Injuries Suck!

So, I've been training for the half marathon that is in about a week and a half. Unfortunately, about 2-3 weeks ago, I did something to my left knee. Which sucks, because I have not been able to run the long distances since then. My knee is getting stronger, but I'm still doing a lot more walking than what I would prefer. Nonetheless, I am not giving up. I don't care if I have to crawl across that finish line, I am finishing! And I'm going to run as much as I possibly can. I might be crippled at the end, but it will be worth it.

It's really tough when you have a goal and suffer an injury. It's also really frustrating when you have no idea how you got the injury. But its important to know how to take care of yourself. After all, if you don't give your body the rest it needs, you're not going to get better. My injury is annoying. I can run a solid 4 miles before it really starts to hurt. Unfortunately, a half marathon is 13.65 miles. Since I have started to resume my training, I have been following the walk/run method. This is probably how I will do the marathon as well. I've also been following up my runs with a nice ice pack. It's amazing how ice is like a miracle medicine.

I'm happy that next weekend is the race. It will take a lot of pressure off me to run the long distances. I can focus more on improving my pace. And maybe I will enjoy it a little bit more too.

Half Marathon Here I Come!

So for the first half of the month I was waffling on whether or not I should attempt to do a half marathon. I started gradually increasing my distance and each week I was excited about how far I went. This past Monday I went 10 miles. 10 MILES!!!! I only have to get up to 14 miles so I am almost there on distance. I'm pretty stoked. Also, I've noticed the added benefit of weight loss. I blinked and suddenly I was at 50lbs lost!! I think that was the fastest I've lost 5lbs since I first started losing weight.

So these days I am basically running, running, running. Getting up way too early and running. But the interesting thing is that since I've gotten more serious with my running, my diet has improved dramatically. I'm more conscious of whats going into my body and how it affects me.

A couple of weeks ago my 5 year old daughter ran a 5K race with me. She did SO good! She came in 3rd for her age group! She even got a medal. Which we wore for a few days after. I should add that I cried like a baby at the finish line. I was so proud of her. She has decided that she doesn't want to run another long race with Mommy this year, but that is okay. She still runs with me on the short run days and who knows. Maybe next year we will run another race.  But I feel like maybe, just maybe, I am teaching her a healthy lifestyle that she will embrace and live.

I HATE IT HERE! TAKE ME HOME!!

I just saw a segment on CBS Sunday Morning about kids going to camp and writing letters to home. It made me laugh at some of the letters. The first letters of the week are always the "I hate it here! Come get me!" then by the end of the week the tone of the letters changes to "I love it here! Can I stay 2 more weeks?". Of course I remembered my own experiences at camp. I pretty much felt the same way. Though, not so much the "can I stay for 2 more weeks?". I've always been a wall flower, lacking in self confidence and unable to really jump into social situations and have alot of fun. But by the end of the week, I felt more comfortable to the point that I would actually sit at a table other kids were at instead of sitting by myself.

Then I started thinking about my daughter, who is not a wall flower. She is very outgoing actually. But when we start a new activity she does kind of drag her feet at it. She will want to quit early on or complain the whole time. Then she decides she likes it and wants to do it more. Or she decides she doesn't like it and will flat out refuse to do it. I wonder what her letters from camp will be like?

As my thoughts continued about how attitudes evolve over time I came to the conclusion that making a life change such as trying to lose weight, taking up a new exercise regimen, or just trying to be more health conscious is much the same. At first you might be a bit excited at how you are going to make a change for the better. Then you get into the program and have those moments of "Why the hell am I doing this? The only thing that has changed is that I am way more cranky and tired and sore!" Eventually you begin to see changes in your body or how you feel and start to appreciate all the efforts you have put in thus far. And then you cross that line and actually start to enjoy your new life style.

I have crossed the line for sure. I love running. I love exercising. For the most part, I enjoy eating healthy. Still not much of a fan of vegetables. But I am trying to incorporate more into my diet. And I do still love food, but I am learning to eat less of it and to make better choices. I think I will always be learning this. I will always be a work in progress.

But I am glad that I've finally reached that point at camp where I can sit at the table with the other kids again.

Hello 1 year Anniversary!

Well, its been about a year since I decided to make a change in my life and get healthy. It all started when we booked a vacation on a cruise. I was pretty close to 220lbs. I've lost 45 lbs in a year and I feel really proud of myself. Sure, I could have lost more, but I wouldn't change a thing. I feel like I'm really on the right track and should be able to reach my goal in the next couple of months. ( I think I have about another 15-20lbs to lose) My daughter and I have a 5K race coming up next week and after that I will be attempting either a 10K or a 1/2 Marathon. Running has definitely helped to keep me somewhat sane and on track to better eating and better decisions in general.

I also have a meeting with an advisor at the local collage to start my education on becoming a Dietitian. I'm so nervous! I get really nervous about doing things I haven't done before. I also get really nervous going to places I haven't been before. Hopefully I won't sound like a babbling idiot talking to this lady! I tend to run at the mouth when I'm nervous. (in one on one meetings anyway) (group settings I clam up) (I don't know why)

So I have a few positive things coming up, which is really good. I need some positive in my life! I have been battling depression for the past few weeks (hence the lack of posting). I don't really know what sets it off. It definitely comes in spurts for me. I'll be fine for a month them bam! Brick wall. Getting back to feel good about myself is a battle and its even a bigger battle keeping comfort foods out of my mouth. But I have been reasonably good over the past few weeks and have not gained any weight. I have not lost any, but I haven't gained and I think that speaks volumes.

I am going to upload some before and after pictures of me here. The problem I am having is finding before pictures. I never liked having my picture taken. Especially when I was really overweight. I still don't like my picture taken, but am definitely more tolerant now. LOL

Food Addiction

So, I just finished watching the latest episode of “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition” and I have to say, this episode affected me deeply. I don’t normally feel so affected by shows like this. I mean, I might get a bit creeped out after watching a paranormal type of program or feel so happy for someone who has lost a bunch of weight. But this show was different. It seemed to really strike a chord, so to speak.

If you have not watched this show before here is a brief synopsis. Chris Powell is a fitness expert and he specializes in helping the morbidly obese. He works with the clients on the show for a year to transform their lives. So far, only 6 episodes have aired and I have to say, I am really starting to like this show. It’s a nice change from the competitiveness of Biggest Loser and so far everyone that has been on the show has a different reason for being so obese. (everything from homosexuality, abuse, deaths in the family to food addiction)

Anyway, this particular episode that I watched was about a man who suffers from food addiction. (If you want to watch this episode, please do not read the rest of this paragraph. I would hate to spoil it for you!!) At his first weigh in he weighed 490 lbs. He was a husband and a father who appeared to love both his wife and daughter very much. He also appeared desperate to gain control over his life. The first 3 months went smoothly with him losing 110 lbs. The next 3 months he only lost 20lbs. Then the next 3 months really went downhill. He gained back 60 lbs and became suicidal. This man truly suffered from food addiction and Chris was forced to come to the conclusion that he could not help the man as a trainer anymore. The man needed to check into rehab. This episode ended with the man and Chris checking into a rehab center and Chris leaving him there.

At first I was really annoyed at the lack of closure of this episode. I just hate being left hanging! But after I thought about it I realized that this is not the reason this episode affected me. I was feeling a bit emotional way before the end of the episode. I suppose it could just be the amount of despair this man showed. I really felt horrible for him. He seemed to really want to change his life and be a better husband and father. Then something would happen and he would sneak through a drive through. He would lie to his wife about what he ate. He would lie on video about how he was eating and what he was doing for exercise. Then he stopped all communication with Chris and after a few weeks sent a very ominous e-mail to Chris.

It’s really hard to understand what kind of emotions an addict might go through unless you yourself have been an addict. I have to admit, I don’t understand how a person could let an outside source control their behavior, their lives. I guess I am too much of a control freak. But I have a lot of empathy for people who do suffer from addictions. I have only recently come to understand that one of my grandfathers was an alcoholic. I’m pretty sure that he did not consider himself an addict and I have no idea if my grandmother thought anything about all the alcohol he would drink. But I don’t have too many memories of my grandfather that do not include him drinking and smoking. He always had a drink in hand and a lit cigarette. He never sought help to quit drinking. In fact, when he was diagnosed with lung cancer he actually started smoking and drinking more. It’s like he wanted to die as fast as he could. I loved my grandfather, and it saddened me that he did not want to make any lifestyle changes to be with his family longer.

I can only imagine how difficult it might be for a food addict. It must be just so difficult to overcome being addicted to eating. An act that you have to do in order to survive. My heart goes out to anyone that might be suffering from food addiction.

I have found a few websites that have information about food addiction and other eating disorders. Check them out if you suspect that either you or someone you know might be suffering.

http://www.treatment4addiction.com/addiction/other/food/

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-food-addiction

http://www.allaboutlifechallenges.org/food-addiction-symptoms-faq.htm

The Down Side of Weight Loss

In all of my years of living (29 years so far!) (which may or may not be my actual real age)(because I am ageless) (and if I were to actually be older than 29, I don't think I would ever admit it) I never thought there would be a downside  to losing weight. Let alone multiple downsides. But let me assure you, there are.

For instance, there is the cost of replacing clothing. If you whittle yourself down from a size 18 to a size 12, you almost have to get new clothes. Sure, you can do the Goodwill thing or the consignment shop thing and save a buck or two on clothes, but you are still spending money on new to you clothes. I suppose if you were a seamstress, you might be able to adjust your clothing to fit you better. But I know nothing of that. I cannot even sew a button! Well, I can, but it rarely stays put for more than 5 minutes. Or I suppose you could always do the Clampet method and tie a rope around the waistline of your clothes and make them fit. But I'm not entirely sure that is quite en vogue at the moment. But then again, if you are tying rope around your clothes to keep them on, then maybe you don't care so much for fashion rules.

