Living healthy with Leah

Missing the treadmill

2011-03-20T16:45:00.002-06:00

I find myself missing the gym and all things related to working out. I miss Zumba. I miss swimming laps in the pool. And when I have the okay to work out again post partum, remind me of what I am about to say........I even miss the.....TREADMILL!

I miss the endorphins of working out. I miss the feeling of (literally) sweating my buns off.

My body is turning to mush and I am losing my "good" curves that I was starting to get back.

For health reasons this will be my last pregnancy. I am so grateful that I am able to conceive a beautiful baby and carry her in my tummy. And I am over the moon excited that we broke the Gardner curse with getting prego with a girl.

But, I find myself having twinges of jealousy when Dan goes out to ride his bike. Or when I see a Zumba commercial, I honestly feel depressed.

So please remind me in August, when I have recovered from the c-section, and I am cursing the walls of the gym.....please remind me how good it makes me feel. And remind me how much I missed it. ;)

Pregnant at holiday times and attemtping to make good choices

2010-12-14T13:40:00.002-07:00

So, I am trying to get out of the mentality of good food vs bad food. As Paula Dean once said, "If I ate this type of buttered and fattening food every day, I would be 400 pounds and having a heart attack. This food is not for every day food. " Not her exact words, but you get the idea.

My main goal to work towards, pregnant or not....is portion control and stop eating when I am full. And to not beat myself up for eating a cookie. But to stop at 1 or 2.

It helps that I am still in the first trimester.
Nauseous + Low energy = No desire to eat or cook.

But those sugary temptations creep up on me. And it does not help that when I do have a desire to eat, holiday food is out in full force. Every commercial and Costco sample is trying to get me to eat fudge, cookies, or nougats.

Oddly enough, last night at Costco I wanted a big bag of brussel sprouts. Not so surprising, is that the bakery section won the battle of the day with cookies and bagels making their way in to the cart.

This explains so much!

2010-11-03T12:14:00.001-06:00

I am pregnant! Due July 4, 2011!

Here's to a healthy pregnancy!

Back from low point

2010-10-29T10:05:00.004-06:00

I had a really bad experience at Zumba about a month ago. I have not gone back since.

Long story but it can be summed up by saying this - A rude and mean lady was telling her child to beat up mine. Another lady chimed in her bold opinion. Race was also brought up. I left in tears.

Just as I was gaining back my self confidence. Zumba toned my body and helped me lose inches so easily. Of course my muscles were killing me at times and I was sweating like a pig........but I had so much fun, it did not feel like exercise. I was down 12 pounds!!!!

I looked forward to attending the class. I did not feel like the biggest gal in the class. I felt a unity with the women that attended the class with. Military wives that lost themselves were getting their groove back. And it felt good.

Now I find myself back in a slump. I went to a friends wedding. I felt huge. I wore an unflattering shirt that I did not realize was unflattering until 2 minutes before leaving for the wedding. So there was no time to find another shirt because I was on I vaca away from my closet. Because I had to travel 8 hours to the wedding, I was also bloated and retaining water. It happens every time I travel. Unfortunately I had no time to lose the water weight before attending the wedding.

So, I went through a few weeks where I was not exercising and eating horrible processed, sugary food. I gained weight. And then I felt like all the hard work of Zumba was a waste. Then something snapped in me and said, "Hey! Get it together! Stop eating all the crap!"

So, had I blogged 2 weeks ago....... I would have said I was at a very low point. But, today I am working on getting my groove back.

So basically back to ...
Step 1. Starting with making healthier choices. And what a time to choose right? The candy month? But I am actually proud of myself. Listening to my body when I am full. And I am also working on eating healthy snacks. Now to master the portion size situation.
AND
Step 2. Working on being more active with the boys and Dan. Trips to the park and doggy park. Getting out of the house. Turning off the TV.

I am back baby

2010-09-08T13:57:00.000-06:00

Life has been busy. But I am now officially back to blogging. I am not sure if anyone follows this blog anymore. This will at least help me to stay focused on my goal.

I am slowly becoming more comfortable in my skin. I am working on taking more full body pictures with my family. I still feel like my middle area is my most insecure area. I am working on not hiding in pictures. I think I did okay in this one. This picture was taken this past Saturday. My hubby, the boys, and I, all went to a Rodeo on the Army base we are living by. More active family outings is another goal I am trying to reach.

I am so happy to say that I am down 12 pounds since June. I have lost 6 inches off my waist. And a few more off my hips, legs, and all over.

It is about getting healthy. Bottom line. I have to find what works for me and keep working toward my goals.

Right now it is making sure I get off my tush each day(except Sunday) and exercise. Get up and do something. That is my goal each day. Cutting back on the ice cream and pizza has not hurt either. :O)

Checking in

2010-01-26T12:54:00.003-07:00

So a few days ago, the hubby and I made a huge decision. We decided that we are going to move to a bigger place. We move on Saturday! So exercising has temporarily switched from lifting weights at the gym to lifting boxes at the house. Still trying to be as healthy as possible. For the next week, we are eating out more than I would like. But this helps us pack faster. It eliminates dishes. And we are in paper products mode right now. So, I have to work extra hard to make smart choices. But, I am still trying!

Our house is filled with fruit from Costco, and bottled waters. Mini crystal light travel packs are ready. Trying to not drink any soda. I just threw away Halloween and Christmas candy!!!! Drinking protein shakes in the morning. And the boys have healthy snacks.

Does anyone have any smart ideas or tips for staying healthy during a move?

*Megan - Good luck with Weight Watchers! Thank your for the comments. The support really helps me!

Back to life...Live the Life that is!

2010-01-18T13:52:00.005-07:00

Wow.....September! That is the last time I was on this blog! It was probably also the last time that I had the desire to stick with healthy eating and exercising. After my stroke in September, I was told by my Neurologist, that I was not allowed to do any working out... AT ALL! Until they figured out what was going on with my body. This frustrated me big time. I was on a roll. I was down 12 pounds. And I was feeling GOOD about myself! And then fast forward to today and I am like the opposite of that feeling.

I know that when I work out, I have the desire to eat healthy, and toss the garbage/processed food out. And when I don't...well lets just say..... I gained back the weight I had worked so hard to lose and then some! Dan having surgery, the holidays, football food, and my birthday, did not help matters either! Boo! I have been so down on myself. Low point..... However, my wonderful husband has inspired me to get back and get healthy with him. He is also at a low point when it comes to self esteem. He has also gained a lot of weight from poor eating choices and not being able to work out post surgery. He helped me turn things around. A Christmas present from him to me was Your Shape for Wii. Then my birthday presents were focused on a healthy lifestyle.

Well, today we are fresh and ready to go! Today is day 1, week 1 of our Live the Life program. Dan has also purchased his Men's Health big book of exercises. He will be following the work outs from that book. I will be following the exercises from the Live the Life book in moderation. (Until I get the EEG, I am being smart about not over-doing it.) And as for food, well I am on meal 3/day 1.... and clean food never tasted better! Sugar makes my stomach hurt. Fried and greasy foods just make me feel yuck. Clean eating gives me energy and a desire to be healthier!

So happy that Dan got me a new IPOD for my birthday! My old one broke a few months back. Oh, how I missed you hot pink IPod! Dan and I are hitting the free family gym on base in a few minutes. The boys can play in the play area. And Dan and I can work out! And when Dan is at work, I can use Your Shape Wii fitness work out and dumbbells.

5 pound dumbbells - another birthday present from my wonderful hubby! So to anyone who feels down and is tired of starting over AGAIN and AGAIN. I say that I feel your pain! But, the fact is that if I want to be that healthy example to my boys and active person that I miss......then I need to get my booty in gear! Let's get it in gear together!

What works and What does not

2009-09-25T14:08:00.003-06:00

Things to work on next week (week 6) -

Getting to bed earlier and waking up earlier

Drinking most of my water earlier in the day

Remembering to take Glutamine after work out and before bed time

Take it easy and do not over do it with working out(until DR gives okay)

Have food made ahead of time

Next time I go on a mini vaca -

Weigh in day will be Friday prior to leaving as opposed to usual Sunday.

Pick 1 treat for the weekend. Incorporate it with healthy food.

Lose the all or nothing attitude!

Last weekend my hubby, 2 boys, and I went on a camping trip with a few people from our church. I was feeling really great about myself. I was wearing clothes that were fitting loosely. My track suit that Dan got me as a anniversary present was quite flattering.

My mistake was going to Costco the day before we left and getting "campy food". Tried to keep it healthy, but still got off track. Trail mix with m/m's, beef jerky, Costco cookies, gummy bears, items to make Smores. I didn't go crazy when camping. I had 1 smore. A few handfuls of trail mix and gummy bears. The cookies were the biggest mistake. They are my weakness. When returning home I ate like 4 in 1 day! Awful!

Dan and I went into the weekend with the mind set that we would not be following the meal plan on the weekend. So when returning from camping Saturday night, I was in the mind set that we were not doing the meal plan that weekend......so we could order pizza. Naughty me! :) We felt totally gross after eating the pizza. Sunday we were so ready to make a healthy dinner. And we were SO very ready to get back on the plan Monday. And I am proud to say we did. Yah us! We also got a new scale. It reads Body Fat percentage, weight, and H2O. And as of today, I am now officially down - 11.8 pounds in 5 weeks! That is totally a healthy loss ratio.

On Tuesday when working out, I was having chest pains. I was also having chest pains on the drive up to the mountains last Friday. I have a DR appt on Monday. And a neurologist appt on the Monday after that. I am trying to really follow the food plan. But I am not focusing on the exercise until I figure out what is going on with my body. I still do not know the reason for having the stroke a month back. Hopefully I will find something out soon.

REWARDS

2009-09-16T01:27:00.008-06:00

So Dan and I have decided to reward ourselves. Each week that we finish a week, we each get a $20 or lower prize.

My rewards have been:
Week 1 - Eyebrow Wax, nail polish, and a polka dot make up bag
Week 2 - Puffy vest from Costco
And this week after finishing week 3, I got a Fall wreath! I have wanted one of these for SO long. And Costco had one on sale! YAH!
Dan's week 1 reward was this work out jacket! Looking good Dan! Our goal is to complete this 12 week program. November 22nd is the last day of week 12! At the end we will be rewarding ourselves with getting a family picture to hang on the wall. And my personal reward, is if I lose the weight I have set my goal for, then I get a full spa day! Either way I am getting new jeans at the end of 12 weeks!

* Final Goal * After 29 weeks, I should be at my goal weight. If I hit that goal, then I will be buying a bikini. And Dan and I will be going on a cruise! This should be around June 2010! So that is motivation!

Week 4

2009-09-16T01:14:00.002-06:00

So I am in week 4 of my program. My main goal is to become a healthier person and example to my family. Dan and I are both doing this together. And as nice as it is to drop weight. Let me tell you how good it feels, to drop points in my cholesterol!

Back about a month and a half ago, I decided to be pro active and get a physical with my DR. I had all my numbers ran. BP, weight, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol. Everything was great.....except that my main cholesterol number was borderline high! EEK! My DR suggested that I take fish oil supplements, and eat a high fiber/low fat diet. And guess what's included in this program?? All that! And guess what? After having the stroke, I had blood tests. One of the numbers was my cholesterol. And it was down 36 points!!!!! Just in a month and a half.

So last week, I kept it mellow. I got back to the gym after a crazy week 2 and recuperation. And, I kept it mellow. At the end of the week, I was down another pound, and some more inches lost all over my body!

So now I am in week 4. I am doing the best I can. I am so proud of myself. And I am so proud of Dan. We are truly changing our lives for the better right now. And it feels great. :O)

Week 2 down - On to week 3

2009-09-07T14:49:00.003-06:00

I stuck to eating and exercise Monday and Tuesday. Then Wednesday am ended up in the ER. I had a blood clot go to my brain and had a mild stroke.......not even kidding....seriously...not kidding. As you can imagine, last week I took it easy. I have been completely exhausted and wiped out. And on Sunday when I weighed in I only lost .5 pound. But that is okay. I am alive and I am okay.

So, tomorrow I will be getting blood tests up to wazoo to find out what is going on. And this week is week 3 of the program. And so far Dan and I are both doing great.

Here's to healthy living!!!

PS I will keep you posted on what is going on with the test results.

Week 1 completed!

2009-08-30T15:03:00.005-06:00

Yah! I lost 4.2 pounds this past week!

And lost the following in inches:
waist - 1.5 inches
neck - .5 inches
hips - 1 inch
L thigh - 2.5 inches
R thigh - 3 inches
L arm - .5 inches
R arm - .5 inches

Total body fat percentage lost was 2.55 %! Dan has been doing this with me. He lost 5 pounds! He has been my rock. We have been able to keep each other motivated. It feels so great to be able to look back at the past week and be so proud of myself. YAH!!!! We are finally becoming that healthy family that I have always wanted us to be, but never knew how to get there.

My goal is to be at my healthy/goal weight by June 2010. But, I just might get there faster at this rate! Put your protein glass in the air and le'ts say CHEERS to health!

After the completion of 12 weeks, I will be posting my before and after picture. Then after the final goal has been completed, I will post a before and "final" after picture!

Let's try this one more time

2009-08-27T14:02:00.004-06:00

So starting a rigorous work out and eating regime right before going on a 2 week vaca to Cali is a BAD IDEA! Prior to leaving we were doing great. We had not followed the work out part of it. But we were doing great with the eating. We had finished 4 days of clean eating. We had pre cooked our food and put it in a cooler for the road trip. And then the food went bad! :( So then we got frustrated. We ate the hotel catering food that was provided for free. Then after LA we headed to my Mom's house for a week and a half. Carne sada burritos, soda, In n Out food, Nothing bundt cake, rolled tacos with guacamole and cheese, pepperoni and mushroom giant size pizza, gyros sandwich, were some of the horrible foods I ate. I felt awful! Not guilty awful. But un-healthy awful. I was irritable, and short with the boys and Dan. I was im-patient. And worst of all, I looked in the mirror and hated what I saw. I was bloated. And felt sluggish. Why did I eat like garbage? Mostly because I had this feeling of being deprived of San Diego food. I know it sounds silly. But there was a part of me that thought, if I don't eat this In N Out food or carne sada burrito then I am going to not have it for a very long time. What was I thinking? We are going back there in November.

I have to stop this mentality that I have. An all or nothing attitude.

I know that it sounds worse than it was. Because I did attempt with all my might to start the day off right each day. I would have my protein shake when waking up. I even got on my Mom's treadmill one night and jogged for 30 minutes. I resisted a shaved ice. And we did do active things while in San Diego. I walked a lot! Balboa Park and Museums, Sea World, downtown San Diego Midway ship, ect. So it wasn't all lazy and eating garbage. I just know that I could have done better.

