Instant karma's gonna get you...

Gonna look you right in the face
Better get yourself together darlin'
Join the human race
How in the world you gonna see
Laughin' at fools like me
Who in the hell d'you think you are
A super star
Well, right you are

- John Lennon

Satya - truthfulness - was the underlying theme of my Yoga for Recovery class on Tuesday.  It made perfect sense to me, Taryn has this knack for creating content in her classes that totally aligns with what's going on in my life.  Or, it could just be that weird coincidence thing that happens when I listen to music at the gym.  I start to think:

"Hey, this song was totally written for me!  How did INSERT ARTIST'S NAME HERE know?  My gods, it's almost karmic, you put something out there into the universe and it comes back to you in song and winds up on your playlist!  Oh, no wait, I guess I chose this playlist...and this song, and it has nothing to do with the universe, except for maybe it does?"  

I suspect that in yoga, it is just that I am always up for a good think, I enjoy eastern philosophies, I am a student of the cosmos (or at least a space cadet some of the time), and I believe that all things happen for a reason...so if Taryn decides satya, or truthfulness, is what we are focusing on in class, then I had better pay attention...because I could learn something...and perhaps I need to face my truth or something.  You get out what you put in, right?  Well, I'm all in.

Satya, one of the 5 moral restrains that yogis practice, means truthfulness...but it's so much more, which is the case for all of the yamas.  Honesty isn't as easy as going around telling the truth, it's as complicated as living honestly in conformity with fact or reality...being true to yourself as you exist within the universe.  This leads me to speculate that satya may also correlate with my perception of reality.

re·al·i·ty 

noun \rē-ˈa-lə-tē\

: the true situation that exists : the real situation

: something that actually exists or happens : a real event, occurrence, situation, etc.

So that means...

That satya has a direct correlation with cognition.  Which makes me think...do I really know what's going on?  Really?  I am confident in the knowledge that I do not.  Am I seeing the world as it truly is, or am I looking at it in a way that is dictated by my cognition of it?  This is some pretty heavy shit.  So how does this relate to my ninja training, healthy eating, lifestyle change, emotional well-being, eating disorder etc. etc. etc.?  What does it have to do with my sporadic return to binge and restrict behaviour?  How is it affecting how I deal with things?  Well, I reckon that there's something that I don't really want to deal with or acknowledge...and that's what's pushing me towards my self-sabotaging ways.    

Now, about those coincidences...a mere 5 days before yoga, I went to my Thursday group session (Eating Disorders Programme) on distress tolerance and discussion was largely focused on acceptance and awareness.  Acceptance = I don't like it, I can't change it, but I accept it.  In order to practice accepting reality, it is important to be aware that it is in fact a choice to accept it.  Satya, or truthfulness, plays into this big time.  In my case, regarding the binging and restricting, I accept the fact that in times of distress I have the choice to capitulate and enter eating disordered behaviour or turn my mind.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy, right?!  Well, no.  Difficult difficult lemon difficult.  But, by turning the mind I go from, "The only thing I can do in this situation is use food" to "hey, there are other things I can do in this state."  Being aware that I have more choices, well that's accepting reality.  And, what of satya?  Well, satya is making decisions that align with my true self.  After all, I am a changed woman...one who has waaaay too many skills to resort to eating disordered behaviours.  

What seems to be the trouble anyway?  What is leading me down that very familiar slippery slope?

After yoga...things always become clearer.  It's similar to when people say, "maybe you should sleep on it," I guess savasana has the same affect on me.  It's a mindfulness thing.  I go in being mind full...and leave being mindful.  Yoga is all about awareness.  Consiousness of breathing, of positions of the body, and of connection to the universe.  Of course, it helps that Taryn specialises in yoga for recovery - the woman is nothing short of amazing.  Her talking points are relevant, enlightening, and always eerily timely, as I mentioned before.  Satya.

What is my truth at this very moment?  This entire blog is based on my journey from fat to fit, and now that I am nearly at my goal...I am obviously afraid of what happens next.  What if my train goes off track, am I trying to prolong the trip, what happens if I get delayed and miss my connection?!  In my last post I spoke of letting go of fear and enjoying the ride...well, I am...I guess, I just don't want get off when I get to the station.  Subconsciously, I see everything passing by...consciously, I have hurried along to reach my final destination...and now I'm realising that Robert J. Hastings was right all along, it's not all happily ever after when you get there.  The terminal is an illusion, true living is found in the the voyage.  Ain't that the truth!

Just another manic Monday...or is it?

Good Monday morning!  

It's a beautiful start to the day here in our fair city of Victoria, British Columbia.  I woke up a little late, but I am excited for the start of this new week...Why you ask?  Well, it's manic Monday - rewritten.

