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!