Easy Berry Smoothie (2-4 points)

Easy Berry Smoothie (2-4 points)

• 2 cups mixed berries*
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 2 cups fat free milk

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend to desired texture.

The entire blender full of smoothie is 4 points.  The glass you see above has about 1/2 that much.  So if you only have one glass, it's only 2 points!

*I bought a big bag of frozen mixed berries from Costco which made this really easy (and much cheaper than buying all those berries fresh).

Okay, so maybe you noticed that I snuck in an entire cup of spinach.
But can you see it now?
Me either.
Nor could I taste it.
So pack it in and give yourself some extra nutrients for no extra points and no funny taste!

Aside from the couple of spoonfuls I snuck in before I took the picture, this is the entire amount of smoothie it made.

Also, this is random, but if you have a lame blender (like me) and it dissuades you from making smoothies, just add more liquid.  Chances are, it'll run just fine.

Homemade Coconut Macaroons!

I love coconut macaroons. But with the average store-bought cookie clocking in somewhere between 3 and 5 Weight Watcher points (up to 160 calories per cookie)...and those are the ones without the chocolate dip...it's hard to justify them as a healthy snack choice!

Enter this healthy Coconut Macaroon Recipe. It's been on a 3x5 card tucked into my cookbook forever...I don't know who to give credit to, but I tried the recipe this weekend, and it's a keeper! After I calculated the recipe's points and figured out that these cookies are only 1 point each, I decided to whip up a batch.

You know what's even better than being low in calories/points? Super easy-peasy to make!! I kid you not. You can whip them up in 10 minutes or less, then sit back and wait for the timer to go off.

Yummy!!

OK, I know this photo makes them look like white blobby puffballs, 

so you are just going to have to take my word for how good they are.

Slightly crunchy on the outside, fluffy and moist on the inside...mmmmm!

Coconut Macaroons
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla
dash salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, and spray a cookie sheet with Pam.
Beat the egg whites, vanilla, and salt until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the sugar, beating until soft peaks form.
Fold in the coconut.
Drop from a teaspoon 1/2" apart on the greased baking sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.
Cool on wire rack.

Makes 20-24 cookies.

1 hike ≠ 1 milkshake

Mark and I went on a glorious fall afternoon hike yesterday. We hiked steadily--a good pace, uphill and down--for 3 whole hours!

Whew! I was a hiker grandma, for sure!

I was careful with my food choices, and carried a healthy, nutritious, low-points lunch.

Wonderful exercise and healthy food. Win-win, yes? Ummm...no.

Because by the time we got back into civilization, I had waaaay too many rumblies in my tumbly.
After hiking 3 hours, I could certainly justify a small milkshake, right?

Wrong.

When I got home and entered my exercise and my snack into my Weight Watchers points tracker, I ended up regretting my milkshake.

Hiking for 3 hours = 9 activity points
1 small McDonald's vanilla milkshake = 15 food points

Oops. Lesson learned. Next time I'll take a little more (as in, quantity) healthy food with me!

Hot Cocoa with Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (2 points)

Hot Cocoa with Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (2 points)

• 1 cup water (0 points)
• 2 TBS hot cocoa mix (2 points)
• 2 TBS chocolate chip ice cream (0 points*)

Fill a mug with 1 cup water.**  Heat in the microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes.  Spoon hot chocolate mix into water and stir.  Top with ice cream and enjoy!

*No joke!  The ice cream really doesn't count if you only have 2 TBS.  Sweet!

**I actually used a little less than 1 cup so I could leave enough room in my mug for the ice cream.

Oatsies and Scrabbled Egg Whites (revisited) (4 points)

Scrabbled Egg Whites (2 points)

• 1/8 cup onion, diced (0 points)
• 5-6 slices fresh mushrooms, diced (0 points)
• 3 egg whites (1 point)
• 1/2 slice of deli ham, diced (0 points)
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes, sliced (0 points)
• 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped (0 points)
• 2 TBS shredded Mexican* cheese (1 point)

Spray a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray.  Saute the onions and mushrooms on medium heat while you prepare the rest.  Put everything else except the cheese in a bowl and mix it up with a fork.  Remove the sauted onions and mushrooms and add them to the egg mixture.

Spray the pan again with cooking spray and then scrabble the egg mixture like you would normally cook scrabbled eggs.  Move scrabbled egg whites to a plate and top with shredded cheese.

*This is just that shredded cheese mix intended for tacos.  We had it on hand from--believe it or not--some tacos we made a couple nights ago.

Oatsies (2 points)

• 1/4 cup 1 Minute Quick Oats oatmeal (2 points)
• 1/2 cup water (0 points)
• 1/3 TBS brown sugar (0 points)

Put the oatmeal and water in a microwave-safe bowl.  Heat on high for 1- 1 1/2 minutes.  Stir in brown sugar.


Serve with a tall glass of water.
________________________________________________________

This breakfast was really yummy and satisfying.  I think I like the eggs even better today with the onion, mushrooms, and spinach.  It just gave it more color and flavor, I think.  Also, adding the spinach was an easy way to pack it with that much more veggie goodness.

I had initially planned on having some fruit with it too, but once it was all prepared, it just seemed like plenty of food already.  Also, I had already had a banana earlier during my morning walk.

Now if only I could bring myself to wake up early enough to make this for Bryan before he leaves for school...

Scrabbled Egg Whites (2 points)

Scrabbled Egg Whites (2 points)

• 3 egg whites (1 point)
• 1/2 slice of deli ham, diced (0 points)
• 1 stalk green onion, diced (0 points)
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes, sliced (0 points)
• 1/2 clove fresh garlic, diced (0 points)
• 2 TBS shredded Mexican* cheese (1 point)

Put everything except the cheese in a bowl and mix it up with a fork.  Spray a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and then scrabble the egg mixture like you would normally cook scrabbled eggs.  Move scrabbled egg whites to a plate and top with shredded cheese.

Serve with a side of fruit and a tall glass of water.

*This is just that shredded cheese mix intended for tacos.  We had it on hand from--believe it or not--some tacos we made a couple nights ago.
________________________________________________________

This is what I ate for breakfast this morning.
Instead of a bowl of rice chex with skim milk.
There's kind of a difference between the two.

Why the big change?
I joined Weight Watchers yesterday.

I've been hearing good things about the new-and-improved Weight Watchers program from my mom, mother-in-law, and father-in-law for months now.  And being on my mom's health insurance (oh the joys of being under 26... and having really nice parents) makes it so I can be in Weight Watchers for free.

So I had been thinking about joining for a while, but then after I read this post on my sister-in-law Holly's blog yesterday, I finally made the plunge.  No offense to mine and Bryan's parents, but I think seeing somebody my own age enjoying Weight Watchers made it that much more appealing to me.  So, thanks Holly.  (And sorry to Mom and Trish and Greg for calling you old.  I didn't really  mean it, promise.)

Apparently the way it works to get Weight Watchers for free through the health insurance is that you only get 3 months free at a time.  And in order to qualify for the next 3 months, you have to actually be consistently entering in your weight and what you eat and everything.  Which is totally genius because otherwise I would be really likely to be a lazy bum about it.

When I signed up and got everything started yesterday, I was 150 lbs.
This morning I was 148 lbs.

