Friday, July 5, 2013

Hot Dam 5K recap

I kicked off my 4th of July weekend on a great note: I ran a 5K race!

It was hotter than I like to run in (like 85 maybe), but it was fun nonetheless. My friend Alison ran with me, and we enjoyed our post-race beer together. (By far, the best reason for running is getting a beer at the end!)


We both did great at the race, too! Though I started a bit too fast (seriously! a 9:17 mile for the first one! Ca-RAZY fast for me!!), I slowed down to my regular pace and finished the 5K-plus (it ended up being 3.4 miles) in just 34:50 - a 10:16 pace. My best so far this year!

Cheers for a fun race!

Friday, June 28, 2013

I may be crazy!

Queue the Billy Joel:


Among the latest reasons I may be crazy is my summer running calendar! I have 6 races (mostly 5Ks, but one 10K) on the calendar between July 1 and August 31. WOW!

First, the Hot Dam 5K on July 3rd. I'm excited for this one because it's an evening race (though, it might be hot), there's beer at the end, it's my old stomping grounds, I'm running with a friend, AND there's nothing I want more than a T-Shirt that says Hot Dam! on it. :)

Then up is the Color Run on July 14th.
I was a bit coerced to doing the Color Run. I had a lot of friends who ran it last year and it looked like a big, busy mess! When I run a race, I run to do the best I can do - and the Color Run looks like a crazy mayhem! But, my friends convinced me to do it with them, and I'm not one to turn down a child-free day. I'm most concerned about getting the color dye on my glasses. What if I won't be able to see where I'm going?!

Then, in a first for me, I'm doing back-to-back 5Ks in a single weekend. Saturday July 20th is the Highland Fest 5K, part of my neighborhood celebration. Then on Sunday July 21st I'm venturing to Red Wing for the Falconer 5K. I'm so excited for this one! Wine tasting at the end!!

I take a few weeks off, but then jump back in with one of my favorite races, the Milk Run at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 25th. This was one of the first 5K races I ever ran in 2005 or 2006 and it is SO FUN! The winners of this race get a blue ribbon - something that I am certain I will never earn. But it's fun to dream!

And the last race I'm registered for this summer is the Women Rock 10K on Aug. 31st. Should be a fun race - near my house, a fun distance, running with a friend, champagne at the end. Can't wait!






Pretty busy running summer! I have plans for the fall, too, but I think I need to get through the summer first. Races are so addicting - I love the atmosphere. I love challenging myself. I love the goodie bags you get. I love wearing my T-shirt with pride.

I hope to see my times improve throughout this summer... but even if not, I will remember this summer by how many races I ran!

Do you run races? What do you like about them?



Monday, June 17, 2013

FMM - Just Wondering!

Here it is Monday. Another chance to start new. My mom and stepdad came to Minnesota for a quick visit this weekend, and as always, I revert to my old eating self and ate my weight in junk. Seriously! I can stand up for myself in all aspects of my life except when my mom is around. Then I eat and eat and eat and eat anything that is in front of me. This weekend, we took a trip to Cossetta's and I ate more pasta than I have in months. It was delicious, mind you, but a quick peek at the scale on Sunday scared me!!

My daughter & my mom enjoying some (a lot) of pasta
Now on to normal Monday Business: Friend Makin' Monday!

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!



Just Wondering

1.  Do you wear glasses and/or contacts?  I do. I wear glasses. I have since I was 10. People ask me if I want to get contacts and the answer is always no. My glasses are part of my personality and reflect who I am.

2.  Do you have summer vacation plans?  If so, where are you going?  Church camp with the kids, then Music and Art classes, storytimes, fun at the Y, playdates, and so on! For me: I hope to run about seven or eight 5K or longer races between now and October, so I better keep on training!

3.  What is your favorite food to eat for breakfast? Multigrain Cheerios with Vanilla Almond Milk and blueberries and bananas on top. When I am trying to have a lower carb day, I will make and egg or two, but I really love Multigrain Cheerios. (So do my kids!)

4. Do you enjoy window shopping?  I like to window online shop! Mostly when I am out at the Mall or somewhere, it's for a mission to get something. I either have the kids with me (so I don't have a lot of time before I lose their attention) or I have just an hour or two to myself (so no time for dilly-dallying!)

5. What is your favorite candle scent? I don't really like candles and with two toddlers, they aren't very safe. But I do like a nice peppermint or cinnamon or other homey/holiday scent at Christmas time.

6.  If you had to choose between going to a zoo or an aquarium, which one would you pick? Zoo. My kids love it and I like to walk around outside. Here in the Twin Cities, we have two zoos to choose from: the Minnesota Zoo or the Como Zoo. Minnesota Zoo is expensive if you don't have a membership (we do), but so worth it, IMO. Como Zoo is a free city park, but it's always overcrowded and a lot of the animals are in cement cages. It smells bad and depresses me.


7.  How many times do you plan to exercise this week?  At least 3 or 4. I've started running in the morning before my kids get up and I *love* it!!! It's nice and quiet and cool. I live just 3 blocks from the Mississippi River Road, which is a nice route to run, so I hope to get out there at least 3 times this week, plus one trip to the Y for some elliptical work (and a break from the kids!). The Y also recently started offering Water Zumba, which I think sounds interesting. I want to try that on Saturday morning.

8.  Do you speak another language fluently? Not even a little. I wish I had kept up my Spanish, though. I took a few years in college, but then dropped it for something else.
 
9.  What are you currently reading?  I've just started reading Raising a Son and Loving Frank at the same time. I alternate which one I choose when I read before bed.
Isn't the cover of this book
HILARIOUS?!

 10.  What are you looking forward to most in the coming week?  My best friend is in the hospital having a baby as I type. I CANNOT WAIT to go meet him!!!!!! (and see her, too).

