Kathy Week 31: I'm Becoming a Runner!

Just a quick post today:

Kathy's Week 31 Stats:

Today's Weight: 133

Last Week's Weight: 134

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 18 pounds

Still on track with myfitnesspal.com. I love it! Using this great, free website helps me make better eating choices!

I've started running this week! I'm using a program for running novices from Prevention magazine's June issue. Here's the 6-week schedule:

Monday - Run

Week 1 - 1.5 miles

Week 2 - 1.75 miles

Week 3 - 2 miles

Week 4 - 2.25 miles

Week 5 - 2.5 miles

Week 6 - 2.75 miles

Tuesday - Cross train

Wednesday - Run the same as Monday

Thursday - Rest

Friday - Run the same as Monday
(Week 6 - run 3 miles)

Saturday - Walk 30-60 minutes

Sunday - Rest

Mark and I are using the middle school track just down the street from our house. We love it! I can't run all the way yet, but the instructions with our program say to run the given distance, taking walking breaks as needed. On Friday this week (Week 1), I was already running better than I had on Monday.

This week we ran on Monday and Friday. On Tuesday we did our weight-lifting program, and on Wednesday I cheated just a little and took the grandchildren backpacking instead of running. I rested on Thursday, and I'm heading out for a long walk this morning.

I really like it that the Prevention article explained some questions I've had when I've tried to start running in the past. For example:

It's more efficient to track miles instead of minutes.

If my knees hurt, it helps to shorten my stride.

Last but not least, wear good shoes!! Mark and I went to the Portland Running Company last weekend, and they helped us find the right running shoes for our particular foot structure and gait. It's really worth it to me to spend a few more dollars on my shoes, and get such good advice. They actually watch me run in the store in the shoes to make sure I have the right ones. Love it! 

I am so excited to think that I will be able to run 3 miles at the end of 6 weeks! I am fairly certain that I have never done that before in my entire life, and I'm thrilled to be headed toward becoming a runner now in middle age.

Katie: Week 31 Only 10 more pounds to go!

Guess what skinnies?!...

Current weight: 135 pounds
Last week's weight: 136 pounds
Total weight loss: 35 pounds (Yay!)
 
Agh!!!  I'm getting so close I can taste it!  I kind of couldn't believe the scale when I got up to go to the bathroom and saw that it read 135.6.  Especially since just a couple of days ago I was up at 138.2.  But it's true!

I am only 10 pounds away from my final goal!

Can you believe it?  

Can you believe that I've lost 35 pounds so far?  

I cannot.  Making goals that are hard and take a long time to accomplish and then actually following through with them is not typically my style.  But it sure is a good feeling.  So, to celebrate my progress (and because I can't be shown up by my mom) I took pictures!  Although let me preface this by saying that my mom does her updates on Saturday mornings when there are people around to take a picture of her.  I do mine on Tuesdays.  Which equals weird self-taken pictures.  So please bear that in mind when you come to this week's pictures.


Week 1:

Week 11:

 

Pictures: Week 21

 

Week 31:

 

Okay, so these last pictures are terrible, taken the wrong direction, and not a very exciting climax.  But can you see the progress?  At least from week 1 to now?  Man, I sure can.  And I'm so happy about it.  It makes me feel sad and a little disgusted to look at the week 1 pictures and realize that I let my body get that way.  

 

And if you can't see in the pictures, maybe you can see the difference in these measurements.

As of December 29, 2009 my measurements were as follows:

Wasit: 39 in.

Tummy: 42.5 in

Hips: 39 in.

Bust: 40 in.

Bicep: 12.5 in.

Weight: 170 lbs.

As of July 27, 2010 my measurements are as follows:

Waist: 34.25 in.

Tummy: 37 in.

Hips: 38.5 in.

Bust: 36.5 in.

Bicep: 11.25 in.

Weight: 135 lbs

That's a total of...

Waist: down 4.75 in.

Tummy: down 5.5 in.

Hips: down .5 in.

Bust: down 3.5 in.

Bicep: down 1.25 in.

Weight: down 35 lbs.