But it is a new week. And this week back from vacation has been great! Dan and I re-started the Live the Life week this past Monday. We have worked out every day. And eaten our meal plan to the T. When my shins were hurting on the treadmill, I listened to my body and stopped. When I was full at dinner and still had food on my plate, I stopped. Major accomplishments for me! :)

I start up week 1 of Live the Life program tomorrow!

2009-08-02T18:44:00.003-06:00

I am pretty exicted. Dan and I will both be doing this. For more information go to www.kristiapproved.com It is clean eating. It's a 12 week program. My friend Heather told me about this. She lost 10 lbs and 5.5 inches in 4 weeks. And her husband lost 17 pounds! I wanted to do something that was healthy, and would teach me how to be healthy for the rest of my life. I am so excited to have the support of Dan in starting this up! The ultimate goal is to be healthy. Eat and live a healthy lifestyle. To be examples of health to Ben and Zach. Will let you know how it goes!

One healthy habit at a time

2009-07-10T12:45:00.003-06:00

Last time I posted, it was February! And that was around the same time that I was thinking about healthy eating. I stopped thinking about losing weight. Surgeries, bills, Dr's appts, possible move, Mom visiting, possible job change for Dan, school...they all took priority. And my health in the mean time was left in the dust. No more excuses. I can still have a busy life AND be healthy at the same time.

I need to find a balance. I am trying to start one healthy habit at a time. My main motivation to "get back on the saddle" was when Dan told me his weight. He has not been able to exercise due to his ankle injury. And we have been eating garbage! Hearing how much weight Dan had gained, made me take a look in the mirror. I then told him my weight. I then looked at my two adorable boys. I realized that I can have them eat healthy food, and eat garbage myself right now. But soon they will be mimicking our eating habits. And I want healthy eating to be a regular lifestyle for all 4 of us. Dan and I have both always struggled with our weight. We both are currently making changes to prevent that from happening to Ben and Zach.

And then my friend Heather, told me what eating changes she was making in her own life. I was so proud of her. And it lit a fire under my rear. It motivated me to go home, talk to Dan about our eating habits. And make some serious changes.

So here we are at the beginning again. Starting with a few changes at a time. And trying to make them habits.
Change 1 - No eating any food after 7 pm at night. We had a late dinner one night at 7:15. So our cut off time was 8 that night.
Change 2 - It is not all or nothing. Give yourself wiggle room to accommodate your lifestyle. Do not beat yourself up over a mess up. You are not perfect!
Change 3 - Water, crystal light, light lemonade, herbal tea, sugar free hot cocoa, juices are OK. No to any other drinks.
Change 4 - Ignore the 330 calorie ice cream bars and 230 ice cream sandwiches in the freezer. They are special treats/bribery for Ben only!

These are the strict rules for us for the first 2 weeks. Or until we feel we have turned these changes into habits. We have also been working on other things. But the main focus are the 4 changes above. I personally am trying to eat within an hour of waking up. This gets my metabolism going.

Next week, Dan and I both have appointments to speak with a nutritionist. Yet another free military perk!

It's been tough. But the pay off is SO worth it! I am down 6 pounds. And Dan is down 17 pounds now!!!!!

This past week and then some

2009-02-03T20:28:00.006-07:00

This past week and a half I have had shingles. They are a form of chicken pox. SO NOT FUN! I haven't been able to work out. For the most part I have still been following my food plan. But to say I am discouraged or frustrated is an understatement.

For one - Dan was supposed to get to come home early. Because the shingles are a form of chicken pox, and Zach can not be vaccinated until he is 1 years old....I was told by the DR to limit my contact with my newborn! HA! Also, they put me on 3 antibiotics(one makes me dizzy) and percocet for the pain. This lovely pharmaceutical mixture makes me un-able to drive and care for my kids. So, originally Dan was approved for emergency leave, but was told he would have to return to the sandbox after he had helped me. Then he was approved for an early return and that somehow also fell through. So, THANK HEAVENS for the wonderful women in my church and here on base. They saved me. Taking the boys and allowing me to take my pain meds, grocery shopping, giving me rides, and bringing dinner. I am filled with so much gratitude at the help we have received while Dan has been gone.

For two - I honestly feel like ANYTIME I try and do something for myself, or better my body something happens that knocks down my ambition. And that my friend is quite frustrating. I find it so ironic that my post before this one was all about how proud I was of myself to have gone to the gym 6 days in a row. I guess someone is trying to humble me.....well it worked.

The good news is that I think I have managed to keep off the weight I have lost so far. And I will be starting back to the gym in a few days. My shingles are just about gone. And the pain is 99% gone. Also, my wonderful husband will be returning home for good rather soon. And that makes me happier than I can express in words.

So here's to staying healthy...and working out like crazy until the hubby returns! ;)

Still here

2009-01-26T00:02:00.005-07:00

I am still here and doing great! This past week I went to the gym 5 days in a row! I am definitely feeling it and it feels great.....well not really.....(my legs are killing me from lunges and squats)but you know what I mean. :) I am feeling toned and have more self confidence. I have a lot of weight to lose and I am just taking it one day at a time.

I am following the meals plans from the BIGGEST LOSER CLUB website. I signed up for that and have been loving it. It really helps to keep me aware of what I am eating. It keeps track of my calories, protein, fat, fiber,and carb intake. And I don't feel deprived AT ALL! YAH!

This cheese lovers favorite breakfast ~

2 oz cheddar cheese, 1 whole wheat English muffin, 1 Cup of strawberries (half slices)

Another favorite breakfast of mine is (2) 2/3 C of multi grain cheerios, 1 C skim milk, 1 C strawberries.

Lunch idea ~

10 raw baby carrots, 2 C romaine lettuce mixed with spinach leaves, salmon burger grilled and cut up, 1/4 avocado, 2 TBSP of ranch dressing(suggested KRAFT light but I only had regular), and 2 C smart pop popcorn.

I am giving myself 1 cheat day a week. I am giving myself 1 rest day a week from the gym.

Mon, Wed, and Fri are my intense cardio days.

Tues, Thurs, and Sat are my Strength Training days. On strength training days I will do a 10 minute cardio warm up first.

I am also stretching before and or after every work out to help with my flexibility.

I drink at least 64 oz of water a day and on most days more than that. I am one thirsty momma! This is the bottle that helps me stick to drinking lots of H2O!

NOT just another manic Monday........

2009-01-12T21:14:00.002-07:00

I followed my food plan, stayed within my calories, and ate healthy today. I just got back from the gym. 10 minutes on the bike and 15 minutes on the eliptical. I wish it could have been longer. But I went late tonight and I had to get home to get Ben to bed. But at least I went!!!!! I won't feel as guilty now when I eat out tomorrow at Cafe Rio! Happy Birthday to me! Only 1 year away from 30. My goal - I am saying it now and putting it out into internet world......my goal is to be in top shape and marathon ready by the time I turn 30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 down, 84 to go

2009-01-10T16:03:00.002-07:00

I weighed myself yesterday and and I have lost 5 pounds. I was really proud of myself. I have a lot of weight to lose to be at a healthy BMI. But, I know I can do it! And, I am doing it the healthy way. So in the end it will stay off! It might take longer to come off than a low carb diet or a no sugar diet. But, I am not depriving myself. And most importantly....................................
I am not on a diet, I am changing my life. (This quote came from a man who was on the Oprah show.) When I heard him say it. I thought, that is my new mantra!

Proud moments this past week:
*Losing 5 pounds
*I was invited by a spouse in my husbands unit to eat dinner at the Village Inn. I had never been there before. And this would be my first sit down restaurant since starting my healthy lifestyle change. I looked online the day before and researched the healthiest option on the menu. I got a grilled chicken salad. And then Ben and I took a piece of pie home and split it. I was proud of myself for ordering the salad.
* Went to the gym 4 times this week and improved my calories burned each time.
* Today at a church function that had food, I ate a big salad, half a baked potato, chili, and half a slice of pie. I threw the roll, rest of the potato, and rest of the pie away. I did not finish eating them because I was full.

Ways to improve next week:
*Get better at sticking to meal plan for the day.
*Get better at recording food I eat, so I know how many calories I am eating vs burning.
*Prepare food ahead of time so I am not too busy to eat. This leads to starving and eating too much at next meal.
* Remember the great advice that a delicious meal is just a few hours away. I don't have to stuff myself at one meal. Stop eating when full.

Weighing in

2009-01-07T10:59:00.006-07:00

I am feeling good. Even though it was blizzarding and 7:00pm at night......last night I packed up the boys and made it to the gym!!! I had a moment on the treadmill where I made it past the pain, shortness of breathe, and burning of the lungs and it felt good to be running. I burned 301 calories in 30 minutes. So I was pretty excited that my calories burned are going up! :)

I am measuring and weighing the food that goes into my body. I am eating fruits, veggies, protein, and fiber rich foods. I am getting in at least 64 oz of water a day. It has only been 1 week today and I feel so much better already. I am still pretty exhausted. But I am currently taking care of the house, newborn, and toddler on my own right now. So I think exhaustion is to be expected. And the exhaustion usually doesn't hit me until about 10 at night. So yah for healthy eating! My healthy dinner last night was a bean burrito on a multi grain tortilla with 1 oz of cheddar cheese and a little cholula hot sauce. It was nice to be full after 1 bean burrito. And I listened to my body and stopped eating.

Today is weigh in day. I am nervous. I don't want to see the same number as one week ago and get frustrated. I will try to remember a few things:
1. I made a conscious effort to slowly get back into the swing. Nothing is instant. Be patient.
2.. Only 2 days ago did I get strict on the measuring of food.
3. This past week I made it to the gym 3 times. So be proud of that and don't give up!
4. My clothes are fitting looser and are more comfortable.
5. The most important - no matter what the scale says, I am feeling better physically and mentally. I told my friend the other day that I feel like the old Leah again.

Made it to the gym!!!

2009-01-03T14:49:00.004-07:00

I did 20 minutes on the bike and 18 minutes on the treadmill. Last time at the gym I ran for a straight 2 minutes. Today I bumped that up by 30 seconds and ran for 2 1/2 straight minutes. I am raising it by 30 seconds each time. Does anyone have any suggestions or feed back about this?

My shins are killing me. I need to go buy those Christmas present running shoes!!!

So that is a total this week of 3 days at the gym! Not bad for a nice slow start while getting back into the swing of things! Way to start off the New Year!!!

What are your most recent accomplishments towards health?

Honesty

2009-01-02T14:04:00.003-07:00

So I have two voices in my head.

First one - don't beat yourself up Leah! So what if you went over your calorie intake today. Tomorrow is a new day. Start fresh!

Second voice - Just go shove as much dove chocolate minis in your mouth that you can and you will feel all better........

Seriously though.....I am totally beating myself up right now. I just added up my food from the the day that I ate. I totally went over my recommended calorie intake. By a lot....as in my calorie intake should be 1800 calories a day. I had 2800 calories total today!!! And I didn't make it to the gym. :(

Good news - I didn't touch the chocolate. Instead, I did 1 minute of vigorous jumping jacks. 1 set of 20 crunches, 1 set of 15 modified push ups, 1 set of 20 squats, and 1 set of 15 prone cobra on the floor....in addition to a really good stretch of the arms, neck, and legs.

I did make every effort to make it to the gym. I got dressed in my workout clothes, loaded up the boys, decided to run a quick errand first to Target on the way. I walked out of Target to a full on blizzard. The roads got bad really fast. I decided to head home and on the way grab a healthy dinner. I ended up getting a small honey bourbon chicken on whole wheat bread from Quizno's. (Suggested from my EAT THIS, NOT THAT book)

Trying to be positive and not beat myself up over the food log today. But man is it hard when I see the long list of poor food choices I ate. I work best when following a meal plan and sticking to it. Oh yah and skipping the snack in between meals messed me also. I work best with 3 meals a day and 3 snacks. I just need to make the time and prepare my food ahead of time.

Hey at least I got my 64 oz of water in today and a salad!!!

Improving on calories burned

2009-01-01T14:23:00.002-07:00

I made it to the gym on the 31st. I walked/jogged on the treadmill. I burned a total of 254 calories. An improvement to the 80 that I burned the first day back to the gym!

Side Note - First day at the gym I was on the elliptical for most of the work out. I have been calculating calories burned with my NIKE + insert in my shoe. I think it might only track walking and jogging? Because I am pretty sure I burned more than 80 that first day back to the gym. I'll have to check that out......

One step closer to healthy

2008-12-30T23:30:00.006-07:00

My latest trick - instead of using salt on popcorn, I sprinkle this flavoring called TRUE LEMON. It has 0 calories. I got a free sample in the mail and I love it. It also comes in LIME and ORANGE flavoring.

Instead of salt, sprinkle this.................
on to this................

Tonight, I found myself out running errands during dinner time. This has been my biggest down fall in the past. I have eaten way too much "fast" food and it catches up with me "fast". I ended up getting BEN a semi healthy happy meal; aka: chicken nuggets with apple slices and apple juice. And then I decided nothing sounded good or healthy that was drive thru. So, I waited until I got home to eat. I had a turkey sandwich. And I also had half a Christmas tree Reese's peanut butter cup. I figured I did good. Instead of eating it all, I split it with Ben. ( I got this trick from The Biggest Loser trainer Jillian. She says that if you don't feed your cravings, you're going to binge. )And then my night time snack was a bag of SMART POP POPCORN. I was really proud of myself for not touching the rest of the chocolate or sugar in the cupboard at night time during a movie. I didn't binge.

YAH ME!

2008-12-30T00:00:00.005-07:00

I did it. I made it to the gym today! And I got to use my Christmas present! THANK YOU DAN!
I forgot how much music helps me to continue going even when I want to quit. I love my IPOD. And I love my Nike+ IPOD. It counted my calories burned and distance completed. I only did .42 miles on the elliptical/treadmill in a 30 minute time with 82 calories burned. But, I figure it was my first day back. And the fact is you have to start somewhere. I followed the advice of many and have decided to start back slow with working out. I am logging and syncing my IPOD on http://www.nikeplus.com/ if anyone would like to join me. You can create your own goals and challenges!

The biggest "YAH ME" moment? After the gym, I headed to the grocery store to grab milk and something for dinner. I put a frozen pizza in my cart. I told myself it was my last splurge before starting up with Biggest Loser eating program tomorrow. Then at the check out, I told the lady who was ringing me up that it was a go back. I ended up grabbing a rotisserie chicken, bag of romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and loaf of fresh bread. I made a chicken salad with a slice of bread. YAH ME!

PS - Got an extra work out in with shoveling the snow in the drive way!