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

33 Things, progress made!

Awhile ago, I shared my "33 Things to do while I'm 33" list. I've recently made some progress, so it's time to update it!

Completed goals are crossed off. In progress goals have pink comments.

1. Volunteer at Feed My Starving Children - at least twice. (One down, one to go on June 24!)
2. Host a Christmas Cookie exchange. (I went to one... I won't be able to host one since I'll be 34 before Christmas)
3. Run a 5K, a 7K, a 10K, and a "longer than 10K" race (maybe a 10 mile or 1/2 marathon?).
4. Read at least 6 books for fun.
5. Make a family cookbook.
6. Take the kids to Wisconsin.
7. Get a pedicure.
8. Swim in a lake (with the kids).
9. Take a family vacation - that doesn't involve going to or staying at a relative's home.
10. Crochet a blanket (you'll remember that was a New Year's Resolution from last year, whoops, didn't get there...). DONE!!!!
11. Reconnect (ie: see in person) some old friends who I've not seen much since B&H were born
12. Paint my bedroom.
13. Take a sewing class.
14. Go to Lake Minnetonka.
15. Try Zumba at least once. I have been going to Zumba class every Wednesday!
16. Pay off one of my student loans
17. Send real paper cards to my immediate family members for their birthdays.
18. Sleep in (past 8:00) just once.
19. Stay up late (past 11:00) just once.
20. Go to a movie in the theater.
21. Go to a concert. I saw Fleetwood Mac with my BFF Andrea in April, 2013!
22. Go to a play or musical. Saw "Rock of Ages" with BFF in May!
23. Leave a treat and thank you note for the mailman.
24. Take the kids on an airplane (Yikes! This is crazy!)
25. Take the Jeopardy online quiz again.
26. Go sledding (with the kids). Well, it was more me pulling them in the sleds, but that's better than nothing. And safer!
27. Learn a bit of basic graphic design.
28. Shovel my neighbor's sidewalk for no reason.
29. Wear pajamas all day.
30. Spend an entire day sitting at a coffee shop reading (without kids).
31. Go on a Girl's Weekend with my friends. Had SO MUCH FUN at Craft weekend in June 2013!
32. Donate blood.
33. Pay for someone's coffee who is behind me in line.

So, now I have 7 things totally done, a few on the way, and some work to do in the next 5 months!!

Monday, June 10, 2013

FMM: Par-Tay!!

It's Monday, and I'm ready to do another Friend Makin' Monday from All the Weigh. If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!


How Do You Celebrate?

1. When is your birthday?  November 7th.

2.  Do you like to celebrate it or do you prefer to keep it quiet?  I like to celebrate, but I don't go around announcing it's my birthday when it is. I love it when I get cards in the mail, though. And of course Facebook makes it easy to feel loved because so many people send an electronic greeting.

3. Have you ever had a surprise party? No, probably never will. No offense to my husband, but he could probably never plan one.

4. What sign are you?  Does it represent you well? I'm a Scorpio, but I don't really know what that means... I've never really thought about it.

5.  Do you tell the truth about your age?  Usually, unless I forget how old I am. I'm 33, and sometimes I just plain forget. (SERIOUS! I was typing this answer and I typed 32! What?!)

6.  Share your best birthday memory. My husband and I went on a cruise for my 30th birthday. The cruise itself wasn't necessarily my cup of tea, but there was something awesome about sitting on the deck of the ship watching the ocean on the day of my birthday.

7.  Share a few item that could be on your birthday wishlist. I'd like to sleep in past 8:00 am. haha. I'd also like my kids to make me something (with husband's help) and I've always wanted a DSLR camera (and classes to learn how to use it).

8.  What is your favorite kind of cake? Marble with chocolate frosting. Or Funfetti with vanilla frosting. Or German Chocolate cake (or anything, really) from Cafe Latte (where we usually go to celebrate birthdays).

9.  If you could be anywhere on your next birthday, where would you be?  At home with my husband and kids. I like to have my time away, but mostly I like to be around them. :)

10.  Do you make a wish when you blow out the candles?  Yes, if there are candles! Probably my kids will blow them out for me from now on, though. 

Updated Running Page

I've updated my page that will document my races this year! I've got 2 down and 3 more registered for already. And about 10 more on my radar. I really do love to do races. :)

http://momma-losing-it.blogspot.com/p/exercise.html

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

FMM: Summer & Slacking

Slacking! That's me. Slacking on blogging, slacking on housework, slacking on weight loss. I blame the cold, rainy, dreary weather! Where the heck is spring?!?!

So, back on track today (hopefully) brings me to the Friend Making Monday post from yesterday.

1.  What is your favorite summer fruit? Strawberries when they are warm, and always watermelon. Mmmm.


2.  Do you know how to swim? Yes, but not "properly" - I can certainly keep myself alive if I'm in deep water, but I'll never win an Olympic medal.

3.  Do you prefer sun or snow? SUN! Minnesota is my home, and if I didn't love it so much here, I'd hate it from Octoer-April (or, I guess this year, JUNE!)

4.  What temperature do you like most inside your home?  In the winter, we keep the temp at 66 or 67. In the summer, we keep it at 69 or 70. I wish we could keep it at 70 or 72 in the winter. I hate being cold.

5.  Is it humid where you live?  Sometimes, yes. July can have a few muggy days, but nothing like the south.

6. What is your favorite food to put on the grill?  Anything! But I really love burgers & brats!

7. Do you prefer to wear a one-piece  or two-piece swim suit? One-piece. I don't trust my kids to keep my top on when I'm swimming with them!

8.  What is your favorite summer drink?  Summer Shandy.

9.  Do you prefer the pool or the ocean?  I've only been to the ocean like 3 or 4 times. I loved it and would love to go back! So for now, the pool is good. Though, I do have a goal of swimming in a lake with my kids this summer.

