What a Week.....

I hate being sick. This is the first time I have been sick since I have started my adventure. As I am writing this I am sucking on a sore throat lolly pop that tastes like strawberries....that's probably the most pleasant thing I have tasted in days.....the bonus about being sick means not really being hungry, and since it feels like I'm swallowing razor blades anyways, I haven't been eating that much......Hello Weight Loss.....lol

I also feel bad because I didn't really do a lot of my walking/jogging this week because of this shitty cold AND the cold isn't even full blown yet.....oh but it's coming cause I feel it....I usually just drink a shit load of orange juice, but because of my change in diet I don't want to do that.....I will just ride it out I guess

I would also like to share that I have reached 2 milestones this week.....

• Officially in the 250's (haven't been since 2003)
• Wearing a size 20 pant (started adventure at a tight 24)

I think I am more excited at the fact that in another month or so I will be able to shop in the regular clothing stores, and not plus size, even if it is the biggest size in those stores....

My funniest, most embarrassing moment happened to me though this week at the gym. Now you know I prefer walking outside, but it was raining and I wanted to get my workout in. As I was jogging on the treadmill my pants started to fall off. I kept going figuring that they would just rest on my hips.....NOPE....they dropped enough that the people behind me on the ellipticals got a show of my ass in  my zebra print undies....I'm sure it wasn't a pretty sight.....I'm trying to look at the positive though that those pants are too big now.....lol.....guess I need a smaller size WITH a pull string....

This is a little off topic but a while back I had shared that we are redoing our kitchen, we have finally decided on a granite countertop...and boy this was a hard one to make, there are sooooo many different styles and colours out there.... I'm still nervous....it's a lot of money and it's permanent.....here is a pic of the winner.....It's called Tropical Brown

My kitchen has the same colour cabinets, same hardware, and all stainless steel appliances, so essentially it will look just like this......

I am hoping sprucing up my kitchen will also spruce up my cooking skills....hahahahah.....I can dream can't I?.....I must admit I'm kind of a shitty cook. Once in awhile though I'm pretty impressed with some things I make. Last week I made a chicken quesadilla that was pretty amazing, even Dan thought it was restaurant quality. The best part about it was that it was pretty healthy, and filling.

Bonnie's AMAZING Chicken Quesadilla

1 Whole Wheat Tortilla

1/4 cup Southwest Shredded Cheese (President's Choice)

4 tbsp Medium Salsa

1/4 red pepper (thin slices)

3-4 oz shredded chicken (already cooked)

I heat the pan on medium, then I spray it with my oil sprayer ( I recommend one of these to everyone) then place the tortilla in the pan. I then spread the salsa, cheese, chicken and peppers on HALF the tortilla. Then I fold the empty half of the tortilla on top of all the fixings. Then you just flip it after awhile till everything is warm, cheese is melting, and the tortilla gets crispy.

Then after I cut it, I finished it off with 2 tbsp low fat sour cream, and a dollop of Salsa Verde....
Calories: 458, Fat: 16g, Carbs: 38g, Protein: 38g

I like to roast my chicken in the oven with a few sprays of canola oil, a little salt & pepper. Then I shred it after it cools down. This way I have chicken for the whole week to use in salads, wraps, or pretty much whatever I want.

Enough about food, let's get to the weigh in. This week I am welcoming myself to the 250's, pretty damn pleased if I must say....My official weight as of this morning is 257 lbs that is a total of 5.2 lbs lost this week.
As of right now it looks like my first goal will be totally achievable. My goal is to be 250lbs by May 1st.
I am right on track and super happy.....here I come new shoes!!!