Haha, actually, I think that has very little to do with Weight Watchers and everything to do with, I don't know, maybe Heavenly Father trying to give me a little push start.  Because last night I went to the Relief Society pie night and, ya know, ate a lot of pie.  Although I guess I have the whole Weight Watchers thing to thank for my choosing to eat really tiny pieces of each pie instead of really big ones.  And even though it just sounds wrong to join Weight Watchers and then go to pie night, I think it was actually really good.  For a couple of reasons.

First of all, eating all that pie had me majorly sugared out.  My desire to eat sweets right now is considerably lower than normal.  Nothing like a good pie binge to make you hate sugar for a while.

And, second of all, it was a good practical situation to show me that being on Weight Watchers doesn't mean I can never splurge.  Because, even though I ate all that pie, it didn't put me "over" on calories or points.  It just pulled from my flex points that I get each week.  So instead of the program telling me, "You are such a fatty and all you ever eat is pie and you should be disappointed in yourself" it said, "That was fun, but let's be good for the rest of the week, okay?"

All in all, I'm happy about Weight Watchers so far.  While the website does still seem a little intense and overwhelming to me, I've already picked up quite a bit about how to use it.  I think it's going to be a good thing.

Here's to slimming down, eating healthier, and getting that $100!

Lucky 7!

After 6 weeks of attending Weight Watchers, I have lost 7 pounds! This morning the scale gave me the happy news: 134 pounds.

I am kind of surprised that I like the Weight Watcher eating plan so much! They upgraded it a few months ago to align with the latest information about healthy living. I appreciate the guidelines toward health instead of focusing on calories. 

I get 29 "points" every day. The points are based on a formula for fat, carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. I find that I am paying more attention to those numbers now, and not just the calories. For example, both a banana and 1/2 cup of ice cream have about 100 calories. But the banana is 0 points, and the 1/2 cup ice cream is 3 points. It's a no-brainer that the banana is healthier, but now I don't feel guilty for eating it.

I really like the flexibility with the plan. In addition to my daily 29 points, I have another 49 "plus" points that I can use every week, however I like. I can save up to use them all at once for a special event, or I can spread them throughout the week.

I had a little time to myself yesterday evening, so I dropped by Goodwill for a shopping trip to celebrate my smaller self. I bought a size 10 skirt! And this adorable sweater. It is so comfortable, and I love the way it camouflages some of my neck wrinkles.

 Mark took the photo when we went with our Primary children to the temple this afternoon.

 Holly and Arora - Arora did not want to leave! Her mommy had to promise that they could go back again soon.

 The white marble spires were beautiful in the autumn sunshine.

Tonight for dessert, I'm enjoying a wonderful Cherry Cheesecake recipe from the Weight Watchers website. Mmmmmm! You can find the recipe here.

$100

Umm... does anyone still read this blog?  If so, I have something to tell you.

First off, I guess a confession is in order.  I have been a super bad example for the past many months.  As it turns out, preparing to move across the country, selling all our stuff, moving across the country, buying new stuff, having to work outside the home, and then having my husband start optometry school are, ya know, stressful.  And apparently they make me deserving of as many treats as I want.  Which is a lot of treats.  I may or may not have kept us in constant supply of homemade cookies/cookie dough for the past many moons.  Let's not talk about it.

What we should talk about is $100.

Now, to all you filthy rich folk out there who bathe in your coins each night, $100 might not seem like a lot of money.  But when you are poor students with zero income, $100 is pretty awesome.

It's also what I am going to win.

Earlier this evening I was sitting at the computer.  Bryan was sitting on the floor.  I looked in the mirror and said, "I'm getting fat."  To which my husband mistakenly replied "Me too," instead of "No you're not, you're beautiful."

So that was that.

We made a deal (and pinky swore on it) that whoever loses the most weight between tomorrow morning and the morning of December 24th (Christmas Eve), will win $100 from our bank account to spend however he/she chooses.

All I have to say is, it is so on.

Also, I need rain boots.  It rains a lot here.  Not like Oregon rain, which I am used to.  It's this crazy cold rain that you can't just dodge by avoiding puddles.  No rain boots = no walks when it rains.  Which = no exercise every time it rains.  Which is a lot lately.  Bah.

Must.  Buy.  Rain boots.

The end.

Weight Watchers Update

My first week on Weight Watchers didn't go too well. I gained a pound. I wasn't tracking my eating. I claimed I was just too busy!...but I think I was just making excuses.

The second week went better. I took the time to set up the "eTools" that you can use with Weight Watchers. Wow. I've been a great fan of myfitnesspal.com, but the Weight Watchers eTools are even better. They are free for 13 weeks with a special code for joining. I think I will be hooked by then, and will want to pay the $13 monthly fee for this tool.

On my second weigh-in, I had lost 4 pounds (really 3 pounds, since I gained a pound the first week). I'll weigh in again tomorrow, and I think it will show another weight loss. According to my home scale, I've lost another pound (maybe 2?) since last week. I'm pretty happy with a program that helps me lose 4-5 pounds in 3 weeks.

Their new program is called Points Plus. Instead of counting calories, foods are rated on a points system that takes into account the fat, fiber, carbohydrates, and protein. I get 29 points every day. The "Plus" part of the plan is that I get an additional 49 points to use however I want throughout the week. It's nice because I can splurge on a special event, or spread the Plus points more evenly throughout the week. One of my favorite things: almost all fruits and vegetables are free points. Even bananas! When I get hungry or munchy, I can eat an apple or a banana and it doesn't count as points for the day. This system is helping me think "healthier" instead of just "low calorie." For example, I can eat 1/2 cup ice cream for 100 calories and 3 points, or a banana for 100 calories and 0 points. Guess which one I choose? You're right...sometimes I choose the ice cream, if I have enough points in my daily/weekly "budget." But lots of time I choose a banana or an apple instead.

The online eTools have a calculator for recipes, which is really easy to use. I can take one of my own recipes - enter the ingredients and number of servings - and it calculates the per-serving points for me. The eTools also have an easy way to mark favorite foods, recipes, and meals, so that tracking became really fast and easy once I got a bunch of "favorite" foods marked. There is a smart phone app that works on my iPod touch, so I can track and calculate points when I'm away from the computer.

The week before I started Weight Watchers, I weighed 141. This morning on my home scale, I was 136. My pants are starting to fit better again, which makes me very happy!

A Little Help from my Friends

Remember the old Beatles tune, "I'll get by with a little help from my friends..." That's how I've been feeling lately about trying to maintain healthy weight and fitness levels. For a long time I was stuck in the 136-ish range. That wasn't my ideal weight, but it was livable. My clothes weren't too tight, and I felt pretty good most of the time.

Then we went on a long road trip this summer, and I got out of my exercise and healthy-eating habits. There wasn't a big change right away, but over the weeks, the pounds have been creeping back on, while the motivation to be healthy and fit has continued to slip-slide away.

Gah. Yesterday morning I weighed 141 pounds. I've regained half the weight I lost last year. I knew I had to do something.

Yesterday afternoon I got an email from one of the administrators at the high school where I teach. It was time to start up the staff Weight Watchers group again. We have a sweet deal with our health insurance that pays for the cost of the WW meetings, as long as we attend 10 meetings in a 13-week period.

