Confession time

Here we are at the end of another week. Woo hoo, it's Friday! I must confess that this week has not been the best week for me as far as my eating and exercising plans go. It all started on Monday when I began to raid the candy cupboard. I was only going to eat one of the candy cane kisses, I promise. I ended up eating about 20! That's not the worst of it. I knew that on Monday evening we had plans to go as a family to the local bakery and get a treat after we helped clean our church. I was planning on having one of their fabulous brownies. Of course, it wasn't in my plan to eat 20 kisses during the day. I ate a brownie anyway.
Needless to say, I was over on my calories. One day of going over isn't so bad, but then on Wednesday I ate a few more kisses from the cupboard and then a neighbor brought over a small bag of chocolates as a thank you for a dinner we made her. So I ate more chocolate! It wasn't much but more than I had planned on eating that day. I weighed myself on Thursday and I was up 1/2 lb. from Wednesday and wasn't totally surprised. Yesterday was a better eating day and I was down 1 lb from yesterday. I would love to hear everyone's philosophy about weighing yourselves. How often? Once a day? Once a week? I usually only do it twice a week. I wanted to the last couple of days because I knew my eating hadn't been great and I wanted to stay on track.

I have done the treadmill 4 out of 5 of the days this week, but due to commitments early in the morning I have only done my Biggest Loser game once and have not done "The Shred" at all. I just can't bring myself to exercise if it is not first thing in the morning. I get too busy with the day and I don't want to shower twice. I really admire all of you out there who work outside of the home and still find time to exercise regularly. Anyway, I plan on getting on the treadmill and doing my game tomorrow.

Today is a new day to stay on plan and next week is a new week. One day at a time, right?

Just for laughs

I've got a busy day so I can't spend much time blogging. So here's some comic relief. I sure hope you get a good light-hearted laugh out of these, as I did. I can certainly relate to a few of them. Can you?

Weigh-in-Wednesday

So today was my week 3 weigh-in. I have been doing my official weigh-ins through my biggest loser Wii game, which means my wii balance board has been my scale. I have also been weighing myself on my regular scale a couple of times a week. My regular scale is always a couple of pounds lower than the balance board and also lower than the Dr's scale (don't you just hate that) so I go off of the wii balance board for my official weigh-ins. So today when the wii balance board said I weighed in at 200, for a minor loss of one pound I was surprised because my bathroom scale was reading a 2 lb loss. I ended up re-synching up the balance board and weighing myself two more times. Those two times it measured at 199 for a 2lb loss! So that is my official weigh-in. I now am out of the 200's. I'm happy to be out of the 200's for sure, but will feel a lot better when I am out of the 190's. I'm not sure how long I was in the 200's but it wasn't very long. In fact, that is probably what got me into gear to lose weight. I do know I was too satisfied for a long time to be in the 190's so getting into the 180's will be a really happy day for me! Obviously, I know it is going to take a month or so to do that so I will remember to be patient. I fully expect to hit the -10 lbs next week and earn my 10 itune downloads!

Today, I had to deliver some fliers in my neighborhood so I decided to skip the treadmill this morning and just go on a walk outside after I delivered the fliers. I knew it would be chilly (32 degrees) but I didn't expect it to be snowing! When I saw that it was snowing (more like a flurry) I was tempted not to do it. But the fliers had to be delivered no matter what and I was already going to be wet so I did it. It felt great to be outside. I probably did not run as much as I do on my treadmill because there are some hills in my neighborhood and I have not been using the incline on my treadmill as much as I should. It will be interesting to see how I do once the weather gets nicer and I can walk/run outside all the time. I seem to have a hard time setting a good pace outside, I guess that will take practice. Have a good day everybody!

Things that I love Tuesday

***Disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted I have not been asked to promote or review any of the products I feature on "Things that I love Tuesday". They are truly just things I love and when I find things that I love I want everyone to know about them!***


Today I feature something that my mom introduced me to a few weeks ago. It is the Skinny Cow Ice cream sandwich. At just 140 calories and just 1.5g of fat it is a great treat on those days when you just want some ice cream. I usually have one or two a week, usually on weekends because that is when I tended to eat ice cream before. The mint flavor is my favorite, followed by the chocolate.