Nope...still no pedicure, haven't had a day to myself

Now for my measurements:

Current Weight: 257 lbs  (26 lbs)

Chest: 44 1/2"  (4.5")

Waist: 40"  (5")

Hips: 53 1/2"  (3")

Left Arm: 16"  (1.5")

Right Arm: 16"  (1")

Left Thigh: 32"  (2.5")

Right Thigh: 32"  (2.5")

That makes my total inches lost this week: 4" 

Grand Total: 20"

* grand total for each area in parenthesis* 

Until next week, here's to getting rid of this stupid cold, getting to my goal of 250lbs, and buying some new runners!!!!!!

"In the Middle Ages, they had guillotines, stretch racks, whips and chains.  Nowadays, we have a much more effective torture device called the bathroom scale."  Stephen Phillips

Please don't forget I am also doing a 5K walk on June 12th for JDRF, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundations, please sponsor me, so far I have raised $25.....http://jdrfca.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&eventID=1041&participantID=92700

Week 8

So here I am 2 months into my weight loss adventure and I'm down 21 lbs. Not gonna lie, I'm pretty fricken proud of myself. I can't remember the last time I was staring the 250's in the face.
My official weigh in as of this morning was 262.2lbs. This time next week I am hoping to be in the 250's as long as everything stays on track.

I also reached a new milestone in my weight loss progress. I started jogging. Yes I said jogging. If you remember from my last blog I had listed all the reasons why I didn't want/wouldn't do this. Well I figured  I really didn't have anything to lose, so during my nightly walks I started incorporating jogging every 10 minutes. It only lasted for a block at a time, but that's better than nothing.....lol...I'm hoping to build up my stamina and eventually jog further and further each time. I also wrote a while back that at my 250 mark I was treating myself to a new pair of runners. Well since I am starting to jog now, I am going to need a shoe that will help me along. I went to the Nike website and they have a program that you input info about your walking/running style and they tell you what shoe is the best for you. Mine apparently is the Nike LunarGlide + this shoe is really popular for those people that overpronate, meaning my ankle over compensates and my shoes wear out on the outside. I guess the only hard part about picking the shoes now is the color....lol....hopefully I have them by May 1st which is also my goal for 250lbs.

Here is an update of my 50k competition with Mike. He is still in 1st as of last night but he usually never runs on the weekend, so hopefully I can use these next couple of days to catch up!

This week I also decided to take a pic of myself to compare to the first one I took when I started this adventure. If you remember from my first official blog posting I put up a pic of me in all my glory to show what a challenge I am up against, and to give me some motivation on what I really need to change. I stayed in the same outfit because I thought that would be the best to show the progress. So here I am 20lbs lighter.....again I will repeat the same thing I did in my first post...If you don't like it, don't look!

                                         283 lbs                            262lbs

I guess you could say that my biggest loss is in my waist, hips, and chest. At least that's where I am noticing it the most. I'm still wearing 22 pants, and can get into a 20 but I would feel more comfortable wearing them if I was like 5lbs lighter. So I think I'm gonna wait 2 more weeks then try again.

My weight loss is also starting to become noticeable as people are starting to comment about it to me. This alone is giving me motivation to continue. I'm actually not really finding it that hard anymore, as it's almost become second nature to me to eat healthy. On Saturday nights when I have my cheat meal, I actually feel like crap the next morning. Some people call it a food hangover, I have a little headache, I'm swollen from sodium, and just an overall feeling of blah. So now I try to keep my cheat meal somewhat clean......lol

I'm still not a fan of exercising though, even though I'm trying really hard to enjoy it. Maybe I just haven't found the right activity yet. Back in the day I used to LOVE rollerblading, so maybe once the weather warms up a little more, I will treat myself to a pair and try that. I figure if I change up my activities I won't get bored, and I may find something I really like.


Don't forget I am also doing a 5K walk on June 12th for JDRF, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundations, please sponsor me, so far I have raised $25.....http://jdrfca.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&eventID=1041&participantID=92700

Now for the weekly weigh in. This week I have lost a total of 2.2lbs. Woo Hoo!!!.....I'm right on track with my 2lbs a week, and 10lbs a month. My big picture goal is 100lbs by January 1st 2012. If I stay on target this should be no problem, I just have to watch out for the plateaus.......