Whoooooo hooooooooo!  And one of the best things about all this that, not only do I feel and look so much better, but I'm finally fitting back into even some of my skinnier clothes!  Hooray!  On Sunday I wore a shirt that I honestly can't remember the last time I wore.  I probably haven't worn it for at least two years.  

I'd say the two things that have helped me the most lately are (1) using MyFitnessPal.com and (2) eating foods that are more filling and have less calories.  I'll try and take pictures of my regular menu this week so you can see what I've been eating lately.  Because that has been helping a ton.  That is, of course, in addition to my regular exercise and drinking lots of water.  

If there's one thing I'm still fussing over it is this: trying to help myself have a flat tummy by the time I reach my goal weight.  Yes, I do still have a little fat there to lose, but I think for the most part now it's just flabby skin (especially left over from pregnancy) and weak muscles.  I had gotten lazy about doing my nightly crunches, but I'm getting back on board with that again and I've been good about it for the past few days.  Although last night as I was doing crunches it just didn't quite feel like enough.  So instead I just stopped at 30 crunches and then did 3 sets of holding in plank position for 20 seconds.  That is hard?  Umm... but is that going to help me tighten my abs?  I'd really love to work on this area in a non-super-sweaty way as much as possible.  It's already hot enough around here.  Any input or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Oh, and, by way of keeping myself accountable, here's where I'm at on actual goals.  I've had it in the back of my head for a while now that I want to reach my goal of being 125 pounds by Christmas.  But if I stay on track with the goals I've put into MyFitnessPal.com (losing one pound a week), then that has me reaching my goal at the beginning of October.  Right now I'm actually a little bit ahead on my goal.  So should I just buck up and set my goal for the first week in October?  I can't decide.  I don't really know why.  Maybe because there's nothing exciting going on the first week of October.  

Hooray for exciting progress!
Happy Tuesday!

Kathy Week 30: Check out the photos!

Kathy's Week 30 Stats:

Today's Weight: 134

Last Week's Weight: 134

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 17 pounds

No change since last Saturday, but considering how many servings of homemade ice cream I ate at last Saturday's family bar-be-que, I'm feeling pretty good about maintaining. I confess that by the time we were headed home from California, my weight had spiked back up to 137, so I actually am quite happy to be back at 134 again. 

Just for old time's sake, I thought today would be a good time to take a look at some old photos...

Remember me back at Week 1 in January 2010? At 151 pounds, you can see why I decided it was time to take action and become accountable here at The Skinny!

Three months later (March 2010), here I am at Week 14, 141 pounds. Good progress, but I still have a way to go!

And, just for the record, here I am this morning, Week 30, at 134 pounds. Hooray! Not only can I see the difference, but I feel so different now.

I am stronger, fitter, faster, leaner. I have more confidence in myself. My posture is soooo much better now that my muscles are getting stronger. 

I love love love this healthier, skinnier body!

And........I don't think you can quite see it in this morning's photos, but there's something else I'm lovin' about my body.......check it out!

Haha! Toenail polish may not seem like a big deal to most of the world, but my family could tell you that I never paint my nails. I'm not ready to go to fingernail polish yet, but I've had fun the last few weeks with painted toenails, even if (almost) no one else ever sees them. (I wear sturdy shoes all day long because I have to wear orthotics for my bad, flat feet.)

But there are times during the day when I think to myself, "I've got pretty toenails!" and it just makes me smile inside.

Getting a pedicure was one of the summer goals I made for myself on the list of "43 Things" I made back in June. I've already accomplished several of my 43 goals, and I have a few more in the works. Here's how I'm doing so far:

#1: Hike to the top of Mount St. Helens: Mark and I have permits to climb the volcano on August 24! I am so excited about this, and we are in serious training together.

#2: Backpack 50 miles with Mark: We are making plans for this, too, during the week of August 16. We figure the 50-miler will be part of our training for the assault on Mount St. Helens. Here's a photo of the two of us with our packs on a short shakedown hike we took a couple of weeks ago, to beautiful Mirror Lake near Mount Hood in Oregon.

