Verde Pork

I made this recipe up a few weeks ago and it is super easy and really good.  I shared it with my two nieces and they liked it too.

Verde Pork

• 1 2.5-3.5 Lb Pork Roast (I use Pork Loin and trim off any fat)
• 1/2 finely chopped fresh onion or 2 TBSP dry onion
• 1 medium-large can of green enchilada sauce
• 2 small cans of diced green chiles
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chile powder
• avocado, sour cream, cilantro (optional garnish)

Put your roast & onions in the crock pot with about a half cup of water or chicken broth.  Let it cook on high for about 3-4 hours.  Drain off any liquid (I use a turkey baster to suck it all out but if you don't have one you can ladle it out).  Mix all of your other ingredients together and poor on top of the roast.  Let it cook for another hour (maybe more depending on size of roast and your croc-pot).  Shred the roast and serve with soft taco size tortillas.  It may be a little soupy but that is okay.  Just serve with a slotted spoon, it will ensure that the meat doesn't get dry.  Garnish with light sour cream, avocado and fresh cilantro.

**Tip: If you are in a hurry, cut your roast in half or in quarters.  It will help it cook faster and you are going to shred it any way.  I shred mine by putting it in my kitchen aid mixer with the metal paddle.  It shreds pork and chicken very easily.

Weekly Weigh In: May 29

Here it is, sorry I am a day late.  We were out of town for Memorial Weekend.  A small loss, about 1.5 pounds.  I am happy and sad about it.  I was 181 on Friday but then by Monday I had gained some of my losses back.  I guess that is what a long holiday weekend of camping can do for you.  It is kind of hard to cook super healthy on the fire grill.  I could have done better but I was tempted with lots of treats.  

We did do lots of walking though.  We walked around our campground a ton of times with the kids and we did a short little one mile hike to the top of look rock.  We stayed in the Smokies on the Foothills Parkway.  The kids had so much fun.  Hudson cried when we left.  He made some good friends in the campground and luckily they live close.  Hopefully we will see them again.  

This week is a week of no excuses.  I have literally nothing to distract me.  I don't have any CPR that I am teaching.  I have some classes but other people are teaching.  Tomorrow we are going to Splash Country but I am going to pack us a cooler and eat from that.  Thursday is our weekly Zumba and Splash.  There are about five of us girls that zumba together and then go to a friend's house to swim with our kids.  It is so much fun!  Friday and the weekend are totally free.  

Hudson is doing so good swimming.  He was even swimming in the deep end last week, jumping off the diving board and swimming to the side.  I want to ensure that he is a GOOD swimmer.  He is starting 6 more private swimming lessons today.  They are at the gym every Tues & Thurs, so I will already be at the gym those days.  He did 6 group lessons and really did well so I think after these 6 private lessons, he will be good to go for this year.  Maybe next year he can take some more just to perfect his strokes :)

I actually did really good meal planning this week and have all the groceries to make 6 yummy, healthy dinners.  I'll try to post the recipes.  

Goal for this week:  To be in the 180's...even if it is 189.9

Freakin? Friggin? Frickin?

Yesterday I went to the mail box and there was a card for me!  You have to admit...don't you love to still get some snail mail every once in a while?  I opened the card and the front looked like this.

When I opened it, the inside said, 

"You can cope with anything if you have a FRIEND and a GOOD "F" WORD substitute"

This is SO true!  Lol.  Friends are so important.  Just this weekend I was talking to my brother-in-law about friendships and how much they mean.  I must say that I try really hard to be a good friend.  I like to do little things for my friends and I try really hard to stay in touch even with the ones I haven't seen in a while.  

The girl that sent this card is one of my sweetest friends in Tennessee.  I have actually known her for seven years but our friendship has really flourished in the past year since she quit her job and became a stay at home mom.  We were able to start spending more time together.  I also recently hired her to teach CPR and she is awesome!  I couldn't have a better person to rely on.  Kristy is a great friend, she has came over the day before a birthday party and helped me prep my house, we have made meals together, went on countless play dates with our kids, etc.  I am so glad to have her in my life.  It's really crazy that we are friends though, really I was friends with her husband first.  

I worked with her husband, Jason at the first hospital that I worked at in Tennessee.  We hit it off as friends immediately.  He was motivated, driven and I knew he was bound for success.  He also at the time had a job that made a whole lot more money than me, I was the lowly secretary...lol.  I was bored and needed more so I started taking on projects for him and going to his meetings to do grunt work like taking minutes, etc.  Any time I had free time I would try to help him and learn what he was doing.  I became an expert at v-look ups in excel and I don't think he minded having an assistant.  He soon informed me after about 5 months that he was going to go into sales and leave the hospital in about a month.  My mind was spinning.  Could I do his job?  I went in to overdrive trying to learn as much as I could during that month and he did a good job teaching me as much as he could.  As soon as he left, I put in my application.  I had only worked there for 6 months as the administrative assistant and now I was trying to be a Contract Analyst.  Let's just say that my older co-workers with more seniority were not happy about it.  It wasn't that they really wanted the job, but who was I? Some new girl from out west...the secretary!!

Well, I got that job and I loved it.  It was only because of that job that I decided to follow in Jason's footsteps and get my MBA.  I think I got the job in December and started back to college in January.  I continued to work in that type of roll for several years and then even moved on to another hospital with a similar job with more responsibility.  I owe a lot of my career to having a good mentor.  Technically Jason and I only worked together for 6 short months but we stayed in touch, got together for double dates (where I met his wife) about once a year and saw each other at professional meetings.  By the way, he went on to become a corporate director of the largest hospital in Knox county and recently won the "40 under 40" in Knoxville.

Kristy and I were phone friends.  Before I had Hudson I had a miscarriage at 10 weeks.  It was really hard on me both emotionally and physically.  Needless to say, it seemed like most of the family didn't understand and I felt alone.  Travis tried to be caring and understanding but he just didn't quite get what I was going through.  I knew that Kristy had also had a miscarriage with her first baby and then quickly became pregnant after.  It gave me hope.  I called her and talked to her and she was a good shoulder to lean on.  Once I had the kids, she was the friend I would call for advice since both of her kids are almost exactly a year older than mine.  For the past 4 years we have chatted on the phone fairly regularly and then like I said she quit her job and then our friendship was able to grow.  

Not sure why I am telling you all this history but I guess it's because both of their friendships truly changed my life and my career. I am thankful to have them both.

Kristy is so SWEET.  Have I mentioned that she is super skinny, fit and beautiful?  

I kind of hate her for that!

Her note in the card says,

"Just a little note to say that you look great...beautiful...amazing...and you have already accomplished more than most people do in their health goals.  I am going to be so jealous of your new boobs, it's going to be hard to be around you!  Keep on Keepin' On.  Love ya friend!"