So why are Mondays good?  Let's see...it's the start of a new week...and this week is particularly important because it's the week after the end of TC Health Challenge 2014.  So rather than throw in the towel a mere 3 months after-Christmas and after celebrating Troy T-Bone Wilson's 70lbs lost during the challenge...I, like many other readers I'm sure, will be starting the week out right just as we've been doing for the last 12 weeks.  I declare my outright commitment to this healthy lifestyle.  Generally I do this on Weigh-in Wednesdays, but Monday is better than Wednesday, because it's sooner...and it's now...and there's no time like the present. 

It's good to reboot from time to time, set the bod and brain back to factory settings.  

My  hard-wire for diet is caveman-inspired, with a bit of agricultural revolution thrown in.  What's that they say?!  The archaeologist is always right?  Haha...whatever...I try not to eat processed food, I love lean animal-proteins (former vegetarian turned omnivore...woopsy), I munch on nuts and seeds for their good fats, I enjoy unlimited amounts of fruits and veg (I like eating A LOT...so these add bulk to my meals), I have portioned whole grains - it's pretty much that simple.  I shop for groceries every few days, and always have fresh produce in the house for spur-of-the-moment stir-fries and gorgeous gargantuan salads.  I do my best to eat cleanly, and mechanically.  I pretty much have set "feeding times" so that I am never too ravenous...that lessens the chance that I will over-eat.  I still have a tendency to do that, even after 15 months on programme, but I am learning.  For this reason, I still journal EVERYTHING...even when I indulge in a treat or two.  I also try to be prepared, carrying food in my bag at all times and taking a few minutes on Sundays to plan my dinners for the week.  That keeps me in check.

My fitness regimen does not include running away from sabre-toothed tigers and/or mammoths...though that is great exercise...it remains almost exactly the same as when I started with the TC Health Challenge.  I do slow-burn cardio in the mornings 6 days a week - Monday through Friday I also walk to and from the Crystal Pool, or at least I try to do so, I sometimes ride my bike.  My double-up days are Monday (MIJO Sport Taekwondo), Tuesday (evening cardio followed by Taryn Strong's Anahata Moon Yoga for Recovery at MokSana), Wednesdays (MIJO Sport Taekwondo) and sometimes Thursdays (Taryn Strong's Anahata Moon Yoga - Hatha class at Hemma) and Saturdays off...two of my morning workouts are ninja training sessions i.e. personal training sessions with Jonathan Carpenter of MIJO Sport.  I love my gym time.  It is a time when I disconnect with my kinetic monkey-mind and just sweat everything out.  When I'm done, even after all that hard work, I feel recharged, refocused, refreshed.        

After a fabulous weekend where I may have imbibed some BEvERages and eaten some bacon on Friday evening, quite possibly had a Dynamite Roll lunch with T-Bone Troy and Korean BBQ for dinner with a bunch of ninjas on Saturday, and had a Sunday Funday supper of rustic French food, including 3 gorgeous slices of whole wheat crusty baguette and drunken beef stew (yes, I ate bread and there may have been a smidgeon of butter on each piece)...after all that, I, SUZIE SPITFYRE, commit to clean.  Eating that is, I still believe in training dirty...and it's probably the only reason that I am not beating myself up mentally for the treats I had this weekend - I hit the gym every day this past week. 

Monday, oh Monday...you and I used to have such a sordid relationship.  I would have wild weekends and then I would promise to never stray again.  Then I would break my word and cheat on you...numerous times.  And then I would swear up and down that the next time you came round I would stick with it, but it never happened.  Until January of 2013 when I embarked on a brand new love affair with health and fitness, what a threesome we make!  We've only been together for 15 months, but it's been really working out.  We spend almost all our time together and I have gotten a lot of really nice meals out of it.  So today, I'm going to make some similar statements, Monday...but, this time it's more of an affirmation that after a year and 3 months of eating a healthy diet and getting lots of exercise, I can do this...even after a bit of mild flirtation on the weekend.  I know, I know just as long as not every Thursday is thirsty, every Friday is fitness-free, every Saturday is saturated-fat-filled, and every Sunday is sugary.  Monday, I'm using you to reboot...you are now Moderation Monday instead of Manic Monday.

True friends run stairs, while you do weighted burpees...

"What keeps you motivated?"

And, my answer is a myriad of things...but most recently, it's been my gym peeps.  

I've been seeing the ninja twice a week for personal training for the last 13 months, and I believe I have only called off one session due to illness.  There was that accountability, i.e. someone waiting for me to show up, warm up, train, and then do some cardio after - but he also works at the Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre most mornings, so if I were not to show up...he'd notice.  My own health and fitness is ultimately my responsibility, but it's nice to have someone else at the gym that knows what I want, and how I am going about getting what I want (because he's most likely told me what to do and when to do it and designed the circuit training, weigh routines, and cardio combinations that I am doing).  So, what has changed lately?  Well, I have continued with the personal training, and ninjas are extremely motivational as I wish to be one some day, but it's the other people that have become involved in my workout routine who are inspiring me to push harder.      

