Saturday, November 21, 2009

OMGawsh

     Sooooooooooo long! Too long!! I haven't blogged in almost three months. The longest I have ever gone, for sure.
     Life has been hectic, as per my usual. BUT, things seem to be at least to a simmer, so here I am again :)
     Life is good. Busy, but good. So much to catch up on, but I almost feel overwhelmed at the prospect, given the amount of time. My plan is to try and get back into the swing of blogging, though I haven't truly decided what that means yet.
     Could be a daily or weekly thing...I will just wait and see what happens :)
     It has been so long that I couldn't remember my password, LOL!!
     I am going to do my best to weigh in on the scale on Monday. I know that won't be good news, but I gotta start somewhere!
     For now, I want to leave you with a new site I discovered...It's simply shocking, I think!

Monday, August 31, 2009

Worked out this morning! First day of school!! Woo hoo ;)

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Nothing good to report...

     Need motivation.
     Ate a double chocolate brownie with ice cream for lunch today.
     Did change irrigation at our other field. That's it for exercise today.
     Really have been eating healthy (with the exception of b-day celebration).
     Getting lots done...cleaning, organizing, purging...just not focusing on ME :(
     Need to re-focus.
     Shorts fit, but feeling a little tighter. Need to weigh: Reality.

Monday, August 3, 2009

The caverns ROCKED!! 2 hours of amazing exercise!!! Whatta hike!! I'm so proud of my family ;)

We are on vacay!

     What I love about going on vacation and being around Rick's brother Rod and his family is that they are active people, and so I always feel GOOD not lazy!
     Montana is so beautiful and the temperature is so mild, that you just want to be outside! And, there are lots of things to do outside for sure!!!
     We have walked for two nights in a row. There is this really cool trail system near their home, and so Shelley and I (and, the dog Louie) go out exploring that!
     Today we are headed to the Lewis and Clark Caverns, which is a two-hour tour, so we will be doing some walking there :)
     I am excited to go there, as I did go to the Carlsbad Caverns with my boys on our trip to Texas, and we all loved that place!!
     It's crazy because the temperature in the caverns is below 50!! So, we actually have to take jeans and sweatshirts and stuff.
     Tomorrow we are doing a waterpark, and I know we also have some hot springs in mind, and a hike or two! I can't wait :)
     On the eating front, we have been doing good! Lots of healthy meals and yummy fresh salads!
     We are definitely having a perfect vacation, one in which you feel everything being nourished: your body, mind, and soul!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

A quickie!

So, I finally got in to weigh yesterday...CRAZY. The last time I weighed was June 15th, and I weighed 232.8. Yesterday I weighed 230.2!

Go figure! I did work out for all of June and REALLY watched what I ate and drank (as you can tell by my blog posts).

Then I wasn't nearly as vigilant in July, but I did have LOTS of exercise (especially the week at cheer camp). Anyhoot...I'm not complaining :)

I did ride the bike yesterday for an hour, and I did do some interval riding, so I was definitely sweating and could feel the workout!!

Today I am off to help a friend move! That will be a FANTASTIC workout, I am sure :)

More later...

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Exercised today!! Blog more later...

Monday, July 27, 2009

Tech burn out?

So, I just haven't been motorvated both literally and figuratively.

Haven't been working out :(

Haven't been blogging.

I feel like the blogging bit is because I have Facebook and Twitter, and it feels both redundant and overwhelming to do all of it.

Taking time to think.

As well, not blogging anymore (I know...I appreciate all of the faithful readers out there who have been emailing me...we are doing FANTASTIC! Life is actually quite mellow right now, which is NICE!)...OK, so not blogging anymore also prevents certain people who are TOTALLY obsessed with our lives from obsessing! LOL

NOT that I really have ever cared, but I have noticed that the lack of blogging on my part has equated with less drama on stalker's part. Ya know?!

Plus, when I don't have anything to report in the weight world...I feel less inspired to write on this blog.

I have been eating healthy (except the Mango ice cream and the BBQ at the Lockwoods' house)! Lots of fresh fruit, lots of salads, lots of grilled chicken and yummy fresh fish caught in our local river!

I have not been exercising on purpose. I did do TONS of walking at cheer camp a couple of weeks ago. Need to get motivated. Now that I type this, I think I will ride my recumbent bike today.

I haven't weighed in forever. I have no idea what I weigh, but my summer clothes fit and most are big, so I must be hovering at the same point.

This has been much of a ramble...and, for now, not my last.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

WOW

This is the LONGEST it has ever been since I have not blogged...Hmmmmm. I have been really busy with cheer camp and then a trip over to Seattle. I will get back to ya either tonight or tomorrow :) Lots to catch up on!! Plus, I am going to try and go weigh tonight...UGH...that could be bad!

Friday, July 10, 2009

It's been too long!

     Looking at this blog, I can't believe I haven't blogged anything since July 1st! It has been a bit busy, but...
     So, for the 4th of July weekend, we went horse camping for four days! It was fabulous! We did get rain on the last morning, but it was still such an adventure :)
     We had one ride of over 14 miles!!! It was amazing :)
     Eating really was good on the trip, as I made all sort of healthy stuff!
     I did also drink enough water each day! Woo hoo!

     OK, so I am just going to move forward.
     Yesterday I did not write everything down...back to that, today!
     I can say I did have FAB exercise yesterday, as we went down to Eastside Park, and I walked while the kiddo rode the bike!
     It was so much fun! I even jogged some :)
     I drank lots of water!
     We were busy bees yesterday :) First, we had breakfast at the Corner Bistro.
     I had a latte with sugar-free caramel. And, I had a piece of zucchini French Toast! It was so good, and one piece filled me up!! I had never had that before, YUMMY! I did not use butter, but did use syrup :)
     Lunch was a small plate of homemade nachos.
     Dinner was a Subway sandwich. I did get a foot-long, and it was a BBQ chicken one.
     And, we had delicious watermelon for dessert!!
     We also went to coffee with one of my close friends, Lorri :) That was fun, and I did have a Coffee Freeze.

OK, so I will post later everything for today! I can tell you that I did do Kickbox Cardio this morning!! And, it kicked my bootie :) Felt so good!!!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

A few more days!

      I have been busy outside for the past few days. I have had lots of fun stuff going on, so I haven't been blogging, but I have been jotting everything down!

Monday
I am working through an injury right now. Not fun :(
Exercise = recumbent bike 30 min/275 calories/5 miles

Water = 50 ounces (need to improve on this)

Food
Breakfast
waffle with syrup
coffee with International Delight
Lunch
leftover coleslaw
fruit bar (soft granola bar) 130 calories
10 goldfish
Afternoon snack
fruit bar
ice cream sandwich
Dinner
pork loin and cheddar mashed potatoes
dessert
slice of apple pie (homemade!)

Treat for me:Made a chiro appointment for Tuesday, and I planned out some recipes that I want to try with my new Dutch Oven :) VERY excited!

*****
Tuesday

Exercise = walking around the field 20 times!! We had five friends over, so in all six kids rode the horse around four times each :) A little jogging in there, too.

Water = 60 ounces (better than day before)
Food
Breakfast
coffee with International Delight

Lunch
Pizza Hut visit - I had one plate of salad. I had one small piece of pizza and one piece of dessert pizza and a couple of spoonfuls of macaroni and cheese. I drank water :)
Dinner
UH-oh...not so good! We went to Dairy Queen, and I had a bacon cheeseburger, onion rings, rootbeer, and a medium Tag-A-Long Blizzard.
Treat for me: That would definitely be my dinner! LOL!! Also, having a BIG playdate with lots of kiddos and mommies at my house! Did go to the chiro!

****
Wednesday

Exercise Does grocery shopping count? One hour's worth, and then hauling in 30 bags inside? I didn't do any other exercise.

Water = 60 ounces

Food
Breakfast
SF coffee at McDonald's
Lunch
Breadline - lots of water, Stromboli sandwich, cherry cheescake, Mojito
Dinner
Subway sandwich - Italian BMT with provlone

Treat for me: Got teeth cleaned, good dentist visit, bought some more whitening gel.

