Dirty Girl 5K Mud Run (Team Muddy Melons)

Here's a picture from our 5K mud run.  It was so much fun!!!  Can't wait until next year!

Enjoy!

Struggling

I've been struggling for the past several weeks with my weight loss routine.  I finally pinpointed the demise around the time Sissy started school.  Before she started we had a little routine for breakfast, clean up, workout, shower and begin our day.  But now, my whole routine has been tossed out the window.  On top of that, my treadmill hasn't been operating properly.  I finally purchased some special treadmill lubricant from Amazon.com using my swagbucks.  I hope that will fix the problem.  In the meantime, I need some help figuring out what to do!  Getting up an hour earlier is making me hungry earlier which has me eating earlier and then when it comes to 6 or 7:00 at night, I'm ready to eat again.  It's ridiculous!

Since I've started typing this out, I've jumped up and grabbed a piece a gum.  Maybe that will help me.  I don't know, but I really want to lose the next 15 pounds by the end of December.  At this rate, I'll have gained another 5 pounds by that time it comes around. 

How do you carve out time to work out when you have a busy schedule?

Fitness Friday: Status Update

Things I've learned this month.

I have some will-power, but not enough.  I failed during the chocolate challenge.  I don't do well, when I'm told I can't have something.  It's all I can think about.

I'm a TV/movie-watching-snacker.  I never knew this before.  But every time I sit down for a show on TV, I go looking for something to munch on.  To overcome this, I've been keeping a glass of water nearby and chewing on some gum.  

It helps me to write down everything I eat.  I keep a dry erase board on the fridge and make a note of what I've eaten.  At the bottom, I'm keeping a tally of how many cups of water I've drank during the day.

My stomach and brain are confused.  I feel like I'm getting mixed signals.  Sometimes I think I'm hungry, but I know I can't possibly be hungry since I just ate.  Then I remember I haven't had anything to drink.  I'm trying to drink 10 cups of water a day.  2 cups with breakfast, 2 cups mid-morning, 2 cups with lunch, 2 cups afternoon snack time and 2 cups with supper.  I'm working on re-training my brain.

I'm trying to do a workout everyday.  Something.  Everyday.  I'm doing The 30 Day Shred, 8 Minute Abs, Jogging/Walking at the park.  I'm still working on this goal.  I don't do something everyday, but I'm almost there.  This has to become a way of life.  And I'm finding it hard to fit it in.  My sister-in-law is opening a new gym in Savannah and went to a local company to buy some new equipment for her new place.  She was also able to get me a great deal on a treadmill.  My husband is picking it up this weekend.  So hopefully I'll be able to find a new routine using it weekly, if not daily.     

It helps to chew gum during a workout.  My throat feels dry and sticky when I'm jogging or doing cardio.  The gum helps with that.

I'm trying to stick with my goal of not eating second helpings.  And eating smaller portions.  I'm not fond of crazy diets, but I like well balanced meals with healthy options. 

Something else I've learned, is my children LOVE to exercise with me.  Sissy has always tried to do "jack-jumping" (her term for jumping jacks), but before now Boo-Boo was only interested in crawling through my legs while I was doing the strength part of the workout.  Last week, he started doing jumping jacks (the best he can at 2 years old) and wall push-ups.  It's so funny and cute to see him doing these things.  I encourage them the best I can, by praising them on how well they are doing.  Giving them big hugs for at least trying.  

Counting calories is hard work!  I've tried counting calories before, but this time, I'm being serious with it.  It's hard!  To help make it a little easier, I'm keeping track of everything I eat on the dry erase board on the fridge.  