I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but your feet also shrink. For real. I have been flustered lately that my shoes are not fitting correctly. Especially the cute sandals I bought when I was preggo with my son. Yes, I realize that when I wore those sandals, I was 6,7,8,9 months pregnant and I did have lots of swelling of the feet and ankles, so yes, my shoes may have been stretched a bit by that. But, I wore them last year and they were fine. This year, my feet move around all over the place and the sandals that do not buckle do not stay on my feet very well. Very frustrating.

This last thing though is by far the most annoying. Loose skin. I have never experienced this before. I've seen it on T.V. (but really, what DON'T you see on T.V. these days) But I have never seen it in real life. Now I have it. Under my arms, my midsection, a little bit in my legs. Blah! You can only do the shimmy while singing "see it wiggle, see it jiggle" so many times before it is no longer amusing. I do have to say though, that I am not going to undergo surgery to take care of this problem. No way. After doing a fair amount of reading I think I'm just going to wait it out and hope that it goes away on its own. Though, I do hope that it doesn't take up to 2 years to do so as a few articles have stated. I'm not a patient woman. In fact, I'm pretty sure there is a law in 49 out of 50 states that says "The word patience and the name Jennifer shall not be used in the same sentence, paragraph or article."

Of course, there is the biggest down side of all, eating disorders. While I do not consider myself to have an eating disorder, I am aware that alot of women and men struggle with anorexia and bulimia and other disorders. I can totally see how someone could always think they are not thin enough. Especially when everywhere you look, there are skinny people. On magazines, T.V., movies, beaches.... I know what its like to always wish to be thinner. But you have to know when you are the right size or too thin. Please be careful and not get caught up in that always dieting, starving yourself, taking extreme measures to be thinner. If you feel you might have an eating disorder, please please please seek help. I will never crack a joke about eating disorders. There is just nothing funny about them.

If you would like more information about loose skin, here are links to the most recent articles I was able to find today:
This article was somewhat informative, but also gave some product recommendations to try:
 http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/louis13.htm

This article was very informative. I think I am going to try this guys advise and stick to eating healthy and build some muscle. Warning, this article is long and has alot of scientific stuff in it, so it might not be a fast read.
http://www.bodyfatguide.com/LooseSkin.htm

This article is kind of a middle ground between the two articles above. He gives some good advice and its a quick read.
http://getfitguy.quickanddirtytips.com/how-to-tighten-loose-skin-after-weight-loss.aspx

Just remembering the old "Me"

So, I love watching T.V. shows where people are working to change their lives. I especially love the weightloss shows. Watching someone change from a person who had zero self esteem and a horrible self image to a confidant individual who feels they can not only take on the world, but perhaps inspire other people to change or better yet, help other people make the changes they need to live better lives. I love these shows because they do inspire me to continue my work towards my own weightloss goal and often they motivate me to work harder.

That being said, every single one of these shows, have something in common. At the beginning of each episode (like the new Extreme Makeover: Weightloss Edition) or season (such as Biggest Loser) they interview the contestants or participants. They talk about how their daily life is and how they just wish someone could come into their lives and save them. I have to admit that I cringe and/or roll my eyes every single time at this part of the show. I actually get a little bit angry at these people. Don't they realize that if you wait for someone to "save" you , you will most likely die before being saved? I just want to shake them and remind them that the only person that can change their life, is them. But then I have to step back, and remember that I was just like them a year ago. Wishing for someone to change my body for me. Wishing for someone to make me feel better about myself. Just wishing to be someone different. Wishing...

I don't know what clicked in my brain or how the switch got flipped, but thank goodness it did! I no longer wish for a different body or to be someone different. I feel better about myself. I feel more confident in life. But most of all, I feel proud of myself for realizing that only I could make the change to be who I wanted and only I could put in the amount of work necessary to change. Only I can make the better food choices to change how my body looks and feels. It seems like this way of thinking is a no brainer to me today, but last year, I could not even imagine that it was possible to think this way.

Maybe that is one of the reasons I like these shows. They remind me of how I was. And of how I am now. I'm a work in progress, but I'm alot better off now.

Grocery Shopping = The Weekly Test

Grocery Shopping. Yuck. I loathe grocery shopping. I don't mind the drive to the store(s). But I really am not a fan of finding a reasonable parking spot. Especially if my husband is driving. He likes to stalk the close spots and then patiently wait for someone to stuff all their crap into their cars, put their cart somewhere, slowly amble back to their car, check their texts, use all their strength to open the car door, casually get into the car, do their make up, put their seat belt on, style their hair, think about the correct way to back out of their parking spot, put their car in reverse, start to back out then brake suddenly, carefully do a looksee around to be sure no one is watching, then ever so slowly back out of their spot, then even more slowly start to go forward, forget to turn their wheel, back out of the spot again, then slowly, cautiously, start to exit the parking lot. And just as they vacate the spot, some other person swoops in with their stealth car (because you had no idea they too were waiting for that spot. They were obviously camouflaged.) and steals the parking spot. Yeah, that whole scene practically gives me an ulcer. I am not so patient. I'm more of a drive around the parking lot until I find a spot that is already empty and hopefully close to a cart corral kind of person.

Then there is the whole taking back of the bottles (we have a bottle deposit here. So we gladly take our bottles back for a whole 10 cents/bottle) The room where the machines are in is almost always stinky and filled with less than savory people. And then finally, you are hunting down a good cart. You know, one that doesn't have a wobbly wheel or a nasty squeal or one that pulls a certain direction so you have to fight with the thing just to go straight. And heaven forbid you have to turn the way it doesn't want to go.

After finding a good enough cart, load the 20 month old into it, get everything situated, it's time to take out the list and get to work. Now, I try to keep things we "need" down to a minimum. I also try to not spend a whole lot and to buy the generic brands when I can. And I do start out the trip with intentions of buying only healthy, reasonably priced items. And for the most part I succeed. But I do have my days. Like when my 5 year old is asking a million questions, my 20 month old is refusing to sit in the cart, even though I've all but bungee strapped him to the cart, other patrons are here, there, everywhere and not allowing a stressed out mommy to just zip through the isles. (I mean really people. Can you not tell by the look on my face that I am being pushed to the brink and you should just get out of my way?) I get close to the end of my list and I have that little voice in my head that is getting louder and louder saying "aw screw it! Just grab something that resembles what's on the list and lets get the bleep out of here!" That's when I might make a poor decision and buy something that is junk food. Or not quite as healthy as it could be food. That's why I try to keep the fresh veggies at the bottom of the list. Because there are no real temptations in the produce section of the grocery store.

I'm only talking about grocery shopping because its something that needs to be done. Soon. We are out of milk. Mutiny will be upon us if the kids realize we do not have milk for their cereal. Hopefully, when we go, the kids will be in terrific moods and will behave while I gleefully stroll through the isles collecting this, that, and all the other things. This week when I go shopping, I am going to set the goal of buying even more healthy foods. More veggies, fruits, whole grain snacks. If I am going to succeed at not only losing a few more pounds but keeping the weight off, I need to change my family's eating habits. I've been slowly adding in veggies, fruits, whole grain pastas, breads and rice to our diets. We are actually getting pretty good at not eating the really bad foods! It makes me feel good that they are hopefully learning the right way to eat.

I have to say, that since we have been eating better, I physically feel better. I don't have heartburn nearly as much. I don't feel sick to my stomach as much. I have more energy. I am able to sleep better. ( though, I suppose having the 20 month old actually sleep through the night does also help!) Its funny, I didn't really realize how much better I was feeling until one night we were at the mall. We had some errands to do there and decided to have dinner while we were there. The kids had McDonald's Happy Meals, I had a Subway sandwich... And I'm not really sure what my husband had. It was probably also McDonald's. After finishing his meal he says "you know, that was not satisfying and my stomach is already making me regret it. Why do we eat like this when it makes us feel like crap?" We both agreed that we should just not eat fast food anymore. I mean really, why eat something that is going to make you feel horrible afterwards? Whether its the upset stomach horrible or the guilty horrible of I should not have ate that feeling. (honestly I don't know which is worse!)

Every day I find myself choosing to eat better. And it really is a conscious decision. I have to force myself to not eat stuff sometimes. But I feel better about myself when I force myself to make better decisions. That's a feeling that beats the "OMG, this tastes sooo good!" feeling. And its never followed by the "I should not have eaten that" feeling of guilt. So perhaps the whole hassle of grocery shopping is worth it. Better choices made at the store are better choices made at home.

2 Days To Go!

Only 2 more days until my next race. SO excited! I'm also excited that I'm feeling better physically. This past week has been tough will all the allergies running rampant in addition to my favorite visitor. But I'm proud that I did not miss a workout. That feels awesome! I'm looking forward to my "day off" tomorrow. My body most definitely needs it. I've worked it out hard this week. I also threatened my scale twice this week and wouldn't you know? I've lost 2 lbs! Woot Woot! So, if your having trouble with your scale, the trick is to threaten it with a trip to the recycler and it will straighten right up and play nice.

I have a couple of product recommendations. I must say that in no way have these companies asked for my opinion of their products, they are not paying me and I paid for the products with my own money. I'm sharing my opinion because I'm opinionated.

First up: Kashi Go Lean cereal. I tried this cereal last month because I read a news article about how it lives up to its promise of having natural ingredients and no artificial sweeteners. It boasts 13g of protein (as much as an egg), 10g of fiber (more than a cup of blueberries) and only 1g of fat (much less then a big mac) with a whopping 140 calories per serving. When I sat down with my first bowl of this stuff I thought it looked like it had worms in it. I also thought it looked bland. There are no artificial colors in this cereal and its a nice boring beige color. The flavor isn't too bad though. It has a slight sweetness about it and alot of crunch. The texture is similar to that of a flaky cereal. After eating a serving, I don't feel "full" but I don't feel very hungry either. A glass of water afterwards takes care of the feeling full part. The nice thing about this cereal is that because it has so much fiber in it, you don't feel hungry right away. I can go 2-3 hours before feeling any hunger. And for someone who will feel hungry because she is bored, that's a good thing. I recommend giving this cereal a try if you are trying to manage what you eat. It just might help you get through your morning without feeling the need to snack constantly.

