Back in Training

Last week, I saw something that motivated me to get back in gear-- two of the girls that I trained with for Cowtown have continued their training and have recently completed their 20-mile practice run in preparation for a marathon next month. Meanwhile, I plug away on the treadmill, maybe reaching 4 miles if I don't become too bored. My motivation has waned and my resolve has all but vanished. I've continued working out, of course, but not having something to work towards has left me feeling... well... blah, for lack of a better word. I see what they have accomplished and I nearly kick myself for not continuing my training, until I realize that that very discouragement is what has kept me from moving forward in the past. Whether it's about a distance goal or a weight loss goal (or anything else, really), disappointment and frustration have often managed to stop me in my path, leaving me with the feeling that I don't have it in me to move forward.

Not anymore!

As soon as I saw what the girls had accomplished, I decided right then and there that I am in training again! Training for what, I'm not entirely sure at the moment. I will run Cowtown again in February but I'm hoping to find a half in December that I can run more competitively (because I'll probably be pregnant by February's race). I stepped on the treadmill on Monday in training mode and have managed to run 16 miles by the end of the week. I was very excited to catch up with the running group again this morning. It was early, and it was a tad chilly, but it was so invigorating. I've missed running outside! I managed a steady 5 miles and will continue moving up from there. It's great feeling like I'm working towards something beyond a number on a scale or the way I look in the mirror. I confess that for me, those things are not nearly as motivating as what I am able to accomplish with a healthier and more fit body. Numbers go up and down so easily, and body image is so subjective and often distorted, but when I cross the finish line of a big race, I know I've accomplished something great. It's an incredible feeling that I get from nothing else. That's what gets me excited and motivated to be healthy. What is it for you?

September 1st

Oh, hello. Long time, no see.

Ok so I decided today to dust off the old blog and get back to it. I had committed to regular postings until I reached my goal and since I haven't quite gotten there yet, here I am. I could be frustrated that I'm not there yet. I was getting so close, just a few pounds away, and should have been there earlier in the sumer. However, with all of the madness over the last month and a half, I've experienced a bit of a set back. The surgery kept me from working out for nearly a month, preceded by a break from the gym due to Lacey's collar bone break. While I'm not much heavier in weight, 160.8 today at the gym, my body composition has certainly changed. Those muscles that I worked hard to develop aren't quite as obvious as they once were. The still jiggly belly is a little more jiggly now. Clothes aren't fitting quite as nicely as they once did.

The focus for this week is primarily to just get my butt moving again! I put in a good chest and back work out yesterday and a grueling leg workout today, both of which are going to leave me quite sore. Add to that my cardio sessions and my arm and shoulder workout for the rest of the week and I'm going to be feeling some pain. I'm not strapping on the heart rate monitor or counting calories until next week. Just getting back into the groove and trying not to obsess too much about it. Gotta give myself a little leeway, right? While I did not go completely crazy in the healthy eating department, there are things I need to fine tune so I am also working on getting back in that gear this week.

Though you may not hear from me again until next week, I just wanted to recommit to myself and to the blog-o-sphere. I am back and ready to get better than ever!!

July 27

Hello... I have returned! After a week-long hiatus from working out and focusing on my health (broken bone, gallbladder attack, trip to Arizona....), I am back in action today. I wasn't sure I would work out today because I was pretty tired, but after a conversation with Amber about exercise and health, I felt compelled to hit the treadmill instead of the bed. So glad I did! I am starting the Isagenix cleanse over today as it became difficult to focus on that last week as well.

As for the conversation with Amber, I thought I'd share a bit of what we discussed (hopefully she won't mind! :) because I think it's important for all of us mommas to remember. In her considerations of joining a gym, she's feeling the inevitable guilt that moms face when they feel they're doing something for themselves-- money, leaving the kids, and feeling selfish about all of it. I've definitely felt it all. Before Lacey was born, though, I decided that I would not give in to that feeling. I honestly feel like that's one of Satan's tools to keep us miserable. He takes a genuinely good thing like motherhood and uses that to keep us from doing things that would make us happier, more in tune, and ultimately better mothers and wives. Health is NOT selfish!! Think of how you feel when you're feeling over weight with the typical aches and pains associated with not living a healthy life. As for me, I was not happy. I thought I was happy, but now that I'm healthy, I know how to be so much happier. I was easily depressed and didn't feel worthy of the things that I wanted. I wasn't as good a friend, a sister, a wife, etc. If I were still over weight, I know I wouldn't be a great mom either. How would getting out of that slump be considered selfish??? Let's step away from the short-term effects and think of the long term ones. If you were to stay on the exact same road you're on right now with the same eating and exercise plan you currently keep, how do you think you'll feel 10, 20, 30 + years from now? That's hard to think about because it seems so far off and we all like to think we're invinscible, but ask people in their 50s and 60s if they wish they'd taken better care of themselves when they were younger and I'm sure they'd say yes. It's possible to age well and to be active and healthy for many years. Think of how your kids, grandkids, and so forth would benefit from that. Think of all of the things you can accomplish and do as a healthy 40, 50, 60, 70... year old. The kids are all going to leave home at some point, leaving you to either continue a downhill spiral or to travel, earn college degrees and have a rewarding career, go on missions, etc. etc. etc. The fact that Satan has convinced us women that working towards health goals is selfish is astounding to me! But he is a cunning one and knows what will work. Darn him! Hm... I've jumped on a soap box, haven't I? Well, take it for what it's worth. My simple hope is that we, as mothers, will resolve to stop allowing those thoughts to keep us from achieving what we and our families deserve. If you continue to avoid workouts and healthy living, then let it be for some other reason because selfishness just isn't valid in my book.

That's my lecture for the evening. Now time for Bachelorette!!! Who's it gonna be????

July 14 Day 3 of 30-Day Cleanse

So far, so good! I'm already back down to 158 today!! (Remember that the scale said 162 just on Sunday!) I suspect that part of that quick loss simply has to do with retention or something but any change on the scale is a good thing and I'll take it! I'm hopeful once again that I may actually reach that 155 goal by the time we go to Pheonix next week... wouldn't that be great?! The two shakes and one meal a day thing really hasn't been so bad. I was worried that I would be hungry, but I haven't been. Of course, I throw in a healthy snack like apple w/ peanut butter or almonds and some other piece of fruit or something of that nature and it keeps me full and happy. I'm sure it will become more difficult as the days go on, simply because I'll want to eat something as opposed to drinking two meals a day, but seeing the progress will certainly help to keep me going. I don't typically advocate rapid weight loss but this really is about cleansing your body, kicking bad habits, and priming your body for continued healthy living. For me, it's the thing that is going to take me the rest of the way on this journey and I am quite confident that it will work... it already is doing so. Can't wait to see how far it takes me!

As for my workout, here we go (to the best of my memory because I forgot to write it all down today... oops!)...

3-minute warm up run
Squats:
3 sets * 75 lbs * 15 reps

Step ups in between sets, holding 15-lb dumbells w/ a front kick as I came up-- step ups always help to get my heart rate up, but the front kick made it shoot up there.. quite the exercise!

Dead lifts:
3 sets * 75 lbs * 12-15 reps

More step ups between sets

Walking lunges:
3 sets * 8 lb ball twist (for the obliques) * 20 steps

Leg extension:
3 sets * 75 lbs * 15 reps
Supersetted w/
Hamstring curl:
3 sets * 55 lbs * 15 reps

Ended with a 20-minute run in zone 2 and 3
Calorie burn: 815

Hard workout but totally worth it!

July 12... Hello again!

OK... after a couple of difficult weeks, I'm back. Also making their return are a four pounds that I worked so hard to lose. With the extra calories from the apple juice and olive oil (I still gag at the thought!), the cold that made it all too easy to lay around the house in my jammies and avoid the gym, and the lack of discipline that ensued as a result, the scale said 162 this morning. That's even hard to type! But, it is what it is and I can only move forward and do my best to undo the damage. I am doing something new this month that should help me get rid of those pounds pretty quickly. You've seen that we drink Isagenix shakes every morning. Well, Isagenix is a product that we've half-heartedly promoted in the office and are considering doing a little more with it. Mike has a couple of patients who have had a lot of success using and selling the product and they'd like to get us to take a more active role with it. We're veeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrry unsure of doing that for various reasons, but we agreed to give it more of a shot to help us reach our goals and then we'll see what we want to do with it from there. For the next month, I am going to be doing a 30-day Isagenix cleanse. It involves replacing two meals a day with the shakes (which really are quite good and pretty filling) and then eating a sensible meal and snacks for the remainder of the day. One day a week, I'll drink this cleanse stuff that will, in theory, rid my body of toxins and all kinds of junk that shouldn't be there. Technically, I'm not supposed to eat much of anything on that day, but we'll see... I'm not into starving myself! I'm sure I'll modify things a bit and add more calories to compensate for my workouts, but it will be interesting to see how this goes. I am hopeful that it will help me to get to that 155 goal by the end of it and that it will help my body to function more effectively. Especially with the gallstones and other digestive problems I have had, it may be just the thing I need. And if anyone else is interested in trying any of these products along with me, we can get you started.

As for the surgery, I have an appointment with an insurance agent tomorrow to change our policy and then a meeting with the surgeon on Wednesday. Hopefully this thing will be out pronto! It's been a year and a half and I am ready to be rid of it! We're hopeful that this won't change plans too drastically but we'll see.....

July 8

So, today wasn't the ideal day. Went in for the ultrasound on my gallbladder and as it turns out, drinking the apple juice and olive oil was nothing but a big calorie consumption with none of the benefits we hoped for. Gggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! It didn't work. Some of you may be thinking "Well DUH!" but it has worked for several people I know so why not me? I don't know. Not fair. There remain lots of little stones in there, filling up my poor gallbladder. Next step: surgery. It's a simple surgery, assuming all goes as planned... they won't know how invasive it needs to be until they get in there. Ideally, it's laproscopic... but it could be worse. The recovery isn't long (again, this is assuming...), and given than I'm an otherwise healthy 27-year-old, I don't anticipate long-lasting effects. A part of me was pretty disappointed to see the stones, but there is also a part of me that's actually quite happy to just get it out after all of the trouble it has caused me. To know that I will never have a gallbladder attack again is a beautiful thing! If you've had one, you know what I mean. If you haven't, well, imagine being in labor without the relief of a break in contractions and doing that once a month or more. So very, very painful! So yes, it's coming out. It does mean other disappointing things when it comes to the next baby. We were thinking that it would happen quite soon, but now with the expense of the surgery, we may just have to push it back a bit longer. That was a bit of a painful reality at first, but if that's what happens, then it's fine. It won't be much longer and it will give us time to get other things in order anyway so maybe it's all for the best. Stupid gallbladder. Stupid crappy insurance. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I'm whining. And while I did work out today, it was sort of mellow because I was supposed to be fasting before my ultrasound, which meant that I couldn't take in water. Who wants a really tough workout if you can't drink water?? Overview: squats (3 sets of 15 at 70 lbs), deadlifts (same reps and weight as squats), leg press (3 sets of 15 reps at 100 lbs), hamstring curl (3 sets of 15 at 55 lbs), leg extension (3 sets of 15 reps at 75 lbs), and calf extensions (3 sets of 15 reps at 110 lbs). I didn't wear my heart rate monitor so I have no clue on the calories. And I don't feel like counting the calories consumed... just that kind of day. I do know that it's been hard to really get back in the game after last week and I need to find my focus again. I gained 3 or 4 pounds through all of that! How very, very frustrating! Ug. I'm just frustrated all around. I should stop writing and go clean the kitchen or something. At least I have a fun day to look forward to tomorrow-- Amber's bringing the kids down to play and then Haylee and Grace are staying with us for a couple of days. Fun times with the nieces!