I was reading a new blog My Bizzy Kitchen.  She shares her weight loss journey and recipes.  She's doing Weight Watchers.  Anyway, this week she was talking about her workout affecting her blood sugar.  This never occurred to me before that this could happen.  This morning I was feeling very tired and sort of 'depressed' feeling.  I took my blood sugar, it was 74.  I ate an apple and checked it afterwards, it went back up to 101.  I ate a bite of chocolate cake and worked out.  My blood sugar was 146 after the workout.  Next time I'm going to check it without eating anything sweet to see how it is affected.  I'm doing some reading and it seems hypoglycemia is triggering the tiredness I was feeling after I worked out.  Now I know how to combat it.  I'm so happy!  I thought it was related to my heart, but I guess I was wrong.  Learn something new everyday!

Next, I'm trying to retrain my brain about rewards.  When I lose weight, I automatically think, "Good job, now let's eat a treat."  That's not a good idea.  I need to rethink that and focus on the bigger picture.  My mother-in-law has a great way of rewarding herself: a little charm for her bracelet for each goal she achieves.   Do you have any ideas?

Enjoy!

GIVEAWAY: Yoplait Light and My Fitness Plan

**** THIS POST WILL BE FIRST UNTIL THE END OF THE GIVEAWAY.  

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE RECENT POSTS****

A few months ago, I was shredding with Jillian Michael and a few other bloggers.  It was great motivation to receive emails from the other girls.  I actually did 10 days on the Shred.  Then I had hand surgery and couldn't do anything for a month.  Then life happened, I went back to work, I got really busy again and didn't work out.  I didn't make the time for it.  I need to, though.  I really do.  

I have a goal in mind.  It's important, I think.  Not necessarily a weight goal, but a size goal.  My friend Jodi used to keep this black skirt hanging in her closet.  She'd put it on and see how it fit.  She knew from the fit if it was time to do some changes in her eating or whatever.  I don't have a skirt, but I have a dress I'd love to get into.  So that's my goal.  

I started the 30 Day Shred Monday night. 

I'm going to stop eating after 6:00.  We usually eat before then anyway.  

I'm on the look out for a free treadmill on Craigslist and Freecycle.

I'm not going to eat seconds, but it's hard when it's something I love.  But I'm going to stick with this.

My daughter loves to exercise with me, so I'm going to go to the park on nice days and we're going to walk the track together as a family.

I'm going to complete four 5K races/walks this year.  Last year we did three.  It was such a great feeling to accomplish those!

MyBlogSpark contacted me to give Yoplait Light a try.  You know how I feel about "fake" sugar things, but I thought I'd keep an open mind and try it.  Turns out, it's not so bad.  I can still taste the fake sugar, but it does have fewer calories and they have tons of flavors to choose from.  

Here's a little something they shared with me and I thought y'all like to read this too:

This year, Yoplait Light is giving women a great new way to get ready for special occasions with the launch of the new Two Week Tune Up plan.

Whether it’s for a class reunion, a birthday, or your best friend’s wedding, Yoplait Light’s Two Week Tune Up could help you lose five pounds in two weeks by:

• Replacing your breakfast and lunch with a Yoplait Light yogurt, a whole grain and a fruit
• Eating a diet rich in lean protein and non-fat dairy, including a sensible dinner, beverages, and snacks
• Walking 30-40 minutes daily

Please visit Yoplait.com for study and full diet details.

By visiting www.Yoplait.com, consumers can find the full plan details as well as robust online tools to help them lose weight and boost their confidence over two weeks.

To help women look and feel their best, Yoplait Light has provided tips and advice available on Yoplait.com, along with valuable online weight loss tools such as a meal planner, healthy recipes and a daily food and exercise tracker. With 33 delicious flavors of Yoplait Light to choose from, you can switch up your diet menu as often as you like.

So do you want to participate in the Two Week Tune Up?  You can follow along by sharing photos of your experience with Yoplait Light and the Two Week Tune Up via Twitter with the hashtag #YoplaitLightTWTU, Facebook, and Flickr. Also, don’t forget to “like” Yoplait on Facebook or “follow” Yoplait on Twitter to keep up with the latest news from Yoplait. 

Be sure to check out the recipes and the meal planners.  There are some great looking recipes!  And meal ideas.   I just finished typing up my Monthly Meal Plan, but now I'm going to go back and add some of these yummy meals into our plan. 

