Today it is time to put the challenges of the past two weeks behind. It was fun, it was a brief period of time, and it is over.
I have been on this journey long enough to know that the challenges are not over. I wouldn't want them to be. Failing at challenges is sometimes a lot of fun. I just can't fail too often.
On May 15th I vowed in my blog that on July 4th I would walk down Church Street during Pride with my shirt off and post the pic on this blog. That is a promise I intend to keep.
I have been making great progress toward that day, but let me tell you...if it were to happen today....we would have a problem. It is amazing how quickly my stomach can protrude. Fortunately I have also been around long enough to know it is temporary. If I am good everything will be back in-line in a couple of days.
So here is to new beginnings....again :-)
Be healthy!
Alan
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Party Is Over...And The Carb Cravings Begin
Yesterday we had our annual Martina Party...and I lived to tell the tale!
You might have noticed that I am "telling the tale" at 7:30PM rather than 5:00AM though.
Thanks to my many many good friends for coming and thank you in particular to Kevin, who got Cindy and I to drink water between Martinis this year...the result was that both Cindy and I were able to function this morning. Not so sure Kevin was though :-)
I really have to thank Justine in particular. She was here as a new friend, and a guest, but quickly jumped in to help on bar when things got nuts. If 100 people weren't getting their alcohol...it wouldn't have been pretty. Thanks Justine!
Thanks also to Rommel and Michelle (the scheduled bar duo) and Cindy, Kevin, Joy-Anne, John and Shuna who arrived early Saturday and helped prepare the food and bar. Your the best!
All I will say about the party is...when ten people are in my bed at the end of the night...it can't be anything but fun! (too all those with dirty minds...unfortunately the clothes stayed on :-) )
Today has been challenging. We went out for breakfast with the guests who crashed here (there were 8 of us) and I considered it my last "indulgence". If only that were true. I have had post alcohol carb cravings all day and although I haven't had a proper meal I have had a ton of leftover cashews. I also had about 4 chocolate brownies and some Nacho Chips. The only thing I really did right was decline dinner at my neighbours tonight. Love em but they are ordering in burgers and fries. Jamie is over there right now but I need to stop and I need to stop now.
So...the challenging two weeks I have been blogging about are officially over. No more excuses. Back to the gym tomorrow and back to healthy eating.
Be healthy!
Alan
You might have noticed that I am "telling the tale" at 7:30PM rather than 5:00AM though.
Thanks to my many many good friends for coming and thank you in particular to Kevin, who got Cindy and I to drink water between Martinis this year...the result was that both Cindy and I were able to function this morning. Not so sure Kevin was though :-)
I really have to thank Justine in particular. She was here as a new friend, and a guest, but quickly jumped in to help on bar when things got nuts. If 100 people weren't getting their alcohol...it wouldn't have been pretty. Thanks Justine!
Thanks also to Rommel and Michelle (the scheduled bar duo) and Cindy, Kevin, Joy-Anne, John and Shuna who arrived early Saturday and helped prepare the food and bar. Your the best!
All I will say about the party is...when ten people are in my bed at the end of the night...it can't be anything but fun! (too all those with dirty minds...unfortunately the clothes stayed on :-) )
Today has been challenging. We went out for breakfast with the guests who crashed here (there were 8 of us) and I considered it my last "indulgence". If only that were true. I have had post alcohol carb cravings all day and although I haven't had a proper meal I have had a ton of leftover cashews. I also had about 4 chocolate brownies and some Nacho Chips. The only thing I really did right was decline dinner at my neighbours tonight. Love em but they are ordering in burgers and fries. Jamie is over there right now but I need to stop and I need to stop now.
So...the challenging two weeks I have been blogging about are officially over. No more excuses. Back to the gym tomorrow and back to healthy eating.
Be healthy!
Alan
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Martini Anyone?!
Let the fun begin!!! The day has finally arrived. Today is the day of our annual Martini Party!
Starting at 2pm today about 100 very nice and relatively stable friends will begin to walk through my door, and by about 5pm today right through to about 2:00AM very unstable people will stumble down my stairs as they try to find their way back to the street. I am really lucky as I only have to find my way upstairs at the end of the night but I will have been at the party for the long haul so even finding the stairs may be a challenge.