I know, time for a pedicure.......lol

Now for my measurements:

Current Weight: 262.2 lbs  (20.8 lbs)

Chest: 45"  (4")

Waist: 40"  (5")

Hips: 54"  (2.5")

Left Arm: 17"  (0.5")

Right Arm: 17"  (0")

Left Thigh: 32 1/2"  (2")

Right Thigh: 32 1/2"  (2")

That makes my total inches lost this week: 2.5" 

Grand Total: 16"

* grand total for each area in parenthesis* 

Until next week here's to getting into the 250's, raising more money for JDRF, and to adding more blocks to my jogging....

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination."  Tommy Lasorda

Back on Track

Ok so the meltdown of the month is finally over, and I'm back on track. I'm still doing my 3km every other night as well, but I must say with all these spring showers it's hard sticking to my schedule. If I know it's going rain in the evening (on the day's Adam is at school, and I work afternoons) I can walk in the morning, but there is something that is so peaceful about walking at night.

Speaking of walks, when I was on my evening stroll this past Wednesday night, I came across the most unusual/scary/wtf??? sight.....as I was rounding one of the street corners this plus sized woman came out of nowhere running down the street in a bra, a ripped shirt, jogging pants, and bare feet. I immediately pulled my earphones out and yelled at her asking if she was ok....she just looked at me, like I was the crazy one....then she ran up to a house (a K-9 unit police officer lives there) Obviously I slowed down my walk (even walked backwards down the street) to see the drama, but other than that there wasn't anything else....I mean what the hell was she running from????....I looked at all the houses when I passed them on the street, but there was no sign of anything. The only thing I can think of was that maybe it was a domestic, and knowing that a police officer lives on the block she automatically went there....It was still weird though just sayin'

In one of my earlier posts I had mentioned that I was using the Nike + program on my walks. Well I have a friend named Mike that also uses this program. He decided to create a challenge between us to push us a little farther (I guess...lol) "motivation does wonders" he said. So the challenge is whoever can reach 50km by April 20th. It also has a "trash talking" application attach to it so we can get each other going. So far he is beating me but hopefully not for long.....hahahaha


On the food front, I still seem to be ok and staying within my 1200 calorie goal. I changed up my breakfast a little bit as I was getting bored of cereal. I started making myself a breakfast sandwich which I personally think is glorious......

Bonnie's GLORIOUS Breakfast Sandwich

1 Toasted Whole Wheat English Muffin (President's Choice)

1 Light Laughing Cow wedge

1 Slice Tomato

4 Thin slices of cucumber

2 slices of Honey Maple Turkey Breast (President's Choice)

Only 201 calories, 3 grams of fat & a whopping 18 grams of protein to keep me full till my snack of cottage cheese in 3-4 hours......it's soooo tasty, there is no need for butter/margarine on the english muffin because the cheese is so creamy & spreadable it's amazing....I recommend this to EVERYONE!!!.....lol

Lunches are still a salad, and something to go with it, either soup, Lean Cuisine, WW SmartOnes, or leftovers. I find this to be a convenient, low caloric, portioned way for me to eat my lunch, and stay on track.

Dinner is still some kind of protein & veggies....NO CARBS

Now that the weather is starting to incorporate nicer days into the schedule, I'm hoping to make my walks a little longer, I have even considered jogging a little. Sometimes I'm walking so fast that my body automatically want's me to start jogging but I never give in cause:

• I feel stupid
• I'm scared I'm going to look stupid
• My boobs are wayyyy to big to jog, and it's going to be painful
• I don't want to throw up (that's how I feel when I over exert myself)

Now I know that these are all excuses that I need to work on. Maybe after I lose some more weight from walking it will encourage me to start jogging. I think the biggest reason is that I'm just not that comfortable yet with the idea. Only time will tell....