10.  What are you looking forward to most over the summer? SUN! I also want to take a few short trips with my husband and kids, maybe heading up to Duluth for a long weekend. I am also planning to run at least four 5K or 10K races this summer. They are so fun!

Thanks for stopping by and reading!

Monday, May 20, 2013

On, then Off, and now back ON!

What a busy spring!

I swear I have had something pressing to do every week/weekend since the middle of March when my Moms of Multiples club had its spring sale. Since then it's been parties, MOM convention (a whole weekend away!), Easter, baby shower for BFF, concerts, etc.

It's so easy for me to use those busy times as excuses why I eat bad and stop exercising. And so I'm up 3.some pounds. SIGHHHHHHH.

But, I have a plan to get back on track.

First, I must exercise. I cannot lose weight if I don't exercise. My latest excuse not to exercise was that the weather was FINALLY nice, so I wanted my kids to play outside, rather than go to the Y and play inside. But you know what? When they play outside, I sometimes play with them, but I also sometimes sit in the lawn chair and relax while they play. Not good. So, my friend Andrea and I have challenged each other to get up early just ONE day a week to exercise.

Today was our day. But it rained. So I stayed in bed. BUT - I went to the Y and ran 4 miles! I will try again at the early thing tomorrow. I'm not so great at getting up early, so we'll see. The fallback is always the Y.

I also must track. I like MFP. I don't know why I fell off the wagon on tracking! It just have to do it! My first small goal is to track breakfast, lunch & my afternoon snack. Dinner for some reason is hard for me to track. Once I master my first goal, I can add my dinner back in there. It's always been hard for me to track dinner. Probably because it's busy with the kids and I make recipes which are hard for me to figure out one serving. Excuses, excuses!!

So, I'm back ON. Are you with me??? I need some support! :)

Monday, April 8, 2013

Weigh In Catch Up

I don't think I have posted an official weigh in for a while. It's different not having to GO TO Weight Watchers and have an "official" weigh in. I still try to just weigh just one time a week, but - sometimes I cheat and weigh every other day or so. And yes, I record the low weights. :)
Here's hoping my scale continues to cinch in!
 But, I'm happy that my weight last weigh in was 209.4. That's about 5.5 lbs lost since quitting Weight Watchers. And almost 13 lbs since Christmas. Hooray!!!!!

I really attribute the success to just being enamored with My Fitness Pal and tracking everything I eat. Even the bad things - like the day I ate DQ for lunch and Chinese buffet for supper! That was an eye-opener. I hit the gym the next day and drank about 2 gallons of water!

If I ever do forget to write a post about my weigh in again - I'm keeping track of weigh ins here

I've also signed up for a Diet Bet with my MOM friends.

It's sort of like an abbreviated version of Biggest Loser. We all had to weigh in to begin and we all have the same goal: lose 4% of your body weight in 4 weeks. I set up the Diet Bet and set it to private so we all feel comfortable with people we know in the Bet with us, and we had to pay $15 to join. At the end of the 4 weeks, EVERYONE who makes 4% goal gets to split the pot. We have 19 players, so our pot is $285. If we all make the goal, we all get most of our $15 back (minus a fee from Diet Bet). If 2 of us make goal, we split that, and so on. I feel pretty confident that I can make the goal. I have about 5 lbs to lose in the next 3 weeks. I can do that!


FMM: TV & Movies

It's Monday again! And after missing a few Friend Makin' Mondays (one from illness, one from sheer laziness), I'm jumping on the bandwagon again.

Remember, if you want to see the original post and more answers from other bloggers, go to the blog All the Weigh.

Here we go!

1. If you could be a recurring star on a show that is currently on TV, which show would you choose? I don't watch many current TV shows (aside from "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood") because we watch a lot of Netflix, but I guess I would like to be on "Downton Abbey." I mean, who wouldn't? Fancy clothes, elaborate meals, English countryside. Yes please!
A Minnesota gal would fit in here, right?

2. Name the movie that you are most embarrassed to admit that you love. There are many movies from my childhood that I still love to watch, like "Adventures in Babysitting" or "Home Alone." I love them both.

3. Name one show that you’ve never seen and would love to watch.  As I said above, we don't watch much new TV shows, but I would like to see some of the shows that are on cable that we don't get - like "Homeland" or "Girls" or all the shows that always win the awards that I've never seen. (I didn't watch "Sex and the City" until it was on DVD!)

4. Do you ever go to movies alone?  Nope. I never go to the movies in general. Maybe I should plan an afternoon out alone and see a flick.

5. If you could only watch one TV show for the next year, which show would you choose and why?  I love "Big Bang Theory." I would probably watch that.

6. If you could star in one reality show, which one would it be and why?  When I was a teenager, I dreamed of being on "The Real World." Since then, I have never wanted to be on TV. (Though when "American Idol" was auditioning in Minneapolis several years ago, I did joke that I should go audition so I could be on the BAD reel.

7. If someone rented a billboard for you, what would it say? "Thanks for all you do, Momma!" I can wish, right?


8. Who is the most famous person with whom you have been in the same room? Hmm, not that I remember. I do always say that I was in the same room as Springsteen when I saw him in concert. Though, 8,000 other people were there, too. :)

9. If you were chosen to be a contestant on a TV game show, which show would you want to be on?  I have always wanted to be on Jeopardy. And I think I *could* do great at it if the categories were my strengths. I would also want to be on Wheel of Fortune - and I KNOW I could be good at that show. Really. I bet I'd win, as long as I didn't hit bankrupt.




10. If there was a movie being made about you, which actor would you choose to play you? Tina Fey, though she's older than me, so I'm not sure how that would work.



