Day One: Success!!

I stayed on track last night! I didn't go over my points at all and I had room for a small bowl of icecream. How exciting!

Now if only today will go as well.... hmmm.

Motivation, motivation, motivation!

Bored & Eating Again already

Found a problem I can work on today. I eat when I'm bored. 

Ha. I say it as though it was new information. I know I eat when I'm bored, but I've got to figure out what to replace food with when I'm bored, or replace the food I used to eat (chips and dip and chocolates) at my desk with a healthier option. 

So I just at 1/2 a cup of baby carrots and now I'm enjoying half a bag of SmartPop popcorn. That should do me over until supper. Which will probably take up the majority of my points, but I won't eat very much of it and I'll make sure I have some zero point snacks this evening. Cause I'm allll out of my weekly allowence points. Boo on hot chocolate with 2% milk and fettucini alfredo. 

Twenty Months & I'm FAT!

I'm getting married in 20 months. That leaves me with 20 months to drop to my desired weight for my wedding, which is roughly 150 pounds. And yes, I will shout it out to the entire world how grossly obese I am - that's about 100 pounds to lose. 

Ohhh boy. Let out that can of worms, didn't I?

Man, I am faaatt. 150 is my "dream goal". I would be exstatic with being 175-180 for my wedding. But that's still over 50 to drop, and it starts TODAY.

No more binging. I know I won't go two years without McDonalds or icecream, chocolate, etc. But this time, I'm going to do it the smart way. 

Everything in moderation. Treat myself once a month to something that I enjoy such as a dinner out or something greasy, but not go overboard. Sure I can eat Kraft Dinner - just not the entire box - so instead have 1 cup with some veggies on the side. I can enjoy a slice of pizza, just not sit down and gobble down half of a party-sized pep & cheese from greco! 

I gotta get back into my loving relationship with vegetables again. I'm afraid I'm going to get scurvy. 

So, to my friends and my family - this is what I ask of you. Respect my decision to become a healthy person and try not to put bad food choices at me. Or if I decline on eating something that I know isn't good for me, don't call me "lame" or similar. 

Encourage my progress and understand that I want to live to be above the age of 50. I want kids, and I want to look f*cking hot on my wedding day. In fact, if you want to encourage me, become a buddy in my healthy lifestyle challenge! I know while not all my friends are "big", many are not "healthy" and it's always good to take care of yourself!

Along with my daily posts, there will be a paragraph at the bottom dedicated to my progress. I will try and not make it all about my lifestyle revolution, but it will now become a regular occurance on my blog.

Day 1: Oooh boy. I'm doing it again.

I lost 27 pounds last summer. I need to lose that PLUS a tonne more before July 17th, 2010. I did it once, I can do it again. The hardest part is remembering how I did it before I met Mike and how to get myself back into that pysche of becoming a healthier me. 

Today I had 1 cup of cereal and a coffee (with mostly milk instead of cream). For lunch, I just finished a really tasty veggie salad from Subway (I wonder how long they're remain tasty before I get burnt out on those. Oh I remember THAT.) 

Because I want to remain full, but not stuffed, I'm waiting 20 minutes before assessing if I had enough for my lunch. *(Which I did)*  

 

I have baby carrots for an afternoon snack at around 2:00 and I also picked up some SmartPop Popcorn to switch it up. Although eating popcorn (even 90% fat free) is not the best choice as it contains more sodium than your body can handle in a day which dehydrates you. 

I've done some exercises at my desk that work well (check out the article here.)  and I've found that they're actually pretty good! I'll add in some pushups and crunches tonight (I hope I can maintain the motivation to do it tonight instead of watching CSI: NY all night) and I should be good to go! 

I'm motivated for now, but I know it will fade. I've got to find ways to keep the motivational train going, and I'm looking for a buddy to join me on my Weight Watchers and exercising. If you're interested, email me.     

Happy Hump Day!

It's wednesday! Thanks GOD.

I've begun the countdown to go back to Halifax (like you guys didn't know already with the big, BLINKING countdown attached to my blog. Anyway, there is only 36 days left. In 5 days, I will only be down to ONE MONTH.

I cannot wait. Well, technically, I can, but I'm a jittering mass of excitement thinking about being back in my own apartment for more than 2 days at a time. This time Mr. and Mrs. Peters are coming with me, and they'll be staying in my apartment. I think I'm going to give them my keys and then I'm going to crash at Curtis' for the weekend to spend it with Mom, Curtis, Jennifer and Rebecca.