Got the official OK to work out again

2008-12-28T21:41:00.004-07:00

This past Friday was my 6 week post c-section appointment. I was given the okay to get back to the gym! I am really excited. I have extra motivation with Dan returning in two months. I want to be healthy for many reasons.

- My health
- Example to my boys
- Be able to shop in non plus sizes at stores
- I don't want to hide myself when getting a picture taken
- Energy to do the activities I love
- Not feel embarrassed or feel like the biggest person in my group of friends
- prevention of genetic medical issues like diabetes

But when I need that extra motivation, all I need to do is remember Dan returning home in two months! I want to feel good about myself when I see him for the first time at the airport.

So here is where I am now. *I have just about eliminated all the holiday treats from the cupboards. Yes, everything in proportion. But let's get real. If it's there I will eat it. And with the amount of weight I need to lose to be at a healthy BMI/weight, I need all temptations out of my sight. *Tomorrow, I am back at the gym for the first time since my second trimester! *And Tuesday, I am signing up with The Biggest Loser Club online. It's only 20 bucks a month. They will give me food plans, work out plans, online support, among other things. I want to do this the right way. So it's all about exercising and learning to cook and eat healthy!

Right now, I am feeling proud of myself. Friday night I made grilled chicken, brown rice, with squash and zucchini. Saturday night I went to a get together with friends. Upon arriving, I had the salad first. Yes, I ate cookies, licorice, and tortilla chips, but at least I had a big salad first. And tonight I had a balanced meal and I stopped eating when I became full. And, I am currently chewing sugar free gum to resist snacking when I'm not hungry. And last.......each day for a week now I have drank at least 64 ounces of water with no soda. Whopppppeee! So I am proud because each day I have accomplished a healthy habit! Baby steps.....

A few tips from fit pregnancy website

2008-12-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

5 Weight-Loss Tips for New Moms

Here are five foolproof strategies to shed the baby fat. By Nancy Gottesman

It takes a combination of healthy eating, exercise and behavioral change to lose weight effectively. Here are five foolproof strategies to shed the baby fat.

1. Siesta as often as you can. Research shows sleep loss negatively impacts the hormones that regulate how hungry you feel and how efficiently you burn calories. We know it's hard to sneak in sleep when you're a new mom, but if you nap when the baby does, you'll be able to grab a few extra hours of rest.

2. Snack well, snack often. Don't go long periods without eating, especially if you're breastfeeding. Healthy meals and snacks contribute to clear thinking, productivity and energy. Plus, if you don't nibble on something every three to four hours, you'll become way too hungry to make smart food decisions.

3. Eat on smaller plates. A 2006 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that people serve themselves more food when using larger spoons and plates, while downsizing the dish size had the opposite effect. For weight loss, portion control is a must. Using smaller plates is a simple tool for controlling how much you eat without having to measure anything.

4. Fill up on veggies. Vegetables have fewer calories per serving than practically any other food. Plus, their high fiber content promotes a feeling of fullness, making it easier for you to limit your calorie intake.

5. Make an exercise date. The best way to be sure to exercise is to make a date with another new mom. Stroll your babies; meet at a yoga class; hike at a local park. Make a fitness appointment with a pal and you're a lot less likely to make excuses.

23 down, 6 to go

2008-11-28T22:25:00.004-07:00

I am in complete shock. As of this past Wednesday the 26th of November, I have lost 23 pds since delivering Zach on November 12th! I gained a total of 29 pds with Zach's pregnancy. I have NO idea why or how this weight is falling off, but it feels great to not wince when I go to weigh myself. I only have 6 pounds left until I am pre pregnancy weight!!!!! WOOOOPPPEEE!

I can not work out until 6 weeks post partum c-section. Right now, I am trying to eat healthy, watch my portions, listen to my body and stop eating when I am full, drink lots of water, and stay away from the processed/fast food junk. I am also really trying to get in my daily in-take of fresh veggies and fruit. The best way for me to do this is have the fruits and veggies as easy access in the kitchen or fridge. And then I try and eat 1 piece of fruit or veggie serving with each meal.

Right now, I am munching on half an apple with Skippy's natural creamy peanut butter. It's a great night time snack.

Returning slowly.......

2008-11-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

The following routine was adapted from the Sparks Plan and was designed by Gaesser especially for new moms. Try to fit in two spark sessions a day. You can start with 10–12 sparks a week after you get the OK from your doctor at your six-week checkup. As you get stronger and more familiar with your new-mom schedule, progress to 15 sparks a week.

Cardio - Do 5–7 times a week. The key to short bursts of cardio is to vary the intensity. Using a scale of 1–5 (for example, 1 is a slow stroll, 5 is power walking), warm up for about 2 minutes at level 2 and then work out for about 10 minutes at level 3 or 4. Do whatever you like that gets you moving: walk, use a stationary bike or dance with your baby.Strength trainingDo our workout (at right) 2–3 times a week.

These 4 exercises—the lunge, dumbbell row, ab crunch and bent-knee push-up—will work all of your major muscles. Take 1 minute to do some shoulder rolls and easy marching to warm up.

Flexibility - Do 2–3 times a week. Stretching is important for easing the muscle discomfort caused by constantly lifting and carrying your baby. Aim to stretch all of your major muscle groups. Start with gentle neck rolls, then stretch your arms, your torso and your legs. Hold each stretch to a point of mild tension for 20–30 seconds.

1. LUNGE Stand with feet hip-width apart. Hold a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides. Contract abdominals and step forward with one foot, bending knees just enough that your front knee is aligned with your front ankle and your back knee points toward the floor, heel lifted. Push back off your front foot to return to starting position. Do 10–12 repetitions, working up to 15. Switch legs and repeat. Strengthens thighs, buttocks and calves.
2. ONE-ARM DUMBBELL ROW Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a 5-pound dumbbell in your left hand. Bend knees and lean forward until torso is parallel to the floor, left arm hanging down in line with left shoulder. Place right hand on right thigh. Bend left elbow; then straighten arm. Do 10–12 reps, working up to 15. Switch arms and repeat. Strengthens middle back, rear shoulders and biceps.
3. AB CRUNCH Lie faceup, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place fingertips behind head, unclasped, elbows open. Contract abs to bring spine into contact with the floor; then lift head, neck and shoulder blades off floor, bringing ribs toward hips. Lower and repeat. Do 10–12 reps, working up to 15. Strengthens abdominals.
4. BENT-KNEE PUSH-UP Kneel on the floor, knees under hips. With arms straight, walk hands forward until wrists are under shoulders and torso forms a straight line from head to hips. Tighten abs. Bend elbows; lower chest toward floor until elbows are 90 degrees to shoulders. Push up to starting position and repeat. Do 10–12 reps, working up to 15. Strengthens chest, front shoulders and triceps.

Can't wait to exercise again...for reals.....

2008-11-07T10:35:00.003-07:00

I only have 5 days until little Zach is pulled from my tummy. And then 6 weeks to recover from the c-section. So around Christmas I will be able to exercise again. This will be perfect as I will be joining everyone else in New Years resolutions. That gives me 2-3 months to tone up the body and lose some weight before Dan returns from his deployment. I CAN NOT WAIT TO GET BACK TO THE GYM!!!!! I already have my IPOD/ITUNES new work out play list set to go!

I hate bed rest. I hate not being able to break a real sweat. I miss the natural energy that exercise gives me.

I am also pretty motivated to throw all ice cream and sugary foods out of the house. The slightest bit of sugar makes Benjamin bonkers. I am getting really excited to whip our fast food eating/candy eating bodies into natural/whole grain food eating machines!

SEE YOU SOON LAP POOL AND ELLIPTICAL MACHINE!

Secrets of the Big Losers

2008-09-23T10:30:00.003-06:00

Here are some great tips from some inspiring people. A group of people in the Joy Fit Club have all lost 100 or more lbs. Here are some helpful tips that they give to help lose weight and keep it off. ~

There's no question that losing weight is hard and keeping it off even harder. But it's not impossible. The National Weight Control Registry lists thousands of people who have lost more than 50 pounds and kept it off more than five years. Here's how to do the same.

Make radical changes. People think moderate dietary changes are easier to stick with. But as with quitting drug addiction, drastic changes are actually easier. "We don't tell heroin addicts if you stay clean all week, you can reward yourself by shooting up a small amount on the weekend," says Deirdre Barrett, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School and author of Waistland. "Sugar derails glucose metabolism in a similar way." She advises cutting out sugars, refined foods, simple carbohydrates, and trans fats.

Reprogram your brain. Losing weight means developing new eating habits—like reaching for an orange instead of an Oreo. The hardest part is the first 72 hours, when eating right is an act of will. After two or three weeks of sticking to it, your hunger and cravings subside, and control over eating choices becomes more automatic. Voilà, your brain is rewired.

Eat breakfast. Without breakfast, your body plunges into starvation mode, slowing your metabolism and tempting you to binge later. Over 78 percent of the registry's successful losers eat breakfast every day.

Exercise like you mean it. An evening walk every other day isn't going to cut it. Ninety percent of registry participants exercised—for a full hour, on average, most days of the week.

Stretch your mind. Stop living on autopilot. A study shows that people who push their comfort zones and try new things—like reading a different magazine or listening to a new radio station—lose weight and keep it off. Breaking out of your routine may make you more aware of your choices in general, and less likely to engage in mindless eating.

Here is a list of The 20 worst Foods in America. A great guide of what not to order when working on losing weight.

Smoothie Sunday

2008-09-07T17:29:00.002-06:00

Ingredients: Little bit of this and a little bit of that:
2 spoonfuls of Yoplait Light strawberry yogurt
2 cups of Peach frozen Yogurt blend
1/2 cup of orange juice
Handful of frozen mixed berries
1/2 frozen banana

~ Throw in blender and pour after consistency is to drinking preference.

Healthy Dreaming

2008-08-14T15:17:00.008-06:00

I was just day dreaming about decorating our home. First, I have slowly been collecting items to decorate our kitchen in a vintage design of 50's diner style. This picture came to my mind. I think this would be really fun to have in our 50's retro kitchen.
And then my dreams went wild as I watched a home make over on the Tori and Dean Home Sweet Hollywood reality show. I really love the octopus wall paper in the toddler boys room.

Another view of the adorable boys room.

Then I started to hyperventilate when I saw the master bedroom. This is by far the closest thing to my dream master bedroom that I have ever seen. Wow! Gorgeous!

Yes please.............

Trading in runnning shoes for house shoes

2008-08-14T12:42:00.005-06:00

For now the red running shoes are traded in for pink fuzzy slippers. The closer I get to Zach's due date, the less energy I have. So, as excited as I am to start back up my exercise program when Zach is born. It sure is nice to focus on which house shoes fit the best, and which place should I elevate my pink pedicured toes...........

As far as staying healthy through the pregnancy......I have gained 7 pounds to date. And my blood pressure has stayed steady with 120/80 and below. I am also trying to drink lots and lots of water to prevent the cankles and puffy fingers that I had with Ben's pregnancy. So that also means going easy on salty foods. My current hard thing to resist is soda. Root Beer.....I have really wanted Root Beer....I am trying to resist but it's hard.....

I am so pregnant...........

2008-08-07T23:54:00.007-06:00

So today at lunch I found myself dipping barbeque kettle chips into cottage cheese with peaches. Then added tuna with lemon pepper.....WOW!

And tonight I satisfied another craving.....Costco cheese pizza and chocolate covered strawberries.....SO BAD I KNOW!
I don't know why I got the whole pizza. I could only eat 1 slice. It will most likely sit in the fridge. Just like the ice cream craving I had that sits in the freezer wondering why I don't want it anymore. Good news is, so far to date I have only gained 4 pounds total with this pregnancy. For the most part I eat fairly healthy with little Zach. :)

6 1/2 months prego

2008-08-05T11:58:00.000-06:00

Getting closer and closer to the finish line is becoming sureal! I miss Dan being here to take pictures of my growing belly each month. This fabulous bathroom shot will have to due for now. :)

A healthy change

2008-08-05T11:53:00.000-06:00

July - I chopped off my hair and lightened it. Now it's August and I have new glasses. I think a little healthy change is good. What will be the new thing in September???? HMMMM..we'll see....

A little healthy venting

2008-07-26T22:33:00.003-06:00

I just need to vent. I think it cleanses the soul. And I need to do that right now.
(Disclaimer - it's late, I'm tired, still getting over nasty infection in the body, had a rough day with a 2 year old throwing tantrums due to shear exhaustion, and am really missing the deployed hubby.)

It really chaps my hide when people make me feel like I am less of a person because I choose to stay home with my child. Especially when these types of comments to me, come from members of my immediate family, who decided themselves at one point to be a stay at home parent. Why? Why does your full time job and schedule matter more than mine? Why is it wrong for me to make the choice to stay home with my child? It's not wrong. I see it as being a wonderful thing. And I am so grateful that I am in the situation that I am able to do that right now.

The conversation:
Me: Yah, so I am really proud of Ben for trying to go potty on the toilet. These past few days he has been really insistent on wearing big boy underwear and not diapers. Up until today though he didn't want to sit on the toilet. But today he did!
Family Member: "Oh wow, your day consisted of waiting for Ben to take a poo. How exciting. Well, I have to go and write a 15 page essay and read 3 chapters in my book."
Me: No response except talk to you later, but inner voice says, (Ouch that hurt)

It hurts me to the core. The comment made tonight. Potty training.......not rocket science - I understand this. I didn't accomplish a major life time goal by watching my son sit on the toilet. I did not take college courses to do the laundry, cook dinner, read him The Big Red Barn, practice counting to 5 or singing the alphabet, change a diaper, or budget the bills. But I feel that I am making a difference in my sons life. And right now he is my priority. That is my decision. Why do people feel the need to show one up, even when it's your own flesh and blood? Why the competition? It bothers me more than I can say. But, it really helped typing this up.

Good night blog world ~

Motivated

2008-07-24T13:09:00.004-06:00

So thanks to bed rest, and Dan being deployed, I have been doing a lot of reading lately. Currently one of the books that I am reading is:

I first heard of Dave Ramsey from my friend Sarah. She attended one of his financial seminars. She taught me about cash envelopes, and the debt snowball. They were able to become completely debt free using these tools among others of Dave Ramsey. I saw this book at the library and immediately knew if I wanted to get truly serious about becoming debt free, then I needed to read this book. And I am so happy I have.

I would suggest this book to anyone and everyone. It is inspiring. Dan and I are working on becoming debt free. And I have to tell you this book is helping us get to that goal.

YAH for healthy living and that includes healthy finances!

