Mickey Mouse Club House

Layla loves watching Mickey Mouse Club House on the Disney channel. This gave me the perfect idea for the little room under the stairs I was planning on turning in to a play room for her. This was so much fun! And ... she loves it. :) 

 

Lovely shades of green

Well, no surgery, and no more cast!  Hurrah!  I have a nice brace instead and the doctor said it is looking great.  I'm so relieved.  It's still very painful, and a lovely shade of green, which is odd because the broken bone is actually on the other side of my wrist (the radius, not the ulna).  I don't know why the bruising in on the other side.  But, the whole thing hurts, not just where it's broken, so perhaps I sprained it pretty good too.  Maybe next time I'll use a mat. ;)

My one / left handed life...

Is getting really old.  It's amazing what we take for granted in life, especially when it comes to our health and our bodies.  It's been two weeks and a couple of days since I broke my wrist and I'm so tired of it already.  I'm not sure yet how long I'm going to have this cast on as when I went in for another x-ray on Monday the Dr. was not happy that it had moved back to where it was before he set it.  He said it would be borderline "ok" if it stays where it is right now, but if it moves any more, he will have to repair it surgically.  Yikes!  I was not prepared to hear that.  Thinking about how much more time it might take to heal made me very unhappy.  He called me the next day to assure me that even if I do have surgery it wouldn't add much if anything to my recovery time because since it would be supported with pins I wouldn't need a cast and would have mobility in my wrist even faster.  So I guess it's not the end of the world.  I'd rather have it done right, even if it does take a little longer. 

The trouble with being a show off...

This is what happens when your ego gets out of control and you decide to do a round off back hand spring in front of a bunch of girls at camp.  Had to be my right wrist of course just to add more insult to injury.  Am I cool or what?  I've done this trick a thousand times....the thought that I might break something never even occured to me.  First ever broken bone.  Hopefully the last.  Hope I still dare to try it again some day....I never want to get old!

12 Weeks...and the Winner Is....

Me!!  I did it! I set out with a goal to win this thing and I did!  Woo hoo!  I don't think my stats were all that great, but apparently better than anyone else.  Total weight loss was 14.2lbs, and 7.1% body fat.  I didn't lose any weight the last two weeks, but my fat % went down again and my muscle percentage went up.  Thanks to P90X I'm sure :)  I won $50 bucks. Woot! I also won a whole closet full of clothes I couldn't fit in to a few months ago. Now I don't have to ask myself what "can" I wear this morning, but what do I "want" to wear.  More importantly, I stuck with it for the entire 12 weeks and didn't quit.  This is a huge thing for me.  And...I just feel so much better!

What's next for me? Finish the next 5 weeks of P90X as strong as possible. Then...do it again! Then...celebrate my 50th birthday in November in a bikini on a tropical beach somewhere :) :)   I can dream can't I? Bring it!!

 You and me hammock...we will meet one day soon!

11 Week update...

No, I didn't quit or get lost....was just out trekking last week.  Ate terrible....had to eat what there was and it was all full of calories.  No harm done I don't think but really trying to make up for it these last few days before the final contest weigh-in on Wednesday. Good luck me!

10 Weeks and Counting

Just weighed in for week 10.  Down another couple pounds for a total of 14.  Hurrah!  More importantly, fat percentage is down 6%!  Yay! The contest is getting such positive feedback they have decided to extend it another week for a 12 week total. Who came up with the 11 week thing in the first place?  ;) 

Tomorrow will mark the half way point of P90X.  I am really excited about the results I'm getting with it.  Seriously, I was hopeful but had no idea just how well it would really work!  Perhaps I will be brave in the end and post my disgusting "before" picture along with my "after" photo if it's as incredible as I think it might be. :)  Not sure I'm that brave though.  You might have to become a Beach Body member if you want to see them..... ;)  Time will tell! 