****
Some observations...eating out too much yesterday and today. I need to get that together, and really it's OK, since I have made mostly good decisions (except for DQ)!!

Monday, June 29, 2009

Marathon blog!!!

     Life's been busy, but good :) So, this is going to try and catch everyone up :)

Thursday
Exercise = recumbent bike 9.7 miles, 504 calories, 46 minutes
Nice thing for myself for the day = massage
Water = 60 ounces
Food = It ended up being a really busy day, so the food was not like how it should be as far as meals go...
Breakfast
coffee from pumphouse (FF/SF)
Dinner
hamburger wheat bun, corn on the cob, fried green tomatoes (YUMMY), chili

***
Friday
Water = 40
Exercise = recumbent bike = 50 min/ 500 calories/9.6 miles
Treat for me = Starbucks Frap! Although in the end, it meant me being up TOO late, since I drank it so late in the afternoon, LOL!
Food =
Breakfast
coffee pumphouse FF/SF Zebra
Lunch
cheese bagel Safeway
Afternoon snack
Grande frap from Starbucks (with whip cream and choco sauce)
Dinner
I love this recipe! I first made it while visiting family in Texas many years ago. It's easy, cheap, low calories, and DELICIOUS!! It's from the Texas Rangers (as in the law enforcement, and specifically eating out on the trail)Cookbook!


cabbage casserole (hamburger, cabbage, tomatoes, onion, green peppers) super low calories! I did also have two biscuits with SF blackberry jam.
Dessert = ice cream sandwich

***
Saturday
OK, so this is the first day that I did not exercise since summer has been in session. It's sort of a bummer, and I do plan on making it up (having two sessions of exercise one day). I was beat and I have an injury I am trying to heal.
Treat for me = 2-hour nap! LOL, this was from the dang coffee that I drank the afternoon before that kept me up until 3 a.m.!!
Water = 30 (This was a tough day in being on with all my goals)
Food =
Breakfast
Coffee with International Delight
Lunch
Birthday party!!!! Sausage in hot dog bun, pasta salad, one cupcake!
Dinner
Steak, coleslaw, corn on the cob (YUMMY!)

***
Sunday
Exercise = walking and jogging around the Barrel Club arena!!!!! LOL It was hot, too!! Next time I am going to ride my horse and lead!! LOL
Water = 100 ounces!! (YEAH)
Breakfast Mocha SF/FF at Corner Bistro
Lunch
Tuna on bagel
granola bar
chocolate graham cracker
Dinner
shrimp fettuccine (homemade)

***

There ya have it! I know I wasn't posting daily, but it does feel good that I was keeping track of everything still. Now I should be back onto my normal schedule :)

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Wednesday!

Some days it just feels easier than other days! Today was one of those easier days :)

Exercise = Changed it up a little, and I went to the gym. Then in the afternoon we went bowling!!
Treadmill 20 minutes
Elliptical 10 minutes
Bowling – one game (bowled a 126, not to shabby for it being such a long time since I last bowled)

Water = 80 ounces - much better than the prior day!

Food = Good and OK
I had an early morning meeting (6 a.m.), so I wasn't hungry, but I went and grabbed a yummy drink. Thank goodness they are open at 5:40 when I came through!
Breakfast
FF Maple Bar latte at Pumphouse (didn’t get SF flavors)
Lunch
small salad with Huckleberry dressing
cheese quesadilla – one wheat tortilla and cheese
Dinner Well, Ricky came home and said let's go to dinner! This isn't a normal thing for him, so I was like OK! We had such a nice dinner, great conversation. It's so nice to re-charge :)
Rancho Chico – I did eat a lot of chips beforehand and the cabbage salsa. I ordered an avocado tostada with chicken. I did not get the full meal (no rice or beans), and since I had a meeting to attend, I didn't drink a margarita, just water :)
Dessert
Chocolate Charleston Chew (230 calories)
Ice cream sandwich

Nice thing for me for the day? Well, I did spend some time with my best friend when we took the kids to go bowling :) I also finished reading one of my books!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Not such a good day...not a bad day, just an in-between day??

     For whatever reason I was STARVING all day yesterday! Nothing seemed to satisfy my hunger whatsoever.
     This would be my least successful day of summer. But, in the big pic of things and choosing to remain positive, I would have to say that it was a day with some good stuff still happening :)

Water = 40 ounces (ruh-roh, as Scooby Doo says!) In looking at this with joyfulness I see that there are many days in my past where I drank virtually NO water, so some is better than none, and although this is only have my daily goal...that's OK.

Exercise = recumbent bike 7.8 miles/38 minutes/410 calories
Again, not so super, but it was something! And, when I did finally exercise yesterday it was after 4 p.m. in the afternoon, and what I really wanted to do...well, I wanted to take a nap! LOL And, my goal this summer is to do at least 30 minutes of cardio a day, so I can check that off!

Food = big SIGH
Breakfast
homemade waffle, syrup no butter
coffee with International Delight

Lunch = We had a girls lunch, and I didn't decide where we ate, but mostly I felt OK when I left Pizza Hut.

salad
one piece of pizza – veggie
one piece of dessert pizza – cherry
one breadstick

Afternoon snack
Sugar free mocha frappe from Pumphouse

Here's where everything went awry, I think. First, I decided to not make dinner. Why? I dunno. LOL! I even bought veggies at the farmers market, so...YEAH. This is all from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m.

3 ice cream sandwiches (not one...not two...but THREE! Not at one sitting, however.)
leftover pasta - normal size bowl
chicken nuggets (baked in the oven), and I had five
French fries (also baked in the oven...hey, I thought I wasn't making dinner)
Fiber One Bar
Frozen bean burrito (This was early afternoon...and, I buy these for my son, as he likes to eat them as a snack, but GROSS, it wasn't even that good.)

OK...so there you have it all. Not pretty.

What nice thing did I do for myself? Well, I loved the puppet show, even though that originally wasn't just for me :) And, I would also say my sugar-free Frappe was a delightful treat!

     Today will be better :) I can feel it already!!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Monday is in the books!

     Trying to find our summer routine! We had art camp, which was really fun because we got to see all of our friends and their parents :)
     The weather wasn't so nice, but we found fun things to do inside: read, dance, more art, exercise.

Water
= 80 ounces

Exercise = recumbent bike 10 miles, 50 minutes, 520 calories and also dancing fools for 30 minutes!

Food
Breakfast
Coffee with International Delight

Lunch
One BBQ rib

Afternoon Snack

Cucumbers in water, vinegar, garlic pepper

This is one of our family favorites! Everyone chows these down!!



Dinner
Spaghetti
Salad
I swear, I could eat fresh salad every day!!

Dessert
Ice cream sandwich

The nice thing for me? Well, I did finish a project I had started, and that always feels rewarding. I also had some snuggle time, and that always feeds the mama spirit!!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Perfect Sunday :)

      Exercise!!! We went out on the horses today, and we rode for over four hours (that's in the seat time). I did a lot of trotting today, too! So, that's right around 2000 calories GONE!

Water = 80 ounces

Food =
Breakfast
banana
coffee at Pumphouse, non-fat milk, sugar-free flavors

Lunch

bagel (big Safeway one)

Afternoon snack
iced cookies (100 calorie pack)
Pringles Salt and Vinegar chips

Dinner
BBQ beef boneless ribs (2)
coleslaw (made with Miracle Whip, cabbage carrots, pepper, lime juice)
corn on the cob
biscuit

Dessert

vanilla ice cream – ½ cup

This was such a good day! We had so much fun. The weather cooperated with us, and I just love being out with my family and on our horses!!!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Sleepy Saturday!

     Just a lazy Saturday for the most part. We have big plans for tomorrow, Father's Day, so we just did some prepping, and finished up some house chores.
     I did, however, exercise!! I had a goal of riding 20 miles on the bike today, and I did it! I watched a couple of shows I had on the DVR, and I just went for it. I felt SOOOO good afterwards!!!