I also tried the Skinny Cow truffle. This was chocolate ice cream with a chocolate coating on a stick. I did not love it like I love the ice cream sandwiches, but my kids liked it a lot. Speaking of that, I have a dilemma. My kids want to eat my healthy treats (these ice cream sandwiches) most days after school! I bought a big box at Costco, figuring it would last me awhile since my husband and I usually only ate them on weekends. Once my kids discovered them that grand plan went out the window. I'm happy my kids like these lower calorie ice cream sandwiches, but I was hoping to be selfish with them. Also, I have never been one to keep ice cream sandwiches in the house on a regular basis and am not sure I want my kids to get into the habit of eating one every day. I'm not sure if this would be establishing a bad habit. I mean, when my kids are grown and move out of the house, are they really going to buy the skinny cow brand or will they turn to another higher calorie brand? I guess what I need to do is make this a weekend treat for everyone. So do you all enjoy yourselves some skinny cows? What kinds?

Tomorrow is my official weekly weigh in, I'm looking forward to it!

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was pretty good, nothing very eventful but a good weekend with the family. I stayed pretty true to my healthy living plan. I took the weekend off from the treadmill since I had already reached my 5 times a week goal. I did do Jillian's Shred video on Saturday. My legs are still sore, but it felt great (right?)!

We only ate out once this weekend. We decided to try a new Greek food/ burger joint in our city. I really love gyros but do not eat them very often because there wasn't anywhere nearby that served them. That is until now. Before we went to dinner, I looked up the nutrition content of gyros on sparkpeople.com. At 630 calories and 15 grams of fat, they are not the best things to eat or the worst either. I decided since I had done well all day and would have plenty of calories left in my allotment I would enjoy a gyro. It was delicious! I skipped on the fries and had salad and lemon rice (which I didn't eat much of) with my meal. When we were almost done eating one of the restaurant employees brought us each a small cup of vanilla soft-serve ice cream. I took the smallest serving and enjoyed it. I was hesitant at first, but remembered that I want to change my eating habits and be able to maintain my weight after I reach my goal. That means, I am not going to deprive myself of treats all the time, because realistically treats will always be part of my life. I need to learn to enjoy them without going overboard. And when the day was over I was still under my calorie allotment.

We went to my mom's for dinner on Sunday. She was kind enough to plan a healthy meal with my new journey in mind. She served Salmon, broccoli, pineapple, garlic mashed potatoes and I brought rolls. I enjoyed a healthy portion of all of it.

I have mentioned that I am using sparkpeople.com to track my food. According to the website my goal range for daily calories is 1420-1770 calories. I prefer to stay around 1600. Here's the kicker, I am having a hard time meeting the calorie goal. That is right, I need to intake more calories! I am also usually lacking in the fat and carb category. I think by the time I eat my 5 servings fruits/vegetables along with my other stuff, I'm definitely satisfied and don't feel like eating much more. I know it is important not to put my body in "starving mode" so I ask you all how do you add healthy fats/calories in your diets? I have been snacking on Almonds and also eating apples with all-natural peanut butter. Do you have any other ideas? I know I could easily eat a handful of potato chips each day to meet my requirements, but that is not a very healthy choice is it? And one handful would soon turn into handfuls and before you know it I would have exceeded my calorie goals.

I hope everyone has a great Monday!

A Random Friday

So, I have done one workout on the Shred video. I did it on Wednesday and have not made the time to do it again. People warned me about being sore. I have been the most sore in my arms and chest area. You gotta love push-ups! I have determined over the past couple of weeks that my arms are the weakest part of my body. Anyway, with my already sore arms I turned on "The Biggest Loser" game today to do my training. And what was today's training, you guessed it.....upper body! I have not had one official upper body training yet and of course, the first time had to fall on a day when my arms were already sore. But, I did it!