You can try Yoplait Light for free through the giveaway MyBlogSpark and Yoplait are offering.  I got mine yesterday and my husband wants to use the gym bag, he really liked it!  I'm looking forward to using the pedometer.  I can't remember having used one before now.  

Included in the prize pack are a Yoplait gym bag, a reflective wrist wallet, a pedometer and one VIP coupon for a free Yoplait Light yogurt.   

Just leave a comment stating which flavor of Yoplait Light you'd like to try.  I've already tried the Red Velvet.  Next, I'm thinking Pineapple Upside Down Cake.   

This giveaway will end Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 6 p.m. EST.  Please remember to include a valid email address so I may contact the winner.  If the winner does not respond to email notification within 48 hours, random.org will select another winner.

Thanks so much and I look forward to hearing which flavors you're interested in!

Enjoy! 

Fitness Friday 10/1/10 - Less Energy???

You'll remember there's quite a few of us trying to get Shredded by Jillian Michaels. 

This week was a pretty good week.  I was really tired though...

Saturday:  Worked out in the morning and it felt good to get it out of the way (thanks Jenna for the suggestion!) for the day.  I was finding it hard to find the time to "Shred".  

Sunday:  No workout.  I needed a break.  I'm working out 5 days a week, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday.  No workout on Thursday or Sunday.  I work early morning on these days, so it was really hard to get up even earlier and do a workout.  

Monday:  Felt a little nauseous today.  I continued to drink lots of water and eat pasta with veggies and added some grilled chicken to my pasta salad.  My hiney is sore from the workout.

Tuesday:  Still feeling a little tired and didn't want to work out, but got out of the bed to "Shred".  I couldn't find the laptop charger and so I worked out from memory while Sissy crawled into my bed to watch PBS.  I was craving chocolate and my friend Donna brought me some chocolate covered macadamia nuts back from her trip to Hawaii.  I ate several of them.  Then I felt really really sick. 

Wednesday:  Found my charger.  My hiney was still sore from the squatting (I count that as a good thing).  So I must be doing something right.  I've felt hungrier all week and figure my metabolism is revving up.  I think that's good.  I just need to be careful about eating chocolate.  After yesterday's episode, I'm steering clear of the stuff.

Friday:  Today I'm baking for my OAMC.  I've been trying to focus on more healthy breakfasts and snacks for the us.  I added oatmeal to some pancakes for fiber.  I cut back on the oil in the muffins and used applesauce and pearsauce.  

I'm feeling really tired today.  I thought I would feel more energetic after doing the workout but it's not the case for me.  I did some research online and it seems my leaky heart valves might have something to do with it.  I just need to be careful and monitor my heart rate.  Why is it when I want to lose weight or try to be more fit, something gets in the way?  I want to lose weight and get fit, but my heart is acting out.  I will get through this just like any other problem.  It just might take me a little longer.  I'm really proud of myself that I've stuck with it for Day 10!  I've never gotten this far before and probably wouldn't have without the help of the other ladies.  Thanks y'all!  I'll be moving up to Level 2 on Saturday morning...I'm a little nervous, but I'll persevere :)

Hope you have a great weekend and if you're doing the 30 Day Shred, be sure to read the other posts linked to The Thrifty Mama's post.  It's very encouraging to hear the progress of others. 

Fitness Friday 9/24/10 - No More Excuses

This is my first update for Fitness Friday.  If you haven't read what's going on, let me fill you in.  Apparently, there are several bloggers trying to lose weight, tone up and become stronger and healthier by working out with Jillian Michaels and her 30 Day Shred DVD.  I've had this DVD for about 2 years and unfortunately, have never been through all 3 levels.  So I've joined forced with Alicia and Jenna to get off the couch, get up from the computer, put down that diaper and do the Shred.

