My Weight is Down Again

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. an then up but still down more than up

Yesterday was a good activity day but also a lot of time was spent sitting in the car and at my Dad’s.

I’m not sharing my total loss from yesterday morning because it was up slightly again today, despite a walk/run in the morning and a very long walk (5 km) in the evening. The problem was that I spent at least 3 hours driving to and from my father’s house in Oshawa. Once there we were ushered immediately to the dining room for lunch and then 2 hours later to a picnic BBQ at the German club.

I think that I made the best possible choices that were available to me but I think that my nemesis, salt, played havoc with my weight again. If my weight is down again tomorrow I will share by how much. No hotdogs for me tonight at the ballpark. I will eat dinner before I leave. Salad and salmon. Yum!

On our walk yesterday I took some pictures of one of my favourite wild flowers, Queen Anne’s Lace.

Enjoy!

I Did What I Said I Would

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. running

After writing my blog this morning I set the table for my guests, put on my running shoes and headed out the door. The sun was shining but the clouds in the distance were ominous. I wish I had brought my camera with me.

Frances was nowhere in sight this morning so I headed out without her. I walked to the rugby pitch in a nice steady pace. When I arrived at the college grounds I saw that the rugby pitch was actually being used for rugby this morning. So instead of running around the pitch I stayed on the path and ran a different route.

I decided that I would run as far as I could before switching back to walking. I was surprised how long I was able to run. When I got back into to the neighbourhoods I walked for 3 blocks and then ran the remaining distance home.

I have admit that I was a little disappointed when I tracked the distance on the computer. I ran about 1.2 km without stopping and then another .8 km on the last stretch home. When I walked in the door I noticed that my guests were still sleeping and Frances finally emerged from her bed.

I buckled Frances into her harness and set out again. This time I walked to Rotary Park and added another 1.5 km for a total distance of 4.6 km of walking and running.

I stopped at my friend, M’s house for a chat and a coffee before heading home to check on P and M. While sitting on her front porch the clouds opened up and the rain fell again. This happened all day off and on. I was glad I got my run in when I did.

Looking forward to another run tomorrow.

Feels Like a Cottage Morning

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…even though I’m still in the city

I woke up early this morning to the sound of rain hitting the pavement. After all the heat and drought we’ve experienced this summer the rain is welcome relief. It’s one of those mornings where you want to stay in bed, read and write and contemplate life.

But alas I have company here and I need to get up and start the coffee and make breakfast.

My cousin and his girlfriend arrived last night after being on a bus for over 50 hours. It was our first encounter. What a lovely couple! We enjoyed a simple supper together here at the house and to our surprise they stayed up till midnight and shared stories of their adventures here in Canada. They’ve been here since last October but mostly out West.

I was hoping to get out for a run today with Frances. Even though it’s still raining I might brave it anyway. K left for the cottage early this morning (5:30) so that he could build the staircase. He’s usually my motivation for getting out to run.

My weight loss journey has slowed down considerably but I am down another 11/2 pounds for a total of 26 1/2 pounds. I’m not discouraged but I do feel that I have to re-exam my food intake. I love cheese and I think that’s my biggest downfall. Even though it’s acceptable on a low GI diet I think adding the gluten free crackers slows my metabolism and interferes with how fast I lose weight.

Obviously I’m burning more calories than I’m eating and that’s the main thing. I keep moving forward in a positive direction and there’s no looking back.

As I lie here and ‘contemplate life’ I feel that this weight loss journey is different from any I’ve ever been on and I’ve been on many. The difference this time is that I’m not thinking about when this diet will be over. I’m developing habits that will last me a lifetime and I honestly don’t feel deprived. I’m not thinking about going back to my old ways and looking forward to my next piece of cake.

Unlike this little chipmunk from the cottage I’m not constantly thinking about my next meal and scavenging for food 24/7.

Back From Paradise

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. so why would I come back you ask???

I love it at the cottage but occasionally I have commitments back in the city that bring me home for a few days. This time I have a cousin from Germany, who’ve I’ve never met, and his girlfriend coming to visit me. They’ve been in Canada since last October, doing odd jobs in Vancouver and the interior of B.C. and travelling up and down the west coast. They are now on their way back to the east coast to catch a flight back to Germany so that they can return to school. On their way here they made a stop in Calgary and stayed with my baby sister for about 5 days before boarding a bus for Toronto. They should be arriving tomorrow evening.

I’ve been at the cottage for almost a week. The Saturday of the long weekend had to be the hottest day I’ve experienced at the cottage this summer. It was also the busiest. I had 10 guests arrive around noon, 6 adults and 4 very busy boys (ages 5 to 9). My daughter A, and her partner, J invited J’s sisters and brothers-in-law and their children for a day at the beach. They couldn’t believe that they were in Canada when they saw the beach and their apprehensions about going to a cottage without electricity soon vanished. I love guests that pitch in and do most of the cooking and cleaning. They’re welcome back anytime.