How great is that?  That is a true friend for you and just what I needed.  In regards to the new boobs, I am really trying to get to my goal weight of 140 so I can fix what I have!  If you missed the post about it...here it is on the link above.  Last week we all went to Dollywood with Jason, Kristy and their kiddos.  Here is a quick pic I snapped.

I guess I will get ready for the gym now....and KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON.

Thanks Kristy!

Idaho....here we come!

Looks like we will be heading to Idaho a little later than we had first expected.  I am little happy, since it will give me two weeks more of cushion to get on this weight loss.  We are planning to leave on July 14 and spend some time with Travis's family until the 22nd.  Travis then is going to head back to Knoxville since he has to work.  I am going to go spend a few days in Boise and see my friends and family.  My cousin Ryan offered to pick us up in Idaho Falls and fly us to Boise.  The kids will be so excited to fly in his plane again.  Last year, Hudson got to co-pilot, this year since he is even older it will definitely be something he doesn't forget and I am grateful not to have to drive the 5 hours.  I am going to stay in Boise until the 26th.  That should give me sometime to see my mom, cousins and friends.  I will bring the kids home with me.

The trip is 7 weeks away and I know that a miracle can't happen in that much time, so I am just going to try and be steady and stick with it.  Hopefully I can at least lose the weight I had gained and be back to where I was last summer.

I am really excited about going to Idaho this time of year.  It has been a very long time since we have been there in the middle of the summer.  We almost always go in the winter.  Last year we went in September and it was very nice but I am excited for it to be HOT.  Hudson is so excited to see his cousins and go swimming and to float the river with his Grandpa Clair.

I went back to writing my goal on my wrist, so I will have a constant reminder of what I am trying to achieve.
 

Some Good with the Bad

OK...I shared the bad news!  I am out of the closet.  Here I am at 194 pounds again!  However, there is some good news too.  I have no idea why but yesterday I had two people come up to me at the gym and say, "I can't believe how much weight you have lost, since you started coming here".  Funny thing is...I started coming in January and I haven't lost a single pound.  I do think that my body is changing a little.  I am not in denial though about muscle and fat, etc.  But it still feels nice to have people come tell you that you look great!

I also got an amazing and motivational Facebook comment from my Zumba instructor.  It are little things like this that keep me going.  A couple of Saturdays ago there were 3 new girls in class and they were all about 25-50 Lbs heavier than me.  I guess they talked with Kimberlie after class.  Here is what she sent me.  At least I can still shake my BIG BOOTY!

Judgement Day

So, here it goes.  I am about to face the truth.  I know why I haven't been losing!  I have been lying!  The truth is that I have gained a solid 15 pounds since June of last year.  Sunday this was the scale.  The lowest I really got last year was 177, there was something wrong with my scale and I got a reading of 169 a couple times but when I recaliberated it, it wasn't right.  I know 100% that I weighed 177 when I went to Disney World in mid June last year.  I haven't been posting pics of the scale cause I am mortified!  How did I let this happen?  How can I exercise so much, be in the best shape of my life and have gained weight?  It makes no sense.  I guess I can only blame myself, the winter, the holidays, and more.  I really tried to get with it in January but I have had no luck.  I haven't wanted to tell anyone that in January I weighed exactly what I weigh today.  I haven't lost a pound.  Well, I take that back.  I have lost a regained the same 5 pounds, over and over.  That is so bad!

I am going to post the scale picture every Monday morning again!  I have to do it.  It really worked last year when I was honest with myself and honest with you all.  I gotta do it again.  I still have 54 pounds to lose.  My goal is still 140.  152 will have me be at 100 pounds lost from when I delivered Reese but I am shooting for healthy.  According to my height I should even weigh less but 140 will be unbelievable to me.

The Juggling Act

So I am not really sure where to start!  It is so hard to juggle everything.  In one regard I am so proud of myself!  My business has been hitting new records and this week I will teach over 70 students?  I didn't even teach that many people in my first year!  I am amazed and feeling so blessed that it is going so well.  However, I have been working so much this week that it is so hard to make it to the gym.  I am super sad.  Thursdays are my normal day to always go in the morning, and at the last minute someone scheduled a class Thursday morning.  You're probably thinking that I can just go tomorrow night but I can't.  I have another CPR class at 6PM. So now you say well go in between, right?  Childcare is from 8-12 and 4-10...I can't really do it if there is no childcare.  Maybe tomorrow at 3 I could go, Trav gets off work early.

I am going to incorporate a new type of workout called the HIIT workout.  It is a cardio High Intensity Interval Training session.  They are 30 minutes and it will go like this Sprint uphill for 20-30 seconds and then walk for 1 minute...repeat.  I can do this at home on my treadmill and can't really make excuses to not do it.  It is proven to be one of the best cardio workouts.  I'll blog about it, specifically soon.

For now, I've gotta go to bed.  I left the house at 7:30 am this morning and didn't get home till 8PM.  I had CPR, dental appt, a church meeting, etc.  It was a crazy day.  I am exhausted.  Nighty night.

Starting Week 3

OK, so week 2 did not go as planned at all!  I only lost 1 pound and I didn't get to participate in my half marathon.  My procrastination totally messed me up and when I went to register, the registration was full and closed.  I was super bummed, however I will be doing one in September now.  I am a little relieved cause I hadn't trained quite like I should have.  I know I could have completed it but my time probably wouldn't have been very great.

This week I am back at it, especially with diet!  I am really watching what I eat and trying to eat clean.  I have been enjoying steel cut oats with fresh strawberries in it for breakfast.  So yummy.

This week is VERY, VERY busy.  I have CPR every day.  Looking forward to a record week this week and hopefully another record month in May!  It is hard to juggle though.  We have preschool, activities, gym, CPR, karate lessons, etc.  I will have to be very careful to make sure to make time for working out.

Tonight is the season finale of the Biggest Loser.  I hate all of the finalists, so I am not that excited but it will still be inspiring to see all of the past contestants.  Well, here is hoping for a better week 3!

Out of the mouths of Babes

So for the past year Hudson has referred to my fat as "being bouncy".  He asked me once why I was so bouncy?  I laughed and told him because I eat too many cookies.  I told him that I was working on it though and that I was trying to get healthy and be less bouncy!  Lol.

The other night Hudson comes up to me and says , "So, mommy are you not going to be bouncy anymore?"  He has obviously seen how much we have been going to the gym and we have been emphasizing to him that exercise is important and makes you healthy.  I responded with, "mommy is hoping she won't be bouncy anymore", he looks at me and says "I guess I will still love you, but I love you bouncy!"  I laughed and asked him why.  He says,  "because bouncy is more comfortable!".  I guess kids love those pillows and the soft bouncy body when getting snuggles.