July 7

Ok, back in action... here we go...


Since you probably don't really care what exactly I'm eating, I'll just sum it all up by saying I ate about 1480 calories.

Workout (for Courtney): Chest and Back
*Some women are afraid to do much work on their chest because they don't want manly muscles there... which I understand. But, the reality is that unless you're taking steroids (we'll assume that you're not!), you're not likely to get those no matter how many push ups and reps on the bench you do. Actually, I quite love what working my chest has done... kind of an inexpensive lift! Seriously, go for it. And the back? I loooove working out my back! It's not seen unless I'm in a bathing suit, I realize, but a nice-looking back in just sexy so it's a fav of mine. Here's how I did it today.....

5-minute warm up run
Bench-
1- 55 lb - 15 reps
2- 55 lb - 15 reps
3- 55 lb - 15 reps

Superset w/
Lat Pull down-
1- 50 lb- 20 reps
2- 100 lb- 15 reps
3- 100 lb- 15 reps

Jumped rope between each superset and then run 1/4 mile before moving on to next superset....

Decline bench press machine-
1- 40 lb - 15 reps
2- 50 lb - 12 reps
3- 50 lb - 12 reps

Superset w/ Compound row-
1- 90 lb - 20 reps
2- 110 lb - 15 reps
3- 110 lb - 15 reps

Jump rope between each superset and run 1/4 mile before moving on....

Free Motion Machine Press-
1- 40 lb - 15 reps
2- 40 lb - 15 reps
3- 50 lb - 12 reps

Superset w/ Free motion row machine-
1- 50 lb - 15 reps
2- 50 lb - 15 reps
3- 60 lb - 12 reps

Jump rope between each superset and then run 1/4 mile...

Incline bench press-
1- 45 lb - 20 reps
2- 55 lb - 15 reps
3- 55 lb - 12 reps

Superset w/ bent over row-
1- 65 lb - 10 reps
2- 65 lb - 10 reps
3- 65 lb - 8 reps

Jumped rope between each superset

20 minutes of cardio to finish it off
Calories burned: 800

Felt great to get back in there!!! Need to get back into the healthy eating mode... I didn't eat a ton, but I could have made healthier choices. Hard to go back when ya take a little time off, but I'll get there.
Now Courtney, I expect you to do the exact same workout tomorrow! :) As for me, I'll be doing legs... painful deadlifts, grueling squats, but-blasting lunges- bring it on!!!

July 6

Well, I did it. I drank the olive oil. Let me just tell you, it was the grossest thing EVER!!!! 1/2 a cup of olive oil doesn't sound so bad at first, but when you look at it in the glass, all thick and green and oily, it suddenly becomes all too disgusting. The first few sips were so painful and took me probably half an hour to consume... which didn't even amount to half of it. Eventually, I got it all down, all the while convincing myself not to throw it right back up, as I was inclined to do. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. So what happened? Well, I don't know. I mean, I won't go into graphic details because the result was fairly unpleasant as well, but whether or not it helped me to eliminate the stones, I am not yet sure. I will go in on Wednesday to get another ultrasound done to see if gallstones are still present. If there are still a lot of them, then we'll go to surgery. If there are none, then WAHOO! We win! If there are still some but not nearly as many, then I may do the olive oil thing again in a couple of months. Let's just hope that door number 2 holds the prize! Now I know that some of you are thinking that I was sort of pressured into this by my chiropractor husband who did not hide his dissaproval of the surgery; but the reality is that I always agreed with his feelings about it and shared his desire to get rid of the stones naturally if possible. His concern has always been for my overall long-term health, though there were times that the presentation of his opinions was admittedly not quite as mildly put as they could have been. I have always been hopeful that a natural remedy would fix the problem, which is my reason for going to this extreme. If it wasn't effective, then we both agree that surgery is the next option. Why not try the mildest route first, right? I mean, drinking olive oil wasn't all that easy, but it's better than removing an organ! So there you have it. That's where things are today with the gallblader situation. I'll let ya know on Wednesday what we discover. Think happy, stone-free thoughts everyone! :)
And with this little procedure behind me, I'm back in the mode today... well, mostly anyway. My stomach was pretty uneasy all day and my body was tired, but I managed to push a 20-minute run out of me and then I went to the yard for an afternoon of pulling weeds. In an hour and a half (including the 20-minute run), I burned 837 calories. Who knew?! I wouldn't normally consider pulling weeds to be my workout, but today, it was the best I could do. As for calories consumed, I dunno. I ate mostly well, until dinner when we ate out with friends. Chips, black bean dip, sour cream enchiladas.... mmmmm... I ate as if I had no gallstones tonight and it was tasty! But because my body will back to normal tomorrow, so will everything else. My hope is to get to 155 by the end of the month so I have to hit it pretty hard to undo the damage of last week and to keep moving forward. So check back tomorrow for an overview of my day, including of my workout for Courtey and anyone else who cares. As for tonight, time for Bachelorette! What's up with Weesley Wes tonight???

July 2

I am soooooooooooo sick of apple juice!!! Seriously, it's just painful drinking so much. All of this sugar is making me feel ill. It's sort of unfortunate that I'm consuming so many calories in APPLE JUICE! I mean, come on, if I'm going to take in an extra 500 calories a day, I could find something far more enjoyable. Oh well. If this works, then it's completely worth it. Unfortunately, I know that I am not going to lose any weight this week and that in all likelihood, I will have gained a couple of pounds by the end of it. Grrrrr! If I had been able to work out all week, I may have avoided it, but the way I'm feeling (mostly because of the cold) has made it difficult. I did get a run in today. I didn't have an hour's worth of energy in me, so I decided to run a 5K (3.1 miles) in preparation for the race I'm running in just a couple of weeks. On the treadmill, I did it in 25 minutes... losing the cold and the gallstone issues will mean I can probably run it even faster than that. I've never done a 5K race so I'm pretty excited to see how fast I can go. I need to start running outside again a couple of times a week to prepare. I'd be pretty happy if I can do it in under 24 minutes. We'll see!
As for the rest of this week, I'm going to try to work in the rest of the muscle groups that I've missed during tomorrow and Saturdays workouts, as well as getting a couple of hour-long cardio sessions in. I have lost time to make up for! Then I'll hit it really hard again next week and hopefully, I'll hit that 155 mark by the time we go to Pheonix. I know it's ridiculous to obsess over a number, but that was my original goal in all of this so I at least want to get there.
Ok I'm so exhausted and have been rambling here so I'm going to bed... just didn't want to miss another day here so this is what I have to share at this late hour. Good night!

July 1

Hello to anyone who still tunes in to this little blog of mine. Sorry if I've kept you hanging. I haven't fallen off the band-wagon (well, not completely anyway!), just off the blogging wagon. It's been an interesting week for me. I've decided to try a cleanse to get rid of the gallstones, a process that began on Monday. For 5 or 6 days, I am to drink loooots of apple juice. 1 qt a day, to be exact. That's close to 500 calories worth of apple juice a day! Needless to say, it may not be a big weight loss week. What I didn't expect is that the apple juice would make me fairly uncomfortable. I guess in the process if softening the gallstones, it's causing them to shift or something- thus irritating my gallbladder. Nothing major, but not overly pleasant. I attempted to work out on Monday but my stomach was fairly upset so I didn't get it all in. Then I caught Lacey's cold which has sort of knocked me out for the last two days. Ug. I'm feeling sluggish after not working out and I have to get back to the gym tomorrow. I'm determined to get really good workouts in for the rest of the week! I'm trying to be careful with what I'm eating, but I haven't been perfect. I've just kind of accepted that it's not going to be a weight loss week so at least I won't be surprised. Back to the cleanse: after 6 days of drinking all of the apple juice, I will drink 1/4 cup of olive oil and some lemon juice on Saturday night before bed. PLEASANT! No, I am not looking forward to this in the slightest. However, if it works, then I'm all for it. I want to keep my gallbladder because I maintain the stance that your body absolutely will not work as well without it. If I can get rid of the stones naturally, why not? I may (or may not) continue to need to do this cleanse periodically, maybe every 6 months to a year, but I'm ok with that. I'd rather keep the organ God gave me, thank you very much. Of course, if I continue having painful attacks after doing this, then I may have no choice. We shall see!
So for the rest of the week, I'll just continue doing what I can and trying to avoid gaining weight. Then I can get back to the hard core routine next week, hopefully free of gallstones. I'll let ya know!

June 25

Ok, I'm actually posting this on June 26 because I didn't post last night. It's now 6:15 on Saturday morning and I'm AWAKE! Why? Well, for Father's Day, Mike got the new punching bag that he's been wanting... because the three or four others just weren't quite enough. This one is free-standing and he can take it in the back yard. Lovely. That's where he is right now- punching, kicking, and combinations- all at 6:15 on a Saturday morning. Nora, I really hope he isn't waking you and everyone else around us up! He has a long screening today and, if we're lucky, he'll get to join me in Highland Village for Kyra's baptism so he has to get his workout in early. I love his dedication and all, but........

Anyway, yesterday was good. I'm not certain how many calories I consumed... it was sushi night and I can't seem to figure out how many calories are in those rolls I eat. I'd like to think that because it's sushi, it wasn't much. Either way, I probably stayed within 1500 calories with my meals. We went for a swim after dinner and then it just seemed all-too-appropriate to indulge in some frozen yogurt from Braums. Nothing like hot summer days to make a girl crave ice cream! It was quite tasty. Got a decent workout in-- shoulders, back, and a bit of running= 600 calories burned. Could have worked a bit harder but it's ok.