I found out on the news that a young woman was killed on a crosswalk on Barrington Street and Sackville two days ago. This woman was only 27 years old and was a co-worker of mine when I worked at Shoppers Drug Mart. She will be terribly missed - her life had only just begun. I remember seeing her the last time I was in Halifax. She was cooing over Rebecca and she, Mom and I just stood there for 10 minutes making silly baby noises about her. Jackyln was a bright spot in everyone's life and I know that there are many people out there, myself included, that are grieving over her loss. R.I.P.

The ABC's of Heather

A
Available: No
Age: 24
Annoyance: Backstabbers
Animal: Dog

B
Beer: Alexander Keiths
Birthday: January 25, 1984
Best Friends: In no particular order, Lindsey, Melanie, Melissa, Laura, Sarah, Amanda. I love all of my friends and consider them "best". There are no favourites with me :)
Body Part on opposite sex: Arms, eyes, lips
Best feeling in the world: Being loved
Blind or Deaf: Deaf
Best weather: Sun is shining, but not scorching
Been in Love: Yes
Been on stage?: Yes
Believe in Magic: Nope
Believe in Santa: I believe in the idea of him, but I know he's not real

C
Candy: Zingy Zaps
Color: Yellow
Chocolate/Vanilla: Vanilla
Chinese/Mexican: Mexican
Cake or pie: Pie
Continent to visit: Austrailia or Africa
Cheese: White Cheddar

D-
Day or Night: Day
Dance in the rain: I have, it's fun. But most people thought I was nuts.

E-
Eyes: Green
Everyone's got: to be freeeee
Ever failed a class?: No

F-
Full name: Heather Jean Chafe
First thoughts waking up: Snooozeee button is too far away
Food: I love it, and it loves me. Clearly.

G-
Greatest Fear: Dying before leaving some sort of legacy
Goals: To have children
Gum: I enjoy it.
Get along with your parents?: Most of the time!
Good luck charm: My fairy keyring. Goes everywhere with me.

H-
Hair Color: Medium brown
Height: Five foot seven
Happy: yes
Holiday: Halloween and Christmas.
How do you want to die: Let's not think about that shall we? Hopefully very, very old surrounded by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren

I
Ice Cream: Vanilla with crumbled oreos on top
Instrument: Trombone

J-
Jewelry: All gold and very blingy. Love my diamond ring the most.
Job: Junior Communications Officer, ACOA

K-
Kids: YES PLEASE! About 4 of them.
Kickboxing or karate: Kickboxing
Keep a journal?: A journal, a diary, a blog, a recipe book, I write everything down.

L
Love: Mike
Letter: I love getting them because they're so rare now.
Laughed so hard you cried: Mike made me laugh really hard in the car this weekend.

M-
Milk flavor: I was under the impression that milk tasted like MILK. So I'm going to say Skim.
Movies: Don't get to go to enough of them anymore.
Motion sickness?: Apparently only in a transport truck
McD’s or BK: McD's
Number of Siblings: 2
Number of Piercings: 3. Two in my ears, one in my nose.
Number: I dont know.
One wish: More wishes.

P-
Perfect Pizza: No crust, pep & cheese, thin crust
Pepsi/Coke: Pepsi!!

Q-
Quail: I've had it. Tastes like chicken.

R-
Reason to cry: When someone lets you down.
Reality T.V.: No thank you.
Radio Station: - C100
Roll your tongue in a circle?: Yep
Ring size: 8.5, moving towards a nine. Fatty McFatsters.

S-
Song: Right now I love Deborah Cox's "Beautiful You Are". All time favourite though would be a toss up between Spanish Train by Chris deBurgh or Layla by Derek & The Dominos
Shoe size: 10, 10.5
Salad Dressing: Ranch
Sushi: Mmm yum
Skipped school: Yes, yes I have
Slept outside: Yes I have
Smoked?: Yes I have
Skinny dipped?: ... not completely.
Shower daily?: Mostly. If not then 2ndaily.
Sing well?: Oh no. Most definately not.
In the shower?: When no one is home.
Strawberries/Blueberries: Strawberries!

T -
Time for bed: Used to be 12ish... now it's closer to 8 or 9. BURNT OUT B'YS!
Thunderstorms: HATES THEM! HATES, HATES, HATES 'EM!

U-
Unpredictable: Sarah MacLellan

V-
Vacation spot: London, England
Weakness: Puppies
Which one of your friends acts the most like you: None. No one would want to act like me lol.
Who makes you laugh the most: Melanie, Lindsey, Laura, Melissa and Crystal ... all the girls in my wedding party!
Worst feeling: Being let down or not knowing
Wanted to be a model?: Helll no.
Where do we go when we die?: I don't know
Worst Weather?: RAINING/SNOWING

X-
X-Rays: I'm radioactive I've had that many
Ex's: I'm friends with... most of them.

