Coming up on my One Year Anniversary

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…. I can’t believe that I’ve been blogging for a whole year

When I started on this new journey I didn’t know exactly where I was going with this blog. It’s taken me in many directions. It’s been a weight loss journey,

My official ‘before’ picture taken in March 2012 just before I started my weight loss journey.

In February, 2013, 33 pounds lighter.

a site for reflecting on my past, an experiment with writing stories and prose, a place to share my new hobby of photography, a gallery for my art work and the work of my students, a cookbook of recipes and a journal to experience and share what makes me happy.

: Grade 3

: Grade 3

: Grade 2

: Grade 5

Blogging has kept me on track with my new fitness and eating journey. I’ve never felt better (not counting this cold I’m battling) and I think I look better. I’ve never been happier with myself than I am now. I feel that life has so much more to offer and for me to experience. I look forward to each new day and can’t wait to see where it takes me.

: Trillium

: Seed Heads

: Sunset at Christian Island

: August: Niagara Falls, ON

I’ve met the nicest people from all over the world. Thank you to all of you who have liked and commented on my posts. You have no idea how much joy I get from hearing from you. You lift me up when I’m not feeling well or when I’m down in the dumps and you honour me with your compliments and awards. I hope some day to be able to meet some of you when I start to travel more after I retire and I hope if you come to Toronto you’ll look me up and we can meet for coffee or share a meal.

Before the end of the month I hope to reach 10 000 views. The month has started off slowly but that is my own fault. I haven’t had much energy or interesting things to blog about because of my cold but starting today I’m going to try to publish every day. There are 23 days left so that means I need about 30 views a day to reach my goal. Last month I averaged 42 views a day so 30 I think is very doable.

I’m delighted with how many people are following me on mamacormier. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that so many people would want to read what I have to say. Just before the New Year I put out a plea to reach 200 followers and a few kind people made that dream come true. Since then I’ve been steadily getting new followers and am currently sitting at 281. Before the end of the month I’d love to reach 300. Any takers?

So where do I go from here? Well, I’m definitely going to continue with my weight loss and fitness journey. One thing that I’ve learned is that this journey is and will be a life long commitment. I want to live a long and healthy life. I don’t want to live my last 10 years as a statistic and be a burden on society. I have too much I want to do and accomplish in life.

: Abstract monoprint 5×7

: Abstract monoprint

: Three of my 6 prints, plus the wood block. I started with the orange but wasn’t happy with the colour so I switched to the blue.

: Frances guarding the tomatoes for Sunday’s sauce.

: August: Celebrating my 60th birthday.

I love the challenges that wordpress and other bloggers put out there so I know that I will continue to participate in some of them, especially the photography ones. I’ll also continue to share the art that my students create and hopefully I’ll find more time to create more of my own art. Who knows, maybe something new will cross my path and I’ll share that with you as well. I can’t seem to focus on any one thing so I tend to do it all. That’s just the way I am. I wouldn’t be happy any other way.

Cheers!

On the Mend

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…. 11 days later and I’m starting to feel better

I’m hardly ever sick. People at work often say “Carol you’re never sick.” This year has certainly been the exception. Prior to this year I never worried about having to take time off to recuperate because over 25 years I had saved up more sick days then I would ever use. This year the government took all our saved sick days away and our sick days for the year were cut from 20 to 11 days. I’ve already used up 7 of those days this year.

Another downside of being sick is that I haven’t been walking or exercising. I was sure that I had put weight back on but when I finally stood on the scale on Monday I was pleasantly surprised to see that my total weight loss was holding steady at 32 1/2 pounds. Of course that means that all the weight I lost during the 3 day detox was back on but I’m not surprised. Today I was down another pound.

Yesterday we started Girls on the Run at our school again. I’m one of the coaches and have 15 girls on my team. The weather was very cold. I led the girls in some of the warm-up activities and then we walked/ran for 15 minutes. I have to admit that I only walked yesterday because of my cough. I can go without coughing for hours at a time but speaking too much or laughing or sudden changes in temperature brings on extended coughing spells. Hopefully tomorrow, on day 2 of this 10 week (twice a week) program, I’ll be able to run a little bit.