The next product is Multigrain Tortilla Chips: The brand I buy is the Meijer Brand. (Its a local chain. They have stores in Michigan, Indiana and maybe Ohio?) They taste phenomenal. And because they are made from whole grains, they are not terrible for you. The Meijer brand only contains 8 ingredients. Which I really like! The less ingredients, the better. And none of them are things I cannot pronounce. They have 140 calories, 135mg sodium (not bad for a chip!!) 18g carbohydrates and 2g protein. While I do not suggest you sit down with a whole bag and eat it, I do suggest maybe grabbing a serving for an afternoon snack or to go as a side with your lunch or dinner. (as long as you are not eating lots of carbs with that meal or have not reached your limit of carbs for the day) But these chips do have a bit of an addiction factor because they are so tasty. So be sure to measure out your serving and put the bag away! Maybe put it in a safe that you don't know the combination to with a couple of guards keeping watch over it.

Time: Everyones Favorite Scapegoat

I have had quite a few conversations lately with friends who all tell me "I just love how you are so driven and motivated to work out every day! I wish I could find the time to exercise too". First of all, I need to clarify, I do not work out every day. I do try to squeeze in at least one session 5-6 days a week, but I definitely take at least one day off a week. I won't lie, finding the time to exercise is hard! And alot of the time its hard to motivate myself to exercise when I do have the time.

There is one mantra I tell myself every time I'm wavering on if I should exercise or not. "Exercise only works if you do it!" I also think its great how you can change that sentence to fit just about any workout situation. Like when you are running up that crazy huge hill and you feel like giving up. "You can only improve and get stronger if you keep running!" Or when you are doing a tough workout video and feel like stopping to take a breather " Don't quit now! You can do it! You got this!" And yes, periodically I do say these things to myself out loud, startling whomever might be near me at the time, which of course they get a funny look on their face, which makes me laugh and suddenly I'm happier and not noticing how tired I am.

I guess the real question is, how do you find time to exercise? This is not an easy question to answer. I think the more appropriate question should be: Do you feel you and your health are important enough to take the time to exercise? I'll be honest here, if you don't give yourself enough worth, then you are going to find all kinds of excuses to not exercise. But if you find value in yourself, then you will make it work. I cannot tell you when to exercise. I don't know your life. But what I can tell you is, look at your current schedule, figure out when you have down times and fit in a workout. There are exercise DVD's out there that have workouts that are only 20 minutes long. 20 minutes! Who can't find an extra 20 minutes in their day to do something great for themselves?

For me personally, I do my workouts before I do anything else. I get up at 5:00 am and get to work. Am I awake when I first start? No, not really. I'm usually on autopilot until I'm about half way through. But I feel alot better about myself when I'm done and know that my main workout is done and any workout I do later in the day is a bonus. Now that summer is here, there are alot of fun activities to do that don't feel like exercise. Like bicycling, swimming, walking. All of which can be done with the family which is a double bonus. I can spend time with my family and still be exercising. Plus they get some exercise too and that helps me feel like I'm being a good role model for them.

So what do you think? Are you worth it?

When I grow up I wanna be....

This is a sentence that I have been unable to finish since I was 8 years old when I had it in my head that I wanted to be a hair stylist. I never did become a hair stylist. But that's not to say that I haven't had a good life. I met a terrific man who taught me what its like to be loved and to give someone my love and total trust in return. I have a good job, which these days is hard to come by and two wonderful kids who make me laugh on a daily basis. Even though I have all these awesome things, I have been feeling unfulfilled. I have been feeling that I need to do something more productive with my life. Every time I watch a TV show where someone is helping someone achieve great things I feel like I should be doing something like that too. I love helping people and I love the satisfaction you get when you help someone achieve a goal that they couldn't have done without help. So I decided that I am not going to wait around anymore for an idea of what to do to hit me. Instead I am going to find what it is that I am meant to do.

First I have to figure out what I am passionate about. That's easy really. I'm passionate about fitness, healthy eating, cooking and helping people. Okay, so what can I do that will incorporate those things? Answer: become a Dietitian. I don't know why I haven't thought of this before. Really. I mean even my husband said, "that is a perfect match for you". Seems like a no brainer. So now I am really excited to start this journey. Its going to take a long time, but it will be totally worth it. Now I just have to figure out how to get started!

My next race is a week away from Saturday. I'm so excited! I have come along way in my running abilities since the last race. I have also started running a different route which gives me the added challenge of bigger hills and its easier to modify my distance. My only complaints are weather related. It's been really hot and humid here lately. Yesterdays run was brutal, but I made it through. Allergies and all! I've learned to take some Kleenex with me as its gross to wipe your nose on your shirt.

I have decided my scale is defective. The needle never moves. I moved 3lbs last week, but its been stuck ever since. I look in the mirror and I see a slimmer, more toned body, yet according to that scale, I weigh the same. Bah humbug! I'm definitely in the hate phase of my relationship with the scale. Maybe I should start talking nice to it and it will give me the information I want to see. I suppose I could threaten it with going to the  recycler, that might do the trick. I'll report back with what worked.

And now to train for the next race!

I did it! I not only ran my first 5K race, but I survived, didn't pass out and completed it faster than I thought I would. I'm very proud of myself and now that I have experienced the race, I want to do it more often! It was alot of fun and really, I don't know why I was so nervous! While I did not run the whole time, I did not walk as much as I thought I would. The best part of the race was at the end. I rounded the last corner and I spied my family standing near the finish line and I just had this surge of energy and I sprinted to the end. Words cannot really describe how I feel about this accomplishment.

But now, I have a new goal. My next race is about 3 weeks away. My new goal is to run the whole thing. No walking! I know I can do it and I am so excited to get out there and start training again.

I've also decided that I'm tired of this super slow weight loss. I'm going to get aggressive on my diet and exercise plan. I'm going back to having two workouts per day and I'm pushing to have a cleaner diet. Summer is almost here and I want to look good on the beach! I'm in between clothing sizes right now and it just plain sucks. I hate when clothes don't fit right. Pants are either too tight or feeling like they are falling off. So I need to push myself to the next size down so I can have clothes that fit right.

Right now I'm so motivated its exciting. Now to keep the motivation going and achieve these goals!

Its going to be an awesome week

Last week I did all my planned workouts. I ran my farthest distance yet on Saturday. I am definitely ready for this weekends race! I am so excited! I am so nervous! Maybe even a bit anxious. And maybe a bit scared. I have never done anything like this before. It's a hard to describe feeling. But I am looking forward to the challenge.

This week my goal is to work hard everyday except Friday. Friday is going to be my day off. I need to be rested and ready to go Saturday morning. So I am going to get up early Monday through Thursday and work out with an added cardio workout in the evenings. I am going to run on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and do an elliptical session on Tuesday evening. I am going to be so tired come Friday but it will be SO worth it!

I did get up early this morning and did a mega strength training workout. Let me tell you, my shoulders, arms, legs and even my butt are feeling so tired and a little achy! I guess I haven't worked out that hard in a while. At least I know I got a good solid workout in. I feel good about that.

Okay, so this weeks goals, work out and work hard everyday except Friday. And run a good race on Saturday. Ready. Set. Go!

Good Week So Far!

Okay, so last week I gave myself 3 goals to complete this week. I've completed all but one so far. I've signed up for one 5k race this month and one next month. I'm training for the 5k every other day. And I've completed one strength workout so far this week. The second will be done tonight.

I'm so excited to be back on track! My diet has been better, my attitude has been better and I've been feeling over all better.  I'm excited about the first race. Its on the 21st of May and it has alot of hills in the course. I've been trying to train on the hills in my neighborhood as much as I can. Granted, the hills in my neighborhood are not as steep as the ones on the course, but at least my body is starting to get used to going up and down them! I really need to find my MP3 player. I need to be able to zone out and just run. If I can take my head out of the equation I will run faster and farther. I have the physical strength and ability to go the distance, but mentally, I seem to put up road blocks. I really need to get out of my own way. This is something that has stopped me my whole life from accomplishing things. It's time I stop stopping myself from doing things and just do what I want!

Next Weeks Goals

Okay, so now that we nearly have this weeks sickness debaucle behind us and everyone in the family is on the mend, I am going to set some goals for myself for next week. I think giving myself some direction will help to set myself on the right course again.

1st goal: Register for a 5k run that takes place within the next couple of weeks.

2nd goal: Train harder for the 5k. I know I can go the distance, I did it last week. But I need to be more comfortable going that distance.

3rd goal: Do 3 muscle building workouts.

If I can do those three goals I think I will put myself back on track to my weightloss goal.

Frustrated!

You know, you blink and you lose a month! Yes, I have been off my fitness routine for almost a month. I think my diet has been shabby too. Thankfully I have not gained any weight. But this month I am doing my best to pick myself back up and move forward. As usual, when I try to change something in my life, I seem to get so many challenges thrown at me that it really frustrates me and sometimes I give up before getting started. My son decided to get sick just as I was starting to gain some motivation to work out again. Now I'm tired, completely boged out and feeling kinda icky myself. Though, I am convincing myself that I feel icky because of all the messes I have had to clean up lately.

Mostly, I just need to get all the voices in my head to shut up! I have a voice telling me I should be working instead of cleaning the house, or working out, or trying to get in some time with my husband and kids. I have another voice that says I should be working out instead of spending time with my husband and kids, or cleaning the kitchen (which it doesn't matter if the kitchen gets cleaned, it almost instantly becomes a mess again anyways!), or working. Then there is the voice that says I should be cleaning our pit of a house instead of working, or exercising, or blogging, or playing with the kids. Then there is the voice that says I really need to spend some time with the kids and husband. And the voice that says I really should be figuring out what other job I can do because I've been disliking my current job for far too many years now. Ugh. I really do wish I had about 5 of me some days!