As for today, I'm sitting again at 157 pounds. I realize that's where I was two weeks ago, but given that I probably gained a pound or two last week, that does mean a loss for this week. Just have about a month left before Pheonix so we'll see what I accomplish between now and then. Almost there!!!

June 24

Breakfast:
English muffin w/ pb- 140
Milk- 40
Snack:
Fruit bar- 120
Almonds- 70
Lunch:
Pasta primavera- 250
Snack:
Protein shake- 120
Crackers- 120
Dinner:
On the Border Chicken Fajita Tacos- 450
And I enjoyed my little treat when I came home-- low-fat ice cream with a splash of root beer- 180

Total: 1490
Burned: 700

And because Courtney requested that I start including it, I'll post my workout for the day:

Started with 1/2 hour run in heart rate zone 2 (172-178 bpm)... I normally do the cardio after my weight session but I wasn't going to have time so I went up before Mike joined me for our arm and chest workout. (Mike does chest on Mondays but I want 3 days of cardio so I condense my workouts on my strength days)

Skull crushers-
3 sets * 35 lb curved bar * 12 reps
Jumped rope between sets
Supersetted w/ dumb bell chest press-
3 sets * 20 lb dumb bells * 10 reps

Decline skull crushers (got on a decline bench to work the triceps at a different angle for different emphasis)-
3 sets * 35 lb bar * 10 reps
Jumped rope between sets
Supersetted w/ decline chest press machine
3 sets * 40 lb * 10 reps

Incline alternating bicep dumbell curl-
3 sets * 15 lb (each arm) * 12-15 reps
Jumped rope between sets
Supersetted w/ free motion chest press machine-
3 sets * 50 lb * 12 reps

Bicep hammer curl on preacher bench-
3 sets * 15 lbs * 12- 15 reps each arm
Jumped rope between sets
Supersetted w/ bench press-
3 sets * 45 lbs * 15 reps

That's it for the chest workout today...


Precor tricep extension-
3 sets * 50 lb * 15 reps

Supersetted with

Precor bicep curl-
3 sets * 40 lb * 12 reps

Freemotion alternating tricep extension machine-
3 sets *25 lb * 15 reps

Supersetted with

Freemotion alternating bicep curl machine-
3 sets * 20 lb * 15 reps


There ya have it. If you have a question about what any particular exercise is, let me know and I'll answer it. A lot of these machines aren't available at other gyms, so if you want to do something similar, you'll just have to get creative... or join us at the Lifetime!! You know you wanna!!!
As you can see, we do four exercises for each body part. Some of the exercises are similar in nature, but each works the muscle in a little different way. This week was not heavy weights or high reps-- just right there in the middle. I try to vary that up so next week will look a little different. We do vary our exercises some from week to week as well so that we can constantly shock our bodies. That's pretty essential to see results, whether it's weight loss, added strength, or muscle growth. This certainly isn't the only way to work out, but it's how we do it and it seems to be working for us. I'm always up for giving pointers and advice, though I'm certainly no pro, so take it for what it's worth. All I know is what I've learned and what works for me. Hope you're all doing well in your goals as well!

June 24

Breakfast:
English muffin w/ pb- 120
Milk- 40
Lunch:
Pb & j sandwich- 180
Fruit bar- 120
Almonds- 70
Snack:
Protein shake- 120
Dinner:
Corner Bakery chicken pinini sandwich- 770!! Could've gone for a hamburger for what that amounted to! Hadn't eaten much during the day, though, so I could afford it.

Total: 1420
Burned: 600

Today was a great day! Lacey and I headed to the gym earlier than normal so I could get my run in and hit the pool before lunch. We played together at the pool, ate (or wore, in Lacey's case) lunch with Daddy, and then it was nap-time for Lacey-bug. We took Lacey over to Nora's so we could go to the Temple this afternoon and, as always, we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. A quick dinner at Corner Bakery and then we were on the way home to our very happy and well-taken care of Lacey. She LOVES Nora and the kids so we always feel so comforted to know she's in good hands over there. Have I mentioned that I love having such great neighbors? Cuz I do!! Tomorrow will require lots of house-cleaning cuz that has been neglected the last few days! :)

June 23

Breakfast:
Toast w/ pb- 180
Milk- 40
Lunch:
McD's grilled chicken sandwich- 370
Snack:
Almonds- 70
Organic dried apples- 40
Crackers- 120
Dinner:
Pasta primavera- 230
Salad- 60

1110 so far... I'll go for a snack tonight and probably get to 1350.
Burned 800

June 22. Back in the game!

Ok, only good things this week!

Breakfast:
Toast w/ pb- 180
small glass of milk- 40
Snack:
Fruit bar- 130
Almonds- 70
Lunch:
Salmon- 220
1/2 ear corn on the cobb- 40
1/4 baked potato w/ light sour cream, a sprinkle of cheese, and a smidge of bacon bits- 85
Snack:
Protein shake- 120
Dinner:
Taco Salad- 350
Treat:
1/2 cup of light vanilla ice cream w/ a little root beer- 130

Total: 1365
Burned: 782 (Run 45 minutes and abs)

Feels good to be back!

June 21

All I have to say is thank goodness that tomorrow starts a fresh week, I'm all back to my normal happy, pain free self, and we will be BACK ON TRACK!! As for the last few days, I'm just gonna try to forget about the not-so-great choices and avoid that scale for a bit. :)

June 19

Yep. This week has just been shot down big time. Ok, maybe not big time, but pain and hormones have been winning this week. I did work out today, which is always a plus. I was in lots of pain, though, and couldn't shake it so I didn't push. I ran for half an hour without worrying about my heart rate and then I joined a hip hop dance class for a while. It was nice to just work out and have fun without obsessing over where my heart rate was every minute. I love my heart rate monitor and it definitely helps to pay attention to it, but taking a break every once in a while is just enjoyable. The hip hop dance class was just fun. It certainly wasn't the most grueling workout in the world, but I had fun gettin down with my bad self (or looking absolutely ridiculous as I attempted to get down!). In total, I still burned 682 calories during my workout so I'm happy with that. Tomorrow, I think I'll try a cycling class in the morning. Those are intense so we'll see how it goes. Next week, I'll get back to my program and on track with my calories. Still not going overboard on the calories this week, but definitely not paying as much attention to them as I normally do... which I'm ok with. My period doesn't normally knock me out this much, but it was pretty brutal this time (just ask Mike!) so I just do what I can. LOVE being a woman!

June 18. Whatever!

Well I got a great workout in, repenting for yesterday's lost session. I ate well through most of the day, but let's be honest- I'm menstrual! (again with the tmi!) I've been insatiably hungry and my hankerings have not been for the healthiest things. I don't keep incredibly unhealthy food in my house, so graham crackers and one too many tacos at dinner were my worst offense, but still. Too much munching, but what can ya do? Keep working out the rest of the week, eat well, and avoid the scale until next Saturday. :)

Now to address Heather's comment...
Yes, you're right. According to the trainer, I should be eating a 1400 calorie minimum each day and adding in calories for those burned. Based on those numbers, I could be losing around 3/4 of a pound per week tops. I tried in the beginning to get more calories in but it just wasn't happening. I'm eating in a way that I'm never hungry, I typically make sure that I'm getting good, healthy portions of lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and veggies, and I've been losing weight again... so I feel like I'm ok. Science says that losing 1-2 pounds a week is perfectly safe, and since I'm not losing more than that, I'm not stressing it. I don't know... maybe if I stuck to what the trainer said, my body would get back to losing weight. For now, though, I'm at the tail end and I just want to reach my goal as soon as possible. Maybe that's not the best way to look at it, but after nearly a year and a half of doing this, I just want to get there, ya know?

And where "there" is, I'm still debating. I had said 150 would be my target, but I think I'm getting closer to being happy with where I am. Pretty sure I'll aim for 153, just so I can say I lost 50 pounds, but I don't think I'll push too hard beyond that. Pregnancy will likely be on the horizon soon and given that I lost 11 pounds when I was pregnant with Lacey, I don't want to lose too much and get to the point that it might become unhealthy for me and baby. I'm also trying to appreciate my own body and stop obsessing over something that may be someone else's ideal but not my own. There are curves that I will always have, cellulite that cannot be done away with, and some sagging skin that only surgery can erase... but this is my body. I have put it through a lot in my 27 years and I have accomplished quite a lot with it. I feel that for my own well-being, and to promote a healthy self image in my daughters, I need to learn to see myself in a different light. I am working to erase the years of negative thoughts and to see the beauty that others see. I will always strive to be healthier, but some unknown or unreal idea of perfection is not in my scope. My sweet husband thinks I'm pretty perfect, so that's good enough for me. Of course, he fell in love with me at 215 pounds and thought I was perfect then too. For the first time in my life, I'm in a good place with my body and at this moment, I'm really happy with that. That isn't to say that I won't have my days of frustration or that I won't continue to work hard, but I feel like I'm finally winning the emotional battle of the physical war. Wow. Now that's a good feeling!

June 17... What's with me?!

Breakfast:
English muffin w/ jelly- 130
Snack:
Crackers- 120
Lunch:
McD's grilled chicken sandwich (w/o mayo)- 370
The sugar cookie that Lacey didn't eat... :) - 160
Snack:
Pretzels- 60
Handful of grapes- 30
Almonds- 120
Dinner:
Cilantro lime chicken- 289
Rice- 100

Total: 1379
Burned: NONE!

I didn't work out today. What is with me?! I've been feeling so blah this week. My calories are still ok (except for last night), but I'm not focusing as much on healthy calories like fruit, veggies, and lean proteins. I'm pretty mad at myself for not working out today because I'm sure that I would be feeling much better and more energized right now if I had. I tried to tell myself that it's ok to miss one day of cardio when I do it every day of the week, but my mood tells me that I should have gotten something in. Working out brings me sanity! If for no other reason than the energy and mood-boost that it brings, doing some sort of exercise is so very worth it. Being a stay-at-home mom can have it's frustrations so getting to the gym and being active for a while helps me to stay on top of things so much better. Plus, it makes me feel better about myself, all of which makes me all the more tolerable for the poor souls who have to put up with me on a regular basis. :) For everyone who says that they don't have time to work out because they don't have time "to be selfish", I say "GARBAGE!" It's not selfish to be healthy. It's not selfish to be happy. All of these things come as a result of exercise, so how could it be selfish? I'm just sayin.

Anyway, tomorrow I'm back to the gym with Mike so I'll make sure to get an extra-good workout in. For now, I'm going to go straighten up, do some laundry, and get to bed. Good night all!

