Today was fast paced.

I woke up, got the older kids dressed for school.  Got the little one on the boob.  Got myself dressed and got out the door.  I should buy a bulk supply of my Caramel Nut Brownie Luna bars that I love so much for breakfast because I never have time to sit down and eat.  And I did not eat today until lunch.  Unless you count a mocha, which I do.  So anyway, today was all over the place.  

No activity points earned.  But I had planned to take a break today.  Tomorrow I plan to do my usual 4 mile walk.   Saturday I want to make it to a Step class again.  God how I wish I could goto the YMCA during the day and take all the classes I love.  I just don't think Shepherd can wing it yet.  He's a bit high maintenance and it seems like the only babies I see in the Y nursery are like blobs that just sit and stare.  And my little man child needs extra TLC to be happy.  Would it kill the nursery workers to do anything extra besides put them in swings?  Ugh.  But he will be 12 weeks tomorrow which is the age they say you can bring them.  It's worth a try I suppose.  The worst that can happen would be that they come get me.  I guess I could take a few weeks to just get him used to it and expect to never really finish a class.

Anyway, I've had an emotional week.  But what else is new?  I'm proud to say I haven't let it translate into my eating habits, which is a big battle for me.  Like I've said here before, life is stressful and if that's an excuse to blow the plan, then expect to never stay on plan.

Here's my tracker:

Breakfast:

Venti Mocha: 4 pts (didn't finish it)

Lunch:

Turkey and cheese on wheat: 9 pts

Risotto with broccoli: 4 pts

Small square of brownie: 3 pts

Snack:

Apple: 1 pt

Dinner:

Mint Split Pea Soup: 5 pts

Bread, bread and more bread for dippin: 8 pts

Total: 34 pts

Some non scale victories...

I put on a fleece that I could only wear when I was skinny.  It was snug, but wearable snug.  I felt good.  I could not wear this 2 weeks ago. 

I took a walk this morning with my little man.  4 miles!  I really love my walks.  I listen to music and just use them as a time to reflect and have some quiet time.  Shepherd loves them and sleeps the whole time.  This is my only quiet time in my day and I love it.  Thank God I can burn calories at the same time. 

I have a feeling I'm going to see the 160's next week.  I cannot tell you how good that makes me feel.  This time has been much harder than last.  I don't know if it's because I'm in my 30's now and my metabolism is shot or what.  But it's creeping off slowly.  But, hey, it is coming off, so I can't complain. 

Here's my tracker today:

Breakfast: 

Luna: 4 pts

Snack:

Mocha: 4 pts

Lunch:

Veg Out Bagel from Einstein's: 11 pts

Snack:

Apple: 1 pts

Dinner: 

Probably a Kashi meal: 6 pts

Snack:

ff popcorn: 1 pt

Total: 27 pts  (7 pts to play with)

I earned roughly 2 APs, but I'm not counting them.  I'm thinking I need to utilize the boost to my metabolism.  Obviously I'll eat if I'm hungry, but might as well gain the benefits of it. 

So......I'm going to see Twilight AGAIN tonight with my friend Yesenia.  I'm obsessed.  It's okay.  

Some pics...

Doesn't my face say it all?? :)  Not quite there, but making progress.  This is at 173.4 lbs.  Size 10/12.  

Very tired today but got my cardio in

My husband and I stayed up late talking last night.  It was good, but I'm absolutely zonked today.  I didn't get to get until 1:30am and then of course I was up at 3am, 5am and 7am.  Then up for the day!  Ugh.  I lay down during the baby's first nap, but ended up reading Eclipse (Twilight saga) instead of sleeping.  Why do I do that to myself?  And of course as I type my older kids are back from school and running throughout the house.

Anyway, after Shepherd's morning nap I bundled us up and headed to Starbucks.  Got my mocha and then went to my favorite park to walk.  Got in about 2.5 miles.  I was freezing when I started and then by then end I had stripped my hat and gloves off and zipped down my fleece.  I've been making an effort to do more than 30 mins when I do cardio.  Your body does not tap into that fat burn mode until 30 mins of cardio- so why stop there?  I at least do 45mins- but one hour is ideal.  And it doesn't mean you have to be super intense, just practice some endurance.  I read an article recently that showed almost the same fat burn (different from calories) happens when one walks on the treadmill for 30 mins compared to running.  And you get an even greater fat burn when you take "breaks" or circuit training.  This is why I love Jeff Galloway's method of recovery running.  Run 5 mins, walk 1 min.  Because even though I wouldn't run the whole 3 miles- my body still burn the same amount of fat as the person that did.  Mainly because I had to recover and then get back up to pace.  But it made running so much better!