#6: Get a pedicure: I haven't spent the money to go to a salon, but I'm sure having fun painting my own toenails. And every so often I talk Mark into giving me a foot rub. :)

#7: Lift weights every day for a month: DID IT! I followed the Prevention 4-week weight-lifting program that I mentioned here. The offer still stands - if you want a xerox copy of the plan, just send me an email at haynieoregon@gmail.com. The program isn't online, but I'll make a copy of the pages from my booklet, and send them to your snail mail address. 

Now we're going to begin a 6-week training program--something else I found in Prevention magazine--to get novice runners (like us) up to running 3 miles at a time. I can't wait!

#10: Go someplace in Oregon I've never been: DID IT! We visited Crater Lake on our way home from California last week. Oh, my. I've poo-poohed visiting Crater Lake for years--just another pretty face, I always said. You could see all there was to see in the photos on the calendars. Nope! Wrong! It's a gorgeous amazing spectacular place, and I am SOOO glad we went there. Can't wait to go again!

#13 Run a mile: Like I mentioned above, I should be able to say that I can do this by the end of the summer!

#16 Paint the upstairs doors: We live in a 100-year-old farmhouse, and the beautiful old wood doors need some TLC. (You can see a couple of them behind me in my weight-update photos.) I can't take any credit for it, but Mark has done a beautiful job of painting two of them, with more planned for later this summer. What a blessing to be married to a handyman!

#20 Watch the movie David gave me: DID IT! It was a fun movie--David gave me a DVD of Stranger than Fiction for my birthday in May, because he knows how much I love to write. If you haven't watched it yet, I recommend it for an evening of good, clean fun. In spite of the occasionally improbable-twists to the plot, it all comes together at the end. Made me smile, for sure.

#22 Camp on the beach: DID IT! We camped at Big Sur State Park our way home from California last week.

#23 Lose 5 more pounds (to 132): I'm getting there...

#24 & #25 Learn to use the calendar and 3 more applications on my iPod. DID IT! I'm sure I will continue to use this great tool for more things, but I am actually using the iPod calendar now instead of my faithful paper-pencil one I've used for years. It's great because Mark and I have our calendars synched, and we can both keep up on our family commitments this way. I'm also using myfitnesspal.com, weather, calculator, and the LDS Gospel Library.

#28 Send letters to distant grandchildren: DID IT! But of course I definitely want to keep doing this again. 

#41 Learn to take pictures of myself: DID IT?? Will I ever get good at this?? Hahahah - this photo isn't bad, but it's #19 out of 19 tries...and no, I am not posting any of the earlier ones. Can you say "cheesey"?

(Sorry this post is so long! If you read all this way, you are a faithful friend!!)

Have a great week, dear Skinny readers. I'd love it if you would post a comment, and I'll see you next Saturday on The Skinny!

Lazy Days of Summer: Stir Fry

As I mentioned before, I have not been in the mood to cook all that much lately. Between the hot days, cranky tired kids by the time dinner rolls around, and a husband who has been gone for dinner most weeknights, I've been looking for easy dinner solutions. (Tonight was Hubby's last day as a teaching his evening college chemistry class though...so now he'll be home for dinner. YEAH!)

This week, I made some stir fry. If you have a garden, this is a great way to fix all those veggies that you're getting from your garden.  This is the extra easy version though, so here's what I did.  I pulled out the bag of stir fry veggies from the freezer (I like the Kirkland Signature variety from Costco).  I thawed them a bit by dunking them in hot water and stir fried them on the stove with just a bit of vegetable oil.  Then I mixed some cornstarch in with about half terriyaki sauce and half cold water.  Then I mixed it in with the cooked veggies and heated until it was thickened.  Then serve over brown rice.

Of course you'll want to look for low calorie/healthy terriyaki sauce.  There are probably healthier options out there...but like I said...I've been a lazy cook lately, and this is a great way to load up on lots of veggies.

And this is definitely kid tested and approved.  My kids love to call the baby corns "candy corn" and my oldest discovered she loves waterchestnuts.

And sorry no picture of my son...he chose to eat sans clothing.

Bone Strengthening BFFs...Calcium & Vitamin D

So most of us on here are women, right? (Men- keep reading...this still applies to you!) Do you know that at least half of us will have a bone fracture by the time we are 50 years old? Did you also know that there is something you can do today to prevent it? It is called Calcium my friends.