My usual exercise routine is: I get up early in the morning and do the treadmill, get the kids off to school, eat breakfast and then do my "Biggest Loser" training or an exercise DVD. Well, today I didn't get on the treadmill before I got the kids to school so after I did my BL training I knew it was time to hop on the treadmill. I was not looking forward to it and it was harder than usual, having just finished the other workout, which included some cardio (jump roping). I'm happy to say, I did it anyway. I had to laugh, during a particular hard part of my treadmill workout my ipod was playing INXS' "Devil Inside". I decided I was not going to let that little devil inside of me that was telling me to lower the speed on the treadmill win! One victory point for me!

I've been paying close attention to my pace on the treadmill and calculating how fast I would complete a 5K. It has been very interesting. I actually completed my first 5K about a year and a half ago. I walked/jogged it in 39 minutes. Then a few months later I did another one with my daughter, who really wasn't feeling well so our time was a couple of minutes slower. Anyway, my pace now is not at 39 minutes. I'm amazed I did it in that time before, although I realize it is not a very good time. At the time, my training consisted of walking (with a little jogging thrown in) with my friend. I never really kept track of pace or miles. I must have really kicked it up a notch for the race, no wonder I could not walk for days after without feeling the pain in my shins! As well, as feeling it every time I sat down/stood up. I am encouraged by my progress so far. Now that I am more serious about running, I should make a better time when I do a 5K. I know I will do the Race for the Cure in May and maybe find one sooner.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I know weekends can be hard for a lot of us. Just remember, don't' do anything you will regret on Monday or at your next weigh-in. See you on Monday.

Self-Discipline

Self-Discipline:

“Training and control of oneself and one's conduct, usually for personal improvement”
Answers.com

I have been thinking about self-discipline a lot lately. I think we all know that in this journey, self-discipline is a major factor. Are we disciplined enough to not buy the bag of potato chips, to not stop at our favorite fast food restaurant? Are we disciplined enough to stay on our meal plan and to follow a regular exercise plan? I think we are faced with scenarios like this each and every day. I for one, am. I have found many non-scale victories in the moments I have practiced self-discipline. For example, I can take pride in:

• Knowing that the kids still have bags of candy from their Christmas stockings in the cupboard and I have not touched them. Yes, in the past I have been known to steal candy from my children.
• My husband wanted me to go buy him a shake from a local malt shop on Saturday. I told him I would not do it, if he wanted one he would have to go get it himself. So he did. And I enjoyed my 140 cal Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich instead.
• I have exercised the past couple of weeks even when I didn't want to.

Of course, there are times when I have not practiced very good self-discipline. For example, I told myself I would only have one chicken enchilada at dinner last week, and had two instead. Or one day I weighed myself in the morning, to find that I was not on track to lose much weight that week, being disappointed I did not push it as hard as I should have on the treadmill.

I'm glad to know each day is a new day. Each day we can re-commit ourselves to being disciplined. Practicing self-discipline feels great, it raises my sense of self-worth. Knowing I care about myself enough to control my appetites, helps me keep going. I must say, that I'm only a couple of weeks into my journey, but I have found that practicing self-discipline in a fitness/healthy eating manner has helped me to be more disciplined in other aspects of my life, too.

Here are some great quotes I found about self-discipline:

• "If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self"-Napolean Hill

• "In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves... self-discipline with all of them came first."- Harry S. Truman

• "Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power." -Clint Eastwood

• "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily." - Zig Zigler

• "Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way,ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future." Deepak Chopra

Weigh-In Wednesday

So today was my second weigh-in of this journey. The results were a little disappointing. I am down just 1 lb this week to 201. I know that last week's big loss is not normal and that losing 1-2 lbs a week is a good healthy way to lose weight. However, I truly was hoping I would lose 3 lbs this week. And I really think that I should be closer to the 2lb weekly loss here in the beginning. Having said all that, I lost 1 lb! Yay for me!

