Long Time Coming

It's official! I am getting back on track. Today I walked on the treadmill for 15 minutes and plan to walk more later. I am going to take things a little slower this time. If I can keep up some good habits, I can feel as good as I did a few months ago. I want to better myself first for me, then for my family. I need to feel better about myself. I know that when I am making good choices it effects my family. Therefore, I need to do better for all of us. After all, I am the cook around here. I am the mood setter, the menu planner, the activity chairman, everything revolves around me; not in a self-centered way, that is just the way things go when you are the Mom! This is a lifetime commitment. I will succeed, one day at a time.

Today's Stats
Exercise-15 minutes, with more to come
Attitude-Great

Gardening is great Exercise.

I have wandered from my regular routine to the outdoors. I have spent the last week working in my garden, planting and getting the soil ready for planting. Today I spent an hour weeding. Now when I say my garden perhaps I should clarify. Our family garden is 70 feet by 140 feet. We have 21 4 foot wide beds. They are not all planted yet, but hopefully will be in the next several weeks as the weather warms a bit.

Since we have not covered the pathways and the beds are not all planted, weeds are an issue. It is a daily effort to keep the weeds at bay. Today I worked really hard to get my heart rate going. I was using a special hoe for weeding that cuts the weed at ground level. You push it back and forth like a broom. So imagine sweeping or mopping for an hour straight at a fast pace, really scrubbing at some of those dandelions. I only did a few rows the day before and I am so sore. Good sore.

Before I went out to work today I was looking for some old ratty jeans to wear. I found a pair in the top of my closet that was a size 18. I thought there was no way that they would fit. My last pair of jeans was a 22. Now granted they are an 18 wide and they are a bit stretchy, but I got into them and they are not choking me and they actually fit. Very cool!! I'm still not weighing for a while. The way I feel and how happy I am are better indicators of health for me than the number on the scale.

Ode to Buble, Michael

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For Me
And I'm feeling good!

Well at least trying. 20 minute Turbo Jam this morning, more work outside later! I love my new shoes. I think they actually helped me workout a little better today. Awesome!

Life moves on...

Life just tends to go on whether we are ready or not. Exercise has been limited the last 2 days. Wednesday was Basketball with the kids. Yes Heather, basketball! Of course it was more shooting and running after rebounds, because my shooting stinks.

Yesterday was stress day, and I needed to exercise more than ever, but didn't. So today I tried again. I got about 20 minutes in before the phone rang and I got pulled into another project. Maybe when my sweetheart gets home we can figure out how to adjust my new bike seat and I can go for a ride. Yay me!

Oh My Aching Abs

It's a good hurt right? Today I have no witty wisdom, just do it! Don't stop doing it. It's killing me to get back to where I was.

10 minutes Silly PBS lady, turned it off because she's ridiculous...
20 minutes Turbo Jam Abs
20 Minute Turbo Jam Workout

Ouch

A New Day!

Well officially I am in week 12 of my journey. However the last few weeks have been less than praiseworthy. I have allowed for small set backs and it is time to begin fresh. I am not going to focus on old goals unattained, or days missed, or anything negative for that matter! I am starting new. Today is going to be day 1 week 1!

Today I did about 40 minutes exercise; the goofy lady on PBS. She is a bit boring, but that's what I needed to get myself started, boring and not back breaking. I got a decent night's rest. I have showered and I am dressed with my shoes on. I do have to say that I exercised in my night gown. Sometimes that hurdle of getting dressed and putting my shoes on is just too high. So who says you need to have workout clothes on to exercise?? I did just fine thank you very much.

I did weigh this morning and it was no big surprise. 247 this number seems to resonate with utter frustration. I will kiss it goodbye. I am getting a bike, thank you Jennifer. The weather is beautiful. I am going to plant my garden. I am going to master my body! Ahhh...happy sigh...

Today
Weight 247
Height 5'4 3/4" The 3/4" makes all the difference!
Attitude-Better with hopes of great improvement.

Week 9 Weigh in

Today I am feeling a bit discouraged. I am tyring to get back to the hard work I was doing, but it is not feeling like it did before. With sick kids, and appointments and me being sick, and all the stress I am feeling a bit run down!! I have got to get my life back. The bottom line is that it is my choice to keep working hard or just give in. I haven't been able to go to my class for 3 weeks, and I think that is keeping me down. I need that moral support of my friends to keep me motivated. Because I am having some sort of allergy/sinus/throat thingy going on, I exercised for 1/2 hour this morning, and I will do some more later. I really want to get our treadmill fixed, but it seems that there are just so many other things taking priority. So I guess I will have to take control myself and get things done. I need to make myself the priority.