Week 9

Hard to believe it's been 9 weeks already.  I didn't weigh in yesterday because the nice lady who is in charge of it was "out".  But that's okay.  I don't think the scale moved at all last week.  Doing P90X is not the fastest way to get the scale to move.  Fortunately the contest is not about pounds lost, but fat percentage, so I still have a fighting chance.  I'm losing inches and building muscle.  Evidence....is that some definition I see in my tricep?  I believe it is!  Woo hoo! 

Lindsey graduated from Cottonwood last Friday.  Serious dejavu as she walked down that ramp!  31 years ago I was doing that very thing on that very stage.  We just missed it on film, but the girl who was right behind her fell off the ramp and totally biffed it!  It was so funny!  (The girl wasn't hurt, of course that would not have been funny ;))  On Tuesday we went up to Utah State for her orientation and to look for housing.  I am excited and scared for her at the same time!  How did this happen so quickly?  She is such a joy to have in my life and I am so going to miss her. :( 

Slow and Steady Wins the Race :)

Week 8 and another pound down, and week 4 of P90X finished. I have to tell you, I am so impressed with this workout program!  When I began this biggest loser contest I could do a grand total of THREE push ups!  Four weeks in to P90X and I can do at least 20!  (That's because you do them nearly every freaking day in some form or another!).  It's amazing how fast your body can adapt when you push yourself.  I have no doubt in my mind I can get back to the kind of shape I was in when I was young. (er)  It's going to happen I tell ya! 

Besides the obvious benefits of being thinner, I am feeling so much better.  Before I started the contest I was having to take Prilosec every single day to combat nausea and/or heartburn.  I was having major peri-menopause symptoms and just felt all around crappy!  Since I've been doing this I have not had to take one single pill, have not had one single night sweat or hot flash and I just feel sooo much better!  I don't feel deprived, or feel like I'm starving.  I'm just enjoying eating good food. The weight is coming off and the health benefits are huge!  What's not to like about this??  And why was it ever so hard to get off my butt and get started?  I hope I never fall back in to bad habits again.  I just have to remind myself how good this feels. :) 

And for no other reason than just being the plain CUTEST thing ever......I had to share this!

I seriously feel so blessed to have this "not so little anymore" baby in my life.  She just makes me feel happy!

Week 7

The scale was better this week, hurrah!  Weight down, fat % down, muscle % up.  All good things!  I love doing P90X!  Some nights I go down to my gym dreading what I'm about to put myself through, but I am always amazed at how much better I can do from the last time and it makes me feel great!

Yesterday as I was at the SLCC campus having lunch with my sister I walked past the "culinary arts" center.  The smell of freshly baking cake or brownies drifted right up my nose and put a growl in my tummy!  It was crazy I tell ya.  So, not to be de-railed by running out and finding the nearest Paradise Bakery (which wasn't far), I reminded myself I had THIS

waiting for me at home!  Delicious strawberry shortcake using lite Cool Whip (or light cream in one of those pressurized cans) and angel food cake.  It's so delicious I feel like I'm cheating, but it's less than 200 calories a serving. :)  Yum!  Sometimes you just have to treat yourself nice. :)

Plugging along!

Only 69 more days to go :) 

Week 6 Already!

Time is flying by! Seriously, it's the middle of May already....slow down please! I'm not ready to be 50. Week 6 is over, and I won this little prize for being "the biggest loser to date". :) Mid-contest prize.

It's not much, but it's something!  Down 3.1% in body fat.  The scale didn't move for me this past week even though I was really good, but I'm not gonna let it get me down.  I'm wearing clothes I haven't been able to get in to for way too long! :)  The measuring tape is moving, even if the scale isn't.  I hear a lot of complaints about the scale from fellow P90X'rs.  It can be frustrating to work hard and not see the scale come down.  But when you're replacing fat with muscle (which weighs more) you can expect these kinds of results.  Stay away from the scale.  It is not your friend. ;) 

Week 5

Down another 1.5lbs for a total of 10lbs lost.  I don't think it's ever taken me this long to lose 10lbs when I'm really trying.  A little frustrating, but I am older.....boo.  I am not going to be discouraged! Fat percentage is down, and muscle percentage is up.  I attribute that to P90X!  And, I can chaturanga!  Couldn't do that last week!  I seriously shocked myself when I didn't just fall flat on my face. LOL  Really learning to love yoga! 