Osteoporosis is serious disease that affects many men and women...mostly women though. And although it is generally thought of as a disease of the elderly, it can strike at any age...especially if you have some of the risk factors such as:

Being female

Family history of osteoporosis or broken bones

Being small framed

Being overly thin

Low calcium and vitamin D intake

Excessive intake of protein, sodium, or caffeine

Inactive lifestyle

Smoking

Alcohol abuse

Now most of our bone mass has already been formed- about 85% of it by the time girls are 18. However there are still things you can do to protect yourself!

The easiest thing is to eat a diet rich in both calcium and vitamin D. Now calcium is what will really help your bones, however it can not be absorbed if the body does not have an adequate supply of vitamin D...so all that milk you chugged would be for nothing! (Unless it was fortified with Vitamin D...some are, so check your labels!) So think of calcium and vitamin D as BFFs that must go together. Here is some more on calcium and vitamin D...

Calcium

Calcium is most famous for giving our bones their strength, but did you know that they also keep our teeth healthy, prevent hemorrhages in our bloodstreams, and plays a crucial role in transferring light to chemical impulses in the retina?

Sources include:

milk

cottage cheese

cheddar, swiss, or american cheese

yogurt

orange juice

fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel

sesame seeds

soy

collard greens, cooked kale, broccoli

corn tortillas

cooked beans such as great northern, navy, or pinto

almonds & peanuts

dried fruit

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is most famous for helping us to absorb calcium but did you know that it also helps joint pain, relieves back pain, and can also prevent certain types of cancer? And did you know that your body naturally makes Vitamin D? Your body has to be exposed to sunlight though! Just about an hour a week is all it takes!

Sources include:

fish such as herring, catfish, oysters, salmon, trout, halibut, sardines, tuna, or mackerel

milk/soy milk

some cereals (check the label!)

eggs

mushrooms

sunlight

Now another easy thing to do to try and prevent osteoporosis is to do weight-bearing exercises such as running, jogging, dancing, walking, stair-climbing, hiking, and racquet sports. So pick one of those to try this week at least once!

Remember that osteoporosis is a silent disease- none of us can really feel our bones getting weaker! So make sure that no matter how old you are, today you commit to doing all you can to increase and maintain your bone density!

Katie: Week 30

Good news!...

Current weight: 136 pounds
Last week's weight: 138 pounds
Total weight loss: 34 pounds (Yay!)
 
Hooray for continued progress!

Well, I must admit that I have not been up on reading all the great things everyone else has been posting lately.  For whatever reason, I have been super into working on Christmas gifts this past week or so and yesterday it was a fairly intense little elf workshop around here.  I plan to do more of the same today, so this will be short.

Basically, MyFitnessPal is working like a charm for me.  I had always turned up my nose before when it came to counting calories, but the truth is--it works.  In the same way that keeping a food journal works, but better.  Anyway, I've already beat this with a dead horse in previous posts, so... yeah. 

Not much else going on around here.  It's hot!  So we've been going to the mall to go walking lately.  Anyway, I really don't have anything very exciting to share other than the fact that I lost 2 pounds since last week.  So I'm done.  Happy Tuesday!

There Is a Reason Why "Run" Rhymes With "Fun"

Hooray! Today I registered for the 27th Best Dam Run and Walk 10K. My sister registered for it a few days ago. This is her first race and we are training together. Now we will officially be running it together! I'm really excited to share this experience with her. Doesn't that sound fun? There is no better way to enjoy running than to do a race with someone. Or is there?...

Today I have a training tip that is intended for running but can be applied to any workout plan. An article on Active.com suggests, "Each day, let your training plan have one vote for the kind of run you do and let your body--your feelings of fatigue and readiness, enjoyment, confidence, and comfort--have two votes." This is talking about your mind-body connection. While it's great to have a plan set out, leave room for adjustments that your body demands. For example, I donated blood last Monday, so I took it easier on my training run Tuesday morning. The more you pay attention to your body, the better you will know when you can push it and when you should hold back. This is one thing that top athletes master, and you can too! It leads to more enjoyment as well as more accomplishment, which leads to even more enjoyment. It's an upward cycle. Enticing, right? If you want to read the rest of the article, click HERE. Otherwise, enjoy your workout, whatever it may be!