OK, so I have plenty of new blog posts in the works. I have a lot on my plate right now (but hopefully not a lot of food!), so I'm about 1/2 done with about a dozen projects. UGH. Anyway, Please follow my blog to see when my new posts come up! My topics include running, losing weight after quitting Weight Watchers, new delicious food finds. a DietBet I'm participating in and more!

Friday, April 5, 2013

A few kind words go a long way

Twice in the past week, people have paid me compliments that have totally made my day.

In a rare warm(ish) day last week, I took the kids for a walk around the block. Our neighbors up the street were also out playing with their 3 year old Callie. Callie's dad, Chris, and I were talking and he made my day by saying I was looking great and that I'd lost some weight. It felt great to hear!

Then, later that week, I posted this photo of Hannie and me on Facebook:
Me & my Mini-Me

An old WW friend commented that I must be doing something right because I was looking great.

Both compliments made me feel good and have helped propel me into the next week - with the exception of Dairy Queen for lunch. Whoops!

I'm also continually working on accepting compliments. It's hard for me to do - sometimes I make a joke of it. Like, if someone said I was looking great, I'd probably joke and say something about how much I still had stuck on my body. But, I'm working on just saying "thank you" and feeling good. It's hard, but I'm working on it!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

33 Things

On my other blog, I wrote a list of 33 things I wanted to do this year when I was 33. Since that blog is supposed to be about my kids, I decided to move my list over here.

Here are the 33 things I want to do when I'm 33. I feel like I better get a move on. I mean, I'm almost 33-1/3! (Sorry, there's laughing in my head. We in Minnesota sort of make fun of those in Wisconsin. We think Wisconsinites would say that "turdy-tree and a turd." hahaha!)

Anyway, here's my list. I've crossed off those I've done and added comments about some of them.

1. Volunteer at Feed My Starving Children - at least twice.
2. Host a Christmas Cookie exchange. (I went to one... I won't be able to host one since I'll be 34 before Christmas)
3. Run a 5K, a 7K, a 10K, and a "longer than 10K" race (maybe a 10 mile or 1/2 marathon?).
4. Read at least 6 books for fun.
5. Make a family cookbook.
6. Take the kids to Wisconsin.
7. Get a pedicure.
8. Swim in a lake (with the kids).
9. Take a family vacation - that doesn't involve going to or staying at a relative's home.
10. Crochet a blanket (you'll remember that was a New Year's Resolution from last year, whoops, didn't get there...). ALMOST DONE!
11. Reconnect (ie: see in person) some old friends who I've not seen much since B&H were born
12. Paint my bedroom.
13. Take a sewing class.
14. Go to Lake Minnetonka.
15. Try Zumba at least once. I have been going to Zumba class every Wednesday!
16. Pay off one of my student loans
17. Send real paper cards to my immediate family members for their birthdays.
18. Sleep in (past 8:00) just once.
19. Stay up late (past 11:00) just once.
20. Go to a movie in the theater.
21. Go to a concert.
22. Go to a play or musical.
23. Leave a treat and thank you note for the mailman.
24. Take the kids on an airplane (Yikes! This is crazy!)
25. Take the Jeopardy online quiz again.
26. Go sledding (with the kids). Well, it was more me pulling them in the sleds, but that's better than nothing. And safer!
27. Learn a bit of basic graphic design.
28. Shovel my neighbor's sidewalk for no reason.
29. Wear pajamas all day.
30. Spend an entire day sitting at a coffee shop reading (without kids).
31. Go on a Girl's Weekend with my friends.
32. Donate blood.
33. Pay for someone's coffee who is behind me in line.

So I have only 3 totally done. WOW! I feel like I have a lot to do! But some are coming up. I am scheduled to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children in April, and I am also signed up for a 10K in April. We haven't had any birthdays in the family yet, but the first one is coming up at the end of March.  My BFF and I are going to a Fleetwood Mac concert in April and to see the play "Rock of Ages" in May.

The rest I really need to work on. I think the hardest thing will be the airplane. I don't know why I said I wanted to do that. I don't WANT to. I can't imagine them sitting still long enough for a plane ride. Though, we do have a lot of family that live a plane ride away. I'd love to go visit them this summer. But we'll see.

What's on your short bucket list??

Monday, March 18, 2013

It worked!

I'm on a weight loss high. My first week with My Fitness Pal worked and I lost 1.6 lbs. HOORAY!!! As I mentioned a few days ago, I'm high on tracking, loving the differences between MFP and WW and using the differences to motivate myself to keep going.
I love how the 1.6 lbs looks like a HUGE drop on this chart. :)


And I've tracked everything - even cookies! And cake! With WW, those things always get "forgotten."

On days when I haven't gone over my goal, I've felt satisfied all day and gone to bed feeling great. There were 2 or 3 days I went over my calorie goal, but not by much. Maybe 200-300 calories. I don't think enough to really tank any success.

I'm also drinking water like CRAZY!!! I love how it helps me feel energized and full without eating. I guess it's true what they say about thirst mimicking hunger symptoms.

I have updated my Weight Tracker tab on the page. Check it out. So far it's just a table - I hope to figure out how to make a chart. I know I know how - I just can't remember.

Here's to another good week - I hope! By the way, I still haven't officially dropped out of WW - it's a bit of a crutch for me, but I also am curious about how the Active Link will compare to my newly-ordered Fit Bit for this upcoming week. It's my MOMs club consignment sale, so I'll be on my feet for about 30 hours straight. Surely I'll burn some calories doing that, right?!

FMM - Pondering Personal Thoughts

It's Monday again, which means I'm doing my little survey again. I love surveys. I'm not kidding. I always fill them out. I create them all the time for my MOMs club (my fellow board members make fun of me). Even when I was a kid, I used to exchange surveys with my friends. I love it! I'm glad I stumbled upon All The Weigh and her weekly Friend Making Monday survey!