Too bad for him, cause this bounce is going away soon!  It is nice to know that he loves me unconditionally though and that to him it doesn't matter how I look.  The other night he told me I was the prettiest girl in the whole world.  It made my night!  However the next morning, he looked at me and said, "Mom you're not pretty enough"..I said, "I thought I was the prettiest girl in the whole world?"  His response, "well, you are but what is up with that hair?  and you need some make up!"  LMAO!

Gotta love the kids and all the things that come out of the mouths of Babes!

Week 2

Sorry I haven't blogged much this week.  I worked on a project with the computer at my friends office and the mac book got left in the car and every time I thought about blogging, I was too lazy to go get it and charge the battery.  Week 2 has been a little harder than week 1.  It is always harder to stick to a strict diet and I have been very very busy which sometimes leads to eating on the run.  Eating on the run is never good.

I still worked out several times and will go to the gym today and tomorrow too.  My diet has still been way better than what it was but definitely not perfect.  That is what I have to work on the most.  It always has been.  I have been pretty good about drinking more water and I feel better.  I worked out with the Tamminator this week.  It had been a while.  She got me so sore!  I always enjoy a good workout with her and my friends.  I have missed them tons!

May should be another record breaking month for CPR!  I am pretty excited.  I can't wait to buy some more equipment and expand to the next level.  This weekend the kids and I are headed to Nashville and I am leaving Travis at home to finish the new upgrades to my website.  We will miss him but he will need the solitude to finish the project.

I promise to blog more soon!

Week 1 Overview

Down 4 Lbs in week one!  Do you think I can do it again?  Usually I would be skeptical but I am home most of the week so I should be able to get in all my workouts and do good on my diet.  Also Saturday I am doing my half marathon in Nashville.  That should help, too!  So far, so good.  I am happy with the program.  Hoping to have another really good week this week and then start averaging 2 pounds per week.  That is realistic.

This week I didn't miss a workout and I even added a few cardio sessions.  Here is my workout schedule for next week.
Monday: Chest & Triceps-Zumba
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Shoulders & Abs
Thursday: Back & Biceps-Zumba
Friday: Off
Saturday: Half Marathon

The workout moves are pretty much the same for the first 4 weeks, so they will look very similar to what I posted last week.  Next week is really crazy with CPR and other obligations so it is very important that I make the very most out of this week.  Here is to wishing me luck!  I am so stoked about this week's progress that right now I am feeling pretty motivated!

Day 6 & 7

Day 6
Yesterday I had the day totally off and I took the kids to the zoo.  They loved it!  We met some friends there who have a season pass and they were able to get us in and we got to go for free; even better.  I knew there would be no good choices for food so I packed us all a lunch.  Some things I packed:

• Peanut butter and agave sandwiches on deli thin bread (I ate a half)
• Grapes
• Apples
• Cheese sticks
• Almonds
• Pretzels
• Squeeze yogurts (for the kids)

We just munched on all of our goodies and had a great time.  I swear everyone at the zoo was eating ice cream and I was very tempted but did not give into my temptations.  Probably because my friend was with me and I know she would have held me accountable.  It was a good day, we spent about four hours walking around.  So, even though I didn't go to the gym I know I burned some calories.

Day 7
Today has been the hardest day yet.  I did great on my exercise.  I did back and biceps and even did dead lifts with Travis; then I went to a full hour of high intensity zumba.  But...there was a lot of food temptations today.  The kids begged for a happy meal and wanted to play at McDonalds.  So I got a kids hamburger (not too bad) but I did sneak a few bites of their fries.  Then, Travis wanted to go to Knoxville.  We spent the whole afternoon there.  We went to a new store called Academy Sports.  It was awesome.  I got a new t-shirt and some goggles for the pool.  I could have spent a lot of time and money in there but we didn't have much time and we had the kids.  I would like to go back for a sports bra and some new shoes though.

After all of our shopping Travis suggested we go to Brixx.  I had a salad with balsamic vinaigrette and two pieces of pizza.  This isnt your typical pizza.  It doesn't have sauce just olive oil but then we had artichokes and sun dried tomatoes.  I have no idea how many calories it was but I am sure it wasn't good.  Tomorrow is my friends birthday and I was asked to make the cake.  I made the frosting tonight and indulged in about two tablespoons!  OOPS!  I guess its a good thing I did all that cardio this morning.

Here is my workout today:

1. Lat pull down
2. Bent over deltoid rows
3. Seated rows
4. Alternating Bicep Curls
5. Preacher Curls
6. Dead lifts
7. Reverse grip bicep pull downs

Day 4 & 5

Day 4

Wednesday I pretty much stuck to my plan perfectly. It was easy because I was home all day and didn't really have any obligations. I made turkey burgers for dinner, and they were actually good. The only thing that I messed up on was having a few handfuls of air popped popcorn with butter. That day was my leg workout. It went really fast. Here are the exercises I did.

• Wide stance squat
• Leg Press
• Leg Extensions
• Seated leg curls
• Standing calf raises
• Seated calf raises

Day 5

Yesterday I probably didn't enough most of day. I found myself getting busy with chores around the house and not stopping to eat much. This resulted in a problem later in the day. I ate well, but not enough all day. However, I had CPR last night at 5PM and didn't have a chance to eat dinner. I got done around 8PM and I was famished. This turned into a quick Taco Bell run. Yet, I did eat from their Fresca menu (lower calorie), I still felt guilty. Failure to plan is a plan to fail, right?

I did go to zumba yesterday and really pushed it for the whole hour. Afterwards I did shoulders & abs. Here are the exercises that I did.

• Military overhead press
• Forward shoulder raises
• Lateral raises
• Bent over deltoid lateral raises
• Crunches (we also did abs in Zumba)

I am feeling good about the program and I know it is creating results. Not going to lie that I feel a little deprived at times (mostly from sweets), but I know that it is worth it in order to get to the finish.

Day 3

Yikes, I am sore. That workout really worked. Today I had a crazy day at a car manufacturing plant teaching CPR. My first class was at 7am, another at 11am and 3PM. I literally left my house at 5:45 AM and returned at 6:45PM. What a day! Sometimes, I wish I wasn't so motivated by money but today just paid for plane tickets to Idaho, so as soon as the check comes we will book our tickets. I knew it was going to be a crazy day so this morning I made sure to pack a good bag of food. No workout today...but I needed a day to recover. I will be hitting it hard again tomorrow.

My food bag:

Greek yogurt with frozen berries

Carrots & hummus

Apple

2 turkey mini meat loafs

1 string cheese

1/4 C raw almonds

2 bottles of water

I just grazed on my little lunch bag all day long. The hardest part is breakfast. I was running out the door at 5:45 and knew I didn't have much time. I had forgot my breakfast on the counter so I ran thru Starbucks for my coffee and added a egg white, turkey bacon, whole wheat english muffin. It was the best thing I could pick and still had protein in it.

