Scale Day & Blog Business

Tuesday brought my first scale day since I started the "Out with a Bang!" Plan. I wasn't sure what to expect... yeah I actually got my tush moving again... but in all honesty my food was HORRIBLE over the past few days.

197 lbs... for a one pound loss. I'm good with that! This week will be even better!!

My things to work on for "Out with a Bang!" this week are my water intake (I've been getting more than I was, but still not as much as I should) and tracking my food. I've been writing my food in my little green book, but NOT getting it transferred here or tracking calories. So I need to step up the efforts there.

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I spent a copious amount of my Tuesday doing some blog business. I was browsing the blogs I followed & realized I had a whole list I had never gotten a chance to add - some of my lovely BOOBs & a lot of people who recently started following me (and sadly some who have followed for a long time). I feel bad its taken me so long to a chance to do this, hopefully its a forgivable offense, lol. I tried to get everyone, but if I missed someone please please let me know. My goal is to get my blog roll updated in the next couple of days too. :)

The last few weeks I have been feeling like my blog is in need of a "face lift." I want it to have an identity that is a little more me... so that's something I hope to get to work on SOON.

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Before I go crawl in bed to catch a few hours of sleep, I want to thank everyone who commented on my previous post. Each of you is proof that REAL friends exist everywhere. You don't have to physically meet someone to be a true friend to them. All of your kind comments meant so much to me... more than you will likely ever know. I am beyond grateful for the gift of friendship I have found here in blogland!

Hope Wednesday is a wonderful day for each and every one of you!

Julie

I'm In Love!!!

Today was my Mom's trip to Bankruptcy Court, so I spent my morning driving her there... listening to her chatter... all the while mentally writing my next blog post. Then this happened...



We went to lunch... Mexican more precisely... and I fell head over heals in love... with this salad!

The Tapatia Salad

Menu Description: Carne asada, romaine lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, onion, corn, avocado, asparagus, black olives, whole beans, tortilla strips, ranchero cheese and their own vinegar dressing

Just to let you all know, when I go to Mexican I usually eat one of two entrees and don't even look at the menu, so the fact that I ended up ordering this salad is somewhat of an anomaly. This was a Mexican restaurant I've been to numerous times, but they had changed the menu since my last visit, so I actually took a look at the menu. The first thing that struck me is that they actually had new healthier choices - from Veggie fajitas to Spinach Enchiladas - all vegetarian. Then my eyes went down the page to salads - I've never seen a menu with so many salads - a dozen in all. When I visited LA a couple of years ago I had a steak salad at this little char-broil joint that I adored, so when I saw this salad I was hoping for a similar taste and decided to give it a shot.

What I got instead was quite seriously the BEST salad I have ever eaten in my life! Their menu description doesn't even begin to do it justice. The carne asada was very thinly sliced, super tender, very moist, and not even a hint of fat to be found. The asparagus was grilled to perfection... six whole pieces. The onions and tomatoes were diced small... almost like pico de gallo... with the corn mixed in. The vinegar dressing was just the right amount of tangy and didn't seem to have much oil in it. I swear this was the PERFECT salad!

I almost feel guilty for how much I loved this salad, lol. I mean how many times have you heard or been told that you shouldn't get your happiness from food? From the moment they set this salad in front of me, my entire mood changed. The presentation was so beautiful and such a surprise considering this is just your average Americanized Mexican restaurant we were sitting in. Then I took my first bite of it and literally fell head over heals in love! The way the flavors blended together was AMAZING!!! It was sooooo good, I was immediately torn between savoring each bite and shoveling in as much of the yummy flavor as I could as fast as I could. After the first couple of shoveled in bites, I settled down and opted to savor each and every bite that entered into my mouth. By the time I was done - I was well satisfied - and wanting to lick the plate. I swear if the guy had not come along to pick it up when he did, he may have found me finger licking it.

Believe it or not, there really is a point to me telling you all about this wonderful salad. The point is this, its been a really long time since I truly enjoyed eating a meal as much as this. Its always been one of my goals to only use (waste) calories on foods that were truly satisfying to the taste buds and enjoying this salad the way I did made me realize that I have really slacked off on that the last few months. I've been eating whatever happened to be available or what would pass for moderately healthy without giving enough thought to what the food really tasted like or if I was enjoying it. This salad serves as a wake up call to how far off track I have let myself get while attempting to please those around me. I have no idea what the calories/fat for the salad were (they didn't have nutritional info), but to me it doesn't matter as much as the wake up call it provided.

Quick note about scale day: I gained a pound in the last two weeks. Not what I would have liked to see, but what I expected for the effort (or lack of effort) I've given things the last few weeks.

