Saturday, 19SEP09 Oatmeal almonds, grapes 1/2 pb on wg no snack corn chips with salsa Sunday, 20SEP09 oatmeal 1/2 pb on wg banana, cheese stick turkey wrap **Sometimes, the negative things in life tend to take over and get in the way of the positive things. It happens...but when it does, it's important to just let those things go, and try to put the positive things back out in front. This week was very disappointing to me, personally...more than the past weeks have been. Yes, I had a great loss this week, weight-wise, but I also lost some smaller battles that I feel I should have won. I broke down last night, and instead of eating a healthy dinner, I had a handful of chips and MASS amounts of salsa...you could barely see the chip beneath. The salsa was yummy...and I won't lie, so were the chips, but THEY ARE NOT IN THE MEAL PLAN. I knew before I put them in my mouth that I was being weak. Yes, it was a very difficult day, but NO, that is NO EXCUSE for putting JUNK in my diet, rather than something filling and nutritional. I did it anyway. Now, I have to put my guilty moment of weakness behind me and regain my composure. This is a new week, and I am going to get my act together and pull myself out of this rut. Monday, 21SEP09 Oatmeal *Workout with Lisa* 1hr Today we got an extra kick in the pants for not making great progress over our past few days...I think I needed it, even if it did almost kill me. apples, almonds wasn't up to eating much today...didn't end up having lunch OR my afternoon snack :( pb on whole grain Tuesday, 22SEP09 oatmeal *I didn't snack today, or have a lunch...I got a nap, instead. pb on whole grain w/banana Wednesday, 23SEP09 oatmeal *workout with Lisa* 1hr It was a hot day, so thankfully, we didn't do our usual LONG RUN away from the park today. We still worked hard, but managed to stick closer to the shady area for the most part...SO GRATEFUL for that...I would be so embarrassed if I fainted at a workout, because of the heat! apples, almonds chicken, lettuce, cheese wrap cheese stick, banana Power Bar *went grocery shopping...cupboards were getting bare. Thursday, 24SEP09 1/2 bran muffin 1/2 banana california chicken wrap from einstein's (met my MIL&FIL for lunch with the kids) 1/2 pb on whole grain Belly dancing class (1hr) and the gym (elliptical: 20min, weight training) Friday, 25SEP09 Weekly Weigh-In Photo: 1/2 bran muffin powerbar turkey wrap yogurt/berries grilled chicken breast/bell peppers & asparagus Read more...

So, yesterday afternoon, I went to get my kids up from naptime...I walked into the aftermath of naptime war...every article of clothing in the entire room was strewn across the floor, some tossed over the dutch door, into the hallway outside the room. My son groggily sits up and looks at me with this little lopsided grin and says "I love your hair mommy!" "It's lit-a-ful" To which I respond, "thank you, it's a braid"...So he asks me "Did you make it yourself?" "Yes, I made it myself". The clothes are still on the floor. Today, we are sitting on the couch, and he tells me again "Wow, Mommy, your hair is lit-a-ful". So I tell him, "So is yours, baby! I love your curls!" And he says "Thanks, I made it all by myself!" Read more...