Tomorrow I am home all day so should be able to follow along perfectly!

Day 2

Day 2 was the first day of workouts and I did chest and triceps. It was an intense workout and I really tried to push it. I followed the Jamie Eason workout. Here it is.

1) Wide Grip Push Ups 3 sets of 12

2) Dumbell Bench Press 3 sets of 12, 15 Lbs

3) Seated flies (didn't have cable flies) 3 sets of 12, 45 Lbs

4) Standing Tricep extensions 3 sets of 12, 15 Lbs

5) Tricep pushdown 3 sets of 12, 20Lbs

6) Close grip push-ups 1 set of 12

7) Bench press one set of 12 55 Lbs (extra)

I also did good on my diet. I only deviated from the plan on one item. Hudson has had a weird rash so I called the doctor to make an appt and they said they could see him in an hour. We live about 30 minutes away, so I literally had to fly out the door but didn't want to totally skip breakfast so I had a fiber one bar. Feeling good.

Day 1

I had church this morning and I was working the info desk for first service and the toddler room for 2nd and knew I would be hungry in between so I packed me a little bag with an apple and a bottle of water to hold me over. Here is what I had today:

Breakfast:

2 eggs scrambled in cooking spray

1.5 tsp catsup

1 piece ezekiel bread

1 C coffee with coconut silk milk

Snack:

Apple

All natural flavored water

Lunch:

1 C raw carrots

2 TBSP hummus

2 slices hard salami

Snack:

1/2 C plain greek yogurt

1/4 C frozen mixed berries

2 TBSP pecans

1 TBSP agave nectar

Dinner:

2 turkey mini meat loaves

Late night:

1 piece of deli thin bread

shredded boneless skinless chicken (made in croc pot)

1.5 tsp bbq sauce

Tomorrow I start my workouts. I am excited. I am not going to lie. Today was hard. I never felt hungry but I felt deprived. I wanted to nibble on some chocolate or a granola bar or a handful of chips. I am trying really hard though to be good. I don't really believe in diets but I need a jump start. I should be able to commit to something for only 12 weeks. I also have lots to look forward to.

A) My entire Boise family is coming to visit the end of June

B) We are going to Idaho to visit family in July

C) We are planning a real vacation to the beach this year

D) There is a possible prize for me if I can attain this goal

Phase 1 Summary

Phase 1 of the transformation begins tomorrow. Here is a short synopsis of what my week will look like.

Phase 1: Week 1

Start your transformation with weight training and Clean Eating

There are four workouts to do this week. I will blog more detail about each workout as I do them. The plan discourages you from doing cardio because it wants to focus on muscle growth but I have been working out consistently for over a year and I LOVE my zumba class so I am still going to commit to zumba. It is practically therapeutic for me to be there and to be with my friends.

Workout Schedule

Each workout has about 6-8 exercises, doing 3 sets of 12 reps

Back & Biceps (Monday)+ Zumba

Chest & Triceps (Tuesday)

Legs & Calves (Thursday) + Zumba

Shoulders & Abs (Saturday) + Zumba

As I have said before, I am not worried at all about the workouts. I have been committed and look forward to my time in the gym. With my awesome new phone app, I have the workouts already planned out. The next part will be the hard part. Clean Eating! I am headed to the store today to get stocked up on some stuff.

Diet

The diet consists of 3 meals a day plus 3 mini meals. At first glance it seems like a lot of food to me. It is a lot of protein but does allow unlimited veggies, 2 fruits and limited amounts of starch. As I go thru the days I will blog about what I am eating and how I feel.

I printed off a 3 month calendar to stick on my fridge. I will be placing a red "X" on each day to count down. I think it will help me to have a visual. Today I had a friend on facebook with a status that said' "Today I am starting my 20,000 day challenge...to be healthy for the rest of my life". I want this to be my status too. I want it to be a lifestyle change but I feel like these 12 weeks can be a good jump start.

At it again

So yesterday I was given a little (well actually a lot) of extra motivation. Lets just say that if I could conquer my weight and reach my goals, there could be a big prize :) For the last several months I have been in equilibrium. I haven't gained or lost an ounce. I am still working out at least 5 days a week and recently started doing weight training again with Travis. I am so sore. I think that I work out enough to keep the weight off and stay in equilibrium but I haven't been decreasing my calories enough to see a deficit. To lose weight I am going to have to change my diet. The good thing is that I think if I could lose the weight I should be able to keep it off. That isn't to say I am going to start eating donuts but I might be able to enjoy an indulgence every once in a while.

I am thinking about doing the Jamie Eason 12 week Live Fit transformation program. This would require lots of discipline; especially in regards to diet but I feel like I need to do it. Several people have done it with really incredible results. The great thing is that every day is designed for you, what you can eat, what workouts to do, etc. It is only 12 weeks, I should be able to have self control and will power for that long, right?

There are three phases to the program, one per month. I am going to try really hard to blog this journey of 12 weeks and discuss what I am eating, what exercises I am doing, etc. However, I don't want to recreate the wheel so I will be linking to the program to share information and then giving my extra insight and opinion; specific to my journey.

I am hoping that by blogging this process and by having some people to hold my accountable that I can be successful. I got a new app on my phone that allows you to track all your workout progress and weight. Travis has been using it for months and really likes it.

Here I go...back to blogging!!

Headed in the right direction

Last week after our superbowl party I was up a pound. I obviously didn't blog about it. However, I am happy to report that I lost that pound and another one. Down 2 this week. Yesterday I did a good zumba workout and today I did a swim. We went to the grocery store and stocked up on lots of good, healthy foods. We celebrated Valentine's on Friday night and Travis knows not to get me any candy, so I shouldn't have any major temptations. I will have Hudson's valentine's party and I am a sucker for conversation hearts. Lol.

Travis actually got me a Kindle for Valentine's day and gave it to me early. I am pretty excited about it.

I never would have thought.......

We have gotten to know the gym manager pretty well. He signed us up for the gym and he is very friendly and we see him often. He knows that Trav works for a supplement place and that he used to work for BB.com and he is an ex-bodybuilder so we all just kind of hit it off.

Tonight we decided to take the kids swimming and as we were walking into the gym, he was walking out. He waved to Travis and said, "Hey man, sorry I've missed you the last couple times you've been here, good to see you". Then he looked over at me and he said, "I mean, I see her all the time, she is practically like a piece of furniture in this place, I see her every day". Did you hear that? A piece of furniture!

If you would have asked me 2 years ago if I thought someone would be calling me a daily gym goer and implying that I am there as often as their furniture, I would have laughed at you. I am really proud of my accomplishments in the gym. I take that as a real compliment to my commitment. I really do have the bug and love to go. I look forward to finding time and being there. No excuses, there is always enough time.

