Love it... Releasing!!  Perfect.

Thanks Andrea...I have been reading a book that speaks about the importance of the use of positive words in your writing and in your speech. I know that I have mentioned this on a couple of peoples' postings...if you lose something, then you probably want to find it....I do not want to find the weight that I have losts...SO she suggests using the word release...if you release it, then it is gone (hopefully forever!)

Day one - met with a friend/trainer and talked about the importance of work, rest and play...and work/life balance. She is going to help me in putting together a weekly schedule, with some check points. Im looking forward to getting things started again.

So...this coming week is about getting back to the gym and being confident of who I am and the success that I can acheive.

Sounds like an awesome plan :) See you tomorrow morning bright and early! I'll be looking for you :)

 Hello Heather.  I found these tips in an article and thought they might help you with your goal to become more healthy and release the weight.  I will try to post some each day or so.  

 1. Burn fat with fruit. Blue and red foods block the storage of fat, plus switch on the genes that signal cells to burn belly fat for fuel. Aim for 1 cup daily.

2. Use blue dishes: studies show that blue stimulates the brain's appetite-control center. (Red promotes eating!) And better yet - eat diner on a blue salad plate instead of a dinner plate and cut calorie intake by 33%. Fill the plate, enjoy slowly and be a member of the Clean Plate Club without overeating. 

3. Take a half-hour "happy" break. Spend 30 minutes relaxing and laughing and you'll burn 20% more calories for the next 2 hours! Laughter reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone that fuels belly fat. Laugh yourself thin! 

4. Step outside in the morning. A 15 minute blast of sun can cut overeating in half and help you burn fat.  Morning light revs the production of appetite-taming serotonin. 

5. Sleep 30 minutes longer. An extra half hour of zzz's amps up appetite control, and dampens carb cravings. Zzzzzzz. 

Sounds like a great plan Heather.  So does the blance with the work/rest/play.  Love the 'releasing' concept.  Makes sense to me.  Hope you're enjoying the weekend and love that Irene's leaving these tips for you too.  

Woohoo...I made it to see my friend GYM today! I did not, however, make it at 6:30 AM like i had planned...but I did make it there for 6:30 PM :) I re-introduced myself to my friend the rowing machine...we go way back! We did an intense 25 min interval training, and I rowed about 5 km...pretty good for my first time back. I then did an upper body workout, which included box jumps...jumping onto a raised Reebok step...always a fun activity that gets a lot of people looking at you.

I came home and had a lovely dinner, and then a nice bath...one of my favourite things to do to help unwind. Looking forward to tomorrow!

 I'm totally laughing at your update Heather.  What a fantastic attitude.  Congrats at making it back.  Your lovely dinner and bath sound like a perfect ending to the day.  Are you headed back to the gym tomorrow?

this evening was more of a zen sort of experience...yoga and meditation. i am not too sure what it is, but I love the last 5-10 minutes of a yoga class...where you lay in corpse position and just breathe. And...it seems that the person beside me loves it as well, as they started to snore...which, in turn, broke my zen-like experience...as all I wanted to do was giggle! thankfully it was just at the time when we were start to bring ourselve back to the now...so I was able to re-group.  just thinking about it now makes me giggle!

 K, you're killing me... with giggles, that is.  Snoring at yoga??  I bet that broke the zen-like experience for more people in that class than just you.  Hope you're enjoying the rest of your evening Heather.  Happy releasing.  When do you weigh in?