What's for Breakfast?

I am a creature of habit...escpecially if I find something I really like.  I look forward to getting to work in the morning for one reason: my breakfast!  (Yes, I eat breakfast at work.)  A bowl of whole wheat cereal; Zoom, with cinnamon, blueberries, walnuts, flax seeds, and skim milk.  Not many people seem to know what Zoom is.  It's like Cream of Wheat only  not as refined.  This breakfast is not only YUMMY..but good for you in so many ways!  Don't take my word for it, check these out:

Whole Wheat: http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/what-are-the-health-benefits
Cinnamon: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-surprising-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html?page=1
Blueberries: http://www.womenfitness.net/blueberries.htm
Walnuts: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/walnuts.html
Flax seeds: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed

Week 4

I stole this from a friend who posted it on Facebook.  So appropriate!  Week 4 completed.  8.5lbs lost. P90X started yesterday.  Made it through the first DVD without completely dying.  I was actually surprised at how much I was able to do.  I had to modify a couple of things but not until I did a few un-modified reps first.  I think if I had started 4 weeks ago with P90X I would have died!  LOL  I can do this! 

Zions

Went to St. George and Zions National Park over the weekend. Don and Audrey had never been. It could not have been a more perfect weekend weather wise, and we got in to the park unexpectedly free :) Who knew it was National Parks Week? Here are some pictures from our adventure. I'm gonna miss these guys so much!   (Click on the pictures to make them bigger, otherwise we look like ants.)

Week 3

Week three and plugging along.  Another pound and a half down.  Two more to go and I will be within my healthy BMI range.  BMI = body mass index.  This is the indicator that tells you if you are fat....if your tight clothes, bulging belly and the mirror don't tell you. It's a ratio of height and weight.  There are many BMI calculators out there, all you have to do is Google it.  Here is one I like: http://www.webmd.com/diet/calc-bmi-plus.  This will give you all kinds of helpful information.  Knowledge is power :)  How's your BMI? 

City Creek

My wonderful in-laws, Don and Audrey Ward, are in town from Canada for a couple of weeks.  We don't get to see them much, so it's really nice to have them around for a little while.  Friday we took them downtown to the new City Creek Center and mall.  It could not have been a more beautiful afternoon.  Rachel and Layla came with us. 

 What's not to love about being pushed around in your stoller?

 She is soaking wet from running through the water that shoots up and her pants are falling off. I tried to get some video, but in the interest of saving her life (mom was shopping), I couldn't video and keep her from drowing in the other fountain at the same time.  LOL  She was a little too eager to dive right in to the fountain.

 Here is Peter's dad patiently waiting on us while we shopped.  It's a tough job.

 Peter's mom and dad at The Cheesecake Factory.  

Me and Peter at The Cheesecake Factory

Me, learning a lesson for leaving my cell phone with Peter.  This was my screen saver when I got it back.  Nice! 

Other reasons I love having Don and Audrey here:

1. Dinner ready when I come home from work.

2. Windows washed inside and out.

3. Lawn mowed

4. Laundry folded.

5. Validation that I'm not crazy. ;)

Can I keep them??

Week 2

A couple more pounds lost :)  But even better, fat percentage down and muslce percentage up!  How do you trim an elephant??  One pound at a time. :)  My P90X came today.....will start on May 1st.  Should I be excited, or scared?  LOL 

Decision Made...

P90X it is!  Bought it Friday, will start May 1st assuming I have it by then.  Looking forward to the challenge.  I've been feeling pretty good.  Sore from my workouts (which is good I suppose), and eating well.  I haven't been craving anything....and I'm hoping that lasts for a very long time.  Inevitably, the chocolate chip cookies will start calling my name.  At which time I have to remember:

"Nothing tastes as good as losing weight feels!"