After the weigh-in, I did my first day of Jillian's 30 day shred. It lived up to all I have heard about it. One of my husband's co-workers suggested I may need a rail to hold onto next to the toilet because it will be so painful to get up and down. We'll see if that holds true. I couldn't find my weights so I did it without my weights today so it was even a lighter workout than it should be.

Even though, my weigh-in results weren't what I had hoped they would be I still feel pretty darn good right now. I worked out on the treadmill this morning and burned about 50 more calories than usual and went a farther distance, I ate a healthy breakfast, I finished #1 on my "Biggest Loser" challenge and completed day #1 of 30 day shred.

I think it is time to start keeping track of my measurements because they may reflect a change that the scale won't always.

On a non-fitness note. Can I just say that my heart breaks for the people of Haiti right now. I cannot imagine the suffering that is taking place in that country. Reflecting on the disaster that has taken place and seeing the images in the news really makes me grateful that my biggest worries are if I'm going to make it through my work out or watch what I eat today. Count your blessings!

A Happy Blog Award!

I received this award from Lisa at "One Mom's Weight Loss". Check out her blog, she is one of my favorite fellow bloggers! This reward requires that I list 10 things that make me happy and 10 blogs that brighten my day.

Ten things that makes me happy:

1. Spending time with my family (especially on vacation or just playing games)

2. Knowing I finished a workout even though I didn't want to.

3. Music-A lot of music makes me happy. One random song that always makes me smile is Travis Tritt's "It's a Great Day to be Alive".

4. Date night with my sweet hubby.

5. Driving down the main road out of my neighborhood and seeing the beautiful mountains and three of my church's temples.

6. Comments from my blogging friends. They always put a smile on my face.

7. Disneyland

8. Girls' night out or lunch with my favorite friends.

9. Getting what I went for at 4:00 a.m on Black Friday.

10. Getting a spontaneous hug or "I love you" from one of my kids.

Now here's 10 blogs I love to read:

365 days to a new me- Dawne

The Tippy Toe Diet- Cammy

Jewlia Goulia

Spunkysuzi

Weigh of life

TLEstrogen

Getting Better and Better- Kyle

Eat, Sleep, Get Fit-Dana

Scale Junkie

Tj's Test Kitchen

"Things That I Love Tuesday"

I've never taken much thought to what kind of bra I wear. I have bought sports bras in the past, but usually just bought the least expensive I could find. That all changed last week. I was shopping in Costco and found a two pack of these:

Champion Double Dry Seamless Sports Bras

I don't know why I was so casual in my sports bra buying before! I love this bra! It allows me to move freely and comfortably, the mesh provides good ventilation and it provides support. I think I spent about $30, maybe a little more for a two pack. Not too bad of a price, totally worth it. Anyway this is one of my new things that I love. Stay tuned for another one, next Tuesday. Tomorrow is Weigh-in Wednesday. I'm a bit nervous. I took a sneak peek at my bathroom scale today and was disappointed that I may have only lost a pound or so. I was hoping for three this week. Who knows, I could be wrong. We'll see what The Biggest Loser Scale (my wii balance board) says tomorrow.

Weekend Report

Weekends are always the hardest for me, eating wise so I have been a little nervous about weekends since I started this new lifestyle. So far, so good. This weekend went well. I did the Treadmill and a Biggest Loser training session on Saturday. In the past, when I have exercised fairly regularly I think I mostly took Saturdays off.

I stayed away from fast food all weekend. On Saturday, my hubby and I did have a date night. I got Papa Murphy's take-n-bake pizza for the kids and grandma (our awesome babysitter!) and then my husband and I were off to dinner at Outback Steakhouse. I did calorie-splurge on 3 coconut shrimp, but felt okay about it because I had made healthy, lower-calorie choices all day, plus I planned on doing the same with my meal. I ordered a 6 oz (the smallest portion they have) sirloin steak with veggies and a baked potato. I requested no butter on the veggies and the baked potato to be plain. I had looked online at their nutrition info ahead of time and knew they usually put some kind of high-calorie butter sauce on their veggies. Once my meal arrived, I immediately cut the steak and baked potato in half and put them on my appetizer plate. I have to admit, when I saw how small the 3 oz of steak was, I was skeptical. But the truth is, once I ate all my veggies, 1/2 baked potato and the 3 oz steak I was satisfied.