Typically, I would wait until the end of the week to do my posting, but I am going to see how this works for me...Going to post my weekly update at the beginning of the new week, and add each new day's worth of intake/activity at the end of the day, and update it for you all to see. I am hoping it will keep me on top of my posting, which has consistently been behind schedule. It also means that I can say how I am feeling that day, and you can leave me comments daily, if you like, regarding what was done that day, or what you recommend for improvement upon that entry! So please feel free to comment multiple times, even though it is the same post...or even comment if you think I am forgetting to update! I moderate all comments, so if it is just a friendly reminder, I may not publish it, but I will know that you are looking for my update! Saturday, 12SEP09 Oatmeal egg & chipotle salsa scramble grapes pb on whole grain carrots & hummus antipasto salad (leftovers from Friday's dinner!) water, water, water! Jillian Michael's 30 day shred: level 1 & level 2 Sunday, 13SEP09 egg & chipotle salsa scramble 1/2 pb on wg, milk almonds, banana apple grilled tuna, corn, asparagus, zucchini, and red, yellow, & green bell peppers grapes water, water, water! Elliptical: 500cal (this will be a daily goal, as well, for days I am not already doing a workout routine! I will know tomorrow if this is not a high enough number, but it takes me nearly 45 minutes to do this at a level 5-7 range) *my anxiety level is very high tonight...tomorrow is day 4 of our training, and last week I was told to kick it up or go home...I hope my kicking it up has proved that I want to be there, and is rewarded by a nice loss in lbs on the scale! Please, Please, PLEASE don't let me get sent home, and dismissed from the program! I desperately NEED the twice weekly servings of my booty upon a platter! Monday, 14SEP09 oatmeal apples, almonds turkey wrap yogurt *I missed dinner...just wasn't up to the task of it... Going to eat some apple slices, drink some hot tea, take a relaxing bath, and hope that sleep comes for me quickly. **Just a quick note: Last Wed, the training scale said 164.0#...this week, **DRUMROLL PLEASE** 162.0# (oh yeah, baby...color me doing the happy dance on that one!) Today's workout was very intense, and at the end, I had a surge of emotion...which has pretty much been my entire day...just a lot of very emotional moments. On a positive note, I reconnected with an old friend, and actually got to have a nice little visit today, which makes me very happy. My friend had some rough times, and has been making life changes, to include health and fitness, which I fully support ANYONE for making the decision to do! And the one that made me SUPER PROUD...my friend quit smoking after 25 years of smoking...I burst out right then and there with "I'm so proud of you!" and I really am! Hoping to wake up tomorrow feeling rested and refreshed, and ready to tackle Mommy & Me preschool with my 2 toddlers. Hopefully it's enough to wear them out for a REAL nap! Tuesday, 15SEP09 No preschool today...R1 was under the weather, and so was Mommy...ALL DAY for Mommy, only 1/2 day for R1. I didn't eat nearly enough today, and my workout didn't happen...I could barely keep my eyes open, let alone move my feet. Oatmeal apple & almonds no lunch no snack grilled tuna, corn on the cob, asparagus & zucchini, and bell peppers (green, red, yellow) Water, Water, Water. Wednesday, 16SEP09 Had a great workout, definitely still very challenging, but I feel like I did a better job on the running portion of it...which, for me, is probably the hardest part. Oatmeal Apple Slices, almonds Turkey Wrap carrots, grapes Grilled Tuna, red bell peppers, corn on the cob Struggling to get it together and actually prep the food for the meal plan, and freeze some things for quicker eats. Made it one of my goals for this week, but still am having probs getting my poop in a group and doing it. Thursday, 17SEP09 Oatmeal almonds, grapes turkey wrap 1/2 pb on wg turkey wrap (yes, I had 1 for lunch AND dinner today...had a busy evening with the launching of MomsRockTheEconomy!!! This is one of the easy meals for me to follow from the program, because it doesn't require much effort to make!) I did my workout while standing at the computer during the online launch of MRE!! I did tons of squats, lunges, abdominal and glute workouts...Hubby was teasing me throughout it, but I just ignored his teasing and continued on with my workout, all the while, continuing to participate in the launch events online! Typically, Thursday nights are going to be my Belly-Dancing/Gym nights, but when I have online events to attend to, I make up for missing the class by doing my workout at home. Friday, 18SEP09 Weigh In Shot: Oatmeal almonds, grapes 1/2 pb on wg almonds, grapes turkey wrap *we went to my in-laws for dinner tonight...I ate before we left the house, and got to watch everyone eat mexican food...funny, but I didn't feel like I was missing out...which is unusual for me, since I LOOOOOOVE mexican food. It's the beaner in me! Activity: Today, I didn't do a dedicated workout, but instead, similar to yesterday, I fit in small stuff where I could. Since I missed my Thursday night Belly-dancing class, I practiced what they learned in Thursday's class...figure 8s and shimmy. I also practiced some more advanced belly-dancing, since I am more familiar with it. It is a great way to dance with the kids...they think I am crazy...or silly, who knows what they are thinking as mommy snaps and shakes her booty all over making crazy little hip "pops". I rather adore it when they try to mimic me! Read more...