This year I will turn FIFTY!  Good grief, how did this happen??  The best thing I can give myself for my 50th birthday is a lean, fit body, and the self control to maintain it.  THAT is my goal. 

P90X or Insanity???

That is the question!  I've been reading up on them both......what to do, what to do.   

Super Foods!

What is a Super Food you say? 

"A “super food” is a category of foods deemed high in essential vitamins and nutrients that are said to help maintain a healthy body. These foods have been proven to assist in weight loss, fight diseases, and aid the body’s organs to function properly. These foods all have one thing in common, they are all natural. I have preached the importance of decreasing your intake of processed food many times on this blog but this just goes to show, our bodies were not meant to function on that kind of food. Here is a list of “super foods” that should be staples in your diet. (These are not the only ones, these are simply a small list of a few of my favs – feel free to add!
                   (Dishin about Nutrition, January 12, 2011.)

Here's a couple of links to sites with a list of super foods to enjoy in your diet each day. My personal favorite?? Dark chocolate of course.  Strawberries dipped in it, even more. :) 

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/10-everyday-super-foods

http://dishinaboutnutrition.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/super-foods-everyone-should-have-in-their-diet/

Week 1

"How long does getting thin take?" asked Pooh, anxiously.
– A.A. Milne

A lifetime!  At least for me.  In my lifetime I've probably lost over 150lbs. Unfortunately, I always seem to find them again.  I've never struggled with exercise because I love to be active.  But I also love to eat.  Who doesn't?  Self control in that area is ever elusive.  So, I keep trying.  Because I want to feel good.  And when I am carrying extra weight, I don't feel good....inside or out.  So here I go again! 

This week I lost 3.5lbs.  I don't want them back.  Ever.  Here's to NOT finding them.  :)  On my way!

Who Knew?

Kale chips.  You know, that green stuff in the Zuppa Tuscana at Olive Garden?  It's a green leafy vegetable, similar to spinach, and OH so good for you.  My daughter Brittany mentioned to me that she was eating it every day in the form of chips.  Whatever.  How weird is that? I kind of let that in one ear and out the other. Then one day while surfing I came across a food blog where the author mentioned how much she likes to eat kale.  Here it was again.  Only she ate it boiled.  Then I remembered that Britt had said something about eating kale.  So I called her, and I Googled it.  Who knew that there was this secret underworld society of kale chip munchers out there?  Who would believe that a green leafy plant like kale would get crispy in the oven and actually taste tood??  Well, I am here to tell you that it does!  It's kinda crazy, but it really does. Here's a link to a recipe I found.  I also sprinkled them with a little parmesan cheese for extra flavor. Use any of your favorite seasonings.  And then I tried potatoes!  They were awesome :)  Next I will do sweet potatoes.  The world is my oyster.  Or my kale.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe/index.html.

Tracking

If there's anything I hate more than trying to lose weight, it's keeping track of what I eat.  What a pain!  Unfortunately, it's a necessary evil.  I don't think I have ever been successful without tracking.  Weight Watcher's online is probably the best tool I've ever used...but alas, it's not free.  So, I recommend this one: www.nutritiondata.com.  It doesn't have a lot of the fast food listings other sites may contain, but it has a great analysis of the food you eat to let you see how "complete" your day was and where you need to improve.  Sure, you might have to use the tools to add some of your own foods or recipes, but once you do it's there forever and you can easily add it to your tracking.   At the end of the day you can see how many carbs you had, how much fat, how much protein, calcium, vitamins, etc.  The challenge is to try to eat enough of the right foods to get all of the above from food instead of supplements (which may or may not be absorbed in to the body anyway). I try to get the highest "complete" number I can, staying within my calorie limit of course.  It's not easy!  And there's definitely not room for junk food.  If I eat the amounts of good food I need, I'm too full for anything else anyway.

Who is the Biggest Loser?