Oh, I have news about my Mom and the BOOBS too. She no longer thinks I am going to be assaulted, strangled or killed during the course of the weekend. It only took explaining to her weekly since May what I was doing & why I was doing it. Some peoples mothers... lol.

Be back soon with my original - still in my brain - post...

Jeans n Stuff

First things first... NO, I have not hit a size 8 in jeans. It seems I should have worded more carefully in my last post. A few posts ago, I wrote about the deal I have with a buddy of mine that we can each get new jeans when we lose 15 pounds... so in my last post I was at 8 pounds to go for new jeans... which if my estimations are correct will be a size 10 or 12... probably a 12.

This week I chose to skip scale day... okay maybe I didn't exactly choose to... its more like I was too stressed out and rushed to take the time on my way out the door. We finally had the appointment at the Autism Center for The Boy One. The doctor there suggested some strategies for dealing with the aggression to try before we jump to medication. He also said that he suspects part of the aggression may be connected to puberty issues. So... we will try the strategies and see how that goes.

Oh, The Boy One had his final session of physical therapy today. They gave him a nice little certificate and a big choclate chip cookie. I know it may not seem like much to talk about... but for us its like a successful sports season or passing a tough class. He's worked so hard with her to get to where he is today and I'm a proud mama.

In other news... I got the results from my girlie exam... and now I'm on what my friend calls the "frequent prodding program." Abnormal cells means extra screening... yay me! Trying not to stress myself out about it because I know these things happen to a lot of women without it ever turning into anything serious. But there is the little girl in me that has been scared to death of the big C for longer than I can remember.

This week is all about getting back into the swing of a fall routine. This weekend is about planning my time, my meals, my workouts. Monday I will be back on track... no excuses... no getting sidetracked... no wasting time on people who bring me down.

One last thing... because its fall and I love to eat soup in the fall... Do you have a favorite homemade soup recipe to share? :)

Because I Promised...

Because I promised that my next post would be a happy post... it has taken me a few days to gather myself. As I was logging on to blogger to post Wednesday morning, I also logged into Facebook. On Facebook, I found out that a man I have spent my whole life considering a grandpa had passed away the night before. This is a man that I associate more childhood memories with than I do with my biological grandfather or even my dad. As I have spent time reflecting, he is also one of the major people that was a part of the memories I do have with my dad. This is the man that I attribute my love of hiking and the spontaneous road trip to. He was the kind of guy that would wake up on a Saturday morning and decide the Church kids should go on an adventure & within an hour or two we'd all be out in the middle of no where somewhere. When my Dad was sick, he and his son (who both worked at the same company as my Dad) took turns making sure I still felt connected to that part of my life. I have been sad and cried tears... but I have also been thankful in the last few days. He was suffering so badly from Parkinson's for so many years.. and I know the suffering is over. I also know he is in a better place, with his Savior (as his grandson posted on facebook). Its totally one of those moments where the tears are for me and those that will feel the loss. He will be so missed, by so many... but I know his legacy will live on through all of the lives he touched.

Good news from scale day... that mean little box on the floor read 194 lbs!!!! That's a total of 7 lbs lost since I got home from my trip to Cali!!! Considering I've been slacking off on monitoring my food and not anywhere near my usual activity level, I'm extremely pleased. And this means... jeans in 8... so I'm almost half way there!!! I am so dying for new jeans its not even funny.. but I have resisted... had a great time finding tops at Value Village the other day though.

My Mom has The Boy One for a few days & I am mostly just enjoying time to be with my own thoughts and figure out what is good for ME! Its soooooo nice. Hope everyone is having an awesome weekend! :)

Let's All STOP!

Before I get on to my post, I should report that the scale LOVED me today... to the tune of 4.2 pounds!!! Holy crapola I can hardly believe it... its rare, if ever, that I've seen that large a number. I stood staring at the scale having one of those moments of "how the heck did that happen? am I sick and don't know it?" Then I thought how different this past week was from the few previous and I calmed my not-so-little self down.


So the report for week one: I had a loss of 4.2 pounds, which brings me down to 194.4. My calories ranged from 1190-2500ish during the week. I had restaurant food on three days, but on the third day kept it within the calories of my planned meal. Exercise was a real struggle, which I wrote about yesterday. I got in a tad of cardio... I think about 3 miles walking is all; two core workouts and one general strength training workout.


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Okay, now on to what is really on my little mind... something that has been lurking for a few days and has gotten to the point where it is nagging at me the second my mind starts to wander to blogging.