I have been wearing my bodybugg and on average I burn about 2250-2400 calories a day. This makes me feel optimistic about keeping my weight off once I get it off. As long as I eat less than that, I should stay the same. However a pound is approx 3500 cals, so to burn 2 a week, you have to have a deficit of 1000 a day or 7000 per week. That is why losing it much faster is so hard. I would have to be maintaining a diet of only about 1200-1300 calories a day. That really isn't much. That's okay though, I'm not in it for the short run. This is a journey and I know that someday I will complete it. I also know that creating my good workout habits will help me to maintain and stay healthy later.

Today was a great day! My friend Kristy and I took the kids to the park for about 3 hours and they had so much fun. It was a gorgeous day (I should have taken my running shoes to the park). Tomorrow Travis and I are going to run in our neighborhood. There is 300 ft elevation change and we can do a 3.5 mile loop. It will probably kill me but I am excited to try! It will help prepare me for the half with the large elevation changes that it has too. Hopefully it doesn't rain or get too cold. The problem with today was that I was super busy this morning. For breakfast I had a string cheese and a handful of almonds. However, I had several errands to run and was supposed to meet my friend at noon. I didn't have a lot of time to pack a picnic so we quickly ran thru chic-fil-a and got some food. I definitely over indulged but skipped dinner tonight. Our 3rd annual Super Bowl Party is Sunday, I am already preparing to have lots of healthy choices so I don't blow it!

Keen What?

Have you heard of quinoa? I was originally introduced to it by my sister-in-law, Shelley, years ago..however as of recently it has really gotten popular. Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is a grain that comes from South America. The great thing about it is that it contains more protein than any other grain.

Quinoa contains an average of 16.2% protein, compared with 7.5 for rice, 9.9 percent for millet and 14% for wheat. Some varieties of quinoa are even more than 20% protein. But what makes quinoa’s protein special is the unusual high quality of it. It is a complete protein, with an essential amino acid balance very close to the ideal.

It is super easy to cook, similar to rice. If you haven't tried it, I encourage you to; especially if you are trying to reduce your carbs and eat more whole grains. You can find it in the rice section of the store or the health food section. It is very versatile. You can eat it like oatmeal, cold in salads (similar to cous cous), or warm like rice. It is a little crunchy and the texture is unique but I really like it.

Last night I made salsa pork chops and served it with quinoa instead of rice. It was delicious!

10 pounds in 5 weeks?

Two of my nieces are visiting from Idaho in March. They will get here 5 weeks from today. I am so excited; we are going to do lots of fun stuff. We are calling it Pinterest week because we plan to do lots of Pinterest ideas such as:

1) Fitness & Workouts

2) Cooking (healthy recipes of course)

3) Crafts

4) Style (shopping & pampering)

5) Travel (seeing some new things)

So far I have only been losing about 1-1.5 pounds per week. I know that I can do 2, if I get serious about everything I put in my mouth. I'd really like to lose 10 pounds by the time they get here. If I could do it; I'd be the thinnest that they have seen me in a long, long, long time. I know they love me no matter what but it would be a great little motivator. It would also be close to the half way point thru my half-marathon training. I can't wait to take the girls on a little walk-run on the greenbelt and to Zumba!

It is going to be lots of fun having a girls week. I am really looking forward to it. I think that the shopping will be a whole lot more fun if I lost the weight too because then I could probably be another pant size smaller!

Can I do it? I think I can..I think I can...I think I can....

Mexican Breakfast Casserole

I hate eggs! However, I know they are great for a morning breakfast packed full of protein so I have been forcing myself to eat them. However, I can't just eat them plain. I have been coming up with all of these breakfast casserole, quiche, etc. recipes. The other day I had made a black bean burrito for lunch and had left over beans. I thought that a mexican egg casserole might be good (like huevos rancheros). I googled a recipe and this is what I found.

Mexican Breakfast Casserole

1-2 tsp olive oil

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 yellow onion chopped

1 TBSP cumin

5 eggs

1 can creamed corn

1 TBSP cilantro

1/2 C shredded cheese

1 C milk (use skim)

cayenne pepper to taste

Sautee onion in olive oil for a few minutes and add black beans and cumin till warm. Add to casserole pan. (I used an 8 by 8 square). Mix all of the other ingredients and pour on top. I think it would be even better with a small can of green chilles too. Bake at 325 till eggs are no longer runny. I used my convection oven and this took about 35 minutes.

I thought this was really good and I served it with salsa. It would have been even better in a low carb tortilla (or whole wheat). Surprisingly, Travis didn't really like it. I am not sure why..I thought it was good and I don't even like eggs. I am usually the more picky eater (I'm not very picky though). I guess you'll just have to try it to see.

Another 1 bites the dust

Saturday I didn't have any time to go to the gym so I made sure to go down stairs and dusted off my Jillian Michaels Shred Video. It was quite the workout, can't believe I used to that daily. I also tried to dance off a few calories Saturday night.

For Tammye's birthday we went to a place called "Painting with a Twist". It was really fun. We all painted a picture. I had made her birthday cake (see pic above) and people brought snacks. Afterward we went across the street to the Cotton Eyed Joe for some dancing. I did lots of booty shaking and worked up a sweat! It wasn't enough but better than nothing. Here I am prepared to go shake it. I stole the feather boa from her cake and our friend Amy had brought those crazy glasses. Give me some heels and there I am posing like a silly girl. Check out my painting though! If you're wondering....of course I took that boa out dancing.

Sunday we took the kids swimming at the gym and I tried to swim a few laps. Tonight I did a run on the treadmill but tomorrow is supposed to be gorgeous. I am hoping to run outside. It is really strange but my outdoor run on the greenbelt, even with the ups and downs of the hills was my best time yet. I would have never thought so. It seemed much more enjoyable outside. The KT Tape is awesome, I can definitely tell it is helping to stabilize my knee. I am excited to see how it feels tomorrow after spin. Wednesday my friend Nikki and I are going to try out Body Combat. Sounds fun!

Protein Power Balls

I found a recipe on pinterest for protein balls and I just happened to have all of the ingredients. They are delicious and taste like a yummy, candy treat. Now you still have to be careful and only eat one, they have about 85 calories per ball.

Protein Power Balls

1/3 C Natural creamy PB

1/4 C honey

3 TBSP ground flax seed

2 TBSP chopped dark chocolate

1 scoop chocolate whey protein

Mix all the ingredients together and then form 12-14 small balls and refrigerate for several hours till fully chilled. These were way better than expected. Give them a try. They are a fun, quick treat that still offers some protein and fiber.