"Me Time"

2008-06-09T14:04:00.015-06:00

So once a week, my friend and I trade a day during the week watching each other's chitlins. It is the greatest thing ever. We each get 3 hours, free babysitting, "me time" to do whatever we want! Sometimes I use it for Dr's appts, or sometimes grocery shopping, and any errands that would go faster without a toddler in tow. This time however, I wanted to do something that would really rejuvenate me and focus on me for once. And I had the greatest me time ever!

I first went to the library and checked out some books, Cd's, and a movie.

(Not usually a Michael Moore fan. However, I wanted to check out this movie knowing there is a serious health care crisis and watch it with an open mind.) Some soulllll music

I love the sound of his voice...........

The most adorable book that I read to Ben every night. Ben now understands Daddy is in the desert riding around in a jeep. Who doesn't love this soundtrack?

Decided to catch up on my military spouse reading ~

This book gives a great idea that Ben and I will be doing for Dan ~

I have wanted to read this ever since I became prego with Ben ~

Enough said ~

Then I headed to the brand new gym just built here on base. It was honestly nicer than the gym I was paying a membership at! Rock wall included that will make Dan a very happy camper. :) I did the bike and then walked the treadmill. (Which I have to gush ~ each treadmill had it's own flat screen TV on!) I then went to the indoor pool where I swam some laps....for free! Lap swim is free as opposed to the $1 cost for open swim time with Ben.

After I was done working out and swimming, I headed home for a nice hot shower. Then grabbed a tuna in a whole wheat pita pocket with sprouts.

I can not tell you how wonderful it was to just focus on me completely(except of course getting Ben a few books at library) and having it all be completely free!!!!

My feeling to living on base and meeting such a great person who can relate and understand military deployments..........can best be said in a song......"I think I'm gonna like it here......" Annie the movie.

I highly suggest "me time" to anyone and everyone. It is the best thing a mother, wife, or woman can do for themselves. I know that by rejuvenating myself, I am being a better Mom to Ben. And that is such a good feeling.

I have been craving.........

2008-05-23T11:04:00.003-06:00

I remember making this back in Hawaii, when following the Women's health magazine food plan. Not a bad craving to have right? What I LOVE about Women's Health magazine is that when finding recipes on-line you can adjust the serving size, and it adjust the ingredients for you. Link for the recipe page is on the right of this page.

Creamy Chocolate-Banana Ice
Original recipe yield: 2 Servings:

INGREDIENTS:
3 ripe bananas
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1/3 cup chocolate soy milk

DIRECTIONS:
Peel bananas and slice into 1/2 -inch-thick rounds. Arrange slices on a foil-lined tray and freeze for at least 3 hours (if you want to freeze them longer, you can then transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag).
When you're ready to make the ice, put the frozen banana slices and cocoa powder in a food processor. Pulse 10 to 20 times until bananas form pebble-size chunks. Turn the food processor on and add soy milk in a steady stream, processing until mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Note: You may need to stop the motor once or twice and scrape down the sides of the bowl for even blending.
Scoop banana ice into serving bowls and return to the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up before serving.

I think I'll prepare my bananas today and eat this tomorrow..........YUMMMMMM!

Remind me when I pop this thing out............

2008-05-19T15:16:00.003-06:00

When I pop the baby out and get back to a more routine work out schedule and stricter diet........ I really want to read the book "You on a diet" by Dr Oz and focus on eating from that book.

I have always loved Dr OZ. I think it's great that he is trying to get the people of America to be healthier...not skinnier....but healthier. He measures your waist size not your weight. I have learned so much from him so far as I read about his theories in healthier living.

I was just organizing my computer desk piles. I have a big stack of papers on what to eat and what not to eat and how to exercise. I am always ripping things out of magazines. I always have different ideas of how I am going to get down to my "goal size". I need to remind myself from time to time that it's not about how you do it. Just pick one and do it. And do it the right way! And I really think following the You on a diet plan will work for me as a permanent health solution in my life. Which is my ultimate goal. Not a quick fix like I've done before in my life. But a permanent solution for life!

Okay back to organizing the tornado known as my desk.

Anyone else a fan of Dr Oz like myself?

The one thing I am trying to work on this week ~

2008-04-27T18:53:00.005-06:00

I am working on being as good as I can be for me right now.

I am 3 months pregnant and I am down 3 pounds from the New York vacation. I do not encourage or promote weight loss during pregnancy! Any DR will tell you the exact opposite. However it is normal and okay to lose a few pounds in the first trimester when you add in the severe nauseousness that accompanies it. And even though this baby is doing nothing to my stomach compared to Benjamin's pregnancy(15 pound loss in 3 months). I have still been pretty nauseous with loss of appetite.

Pregnancy forces me to have small portion meals, every 2-3 hours. And I am going to really try and carry that through to post-pregnancy. In the past that is my major downfall. Starving self by not eating, then gorging down on anything in site and lots of it. So at least one of my goals(small portion meals) is being reached right now. :)

Now especially at this time, I really need to make every calorie count that I put into my body. I am not obsessing about it. Just trying my best to get in the fresh fruits and veggies in every day. And eat whole wheat grains as opposed to whites. I have been eating a lot of cereal. I just do this when I am pregnant. I can't tolerate real milk when not carrying a baby. But, when I am pregnant.........look out cereal aisle! I have been sticking to whole grains and good fiber filled cereal.

So yes, once in awhile I order that pizza or make that batch of cookies. But for the most part, I am really trying to just make every calorie count that goes in to my body. :) What one thing are you working on this week? Share!

COOL BEANS ARTICHOKE SALAD!

2008-04-27T18:45:00.002-06:00

COOL-BEANS ARTICHOKE SALAD
This elegant mix is both light and filling -- perfect to serve a few friends on a sultry night.S erves 4
10 baby artichokes, peeled and quartered
2 cups diagonally cut asparagus
1/3 cup thinly sliced radishes
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 19-oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
8 large romaine leaves

1. Steam the artichokes for 8 minutes. Add the asparagus and steam about 2 minutes more, or until crisp-tender. Drain and run vegetables under cold water. Let cool.
2. Make dressing: Whisk together garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Combine radishes, onions, and beans in salad bowl with half of dressing and toss well. Gently stir in artichokes and asparagus.
4. To serve, place 2 romaine leaves each on four plates. Divide salad equally among plates and drizzle with remaining dressing.

5 VEGGIES THAT MAKE ANY SALAD SUPER HEALTHY!

2008-04-27T16:59:00.005-06:00

I found this great article featured on YAHOO news. I am always trying to find a way to make my salads more exciting and healthy. I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did!

Five salad veggies have turned out to be antioxidant superstars. Toss a handful into any bowl and you'll instantly up your defenses against everything from wrinkles to heart disease and even help make your RealAge younger. Punch up the antioxidant power even more by seasoning some olive oil and vinegar with a few of the herbs and spices below. Health food doesn't get any easy-breezier!

5 Superstar Veggies
Artichokes
Radishes
Broccoli
Red chicory
Leeks

8 Stellar Seasonings
Sage
Rosemary
Marjoram
Thyme
Tarragon
Cumin
Fresh ginger
Garlic

The #1 Vegetable Of the 27 vegetables scientists studied, the almighty artichoke led the antioxidant pack. Plus it's rich in both fiber and folate, two good-for-you nutrients. Look for plump but compact globe-like artichokes with thick, green, fresh-looking scales. The Runners-Up Radishes, broccoli, and even luscious leeks are stocked in most supermarkets. But what's red chicory? An Italian salad favorite with an oddly appealing bitter taste. Try mixing it with romaine.

The High-Powered Herbs and Spices Sage, rosemary, and thyme...when Simon and Garfunkel made them famous, nobody knew they had disease-fighting powers. Cumin, a spice used heavily in Indian food, is even more impressive, as is ginger. But experiment: All of these seasonings are simple ways to boost the health -- and flavor -- of any salad (soups too). Here's a get-you-started recipe.

5 tips to healthy eating on a road trip

2008-04-14T09:15:00.000-06:00

Do you pass the time on long road trips by pigging out on unhealthy snacks? If so, it may be time to reconsider what you pack. With proper preparation and imagination, you can take a healthy lifestyle on the road.

Here are some tips on eating healthy during road trips:

1. Know how long your trip will take so you can stock up on supplies.
2. Bring a cooler, and restock it each day.
3. When preparing sandwiches to take along, use whole-wheat bread instead of white, use mustard or horseradish instead of butter or margarine, and use lean-meat fillings, such as ham, roast beef, chicken, or turkey.
4. Bring cut-up vegetables for munching, and fresh fruit for dessert and snacking.
5. Pack plenty of water.

I'm still trying though....

2008-03-24T11:42:00.005-06:00

* First of all - HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAN!!!!*

Now on to my thoughts -
Lately with being pregnant, on vacation at my Mom's house, birthday's, and holiday time; I am finding it harder and harder to be good and not choose the UN-healthy food.

But now that mostly all the birthdays and holidays are behind me, I am starting fresh today! I woke up and had raisin bran with skim milk and a large glass of water. It is not following the trainer food guide exactly to the tee. But I still feel like I am making the healthiest choices that I can here at my Mom's house. I am giving the rest of the jelly beans and Cadberry mini eggs to my Mom. She insists that she has the self control to not eat the whole bag in one sitting. I say good for her and more power to her. I am not that way and the thing is.......those type of foods have really not been tasting good anyways. I have just been eating them out of habit or boredom. So the key is to just get them out of my sight.

So let's see if I can stick to cutting out the candy, eating moderate portions of healthy food, and start drinking more water!

Hmmm which shoes to buy?

2008-03-13T14:03:00.005-06:00

With even more cushioning thanks to an Air-Sole unit, the Nike® Air Pegasus+ is crafted using a synthetic and mesh upper that's breathable and supportive. The tough BRS 1000 carbon rubber heel and sticky rubber forefoot provide durability and traction, while the Nike+®-enabled shoe syncs your iPod® nano to your workout to deliver both tunes and tracking.

I first heard of this shoe from my friend Heather. I am really wanting to get these now. It's hard to part with my red New Balances that I found at a steal on clearance back in Hawaii. But, my feet have seriously been hurting. I need new work out shoes. So is this the shoe? I don't know but it sure does perk my interest when it mentions that it can sync with my Ipod!

Any suggestions on good work out shoes? I'll probably be buying some when I am back in San Diego.

This could put a damper on my weight loss

2008-03-12T23:40:00.004-06:00

I will not be seeing my toes in about 25 - 30 weeks. I am PREGNANT!!!! WHAT?!?! Totally did not see this one coming! Why am I surprised....this is my crazy life...my adventure! But, I refuse to let this put a damper on my healthy venture! In fact it motivates me even more!

I have been doing so good with healthy eating! And I have heard so much positive feedback from my friends about doing this together.

So, here is the deal......I am still working on my health. I am overweight going into this pregnancy, so I have to watch my sugar and bad food intake even more so. So, I will keep my trainer to help me continue eating healthy and moderately working out. Nothing too crazy. Probably just some arm toning and walking on the treadmill. I can't forget the glorious pool either!

So, stick with me ladies!!!! I am here for the long haul!!!

The pictures that jogged my memory

2008-03-09T23:49:00.000-06:00

I look at these pictures and I don't only see a thinner and younger person......I see a happier and more energetic person.

These were taken at the end of 2004. The year 2003 was when I decided that I wanted to change my eating habits and exercise routine completely. I lost 35 lbs and found myself for the first time in my life. I now feel as though I have lost a little piece of that person that I found. I don't want to lose weight to fit into a smaller clothing size. I want my self confidence back. I want my health back. I don't want to fight the aging process; I want to embrace it, as I do life.

Getting back on track - breaking habits

2008-03-09T23:06:00.005-06:00

* Warning this post contains some talk of the Mormon religion. If you have any further questions regarding this book or my spiritual side, just ask me. :)

So I knew it was going to take something to get my tush back in gear. And my friend Stephanie along with the help of this fabulous book, was exactly what I needed to get back on the road to becoming a healthy me.

It all started when I was about to go downstairs with my leftover Cold Stone Ice Cream and read my book. I was in quite the "cry me a river" attitude. I had a 100' fever. I was missing Dan. Ben took a good 2 hours (most of that time filled with screaming) before going to sleep. My friend Steph(whom I rent the basement from) was hanging out on the couch talking with me as Ben fought his bedtime. I kept going downstairs to put him to sleep. He just wanted to scream if I wasn't reading him a book! He would get out of his bed and pound the walls, and scream so loud. Steph was amazing and so understanding with Benjamin's tantrum he was throwing. It could have quite easily threw off the peaceful sleeping Graham(Steph's little boy who sleeps in the room above Ben) and woke him up. But, she was cool as a cucumber and even offered to trade off with Ben if I was close to losing it. ;) Now, that's a friend! Needless to say, Ben eventually fell asleep(in his bed) and Graham did not wake up......and I kept my sanity!

But, before going back down to my part of the house holding my carton of Ice Cream....... I told Stephanie as my "personal trainer"(she helped me lose weight the healthy way 5 years ago) to promise and swear to not allow me to buy ice cream again. I told her I needed another person as a witness as I tried to swear off the evil Cold Stone packed with a bazillion calories. I explained that everything in the house(besides the Cadberry mini eggs) was totally healthy. Ice cream and mini eggs were my only down fall. This sparked quite the discussion....in such a good way.

She happened to have this book(picture above with title) near her. And over the period of time that we were talking, we mostly discussed this speech. Title: Flaxen Threads ; by Carlos E. Asay.

In this speech he speaks on the subject of habit. He talks about 6 steps required in order to cultivate a new habit.

I answered these steps in my head (red color is my thinking process)

1. Define the desire habit (to choose healthy food over un-healthy foods)

2. Bind yourself to act He goes on to say that, " I feel that one binds himself best to a desire action by sharing his resolve with a friend, with a wife, with a husband, with a bishop, or with someone else who can monitor his progress. I also feel that one finds strength as he shares his desires with God and begs for divine assistance. (Healthy blog, talking to Dan, sharing lows and highs with friends, prayer)

3. Put the new conduct into operation - he quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson and said, "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased." (Think back to when you stopped eating fast food and sugar 5 years ago and lost 35 pounds! You did not miss the sugar or fast food after just a week. It became easier to eat healthy foods)

4. Bolster your will or desire by riveting your mind upon the virtues of the desired habit. (think of how you will feel in your skinny jeans, how you will make Dan feel when he sees you after deployment, and how your heart and arteries will pump and flow better with healthy food)

5. Do not look back (quit thinking about the taste of the oatmeal cookie ice cream and quit doubting your self control)

6. Plunge wholeheartedly into the new conduct (Quit saying tomorrow, or next week.....JUST DO IT today)

So after this discussion, I realized I wasn't even hungry! I was totally dehydrated and thirsty. I drank a glass of water and then threw the ice cream away(gave ice cream to Steph's husband Kevin who wants to GAIN weight) and went to cupboards and tossed in trash; the half bag of chocolate chips, the sour cream, and yes.....even the cadberry mini eggs. It felt so good. So I guess I am finally starting a resolution of the year....