Had my second kick-butt workout session today, and again, felt like I may collapse at any given moment, but pushed through! Gaining confidence, even though I know I am HORRIBLY out of shape! Went shopping for some new groceries, to start changing some of my eating habits (a little more drastically), so I have an evening of cutting, cleaning, prepping, and freezing of foods ahead of me! Hubby is grilling veggies and meats right now, for our dinner...and entertaining Ry! A little bit ago, Ry brought me a very pretty flower from Daddy's garden...he can't resist breaking the flowers off and bringing them as gifts...*sigh* Tomorrow, we go back to preschool, and hope that this week is better than the last! Maybe this week, Ry will start LISTENING...*wishful thinking* Wednesday, I return to get my next serving of my booty on a platter, and believe it or not, I am actually looking forward to it. It is a double treat, in a way...I get some alone time in the car on the way there, get a GREAT workout in, and then, I get MORE alone time on the drive home! I just relax on the way there, and listen to some tunes, then on the way home, I chug my water, think about my workout, and how I feel from the workout, and what I would like to accomplish the rest of the day/week. I hope everyone has been enjoying their 3 day weekend...I'm enjoying my "second Sunday", relaxing at home while Daddy grills and chills with Ry...Did I mention Nap-time was a success today? And YESTERDAY? Hope this is the start of a new trend here! Happy Labor Day, Everyone! Read more...

Saturday, 05SEP09 granola bar granola w/yogurt antipasto salad fish, red bell peppers, hummus water (~60 oz) Activity: JM Shred Level 1 Sunday, 06SEP09 **forgot to copy this one off of my food diary & turned into trainer on Monday...will have to get this day's intake from her Monday, and update! Monday, 07SEP09 Fruit Bar, Almonds Almonds 1/2 pb&j Tri-Tip (small piece), heinz57, corn on the cob, grilled bell peppers & onions Fluids: water 60oz. Activity: 1 hour group training session w/Lisa Druxman **Last week's workout, on Wednesday, I weighed in (fully clothed, with shoes) at 164#. This week, I weighed in (fully clothed, with shoes) at 163.4#. Happy that it is a LOSS and not a gain, but hoping for a bigger loss over the next week! Gonna have to kick it up a notch! Tuesday, 08SEP09 Yogurt, Almonds Banana 1/2pb on whole grain turkey wrap water, water, water! Wednesday, 09SEP09 protein shake (fat-free milk) gatorade mix/water, fruit bar almonds, fruit bar grapes turkey wrap pb & carrots grilled chicken, asparagus, carrots water, water, water! Activity: 1 hour group training session w/Lisa Druxman **weigh in at workout was 164# back at same as beginning number. Got told to kick it up, so I am! Thursday, 10SEP09 cream of wheat, almonds grapes, pb on whole grain turkey wrap hummus apple protein smoothie water, water, water! Bellydancing class (1hr), Gym: Elliptical (30min), Bike (20min) Friday, 11SEP09 pb on whole grain, milk hummus & wh. wht. pita grapes, almonds turkey wrap carrots antipasto salad (delivery...my fave...better than last week's from "that other place") water, water, water! Elliptical (500cal), 15 crunches, 15 reverse crunches, 15 obliques each side, & stretches! And my Friday weigh-in (taken after breakfast and several glasses of water, because I almost forgot!!): Read more...