Remember, last Thursday I took The Boy One to Applebees for his school fundraiser... and proceeded to add quesadillas and a margarita to my planned meal. I think that meal is where this thing began nagging at me. Since then, I've seen or heard several people in blogs, on FB or in text messages practically begging for forgiveness for little indulgences such as candy, chips, ice cream, an extra dollup of sour cream, etc. That night, as I was eating, I texted Melissa and told her I was committing "foodicide." Her response is something that I want to repeat to every person I hear or see admonishing themselves.


DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP ABOUT IT!!!!!


She didn't shout it like that, but those were her exact words to me... and they are my words to you should you happen to have a few M&Ms, a little bag of chips, an extra piece of bread, a scoop of ice cream or whatever.


By now you probably know that my philosophy is to live a healthy lifestyle & lose weight in terms that I can sustain for the long haul... meaning its not going to be perfect from a nutritional standpoint and its not going to be so strict that I snap one day... meaning its going to have highs and lows... means its going to adjust within reason for the other areas of my life. This is why when I do a gym challenge, I increase my calorie intake so that I don't lose weight too rapidly... because I know that while I may push myself beyond my normal levels to finish a challenge its not something I can do day in/day out for the rest of my life.


When it comes to food, the same rules apply for me. I eat mostly nutritious, healthy things. I feed these same foods to my family. I know what is and isn't beneficial for my body. I also know that some things which are definitely not beneficial happen to be mighty tasty. I know that, for me, it is unreasonable to expect that I will never again eat a donut, fried cheese stick, croissant, etc. For most of us, we have spent a good portion of our lives eating foods that were not good for us, but we surely enjoyed the taste... and its probably not likely that we will never have them again. And being perfectly honest, there are certain foods that I feel are worth every minute I have to spend in the gym to compensate for them!


Instead of beating ourselves up over "giving in" to temptation or having a "slip up" by eating that ice cream cone, we can turn it into a positive and say something like "I choose to incorporate foods I truly enjoy into my plans." Or something like, "I can choose to eat anything I want... if I plan for it and if it is worth it to me use the calories that way."


I know there are people out there that have problems with binging and I recognize that a simple bite can lead to an all out binge for you... and for you I know its often better if you just stay totally away from certain foods. This I understand... and I commend you for having the mental fortitude to avoid foods that are triggers for you.


For the rest of us, though, I say....


Let's all STOP beating ourselves up over the occasional treat & remember that living a healthy lifestyle does NOT mean we have to be perfect with every morsel that passes our lips.


And even if you totally fall off the train for a day, remember this... its not what we do once in a while that is going to make or break us in our efforts; its what we do consistently - day after day - that will determine our success.


Plan for success!

My Cheerleaders & My Plan

Here it is - midnight - and I'm finally getting to sit down with the computer for a few minutes. Its been a LONG day!

When I put out the call for cheerleaders, I never expected such a response... my cheerleaders thus far:

* Chris
* Stacia
* Carrie
* Scuttleboose
* Seth - who pointed out that I don't have to do this... but I really WANT to
* LauraLynne - whose message came through to my phone while I was on the StairMaster; the vision of her dusting off pom poms made me giggle
* Melissa- who sweetly offered to text me cheers (I emailed my number to you)
* Wishful Shrinking
* MaryFran - my original cheerleader :)
* MochaTrina
* Drazil aka Mama Pimp
*K.
* My "anonymous" friend

You are all AWESOME!!! I'm trying to make a little button you can display... but I'm artistically challenged at the moment; I think my brain cells are all seeping through my pores at the gym.

Several people suggested I make a plan, if I didn't already have one. Rest assured I do have a plan. For what I have left to complete on cardio stuff (elliptical, treadmill, bike & StairMaster), it will take approximately 22 hours at my "usual" pace. Plus, I still need time for core & free weight sets on top of that. If I dedicate 2.5 hours per day to the gym, that will give me 30 hours total in the 12 remaining days. My plan right now is to do alternate days of elliptical/treadmill & StairMaster/treadmill, with core & free weight sets each day. I only have 18 miles left on the bike, so I will probably set it aside for a few days. Of course if I can pick up my pace a little I will... and hopefully shave a little bit off the required time. I'd be happy if I wasn't right down to the wire on it like last year... but at this point I'll take it however it comes.

Now for a quick report on my day... it was scale day... which I almost forgot with so much thought going into the challenge. I'm happy to report that I did weigh & was down 2.8 pounds AFTER having had a cup of water and three mini muffins!!! Yay!!! It feels good to know that I was able to get right back into a successful routine after being gone for a week.