Wow, so much longer than expected with writing this post. But can you feel my fire? I am so ready to really kick it into high gear and work on building this new habit of healthier food choices! I hope this post inspires you as it has me. A few friends of mine (B, M, and H) came to mind that are also trying to lose weight and become healthier people, but find it hard to resist the tempting foods. I hope this helps you , like it helped me. Let's get serious people!

Today I am working on......

2008-02-19T11:55:00.005-07:00

With the recent big winter storm, broken toe, and Ben going to the urgent care(wicked spider bite was infected), my work out routine has been postponed. I also have been eating a lot of take out for dinners as we prepare for Dan to deploy. But, even with all this.......... I am trying to focus on the main goal. I think it is important to not beat myself up for not being perfect. Atleast I am still focused and trying right???? So for today this is what I am working on......

Eating b-fast as soon as I wake up to get my metabolism going
Eating every 2 - 3 hours
With each meal eat some type of protein combined with healthy carb
Cutting out fried foods, mayo, and butter
Working on fist size portions and stop eating when I am full
Making time for me (Me time)

And today, I scheduled my next training appointment's for Wednesday and Friday.

Tonight, I focus on keeping my toes and mind healthy by going to get a pedicure! I have not had one of these in a long time. I think it's important to take a break from life every once in awhile. Tonight is that night. Dan is taking Ben to the gym daycare while I go have a little girl time. Weeeeeeeee

Learn something new every day

2008-02-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday that something new was told to me by my trainer. This was very informative to me. Did you all know this?

Target Heart Rate -

(I did know this) If you stay below it while working out you might as well be sitting at home on the couch. Your body is not getting a true work out unless you hit your target heart rate.

(I did not know this) If you stay above your target heart rate for most of the work out, then you are burning off water not fat and defeating the whole purpose of working out! You are dehydrating yourself. WOW! And the whole purpose is to build muscle. Because, every pound of muscle gained helps burn fat quicker.

So for instance people that run marathons and are very skinny but still have loose skin...well this is the reason. So, I am going to really work on staying in my target heart rate!

My new favorite frozen lunch meal

2008-02-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

I have been trying different frozen meals for lunches this past week. When I went to the grocery store frozen section, I decided that I would try some new frozen meals. In the past the frozen "diet" meals taste pretty bland to me. I like foods with spices and taste. And I don't want to be starving after I just ate lunch.

Immediately when I saw this little puppy in the freezer the name called out to me. I love the taste of lemongrass and coconut. Surprisingly, this meal filled me up and tasted really good. I highly recommend it. The food facts are below:

Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: 1 entree (283g)
Servings Per Container: 1
Amount per Serving
%Daily Value
Calories 300
Calories from Fat 70
Total Fat 8g
12%
Saturated Fat 4g
20%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 10mg
3%
Sodium 680mg
28%
Total Carbohydrate 38g
13%
Dietary Fiber 7g
28%
Sugars 6g
Protein 18g
36%
Vitamin A
40%
Vitamin C
20%
Calcium
6%
Iron
10%

Yes, the sodium grams are pretty high. Just watch your intake for the rest of the day when eating this. I thought it was pretty healthy....we'll see if my trainer agrees.......

First meeting with trainer

2008-02-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

What a great way to end my day. I just had my first meeting with a trainer at the gym. Not only will I get help with working out, but I will also get help with what food to eat and how much. I couldn't have received a better Hearts day present from my hubby!! Thank you Thank you Dan!
Also something great is that the trainer, is letting Dan train for free with me until he deploys. Super nice huh?!?!

Here are a few things that I learned.

When eating use palm of hand portion sizes. Eat 4-6 times a day. Combine carb and protein with each meal. Include good fats with your meal. Avoid saturated fats.
I was given a master food list of suggested foods. I will copy the list to the puter for you all to see. It also had a list of fats to avoid. Included in that list was butter, mayo, fried foods, and whole fat dairy products.
Water Intake - drink 1 to 1 and a 1/2 gallons of water a day. More if consuming caffeine or diuretic products.
Stay focused

Fats allowed:

Avocado, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds, cold water fish, natural peanut butter, low fat cheese, low fat salad dressings, low sodium nuts, olives, olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, flaxseed oil.

****So this work out and meeting with the trainer totally got me motivated to really get going...FOR REALS! And Dan is totally on board with me. So Dan decided that he is going to try and go 400 days without soda or caffeine. That is the length of his deployment. I said that I was going to join him on that. Especially since recently soda has really been bothering my stomach. And I also read a new study put out today that said, diet sodas were actually making people fatter!!! Agh! I am also kicking sugar for right now. I have been eating WAY too much sugar recently. So we will see how it goes!!

******So it's for real people...here I am your motivator.....ask me any questions and I will ask my trainer for ya!!! And for those of you that needed a kick in the pants...consider this your kick!

Tips and Tricks to really shed the pounds

2008-02-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

So first let me say, I am in no way an expert on weight loss. If I was I would not be overweight.....or maybe it's that I lack self control...who knows? All I know is that in the past when I have really bit down and shed some weight, I was doing mulitple things to help the process. And here is that list just for you!

1. Make sure you immediately eat breakfast when waking up. This gets your metabolism going right away. I always had the tendency to put off eating. That led to famished, starving, and overeating.

2. Try not to obsess about food or constantly think about it. Yes, this can be very hard...especially during the holidays..... and whenever you turn on a television.....and when driving down the street.......you get the point. But the experts say that those who are on the thinner side tend to not see food as an immediate need. (I really need to work on this) Know that you will eat, you are not going to starve. (Yah, I really need to work on this)

3. WATER WATER WATER - You hear the stories of people dying from drinking too much water...this will 99% of the time not happen to you. Experts say that most people are dehydrating themself. I say try and get in atleast 64 oz a day and more if you are working out. I always have a water bottle filled up and within reach. I slowly sip through out the day. You know the rule right? If you feel thirsty then you are most likely already to the point of dehydrating your body.

4. I really limit my fast food. If you are serious about weight loss then Taco Bell or that type of fast food should not be in your weekly menu of food. If you are the type that can just have 1 bean burrito for lunch and be good then kudos to you. I on the other hand choose the soda and burritos with sour cream. So I just know for myself I have to stay away from fast food when being serious about losing weight.

5. Now, how to avoid the fast food.....always have your pantry and fridge filled with food that is good for you AND you will eat. You could have the healthiest food in your kitchen and not eat it once because it tastes gross. Make sure you find what works for you. For me it is fresh fruit, and veggies, quick, frozen and ready to steam veggies, whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat spaghetti, healthiest spaghetti sauce possible, different flavored hummus, granola bars, soups, chili, tuna, canned chicken, frozen chicken, deli meats, peanut butter, fresh lettuce, pre bagged salads, string cheeses........these are some of the foods that are in my kitchen when I am eating healthy. Might sound normal. The key is what is not in my kitchen. No chips, candy, or ice cream. Some people say everything is fine in moderation. For me that is just not the case. If it's there, I will eat it and choose it over the healthier choices. So I just choose to keep it out of sight and out of mind. As the weight is coming off and I am on a good schedule with healthy eating and working out, then I might add in 1 cheat day a week. OR slowly bring in 1 low fat dessert like skinny cow or sugar free treats. Another great choice is the 100 calorie packs. Just eating one bag is my down fall though.....

6. Have a goal in mind of what you want to accomplish. Try not to get overwhlemed if you have a lot of weight to lose. According to the BMI(Body Mass index) chart I need to lose a whopping 70 pounds to be in healthy range. I can not look at the whole number and expect to reach it tomorrow. I really have to think 1-2 pounds of weight loss a week and I will be happy. Or even how I feel makes me happy. If I have more energy and do not feel like just sitting. That is a really big sign for me. It tells me I am eating food that is fueling my body for energy not weighing it down.

7. 3 meals a day, 3 snacks a day - plan it out ahead of time and you gain control of what you will eat and what you will not eat.

8. Exercise - you can not realistically expect to lose weight if you are not getting exercise in your daily routine. Whether it be walking, heavy housecleaning, elliptical, swimming, hiking a hill, or just staying off your couch for multiple hours at a time.......you have to exercise.

Okay enough for now. I just had this on my mind and thought I'd share it.

Bottom line is - I know for me what works and what doesn't. It's not just about one thing, it's combining multiple things and working them into your daily routine. Even though it is multiple things, small changes can make a big difference. For instance - when I take out soda and fast food from my daily schedule, I immediately notice a difference. So just find what works for you and stick to it and you will see those pounds start to shed.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Getting back in to the exercise routine

2008-02-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was my first day back to the gym in....... I don't know how long!!!! I love Gold's Gym because Dan and I can work out together, and Ben can have his fun too at the playroom. We went last night and I had a good work out. It's like my body was starving for exercise.

First, Dan and I went to the Cardio cinema. The movie that was playing was Spiderman. The movie is a great distraction. I didn't hardly feel like I was working out. I warmed up on the elliptical for 10 minutes. Then I went over to the bike. Only lasted on that for 2 minutes. And then I went to the treadmill. Only lasted for 10 minutes. Then back to the treadmill for another 5 minutes. I guess it ended up being a circuit training work out. Work out, switch, work out, switch. It is suppossed to help you burn fat quicker. Of course I did not plan this.

Even though my body was starving for exercise, my body was feeling super heavy. It's like my body and spirit were not on the same page. Does that make sense? For many reasons I could have said, I will work out another day. My left foot has been KILLING me. I think I have a bone spur or something? It started a few weeks ago during vacation. I tried to ignore it and then I noticed myself limping. I bought those special gel inserts for my shoes. That didn't help. I might get it checked out soon if it doesn't go away. Anyhoo - the main point is that I could have said oh my foot hurts, I need new work out shoes before working out, or I ate too big of a lunch and I can't workout. Could have said all those reasons.....but I didn't. And for that I was proud of myself. It's about pushing yourself a little more each day in different ways. Today was just about getting back on that exercise horse...even if it was shorter than anticipated.

Well, after the cardio....... Dan and I went to the weight lifting area. I am a "firm"(no pun intended) believer in strength training. I notice a difference especially in my arms, back, and gluteus maximus when I strength train. Today I really wanted to focus on my arms and my back. I have really noticed those two things the most with not working out. I have started to get Oprah arms again. And my hump between my shoulder blades is back. And my posture is just down the tubes right now. Alright now that I have given you WAY too much information about me......

Do any of you have some good exercise moves for arms or back? Or do you have any good advice about how to stay motivated even when you just want to stay home?????

PS My exciting news of the day? I returned from el bano to find Dan talking to a personal trainer. I spoiled his surprise for my V-Day present. He was setting me up with a personal trainer for my Valentine's present!!!!! I had been hinting that I really could use some extra help with techniques and a healthy diet routine. (Heather - I dropped the line that James was so sweet to get you that for Christmas...hint hint hint....so thank you James...)

I'm back with the new year

2008-02-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hello to all that are along for this crazy ride called weight loss. It is so tough isn't it? Well, not as tough as doing it alone. So let's work together and try and motivate one another.

What I have been up(or down) to............
I have been on a teeter totter with my weight loss since I last blogged. I moved from Hawaii to Utah. Made a stop in between to Cali. And road trip food is SO not my friend. Then found out that Dan was deploying to Iraq and lost my appetite. Dan went to a 3 week training in California to prepare for deployment and in that time period, I lost 15 pounds. I just plain and simple lost my appetite. I still ate.....just not nearly the amount I had been eating. Then Dan came back and we enjoyed the holidays, moved places, and took a 3 week road trip to Az and Cali. As you can imagine, all the weight I had lost....... slowly crept back up on me. Now I am home, and ready to get my body healthy.

I have had enough sugary foods and soda to last me a lifetime. I am seriously deprived of green veggies and fresh fruit. And if I see another poptart or potato chip, I misht lose it. I am SO ready to eat healthy portions of food. And don't even get me started on lack of exercise!!!!

So here we go......who's with me???????

No posts for awhile

2007-07-17T18:04:00.000-06:00

Hello to all who check this site -

Just wanted to let you know that because of my busy life, I will not be posting on this site for awhile. I will let you know when I come back.

The movers came yesterday and took just about everything! We still have our computer, but no computer desk so our puter is not hooked up. I am actually posting from the library today.

Hope you are all having a healthy, happy, summer! I am trying my best to continue to stay active and eat healthy!

Aloha! See you on the mainland!

Love, Leah

Friday - date night

2007-07-07T02:18:00.001-06:00

Breakfast - cinn weight control oatmeal and a banana, vitamins, water
Lunch - California rolls with wasabi and soy sauce, sips of groovy guava jamba juice
Dinner - Hello date night! Pirates of the Carribean 3 rocked my pirate boat! ARGG MATEY!! 2 slices of delicious pizza, popcorn, root beer, some raisinets, sips of sprite and diet coke

Exercise - Does cleaning house and watching 2 toddlers count?!?!?!

Thursday - day of skin cancer steroid injection treatments - yah I deserved the chocolate

2007-07-05T15:41:00.000-06:00

Breakfast - plain silk soy milk and cheerios

Lunch - Tuna, mayo, and lemon pepper mixed and put on 3 light rye WASA crackers

Snack -popcorn, chips, salsa, peanut butter(yah - I think I am having pregnancy cravings)

Dinner - half steamed rice half fried rice with terriaki chx and little bit of orange chx, 3 cream cheese ragoons, and some orange soda.

Dessert - Butterfingers ice cream bar

Exercise - I rested in bed and watched chick flicks. Today I had multiple needles shot in to my shoulder and chest. I totally deserved every treat I got. Man was I in pain. That's enough to coat my body in sunscreen every time I leave the house.....learn from this my friend...sunscreen is your friend!
**And last but certainly not least - I have an amazing husband who came home from work early, watched Ben and Lily while I rested, then took Ben and grocery shopped, and brought me home special perfume and a willow tree. I love Dan so much. He spoils me.......

Wednesday - HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!

2007-07-05T15:30:00.000-06:00

Breakfast - banana(was really busy getting ready for the day)

Lunch - broccoli, tuna, whole wheat pasta noodles, shredded cheddar cheese, garlic salt sprinkled on top

Dinner - homemade mini sub sandwiches(rye sub bread, little mayo, little Dijon mustard, romaine lettuce, pepper jack cheese, turkey and ham) light fat free pringles, apple slices, few pieces of celery, root beer and Hansons natural diet soda

Snack - tiny bit of cotton candy(most of it melted from humidity by the time Dan walked back to where Ben and I were saving our firework spot)

Late dessert - when getting back home I had some of the jello flag mold I made. - sugar free strawberry jello, sugar free cool whip, blueberries, and strawberries.

