Reached My Goal and Beyond

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….yesterday I was 1/2 pound below my goal but was hesitant to share with you

As often happens when I reach a weight loss goal I go up the next day. Because of that I was hesitant to share my joy with you. I’m ecstatic today. When I got on the scale this morning I was down another pound, for a total of 21 1/2 pounds.

My next goal is another 20 pounds for a total of 40 pounds. I hope I can reach that goal by the end of the summer. It is exactly 8 weeks before my next BIG birthday, nine weeks before Labour Day and 11 1/2 weeks before the end of summer.

The last date is probably the most reasonable date to choose for my goal. With 18 1/2 pounds to go, Labour Day is also doable. I don’t want to jinx myself so I think I’ll just leave the actual timeline open for discussion.

I’m keeping today’s post short. I have to go into school to continue the clean-up and then I’m off to see a new doctor this afternoon.

Cheers!

Happy Canada Day!

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. a beautiful, hot day with lots going on in the city but very quiet at this end of town

No one was free to go to the cottage this weekend and I didn’t want to drive by myself so I started on my bedroom. I’ve even bought the paint. I think renovating and gardening are very Canadian things to do on the long weekend, next to going to the cottage. The streets are pretty quiet but Home Depot was busy.

Of course I can’t paint till I’ve removed the clutter. I’m starting at one corner of the room and working my way out. The problem is that the things I’ve cleaned up are spilling into the hallway. I need to decide what to do with the items I’ve removed and find a new home for them, preferably Good Will.

De-cluttering is a bit like losing weight. You have to stay focused and not stray from the goal. Don’t bring more things into the room than you take out (calories in vs. calories burned), celebrate the small accomplishments and don’t beat yourself up when you have an off day. Recruit help along the way. My blog family has definitely kept me on track with my weight loss. Now I need to find someone to help me remove the clutter from my life. Anyone interested?

I’ve started at the easy end of my bedroom, the side that I frequently organize so that when you walk by my bedroom it looks pretty good. The difference is that this time I’m removing even more items than I would normally. It’s when you take a couple of steps into the room when you really notice the chaos.

Oh well, I shan’t perseverate. On with the job. I’ll let you know of my progress when it’s noticeable.

Cheers!

Happy 145th Birthday Canada!

Down 19 1/2 Pounds

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. I’m half a pound away from my goal and then it’s time to set a new goal

I wasn’t going to announce my weight loss until I reached my goal but I realized that I haven’t been writing too much about my weight loss journey in the last two to three weeks. I didn’t want people thinking that I was taking a break or worse had quit.

At the beginning of my journey I lost the weight pretty quickly but in June the weight loss slowed down. As I’ve said before, stress is a huge factor for me when it comes to losing weight and June has to be one of the most stressful months for teachers (at least it is in our school).

Now that school is over for the summer, no more excuses about stress. In fact the last pound and a half came off in the last 2 days. In the past I would have given up when the weight didn’t come off. This time I can’t even imagine stopping. I have a long way to go but setting smaller attainable goals works for me.

At school I’ve started cleaning out my classroom because a new teacher is taking it over in September. I don’t know if you can even imagine how much stuff I’ve accumulated over the last 13 years. It’s time to purge and it feels good getting rid of stuff I know I won’t be using again. I don’t have much choice because I have to move all my belongings to a small office in the library.

At home it’s time to purge as well. I want to pack up all my big clothes and give them away. I never want to wear them again. In the past I always hung on to my ‘fat’ clothes just in case and just in case always happened. Funny how I never hung onto my ‘skinny’ clothes.

Time to Treat Myself

… and I don’t mean with food. Over the years my bedroom became the dumping ground when my family members didn’t know where to put things. Laundry, papers, books, bills, etc. were deposited in various parts of my room. Unfortunately my bedroom was the one room I never got to when I cleaned the house for company.

Don’t get me wrong I did dust, vacuum, change the sheets and put away my laundry (eventually) but I never found the time to organize all the clutter. I’ve actually taken before pictures of my room and hope it will spur me on to finally organize my space.

Once that’s done I’d also like to paint my room. It’s the only room in the house that still has the original coat of paint when we renovated the house over 20 years ago. So not only do I need to purge at school but I’m ready to do it in my bedroom. My goal is to have it done by the end of July. Stay tune for the updates.

I Did It!

Posted on June 17, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. couldn’t believe how emotional the experience was.

I actually walked/ran 5 km today. We started at the back of the pack and finished probably in the bottom third. I didn’t come in last and I ran at the start line and I crossed the finish line running.

What surprised me today was how much running I did in between. I can’t say for sure but I think I ran at least 1/3 the distance. At the finish line I could feel myself become very emotional and when I met up with my family I cried like a baby. It was partially exhaustion but also the realization that anything is possible regardless of age, weight or fitness level.