This June 12th I am also doing a walk with work to raise money for JDRF Canada: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. JDRF is the worldwide leader in funding research to cure type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults suddenly, but lasts a lifetime. JDRF sets the global agenda for diabetes research, and is the largest charitable funder of, and advocate for, diabetes science worldwide.
If you are interested in sponsoring me I would greatly appreciated it, even if it's only $1....Please click in the below link to donate on my page.
http://jdrfca.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&eventID=1041&participantID=92700

This weeks total weight loss is 3.6lbs....2 from last weeks gain & another 1.6 

Not too bad considering I gained weight last week, so I lost that and then some....

Now for my measurements:

Current Weight: 264.4 lbs  (16.6 lbs)

Chest: 45"  (4")

Waist: 41 1/2"  (3.5")

Hips: 55"  (1.5")

Left Arm: 17"  (0.5")

Right Arm: 17"  (0")

Left Thigh: 32 1/2"  (2")

Right Thigh: 32 1/2"  (2")

That makes my total inches lost this week: 0 (weird since I lost almost 4 lbs???)

Grand Total: 13 1/2"

* grand total for each area in parenthesis* 

Until next week, here's to eating healthy, raising money for JDRF, and kicking Mike's ass in the Nike+ competition!!!

"Exercise to stimulate, not to annihilate. The world wasn't formed in a day, and neither were we. Set small goals and build upon them."  Lee Haney

Thanks Eve.....

Why did Eve have to eat that damn apple???.....This is the first time I have had to deal with my monthly "present" since starting my lifestyle change, and let me tell you it sucks ass....who's idea was it anyways to call it a present?....pfffft

Not only have I not lost any weight this week, but most of the week the scale was telling me I had GAINED 3 pounds. Talk about a depressing Bonnie roaming the house for days on end.
I had a chocolate meltdown on Wednesday night that I couldn't control, and a salt craving on Thursday, that almost brought me to tears.....What the hell is happening to me?

Stressed spelled backwards is desserts.  Coincidence?  I think not!!!

I mean I'm ok now that I have got it out of my system, but I hope it's not like this every month. I'm back on track now, and I guess I will just mark this down as a failed week, pick myself up and move on.
The rest of the week I stayed true to the diet, and I know women retain quite a bit of water, so hopefully by next Saturday everything will be the norm again.

On a positive note, I have dropped almost 2 pants sizes since I started which feels great. I started in a tight 24, but now I'm into a loose 22. I am hoping to be into a 20 within the next 2 weeks. My t-shirt went from a XXL to a XL as well. Obviously I'm trying to find a positive to my negative week, and this helps some.

I did pick myself up a t-shirt that is a L at Old Navy. It's a little snug in the arms, but I will get into it in no time. I really wanted the shirt, and they didn't have any bigger sizes, so I figured I might as well buy it, as it will give me an incentive to lose more weight. I mean come on it is MÖTLEY CRÜE.....I couldn't resist....lol

Now for my measurements:

Current Weight: 268 lbs  (13 lbs)

Chest: 45"  (4")

Waist: 41 1/2"  (3.5")

Hips: 55"  (1.5")

Left Arm: 17"  (0.5")

Right Arm: 17"  (0")

Left Thigh: 32 1/2"  (2")

Right Thigh: 32 1/2"  (2")

That makes my total inches lost this week: lost 1" (chest), gained 1" (hips)

Grand Total: 13 1/2"

* grand total for each area in parenthesis* 

I didn't even want to get on the scale to look, let alone take a pic, but I said I was going to be honest with myself, and with my followers, so here it is in all it's glory......gained 1.6 lbs this week :(

So until next week, here's to getting back on track, getting rid of the excess water, and living life to the fullest!!!

"If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end."