I could have joined last year, but you know what? Last year I was a weight-loss snob. Let those other folks check in at the weekly WW meeting. I certainly didn't need that. I had lost 20 pounds, and I was maintaining just fine, thank you. (Not.) I'm writing today as a sadder-but-wiser girl. Because you know...I could use a little help when it comes to losing weight.

So I went to the Weight Watchers meeting and signed up this afternoon. I might learn some new information about healthy eating or exercising. I might find some great new recipes to fill me up without making me fat. I might finally stop sliding into too-much-junk-food-when-I-don't-need-it snacking habits.

Maybe.

I suspect that most meetings will simply remind me to follow the healthy principles that I already know. The ones I used successfully here on The Skinny to get down to a healthy weight a year ago. It's not like I don't know about healthy eating and exercise and the importance of being fit. So what do I hope that Weight Watchers will give me that I can't do on my own?

Friends. Not some random people I only say "hello" to at a Weight Watchers meeting, but people I know and interact with every day. Colleagues who are also trying to get back on a healthier life-style track. Folks who will smile at me in the hall as we pass--they won't say, "Oh, have you lost any weight today?" but I'll know that their smiles are giving me extra encouragement. Not to mention the weekly weigh-ins. Oh yes, accountability is a very good thing for me.

I'm not planning to make my Skinny posts into Weight Watchers testimonials, but I'll keep you posted from time to time.

Have you used Weight Watchers before? Any tips or hints for me? What is your motivation to live healthy, fit, skinny lives?

Zucchini Invasion

Question: What do you do with a 22-inch zucchini?

Answer: Try out some new zucchini recipes, of course!

Here are some delicious new recipes we tried out this week.

Summer Squash Casserole

Here is a delicious Summer Squash Casserole we enjoyed on Sunday. Yum! It was a quick, easy side dish. Just 234 calories / serving (3/4 cup). I borrowed this photo from the link - we ate it so quickly that we didn't get a photo!!

Zucchini Pizza Casserole

This Zucchini Pizza Casserole was another big hit. The preparation was a little more involved, but it was a delicious main dish. I cut back on the cheese a little bit. Another plus for this recipe is that it's a gluten-free way to enjoy the flavor of pizza.

You make it in 2 steps. 

First you make a base that is almost like a simple souffle. It bakes for 20 minutes.

Then you add the hamburger, cheese, and green peppers (also from our garden!) and bake for another 20 minutes. You end up with this delicious serving on your plate:

This 1-cup serving is 311 calories - not bad for a main dish serving!

Expressions of Love

Great News!

Hey Skinnies! Miss me yet? Of course you do. Well I am not completely back from my blogging break...the moving truck comes this Friday...but i had to share some great news with you!

I am in the 130s!

This was espeically great news since I had been on vacation for 10 days, without a scale and eating out a bunch. However remember that I never planned on taking a break from exercising and such, just blogging. :) My vacation even included a 5k with my 2 sisters and mom; lots of other family members ran too in the 10k, 5k, and 1 mile races. It was so fun (even if I did have to wake my sleeping baby to arrive on time!)

Anywho, my pre-pregnancy weight is 133 and I am at 139 and some ounces so I still have a way to go, but it is still so exciting and encouraging to see a "3" as the second number on the scale now- wahoo!

Keep up all of your hard work and I will be back soon! :)

I Don't Know How Much I Weigh...

Aggh - I'm on a 3-week vacation without a scale! I feel a little insecure about the whole thing. Even when I'm in a naughty phase, and the scale keeps creeping gradually up-up-up, at least I KNOW it. Now I feel like I'm floating without my anchor.

So we are on a 3-week road trip. I left the house with all kinds of promises to myself about only eating healthy. So far we've had two days on the road. The first day my promises-to-self flew out the window - munched on too much salty popcorn and too many almonds. Wait, that's better than cookies and milkshakes, right? The second day I did better. It helps to keep the food in the back of the car and out of reach as we're driving along.

Now we are at my brother-in-law's house for a two-day family reunion. This BIL loves to cook, so there will be lots of eating included in the activities. I'm reminding myself to monitor portion sizes.

I guess I'll be monitoring weight with watching to make sure that my pants aren't getting too tight, etc. We did get out for a 30-minute jog yesterday morning, and we'll be heading out for another jog in just a few minutes.

Coming Clean: Mark and I wrapped up the "Clean" cleanse last week before we left home. I'm glad we did it. Because of our upcoming trip, we only ate Clean for two weeks instead of the recommended three. I think a third week would be hard, but maybe I'd just get into a rhythm. Mark thinks we should try it again sometime, so we'll see. The first week I lost a LOT of weight (142 to 135 - wow!). The second week I maintained at 135-136. After coming off clean, I easily maintained at 136.

Now I'm traveling without a scale for 3 weeks...I don't know how much I weigh! But I do know that I want to get more exercise as we travel, and I'm going to keep reminding myself how much better I feel when I make healthy eating choices.

We camped at this little cabin on the Snake River in Idaho on the first night of our road trip.

The Civility Experiment

Moments That Matter Most

I need a break...

So life is getting a bit crazy around here...we are moving and I have started packing and the boxes keep piling up. Plus we have a baby that we are still trying to figure out- just when you think you've got it they go through a different phase, right? And next week we will be on vacation for over a week, just in time to come home and finish moving and all the fun that goes along with that.

So here it is...I am taking a break.

Not a break from exercising or trying to drink water or toning my arms, but a break from blogging. There just aren't enough hours in the day right now and I hate feeling like I "have" to do something as frivolous as blog. So keep up your good work and I will give you an update in a month or so!

Happy Summer!

Kathy Week 77: I Feel So Squeaky CLEAN!

Well, I did it. I took the plunge and started the "Clean" cleanse diet last Wednesday.

I plan to stay with the cleanse for a full two weeks. The author recommends three weeks, but we'll be traveling by then, and I don't think I can manage the blender meals while we're on the road.

So far I have been eating CLEAN for 6 days.

I was skeptical going in, but I wanted to give it a try. I wasn't having much success with other methods of getting my weight down those last 10 pounds. Plus, I noticed that I was pretty much constantly puffy, with swollen knuckles, etc. Maybe there are some foods that my body isn't tolerating so well? Maybe it's true that our modern lifestyle is filled with toxins and my body was on overload?

I talked it over with Mark, and he said he wanted to try it, too. Yay! That makes it so much easier than trying to prepare food for two different eating styles. Mark is a CHAMP. Plus, his stomach had been bothering him for a while, and he wondered if cutting out some foods would help him feel better.

So far, the thing that has amazed us both the most is that the foods for the cleanse are so amazingly delicious. And filling. We hardly ever feel those hunger twinges.

Bonuses so far: I am sleeping 8+ hours a night with no difficulty. If I wake to go potty I can fall right back to sleep. My rings fit over my knuckles early in the day (used to be I'd wear them on the wrong finger until the afternoon, when the swelling had finally gone down enough to get them on the right finger).

And I am losing weight!

Hoo boy. It's almost a little scary, except I feel so good. I don't have food cravings and I am almost never hungry. Wait, I take that back. Tonight I was longing for a piece of garlic bread to go with the lamb chop I was enjoying. But seriously, I cannot believe how the pounds are dropping off.

How much weight have I lost?

On Wednesday morning I weighed 142 pounds.
This morning I weighed 136 pounds.

6 pounds lost!!!