Things are starting to look up. My eating is back on track and I’m looking forward to running again. A year ago I couldn’t imagine saying those words. For most of my life I hated running. I tried running numerous times but I always gave up after a couple of days. I don’t expect to be running a marathon any time soon, if ever, but I certainly am planning on doing another 5K.

Time to take my evening cold medicine. Wish me a speedy recovery.

Cheers!

Who Knew?

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….how much work it is being part of a studio audience

The fact that I came down with the flu the day before probably didn’t help. For weeks I had been looking forward to being part of a studio audience for the Steven and Chris Show and after arranging the time off (that’s another story) I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity. I medicated myself with cold and flu medicine and made sure I got a good night’s sleep.

I parked the car in the car park about 1.6k away because I missed the walk with the dog this morning and last night I had to pass on the walk. At least I got one walk in yesterday. After walking back to the car I got a total 3.3 k in. Happy about that!

My view on the way to the studio.

Once in the studio, we had to rehearse how to clap and cheer and keep smiling. Do you know how hard that is? The show was entertaining but my friend D who came with me had it right when she said that the hosts talk more to the TV audience than to the actual audience in the studio. At times it was difficult to see what was happening on the floor because there were so many cameras in front of us.

Between vignettes there were lots of prop and scene changes. During that time staff members from the show kept us entertained with draws, games and interviews with audience members. Chris, one of the hosts, was also sick and I felt for him. He was a trooper but he avoided contact with the audience at the end of the show. All in all we were there for about 2 1/2 hours for a one hour show.

Would I do it again? I’m not sure I would go back to the same show unless I knew they had a special guest coming. Apparently if I follow the show on FaceBook they make those announcements ahead of time. I would go to different show. I’ve already applied to be on the Marilyn Denis Show. This show airs Friday, April 5th.

After lunch I walked back to the car and I really started to feel achy again and the cough started up again. I phoned into work and asked them to retain my supply teacher so I could take one more day off. When I got home I went straight to bed. I’ve also started my lemon tea and honey regime. Rest, rest and more rest.

I wrote this post last night but didn’t publish until today because I couldn’t upload my photographs. Has anyone else had this problem? No problem today. Hmmmm?

My Happiness File – Day 2

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…despite sad news I still had moments of happiness

Not everyday will be perfect. Sometimes the job gets stressful, people disappoint us, goals aren’t met and bad things happen to good people. Unfortunately a colleague’s partner died unexpectedly and I learned of it this morning. After sending a message of condolence, reflecting on a similar personal experience and phoning and emailing friends to notify them of the death I had to move on.

So today is more about what I’m grateful for. Any problems, that I may have, seem insignificant to what happened to L yesterday.

I’m grateful for my husband’s healthy heart. In the last eight months since his chemo treatments I have my old husband back. He feels better than he has in a long time. All good news.

I’m grateful for good genes. Most people who are as heavy as I am are not nearly as healthy or as fit. I took the “What’s Your Real Age?” quiz today and discovered that I am five years younger in real years. Now that’s something to be happy about. If you’re interested in the quiz go to: http://www.doctoroz.com/realage

I survived my first day of the Dr. Oz Three Day Cleanse. I’m happy about that but my husband couldn’t do it. Without his support I’m not sure I can continue. I’ll keep you posted.

I’m happy because we got out for our walk early this morning despite the rain. Being out in the fresh air just lifts my mood and makes me feel better.

I hope you’ve had to time to reflect on what made you happy today.

Cheers!

My Happiness File – Day 1 Continued

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….. now that the day is coming to an end I can complete my list

Earlier today I introduced ‘My Happiness File’ and I posted one thing that had made me happy. Since the idea is to post at least three things that you are grateful for or happy about I need to beef up my list.