I think we are about as ready as we can be and I am looking forward to it!
The party actually began last night as some friends from out of town arrived and stayed over. We went to our favorite Pub around the corner and I was anything BUT healthy. I had a burger and sweet potato fries....my favourite and I loved it! I will never worry about food from the time friends arrive for our Martini Party until they leave. It is my free time and if my weight is up next week I am cool with that.
I have been pretty good until last night, and if I am good starting tomorrow I may not gain...if I do...then that just means I had fun! :-)
Hope you are all coming and I will see you soon!
I'm off to make devilled eggs. No gym today...no time!
Be healthy!
Alan
P.S. Happy Birthday Quade!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Thank You Thank You Thank You
Facebook is an amazing thing. I got so many birthday messages yesterday I was beginning to feel as popular as Betty White!
RIP Rue.
It was a real busy day between work and getting ready for the Martini Party Saturday but it was a great day.
I have a new listing about to come out so if anyone is looking for a 1+1 bedroom in a brand new building at Yonge and Finch ask for details! It will likely go on the market Monday.
Considering it was my birthday I think I did ok food-wise. Not great but I didn't totally pig out either. It was more a case of eating good food but then sneaking a couple of handfuls of cashews and a coke that were supposed to be for the party.
I'm not going to write a lot today because my message of the day shouldn't be diluted.
That message is that friends are amazing things.
I am so very fortunate to have so many.
Be happy and healthy today :-)
Alan
RIP Rue.
It was a real busy day between work and getting ready for the Martini Party Saturday but it was a great day.
I have a new listing about to come out so if anyone is looking for a 1+1 bedroom in a brand new building at Yonge and Finch ask for details! It will likely go on the market Monday.
Considering it was my birthday I think I did ok food-wise. Not great but I didn't totally pig out either. It was more a case of eating good food but then sneaking a couple of handfuls of cashews and a coke that were supposed to be for the party.
I'm not going to write a lot today because my message of the day shouldn't be diluted.
That message is that friends are amazing things.
I am so very fortunate to have so many.
Be happy and healthy today :-)
Alan
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Down 1.8 Pounds! Is That My Birthday Present?
What a roller coaster week! I went from extreme eating to healthy eating, with exercise consistent throughout, and managed to lose weight.
Part of me thinks that is my birthday present. That I don't really deserve it. In fact, when I started today's post the title was "Down 1.8 Pounds! Must Be My Birthday Present!" Why is it so easy to deflect credit for what we accomplish?
I am going to make a birthday resolution, and that resolution is to start taking more credit for my accomplishments (even this sentence originally read "...to try and start taking more credit for some of my accomplishments"...how wimpish is that?).
Yes I am a male, and yes that means I am lucky enough to lose weight easier (although I think females tend to discount the fact that we gain weight easier...sorry girls) but I am working damn hard. Exercising intensely at least 10 hours a week and getting back on track as quickly as I can after "blowing it". So it is my birthday and I get to say I am proud of myself even if I did pig out the first half of the week.
To be honest, birthdays don't really mean much to me anymore. They come and go and I hardly notice. But they should mean more because they represent the fact that we are still alive and life is so precious.
As I type this my friend's father is being admitted to hospital for surgery at 8:00AM for Pancreatic Cancer. Another friend emailed me last night to say she couldn't make it to our Martini Party because her and her husband's close friend has just been admitted to hospital with Brain Cancer.
Having lost my Mother, Father, and Sister to Cancer, and close friends to other illnesses and accidents, it really touches a nerve. It makes me reflect on how truly valuable every day and every year of our life is. Today I am the same age my sister was when she passed away. I always knew she died too young but until you reach the same age I don't think you really understand how truly young that is. I miss her so much.
I hope this isn't sounding too morbid for a birthday blog because that is not my intent.
The point is life is short, and we need to enjoy every blessed minute of it we can, and be as healthy as we can so that we can experience as many minutes as possible.