Kathy Week 29: Eat Your Vegetables!

Kathy's Week 29 Stats:

Today's Weight: 134

Last Week's Weight: 137

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 17 pounds

Slow and steady...I am getting so much closer to my goal weight! 

I'm still using myfitnesspal.com to log my food every day. So easy, and it really helps me make better decisions about what to eat. (Be sure to read Alex's recent post about how to choose what enters your mouth.)

My husband and I are still doing our weight lifting every morning - my muscles are getting stronger! I feel stronger and healthier than I can remember in a l-o-n-g time. It's a wonderful feeling!

Today I want to share some wonderful advice from a wonderful person. 

Introducing...my dear mother-in-law, LaVerne!

Here we are at the ocean in Morro Bay, California, near her home. We are visiting her this week because she is having her 80th birthday party this week! Doesn't she look great? 

When I asked LaVerne for some advice to live a long and healthy life, she paused, and then smiled. 

"Well," she said, my mother (who lived into her 90s) always used to say that the way to live a long time was to eat your vegetables." Let me tell you, LaVerne really follows that good advice herself. I don't think I have ever eaten a meal in her home that didn't include some healthy vegetables or fruits, almost always served fresh or prepared from fresh foods.

She and I spent the day today preparing foods for the party on Saturday, and of course we baked cakes and mixed the ingredients for homemade ice cream, but we also spent the morning making some great vegetable salads to go with the chicken bar-be-que.

So, from LaVerne's kitchen, here is a delicious recipe for Carrot Salad. It's a great recipe for potlucks because it serves lots of people. If you make some for your family this week it keeps well in the fridge. And remember...keep eating your vegetables!

LaVerne's Carrot Salad

3 lb carrots, sliced 1/2" thick

Sauce:

1 can tomato soup

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon dry mustard

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1 or 2 medium onions

2 medium bell peppers

Cook carrots until crisp-tender.

Boil sauce ingredients.

Slice onions over cooked carrots and pour hot mixture over both and cover.

When cool, add chopped bell peppers.

Will keep in the refrigerator for 3 weeks.

Carrots washed and ready for slicing.

We sliced the carrots in a food processor - they were a little thinner than 1/2", but that was ok - we just cooked them for a little less time.

Cooking the carrots in a steamer.

Boiling the sauce ingredients.

Chopping the bell peppers.

How to choose what enters your mouth 101

Okay Skinny Readers- I know it is summer and it is hot and we want to be lazy, but this is no time to give up! You can make it!

Now exercise is wonderful; it can do wonders for your body and your attitude. However, if you are really focused on shedding some pounds you have to be conscious of what you are eating. That is why we have food journals, log our meals, etc. right? Because no amount of exercise is going to make you look fantastic if you don't eat smart!

Here are a few tips on how to choose what goes in your mouth:

All calories are not created equal! 200 calories from cake is not the same as 200 calories from a lean protein source and serving of leafy greens. Don't fool yourself by thinking you can just "count your calories" and stop at a certain number...your body needs nourishment!

"Carbs" is not a bad word! Don't try to skip all the carb goodness in this world...that is too cruel! Just realize that there are refined/simple carbohydrates that offer nothing more than calories and then there are unrefined/complex carbs that are full of fiber and B vitamins. Obviously it isn't a good idea to go overboard on anything, but when choosing your carbohydrates, choose complex!

Good foods remember where they came from! If you have no idea where your food has come from, it is probably best not to eat it! Have you ever seen a frosted flake tree? Or a vine that grows donuts? Try to pick foods that looked the same before they got to the store. Also, when picking these better foods, remember that if they haven't seen their homeland recently, they might not be the best choice. Things that have been boiled, processed, canned, and stored on a shelf for months don't have too much nutritional goodness left in them.

Have some good ole' Vitamin C! So, vitamin C is great because it helps to repair tissue, heals our wounds, bolsters our immune system, prevents different kind of diseases like of the eye and heart, and may even protect our skin from wrinkling! Sadly, our bodies can not keep a supply of vitamin C...it can store lots of vitamins and nutrients, but not C! So we need to have at least one serving of it daily; here are some ideas...

