Valentine's Day - what I really think

Sunday, February 10, 2013

My wife thinks I now look like David Beckham. LOL.

I can think of no greater example of the wonderful, delusion - the complete lack of perspective - the complete detachment from reality - that love brings. Now, to my eyes, she is a 10...she laughs at this, but I swear its true. But after her statement, I have to consider the slight possibility that being in love with my wife has warped things a bit. Oh well.

This is what I'll be thinking on Valentine's Day this week. How it drugs the mind, completely. Its awesome. However, I'll take a wild guess that she didn't see me as David Beckham 90lbs ago. Maybe Dennis Franz.

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150...finally!

Sunday, January 20, 2013

I've finally hit my goal. What a year.

What a last 6 weeks...after an operation, I was forced to be sedentary for nearly 4 of them. I was pretty worried about that, about getting complacent and saying "oh well...close enough". But I kept at it here on Sparks, inspired by so many people here who are trying to lose 5-10 lbs and they KNOW it is slow going for that final few and keep it up for months at a time. How do they do it? I didn't think I could, but now I know...I just keep doing what I did before...track, moderate, be smart, enjoy the treats when they come, plan.

Frankly, I've been so afraid of "maintenance"...I still am, but not as much now that I'm here. That bad voice in my head - "Maintenance = slip into old bad habits and put on all the weight again"...well, now it is being replaced by "Maintenance = doing what I've been doing for the last 9 months, with just a few calories more". And you know what? I'm good with that! I don't feel like I'm depriving myself...I eat pretty much what I want...it is just what I want has actually changed! Whooda-thunk-it?

Of course, this is today, this is now...fact is, my body is capable of being over-weight, and 'dats a fact. I can't forget that, it is my reality.

But I faced my biggest fear - that post-operation and the lessening of activity (and change in routine) that naturally comes with Canadian winter would throw me off the rails. Well, I nuked that! Less walking, no jogging, no rollerblading - it has been replaced by 4 days of ball hockey and near-daily Nike+ Kinect workouts. And boy, is that Nike+ program awesome or what?!? I can SEE and FEEL the difference in my body. Without a lie, in 10 weeks with that program, I am now the physically fittest I've ever been in my life...at 40! I've been in shape before, but never had my strength and core this toned - never this well-rounded. I've seen many versions of me in the mirror, but never this one.

And I've made SparkPeople a satisfying and fun part of my daily routine - getting inspiration from blogs, reading the tips and the forums, learning, getting new cooking ideas. Seeing my wife and a close friend make the most out of it here and feeling energized by their determination.

This date last year - 240lbs. Today, 150. Ya, what a difference a year makes.

Thanks for reading, whoever you may be.

(P.S. - also this year, was featured in the Toronto Star for weight loss: www.thestar.com/living/health/articl
e/1308848--ottawa-man-lost-almost-90-l
b-your-new-year-s-resolutions-success-stories

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Well that was interesting...

Thursday, December 27, 2012

It is December 27...so, how did Christmas go as far as health?

Well, I'm still recovering from an operation so my exercise has been pretty much nil for the last 2 1/2 weeks. But that will change today.

Somehow, someway I managed to lose a pound over Christmas. I treated myself to the stuff I liked, but kept portions under control. Basically, before every treat or rich food, I asked "Do I REALLY want this?"...if the answer was yes, I ate...if it was less than super-enthusiastic, I took a pass. And I only ate when hungry.

Oddly enough, today, after all the Christmas craziness, all I want to do is eat chocolate LOL. Well, had some, probably too much, and now I feel a little sick. A good lesson I guess.

Well, let's see where I am on Jan 1...the goal was 150 by Jan 1, and this morning came in at 153. No way I'll be losing 3 lbs in 4 days, nor will I try to.

So, quick lessons learned about Christmas this year (in terms of nutrition):
- many dishes on the table means lots of healthier choices
- didn't need bread...didn't miss it all...that's shocking
- diabetic chocolate...sent my guts into DEFCON 4
- Mom had fresh fruit on hand this year...that really helped
- everybody else's cooking tastes really salty to me
- I no longer crave potatoes of any kind...odd
- I have a hidden sweet tooth...when did this start?!?
- recorded everything...without fail...this definitely helped

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Breakthrough...freakin' finally

Thursday, December 06, 2012

I know this isn't an according to Hoyle "plateau" but been stuck at 156 for 2 weeks...then suddenly BOOM 156 yesterday and 153.5 this morning. Maybe playing hockey 5 out of the last 7 days will do that. I don't know how people manage to keep plugging away after not seeing the scale dip for months...that is TENACITY. Ya ya, I know it isn't about the scales.

But you see last New Years I made 2 resolutions (and I NEVER make resolutions)...marry the woman in my life, and lose weight (LOL like that every works) back to 150 lbs come Jan 1 2013 in a healthy way. Well, I did one and I'm 3.5 lbs from the other. But I got some surgery coming tomorrow and that will tank my exercise for a few weeks, then the dreaded Christmas with some of the best cooking and baking in the world courtesy of my well-meaning Mom and Aunts who, despite their pleas to the contrary, are trying to put the rest of us into blissful sugar comas. So, realistically, I may have to settle for being at a healthy weight but being a couple lbs short of my Jan 1 target. I suppose it could be worse...ya, I can learn to be happy with that.

On my mind all week...how do pro NHL goalies, particularly the old vets like Brodeur, play multiple OTs during the playoffs after a long season, and still stand (let alone stop the puck)?? It hit me this week as to how incredibly impressive that is.

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Stephen's Nutrition and Exercise Tips to Himself

Thursday, November 29, 2012

No, I'm not crazy in referring to myself in the 3rd person...this is just a reminder to myself on those days I'm thinking of doing bad things

Nutrition:

- record my food honestly and diligently
- when I'm not jonesing for "extra" flavour, eat my steamed veggies naked (no, not in the nude...as in no dressings or sauces)
- before snacking, ask out loud, with my cat as a witness: "am I ACTUALLY hungry?"
- don't make a big dinner out of habit...gear my meal richness to my actual hunger level
- don't blow all my calories by end of lunch...I know I'm going to want to eat more before I go to bed
- at a party, play 'prevent defence' with my eating and drinking...giving up short yards is ok, just prevent the big play
- have the fresh fruit and veggies on hand that I will ACTUALLY eat, not the stuff I should want to eat
- hands...off...the...salt
- chocolate on hand is chocolate in my mouth...gotta make sure there is no more than one bar of dark chocolate in the house at any one time
- an all veggie breakfast is OK
- love my red meat...let's keep it to 2 or 3 times per week at most though
- some bread every day > alot of bread in one day
- eat those high glycemic index carbs before workout, not after
- beef jerkey...tastes great, but the sodium!
- the more diligent I am with doing dishes after each meal, the healthier I eat...go figure
- I should stop eating to the top of my calorie range just because I have the room for it
- 6 lbs to go...don't get too complacent now
- wow my skin hates the sugar
- gotta have apples on hand EVERY day
- remember: drink water when I wake up...don't HAVE to eat right away


Exercise:

- gotta stop skimping on my walk routine, just cause its cold outside
- gotta go easy on the a.m. coffee, just cause its cold outside
- tell myself: only having 1 round on the Nike+ Kinect is NOT an option
- more free weights
- don't cheat on my flexibility exercises...who am I cheating??
- cool down is important...cool down is important...
- don't let a few minor aches and pains be an excuse to do nothing today...I'm 40 and have to get used to it now
- less time on the computer, please

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