Update Post

I have several topics of discussion today. First, the One Can a Month Challenge. Secondly, my weight loss self-challenge. Last, I'll talk about my work with Tyler, my Jack Russell Terrier.

Wednesday was garbage day. We put out a can, as usual, but instead of the 3 or 4 small kitchen plastic bags inside the can, there was ONE. How I did this:
~when shopping, choose the item that has little or no packaging (or if it has packaging, make
sure it's recyclable-but no packaging is better);
~recycle diligently;
~compost kitchen scraps; and
~eat leftovers instead of leaving them in the fridge to spoil-or cook so there are no leftovers.

You can do it too!

Yesterday was the first day of the second week in my weight loss journey. The scale read 157. Woo hoo! Even with 10 extra points for nursing, I'm losing. I was kind of skeptical that the additional calories would let me drop the excess weight. I have the feeling that the rate of loss won't be as dramatic as in the past (sometimes 5-6 lbs a week at first), but slow and steady is actually a better way to do it, in order to ensure it is fat and not temporary water loss.

I have yet to make it to the gym but I hope to do that starting this week. Even if it's just to do a quick weight circuit and 10 minutes of cardio, to start, that's more than what I've been doing. I really miss my muscles. And for anyone who doesn't know this already, muscles burn fat. Lean muscle mass burns calories, even while you're sleeping. I like that.

I started watching the Dog Whisperer on National Geographic channel yesterday. This guy is amazing! I've already learned how to address Tyler's food aggression and we've started working on her overall aggression and barking issues. Last night was her first session involving food aggression and already we've seen an improvement. I also told Ben how to keep calm when she's misbehaving, instead of getting angry or frustrated, since she reacts to projected emotions more than commands. I too have been following these instructions and see how Tyler stays calm rather than escalating the behaviour. "Peace, trust, relaxation, and respect." That's the mindset you have to create in a dog. I have a lot of work to do with Tyler, but we'll do it one step at a time. Wish me luck.