Has this happened to you? Your working out and you start thinking about all the things you need to do and you realize that you are not pushing yourself as hard in your exercises as you need to be and you are having a hard time keeping up, mainly because you are thinking about other things, and you get yourself so frustrated that you think you should just stop and try again later. Then you stop and feel guilty for not finishing and later never does come around. This happens to me alot. More often than I care to admit. Though, this week, I have been successful at shutting my brain up while I do a workout. That doesn't mean that my thoughts do wander and I have that little voice saying, "you should just stop. You aren't keeping up and are doing things half assed. Just stop". Monday I actually paused the video I was doing and told my brain to shut up. After a moment of setting myself straight, I finished the video. I felt so good finishing. It doesn't matter that I was unable to do all the reps for some of the exercises. I did my best. Thats the best I can do. Tony Horton says in his videos "Just do your best and forget the rest." That is solid advice. It applies not just to exercising, but to all aspects of life. Just do your best.

Another thing that has been frustrating me is diet. I know that the fastest way to lose weight is to eat clean. No processed meats, no processed carbs, all whole grains, limited dairy, organic fruits and veggies whenever possible... However, not only is eating that way very expensive, but when kids and husbands are added to the equasion, it makes it really difficult. Kids are picky eaters. I used to only give my daughter organic stuff. Never breaded chicken nuggets and french fries. She flat out refused to eat the good stuff. In fact, the doctors gave us grief because she was not growing as fast as they thought she should. Funny, you put a chicken nugget in front of her though and it disappears. You put a nice grilled piece of chicken in front of her and blammo. Temper tantrum and refusal to eat ensues. So, I have done the best I can and only buy kid friendly foods that are low in fat, sodium and calories. I still feel guilty that they don't eat as clean as I think they should. But then again, at least they are eating and growing and the doctors are happy! My husband has the exact opposite need for food than I do. If he were to eat the way I do, he would be so skinny people would think he was sick. He needs the higher calorie foods. Lately I have been feeling that I need to make 3 meals for dinner. One for the kids, one for the husband and one for me. Not really doable in the time I have available to cook. I just find it frustrating. Sometimes I really feel that I am making it harder for myself to lose weight because of the meals we eat. Yes, they are low in fat and as clean as we can afford. Yes, they might have more carbs than what I should consume, but they are good for everyone else's needs. Yes, dinner is too late most nights. Yes, we are indecisive and sometimes will talk for hours about what to have for dinner before giving up and going to a restaurant only to eat and then come home and go to bed. That is very bad, I know.

I know this post is fairly negative. I'm not usually this negative. This past month has been a negative state of mind. I really need to get back to my happy place. I know that the only way for me to do that is to get back into my routine and start accomplishing things again. Nothing worth doing is easy. And getting back into the routine is not easy.

Ugh

So, I am feeling really crappy about myself these days. Last week I only worked out twice and I'm feeling really bad about it. To make matters worse, I am not motivating myself to workout this week either. So, I've decided that I need to have a new goal to work for. I've decided to sign up for a couple of 5k races. I'm just going to do it and then I'll have to figure out how to get there. I think that if I know I have a date I need to be ready by, that I will be more apt to motivating myself to get my arse off the couch.

There are a couple of reasons that I have fallen off my workout schedule. The first was a week and a half ago, I was doing some squats when my left knee all the sudden had a very sharp pain in it. After walking around a bit trying to shake it off, the pain was still there. Needless to say, I was unable to finish that workout. Then the next morning, it still hurt, with the added bonus of hurting whenever I  put any weight on it. Two days later, it no longer hurt, but my daily schedule was so jam packed with stuff to do, I did not have time or energy to work out.

The second excuse is I have been feeling like crap physically. Like I'm getting a cold or something. I've felt achy all over and stuffy in the head and just blah. The weather has not helped much either. Last week it was so cold and rainy here I could barely gather the strength to look outside it was so depressing. Its like I just got a case of the winter blahs.

Today I am feeling better. Even though I was unable to motivate myself to work out this morning, I am planning to run on the elliptical tonight while I watch my favorite TV shows. Tomorrow I will get back to the 2 workouts a day schedule. And since the weather is looking up this week, I am most definitely going to run outside! I'm excited and scared about that prospect. Excited because I love running and its been forever since I have been able to do it. Scared because I have this issue with my pants falling down. Yes, I have two pair of shorts that fit (I've decided I don't like the elastic in the waist. It seems to pinch me and it really irritates me!), but I think I need to maybe get some different pants. Losing weight is so expensive! Every time I turn around I need something. Pants that fit, socks with no holes, shoes..... But it's so worth it!

I hate when I get in these ruts. What I really need to remember is, I just need to get back up and keep going. No goal is ever achieved just sitting on the couch watching the world go by. (unless of course, that is your goal)

Reflections

I feel that now is a good time to reflect on accomplishments. I have a couple of accomplishments that I am very proud of. First, I have lost 40 lbs. I’m roughly about 20 lbs away from my goal weight. Second, I am the most fit I have ever been in my entire life. I absolutely love the way I feel and every week I can see a change in my body. I feel strong physically and emotionally. I can totally feel that my confidence in myself is returning. It truly is an amazing feeling to not only feel good about your appearance, but to love yourself inside and out. Of course, it is strange to toot my own horn here, but dang, I’ve worked hard for this!

When I first started this journey back in August, I was so out of shape that I would be out of breath going up just one flight of stairs in our house. I might add that I was walking slowly up the stairs. I had trouble keeping up with my 4 year old. My knees hurt constantly. I had heartburn several times a day. I knew I wasn’t healthy, but I had no idea what it would take to get me motivated to make a change.

Then, my husband had an opportunity to go on a “business” cruise and he could take the family with him. We had never gone on a cruise before and thought that it could be fun! The cruise was in late November/early December and of course sailed to tropical locations. Naturally, if I was going to be sailing in the tropics, I needed to get my body in better shape. I was not going to be the shamu of the ship.

So, I bought a couple of workout DVD’s and decided to rework my diet. The DVD’s I purchased were Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and The Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout with Jillian. I decided I would do the 30 Day Shred for the first 2 months then move to the Last Chance workout for the next 2 months. Both DVD’s were killer. I was so sore after doing the first workout. And it was only level 1!! By the end of the 2^nd month I thought I was ready for level 3. Ha! Not quite. I thought I was going to pass out after doing that workout. But after doing it for a week, I was amazed at how much stronger my body was. The nice thing about these DVD’s is they really do allow you to start at any fitness level and gradually build to the highest level. If you are just starting out and are looking for a recommendation for a good workout to start with, get Jillian’s 30 Day Shred. It will kick your arse. Those workouts are no joke. But if you stick with it, you will be amazed at how quickly your body adapts and starts changing.

My diet has been a slow evolution. My biggest thing is I LOVE FOOD!!! I don’t need a reason to eat it and I have absolutely no will power. If there is a piece of cheesy garlic bread sitting there, lonely, just waiting for someone to eat it, I will gladly help it out by consuming it. If there is a drawer full of chocolates, guess who is going to help that chocolate feel loved by eating it. Me. So, I decided first thing I needed to do was to not buy foods that would tempt me. If the bad foods are not in the house, I will not eat them. Naturally, since I have a family who do not need to lose weight, I have struggled with meals. Kids are funny in how they do not embrace new foods. And of course there is the trouble with adults not liking vegetables. When I first started out, I cut out fatty foods. Then after we got accustomed to that, we cut out sweats. Then added in healthy snacks. Then added in more vegetables. And lastly, cutting down on carbohydrates. I truly feel that if you need to make big changes to your diet, you should do so gradually. You have a better chance keeping the changes around that way. If you cut everything out cold turkey, you may feel like you are being deprived and find yourself cheating constantly.

Fast forward to now, I do the P90X workouts in the mornings and then add another cardio workout in the evenings. My diet is full of lean meats, veggies, fruits and complex carbs. Yes, I have my setbacks and cheating moments. I’m human. But for the most part, I have been staying on track and that is what motivates me now. I am totally going to start running again (please Mother Nature! Can we have some warmer weather please???) I’m totally geeked to start running! I have already purchased my running shoes. Now I just need the weather to cooperate.

Now, I would like to take this time to send a special shout out to my friend Angie. She has lost 100 lbs. 100 lbs!!! That’s amazing! You rock girl and are truly an inspiration! Whenever I find myself in a tempting situation, I can totally hear your voice say “Don’t do it!”.

What Happened to Last Week?

Um....can anybody tell me where the past week has gone??? I lost it somewhere. So, since I know this week is going to be uber crazy with all the preparations for my little Chicklette's birthday party this weekend, I am going to brush all the subjects I had planned last week. I am going to address calorie counting, how much protein we should consume and frozen diet meals. Okay, let’s get to figuring all this out!