We skipped on dessert and were off to my mom's house to watch "Friday Night Lights". I love this show! It used to be on NBC, but now is on a special Direct TV only channel. We don't have Direct TV, but my mom does so she DVR's the series and then every few weeks she comes to our house and babysits the kids while we go to her house and have a "FNL" marathon. We watched 5 episodes and enjoyed a bag of low-cal microwave popcorn.

On Sunday, I did have one piece of the leftover pizza and ate the rest of my dinner for lunch. In the past, I would have had more than one piece of pizza so that is a small victory. I made a Roast Beef dinner and skipped on the mashed potatoes at dinner time. All and all, I think the weekend was successful, eating wise.

On Saturday, I purchased Jillian's 30 day Shred DVD. I have heard it is a good, killer workout. I have not done it yet. I think I will do it on those days that I don't have Biggest Loser training on the Wii. This morning, I walked/ran almost 2 miles on the treadmill and did training on the Wii. Thanks to all who, commented on my last post. I look forward to trying out your suggestions and finding some alternate treadmill routines.
Today my training was all Yoga. Is Yoga an acquired taste or do you either love or hate it right from the beginning? Because I am not lovin' it!

The Treadmill and Me: It's a love/hate relationship

The Treadmill. Every night, I find myself thinking, "I do not want to get up at 6:30 a.m. and do the treadmill!" or "Do I really have to do the treadmill tomorrow?". Yet, I have kept to my goal for the past two weeks and have gotten on the treadmill 5 out of 7 of the days in the week. Once I actually pull myself out of bed, put on my exercise clothes and grab my ipod, I'm good to go. No, I don't love every minute of it. But, I do love how I feel. I'm not sure if it is more a great feeling physically or psychologically. It always feels great knowing I did it even though I didn't want to!
Now about my treadmill routine. I would love to hear what everyone else does. My treadmill (which is kind of old, 10 years or so) has 4 programmed routines. Two are considered aerobic and two are fat burners. I usually pick one of the fat burner routines. I can program what the highest speed I want to go is and also you can drop or raise the speed during the workout. I like the pre-programmed routines because I have a pretty good idea when the speed is going to go up or down. For instance, if I'm at a higher speed and need to run it is easier for me to keep going knowing in x amount of minutes it is going to drop. Sometimes, I do have to manually drop the speed on my own. I think if I just did the whole thing on my own, manually I may not push myself as much as I should.
I think I will research the Internet today and find some other treadmill programs. If I have something to follow, I may not have to always use the pre-programmed ones on my own treadmill.
I will be grateful when the weather and horrible inversion clear up around these parts and I can get moving outside more!
Have a great weekend everyone!

What I've Been Eating

Some people post on their blog what they eat each day. I don't think I will take the time to do that, but I will share a little about what I have been eating. I do write everything I eat down in a notebook. I have been really watching what I eat throughout the morning and afternoon and have changed what I eat and the way I eat.



For breakfast, I love to make me an omelette (one egg + one egg white, with mushrooms and grated parm cheese), so yummy. I know I can't eat eggs everyday, so I will switch it up with oatmeal (sprinkled with a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon) or a high fiber cereal. I also have fruit with my breakfast and sometimes cup of milk.



I am trying to eat every three hours or so, so I always have a snack between breakfast and lunch. My snacks are usually, fruit, veggies, string cheese w/ a few pita crisps, cottage cheese or low-fat yogurt.



For Lunch- I may have a Lean Cuisine meal, Tomato soup and a Turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, I have also made the WW 0 point cabbage/vegetable soup and love that, or a salad. It varies on the day, I just make sure it is a low fat, low calorie lunch.