Julius Erving 

Super Saturday's

Saturday's are starting to become my fav day of the week, even though I work every second one (booo)....this day has become something to look forward to, it's my weigh in day, and also the day I incorporate my one treat meal (notice I said treat and not cheat) for the week. Now some people (like my hubby) has a cheat "day", but I learned that all I really need is one meal to satisfy my cravings. I usually have chinese, sushi, or Swiss Chalet, then some kind of dessert, and I'm all set for the week. For dessert it's a toss up between ice cream or chips....usually it's the latter because I am a salt fanatic.....well not anymore, but I was....my husband used to joke and say he was going to buy me a salt lick for christmas & my birthday, cause that's all I would need to keep me happy.


This week has really been uneventful (for me) actually, it has rained a lot, well up until yesterday when my town was dumped upon by mother nature again. I really thought we were done with all the snow, but it's only March so you never know. It really makes it hard to go for my walks at night when everything is slushy, and wet, but I really like being outside rather than being in the gym on some boring treadmill. I guess I will just have to suck it up for now though until the weather starts to get nicer. On a side note speaking of mother nature Japan got hit with an earthquake & tsunami yesterday and it took a lot of peoples lives, homes, and just about anything else in it's destructive path. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected by this. 


Sometime in the very near future (spring/summer) we are going to be updating our kitchen with granite countertops, a backsplash, and having an island built as well. Not that there is anything wrong with what we have, but this will be sooooo much better. We built our house almost 10 years ago, so we are in need of a change. I am extremely excited about this, but not seeing my kitchen torn apart. Maybe a new kitchen will inspire me more to cook & invent some amazing low fat/calorie meals....this is the before pic

Not to bad, but there is always room for improvement!!!

Anyways back to me.....lol.....so the carb eating at lunch and not dinner rule seems to be working nicely for me. I had a decrease in weight again this week, so that makes me happy. 

• Breakfast - I'm either eating cereal & milk, or egg whites with a sliced tomato, and a piece of whole wheat bread with one light laughing cow triangle spread on it (if you haven't tried these, they are AMAZING...low in fat too!) it really depends how much time I have in the morning.
• Lunch - I usually make/eat something with carbs so I don't miss them. Lately I either eat some kind of pasta, or a low sodium chicken noodle soup. President's Choice Blue Menu label just released a 100 calorie portion sized chicken noodle soup. I Love It!!!   I also have been eating a Chicken Marinara with Mozzarella Cheese Grilled Flatbread from Weight Watchers Smart Ones with a salad. This is GLORIOUS.....I pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes and VOILA, a crispy, tasty meal. I know your thinking "gross" but it actually is really good. I usually have this twice a week. http://www.eatyourbest.com/product/chicken-marinara-with-mozzarella-cheese-grilled-flatbread.aspx. I also have the Chicken & Cheese Quesadilla every now and then but it's not as good as the other.
• Dinner - This is the easiest meal. I just incorporate some protein (4-6oz) of the usual chicken, steak or pork. Then veggies...that's it, no carbs. 
• Snacks - I either have 12 almonds, 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese, a yogurt, jello, apple, cucumber spears with a laughing cow cheese wedge, or edamame.
• TONS & TONS OF WATER (2-4 liters a day)

This is the flatbread.....it's sooo good!!.....I usually leave it like a pizza instead of folding it in half

So this is basically what I have been eating all week, and it seems to be working, so if it ain't broke don't try to fix it!!! I'm also still going for my evening strolls, so for now I'm not gonna push it. My weight loss seems to be pretty steady and right on track. My weight loss this week has been 3 lbs. I'm pretty happy, not gonna lie.....lol

Now for my measurements:

Current Weight: 266.4 lbs  (14.6 lbs)

Chest: 46"  (3")

Waist: 41 1/2"  (3.5")

Hips: 54"  (2.5")

Left Arm: 17"  (0.5")

Right Arm: 17"  (0")

Left Thigh: 32 1/2"  (2")

Right Thigh: 32 1/2"  (2")

That makes my total inches lost this week: 2 1/2"

Grand Total: 13 1/2"

* grand total for each area in parenthesis* 

So until next week, here's to staying positive, eating great food, and losing a shit load of weight...lol

Hellooooo 260's!!!!!