Monday I started Day 1, again.  I've had so many "day 1's", but this time, I'm determined to get through the entire 30 days.  Jenna had a great idea to do level 1 for the first 10 day, move up to level 2 for the next 10 days and finish level 3 for the last 10 days.  It sounds good to me, but I'm a little afraid of the pain that comes with the level up.  I had read what Jen at Beauty and Bedlam had written about playing the DVD in her laptop and watching something else on TV.  I've been doing this and it makes a huge difference.  It seems like the time goes by so much faster!

I was a little sore Tuesday morning, but I guess because I'd been doing the Shred in the beginning of the month, it wasn't as bad as it could be or has been in the past.  I remember not even being able to sit on the toilet, the pain in my legs was so bad.  My chest was sore, probably from the push-ups.  I've been sweatin' like a pig.  Hopefully, those are pounds of sweat!

Wednesday, I didn't want to work out.  I was tired and irritable and so sore!  I had cleaned my house all day and mopped the floors.  I did several loads of laundry and was just plain pooped.  But I knew I was accountable to myself and the other girls and decided to stop making EXCUSES! So I did it.  I was hurting, but I was done and it felt good to be finished.

Thursday, my feet were hurting from work on Wednesday night and again Thursday morning.  I'm baking at a local bakery and I rarely sit down.  In fact, the only time I've sat down was to use the bathroom!  It was pretty busy and I spent 6+ hours on my feet.  They were throbbing and I couldn't bring myself to do the Shred as soon as I got home.  So I waited until the kids were in the bed and then I worked out and watched Top Model while I shredded.

Today, I felt like I'd been run over by a Mack Truck.  My feet are still tingling.  I'm such a wimp!  Anyway, I'm going to do the Shred during nap time and then we'll see how the weekend pans out. 

Fitness Friday - weight loss = 5 lbs, but I think the scale might be wrong so I'll check it at my in-laws next Saturday since that's where I weighed in originally

Our plans changed for the weekend.  It's just going to be too hot to pick apples on Saturday, so we're going to hang out around Atlanta and go to the Chili Cook-off at Stone Mountain.  I've never been and think it will be lots of fun.  I'm planning to get up early and work out before going to our morning meeting at the Hall.  I've never worked out this early before, so I'll let you know how I do.

Have a great weekend!

Enjoy!

Yes, I'm Shredding...AGAIN!

Okay, I know that sounds ominous, but I've started the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michael about 20 times in the last two years!  How many Day 1's can a person do?  I posted this on my Facebook status and received a couple of great reminders. 

1.  Kristi said "How many does this make?  and at least doing a Day 1 is better than not doing."

2.  Leslie said "If you do Day 1 for 30 days does that count?"

Aren't they great?  I love my friends :)

So to help keep me going this time around, I've joined forced with Alicia and Jenna.  

My ultimate goal is to lose 50 pounds by the end of next year.  I think this is completely doable, I just need the will power to succeed.  I used to be on Weight Watchers YEARS ago and learned a couple of valuable lessons from it.  Portion control is paramount and fill up on healthy veggies.  Having small children keeps me snacking, I just need to be sure it's healthy snacks.  I'll be reading through some of my favorite WW cookbooks to get some inspiration for next month's menu plan.  And my friend Lorre, also got one of Jillian's cookbooks, and she offered to let me look through for some inspiration.  

I'm telling you...I've got great friends for the motivation, I just need to put the motivation to practice in myself.

Some friends and I will be walking/jogging our next 5K in November.  I'm hoping Jillian will keep my endurance up so we can finish in good time.  This will be my 3rd 5K this year.  My goal is to complete it under 40 minutes.  Pretty reasonable, I think.  That's about 14 minutes per mile.  

I'll update my blog with my week's progress on Friday.  I think we'll call it Fitness Friday.  Sounds very positive.  A great jump-start for the weekend to keep me going. 

So will you join us?  Do you think I'm crazy?  Well, we know I'm crazy, so that question doesn't really count :)

Come on, get off the computer and get started!

Enjoy!