Pondering Personal Thoughts
1. How old would you feel if you didn’t know how old you are? I usually have to stop and think about how old I am, and my initial reaction is usually 25 or 26, so I guess that is what I feel like. Though at 25 or 26 I was not married, had no kids, and lived in an apartment with a roomie. Nothing with my life now!


2. Are you the kind of friend you’d want to have as a friend? Of course. My grandma taught me if you want to have a friend you have to be a friend. In recent years, I've been really working on active listening, which I hope my friends appreciate.

3. Look back at the last year.  When did you feel most excited about something in your life? My twins turned 2 last December. I was very excited for the fun toddler times that lie ahead (tantrums and all).

4. Have you ever been with someone and not spoken a word, only to walk away thinking that was the best conversation ever?  Sure - I have a husband, a BFF, and 2 toddlers after all!


5. If you won 100 million dollars Monday, would you continue doing whatever you usually do on Tuesdays? Of course - who else is going to watch my two kids?! Though we might start looking for a bigger house to live in!


6. What would you do differently if you knew no one would judge you? I don't feel worried much about people judging me at this point in my life - but I do get worried about people judging my parenting. Especially with twins it seems like I'm always on display.

7. Share something you do differently than most people. I push 2 carts at Target. :) I also change my kids' diapers with them standing up.

8. What’s one thing that you really want to do that you’ve never done?  Travel outside the USA. I never did before having kids and now I can't picture how we would ever do that. We have enough trouble traveling 3 states away to Grandpa's house!

9. If you had to move out of state right now, where would you move?  Florida. For real. It's March 18th and it's snowing AGAIN. So over winter in Minnesota.

10.  What is the one thing that you’d like to change most about the world? I guess I wish that people everywhere were more tolerant of others unlike them (be it religion, race, sexual orientation, etc).

To participate in your own FMM this week, click here.

If you're here from All The Weigh, hello! I've added a Follow button to join the site with your Google ID. I'd LOVE to have you follow my blog. I will repay the favor, I promise. :)

Friday, March 15, 2013

Trigger Moods & Foods

Oh, the joys of motherhood.

This week my kids came down with some "spring" illnesses (yeah, it's not spring here in Minnesota - the high next week is 22 degrees. SIGH.) that have been ridiculously difficult.

My daughter was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and prescribed a nebulizer. Poor gal.


Because of her illness, she's not been sleeping very well at night. Not at all. Last night she was up from 12:30-2:00 a.m. After that, I finally said enough and pulled out the hideaway bed and laid down with her. We both got a good 3.5 hours of sleep until she was up and at 'em right at 5:30 this morning.

Joy.

Over-tiredness is one of my strongest Trigger Moods. I'm not sure if Trigger Mood is a phrase that is known or if I made it up, but to me, a Trigger Mood is something that makes you want to eat and eat and eat and not stop. For some it might be stress or worry or anger or happiness. For the past 2.5 years, my #1 Trigger Mood has been over-tiredness. Yes, this does coincide with how long I've been a mother.

Today I'm tired. Like, barely-keeping-my eyes open tired.

This Trigger Mood makes me crave my Trigger foods: CARBS.

Here's a look at my food diary so far today (from My Fitness Pal)

Breakfast: Carbs (muffin). Lunch: Carbs (a bagel -WHYYY? I would have been just as content with the vegetable soup!). Snack: 4 cookies.

And that leaves me with only 257 calories for supper. Guess what we're having???

Pizza.

Lord.

If only I wasn't so tired, I'd go to the gym, but I either need to nap or clean. Or go tend to my gal who is crying her head off again. Guess she thinks napping is not on her agenda today.

How much you wanna bet I eat 4 more cookies today?

Thursday, March 14, 2013

So far, so good

I'm about 5 days I to my No-WW life, and so far I like what I'm doing! I signed up for My Fitness Pal, a free online calorie and activity tracker. The premise isn't all that different from Weight Watchers - you write down what you eat and add in what you exercise and try to stay under the daily goal.

But there are a few things I like better.

First of all, the barcode scanning tool on MFP is 100x better than the one on WW. You know - the thing where you use your phone to scan the barcode on a package of food. With the WW app, I never got a result 9 out of 10 times. Seriously! I was beginning to wonder why I even tried! With MFP, there has only been 1 or 2 times in the past week where it hasn't worked, and those were really obscure or generic brand foods. I love it!

The best thing that I like so far, though, is this message I get at the end of the day:
I would LOVE to weigh 202.5 lbs in 5 weeks! I find this message at the end of the day to be a total motivator. It's like "keep this up, and see what could happen!"

I've been sneaking on to the scale here and there this week, and I do see that things are moving in the right direction. I am waiting until Saturday to do my "official" weight, though!

There are things I don't like though.

There's no place to "check off" my number of fruits and vegetables each day - something I got used to with WW. I liked to see that number go up and up and up.

Along those same lines, it bums me out that my fruits and veges aren't "free" anymore! Not that I think I stayed this weight for so long because I was eating too many apples & bananas, but I do find myself thinking twice before grabbing a banana at breakfast or an apple with lunch, just so I don't have to count the calories. I know that's not healthy eating, so I need to figure out how to navigate counting fruits and vegetables. (Vegetables aren't really a problem. Their calorie count is so low that it doesn't really put me over the mark for the day like fruits do).

The last change that I'm not used to yet is the WW idea of the "flex points" - those extra points/calories for the week that you can use all at once on a splurge day or throughout the week. They aren't built into the My Fitness Pal plan, so I'm not sure how to navigate days that I go over. Should I try to keep exactly to my calorie goal? Or can I go over now and then?