For Dinner- I have a family of five to cook for every night. I eat what everyone else eats, I just watch my portions. I am definitely more conscious of what I am cooking for my family, but I still make a lot of what I have always made. I figure, after I actually reach my goal I want to maintain it. So I need to learn NOW how to control my portions on the foods I always eat and enjoy.

That is my overall philosophy on my "diet". I don't want to deprive myself of too many things. Although, I have sworn off fried foods and most sugary/high fat treats for awhile I still want to eat what I have always enjoyed and learn to be more moderate in my portions. I want to change my lifestyle for good and not just for however long it takes me to reach my goal. That is why I choose not to participate in any one "diet program" or take supplements. I know this will not work for everyone and I sure hope it works for me, but for now it is the plan.

So far I have been counting calories and not really counting fat, fiber or carbs. I joined sparkpeople.com today and think it will be great in helping me to track these other important things.

Weigh-In Wednesday

So today was my first official weigh-in day. Last Wednesday, I officially started this journey at 208 lbs., today I weighed in at 202. That is 6 lbs lost! I'm so happy, I could do jumping jacks (and probably should)! I know that it is fairly normal to get a big loss in the first week and that this won't be the norm, but I think it is a pretty great start! It definitely helps me stay motivated. I guess the challenge will be to stay motivated even when the loss is not so significant.

"Things I Love" Tuesday

I have already found a few things that I love that actually help me live more healthily and it has only been one week since I started this blog. I thought it would be fun to post about these things on Tuesdays. Today, I highlight my new favorite thing, my: Ipod Nano 5th generation!


My husband had been wanting to get me an Ipod for a couple of years. I always told him no because I didn't see what use I had for it. Finally, I told him he could get me one for Christmas as long as I also got a dock for it so I can play it without having to wear headphones. He got me this nano and a dock. I love it! I listen to it most of the day. And I actually use it with the headphones! My favorite reason for loving the ipod is that it keeps me going during (and dare I say, somewhat enjoying) my time on the treadmill. I don't know why I resisted the idea of having one for so long. I love it so much that I have decided my first weight loss reward will be 10 itunes downloads when I hit the -10 lb. mark! I need ideas of great songs to workout to. I would love to hear what all your favorites are. I am a Country music girl at heart, but realize that genre somewhat limits me. So I need your help, I have been out of the loop on some of the more current music that is not Country. So, please leave a comment with your fave 2 or 3 workout tunes.

The things you learn.....

I received some enlightenment this weekend. In order to find out how many calories my dinner from McDonald's was I turned to their website. I was somewhat pleasantly surprised that my meal was just over 400 calories. I decided to go to the websites of some of the other fast food restaurants I frequent and look at their nutrition info.

I learned that the Mandarin Chicken salad I love at Wendy's is a whopping 540 calories, with dressing. And just under 500 without. I learned that sometimes the best option is not a salad. I learned that a Jr. hamburger and a side salad is usually the best choice.

I have decided that when I am going out to a restaurant I am going to look up ahead of time the menu and nutrition info. This will help me make the most healthy food choice before I even get to the restaurant. I think I may also make a list of "healthier" foods found at my fave fast food restaurants and keep it with me in my car or purse so when I find myself at the drive through I can make better decisions.

I read this article today about labeling on packages. The FDA would like companies to label packages as one serving "if the entire contents of the package can reasonably be consumed at a single-eating occasion". This makes so much sense! Really, is a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream FOUR servings? I think most people could down a pint in two servings, easily. And for some, it would be one serving. Hopefully, manufacturers will listen to the FDA. But until then, continue reading the labels closely, people! Carry a calculator, if necessary to make all the calculations to figure out what the total amount of calories, fat g., etc. is if you drink the whole 20 oz. bottle of pop in one serving or eat the whole pint of ice cream at once.

Weekend Report

So I survived my first weekend of my journey! I think I did pretty well.

