Family makeover diary: Month 8

Read about this family's wellness journey with Canadian Living Magazine and a dream team of coaches.

Despina
Month eight brings some exciting realizations for me! I know now, more than ever, that my body does need increased activity in order to continue seeing the changes I want to see. Not that I ever doubted this, but seeing is believing. Last month I was devastated when I didn't lose any weight or inches. I was going to the gym 3 times a week, doing the weight resistance training but I wasn't doing any more than that. Sue told me I needed to add in the cardio workout but because I was seeing results without that component, I didn't feel the urge to add it in. I had already changed from no physical activity to exercising three times a week. Why should I exercise more than that? I felt that should be enough. But after the disappointment of my November weigh-in, I made a commitment to exercise more, to do cardio exercise on the days I wasn't doing weight training.

This past month I exercised at least six days per week. Initially, on the cardio days I started off with a 20-minute workout and worked up. Now, at the end of the month, I am doing approximately 30 to 35 minutes of cardio (six times per week). Most of the times I use the cross trainer and occasionally I get on the treadmill and alternate walking with a slow run. I don't particularly like running but it certainly does get my heart rate up to where I want it to be during a cardio workout.

After a month of this increased activity I had my weigh-in with Sue. I was down 3.2 pounds from last month and I lost 3.75 inches! I worked hard during the workouts and it obviously paid off. I am very excited!

This month poses its own challenges. Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year. I love the social activity and interaction with family and friends. Our family is very busy entertaining and attending parties. But as we all know, the holiday season can be a difficult time for anyone trying to watch their food intake. I'm not particularly fond of the sweets but I love the appetizers and hors d' oeuvres at parties, and of course the cheese. When I have cravings, it is usually for savoury food. And these items are just as plentiful this time of year as are the cookies and desserts.

I spoke with Fran earlier this month and we talked about getting through the holidays without over indulging. She suggested concentrating on the portion size of my food and the fat content. Her advice was "don't waste the calories." That is how I am going to approach my food intake. Do I want something badly enough that I am willing to take in the calories that go along with it? That will be the question I ask when I feel like treating myself.