J and A with the 4 boys. As you can see they have a hard time sitting still even for a picture.

My husband K and Frances after our company left. Enough said.

Great Day for Running

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. but I’m still holding steady at 25 pounds down

I was hoping to report that I’m down more pounds but I did lose the water weight and that’s it so far.

What I’m happy about is my run today. Yesterday my legs felt like lead and I could barely finish 4 laps at the rugby pitch. K also called it a day after 5 laps. He told me not to be discouraged and that I would probably have a better day, today. He was right.

As we were walking over to the park I was having doubts about running. My tendinitis in my left ankle was bothering me and I was still feeling tired. When I started running I decided to run as far as I could without stopping before walking. Once I got going I couldn’t believe how much energy I had.

I ran a full 500 m (1 lap) before I walked and when I did walk I went 1/4 lap and then started running again for the rest of the lap. In total I ran 5 1/4 laps and only walked 3/4 of a lap for a total distance of 3 km not counting the trip there and home again. I’m feeling very good about my accomplishment and running 5 km without stopping doesn’t seem that far off any more.

Here’s something we haven’t seen for awhile in Toronto…. mud! After yesterday’s big thunderstorm there were actual muddy patches on the field.

I’m heading to the cottage today for about a week so I won’t be able to write anything on the blog for that length of time. As some of you know I don’t have electricity up there so I’ll be channelling my creative juices into other pursuits. I’ll definitely take more photographs, read, swim, run and get out my paints and start or finish a painting.

Stay in touch. Cheers!

It Only Took Almost 60 Years

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. to like running

Today K and I headed out for our daily walk with Frances, early in the morning. I didn’t have any high hopes or goals for the running portion of the trip, especially after partying the day before.

When we got to the rugby pitch I placed my water bottle on the line as a marker for the beginning and end of each lap. Of course K passed me right away and I could see that beautiful form he used to have was beginning to return.

The rugby pitch where we run.

I’ve been doing interval training where I run 1/2 a lap, walk for 1/4 and then run again for 1/2 a lap. I did this for 4 laps today and then I decided to go for a fifth lap. I started walking the first 1/4 and then to my surprise I ran the remaining 3/4 without stopping. It felt great. K did 7 laps today (3 1/2 km).

I thought we were going to walk home from the rugby pitch (cool down) but to my surprise K started running so I followed him. We ran for 2 blocks and then walked for 1 and continued to do this until we got home.

The rest of the day turned out to be a good food day with very little salt and lots of water. Hopefully I’ll see some better results on the scale in the next few days.

We talked about our running experience today at dinner and I told K how proud I was of him for starting to run again. He was also very pleased with himself and knocked on the wooden deck in hope that his old injury wouldn’t come back to haunt him and put a stop to his now daily routine.

As for me I had to laugh because it’s only taken me almost 60 years to actually run and more importantly like it.

Cheers!

Beetles, Tomato With a Nose and Too Much Salt

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. great party but up 2 1/2 pounds since yesterday

I know that the weight fluctuation has to be water but 2 1/2 pounds!!!!

My daughter, A and her partner, J hosted a family BBQ to celebrate J’s 30th birthday. I wasn’t too worried about my food choices but I didn’t count on the salt content of the foods that I chose to eat.

As you can see from the picture there were healthy choices but the BBQ’d meats were loaded with salt. No sense in dwelling on the past. I drank mostly water but did have 1/2 glass of cider and a sliver of birthday cake. Started the day with eggs and K made sure that there wasn’t any salt in them at all.

While sitting in the backyard, we enjoyed the garden and discussed successes and failures of our own gardens this summer. I learned some new tricks on trimming my tomato plants.

One of the things that I like about living in the city, where your neighbours live in such close proximity to each other, is the sharing that happens. During the party A’s neighbour leaned over the fence and handed her some of the vegetables he had harvested that day.

One of the tomatoes, literally had a cute little protrusion that looked like a nose.

On the fence, the other neighbour’s Rose of Sharon had some blooms spill over into A’s yard. Well into the party J became agitated by what she saw sitting in one of the flowers. Upon closer inspection I could see that a very large beetle was the cause of her anxiety. I quickly grabbed my camera and took a couple of pictures of this lovely beetle. Does anyone know what kind it is?

Took the Bike for a Spin Today

Posted on July 29, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. after our 5.2 km walk/run

My bike, ready for shopping.

What a great day for moving! Not the furniture, house moving kind but rather our muscles. My husband and I started our morning with a 5.2 km walk/run with the dog. When we got to the rugby pitch I started my run around the field (500 m). To my surprise my husband started to run as well. For those of you who know K, this is somewhat surprising and not because he’s just finished all his chemo rounds.

A little background on my husband: Shortly after we were married K decided to start running again. When in high school he was a very good cross country runner and in fact he was the team. He always had to go to meets on his own and place himself amongst runners from another school.