I've also slacked on exercise this week, which I am sure isn't helping. But I had sick kids. What can I say? That takes a lot out of you!

The best thing about mixing it up?  I have been tracking every little thing! The differences between WW and MFP are *just enough* to keep me interested and motivated. I hope the motivation shows up on the scale!

Monday, March 11, 2013

Instead of WW...

As I wrote yesterday, I'm taking a break from Weight Watchers. My "Dear John" letter yesterday was a bit tongue in cheek, but also very serious about some of the feelings I have toward the weight loss program right now.

It was about this week in 2005 that I joined WW for the first time. Yes, EIGHT years ago I first walked in the door. I weighed 232 pounds at the start and dropped about 40 pounds in less than 6 months and 65 pounds overall over the course of 2 years. So, I know the program works - I am proof of it!

BUT...

A lot has changed since 2005.

I'm not longer a single gal who has loads of time to plan, no one else to feed, and the metabolism of the 20-something!

Now I am pressed most days to get dinner on the table before two squawking toddlers melt down. Unfortunately, convenience foods often make their way on our table. And they (and my husband) are not fans of the tilapia, broccoli, rice dinner I ate every other day when I first started WW. And lord. Mid-30s sure do a number on your metabolism! I swear, I can gain 5lbs just by looking at a piece of candy or a cookie. Sigh...

Not that I"m making excuses. But still. Life is different.

But you know what's not different? Weight Watchers. Sure, now it's PointsPlus and 360 and the materials have changed and the logo is more modern and such. But as I said yesterday, the main basis of the program is to stay w/in your PP values, even if you're eating junk. I did that a lot. Pizza for lunch? It's OK. I can track it, keep w/in my PP value for the day and then move on. Afterall, nothing is "against" Weight Watchers diet plan. You can have what you want!

But that wasn't working for me anymore. I'm not sure what was going wrong, but eating junk, yet staying in my PP value for the week caused either minimal weight loss --- like 7.some pounds over the course of TWO YEARS -- or a bit of gain every week to be followed by a loss the week after.

Beyond frustrating!

Most importantly - after 8 years the information I receive at WW every month is already something I've heard. I am not learning anything new, which is leading to my lack of motivation. My friend Andrea and I (who also joined WW in 2006 or 2007) always say there needs to be a Weight Watchers Advanced for those of us have been around the block a time or two. I don't need to be told to track. No, I need ideas to make it interesting again. I need ways to spark motivation. I need to learn about foods that fuel my body to work to its full potential. I need to learn how to eat when I'm training for a race and what to do with my 35+ Activity Points per week. I'm not getting any of that right now.

So, I am taking this week and tracking on My Fitness Pal, a free online/App calorie counter. It is different counting calories than points. It's harder (for now), but it's just different enough that it's holding my interest. Most different I can see so far: no more "free" fruits and vegetables. My banana at breakfast on WW was 0 points. On MFP, it's 105 calories.

Maybe THAT is the spark I'll need to get the weight off again. Not that I think I'm 40lbs overweight because I eat too many bananas, but it must count for something.

Anyway, I do plan to go to WW on Saturday to "officially"weigh in and see if doing something different did something different. Then I'll decide to become a WW drop out or not.


My First Friend Makin' Monday

I've been browsing around the internet today (rather than doing my Wii Zumba workout!) finding new blogs to follow and be inspired by. I somehow stumbled upon All the Weigh and found her Friend Making Monday questionnaire. I love a good questionnaire, so here goes!

Food Questions
1. What did you eat for dinner last night? This Taco Soup, some Fritos, half and apple, and a bit of cheese. I had Herbal Tea for "dessert." It came to 472 calories.
2. If you could make one food calorie-free for the next year, What would you choose? Cookies!
3. How often do you go to the grocery store? FRICK. I go about every other day. I can't get it together to be a once-a-week shopper. Plus, between the kids and myself, we're always running out of bread, milk, eggs - and especially bananas! Seriously! How many bananas can one family eat?!
4. Do you make a list before buying groceries? Yes, and I meal plan, but you know things jump into my cart all the time.
5. List three things that can always be found in your kitchen. Bananas (see above), yogurt, bread.
6. How often do you clean out your fridge? Once a week. Leftovers OUT.
7. Do you ever use a slow cooker? If so, will you share a recipe? I do at least once a week. The taco soup recipe I mentioned above is a slow cooker recipe and it turned out great!
8. How often do you try new recipes? Some weeks every meal; some weeks not at all. Depends on what is in the freezer and what I feel like eating. I have my favorite recipes, but am always looking for new yummy things!
9. What is the most delicious meal(s) you make? I make a good (but not as good as my mom's) lasagna. I rarely make it because it's so bad for you!
10. Share at least one thing that is currently in your kitchen even though you don’t like it.  Food? I don't like tomatoes, but my kids love them, so we always have grape or cherry tomatoes in the fridge. Other stuff? The 5-10 toys that always end up on or near the kitchen table. Drives me crazy to find choo choo trains and baby dolls all over! ;)

So, from what I can tell from All the Weigh blog, I am just to publish and encourage any readers I have (hello? Anyone out there...?) to also head to her blog to get the questions and keep it going.

So, there ya go!

To the people who are reading this from All the Weigh - this is a new blog for me and I'm just beginning to make it "public" (it was my private journal/blog for about 4 months). Welcome! I'd love some readers & support & advice and hope I can do the same for you someday. :)

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Trial Separation

Dear Weight Watchers,

It's time we had a talk.

I find you unmotivating. But don't worry, it's me; not you. I know you're a valid program, but for a seasoned veteran like me, I'm bored. When I first met you 8 years ago, everything was new and I was learning a LOT about how to lose weight. Since then, I've gotten lazy and you're not doing much to motivate me.