 Hi Heather.  I hope you're doing well.  I have the A,B,C's of Healthy Living to share over the last few days of this contest.  Here's the first few: A - Ask Questions when dining out.  Don't hesitate to ask your server how a dish is prepared and feel free to request it to be altered in a way to make it more healthy... as in, sauce on the side, without oil, substitute fries with a salad... B - Budget For Snacks - don't give up all your favouite treats - just plan for them ahead of time and adjust your eating in the day to allow for them.  That way, you won't feel deprived if everyone at the movie is having a treat except you.  C - Cancel The Pity Party if you feel discouraged about the number on the scale or how slow progress is going, remind yourself that everyone struggles on this journey and that you're working through it and sticking to your plan.  D - Distract Yourself when you're hungry between meals or snacks... call a friend, go for a walk, write an e-mail, drink water - do anything that doesn't involve food and you'll notice the hunger usually passes within minutes.  E - Eat Slowly when you sit down for a meal or snack.  If you eat too quickly, it's easier to miss the signal from your body that you're satisfied.  In fact, put the fork down between bites if you're having a conversation with friends or relatives at the table.    Hope you find some tips to help with the releasing.

7. Set your kitchen timer. Set a timer for 15 minutes when the munchies hit. Most of the time hunger urges will disappear by the time the bell goes off. If not, eat a protein/carb combo (like peanut butter on crackers).

8. Make one meal automatic.  Limiting the variety of foods you face each day reduces hunger pangs and cuts calorie intake. Pick one meal and choose a fast, healthy dish to have every day.  Breakfast is a good choice for this.

9. Confuse your muscles. Change up your exercise routine. If you stick with the same exercise for more than 3 weeks your muscles will burn fewer calories. Dance, do yoga, go for a walk, ski, jog, skip rope, swim, try some different work out videos.

10. Take a deep breath. Spend 5 minutes a few times a day practicing slow, deep, relaxed abdominal breathing and you'll burn more fat than when you breathe shallowly! Deep breathing signals cellular mitochondria to amp up calorie burning in as little as 3 minutes!  Best of luck to you.

 Hi Heather, hope you're having a great day.  I have more A,B,C's of healthy living to share with you.  F - Focus on the presentation of your food on the plate.  Arrange it attractively on a pretty piece of china, this will help you feel more satisfied.  G - Give new habits time because change doesn't happen overnight.  It may take 21 days to break or create a new habit, but it takes about six montns for new habits to feel natural or automatic.  Make a commitment to stick with your new regimen for at least that long.  H - Hang out with optimists.  The can-do spirit is contagious.  It can bolster your resolve and help fuel your weight loss goals.  I - Inspire yourself with a list of activities that you've put off doing - going sailing, learning to salsa dance, travelling to a far off place - this will provide a built-in incentive to stick to your plan.  J - Join Up - exercise with others, whether it's joining a hiking club, a fitness club or a recreational softball league - all of this offers a sense of accountability and a feeling of community.  Wishing you the best with your goal Heather.

Irene and Andrea...you are both on a role...thank you for the tips and insights...loving it!

Andrea...I am just getting back into this, so I thought I would start the weight and measurements (where I actually see results) on February 1st. At this moment, it is all about getting back into some sort of routine. My life is all over the place, so I am in the midst to figuring out a better pattern and routine. today was a busy one....no time for exercise due to work lunches and an evening event.

My goal is a fun workout on Saturday and, hopefully showshoeing or skiing on Sunday :)

 Hi Heather.  Happy you are enjoying the tips.  I have some more for you too.  Happy releasing.

11. Say yay to whey! You'll burn more fat if you sip a whey protein smoothie first thing in the morning.

12. Get inspired by you!   Increase your weight-loss by gazing at a photo in which you look trim - as often as possible, but at least a few times a day. Your brain will get the image of what you want to look like and it'll crave nourishing, slimming foods instead of junk. 

13. Kill cravings with peanut butter. Women who savour a spoonful of peanut butter when they get the munchies eat fewer calories per day than those who don't. Plant fats steady blood sugar levels and ward off cravings. 

14. Spice up your diet. Adding  1 tsp ginger, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce to a meal will boost your metabolic rate for 2 hours. Hot spices fire up the breakdown of stored fat. 

15. Daydream about cookies or whatever it is that you crave. Daydreaming helps nix the brains need to actually eat that which you crave. 