At the gym, I got in 2 hours plus about 20 minutes - 160 floors on the StairMaster (slow pace, but was able to keep my heart rate a little lower), 25 free weight sets, 4.5 miles on the bike & 55 circuit sets. If my math is right, that makes 332 circuit sets & I am DONE with that part of the challenge!!! Yay!!! I think I got 3-4 emails with comments while I was at the gym which was AWESOME! It really helped keep me going. :)

My plan for Wednesday is to be at the gym roughly from 8:30-11:30am PST. Wednesday is kids group night & I'm taking my Mom home (finally!), so its another busy day ahead.

I'm behind on blog reading again, imagine that, lol. Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

Thank you for being my AWESOME Around the World Cheerleaders! 12 days to go....

Scale Day Report & Other Ramblings

197.8... that's the number that greeted me on the scale this morning. That's a gain of nearly two pounds (1.8 to be exact). Am I upset? Am I beating myself up? Nope, not at all. Yes, I'm disappointed in the gain... but at the same I am well aware that it could have been much worse considering the week I had. Though it was a rough week, I'm right back into my normal routine... so onward with no huge fits of regret.

I kept exercise to a minimum today - one hour on the bike. Its really all of the time I had. This new schedule The Husband is on BLOWS big time. If I go back to sleep in the morning (like I did today) there is no way I can get enough gym time before he has to leave for work. Here we are on day two of the schedule & he's already moaning about not getting to see me...

Food started out on a good note today - breakfast was oat pancakes with a little reduced fat peanut butter & sliced banana - and has gone steadily downhill from there. Trying to accommodate the family, I bought a package of hot dogs planning to eat one. Well, I ate my one for lunch... and let me tell ya right now it will be super easy to stick to just one - the thing was beyond nasty! It was a "quality brand" but the taste was so gross, I barely choked it down (seriously should have thrown it away & eaten something else). This type of experience is good because yeah I won't be tempted by the rest of the package sitting there, but bad because I will be munchy hungry because I was so unsatisfied by the meal. Sure enough, an hour or so later I found myself in the kitchen browsing the cupboards. I ended up making some nachos... but at least I measured - 1 oz of tortilla chips with 1 1/2 oz of 2% Mexican blend cheese. That seems to have ebbed the munchies... thank goodness! Dinner tonight is Erika's wonderful pasta salad... I will try not to overindulge... I may need two glasses of water before I eat, lol.

Have you ever noticed that the gym you go to in an effort to get (or be) healthy also offers an array of "unhealthy" options? This had never really occurred to me before, but one of my cousins posted on her Facebook status that she was thinking of tanning at the gym today & it started me thinking. My gym is filled with "unhealthy" options! There's the tanning beds - which I understand bronzed skin is important to some people - but knowing that tanning is as dangerous if not more so than exposure to the sun, I'll take a pass on that "unhealthy" option. Then there's the Smoothie Bar - beckoning by the front counter as I walk toward the exit. Every drink there is a minimum of 300 calories for the small ones & loaded with sugar. My only saving grace is that I rarely take my purse into the building & no money means no smoothie for me - which is a good thing. Why is it that this place that is there to encourage a "healthy lifestyle" offers all of these unhealthy options?

Does your gym offer "unhealthy" options? What are they?

Dreading Scale Day

My weekly scale visit is mere hours away & I'm dreading it big time. I only got in two workouts the entire week, granted today's was killer - but still. Then there's the facts of what I ate while we were gone. I tried to do the best I could with what was offered - but really it was miserable. To make matters worse, silly me forgot my "anti-baby pills" when we went out of town... so now guess who has come to visit. Yep, none other than the one I call George. Ugh, Ugh, Ugh... on top of everything else I feel more bloated than I have in months.

Speaking of the trip to see the family...

We hadn't been to visit since October & what I found there was shocking... and made me very sad. Two of The Husband's cousins have gained a significant amount of weight over the winter. This is really scary because there are ton of health problems in their family. The male one seems oblivious to it, but with the female cousin you can tell she is really bothered by it. She is someone who has come to me "guidance" several times in the past. She is also one of those people with a thousand excuses of why she can't do it... still waiting for her "some thing's gotta give" moment. I pray it comes soon... because not only is she on this dangerous path, but she is putting her son on the same path. He is nine years old & well beyond chubby. It just makes me so sad to see the pattern repeating itself...

Do you have family members like this? How do you respond when someone asks for help, but you can tell they aren't ready?

Just The Facts...

That's all I have time for. The Husband is impatiently waiting for me to get off of the computer so we can leave. We are going to visit him family on the other side of the state; I'm hoping I'll be able to blog there... but unless I want to let my "little secret" out for the family to see it might be hard. Does anyone know how the mobile blogging works? I could do that from my phone I think.