I started off disliking running and now want to continue. I’m already investigating future races later in the summer. I am more motivated than ever to lose more weight.

My brother-in-law took over 600 pictures of the runners coming across the finish line. The ones of L and I are hilarious and somewhat frightening at the same time. The look of determination and exhaustion would make anyone wonder if running at our ages was a good idea and those pictures of me crying….. oh boy! I doubt that I will ever post those pictures unless I decide to use them as my ‘before’ pictures.

I do have to admit that for the rest of the day I felt somewhat disoriented and not myself. I need a good night’s sleep and some time to reflect on the whole experience. I’ve included some photos from before the race and a group family photo with the ‘three sisters’. This last picture was taken about 5 hours after the run.

Cheers!

Coach C and Coach L at the beginning of the race. Coach C came in long before us.

Coach L and me. Looking refreshed and ready to go.

On Father’s Day with the ‘three sisters’, Dad, partner G, hubby K and nephew P.

Race Day!

Posted on June 17, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. the day has finally arrived.

I’ve been up since 5:30 and I can’t believe how nervous I am. I know I can walk the 5 km and I don’t have any illusions about running the total distance. I do, however, want to start running and end running.

It looks like it’s going to be a nice day but the weatherman has forecast rain later in the day. After the race it’s off to my dad’s place to celebrate Father’s Day and then back to Toronto to have a Father’s Day celebration for K with our children. My baby sister, CS and her husband leave for Calgary tonight.

Somewhere in between all of this I have to find some time to put the finishing touches on my report cards.

Wish me luck (for the run). Send me some positive thoughts over the airways.

Cheers

Another Thing to Check Off the List

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. 10 days and counting

I just got in from our annual school musical production. It was suppose to happen every two years but somehow it’s back to every year. The students of course did a great job, the parents loved it and the teachers are happy to check off another thing off their ‘to do’ lists.

As a staff we decided to go out for dinner before the show started. Fourteen of us went to a nice Italian restaurant close to the high school where we were performing. We made reservations early so that we would be at the school by 6:15. Apparently when you have such a large group making up individual bills is a bit of a problem and we didn’t get out of the restaurant until 6:20. By the time we got to our cars, four of us found $30.00 parking tickets under our wipers. Ugh! I was 6 minutes late. Double ugh!

I had no problem finding something I could eat at the restaurant. I enjoyed a lovely piece of grilled salmon and a salad. As with most fish it was the most expensive thing on the menu, which I excepted but the thing that I didn’t realize until it was too late was that my bill already included the tip. To add insult to injury I ended up adding another $8.00 to the bill because I didn’t want to wait for change. Lesson learned. Eat faster. Just kidding.

I tried taking pictures with my iPhone but most of them were blurry or too far away and the camera that I had with me ran out of juice. I’m hoping some of the parents will send me some of their pictures for the school website.

Tomorrow my baby sister and her husband from Calgary are coming to visit for the the weekend. I guess I better clean up around here. I still have a few things to do with my report cards and a few more things to mark as well. It would be nice to check that off my list as well.

The Girls on the Run 5 km is this Sunday and after the race my father is expecting us to come over for lunch. He’s looking forward to KFC (his Father’s Day wish). I’ll be picking it up and I’ll probably make an extra stop to get a regular roasted chicken for me. A bag of salad and I’ll be all set.

My goal was to be down 20 pounds by the run. To date I’m down 17.5 pounds. I might be down one more pound by Sunday but I’ve decided it doesn’t matter if it comes off now or one week from now. The important thing is that the weight is coming off and I feel great. I have no desire to change my new eating patterns and go back to the old ways. When I reach my goal it will be time to set a new goal.

Cheers!

I’ve Got My New Computer

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Mama Cormier

… but now I have to figure out how to use it!

I thought I knew how to navigate around Apple computers but this new MacPro is giving me some challenges. I have an appointment on Friday at the Genius Bar. I was hoping to have my photos ready to go but I can’t transfer my data from my external hard drive into this new laptop. So unfortunately today’s post will be sans pictures.

This time of year all my non teacher friends and the parents at school ask if I’m ‘winding down’. I know that there are only 3 weeks of school left but I can’t even allow myself to think about that. I have report cards to write, report cards to proofread, correct and print, costumes to cut and sew for the year end production, Girls on the Run to train for, soccer practices, soccer tournament, grade 5 visit to next year’s middle school, biography and social studies projects to finish and mark and the year end activities to organize. I’m tired just thinking about it.

On a personal note I’m continuing to have success on the scale. I’m down 15 1/2 pounds and I’m finding that making good food choices is becoming second nature to me. I’ve had a few challenges, such as attending a retirement party, preparing snack day for the staff and buying $50. worth of chocolate for 20 gift bags that I made up as thank-you gifts for the staff. I can honestly say that I don’t feel deprived. My reward is the large number of compliments that I’ve been getting on my ‘noticeable’ weight loss.