I know, of course, that the first two or three pounds were extra fluid my body had been retaining.  But  I am back to a weight I can live with while the rest of the pounds come off gradually.

Seriously, Skinnies, I am very pleasantly surprised so far with how well this is working for me. I have read lots of articles about unhealthy cleanses. I knew the red flags: all you lose is water weight, they strip your body of nutrients, you are constantly hungry, etc, etc. But when I read the book, I was impressed that this cleanse isn't so extreme. The food portions are reasonable, and the food variety is very healthy.

Now, do not go to the Clean website and buy all those products. WAAAAY too much money.
If you are interested in trying this yourself, just buy the book. Clean by Alejandro Junger. You can pick up a used copy for $8.00 on Amazon.com.

In a nutshell, here's how it works.
Eat a "liquid meal" (a smoothie) for breakfast.
Eat a full meal for lunch.
Eat another liquid meal (a cold "soup" made in the blender) for dinner.
Allow at least 12 hours between dinner and the next morning's breakfast.

The book comes with 7 recipes (each) for smoothies and soups, and 21 recipes for full meals.
The recipes are AMAZING. There has only been one so far where we didn't say, "Oh my gosh, this is SO delicious! Can you believe how good this tastes??"

Or you can create your own food choices, using the the Clean "Yes" and "No" lists for food choices:

The "NO" List:

Citrus, grapes, bananas, dairy, eggs, gluten grains (wheat, oats), beef, pork, soy products, peanuts, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, butter, margarine, mayonaise, alcohol and coffe (I don't use those anyway), soda, refined sugars, honey, maple syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, chocolate.

The "YES" List:

All fruits except the ones listed above, all vegetables (preferably fresh), dairy substitutes (rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk--unsweetened--YUM!!), brown rice, quinoa, other non-gluten grains, fish, chicken, turkey, lean lamb, split peas, lentils, legumes, sesame/pumpkin/sunflower seeds, pecans, almonds, walnuts, nut and seed butters, olive oil and other healthy oils, water, herb tea, agave nectar (small amounts), stevia sweetener

Ready for a recipe? Here is one of our favorite breakfast smoothies:

Berry Smoothie with Coconut Milk and Cinnamon

(Makes 2 servings)

2 cups mixed blueberries and raspberries (I used frozen)

1 1/2 cup coconut milk (I buy it in the health food section at the grocery store)

1/4 avocado

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 to 2 teaspoons agave nectar

1/2 cup ice

Check back next week and I'll tell you if the CLEAN cleanse is still working for me!

Week 10

For better or worse, the scale is broken. Well it isn't really broken, it just needs a new battery and that really isn't super high on my to-do list right now. (This may be a great thing because my birthday was this week and we have had treats a plenty around here!) Although it might just be because I wore them last week (in pain) and so now they are stretching out, but I wore a pair of my pre-pregnancy shorts today and they didn't feel half bad! Go me! :)

Honesty: You Better Believe It!

Kathy Week 75: Looking for some motivation

Bleh. I weighed 140 pounds this morning. I think with the pressure off this last week...no more school play, no more house guests...I got a little careless. I have to admit that it didn't help that my secret pal in the play gave me several candy bars. Sigh.

I hope this isn't creeping middle age weight gain. I want to be healthy and fit! It's always tougher at the end of the school year, just because I'm worn out, and it's hard to resist chocolate and other yummy things.

Plus, we've had the wettest spring on record around here. Wet and cold. No fun. I know, I know, five months ago I said that I was going to go out running no matter what! But I confess my motivation has been slipping lately. The weather in Oregon doesn't usually bother me, but lately it's been getting me down!

Today? It's gorgeous out. We'll hit 85 degrees today, the first time all year. Yay yay yay yay!

I'm stuck indoors this morning, proctoring the S.A.T. at the high school, but the minute I'm done testing, I'm heading for the garden. Lots of yard work waiting for me--and lots of calories to burn!

I need some motivation-inspiration. Any ideas?

Weeks 8 & 9

Week 8 143.8

Week 9 143.2

Slow and steady my friends. Unfortunately just because the number on the scale is going down doesn't mean my ab strength is coming back. And I had a cuckoo experience at the store that left me with 3, not 1, big container of ice cream...that doesn't bode well for this week! Wish me strength!

Kathy Week 74: Maintaining during a tough week

I promised myself that if I could just maintain (138 lb) last week, I would be happy. I knew it would be a week with almost zero exercise and strange eating schedules. Mark and I were in the high school play, The Hobbit both elves - you can see pictures here - which meant that there wasn't time to go to yoga class, or go running, and we had to cram meals into almost no time at all.

Plus we had company coming into town at the end of the week! Lots of opportunities to get off track, but I am happy to report that I still weigh 138 today. I recorded calories all week on the myfitnesspal.com website, and I was committed to plan ahead for shopping/meal planning, so we did not eat any fast food all week. (I made an extra batch of last week's quiche recipe, and we bought some frozen meals in the health food section at the grocery store.)

We have some beautiful weather today, so I'm headed out to work in the garden! Have a wonderful, skinny week!

Sold

So... I have a confession to make.

I sold our scale.  Weeks ago.

As some of you already know, we're moving next month.  We've decided that most of what we own is just junk anyway, so we're selling almost everything and just moving with what will fit in our car.*  So when one of my good friends sent me a message on Facebook a little while back asking if we were selling our scale, I said yes.  A few days later they came and got it and I haven't had any idea how much I weigh since then.

When one of my other good friends came over and took a tour of our empty apartment I was listing off some of the stuff we used to have in the bathroom and I mentioned that we had sold our scale.  I was both surprised and delighted by her response of, "Don't you love not having a scale?"

I'll admit that up until her comment I had mostly been considering the lack of scale to be a source of guilt and a bit of a nuisance.  But after her cheery comment about it being so great, I found myself instantly agreeing with her.  The guilt remained since I've been blabbing about getting down to 135 by my birthday, but it has actually been a huge relief to have no idea how much I weigh.  The truth is: I don't care.

As for my goal, I'd still like to meet it, but mostly because I'd like to slim down in general.  But I'm coming to terms with the fact that it may not happen by my birthday.  There are a lot of reasons why.  Here are some:

• I no longer have a scale, so I'll have no idea if/when I reach my goal.
• I sold both strollers (i.e. a little tricky to go walking).**
• One of my good walking buddies moved.  To Wisconsin.
• My other good walking buddy is enjoying her husband being home more... which means less time for walks.
• It has been raining.  A lot.
• We have been buying Oreos.  And I have been eating my fair share.  And enjoying it.
• Our lives are currently on no kind of regular schedule so I often go a few days before I realize I haven't gone on a walk.  

So, there you have it.  Those are just a few of my lame excuses.  Still, lame as they are, they are real.  Anyway, to those of you still working on the goal to be 135 by my birthday, I commend you.  Will I be meeting that goal with you?  Who knows.


*Both my parents and Bryan's parents are being kind and driving some of our stuff out to us later this summer.  And we've mailed about 5 boxes of books to ourselves via some nice friends who already live in the place we're moving to.


**This is actually a pretty lame excuse since a very nice friend has already offered to let me borrow hers.  Also, we should be getting a new stroller I ordered tomorrow.

I Am a Child of God

Kathy Week 73: Back on Track

I had a much-needed wakeup call this week.