Calorie Counting. It’s a tough thing to do and I will admit that I do not do it every day. I just don't have the time to be honest. But the good thing about it is, after you do it for awhile you get a feeling for what the amount of calories are for foods you eat all the time. Once you know that, it’s easy to figure out how much of what you should be eating in a day. I’ve read in several articles that the average woman should consume anywhere between 1200 to 1550 calories in a day. But to find out what the recommended amount of calories you should be consuming, I advise going to http://www.sparkpeople.com/ and setting up an account. This website will calculate the proper range of calories you should consume based on your weight, body type and your weight loss goal. They also have a section where you can enter in the foods you consumed and it will calculate how many calories, how much protein, fat and carbs you ate. It’s nice because it gives you the totals and you know how many you have left to consume or just how much you went over. You can also track how much water you drink. (I love sparkpeople and you will see that I refer to that website often.) There are also many apps available for smart phones that will track calories for you. (there's an app for just about everything these days!) I have yet to try any of the apps, so at this time I cannot give a recommendation, but if you are just starting out with calorie counting, it might not be a bad idea to try one! (or if you have a rec for an app, send it to me, I would be glad to try it and possibly recommend it) Now, I know that there are cons to calorie counting. All I'm saying here is this is what I do and it works for me. I am willing to try most things and see if they work for me. Yes, it's easy to obsess over calories, just like it's easy to obsess about your weight. But if you can get to the mindset of 'okay, so I know I can eat X amount of calories a day' and then strive to stay in the right range, you will find that you don't have to deprive yourself too much on the foods you like. Also, know that it is okay to go over every now and then. Just don't do it everyday. Maybe once a week max. For instance, I have a "cheat day" that I give myself once a week. On this day, I can eat what I want and not count the calories. On cheat day, I have what I want and I don't feel guilty. I know that the next day I have to get back on the program and be focused in my nutrition and workouts. So, in a nutshell, if you haven't tried calorie counting, maybe you should. It might be what you need to get passed a plateau or maybe just get started on a weight loss journey.

Protein Consumption. Again I am going to recommend http://www.sparkpeople.com/ to calculate just how much protein you should consume. Protein is important. It helps your body to not only build muscle but to also repair muscle after an intense workout. Of course, taking care of our muscles is important. Building muscle and maintaining muscle is good for your metabolic rate and it’s crucial to weight loss. If you find yourself feeling weak, tired, completely out of energy, eat some protein. Within minutes you will feel better. It takes the body a longer time to completely digest protein so you will also feel less hungry for a longer time. Protein comes in just about everything you eat but you should know the foods that contain the most amount of protein. Also, different kinds of proteins affect the body in different ways. Some might cause you to gain weight, probably because they may be high in fat and calories. So you should probably stay away from the bacon, sausage, ham, some red meats, etc. But meats like fish, chicken and turkey provide a good source of protein without high amounts of fat and calories. Another source of protein that I enjoy is whey protein. I love to make shakes with whey protein. Not only do I get a significant amount of protein, but they taste pretty good too. One warning though, read the labels! Some of the whey protein products contain lots of sugar, artificial ingredients and calories. Try to find a kind that has little sugar and the fewer ingredients the better. I have two kinds that I have tried. Jillian Michaels has her own brand which is decent tasting. The other kind I think is called Advanced. I got it at Walmart. It was economical and also tastes okay. I have found the trick to making shakes is to use skim milk. Mix the powder in the milk with a spoon and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The shake will be less gritty and the flavors will have blended together much better. What I like about the shakes is they are easy to make, can be used as a snack or supplement a meal and they are fairly portable. So if you are having trouble fitting in your protein, try a whey protein shake.

Frozen Diet Meals: Okay, so I might get a bit preachy on this topic. I have an opinion and I'm sharing it. Here is the thing; there are definitely pros and cons to using these meals. The pros: you learn the proper portion size of foods, you can lose weight, you get your protein, veggies and maybe even a fruit in your meal all with the convenience of being able to pop it in the microwave and have a full meal within minutes. There is also no messy preparation and very little clean up afterwards. The cons: they can be very high in sodium, they often do not taste very good and they can be expensive. They also contain processed meats and if you look at the ingredient list, it probably has a lot of things you cannot pronounce. If you are doing something like Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig where all of your meals are their foods, you run the risk of gaining the weight back after you stop eating their foods. (I have known a few people where this has happened.) For instance, I had a co-worker that did the Nutrisystem food program. She lost a ton of weight! It was awesome to see her lose weight just by eating and not really exercising. It really made me kind of jealous. But then she got to her goal weight and stopped eating the meals. She tried her best to eat healthy. She ate lean meats and kept her portions small. But the biggest problem I saw was she was eating foods that were similar to what she had been eating. Like lasagna, hamburgers, mac n cheese….I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how quickly she gained that weight back! Even though these were the types of foods she ate on the diet, they were not made with the same stuff. She learned all about portion size, but not about the proper types of ingredients to cook with. In the end, I kind of feel those types of diets really do a disservice to people. They don’t teach you anything about how to eat. Other than, if you start to gain weight, buy our products again to lose the weight. To me, that is not cool. Give a man a fish and he will eat a meal. Teach a man how to cook a fish and he will eat for life. Or something like that!

If you are going to do the frozen food thing, just be careful and do your research. Make sure you are learning what types of foods to eat and the proper portion sizes. Don’t be tricked into buying frozen meals for the rest of your life to maintain your ideal weight. Okay, off my soap box.
I hope I provided some useful information. I know there are a ton of details I left out. But truly, you need to figure out what is best for your body. I highly suggest going to websites like http://www.sparkpeople.com/ . There is tons of information on that site as well as calculators and even experts you can ask questions you may have too.

The Topic of the Day: Sodium Intake

Okay, so I've decided this week I am devoting myself to figuring out how to eat. Yes, I'm in my.....thirties.. ah hem... I mean twenties (wink wink) and I have no clue how to use these utensil thingies. No really, I'm talking about reading labels of the foods we buy and figuring out exactly what we need to look for.

We all know that we need to watch the amount of fat and calories we consume. But what about sodium? There are so many articles out there about this stuff. Some say don't worry, just eat. Others say reduce or eliminate. But which is right? While I am not a licensed nutritionist or a doctor, my opinion is, you should stay within the ideal daily range. Its recommended that we should consume 500 mg minimally and up to 2400 mg of sodium a day. Our bodies need sodium to function properly. Sodium is necessary to maintain the proper balance of fluids in tissues and blood functions. It also aides in the transmission of nerve impulses as well as aiding in the balancing of calcium and potassium to maintain a healthy heart. So its important that we do not eliminate. Also, when we drink water, excess sodium is released.

Keeping all that in mind will help when we read the food labels at the supermarket. A food that contains 100 or even 200 mg of sodium is not a high sodium food. A food that contains 500 mg or higher, that might be considered high. But you have to keep in mind, what else are you consuming on the day you might eat that food? Are those foods low in sodium? So maybe a meal that has 550 mg would be good for you that day. When you figure you have 2400 mg to play with, it does open up your options.

However, I am often surprised when I read a label and there is a number like 900 mg or sometimes its over 1,000 mg. One thing I know for sure though, so called "diet" foods are almost always higher in sodium. The more the food has to be processed, the more sodium it will have. Also, the more a food is processed, the more other ingredients seem to sneak into the food. But that will be a topic for another day.

When I want a chicken sandwich, just give me a hunk of chicken on a bun. Don't give me something that barely resembles chicken but might sort of taste like it. I like my foods to be pure. It's definitely one of the reasons you will not catch me eating those frozen entree's anymore. Not only do they contain ingredients I cannot pronounce, but they are loaded with sodium. And they do not taste like chicken. (You hear me Subway!?!? Your roasted chicken breast does not taste like chicken! And its loaded with 750 mg of sodium. Add the sodium count for the cheese, bread, condiments, whatever side item you might have and you could be looking at a meal of over 1,000 mg of sodium.)

Its true that any fast food is pretty much loaded with sodium. So its just another reason to avoid it. Its also true that its okay once in a while to splurge and have a guilty pleasure. One meal is not going to destroy your fitness or weight loss goals. Just make sure you drink plenty of water (not sodas!) afterwards and your body will get back to feeling like itself again.

Finally, lets address how sodium can affect weight loss. Sodium can cause water weight gain. So if you are consuming large amounts of sodium, your body will retain some water. But if you can keep your intake within the recommended range, along with drinking water you can expect to feel less bloated and maybe lose a pound or two. Be warned though, reducing sodium is not a way to lose all the weight you want. You still need to reduce your calorie intake, drink plenty of water and exercise.

Losing weight is serious work. Not only is it physical work, but its also mental. Its a science. My Grandpa used to say "eat everything in moderation" and I think that was pretty sound advise. Don't eat sweets every day, but maybe once a week. Don't eat super salty foods every day, but maybe once in a while. Don't work the same muscle groups every day, but every other day at most.

This Week in Review

This week has been a good week. I've lost a pound and my pants are definitely looser, so I think I can safely say I'm out of my plateau. I've exercised every day. I did skip the elliptical machine on Wednesday, but that was the only day I didn't do it. I also really tried to focus on my eating and I think I did pretty good. Over all, I would call this week a success.

The highs of the week were: I completed the dreaded yoga video. I got up early every day I was scheduled to and exercised. On Tuesday I squeezed in 3 workouts. Thursday I managed to achieve some sort of super motivation. Or maybe just plain stubbornness to get my workout and chores done.

The lows of the week were: I was uber tired Wednesday. (Probably because of Tuesdays activities.) I think there is some sort of conspiracy against me between the couch, TV and my children.

Yesterday morning, my butt somehow became stuck on the couch. No matter how I tried, I could not get up. I was stuck there for a whole hour. I think the couch and the TV were plotting together to get me to pay more attention to them. It took alot of effort, but I did finally manage to remove myself from both the TV and the couch. I did a workout and then tried desperately the rest of the day to do my chores. But my children  also seemed to be plotting against me achieving any kind of productiveness. Yes, yesterday was a challenging day. Even though I had all these forces going against me, I managed to get all but one item on my 'To Do' list done.

As a Mom I feel like I am constantly battling doing things for myself and doing things for others. More often than not, I will put my family first. I don't think that is a bad thing. But I do need to remember that if I want to be a part of their lives for a long time, I need to take time out for myself and do things that will make me healthy. Taking time out for myself will make me a better parent, a better wife, a better friend. Being healthy and making healthy choices should not be a chore. It should just be something we do. Exercising can be fun. Eating "healthy" can still taste delicious and not be a time consuming overly complicated cooking experience. So, having said all that, my goals for next week are: 1. continue to do all scheduled exercises 2. prepare healthy meals the whole family will enjoy. (okay, so I know the likelihood of the whole family enjoying it may be a stretch, but that doesn't mean I can't try. Oh boy, what am I in for???)

