-88

Quick one tonight. Still killing it at 100%. Did a 20 min ho lo run today. Going to take it easy with the ankle and give it a chance to strengthen.
Did my workout early today. Its so great to get out and be able to do it outside.
We are at least 6 weeks early with weather this year and a min of 10 degrees warmer so I am taking advantage of it.
I had a 3 day reprieve from work but its crazy again, It all good and I am thrilled that I can handle it all.
OK I need to get to bed at a decent hour.
Have a great weekend everyone!!

Wohooo I am a RUNNER

Two years ago while training for the Vancouver Marathon I blew my ankle out. It was a huge disappointment.
especially 3 weeks before the event. I had trained in the worst of winter conditions, my first run was in -40.
I had endured that to have to quit. Rest they said and you will be back.
It never healed and continued to plague me. I rested for a full year and yes, a big contributor to my weight gain.
At Dana's urging I began the round of MRI and ortho surgeons.  Nothing.
This year as Jan hit I realized I must try again to find a fix. I met a physio therapist who diagnosed the problem within 10 min.
I ran today. 35 minutes. no pain,no hesitation. I truly thought I was never going to run again.
To say I am thrilled would be a small statement.
I know marathons are not likely in my future, But a lovely 30 min run on a sunny day feels like freedom.

Wk1 Day 2 -90

Today:
Its interesting how having a precise number in front of me gets me simply doing.
It’s created a daily expectation of exactly what I must do.
I have the freedom to chose how I reach those numbers so the day is of my choosing and has great flexibility. It simply needs to be done.
The numbers are harder to reach than you might think so I must be aware at all times. This is not a negative feeling quite the opposite,
Yes I must do it but I set the expectation and I get the reward. Being in charge of how it comes together is critical.
Its funny how my head is still going to Oh I should be lifting weights a certain way at a certain cadence.
I remind myself that. no I should be doing exactly what I am. My number 1 goal is BF loss and what I am doing will get me there.
I will be adding in some lifting a few times a week but right now the important thing is routine and maintaining it. My way.
It is also teaching me about maintenance down the road and what a reasonable expectaion for myself will be. And the creative ways I can get the right amount of exercise in.
My nutrition is not a challenge in any way. I enjoy a drink me smoothie for breakfast and salad and another fruit smoothie during the day.
Not hungry, no cravings and lots of energy. Clear thinking and inches are falling.
I am glad I am not using the scale. It has the power to derail me and I am not allowing that.
I will repeatedly do everyday the things required. My body will release the fat in its own time and fashion. But it will release it.
The weather continues to be beautiful and this morning I took advantage of that. I had to pick up a water sample from a client and chose to walk than drive. So 2 things taken care of, a business transaction and 6000 steps and 45 min of moderate activity and 200 calories. Not exactly difficult.
We decide if we succeed. Choose success!

-37 13 weeks and another 2 inches

Haa I have too many dates going on. I will use the 13 week countdown.
I am meeting Dana and Rachel in NY in 13 weeks and we have a sexy in NY challenge going on.
I have had a terrific week. On plan all week.  Hit my goals every day for the last 4 and really had some nice averages for the week. The next weeks will be 100% no exceptions. I did 90 days of RTP at 100% I can do it again.
The great thing is this 13 weeks will take me to the end of the weight loss journey. Past that will be tweaking if I desire but I will be at a perfect weight for me.
I am still 100% raw and not struggling at all. I am enjoying it, never hungry actually find myself rather full after my daily salad.
This morning I simply felt thinner. I am not using the scale for this challenge so out of curiosity I measured again.
Surprisingly I lost 2.25 inches in the last 2 days. Its all moving in the correct direction so I am very happy and of course highly motivated.
Thats it for tonight, just want to relax for whats left of it. I work weekends, well I work all the time but no weekends off is my point. I have my patio set up and we are having summer like weather so I shall go and sit and read. Just came back from an hour walk as I needed to finish my daily goals.
Have a pleasant evening and a great start to you week.
100% 1 day at a time.
C