Enter, my friends in fitness.  Whether it's Skylar, Barb, Dawn, Dana or anyone else at the front desk of the Crystal Pool, or Michele (one L) on the treadmill around 9AM most days, or her mother Doris with a pool noodle, or Kombucha Geoff sweating up a storm on the spin bike and then a yoga mat, or kickboxing Nathan on the bag, roaming the halls, or giving pointers in the weight room, or anyone, for that matter, that has stopped to talk health 'n' fitness with me, run next to me on a treadmill while egging me on, or high-fived me after a session on the big ropes, these people are my new community...my extended support system...my fitness ninjas.  People who make time each day at the gym for themselves, for self care, and in turn give me strength to do the same.     

I will tout the praises of having a personal trainer (Jonathan Carpenter of MIJO Sport), a yoga teacher (Taryn Strong of Anahata Moon Yoga), spin instructors that make me push harder than I ever thought possible (Mary-Kay and Teresa of Quadra Sport & Fitness), and every other expert that I see on a regular basis to challenge me physically, but it's also the comradery that I feel with people in the same boat as I.  Yes, I'm talking about the workout buddies.  Namely, Jacqueline and Troy at the moment.

I have about 10 pounds to lose before I reach yet another goal I set...weighing 137 pounds (remember, I like odd numbers!)  Yes, folks, it's the last 10 pounds.  And it's always good to stack the odds in your favour, right?  So not only do I have a lot of sport professionals involved, but I have some die-hard workout neophytes in my corner as well.  We're all in the similar situations when you break it down.  We want to lose weight by eating clean and exercising.  Are these guys going to pry the Doritos out of my hot little hands after I lose my inhibitions after a girls' night?  No, that's all on me.  Are they going to notice if I'm not at the gym when I say I'm going to be?  Yes.  Am I going to make plans to meet them regularly so we can walk, run, bike, stair-climb, box, kick, elliptical, burpee, lift, circuit and cross-train together?  You betcha.  And, should you find a workout buddy or two to inspire you?  If you're in it for the long haul, then yes, yes you should!

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."

Buddha said that.  And, I must remember to:

Be present.

Be mindful.

And..well...just be.

Find happiness and contentment in the moment.  संतोष Santosha for the yogini in me...finding satisfaction in everything.

What does this have to do with my quest to find health and fitness?  Well, time has past...and I don't want to dwell in it, because on my 53rd weigh-in...I went up 5 pounds.  And then one week later, I went down 7.5.  And then the week after that went up again...and then down...like this:

Starting weight:  292.1 - A very long time ago...January 16th, 2013

52nd weigh-in 146.8 - 1 year later!

53rd weight-in 151.8 - January 22nd, 2014 - 5lbs up?  Oh dear.

54th weigh-in 144.3 - January 29th, 2014 - And down 7.5...pheuff! 

55th weigh-in 149.2 - February 5th, 2014 - And up 4.9 again?  Fantastic.

56th weight-in 146.1 - February 12th, 2014 - And down...but only 3.1 so, still up 2...

But...

"Concentrate the mind on the present moment."  

So where am I now?

I am here.  I am hovering around the same weight, some weeks I go up, some I go down.  Does it bother me?  Not really.  Should it?  Not really.  Do I still have pounds to cut?  Yes.  That goal of 137 pounds is just so friggin' close.  Is it because I'm slacking off?  Hell no!  In fact, I am working even harder.  So when the scale doesn't go in the right direction, what do I do?  Well, I grumpily stomp around a bit and then I get over it and hit the gym even harder.  I bike to the Crystal Pool daily for my morning workout, get my arse on the some form of cardio equipment, or train circuits, or box, or spin, or aqua-fit...that's my mornings, and at night?  I go back to the gym with my lovely husband and do it again, and/or go to taekwondo even though I can't participate (because of my hanging by a thread ACL), or I take a lovely yoga class with Taryn.  I am a hard core ninja in training, and I can't let what the scale says dictate how I feel from moment to moment.  I'm chalking my gain up to muscle mass.  And besides, I took my measurements and even though I went up in weight, my measurements stayed the same...and my bust, waist, and hips shrunk 6cm.  

Om.

 

Changeology 101

At present, I am blogging in the lobby of the Crystal Pool.  The room is not busy as the early morning coffee-drinking-chatty-cathys have dispersed; however, there is a steady flow of people through the automatic doors.  I have been displaced by someone with their head down on the table in "my office" - several people have pointed this out, I have told them I like to mix it up.  Truth be told, I would rather have sat in my cosy corner tucked away in the darkened alcove.