Exercise
Recumbent bike - 90 minutes/20 miles/1038 calories!!

Water = 80 ounces

Food =
Breakfast
homemade waffle, syrup (no butter)
coffee International Delight and hot chocolate
small glass of milk (gotta have that for the waffle, right?!)

Lunch
slice of reduced fat mozzarella
Goulash - hamburger, tomato, corn

Afternoon Snack
ice cream sandwich

Dinner
pot roast
baked potato – no skin, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray
biscuit - I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray and blackberry jam

Something nice for me...does sleeping in count? I did also spend a couple of hours reading today.

A Saturday post for Friday!

      I did not post last night because we left around 6 p.m. to head over to the Lockwood's house, and we didn't get home until after 2 a.m.!! We had such a good time :)
      It's so nice to have a couple with whom you are close, and that everyone likes everyone!
      I was bad though in my consumption of calories, and I did not even keep track. I know I had a couple of smaller pieces of Papa Murphy's pepperoni pizza, and I ate chips and salsa, and I consumed some beverages, but mostly I used club soda, although then I did switch to orange juice as my mixer later, but hey that's vitamin C, right?!
     Friday did start off right, LOL!

Exercise =
Recumbent bike 11.55 miles, 600 calories, 55 minutes

Water = 60 ounces

Food =
Breakfast
Coffee with International Delight
Oh’s cereal – one cup – didn’t drink milk

Lunch
Mozzarella cheese (60 calories, 4 g of fat)
Salsa
Bruschetta Tomato Basil Parmesan Bocca Burger (70/1.5)


Afternoon snack
Bagel from Safeway with fruit cream cheese

Dinner
Read above

OK, so overall this wasn't the best day. I did get exercise in, but it wasn't as good as the day before, and I only exercised once.

Water same story as exercise.

So, I guess we will count this as the worst day of the week! But, in the big picture of things, I did exercise :)

And, something for me today?? I had a blast with one of my best friends :) Enough said.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Rev Run

I have two quotes that I received on my Twitter today that even though they are not written specifically for someone who is losing weight, they certainly have meaning to me.

They are from Reverend Run (Joe Simmons AKA Run of Run-DMC).

Persistence, dedication, focus, pushing relentlessly 2wards the things you wanna see happen! PERIOD!

Continuous effort,, not strength or intelligence is the key to success! A consistent water flow can wear any hard place\ rock.. OUT!

Right on target...

I ran across this, as I follow Paul Coelho on Twitter. Here is the link to his blog.

He discusses the importance of repeating the same thing, and it just resonnates with me and this journey and trying to make good habits this summer. His poetic writing inspired me, and I wanted to share it with you! I especially like his last line. ENJOY...


     An action is a thought that manifests itself.
     A small gesture denounces us, so we have to make everything perfect, think about the details, learn the technique so that it becomes intuitive. Intuition has nothing to do with routine but rather with a state of spirit that lies beyond technique.
     So, after practicing a lot, we no longer think about all the necessary movements: they become part of our very existence. But for this to happen, you have to train and repeat.
     And as if that were not enough, you have to repeat and train.
     Watch a good blacksmith working the steel. To the untrained eye he is repeating the same hammer blows over and over again.
     But those who know the importance of training know that each time the hammer is raised and then lowered, the intensity of the blow is different. The hand repeats the same gesture but as it approaches the iron it knows whether to touch it harder or softer.
     Look at the windmill. Whoever sees its vanes just once imagines that it always turns with the same speed, always repeating the same movement. But those who know windmills know that they are conditioned to the wind and change their direction whenever necessary.
     The hand of the ironsmith was trained after the gesture of hammering was repeated thousands of times. Windmill vanes can move fast after the wind has blown a lot and polished their gears. The archer lets many an arrow pass far from the target because he knows that he will only learn the importance of the bow, posture, the string and the target after he repeats his gestures thousands of times without being afraid of making a mistake.
     Until he reaches the moment when he no longer needs to think about what he doing.
     From then on the archer becomes his bow, his arrow and his target.

Thursday :)

     Today was yet another SUPER day!! I had some goals, and I was able to accomplish those!

Exercise =
Recumbent Bike 55 min/ 627 calories/12.11 miles while watching Top Chef Master. I did only ride the bike, and did not go out on my horse tonight.

Water = 148 ounces! HOLY COW!! I had a big gallon jug at the baseball games!

Food =
Breakfast
Coffee with International Delight

Lunch
Chicken salad – used leftover chicken breasts from a couple of days ago. Lettuce, red pepper, yellow pepper, almonds. Dressing = Huckleberry.



Dinner
Taco and more Chicken Salad (Dressing = lime juice)


Dessert
Ice cream sandwich

     So, I didn't add more exercise, but I definitely added more time/distance/calories onto the bike! I couldn't believe the difference in the final stats for just a little while longer.
     It makes me think about a couple of different things I would like to do. I know someone who "ran" for 17 minutes every ten days just to see how far he could get each time. I kinda like that challenge idea.
     Speaking of challenge, I also recently read about a challenge on one of my favorite blogs, Fat Dad, where every Friday he and some other people drink a 5-hour energy shot, and then they exercise for one hour to see who can burn the most calories in one hour. Each person competing can choose any form of exercise s/he wants for that hour. I like this idea. Hmmmm.
     I am also proud of myself for all the water!! WOO hoo. That's something to strive for tomorrow :)
     OK, so what good thing did I do for me today? Well, I did take a nap early evening, and that was nice. I read a little, and then slept for an hour. NICE.
     Also, I went to Jordan's doubleheader baseball games today in Brewster (they won one and barely lost the other), and I sat with his girlfriend, Ramsi.
     We laughed so hard so many times, that my face and stomach hurt! I told her that I was going to blog about that being one of the good things I did for myself...hang out with her all afternoon! The laughter is AMAZING! You can't have a bad day when you laugh that hard!!!
     Goals for tomorrow? Well, besides keeping everything to the same level as today, I would like to try one more form of exercise besides the bike and the horse. I did DVR some fitness shows, so maybe that or a walk or a hike.
laughter

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

wHaTtA WeDnEsDaY!!!

     Another day in the books, ladies and gentlemen!! I was a little worried because I woke up with a gnarly headache! I think it's allergies, but I guess it could be that I slept strangely or something. WHATEVER it was, OUCH.
     So, I got up and exercised!! I was hoping it would kick the headache in the butt; unfortunately, it did not. Migraine Excedrin did the job in the late afternoon.
     With that all said, I wasn't super hungry, which I guess is an OK side effect. I would rather have no headache and be hungry, though!

Water = 80 ounces - that's an improvement :)
Exercise =
Recumbent bike/40 minutes/475 calories/9 miles - OK, so my goal for today was to ride as long as I normally do, but to increase the calories and mileage, which I did!! WOO HOO!

I also spent almost two hours outside sorting bulbs (a big cheer fundraiser), and since it was humid this morning, I was sweating like crazy.

Tonight we rode the horses around the block, and we went twice, so I rode for over an hour! And, bareback...so that's another at least 300 calories!

Food =
Breakfast
Coffee with International Delight creamer
Bagel (big one from Safeway)

Lunch
Tomatoes with melted mozzarella (reduced fat) and 1 tsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, oregano, pepper.



Dinner
Taco on whole wheat tortilla (hamburger meet, corn- from a fresh piece of corn on the cob-, tomatoes) with small amount of cheese.



Coleslaw - Cabbage, carrots, light Miracle Whip, cilantro, lime juice, pepper.



I didn't have any snacks today. Just felt nauseated all day.

     What nice thing did I do for myself today? Well, I did stop by and make a much needed dentist appointment to have my teeth cleaned. I also ordered a book that I really wanted online!

     On the list for tomorrow? Well, I want to try to do some sort of other exercise tomorrow IN ADDITION to my bike and horse riding. Maybe I will squeeze in a walk. I know that next week I am starting up the weights again.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Right on track!

Sorry forgot to post my pic last night...I had to add radishes because the food looked too brown and yellow, LOL!


