Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Time for a stock prod?

Addictions are not fun.  Food addiction is no better (or worse) than any other addiction.

Yesterday I had a great morning.  Ate a great breakfast, did my house cleaning, went to the park, but then in the afternoon I just felt cranky.  I don't even know why.

Of course I turned to food.  I snacked all damn afternoon and evening.  Instead of trying to get to the root of why food was needed, I just stuffed my face.

Binges are nothing like what they used to be.  I still logged all of my food and my calorie count was just around 2000 calories when it should be a maximum of 1200.  A year ago, a binge day would easily be between 6000 and 10 000 calories.  And my binge food was still pretty healthy, but I just continued to eat little snacks all day.

I was cranky with my husband and had to apologize at bedtime for lashing out.  Poor bugger just didn't know what to do with me.  I am sure he was ready to whack me upside the head with a big stick and leave me 50km out of town.

I found myself wishing for someone to follow me around during the day with a stock prod.  They could give me a zap each time I tried to graze on food that I didn't need.  Anyone want the job? 

Today I just need a break from food.  So it is going to be a fluid and veggie day.  I have never done that before, but I just need to get away from food today. 

So after my tea, I am heading into the kitchen to cut up some veggies for the day.  Tomorrow back to my regular schedule.

But I must still be on the right track overall- down 103.5lbs now.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Ball Tournament

This weekend Matt played in a ball tournament and the old guy did pretty well considering he hasn't played ball since he was about 15.  His team placed in fourth and half of their team is still hobbling around town!

I spent half the weekend volunteering with running the concession and the other half dealing with a puking kid.  Girls Night Out was running the concession and I helped by spending Friday and Sunday taking money and chatting up customers.  Late Friday night though we were woken up by Cavan puking over the side of his bunkbed.  That is always a joy to deal with.  He puked a bunch that night and up until noon on Saturday.  So Saturday I just hung out with a sick boy and cleaned a lot.  But by Sunday morning he was back to his usual busy self.

I never actually got to see Matt and his team in action since I was busy myself, but my friend got a few good pictures for me!

The next generation of Faro ball players!


Good sportsmanship all around!

Good times were had by all!  But especially by Michelle!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Quadding Day: Groundhog Creek Trail

With me walking between 8 and 12km a day, poor Betty the Quad has been severely neglected this summer.  Thankfully, she got a good run on Sunday!

We went exploring down Groundhog Creek Trail which is a road/trail off of the South Canol road.  This was our first trip up there and it definitely won't be our last.  We drove two hours from Faro to Lapie Lakes and left the truck and trailer there.  From Lapie, we quadded in about 20km to Seagull Lakes.  Gorgeous!  I cannot get over how wonderful this area is.  There are lots of side trails to keep us busy exploring for years to come.  The main trail is/was a road and friends of ours had driven their truck in there just last week.  I don't know if we would take our truck, being a dually, back in there.  I definitely need to buy myself some kind of boat for my 150lbs prize.  Perhaps a canoe would be best so I could check out places like Seagull Lake.  

We crossed creeks, went up and over the mountains, drove over lots of moose tracks and poop, and played in the snow.  The boys threw rocks, snowballs and sticks.  I tried fishing, but got nothing into shore.  It was a perfect way to spend a family Sunday.

I just keep falling more in love with the Yukon the more we explore.

Matt heading down the trail.  Just around the bend and down a bit are Seagull Lakes.

Crossing a little creek.

Here fishy, fishy!

Cavan rock leaping!

The boys and mama enjoying the snow.  It was +30C when we got back to Faro that evening.  It was hot in the mountains, but not unbearable.

So much snow still up there!  The boys were having a great time throwing snow balls at Matt and me.  There is my mistress, Betty on the left.

Tossing rocks in Groundhog Creek.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Playing with their hose

This morning I had to get some cooking and baking done before the heat hits.  The boys helped for a while (until there was a beater to be licked and then they were finished), but I still had a lot to do. 