-38..Slipping into my Jeans

No not yet but that is what I miss the most. That feeling, sensation of slipping into my jeans. Them sliding over your hips, sliding up the zip and popping on a T.
Not the wiggle and struggle and feeling like a overstuffed grape when done and searching for anything that will cover the bulge...sigh Soon!!
Yesterday was a great day ( well every day its but goal wise). I hit the gym in the morning and made sure I had hit 50% of my goals by noon.
Even though I started out that way I still had to go back last night and finish up. I had 3000 steps left, 15 min of moderate activity and 100 cals to burn,
I find it interesting how little movement my day holds.
I walked to the salon in the afternoon and worked with clients in the evening and still did not hit the 1.5H of moderate activity. This is with 33 min done in the gym.
Most of us really do not move enough to burn many calories. Its deceiving and a lot of the reason folks are obese.
Yes overeating is part of it but people simply do not move or over estimate how much.
Saturday and for a change I am not working ( other than phone calls).
I have decided I will go for a walk to the library and then hit the gym. I want to see my alternatives to the treadmill to getting my activity levels in.
Its unseasonably warm and I wish to take advantage.
I am loving my challenge. It feels great to be working to 100 % . I am emotionally thinner already and  seeing and feeling yourself getting there is the biggest motivator there is.
Yesterdays score:

TARGET	ACTUAL	Share  |  Report  |  Export  |
	Calories Burned	2000 CALORIES	2177 CALORIES
	Calories Consumed	1000 CALORIES	876 CALORIES
	Calorie Balance	1000 CALORIE DEFICIT	1301 CALORIE DEFICIT	You are on a weight loss trend
	Physical Activity	1:50 HRS:MINS	2:08 HRS:MINS
	Steps Taken	15000 STEPS	15332 STEPS
	Sleep Duration	8:00 HRS:MINS	8:26 HRS:MINS

Have a terrific weekend All!

-39 -3.25 and Challenges & Thanks

It funny how we forget some of the best things we learn.

The best things I learned from Adam and RTP were to set yourself a challenge, plan the work,take daily photos, measure and compare and recommit daily and find someone to be accountable to.

Not difficult and I had it for a long time. But as you start to remove any of the pieces it starts to unravel.
Some of it came from wanting to believe I had learned and therefore could do it on my own.
The main piece as we all know is the accountability and leaving the SS caused that to slip.

So thanks once again, to all of you for being so welcoming. I need this. Can I do it alone, likely but its easier and a lot more fun as part of a large group.

Having re-identified all these crucial pieces had really got me back on track.
I did not realize quite how much till this morning.

Last night I hit the gym late and was a long way from my preset go wear goals. Put in an hour on the treddie I said. As I interspersed my time with HIIT and walking I started to watch the numbers.
Just looking at how close I was made me push myself on and on. The end result was 20 min longer than I wanted to spend but the culmination of it was hitting each and every target.
To say that it felt great would be an understatement.
The affect it truly had was making me want to hit those goals.

This morning I sent Rachel a quick email and in it gave her my update and my commitment.
100% for the next 2 weeks.
This got me down to the gym with no procrastination other than a quick skype/text with Jace...
Again I planned on an Hour. 45 min into it I realized that I needed to hit my 1/2 way mark before I left. Again 10 min more than I wanted, but I got it done.

-3.25. ahh yes well thats inches. Not a huge improvement but an improvement and that too provided me with further motivation. It was over a 3 week period but definitely going down.

So if you are struggling go back to the basics you know so well. They work and you know that because you have made them work.
So 14 days for me. I will post my results. I have to find a way to post a pdf on blogger.
Have a terrific Weekend every one.
C

-40 Choices and an explanation for Tom

For the last few months I have been fighting to get myself onto a dedicated program. I have stopped and started and there have been reasons but mostly a lot of excuses.
We live in Now so that's what we shall discuss.
I have made the decision to go RAW and am not struggling at all. I am fortunate to have a great HF store withiin walking distance and they carry everything you could want.
I also like I can get most of it in convenient open and serve. No thinking, no excuses.
I feel like I have been prepping for this 4 the last few weeks. I have even gone back and read some of my old SS blogs to see where I was at the same time last year.
I did so well on RTP and needed to remind myself why.