Anyway, I'm getting my groove back for fitness.  I wish my life was such that I could live at the YMCA like I did.  But the baby is too young to the childcare and I have to be patient.  

Morning scale: 173.4 lbs

Tracker:

Breakfast:

Luna bar: 4 pts

Banana: 2 pts

Lunch:

Grilled cheese (2% cheddar on high fiber bread- no butter): 4 pts

Tomato soup: 2 pts

Snack:

Popcorn: 2 pts

Apple: 1 pt

Dinner: Not sure yet.  I'll stay within the points though!  I have 21 pts to play with.  

Sunday...

We're playing hookie from church today. I, as usual, was up last night with Shepherd, only Amelia was having a rough night of sleep to. She slept in our bed and woke up periodically screaming. I can't figure out if it was a nightmare or if she was sick. Thankfully she woke up fine today. But all the activity resulted in me letting Ed sleep in and then I ended up napping during Shepherd's morning nap and we just pretty much missed church.

It also resulted in some poor food choices. You know how you're tired and then just start reaching for food when you're hungry. It's hard to think about fixing something when you just want to put something in your mouth. It really doesn't matter if it's a "good" or "bad" food. It just needs to be something. So, it's 12:30pm and I've already eaten 23 pts. But it doesn't mean my day is ruined or I won't be OP. I just need to reign it in and make better choices the rest of the day.

I'm hoping to get a walk in today. Maybe to Octane (our local coffee shop) and back. That's 3 miles. I MAY even try to run there. We'll see. I'm long for spring when the weather is nicer. It's so much easier to run outside in warm weather. I always had an easier time running in the dead of summer than in the winter. I just like working out in the heat.

Anyway, here's my tracker:

Breakfast:
Luna bar: 4 pts

Snack:
Luna bar:4 pts

Lunch:
4 8 inch flour tortillas: 12 pts (ugh)
Guacamoli: 3 pts
Salsa: 0 pts
Diet Lipton Green Tea with Citrus: 0pts

Total so far: 23 pts

This gives me 11 pts for the rest of the day. With some APs I should be good. Maybe something simple like a Lean Cuisine for dinner.

Ready for the weekend...

Well, despite my  lack of sleep last night I was able to score a nap this afternoon courtesy of Edward.  (That's for my Twilight crew)  I then bundled up the little (or big) man and went for a walk.  4 miles!!!!  That's right, I walked 4 miles!  :)  Wow, it felt good.  I wanted to run, but I've never really been able to swing running and the stroller.  I should work on that...

Anyway, going to a friend's house tonight for her birthday.  Girls and drinks.  Good times.  

I've got plenty of points and am really looking forward to some childless time.  :)

Tracker:

Breakfast:

1 slice high fiber bread: 0 pt

2 tbsp Naturally Peanut Butter: 3 pts

Lunch:

Kashi Ranchero Beans : 7 pts

Salad: 2 pts

Edemame: 2 pts

Dinner:

Ed's stirfry (turkey sausage, brown rice, zucchini): 7 pts

Later: 

Drinks: 10 pts (that's my allowance)

Total: 31 pts (with 3 to spare!)

Don't let two days pass..

Ever since I started exercising two years ago I've always had a rule that I would never let two days go by without exercise.  Today is the day I need some cardio.  I checked out the Y schedule and see there is a Cardio Funk class at 6:30pm.  Oh.  Man.  I haven't been to Cardio Funk for a year I think.  It would be fun to shake my booty.  But that time is right in the middle of our dinner/bedtime routine at home.   So, it looks like I might just hop on the treadmill and do a sincere timed run or do an outside run.  Either way I need to up the cardio.  I need some fat burning!  

I got on the scale last night before bed and it said 178.  I freaked.  FREAKED.  I've been 100% OP and then saw that!  Luckily I talked myself down and realized I hadn't had much water and hoped it was water retention.  I was right.  174 lbs this morning.  Phew...