Today was another pretty good day in the health department! I had a few things I wanted to improve, and I was able to do that!

Exercise =
Recumbent bike, 40 minutes/420 calories/8 miles (watched another episode of RH)
Riding the horse, 30 minutes/130 calories/ not sure on the mileage, just around our block tonight, but bareback, so that's more of a workout :)

Water = 70 ounces

Eating
Breakfast
smoothie – coffee, milk (8 ounces), ice, banana - SURPRISINGLY, this was really yummy, and it was just an impromptu sort of thing!

Morning Snack
cottage cheese (1/2 cup)with pepper

Lunch
Salad – red, yellow, green pepper, tomato, lettuce, almonds, cilantro (I love cilantro!)
Dressing – tsp of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lime juice

Afternoon Snacks
90 calorie rice krispy treat
150 calorie Fiber one bar
Radishes

Dinner
Country Chicken – Chicken breasts soaked in FF Ranch dressing, then rolled in bread crumbs, and baked (spices – garlic, celery salt, oregano, pepper)
I love this recipe! It comes from our family Texas Cookbook!

Baked Potatoes – I cut up the potatoes and then did the shake in a bag of spices, then streamed them. (Spices – 5 spice, fresh basil, pepper, garlic, 1 tsp of olive oil for entire bag, 1 tsp of soy sauce, 2 tsps of Worcestershire sauce)

Leftover fruit salad from last night.

Dessert
one Skinny Dip beer (114 calories)

I did squeeze in 30 more minutes of exercise today. I want to do the same tomorrow!

The only thing I would've liked to have done differently would be to not eat any processed food...I had two snacks today that fall into that category.

OK, for what I did nice for myself today...I had my hair done :) I love going to Shelley! She's great! She knows how to expertly cut naturally curly hair. It's so relaxing to go there!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Good day!

     Nahhh...make that a great one!
     I slept in :) Then I got up and rode the recumbent bike while watching one of my shows on DVR. I can't believe it took me so long to get one of those machines! LOL
     I headed into school to tie up some loose ends, and also use the scale. I weigh 232.8 pounds. An increase since my last WWers weigh-in, DANG it, though I am not surprised.
     Well, here's how today went:

Water = over 64 ounces (yeah, first time in a long time that I have accomplished that!)
Exercise = 40 minutes on the bike, 420 calories melted away, 8 miles
Food =
Breakfast
coffee - I just used some International Delight creamer, no milk or anything else.
banana

Lunch
veggies – yellow pepper, red pepper, tomatoes, squash, lettuce, cilantro
dressing - olive oil (1 tsp), balsamic vinegar, A-1
corn on the cob - cold (was BBQed the other night), no butter, some lime

Afternoon Snack
iced coffee - fat free milk and sugar free flavors

Dinner



shrimp salad - same veggies as above, but with yummy shrimp that I simmered in lime juice, garlic, pepper, cilantro, and balsamic vinegar. Also, added almonds and a few croutons.
dressing - A little bit of A-1 and lime juice.
corn on the cob - little lime, cold, no butter. YUMMY!

Dessert
fruit salad - fat free cool whip, fruit, and some crushed up graham crackers.

     So, I will blog this kind of stuff each day. I will try to take at least one pic of my food to inspire something yummy and healthy to eat.
     I also decided that I am going to do at least ONE thing a day for myself every single day this summer. So, today? I had a lovely and relaxing massage ;)
     What would I like to have done differently today...a little more exercise. That will be the goal for tomorrow.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

New news

      Well, tomorrow starts my new focus! I am recovered from my sinus infection, and ready to get going.
      I did ride the recumbent bike this morning for 45 minutes, while watching an episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey that I had on my DVR.
      And, on Saturday I rode Joe bareback, so I definitely am feeling those muscles today because normally I am in my saddle.
     It felt good to exercise and sweat :)
      I am going to do a bit of a boot camp this week, as far as exercise goes. I want to do some hiking even.
      I am going to do a bit of a detox this week regarding my eating. I am going to do my best to not eat ANYTHING processed, and I am going to record everything I do eat.
     So, you will see a little something different this next week. I am going to blog my exercise and food journal each day!
      I am going to weigh in tomorrow, so I know where I am at as far aas that goes :)
      I decided to drop Weight Watchers. I wasn't going to the meetings or using the website anymore, so it seems like a waste of money, and I am going to go at it my way. I know what I need to do...track! And, I am all over it!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

We r up in the mountains riding and just saw a bear cub.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Not so on the mend, I suppose

     I am sick! Grrr. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. I want to go play and enjoy the sunshine. I want to ride my horse. I want to exercise. I want to do yard work. I want, I want, I want...OK, I want to go to bed and sleep for a week, and when I wake back up not be sick anymore!!
     I had a few days of feeling like I might be perking up, and then BAM! Back to the yucky sicky icky. SIGH.
     I think I should go to the doctor, as my glands are swollen (have been for over a week), my sinus is plugged (going on almost two weeks), I have a fever off and on, and now my ear is sore.
     I am happy that I don't get sick often because I couldn't handle it!
     To top it all off, I am pretty sure I also have some allergies going on, too.
     I want to be back to my normal self RIGHT now! And, I have a handful of new babies in my life right now, and I can't hold them or even visit them yet!!! It's killing me!!!!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

On the mend!

     It's been a whirlwind, for sure, but I think I am ALMOST back to some semblance of a normal life, whatever that might be.
     Last weekend was a good one, overall, but it was busy as usual (as is the one coming up).
     Jordan had a baseball game in Moses Lake on Saturday, so that took up most of the day, and I returned home with a lovely sunburn!
     Then Sunday we went for a horse ride, which was very relaxing (but not soothing on that sunburn on the back of my legs, especially when we headed down the hills!).
     So, I know I melted some calories away while riding, and I am very much looking forward to riding regularly when summer comes along!
     We did attend a BBQ at the Koski house that evening, and BOY we just love that family!!! The food was great, and I did not overeat.
     Monday rolled around, and we headed out on the motorcycle for a beautiful ride!
     But, starting Sunday evening, I started feeling quite conjested! By Monday afternoon it was far worse, and Monday night I was a mess!
     I don't know if it's a cold or if it's allergies, but whatever it is, I don't like it one bit!
     I am guessing it might be a combination of a cold and allergies (since I did have a fever), and today I am feeling much better!
     I did finally go for a walk yesterday at lunch, which was the first bit of exercise I have done in too long!
     I did get all coughy and felt like I might lose a lung, but the fresh air felt good :)
     I have not been drinking enough lately, so I need to focus on that!! My eating has been OK, and I am looking forward to starting up the bike in the morning again.
     The really great news is that even though life has been a bit nutso, I only gained one pound in the past three weeks!! I am OK with that, especially since I feel like I am reeled back in now.
     And, I weigh less right now than I weighed last summer! I can really tell the difference, as I have been wearing shorts and capris that last year fit snugly, and this year are loose.
     I also hope to return to my normal blogging! So, stay tuned :)

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Whole family went to see Night at the Museum 2. Quite the clever movie! Super sequel!
Made it to WWers tonight just to weigh in! It's been three weeks and I gained one pound. I'm pleasantly surprised and back on the wagon!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Kinda surprised!

     I weighed in today after school. I have weighed on this scale before when I am working out, and I only weighed one pound more than the lowest I have been on it!
     And, I was not wearing my normal workout clothes, but rather my work clothes, including jeans :)
     So, maybe these past two weeks haven't been as bad as I thought. I will have to find out this upcoming Wednesday at WWers!

Not good news...