So how do you entertain boys?

You let them play with a hose.  No, not that hose.  They already play with that one non-stop.

The garden hose! 

They are working hard this morning at turning their sand area into a lake.  I have only had to go out a couple of times to referee the hose exchange.  I will probably have to use that hose to clean them off before I let them into the house later on!


Friday, July 20, 2012

Our Little Dreamer

Cavan came into our room a couple of mornings ago right at 7am (my kid is finally sleeping in like a normal child!) completely in tears.  He was sobbing and saying that he could not find Mar-no.  Mar-no is his favorite stuffed animal- a little stuffed marten that he has had since he was a baby.  I told him Mar-no was in his bed.  Cavan told me, still sobbing, that Mar-no was out in the middle of the road!  No matter what I said, he just kept saying Mar-no was out in the road.  Then he added that daddy tied a cord around Mar-no and left him in the road!  Poor Cavan could just not stop sobbing.

Matt and Hunter went into Cavan's room and found Mar-no.  Cavan's eyes lit up when he saw his little furry buddy and realized the whole thing had been a dream.

This kid is taking right after me in the dream department.  In the last week I have dreamed about fighting vampires while shopping for fresh produce, having to paint a house as a requirement to start a canoe race, sewing a pair of mittens (this I really wish happened cause they were awesome!), and driving in a rally race. 

Hopefully the poor kid has some good dreams to make up for this traumatic one!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Camping Pictures

We spent a week camping and I forgot to put some pictures up here!  I took heaps of pictures as we traveled north to Tombstone Park, next to Mayo, and finally Little Salmon Lake.   Amazing trip with great friends and I took a gazillion photos, but here are some of my favorites!

Check out that ice!

I feel great!

Trouble times four!

Just hanging around!

Bath time!

Just lounging in the rubbermaid tub.

Family shot at the Keno signpost.

We love finding snow in the summer!

Best pizza in Keno!

Strong Boy Competition at Five Mile Lake.

And naked swimming in Five Mile Lake.

White Cheeks!

More White Cheeks!

So sweet!

Cavan, Alex and Tim out in the canoe.

Hunter, you are facing the wrong way!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Penny Party!

Yesterday was my 100lb party and it was so much fun!  We had nearly 20 adults and about a dozen kids hanging out on our deck and yard.  It was a big potluck and the sun even joined us!

Admission to the party was 100 pennies to represent the 100lbs I have lost.  I weighed out the pennies I received, and it is 15lbs!

At the party I thanked everyone for their support and also donated $100 to Girls Night Out in Faro.  The money will go towards boosting self-image in teenage girls.

So all of this got me thinking about a neat way to show the weight I have lost.  I am asking for pennies!  Please send me your pennies!  If you live close enough, I will trade you for some baked goods.  I am going to try and round up 150lbs of pennies for when I hit my 150lbs goal.  That goal should be reached late next spring since I am only 49lbs away.

It looks like it will take about $183 worth of pennies to make 150lbs.  And I will donate all of those pennies to Girls Night Out.  How can you resist helping money go to a good cause?

Send your pennies to:
Box 762
Faro, YT
Y0B 1K0

Or just drop them by the house!


Cavan, Hunter and Matt counted out 300 pennies for the party.
A full back deck on a gorgeous day!

WATER FIGHT!

15lbs of pennies!

Friday, July 13, 2012

And How Will I Celebrate?

Thanks for all of the fun suggestions through the blog and facebook on how I should celebrate my 100lb milestone.

I have decided to try naked zumba!  ahahah   Yeah.  No.  But thanks for that one, Alana!

I am going to purchase my very own squash racket so I no longer have to use the ones at the rec centre (then I won't feel so bad when I hit the wall with it or accidentally throw it across the court).  Thanks for this suggestion, Lesley!