When Exercising is NO FUN!

 Okay, so I know I'm a bit of a weirdo in that I actually like to exercise. I love facing a workout not knowing if I will be able to do all the reps or moves. And when I do make it through I feel so good about myself. But every now and then, even I, the resident fitness weirdo, will come across an exercise routine that I do not like. Sometimes it’s a dance your way thin DVD that is so fast paced and the instructions on how to do the moves are not clearly stated and I end up just staring at the TV wondering how the heck I'm supposed to do that.  Or sometimes, it’s a yoga video.

Now, first I need to say this: I used to love yoga. I mean LOVE yoga! I would do it 5 times a week sometimes and would often persuade myself into replacing a scheduled cardio session with a yoga session. I was definitely devoted to the practice. But then I had a baby and got out of my healthy habits and blah blah blah. Now, 5 years later, here I am trying to do a yoga video. The first time I tried this particular video was 2 weeks ago. I made it about 20 minutes into the video. (I should also state that it’s a whopping 90 minute video) Yes, 20 minutes in and I was so frustrated that I gave up. I could not "quiet my mind" and just "go with the flow". All I could think about was the fact that this video was cutting 90 minutes out of my day and I a mile long list of things I needed to get done that day and I was falling out of the poses left and right. So I quit. And suffered the mental anguish of guilt the rest of the day. Last week I skipped the yoga video all together. But I do have a good excuse for that. I have this relative that visits monthly and often when she arrives she brings an onslaught of symptoms that make me ill.

However, today, I completed said yoga video. I feel good about myself completing it. Did I enjoy it? No. I'm trying to psych myself up for it since I have to do it again tomorrow. I'm trying to convince myself that maybe I can actually do some of the poses the next time I do the video. There were 4 poses that I absolutely could not do. While I did eventually manage to get into one of them towards the end of the time I was supposed to be holding the pose, I was only able to hold it for about 10 seconds. And the couch helped me. LOL But I figure, hold the pose for any amount of time is better than nothing or not even trying at all.

I think that I did not enjoy the yoga video because of a couple of reasons. 1) Its 90 minutes long. I can barely sit through a movie that is 90 minutes long. I don’t have the attention span for it. 2) Frustration. I find it nearly impossible to just devote myself to the movement and clear my head and focus on what I am doing. One of the things I loved about yoga before was it forced me to concentrate on me and nothing else. You literally cannot hold some of those poses if your mind is elsewhere. These days…. I would love to block life out for 90 minutes. I really should figure out how to do that. Did I mention this video is 90 minutes? I need to not focus on that. I’m sure that will help!

I realize that yoga is not for everyone. And maybe now that I am a mom, yoga is no longer my cup of tea. But let’s face it. Sometimes we need to do things that we don’t truly enjoy to get the results we seek. So who knows, maybe after completing this 90 day workout series, I will be back to enjoying yoga. Only time will tell. But what I really want you to get out of this is: Even though you might not be enjoying a certain exercise that you must do to achieve a goal, try to keep your eye on the prize. Just know and trust that if you keep it up, you will achieve your goal. And just imagine how good you will feel about yourself when that moment happens. Until next time! Namaste.

Good Week!

I don't know about you, but I kicked my own arse this week. Not only have I done the P90X workouts (well, except for yesterday) but I also added in an elliptical session every day. Yes, the girl who despises getting up before noon, got up early to work out (well, except for today). I am noticing some changes in my body, which is really nice, but so far, not much movement by the needle on the scale. Its times like this that I really love my husband. He says nice things like "you know, muscle weighs more than fat. I think you have more muscles." Of course, I have to then pose like a body builder in the mirror and inspect my muscles to see if indeed, they are bigger. Maybe. Yes, I think my triceps are bigger. So I am quite proud of myself for sticking to my goals. I am also happy that I have managed to keep my calorie count up to where it should be and have consumed water. Over all, it was a good week. 

During this week, especially Wednesday, I discovered that it was beneficial to have someone cheering me on. Especially when it was towards the end of the workout and I was getting really tired. Someone to yell at me to keep going. That I could do it. I can honestly say, I don't think I would have been able to do as many reps if my husband hadn't told me to keep going. I might have actually stopped working out. I was that pooped. He isn't aware of this yet, but I think he is going to have the new job of watching me work out. And when I start to stop or slow down, he is going to yell at me. I'm sure he won't mind. ha ha

I did make some pizza for dinner last night. I made my own dough and used low fat cheese. So yes, it was healthy. At least my side of the pizza was. But, I have to say, I wasn't a huge fan of the crust. I thought it was a bit cardboardish. The recipe was simple enough, only about 5 ingredients, but I think I need to do some more research. There has to be a way to make better tasting whole wheat crust without making it unhealthy. One thing the pizza had going for it though, it was very filling!

I'm looking forward to tonight's dinner. Marlboro Man sandwiches. MMMM MMMM good! Of course, mine will be sans bun, but the meat and peppers are tasty enough to not need a bun. I can smell and taste them already!

Creole Burgers

Ingredients:
1lb Ground Chicken
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped
1/2 Medium Sweet Onion, finely chopped
1 tsp minced Garlic
1/4 cup Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
10 drops Louisiana Pepper Sauce (or Tabasco Sauce, which ever you like)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Lightly spray or season a large saute pan. Saute the onion, garlic and bell pepper until tender. Remove from pan and set aside to cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken and and cooled mixture. Add the egg, bread crumbs, and pepper sauce. Mix all together well and then form into patties.

Place the patties into the large saute pan and cook burgers over medium heat until done. (about 5-7 minutes per side)

Note: I topped my burgers with a thin slice of Pepper Jack cheese. It did add a little bit more of a spicy kick and was delicious!

Good Food and Future Goals

Last week was not the best week. But at least I did manage to do all my workouts. So that was good. And I did lose another pound. Awesome!

I have to admit. I am stuck on another plateau. I really dislike plateaus. But they happen and all I can do is try to work through them. This week I am changing some eating habits. I am cutting out bread and pasta. I figure increasing exercise is not enough, I need to do something to motivate my body into letting this extra poundage go. So I have decided to cut the bread and pasta as well as run once a day. Yesterday I ran on the elliptical machine. Actually, I will probably run on the elliptical until the weather warms up. I do not enjoy running in the cold. Nor do I enjoy walking in the cold. Come to think of it, I don't really like doing anything in the cold. Why do I live in Michigan again??? hmmm...

Yesterday was my first day without bread. I did have some pasta with my lunch though. It was a Healthy Choice meal and hopefully I ate it early enough in the day to burn it off. I only have one more of those meals left so after that is gone I will officially be bread/pasta free. I'm nervous about this change. I absolutely love bread. I adore pasta. Hopefully this sacrifice will get me the results I want!

Last night I made Creole Burgers. OMG!!! They were SO delicious!!!! I was very surprised at how wonderful they tasted. In fact, I am anxiously awaiting lunchtime today so I can have one. I can definitely foresee these becoming a staple food. The burgers are made with chicken and I was so amazed at how moist these turned out. And what was even more amazing was my little Chicklette gobbled hers up too! I will share the recipe in a separate post. :o)

Recently I have been thinking about taking up running again. I so miss running. I haven't ran consistently since before Chicklette was born. After the car accident I have struggled with knee pain. I did have surgery on the bad knee and it does feel remarkably better. I'm just nervous about trying to run on it again. I think I just need to get out there and do it. Prove to myself that I can do it. Hopefully running on the elliptical machine will help in getting me ready not only physically, but emotionally to run outside. I'm hoping to maybe do a 5k sometime this year. We will just have to see how it goes!

Other People's Opinions

Other people's opinions. Every now and then they are forced upon us, whether we ask for them or not. This really becomes apparent when you become a new parent suddenly everyone, including those you don't know, feels the need to give you advise on how to best raise your kid. You know, because you have no idea when your baby might need a diaper change or a nap. (Thank goodness that lady at the grocery store was there to say "Wow, your baby really needs to take a nap!" I would have totally kept her up for the next 24 hours...) I know this might seem off topic for this blog, but just hang with me. I will get to my point. Eventually.

There is nothing like someone offering up their opinion about various parts of your life, your personality or your body size to really make you question yourself. Sometimes it might be someone whom you thought was a friend who wrongly judges you and puts you down, or talks about you behind your back. It could also be someone who is involved with the care of your children at a daycare center or manager of a store you frequent who might clash with your personality and say something that makes you feel horrible about yourself. (like saying you have an abusive personality and your kids should be expelled) Or it could be a passerby at the mall who says something about your physical characteristics to their companion. "hey, check her out, she's cute" "really? did you not see the size of her arse?" (suddenly I felt the need to run to the nearest mirror to check the size of my arse. Even though it might be bigger than I want it to be, I have to check just to make sure it hasn't suddenly gone on a major growth spurt)

What I am trying to say is, sometimes, all you need is an inconsiderate, unknowledgable, judgemental person to assault you with their opinion to send you reeling into bad habits. In the past, I have gone on an eating rampage because I overheard someone say I was huge. I have also second guessed my emotional feelings and wondered if I was being too harsh with a friend because she chose to judge me, my fiance, my lifestyle and blab her opinion about it all to everyone she knew. (and coincidentally, most of those people she blabbed to, I knew too. I still work with some of those people...) She was my best friend at the time and when I confronted her, she lied to my face. Needless to say, we are no longer friends and to this day I'm still a bit sad about it. I wonder if I should have just kept my mouth shut. I might still have a friend. But then when I really think about it, who needs a friend like that? That is not a friend.

