So Far So Good.

It's been three days since I rebooted and I think my body is resetting its internal clock. Been doing well to take the right foods. I'm currently re-inventing my relationship with smoothies. Been enjoying them in different combos that include, spinach, beetroot, pineapple, oatmeal and low fat yogurt.

Spinach, pineapple, oatmeal and yoghurt smoothie

Beetroot, pineapple, oatmeal and yogurt smoothie

I've decided that breakfast will be mostly smoothies, oatmeal, muesli and oat flakes, as these usually keep me full till about 2pm in the afternoon. I'm yet to move onto brown rice :(, I can't stand the taste but we will get there.

Things are going well on the workout front too. Been burning 1000+ calories during my morning walks. I prefer going alone as this helps me move faster and there are usually no distractions. I pray God sees me through this and it yields in some positive results at the end of the day.

Today's burn

Yesterday's stats

I will keep doing this as I believe that God will help in the healing process that my body so desperately needs.

Reboot Begins.

So, I finally got serious and started my new regime yesterday. I even weighed in to make sure that the weekly weigh-ins happen.

My weight as at yesterday morning :(

Yesterday was quite a busy day. I went for a walk and burnt some calories. Luckily I was able to get another Garmin FR70 at a good price and that help me monitor how much I had burnt. Removed my HRM chest strap before remembering to take a picture.

I also did some meal prepping for the week. Made enough vegetable (cabbage, carrot and green pepper) and chicken luncheon meat stew to last for four days.

Paired portions with a cup of rice and a cup of wok noodles for lunch on Monday and Tuesday. Will also be making sandwiches with the cold cut turkey bacon and pita bread I bought. I also grilled some chicken breasts and chopped them up for my salads.

I intend to ensure that every meal I eat this week comes from my kitchen. Today I will complete my meal prepping exercise by getting some avocado, pineapples, mangoes and lettuce. Will share pictures with you as I go.

Let the week begin.

Ashamed.

I've been feeling really low recently. Stepped on the scale and realized that I was at my heaviest weight since 2009. A whopping 118kg! 

I'm not going to tell you that I didn't know how I missed the numbers slowly creeping up. For some reason, I was sure I would lose the weight amidst all the stress and late night eating.

This evening I saw the look of sadness in my father's eyes as he talked about my weight. See, I promised him that I would lose a significant amount of weight by the end of the year but have barely lost a kilogram.

Frankly, I'm disgusted at myself right now. 80% of my clothes don't fit and I've had enough of this embarrassing situation.

My new regime begins tomorrow. I have to make time for my health and lose these excess pounds.

Wish me luck and pray with and for me. I need all the help God can offer me.

You Reap What You Sow

Yes. That is exactly how I felt when I realized that most of my good clothes don't fit anymore. I guess that is what happens when your workout routine goes to hell and your eating patterns would make the dietitian cringe.

I have eaten so late these past couple of months that it came as no surprise when I found out that I have not only gained all the weight that I lost these last 5 years, but added a couple more kilograms.

If I needed any reason to get back on the saddle, I think this would be it. I can't afford to buy new clothes at the moment so something's gotta give. I have started monitoring every single thing that enters this mouth of mine.

My Garmin FR70 gave up the ghost last year and I think it is time to get a new one to help me in this quest of mine. I'm definitely going to be back here posting regularly, even if it kills me. Being accountable to you guys is what keeps me in check.

Wish me luck friends, I really need it.

Getting Back In The Game...

These last few weeks have been crazy for me. The power outages have made me lose my running rhythm. I'm too scared to go running in the dark and the elliptical isn't really a fun workout for me anymore. So, over the weekend I decided I was going to have to find alternatives to prevent me from falling totally off the wagon. I've had these Jillian Michaels and Billy Blanks workouts on my laptop waiting to be used. Perhaps it's time. 

This morning everyone at the office seemed to like my appearance. It's amazing how they seem to think I've slimmed when I still think I have a long way to go. This is what I looked like (forgive the photo, not all phone cameras are equal. lol!)

Have a great week folks!

2012 In Review.

The year has almost come to a close and I decided to review my year to see if I was really able to do any of the things I had set out to do. Did I lose weight? Did I change my eating habits? Well, let's find out.

Weight Loss

I set a goal to lose 50 pounds by this year. Unfortunately, I failed :-(. However, I realized that weight loss was a daily battle and that I would continue striving to be a better, fitter and healthier person.

Clothing

So, I was hoping to wear a UK size 14 by the end of the year. I managed to get to a size 16 for some clothes. I know it's not the same but I believe I have learnt  many lessons that will make me achieve this goal in 2013.

Exercise

I had a couple of exercise goals in 2013. And I was surprised that I was able to achieve some of them.

Complete the C25K program: I got to Week 8 and just froze. I don't even know why. After completing Week 7 I just couldn't motivate myself to continue. Will I try again in 2013? Definitely.

Walk a 10K on the treadmill or outdoors: I'm proud to say that I achieved this goal on the 9th of May 2012. It was a cool evening at the gym and it took me almost two hours to complete but, I did it and was so damn proud of myself.  

Run for 15 minutes straight: Check! Check! Check! Did this for the first time on  April 24, 2012. It felt so good. I, Enyonam, actually ran/jogged for that long without dying. lol!

Do at least one kind of exercise daily: Is there a half mark for this? I mean, I exercised at least three times a week most of the time. We'll be putting this goal up for 2013.

Do at least one type of ab exercise daily: Total fail! I'm not even going to try explaining why. 

Diet

Eat less fast food: I think I did better at this than last year. I can actually count the number of times I ate fast food this year as opposed to last year. I cooked more meals at home. 

Drink more water: Pass! I did drink more water this year. Made sure to consume at least three litres daily. There were days when I drank less because I took in fruits that contained lots of water but on the whole I think I passed this one. 

Eat more fruits and vegetables: Another pass! I took in more smoothies than anyone in my home. And before you attack, I made these smoothies with fresh fruits only. I had lots of salads and vegetable stir fries too. 

Eliminate deep fried foods for 6 months: Not sure about this one. I don't really eat a lot of fried foods but, I did eat chips at some point. I ate less of the fried foods but I can't say i did this for 6 months straight.

Drink more herbal teas and less processed drinks: Fail! I still drank Diet Coke. Reduced my frequency  of intake but still drank it. :-( And funny enough, I drank less herbal teas. 

I still ate white rice and refined carbs but, it was to a lesser extent as compared to 2011.

On the whole I can't say I'm happy with what I achieved but, I must admit that the year wasn't a total failure. There was a time when I would have taken advantage of the holidays and shoved everything in sight down my throat. Now, I actually exercised during the holidays and ate thoughtfully. I may not have lost 50lbs but I'm proud that I didn't gain more than what I weighed at the beginning of the year.

I'm off to set my goals for 2013. Don't be surprised to see a repeat of some of the listed goals since I'm not going to give up that easily.

December is Here.

November has come and gone. It was a great month for me. I joined a weight loss forum and logged in all my meals and exercises. I failed to journal for only two days but on the whole I believe I did great. Logging my food intake really made me watch what I was eating. I think it also motivated me to exercise regularly too. Seeing people journal Taebo, Leslie Sansone videos, Body Pump, Insanity etc. made me realize that if people are working harder to achieve their goals, so must I.

Anyways, I gave my tickers a reboot. I said I was not going to disclose my weight earlier till i reached 200lbs but, where is the accountability to you guys if you can't witness my losses and gains? So I've decided to continue the weekly weigh-ins even though I'm not 200lbs. :-) 

How many of you guys have heard about the Warrior Diet? The folks at the weight loss forum seem to be into it because most of them have lost crazy amounts of lbs by following the program. Apparently, you eat  little during the day and then eat (not overeat) your main meal for dinner. I tried it during the week and I must say it's not a bad regime. You get to eat fruits and vegetables in the day and then adequate amounts of carbs and proteins at night. I must confess that it does take a bit of discipline to ensure that you don't binge :-)

I'm hoping that if I follow my diet and exercise plans to the letter I would be able to reach Onederland by Christmas. I'm also thinking of getting a camera so that I can post more pictures here.

Here's to a great month. Cheers.

My New Baby!

I got this on Saturday.....

My gym's membership fees was just getting ridiculous. There was no way I could keep it up so I decided to make a long term investment. We already have a treadmill, resistance bands, dumbbells and an exercise ball at home. I think with this addition I don't have to go the gym though I must admit I'm going to miss my personal trainer. Guess I'll just stick to Billy Blanks and Insanity videos.

Anyways, I clocked in 30 minutes on this baby and burnt 350 calories this morning. I plan on doing another 30 minutes this evening.

Hope you are all doing okay.

Cheers folks.

C25K Week 6 Complete!

image via google 

As I got to the 20th minute of running I asked myself "am i really doing this?" Unfortunately, it was at this same time that I began to feel some pain in my right knee. I still pushed through and decided to give my knee a break before I commence Week 7. 

These past few weeks have been irregular for me. I just keep travelling between 200lbs and 204lbs. Perhaps it's because even though I exercise regularly my eating has been all over the place. Rice has been the culprit so far. I measure a cup and then it becomes two. :-( My vegetable and fruit consumption has decreased at an alarming rate. I need a slap on the wrist. It is based on these that I have decided to undergo a three day detox where I would be forced to consume mostly fruits and vegetables. 

Have any of you done detox programs? What was your plan like? Did it help improve your eating patterns? 

A Better Beginning.

Last week was a very emotional one for me. I was criticised about my weight so many times. In the end I decided to be alone for a while and figure out this weight loss thing on my own - without external interferences.

So, I weighed in at 92.8kg this morning. This is like a new start since I started a new jumprope routine today. This will include 3000 jumps a day (1500 morning, 1500 evening) and a really healthy diet consisting mostly of fruits and vegetables.

People forget that it's not easy to take that step to losing weight. They just find it so easy to make you feel bad because you are fat. I've had enough and I'm gonna show them all...

To a new and better beginning folks.

Have a great day!

A New Start...

It's usually not easy to keep up with diet and exercise when you are in the world of Advertising. The late nights and junk food at meetings always catch you unawares. God knows that I tried to exercise at least 4 times in a week but, it just wasn't enough.

I stepped on the scale this morning and saw that I was 97.2kg. I was sad and disappointed in myself. What example was I setting for those who were inspired by my determination and hard work?

Thus, I decided to start afresh. No previous losses. Hence the change in the weight loss ticker. I'm starting at 97.2 and changing my goals as well. For every 5kg loss I will reward myself with something. 10kg was a long stretch for a mini goal.

Since there is a microwave oven at the office, I will also pack and refrigerate my meals at night. I realised that eating out = more calories so, meals away from home is left for special occasions. The exercise part is good but I am aiming for 250minutes of exercise every week. Hope I have not disappointed you guys too much.

It's a new dawn, a new day and, a new start for me...

95.1..... Happy New Year!!

Imagine my delight when I weighed myself on New Year's Day and found that I had gained less than a kilo. Yes, I was happy because I had done bad things over the holidays... The ice cream, spring rolls, bread etc.. I had them all in moderation of course.. But, I wasn't exercising on a regular basis though.

Now, it's a new year and the ball is already in motion to achieve the goals I put in the previous post. This year is a year of action and I plan on getting my pedicure by the end of next month.....

Cheers...

For Real This Time!

Here I am, asking myself why I didn't do this sooner. My dietitian said to me, pour out your feelings to someone, but I felt too embarrassed to do so. I just felt too insecure talking bout my weight.  The last personI tried to discuss it with was always pestering to take pills (definitely not my style).

See, in the month of June last year I decided to stop making excuses and get rid of the excess weight on my body. I succeeded in getting rid of 10% of that weight but, getting the rest off has been a real battle. Now after several months of inconsistencies, its time to get back on the wagon.

I'm tired of looking for plus size clothing. I'm tired of being restricted in the clothing styles department and I'm definitely tired of putting my body through unnecessary stress. That's why I decided to start blogging about my weight loss journey; to serve as motivation.

Wish me luck as I try to get rid of the extra 83 pounds that need to go....... I always tell my friends that the next time I buy a pair of jeans, "its gotta be a ten"!