Exercise - Today my exercise was walking from car to block party at Pearl Harbor, back to car, then walking to picnic spot, then back to car...... Today's exercise was walking!

Tuesday - holiday before the holiday

2007-07-03T16:06:00.000-06:00

breakfast - nutri grain waffles, frozen blueberries, syrup

Snack - 2 light rye wasa crackers spread with Skippy's natural peanut butter

Lunch - spicy guac pringles, whole wheat rye sub bread, light mayo, Pavarotti with jalapenos cheese, turkey and ham, Dijon mustard.

Snack - 1 kashi chewy granola bar, pina colada smoothie

Dinner - 1 whole wheat tortilla with fat free refried beans and sprinkled cheddar cheese; some broccoli with minced garlic and a few pasta shells with minced garlic; water

Snack/Dessert - 1 serving of homemade banana pudding

Exercise - Hiked Diamond Head Crater - this was about a total of an hour and a half - that included 271 stairs!!!- Can anyone say FEEL THE BURN??

Not so bad after all, just a few adjustments

2007-07-02T16:00:00.000-06:00

So after reading over my food logs from the weekend, I realized that I did make some poor food choices. But, all in all I think it comes down to bad snacking. It also comes down to being so busy, forgetting to eat, starving and eating anything I can get my hands on when I do finally have the time to eat.

So until I can get more time in my day to fully plan out meals during the weekend, I just have to eliminate those poor choices from the house. For Example: tortilla chips and guac, brownies, snicker bar at grocery store, baked lays...and so on.

Back on the saddle again Monday

2007-07-02T15:24:00.000-06:00

Breakfast - cinn weight control oatmeal made with plain silk soy milk; raisins; water; vitamins

Lunch - romaine lettuce, grilled chx, lemon juice and olive oil mixed to make homemade salad dressing, orange slices; baby carrots dipped into roasted red pepper hummus

Snack - kashi chewy granola bar

Snack - pringles, grapes

Snack - spinach dip and bread bites

Dinner - wheat 6" sub roll, turkey, ham, romaine lettuce, 1 slice of Colby jack cheese, 1 slice of pepper jack cheese, light mayo, Italian seasoning; Hanson's dark cherry diet natural soda

Dessert - Dan had the night off the next day and I have been meaning to make this for days now. So in celebration of the holiday I finally made it -
Banana pudding!!! - I made it with sugar free pudding and plain silk soy milk, banana slices, and vanilla wafers.

Exercise - swam laps in pool for 30 minutes, played with Dan and Ben in pool for another 20 minutes

Sunday

2007-07-01T22:49:00.000-06:00

Today was fast Sunday - for those of you who don't know what this is - it's when I fast for 2 meals and focus on my sprituality a little more. Well, the problem with this is when getting back home from church(our church schedule right now is 3-6 because we share the church building with multiple congregations) I am starving. So this is what happened -

In the car ride home from church -ate a granola bar(chewy kashi)

Ate these while the turkey dogs were grilling -baked lays; schezuan chips; diet root beer; 1 brownie(leftover from movie time last night)

Finally ate our meal - but was basically too full. I could not imagine not eating a real meal so i overate even when full......2 turkey hotdogs with chili and sprinkled cheddar cheese;1 diet natural hansons black cherry soda

Ate this while talking to Dan and just enjoying our evening -1 caramel cone by skinny cow

Saturday

2007-06-30T19:22:00.000-06:00

Breakfast - Biscuits made with healthy heart Bisquick and Lactaid milk, also had gravy on top; bowl of fruit with watermelon, grapes, and mango; water, vitamins

Lunch - 1 whole wheat sub roll, 1 slice of Colby jack cheese, 1 slice of pepper jack cheese, ham and turkey slices, romaine lettuce, little mayo, little mustard, little sprinkle of pepper and salt; 1/2 can of black cherry natural Hanson's soda

While driving to beach and back - munched on wheat Ritz crackers; apple slices.

At grocery store bought and ate a snickers bar. I hadn't had one in years and I was really craving chocolate.

After going to beach and finishing up a quick grocery trip, For the most part, I forgot about the word health -

baked sour cream and cheddar lays, 3 frozen pizza slices, guac and chips

With movie -a few bites of a brownie(didn't eat whole brownie), choc soy milk, 1 skinny cow cone.

Exercise - Deep cleaned house and went to beach and went and swam with Ben in ocean

Friday

2007-06-30T15:31:00.000-06:00

Breakfast - total cereal with lactaid milk; vitamins; water

Snack - kashi chewy granola bar

Lunch - Quiznos flat bread honey mustard grilled chicken salad; bag of baked sour cream and cheddar chips; 1/3 of a choc chip cookie

After finishing grocery shopping - Dan and I treated ourselves to a Ice cream cone from McDonalds.

Dinner - spinach dip(recipe on reipe of the month link) and wheat bread bowl bites (appetizer night - Dan and I were full after this, so we didn't even get to the shrimp quesadillas we had planned on. I am proud of us for stopping though.)

No exercise today - unless you count me chasing around 2 toddlers and dog sitting a 100 pound American bull dog!

Thursday

2007-06-28T16:43:00.000-06:00

Breakfast - 1/2 C strawberry yogurt with chopped pecans sprinkled in; 1 piece of multi grain toast spread lightly with peanut butter; water, vitamins

Lunch - 1 whole wheat tortilla, no fat refried beans, chopped up onions, chopped up mushrooms, Tapatio hot sauce, sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese.

Snack - kashi chewy granola bar

Dinner - tortilla chips sprinkled with shredded cheese, chopped green onions, jalapenos, no fat refried beans.

Snack - Lemon herbal tea with little bit of honey poured in

Exercise - Walked down to kids playground and played with Ben and Lily. Went down slide with both of them after carrying them up the stairs. Drove them around in a pretend kids car while running behind them pushing them. Walked back up hill to house while carrying Ben and holding lily's hand. - I broke a sweat so I consider it a work out. :)

Wednesday

2007-06-27T17:43:00.001-06:00

Food Log -

Breakfast -
1 piece of multi grain bread with a light spread if Skippy natural peanut butter; 1 C strawberry yogurt with a sprinkle of chopped pecans; 3 orange slices; water; vitamins

Lunch - 1 grilled pork chop(pre-made last night by chef Dan) seasoned with lemon pepper; 1 no fat/no cholesterol/whole grain flour tortilla sprinkled with shredded cheese, little bit of butter, and cholula hot sauce; water

Snack -
Kashi chewy granola bar, protein shake with Lactaid milk

Dinner - whole wheat organic pasta noodles, marinara sauce, 2 chx tenders, mozzarella cheese; cold spinach leaves as a salad spritzed with Italian dressing spritzer

Snack - 1 sugar free chocolate pudding with 1 spoonful of chocolate cool whip

Exercise - Put Ben into the jogging stroller and walked down to our track on base. Sprinted/fast pace walk 2 laps, ran around middle of track grass playing with Ben and Dan.

This is what it all comes down to

2007-06-26T20:57:00.001-06:00

So today I made an audition cd at a real recording studio!!!! The radio payed for it...how cool are they!?!? I have now turned that cd in, and I am anxiously waiting by the phone for an answer...will I or won't I be singing in the Colgate Country competition??????? Wish me luck....

Update!!!!

2007-06-26T13:18:00.000-06:00

Today is Tuesday the 26th of June. I first started this blog on June 4th. I first measured my waist and hips on June 11th. And I weighed myself on the 4th of June. Since then I have lost 1 inch off of my hips! And I have lost 1/2 inch off of my waist! I am now down 4 pounds also. So Yeah!

I have not been as strict as I had hoped for. But that's okay. I am so happy that I have stuck with it, even when I over ate and didn't exercise on certain days. So thank you everyone who comments and helps me along. You are really helping me doing this.

Along the right side of the site, I have each week of my changes. It might be hard for you to see. But, I am really noticing a difference in myself. The biggest difference would be the way I feel about myself. Just look at week 4's picture. I look so happy with Dan on our date night. I wasn't even embarrassed to take that picture! What an inside change from week 1!

Tuesday

2007-06-26T13:16:00.001-06:00

Food log -

Breakfast - blackberries mixed in to 1 packet of cinnamon weight control oatmeal with 3/4 C plain soy milk; water; banana; vitamins; 1 mug of lemon zinger herbal tea. (Trying to drink lots of herbal tea recently, to help my singing voice.)

Snack - Kashi granola bar, some baby carrots

Lunch - Oh yah, forgot that...too nervous and busy making my audition CD!!!!!

Make up meal - tuna, mayo, lemon pepper mixed together and put in half a pita pocket; 1/2 C strawberry yogurt

Dinner - 2 grilled pork chops sprinkled with lemon pepper, half a bag of Asian mix salad.

Snack - 1 scoop of whey protein, 1 spoonful of creamy smart balance peanut butter, 8 oz plain silk soy milk

Exercise: Today was lower body, abs, and cardio day
ABS workout
5 minute fitness test on bike
20 minutes on treadmill (just stayed at 3.5 - so not in to working out today)
* Left gym after doing abs and cardio. Then went home and ate dinner. I then did the following right before getting my stinky self in to the shower.
3 sets of 10 squats
Every leg lift you can possibly imagine
a few more minutes of doing ABS

Monday

2007-06-26T00:04:00.000-06:00

Breakfast - half a banana - I know, not anywhere near enough food. I thought it was better than nothing. I just had zero time.
Lunch - 1 burrito supreme, 1/2 chx and cheese quesadilla, 1/2 extreme quesadilla, little bit of DP - I felt straight out crappy after eating this meal. Such an unwise choice. I seriously regretted eating that meal......my tummy no like Taco smell
Snack - some baby carrots
Dinner - 2 C steamed spinach with sprinkled salt and tiny bit of butter, 3 chicken tenders grilled on George foreman with lemon pepper and tomato basil spice, carrots, edamames, steamed carrots, broccoli, 1/2 C whole wheat organic linguine noodles
Snack - 1 C frozen yogurt caramel praline flavor
EDIT: I also had 1 cup of lemon zinger herbal tea, and 1 small bag of smart pop popcorn

Exercise!
Warmed up with 10 min on bike
38 min on elliptical machine
30 min of upper body/ab strength training with Dan my personal trainer helping out and spotting
YAH! Thanks to my I-POD music the time on the elliptical went fairly quick. Once again the bottom of my feet felt tingly/pain. Heidi - have you heard anything yet if this is normal? I know Dan and our upstairs neighbor have the same feeling when on the elliptical.

Small changes.....

2007-06-24T16:17:00.000-06:00

Saturday afternoon 6-23-07 picture taken -
No make up, about to go to beach, and not feeling completely gross in a bathing suit is a great feeling. My face is slowly slimming down. I no longer see a double chin from a frontal view. I can take one picture and like it without having to take multiple pictures. I also notice that I look a little younger. Eating healthy and staying active is the best thing since sliced whole wheat bread......

Sunday

2007-06-24T15:11:00.000-06:00

Breakfast - 2 multi grain slices of bread, skippy natural peanut butter, 1 sliced up banana; water; vitamins.

Lunch - bean tostada with no fat refried beans, no fat/no lard/no cholesterol tortillas, shredded colby cheese, cholula hot sauce; water

Snack - 1 mint flavored skinny cow ice cream sandwich; handful of tortilla chips

Dinner - appetizers at grad party - cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, crab/artichoke tiny wraps, turkey and cheese mini wraps, 1/2 Dijon mustard with 1 slice of pastrami on a roll, 3 pieces of shrimp with cocktail dipping sauce, 1 glass of lemonade, water. (I am proud of myself - I skipped the fried wings)

Dessert - 2 brownies, popcorn, licorice, soy milk, a few tortilla chips with gross guac(too much vinegar)

S-a-t-u-r-d-a-y

2007-06-23T18:29:00.000-06:00

I have the Bay city rollers song in my head. I just downloaded onto my I-TUNES. I love that song..... S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y

Food log -

Breakfast - Breakfast burritos - thank you women's health recipe, water, and vitamins
Snack - some grapes and a few cheerios
Lunch - whey protein, frozen strawberries, light soy milk -all blended up to a smoothie; topped with a spoonful of chocolate cool whip (only 2 g of sugar, and a few calories)
Snack - maui onion chips (driving to beach)
Dinner - 1 bean burrito with sour cream from taco smell (healthiest choice for a meal), a little bit of Dr Pepper
Snack - 4 white mac nut cookies (why does it feel so good to be so bad??) with a glass of plain soy milk

I LOVE this link!

2007-06-23T14:08:00.000-06:00

I have discovered the greatest thing invented! It's the recipe link on the Women's Health magazine website. Need an idea for a meal? Want to plan meals ahead of time??? Just go to this link and you have all these foods at your disposal. They are quick and easy. They are healthy! And they taste delicious!

Just now I planned today's meals out!
Breakfast - Breakfast burritos
Lunch - Asian Noodle Salad
Dinner - BBQ chicken salad

I LOVE this recipe link!!

One of the great things about this link is that you are able to switch the serving size. Preparing a meal for 2 or 20, it doesn't matter. You are able to change the serving size and it calculates for you the difference in portions! Can it get more simple to eat healthy? I think not!

Friday!!!

2007-06-22T15:01:00.000-06:00

So I am very happy to say that I stopped eating 2 hours before I went to bed last night! Yah for me! Dan and I also worked out yesterday at his work gym before heading to date night. And at the movie, I resisted getting nachos and chocolate! I chose the healthiest options there. Diet coke, hot dog, and popcorn. And we brought hot tamales and licorice that I had been saving for movie night! I usually would get down on myself about the soda and hot dog for dinner, but I was actually happy. I could of skipped the gym, so I had time to make dinner before date night. But I really felt that working out was needed for me. So YAH for me!

So here is today's food log -

Breakfast - Cinn weight control oatmeal, fresh cut up strawberries, sprinkled cinnamon, raisins; water; vitamins. Side note - I would not suggest mixing the strawberries into that mix. It tasted weird.

Snack - Kashi chewy granola bar

Lunch - 3 multi grain WASA crackers with light laughing cow cheese spread, tomato slice, and turkey breast slice; 2 whole wheat tortillas sprinkled with cheese

Snack - Protein shake with 8 oz light plain soy milk

Dinner - whole wheat organic linguine noodles with citrus shrimp, I sprinkled the pasta and shrimp with a tiny handful of shredded mozzarella cheese, also had edamames before and with dinner, and of course.....WATER!!!

