where did the week go?!?

Sorry, poppits! I can't believe a week has gone by since last I typed. How interesting that I remember to blog on Remembrance Day....hmmm...

My week has been quite busy, well busy for me anyway! As you know, I've been the lead on planning a community event with one of the coaching associations I belong to. It's been a great experience, but I find myself running around with many of the last minute, ankle-biter details. The event is designed to help folks in career transition with whatever help they want. We'll have about 20 coaches there to help with resumes, interviewing & networking, building resilience, and a round table created by moi! I'm very excited about it. It's been a great experience thinking through and creating an actual working session. My hope is that it will be a success (i.e. people will really feel like the format has helped them) and I can blow it out into a workshop. Let's face it, the more people that can benefit, the better! BTW, if you're interested in attending, here are the deats:

Where: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building, Room 101 (Press Conference Room)
When: Nov. 12th 8:30-1:00; Registration is from 7:30 - 8:30
Cost: $20

On the weight loss front, I'm rockin' and rollin' people! As of my Monday morning weigh in, I was down 5 lbs. from last week...16 lbs. from Oct. 1st and 59 lbs in total!!
That calls for a big ...
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't 'cha think?!?

Admittedly, I've been doing a full court press on the eating plan, with the intention of achieving my optimal weight fast to help improve my chances of kicking the Inca Trail butt. However, I must admit that I've been concerned about the sustainability of an "ass-tasting shake and chicken/veggie" diet. I'm really missing my beef, to be truthful. Then I had this "aha moment"....what makes me think this isn't the way it can be forever?!? OK people, hear me out....

Maybe my new regime is a protein shake 2x/day with a meal of protein (not just chicken) and veggies..add some fruit & I'm good to go! Sure, I can have cheat meals or treats every once in a while, but what's wrong with this plan?!? I offset the vitamin loss with supplements, so that's good. I keep the discipline I require to keep it off..more good. I maintain my exercise regime so I can climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2014...good again!

It's really my mindset that has to (or had to) change. I kept thinking that I needed to go back to a "normal" eating plan. Well, what is "normal", anyway?!? And is my "normal" good for someone else? I'm guessing my friends Aubrey & Duane would say "ick, no way!!" at the thought of my food focus. At the end of the day, when I am in maintenance of my optimal weight mode, it will be because of MANY changes I've made to patterns and beliefs. I WILL be successful, dammit. There's no turning back now and, quite frankly, I'm diggin' this better, healthier me. I refuse to go back to the old patterns of ....

... eating whenever I feel like it...now I try to eat when I'm hungry

... considering a walk from my couch to my kitchen as exercise ... now, exercise isn't considered to be exercise unless I'm sweating and swearing profusely

... listening to The Rationalizer tell me that biting my ice cream exerts more calories than licking it, therefore, eat more ice cream ... now I can tell The Rationalizer to "bite this"!!

... thinking I'm too fat to ride a bike, or do the treadmill, or to look smokin' hot wearing anything ... now? well I know that's just Michelle, my inner critic, acting up and I can tell her to "get lost"!

This blog has really helped me to identify and work through so many of my bad and good patterns and thoughts. It's amazing what you'll discover once you look into your head!

Thanx for taking this journey with me, poppits!

What's to look forward for the balance of the week? Well, the event is tomorrow and I've got some catching up to do with my Adler practicum. A digitally remastered showing of Gone With the Wind Saturday and a hike with some of the Inca Trail chicks Sunday. What a great week I'll have...lucky me!

I will sign off with recognition and thanx for the efforts of the veterans to whom we owe our freedom. I couldn't write this blog without them!

Cheers!
(a) yt xox