I slept in on Saturday and did not want to get on the treadmill, but I did it anyways! I think it might be best just to wake up at 6:00 a.m. to workout, even on Saturdays. I had no "training" scheduled on the Biggest Loser Game, but participated in a few fun challenges on there that got me moving. We only got take out one meal, Saturday's dinner. We had McDonald's. I went for the grilled chicken sandwich-minus the mayo and a side salad with 1/2 packet of balsamic vinegar dressing for a total of 420 calories. Not too bad for a dinner. I am proud to say that I did not sneak ANY fries from the kid's happy meals as I drove home.

Sunday, is a day for me to rest and worship. It is my day to renew myself spiritually. I did not work out at all. I did continue to count my calories, though. The challenge for me came when my mom asked me to bring my yummy chocolate Andes mint cookies to Sunday dinner for dessert. I am happy to say that I only had 2 cookies. I have not had any cookies today either. In the past, I would have maybe had 2 or 3 cookies before breakfast!

Overall, I think it went well. I am looking forward to Wednesdays. Wednesdays will be weigh-in Wednesdays around here. That is when my game will have me weigh-in (I think) so that is when I will report. I have to admit, I had to take a sneak peek today and I think I have lost 3-4 lbs this week. Yay!

A great cooking blog!

An acquaintance of mine started a food blog a few months ago, and I love it! She posts new recipes almost everyday. I have tried a couple of them and they were hits around here. She has just started what she calls, "Slim down Saturday". So every Saturday she will posts recipes/ideas for healthy, slimming meals. Check it out by clicking here. Enjoy!

Preparing for the Weekend

I have been pleased with my efforts so far this week. I have used my treadmill 4 times and strength trained three times. I have watched what I ate. I must admit, I did break down and have 4 bite size Milky Way candies last evening. I thought, I could have just one :(. But for the most part, I am happy with my diet. I am dreading the weekend, though.

The kids will all be home and my hubby will be home. I have gotten into such a nice routine this week. I do the treadmill first thing in the morning and then my Biggest Loser Wii game after the kids go off to school. I know I need to do the treadmill tomorrow, to keep up with my 5x a week goal. Will I do it? Will I really want to get up an do it? If I sleep in, will I still do it later?

Problem #2, I don't like to cook on weekends. My husband doesn't even really expect me to cook on weekends. Thus, we do a lot of fast food. Saturdays lunch and/or dinner is usually fast food. I know if we choose fast food, I will either skip on the fast food or make a good choice. A salad, or a grilled chicken sandwich.

I am also concerned about next week. I have commitments two of the mornings that will not allow me to keep to my normal workout schedule. Is it just me or don't you just hate to get all showered and ready for the day, only to get all sweaty and have to shower again? That is why working out first thing in the morning has always been my only option. Well, that will all change next week. I commit to work out, even if it means it is later in the day and I have to shower again!

I can do this.

Goals

Goal-An intended outcome that requires action.

I love this definition of goal. Most of us fail in reaching goals because we do not lay out a plan of action or stick to it.

Here are my goals as well as my plan of action.

Long-term goals

• Lose 50 lbs in 2010


• Run a 10k in 2011


• Develop a life-long pattern of regular exercise and healthy eating

Shorter-term goals

• Lose 25 lbs by summer


• Run (the whole thing) a 5k in 2010


• Work up to running 2 miles on treadmill this winter

My Plan

• Use my Treadmill- I vow to use my treadmill 5 times a week this winter. I plan on doing this first thing in the morning before it is time to help the kids get ready for school. I have done this the past two mornings. I hate waking up early (especially to get on the treadmill) but have felt good after I did. Right now, I walk (with a little running mixed in) for 30 minutes and have done 1 1/2-2 miles. I look to improve on my distance and the length of time I am on there. During Spring-Fall, I usually walk with a friend of mine every morning.