Today was a very satisfying day. Here’s what made me happy.

2. I’m always happy when new people come to my site and make a comment and I’m doubly happy when they answer a question that I post. Today I was introduced to Erica at Gratitude Equation. It’s a lovely site with quotes, challenges and reflections about happiness and gratitude. You should check it out.

3. The weather was beautiful and my husband and I got out to a favourite organic market in the Junction. We’ve decided to try a 3 day juice fast (more about that later) and everything we needed we were able to purchase today. I love it when things come together when working towards a goal.

4. I saw a recipe recently on Lattes and Leggings that I wanted to make. Pasta with Kale, Beans and Turkey Sausage I made a few changes to the recipe. I replaced the recommended pasta with 1/2 the amount of Kamut pasta (gluten free, low GI), doubled the amount of turkey sausage, increased the amount of kale by 50% and replaced the mascarpone cheese with cooking cream cheese. I found myself singing and dancing while cooking dinner. I was in a happy place. The recipe makes enough to serve 4 and with a salad possibly more. My husband loved it and that makes me happy as well. Good thing because we have at least one more meal in the freezer.

5. We got out for our evening walk again tonight. I love how my legs feel lighter and my pants fit comfortably. Being able to walk quickly and without pain makes me happy and makes me feel good.

Did anything make you happy today?

Getting Ready to Run

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Mama Cormier

… I’ve signed up for Girls on the Run

Last year I started my weight loss journey in April. Earlier in the year I had agreed to be one of the coaches for a group of 8 to 11 year old girls who wanted to run a 5k race. Little did I know how much I was going to enjoy running. My original goal was to walk the 5k but as I trained with the girls I found I started to run. It started with running 50 metres and then walking but gradually the running distances became longer. The day of the race I ran about half the course.

Today I’m happy to say that we’re participating in Girls on the Run again. This is a big deal for us because we really believe in the program. Not only does it promote fitness in young girls but there’s a huge emphasis on building positive self esteem and treating others with respect and kindness.

For me personally I wanted to start running again and I needed a venue to get me going again. As some of you know I’ve plateaued with my weight loss. Even though I’ve been sick I started walking again and it feels great. I’m also back on track with my eating.

Today I started with a two egg omelet with lots of vegetables and a cup of coffee. Lunch consisted of left over chicken from last nights dinner and a Brussels sprouts and spinach salad and dinner was oven baked salmon and sweet potato and a large salad. For a snack I had raw carrots and humus and 1 oz. of cheese. I also drank a lot of tea today to keep my throat hydrated. Drinking a lot of water and tea also helps keep your appetite in check. I’ve always known this but I’m not very good at it. Maybe being sick was a blessing in disguise because it forced me to drink more than I would normally.

My next fitness goal is to run the entire 5k without stopping. Wish me luck!

Cheers!

Rest, Tea and Fresh Air

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…. healthy eating and a little exercise and I feel better

When I woke up today I still had a sore throat. I read some more and then made myself a breakfast of whole wheat toast with avocado and tomatoes and a great cup of coffee. Yummy! I don’t often eat bread but when I do it’s almost always for breakfast.

After breakfast, K and the dog went for their morning walk. I decided to pass. I wrote to my son in Rotterdam and tidied up the kitchen. For lunch I heated up some leftover homemade vegetable soup. Why do soups always taste better the next day?

After lunch the dog wanted to go out again and my husband wasn’t home so I decided to dress warmly and get some fresh air. It felt good to get out and I ended up walking much farther than I had planned. I also took my camera in case I came across some interesting shots. Winter hasn’t left us and signs of Spring are few and far apart. There are still patches of snow and ice but large areas of brown grass and mud are starting to take over the landscape. I was hoping to see some signs of new growth but it’s still too cold. It felt great getting out but I’m afraid I had too much tea with honey and lemon before I left the house and I had to get home in a big hurry. I love how the pictures of the grasses and the decaying Queen Anne’s Lace turned out. Taking my camera on my walks has opened my eyes to the beauty of the most mundane things.

