Down 20!

Hi all!

I decided today would be a great day to share, as I'm officially down 20 pounds in total. I feel SO MUCH BETTER than I did 20 pounds ago, in January, when I first decided to start this journey. I feel healthier, clothes fit nicer, I'm not out of breath going up a few flights of stairs, and I don't go to bed hoping not to have a heart attack!

The other day, I ran 1km, walked/jogged 1km, and then went up 14 flights of stairs. It felt amazing. I can't IMAGINE having tried to do that a few months ago!

My goal is to lose 10 pounds in the next month. I need/want to speed up this process a little bit. Even though I have lost 20 pounds and will NEVER EVER see myself in the 300-pound range again, I would like to lose about 10 pounds per month to the end of the year.

Although this whole blog is about losing 100 pounds, I've been 240 before and REALLY liked how I looked and felt at that weight. When I get to 240, I'm going to reassess, and see if I want to lose 20 more pounds or not! 80 is still....amazing.

For exercise, I've continued boxing a few times a week, and my bf and I are considering something else active to do together for the fall (either badminton or dodgeball!), plus I am considering joining a rowing club that would meet once a week for the fall months.

Finding activities that are fun as well as good exercise is a FANTASTIC way to be able to not be QUITE as strict with carb intake (still need to stick to a program), or have salad dressing or those little extras that normally would stop you from losing weight. That's one trick that has really helped me.

Cause, even when it's super healthy food, I still love to eat. I don't worship it. But I do have to admit I love it! Working out just lets me eat a tiny bit more and 1. not feel guilty and 2. still lose weight.

Try it!

Thanks for sharing in my first 20 pounds off. Can't wait til the next 20 pound-mark! I will have updated pictures in a week or so up on here so you can see the difference in the same clothes as the first post I ever posted in January.

xoxo

andrea g.

I'm in the 200's - NEVER TO BE OVER 300 pounds again!!!!

Hey Everyone!

The last couple of months that I've been MIA have been a whirlwind of life and activity and wonderfulness. It is quite amazing how life can change in ONE instant. Last year, those instants were terrible, devastating, and heartbreaking. The INSTANT my dad died, the MOMENT my mom passed away....they were life-changing forever.

Then, this year - something WONDERFUL happened to me, and his name is Norm! In an instant, I met someone who changed my life for the good FOREVER. He is my true soulmate and I found that HOME feeling I've been missing for so long!

Life can change in an instant.

Okay - so I'm sure my TITLE for this post grabbed your attention!! YES!!! TODAY I WAS 299.8 on the scale! NEVER TO BE OVER 300 AGAIN!

Norm is on a similar journey to mine towards health. He has tattooed on his arm "HONOUR THE BLESSING OF LIFE". That in itself sums it up. Why do we put our bodies through such abuse just for the taste of chocolate or cookies or ice cream? Treats are okay in moderation, but I'm talking about the "PIGGY" that comes out of some of us so often. Why do we do this to ourselves and then wonder how the heck we got sick? Why we have no energy? Why we can't keep up to our nephews, nieces, children? Why our jeans don't fit? It's why we have to spend money on new clothes, medicine, and other things that we otherwise wouldn't have had to.

Not that buying new clothes isn't fun, might I add! lol

I'm just so excited to finally be under 300 pounds. I've officially lost 17.2 pounds from when I started. I'm not as far along as I thought I'd be on my 2-pounds-per-week since January goal, but at least I'm losing, and I'm very focused.

One thing Norm and I are finding very helpful is a list we wrote and put on the wall. It's a list of all the reasons we want to lose weight. Things like...vacations, having energy, to keep up to my nephews, to fit into plane seats, not feeling like I'm going to break fold-up or camping chairs, to wear the clothes in my closet from the last time I was at 240 pounds, to be excited to meet new people and see old friends and not wonder if they're thinking about my weight...there are SO MANY REASONS to be at a healthy weight!

I'm excited that I'm finally re-focused and on my way to being a better, healthier, happier Andrea.

Thanks for reading with me - I know I've been a bit slow, but I'm back on! I'll do my BEST to write weekly now! I definitely won't let another 2-3 months go by without writing to all of you! Norm kept saying, "When are you going to write on your blog?" and I replied each time, "When I'm in the 200's". And NOW I AM!!!!!

xoxox - andrea

15 inches...

I am SO VERY SORRY! I haven't written here in quite awhile. It's been a busy month or so...well, okay - that's a bit of a lie. It has been SOMEWHAT busy, but I've been off of work, so the staying up late and sleeping in late thing kicked in for awhile and my eating habits were on the fritz.

One thing I am VERY proud of is the fact that I have stuck with my boxing gym. I go at least 3x a week, sometimes 4x, and I LOVE IT. I am so glad that I was introduced to it: it has actually saved my life, I think. I have a much better view on everything, I have more energy, I feel prettier, my skin looks better....I just think it has really changed me from the outside in.

I haven't lost any more pounds, (yet), but I HAVE lost 15 inches total off my body now.