Anyway, the facts...

Scale day has been kind. I lose 1 lb. I'm pleased with that... since I want to do keep this slowly & in a way I can sustain for the long haul.

I made it to the gym for an hour this morning, even though I barely got any sleep & I am not a morning person.

I am halfway done with the bike part of Around the World!

I am not going to get in much exercise (if any) for the next four days... really not happy about that, but this was the only time to visit family before The Husband leaves on deployment.

Food may be a nightmare while I'm gone, though I told The Husband that we must go to the grocery store before we even set foot in the family's house.

Okay, it looks like that's all the facts I have time to share.

I hope everyone has a great week... and that I find a way to blog while I'm away... if not expect a book from me when I get home Friday night!

Tare care! :)

Outfit in the Window & Scale Day

Before we get to talking about the outfit... today was scale day. I was a little anxious stepping on the scale, not quite a livin on a prayer moment though. My food choices were fairly decent throughout the week, but there were a few times when I probably ate more than I needed & then there was the yummy lunch out with Erika on Saturday. Plus my friend George is due to arrive any moment now & we all know the lovely things he can do to your body. The results: -1.6 lbs! I'm totally satisfied with that & feel like I'm getting back into the groove of things. Another five pounds & I'll be back to where I was when I fell off the wagon. Its exciting to be that close to that number again... but nerve wracking too. I swear its like I get to a certain point & do something to sabotage myself for some unknown reason. Not this time though, I'm determined!

Do you ever feel like you're your own worst enemy when it comes to reaching your goals?

In case I've failed to mention it at some point, I LOVE shopping. Some people would call it a passion... The Husband probably refers to it as a curse when he's shooting the breeze with his buddies and complaining about it to my mother-in-law. Anyhow, until the last couple years shopping was probably the most physically active thing I did on a regular basis... sad I know. The thing is I feel like I'm good at shopping... I mean I've gotten really skilled at finding bargains for just about anything I want; its rare that I pay full price for anything. Also, not news to you I'm sure (but to the skinny people of the world perhaps), you've got to be pretty savvy in the shopping department if you're gonna find anything resembling cute clothes to fit a chubbo body like mine was (is).

To set the stage for shopping opportunities on the island: We have Kmart, Walmart, the NEX (on base) and a few specialty stores. The Husband will tell you (and I can hardly argue anymore), I can be more than a wee bit picky when it comes to my clothes. While I won't refuse to buy something just because its at Kmart or Walmart, the chances of me finding something that I like (and fits well) is slim to none. Needless to say, clothes shopping for me meant a 40 minute drive to the nearest mall. Then one blessed day I was driving down our narrow little main street & spotted a sign in the window at Maurices advertising their new plus size section.

Cute clothes, reasonable prices, no 40 minute drive... I was hooked! My first visit there, I needed nearly the biggest size they had in plus; but somehow I was okay with that because hey the clothes were cute. Walking in I'd always look to the right (the regular sizes) & think "I wish," as I turned to the left (the plus sizes). The ladies that work in this store are fantastic, very supportive & encouraging! When I started losing, they immediately noticed & each time I visit the store for smaller jeans they celebrate with me. We've had this goal for several months now, that one day I'd be able to walk in the store & buy the outfit in the window from the right side of the store.

This past Saturday it finally happened!!! I can't tell you how thrilling it was for me. Not only was I able to buy the outfit in the window from the right side of the store... I didn't have to buy it in the biggest size. No XXL, No XL... just LARGE! They were having a decent sale, buy one get one 1/2 off, but of course this outfit wasn't included in the sale. But you know something... I bought it anyway... what can I say? Sometimes a a girls just gotta have the outfit in the window!

Now the questions, tights or no tights? Flats or sandals?

The Husband & The Scale Have Formed An Alliance!!!

I swear to you it is true - The Husband & The Scale have formed some sort of evil alliance... and right now I have some choice words running through my mind for the both of them. See I think it goes something like this:

The Husband walks into the bathroom & The Scale says to him: "I'm tired of displaying a smaller number week after week. I feel so small and insignificant as the numbers go down. Please! Help me!!! I NEED to see those big numbers... for my self esteem!" (At this point The Scale is near tears... I'm sure of it.)

The Husband thinks about this & tells The Scale: "Well, I don't know what I can do."

The Scale continues his (yes it is definitely a "he") plight: "You know this isn't all about me, its about you too. Think of all the things you're missing out on while my numbers are going down."

This catches The Husband's attention and as he exits the bathroom, he says "You have no idea what I'm missing. Help is on the way!"