June 16

Breakfast:
English muffin w/ pb- 140
Snack:
Protein shake- 180
Lunch:
Ham Sandwich- 130
Fruit salad- 60
Snack:
Banana w/ pb- 120
Crackers- 200
Dinner:
Spring Creek....
I initially got the Fiesta Salad so as to make a healthy choice on our night out. Well, the lettuce was wilted and the whole thing was just gross. Gr. I thought about just forgetting about it and eating something when I got home, but as Mike pointed out, when you go out to eat, you should get to enjoy it. As this is the only time we will eat out this week, I decided that I agreed... so, I ate me some bbq! Now, I just have to be disciplined for the rest of the week and through the weekend. That may be somewhat difficult given the Father's Day celebrations we'll be having, but I'll just have to do my best.
I did have a great workout. Burned 770 calories today during my leg workout and half hour of cardio. Again, I had so little desire to work out when I got to the gym, so I'm glad I was able to work through that and get a good workout. I'm not sure where my workout desire went but I assume it has something to do with the same problem that's causing me to want chocolate and diet dr. pepper. Nora... what have you got over there?! :)

June 15

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240
Almonds- 105
Snack:
Apple w/ pb- 140
Lunch:
Ham sandwich- 130
Protein smoothie- 160
Dinner:
Grilled pork chops- 180
1/2 sweet potato- 80
Steamed veggies- 60
Fruit salad- 60

Total: 1155 (I'll eat a light snack tonight as well)
Burned: 1000!
Great workout-- kept my heart rate up the entire time by running 1/4 miles between sets, supersetting, and jumping rope. I burned 645 during my strength training workout alone! Then it was on to the treadmill for 1/2 hour run. Not bad, particularly considering that I had little desire to work out when we got to the gym. Guess I got into it!

June 14

As tends to be the case after gallbladder attacks, today was one of those "eat what I can" kind of days. English muffin for breakfast, a ham sandwich for lunch, some crackers throughout the day, and I actually made homemade pizza with a Weight Watchers recipe for dinner (Mike has been wanting it... I figured I had to make something for the poor guy!). I also tossed some chocolate chip cookies in the oven as a treat for Miss Lacey after our walk and, well, of course I couldn't resist! Still, I totalled about 1500 calories for the day... none of which were the healthiest of calories but at least I didn't go way over board.

As I continue my research about gallstone treatments, I am all the more perplexed with what to do. I realize that most people would say "Sure, take the dang thing out!" and when I am in the excruciating pain that it causes, I am tempted to say the same thing. The reality, however, is that it does not solve the problem. There is a valid function for the gallbladder and no matter what anyone tells you, your body will not work the same without it. I've read many reports of people with continued issues even without the gallbladder, including heartburn, diarrhea, indigestion, and other digestive problems that can still include gallstones. One friend of mine will be on heart burn medication for the rest of her life. A lot of people still have to avoid the same foods that caused the gallbladder attacks prior to removal of the gallbladder. None of this sounds right to me! Sure, the pain sucks- I mean really, really sucks- but there's got to be a better solution! There are all kinds of natural gallstone removal remedies out there, but who knows what to trust there either? Most of them include some sort of olive oil concoction that you drink lots of to soften and flush out the gallstones. First of all, ew. Secondly, there are issues tied to that as well... and I'm not sure who came up with those issues or if they're even valid, but I don't know what to trust! At this point, none of my options sound great. My biggest concern, though, is that we will be getting pregnant in the near future and I cannot have to deal with this issue then. So a solution must be resolved upon, one way or the other. I have read about a medical procedure that removes the gallstones while leaving the gallbladder in tact. I believe that it's not highly recommended by doctors because they say that gallstones will likely form again at some point. I sort of disagree with that, at least in my case. I believe that they reform in many people because they continue to live unhealthy lifestyles and to damage their digestive systems in various ways. I, however, lead a healthy lifestyle and will continue to take the supplements that promote healthy organs. Plus, I get adjusted regularly, which I feel helps greatly. In fact, an adjustment is often the only thing that will work to calm a gallbladder attack. So... my hope is to get the gallstones removed completely and to see what happens from there. If I'm wrong and they do continue to reform, then we'll reconsider our options. For now, though, this is the only option that I feel comfortable with. And I'm only assuming it's an option-- I may talk to a doctor who says I have way too many gallstones for that or that they don't offer that procedure anymore or something. Then it's back to the drawing board. Noone ever wants to go back to the drawing board!

So, that is one of my health-goals for the week-- to try to figure all of that out. (sorry if I rambled... just trying to work through all of this in my head and, well, it poured out through my fingers in the mean time.) That, and I really do need to work on ridding myself of these diet dr peppers. I don't know if it will be this week, because, well, hello pms (TMI??), but it needs to be done. Like I said, we're not far from trying to get prego, and I'd like to be off of them for a while before that happens. That, and I'm sort of ashamed of myself when I see them amidst all of the healthy foods in my grocery cart. So that's goal #2. #3 is that I need to do better throughout the weekends. I'm ok with rewarding myself, but I tend to do a little too much of that. Sundays are so unstructured that I tend to not pay enough attention. So even though we will be celebrating Father's Day this weekend, I will endeavor to do better so that I can get to 150 by the time we go to Pheonix next month. Three new health goals is quite enough for this week. Let's see how all of this goes!

Seriously?!

Yep. You guessed it. Gallbladder attack. I suspected it might happen, but I hoped it wouldn't. It's time to do something about this... which I've said before, but given that we'll be getting pregnant before too long, it really is time. That, and gosh dangit, I'd like to be able to enjoy a meal without being sick and experience stabbing pains all through the night! I don't know what it's going to mean, but it will likely start with a trip to the doctor and on to get another ultrasound to see how things are looking these days. As for today, we're staying home and hoping to steal some rest when Lacey naps- it was a very long night. Thank goodness Mike is home today and can keep up with Lacey. I'm a bit out of it!

June 13

As today was our designated day of celebrating, I'm so not about to tally up the calories... I'd probably be horrified by the number! I did get up at 6:00 this morning for a 620-calorie burning run, followed by a healthy breakfast. That was just about the extent of my healthy choices for the day. Lunch found us at Jack-in-the-Box on the way home from the Temple, dinner was spent at Abuelos with fajitas, and to top it off, we enjoyed some Italian ice cream (which is lower in fat than regular ice cream, if that counts for anything) at the mall. Ugggggg! I feel ill. I think I used to eat like that fairly regularly, but today... ugggggg! I don't know why I do it- it really isn't worth it. I guess it was enjoyable at the time, but this feeling lasts longer than the taste of the food, which generally isn't any more enjoyable than a good sandwich or a tasty piece of fish and veggies anyway. Why is it that we feel the need to reward ourselves with crap anyway? A night out was nice, for certain, but it would be far more enjoyable if I didn't feel full and gross at the end of it. Ok, next time we feel the need to splurge, I think I'll just stick to one meal instead of a full day and I have to really want it-- not just get it because I feel like I deserve it. And since we all know that I do this to myself every time, and every time I vow to not do it again, don't be surprised if I'm not whining the same tune next week. :)

Anyway, as for this week's results, drum roll please... 157! That's 1 1/2 pounds down from last week so I'm pretty happy with that. If I'm lucky, I'll hit that 155 mark next week.... but probably the following. Either way, I'm quite close and very excited about that! Then, 5 more pounds and I'm at my goal...... I'm on my way!

JUNE 12... A perfect day!

Breakfast:
You guess it: isagenix shake! 240
Pre-workout snack:
Almonds- 120
Lunch:
Pb&j sandwich- 140
4 oz. milk- 40
Protein/fruit smoothie- 120
Snack:
Apple- 55
Peanut butter- 90
Dinner:
Salmon- 240
Grilled veggies (squash, zucchini, onion, tomatoes)- 40
Wild rice- 83
Salad- 70

Total: 1238
Burned: 760

Today was one of those really great days (which was all the more appreciated after yesterday)! We slept in, ate breakfast together, read our scriptures, and hit the gym for a great workout all before lunch. Then we came home for sandwiches and naps. While Mike and Lacey napped at the house, I took my rest by the pool! I soaked up some sun, enjoyed a brief swim, and just relaaaaaxed all by myself. It was quite lovely! After a quick trip to the grocery store, I came home to get the crew for an evening family swim. We had a great time playing together, until lightning struck and sent us home. All was well, though, cuz I had a tasty meal planned... and tasty it was! It was just one of those meals that makes you feel great. It was healthy, tasted divine, and fun. I don't often grill veggies but I will start doing it more-- SO good! Salmon was heavenly, the salad was so so good (think romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, and goat cheese topped with my favorite Greek vinegrette... seriously SO GOOD!), the rice... all of it. YUM!!! And what's even better is that it won't leave us feeling gross or guilty for the rest of the night. Perfection! I think if people took the time and effort to cook meals like these, healthy eating would be the preference. It is a bit of work and takes planning and preparation, but it's so worth it. Give it a shot!
Now Mike is laying Lacey down and we'll have a relaxing night together while the storms rage outside. Seriously, how much better does it get??? Tomorrow, we get to enjoy a trip to the Temple together in the morning, hopefully an afternoon by the pool (weather permitting), and then we're eating out to celebrate a great week at the office and continued weight loss success. I love weekends!

What month is it?!

I just realized that for the last two days, I've been putting the wrong month in my titles! Wow, guess I am ready for July! Maybe that's because we're going on our trip to Pheonix and I can't wait!! Or... I'm just absent-minded. Oops!

July 11... one of those days

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240
Snack:
Celery w/pb- 64
Lunch:
Ham & chicken sandwich- 160
Snack:
Protein shake- 200
Dinner:
4 fresco style crunchy tacos from Taco Bell- 600
Misc. munching- 200

Total: 1464
Burned: 680 (45-minute run)

Despite the perspective I gained at the end of yesterday, today was a somewhat frustrating day... not because of eating healthy and working out, but just because it was one of those days (which always seems to affect the eating healthy and working out in a bad way). The storm kept me up last night and led me to sleep somewhat uncomfortably on the couch (it's darker in the living room than our bedroom when lightning strikes over and over again). Then it rained for the first half of the day, which kept Lacey and I inside for entirely too long. I had no desire to run and never gained the desire... just did it anyway. Mike is gone until 11:00 tonight, so I ran to Taco Bell and was quite hungry and maybe a little tense by the time I got there so I may have consumed a few too many dinner calories in a not-so-good way. Oh well! Still didn't go over so no harm done.
And now, the day is coming to a peaceful end... as soon as Lacey stops screaming, anyway! Haha! She is so used to Mike putting her to bed that she gets quite angry when I do it. Poor thing. That's her Daddy time so it makes me sad that she doesn't get it tonight... she seems to share in that sentiment. But, she'll be asleep soon, the house is (relatively) clean, candles lit, and I'm all by myself. I'm sure Josh Groban will be singing to me at some point in the evening. Love those kinds of nights! (Although I would so much rather have my husband with me!)
Wow, she is getting really good a pitching fits! Maybe I should go rock her a bit longer.... giving in, maybe, but she doesn't get Daddy so I do have sympathy for the poor girl. Good night all!