Change is hard.

Having said that, change is also the only constant in life.  So why do we find it so difficult?  Shouldn't we be used to it by now?  Shouldn't we embrace new perspectives?  Meet challenges with open arms and courage?  Yes.  But do we?  No, not necessarily.  This is something a lot of people, including myself, have to work on.  I'm an archaeologist and a reminiscer going on futurist and forward thinker.  Oh, I still want to sit at "my table," but I am content in the knowledge that all things happen for a reason.

Change.  Evolution.  Adaptation.

It's a good thing I'm seated at another table, because the Heart and Stroke Foundation has surprised the front desk staff and started setting up a blood pressure checking station in the now brightly lit cranny.  Interesting.  Maybe I should get my blood pressure checked.  Last year, I was on the higher side of normal, I wonder what I'm at now?  First, I had to fill out a form.  Name, birthday, etc. etc. etc.  Then the quizzy part:
 

Do you smoke? No, yes, how much?

Do you drink? No, yes, how much?

Do you eat at least 5 servings of fruit and veg a day? No, yes, sometimes.  More like 10!

Do you exercise? No, yes, how much? Can I have an extra piece of paper? Or should I just write this response on the back?

After I filled out the form, the woman behind the table said, "I thought it might be you."  Haha...recognition, I was in the TC again on Tuesday.  And, then she told me that I got all the questions right!  Oh goodie, I hadn't realised I was getting graded, but I'm glad I got 100%, might not have had a GPA of 4.0 if it had been a year ago.  My blood pressure certainly wasn't 103 over 65.  After I was done with my readings, I was told that I had the heart rate of a marathon runner.  WHAT?  Positive change.  Apparently, anyone who has a heart rate between 40-60 beats per minute is categorised as "adult athlete" - I'm at 45.  MIJO Sport athlete and ninja-in-training indeed!

Survival of the fittest. 

Though the last year has not been "a walk in the park" (more like many, in fact, wind sprints in the park), I have survived...and have acquired a level of fitness that I never thought possible.

¹change

verb \ˈchānj\

 

: to become different
: to make (someone or something) different

: to become something else

²change 

noun \ˈchānj\

:  the act, process, or result of changing: as   

a :  alteration <a change in the weather> 

b :  transformation <a time of vast social change> <going through changes> 

c :  substitution <a change of scenery>

Over the last 51 weeks, I have become something different, I have transformed, and the scenery changed along the way.  Change became a good thing for me, despite the challenges it presented.  

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad. - C. S. Lewis

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.
Charles Darwin
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_change.html#uywrzeihsEz9yGi7.99

 

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.
Charles Darwin
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_change.html#uywrzeihsEz9yGi7.99

 

 

Ready to take the stage...to change...to hatch and avoid being a bad egg?  

Apparently, there are 5 stages of change according to the transtheoretical model developed by James Rochaska and Carlo DiClemente.  At any given point in the process of change, individuals fall into 1 of the 5 stages.  Successful completion of each stage is dependent on implementation of various strategies.  Most of the research associated with this model has to do with addiction, though it is also applicable to substantial lifestyle changes...lucky for us! 
 
Stage 1 - Precontemplation - At this point, individuals are oblivious to the necessity of change.  They are not cognisant that there is a problem.  This could be due to failed attempts at amending certain behaviours or just a lack of awareness altogether.  In order to push past this stage, individuals must come to the realisation that change is needed in order to accomplish a goal.

Big Mama Spitfyre - Stage 1 - Eating deep fried alligator and drinking frozen margaritas in New Orleans, Louisiana, Suzie embraces soul food and laid back southern culture.  

Stage 2 - Contemplation - Now, individuals are aware that change is required and/or desired, but lack conviction.  Unwanted consequences of unhealthy behaviour are weighed against the challenges of lifestyle change.  Contemplation phase is marked by the individuals recognition of the problem and an openness to change.  It is the "list of pros and cons stage."  In order to graduate to the next level, rumination must turn into development.

Sprained Suzie - Stage 2 - Spraining her ankle on a deceptively level looking slab of flagstone while on vacation, Suzie returns to Canada unable to walk.  Various doctors cite body habitus as a reason for the severity of the injury.  Suzie finally realises her unhealthy lifestyle has lead to some dire consequences. 

Stage 3 - Preparation - This is the planning stage of things.  Individuals may research how to be successful in their attempt to change, small steps may be taken to decrease capitulating, and stimuli that trigger unhealthy behaviour will possibly be avoided.  Goals will be established during this phase - SMART goals, hopefully.       