     Life has been beyond crazy hectic. I haven't exercised now for nine days! Well, not my normal exercise program. I did walk at Relay for Life, so that counts for SOMETHING in the past week.
     I am going to go for a walk today after school, and I plan on starting everything back up to my normal routine tomorrow.
     We have been out of town a lot lately. I was thinking about it, and in the past week and a half, I have been to Wenatchee three times, Seattle once, and Spokane, too.
     In the past two weeks, I have had three birthdays (two of our kids, and Ricky), Mother's Day, Prom, and an auction.
     Then, of course, the planning and participating in Relay for Life (I was captain of four teams.), which included some extra incentive, in that I ran a special fundraiser in honor of Jose Rodriguez, one of our students, who passed away on May 11th from his battle with cancer.
     We had his funeral this week, and I haven't felt that heartbroken.
     We have had lots of baseball games in Wenatchee, and lots of running around.
     With the loss of sleep for the past week and a half, I have not been able to get up early out of bed!!! But, I plan on doing that tomorrow :)
     It will feel good to be on a normal routine once again.
     I haven't been to WWers for two weeks now, so I don't know what I weigh, but I have a hunch I have gained, as my clothes don't feel the same. Amazing HOW fast that happens...if only it was as fast coming off! LOL
     So, to sum it up, we have had some intense JOY and SADNESS; that's life, right?
     I am glad that we are leveling out for a bit. Stay tuned.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Too much going on...

     Life has been incredibly busy! OH MY GOODNESS!
     So, I did not go to WWers this week, and I KNOW I have gained, even though I don't want to know how much, but I can tell!
     I have lots of exercise coming up this weekend, so I am glad for that, and I need to get back on track in the eating department, ASAP!
     I will try to get you all caught up, maybe by this Sunday!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

The lost and found on the train announced that they had a pair of false teeth if anyone was missing them!
On the train to Seattle it was snowing on top of Stevens Pass! COOL!
HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY MISS SARAH BEAR-AH!!!!!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Keep on trucking!

     So, this week I have exercised EVERY morning for 45 minutes on my recumbent bike! I really love that routine, and I am proud of myself for keeping that going. And, honestly, it doesn't even feel hard to do. I guess it helps that it's right in my house :)
     I was watching the Biggest Loser and just BLUBBERING! I am so inspired by those contestants. I realize that it's reality to exercise for six hours a day and all of that, but MAN, how impressive!
     I could NOT believe they completed a marathon! It was very emotional!
     I have also been walking up Orchard Grade at lunch...well, Monday-Wednesday because yesterday I had a meeting at lunch. Thank goodness that is not a regular thing, right?! It's just that we are gearing up for Relay for Life next week!!
     Then today I won't be walking at lunch because I'm headed out of town! I don't know if I will get exercise in tomorrow morning or not because we will be in a hurry to get home for Jordan's second game against Omak (can't believe I am missing tonight's game!).
     We will see. And, I need to eat well, and keep tracking. I did a SUPER job tracking yesterday!!
     I had a fun Muffins for Mother's Day event this morning, but I decided I didn't want a muffin...those things are 600 calories and like 40 grams of fat!!!! For real, gotta love Costco, but NO THANK YOU!
     I had fruit only, and it was yummy! Oh yeah, and I have to count my two Hershey kisses from my baby girl!
     So, I did gain a pound this past week. I think I was in the mode of...well, I lost almost three pounds the week before, I have been exercising so much that I didn't need to track. WRONG!
     That's OK. Rather than be all bummed about it (I was mildly bummed), it's just a good reminder that this hard work has to continue, if it's all going to pay-off!!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Gained a pound but I EXPECTED more so that's OK. This will be a better week!

Lovely lunch!

     Today I contemplated walking or not...I decided that a little rain wouldn't hurt :) And, I was right!
     I walked up Orchard Grade, and I felt so alive. I love the smell of rain, and it definitely cooled me off, too!
     Yesterday's walk was equally delightful, as it had rained all morning and then it was beautifully full of sunshine for my walk!
     Love it!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Good news or bad news first?

     OK, so let's start with the good news! This morning I tried on a pair of pants that I couldn't wear during winter, and not only do they fit...but they are already loose! YEAH baby!
     And, so this had me in a trying on all my smaller pants sort of frenzy! LOL
     I was able to put on pants that I couldn't get up over my butt a couple of months ago! Yahoo!
     And, all of my summer shorts fit, and many are loose, too! YES!
     OK, so for the not-so-good news...I have not been tracking. I have been exercising, even rode the bike this morning, and I love that routine.
     I have a big workout planned for this afternoon, and I am feeling quite motivated!
     But, the eating...not so good this past week. Friday I ate Family Food in my Cultural Humanities class, and it was VERY good!
     Then I ate one small piece (they were small pizzas, so the pieces were seriously small) of pizza, and I ate an ice cream (drumstick).
     Then Saturday...well, I ate a bunch of Jalapeno chips at the baseball game. Geez. Other than that, I did great! Everything else was healthy and under control in the portion department.
     Sunday = NOT so good! We ate dinner at Kentucky Fried Chicken. I detest fast food! This is the FIRST time I have ever even eaten there!!! I did have grilled chicken, and a small portion of mashed potatoes (that were not very good), and then to top off that, we went to Dairy Queen.
     Now, I WANTED a Blizzard, but I settled with a small chocolate dipped ice cream.
     Then last night, after I froze during the baseball game (and ate a few more Jalapeno chips), I went to Stampede Teriyaki for takeout.
     Not good. Not good. The thing is that I am being good for breakfast and lunch. I need to get more organized and figure it out for dinner!!!
     So, hopefully the intense exercise will stave off the poundage on the scale this week, and if not...I am OK. As I am refocusing right now, and I am especially enjoying wearing these jeans today :)

Monday, May 4, 2009

Exercise anyone?

     I rode the bike yesterday for an hour and forty-five minutes, another forty-five minutes this morning, and then a SUPER walk today at lunch up Orchard Grade!
     The flowers were especially full of scent, the birds were chirping loudly, and I saw so many people I know today!
     I love the honks, and waves, and even the holler to keep up the good work!
     What a great Monday!!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

I lost 2.8 this week!!
Headed to the chiro! Boy I need it!

Another one in the books!

     I had another Orchard Grade walk for lunch today :) I took my coat, but then definitely didn't need it.
     Such a nice break during the day :)
     I will try to update tonight after I weigh in!
Happy Hump Day! Anyone else feel like this week has already been 15 days??? I rode the recumbent at 5 am this morning cuz I have a meeting at 7!!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Nice walk!

     So, it wasn't nice in the weather department, as I headed out, rather blustery, even sprinkling, and definite jacket-necessary- temperature!
     I still had a good walk. I went to the post office and sent off Cody's birthday cards. This is the first time that he is out of country on his birthday. Last year, I couldn't see him either, but I was able to send him a delivery.
     I did order him a present and sent it off, so hopefully it will reach in time! And, I also sent the monthly care package off, so he should be set!!
     I did see a funny thing on my walk that made me laugh. I saw this big dog in the backseat of a compact car. He had half his body in the back window and half his body standing on the backseat!! It was super cute!!
     I also got a postcard (to add to my gi-normous collection) today, so that was a pleasant surprise, too.
     Good lunch.

That's life!

     I am so stinking proud of myself and the effort I have towards working out!!
     I had a string of 7 mornings in a row on the recumbent bike (THANK YOU DVR!).
     Then Saturday we had to make a quick and unexpected trip to Ellensburg. This meant getting up at 4:10 a.m., and then heading back to the double-header baseball games.
     I was absolutely exhausted by 4:30 in the afternoon, and I went home and took a nap before we headed out to visit our good friends, the Lockwoods, up in Conconully.
     So, for the first time this month, I did not exercise at all on Saturday. And, I was mildly disappointed, but in the big scheme of things, I am OK with it. That’s life.
     Sunday I walked Robinson Canyon. I walked 3.4 miles all together, and I did not stop when I was trucking it up that hill. In addition, I also jogged for .4 of that total (on flat ground), but I don’t know that I will be doing that again because although my heart could handle it, I felt like the pavement was a bit tough on my shins, and I don’t want to risk any injuries right now.
     Monday my bumper muscles and calves were aburning! THANK goodness for a LONG soak last night in the hot tub, and today I feel super!
     I did still ride the bike for 45 minutes yesterday morning and walk the Orchard Grade yesterday during my lunch, which by the way I have faithfully walked during my lunch for three weeks, only missing one day because of a lunch meeting.
     I also walked an additional mile on the treadmill after school and then lifted weights, too.
     Today I logged in another 45 minutes on the bike! I was a blubbering fool because I was watching the end of last week’s Biggest Loser, and it was so sad that Kristin was sent home! I could SOOO relate to her! I loved the follow-up, and all of the people she is inspiring!!
     I will squeeze in a walk today for lunch, although I have errands to run (OK, errands to walk), so I am skipping the hill today. Then today after school we have a hair appointment, so I am going to either go for a horse ride (depending on the wind) or else jump on the bike to watch last week’s episode of Survivor.
     My eating has been improved this week, as besides yesterday I have been writing down everything. I need to figure out the lasagna that I made last night…and the portion that I ate (too big).
     Tomorrow is weigh-in, and I will ride my bike in the morning, too. I have been getting up at 5:30 this week!! Plus I will walk at lunch.
     That's it. That's life lately!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Just walked up Robinson Canyon AGAINST the wind!!