For The Husband's part, he puts his plan into practice on regular basis - nearly every day & sometimes more than once in the same day. He has devised a multi-step plan of attack to help The Scale. Step one: "Innocently" want to take me out to breakfast or lunch. Step two: Repeatedly carry on about how he wants pizza, a cheeseburger, Mexican food, fill in the blank with any other indulgence you can think of. He usually will persist with pleading until I have given in to one of these steps; there comes a point where its give in or deal with his "unhappiness." Step three: He will bring home a bag of chips (or other munchies), open them & leave the bag sitting out on the counter to tempt me each & every time I walk through the kitchen. Step Four: When we are out & about, he will ever so "conveniently" want to stop off at 7-11 & become upset if I refuse to go into the store with him. Its like he wants to suck me into that world of temptations... Seriously WTH???

I know its up to me what I put in my body... but oooohhhhhh the pure pressure (and utter lack of support)... this little alliance of theirs has assisted me in eating:

• pizza
• cookies
• ice cream
• taco bell
• hot dogs
• jalapeno cream cheese taquitos
• sugary soda
• hash browns
• french toast
• breakfast sausage
• chips & queso

And, that's all in just the last week! Yikes!!!!

The Scale was handsomely rewarded by their evil alliance today... it was more than happy to display a number 2.4 higher than last weeks number. You could almost feel it doing a little happy dance under me.

Guess what?!? Its time to break up the evil alliance, IMMEDIATELY. I'm gonna kick them both in the butt!

Honestly, doesn't The Scale know that BIGGER isn't always BETTER?!? And as for The dear sweet Husband... if he wants that crap he can get it on his own time!

Scale? Husband? Do you hear me? Your time together is OVER!!!!

Livin on a Prayer & Other Revelations

First of all, thank you so much for all of the encouraging comments after my last post. You ladies are the best! :) I'm sorry its taken me so long to get back here & write again... my night of thought actually lasted far into Friday & then the weekend was busy, busy with family & friends.

After much thought & self-reflection, I have to say I've been approaching things with a "Livin on a Prayer" mentality on an increasingly frequent basis. What do I mean by this? Simply, I've fallen into a habit of doing what works in the moment as far as my meals & exercise (or lack there of)... and then when scale day rolls around I say a silent prayer as I step on to the scale that somehow, by some miracle, the number will be kind to me. Yes, I have gotten lucky the last two weeks & not seen an increase on the scale... but I think luck has run out. It doesn't take much thought to figure out that when I plan meals & do meal prep early in the week, I'm much less likely to fall into this pattern of doing without regard to the big picture. Next step in the self-revelation... what do I do about it???

Revelation #1: A few days ago, I asked if living a healthy lifestyle ever felt like a full time job to anyone else. The overwhelming response is YES it does & then some. So... I believe its time to approach this healthy lifestyle as I would a job where I was being paid (and there is definitely a reward for the hard work of this "job"), rather than attempting to squeeze it into my normal time frame for meal planning/prep & fitness. This means planning my days with specific times on the agenda for the gym, meal planning & prep, meal & exercise tracking, and blogging. I'm not quite sure how that's going to look yet, but I plan to figure it out for the upcoming week before I go to bed tonight... then I can hit the ground running in the morning.

Revelation #2: I need to get serious about tracking my meals! On the days I plan my meals, I do a decent job of sticking to it... the other days I pretty much shrug off writing down what I'm eating. Somehow, I've gotten out of the habit of entering my food on myfooddiary... and I can tell that its hurting me.

And an FYI for you: March is the month my Dad passed away... 22 years ago. I know its been a LONG time and so many people tell me just to be over it already. But, I'm sorry, its not something you ever get over... especially when you lose a parent in childhood. I'm the type of person who so strongly associates dates, times & places with the joys & heartbreaks of my life that just waking up knowing its such and such day can take me right back to the emotion of the situation (no matter how much time has passed). This year, I think things are worse for me than they've been the last few years due to some other losses over the past year. I mention this not so much because I'm an emotional eater, but because when I'm sad its hard to motivate myself to do much of anything, so things like getting meals planned & going to the gym are way more difficult... and I think we all know what happens to me if I don't have meals planned...