Okay - so moment of truth. It is May 10 (or something). IF I want to get to my goal of losing 100 pounds by the end of 2010, I have to lose 11 or so pounds a month from now on. that is almost 3 pounds a week. That is still VERY doable.

I'm going back to my HEALTHY and FOCUSED eating habits tomorrow.

Wish me luck - I CAN DO THIS. And I will. Today I got out a bunch of summery dresses and I thought, "MAN....I really really do want this".

Things with music are going very, very well also. I got a photo shoot done. I will attach a few pics.

Thanks for reading and following. Don't give up on me yet!!!

xo - andrea

Everything is Easier...

Hey all,

It's been a looooong time since I wrote. I've been so incredibly busy. Not a good excuse, I know, but still true.

I have to say....working out at the gym has been amazing. I LOVE my boxing gym. I am excited to go, I have incredible workouts that leave me ridiculously sweaty (my hair is actually SOAKING wet by the end...nice mental image for ya, isn't it!?), and the social aspect is fantastic as well. I have met so many wonderful people, male and female.

Also, I find that a lot of things are much easier (hence, the title of my post). For instance, before I used to roll out of bed and almost fall on the floor in the morning. (not kidding). Now, I sit up in bed, and I put my legs over the edge and sort of "hop" up. It's such a great feeling. I'm NOT saying I don't like sleeping in and that getting up at 6:30am is easy when I have to get up that early. However, I am saying that the movement of getting out of bed is sooooo much easier!

Also, I've been singing at a few gigs as of late, and walking up onto the stage and carrying my keyboard (which is about 70 pounds!), and setting things up DOESN'T TAKE MY BREATH AWAY! When I start singing, I am able to take in deeper breaths, I can sing stronger, and I just feel GOOD.

SOOO, I am just updating you on that. I have a photo shoot coming up in a week for my new music website, and so this week, I will be back to eating very healthfully. I have to admit that I've gotten off-track with eating. But I still feel MUCH BETTER with working out 3-4x a week. And it shows. I look at my body in the mirror and am happier with what I'm seeing.

So there ya go! I'm not as "on track" as I thought I'd be...but I'm still on the journey. One thing at a time. Now that I'm so into the working out, the eating is going to slowly infiltrate into healthy as well.

I will post pics next week from my photo shoot. So excited to share them with you all!

much love!

xo - andrea

Sickie...

Well - I can't tell you "Wow! I've lost 20 pounds now!" cause I haven't, and I'm not going to lie. I'm a little bit off track. I haven't gained any back, and I am more agile and feel healthier than I have in over a year (because of boxing and the 12 pounds I HAVE lost so far!). The eating is very tough, though. I have been sick, so standing at the stove cooking hasn't been top priority for me.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. haha...

I will be back, though! I will write this Friday or Saturday. And I will be better and have more energy and cooking a lot healthier meals!!

Thanks for sticking with me=)

xo - andrea

I'm not scared anymore...

I had another AMAZING gig on Friday night. It was wonderful! And I had a magnificent response. There are some things in action right now with music, and I'm really really...well, both honoured and excited.

In only 5 practices, 2 performances, and 12 (less) pounds, I feel more confident in my music and ability singing and MYSELF than ever.

I have butterflies in my tummy about this whole thing. I was even talking to a girlfirend about visiting California in April just to get away and see some sunshine. She mentioned that she'd be interested in going with me. And I said to her, "We should book it soon and then we can try to book a few singing gigs while we're there". WHAT ANDREA IS SAYING THIS? A new one, that's for sure. The 2-months-ago Andrea, who sat on her couch and cried and ate bad food all day and watched endless movies and didn't want to go out ANYWHERE or see ANYONE (everything was a huge effort), would NEVER say..."Let's try and get a gig in california while we're visiting!" I would've been too scared.

But I'm not scared anymore. Wow.

xo - andrea

sunshine & hope

okay - i have been up and down for the past week or so. i don't know what is wrong with this woman! i know part of it was the convenience of buying food that is already-made. i am not a cook...well, not a good one. haha. i still get asked by my brother-in-law if i can make my "signature smoked salmon" after forgetting about it on the stove one day and ending up with a black piece of charcoal that smoked up the kitchen. but i CAN do this. i am SO SCARED to go weigh-in. i know i might have gained a couple of pounds back. agggghhh...so not good!!!

but today i am excited. why? first of all, it's sunny outside and semi-warm! well, warm for canada in march! secondly, i met with my website design chick and we went over a whole new look for my performance section of my music! i'm PUMPED about this. all-in-all, the whole thing motivates me even more to continue on my weight-loss journey and not lose sight of why i am doing this. yes, it's for a longer, healthier life. but, it's also for a more ENJOYABLE life. the things i want right now, which mostly includes going somewhere fantastic with my music, will be so much more attainable if i am at a healthy weight.

it will take about a month for the new website to go up, but when it does...you watch out. you're gonna be blown away by how beautiful it's going to be!

also, thank you to those of you who have emailed me this week. i have gotten a few emails from women who don't even live near me, who are connecting with my journey, and on the same journey themselves. i love hearing from you. me inspiring you inspires me. =)

sunshine & hope - andrea