 Hi Heather.  I'm loving Irene's tips too.  Happy weekend to you as you're enjoying your fun workout.  I have some more A,B,C's to add to your alphabet list:

K - Keep Your Focus as you're releasing weight, notice what you're gaining as well:  a slimmer profile, better fitting clothes, more confidence, a more restful sleep, a new love of exercise, a more healthier YOU all around.

L - Lighten Up Your Favourites... with new low-fat cookbooks.  Experiment with your favourite Chinese, Mexican, Italian dishes with substitued lighter ingredients.  Or try a different cultures' cuisine.

M - Make Over Your Kitchen and get rid of trigger foods.  Restock with healthier choices to make snacking easy.  

N - Navigate Your Way Out Of Your Comfort Zone and try a new exercise at least once.  Discovering how much you enjoy new activities will help create your new healthier lifestyle.

O - Opt for the 10-Minute Rule (something your'e familiar with) even if you don't feel like exercising.  Get moving in some way for at least ten minutes and if, after that, you still feel uninspired, give yourself permission to quit.

Irene and Andrea...thank you so much for the fabulous tips that you are giving me. It is amazing how these tips and tools can really resinate with me...amazing that there are so many things that we "know" to do, but rarely do we take the time to smell the roses and take these amazing thoughts and ideas into consideration. I am looking forward to pulling all of these great tools together.

As for my release, it is a slowly but surely experience. I am looking forward to this wkd...and although I will be working for a portion of it, I am also going to visit my friend GYM and do a full body workout, and...if the snow finally comes to T.O., then I will be heading out to do a snowshoe trek :)

 A snowshoe trek.  That sounds fantastic.  Did I mention I love to hike?  Hiking in winter=snowshoe trek.  Love it.  Do you have snowshoes?  I've never tried them.  Ok, here we go with more ABC's:

P - Push Yourself to try one new fruit or vegetable each week - or try them prepared in a different way.  You'll be treating yourself to a new taste sensation and expanding your culinary repertoire in a healthy way.

Q - Quit the Clean Plate Club and get into the habit of eating only until you're satisfied.  This way, you'll spare yourself loads of unnecessary calories.

R - Reward Yourself with a new 'busy hands' skill to stave off snacking after dinner - take up knitting, crocheting, needlepoint or beading.  Or, give yourself a mani/pedi.

S - Stand Up Food Pushers at the party by politely indicating that you have your eye on another dish at the buffet.  Complimenting the hostess on the food she's offering will distract her from her agenda and help you stick to yours.  

T - Treat Your Body Like A Temple.  Start exercising regularly and taking care of yourself as if you were an athlete.  Fuel your body with energy-boosting foods and plenty of sleep and water.  

Happy Weekend to you Heather.

 Some more helpful tips for you Heather.  Hope they help.

16. Lose liquid calories. Say no to pop, sports drinks or any other sugary beverage including fruit juice. Choose water, coffee or tea instead. 

17. Supplement with B vitamins. Take a daily B-complex vitamin and you'll have fewer cravings and burn more calories.  These vitamins convert fat into fuel! 

18. Tone while you tidy. Doing housework is a workout! (Yeah- I knew that already!) 

19. Add 6 drops of peppermint, orange or lemongrass essential oil to three 20-minute baths per week and kick start weight loss. The oils boost the liver's ability to break down stored fat. 

20. Fidget. Squirm, tap your foot, twirl your hair - all these can burn unwanted calories. 

21. Give yourself a hand.  A daily five-minute massage dials down stress and prevents emotional eating. Use a firm kneading motion with both hands. 

so...no snow in T.O. as a result, no snowshoeing. I did, however, go into work today to attempt to get caught up on some stuff...and because it was fairly mild, i walked there (4.2km). It was nice to get some fresh air and clear my mind before venturing into the office. it felt good, and I am happy that i went for the walk, and also for my time in the office.

tomorrow will be another venture at the gym...unsure if it will be at 6:30 am or 6:00pm...looking forward to seeing my friend the rowing machine again ;)

 Hey, that's a great walk.  Best of luck getting to the gym tomorrow.  It's Monday - my favourite day of the week tomorrow.  Here's my inspirational message for today:

"To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there."