July 10... the thunder rolls....

Gotta love a good Texas storm... except that Mike wasn't home so I was a little scared out of my whits. I bolted over to Nora's before the rain came in. Such a baby but thank goodness for good neighbors! Anyway, on to business...
Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 (Predictable, I know. It's just easy to not have to think about and prepare something, especially when I'm trying to get Lacey to eat.)
Lunch:
Subway sandwich (6" turkey and ham on honey oat, lots of veggies, pepperjack cheese, and a little light mayo)- 358
Snack:
Banana w/ pb- 100
Dinner:
Leftovers from last night (ate a little more pasta this time)- 400
Snack:
15 almonds- 104
15 Cherries- 64

Total: 1266
Burned: 800

Dang, not a lot of calories. I was out a good portion of the day and failed to take some healthy snacks to munch on. Oh well!
This whole journey is such a roller coaster! Some days I'm feeling great and thrilled with my success, and some days I'm down and feel like I'll never be where I want to be with it. Today was the latter for some reason. I'm at the point where I just want to be done. Done counting calories. Done working like a dog. Done! There were many times in my life when I would have just given in to that frustration... but not today. Today, I push through and I'm always glad I do. The workouts always feel great and at the end of the day, I'm always proud of myself for eating healthy. The joy of success FAR exceeds the feelings of frustration. It's a little daunting to think that I still have 8 pounds to go, but I also cannot believe that I am only 8 pounds from my goal! Single digits, baby! I'm so used to being 40+ pounds from my goal so while I am ready to just be done, I'd hate myself if I give in now. At this point, I've lost 45 pounds since coming home with Lacey and I'm 65 pounds from my heaviest weight (which, incidently, was not when I was pregnant). I guess I can be proud of that! :)
I did check in with the trainer who originally checked my body fat % a month ago. That day, he measured me at 165 and 25.5% body fat. Today, I'm 158 and 20%. That's 7 pounds (ok, probably more like 5... I was wearing my shoes last time but not this time) and 5% body fat in a month! I'm so happy to be making progress again. Getting those tests done has been the best thing I've done. If I can do that in a month, surely I can get through the next two months and reach my goal. Then I'll have to figure out the balance of maintaining... another trick for another day!
When I complained to the trainer that this is all taking too long, he looked at me and said "Quit your whining and go work out!" (That was the edited version of his comment.) That's really all there is to do. Excuses, complaints, frustrations-- NONE of it makes any difference. Just gotta get your butt moving!

June 9

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240
Snack:
1/2 banana w/ pb (such a tasy treat... or have I just been doing this for too long? :)- 80
Lunch:
Turkey meatloaf- 220
Potatoes- 60
Salad- 30
Snack:
Protein shake- 120
Nibbles and bites of random things- 100
Baked chicken w/ asparagus, mushrooms, on a bit of whole wheat pasta- 320
Salad- 50

Total: 1220
Burned: 754

June 8

Breakfast:
Almonds- 140
Isagenix shake- 240
Snack:
2 thin slices of ham- 30
1/2 banana w/pb- 80
Lunch:
1 can tuna- 140
1 pc. bread- 40
Miracle whip- 20
8 oz. Jamba Juice- 140
Dinner:
Turkey meatloaf- 290
Basil green beans- 60
Rosemary potatoes- 155

Grand total: 1335
Workout:
60-minute run- 820 cals
Pilates-- I don't know about calories, but it was a great workout and I didn't feel like a complete idiot the entire time. Bonus! I can definitely tell that it will work muscles in a way they don't ordinarily get worked, especially the ABS!! Double bonus!! Good workout, good food (we really enjoyed dinner tonight), lots of yummy produce from Green's-- great day!

RECIPES!
Parmesan-Turkey Meatloaf
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 lb. ground skinless turkey
4 slices whole-wheat bread, made into fine crumbs
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 egg white, lightly beaten
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp minced fresh garlic
1 tbs. finely chopped fresh basil, or 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350; spray an 8 by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. In a small nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the onion until tender, 4-5 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the onion, turkey, bread crumbs, milk, egg white, ketchup, cheese, garlic, basil, thyme, and pepper; blend well. Shape into a loaf and transfer to the pan. Bake until browned and cooked throuhg. 50-60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then cut into 8 slices.

**My ammendments-
I used three pieces of bread. To get them to crumble, I just rolled the bread in the palm of my hands.
As for cooking, I took a trick from Nora-- instead of putting it into a loaf pan, I formed 5 mini-loaves on a baking sheet and cooked them for 25 minutes. This is a great trick when you don't have time to wait for an hour.

Nutrition info (1 slice, according to the 8-slice cooking method): 181 cals, 9 g fat, 10 g carb, 1 g fib, 15 g protein

Rosemary Potatoes
*These cook in the microwave-- another brilliant time-saving strategy!
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place butter and garlic in a baking dish and microwave until butter is melted. Add all of the ingredients and toss well. Microwave until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Nutrition info: 155 cals

I was skeptical of cooking them in the microwave but they turned out to be pretty good. I'll definitely do this again. Love quick meals!

Basil Green Beans (recipe that Heather introduced to us)
1 lb green beans
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, cut in half
1 tbsp chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried leaf basil, crumbled
1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup boiling water

Cut beans in half. Heat oil and butter; saute onion and garlic until soft. Remove garlic.
Add beans, salt, basil, sugar, pepper, and boiling water. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition info: none provided on the website. I took the calorie count from the green beans at Boston Market... may or may not be accurate.

*Great flavor, but too salty for my taste... it's possible that I just inadvertently added a bit extra, or maybe I didn't have quite as many green beans as the recipe called for but either way, I'll use less salt next time.

June 6

I wasn't going to post today because, well, I didn't exactly eat healthy... but at the end of the day, I feel like I would be dishonest with myself and whoever may be reading this if I didn't.
As always, the day started well... my normal shake for breakfast (240), a sandwich and Baked Lays from Subway for lunch (450), and a great workout at the gym (burned 700). Well, then it was date night with Mike and we found ourselves at Cheesecake Factory. Ordinarily, I would allow myself the splurge with Mike without guilt. As you may recall, though, I splurged with my friend on Thursday and after the subsequent gallbladder attack, I wasn't incredibly worried about what I ate yesterday (though I still came in under calories and I did force a workout so that wasn't so so bad). So yes, I'm feeling a bit guilty about the shrimp scampi (which was so good!) and the dessert that we shared. I guess it just rounds out my not-so-disciplined week.
Fortunately, I didn't gain anything this week but as suspected, I didn't lose anything either. No big surprise there. I am oh so very ready to really rock it next week. I have ammended my goal weight and am now working towards 150 instead of the original 155 target. Mike and I are going to Pheonix at the end of July, which I will use as my goal date. That gives me 8 weeks to lose 9 pounds. So very doable.
Tomorrow, I am going to spend time creating a meal plan that I will stick to for the week. That plan will live on the refrigerator, which will also be fully stocked with everything I need to cook said meals. I am going to get rid of some of the carbs I've been eating and incorporate more fruits and veggies throughout the day. I am also going to plan out my workouts in my new workout journal (which I will also use to jot down what I eat when I eat it so I don't forget at the end of the day). I learned some great new moves today with the personal trainer that I will work into my program. Time to totally change it up, which may mean working out with Mike less to reach my goal, but I knew that day would come eventually. Like I said, it's time to add some Pilates, so that will happen on Monday. Abs 3 days a week at least. Increase my cardio sessions by 5 minutes this week.
Yes, this probably seems a bit difficult to some... maybe you're thinking that you couldn't do it. Really, it's been such a gradual process to get to this level that it doesn't seem like a major stretch. Plus, we all know that the last 10 pounds is the hardest so I definitely have to really step up my game and stick to it. It will be very worth it, just like every bit of effort I've made so far has been. So... here we go...

June 5

Well, gallbladder attacks always leave my stomach quite uneasy for the rest of the day so I ate what I could today. I had my usual breakfast (Isagenix shake), snacked on some cheerios later, forced myself to eat a turkey dog for a late lunch (really not good on an unsettled stomach but I haven't gone grocery shopping in a while!), shared a smoothie with Mike at the gym before our swim, and ate a few shrimp and a handful of french fries for dinner (Again, wasn't ideal on my stomach but I couldn't think of anything that I wanted and it was what Mike decided upon.) I'm not even going to count it all up because I know it wasn't enough and I'm not going to stress it today-- wasn't feeling well, what can ya do?
It's been a little bit of an off week for me altogether. Sure, I've watched my calories and I have worked out every day, but I haven't put 100% into it this week. If I haven't lost anything for tomorrow's weigh-in, I won't be at all surprised. That's perfectly ok, though. It's probably good to relax a little here and there. I'll just make next week that much better. For one thing, I need to meal plan and stick to the plan. I also need to make sure I have lots of fruits and veggies on hand so I munch on those instead of Lacey's crackers. I'm excited to start some group pilates classes next week. I know I'm going to look ridiculous for a while, but the results will be worth it. I need to make sure I stick to my cardio plan too-- I cut one cardio workout short and then I didn't do cardio at all yesterday. To be honest, I sort of love when I have a lax week here or there because it makes me all the more motivated to do better the following week, which always brings great results. That's life, I guess-- always trying to do a little better than we did the day before. So here's to a better tomorrow... *clink*!

Regret struck...

... in the form of a gallbladder attack. Go freaking figure.

June 4. Oh so tired.

Today started well...
Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals
Midmorning snack- Apple w/ pb- 155 cals
10 almonds preworkout- 70 cals
Lunch:
Pb&J sandwich- 100 cals
..... and it went downhill from there. I didn't eat enough for lunch and was thus pretty hungry when I finally got out of the house this afternoon. I stopped at McD's and ate a kids hamburger. 250 cals... not sooo bad, but certainly not great. But it tasted quite good. I love those stupid little burgers!
Then tonight, I ate dinner with a good friend of mine who happened to be in town this weekend for a scrapbooking convention. It was SO good to see her! She was one of my first roommates in college and I hadn't seen her in nearly 6 years! We ate at a yummy Italian restaurant and I definitely had my splurge meal tonight- very tasty pasta with chicken, sundried tomatoes spinach, and don't forget the cheesy creamy sauce. Mmmm! I filled up on salad before the entree so that I wouldn't eat too much of the pasta so that saved me a few calories but it still definitely sent me over my calorie limit for the day! All in good fun, though, and I don't regret it... or the treat we had at Sonic later. :) Definitely have to be good through the weekend though. I can do it!