Friday, April 24, 2009

You know your pants are just too big when you can pull them on and off without even unbuttoning them! Not bad considering they were tight...
Just got a killer walk in at my lunch up to Parks Place on Orchard Grade. Wish I had longer than a thirty minute lunch!

Learning some stuff about myself

     OK, so on Wednesday I went to WWers, as you already know, and I gained .04.
     To say I was peeved would be an understatement. I was exceptionally mad, and all pouty because I really felt that all of that exercise should count for something!
     I had over 30 exercise points racked up, and then I had a gain. Grrr.
     To top it off, since I only lost .04 the previous week, and then you add in the .04 gain this week, it feels like I was basically in limbo for TWO weeks!!!!!!!!
     Are you kidding me? Does anyone else feel this way?!
     I keep having to remind myself to look at the big picture. Yes, my clothes feel more loose. I don't know my measurements, as I have not taken them, but I know there is a change. I do feel stronger, and I am very proud for how long I have been working out.
     I know that I have not been tracking in the evening, and I know that my portions at dinner are too big.
     I have not been eating bad foods, by any means, but too much of a good thing can be just that.
     I have not been snacking at all. Or, eating anything bad, and to be TOTALLY honest, I have this righteous feeling that if I am exercising as much as I am, then I shouldn't have to watch how much I eat for dinner.
     But, obviously reality (AKA the scale) bit me in the butt.
     So, for the last two days, I have been totally on track in the tracking department! I am eating under my daily points, and I may use up some of my weekly flex points because I may want to eat tonight at the auction :)
     I still can't believe how FOCUSED I am in the exercise department!!!
     This morning I again rode my recumbent bike for 45 minutes, and that makes SEVEN days in a row of doing that.
     Here is something great! Yesterday I could not go for a walk because I had a lunch meeting with my National Honor Society kids to plan our upcoming Relay for Life activities.
     I was actually pretty grumpy about not being able to go for my daily lunch walk. I was surprised at how much I really wanted/needed to go! That's a good thing, right??!!
     I did go and workout after school, which I now affectionately call GYMING :) I ran on the elliptical for a mile, and then lifted weights.
     So, with riding the bike yesterday and then working out after school, it's not like I was a slacker or anything, but BOY I am looking forward to my walk up Orchard Grade today for lunch!!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Going GYMING!!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

I gained the .4 I lost last week. I need to be more faithful in my tracking especially in the evening. I have to make all this exercise worth it!
What a crazy good lunch walk up Orchard Grade!

Good (OK, great!) and still working on it...

     Yesterday I ran on the elliptical for a mile. Is it called running? IDK
     But, nonetheless, I "ran" on the elliptical for a mile in UNDER 13 minutes!! It was my goal, and I did it! I was so stoked!
     I felt like I was on a mammoth exercise high for most of the night.
     I wonder what a realistic goal would be for me to get a mile out...I don't know, but I have cut 2 minutes off my previous miles.
     This morning I finished watching The Biggest Loser, and I rode for 45 minutes, 9 miles, 450 calories!
     That makes five days in a row on the bike.
     I don't think I have lost much weight this week, at least that's my guess before I weigh-in tonight, and I will be frustrated because I have been ON FIRE in the exercise department.
     I am drinking all my water, and I am eating GREAT all day (even tracking) until night. Now, at night I am not snacking, but I am eating too much dinner, I think. I am not paying attention to dinner portions, and I am not tracking it. I need to get on that.
     But, you would think with ALL the exercising that I would have some big results. SIGH.
     I will definitely update what the scale says this evening.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Just made and ate the most scrumptious salad!
I love the after exercise high!

Yeah for the sunshine

yeah for Tuesday
yeah for hot weather
yeah for yet another super walk at lunch
yeah for Cody calling while I was out walking
yeah

I love my exercise bike!

     So, for the past four days in a row, I have rode my recumbent bike for 45 minutes, 500 calories, and 9-10 miles :)
     I just realized this morning that I have basically rode all the way to Brewster!
     That makes me actually want to get my real bike a tune-up, which I still have not done!! Then I can get out and ride it around, too.
     I did enjoy watching The Biggest Loser while I was riding this morning! It was VERY inspiring, and I actually rode harder today.
     I am really into the swing of things with exercising! I am so proud of myself, as I have not missed a day of walking at lunch during the work week, with this being the third week in a row!
     I actually have done some form of exercise, with the minimum being a one-mile walk, every single day of April so far!!!!!
     Yeah!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Fabulous lunch walk today! I walked up Orchard Grade.

DVR, Oh How I Love You

     LOL!
     I thought about writing an ode to my DVR, but then thought that was definitely over-the-top in the cheese department.
     I have a new tradition going, and that is riding my recumbent bike on Saturday mornings and watching Survivor.
     This equals a forty-five minute ride (with fast forwarding through the commercials)!
     I also did a repeat of this on Sunday, watching The Real Housewives of Orange County (and the New Jersey preview), and then this morning I watched the reunion show of Rock of Love.
     Now, I don't feel so guilty watching those stupid shows when I am riding the bike!!!
     Also on the exercise front, we headed out for a ride up on the Loup in the Sweat Creek area.
     We were about an hour into our climb, and that's when we noticed GI-NORMOUS bear tracks!!! They were fairly fresh (either earlier in the day or maybe the day before).
     Since we did not have our rifle with us (just our .22 pistol), we decided to head back down to the truck.
     We did get an hour and forty-five minute ride in, and we planned on eating lunch and then heading out again, but staying down a little lower.
     But, Rick's horse caught his stirrup on the trailer, and it ripped off, so our day of riding was over.
     I was actually OK with that, and I am glad that we will be back in the saddle next weekend, but with our rifle along. Just in case.
     I so love being out riding. We saw a coyote, and tons of birds and even butterflies. The air is so clean and crisp, you can't help but feel ALIVE!
     Truly, I think this is the best exercise ever!!!

Friday, April 17, 2009

Going gyming (one of my new favorite words)!
New Friday tradition...walk to Wallwebbers for a veggie sandwich.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Itty bitty, but still inching in the right direction!

     I lost .4 last night, and I will readily admit, I was MAD about it, and I felt all pouty.
     I did so much exercise that I really felt like I would've had a bigger loss on the scale.
     Even though I did not track points, I still felt like I ate respectably well, especially through Easter!
     So, I was sitting there with my lower lip out there enough for a bird to perch on it (or, so my dad would say), and then we had a GREAT WWers meeting that truly change my perspective around.
     I know, I know...a loss is a loss no matter how small! Blah, blah, right?
     Well, our leader had a demonstration that hit home. She first asked for any volunteers who thought they were strong. She went to the back row and had the people there try to rip a phone book in two.
     Of course, when they tried to do this by grabbing the phone book as a whole, it did not work.
     But, then when the leader grabbed the book and opened it up and tore a few pages at a time, you could visually see how it would be possible to rip that phone book into two pieces!!
     Then our leader went on to ask us all how many times that we had lost weight, but it was under a pound. It was crazy to look at the big picture like that!!!
     So many people had lost LOTS of weight in under one pound increments. That made me feel better.
     In the end, she used the "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." (Which by the way I have seen attributed to both Confucius and Lao-Tzu)

Finally finished!