I've been slacking off about food choices. An extra milkshake here. A light-night dish of ice cream there. They add up, and I was pretending not to notice.

Tuesday morning: 140 lb.  Oh, no!!
As long as I'm still in the 130s, I can pretend I'm not really gaining. I can't ignore it once I hit the 1-4-0.

Tuesday night: Relief Society, and a presentation on health and wellness.
Just what the doctor ordered!

The presenter was my dear friend, Liberty Fort. More about what she had to say in a minute. What really caught my attention was what she had to show. (Wish I'd snapped a photo with my phone...)

She had two small tables in the front of the room. Each table had food on it. Equal calories on both tables. But. There was LOTS of food on the table on the left. You guessed it--all healthy food. Enough to fill you up all day, and it looked delicious.

The table on the right...not so much. It was mostly processed foods, and the calories added up quickly. If that was what I ate all day, I'd have a rumbly tummy. She made the point.

And speaking of foods that fill you up, before I go any further, I want to share a new recipe I found today:

Crustless Swiss Chard Quiche

I made it this evening for dinner. It's a keeper!
Only 177 calories per serving, and get this: a "serving" is 1/4 of that pie!
Be still my heart. So yummy. So filling and satisfying.
I am excited to have leftovers to enjoy!

You can find the recipe and nutrition info here.

And speaking of tracking calories and nutrition info, I'm happy to report that I'm back on the wagon with myfitnesspal.com. Why do I ever stop using this friendly little website? So easy to track food and exercise. And free...

But now, back to...

Liberty's Wisdom

Liberty is a Physician's Assistant, so she has lots of know-how from her training and her work with patients. She shared five keys to living a long and healthy life. (I knew all of these, of course...but it was motivating to hear them again from a friend, especially on a day when I knew I had to make some changes.

The Five Most Important Keys to Health:
1. Don't smoke
2. No more than 1 alcohol drink per day
3. Eat at least 5 fruits/veggies every day
4. Exercise at least 45 minutes, 5 or days/week
5. Maintain an ideal body weight (BMI 19-25)

How am I doing?
#1-2--I've nailed those. No prob.
(So encouraging to know that I am already living the 2 most important rules!)
#3? Most days. If I'm not into junk food.
#4? Ouch. How do I come up with 45 minutes/day?
That's a tough one. But some is better than none, right?
#5...I'm working on it, ok?

One last thought...
Along with the food visuals on the two tables, the most motivating thing Liberty said was this:


My body is an instrument of service. And Christ paid the price for me to be here and serve.

Wowza. That puts healthy eating and living into a whole new ballgame, no? Like if I don't take care of my body, I'm disrespecting Jesus. It's not just about wanting to look good or live a long life. It's a way I can show my love, gratitude, and faith in the Savior. I guess that thought really hit home with me because it's something I've been trying to articulate for a long time, but I hadn't put it in a way that was quite so powerful before.

I have a killer week ahead of me, so I'm headed to the store in just a minute to stock up on fresh veggies that I can cut up and have all ready to go in the fridge. I'll buy a few frozen dinners from the health-food section (a little more moola, but they will help me stay on track during a week that I'm in the high school play). AND I'll continue to make healthy eating choices with myfitnesspal.com.

Have a great week, Skinnies!

Week 7

This one will be quick...I am getting up at 4am to take my parents to the airport! But I had to share the good news; I am getting so close!

143.8

Just over 10 more pounds to go to reach my pre-pregnancy weight! (Which is 133 for any of you that forgot!) Granted I know they will be the hardest 10 pounds, but it has only been about 4 months and so I am feeling really encouraged and really pumped about it all. Wahoo!

Week 6

Yes, I am late. But I did weigh in on Thursday...

144.8

Still moving in the right direction, slowly...and I have been so hungry the last couple of days and eating lots so who knows about this week. I am doubtful that in another month I will be down to 135 (anyone remember Katie's goal???) but at least I am not gaining any weight at the moment. Plus I have hope to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 133 before the end of the year which is my New Years resolution. And at least I did go on a jog this morning.

My arms are definitely getting some shape back...I have a little line and everything. This is mostly due to the fact that my baby boy is a chunk, not that I am really doing any great arm exercises. I will take what I can get!

I am exercising most days, however there have been a day here or there that I have skipped jogging in the morning and then never make it up later in the day.

Water is still my biggest challenge- and boy do I know it! I can tell at the end of the day just how thirsty I really am. I have a big water jug that I try to keep around me whenever I am home though and try to refill it more than once in a day (it holds 4 cups). I don't always make it, but I'm trying.

In other exciting news, I just signed up for another 5k...this time on the 4th of July in Provo, Ut! We will be there for a family reunion and there are probably already 20 family members signed up to do the 10k, 5k, or 1 mile race. I contemplated doing the 10k, but considering that Utah doesn't really have any air (well, at least that is what it feels like when you are coming from a humid and sea-level location!) I thought that the 5k would definitely be more fun...the 10k would have been doable, but the 5k will actually be fun. Wahoo!

Anyone else signed up for a race???

Kathy Week 71: Balega Socks ROCK!

I. Am. In. Love.

One of my coworkers gave me a pair of Balega running socks. (Thanks, Laura J!) She blathered on about how wonderful these socks are, how much I would love them.

I was skeptical, but she was right.

I put them on this morning before a quick run, and I kid you not, I could not believe how they felt. They molded softly to my foot. They felt so amazingly wonderful that I forgot I had them on.

I hate to admit it, but they were just what I needed. Ummm, have you noticed that I haven't posted for three weeks? Perhaps you thought to yourself, "Oh, she's probably too busy out running to take time to post..."


Not. More like too-busy-traveling-and-hosting-house-guests-and-stuffing-myself-like-crazy-with-all-kinds-of-naughty-food, and therefore feeling too guilty to post.

The scale showed, it too, with a couple of (yikes!) blips up to 139.

This morning, hooray, it was back to 137. And we are almost finished with the current round of craziness to our schedule. I love visiting family, and having them come visit, but it is so much more difficult--at least for me--to stay on track when there are so many "special" events going on. Anyone else out there have a hard time with that scenario?

Anyway, I haven't been out running for three weeks. It seems like every day I don't run makes it more difficult to convince myself to go out for a run the next day. And so I am in love with my new Balega socks. After three weeks of almost-zero exercise, I was short of breath, but my feet felt great. I wanted to run! Anything that can pump up my motivation is a plus in my book.

I checked online and found lots of info about Balega socks--just google the brand name, and you'll get lots of hits. They come from a small company in South Africa. The name means "to run with speed" in Zulu - how cool is that? I found the best online prices here and here. The pair I have are the "women's Enduro sports," and you can pick them up for about $6.50 per pair.

Why not indulge yourself? They feel so good on your feet! Treat yourself to a Mother's Day gift that keeps on giving--happy feet while you exercise. And speaking of happy feet, I'm going to treat myself to a manicure tonight before I go to bed. It's my Mother's Day gift to me...along with a good run this morning in some amazing socks.

Week 5

145.6

Progress. A little bit. It may be due to the fact that I hardly had time to eat anything...eating is so crazy with my little one. I rarely have time to make a real meal and so I am just snacking and such here and there and eating when he goes to bed- yes, all of these are really bad habits that I am aware of and planning to change...someday.