And just for my own little pat-on-the-back, I will proudly announce that my entire house is clean. All at once! Even the dreaded office that is never clean! When does that happen? Um, how 'bout when Nora is occupied with out-of-town visitors for the last two weeks?! I'm so productive when we can't play, but I'm running out of things to clean so Nora, NO MORE GUESTS! :) Just kidding! But if you see me cleaning my garage this weekend, you'd better come save me. Hehe!

Good night all!

June 3

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals
Snack:
Apple- 50 cals
1 tbsp. pb- 90 cals
Lunch:
Granola bar- 140 cals
Turkey dog- 45 cals
Bun- 120 cals
Snack:
Crackers- 200 cals
Dinner:
Taco night- app. 450 cals

Total: 1335 so far... I'll probably have a light snack
Burned: 817

I met with the trainer today for one of my 3 free training sessions. We basically just went over some things today-- did a body age test, reviewed what I've been doing and what my goals are and gave her an idea of what kind of help I need. The body age test was interesting-- it comprised of a flexibility test, a 5-minute cardio test, a strength measurement , and body fat measurement. According to the results, my body is 23-years-old. The cardio test results were great. The strength results were good, but could have been better. As far as flexibility goes, I'M SO NOT!! It was pitiful, really. I've known this about myself but just haven't done anything about it. If I was where I should be in that department, my body age would be 18. Yeah, I could go with having the body of an 18-year-old! (Not that 27 is bad, but I'm only gonna get older!) So I repent and resolve to stretch after every workout. I'm also going to take up pilates beginning next week. I'm sure I'll look ridiculous because of how flexible I am not, but we all start somewhere, right? As the trainer said, it's sort of stupid that I take such good care of myself in other areas but I neglect that aspect of my fitness. It is important and thus I will pay more attention to it.
The body fat part was shocking to me. According to her measurement, I'm at 18.6%! I certainly would not have guessed that it would be so low. I'm not sure if that's entirely accurate, although the trainer assured me that she does it a lot and she's usually quite accurate.... but I continue to have my doubts, mostly due to the fact that I still have some fat around my stomach and legs. Maybe I'm in better shape than I think I am??? The combination of being over weight for so long and having been pregnant may mean that I just have loose skin which could account for the discrepancy between what I see and what the trainer says. I actually hope that's not the case because there's not a whole lot you can do about that unless you want surgery... which I don't. For now, I'll just enjoy the idea that I'm at 18.6% and the encouragement that comes with it. I still have 5-10 pounds that I want to lose and I'll continue to work hard, of course. I'm not shooting for perfection here, but I do want to be the best that I can be and I still have a bit more work until I'm there. I remain thrilled with how far I've come and I certainly don't take anything away from that. There's always room for improvement, though, so that's what I aim to do.
I'll meet with Dana again on Saturday for a workout. I'm looking forward to learning some things that I can do to change things up a bit more. I'll let ya know how that goes.
Good night!

June 2

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals
Lunch out with Lacey:
Chick-fil-a grilled chicken sandwich- 260 cals
Side salad- 70 cals
Snack:
Apple- 55 cals
w/peanut butter- 120 cals
Dinner:
Tuscan turkey sandwich-360 cals
Protein shake- 120 cals

Total: 1225 calories
Burned: 681 calories

June 1

Breakfast:
Toast w/pb- 120 cals
10 almonds- 170 cals
Lunch:
Turkey burger- 130 cals
Wheat bun- 220 cals
Fixins- 30 cals
Pool-side snack!:
1 1/2 Granola bars (finished Laceys for her... darn that Mom habit!)- 150 cals
Graham crackers- 130 cals
Dinner:
Turkey burger-130 cals
1/2 bun- 110 cals
Fixins- 30 cals
Potato fries cooked in olive oil- about 160 cals I think
Watermelon- 60 cals

Total: 1440 cals
Burned: 500 cals

So, today was not an ideal day. I did not eat nearly enough for breakfast, which hindered my workout. I was supposed to run for 55 minutes but stopped at 35 because I was beginning to feel sick. Stupid! I didn't intentionally eat so little. I grabbed some toast when Lacey was eating and then I just got to doing my morning routine and never got back to eating. Big mistake. It also left me hungrier throughout the day. I need to start focusing more on getting more of my calories in for breakfast and lunch and on keeping healthier stuff on hand when I'm out and about. Graham crackers and granola bars aren't the worst things in the world, but they're not the best. And yes, we did eat the same meal twice today. I had cooked for lunch, which wasn't the intention, but it left enough for dinner and I wanted to hang out at the pool with Nora so there ya go. :) Hey, I cooked alright... already doing better than last week! Hehe!

May 31

Breakfast:
15 almonds- 104 cals
Fruit bar- 150 cals
And later...
English muffin w/ pb- 150 cals
Lunch:
Turkey dog- 45 cals
Bun- 120 cals
Ketchup-15 cals
Some of those darn animal crackers of Lacey's (got hungry at church)- 120 cals
Snacked on a handful of cheez it's this with lunch- 75 cals
Dinner:
If I have to cook on Sundays, it's breakfast...
Pancakes w/ a bit of light syrup- 420 cals
Scrambled eggs (mostly egg whites)- 90
Protein shake- 120 cals

Total: 1539... a tad over where I should have been and not much focus on healthy stuff today but Sundays tend to a bit more relaxed... no harm done. Oh, and I hereby take back what I said about the diet dr pepper business. It's not that I'm addicted, because I'm really not-- I'm happy if I have one every couple of days or so. It's just that it's something that I enjoy and when I'm cutting back on other things for now, it makes me feel like I've had something good. Maybe when I've reached my goal and I can increase my calorie intake, I will be able to give it up but for now, when I'm working so hard to get the rest of the way, diet dr. pepper will remain my friend. What can I say? I'm weak! :)
That's all for tonight.

May 30

It's late and I've had a long day and I don't feel like counting it all up today. Is that lame? I was good though-- english muffin for breakfast, pb&j sandwich for lunch, some crackers and almonds on the go, salmon, salad, and mixed veggies from Outback for dinner, 720 calorie burn at the gym. I did snag a couple chicken nuggets and a few of Mike's fries from Wendy's as I was starving at one point but I hadn't eaten much during the day so that certainly didn't kill anything. And as today was my official weigh in (yesterday was just a moment of curiosity), I am thrilled to announce that the scale read 158.6 today!!! Wa-freaking-hoo! I'm quite thrilled with that and can't wait to see the numbers continue to go down as my waist line goes with it. All of that lead to a victory treat from Braums-- a brownie fudge sundae. It was quite tasty, well-deserved, and after a few bites, I was reminded why I don't eat that stuff frequently anymore... just makes me feel ill after a bit. Still enjoyable and it will tide me over for a while.
And now, I'm going to wind down... I'm exhausted! Toodles!

May 29

Breakfast:
English muffin w/ pb- 150
Mid-morning snack:
Watermelon- 60
Almonds- 140
Lunch:
Salmon salad... wasn't very hungry at that point so I didn't eat much-- maybe 200 cals
Protein shake- 120 cals
One of Lacey's chicken fingers and a few baked lays- 160
Dinner:
Pizza night with the niece and nephew. My wonderful husband also stopped at Subway for me and retrieved a 6" ham sandwich- 290 cals
Buuuuuuuut... the pizza was SCREAMING my name! And, I hadn't eaten much throughout the day so I indulged...
Small piece of pepperoni- 220 cals
1 piece of cheese- 210
(Incidentally, I dicsovered that one piece of pizza actually has fewer calories than the sandwich. Next time, maybe one piece of pizza and some salad would be more satisfying and less calorie loaded.)

1550 calories at the end of the day. Hey, not bad for indulging in pizza! And I burned 1000 calories during my workout today. Yeah, no wonder I was so hungry by dinner! I worked my shoulders, back and chest today. My weight workout alone burned 600 calories because I kept my heart rate going the whole time. I started with a five-minute run to warm up and then I jumped rope between many sets and supersetted the rest. A much more efficient way to workout. Yesterday during my arm workout, I just did the weights with no cardio in between and little supersetting and only burned 180 calories (but then I ran to burn some more)-- so my point is to keep the heart rate going for a much better calorie burn. I then came home and ran for half an hour.
Oh, and the good news: I stepped on the scale today and it said 159.5.... which means that I FINALLY broke the 160 barrier! (Barely, I realize, but it counts!) I am now only 4 1/2 pounds from my original goal. WAHOO!!! Won't be long... and then we'll see where I want to go from there. I just can't believe that when I started, I wanted to lose 50 pounds... I never thought I would get to the point when I only had 5 left. Such a great feeling! Totally worth everything it has taken to get here. Now I just have to get the rest of the way. Stay tuned!
Btw- I really want a diet dp right now........... Sonic is so close....... hmmmmmmmmm

May 28

Breakfast:
English muffin w/ pb- 140 cals
1/2 banana (split with Lacey)- 60 cals
Midmorning snack:
Watermelon- 80 cals
Lunch:
Ham sandwich- 150 cals
Protein shake- 120 cals
Misc. bites of Lacey's crackers and such (bad Mom habit!)- maybe 150 cals??
Dinner:
Spring Creek Fiesta Salad- no calorie count on the menu but based on what was in it, I'm going to say 450 cals to be on the safe side (though it was probably a little less)

Hmmm... that only takes me to 1150 cals. Guess I get a little snack tonight! :) Burned 620 calories at the gym today. No diet dp today! And yes, I have managed to get through the entire week so far without cooking once! How pathetic is that?! It was just one of those weeks when our nights were crazy--Monday was Memorial Day, Tuesday we had a late workshop at the office and didn't get home until 8, Wednesday we went to the Temple as soon as Mike got home from work, and tonight, well, we had a coupon and Mike wanted Spring Creek. Next week, I resolve to COOK! All is well, though. Boredom sent me to the mall today where I ended up purchasing 2 skirts in size 6!!! That's such a fun size to buy and I certainly never thought I would. Fun, fun, fun.... and dangerous. Shopping shouldn't be so fun! I won't get carried away, though, cuz I do have a few more pounds to lose. Really enjoying these victories along the way! :)

May 27

Breakfast:
English muffin w/ natural peanut butter- 150 cals
Lunch:
Ham sandwich w/ lettuce, tomato, and avocado- 190 cals
Snacks:
Almonds- 150 cals
Fruit bar- 130 cals
Handful of Lacey's animal crackers- 80 cals
Dinner:
Chick-Fil-A chargrilled chicken sandwich w/ honey roasted bbq sauce- 320 cals
Late snack- bowl of raisin bran w/ skim milk- 230 cals (we went to the Temple and got home late... needed something to keep my stomach from nagging all night!)