     I just finished The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl. AND, I loved it!
     (Click on the link to the book, and you can even read an excerpt! I love her style of writing!!!)
     I made the time to read, and then I really cruised through it!! It's so funny and inspiring.
     I COMPLETELY relate to the author, and I love the life lessons she has figured out and how much she has learned about herself :)
     READ IT! YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!!!!

Uphill all the way (well, at least one-way)

     Today for lunch I headed out and up the hill from school. I don't have any idea how far I walked, but I felt great!
     The birds were singing, the flowers (and trees) were blossoming, and the wind was gently blowing my wild mane of hair :)
     I walked eight minutes uphill (a steep one), and then walked back downhill, which only took five minutes!
     Love it!!!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Great walk for lunch! And I scored on a Rawsons' sale!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Testing out this blogging from my phone. Reminds me of Twitter.

Falling in love!

      I am falling in love with exercising again! Yahoo! This morning I rode the bike for 45 minutes!!!
      Then at lunch I walked for a mile, even in the wind (thankfully only in one direction, right?!).
      I wanted to challenge you to walk during a break or your lunch! All you need is 15 minutes, and you will clock in a mile!!!! So, even if you don't know for sure how long you are walking, you can walk at a decent pace for 7 1/2 minutes, and then turn around and come back. YOU CAN DO IT! Plus, you will feel so much better after doing so! I PROMISE!
      After school I walked/jogged on the treadmill for another mile (eight straight minutes of jogging). And, I followed that up with a weights workout!
      To make exercising even better, we recently received a DVR!! Can I say YOWSER??!! What a super cool piece of technology!!
      Now, I am busy taping all of these dumb reality shows that I do love to watch, but sometimes feel a little guilty for wasting the time on them.
      Well, NO MORE! I am now watching the shows and riding the bike at the same time!!! It's so sweet that you can fast forward through all of the commercials! I LOVE it!!!!
      I have heard so many people talking about their DVRs, and I didn't really get the hype, but now I do!

Monday, April 13, 2009

THE most amazing ride

     So, Saturday we headed out for a "trail" ride, only we were hardly ever on the the trail!
     That's right! I officially now am a mountain rider! LOL! We were all up and down the hills and mountains in the Pogue Mountain area.
     I still can't believe how close to home we are, and yet when you are out riding you feel WORLDS away!
     I am in love with riding my horse. I kept telling Rick that I felt like I was in a western movie of some kind, as we went everywhere.
     At different times we could see Duck Lake, Brown Lake, Green Lake; the towns of Omak, Okanogan, Malott; and beyond.
     We rode through where the fire was last year, and surprisingly the damage wasn't nearly as bad as we expected.
     And, the regeneration of grass and flowers is inspiring.
     The views were breathtaking!







     Now, let's talk about the workout! I rode for four hours, but like I said everything was up and down hills, with just a little (very little) amount of flat trail riding.
     I earned 13 exercise points, as I dialed in my activity online at Weight Watchers, and they don't give an option for the kind of riding we did; they just have walking, trotting, or galloping.
     So, on Sunday my core and my back muscles were the ones feeling it the most. But, I feel good, alive, and STRONG!
     I know I am getting stronger, because I can get pull myself up in the saddle all by myself now, wihtout needing any extra lift from Rick :)
     Again, thanks to my amazing new saddle, I didn't feel any saddle soreness :)
     Mostly I just love my horse, and I can't wait to get out all summer long!!!
     I love exercising outside. I love the sounds and smells, and the fresh air! YEEHAW!

Friday, April 10, 2009

New routine

      For this entire week I have walked every day at lunch! I love it! It's so invigorating for the rest of the day.
     For the past two days, I had been so busy with baseball in the evening that I did not have a chance to go shopping for lunch stuff for me, so I went to Wall Webbers yesterday and today for a scrumptious veggie sandwich!!! YUMMY, and healthy, woo hoo!
     I had an AWESOME workout this afternoon. I am up to jogging for 8 minutes straight! That's so amazing considering when I started a minute felt like an hour!!
     I am really happy with the routine of working out that I have right now!!! Besides my daily lunch walks, I am also lifting weights and jogging on the treadmill.
     Tomorrow if the weather holds out, we are going for a LONG trail ride! I can't wait!!!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Another loss and a new do!

     I lost 1.2 pounds this past week, and I was pleasantly surprised because I did NOT do a good job tracking over Spring Break, and this past weekend, but I did exercise TONS and tons.
     I am definitely on a roll in the exercise department. I am at the point where I NEED to exercise!
     Now, I have exactly five pounds to lose, and I will be where I was last July, when I was at my lowest since I had started WWers! So, I am close!!! And, I am feeling very motivated.
     I tried on a pair of my jeans this morning that I haven't been able to wear, and what do you know...they fit and LOOKED perfect!! I was so excited!!!!!!
     So, another fun thing that happened today...my yearbook class completed the yearbook, and the deal was that when it happened, I would let them straighten my hair. I was a bit worried because I had my hair straightened two other times, and it looked like I was a triangle head, LOL!
     Well, three girls did it in 30 minutes, and they did such a good job!
     The best part of it all was watching the reactions of EVERYONE!!!! LOL

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Another loss!

     I lost .8, which is OK. It brings me up to a total of 20 pounds gone!
     I feel pretty good about the fact that I had a loss considering I did not do good tracking on Friday - Sunday,and we did eat out. I expect this week to be better!!
     I am now able to get back into pants that I couldn't wear when I started back up with Weight Watchers, so that makes me happy!!
     One thing I did do is...for the month of March I worked out 21 times!!! 15 of those times was weights and cardio, and the other six times were cardio only.
     I am very pleased with that pattern of behavior! I am at the point right now where I want to exercise.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

H2O luva!!



     I bought a new water bottle at Grandma's Attic, and I LOVE it!!!
     It has the Ghandi quotation, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Of course, I like the double entendre.
      Use an aluminum water bottle (or any reusable) instead of using the plastic disposable ones. Be that change, right?
     The water bottle holds 20 ounces, which for me is the perfect size for when I am exercising.
     Love it!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Recent Reflections...

     I've really enjoyed jumping back on my recumbent bike. I started that on Saturday morning, and today was the third morning in a row of riding, and today I rode for 45 minutes!
     I have begun reading Twilight again, because I am back on the bike, and I have read 80 pages! It's definitely getting more interesting.
     I am thinking about allowing myself to read it for how many minutes I exercise a day! LOL! Not just riding the bike, however, I guess if I don't give myself that little leeway, then I guess I will be more motivated to also ride the bike, right?
     Some other things I have noticed. Well, first off, I don't do nearly as well on the weekends tracking as I should. I don't know why! Other than because I am not so scheduled. I start out tracking, and then I just quit part way through the day.
     One plus this past weekend is that we did go out to an exceptional dinner (see my review HERE), and I brought home HALF of my dinner!!!
     I also notice that I eat more, when I do that!!! GOTTA TRACK!!!!! But, I also notice that I am WAY more active on the weekends, too, so maybe it balances, but my new goal this week (because it's like an extended weekend!!! since we are on Spring Break) it to track all day, every day, and ESPECIALLY this weekend!!! I will do it!
     Something else I noticed...Well, treading water for 10 minutes is a LOT harder than I thought it would be, LOL!! That's good, though!
     That's something else we are doing this week, a variety of working out. I still plan on squeezing in my weights, too!
     There ya have it, some things I have recently observed!

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Good first day of Spring Break!

     Good thing I rode the bike this morning for thirty minutes...why? Because I ate out tonight, and I am SURE I used most of my "extra" points for the week! I need to tally everything up!
     I did bring home half my dinner, so that's good! BUT, HOLY COW!!! I almost feel like riding the bike right now, and it's late at night!
     You can check out my other blog to find out about the dinner!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

3 more pounds GONE!