Run Keeper

Wow! Run Keeper is awesome. I am really loving it. I have used it for a while now but didn't know that it was capable of much more. RunKeeper is an app on my iphone. It uses the GPS technology found in the iPhone to track your fitness activity, giving you comparable results to an expensive GPS watch. You can also enter your activities manually, including your treadmill runs, indoor cycling, etc.! This app really makes it easy to track how far you went, how long it took, what your pace/speed was, how many calories you burned, and the path you traveled on a map.

You can also share your progress with friends by posting your activities to Facebook and Twitter, and creating a profile page that allows people to view all of your public activities. It can tell you whether you are ahead/behind your target pace, or get coached through an interval workout. It has a coaching mechanism that is awesome. I wanted to do 1 minute walk run intervals. It gives you cues in your ear when you need to start walking or running . It also allows you to listen to Pandora at the same time or to play your itunes playlists.

It has 3 main screens. The first screen shows you the map via GPS as to everywhere you went during your run, the second screen gives you an overview of your workout (how long it was, your avg pace, calories burned, time, etc) and the 3rd screen gives you the details of every minute of your run. Since I was doing intervals I could see that minute 1 I was walking at 4.2mph, minute two I was running at 6.4mph and so on.

It is great!The best part about it is that it keeps all of your workouts in your history so you can see all of your progress. It will also help with my treadmill workouts because I actually run faster outside. Now that I know that, I can increase the pace on the treadmill.

Back to the BodyBugg

I renewed my subscription with my bodybugg so that I can know exactly how many calories I am burning. I have been wearing it religiously, even sometimes when I sleep. Today in Zumba I burned 625 calories. I love knowing the numbers. It truly is a science; how to lose weight.

Today after Zumba they were shooting a quick video for the website that a group of girls said "Group Fitness is Fun!"..I knew the camera crew so a little pressure to be in the video. Another reason to wear your make-up to the gym. Once the video is posted, I'll put a link on my blog.

I really do love to dance. As soon as I am done training for the half I plan to do Zumba a lot more often. I just can't right now because I need to focus on running. It is fun to have one cross training day of zumba though and one of spin. Zumba is still high impact though so I will have to be careful of my knees. I can't wait to try out my tape...it should be here today! Tonight I have CPR class at Hudson's preschool and Hudson has karate. Travis is going to take the kids to the gym tonight but I am glad that I got my workout done and out of the way. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain so I am back to the treadmill.

Bare Necessities

A couple must haves while running

1) I-pod (Pandora...Lady Gaga station)

2) Skull candy ear buds

3) Good shoes (just got some new Brooks Glycerin)

4) Water

5) Towel (if on treadmill...I sweat really bad)

6) Deodorant (remember the sweating)

7) Hair band and a bobby pin (hair must be pulled back and bangs too)

8) Workout clothes (I love my one pair of pants that has a small pocket that my ipod can fit into while I am outside)

9) ICE!!! (Yep, you are reading it right....after workout)

So here are the things that I have to have to complete a successful run. Without them I am lost! I have never had knee problems but the running and spinning are making them ache. I bought some new stabilizing tape called KT Tape from amazon (it will be here tomorrow). I am excited to try it. I can't do a brace, I hate how they bunch up in the back. I have some soft flexible ice packs that I have been putting on my knees every night. They don't feel injured, just tired. I figure that people on the biggest loser practically take ice baths so I can ice my knees. I am hoping that this whole running thing can only get easier.

I am not good at it! Also this race is something for my bucket list, it is to honor my friend Win Apel who recently died from battle with a brain tumor. However, I guarantee you that I will not get hooked. This is a one time deal. I love to ride the bike and dance but I am only running to prove to myself that I can do this. I am excited to see the results too. My hips and legs are my biggest problem areas; I can only assume that running and spinning will be good for them.

What are you're running essentials? Do you love to run or do you do it cause it works?

Happy Birthday Tammye

(Tammye and I at the Sugarland concert)

Yesterday was Tammye's birthday; so a quick tribute. I like to tell people that Tammye is like my mama bird. A little more than a year ago I entered her nest and she taught me how to fly. She gave me all of the tools to learn to work out and gave me the passion and motivation to work on my goals. She has got to be one of the most knowledgable trainers I have ever met.

When I first met her I knew how to work out. I knew all the basic moves (i.e., bench press, squat, curls, etc) but she taught me much more about compound movements and how to burn the most calories in the shortest amount of time. Sometimes I felt like I was hopping on one foot, patting my head and rubbing my belly at the same time....but it worked. I got more balance, more strength and more endurance.

As many of you know I have left the Tammye nest. I have joined a gym and now that I know how to fly I am trying to take my fitness to another level; and while I am at it show some of my friends how to fly too. I still visit the nest and go back for more. I am loving Weekend Warrior and all of the motivational texts and talks Tammye and I have. I know that she is one of my biggest fans and believes in me.

Truth be told, I am one of her biggest fans too. She has invested lots of time into me and I love her for that. I have shared things with her that I wouldn't share with very many people. You should see my before pictures. Can you imagine me in a sports bra and bikini bottom? Yuck. Yep...she has seen it. Probably didn't want to but she did.

She has became one of my closest friends and I can't wait to finish the journey and to make her proud. Happy Birthday Tammye! You have changed my life more than you will ever know. Words do not express how grateful I am to have found you and to have you be a part of my life. Thanks for being such a great support! I promise that I am going to finish this thing!

A half marathon...really??

Well today was day 1.

2 miles down, I only have to be able to do 11 more. Lol. I am following the galloway walk-run program for 14 weeks. Today I did 1 minute intervals between walking and running on the treadmill. I just put in my head phones and went. I pretended in my head that I was dancing as I just bounced along to the beat. It actually felt really good. I sweat a ton. The sweat was actually dripping onto the treadmill. The treadmill was awesome because it had a setting called speed interval. It allowed you to put in a walking speed and a running speed and then you just had to push the interval button once to switch back and forth. I am slow! Today I did two, 13 minute miles. Not bad though, figuring I was walking half the time. I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew...but here it goes. The goal is to finish.

My Training Schedule looks like this:

Monday: Weight training-Walk/Run intervals

Tuesday: Spin

Wednesday: Weight training-Walk/Run intervals

Thursday: Zumba

Friday:Weight training-Walk/Run intervals

Saturday: Long run

Sunday: Rest

This will be pretty intense for the next 14 weeks. The walk run intervals become harder over time....more running, less walking. I have no excuses though, I can always use my treadmill at home if needed and I have weights at home as well. If I skip anything it will be my cross training days on Tues and Thursday; however these are the nights that Hudson goes to Karate so I will be there anyway.

Another 1.5 down

Not what I want but at least I am losing! I start my run-walk 14 week training today. I'll give more details soon.

Makeup at the gym??