Total: 1250 cals... busy day, need to eat a bit more tomorrow
Burned: 450 cals... cut today's workout a little short due to time. 1/2 hour of grueling cardio and some abs today

And I caved. It was one of those days that required a diet dp. I did say I would allow myself one a week so I'll still shoot for that...... wish me luck!

May 26

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals
Lunch:
Hot dog with 1/2 hamburger bun (because I haven't been to the store yet and there was nothing else to eat!)- 135 cals
Protein shake- 200 cals
Snacks:
almonds- 140 cals
Fiber One bar- 150 cals
8 oz. Jamba Juice- 140 cals
Dinner (we ate out AGAIN! Seriously, we do that way too much... Mike held a workshop at the office, though, so we didn't even get home until almost 8. Better work on that for the rest of the week though):
Boston Market 1/4 white chicken (minus skin and wing)- 170 cals
Green beans- 60 cals
New potatoes- 140 cals
And I couldn't resist the cornbread, though I should have- 180 cals... I'll just tell them to not even give it to me next time!
I was out a lot today, and I haven't gone shopping for the week yet, so I didn't eat enough fruits and veggies. Better work on that tomorrow!

Total: 1555
Burned: 780 (leg workout and 1/2 hour of cardio)
Wanted a diet dp today but I didn't give in. How ridiculous that this is such a challenge for me! Can we say addiction?!

May 25 Happy Memorial Day!

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals
Lunch:
Turkey dog- 45 cals
Bun- 120 cals
Snack:
A couple pieces of celery w/ natural peanut butter- 120 cals
Dinner:
1 small chicken salad croissant
Watermelon
Cucumber and tomato salad
A couple of bites of bbq pork
Sugar snapped peas
Split a cupcake with Lacey
Snacked on a few chips as well but not enough to feel guilty
--- Again, not sure of the calorie count for dinner as we had dinner with the Whelan fam' to celebrate Kierstin and RJ's bdays. Clearly, I need not worry about going over calories because I didn't eat much during the day (just cuz I was busy and didn't think about it) and dinner wasn't particularly unhealthy anyway. Kudos to Heather for giving healthy options this evening!
Workout: ran for 50 minutes and did 20 minutes of abs- burned 780 calories. Not a bad Memorial Day. Did NOT have a diet dp today, although I was wanting one by the end of the day. 10 points there!

May 24

Is it just me or is even the slightest deviation from healthy eating simply painful? I ate healthy most of the day, but this evening, Mike and I went to his parents house to celebrate his dad's birthday. The meal wasn't all that unhealthy-- cubed steak, a small amount of mashed potatoes, lots of broccoli, salad, and a roll. I'm not sure about the calorie count on any of that and that's ok. I did indulge in some cherrie pie and low fat, no sugar added ice cream (thanks to my father-in-law who was being health conscious when he retrieved said ice cream) and I think that may be the culprit of my now upset tummy. I think my gallbladder makes things that would otherwise be enjoyable slightly more on the painful side. That, or I am more intolerant of milk products than I would like to admit. Either way, ug. It's always tasty going down but next time, I've got to remember what happens as a result. It's my own fault, really, and certainly nothing that my sweet mother-in-law needs feel responsible or guilty for. The truth is that it probably won't keep me from enjoying the occasional dessert... but perhaps I should try forgoing the ice cream. Haha... yeah, like that'll happen! :)

Anyway, moving right along... no calorie count today. I'm sure I went over a bit and I'm not going to stress it. I think one day of not counting is fine, even necessary perhaps. Being that it is Sunday, I didn't work out so we'll just call it a day of rest all around. Gotta love those! :) As for the week ahead, I have a couple of things to improve upon. #1. Vitamins and supplements. I was great at taking them for a bit but not so great this past week. Gotta get back on that. #2... and I hesitate even to say this, but it's time... to give up.... give me a moment.............. Diet Dr. Pepper! (Nora, did I just hear you scoff over there??) This is my one true vice that I have allowed myself to hold onto, for sanity's sake. I've maintained my one-a-day rule for a bit now but I am going to attempt to eliminate such consumption altogether. Ok, maybe I'll have one a week. :) I realize that the caffiene isn't healthy and the artificial sweeteners are terrible, among other things. So this is my goal for the coming week. Wish me luck! As for everything else, I'll just keep to what I've been doing-- counting calories, great workouts, and a positive attitude...and maybe wave bye-bye to another pound or two!
Oh, and BRING ON THE POOL!!!

May 23... Go figure

Breakfast:
Scrambled egg whites with ketchup- 60 cals
1 pc. turkey bacon- 35 cals
Toasted english muffin with Smart Balance spread- 130 cals
Berries- 25 cals
Lunch:
Grilled turkey dog: 45 cals
Wheat bun: 120 cals
BBQ Baked Lays: 240 cals (muched a little too much on the chips, but they were good! :)
TREAT DAY:
Frozen yogurt with various toppings-- cals? Don't know, don't care. It was our treat for the week. It was Lacey's first trip for ice cream and she loved it!
Dinner:
The day ran away from us and the headache returned so it was back to a favorite stop: Taco Bell! 3 crunchy fresco tacos: 450 cals
The cinammon twists that I got for Lacey but ate myself when she didn't want them (oopsie!): 170 cals

Total for the day (not including treat): 1275... wait...really?! I thought for sure that I ate more than that but there ya go. I did lift weights today but forgot my watch so I'm not certain on the calorie loss there. Based on other weight workouts, I'll say it was at least 350 which means that even with the treat, I probably still didn't eat the total number of calories for the day.

Today marks the end of week 1 (since getting the tests done) and I have to say that I am quite thrilled already with how it's going. After feeling like I was working my rear end off without actually working it off for some time, it's so great to know exactly what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. I love having the heart rate monitor so I can make sure that I'm working out efficiently the entire time. The calorie counter on the monitor is fantastic and gives me the immediate satisfaction of knowing what I've accomplished. I spent several frustrating months not sure if I was doing enough, or doing too much, and now I can keep track of that through every work out to ensure that I'm right where I need to be. As it turns out, I was working out too hard. I felt that the faster I ran, the more weight I would lose. Not true. Once you go beyond a certain threshold, your body is burning only carbs and no fat. Plus, it has all kinds of other effects that aren't particularly ideal for weight loss. So now I can scale back a bit and get a much more efficient, though still grueling workout. And as much as I tried to avoid it, counting calories has actually been another great help. I wasn't eating poorly before, but again, it's just great knowing exactly how I'm doing. Blogging all of this is also helpful because I will be able to look back and see where I need to improve or what I need to just keep doing. So, all-in-all, I'm thrilled that I did the tests. I'm in a much more positive place than I was before and I'm already seeing results. Last week, my fluctuating weight had crept back up to 165 and today, I was 162. Maybe next week I'll break the 160 barrier! That would be so stinking fantastic!! Of course, even if it doesn't happen next week, it will the following and that will be no less fantastic.
Oh, and Mike also lost 2 pounds this week so apparently my greater focus has helped him as well... or he just feels the need to get in better shape to keep up with his hot wife! :) Hehe... just kidding!

May 22

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals
Midmorning snack:
Protein shake- 120 cals
Lunch:
PB & J sandwich- 135 cals
Fruit bar- 130 cals
Almonds- 170 cals
Afternoon snack:
3 Auntie Anne's pretzel sticks: 170 cals
Dinner:
Sushi night! Tempura Roll, Shrimp roll, and 1/2 spring roll-- ???? I tried looking up nutrition info on sushi, but it varies a lot from one place to another so there's no telling. It probably wasn't the lowest calorie meal out there, but it certainly wasn't the highest and we really enjoyed it. It was still less than the 860 calories that I burned at the gym so I think I'm ok. We love our sushi round here!

May 21

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals
Midmorning snack:
Fruit bar- 130 cals
Almonds- 150
Lunch:
Chicken sandwich with spinach, avocado, and miracle whip- 240 cals
Afternoon snack:
Protein shake- 120 cals
Dinner:
On the Border Chicken Salsa Fresca- I may have eaten 460 cals of that meal... it wasn't good but I was hungry
Ate some animal crackers when I got home from dinner cuz I was still hungry! 200 cals

Total: 1540
Burned 590 at the gym with a great run. Still falling short of the number of calories I'm told to get, but I don't feel like I'm starving myself by any means so I'm not going to stress about it. If it seems weird that I drink shakes during the day, it's really only because of the simplicity of them. I like getting the protein for breakfast but I'm just not an egg in the morning person. It's also quite easy to mix a shake up really quick, I know how many calories they are, and I like them.
As for the vitamins I take, I'm currently taking the GNC prenatal vitamin pack, which includes a fish oil pill and a calcium pill. Obviously I'm not pregnant, but I will be by the end of the year and it's always good for women to get those extra vitamins anyway. I also take a liver and kidney detox pill because of my gallbladder problems and some natural supplements for the same reason. I've kind of been slacking on taking everything lately so I need to get back to it... shame on me. There are a lot of great vitamins out there with all sorts of good stuff, but they can be very pricey. We'll probably start looking for a better vitamin for me soon so I'll let you know what we find, but the ones I'm taking aren't bad. As for the protein powder that we drink, incase you're interested, it's the Beverly International which is one of the best. Very low in carbs and calories but tastes great, even in water. I recommend protein shakes for people who do a lot of weight lifting like we do.
Ok, girls night out went way past my bed time so I'm off... more tomorrow!

May 20... eh

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals
1 slice of bread w/ smidge of pb- 60 cals
Lunch:
Out to lunch with Mike today! I got a turkey sandwich from Corner Bakery and a small bowl of soup-- approximately 500 cals
Snack:
apple- 55 cals
Skippy natural pb- 180 cals
Dinner:
Quiznos small Tuscan Turkey sandwich- 410 cals
BBQ Baked Lays- 120 cals

Total: 1565 Calories
Ok so we ate out for lunch and dinner today. Lunch was just a fun, middle-of-the-week treat with Mike. By dinner, the headache that had been bothering me throughout the day got worse and I just didn't feel like cooking. Mike insisted on running out to grab something and Quiznos was his choice. The Tuscan Turkey sandwich is actually a fairly low calorie choice. Next time I'd do it without the cheese and a lot less of the sauce... but Mike was getting dinner and I didn't want to bug him with special orders. I also didn't work out today... I only feel slightly guilty about that. I wish that I had run this morning, but I've been struggling to get enough calories in already this week so it certainly won't kill me. Tomorrow will be a good workout so I'll make up for it.