Y-
Year it is now: 2008
Yellow: is the best colour in the world!

Z-
Zoo animal: Lion

LAST PERSON WHO…

1. Slept in a bed beside you? Mike
2. You went to the mall with? Mike
3. You went to dinner with? Mom
4. You talked to on the phone? Mike
5. Made you laugh? Mike
6. Hugged you? Mom or Mike... can't remember
7. Said they loved you? Mike
8. Held your hand? Mike
9. Spoke with? a co-worker
10. You cried over? Mike more than likely.

Wow, Mike filled up the bulk of that last part. LOL!

Have I Been Living Under A Rock?

I totally did not know this!

Have-not is no more: N.L. off equalization
Move off equalization comes a year earlier than expected

Newfoundland and Labrador reached a milestone Monday by becoming a have province for the first time in its history as a Canadian province.

Premier Danny Williams released the news during a media conference, saying that figures released Monday by the federal finance department showed for the first time ever the province would not be receiving equalization payments from Ottawa.

"This is a very proud day for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, I can tell you. We received information today from the federal government at the finance ministers' meeting that as a result of changes in the figures that as of today — which is a notification — but effectively this year Newfoundland and Labrador is now a have province. That's a momentous day for the people of this province."

In its April budget, the Newfoundland and Labrador projected that it would come off equalization, a federal program that ensures comparable levels of public service are provided across the country, at some point in 2009. Williams said government learned the move happened a year earlier than expected.

In April, Tom Marshall, then the minister of finance, said Newfoundland and Labrador residents should prepare for a "revolution between the years" because of the shift that should come with being a have province.

Williams said Newfoundland and Labrador is operating on its own resources and its own monies because of oil revenues, corporate income taxes, commodity prices and retail sales.

"Today is a significant day. It's a huge event," Williams said. "For 60 years we've been part of the great Canadian federation and we have been recipients of equalization payments from the Canadian government. Over the years we have been ridiculed for that. At times times we've been presented as the poor cousins in Canada. Now we can hold our heads high and feel very good about it … I consider it to be a very significant day for all the people of the province and I want to share this moment with them."

Monday's news finally fulfilled former premier Brian Peckford's prophecy made during his victory speech in 1982.

"I am more convinced than I have any time in the past that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians speak [with] one voice when we all say one day the sun will shine and have-not will be no more," Peckford said on April 6, 1982.

Ontario will qualify for $347 million in equalization payments next year.

GO NEWFOUNDLAND! I'm so proud right now!

I am going into hiding!

I've realized it is practically impossible to go back to Halifax for less than 36 usable hours and be able to see all the people I want. By the time I had spent some time with my mother and Rebecca, Mike was home and we ended up going home and going to BED. I realized Sunday morning that I had no available time to call Amanda OR Dee to hang out, and that I was just plain old exhausted.

I'm still exhausted.

I'm going back NEXT WEEKEND. I'm nuts right? No, Mr & Mrs. Peters are planning on going and he's going to be there delivering Friday and Mrs. Peters figured she'd hitch a ride with me, which makes the drive less unbearable having some company. She is also helping with gas so I know that going up next weekend will be less of a squeeze on my wallet. But after that, I am not planning any more trips back to Halifax until December 25th when I go back for good. I can't do it any more - three weekends in a row is nuts. I love seeing my mother, I love seeing my brother and sister-in-law. And I love seeing Rebecca, but this will be four weeks of non-stop going, going, going without a break. My body is screaming at me on a daily basis, "WHY ARE YOU HURTING ME! I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME! STOP WITH THE TORTURE OF HIGHLY CAFFEINATED BEVERAGES AND TWENTY MINUTE NAPS ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY!"

Yeah, that's right people. You heard me. Driving yesterday was a battle. It was grey, dreary, raining and foggy. To the left, I had the lovely scenery of grey nothingness. To the right, the same. And in front, I got to look at the arse end of a car and then peer off into an eternity of grey nothingness. I felt like I wasn't making any progress and then my eyes started to get sooo heavy. So by the time I got to Oxford, I pulled over and took a twenty minute nap on the side of the road.

Classy.

Once I got to Aulac, I went to the Irving Big Stop and bought some energy drinks and bought a very large extra-caffeinated coffee. I was wired for sound by the time I hit the bridge. Then a leisurely 40 minute drive and I was at my home away from home, where I proceeded to sit down in front of the TV and veg while watching Mythbusters and not wanting to move. I went to bed at 9 pm. Which is not normal for me. I'm in bed at midnight usally. T-minus 4 days until I'm doing is all over again.

Nuts, b'ys. I'm absolutely cracked.