I find you frustrating. I wake up on Saturday morning feeling good about Weigh In - only to get to the meeting and feel defeated. This week I was certain I'd see a 1-2 lb loss, only to see a 0.6 lb gain. AGAIN. I'm not sure what is going on, but I don't like feeling deflated.

I find you elementary. I haven't learned anything from you in close to 6 years. The program has changed, but it's the same old stuff week after week. I find myself reaching for the same old foods time and time again - empty calories of crackers, 100-calorie packets, low fat and diet food - all while staying w/in my points range. But not seeing results and not fueling my body.

So, we need a break. Not a break-up, not yet, but a break. But I am going to be honest: I am going to see other diet programs while we are on our break, so don't go all "Ross-and-Rachel" on me. I'm not ready to let you go 100% yet. Afterall, you've been my crutch for these past 8 years. But I need to step away from you for a week or two. Consider this a Trial Separation

Sincerely,
Me - you know, the one who's gained and lost the same 5 lbs since Dec. 2010.


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Familial Foods

If there is one memory from my childhood that I revisit often, it is Sunday Night Dinners at my Grandma's house. Chicken, potatoes, gravy, corn, Jell-O, and a big glass of milk. Yummmmm! But - not to discredit or disrespect my dear beloved Grandma -every single Sunday consisted of the same meal. I cannot remember ever having anything green, except maybe the Jell-O.

I lived most of my adolescence with a single dad (my Grandma's son), and our meals followed the same pattern. Vegetables meant corn; fruit meant canned peaches. Again, I don't want to discredit my dad. He did the best he could with the resources he had. But, again, we didn't see much green in that house.

These habits led to my obese adolescence and young adulthood.

I cannot blame anyone, though. I'm not sharing this story to shame my upbringing or blame my dad or grandma for my weight problem. That is how they had lived their lives for years and years - and they were fine. For me, though, corn & canned peaches represent a slippery slope down a path toward truly unhealthy eating habits and lack of will power. It represents a total lack of knowledge on my part about what a healthy diet looks like and how to achieve it. Canned corn and peaches, to me, represent my Kryptonite - the food weaknesses that could kill me.



Now, as an adult and mother, I have changed some habits. We eat fruits and/or vegetables at every single meal. And rarely do we eat canned corn and canned peaches. We eat: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, bananas, oranges, apples, fresh peaches, fresh pears, carrots, sugar snap peas, peppers, jicama, radishes, broccoli, green beans, peas, zucchini, sweet potatoes, and more!

I feel proud that my kids will grow up with this rainbow of fresh food and delicious palate to choose from. Of course, they are toddlers, so some of the foods are hit and miss depending on the day. But by far, Ben's favorite are blackberries and cherry tomatoes. Hannah especially loves fresh pears, sugar snap peas, and jicama.



What a different perspective on food I hope I've instilled in them! And myself! My fruit and vege count is usually through the roof by the end of the day. YUMMMMMM.

I still do have an occasional side of corn and now and then we eat canned fruits. But not at every meal. And now I can't eat canned peaches. YUCK. The real ones are so much better.

Back on pace

 I *wish* the title here was referring to the pace of losing weight..... sadly, it's not. I'm going up and down the same 1.some pound for a few weeks now. SO frustrating!!!

Back on pace means back to my feelin' good 10-minute mile! I feel like for a non-competitive runner like me, 10:00 miles are just perfect. They're fast enough to feel like you are RUNNING (as opposed to jogging), yet they are steady enough that I can whip out a few miles and not drain myself.

Which is just what I did yesterday!

I did 4 miles in 40:18, which felt just GREAT!

I'd done 10:00 miles for 3 miles before, but not for 4. I feel like I must finally be making some headway in getting more fit if I can go farther at a faster pace! Feels good!!

It's important for me to focus on these little things that prove to me I'm getting healthier little by little --- even if the number on the scale isn't moving too fast!

Monday, February 18, 2013

A downward trend

My "one bottle of water for each mile run" trick worked! I weighed in on Saturday at 214.6 - lower than I've weighed in probably over a year! It feels good!

This chart is hard to see - but the weight line is def. sloping down, if even at a very sloooooooow pace! You can see in the past 6-7 weeks this chart shows, I've lost 7.8 lbs! That feels pretty good!

It's so easy to think about what I have LEFT to lose - roughly 40 lbs - instead of what I've achieved. It sounds insignificant, but almost 8 lbs is a great start! I'm celebrating 1 lb loss per week. Better than gaining that much, right???


Friday, February 15, 2013

FIVE (!) Mile Run

I've started running on the track at the Y. I have spent the past 1.5 years "running" on the treadmill - which really meant running faster than I felt comfortable, then having to jump off and rest for a minute or two every mile. I dreaded it, and I knew I wasn't doing my best.

So, I started to run on the track. At first I was apprehensive because it was 11 laps for one mile. I thought it would be dreadfully boring. But it turns out it's easier!

Here's why I like running on the track right now:

11 laps goes fast. At less than a minute per lap, it is easy to talk myself into just a few more

I get to ZONE OUT to my favorite music. My tunes of choice (don't laugh - it is great running music!):

On days my kids play in the gym with KidKare I get to see them! However, today that backfired and Hannah got pretty mad when she saw me run by... She cried for at least 5 laps!

It's not very busy up there and I don't have to worry about getting the machine I like.

The miles add up fast! Like I said in the first reason, it's easy for me to talk myself into more laps. I mean it's only 5 laps for 1/2 mile. If I can get to 5, I can get to 7, and from 7, it's just a few more to 9 and after 9 I'm almost done with that mile. This was my mentality today as I made it to FIVE MILES.