The weather has not been great and I haven’t been as successful with getting out for my walks/runs. I’ve been wearing a pedometer and I’m only tracking 4000 to 5000 steps a day. My goal is at least 10 000.

Anyway I have to ‘run’ and proofread about 25 more report cards.

Cheers

Feeling Better About Myself

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. all the compliments don’t hurt either!

Today was photo day for the grade five students that will be leaving us at the end of June. Traditionally the girls get all dressed up and the boys not so much (but there’s always one or two who wear a suit). This year I decided to wear a dress that I had bought at the end of last summer. I don’t very often wear dresses but I thought I should go the extra mile this year.

When I got to school I had a lot of compliments about how good I looked and some of my friends even noticed that the dress was a little bit too big. I’ve only worn it one other time. I think I’ll invest in getting it altered but I’m going to wait until I lose some more weight.

It’s interesting that I didn’t say “if I lose some more weight”. The difference on this weight loss journey is that there’s no question in my mind about my success. I am going to lose more weight.

After school the girls in Girls on the Run had their first 5 km run. I was worried about the heat today but everyone of them did it. As a coach I can’t always run with the girls because one of us has to stay behind and make sure all the girls drink their water and keep moving. Today we took turns running with the girls. I’m pleased to announce that I actually ran today and walked/ran at least 2 km.

I know that I can walk 5 km pretty easily. My goal is to run a little farther everyday until I’m running 50% of the time. I have 3 weeks and 3 days before our 5 km race to reach my goal, barring any more injuries.

Cheers!

Beginning of Week 5

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Mama Cormier

… 4 weeks down

I can’t believe that I’ve been doing this for 4 solid weeks. When I weighed myself this morning I was down another 2 1/2 pounds since yesterday. That makes a total of 12 1/2 pounds. My goal was to lose 20 pounds before the 5 km race on Father’s Day. That leaves me 4 more weeks. I think it’s very possible.

Today I spent hours in the garden, weeding and planting. My husband managed to start his vegetable garden but his energy levels are very low these days. When he says “he’s done”, he means it. I’ll be glad when his last round of chemo is done at the end of the month. I’m not sure when he’ll start feeling better. Each round has been different but it has taken him longer each time before he feels somewhat normal again. When K doesn’t have the energy to take Frances for a walk you know he’s not feeling well.

It looks like it’s just you and me again, tonight, Frances!

Raised vegetable bed, ready for planting

Vegetable plants waiting to be planted.

Trying something new, celeriac.

A little colour in the front yard!

More colour!

: One of the air-plants that I bought on Saturday.

Lack of Sleep Makes Me Grumpy

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Mama Cormier

Didn’t get to bed till after midnight. Had to stay up and watch Survivor. Not a good idea in hind sight. Up at 6:30 and out the door at 7:10 to get to school in time for soccer try outs. Met with the book club during my lunch hour and then took 2 grade one classes, back to back, to the computer lab.

I love the little ones but they’re not very patient at the best of times and today was no exception. Unfortunately the computers in the lab decided not to cooperate today. The internet worked for some students and not for others. There was a lot of whining and sad faces as they struggled to complete their cartoon strips.

I held it together for the most part but I could feel how weary my body and mind felt. By recess when I realized that I was also on duty today I was ready to cry. My friend L came out with me and let me vent for a few minutes and I felt somewhat better. I tend to internalize my stress so it’s always good when I can talk about it.

After recess my patience had worn thin and my next class had to suffer my grumpiness. I try not to let my emotions show or I will warn students ahead of time when I’m not in the best of moods. Most of the students are good but today I just couldn’t abide a couple of the boys who always use my library likes it’s the gymnasium. Time to call the parents!

Three o’clock finally arrived but now I had to get ready for day 4 of Girls on the Run.

Girls on the Run – Week 2 Day 4

Despite my exhaustion I managed to complete all the tasks today with the girls and walk/run 1.2 km. I’m running a little bit further each time I get out for long walks or ‘run’ with the girls. I have to confess that I feel like a bowl of jello. I haven’t run in over 30 years. I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it much more now but as long as I can stay injury free I think I might start enjoying it and hopefully reaping some benefits from it. A few years ago I ran on pavement for a very short distance with some students who wanted race me and I paid for it all summer with a painful injury to my foot.

The other exercise that I did today with the girls was jumping jacks. Every time the other team answered a question correctly my team had to do 10 jumping jacks and the same held true for Coach C’s team when we answered a question correctly. I think in total I did about 80 jumps. Not a pretty sight! We also did a lot of running on the spot.

After an hour and a half with the girls I went back to my classrooms (my home room and library) and tried to prepare for tomorrow. I finally left school at about 6:15.

NEW GOAL: In bed by 11:00