OK, so some of you may think that I am absolutely crazy because I almost always wear make up to the gym. Yep, it gets all sweaty and gross and as soon as I come I usually shower, scrub my face and do it all over again. That is nuts right?

Well my make up gives me more confidence. I feel like I am pretty good at applying it, I like to wear it and I've never had major problems with how my face looks. I know I am not a super model but I don't look in the mirror and hate my face. I do hate my body. If I don't wear make up at the gym then I feel not like myself and I feel like now I have just put an ugly body on an ugly face. Now not everyone that doesn't wear make up looks bad. People actually tell me all the time that I look fine with out it but I feel ugly. Maybe if I had a killer body I wouldn't care as much. I don't know.

One other thing is what to wear to the gym. I am talking about this because last week I went to zumba and wore a big baggy t-shirt and no make-up. Today I wore a cute black fitted shirt and my make-up. I felt 1000 times better looking at myself in the mirror while I was shaking it. I know that I actually felt more confident and that I did a better job working out too. I know I burned more calories.

Not everyone will agree with this post but just thought I would share some of my random thoughts. Look how you feel. If you feel good, try to look good....cause if you look bad, it sometimes can make you feel bad. :)

Anyway, I had a great workout this morning and then went to the grocery store with Travis to get some good protein sources. Tomorrow it is supposed to be 64 degrees so I am going to try and do a run-walk on the greenbelt.

Visual Motivation

So I saw this idea on pinterest and I think I am going to do it to give me some visual motivation. Every marble is 1/10 of a pound. I am going to fill it with 250 marbles representing the first 25 pounds that I want to lose. As I lose the weight I'll move the marbles. I LOVE IT! I think it will be great to see. I think I am going to put it right on my mantle. If anyone asks, I'll tell them.

What do you do for motivation?

I am hoping to go to Body Combat at 9:30. I have come down with a very stupid, runny nose though and my sinuses are killing me. Hopefully it will get better. Tomorrow I am going to get a nasal irrigator and hope that a brain eating amoeba doesn't kill me. Lol. If you commonly use netti pots you may want to read the article in the link above and make sure you are using filtered water or boil your water. I'll keep you posted on how I feel.

Gym and more Gym

So I can proudly say that since joining the gym 20 days ago, there has only been 4 days that I haven't went. My exercise is on! I still struggle with my diet. I know what to do but its is so hard. I lost a pound last week. Really hoping for two this week.

I am still spinning and going to aerobics classes. Today I worked out with my friend Rebecca. We did a hard core weight lifting workout of dead lifts, hang clean, hang clean and press and squats. It was brutal but good. I know I'll be a little sore tomorrow. Thankfully there was 30 minutes left to zumba so I quickly went and tried to losen up my tight muscles.

Hudson is taking Karate at the gym and loving it! I am glad to be teaching him the habits of working out. He is also taking yoga, zumba and a running class.

Body Jam

Today I attended Body Jam for the first time. It was fun. I also attended a zumba class yesterday. I usually am pretty confident in these types of classes. I took 10 years of dance lessons and I usually can feel the beat pretty good. My hips don't lie. I can usually shake it pretty good. For the last year I have been attending a class like zumba-hip hop and I have loved it. However, there are no mirrors so you don't get to see how ridiculous you look. I always felt great, like one of the better dancers.

I'm not so sure anymore. After attending these past two classes and being surrounded my mirrors, I think that the above image is true. I still feel like I have rhythm but seeing my overweight body in the mirrors definitely is a confidence downer. The other gripe that I am having is that the instructors look at you like a mirror.

I talked to the instructor after class and she said that there have been studies shown that people remember the routines and get into the movements better if they watch the instructor as though they are watching them selves in the mirror. I am still not so sure. After years and years of watching an instructor from behind it is very confusing for me to try and do this. Especially when there are turns and stuff.

So while I am loving my freedom of being able to go to the gym whenever I want, I am missing Tammye's fun Zufu class without the mirrors and missing my regular girls. However, I will give props to today's instructor Jenny. She is an inspiration...she herself has lost 170 pounds. She was very motivating and good at her job. It will just take me a while to adjust.

Plans never work

Yesterday I got up early and was all ready to go to Body Pump. I took it years ago at 24 fitness and Gold's gym but haven't taken it in at least 7 years. I was looking forward to it. I go the kids all ready, all of us fed and in the car by 9AM (class is at 9:30). But wait...where are my keys? I looked everywhere. I couldn't find them. Finally at about 9:20 I located them in the side pocket of my gym bag. I live about 15-20 minutes from the gym. Crap!

We got to the gym and as soon as we got there both kids said they needed to go potty. By the time I took them and got them registered in their classes I was well past 9:30. I usually wouldn't mind and I'd just join a class late. However, Body Pump is different. You have to get your mat, your step, your weights, etc and I didn't want to walk in late, it is a class that you are supposed to go to early. Arrggh.

Then I saw a friend of mine on the elliptical and I just got on and started talking to her. I did that for about 25 minutes, then jumped on the treadmill for about 10 minutes. At the end of that it was about 10:30 so I decided to go to zumba. When I went on Saturday there was like 25 people. When I went today there was 3. It was fine but definitely changed the dynamic. So, I didn't get in my weight lifting! At least I burned a few calories.

Week 1: Down 2.4

Here we go again.

Week 1: -2.4 pounds

I was hoping for 4 pounds in the first week but I am still happy with 2.4. Two pounds consistently will be the key. This week I worked out a lot, tried new things and did really well with my water intake. My diet was pretty flawless through out the week but we did go out to eat this weekend and I probably had a few too many snacks over the weekend. That is when it is hardest.

This coming week I have CPR every night so I have planned my workouts for the morning. I am just going to classes this week as most of my friends that I do the circuit training with workout at night. Here is my plan.

• Monday: Body Pump (lifting weights to music)...I might take Zumba afterwards if I am not dead.
• Tuesday: Body Jam (dance)
• Wednesday: RPM (spin)...if I am ambitious I could take Body Pump afterward (doubt it).
• Thursday: Zumba
• Friday: Off
• Saturday: Weekend Warrior with Tammye!

Hoping that all my workouts with a good balanced diet pays off. I'll let ya know. Hope you all have a good week.

Almost 1 week down

So we are almost one week into the new year. I can proudly say that I have been to the gym every day since the 31st of December, however I didn't really start my diet until the 2nd. I will be weighing in every Monday morning and tracking my progress on my weight loss tracker on the front page.

I have had some really good workouts. I have had my friend Nikki workout with me a few times and I have tried to incorporate all the things that my trainer, Tammye has taught me. I am trying to pay it forward. We have been working out together and we have been doing some pretty good weight circuits and cardio drills.