What a week...if you've been following my blog, you've already read about it, if not, GO READ my last 2 posts! Tonight, I was expecting a visit from a friend and her lovely friend Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD. All said and done, we postponed until tomorrow...I was running a couple of errands, and her baby was not sleeping for her...yes, it's easy to let things get in the way of a workout. Call it one of my 2 days off for the week...thinking I will reserve the next "off" day for Tuesday. Have a feeling I am going to need it to recover from the next whoopin' that gets put on me! So, while you are doing family time, and yukkin' it up with your friends, think of me...I'll be sweating and wondering how crazy I must be not to just throw in the towel and go home! I'll also be wondering if everyone else in the class can see how weak I am, and how close I am to fainting on the ground in front of me. Or maybe they are wondering the same thing? I think we were all too busy worrying how weak we looked to notice anyone else's weaknesses! So, all in all, I am feeling pretty accomplished for having lost a solid 7 lbs, and implementing changes to my own eating strategies, as well as getting hubby on board for a few changes. Poptarts have been banned from our home, and replaced with Eat Right Fruit Bars. Would love to get them to eat oatmeal, but so far, that has been a no go here. I guess I should just be happy they love fruit, eh? The past 2 mornings have ended in R1 eating a bowl of strawberries...not the best, I am sure, since there is no protein, but better than sweet and sticky stuff! Thinking it's time to get them into some of my old workout videos or dance videos. They LOVE to dance, maybe I should go check the library for some dance instruction videos for them. Give them something to accelerate at, so they can stop driving me up the walls with their excess energy. *Desperately trying to stay awake to finish this post...seriously, didn't I just DO a post last night? WHERE did the week GO!?!?! Oh...that's right, I guess it's a good thing I blog things, so I remember what I did the day before, or week before, eh? Sleep deprivation does NOTHING GOOD for the memory banks in this mushy mommy brain. My Scale Shot: My Food/Activity were as follows: Saturday, 29AUG09 B: Turkey Sausage, Eggs (scrambled w/chs) L: 1/2 pb & j D: 1/2 cheeseburger, corn on the cob, french fries S: Yogurt Fluids: Coffee, Water Activity: typical Sunday, 30AUG09 B: Granola & Yogurt L: Corn Chips, cookie D: (Taco Bell) Bean & Chs Burrito, Soft Taco Fluids: Diet 7up, water, Diet Pepsi *I can already hear the "off with her HEAD!" from Leah, now! :)* Activity: Kayaking Monday, 31AUG09 B: none L: fruit bar SNACK: banana D: none Fluids: water Activity: Typical Tuesday, 1SEP09 B: none L: none D: none Fluids: water Activity: typical Wednesday, 2SEP09 B: none L: fruit bar (after workout) D: Grilled Tuna, bell peppers & onions Fluids: water Activity: typical, and *workout* (1 hr) Thursday, 3SEP09 B: granola & yogurt S: 1/2 banana & 1/2 chs stick & 1 pb granola (from pack of 2) L: 1/2 pb&j (whole grain white), 1 small banana S: handful of grapes D: grilled chs & tomato/basil soup Fluids: water Activity: Gym/Elliptical, 1 hr (527 cal.) Friday, SEP09 B: pb granola bar S: cheese stick L: granola & yogurt D: small slice pizza & antipasto salad (takeout) Fluids: Water Activity: Swim Lessons with 2 Toddlers, typical walking (shopping, and at home) *it honestly didn't dawn on me until I was typing this all in, how much I neglect to eat. That is definitely on the goal list for this week! Read more...

I, at some point, have lost my mind...maybe it was last week when I actually thought taking 2 toddlers (and their attitudes) to Mommy & Me Preschool twice a week? Or was it when I signed myself up to be punished by a fitness routine that takes you to the point of breaking...and beyond? And then, I must have thought "Hey! Swimming lessons with 2, that sounds like an AWESOME IDEA!!!". To top it all off, I am NOW considering signing up for 2 hours of belly-dancing classes each week, AND having a friend introduce me to Jillian Michaels! I really have gone off the deep end, folks! All I ask is that you bear with me, as I make the adjustments to this overwhelming schedule that I have inflicted upon myself! I promise not to disappoint you! I am still following along with the Mamavation program, and am hoping to enter into the next round when they begin taking applications again in October! I hope that everyone will jump in and support me this go-round, by tweeting for me, again, and voting for me if/when I make it into the final 4! Keep following, more to come! Have a wonderful night, everyone! Read more...

Today was the first day of a new fitness plan I am participating in. I got my booty handed to me on a platter. I knew I was out of shape, but I HONESTLY didn't realize HOW BADLY! I could barely keep up, and at several points during the workout, I thought I would collapse right there and die. I questioned my sanity in enrolling myself into a program like this, and doubted my ability to make it through the first session, let alone 2 whole months of working out like this multiple times a week! It was a great group, though, and the ladies were all very supportive and encouraging...I couldn't have asked for more! At the end, I was still feeling discouraged. It took 10 minutes before my body stopped shaking enough for me to stand up and make the hike back to my car to head home. I picked the morning apart and analyzed it the entire drive home. here are some of my thoughts from an email I sent out after I got home from the workout: