Making Time...

This week, I have decided to have a theme. And this theme is going to be part of my weekly goals.

This week's theme? Making time. I have always overused the excuse that I don't have time...time for tracking, time for exercise, time for planning, time for cooking, time, time, time.

On Friday with my gym renewal I made the first step towards making time. How did I do this? Well, first I put on my big girl panties and sucked it up. Then I chose the solution that would work best with the very little time that I do actually have.

Monday through Wednesday, I am out of my house from 8:30 am until approximately 9:00 pm. In that time I work roughly 10-12 hours (two different jobs). What I wasn't utilising before was the break in between those jobs. I have at least an hour and a half between my regular job and my freelance job. Not only that, my freelance job is like a 2 minute walk away from my regular job. Why was I waiting until I got home to go to the gym? Under my old plan, that was the only way it would work because I had cancelled my gym membership when I bought my condo. Too expensive. I also started a new job and took a slight pay cut. Add that all up with monthly maintenance fees I pay to my building and I was gonna try and make the gym in my condo work.

It didn't work. Getting home at 9:00 pm and going to work out didn't work. I fooled myself for months thinking that I would do it. Or, if I didn't, that I would wake up early and work out then. Pshaw is all I have to say to that. I know myself, and that was just a farce. I would wake up in the middle of the night and think "oh my god, I am so tired, I can't get up early to work out!" and I'd switch my alarm to my regular one. Well, duh, of course I'm tired...it would be like 3 fricking am in the morning for crying out loud! Then I would argue with myself that well, I could go Thursday and Friday cause I have those nights free. Well, I was either exhausted by that point, or the gym was freaking busy. So in the end, nothing really happened.

Anyway, to get back on track, this whole gym in condo thing wasn't working, and I could no longer fool myself into thinking that it was working. It's not like I was getting smaller (bigger in fact). Also, I have begun to notice that when I am not working out, I pay less attention to what I am eating because it's like I've given up on taking care of myself.

So, to make a short story long, and to get back to my original point, the gym I joined (with a membership that gives me access to any Goodlife in Canada), is a mere block away from my work. I can work out AT LUNCH if I want to! That's huge (there are some cool looking classes that are only 30 minutes long). And since it's so close to my regular and freelance job, I can get something in between the two on Monday and Wednesday. And finally, since it's on the way home, what excuse do I have? None really.

This worked well for me before when I was at Goodlife last year, and my work was on the way. It's motivation, cause it's staring at you in the face on your way home. Hard to ignore that.

This is what I meant by making time. I have the class list. I am going to sit down and plan out at least 2 weeks. Anything more is asking a lot from someone who makes a plan to work out in the morning and wakes up at 3 am to change that plan. I can fit in my run and stretching between regular and freelance jobs, and for the other days, well, it's on the way home, staring me in the face.

This week is learning how to make my schedule work. I don't know how other people with crazy lives do it, but this is the way that I've come up with to do it for me.

I'll check back on Friday to post how it went. More than anything, this is about making the time for me, and what I need to be healthy and happy.

Gym Time

I re-joined Goodlife today. Not going to keep lying to myself about using the gym in my building. It doesn't seem to matter when I go...6:45 in the morning or 6:45 at night...it's always frickin busy! Totally a motivation killer!

So there's a women's only Goodlife like a block (or even half a block maybe) from my work. Walked in, signed up (corporate rate, thank you nice salesgirl), and 6 personal training sessions. I haven't had PT since the first time I signed up for a gym when I had no clue what I was doing. In the last couple years of my gym-ness, I've put together my own routines that are pretty challenging (ok, I had help from Jillian Michaels and Tommy Europe). But I am missing that kick in the pants as well as some help with my running program.

I made it a goal to be under 30 mins in the Harry Rosen Spring Run-Off 5K in April 2012 (why do I keep picking races that happen during cold weather??) Anyway...I can't keep starting and stopping and not getting anywhere. Tired of repeating things.

I am also excited to do some potential day time stuff. There are some great 30 minute lunch time classes that I could fit in. Looking forward to it :)

Other than that, the Moroccan comes home tomorrow! Very excited. Long 2 weeks. Time to get ready for my class tomorrow. Have a great weekend.

First week back OP

So...first week back. Did pretty well Monday-Friday. Lost 4.4 lbs. I know that most of that is water weight, but whatever...I'll take it.

Friday was when it started to unravel. I held a staff appreciation lunch for my admin and teaching staff. Catered sandwiches, salads, and 3...count em 3 desserts! I only supplied one of those, then two teachers each brought cake! I didn't want to offend either of them, so I took a small bit of each.

Anyway, it was like that lunch was the key to open the flood gates. I got Swiss Chalet for dinner....mmmmm, festive special! Saturday I had an egg and cheese mcmuffin and a double double. Lunch was chicken fingers and potato wedges. Dinner was pasta (tortellini) with chicken, with some Lays Kettle Chips (mesquite) thrown in for good measure as a snack. Oh, plus an orange crush. Today was a breakfast bagel...preogies (spelling), and some apple blossom thing. I feel so bloated and that I just wasted my first weekend back.

There is no longer any bad/tempting food in my house. Tomorrow I will stock up on fresh produce and decent grains. If I prep everything properly, there should be no more backsliding like this weekend.

I've heard this is common....falling apart on the weekends. Part of it is lack of routine. There is also that sense of relaxation and sense of entitlement. But here's the question...what do I feel entitled to eat bad food? Why is there no sense that I am entitled to work out and feel good about myself? What do I need to do to switch the trigger from food to other things? That is my constant struggle.

My goal for this week? Re-read/finish reading The Beck Diet Solution because it has a lot of great cognitive information it that was really helpful when I was looking at it last year. My issues are psychological (that's saying a lot eh??) so I am going to work through the Beck program and see what happens.

Now...for my real relaxation that doesn't involve food...bubble bath with my goats milk foam bath!! (oh, and you know how people say to take a bath to curb temptations cause you can't eat in the bath? Ya, that's not true...you can totally eat in the bath...not proud of it, but in my old life I've eaten everything from cookies to nachos (yes nachos) in the tub! Ugh. Hint? Hold the item over the edge so the crumbs don't land in the water...sigh...I hate that I know that!)

I'm off for a bubble bath sans food! Have a great Sunday!!

2nd day back at 'er

This is my second day back on the wagon. Doing well with tracking. I've also turned down some pretty big temptations...like a student giving me a Kinder Bueno bar for "Halloween". Maybe she misunderstood the holiday? Whatever, it was cute :) I tossed that thing so fast in my desk drawer it was like a lightening strike! Think I'm gonna have to somehow hide that thing in my co-worker's desk!

Exercise plan for tomorrow...will prep my food for tomorrow tonight. I am working till about 9 pm tomorrow, so I need two meals, or I need safe snacks till I get home and can make something more substantial. Though, that brings into question whether it's ok to eat dinner at 9 or 9:30 at night. I feel more "hunger satisfaction" when I eat my dinner when I get home. I find if I eat dinner at 5 or 6, I am really hungry by the time I get home. Could be psychological, or maybe I'm just not eating the right thing for dinner. I'll try it both ways.

My BF is once again in Morocco. Well, for the second time this year, lol. I say it like he's always taking off for Morocco. He just doesn't normally go more than once a year. It's Eid Al-Adha...their biggest holiday in the year. Then...for the first time EVER, he's coming home to BC with me for Christmas! Exciting. This is a little off-topic, but it's the first time in 4 years :)

Here's to an OP day tomorrow. Some challenges next week when I go on a business trip to Montreal and Ottawa, but I will tackle them the best I can.

Have a great week.