I have posted before about my life long struggle with weight loss.  It's my Achilles heel, my weakness, my challenge in life.  Fortunately for me, the genes in my family do not trend towards obesity, so it's not a great deal of weight I'm talking about....just enough to make me uncomfortable and keep me from being the best I can be.  I have always felt if I could overcome this one BIG weakness in my life, I could overcome anything.  It's not that I don't know how to eat properly or exercise.  I've done it before, many times, and lost weight and felt good, only to fall back in to bad habits and put it all back on over time. Weight Watchers, South Beach Diet, Low Carb, Low Fat, Body for Life, Vegetarian, phony HCG, you name it, I've tried it.   The same twenty pounds, over and over again. Sound familiar? It's not about vanity or trying to look a certain way to fit in.  It's about being healthy and feeling good about myself.  I know I can be better.  It's like my unfinished college degree used to be....something I had just never finished or taken control of.  A loose end.  Something that keeps me from feeling like I am doing the best I can.  Because I'm not, and I know it.

So, this week, I begin yet another stab at shedding these extra pounds, hoping that THIS time it will stick....that maybe THIS time I will be able to conquer food for good and stay in control.   My sister and I are entering a Biggest Loser style contest at the college where she works, with weekly weigh-ins and prizes.  It's 11 weeks (don't know why the random number), ending June 20th.  I intend to win.  I am hesitant to blog about it.  That means I am putting myself out there and showcasing my possible failure to the world (or at least the 5 or 6 people who actually read my blog...LOL).  I have seen other people do it...put their statistics and pictures out there for all to see (which I won't be doing)...and some did pretty well.  Others fell by the weigh side (pun intended).  Will I be just another failed attempt?  I don't know, but I have to give it a try! One never really fails until they stop trying, right?   And along the way I will post some progress, because I know there will be some.  It's not so much the losing the weight I struggle with, it's the keeping it off and sticking to it part that has my number.

So, for the next few weeks I hope you will indulge me, or just ignore me, whichever works best...as I share my progress, tips,links, and recipes.  I would welcome any you might have as well.  Wish me luck!!

What Happened to February??

Seriously....is my life so busy I can't even blog for a whole month?  Or, maybe it's boring?  Or, maybe I have been feeling unispired?  Or, am I just old and can't remember I have a blog?!  Many of my blogging friends (and relations) have stopped writing.  I really hate that.  I enjoy reading about their lives, and in many cases, admiring their creativity.  So many talented people out there.  Anywho....here are some of the things I loved about February, in no particular order.

People in our family who turned a year older.  Lindsey and her cousin Chris both turned 18.  Holy crap!  My baby is 18!  How did this happen?

Robin turned 19!  Egad!  I didn't get a picture of her, but here is her cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory.  She is there, really, getting ready to blow out the candle.

And of course there was Valentine's Day.  The sweetest guy in the world sent me these beautiful flowers.  He knows what I like! I sure do love him. :)

And how can any Sunday go wrong when this cute little petunia comes to church with me?  She's so darned cute!

Taking Mom to Disney

My mom has never been to Disneyland.  My sister and I thought it was time.  So....we took her.  And she had a great time! 

 My sister Mykel in her lovely poncho.  The first day it rained so hard we were soaked, despite the ponchos.

 First run down Splash Mountain....in the pouring rain.

 Drowned rats!

 Our wet feet in the puddles.

 This is not a picture of a river....it's the pavement!  Did I mention it was pouring?

 Just for Peter. :)

 Space Mountain with some random guy we picked up. ;)

 Mom and Mykel.

 Mom....waiting for Mykel to take a survey.

 Mom

 Screamin!  Yep, you can't NOT scream.  Mom's favorite ride!

 Day 2...sunny....Grizzly rapids...smelly ponchos. 

 Me and mom on the Grizzly rapids.

 Waiting for the 3D Muppets show.  Cute!

 Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil....have a great time dropping from the Tower of Terror!

 Bug!

 Bugs land bumper cars!  She's a crazy driver!

 Favorite picture!

 Mom in her Bugs Life 3D glasses!  She's hilarious!

 Gotta have this shot, right?

Last ride down Splash Mountain.  Love that ride!