TC Health Challenge participant Suzie Spitfyre - Stage 3 - Suzie amends her diet as a New Years resolution, applies for the Health Challenge and is chosen.  She has her first meeting with the ninja, and together they set some smart goals for the next 3 month period.     

Stage 4 - Action - Plans are followed at this stage of the game.  In order to affect the change desired, individuals apply strategies to ensure the successful cessation of unhealthy practices.  In order to maintain changed behaviour, temptations must be resisted and skills practiced in order to avoid slipping back into past habits.  Self generated and external reinforcement support systems put in place. 

Ninja-in-training Sujira - Stage 4 - Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, going to the Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre 6 days a week to work out, training twice a week with a ninja, practicing yoga twice a week with Anahata Moon Yoga, Suzie follows doctors', trainers', and dietitian's orders and has no plans of stopping!  She loses 52 pounds during the health challenge and another 48 in the following 4 months.

Stage 5 - Maintenance - This stage begins 6 months after the termination of unhealthy behaviour when the individual's new routine is stalwart and consistent.  New lifestyle has been fully embraced and energy is now focused on fortifying strategies to prevent relapse.  The individual has essentially re-invented themselves through positive change.

Iron Goddess Spitfyre - Stage 5 - From August to January, Spitfyre uses her steely resolve and iron will power to overcome her demons.  She continues her journey to health by eating a balanced diet and leading a very active lifestyle.  Suzie commences taekwondo classes with MIJO Sport and enrolls in the Eating Disorder's Programme offered through HealthLink BC.  Group classes strengthen her commitment to a wholesome relationship with food, and taekwondo hones her physical health and fitness, while offering mental and spiritual development.  She continues to work on her blog, hoping that it may be the catalyst that readers need to start on their own journeys towards health.  (Yes, I'm talking directly to you guys.)

So, why the spiral diagram?  Well, don't expect change to be a linear and straightforward process.  Though all these steps are neatly laid out to flow one into the other life is rarely so forthright - expect a bit of lateral movement, no movement at all, or even reverse movement.  It is important to remember that even if there is some regression, if something can be learned from the experience then it is not all negative.  Occasionally, it takes a slip-up to protect against future vulnerabilities.  And, what's that cliché?  If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!    

Suzie's advice to those wanting to adopt a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise: tips on how to ride the merry-go-round of change without spiraling out of control.

• Ensure that you are self-motivated because only you can change your world - make sure you are committed to the process.  Change is largely a mental game. Practice mindfulness.
• Surround yourself with role models, friends, family, and people who are supportive of your new lifestyle - build positive experiences.
• Set SMART goals - Aspirations should be specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and timely.
• Stop behaviour that interferes with a healthy lifestyle, avoid situations that could lead to capitulation, and decrease apparently irrelevant actions.  Use wise mind and coping strategies.
• Stay positive, remember that one step forward followed by one step back isn't the end of the world, it's the cha-cha!

The road to good health is a long and sometimes arduous journey, but if you have a destination in mind, a good map, are not afraid to ask for directions, fill the car with good peeps, play some cool tunes, pack some wholesome snacks, stay hydrated, and positive...you will arrive safe and sound right where you expected.  If you veer off track, there's always GPS...and I assure you, it will not tell you:  "Stop, you've gone in the wrong direction.  All is lost, give up now."  No, it'll tell you to make a U-turn at the next available opportunity.  And, don't be afraid to change direction, you never know where you'll end up...and most of the time it's a much better place than where you started.  Trust me.

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. - Charles Darwin

Screw New Year's resolutions...set smart goals instead!

The only New Year's resolution I have ever kept to was the one I made last year:  Get healthy, get active - lose weight in process. 

    

According to a 2007 study from the University of Bristol, I succeeded where 88% of people fail.  Of course, I was involved in the Times Colonist Health Challenge and I had the support of my ninja and personal trainer, Jonathan Carpenter, the staff at the Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre, my dietitian from Pure Nutrition, Heather Dueck, mental coach Christie Gialloreto from PISE, the other contestants, friends, family, readers of the TC, etc. etc. etc.  But, at the end of the day, even with all those people rallying behind me if I didn't commit myself fully to this healthy new lifestyle by eating a nutritious well-balanced diet and hitting the gym like an athlete, I wouldn't have had nearly the success that I have had.  So, I guess Nike was right all along...JUST DO IT.

And, I just did it for the last 11 1/2 months...and I continue to do it as I have done it for the last near year.  Perhaps it is time for some resolutions...though I never stick with those...so let's just call them New Year's goals.

goal noun \ˈgōl, ˈgül\ : something that you are trying to do or achieve

Now that I've defined goal properly, let's see what the University of Bristol's study says on the subject, shall we?  Well, apparently men were 22% more likely to achieve success with New Year's resolutions if they followed a system of "goal setting" and women were 10% more likely to triumph if they "made their goals public and got support from their friends."  Last year, I did both...and I'm going to do it again.

