je suis prest

[mike_bravo]

hey there! my name is michele. i'm 29 and although i've never struggled with my weight, i've never been especially healthy. i used to be that skinny-fat person. i used to be very sedentary, stuck to my computer (i still struggle with that a bit), smoked, and ate crap every day all day. three years ago (well, on march 7 it will be three years) i quit smoking and joined a gym. i started getting healthier in that i was less stationary and more active, but i still ate like crap. toast and cereal for supper, chips for a snacks, processed everything. i could cook, i just didnt want to. and i have never been a fan of meat. almost a year and a half ago, i was diagnosed with celiac disease so my eating habits had to change drastically. if i was hungry, i would make toast. i would have sandwiches and crackers and cake and anything else you can think of that has gluten in it. this was a HUGE learning curve for me. 

 

i'm still not great at eating. i have never really enjoyed eating. that's not why i'm skinny, mind you. i won the genetic lottery with that one. but i dont enjoy the process of making a meal (and a mess) for just myself. i dont like meat, like i said, and i'm always dipping it in some kind of sauce. i've never been a fan of fruits, vegetables get boring....it's just always been a struggle for me. BUT! i am much healthier than i used to be.

 

now, the goal is get into shape. i've signed up for the color me rad run in calgary, which is only 5k but i cant seem to build up my endurance. i also find it hard to get motivated to get to the gym after a busy shift or, worse, a night shift (i'm a nurse on a neuro floor and it can get pretty heavy). but i've set some goals:

 

gym/work out 6 days a week (it was 3-4)

canada food guide eating as much as possible

no chips/chocolate/snack packs for the month of march

track my progress

 

i've been doing the couch-to-5k program and while i'm still stuck on week 4 after 3 weeks, i'm determined i can do this. i'd also like to tone and get rid of the "jiggly" bits to a point. confidence, i suppose, is the end goal.

 

looking forward to it!

[Elder]

Hi!  It's nice to see another fellow Canadian on here.  I am signed up for the Calgary Spartan Sprint this August, are you?  

I have read about the couch-to-5k but have procrastinated on starting it...how do you like it so far?

[mike_bravo]

i havent signed up for it...that's a pretty intense race, good for you! are you from calgary?

 

i like the program. i'm stuck on week 4 but i refuse to give up. i've never been a runner...but i'm trying to be!

[slckness]

Welcome aboard! What a coincidence to find fellow Albertans here right from the start. I'm in Canmore

 

I don't like making meals either, I'm waiting for food in capsule form...

 

Best of luck on the couch-to-5k!

[mike_bravo]

i love canmore! who doesnt...

 

thanks so much! if you hear about the capsule food, let me know!

[Synyster]

The closest you'll get to that would be protein shakes. A lot of fitness shakes in general actually. Liquid food for those not willing to cook. Not saying to go live off of them but, in a sense, it could be possible. I was the same way myself, until I lived with my wife's parents for a few months. Cooking all the time. Find something you like, and become determined to learn how to make it and perfect it. Use your imagination with cooking! That's what has made it fun for me. Throw in a little bit of this, mix in some of that, and BAM! Delicious food. Welcome to the Rebellion! (:

[Elder]

I actually just moved out of Alberta last summer!  I used to live just south of Chain Lakes, west of Nanton.  I moved back to North Western Ontario (Thunder Bay) to be around my family again.  Unfortunately I haven't found any other Nerd Fitnesser's within 8 hours of me.

I signed up for the Calgary Spartan because I have quite a few friends left in AB so it makes a great excuse to go and visit.  

I did the Spartan Sprint in Ottawa last summer (1st OCR ever!) with really no training, I did it in 1 hour and 3 minutes, I felt like puking at the end!  Before the race I at crappy food and went for an approximate 1km job/walk with my dog a couple days a week.  So I think that anyone who trains and eats better than that can finish the race no problem!  I have started training now and hope to get in a few other races before so that I can hopefully beat my time by at least 15 minutes.

 

I used to do just a smoothie for breakfast, but now I am going to try and get a little more in my stomach in the morning instead of just yogurt and berries!  One of my goals over the month is to try and cook most of my meals for the week on Sunday and then plan my entire week out.  If it's planned out and food is ready I will have no excuse not to eat healthy.

Any ways keep in touch!  AND maybe we could have a Nerd Fitness meetup in Calgary in August...just food for thought. 

[Synyster]

Elder, that's how I have been! Every Sunday I cook up some chicken, cut it, put them in separate bags and freeze them. I have fresh veggies to add to some meals, and I keep some frozen ones to just heat up. Very quick and easy, and keeps you on track!

[Drewstein69]

Great job on taking the steps needed to get healthier for yourself I've personally never had an issue cooking but also I found 2-3 meals that I love cooking constantly and I still haven't been able to give up Sriracha sauce on my beef and chicken just yet, even though I've been eatly mostly Paleo for about 8 months now. It's just a matter of finding meals that you like to eat and like to cook and sticking with them, then try and mixxing it up for a little variety

 

Also, used to live in SW Calgary myself and I really do miss it some days...

[mike_bravo]

@elder i looked into the spartan sprint, and i'm working that weekend unfortunately. unless circumstances change (new job, new rotation, what have you). which is too bad because as i was reading it, i wanted to do it! my sister used to live in thunder bay. i was actually just through on november 30. and my mom and i had an accident not far from there on a trip across the country and were stuck in a hotel for a few days there while insurance figured themselves out. beautiful place.

 

@Drewstein69 great advice. i have made the decision to go paleo (i'm gluten-intolerant, so i'm halfway there) so i suppose i'll have to start cooking more! calgary is an easy place to miss. maybe more accurately, the mountains are easy to miss!

[Drewstein69]

It's exactly about the mountains! Specially only being 90mins away from Banff...makes me a sad panda. Also, nice Troy quote haha