But nevertheless the scale moved- wahoo! I have been getting plenty of exercise lately and my arms are definitely getting a little bit of their definition back...the water intake could still improve even though I am doing better about drinking while I nurse my little guy.

And alas, no pictures yet of the exercises I had planned to share. If there is a moment this week where my son is awake (I use him for the exercises) and my husband is home (to take the pictures of course) I promise I will snap them!

Everyone go outside and enjoy that it isn't summer yet...because all too soon we will be wishing for a cool breeze! :)

Weekly Check-in

Good morning!

This is Lisa. Checking in to see how I did on my weekly goals.

They were:

1) Work on portion control.

2) Fruits and veg vs. cookies and ice cream and etc.

3) exercise for 1 hr. a day

And the results?

1) GOOD! I felt much more in control this week for the most part! I had to consciously think about not trying to eat as much as my husband and that helped. A lot. Also, drinking lots of water at meals helped. I think sometimes I'm actually thirsty when I think I'm hungry. Thanks to my mom for teaching my that little trick!

2)This went better. One night we "cleaned the sink" at Angie's (a local diner) and I was physically sick the whole night. There were three of us and it had been planned for a month or so, so I didn't feel bad celebrating. But I did go a little overboard. But we finished it!

3) Uh, this went ok. Could have been better. I got at least 30 minutes a day of walking, working in the garden, trudging up the hill to campus, so I feel pretty good about that.

With spring finally coming, it'll be easier to be outside, which for me equals happiness and shedding that winter weight. It's like coming out of hibernation. And spring is coming soon!!

Week 4

146.2

Slow and steady my friends, slow and steady...at least I hope! This week has been a bit of a challenge- my very cute and normally very pleasant baby is going through his 3 month growth spurt and has turned into a not extremely happy guy who rarely sleeps and eats non-stop...can you believe at 3 months he is 18 pounds? Yikes! What did I do? He is completely breastfed though and the doctor isn't worried, but still. Anywho, bottom line is that we haven't had the easiest week. Plus my mom is out of town...which means I am all alone!

And you know what? I still went running this week! Monday I had an early appointment so I skipped the workout to ensure both me and my son were dressed in time, but I have run 2 1/2 miles, outside, pushing the jogging stroller for the last three days. Tuesday and Wednesday it was in the 80s already when I ran and I sweat like never before. Today was a bit cooler, which was lovely, but it is still a hard run and I am amazed that I have done it. Never say never my friends!

So if you are thinking it is impossible for you to exercise, let me tell you that it is not...so go do it!

(And stay tuned for my baby-friendly-but-not-necessary exercises...I don't want this post to be too long and I don't have the pictures ready anyway!)

Day 2

Bryan and I went running for the second day in a row today.  Boo-yah. 

We've been saying we want to get back into going jogging for the past little while, but things were so busy with Bryan's fall classes and finals and graduation and having family in town that we finally decided to just wait to start until the fall semester was over.  Lame?  Perhaps.  Realistic?  Yes. 

Yesterday we went jogging for a whopping 10 minutes and then decided we were done.  Today we went for 15 minutes, but we were in the indoor track (because it was snowing--blah) and so it felt like three hours.  Especially since it was only the short track this morning.  (Alex knows what I mean.)  Sometimes they shut down the back part of the track (for... whatever) and make you run on the first 2/3rds of the track.  It's something of what I would imagine it would be like to run on a hamster wheel.  Anyway, my point is that our 15 minutes this morning is especially commendable since it was hot and stuffy and boring.

In other fitness news from my life, I am now back down to only one walking buddy.  :(  My BFF Sarah moved away (today officially--good luck driving to Wisconsin with two kids under 2 Sarah!  Haha.)  and now I'm down to just one walking buddy again.  When Sarah was gone over the summer last year I started walking with my friend Katie K.  Since both Katie K and Sarah have two kids each, one of them was bound to have something going on on any given day (sick kid, grocery store trip, etc.) and so it actually worked out pretty well for me to cheat and have two walking buddies.  So it'll be sad to just go back to one now that Sarah's gone.  On the other hand, I am SUPER grateful that Katie K. is still here.  Bryan and I were counting up all of our friends that moved out this past weekend and Katie K. and her family are truly some of our only friends left here.  I guess that's what happens when you live in a college town and everyone else graduates faster.  Haha.  Also, Katie K. is awesome to go walking with because she totally whips my booty into shape when she takes off at power walking speed with a double stroller.  To say that she is more fit than me would be a bit of an understatement.

Anyway, things are generally going well as I work toward my goal.  Not even a full pound of weight loss yet since I first announced my goal last week, but considering the fact that A.) we just had family in town that stuffed us with lots of yummy treats and B.) I'm just getting back into the swing of things, I'd say it's pretty good that I've even lost half a pound.

Oh, and for those of you who are curious (which is probably nobody) I'm back to using MyFitnessPal again.  (Any of you out there with an ipod have my great envy.)  Doing it on the laptop is not as convenient as I'd like.  And it's not as cool as my mother-in-law's Weight Watchers program (it looks pretty snazzy).  But it is free.  So for now I'll continue to use it.  Not that I've been within my calorie range yet.  But I think today I will be.  Wish me luck.

And best of luck to all of you who have decided to join me in my goal to be 135 lbs by my birthday, June 20, 2011!  You have no idea how much more committed I am now that I have company and it's way more fun to have you all along for the ride, even though none of us live near each other.  :)  Thanks so much for your support!  And best of luck as you work toward that goal too!

As of right now I'm aware of the following people joining me in my birthday goal:
Alex
Mom
Lisa


Anybody else want to join?  :)

I'm back...

Hello! I haven't made an appearance on here for quite a LONG while...

Let me reintroduce myself.

I'm Lisa.

I'm Katie's sister-in-law. Kathy is my brother's mother-in-law (I don't think there's a word for that, but she's family.) Last spring/summer I was training for a triathlon and some runs and felt really fit, healthy, etc. However, my weights gone a *little* up since then. I got married in December, then moved up waaay north (= looong winter), and started a new, intense semester in school. I stepped on the scale last night, curious as to why some of my dresses weren't zipping up and almost said a swear word at the number that was blinking below.


I'm not quite ready to post it here, but I'm making a goal, along with Katie, to be back down to 135 by her birthday, less than 2 months away.


Specific goals:

• My number one vise is PORTION CONTROL. I'm not going to restrict myself on any foods, but I am going to be very aware of the amount of food I'm eating.
  


• We have lots of fresh fruits and veggies in our house, so those will be my snacks - not the cookies, brownies and ice cream. Those will be for special occasions.
  


• It's still wintery here and the free on-campus gym is about a mile away. That use to be my excuse to not go, but NO MORE. I'll set aside an hour a day to exercise. My schedule will allow for that now and I don't think I'll have that convenience in the future.

Week 3

Victory! We have some good news folks...

146.6

The scale budged! Now my weight fluctuates a bunch so I am not going to hop up and down yet, but wahoo! All I can say is that I have been trying to be consistent and give it time...I have been running every day- nothing far, a mile here and two there, but I am feeling good and trying to just get out and do it every morning. The true test will be next week when my mom is out of town...she usually motivates and enables me to go! The water intake is still not as great as when I was pregnant, but I am getting better about at least grabbing a bottle of water when I sit down to nurse...whether I chug it or not!