My weight-252
Attitude- Stinks, but I'm trying to feel better.
Exercise back on track today!

Week 8 New Perspective

I am one of those people who gets tired of things the same old way all the time. I change my furniture araound every 6 months or so. I cut my hair short then grow it out, then cut it again. So what is my issue with my current routine?

I know I need routine to keep myself in check, but I get bored and discouraged with the same results. I think it was Mark Twain who defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. That's me! I am eating the same junk or worse some days, and hoping the scale will show different results just because I'm exercising. So I think I need to change things up a bit.

I am now going to move my weigh in day to Monday. I think that will keep me more responsible on the weekends. I am going to revise my food journal to a simpler one. We have already implemented a family meal calendar, so that will continue as planned. I may need to check out some other workout options. I like most of my dvds, I may just need to spice it up a bit to something more entertaining. What exactly? I don't know yet. I think I'll check the library for ideas.

Week 8 Hmmph!

All right time to get myself in gear! I need to reset. I have missed a couple of days this week as far as exercise, and I really need to get back to my routine. I am human and I make mistakes. I am committing to writing each day to help me stay on track. No guilt just moving forward from today. I have been letting myself off to easy with the excuses. No more self sabotage. I will do better. I did lose one pound I think. Hard to tell with the up and down a pound I've been doing. My body is smaller, but the scale is not helping me. So maybe I just won't concentrate on that the next few weeks and see what happens. Body measurements next week...

Week 7 Start Today!

I can hardly believe that I have made it 7 weeks and only missed one day of exercise. Today was really hard, but I took a nap and then restarted my day. I did the TaeBo Fat Blasting Cardio workout. Kicked my bootie! I weighed this morning, and the scale is not my friend. We are still having an enormous amount of stress, and I am taking it out on myself through food. I keep teling myself I don't want to do this, but the temptations are still there. We got rid of most of the junk, but I still manage to sabotage myself. I know that Heavenly Father doesn't allow us to be tempted beyond our capacity, but I sure can put myself right in the middle of it all.

I should be happy even though the scale says 258. I remeasured, and I have lost one inch off my waist, 1.5 off my hips, 2 off my chest, and 1.5 off my thighs. My arms are still the same, but I have been doing a lot of strength training. I also have to consider monthly changes, so maybe next week will be kinder to me.

Week 6 Determination

I have not fallen off the wagon yet. I am still exercising everyday, just not blogging. I will get back to it, it has just been a crazy week. I have had just enough time to do my exercise and that's about it. I am determined to keep going. I love all the new changes in my body. It's fun to find new muscles in places I've never had them before. I remember when I was young, 4th or 5th grade, giving up my spot in the line for kick-ball. I think that is when I stopped exercising. I really love the feeling I get from moving and strengthening my body. My kids are benefiting too. They love to come downstairs and workout with me. Especially my oldest. They are such great motivation! I decided to blog before I exercise today, since I have a little time this morning. So for today my goal is to keep moving and not give up.

Update from last week-weight loss was 1 pound--247. I will be taking my measurements every other week. Off to exercise!

Week 5 Monday Blahs...

I am trying to not let this feeling defeat me. I did my exercise this morning with my workout Buddy, aka #1 daughter. It's a holiday today so they are all home from school. Tomorrow will be another day off.

I am going through kind of a tough time right now, but I know that I can get through it. Unfortunately, for me, food is my comfort measure. This weekend was not my finest in the food area. I keep telling myself it's okay because I'm just going to work it off. I better get to moving more, and comforting less.

One of my mini goals for the week is to move my body more even when I am not exercising. For example, getting things for myself instead of sending a child to fetch them, tapping my feet while I watch tv, dancing to the music, physical play with my girls, you get the idea.

I am also working on my posture. I used to be so proud of my posture. As a singer, it is very important for a supported sound. I have let motherhood and years weigh me down to the point of constant slouching. I am trying to stand, and sit, tall and be proud of who I am becoming, a wonderful wife and mother, a beautiful daughter of God!