• Watch my Calories- I have really been watching what I eat this week, but will begin actually counting the calories tomorrow. I may also utilize the Weight Watchers point system. Any thoughts on the difference? I will start out with 1650 calories a day. Why that #? Because my "Biggest Loser" Wii game told me. ;) I also know that cutting back too much on calories, can burn muscle and would give me less energy. I need energy and can't afford to lose any muscle. As part of this plan, I vow not to eat french fries at fast food restaurants. That may sound silly, but I love french fries. I eat too many of them. I also love chocolate! I am proud to say that I have not had a taste of chocolate this whole week, despite the jar of candy (leftover from Christmas stockings) sitting on top of my fridge.

• Eat more healthy- Not only will I be keeping track of my calories, but I want to make sure I get my 8 glasses of water in a day and my 5 fruits and vegetables. I will avoid fried and fatty foods.

• Strength training- As mentioned above, I just bought "The Biggest Loser" Wii game. I think I will really like it. I input all my info (what I weigh now, what my fitness goals are) and it designs a personal training program for me. Yesterday, I worked my lower body. Today, I worked my upper body. I really like how it is all set up in circuits of a few exercises. I'm hoping this will eliminate a need for a real live personal trainer at this time. I will have to see how the game works out. I may need to do additional strength training.

• Take it one day at a time. I will not allow myself to be discouraged because I have a bad day or even a bad week. I will not give up!

The beginning of a journey

I am going to begin a journey with no end in 2010! I have said this before and I have embarked on this journey before, but have failed to stay on the journey. I am starting this blog for a few reasons; to use as a journal for my experiences, to share ideas and hopefully to hold myself accountable. I hope you will follow along with me, whether you have your own journey to start or are already well on your way. I know some amazing people, who have undertaken their own journeys. Some who have lost a lot of weight (and kept it off), others who have taken their healthy living up a notch. These people run marathons, participate in triathlons, ride in 100 mile bike races, eat healthily, etc.. I hope to learn from them and I hope that occasionally they will share their experiences and advice on this blog. If you are interested, let me know.

How I got here

I have never been a thin person. I will be pleased in a size 12 and ecstatic in a size 10. I can't remember how long it has been since I wore smaller than that. My family has a genetic trait of big hips. Great for child-bearing, not so great for trying on jeans! I am not going to be bearing anymore children, yet my hips have only gotten bigger. I weigh more now than when I was pregnant with any of my three children. Yikes! About a year after my youngest was born, I dropped 25 lbs. I did it by utilizing the treadmill we'd had for 6 years (it worked like new) and by watching my calorie intake. It was great. The problem is, somehow now 5 years later and I have gained it all, plus 25lbs. back. I don't know how or when it happened. Oh, who am I kidding! I know exactly how it happened, I stopped exercising and started eating more. We also moved during that time and I think moving to a new neighborhood (albeit only a few miles away), was harder for me than I expected. I began eating more.

Why now?

I have always had this motto about my weight and appearance, "Either accept and deal with it, or do something about it". This motto has been challenged over the past couple of years. I have reconnected with some old friends through blogs and facebook. The last time I spent a lot of time with these friends, was 20 years ago. Some of us have aged really well (I'm not necessarily one of those people). I was a little hesitant to actually spend some face to face time with these people. However, I just applied my motto and "dealt with it". I am too social a person to let my weight keep me from interacting with others. I also am not getting any younger. I move slower and feel like I have less energy than I used to. I want to be able to keep up with my kids as they grow up. I also know it is important to set an example of healthy living for my children. Well, I think it is time to stop accepting it and to start changing. A turning point for me was this:

Yes, that is me! This was a photo taken on a family vacation last fall. While, I was playing in the water with the kids, my hubby (at my request) was taking pictures. Most of them were like this. First, I just had to thank him for taking so many pictures of my BIG BACKSIDE and then I deleted most of them. This is not how I wish to look or feel. So it is time to get healthy! It still has taken me three months to get serious. But, a new year is a perfect time to start anew, right? And now that I have posted this very unflattering picture of me for all the worldwide web to see, I should have even more motivation to get to a point that I can post a more flattering picture.

My next post will lay out my goals and plans. I would love any words of advice any of you have!