He quickly found his stride again and decided to join a running club. To make a long story short K literally became a world class runner and was ranked 8th in Canada in the marathon. After a number of years of packing up the kids to go to races and running 110 miles a week in training K decided to make his family and job his priority and he stopped racing.

He continued to run a little bit but he obtained a knee injury and the running stopped. Periodically he would go out and give it another try but the pain always returned.

Over the years as happens with so many of us K put on weight and lost touch with the running community.

At the moment K is on a fitness kick and works out every other day with weights and walks everyday with the dog. Until yesterday I didn’t know that he was slowly starting to run again. Of course he couldn’t stay with me, he had to run ahead of me (I don’t blame him, I’m so slow).

I decided to make a game of it and was determined that in my 4 laps I wasn’t going to let him lap me. When I started my 4th lap K was well into his 5th lap but he hadn’t passed me. I could feel him gaining ground on me near the end of my 4th lap and I don’t know where I found the energy but I put on a mini burst and finished before he could pass me.

When we got home we decided to get out the bikes, rather than get in the car and run a few errands in the neighbourhood. I loved it. We cycled several blocks to a house where the owner was selling fruit from his driveway and we bought so much we had to cycle home to drop it off. Then we cycled up to the main drag and did more shopping and browsing and before we headed home (we took the long way) we stopped and had a coffee at the local Portuguese bakery. From the picture you can see that K enjoyed a sweet with his coffee and I shared a slice of vegetarian pizza with him.

Upon returning home I went to the computer to track how far we had walked and ridden our bikes. Much to K’s surprise we covered 5.5 km with the bikes. Not bad for the first time on the bike this summer.

Later in the day I drove downtown and picked up my girlfriend, D, and we went to our friend, M’s birthday party. We decide to eat before the party and stopped at a cute little Vietnamese restaurant where we shared 2 dishes and 2 fresh rolls. We drank clear tea and didn’t have dessert. I knew that the scale might show an increase because I tend to retain water after eating Asian food. Sure enough I was up 1/2 pound this morning but I was down 1 yesterday so I’m still going down.

At the party I literally had 1 shrimp, 2 pieces of cheese and drank water. I even passed on birthday cake. Feeling good about my food decisions. I have another party this afternoon at my daughter’s house but I’m confident that the food won’t be an issue.

Have to get ready to go. I’m literally sitting here in a towel as I write this. TMI??

Holding Steady at 25

Posted on July 28, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. still down 25 pounds but experimenting with new foods is stalling my weight loss

I feel great, my clothes are looser and my size 16 pants are baggy around my waist but I’m learning that certain foods, even in moderation, stop or slow down my weight loss. Those foods that I need to avoid or limit even more are sweet potatoes, potatoes, nuts and dried fruit and pork products.

I have started running again and went out 2 days in a row while up at the cottage. I was all set to run again this morning but I took too long getting ready and as I was leaving the house, K returned with the dog from their walk and we had to get ready to go to the hospital for K’s follow-up check-up. On that front I’m happy to report that he’s doing well and the doctor’s only concern was his need for some vitamin supplements.

Later in the day it got too warm to run and frankly I was exhausted and fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon. I have to admit that I was disappointed that I didn’t lose more weight over the last 5 days, especially after all the exercise I did but I wasn’t completely surprised either. I do get very involved with my summer reading and even though I walk, run, swim and rake the grounds, I also am very stationary for hours at a time while I get lost in my books.

The last book that I finished was recommended by my good friend, B. I had a hard time getting into it but I couldn’t put it down either. Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman is set in modern day London, England and is written in the voice of a 12 year old boy from Ghana who witnesses the murder on a young boy in his neighbourhood. Together with his friends he tries to gather evidence for the police while at the same time avoiding the bullies and the pressure to join a gang. The language is colourful and at times difficult to understand. The book is often compared to Room in it’s writing style. The author combines humour with the harsh realities of living in a new country in a state of poverty. At times the story is endearing but disturbing and funny but sad. I would rate this book 3 out of 5.

My Abundant City Garden

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….lost all track of time while I worked in the garden yesterday and my plans to head up to the cottage vaporized

I love the garden but it is a huge commitment and requires love, care and TIME.

I had packed my clothes, shopped for the necessities to bring back to the cottage BUT I needed to do one more little thing in the garden before I left…..

Well that ‘one little thing’ turned into many little things and before I knew it I was on a roll and couldn’t stop. It felt good to tidy up the weeds, trim the hedge (again!), cut the grass and pick the ‘fruits of our labour’. That evening I sat outside with my husband enjoying a lovely dinner of grilled vegetables and salmon fillets. Looking over the garden from our deck gave me a great deal of satisfaction and a feeling of pride.

This morning I walked around the garden and took pictures of the flowers and some of the vegetables that will be ready for harvesting in the coming weeks. If you remember my post from May where I showed you the beginnings of this garden I think you’ll agree that it’s come a long way. NOT BAD for a garden in the middle of Toronto.