Goals Goals Goals

1- Stay on track...lol

I wear a go-wear fit armband. It measures the calories I burn,cal consumed ( I enter this) , cal balance, the # of steps,my activity levels, sleep duration and weight.
You can set daily goals on it.
My daily goals are:
burn 2500
consume 1000-
bal -1500
steps 15000
Activity 20m vigorous 90 min moderate.
Should not be that hard right??? well I have not met all the goals very many times.
So a perfect day would be one in which I hit these.
Thats what I am working towards.
I have at the moment forgone any formal program.. Many reason for that but I shall keep this to a blog not a book.
I am following Shawn Phillips HIIT and am on Wk 2. This is my minimums for the week. I find that following his program is simple and once I am done add a few more minutes here and there.
 I carry my arm band tracker with me now when I am in the gym. Today when I realized I had done 12 min of Vig activity I decided to get it done. It meant I stayed an extra 15 min on the treadmill and burned an extra 75 cal. Small goals can be big motivators, for me at least.
I have come to realize I just need to do something everyday. My goal was always to lose the weight and get back in shape. It was never to become a BB or figure contestant. I do not need those types of programs.
Adding a few days of lifting will give anyone plenty of muscle def and a healthy body.
Ahh so my final goal is to have a BF range of less than 18% which means a goal weight of roughly  less 30 lbs..And to accomplish by the time I hit New York July 21.

-41 and RAW baby!!!!!

I am trying to combine my blogs so I will bring everyone up to date on where I am and what the hell this stuff means.
Had a terrific 10 months of loss and maintenance and then appear to have thrown that out the window.
As you will be aware ( see blog title) my brain has a bipolar dysfunction and I refuse to use meds.
It has been a challenge but hey life is all about challenges and I have this one down.
Winter months are hardest so Jan and Feb can be brutal. I was not spending time in the gym as I was undergoing physio on my ankle and I had fallen on Dec 26 and badly sprained my wrist. Yes a very attractive look!

Needless to say I allowed this to stop me from doing any sort of a gym routine and yes the food crashed around it. It was all bullshit on my part and I simply needed to change my thinking but that was then and we are on today.
So -41. As a group (Rachel, Dana and I ) started a workout 50/50.
the first 50 was a countdown till Dana leaves Russia for the US with a week break in there and then 50 days till the 3 of us hit New York for Rachel's Birthday.
Got all that!!!
And the ugly truth : up 8lbs from my lowest weight...ugggggg

I have been back doing a varied workout of late and a food program.
Jace Rachel and I did a version of CLEAN and Jace has gone 100% natural. Rach is doing her own version but is doing a fair amount of juicing.
I have been floating around it and have now gone 100% RAW.
Jace dropped 20lbs in just over 4 weeks and he was already low on weight. I am very curious to see what happens to me.
I am not going to use the scale but measurements and picts. I do not care what I weigh just the size I am.
So day 2 of Raw and unprocessed. I feel great. Not that I thought I felt bad before but I think I do have more energy.
Speaking of which I need to hit the gym
I will another page with my plan later.
Make the most of your day, and simply get it done.

Pulling it all together

Well that title stands for a lot of things.
The first is that I have too many blogs!! I think I shall continue to use this one as my main stay and link to the others.
Update for any one who reads this and wonders if I had fallen down the well.
NO!
Fortunately my lack of blogging has more to do with time than depression. Thats the good news.
I am on top of my game and business is booming.
Its interesting for me.
For so long I have let things slip without realizing why. The fact that I can think so much clearer and manage the depression creates another item to be dealt with. Time
I have grown accustomed to my lazy lifestyle. The down side was big but I certainly had time to do what ever I wanted.
This too has caused a bit of an internal struggle but I am there now.
I committed to 365 days of Yoga and certainly have not managed it. I needed to see that my intent to commit was what is of importance. Being too busy with work comes first and Yoga does fall far down the line.
Not that I do not want to get there but being reasonable in my expectations of myself and having good priorities.

This internal struggle between reasonable and not stems from crazy Lena and daily I am learning to see the real world.