Here's my tracker today:

Breakfast: 

Cream of wheat (Ed made it so it's got the "good stuff" -butter and milk): 6 pts

Grande Mocha: 4 pts

Lunch:

Willy's burrito with only chicken, blk beans, lettuce salsa and a little cheese: 10 pts

Chips/salsa: 6 pts (error on the safe side)

Dinner:

Unless Ed gets inspired it'll probably be quesadilla's for the kids and a Lean Cuisine with a fresh veggie for me:  So roughly 7 pts

33 pts !

Real quick- if you read my blog, let me know!  :)  Become a follower! ---------->

My Man Child

I'm pretty sure my milk supply is dwindling.....  HA!  These pics were taken at 8 weeks.  He'll be 11 weeks this Friday.  Man, in some ways time has flown by!  

Just had to say that the stars aligned and I made it to a Body Sculpt class!  It...was...hard!  I really pushed myself.  I know I'm going to be sore tomorrow, but I'm so happy I went.  :)

174lbs!

Okay, back in my groove....

Saturday I showed up to a Step class at the Y and was thoroughly out of breath by warm up.  Needless to say I earned some serious activity points.  I chose not to use them based on my previous week in Boone and the love affair with White Russians.  Yesterday I  managed a brisk walk with my man child in tow.  About 2 miles.   Again, I did not count them.  I had a weird day of eating yesterday.  We got a burrito after church and it was so massive that I did really eat dinner because I was truly not hungry (gasp).  Instead I ate a bag of ff popcorn at the movies (saw Twilight with some of my favorite chicks).  So I stayed under my points.

It's 4pm today and I've got 19 pts left to use.  

I know....has hell frozen over?

I think I'm so into my Twilight books that I'm forgetting to eat.  And I'm only half way kidding...

I'm going to get a walk or dvd in today to earn some more activity points.  Although I'm convinced I should count the man child's constant all night nursing as running 4 miles every day.  

I'll be having leftover chili tonight and maybe even get some of my house clean.  

Here's my tracker (and I don't mean the vampire that's tracking Bella.  That was for you Jenny and Melanie):

Breakfast:

Luna bar: 4 pts

Grande mocha: 4 pts

Lunch:

Lean Cuisine: 7 pts

Spinach salad with ff dressing: 1 pt

Snack:

Apple: 1 pt

Dinner:

Chili: 7 pts

Crackers: 3 pts

27 pts...

I have 7 pts left for snack em's.

Back in town

Hey there friends (and people who read my blog and I'll never know...or maybe I already suspect)!

I'm back in town and back to the old grind.  Been OP faithfully for two straight days and feeling good.  I made it to a Step class this morning and MAN it kicked my arse!  I don't know how I did that 8 months pregnant.  But I feel more out of shape now.  And I have to say seeing myself in that giant mirror was NOT fun.  But, sobering enough for me to stick to the program.  I got on the scale and it said 175 lbs.  So 1 lb up after my "Boone is for Big Butt" week.  Not too shabby considering what it could have been.  

Moving forward...

I went to the library yesterday and they had a book sale.  I got the book "Making the Connection" by Oprah and that Bob Greene guy.  For $1 I figured it would  be a good book to have.  I thumbed through it and saw some pretty good stuff.  Of course, I'm currently being devoured by the Twilight book.  Reading it every chance I get.  Man....I swore I wouldn't read that book series....

Tangent..

Anyway, I'm really wanting to work on myself and why I am so prone toward emotional eating.  I'm good at seeing a challenge and accomplishing it, but I'm not good at getting to root issues.  And this time around I think I need to dig a little deeper.  Especially since my life is sort of at an all time high stress level due to new baby, lack of sleep, financial stress with the economy and such and just a general feeling of anxiety.  All this, of course, is a perfect cocktail for NOT losing weight.  Perfect excuses if I do say so myself.  But since I'm done with excuses, I need to work on ME.  So that's where I'm at.  

I do feel like I need cardio more than I'm getting.  Not only for the fat burning benefits, but also for mental benefits- endorphins.   It's just a matter of getting creative and finding that window of time.  But I gotta do it.  

Okay, I gotta run.  It's Valentine's Day and I've already allotted my wine points for tonight after the kids are in bed.  Ed and I are going to have a low key movie night!