Yes you heard right!!!.....I am welcoming myself to the 260 club. It's been quite sometime since I've been here. Now I may have only just squeezed my way in by 0.6lbs, but I don't give a crap....lol....I'm allowed to celebrate!!!!

That is a total of a 4.8 lbs lost this week, which personally I think is f***ing amazing on my part!!!....the best part about it is that I'm not even starving myself. I'm eating healthy. I'm counting calories, and watching my carbs and fat intake, that's it!....Who whoulda thunk it could be this easy. I should have done this years ago. It's taken some will power to change my eating habits, and cut out the chips (God I miss them) but I have been doing this for a month now, and it's actually becoming easier to put together meals without even thinking about it.

I have been using this program on my iPhone & also my Macbook called My Fitness Pal. Basically what  it does is track your calories, nutrients, and water intake for the day. After every meal, I input the info and it calculates everything for me. This program is amazing and I think I can honestly contribute a big part of my success to it. It has the biggest network of food I have ever seen. It also has a facebook like community, so on your updates friends can cheer you on, and be supportive toward your weight loss, or for being within your calorie goals for the day.

Another thing that I am pretty sure that has contributed to my weight loss is my evening strolls around my neighbourhood at night....lol....I know it sounds a little like a cat burglar, but it's quiet, and peaceful at nighttime, and it gives me 30 minutes of peace from all the drama during the day. Basically I throw on my music and go. I believe music is a powerful motivator especially if you have on the right kind of music. The better the beat I find makes me actually walk faster, and put more into it.

I started using a program that comes already installed in my iPhone called Nike + iPod. I did have to go buy the sensor that makes this program work but it was only $20 so that wasn't too bad. You also need a pair of Nike+ compatible runners (remember Shoe Queen here....I actually had 2 pairs) Basically the sensor goes under the padding in your shoe and tracks your progress sending the info to the iPhone. It also plays music that has been loaded into your iPod, and a voice comes on in intervals of minutes, or km's walked to tell you your progress. At the end of your workout, it tells you all the info in the pic above. I have been using this for all my evening walks, and I must say it's AWESOME!!!....

A lot of people have been asking me what I am eating, if I'm eating enough, and if I'm hungry. I believe that everyone is different, and only your body knows the above answers. I have been feeling great, have lots of energy, and haven't had any real hunger pains, so I'm gonna say that I'm doing fine.

Here's some pics of random meals that I have been eating, if your curious.....lol

Basically the only thing I have changed from last week is that I'm eating my carbs earlier in the day, preferably at lunch time. For dinner I'm having some sort of protein and veggies, no carbs. I think that's what has helped put me back on track since last weeks low loss of poundage....

Tonight I'm going out to dinner with my hubby (and the in-laws) for his 38th birthday. Then they are taking our son for the night (YES) so Dan & I can get into some trouble. Actually we are going to our BFF's Jay & Dave's for a get together with friends. I'm going to allow myself a glass of white wine. I haven't had a drop of alcohol since I have started this adventure, so it will probably mess me up.....lol

Now for my measurements:

Current Weight: 269.4 lbs  (11.6 lbs)

Chest: 46"  (3")

Waist: 42"  (3")

Hips: 55"  (1.5")

Left Arm: 17"  (0.5")

Right Arm: 17"  (0")

Left Thigh: 33"  (1.5")

Right Thigh: 33"  (1.5")

That makes my total inches lost this week: 3 1/2"

Grand Total: 11"
* grand total for each area in parenthesis* 

It looks at though I am losing most of my weight in my waist & legs, which is what I figured would happen. I am heaviest in the lower half of my body so naturally that would come off first. Don't matter to me though, as long as it all comes off eventually!!!!!