I am thrilled to be alive another year and this weekend I intend to celebrate, but my thoughts will also be with my friends who are going through rough times and their families, and with those who are no longer lucky enough to celebrate another birthday.
I don't pray a lot, and I am not particularly religious, but I am spiritual, and today I will pray for those who I know are ill, and those I do not know at all. I will pray that they have many many more birthdays to celebrate. Please join me. I don't think it matters who you pray to. You can pray to the universe. But pray. That is what I wish for my birthday present. I never thought that that would ever be something I would wish for, but today, it is what I wish for.
I will also raise a Martini Glass (or 13) on Saturday to those who have passed.
I am so fortunate to know, and to have known, so many wonderful people.
Be healthy,
Alan
PS: Happy Birthday Graeme!
Part of me thinks that is my birthday present. That I don't really deserve it. In fact, when I started today's post the title was "Down 1.8 Pounds! Must Be My Birthday Present!" Why is it so easy to deflect credit for what we accomplish?
I am going to make a birthday resolution, and that resolution is to start taking more credit for my accomplishments (even this sentence originally read "...to try and start taking more credit for some of my accomplishments"...how wimpish is that?).
Yes I am a male, and yes that means I am lucky enough to lose weight easier (although I think females tend to discount the fact that we gain weight easier...sorry girls) but I am working damn hard. Exercising intensely at least 10 hours a week and getting back on track as quickly as I can after "blowing it". So it is my birthday and I get to say I am proud of myself even if I did pig out the first half of the week.
To be honest, birthdays don't really mean much to me anymore. They come and go and I hardly notice. But they should mean more because they represent the fact that we are still alive and life is so precious.
As I type this my friend's father is being admitted to hospital for surgery at 8:00AM for Pancreatic Cancer. Another friend emailed me last night to say she couldn't make it to our Martini Party because her and her husband's close friend has just been admitted to hospital with Brain Cancer.
Having lost my Mother, Father, and Sister to Cancer, and close friends to other illnesses and accidents, it really touches a nerve. It makes me reflect on how truly valuable every day and every year of our life is. Today I am the same age my sister was when she passed away. I always knew she died too young but until you reach the same age I don't think you really understand how truly young that is. I miss her so much.
I hope this isn't sounding too morbid for a birthday blog because that is not my intent.
The point is life is short, and we need to enjoy every blessed minute of it we can, and be as healthy as we can so that we can experience as many minutes as possible.
I am thrilled to be alive another year and this weekend I intend to celebrate, but my thoughts will also be with my friends who are going through rough times and their families, and with those who are no longer lucky enough to celebrate another birthday.
I don't pray a lot, and I am not particularly religious, but I am spiritual, and today I will pray for those who I know are ill, and those I do not know at all. I will pray that they have many many more birthdays to celebrate. Please join me. I don't think it matters who you pray to. You can pray to the universe. But pray. That is what I wish for my birthday present. I never thought that that would ever be something I would wish for, but today, it is what I wish for.
I will also raise a Martini Glass (or 13) on Saturday to those who have passed.
I am so fortunate to know, and to have known, so many wonderful people.
Be healthy,
Alan
PS: Happy Birthday Graeme!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Last Day
As I dragged myself out of bed this morning the thought occurred to me that this is the last day.
It is the last day I will be able to go to the gym and enter age "46" on those damn pieces of gym equipment. Starting tomorrow I have to enter "47" and the sneaky thing will automatically adjust everything to reflect the likely realities of an ageing man. Damn Machines!
The one thing I will definitively say for this journey I am on is that it counteracts the fear of ageing. I have pretty consistently felt younger and younger and when my "before" picture was taken I am pretty sure I was 80.
Besides, I am not really turning 47 anyway. I already did my 47th day of everything because for the entire 1st year of my life I was apparently "zero". I guess lying about our age starts real early :-)
Life is good though and I am thrilled to be in it. I'm not saying it doesn't have its moments.
Moments of stress, moments of tears, moments of agony, moments of loss, and periods where one might not want to see tomorrow.
Life is however, an experience, and my goal is to experience all I can and accept the challenges along the way with grace.