Why didn't I do this sooner??

As we all know, healthy eating can be somewhat expensive. Mike and I willingly take on that expense because the benefits far outweigh the costs, but I'm always happy to save a little money where I can. Today, I believe I've come accross a solution that will save me a little money and probably some time as well. I went to Costco and stocked up on meat. We're a small family, so buying food at Costco just always seemed a little much for us. Well, today I bought a big pack of pork chops, a large fillet of salmon, a bunch of chicken, 4 pounds of ground turkey breast meat, some frozen mahi mahi, fresh scallops, and a rotisserie chicken. Tonight, I took the time to portion it all out and stick in the freezer what we won't use immediately. We'll get 5 meals out of the pork chops, 4 out of the salmon, 4 out of the turkey, 5 out of the chicken, 4 out of the mahi mahi, 2 out of the scallops, and the rotisserie chicken will serve as a lunch options to go on a salad, sandwich, or whatever else seems tasty. That's a month worth of meat in my freezer for somewhere around $150. I spent less per pound on everything I bought at Costco than I would at Kroger and it's all fresh (well, except for the frozen mahi mahi) and very healthy. This will likely make meal planning easier and it will save me from those random trips to the grocery store when I have nothing around to cook. Plus, it's all portioned out so I'll only cook what Mike and I will eat in one meal which means that I won't be throwing food away when it doesn't get eaten later. (Hmm... maybe I'll even go a step further and sit down one day and come up with a bunch of meal plans for all of this meat so I don't have to think about that either... maybe.) Is this brilliant or have you all been doing this all along and I'm an idiot for not doing it sooner? I can't take any credit for the idea-- this came from my sister, Kristen, who is also a very healthy eater. I'm thinking that I'll continue doing this from now on and I'll try to start going to the Famer's Market for produce. I hear it's less expensive and better there so we'll see. Plus it's just fun! Just thought I'd share what seems like a great plan for our family incase it might work for any of you as well. Goodnight!

May 19... still figuring things out!

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals.
Post workout snack:
Protein shake- 120 cals.
Lunch:
Leftover chicken- 289 cals
Salad- 50 cals
Dressing- 35 cals
Rice- 50 cals
Snack:
1 medium apple- 55 cals
2 tbs. almond butter- 190 cals
Pretzels- app. 100 cals
Dinner:
5 scallops cooked in olive oil, lemon juice, with lemon pepper- app. 120 cals.
Salad- 70 cals
1/2 baked potato with 1 tsp. light butter- 100 cals
1/2 cup green beans- 20 cals
Other random bites here and there (small handful of grapes, a few croutons, a goldfish or two)-- maybe 100 cals
Total for the day: 1416!!
All of this and I am nowhere near where I need to be. I actually burned 810 calories at the gym today so technically, I should be consuming somewhere near the 2200 calories mark. Ice cream anyone?!? Ok, I need to plan better. Obviously, I'm quite used to eating very few calories so it's going to be hard to readjust. I'm not going to allow myself several hundred calories of junk by any means, but I just need to be getting more good stuff in me. Maybe instead of the shakes for breakfast, I need to start eating eggs and veggies, maybe some yogurt, or something a little more hearty. And Meridith, I'm completely with you on the healthy fats. That's why I eat the natural peanut butter and almonds and I always cook my meat with some olive oil. Plus, the salad dressing that I eat is an olive oil mixture so I get it there too. I really don't feel like I'm starving myself, but I guess I need to fuel my body more for the intense workouts that I get. I'll do better tomorrow. For now, maybe I'll go have some pineapple and cottage cheese or something. :)

May 18, 2009 at a glance

Breakfast: Isagenix shake- 240 calories
Snack: Medium apple- 55 calories
2 tbs. skippy natural peanut butter- 180 calories
Lunch: 1 can tuna fish- 150 calories
1 tbsp. miracle whip- 35 calories
1 slice reduced-cal. wheat bread- 40 calories
Protein shake- 120 calories
Dinner: Cilantro Lime Chicken (YUM! Recipe on Heather's blog).- 289 calories
Salad with lots of tasty veggies- 70 calories
Greek vinegrette dressing- 35 calories
Mexican Rice- 100 calories
Black bean salsa- 40 calories
Total Consumed: 1354 Calories

Workout: 40-minutes interval run. 419 calories burned. Technically, according to the plan the trainer put me on, I still need to take in 531 calories. I'll eat a light snack but I don't suspect I'll get quite that many by the end of the day. Guess I can throw in more calories tomorrow.

Um... yeah

Ok, so this is going to kick my rear end. I met with the trainer again today to go over the work out portion in greater detail. Here's the deal--
So, as you may or may not know, there are certain heart rate zones that achieve different purposes. Everyone's zones vary and they can change over time and depending on level of fitness. I learned that my "Base" in in Zone 2. Base is the heart rate at which your body burns the most calories while still using fat for fuel. Once you get out of the base level, you are burning more carbohydrate calories and fewer fat calories. The ideal is to burn more fat calories. So, my base is 173-178 bpm. My "Threshold" is 183 bpm, which is the last stop for burning fat. Beyond that, I would be burning nothing but carbs and over exerting myself. Because of all of the running I've done, these are pretty high, which is great, but it means that I have to work pretty hard to reach the highest level of efficiency. As I proceed with zone training, my threshold heart rate will increase and I will also see and increase in the percentage of fat that I burn while working in Zone 3. The ideal is to burn mostly fat calories while working in zone 3. Still with me? Some of you may not care about this, but I thought it was interesting and potentially helpful to others.
What does this mean for my workouts? Well, I'll do zone training, working in each zone for certain periods of time in order to burn more fat and increase my body's efficiency. On days that I do just cardio, I'll warm up at zone 1 (163-173) for 5 minutes then move to zone 2 (173-178) for two minutes, then move to zone 3 (178-183) for 3 minutes. I'll alternate with intervals of zone 2 and 3 to reach a 45 minute workout and then cool down in zone 1 for five minutes. Each week, I'll add another interval until I get to 60 minutes and then the trainer will change my workout again.
I did this today and yowsa! I didn't even get to zone 1 until I was running at a 6.7 mph pace, then it took running at 7.4 to get to zone 2, and on up to 8.5 to get to zone 3. That's pretty speedy! I did it, but it was tough. Fortunately, once I got my heart rate going, I didn't have to run quite that fast to keep it up, but it was definitely an intense workout. I can certainly see how working out like this will make a difference. I guess it was about time.
As for the days I do strength training, my cardio will consist of a 5-minute warm up, 30 minutes in zone 2 and 5 minute cool down in zone 1.
Day 1 and I am so glad I did this!! It's really nice to know what I'm doing instead of guessing and hoping. I realize that this may not be available to all, but if you can do it, I highly recommend it, especially if you've plateaud like I have. Obviously, working out at the same intensity as I was a year ago just wasn't cutting it anymore. When you reach higher levels of fitness, you have to step up your game. I also highly recommend getting a heart rate monitor and watch. I love mine! It's just so great knowing that I'm working out effectively. So now I just keep plugging away at this and see what happens. Thanks for all of the support I'm getting. Hopefully this information is helpful to more than just me. :)

The Results

So I went in for the metabolic tests on Saturday. It was extremely difficult to get up at 5:30 after a very late night, particularly given that it was pouring rain outside and I just wanted to sleeeeep... but, I made it for my 6 am appointment. First up: calorie assessment. I sat comfortably in a chair with a mask that covered my nose and mouth and breathed into a machine that monitored my carbon monoxide output vs. carbon dioxide intake for about 20 minutes. From that, the computer program determined my resting metabolic rate to tell me exactly how many calories I should be consuming. It wasn't all that difficult, except that I was becoming extremely claustrophobic with the mask on and I wonder if that affected my breathing or the results??? And why is it that it's so much harder to actually relax just because someone tells you to relax? I was thinking about being completely relaxed to the point that I was not so relaxed at all at points. Stupid mind games. Oh well. The test ended and I was told that I should be taking in no less than 1466 calories a day. If I maintain that rate, I can expect to lose 3/4- 1 pound a week (which at this point sounds great... it's possible that I'll lose more, but the trainer didn't want me to expect too much in case it doesn't happen some weeks). Of course, if I work out and burn 600 calories in a day, then I need to add 600 calories to my diet. The trainer explained that because I have likely been consuming fewer calories than I've needed recently, my body has adjusted to maintaining at that number of calories and stores fat despite the fact that I'm working hard to burn it. Theoretically, if I give my body what it really needs, it will respond in kind and do what I want it to. We shall see. I have avoided counting calories to this point but it appears that in order to get to the next level, I need to get a little more serious. And while 1466 calories seems somewhat low, I was told that the number will actually increase as I reach new levels of fitness. Weight lifting is apparently key here and while I have been doing that four days a week for more than two years (I worked out when I was prego), I haven't changed things enough to stimulate muscle growth and strength for added calorie burn. My body got very accustomed to what I was doing so it's a good thing I've recently changed gyms and my entire program.
The next test was the cardio test. I was hooked up to the same mask and got on a treadmill while the trainer monitored my heart rate and breathing to determine my cardio fitness and optimal fat burning heart rate zones. This was actually fairly painful. I was only on the treadmill for 12 minutes or so but the mask was killing me! I was so claustrophobic on this test that I just wanted to tear it off. She had me gradually increase the speed and incline to reach my maximum rate so I was in some pain by the last couple of minutes. I made it through and although we have not yet had the chance to discuss the results, I did learn a few things. First of all, when it comes to cardio fitness, I'm in the top 96th percent of my demographic. I was pretty happy about that... looks like all of that running has paid off and left me with a happy heart! I learned that my optimal fat burning heart rate zone is 173-178 bpm. (That's actually higher than most people's would be so don't go by that for your own target.) I'll have my heart rate monitor and watch, which will programmed with 12 weeks of workouts so that I can work out much more efficiently. I'm meeting with the trainer again tomorrow to talk more about the work out part and to get on a program (we ran out of time on Saturday) so we'll see what more she says. It has all been very interesting to learn about and I'm looking forward to seeing how this affects my progress. I am committed to sticking with the 12-week- program to really put this to the test. And now that I'll be counting calories fairly religously, I'll likely start keeping track of all of that here, as well as menu plans and recipes. It's going to be great to have all of this to look back to after I've had more babies and need to do it all over again. Isn't being a woman grand?? :)