I am going to throw a 100lb party at my house this Sunday afternoon.  We are providing hotdogs and burgers and asking everyone to bring a side dish or dessert.  But in order to be allowed to attend, you have to bring 100 pennies!  Should be a really fun afternoon.  Thanks to a number of people for this suggestion.

But the winner of my contest for best suggestion comes from ________ since I now cannot find the answer anywhere.  I think it was Jennifer C of Ft. Mac.  The suggestion was to donate $100 to a group that helps support self-esteem in girls.  Perfect!  So Sunday, at our backyard bbq, I will be giving a cheque to the leader of our local Girls Night Out group.  I will ask that the $100 go towards something that will help build positive body image and self esteem.  And since I already know how amazing this group is and how hard the leader works, this money will definitely be put to good use.

So Jennifer- if that was you, let me know and I am sending you a gift in the mail!  Still not sure what that gift will be, but I will blog about it before it goes out. And if it wasn't Jen that left that message, please tell me who it was!

Thanks for all of the congratulatory messages, everyone!  Your support means the world to me.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

100 Pounds Down

On October 1st of last year I started my pre-surgery diet in preparation for a surgery that I hoped would turn my life around.  My gastric sleeve surgery was on October 19th.

Nine and a half months later, I have lost 100lbs.  I weigh 219lbs.

100 FREAKIN' POUNDS!

100 pounds of fat!


I have been giddy all day and am sure I drove my friends crazy with my constant, "Hey, I lost 100lbs!  Booyah!"

I am over the moon at hitting this milestone.  It has been a lot of hard work and I still have a long ways to go, but I am ready for it.  It has been about 14 years since I have been at this weight- about age 18 or 19 I think.

My days now around centered around exercising through walking and playing squash.  I get to the pool with the boys a few times a week too.  Whenever I walk, I fill up my backpack with a random assortment of stuff to add a few pounds to my workout.  According to my fitbit, I walk on average 8km a day.  I am eating between 900 and 1200 calories a day depending on my activity level that day.  My protein intake is still high at around 80grams a day and I can eat about 1 cup of food at a sitting (about 1/2 an hour) depending on the density.

Mentally I am doing much better than I was a few months ago.  I hit a rough spot around the six month marker where I was just tired.  Tired of all the work.  Anyone who thinks I have taken the easy way out needs to come and hang out with me for a day.  This is hard.  By taking away my ability to binge eat, I am having to work at resolving my issues with my drug of choice- food.  But I am improving bit by bit. 

I love how much stronger I feel.  I can walk at a pretty quick pace all the way up the hill to my house and not be winded.  At squash I am returning hits that I couldn't come close to just six months ago.  The boys really have to run to get away from the mommy-monster when we play chase.  I can lift heavy rubbermaids into the back of a vehicle easily.  This fall I will start back with my weight lifting and I am looking forward to becoming even stronger.

Where do I need to improve?
I am snacking in the evening and I need to keep a close eye on it so it doesn't get out of hand.
Wandering into the kitchen when I have no reason to be there- old behaviours die hard.
Just because my stomach can hold 1 cup of food does not mean I need to eat that much if I don't feel hunger at that time.
Keep the grazing down.  It is easy to pop food into your mouth when you are preparing meals or snacks for the kids.

The skin?  People ask me a lot if I am having issues with loose skin.  Yep.  The arms are turning into impressive bat wings.  The boobs are starting to look like a baby bottle liner sucked dry.  The stomach flap is hell.  And the thighs are just looking odd.  I will post a before and after picture of me wearing just a bra and panties, but not until I lose the entire 150lbs and have the guts enough to do it.  It will really show by then too.  But I just roll the boobies up, shove them in a bra, and then not really worry about the rest.  I will have skin surgery in a few years time.  But until then, I will try not to let it bother me too much.  The worst problem is the stomach flap bouncing when I play squash, so I am trying different under-clothing options.  So far no real luck!

So what is the next big goal?  To get under 200 pounds.  I am hoping to be there for November 1st. 