So, my tip for the day is if someone judges you or gives you their opinion, just smile and say thank you. Then walk away. You know in your heart the kind of person you are. And they surely do not have the right to pass judgement on you. Don't let them get you down. You are a beautiful person and those who do know and love you would agree.

I'm in Love!

I'm in love with a workout. I know, the words 'love' and 'workout' should not be used in the same sentence, but it's true, I loved it! It had everything I like in a workout. It was challenging, involved kicking and punching, complicated enough to make me laugh at my uncoordinated self, yet simple enough to get my uncoordinated self coordinated. I also felt like I had just worked out fairly hard. I was sweating, which is something that does not happen very often. I am not a woman that sweats, glistens, glows or however else you might describe it. So for me to actually break a sweat, I know I have just worked hard.

The workout I just did is called Kenpo X from the P90X series. It was a kickboxing cardio routine and it was awesome. Even though the routine lasts for an hour, you are so busy you hardly notice how long you have been at it. Thats another thing I like. A workout that kicks boody and goes quickly. Also, even though I know I just worked really hard, I feel energized. Which is good because I have a whole day in front of me that includes things like doing laundry, working, cooking, cleaning and of course, soothing an uber cranky toddler who is a teething beast from heck today. I need all the energy I can get!

Last week I had outlined a goal of working out twice a day this week. Um yeah, that has not happened. I have been incapable of getting out of bed early. Mostly because of the aforementioned teething toddler. He has been waking up durning the night again and waking up early and only being soothed by being held. When he gets like this, he is very picky as to who holds him. Sometimes its Daddy that is the parent of choice. Sometimes its me. But whoever picks him up out of bed is the one he will stick with for a while. So, the mornings have been extra challenging this week.

So while I did not succeed at my challenge of workout twice a day, I have kicked my workouts up by starting the P90X workouts. I have also been walking the mall after I eat lunch. So over all I think that I am burning more calories than usual and I have been working on my diet. I think the scale just might be my friend this week. We will see!

Okay, so this week in review. I officially went down a clothing size, I kicked up my workouts a notch and I did better with my diet. Lets see if I can do it again next week AND get my lazy non-morning self out of bed to exercise in the mornings. The challenge is out there. Now lets do it.

Lost: 1 pound and 1 clothing size

Lost: 1 lb and 1 clothing size. If found please do not return. There is no reward and I do not want them back. :-) 

I have to admit, I was afraid to get on the scale this morning. I hadn't weighed in since Friday and I really had not paid much attention to what I ate over the weekend. I'm usually pretty relaxed on my strictness of diet on the weekends, mainly because I'm with my family and I do not want to deprive them of the foods they like. Though, trying to get my son to eat has proven to be a challenge lately. He was my good eater. Now he is showing signs of becoming picky. Sigh. But then I got on the scale and its like someone threw confetti. The needle settled on the number below what I have been staring at for the past week. Yahoo! Happy Dance!

Anyway, I am so happy that I can fit into the next size down. It definitely helps to stay motivated and know that all this hard work is making a difference. I have to admit though, that even though that smaller size fit, I am still in disbelief. I don't feel smaller. Even though I am. Even the evil scale says I'm lighter. It's kind of a weird feeling not believing your clothes and scale. I will just have to trust them I guess...

Yesterday I started what is supposed to be a difficult work out regimen. I was surprised at how easily I completed the video. I think what makes it harder than what I have been doing is these workouts go for an hour. I'm used to only doing 30 minutes. But I felt really good doing the workout and yes, there is alot of room for improvement. These should definitely challenge me, which is what I've been wanting and I'm looking forward to tonight's workout. I love a challenge. I think I would like my day job alot better if it would challenge me more often.

Speaking of challenges, I find it very challenging to get my carcass out of bed in the morning. I want to add some time for a short cardio workout in the mornings, but that means I have to get up earlier. I had every intention of doing that this morning, but then my son woke up early and was crying this poor pathetic cry. It was a cry I have not heard very often, but when I hear it, I know he needs some soothing. I think the poor little guy is teething again. So I did not get to exercise mainly because he was not willing to let me not hold him. He was grabbing at my legs and body, making it impossible to do anything but hold him. So, after I eat lunch today, I am going to go for a walk and hopefully boost my metabolism a little. It won't be as much or as good of a workout, but its better than nothing. Better luck tomorrow I guess!

This Week in Review

I realize it is only Thursday, but this week has just seemed like the longest week! Also, the weekends tend to be really busy for me so blogging on the weekend doesn't happen very often. So that is why I have decided to do a "This week in review" post.

If you don't want to read about my week in detail, here is a quick look: I have kicked my workouts up a notch and paid close attention to what I eat. My sleep number has apparently changed and my son has been uber cranky. I have had no motivation to work or clean. On the upside, I save a butt load of money by switching to Geico. Ha Ha! Not really.

Okay, for those that might want a few more details here is the rest of the story.  I decided that I needed to kick the plateau I have been on by adding more cardio to my exercise routine. I've been alternating Jillian workouts and adding in 45 minutes on the elliptical trainer. Either next week or the week after I am going to add an additional 45 minutes cardio. So the schedule will be 45 minute cardio in the morning and in the evening I will do a DVD workout followed by 45 minutes on the elliptical. Its going to be tough. I will feel like I'm exercising all the time, but I think the results will be worth it. After all, swimsuit season is lurking around the corner. My biggest fear with this schedule is that I won't be able to juggle all the other responsibilities in my life. Meaning giving my kids and husband the quality time they need and deserve, applying myself to work and still having the energy to clean.

Eating wise, I don't plan on changing much. I am having problems meeting my calorie goals again. I don't consume enough, yet I feel like I eat all the time, but the foods I eat are low in calories. I guess I need to incorporate more, but what? Maybe some peanut butter on my veggies? I suppose I could have yogurt with my fruit. Only problem with that is I'm not a huge yogurt fan. The other struggle is my husband has a naturally high metabolic rate. That makes it hard because he needs to consume alot more calories than me otherwise he loses weight. He is not a big man and if he loses weight he looks sick. So he does tend to eat sweets and hamburgers from McDonalds alot. (I wish I could figure out a healthy alternative that he would like!) It makes the balance of how we eat as a family a bit challenging.

My son has been so cranky. He is either teething or growing. Or maybe both I suppose! He has been an absolute monster after 6:00 pm lately. Its like he is tired, but if I put him to bed then it creates two problems. 1) I don't get to see his handsome little face because I don't get home from work until 5:30ish. 2) he wakes up before dawn and is ready to party. I am not a morning person. That schedule does not work for me. He has been napping in the afternoons, I just don't know what is going on. Maybe is just getting ready for the clocks to be moved ahead an hour. Ugh!

That has been my week. Hope your week has been good to you. If you would like to share your week I would love to hear about it! Or if you have any tips for me, I would love to hear those too!!!

Calling All Super Heroes!

Do you have a super hero inside you call upon to help you make it through a tough workout? Or change that nasty diaper that could quite possibly destroy nuclear waste? I often call upon my inner hero to make it through my workouts. Sometimes I feel like super woman afterwards because I simply cannot believe I just made it through the routine without fainting, peeing myself, puking or flat out dieing. (I’m sure my family members are quite thankful for all that too!)

No matter what it is you are doing in life, you will inevitably come across some task that is daunting and may have you wondering if you can complete it. I come across those tasks every day. Whether it’s a challenging file with a situation I have never seen before or a child that has dispensed black nail polish all over her sister’s bedroom. (note: that was not my child, that was a friends child. I am thankful that it was my friends child and not my child. I don’t even want to know what it takes to remove black nail polish. In fact, I think I will place a ban on any future purchases of black nail polish.)  Sometimes you have to find the determination to not only get through the situation, but to solve the problem. That’s when you call your inner super hero. Or maybe it’s a super beast. Or just beast. Growl.

Losing weight can be a lot like problem solving. First you have to figure out what needs to change to bring about the desired change. Second, you have to make a plan of how to solve the problem of implementing change. Third, you have to start acting on your plan. Fourth, you need to observe and sometimes troubleshoot why the plan is not working and adjust something. If you think about it, weight loss is a science and you get to play mad scientist!  If you make it into a game, it could be fun and therefore seem like less work. Sometimes I mess up my hair and use an evil laugh when I am imputing my data into the various databases to calculate how many calories I’ve eaten and burned. (this does two things for me: 1) its fun 2) it makes those around you wonder about you)

So the next time you are doing something challenging, put on your super hero mask (because they all have a mask of some sort) and set to work. Just don’t put on a cape. As it was pointed out in the movie ‘The Incredibles’, capes can lead to an early demise.

Bad Day

Yesterday I had a bad day. It wasn't the kind of a bad day where anything and everything that could possibly go wrong goes wrong. And not like a Monday bad day either. But it was one of those days that it seemed every time I talked to someone, I would either hurt them, offend them, make them mad or disappointed. Apparently it was just my talent of the day. Unfortunately part of the job I do requires me to sometimes upset people or maybe even make them mad. And then I have to be the bad guy who makes them fix their problems so they can finish their transaction. Normally, that doesn't bother me too much. I am usually amused at how childish people can act when its pointed out to them that they messed up and have to fix a problem. But yesterday, I just wasn't up to it. Additionally, it seemed that every time I talked to my husband, I would say something selfish or stupid and upset him. I couldn't tell if he was angry or hurt, but I knew that I had done something wrong. By the end of the day I was a sobbing mess. (and I will just cut to the chase here and say yes, its that time of the month for me!)