So, what's a good system of goal setting?  I'm glad you asked!  I have learned to set smart goals in life...and by that, I mean:

Specific - What, where, how? A specific goal is distinct & defines as much of the objective as possible.

Measurable - From what and to what? A measurable goal is one where progress can be tracked, and a final outcome agreed upon.

Actionable - Outline specific steps to achieve goal. Goals should be realisable though activity.

Realistic - Is goal feasible? Identify resources needed in order to attain goal, and keep reviewing and revising the plan to achieve goal.

Timely - When? What is the time frame associated with the goal, the start and the finish? Deadlines = commitment with accountability.

Get it?  Haha...it is kinda management speaky...so here's what I did last year.  My New Year's resolution was just a tad too vague, so I had to break it down.  Get healthy, get active - lose weight in process became pray to goddess that the Times Colonist picks me to be part of their health challenge.  After that happened (Thanks Universe!), I had a tête-à-tête with the ninja.  I told him that I just wanted to get fit and healthy, grow some muscles, climb stairs without nearly dying...in fact, let's just up the ante here, I want to climb Mount Fuji, and fit into sexy bondage pants...perhaps not simultaneously.  After my blah blah blahing he asked me at what weight I saw myself eventually, my answer was 150lbs.  Not skinny, I still wanted to be a curvy bombshell.  Then Jonathan broke it down even further, what were my goals for the Health Challenge?  Well, I knew that healthy weight loss was about 2 pounds a week, and so that would be 24 pounds in 12 weeks.  There ninja, take that...smart goal made...then Mr. Carpenter doubled it.  50 pounds in 3 months.  Ack!  Here are the logistics:     

Specific - Lose 50 pounds in 3 months.  Go from 292 (or 294 according to the ninja) to 242 pounds.  Follow a healthy eating plan, set out by dietition Healther Dueck and combine with exercise plan set out by JCarps.  It's black n' white thinking, but if you have a plan...follow it.  

(Here we go with the JUST DO IT reference again, but have you ever wondered why Nike is an extremely appropriate brand name to go with such a powerful trademarked slogan?  I haven't, because of my degree in Classical Archaeology - I knew that would come in handy at some point - Nike is Greek (Νίκη) for victory, pronounced [nǐːkɛː].  Mythological Nike was a goddess, often winged, who personified victory.  Wicked.) 

Measurable - Obviously, the number on the scale, my body measurements, fold tests, BMI, and clothing sizes would serve as benchmarks along my journey.  At PISE, Holly and Paula took my basal metabolic rate, and recorded a bunch of other fancy things taken while I had a tube strapped to my face.  Jonathan also mentioned something about me losing 30 pounds in my first month on programme...um...okay.  So my big goal had also been broken down into smaller goals for me.  Excellent. 

Actionable - For food:  Journal everything that goes into my mouth, and when it goes in there.  Commit to eating 6 times a day.  Eat fruits and veggies, lean proteins, whole grains - cut out processed crap.  (On a side note, deal with food issues - look into Eating Disorders Programme for binge eating).  For exercise:  Personal training with the ninja twice a week.  Do what he says.  Go to the Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre 6 days a week, double up on cardio at least 3 times/week - yoga doesn't count as cardio...but it certainly helps me sort out all my mind chatter twice a week!

Realistic - I have a ninja, a foodie, a gym, a mental coach, 5 Health Challenge cronies, support from friends & family, and a plan...the only thing that can stop me from doing this is me, and I'm on board.  Is it going to be easy?  No.  Am I going to do it?  Yes.  For the next 3 months, I am going to dedicate myself to this wholly.  I am on a medical leave in order to deal with my health issues, so I am going to make the most of the next 3 months.  Nothing is going to stop me.  Also, there is some big time accountability because I will be documenting every step I take towards success in a blog entitled O.M.G...WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE A PRETTY FACE? and pretty much everyone who reads the Times Colonist will know what I'm doing.  Failure is not an option, at least not for me...not now.

Timely - Obviously, the TC Health Challenge is 3 months, so it's lose 50 pounds in 12 weeks.  Start of healthy eating: January 16th, 2013.  Start of working out:  January 21st, 2013.  Final weigh-in day at PISE:  Mid April, finale, and final photos the following Sunday.  And then what happens?  Make more SMART goals, of course!

There you have it.  I decided to REALLY do something about my weight after spraining my ankle in November 2012, I made that New Year's resolution on January 1st, 2013, I got chosen to participate in the TC Health Challenge shortly after that, and I wrote all of my goals down in front of someone...or at least the ninja did in front of me, then I blogged about them in front of you.  