Highlight of the weekend: Saturday was gorgeous here on the island. With rain looming in the forecast, I decided to drag the husband and my son out for a walk with me. After packing each of us a bag with healthy snacks (more of a mini lunch I suppose), we piled in the car & headed out with no specific destination. We ended up at one of the nearby state parks- we are super luck to have 3-4 within a few minutes drive. This one sits right on the water & has trails all over. My plan was to walk the trail that goes along the bluff overlooking the water & then go to the part where you can get down to the beach; but apparently my son's sense of direction had other plans for us. We let him choose a trail & ended up on two miles of trails that went up & down steep hills, some parts with big ruts & tree roots to climb over. Normally, I don't really count these outings as exercise, just part of an active outing for the family... but let me tell ya right now this one I counted! It was very challenging & my heart rate was definitely up there for most of it. By the time we got back to the car, we had walked just shy of 2.5 miles and I was comfortably exhausted!

One of the "easy" trails & The view from our picnic table

Well... I guess I'd better get back to work on planning my week if I want to see dreamland any time soon. Hope everyone had a good weekend & best wishes for a Happy Monday!

Note to Self: Do NOT Pour Boiling Soup on Your Fingers!!! + Progress Pics

Guess what I did today: I made a delicious veggie soup & in the process of putting it into containers I managed to pour a whole ladle full over my hand. OUCHIE!!!! Thank goodness most of it was deflected by the container I had in my hand; however, my middle finger is bright red & blistering nicely. The good news is the soup came out awesome & I have four containers of it in the fridge for later in the week. Its my habit to throw soups together with whatever is on hand, so as soon as I retrace my steps & figure out exactly what I threw in the pot I will share the recipe. :-)

I did my scale day... I was down a little, .2 lb...which is somewhat disappointing, but I'll take it. The past week wasn't one of the greatest efforts as far as eating & getting to the gym.

Finally, progress pics!!!

These are just from January til now; I'll have to dig for a true "before" pic at some point. My plan is to do them on the first day of each month throughout the year. Putting them all side-by-side, the changes are subtle yet striking to me. Three things I really notice: 1) the muffin top is slowly becoming less noticeable, 2) my posture seems much straighter in the March photo and 3) my hair is growing really fast.

The outfit in these pics is my absolute favorite workout outfit. The story of piecing it together may be part of why I love it so much. Its a matched set, but I got it on two separate trips to Ross. The pants I had carried through the store & put back so I could get a handbag (yeah, I have a handbag addiction & I admit it lol). They were the only pair like them, so I knew I'd never get them. The next time we went, as expected, they were no where to be seen. But, a month or so later, we stopped in and they were there! I was so excited & even though I wasn't planning to buy pants I had to get them... they were meant to be, right?!? Its with mixed feelings that I report the pants have been retired from my workout wardrobe. They are just too big, the legs too wide, seriously I'll be face-planting on the StairMaster or treadmill if I try to wear them. Time to begin the search for their replacement... darn it... a reason to go shopping yet again! :-D

What is your favorite brand and/or style of workout pants?

Around the World & 2-4-8-10 Challenges

Before I get into the details of the challenges... I'm a bit perplexed, but the scale LOVED me this morning. I was sure that after the weekend of indulging I would be lucky not to gain (ok, I was really prepared to gain a hefty sum if I'm being brutally honest). But, according to the scale I was down 2.6 pounds from last week. I'm really pleased with the number and it makes me feel even more hopeful that's its possible to go enjoy a weekend from time to time, as long as its planned for in advance. :-)

Around the World Fitness Challenge

About a month after I started going to the gym, I saw a sign for the Around the World Fitness Challenge. Looking over the requirements, I was thinking to myself "there is no way I could do all that," but I wanted to do it nonetheless. The way it was set up, you could choose to do just part of it & I figured I'd pick & choose. Then a couple weeks into it someone (who shall remain nameless) said something about the whole thing being a stupid idea. It should be known that I don't take comments like that very well... so from that day forward I set out to complete the entire challenge.

The challenge requirements were:

• The Frequent Flier Challenge: 30 hours of workout time logged at the gym


• North America Challenge: 330 sets on Circuit machines


• South America Challenge: 276 sets of Core Strength


• Australia Challenge: 378 sets on Free Weights


• Asia Challenge: 48 miles on elliptical or Arc trainer


• Europe Challenge: 150 miles on bike


• Africa Challenge: 38 miles on treadmill or rower


• Antarctica Challenge: 2,100 floors on the StairMaster

There was a six week time period to complete everything. It took me until the very last day of the challenge, Mother's Day, to get it finished.... I spent just shy of eight hours in the gym that day (I credit Toby Keith & George Strait for keeping me going, their movies were on tv).... but I DID IT!!!!

For the girl who avoided gym class like the plague in school, this was a MAJOR accomplishment. At awards presentation, I won a gift certificate to a local spa... hmmm... maybe I should think about redeeming that one day soon.

