birthday and the birth of my little niece Annie!  I returned some things to the library and noticed Colin looking at me from one of the bookshelves saying, "Take me home with you!" so I signed out the copy of "Railway Man" by Eric Lomax.  You might remember that I saw this film at TIFF in 2013 and it was fantastic!  I then went next door for my workout at Curves...and ABBA music was playing, replacing my previous gloom with captivating visions of Colin on the Greek island in Mama Mia!  Although things were somewhat bittersweet at Curves with the upcoming closure, these small things kept me motivated and inspired to go on.  Curves had replaced items in the club withtaken things down from the boards and replaced them with photos collected over the years - and I found one of me taken on Hallowe'en in 2004 before I got pregnant with my third child.

 

 

Later that night I was watching an episode of The Middle for the first time and Patricia Heaton' character said she occasionally dreamed of Colin Firth!  Sorry, just had to add that in there!  Colin is sending me signs everywhere it seems!

Last night I started a session of Booty Barre taught by my friend Melanie.  With temperatures reaching -30*C, my daughter having strep throat and myself a migraine it was so difficult to make myself get there!  But in the end I'm glad I did - I really needed it!  I knew that if I stayed home it would be that much easier to miss next week and the week after etc.  The two words that I am going to abide by for 2015 are WILLPOWER and DETERMINATION.   Each time I thought it would be so much easier to stay home and curl up on the couch last night - I repeated those words to myself!

This weekend I will be commencing a No Junk Food Challenge that I found on Pinterest.  I believe the key to being successful with this is proper preparation.  Knowing that I will be going to Serendipity next week for Carla's birthday and scones with cream and jam aren't permitted, I will for the first time order just a sandwich (whole wheat bread) and salad or soup.  At the end of the month I will have to forego the pizza grinder that I love so much when we go to our new condo in Boyne Falls.  I will also be hosting one of my book clubs this month so I need to plan what to serve that isn't restricted by the challenge.  Of course I could have waited till these events were over to begin, but then others would just as soon pop up and deter me from ever starting.  Besides, if I can get through those 21 days I know I will be that much prouder and it will be a true test of my WILLPOWER and DETERMINATION!

Today I will be printing out copies of the challenge to post throughout the house where any temptations may lie.  I will be making a pumpkin pie as a sort of 'last supper' for the family to enjoy before I begin the challenge.  Planning menus and snacks is also essential as well so I won't be as likely to succumb to cravings.

Well, wish me luck!  I'll keep you updated on my progress!  What changes/challenges are the rest of you doing so far this year?

New Beginnings!

Since my last entry, I suffered a rather large hematoma on my right leg (soccer injury), took up running and was about to run my first 10K race when a week before I broke my left ankle (again, soccer injury).  Needless to say, these injuries impeded any further progress with my Colin Firth Diet Club, leaving me prone to idleness and weight gain!

I was just recently given the OK to start up at Curves again and I am hoping to work my way out of the slump sooner rather than later!  Last week, upon my return to Curves, I begrudgingly weighed myself and ... gulp...it read 149 lbs.  Yes, I am hanging my head in shame at this very moment, thoroughly disgusted with myself...yet determined to find my way out once again!

It only seemed right, that in the absence of entries for the better part of 2014 I resolve to get myself back on course...with many things...including my blog entries.  And what better subject to inaugurate new beginnings than "Love, Actually"?

As many of you know,  my favourite holiday event is my annual Love Actually party where I invite my lovely friends over (pj's required!) for Chinese food followed by a viewing of our all time favourite Christmas movie!!!  John serves the wine and drives people home to their comfy beds afterwards!  It never fails that we have someone new join us and someone who has not seen it before - I know, I know, I can't believe it either!  It has become my mission to oversee that women the world over succumb to the influence of this film!  This year the newbie was Melanie and she came bearing gift!

Now that's a girl that knows a direct way to my heart!!  This was like a VIP pass good for eternity!  I had a couple new additions to the festivities myself this year.  The ornament that our Elf on the Shelf is wearing which came with the 10th Anniversary DVD and I also ordered wine labels off  Etsy.com!  Next year will be even better when I display the Love Actually pillowcases that Santa brought me for Christmas!!!

My traditional banoffee pie was the best I've ever made!  And of course, it was served after pausing when Juliet (Keira Knightley) arrives at Mark's (Andrew Lincoln) door with her proffered, "Banoffee pie?"!  Carla has requested a banoffee pie for her birthday later this month instead of a cake!

Now, I must go and work on the rest of my New Year's Resolutions ...one of which is to stop cursing so much, with the exception of Love Actually quotes, because sometimes you just gotta say, "Where the fuck is my fucking coat?" (I often feel obliged to substitute car keys, cell phone etc).

Anyways, I know many of us have endured turmoil of one sort or another over the past year, but I wish you all happiness and health for 2015!