What I learned from this experience is that first I needed to be in the right mindset to establish my goals, as well as to actually do what I needed to do to achieve them.  I had to be ready.  Mind-in-check, goals assigned, plan in place, supportive peeps around, sounds good so far, right?

I also needed someone aware of those goals to hold me accountable, to push me harder, and to not let me off the hook if I screwed something up...enter the ninja, my friends & family, the readership of the Times Colonist and followers of my blog O.M.G...what if I don't have a pretty face? 

Jonathan not only trained me twice a week one-on-one, but he also lead a Health Challenge group on Sundays that I attended.  He was pretty much at the gym every single time I entered it too...so, there was no slacking off for 3 months.  And, if he were around, I would do my best...hopefully he would notice and would get a nice pat on the head.  Good girl.  Though originally I thought his methods of encouragement were a bit on the cruel side (Praise?  What praise?  Positive reinforcement anyone?), I now realise that he was getting me to work arduously for verbal approval...so why congratulate me for working towards my goals?  Why not let me strive further to achieve them?  Clever ninja, I'm still toiling away under your tutelage looking forward to that elusive pat on the head.

So, University of Bristol Study, what else was I supposed to do?  Oh, yes...declare my goals publicly and get support from my friends.  Well, I'd say I successfully proclaimed my intentions via the Times Colonist and O.M.G...what if I don't have a pretty face?  And support from my friends?  My friends have always been supportive.  Why would they not support my goals of health and fitness?  Done and done.

And that my friends, is how it's done...well, the first 3 months of it anyway, but you get the picture.  I'm still chugging away at it, I have 1 pound left until I hit 150 pounds - my original final destination.  However, that goal has recently been revised.  All that's left to do now is write it down smart goal style, tell the ninja, let you guys in on it, and get my friends to back me up.  I think that's doable, don't you?

Now go forth and make your own goals for the New Year.  

Happy 2014!

Happy New Year from the Spitfyres (Papa, Mama, Pinta, Suzie, & Stéffi)

And then this happened yesterday...

Victoria's Suzie Spitfyre sheds more than 100 pounds in health challenge plus

Sandra McCulloch / Times Colonist
August 13, 2013

Suzie Spitfyre, who has lost 100 lbs, poses at her home  Photograph by: ADRIAN LAM, Times Colonist.

As Suzie Spitfyre sits down at her dining room table of her Vic West condo to talk about life since she completed the Times Colonist Health Challenge earlier this year, a couple of things are immediately apparent. Spitfyre, at 38, is much smaller, and much happier, than she used to be.

The challenge offered six participants 12 sessions with a personal trainer as well as advice from nutritionists, mental coaches and financial advisers.

Losing more than 100 pounds has profoundly improved her life, she said.

“I feel like I’m the same person but I have to say, I’m way happier and less judgmental of everything,” she said. “I think it’s because I’m more comfortable in my skin and I’m doing something that I’m really proud of.”

She lost 52 pounds during the 12-week Times Colonist Health Challenge that ended in April, and has lost another 50 since.

At five feet, two inches tall, she has become something of a local celebrity. Even now, more than three months after the challenge concluded, Spitfyre is recognized on the street by Times Colonist readers who praise her efforts to get in shape and get healthy.

The idea that she’s become an inspiration to people means a lot, she said.

She had a friend visit from Montreal and as they walked down the street, Spitfyre was greeted by three different strangers.

“It’s a small town!” Spitfyre offered as explanation to her friend.

She can do so many things that she couldn’t do before — such as hike up Mount Douglas, go kayaking with her parents and go cycling on the Galloping Goose Trail.

After summiting Mount Doug, Spitfyre thought she might take on Mount Fuji next spring, which at 12,000 feet is the highest mountain in Japan.

“But then I thought, maybe that’s too easy.”

On Jan. 15, Spitfyre weighed in at 292 pounds. On Aug. 7, she tipped the scales at 190. Her waist has shrunk to 38 inches from 54, and her hips to 46 inches from 59.

Her goal is to be healthy and fit, and to be at a weight she can maintain.

She’s lost the weight by focusing on “clean” eating of whole foods — whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, and lean meats.

Her exercise regime is intense and includes brisk walking, spinning, kick-boxing, circuit training, spinning, cycling and hiking. She walks everywhere in town, including to and from her personal-training sessions at Crystal Pool — a round trip of six kilometres.

She’s added yoga to her routine, and says it has given her a new sense of calmness.

Her trainer says Spitfyre can reach 140 pounds, a number that she can’t quite wrap her mind around.

“It’s totally mental, like 99 per cent mental,” Spitfyre said. “It doesn’t kill me to eat healthy food. It’s ridiculous how excited I get about breakfast.”