I have some good exercises that you can do with your baby (don't forget that mine turns 3 months on Tuesday and weighs over 16 lbs!) that I will hopefully get pictures of so I can post them next week!

Have a Happy Easter and don't eat too many Cadbury Eggs!!!

I have a goal.

Yesterday was April 20, 2011.
I weighed 140 pounds.
I want to be at least 5 pounds lighter
By my birthday, June 20, 2011.

I've been getting tubby lately.
Worrying that people will think I'm pregnant.
(I'm not.)
Holding a pillow in front of my pudge when I sit on the couch.
So that nobody will see the bulge.

I eat too many cookies.
I don't eat enough fruits and veggies.
Or drink enough water.
Or exercise enough.

Now that Bryan's done with the semester
It's time to start running again.
I'll keep walking.
I'll drink water.
I'll track my calories.
(At least to some degree.)
And my exercise.

135.
Happy Birthday to me.
Soon.

After that?
I'll work toward 125.

Kathy Week 68: Diet or Discipline?

I've been thinking about this a lot lately.

It's easier for me to "go on a diet," with a structured eating plan and a specific goal, and the sense of a timeline--as in, it will end at some point--than it is to be truly "disciplined" about my eating on a long-term basis.

Dieting is only useful to a point. What I really need is to develop discipline.

Hmmm...not so much of that around here over the last couple of weeks...

I was actually really inspired by the "Clean" eating plan in Alejandro Junger's book. I followed it pretty closely for a couple of weeks, and while I didn't experience a dramatic weight loss, I generally felt good. My chronic sinus congestion / headaches disappeared, I had more energy, I just felt like I was in control of my eating. I wanted to exercise, and I did.

Then life got in the way. I went out of town, Mark got really sick, the weather was horrible. Blah, blah, blah. So many reasons excuses to let things slip. It's not like I'm binge eating or anything, but I'm back to snacking on sweets, I haven't exercised in two weeks, and I woke up this morning with that classic sinus/tension headache. Plus, the scale is creeping up to 137. It hovered on 138 for half a second, so I know I'm headed in the wrong direction. This just isn't working for me.

In addition to the physical dis-equilibrium I am feeling, I noticed this morning as I was praying that I just didn't really feel like praying very much. I didn't want to focus on the quiet thoughts and feelings that help guide me through the day. Wow, that got my attention. Not feeling as well physically is beginning to affect me spiritually.

Isn't it interesting that "discipline" and "disciple" come from the same Latin root? As I am strengthened in my physical discipline, I can be a better disciple of Christ. That sounds good on paper (or blog?), but I know that it's hard to put into practice over the long term. Discipline, discipleship...both can be difficult to maintain consistently.

This promise from the Book of Mormon gives me hope: "And if men come unto me I will show them unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27).

For sure, this is a weakness that I would like to change until it becomes a strength.

So...here comes a new week! I am committed to begin exercising again (ugh...it's always hard to get started again...feel so stupid and weak...). I don't think it will be realistic to eat with the "Clean" diet for the next little bit, as we'll be traveling again this week, and then we have two weeks of off-and-on house guests, but I can choose discipline/discipleship when it comes to snacks and treats.

And best of all: we have SUNSHINE in the forecast for the whole week ahead of us! That will lift my spirits, for sure, and help me to remember to "walk in the light" and make better choices.

Have a wonderful week, Skinnies! I'd love to have an "atta-girl" comment to encourage me, and I'm thinking of you, too.

Mini-Hamburgers - Frugal Food Friday

I know...you're shocked!  There hasn't been a Frugal Food Friday in AGES.  I'm going to try to post more often...but no promises.

We like hamburgers occassionally at our house as an easy meal to through together, and I came up with a great way to keep encourage you to eat more veggies and less of the hamburger. 

Buy the mini ones!  The package of mini-hamburgers was the same price per pound as the 1/4 pound hamburgers, but since they're smaller you get more per package (cheaper!) and they're fewer calories each...just 120.  This leaves you a little less full...and gives you more room for a delicious salad.

In this case we had Rainbow Cole Slaw, a favorite with the kiddos.  (And those are homemade whole wheat hamburger buns...probably not fewer calories than store bought, but delicious and whole grain.)

Week 2

147.6

Well, there hasn't been much progress this week, but I haven't moved backward either! And I was admittedly not as good as I should have been...I may or may not have eaten more than one cupcake on a given day! I have had daily exercise, except for Sunday which is the day of rest after all. I have done a little better on drinking more water throughout the day and having balanced meals. At least dinner is a balanced meal- breakfast and lunch when I am on my own it is all to easy to just have a few crackers or a bowl of cereal or something else real quick and easy.

On a high note I would like to say that not only did I run outside this week, but one day I even pushed little Leo in his jogging stroller which is a completely new workout! Usually he walks with his Grammie while I run and then we meet and finish the walk together, but Grammie wasn't available one day this past week and we ran by ourselves! It was harder, but not impossible :) And I am starting to get my line back on my arms...carrying that carseat with my 16 pound baby has an upside!

Here I go this week...hoping for some great results to share with you next week!

Hello, it's me again...

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.  Yes, I do still remember The Skinny.  I just haven't had much to say for a while.  And weighing in hasn't been my thing.  Mostly, I just haven't had a whole lot of direction with how I want to take care of my body.  I'll spare you the excuses.  But today I've been thinking a lot more seriously about wanting to make a change (or changes, probably) and be a better steward over my body.

I'm going to try writing on The Skinny again.  It may not be on Tuesdays.  It may not be once a week.  And I may not bother weighing in anymore.  Not because I'm embarrassed about my weight (I'm 140 today), but because I want to focus more on healthy living than on the scale.  Of course I'll still weigh myself, but what I'm saying here now is that I'm making no commitments to be consistent about when I post on here or what I post about.

That being said, I'm still not sure yet what my plan is going to be.  My mother-in-law has been chatting with me about Weight Watchers this afternoon and it sounds great, but I'm not up for paying for weight loss and I don't have an i pod to keep track of it all on.  And of course those things aren't fundamental, but I think they do help.

Anyway, I'm going to try to work out a good little plan for myself.  In the mean time, if you all want to pray for the snow to be over and done with here, that would be okay with me.

Kathy Week 67: Off Track

My week got complicated.

On Sunday evening my husband noticed a sore red bump on his forehead. We thought it was a bad bug bit. It was much worse by Tuesday afternoon, so I took him to the doctor.

Diagnosis: Shingles.

Ugh.

Shingles is a painful reappearance of the chicken pox virus. It usually appears in older adults. So far, Mark's case seems to be relatively mild, but it's still no fun. Between taking him to doctor appointments and running to the pharmacy and trying to be a good, sympathetic nurse...I didn't get any exercise this week after the Monday night yoga class. :( I wasn't able to pull together very many "real" healthy meals.

Bottom line: weight 136 this morning.

Mark is beginning to perk up, and I'm hopeful to get back into a better routine this week.

(But last week, I really did RUN an errand! Hahaha!)

A short report

Week 1 - 147.6

Well, tonight's report is going to be quick...long days with a little one around! Basically I didn't do that well. I tried to drink more water, but most days my efforts were mediocre. I thought and wished for more balanced meals, but it just didn't happen between my baby boy and work-a-holic husband. I can say that I got exercise every day...sometimes it wasn't more than a walk pushing Leo in his stroller, but it was at least something.