- Kofi Annan

 That is quite a walk to work.  Good luck to you as you close out this contest.

 Hey Heather.  I have another installment of the ABC's for Healthier Living for you.  Hope you had a wonderful Monday.  

U - Use Your Lunchbreak Wisely by walking for half of it.  Taking a midday jaunt can boost your energy, reduce your stress, and give you more time after work with family and friends.

V - View Sweet Treats Wisely - Don't deprive yourself of cravings always.  Find a lower calorie substitue that satisfies you and have that as a reward or as a weekly treat.  Put a limit on rich desserts.

W - Write a Gratitude List - Each day, jot down or journal a few things that you're grateful for.  When spirits sad or when stuck in an especially aggrivating day, reviewing your gratitude list can boost your resolve to stay on track.

Hope you find something helpful.

Thanks Andrea! These are such great suggestions and helpful hints. Well...I did not make it to the gym today...I was walking there this evening, and just loved the snow falling, and the fresh air, so I decided, instead, to walk home...and I am soo glad that I did! It was pretty outside, and although the sidewalks were a little slippery at times, I am glad that I did it. It was a great way to clear my head and get some fresh air. Now...I am gearing up for a scrumptious choco-peanut butter protein cup (recipe can be found on my friend Rachel's blog - Gastronomicfitness: http://gastronomicfitness.blogspot.com/2011/11/frozen-chocolate-peanut-butter-cupdo-i.html) and a nice bubble bath :)

Walking outside trumps the gym anyday in my book, Heather.  Nothing beats the fresh air and sunshine (if it's shining) and the gift of the surroundings too.  It's been a pleasure following your progress.  Thanks for all the helpful tips and the support on my goals as well.  I hope we'll continue our back and forth exchange.  I have the final installment of the ABC's and I'm happy you're finding them helpful.

X - Xerox Exercise Moves as you come across them in magazines and books.  That way, when you're doing your workout or putting together a routine, you'll have a bit of a library built up with proper techniques outlined and pitcures to show how to get best results.  Happy strength training

Y - Yearn To Accept Where You Are Now if you get discouraged about your rate of progress or if you hit a plateau and get frustrated, try to accept and appreciate where you've come from and the journey to get to where you are currently and where you want to be.  Enjoy the process.  After all, you are doing what it takes to make a difference with your health and fintness.  That alone is commenndable.   

Z - Zero In On Your Body - be sure to listen to the signals your body is giving you.  Treat your body as you would an infant child -  with compassion, patience and love and understanding.  Give it healthful, nutrient rich food for energy only when it's required, quench it's thirst with water freely and give it the exercise it needs for optimal health and fitness and your body will reward you in unbelievable ways.  

Hi Heather ~ just checking in on your goal to "release".  How's it going?  What are doing to get you going?

So...I have not been very active with this goal...but things are changing ;)

Starting today, I am putting myself first! I have signed up for a Sprint triathalon for September, and also have a couple of other big fitness events happening in June. As a result, it is time to get away from the desk (a terrible habit...new job, feeling the pressures of putting in 12+ hours a day!), and heading to the gym, or to the boardwalk, or to the pool. It is also time to get my support team in place...as my willpower is not very good at the moment. I am a little nervous about getting back to the gym...it has been such a long time...do not want to injure myself, so I will take a step back from what I was doing before...and build up to it again.

I am excited for these challenges, and am also excited about the new crop pants I just bought a size or two too small...which I would like to wear before the summer is over!

 12plus hours per day.  Heather, you're a superstar.  You must be enjoying your new job too.  Great to read you're back at this.  Sounds like you've got a plan already.  I'm excited to read about your challenges too.  Thnaks for posting an update.  Love the motivation with the pants.  Be sure to hang them where you can see them so they inspire you daily.

 Hey Heather, how's your release coming? Have you been taking advantage of the beautiful spring to be active outside as much as possible? Continued wishes for good luck!