A high-fibre cereal is just the start, she said. She adds skim milk and maybe a banana, “and maybe some strawberries and possibly a handful of blueberries, so it looks like fruit with a glaze on it.”

“It’s so rewarding that I can eat this nutritious meal and it makes me feel good, and I don’t get heartburn at all,” she said.

She fills up on fruit or vegetables, and only limits her intake of fat, protein and complex carbohydrates.

She laughs that she “sacrificed junk food and it made me feel awesome.”

What used to challenge her in workouts has now become much easier.

“The weight has lifted in so many ways,” she said. “Now I don’t think, ‘Oh, hopefully I can do that.’ It’s ‘Why can’t I do that?’ The confidence definitely is there.”

Her parents are thrilled to see their daughter lose the weight. They pay for the personal training sessions and join her on fun outings like kayaking.

Her husband Stéphane has lost 40 pounds and is enjoying a new outlook on life as well.

“We keep each other on track, and it’s quite hilarious,” she said.

“We go out and we don’t go to a restaurant; we go out on our bicycles and find ourselves in Langford.”

Right now, she just wants to stay the course and keep losing weight. But a goal for the not-too-distant future is to have a baby. By then, Spitfyre will have worked out how to keep her health as the top priority as she juggles both family and fitness.

smcculloch@timescolonist.com
 
Applications for the next Times Colonist Health Challenge will be accepted starting in December. Watch the Times Colonist for details.
 
SUZIE’S MANTRAS
 
• Progress is progress — whether it’s a one-pound loss or 100 pounds, it’s something of which to be proud.
• Exercise in the morning, before your brain figures out what you’re doing.
• I may not be the strongest, I may not be the fastest, but I’ll be damned if I'm not trying my hardest.
• You aren’t going to get the butt you want by sitting on the one you have.
• You are what you eat, so don’t be fast, cheap, easy or fake.
• Strength: A river cuts through rock not because of its power, but its persistence.
• Go do something that makes you sweat.
 
Advice
• Set a reachable goal, such as losing 20 pounds, and once you reach it, set another one.
• Fill your diet with healthy foods — fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains.
• Journal everything.
• Get a personal trainer to help keep you focused.
• Don’t beat yourself up if you slip up. Nobody is perfect, so move on.
• Get friends and family behind you — you’ll need their support.
• Believe in yourself!

Suzie’s blog is at timescolonist.com

© Copyright 2013

Weigh-in Wednesday #16 & #17 - Time to catch up!

Seeing as how I just weighed-in this morning for WIW #19, I think it's about time to blog about my previous forays onto the scale.

Weigh in Wednesday #16 - May 8th, 2013   

Starting weight:  292.1

1st weigh-in:  286.8
2nd weigh-in:  280.1
3rd weigh-in:  276.4
4th weigh-in:  274.1
5th weigh-in:  270.6
6th weigh-in:  266.2
7th weigh-in:  262
8th weigh-in:  261.4
9th weigh-in:  257.7
10th weigh-in 251.4
11th weigh-in 247.3
12th weigh-in 243.6
13th weigh-in 241.7
14th weigh-in 235.4
15th weigh-in 235.4

16th weigh-in 227.7

Happy early birthday to me!  Down a colossal 7.7 pounds this week!  What happened?  After looking through my food journals, apparently I drank mostly wine and ate mostly salads.  Interesting.  And, I treadmilled, ellipticalled, walked, spun and ninja sessioned (strength training & kick boxing) my way through workouts, with some yoga thrown in for good measure.  So, my conclusion is...my body does what it wants sometimes...even if I make bad choices (like drinking a lot of wine).

Weigh-In Wednesday #17 - May 15th, 2013

16th weigh-in 227.7

17th weigh-in 223.5

Wow...down another 4.2 pounds...and I had a birthday party in there somewhere!  How is this even possible?  I lost 7.7 the week before...that's 12 pounds in the last two weeks...what is this, Biggest Loser?  So that brings my total up to 68.6 pounds lost in 4 months, that's not bad.  Actually, that's REALLY good (trying to keep things positive here because I know what's coming up).  I was pretty consistent with food until the Friday before my birthday, when I indulged in grapes for dinner...and the next day was my birthday, so I did it again.  Then on Sunday, for Mothers' Day, we hit a fancy fishy restaurant and I had lovely, gorgeous, sexy oysters and a piece of salmon with risotto.  I pretty much spent all my calories in that meal.  Though, I did not drink at dinner...or eat for the next couple of days.  Nasty habit of indulging on weekends and then strict veggies and fruit diet on Monday and Tuesday forming.  Must watch that.  As for exercise, equal parts treadmill and bike, with some walking and aerobics thrown in, and of course ninjaness with Jonathan...and Anahata Moon Yoga on Tuesdays with Taryn.  ॐ