     Good news! I lost three pounds this last week! Yup! Now, I am down to 233.4, still pounds away from where I was last summer...but I am going in the right direction :)
     This was quite surprising to me because I felt FAT all day today!
     I had a SUPER workout today! I have been walking (a fast walk) and jogging on the treadmill, and I was able to up the jogging time to three minutes alternating with one minute walking. I felt good, too!
     After that "warm-up" I then lifted weights for thirty more minutes!
     I will also be working out tomorrow after school, too! I feel strong!

Feeling heavy

I am not looking forward to the Weigh-In today. I feel fat, and it’s not because I am wearing a striped shirt, LOL!

I don't know why I feel that way today, but I do. Maybe I am holding water. At any rate, I will go to Weight Watchers, and I will blog the results.

I have been working out, only not Monday or Tuesday, but we are back on track this afternoon! YEAH! I am looking forward to some working out opportunities this upcoming Spring Break! We have some big plans ;)

I have mostly been eating well, although I did eat kinda crazy on Monday, but I am still OK with that because I marked down ALL my points, and thankfully we have the extra points each week. I ended up using up most of those, and I did still have quite a few exercise points banked that I did not touch!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Ride baby ride, burn baby burn!


My Smokin' Joe just before we headed out for a ride!



I took this picture from atop Joe :) This is Rick on Jake, and we are out on a trail near Hess Lake heading back to Fish Lake.



     Yesterday we headed out to ride trail with our horses for the first time this year. The weather was perfect! We had such a blast!!
     The ride was a little over four hours long, but we did stop twice for a quick break, so in all, we were mounted for 240 minutes!!
     Rick kept telling me that riding a horse was just like walking, and that you use the same muscles and burn a tremendous amount of calories. I, of course, did not believe him because I figured the horse was doing all the work!
I do know that a person who rides can feel sore the next day, but not so much from working out, more from sitting for so long (saddle sore). I thankfully have a new saddle ( best Christmas present ever), so I am just a tiny bit sore today, but not bad at all!
     I decided to do a bit of research and LOW AND BEHOLD, as much as I hate to admit it, Ricky was right!!!!! All of the info out there says that riding a horse is just like walking! You use the same muscles, and even use your core muscles more because you are keeping your balance.
     I entered my weight in several calorie calculators and found that I burnt 1080 calories yesterday!! WOW! How amazingly cool is that?!!
     I knew that I was reaping lots of emotional and mental benefits, but when you add on the physical, WELL…I am ready to ride every day!
     Really if you think about it, consider what cowboys looked like in the days of riding horses all the time! You really didn’t see a fat cowboy!
     I love riding! I love the fresh air, the being outside, the birds, the deer, the EVERYTHING! I love being with my horse and feeling the trust and confidence we have in one another. He is just an incredible animal, and yes, my friend.
     It is also wonderful to be able to share this passion with my best friend and PIC (partner in crime), Ricky and our kiddos!
     You can read a really great article HERE about riding horses! Enjoy!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Great workout yesterday!

     My workout yesterday rocked! I did a "warm-up" on the treadmill and then weights.
     For my treadmill work, I walked at a quick pace for 2 minutes to warm-up. Then I jogged for 2 minutes, walked for 1 minute, jogged for two minutes, and continued this for a total of 18 minutes! I logged 1.25 miles in that time.
     My short-term goal is to get up to jogging straight for a mile, with no walking.
     Then I lifted, and I had legs, biceps, and back. I am so impressed with how quickly my strength has improved.
     I love lifting weights! I feel so strong. I am looking forward to lifting this summer in the morning, so I get the metabolic boost for the day.
     This afternoon, I will get some cardio done on the treadmill, and then I lift chest, triceps, and shoulders, AND I am starting the first day of the hundred push-up program! I am excited :)
     I really feel motivated to workout, which is good! I think it has a lot to do with that there is a small group of us doing this now!! It's inspiring when you have other people along for the ride.
     I also notice myself planning more about my exercise. I am "scheduling" my times. For example, I know next week that on Monday I have a massage, so I am going to ride the bike in the morning NO MATTER WHAT!
     Then on Tuesday, Jordie has a baseball game, so I am planning to walk that afternoon outside before his game.
     I like the planning and scheduling and making sure that exercise is a priority, and that it is no different than if I had an appointment for anything else!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Yummy, quick, cheap and healthy...is it possible?

     YES!
     I have found something that I love at Safeway! In their new Eating Healthy line, they have a shrimp stirfry that is really yummy!
     You get 24 ounces for $5.99, and if you watch you can catch it on sale! It's in the frozen food section.
     The veggies (mushrooms, red bell peppers, sugar snap peas, carrots, water chestnuts, and broccoli) are very yummy!! And, the shrimp is plentiful.
     For one serving (1 3/4 cups), with three in the entire bag, the calories are 130, fat 0, and fiber 4g for each serving! If you are keeping track in the WWers world, that's only 2 points for one serving or 6 points for the entire bag (like who could eat all of that?).
     I always add rice to it, and I have also found a new rice from Kashi that I love, too!



     It's Kashi's Moroccan Curry 7-whole grain pilaf! It's super easy, and in one of those packets that you can just throw into the microwave, but I just add it to my stirfry.
     I liked the taste, both sweet and spicy, but I have always been a fan of curry. Although I must say it's not as curry-tasting as I had expected. I really like the texture.
     One cup of the pilaf is only 4 points! And, I just add two packets to my stirfry.
     This is one YUMMY, cheap, healthy, and super quick (less than 10 minutes), easy (only one pan, dump it all in). That's my kind of meal!

How many points in that Girl Scout cookie?!?

     So, I am the Cookie Mom for our little girl's Daisy Scout troop, and so I have had Girl Scout Cookies on the mind! LOL!
     I decided to figure out how many Weight Watchers points were attached for one cookie in each of the flavors :)
Lemon Chalet Cremes 1 point
Trefoils 1 point
Do-si-dos 1 point
Samoas 2 points
Dulce de Leche 2 points
Sugar Free Chocolate Chips 1 points
Tagalongs 2 points
Thin Mints 1 point

     SO, of course, I have rich taste...my two favorites (Samoas and Tagalongs) are two points for one cookie! That's freaking 15 minutes on the treadmill for ONE cookie! LOL
     I do also like the mints though, and those are only one point for one cookie!


You can click on this pic to see the nutritional info for the cookies :)

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Push-up test!

     I decided to try my push-up test, and I TRULY thought I wouldn't be able to do one standard push-up, but I totally surprised myself...as I did 5!!!!
     I feel strong and proud of myself! I know that if I had not been lifting weights since the beginning of February that I would not have been able to do any.
     I am going to start my one hundred push-ups program on Friday, and give my arms a rest tomorrow!

I survived!

     What a ridiculously busy day. But, I did survive, and I made it to Weight Watchers to weigh.
     I lost .8, which I will admit I had conflicted feelings about. I wanted it to be more. I did so good all week with counting points, watching portions, drinking water, exercising, all of that.
     But, I did look when I started last year, and I actually lost ZERO during my second week. And, then when I looked at the time from before that (like 8 years ago), and the same thing, no loss during the second week. So, this was a loss.
     Like Horton...a loss is a loss no matter how small, right?!
     And, also if the pattern holds true, the third week was always a huge loss. SO, maybe next week?! I hope!
     And, if I average my loss, I have lost 3.6 for two weeks.
     To recap, I now weigh 236.4, total of 16.2 pounds lost from the 252.6 that I started out at.
     I am looking forward to tomorrow. WAY less hectic, and I am going to lift and work on the treadmill tomorrow after school!

A tiny discovery


     I am somewhat obsessed with points. So, I just realized that the sugar-free Nips (coffee flavor) are 1 point for two!!
     I have been eating just one a day as a tiny little snack, and I entered in the nutritional info and found out that for one coffee Nips (weird, I know, but they are called Nips even if only talking about one) I use 1 point, but if I choose to eat two of them, well that's only 1 point, too!! LOL!
     It doesn't seem like a big deal, but now I can have two of them for the price of one, and I didn't know that, so I wanted to share!