Next week is crazy. I literally have CPR every single night of the week. The nice thing though, is that now I can workout during the day too. So I am just going to hit a class every morning. I am taking Friday off cause I have CPR class Friday morning and I don't want to wear myself out. I'll be going to Tammye's weekend warrior on the 14th and I know that will be brutal. I am excited to get that sore again though. Over the past year I have really gotten passionate about working out. I look forward to it and love to work out. The diet has been the part I have struggled with most but I feel like I can do better this time. I am just trying to plan more and really watch my portions and make better choices.

I am going to a spin class called RPM tomorrow morning. I am really looking forward to trying it again. Sadly I can't go next Tues night and I really liked the instructor that night. I want to get back in the saddle though or I'll have to go the excruciating butt pain again. I am trying to go once in the morning next week. Hudson took his first karate lesson on Thursday. He was so cute and very excited about it! I am happy to be instilling good habits for him to exercise at a young age.

I'll be posting a few workouts soon...so stay tuned.

Breakfast Casserole

I have been trying to incorporate eating protein at breakfast. It is hard for me because I don't like eating dinner left overs for breakfast and can't imagine just eating a chicken breast at 8am. Christmas morning we had brunch here and I made a yummy breakfast casserole. I have been making one, once a week and eating it in the mornings. If you are really trying to cut carbs you can take out the potatoes but they really make it tasty. This is very satisfying and keeps you full.

Breakfast Casserole

Spray 11x13 casserole dish with some olive oil spray or PAM

Layer 2-3 cups of frozen or baked chopped potatoes

Add browned Jimmy Dean mild sausage (you can use turkey sausage)

Add 1 can green chilles

Add 1/2 white or yellow finely chopped onions

Beat 6-8 eggs with 1C fat free sour cream and layer on the top (you can use milk if no sour cream)

Sprinkle with some shredded cheese (optional)

Serve with 1 TBSP salsa

Cook at 350 for 30-45 minutes (till eggs are firm, mine is faster because I use my convection oven)

I then cut this into 8-10 pieces

6-8 WW Points depending on variations

My go to breakfast

My new favorite, easy, balanced breakfast is a yogurt parfait. I've been eating it a couple of times per week. What I like about it is that it gives you a good balance of protein, carbs and fat. So easy...here it is. I found a very similar recipe on skinnytaste.com but she used honey. That would be good as well. You could also use stevia.

Yogurt Parfait

1 Oikos plain greek yogurt

1/2 C mixed berries (I use the frozen)

2 TBSP sliced pecans

1 TBSP agave nectar, honey or stevia

You could defrost your berries but I just add them to my yogurt frozen first thing in the morning and then do some of my morning chores, get my kids breakfast ready and then about 15 minutes later I stir it up and chop up the berries with my spoon a little. Give it a good mix and eat it up. I love it! The pecans really add to it.

Weary of the Weekends

2012 has started off right! We have literally been gym rats; going almost daily. Travis also has some goals. He is trying to gain 1 pound a week for 6 months (20-26 pounds). This means that I am restricting my calories and carbs while Travis is eating more than usual. This creates a little bit of a challenge.

During the week; I seem to do great. I get into a routine. I eat my breakfast, drink my water, prepare a healthy dinner that works for both Travis and I. Pretty much I just make a protein, vegetable and carb and I don't eat the carb portion. Travis and the kids eat it though. I feel like I make good choices at home, probably because I don't have a lot of bad ones to choose. When I am hungry I eat my greek yogurt, cheese stick or handful of almonds. I usually eat a sensible lunch too.

It is the weekends that I am weary of. It is during this time that we run errands, take the kids on adventures, attend social gatherings, etc and it seems like the weekends are my sabotage. How can I do better? We eat out way too much on the weekends and we probably need to limit that. However, it seems hard when you are out and about all day to pack a picnic every weekend. I guess there is always Subway and the possibilities of just making better choices.

That is my goal for this month, to really focus on the weekends. To make good choices and to not let the weekends ruin my progress from the week. One thing that is really nice is having Travis as my workout buddy. We don't really work out together but just going together holds us both accountable. I also have 5 girlfriends from church that are members and I have been working out with. Everyone is pumped since it is January; hopefully they all keep it up. I'll need all the motivation I can get.

Spin

Last night I took my first spin class this decade. I had only taken it two other times with my cousin-in-law in Boise (literally 10 years ago) and I hated it, my butt hurt for weeks after. Well, I am not sure what the difference was but last night I LOVED IT! I think I feel a new addiction coming on. I could literally feel the fat melting off my legs.

I was really proud of myself. I did the entire class and I tried to do everything the instructor asked of us. When she said to pedal with a faster cadence....I did, when she said to stand up and increase resistance....I did. It was a challenge, but a good one. I felt awesome when I was done.

This morning my sitting bones are sore but I feel great. I can't wait to do it again (maybe Saturday morning). Several of my friends were in the class with me and that made it fun. I was so proud of all of us. There were several "first timers" and we all finished!

If you are interested in taking spinning, here are some tips:

1) Bring lots of water (preferably with a straw or nozzle...it's hard to drink and cycle at the same time)

2) Bring a towel...you sweat A LOT.

3) When getting up out of the saddle make sure to increase your resistance; or your legs go flying

4) Have fun & make the class right for you.

5) Get in the zone and believe in yourself

6) If it is your first time, let the instructor know and have them help set-up your bike

I can't wait to take it again! I'll keep you posted.

A New Year for a New Me: 2012

All of the holidays were great. My kids loved Christmas and the magic of Santa and we had a fun New Years party with friends. But now...it is time for business. One of my Christmas gifts that I got was a membership to the gym. As I have stated in the past this was a hard decision for us. I have been training at a private gym for over a year and have truly loved my one on one attention with my trainer. However, Travis was unable to workout and there was no place for the kids. I have signed Hudson up for a program called "Kids in Motion" where he can take unlimited classes in running, aerobics, ball sports and pre-karate. He is going to love it. Luckily my trainer still has weekend warrior sessions that I plan to attend and I am hoping to still get to workout with her a couple nights a month. I would miss my workout girls and her too much, they have become some of my best friends.

So.....I have two goals for the year and they are big ones!

1) Lose 50 pounds & wear single digit clothing sizes

2) Complete a half marathon (April 28)

So, today is day 1. I am going to try and get back on the band wagon and start blogging again. I have been a total slacker and I know that it will help. I am going to be doing weekly weigh-ins with some friends and that should help too.

Today is assessment day. My friend Nikki is doing this with me. Here is the agenda:

1) Weigh

2) Take measurements (chest, abs, hips, arms, thighs, calves)

3) 1-minute assessment (push-ups, jump squats, sit-ups, burpees, & plank)

4) 25-100 rep workout (I'll do an entire blog post about this soon)

I am meeting her at the gym at 8:45. Better get going. Wish me luck!