To recap: week two was a disaster for me; mentally – I was very negative, emotionally – I was riding a rollercoaster and physically – well, only one pound was lost (amazed that I even lost that!). A tremendous high followed by a disastrous low, as extreme as those two weeks were, week three was neither. Although the meal plans are incredible (both in taste and nutrients), I began to take what I was learning about portion sizing and nutritional content to create some of my own meals. Workouts were done for part of the week – they felt great yet did not provide the high I experienced within the first week. Stepping back on the scale, I was shocked and encouraged to discover further loss. What contributed to my success this week? I would have to say it’s “the little things” – portion sizing – the size of my stomach is not directly related to the size of my appetite, I am not a human garbage can – I do not need to finish my boys’ drinks, snacks and meals, water is my friend – it keeps me from drinking my calories and eating a real breakfast allows for quality bonding time with my children.
Prior to beginning this competition did I think I would have challenges? You bet! Did I consider these challenges and plan ways to combat them in my totally awesome TBR Workbook? Absolutely! Did I consider that something as simple as walking through the bread section at my local grocer would stop me in my tracks? Most def… wait, what? Having considered roadblocks like emotional eating, boredom or incessant snacking, I didn’t even think to consider the everyday places and activities that could trip me up.
Rough start. Beginning with the diet; which is actually fabulous and tasty, but got tricky as the week wore on. By Saturday I was losing it. We are doing the Baby-Led Weaning method of introducing solids to the tiger cub; so that means he eats finger food portions of whatever we’re eating. It also means as a family we adapted what we eat a little as well. Most of the diet is a little advanced for the tiger cub, and what was left didn’t interest Daddy at all so I spent half the week making two breakfasts, two lunches and three dinners. Top it off with the tiger cub laughing at me during the first half my workouts, and crying for attention through the last half – Not an easy week.
I have impressed myself a lot with this program, it is a good challenge and I love challenges. I followed the program every single day ever since I started. Sunday which was day 7, fatigue had caught up to me and it took quite a bit of will power to do the workout but I did it. My daughter’s been quite sick with a nasty cold and we’ve had some sleep issues with her, she kept us up many nights during this first week and I was and still am so tired. I just wanted to go nap after I put her down for her nap but I gave myself a kick in the butt and did the exercise. I love the after workout feeling and being proud of myself. I also wanted a cupcake real bad even though I’m not really into sweets and I admit, I had a few glasses of wine this weekend, I had to reward myself a bit! I am going to challenge myself to try and wake up at 6 AM some days to do the workout because right now I do it when my daughter nap, I don’t get to do all the other things I use to do while she nap.
– Caroline Alarie
Wow, what a disappointing week this has been, I have been putting off this post until the last possible moment because I really didn’t want to have to admit to myself (and you) how terribly I did. After the euphoria of a fantastic first week (including a near four pound weight loss), I really thought week two would be just as “fun”. Not so. The long weekend really threw a wrench into my newly made schedule. As I was not forcing myself up at 6am to work out, the day had begun without me – my kidlets were up needing to eat, house was a disaster, pets had to be taken care of, etc, etc. This translated into a lack of any kind of workout for three days.
We’re already starting week 3 of the program and it’s been a challenging adventure, but a challenge that I love. I am learning to eat better, not that I didn’t eat well, my husband and I are avid cooks. We make everything from scratch – salad dressings, stocks, etc… But I was eating portions that were too big, along with too much cheese and maybe a tad too much wine. When you think about it, even using the best ingredients plus a few glasses of wine and up goes the calories. So with this new way of eating I tell myself that I am training my stomach to be fine with eating smaller portions more often and so far my stomach is enjoying it. Sometimes I’m hungry but I’m sure soon enough it will all be well adjusted and balanced.
You’re at Whistler. It’s a powder day. And you just did West Cirque. Does it get any better than this? Yup. Head a few blocks north of the village to the Scandinave Spa Whistler, and prepare to find peace. Hike up the gravel path through a Tofino-like forest. (Don’t worry if you’re not relaxed yet. It will come). Light blue signs seem zen-like against the bright green trees, and running water stimulates you to breathe deeply. (And make you need a ladies room, but the ambiance continues there too).
Awaiting the birth of a second child brings many questions: Do I have enough love to share? How will we cope with the increased workload of two children? And, of course, how can we best support our first child in the transition to life as a big brother or sister? The key to helping your child prepare for this transition is to understand and appreciate the dramatic changes to family life brought by the birth of a new baby. Loss of the normal routine, having to share the spotlight, and enjoying less undivided attention can leave an older child wondering “What about me?”
The Dear Santa Letter…. What a fabulous activity to do with your kids… a letter to Santa written on old-fashioned stationary can help you figure out what they want for Christmas, and will probably be the first time they’ve used a mailbox. (PS. He’s also on email now so you could flip him a note with your iPhone..) The 11,000 volunteers at Canada Post are awaiting the mail, and if you send something by Dec. 3rd, your child will receive a response. Address correspondence to: Santa Claus, North Pole, HOH OHO. www.canadapost.ca
How many of you are curious to find out how tall your children will be when they reach their final adult height? Will they be tall or short? Who will they take after? There isn’t a magical formula that will provide you with the exact answer. However, according to several calculators, you can get a good idea – or an estimate – of what your child’s height will be when they are an adult.