Workout room!

In our basement we have decided to use a little of our tax return to put together a workout space! I have been looking on Craigslist for a few weeks for a treadmill and my husband and I decided on a bowflex instead of free weights or anything like that. Safer around the kids and more versatile in general. I got dish out here to set up an old tv down there. All in all it cost $225. not too shabby! much better than paying for a gym membership because it will last longer than the 3 months. And, The best news about it all is that the hubs decided to join in with me! We measured him all up on Sunday morning with the measurement chart we are using here and he is using myfitnesspal too! It is so much easier to stick to it when I'm not having to think about two different diets! I'm just very excited that it is rubbing off and to have my partner in crime join in on the fun.

Week 4 Results. Finally!

Thank you everyone for being so patient!  It was a long crazy weekend and I had so much fun.  But now back to the grind -

1. Megan - 356
1. Erin - 356
2. Stephanie - 354
3. Amanda - 338
4. Sariah - 326
5. Heather - 317
6. Elise - 299
7. Liz - 279
8. Keri - 266
9. Heidi - 258
10. Katie - 236
11. Sarah - 219

I loved hearing about everyone's progress and especially loved reading the posts on the blog.  So inspiring!  Once I catch up on laundry and some sleep (you think a large group of roller derby girls away from their families in a hotel are actually going to sleep?!) I will take some more time with a post and reply to everyone else's posts.  Keep up the good work you sexy ladies you!

Sariah

The Magic of Oranges

I work at an elementary school that has a breakfast in the classroom program. That means every child receives a free breakfast whether they eat it or not. Twice a week, the kids get oranges which they rarely have time to eat so they end up tossing them. I rescue as many oranges as I can before they hit the trash to put in my juicer. With the produce challenge last week, I decided to actually take the time to peel and eat an orange with my lunches. I am so surprised at how they not only satisfy my craving for something sweet, but they make me feel full for a long time afterward. Plus, they're still dirt cheap at the grocery store right now! I highly recommend picking up a bag of oranges next time you're at the store!

I'm couting my blessings...

So....in nursing news......
Audrey must have heard me complaining about her, because she went from nursing 8 times in 24hrs to 2 times!!!!  WHAT?!  Finally, after a year!

We all got a 24 hr flu this week.  It was a blessing because I ended up with it today! The one day that my hubby is home and could take care of the kids. 

Anyone else drowning in water this past few days?!

That's it for my news.  Just wanted to share with someone!

Have a great week!

Remorseful & Half and Half

So, at 5:30am when my alarm went off so I could get up to go run hills with Heather...I realized it was Friday. Holy cow...it's Friday...and I never posted on the competition blog. What?!?!? How could I have forgotten?? But then I realized that I did post a response to the cry for help regarding breastfeeding and losing weight....but I wasn't sure if that should officially count....since all I did was just leave my phone number and tell her to call me. So, darn it. I don't know if I will be DQ....however...I hope I'm not. AND if I am...it's ok. BUT if I am....I am STILL going to finish and keep track of points etc. This has been good for me....and I paid for it...so I'm seeing it through.

Now...for my real post....that I was supposed to do earlier this week.
Half and Half

I think sometimes I am a half and half dieter. For instance, I do GREAT on Monday thru Thursday. But then Friday comes and I am TIRED and CRANKY and I want a day OFF from all things diet. Then Saturday comes and gosh, the day is different than week days, my kids are home all day and nothing seems to go smoothly, etc. etc., and all of a sudden it is dinner time and I didn't journal ONE bite. THEN, Sunday. Sundays are fun. They are unlike ANY other day of the week!! ARG. I have to really work hard to get in my water, journal and keep my chin up and positive til kids are in bed and I collapse into bed myself. Then Monday morning I am SUPER remorseful of forgetting my goals and losing focus for THREE whole days!!!

So I try to regroup, recommit and dig deep for those week days!!! Monday thru Thursday I am a champ....and then Friday comes.

I'm a little discouraged today.  I have gotten every point--even on days when all I wanted to do is lay in bed and drink chicken broth I still got up and worked out and ate vegetables and did all the other things I was supposed to be doing--but I'm not making any tangible progress.  Not only have I not lost weight for the last two weeks (and actually gained a bit last week), but I have a knee that is giving me problems for the first time in my life!  So today I have been perusing through the internet for something different to try and get my enthusiasm back.  What I found instead was The Pentagon Channel on youtube.  They have a series of workout videos designed for the military, but most of the backup exercisers seem to be completely new to the workout being shown.  There's something extraordinarily satisfying about being able to follow a routine that even someone in peak physical condition is having trouble with!  They're arranged in two ten-ish minute segments per video, so they're kinda nice when you've only got a few minutes, and (though I haven't by far even looked at them all) they don't seem to be on the super advanced level that I expected they'd be.  (Try and skip the first 35 seconds because the intro segment is rather annoying.)

This pilates series was really funny to me--something about the way the instructor's feet point when he goes into an "upward facing dog" postion makes me laugh.  Which is probably what I needed more than anything else today.

Who Knew?

Seriously, who knew I could be so competitive about points?  On Wednesday night this week I realized I was crazy about points.  At 11 pm I still needed 10 more mins. of exercise and to do 20 mins. of gospel study (my personal goal for the week).  My baby Quinn was fussy and having a hard time.  I laid down by Quinn and read scriptures, as soon as he was asleep I jumped out of bed and quietly started lifting weights in my dark bedroom.  I made it 5 mins. before he woke up crying.  I jumped back into bed so we wouldn't wake my husband up, got him calmed down and then jumped out of bed to finish my crunches and weights...at this point it was midnight...then I started praying my boys would sleep in the next morning so I could get my sleep point.  I kept giggling to myself about how insane and funny this was...when I got back in bed my husband looked at me like I was nuts...but I got my full points!

Right now I feel really motivated, I feel like I am working hard, I feel like I want to just try an insane crash diet and lose 10 lbs. a week.  Then I remember I am nursing a baby and I can't, I need to do this slow and steady and be healthy about it.  In the past I've had a hard time losing weight this early after having a baby, so I'm trying to feel good about even small losses.  

I'm trying to remember this is a journey, not a sprint.  I appreciate that many of you have been on this journey a long time and are now really close to your ultimate goal weights, it inspires me to not give up and just keep going.    

As for all the water this week...I'm just hoping I don't drown.

If you haven't seen this video...2:20 starts the "water, water, water, water, water, yeah" (this part has been in my head today)!  I think I'll be singing it all week.