The last mile was slow and I was tired, but I did it! I averaged out to 11:00 per mile, which is slower than I would like - but I only walked 2 laps the whole time!
 If I had been on the treadmill, I would have had to stop at least 10 times to catch a breath because I would have had the tread set too high. On the track, I can run at my own pace and go faster and slower as I need.

Why haven't I been on the track this whole time???




Monday, February 4, 2013

Longest road to "first" 5lbs EVER

This week at weigh in, I lost 0.8 lbs and *finally* lost a grand total of 5lbs!


I consider this my "first" 5lbs - though I have gone up and down from this weight for over 2 years. But - since recommitting - and starting this blog - I've now lost 5lbs!

I now from my previous stint at WW that these little stars - these little successes - are what propel me to do more and better and lose more and keep me going. I intend to think about this star every time I want to fall off the wagon. Like when I want a second piece of the most delicious birthday cake I ever made for my husband's birthday this week. Seriously. So yummy. So dangerous. I didn't figure out the points, but I'm certain it must be at least 12 points a slice.

So, yeah, I'm only eating one slice and I still feel guilty about it.

My weight is now 216.0. This weight I have been STUCK at or near for about 2 years. I broke lower than it just once - in spring 2011 - but I inched back up. So, I think my body likes to be 216. But you know what? I DO NOT.

So, I'm dreaming of stars and can't wait to earn my next one!

Friday, February 1, 2013

Zumba, part 1

This week I was stricken with the stomach flu. UGH.

But it passed quickly enough for me to attend my first Zumba class. I'm mostly sure this was true:





It was fun, though - and I definitely intend to go back next Wednesday. Maybe I'll even find some rhythm by then. Haha.

Weigh in is tomorrow. I felt like I had a good week - despite being sick. Until I went and ate a big greasy cheeseburger for lunch today and then had pancakes for supper. Lord knows I don't need a belly full of grease & bread to weigh in tomorrow!

OH - but I also ran 4.5 miles on the track at the Y the other day. It felt SO GOOD. Mind you I was far from fast - in fact many people probably wouldn't even call it running. But I was moving, which is great. I just hope the overexertion of exercise doesn't weigh me down (or up, so to speak) tomorrow on the scale.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Drive By Weigh In

Well, after my disappointing weigh in 2 weeks ago, I came down with a terrible cold. So I missed weigh in last week (which is kind of a bummer - I would have KILLED at the scale! I had absolutely no appetite! Though - I know - that sort of loss is not the sort you want to see....).

This week I did pretty good back on track - I missed tracking a few meals and indulged in some really, really bad for you Italian Nachos at Old Chicago (washed down w/ 2 hard ciders!) on Tuesday. I didn't look up the points. I was too scared.

So, I was set to go to WW with my dear friends Andrea and Lena. We all had success with WW in the past -- like the DISTANT past, 4-5 years ago! And now we've all moved around the Cities and can't attend weekly meetings together. But this year in our recommitments to the program, we've decided to meet in the middle once a month ad go to a meeting together.

That day was today.

However. I got about 4 miles down the road and my husband called to tell me our son was vomiting. A lot. So, I turned around, headed to the grocery store to pick up some juice and crackers for him, and headed home.

I had a feeling I had a decent weight loss week anyway, so I stopped briefly (hence, Drive By Weigh In) at my regular WW meeting to weigh in. I was a success!

I was down 2 lbs from 2 weeks ago and just shy of 5lbs total.

I want to CRUSH 5lbs total next week! Slow (in my case painfully slow) and steady might just win this race.

Monday, January 14, 2013

The eXercise Factor

Ever had a great week, one where you followed plan, ate lots of fruits & veges, exercised your butt off, drank all your water, felt lighter, and actually LOOKED FORWARD to your weigh in? For me, these weeks are rare, so when I had one this past week, I headed to my Saturday weigh in with my head high.

Only to be CRUSHED by that dang scale.

To be fair, I *did* lose .... A whopping 0.4 lbs. But, definitely not what I wanted or expected. I tried to be positive, doing the old "That's 2 sticks of butter gone from your body"pep talk. But it didn't work. I felt like I can't do anything right.

So I texted my friend Andrea to complain. Turns out she had an even worse experience at the scale this week - she gained 1 lb and her story was similar: followed plan great, ate healthy, exercised like crazy.

We go to thinking then : what does exercise have to do with weight loss? We both earned more than 30 Activity Points that week - some serious working out for us. For me, the 33 points I earned included 2 times running at the gym and a crazy hills workout on the elliptical. By Friday my legs felt like a ton of bricks.

Did I overdo it? What is the correlation between strenuous workout and weight loss? Did I eat too many post-workout smoothies? What gives? This article on Shape helped reassure me a little bit, particlularly this line: The scale says nothing about your fitness level or body composition. So, maybe I didn't drop a bunch of weight this week, but I did run 6.3 miles in 1 week and felt GOOD about it. That's a good thing, right?

I'm not INTENTIONALLY being lazier this week, but I do have a bit more going on that will keep me from going to the gym. So I might get 2 runs and 1 elliptical workout in. I wonder if it will have an impact at the scale.

Then I think back to 2005 when I was a weight loss infant and joined WW for the first time. I weighed about 15 lbs more than I do now and had absolutely no trouble dropping 40 lbs in about 6 months. And you know what? I didn't work out one bit in that whole time. So, obviously focusing on diet is essential to losing weight! (However, I will say that as an infant of 25, my metabolism was revved up and ready to go. Now I feel like a middle-aged slug whose metabolism just WON'T.KICK.IN!)

So, goal for the week: focus on eating good-for-me food. Continue at the gym, but don't let THAT be the sole focus of the week. Track, track, track and drink my water. And PRAY to heaven that I'll drop some weight this week.

It's hard so to stay motivated when you don't see the success you hoped at the scale!

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