Snack - munched on some edamame's and crystal light tangerine/strawberry flavor

Snack - Creamy chocolate banana ice treat!!! Taste delicious!

** Exercise and feelin good**

Dan left tonight to help out some people from our church. I found myself alone with Ben and just wanting to order pizza and watch a movie with Ben. But, I did not to do that. Oh no, I got my tushy in gear. What is my main motivator at the moment? *July 20th and singing in the Colgate country showdown. I've gotta feel confident not only in my singing but in my jeans. ;) wink wink Seriously though....I am proud of myself. I clicked on the link to the right of my page that says 10 ingredients and 40 recipes. I had went grocery shopping with that list last week. I am just now getting around to cooking a meal from it. I found a citrus shrimp recipe that sounded delicious. So while the shrimp was marinating, I grabbed Ben and the jogging stroller and off we went. We live on a steep hill. It is my main reason for not getting out more. But this time I did it! And I came home sweating like a pig(it felt great), made some yummy wholesome dinner food while listening to my I-pod in the I-home set to my "relax and unwind" play list(aka: Norah Jones, Andre Bocelli, John Mayer), ate a nice quiet meal with Ben, put Ben to bed, cleaned up the house, jumped in the shower, and still had energy to greet Dan with a smile. :) Yah for me! It's a good day today!

Honest thoughts

2007-06-21T14:07:00.000-06:00

Why is night time such a hard time for me??? The days that I do not work out I definitely notice a difference in my will power to resist late snacking and other splurges. Last night was one of those nights.

I am going to write this down because I am not perfect, and I know others are reading this that can relate. And it helps to know that we all crumble once in a while. And like many know that is okay. Just get right back up. Well that's what I did. I am back up now. But last night was a different story.

For the third night in row, Dan had a softball game. Last night was his last softball game of the season and the team would have had to forfeit if Dan didn't play. He helped clean the house earlier, and even made dinner. (He is so helpful softball game night) He even let me take a 3 hr nap when he got home from work, while he watched Ben and Lily(little girl I baby sit). So after he also helped put Ben down to sleep, I figured the least I could give him was a guys softball game night. Ben and I stayed home because we had kept Ben up the last 2 nights for late games, and figured he was worn out by then. So Ben went to sleep. I stayed home and popped in a chick flick and grabbed some crystal light pink lemonade and baked lays and relaxed. I went and got some licorice half way through the movie since I was munchy. And also had another mint flavored skinny cow ice cream treat. Then Dan got home and he decided he was hungry. I said I was too. And we made grilled cheese sandwiches on multi grain bread. I added tomato's and white onions to mine since that is what I was craving. But man that sandwich didn't satisfy me. Yes, I was stuffed by that point. But I was still munchy. I stopped though. I talked to Dan for awhile then passed out asleep.

I just don't know what is going on though with my energy. I was dead exhausted yesterday. I can never nap in the afternoon. But I did just that yesterday afternoon for 3 hours people!!! And when I woke up it was dinner time and Dan said I just looked like I wasn't feeling good. But after I ate dinner I got most of my energy back. But then my energy was drained again. So I ate some chips and lemonade, energy back. This continued and every time I ate, I would get my energy back. Hmmmm....

All I know is I am not eating healthy at night. And I have not been stopping my eating 2 hours before bedtime. So those are the two things I am going to work on this week. Healthier snacking and stopping eating 2 hours before bedtime. Oh yah - and getting to bed earlier!

Thursday

2007-06-21T14:06:00.000-06:00

Food Log -

Breakfast - cinn weight control oatmeal with some fresh blueberries mixed in; water; vitamins
Lunch - Crispy(used canola oil in skillet) whole wheat tortilla with low fat refried beans, sprinkle of cheese, tomato's. onions. and a tiny bit of non fat sour cream
Snack - protein shake
Dinner -Movie date night - hot dog with ketchup and mustard, diet coke, popcorn, hot tamales, licorice(I resisted the nachos and chocolate candy products!!)

Exercise -
5 minutes on bike to warm up
7 minutes of stretching
30 minutes on treadmill - did (2) 1 minute intervals on 5.0 speed jogging, rest was walking at 3.5 speed some times with incline between 2.0 and 3.0
Weight machine for back/arms - 2 sets of 12 - this is the wonderful new exercise that I have discovered. It helps get rid of my "hump" by my neck. It formed when my front area got HUGE during the pregnancy. Also from poor posture. I thought I would never get rid of it. God bless this weight set!

Wednesday

2007-06-20T19:01:00.000-06:00

Food log -

Breakfast - 1 piece of mulit grain toast with smart balance creamy peanut butter; few bites of a banana, water

Snack - wheat grass shot with a slice of an orange from jamba juice

Lunch - 3 pieces of salmon with rice, California rolls Maki, and only 1 tiny slice of Dan's Taco smell quesadilla. (Dan said he was proud of me for not eating taco Bell and for making healthier choices!!!!)

Snack - baby carrots

*Dan watched the kids while I took a 3 hr nap. I feel like someone took a suction cup and sucked all the energy out of my body. What is going on? The only thing I can think of is that I am not eating enough? Anyone have any other thoughts???? Anyone anyone???Buller....anyone?

Dinner - (My wonderful husband made) Tofu stir fry with brown rice. This meal is courtesy of week 1 - day 7 - dinner meal - off of week 1 booty boot camp. (Substituted low sodium soy
sauce for terriaki sauce that we didn't have. )

Snacks - Licorice, couple handfuls of baked lays chips, crystal light pink lemonade, 2 skinny cow mint flavored sandwiches.

I was almost too embarrassed to add this. But this site is about healthy. And being honest is the first step for me to become healthier.

EDIT ADD ON - 2 slices of multi grain bread, 2 slices of deli Colby jack cheese, light butter, 1 Roma tomato sliced up, 1 big slice of a white onion.

Oprah

2007-06-20T18:41:00.001-06:00

So I was flipping channels during my "me" time one day.

"Me" time is 1 hour a day that Dan allows me to make sure I am completely focused off of children and housework! It's great! I usually use this time to catch up with homework, blogging, gym, or like today, just put my feet up and think about NOTHING!

So I stopped the flipping of channels and there was Oprah. If by some miracle I have a chance during the day to watch Oprah, I try and seize the moment to watch it. Lately I have found her show very informative and educational. And I love that I am actually learning something while watching the TV. In the past few months, I have especially loved watching The Debt Diet series and Dr OZ. And a few days ago Bob Greene was on the show. I only caught the last few minutes. But that short time of watching had a huge affect on me. He was talking about his Best Life Diet and some recipes that go with it.

I realized that many of the recipes he was talking about, were many that I already made or had known about. He went down a list of food that were really healthy to eat. He mentioned soy milk, Wasa crackers, light yoplait yogurt, Barilla whole wheat Pastas, and so on....and I thought to myself..check check check....... So after realizing that I have mostly all of the foods on this "best life diet" I might as well read more about it and maybe try a few ideas off of his list. What the hay maybe I'll even check out his book from the library. And I really do hate the word diet. But this is not that. It is healthy living. And it slowly helps you become a healthier eater and a more active person. And don't we all need that? :) So read along with me if you'd like. I'm going to be inserting links to the right from Bob Greene. I like his attitude.

PS When I become a famous country singer, I am going to hire Dr Oz and Bob Greene.

Tuesday's meals and feelings (because for me the two go hand in hand)

2007-06-19T15:35:00.000-06:00

After having a splurge all weekend I have decided that meal planning is a NECESSITY! At least for right now. The weekend is the time for me to go off the meal plan and try and choose healthy options. But the weekend rolled into Monday and I am really down on myself. I ate so much garbage these past few days. Only 1 way to pick myself up. KEEP GOING! This is really hard for me. Because I am doing it the "healthy" way, it is a slow process. And even though my arms were feeling toner, face felt thinner, and my derriere' felt higher....I feel like all my progress went out the door with the bad food choices and not exercising. But instead of staying in that frame of mind, I am going to switch gears.

Look at the positive and what works for me -

* Eating healthy breakfast, vitamins, and water right after I wake up. This helps me not skip meals which leads to overeating and choosing garbage.

* Getting on computer less for pleasure(aka:People.com) and more for journal feelings and track eating.

* Following meal plan or healthy meal ideas from Women's Health

* When at grocery store, stick to list and healthy options. Stop buying Chips(even though they are baked lays and multi grain tortilla chips)

* Pat yourself on the back for only having soda two times in 5 days. Pat yourself on back for choosing Icee and popcorn instead of nachos and chocolate candy on Friday night.

* Get off your tush and get active!

Food Log for Tuesday -Following (for the most part)week 1 booty camp day 1 meals

*Breakfast - Cinn weight control instant oatmeal, 1 cup of mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries), handful of chopped pecans, 1/4 cup of light soy milk. Water and vitamins.

*Snack and Lunch together - 1/2 cup of cottage cheese sprinkled cinnamon; 4 C mixed salad greens, 4 oz chx from can, 1/2 sliced up avocado; 1 TSP lemon juice and 2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil mixed together to make salad dressing; 1 orange sliced up

Snack - 1 scoop of protein powder, 8 oz light plain soy milk

Snack - multi grain tortilla chips and homemade guacamole with Roma tomatoes and white onions in it.

Munchies - skinny cow caramel cone

After these snacks, I went and did an intense cardio workout with hills. Then off to Dan's softball game. When we finally got home it was 9:30pm and I just wasn't hungry. I really haven't had an appetite lately. Hmmmm......

EDIT: Had a handful of baby carrots, 3 wasa crackers spread with light cream cheese and raisins, 5 pieces of fat free licorice.

Back after a short hiatus

2007-06-19T13:26:00.000-06:00

After a short"hiatus" I am back! Here is a brief run down of how the past 5 days have gone.

*Friday - Breakfast - healthy, 2:30pm - Quizno's salads as a family on the way to the game. Then Dan and I had a date night and saw Fantastic 4 #2!!! My dinner for the night was a strawberry Iceeee and popcorn. I know...so healthy right?

*Saturday - Skipped breakfast. Evening - Went to military theatre and attempted to watch Spiderman 3 with Ben. We left early, but we still ate the un-healthy food. Had dinner at theatre. There were no healthy options. I had a hot dog, diet coke, some popcorn, few tiny butter finger bites, a few nachos. Definitely not my finest moment in healthy eating. This tiny military theatre didn't even have Iceee's. But everything was super cheap. Tickets for example were only $3.50! And Ben of course was free.

*Sunday - Happy Fathers day! Made a mostly healthy brunch. I made french toast kabobs. I also made smoothies out of frozen fruit, plain fat free yogurt, and a tiny bit of apple juice. Also on the table was strawberry/tangerine Crystal Light.

Then we came home from church. Dan and Ben grilled us up some steak!! Yummy!

We rarely eat red meat. It was pretty darn tasty though with the grilled Cajun rub Dan had put on it! Besides steak, I had half a baked sweet potato, 1 piece of corn on the cob, and a piece of french bread. ~Oh yah I almost forgot! We invited our upstairs neighbor Kevin and his little girl(whom I baby sit) over for dinner while Connie(the Mom) is gone to Army training. Kevin brought over the best guacamole I have EVER tasted! It went so fast we didn't even get pictures. But guess what??? I got the secret recipe!!! That was one yummy appetizer!

*Monday( not my healthiest) - Flew by - breakfast - healthy total cereal with blueberries and skim milk. Lunch -while running errands - bean burrito with sour cream and diet coke from Taco Smell. Dinner - while at Dan's softball game - one slice of cheese pizza, watermelon, water. Then after the game Dan wanted a taco. I ordered a nacho just out of habit. I over ate. I regreted it big time. I was not even hungry!

* Tuesday - Doing great! Will post separately for today's healthy meals.

Enough to get to the gym

2007-06-15T00:13:00.001-06:00

I am watching the weight come off...that in itself is enough to get my tush to the gym! Well the scale and mirror don't lie! I feel like I am shrinking...like literally getting shorter....

So Dan, Ben, and I headed over to Dan's work gym again. It's so great because no one is ever there. And as old as the equipment is......it's still free and at our disposal any time! So today I hopped on the bike for a 5 minute warm up. A nice stretch was done and my calves and hamstrings said THANK YOU!

Then jumped over to the treadmill (really was not feeling that happy to be working out right then) and did 17 minutes on that. At that time Ben started to get REALLY fussy. So Dan and I decided that since I was walking on the treadmill, I might as well be pushing Benji outside for some fresh air! And Dan had just finished listing his arm weights. The fresh air was nice for myself also.

So off we went to head outside. Down the road from the gym and military base is a track and field. So we walked(didn't drive) over there. When I got over there, Dan and Ben went ahead of me and I decided to walk/jog. My chest started to hurt. So after half a mile we walked back over to the parking lot where the car was parked. Total time walking outside - 6:05 - 6:25

I think I'll do some abs tonight. Wish me luck!

Wednesday's breezy work out

2007-06-14T18:32:00.000-06:00

So today's work out was a piece of cake. But it sure didn't start out that way! I arrived to the gym only to realize that my IPOD would not turn on. The battery was dead. So this in itself was almost enough to have me turn around and walk out of the gym and head right back home. But I am a changed woman! I decided to stay and work out anyways. And my body loved every minute of it. ( This is one of the reasons I can't wait to get back to Utah where my Golds Gym membership(paid for but on hold) is anxiously waiting for me! For now I will be totally fine using our free military gym. )

Another obstacle was that every treadmill and elliptical machine was being used. I then decided to grab the step aerobics class that was about to start. But every step was being used! I did not give up though!!! I thought maybe I would ride the bike for a warm up, stretch, then see if someone got off the elliptical. And they did! And this is how it went.........

I started off with riding the bike through a 5 minute fitness test. Remember I took that a few days ago? Well, I have improved. I went from a score of Poor to Below Normal...so okay I guess? I still don't know how that bike gages fitness? I then stretched for 10 minutes, while watching the elliptical like a hawk. Then when someone started to look at it....I hopped on! ;)

So then I did the elliptical machine. I set it for 30 minutes and decided I would try my best to stay on the entire time. And guess what? I did it! My feet at one time did start to get tingly and fall asleep. I think that's just part of working out on the elliptical? But, besides that I had such a great work out! And I would have went for 30 more minutes had I not had Dan's work dinner to get to. My lungs did not burn one time. (I really focused on my breathing.) My legs did not die. By golly I think I am actually getting into shape.......