For dinner tonight we roasted the capon we picked up at the market yesterday. The lady at the meat counter was right about how delicious this bird would be. It weighed almost 7 pounds and we probably have enough meat left over for three or more meals.

To go with the chicken I made a great Brussels Sprouts, spinach and bacon side dish and fresh green beans. My husband made a mushroom sauce but the chicken was so moist that it didn’t really need it.
After dinner K went for his walk without the dog or me. He felt that the dog probably had enough exercise for the day and I wasn’t sure that I should push my luck by going out again. As it turned out the dog had to go out again so I ended up going for a shorter walk anyway. All in all I walked for a total of 4.3 k. Not bad for someone who wasn’t planning on any exercise today.

Cheers!

Following Michael Moore

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….. walking every night

In an earlier post I promised I would bring you an update on my weight loss journey. Here it is.

I won’t lie and say I was perfect over the holidays. I wasn’t. Far from it but I did manage to maintain my weight loss for most of the month. I say most because my baby sister came for a visit the weekend before I had to go back to work and there was wine and eating out involved. I made pretty healthy choices but I probably ate more than I should have and even though we did a lot of walking, it’s not the same as a good workout at the gym or brisk walk/run through the neighbourhood.

Also that old nemesis, STRESS, has come back to haunt me. As teachers, we didn’t get very good news in the new year and our labour dispute continues. Therefore going back to work brings with it uncertainty and potential conflict.

Consequently when I got on the scale Monday morning I was up 4 1/2 pounds. Now I know that some of that was water and sure enough I was down 2 pounds the next morning.

So I’m back on my low GI eating program but the biggest change I made this week was going out every night for a long walk with my husband. Usually when I get home from work it is already dark and I don’t like walking by myself. K told me about Michael Moore’s walking challenge and how he’s been doing it now for over 42 weeks. I’ve started following him on Facebook and I’m sharing his article on why he walks. I don’t always agree with everything he says but he clearly states what some of the benefits of walking have done for him. He doesn’t share his weight loss in this article because he says that it’s not about that but in a later post he reveals that he’s lost 60 pounds.

Michael Moore on Walking

Last Sunday I promised on this blog that I would make it to the gym on Monday. There were a few hiccups that day and things didn’t go as I had planned. After completing an unexpected task I started on my way home. It was late and it would have been so easy to not to go to the gym. I was about to pass it when I told myself that ‘no, I had to go’. I went in and did 30 minutes on the treadmill.

On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, K and I went for 45 minute brisk walks. On Wednesday I did a 75 minute yoga class and then went to book club. Today K had an appointment out of town so he got up early and walked without me or the dog. Frances is so tired from yesterday’s two walks that she’s still sleeping. It’s time to get her and me out into the fresh air. After that I’m planning on going back to the gym and do some weight training.

By the way, when I got on the scale this morning it showed that I had lost all the weight I had gained plus and an extra 1/2 pound.

The weight loss journey continues. Stayed tuned for future updates.

Cheers!

A Lot of Walking Today

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. 3 hours on the picket line, 50 minutes on the elliptical machine and 2k to dinner and back

I tossed and turned in bed last night and had weird dreams about being accosted on the picket line by an angry parent.

None of it happened of course, in fact, the day was surprisingly civil and we were met with a lot of positive support. For those of you who are unaware of what I’m talking about, let me explain. In Ontario today, 30 000 teachers walked off the job for a one day legal strike to protest Bill 115. In a nutshell, this bill has taken away our right to negotiate a new contract with our employer, the school board, and gives the government the power to determine our wages, benefits and working conditions without consultation or discussion. The minister would disagree with this statement but she has predetermined the conditions of these so called negotiations.

This strike is NOT about money. We have said that we are willing to take a pay freeze. It is about losing our democratic rights and the erosion of The Human Rights Code and our Labour Relations laws. If you want to take the time to read the following letter, it explains it much better than I can.