And the final goal?  To lose 150lbs total.  That would leave me at 170lbs.  From there I will decide where I want to go.  I see myself at that point by this time next year.

PICTURES!

All dressed up!  Complete with my sunburn.

Last August to today.

Day before surgery and today.

Day before surgery and today.  What a difference!
And how am I going to celebrate?

You have to wait until tomorrow to find out!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

How To Celebrate? A prize for the most creative answer!

I am one pound away from losing 100lbs total since October 1st of last year.  Holy crap.

I need to celebrate that!  Normally a celebration for me would be with food.  But I can't really do that anymore.

So what should I do to mark this incredible milestone?

A lot of people have suggested that I go out and buy some new clothing.  I don't really want to buy any clothing since it doesn't fit for long.  I shrink out of sizes so quickly now! 

How would you celebrate?  Please share your ideas with me!  Most creative answer that tickles my fancy will win a prize.  Yes a prize!  I will mail you something!  Depending on the day, it might be a boy in a box....  Or the container of pea protein I have discovered tastes like poo...    Naw!  I will make it something good!

Put your crazy thinking hats on and leave a comment!  When I hit 100lbs down (should be very soon) I will pick a winner.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Kindness Returned

Last month we had a fantastic random encounter with a group of guys who were on a canoeing adventure across the three territories- 4000km in just four months.  You can read about it here.

Now it seems my boys have been spoiled in return!  Today we received a parcel in the mail full of books for the boys from Jan, the mother who first sent me an email saying her son would be coming through Faro.  Also, waiting in my inbox when we came back from a week away was a gift certificate for amazon from Becky, another mother.  We used the gift certificate to buy some science experiment and paper airplane folding books for the boys and a fridge calendar for myself.

Thank you Jan and Becky for the unexpected gifts!  Your kindness is very much appreciated!

Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.
Princess Diana



Pouring over the new books! 

Sunday, July 8, 2012

The Cat Came Back!

Late this afternoon while we were playing outside the missing kitty came tearing up the backyard and into the house.  Straight for her litter box!

We have some very happy little boys.  Tweakers is a wee bit skinnier but looks just fine.  She is currently sleeping with Hunter up in his bunkbed.

Sorry woofs, maybe you will get a tasty kitty treat next time.

Missing Kitty

We got home yesterday from a fantastic week of camping around the Yukon, but something was missing when we walked through the door.  Our grey cat, Tweakers, usually greets us and tells us how horrible we are for leaving her behind.  The house was too quiet and the other cat, Freak, was more off her rocker than normal.

All of us have called and searched, but so far no signs of Tweak.  We are guessing that she snuck out the door when the housesitter came over to check on the place.  She is not an outdoor cat.  This was the first year she experienced out the great outdoors (and she is nine years old) after we got our back deck and she decided to be a bit adventurous.

Hunter has been quite upset about it.  He and Tweakers have their cuddle time every afternoon and he keeps breaking down in tears saying he misses her.  Cavan took it all a bit more in stride.  This morning I told the boys that Tweak didn't come home last night and she probably will never come home.  He replied with, "Well maybe woofs ate her."   Woofs are wolves!  And he is probably close.  We see foxes in our backyard at least once a week and coyotes run through here too.  Wolves are seen around town, but we have only seen one behind our house this year.  Hopefully she met her demise quickly!

We will put up some missing posters around town today in hopes that someone did find her, but I doubt she is coming home.  It was a good nine years Tweakers and this family will miss you.


Sunday, July 1, 2012

Off Adventuring!

We are off today for a week of camping around the Yukon!  The camper is fully loaded and the kids are bouncing around the house raring to go.  We are meeting friends tomorrow in Tombstone Park.  We plan on staying there for a couple of days then down to Mayo for a few days.  Hopefully we see some nice weather over the week.

Yesterday I was not sure how fun this was going to be when both boys started with the chicken pox, but thankfully they are very mild.  The boys are both looking better already, so hopefully we get off easy!

Happy Canada Day everyone!