I don't have these types of issues every month. Just once in a while I will get a cycle that is a real (pardon my french) bitch! I feel like Jekyll and Hyde. One moment I am fine, calm, relaxed. The next moment I am ready to cry for no good reason. The next moment I feel super duper happy! Then back down to crying. Oh and there was that one moment when my coworkers had a discussion on how I was scowling. (I think they were trying to figure out which one of them ticked me off) Argh! You know, it really stinks being a woman sometimes. But it is days like this that make it especially difficult to eat healthy and exercise. I must admit, even though I was a hot mess yesterday, I did eat healthy and I did exercise. I am so proud of myself for that! A month ago I might have only eaten healthy. Two months ago I would not have eaten healthy or exercised. So I am really happy with myself that I managed to do both when I surely did not want to.

Normally bad days or roller coaster emotional days send me into an eating binge. I am so happy that I did not go that route this time. I feel better about myself for not giving into temptation. I used to be a huge emotional eater. But I have managed to find other ways with dealing with my issues that do not involve food. Its tough, especially on those days when I'm feeling down in the dumps and all I want is a nice freshly made brownie with some vanilla ice cream on top. And sure add some whipped cream, hot chocolate sauce and a cherry while you're at it. But afterwards, I still feel empty and my mood has not improved. I often feel worse than I did before I indulged because now I have the additional negative feeling of guilt. It's a terrible cycle, and friends, if you are an emotional eater, you need to find a better way to deal with your feelings. You need to identify what triggers your emotions and you need to find a way to work through them. Just know that eating is not the right way.

Food is for life, not solving any psychological issues you might have. There is a group or team on Spark People that is devoted to Emotional Eaters. I do like to look through the boards and often find inspiration to keep healthy. They also offer support. Its nice to know you are not alone in this world and that you can beat this. If you suspect that you are an emotional eater, I strongly suggest you check spark people out. (the website is www.sparkpeople.com) If nothing else, maybe it will give you the boost you need to start working on yourself.

I had a great workout last night. I did not do a DVD or a streamed workout which was nice for a change. Sometimes I just need to be free from being told what to do. When that happens, I put on my favorite hip hop/dance station on Pandora Radio and turn on my Online Stopwatch and work through some interval training. I do everything from several variations of jumping jacks to push ups to toning moves to dance moves. Basically, as long as I'm moving at a high intensity for as long as I can go, I'm happy. Last night I managed to go 45 minutes. It was awesome. I felt alot better about myself and my mind was clear. It made spending some quality time with my husband so much more enjoyable.

Today's workout was awesome too. I decided that I was ready for Level 2 of Jillian's Shred It With Weights. Oh boy, was that 30 minutes of hellish torture. She not only kicked my ass, but she handed it to me. It was great though, I love a challenging workout. I think this DVD will definitely help me get to that next level of fitness. I'm also quite sure that my body is going to be screaming at me tomorrow. But that's okay, its the good kind of pain.

Today was a better day. Tomorrow will be a great day.

I Lost A Pound!

I did it! I lost a whole pound! Woo Hoo! Since I weigh myself every day, I have to rejoice every time the scale needle drops a bit lower. All this rejoicing is just terrible. Ha ha! Last week I dropped 3 lbs. I had to celebrate 3 times. I really don't know if I can keep up all this celebrating. Its just so taxing....

How did I do it? I think it might be a combination of exercising and eating a minimum of 1200 calories every day. Oh and drinking a ton of water. I've completely given up sodas. Which was hard. I absolutely love Coke. I don't love how it makes weight loss slow way down. I've also limited myself on my chocolate intake. Oh, how I love chocolate. I must stay strong though. I have about 30 more lbs to lose. I know I can do it.

Today's exercise is going to involve housework. I have a ton of laundry to do. Sigh. I swear the stuff reproduces! Thank goodness I have two flights of stairs to go up and down while taking the laundry to the laundry room and then taking it back up to the bedrooms to put the clean stuff away. I think it would be just too much work if I didn't have all those stairs to go up and down. I also need to vacuum. My kids have been trying to create a new surface of floor by leaving crumbs everywhere. Or maybe they are just leaving trails behind them so they can find their way back to the kitchen. I'll probably also do a toning workout and an official cardio workout, just to be sure that I'm burning enough calories.

So today I will be celebrating a lost pound by doing housework, exercising and taking my kids shopping for new pajamas since they insist on growing. Sounds like a great day to me!

Super Bowl Madness

I love a good football game. Especially when my favorite team is playing. Too bad they didn't win. But it was a good competitive game between two old school teams that play hard and with their hearts. That's the kind inspiration we should all incorporate into our lives.

This year we had a small party at our house. One of my passions in life is cooking. I sincerely enjoyed every minute of chopping, slicing, dicing and cooking. I especially enjoyed the tasting. I love the creativity of cooking. I love looking at each ingredient, thinking about what it tastes like, then imagining what that flavor would be like if I mixed it with another ingredients flavor. I love experimenting with food. I especially love it when my experiment tastes as good or better than I thought it would. But what I really love is, sharing my culinary creations with others and watching them enjoy the tastes. It just gives me a real boost. Anyway, this year we had a Mexican Fiesta. It was awesome. We had tacos, fajitas, mexican rice, taquitos, stir fried veggies, cheese and crackers, fruit, chips and dip and cookies. There was so much food, it was a bit ridiculous. It was all good though and there were no epic fails. I think everyone enjoyed themselves and no one went hungry. That's for sure! (special shout out to my friends who brought all the meat, veggie and fruit trays and cookies!) Did I mention that we had cookies?

I think over all I did okay in healthy eating yesterday. Yes I did partake in a few not so healthy things. Like ranch dip. Mmmmm And then there were the fried taquitos. But they were made with chicken and just a little bit of cheese and I didn't completely deep fry them.  I tried to have just a little bit of everything. After all, it was the Super Bowl. Which in itself is like a holiday. Besides, today is Monday which means, all healthy habits start up again. Today I am being extra good with my food intake. And I plan on exercising tonight. I think having a splurge day every now and then is good for the soul.

If there is one thing I have learned over the years, if you fail or fall down, you just have to get up, dust yourself off and continue on. There is no sense in beating yourself up about it. Just get up and move on.

In other news, Saturday I decided to start the 28 Day Boot Camp Challenge from Sparkpeople. It's funny, I did their work out on Saturday and felt totally unchallenged. I did their workouts yesterday and felt totally unchallenged. Then I got up this morning. I was sore! So evidently I was challenged. I decided to do the challenge to switch up my workout routine. I've been having that feeling that I was starting to get bored with some of my workouts and thought that this might be a good way to incorporate some new exercises. Its a nice set up really. They offer seven days of toning workouts and then you have to add in 30 minutes of cardio workouts 5 days a week. You can stream the toning workouts online, or you can print off the workout to do to your own music or if you are somewhere that you cannot stream the workout. They also have several cardio workouts you can stream. The workouts are in 10 minute intervals which make it a little bit easier to fit into a busy lifestyle. Hopefully this will help me to get down to that next pant size!

Winter Blahs

Do you have the winter blahs? I do! I realize that I just got back from beautiful Mexico, but I feel even more blah than usual. I think its all Mexico's fault. Why did Mexico have to be so nice? We came home to a blizzard. Yes, the snow is pretty, but let me tell you friends, its COLD!! Not a fan. My daughter told me no less than 3 times yesterday as we were grocery shopping "Mommy, its too cold. We need to live somewhere warmer." When a 4 year old tells you that its too cold and that you should move somewhere warmer, I think you need to listen. LOL I doubt we will ever move away from this place, but I would not mind having a 2nd home somewhere tropical. (Note to husband: Please make more money so we can have a 2nd home somewhere tropical)

How do you beat the winter blahs? Sure I have read the various articles that always come out this time of year. They all say the same things. Like try to get outside and exercise, or do something fun. blah blah blah. I have no solutions. I just try to cram my days full of stuff to do so that time goes by quicker. Then spring will be here faster. (in my mind it makes sense. :o) ) 

Since going to Mexico I have been obsessed with cooking. Last night I made some awesome sandwiches. I love to take recipes and make them healthier. Last nights dinner was inspired by the Pioneer Woman. Love her. Love her recipes. Love her pictures of food. She makes me so so hungry. Anyway, I made the "MM Sandwiches, PW style". I did not use as much butter as she calls for in her recipe and I used extra lean beef. They were so Delicious. I cannot wait for lunchtime today so I can have leftovers. If you would like the recipe, here is a link to her recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/the-mm-sandwich-pw-style/
The only thing I changed is the amount of butter. (I only used 2Tb's total) I believe that you have to keep some of the good stuff (like butter) in recipes, but you don't necessarily have to use as much as called for in the recipe. Sure, maybe my sauce wasn't as rich tasting as hers, but it still tasted awesome. And it brought my calorie and fat count down to more reasonable levels.

I have no idea what is for dinner tonight. We typically reserve pizza for Friday nights. Our daughter is a pizza fanatic. She loves pizza. She would eat it for every meal if allowed to. In fact, that is how pizza night happened. She would ask for pizza for every meal. So finally we had to sit her down and tell her, 'honey, we can only have pizza on Friday nights.' She was devastated. But now it gives us all something to look forward to. I don't usually make the pizza, because lets face it. Homemade pizza is rarely as good as your favorite pizza place. Our fave pizza place is Franco's. Its a tiny little local place. Franco is from Italy and makes all the sauces, breads and doughs himself. What I love about Franco's pizza is that it is not greasy. Granted, we don't get the greasy ingredients like sausage or pepperoni on our pizza, so I'm sure that plays a factor in the lack of greasiness. But I do think that his pizza is maybe a smidge healthier than other pizza places.

Anyway, I'm not sure that pizza is in the cards for us tonight. I just spent alot of money on groceries yesterday. Not sure I feel up to spending money on more food. So we may just stay home and have something else. We will just have to wait and see. (which, that is my daughters new favorite phrase. Apparently I say that to her alot. She added it to all of her statements yesterday. So funny!)

So I guess maybe cooking is my cure for the winter blahs this year. I don't know, but I do know that I am really looking forward to warmer weather! And no snow!