A Letter by a Member of Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario

The media has said over and over again that teachers do not have the support of the public. After today I’m not so sure. Only one car in three hours gave us the thumbs down while dozens more honked in support. We had so many neighbours and parents come by with coffee, tea, water, soup and treats that our little cart was overflowing with the generosity and kindness of the ‘public’.

More food arrived after this picture was taken.

Even on the radio today, the media was extra tough on the Minister of Education by being more persistent in demanding that she answer their questions instead of side stepping the issues with pre-scripted statements that didn’t deal with the issue at hand. They are starting to put some of the blame for this mess into her court and are demanding that she take some responsibility for it.

I went to the gym today after walking for three hours, to work off the one Timbit, three homemade cookies and the 1/2 cup of hot chocolate I ingested. It doesn’t sound like much but when you haven’t eaten these things in a long time it seems like a huge indulgence. The scale shows that my weight is holding steady at a 32 to 34 pound loss.

We decided to go out for dinner tonight because neither of us felt like cooking. We walked to our favourite Indian restaurant and ordered and shared two vegetarian dishes, a plate of rice and an appetizer of chicken kabobs, nicely grilled and seasoned with lime juice. We had water as our beverage. We took the leftovers home and will probably add some of the sauce from the saag paneer to our eggs in the morning and one of us can probably have a light lunch from what’s left over. We walked home briskly after dinner to add about 2 more kilometres to my walking total for the day.

I have another appointment at the gym tomorrow for my last free personal training session and I also have an appointment for one more acupuncture treatment to see if it can alleviate my occasional bouts of dizziness. I’ll share my experience in a future a post.

Cheers!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. the full length mirror at the gym is a painful reminder that I have a way to go on my weight loss journey

I’ve lost over 30 pounds and even with a high number of social events that I’ve attended in the last three weeks, surgery, and the stress of an impending strike I’ve managed to keep the weight off. The problem is I’ve become complacent and content with my new body and friends are beginning to tell me not to lose too much more weight. They fear my face will become drawn out and I’ll start to look my age.

I have to admit that I like how I look in my clothes; I like the compliments; I’m happier and I feel good. The reality, however, is that I’m far from my ideal weight and BMI and my waist measurement needs to decrease by at least six inches to be in the heart healthy zone.

Last week I started going to the gym on a regular basis and I’ve had 4 of my 6 sessions with a personal trainer. Over the years I’ve learned how to wear clothes; accentuate the positive and hide the bad. Workout clothes, however, show all the bumps and lumps and rolls of fat and with full lengths mirrors everywhere in the gym it’s plain to see that I’m not finished with my weight loss journey.

I know that my friends are well meaning but I think that I can lose more weight without looking haggard and drawn out. The last time I lost this much weight I stopped and gradually started to gain it all back despite a promise to myself that I would never regain those 40 pounds. I gained back 37 pounds before I started on this journey again.

Why is it different this time? My approach has been more balanced. I’m not only working on making healthy food choices but I’m also moving more. I’m more concerned about my overall health and fitness level. I don’t want to go into old age with aches and pains and weight related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. I’m already noticing differences. My tendinitis in my left ankle hardly ever bothers me anymore. I used to suffer daily and had to wear orthopaedic insoles. I haven’t worn them in months. Yoga is so much easier now, although I still don’t like child’s pose. The last pair of shoes I bought were a half size smaller than I normally wear and some of my size 16 pants are starting to look a little baggy. The last time I was this weight I was still a size 18 and the jeans that I bought back then are definitely too big.

Even though the weight is the same as it was 20 years ago, my body is smaller. I have to credit my walking and running for the difference. I definitely have more muscle and as we all know muscle weighs more than fat. My weight hasn’t moved much in the last two months but people constantly comment on how much smaller I appear to be.

The mirrors in the gym have given me the incentive I need to continue on my journey.