Thursday meals

2007-06-14T17:36:00.000-06:00

Breakfast - Total cereal with skim milk; 1 orange sliced up; vitamins; water

Snack - baby carrots

Lunch - (yet again resisted Dan eating that evil leftover pizza) 1 whole wheat tortilla, roasted red pepper hummus, turkey breast slices (heated up in microwave for 15 seconds); baby carrots dipped in roasted red pepper hummus

Snack - Protein Shake

Snack - 1 bag of 100 calorie toasted wheat thin crisps

Snack - edamame's sprinkled with tiny bit of salt, 4 WASA crackers topped with light cream cheese and raisins.

Dinner - 1 whole wheat tortilla and inside was hard boiled eggs mashed up pinch of mayo and mustard, dollop of light sour cream, and cholula hot sauce.

Leah's ways to stay motivated 101

2007-06-13T19:03:00.001-06:00

Once in a while go shopping for yourself. It's always great to track your weight loss progress by how well your clothes fit. And it doesn't hurt if the shirt you buy is totally flattering to your skin complexion and fits just right!!!! ( wink wink ;) wink)
Don't starve yourself!!!! Eating Healthy does not have to taste gross! Dan made this delicious dinner the other night. Shrimp Kabobs with veggies sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning, and watermelon!!!!

Once in a while give your muscles a rest! I decided that watching Shrek with Ben was the right thing to do at that moment. My muscles were DYING from Saturday's work out. And even though clean laundry was screaming my name to be put away and the bed wasn't even made, I ignored it for that afternoon. Dan caught us and took this picture.....

Set short term goals for yourself. My personal short term goal is to get my tush(literally) in gear and accomplish a dream/goal I have had all my life. So July 27th and 28th I will be singing and competing in the Colgate Country Showdown!!!

Finding that balance......

2007-06-13T15:33:00.000-06:00

Feeding starving child post workout.

Ben is so hungry he is not even looking up for the picture. My domestic skills have taken the back burner. Hence the reason why mostly every picture I take,has messy house behind me. That's okay though. That's what life is all about right? Finding that balance somewhere in between.....

Dan took this picture last Saturday. I have to say I am already noticing a difference in my bod. The way I feel about myself has drastically changed also. YAH for healthy living! Oh yah and I know you're digging my "straight off the clearance rack" work out clothes!!! And I just noticed I have a very nice farmers tan going on also.....so GLAMOROUS! ;)

Wednesday meals

2007-06-13T14:16:00.000-06:00

Breakfast - Cinnamon weight control oatmeal (today I mixed in 3/4 cup of skim milk instead of water as suggested by WH to stay full longer), with raisins and cinnamon; water, vitamins, antibiotics. * Check out the new link I put up to the right. It's titled "Hungry Like a Wolf", and it has great ideas for healthy foods that keep you full longer.

Snack - baby carrots

Lunch - Big hooray for me - I resisted leftover pizza!!! As Dan came home for his lunch break, he pulled "it" out of the fridge. I called him a Meany for tempting me, and decided I didn't want to work out any more than I had to......"my plan is working".....insert Dr Evil laugh here. I ended up having leftover's from lunch yesterday. The only difference is that I added cooked baby peas and some baby carrots to the mix. I am still getting used to the taste of tuna without mayo and whole wheat pasta. Other than that though it was great. Main Point is - I felt good after eating it. And last night after eating pizza I felt bloated, lethargic, UN-motivated, reflex, and other not so pleasant experiences. So I think (like soda) I have finally learned my lesson. Eat foods that have no negative side effects on my body!

Snack -baby carrots

Dinner - Serves me right gloating all about how I "resisted" the temptous pizza leftovers. I ate Taco bell. It couldn't really be helped. I went to the gym as soon as Dan got home, then jumped in COLD shower(yes Megan I agree that is one of the best things in life), then jetted off to a work dinner for Dan's unit(didn't eat anything, just a schmooze the boss type of deal), then straight off to Dan's softball game. So finally when his game was done we grabbed taco smell. So add 1 extra workout to the list of my busy life. Oh yeah, did I mention after eating dinner way too late at night, I had to jump on the computer and do some homework for my criminal justice summer school class?( In my best Simon Cowell impersonation - WOO PEE) I guess I will sleep/rest when I'm dead....... ;)

Snack - mug of sugar free hot cocoa (yummmm)

Rested on Tuesday from exercise

2007-06-13T13:07:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I rested and did not do any exercise. I was at the Dr with Ben for most of the afternoon. I was feeling like garbage myself. I had sweated most of the day anyways from the HOT weather just doing errands. So, I decided to not over do it or push it. Dan and I both (after getting dressed and in route to gym) decided it was too late to work out(Ben didn't feel good and was getting CRANKY) and we should just take a rest today. I am proud of us for listening to our bodies.

Tuesday meals

2007-06-13T12:59:00.000-06:00

breakfast - 1 slice of multi grain toast with natural peanut butter, water, vitamins, antibiotic

Snack - skipped

Lunch - whole wheat pasta, canned tuna, olive oil, grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese

Snack - protein shake

Snack - Sugar free banana pudding mix with graham cracker crust on the bottom

Snack - few bites of pasta from lunch(waiting for pizza to be delivered) waited too long to order and eat dinner. I was STARVING!!!

Dinner - Today we chose to make our 1 eat out day a week - Pizza - anything past this will
require an extra work out. No soda, instead drank crystal light!!!! (tangerine/strawberry flavored)

Monday work out

2007-06-11T20:16:00.000-06:00

I just got back from the gym. I am still a little sore from Saturday's work out. I took it easy at the gym today. And, I listened to my body and did not jog. I am sticking with fast paced walking right now. The jogging is too hard on my shins and knees right now. Plus most of my work out songs on my IPOD are better suited for quick walking and biking. So the following is what I did do at the gym today:

10 warm up of walking on treadmill

10 minute stretch (felt REALLY good)

20 min on treadmill at about 3.5 speed setting, sometimes I had it at a 1.5 incline to stretch out my calves a little more

7 min on the bike (5 min of that was a fitness test) I scored a poor rating - BOO!

~ After I did Saturday's work out, I didn't really feel like I worked my stomach muscles well enough. And my stomach is my main focus area to drop inches in. I have a great belly dancing video that works the stomach area REALLY well. So I am going to do that later on. Till next time!

Weigh in day

2007-06-11T15:53:00.001-06:00

So I have decided that weighing myself every day is not healthy. So last Monday when I started this whole shin dig, I weighed myself and started a Word document (because I am obsessed with lists and word documents)weight chart. It is titled, "Ideal Weight". What I am going to do is weigh myself only ONCE a week. And the rest of the week the scale will be in the cabinet. :) This is something I have really struggled with in the past. I have the tendency to obsess over my weight. So this will help me to stay on track, but at the same time not worry or obsess over it! It's just a number right?????

*****SUPER GREAT NEWS IS THAT......... As of last Friday I am down ONE WHOLE CLOTHING SIZE!!!!!! Dan and I went to Old Navy to check out there clearance on work out clothes. And Dan is down TWO clothing sizes, and I am down ONE!!!!! YAHHHHHH!!!!

* Below is a cut and copied chart of what the Ideal Weight chart looks like:

********************************************************************************
My ideal weight for my body frame at 5’8” is between 146 and 167. I am currently *** as of June 5th, 2007. That means I have between *** and ** pounds to drop. I can only do this one day at a time and one meal at a time!

I am currently eating healthy and exercising. I am following an already made meal plan provided by Women’s Health magazine. This is something that I feel like I can really stick to! Dan and I are both doing a change of life work out and eating, so I think this will work the best for us! Yeah for team support and team work!

My goal weight is still *** pounds. I want to be at this weight because then I will have a healthy BMI. But, my main goal is to be healthier. I currently have asthma, possible blood clot, bad knees, mood swings, bad circulation, and low energy. I want to change all of this AND be an example of health to Benjamin. And be the best wife I can be to my loving, wonderful husband. And I don’t want to miss out on life just because of my weight or size. I want to do this for me this time and do it for the right reasons!!!

Black color means I just started out.
Green means in that week I lost weight!
Red means that I gained weight.

1st week - 6/4/07 – weight is *** pounds (weighed on home scale stark at night)
2nd week – 6/11/07 – weight is (have yet to be weighed at this moment)
3rd week – 6/18/07 – weight is
4th week – 6/25/07 – weight is
5th week – 7/2/07 – weight is
6th week – 7/9/07 – weight is
7th week – 7/16/07 – weight is
8th week – 7/23/07 – weight is
9th week – 7/30/07 – weight is
10th week - 8/6/07 – weight is
11th week -8/13/07 – weight is

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I have put stars next to the place that would show my weight. I am still not quite ready to put my weight up on the net. But you get the idea of what I am doing in case anyone would like to follow in my footsteps........

Just another manic Monday of meals

2007-06-11T15:48:00.000-06:00

Today Dan has the day off because of King Kamehaha day(it's a Hawaiian thing). So, I am not following the Women's Health plan. Like Saturday and Sunday, I am trying my best to choose healthy options. So far so good......

Breakfast - Cinnamon flavored Weight Control oatmeal sprinkled with a handful of raisins and a dash of cinnamon. I also cut up an apple. I ended up dipping the apple slices into the oatmeal.

Snack - 8 oz of skim milk with 1 scoop of EAS whey protein to make a shake

Lunch - 2 whole wheat pita pockets - each one had a tuna mix(light mayo and lemon pepper), romaine lettuce, and pocket had a tiny bit of black olive hummus; 20 baby carrots on the side.

Snack - 5 pieces of cooked shrimp with old bay seasoning sprinkled on them

Dinner - 2 shrimp cabob skewers with red bell peppers, red onion, and zucchini; all sprinkled with old baby seasoning; and watermelon

Snack - sugar free banana pudding with the crust of graham crackers(Thank you Dan!!)

Snack - whole wheat crackers and light laughing cow cheese spread (I can't get enough of this people!) and 1 handful of smart pop popcorn.

I am really proud of myself

2007-06-11T15:30:00.000-06:00

I really feel like I am finally doing it. I am finally choosing to live a healthier lifestyle. Do you know how great that feels? My body is loving it. My husband is loving it. Ben is loving it. And though the house work might be falling behind......I am okay with that. My health needs my attention right now. I will focus on my piles of laundry later......... ;)

I also started back up with writing in my journal here at the house. I feel that emotional health is just if not more important as physical health!

And I have to say it makes the world of difference to know that Heidi has a hard time getting motivated to work out too, and Heather(who is training for a half marathon) splurges once in a while with a symphony chocolate bar, and Elaine tells me Starbucks brownies are okay once in a while. Bottom line - none of us are perfect! We are all trying and that is what matters! Hang in there ladies! And in the mean time - keep it up!!!!!

I will end with Dan's military chant (he would shout this as he ran with his training unit recently)
MOTIVATED MOTIVATED DOWN RIGHT MOTIVATED! HOOOOOO RAW!

My meals on Sunday

2007-06-10T15:35:00.001-06:00

Breakfast - whole wheat English muffin with natural peanut butter, slice of watermelon

Snack - steamed spinach with tiny pinch of garlic salt and light butter

Lunch - turkey breast sandwich on multi grain bread with light mayo and mustard and romaine lettuce; watermelon, baby carrots

Snack - 7 vanilla wafers, 1 kashi granola bar(flavor was dark cherry chocolate), munched on watermelon all afternoon

Snack - 100 calorie bag of toasted wheat thins crisps

Dinner - half of a baked sweet potato(split a large one with Dan), sauteed asparagus with garlic and olive oil, steak with Italian seasoning.

Snack - sugar free fudgesicle, whole wheat Ritz crackers with light laughing cow cheese lightly spread on them

Snack - Vanilla frozen yogurt with choc syrup and butterscotch syrup and vanilla wafers

I was really munchy and snacky tonight. I found out the reason today...(men close your ears)Aunt Flo is in town. All in all this weekend's work outs and eating was FABULOUS! Yah for choosing healthy choices!!!

Saturday is a work out and a half day

2007-06-09T20:24:00.000-06:00

Just call Saturday the pump me up and work out day! I woke up after sleeping in. (THANK YOU DAN!) I ate my healthy breakfast, drank some water, took my vitamins. Then a little bit later Dan, Ben, and I headed to the gym. (Dan works on a base that has a private gym. No one works out there after work hours. So we are able to bring Ben and still get a great work out together. ) So the following is what my great work out consisted of. This is above and beyond my normal day of working out. But do you remember all that take out we had this week?????? And plus I had only worked out once this week. So I really felt great after doing the following:

* 10 min warm up on stationary bike

* 35 minutes on treadmill - walked most of time at 3.5 setting speed. Also did 1 minute straight intervals of jogging at 5.0 speed setting. First 15 minutes and middle 10 minutes I had the incline set to 2.0 - 3.0 going up hill.

*Women's health lower body workout #1
Love your lower half
Four do-it-at-home moves for a four-star posterior

*Women's health upper body work out #1
The easy toned arms plan (level 1)
Press, pull, and curl your way into a sleeker upper body

So as you can imagine I am WAY sore from that work out!!! Believe it or not, but tonight I am going to try and squeeze in an ab work out. Wish me luck!

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EDIT - I DID IT! I JUST FINISHED ....................
CORE WORKOUT 2 - THE FLAT ABS PLAN (LEVEL 1)A
Now I am going to do a REALLY great stretch. My body is screaming for a good stretch!

Meals for Saturday

2007-06-09T19:57:00.000-06:00

These meals are not a plan by Women's health. This weekend I am just trying to eat healthy and I am not following a plan. During the week, I will follow measured out and scheduled meals. The weekend is the time for me to learn to eat healthier on my own. Of course some meals that I eat on the weekend are ideas from Women's Health.

Saturday:

Breakfast - soy milk, total cereal, cut up strawberries, 16 oz of water, pack of GNC multi vitamins women's energy pack

Snack - 3 wasa multi grain crackers spread with roasted red pepper hummus

Snack - 10 baby carrots

Snack - 1 scoop of EAS whey protein mixed with 8 oz of soy milk. Dan suggested drinking this protein shake. It taste just like chocolate milk!!!! It is really great to take after working out. It helps your re-build your muscles quicker. Because, when you work out you naturally tear your muscles. So this was a great little shake! We had a special 1 day pass coupon for Sam's club. We bought a big bag of it for only $20.00.

Dinner - water with cut up lemons, 4 oz grilled salmon marinated in 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp honey; 2 C steamed spinach; 1 small sweet baked potato (I added a TEENY small amount of light butter, light sour cream, chopped up chives, and black pepper.) The salmon had ZERO hint of a fishy taste. YUM! Very filling!

Nightime snack with movie -
Cottage Cheese with cinnamon and raisins. It tasted very similiar to rice pudding! I also had whole wheat ritz crackers with light laughing cow cheese, and a glass of sugar free hot cocoa