The 2-4-8-10 Challenge

When things settled down from the holidays, my friend & I were looking for something to get us back to our gym routines... so we came up with a modified version of the Around the World Challenge... which we named the 2-4-8-10 Challenge. Basically the two (2) of us working for (4) size eight (8) in 2010 (10). We set 12 weeks for the time frame (so it will end when the gym's official Around the World Challenge starts) & multiplied the numbers from the Around the World Challenge by 1.75. My thought with this was that it would help me gear up for the gym's challenge & get my butt to the gym when I might skip otherwise.

We chose rewards for if we were half way to completion by the six week mark & then one for if we complete everything by the end of the 12 weeks. For six weeks, the reward was a trip to an upscale movie theater. For 12 weeks, its shopping for a new outfit at Westlake Center in Seattle (any excuse to shop in the city lol) The six week mark has passed and neither of us were halfway there. Some stuff happened in her personal life that got her off track & my needing to be there to support her got me off track too. I just finished reviewing how much I have left to do (in 5 weeks) and its remotely possible IF I make substantial time for the gym. Bottom line: I know, without a doubt, I'm getting to the gym more than I would have without the challenge & I will be better prepared for the gym's challenge than I was last year... so that's something.

As of today this is what I have left:

Elliptical - 78 miles

Bike- 130 miles

Treadmill- 59.3

StairMaster- 3,135

Circuit Sets- 421

Core Sets- 368

Free Weight Sets- 637

4 weeks, 5 days remaining... Can I do this?????

We will see....

One of Those Days!

This has been one of those days I knew was going to be a challenge before I ever drug my tush out of bed. My son woke up two short hours after I finally gave up and went to bed... he was ready to be up for the day & just couldn't quiet down (though I think he was TRYING). The husband came in the door all upset over the "rules" of our property managers. We got a bill for putting out six EXTRA trash bags in one week (for a family of three & I recycle like crazy) - I DON'T THINK SO! Anyway, they are making us pay because we can't "prove" we only had our allotted two bins out. The ear buds for my ipod shuffle went "POOF" overnight and are no where to be found... totally sucks you have to use the special ones that come with it because all of the controls are in the ear bud wires. And to round out my list of grievances... the scale was not my friend (up .8) and I have had cramps from hell all day! All of that, though not earth shattering, adds up to STRESS! Ok, sorry for the vent... actually feel a little better to get it all out there.

I don't consider this part of my challenging day... but I skipped the gym & haven't followed my meal plan to the letter. Honestly, my friend George (aka TOM) is causing me a ton of pain & I just didn't feel like pushing my body at the gym. As far as food goes, I've been STARVING all day. My planned meals for the day normally keep me feeling satisfied (not stuffed), so I'm not sure what the problem is. On the bright side, I've eaten extra of the "convenience" foods I made ahead... avoided the drive-thrus (Starbucks was SOOOO tempting) and "The Danger Zone" at the grocery store.

About the scale... sigh... ugh... but I know what caused it; one part my friend George, one part too many restaurant meals and one part not having a meal plan for the week. Even though I can pinpoint the causes I have to admit I'm feeling a bit discouraged. Maybe disappointed is a better word; disappointed with myself for my weaknesses (all the restaurant food & not declining invites) and not making myself a priority (agreeing to do stuff people, know that agreeing would mean sacrificing gym time).

But, onward & upward as they say... Meals are already planned for this whole week. I have two restaurant meals planned over the weekend & adjusted my meal plan for the week to compensate for them as much as possible. Now if I could just figure out the magic fix to the George issue... lol. Oh and disciplining myself to stick to the meal plan would be a nice touch as well. :)

Time to go make dinner - roast beef sandwiches & mushroom soup... yummy!

Scale Day

Morning came to me WAY too early today; thankfully I went to bed a little earlier than normal last night. The scale was kinder to me than I anticipated - weight unchanged from last week. Considering how out of the norm my week was, I'm thankful for this.

After a breakfast of mini pancakes (made with oat flour) topped with reduced fat peanut butter and sliced banana, I headed for the gym. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are always super busy days, so my new plan is to get the gym out of the way first thing on these days. I got in a solid hour of cardio & will do some free weights and core stuff at home tonight.

The rest of the day has been devoted to cooking. I will have several food choices on hand for busy times the rest of the week...so no excuses for hitting a drive-thru or grabbing unhealthy snacks at the store. The fridge is now stocked with premade salads, soups & cooked brown rice. In the cupboard, you will find healthy versions of banana bread & lemon poppyseed muffins. Still have a couple more goodies to make up tonight & about 12 pounds of chicken to cut into meal-size portions.

What kinds of things do you keep on hand?