Vitamin C Rich Foods

grapefruit or grapefruit juice

orange or orange juice

mango

papaya

cantaloupe

strawberries

blackberries

raspberries

tomatoes or tomato juice

raw cabbage/cole slaw

red or green pepper

cooked broccoli

cooked cauliflower

cooked kale

raw spinach

(and best of all, all of these foods remember where they came from!)

And remember, every bite counts! Think about each bite you take and ask yourself if it is really the best thing for you to give your body. If it is, go ahead! If it isn't, put it down (better yet, throw it out!) and pick something better for your body. Your body works hard for you each day...take care of it!

Katie: Week 29

Good news!...

Current weight: 138 pounds
Last week's weight: 139 pounds
Total weight loss: 32 pounds (Yay!)
 
Hooray for continued progress!


I am...


-Still entering in my food intake, exercise, and daily weight on MyFitnessPal.com.
-Neglecting my laminated goals chart a bit since using both it and MyFitnessPal is a little redundant.
-Getting super calorie-conscious.
-Regretting my decision to buy the dinner rolls and chicken salad from Costco yesterday that didn't have any calorie info (and turned out to be somewhat fatty).
-Excited to try Polly's turkey burgers with roasted pineapple (although I think we'll eat them as burgers).
-Trying out some of the Weight Watchers "healthy" desserts (So far I'd say the only ones that are really worth buying and tastes like normal dessert without a ton of calories are the Weight Watchers Ice Cream Candy Bars.  Yummm.)
-going to go get Olivia who just woke up.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Kathy Week 28: Joy in the Journey

Kathy's Week 28 Stats:

Today's Weight: 137

Last Week's Weight: 139

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 14 pounds

Happy Saturday, Skinny friends! 

This has been a good week for making healthy choices in eating, exercise, and finding joy every day.

Even though we are blessed to have fresh produce available from all over the world, year round, I still love the fresh fruits and veggies of summer. This week I've enjoyed...

Fresh potatoes from my garden!

Mmmm mmmm...steamed with a little butter and salt...what a treat.

More goodness to come...

The blueberries are getting ripe, the zucchini will be ready to start picking later this week, and I just love love love all the different varieties of lettuce I can grow in the garden.

I'm still using the great free calorie-tracking tools at myfitnesspal.com, and I'm still doing my workout from Prevention magazine every week. (A few photos and my offer to mail the program to you free: here.)

Which brings me to the point I want to make today: no matter what we're doing for fitness and health, we might as well have fun while we're doing it! I loved Alex's post about jogging in a hurricane, and the way she was laughing all the way. 

This is Week 2 of my Prevention strength-training program, and it's been so much more fun now that my husband Mark has joined in! Mark has always had more muscle strength than me, so I didn't know if he would completely outdo me with the weights. I badgered him a little, and he started in with me on Monday. Yes, he can do some of the exercises better than I can, but on some of the others, he whines way more than I do! Hahaha!! I love it when he complains about how sore he is...and I'm not hurting!!

(And here's something I keep asking myself: why is it that Katie and I weigh about the same now, but she can fit into those cute size 10 jeans, while I'm still wearing 12s or 14s? I guess they don't call it middle age for nothing, right?? Hahaha!!)

But no matter what size jeans any of us wear, we can...and should...still have fun in our lives. This past week Mark and I hiked to a beautiful little lake with our camping gear and had so much fun playing for a couple of days.

Here we are with our loaded backpacks. (Mine weighs about 37 pounds; his is about 40 pounds.)

Mt. Hood towering above Mirror Lake.

Heading out for a day hike to the ridge behind me. Bear grass in bloom--isn't it pretty? And from the top of the ridge, we could see all the way to Mt. Rainier (by Seattle) 200 miles to the north, and Mt. Jefferson 140 miles south. Amazing!

Packing up the gear in our little campsite - time to head home again!

What are you doing to have fun and laugh today? Whatever your day holds, I hope you'll find...or make...joy along the way. Have a great week!