B is for Boone and my Big Butt

Man, I arrived in Boone and sort of fell apart! I think the stress of last week and getting all three kids together and here in one piece all while being sick was enough to make me pine for chocolate. That, and my mom makes darn good White Russians. And I was a willing drinker. For 14 pts a piece (yes, that's not a typo) though, I should have avoided them. But....they...are....so....good.



I did make a concerted effort to choose healthy foods when we ate out. I mostly ordered salads with grilled chicken, vegetables, fruits, etc. At one place I was craving a cheeseburger so I ordered one and 86'd the fries for fruit. I've also tried to avoid diet sodas. With the high frutose corn syrup (HFCS) and sodium, they just weigh you down. And don't believe the hogwash PR campaign commercials you see on TV defending HFCS. It's crap. Recent studies have shown a link b/w HFCS and weight gain.

Tangent....

Oh yeah...water. Drink it.

Anyway, I definitely over ate all week. I got really depressed about it and frustrated at myself. It peaked one day and my mom noticed. Then she offered to take me shopping. :) I've hesitated buying anything because "I was going to lose the weight." But living in sweats has taken it's toll on me and I just cant do it anymore. So I got some nice transition stuff and I feel "pretty" again. My mom and I were joking that we could get matching tummy tucks once we both lose our weight.

Oh to dream.

I've stumbled upon some good web sites that I'm adding to my "links" section. It's good to hear fresh, new stories of weight loss. I've always been inspired by others and I've sort of forgotten how to be inspired lately as I've been living like a zombie with no sleep. I'm still not sleeping, but perhaps adjusting. And I'm ready to be inspired.

I'll be back in Hotlanta on Thursday and I'm eager to get my arse on my treadmill and get back to business.

Busy!

Hey friends.

I've been busy this week.  Lots going on.  We're leaving for Boone tomorrow and I've spent any and all spare time doing laundry and prepping for packing.  I'm finding that having three kids mean you plan, plan, plan and do things way ahead of time.  Why does having two kids seem suddenly easy now?  It was like a vacation.  Phew! You forget how much time you spent holding a newborn.  Especially one that has reflux and colic and isn't a fan of being set down.  Thankfully he's become friends with his swing.  

Oh and did I mention that all of us have colds?  Even the baby?  I swear I cannot wait for the Spring.  I'm tired of colds and germs and being indoors.

Anyway- I've walked on the treadmill twice this week.  I'm very proud of that because I've felt very overwhelmed the last few days and I still didn't let that become an excuse.  And, after I was done I felt so much better.  

I've done well on the food front up until today.  I had been staying OP every day and then I got on the scale this morning with no change.  That number discouraged me so much that I let it sabotage my day.  You know the whole "if you feel fat, you'll act fat" thing?  Well, things were great until after lunch.  The Witching Hour as I like to call it.  That 2pm-5pm time where your kids are driving you mad and if you don't keep busy, you'll eat the entire pantry.  Well, that sort of happened to me.  Not horribly, but enough for me to think: wow- how quickly we slip.  The good thing and the thing that makes the difference is that I'm on here telling you all about it.  This confirms my philosophy of thinking like a skinny person.  If you "think" skinny, you'll be skinny.  

Moving forward...

On the upside my fabulous neighbor and friend Jen brought us 15 bean soup.  She also made cornbread and salad.  What a girl!  It could not have come at a better time.  With colds and packing, the idea of making dinner is overwhelming.  I had more cornbread that I should have, but all in all it was a healthy meal.  Man, I have a thing for bread....  Mental note.

I'll right my tracker in order to fully confess my sins.....  LOL

Breakfast:

WW muffin: 3 pts

Grande Mocha: 4 pts

Lunch:

Leftover potatoes A'grautin and green beans: 4 pts

TJ's mini tacos: 7 pts

Snack:

granola bar: 6 pts (more than I realized)

ww muffin: 3 pts (remember that snacking I talked about?)

ff pudding: 2 pts

Dinner:

15 bean soup: 5 pts

Gobs of cornbread: 8 pts

Salad: 4 pts (dressing)

Coke: 3 pt

Total: 49 pts!!!  

Good thing I have flexies....  used 14 Flex