I also want to say Happy Birthday to my many friends who are celebrating a birthday with me this week: Cara (it's today so a special Happy Birthday!), Quade, and Graham. As I type this I am certain I am missing a couple of people so please forgive me if I forgot you. Just put it down to old age! LOL
So here is to ageing, and life, and just plain "being".
It is weigh-in day today and I actually think I might be ok. I shouldn't be after the first half of the week, but I have been really good since Sunday morning and the exercise really seems to be keeping my metabolism up so here is to hoping!
Off to the gym now to enter "46" for the last time and try not too shed a tear :-( Just joking. Gotta love who you are and where you are.
Be healthy!
Alan
It is the last day I will be able to go to the gym and enter age "46" on those damn pieces of gym equipment. Starting tomorrow I have to enter "47" and the sneaky thing will automatically adjust everything to reflect the likely realities of an ageing man. Damn Machines!
The one thing I will definitively say for this journey I am on is that it counteracts the fear of ageing. I have pretty consistently felt younger and younger and when my "before" picture was taken I am pretty sure I was 80.
Besides, I am not really turning 47 anyway. I already did my 47th day of everything because for the entire 1st year of my life I was apparently "zero". I guess lying about our age starts real early :-)
Life is good though and I am thrilled to be in it. I'm not saying it doesn't have its moments.
Moments of stress, moments of tears, moments of agony, moments of loss, and periods where one might not want to see tomorrow.
Life is however, an experience, and my goal is to experience all I can and accept the challenges along the way with grace.
I also want to say Happy Birthday to my many friends who are celebrating a birthday with me this week: Cara (it's today so a special Happy Birthday!), Quade, and Graham. As I type this I am certain I am missing a couple of people so please forgive me if I forgot you. Just put it down to old age! LOL
So here is to ageing, and life, and just plain "being".
It is weigh-in day today and I actually think I might be ok. I shouldn't be after the first half of the week, but I have been really good since Sunday morning and the exercise really seems to be keeping my metabolism up so here is to hoping!
Off to the gym now to enter "46" for the last time and try not too shed a tear :-( Just joking. Gotta love who you are and where you are.
Be healthy!
Alan
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Making it happen.
Life is real busy these days. I guess that is a good thing.
One thing I can tell you is that yesterday was a day of stress from a Real Estate perspective. I always want things to "happen" for my clients and do everything I can to make it "happen" but unfortunately I do not always succeed. No one does.
My clients may find success today but yesterday wasn't the day. It sucks.
I guess that is my "thing". I always want to make everything "happen". I am a definite type A personality.
Yesterday I wrote about resetting my expectations and I am cool with accepting that but that doesn't mean I like it. I want it all and that means that no matter what I type on this blog, in the back of my mind I want to eat and lose weight.
It doesn't mean I will be depressed if I don't though because I am also reasonably logical (my partner might disagree with that statement) and I know that the reset expectations are the more realistic expectations and that is totally fine.
I did eat well yesterday, and I worked out.
I am off to the gym again now.
Today I will make it "happen" for my clients and not worry quite so much about me. I will simply eat well and let life unfold.
Be healthy!
Alan
One thing I can tell you is that yesterday was a day of stress from a Real Estate perspective. I always want things to "happen" for my clients and do everything I can to make it "happen" but unfortunately I do not always succeed. No one does.
My clients may find success today but yesterday wasn't the day. It sucks.
I guess that is my "thing". I always want to make everything "happen". I am a definite type A personality.
Yesterday I wrote about resetting my expectations and I am cool with accepting that but that doesn't mean I like it. I want it all and that means that no matter what I type on this blog, in the back of my mind I want to eat and lose weight.
It doesn't mean I will be depressed if I don't though because I am also reasonably logical (my partner might disagree with that statement) and I know that the reset expectations are the more realistic expectations and that is totally fine.
I did eat well yesterday, and I worked out.
I am off to the gym again now.
Today I will make it "happen" for my clients and not worry quite so much about me. I will simply eat well and let life unfold.
Be healthy!
Alan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