So here I go, trying again this next week...

Kathy Week 66: Oh, Fickle Scale!

Ugh. 137 this morning.

Here is how the week went with my scale:
Last Saturday 136
Sunday 135
Monday 136
Tuesday 136
Wednesday 135
Thursday 134 !! Woo hoo!!   :)
Friday 135
Saturday 137!?! You've got to be kidding.

How did I gain 2 pounds after I spent a whole hour sweating while I pushed the lawnmower around yesterday afternoon? (It's a BIG lawn, believe me - good exercise!) Could one dinner of pizza followed by a 100-calorie ice cream cup and a serving of bread pudding really do that to me? Water retention?? I don't know.

I keep reminding myself that it's about living healthy. I am on a downward trend, weight-wise, even if the trend isn't moving as quickly as I'd like.

Here's a quick recap of my weight on April 2 over the last 5 years:
2007 132
2008 138
2009 147
2010 141
2011 137

So I do know that I'm headed in the right direction. I just have to keep on keepin' on!
Maybe I'll have something exciting to report next Saturday, but my scale seems to delight in going UP on Saturday mornings...

I've been continuing to run and do other healthy exercise. This week I "ran" an errand by running to Walgreens! And I mowed our huge backyard yesterday during a brief sun break--that got my heart rate up and I was sweating for an hour, tussling with that mower.

Here are a couple of recipes I'll be using this week.

The first one is a new one for me:
Crockpot Chicken-Rice Soup.
It meets my 3 main criteria: easy, healthy, and delicious.

I'll let you know next week how it turns out.





The next one is for Mango Smoothies, from the Clean book by Alejandro Junger that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago.
Once again, it meets my criteria: simple, healthy, and yummy!!
It's perfect for an after-school snack.

Mango Smoothies
makes 2 servings

1 1/2 cups coconut milk (unsweetened)
1 cup frozen mango chunks (I like to cut them smaller before blending)
1/2 cup pineapple chunks (I use the pineapple tidbits)
2 tsp agave nectar (or honey)
1/2 cup ice

Blend until smooth - pour into 2 glasses - enjoy!

Have a great week, Skinnies!

It is time!

All right, here I am...ready to face facts.

Fact: I weighed a healthy 133 lbs before getting pregnant with Leo. I was running 5 miles at least 3 times and week and feeling and looking fairly great. It wasn't perfection and I wished that I could lose another 5-10 lbs to get back to where I was in college, however it was good and I felt good.

Fact: I gained about 40 lbs during pregnancy, tipping the scales at 175 right before birth. Yes, this is more than the recommended, but I was still exercising daily and so I think it is just what my body needed...obviously. The doctor I went to had me very concerned about what I was eating and I quickly figured out that it didn't matter if I was a saint or sinner about my diet, I kept gaining what Leo needed....so sure I splurged here and there but I really was pretty good about my eating during pregnancy because I loathed getting on that scale at the doctor and having them tell me again to watch it.

Fact: I came home from the hospital 20 pounds lighter...but that is what happens when your baby is 9 pounds of it! Plus I had more than the "normal" amount of fluid and we all know that water weighs a lot.

Fact: The scale has been stuck for the last few weeks. I started to shed pounds when I got home and then I hit 150 and have been stuck. Ugh. Obviously this whole "I can eat whatever I want because I just had a baby and I am nursing" mentality is not going to get me my pre-pregnancy body back. Even though I have been hitting the gym (and even ran outside this week for the first time!) I am not losing pounds. Sure I feel stronger and more like normal, but call me vain because I want to be 133 again! And I want my regular clothes to fit again...yes, I can get them on now, but that doesn't mean that they look or feel great.

So even though I want to live in fantasy land forever where I can do whatever I feel like whenever I feel like it, it is time to get my body back on track. So here we go Skinnies...

Starting weight - 148lbs

Goals

Long term

weigh 133 lbs

have toned arms

fit comfortably into pre-pregnancy clothing

Short term

eat balanced meals

exercise daily

drink lots of water

I will report next week!

Kathy Week 65: Welcome Spring!

We had a wonderful Spring Break vacation trip to visit family, but it was hard to "behave" completely on my eating. This morning the scale said "136." I'm sure having a tough time getting my weight to 130-ish, where I would like it to be!

I hope the spring weather will help. We got out for a short hike today along the Salmon River Trail, one of my favorites.

The trail goes right along the river for most of the way - lots of views of the fresh, sparkling water. Oh, the air smells so good!

Everywhere along the trail there are little streams and waterfalls that come rushing down the mountain toward the river. So pretty!

We hiked a mile or so along the river, then turned around to head back to the car. It was starting to rain, and getting a little late. But we'll be back out for more hikes again soon!

Recipe Alert!

Back at home after the hike, I tried out two new recipes this evening.

My, oh my, they are so very yummy. Luckily I snapped a couple of photos before we gobbled them up, so I can show you this deliciousness, and I will give you the links to the recipes, too.

Avocado and Papaya Salad

I found the recipe here.

I made these changes:
1. Added a few blueberries. They look beautiful and are full of anti-oxidants. So healthy, so yummy.
2. Used Annie's Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette salad dressing instead of making the dressing in the recipe. The recipe was headed that direction anyway. Have you tried this dressing from Annie's? It's SO GOOD and only 40 calories for 2 Tablespoons.
3. I wish I'd torn up the lettuce leaves before putting the fruit on top. It was kind of a pain to cut them up for eating.

Roasted Asparagus with Olive Vinaigrette

The recipe is from the Real Simple magazine, here.
We've had it two nights in a row now, and I am going to have to buy some more asparagus. Mark and I both in love with this recipe.

The only things I did differently were:
1. I cut the recipe in half, since there are only 2 of us.
2. I used fresh cilantro instead of parsley. Yum yum yum.

Seriously, we agreed that both of these recipes taste better than what you get in a fancy restaurant, but they are so simple and healthy.

Oh, and by the way...papaya. I bought this fruit for the first time a couple of weeks ago. We had it fresh when we were in Guatemala, but for some reason I never tried it here in the U.S. What was I waiting for???

If you haven't tried it yet, here are my papaya recommendations:
1. For your first adventure with papaya, buy the smaller kind of papaya, which comes from Hawaii. It looks a little larger than a pear. The bigger kind is the same shape as a small football, and it's a lot of fruit to consume. The smaller ones aren't so overwhelming. They cost more per pound, but go ahead and just buy one to see how it works out for you.
2. When you buy it, you shouldn't detect a fruity smell. Once the papaya has that fruity smell, it's overripe, and it won't taste as good.
3. I looked online at this website to learn how to cut it up. I hadn't known they have so many seeds! The seeds are edible...a little spicier than we like at our house, but they might be just the thing for you. Or you could plant some and get a cool plant like this one.

Well, Skinnies, that's all I have for this week! I hope the spring is lovely wherever you are, and that you are getting out and getting some healthy exercise. I get to start my yoga class with my husband again on Monday night--hooray!!--and I'll be getting out for some runs, too. See you next week!

One last pic from our Salmon River hike today.

Yes, that is SNOW in the foreground.
Hurry up, Spring!!