Today's Stats
Exercise-1 hour Stability ball/strength workout
Attitude-Low but rising

Week 5 Hoorah!!!

I think 2 is my new favorite number. I weighed in this morning after my workout and I have lost another 2 pounds. Yay me! However, I am most excited to report on my body measurements. Waist -2 inches, Hips -2 inches, Thighs -2 inches, Arms -1.5 on left, -1 on right, Chest no change (who wants their chest to get smaller anyway right). Seriously!! I knew I was shrinking. I am very excited with my progress. WOOHOO!! Yes I am shouting! Two pounds is nothing to complain about either.

I have tried many times to lose weight and exercise, but this is by far the most successful I have been; not because of the number on the scale, but because of my attitude and the hope that I feel everyday that I can do this. I owe it all to my sweetheart. He is so supportive and encouraging. Plus the fact that I have been working my bootie off, so I deserve some credit too. Thanks to all of you for your love and support. I have a lot farther to go, but I am doing it little by little, day by day.

Today's Stats
Weight-248-- Total loss 8 pounds
Exercise- 1 hour Turbo Jam Cardio Party
Attitude-Cloud Nine!!
Short term goal- To lose 10% of my body weight by my birthday, that's 17 more pounds in 9 weeks.

Week 4 Last Day

Today I thought I would talk a bit about planning. It seems so easy to get caught without a plan. I had to take some kids to the Doctor on very short notice, and ended up being out of town at dinner time. I just really didn't want fast food. It's hard to feel satisfied and make good choices with the limitations of a fast food menu. So what to do? We went over our options, and decided to go to Sam's Club and buy a rotisserie chicken and some rolls. It would have been ideal to get some veggies in there too, but we didn't have a way to wash them and the prepackaged stuff is a bit pricey. I got some gogurts for the kids and we made our sandwiches on the go. Pretty tasty, and we had enough chicken and cheese for another meal.

What I hope to have ready for the future is another story. I would like to do my refrigerator restock and have cut up fruits and veggies in containers and prepared meats all ready to go. That way I can just grab and pack it in the car for later. Both Patrick and I are losing our appetite for junk food of all types, so it makes the packed lunch more appealing.

I am excited to weigh in tomorrow. I have been watching a certain Loser tv show and find it really motivating. Many of the contestants are the same size as me and it shows me that I am capable of so much more. I am actually thinking of expanding my workout. We'll see what time allows, but I still am able to watch tv for an hour or 2 a day, so I could be doing something during that time.

Today's Stats
Exercise 1 hour Total Body Workout Stability Ball
Attitude-Hopeful--Looking forward to tomorrow
Body measurements to come tomorrow!

Week 4 Wednesday I can't count

Yeehaw! Today is a snow day. I love snow days..."stop touching me, I'm telling, That's mine, etc., etc., etc.," Really I do love snow days, but my children need some focused activity. We got to exercise this morning. At least me and one or two of the girls at a time. Kicking in a small space with spastic children, not such a good idea. We had fun though. I am loving Turbo Jam Cardio Party! I think I may have to invite some friends to try it. Any takers??

Okay, so I have been thinking about flexibility, in more than one way. First the flexibility to alter your plans and go with the flow of things. I may not be able to get all my workout in at one time, but I can break in the middle and feed a baby or take care of a child and get back to it. I can change the time of my appointment and still schedule myself in. I am working really hard on being more flexible. As far as my body is concerned, flexibility is a goal of mine. I want to be able to get down and play with the girls without hurting and straining. I want to stretch and reach for things up high without needing a stool, not that it will make me any taller, but maybe I can reach a little farther. I want to improve my overall strength.

So today is going to be great! I can already tell.

Today's Stats
Exercise 1 hour Turbo Jam Cardio Party
Attitude-Excellent-Why not?!
2 more days to weigh in!

Week 4.4 Addendum

Here's the link I was talking about. http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/the-healthy-refrigerator

Week 4.4 Ode to Exercise

Ode To Exercise

I love to feel the burn
I love to get up and groove
I can see one less chin
I am feeling a little thin

My pants are not quite as tight
It isn't such a daily fight
To move my body for an hour
I have rewards that last forever

Now that we have all had our daily dose of cheese...

I love to exercise I really do! I am not just trying to convince myself here. I really love it. I have one sick little girl and I wasn't able to get away from her on Saturday to exercise. I really felt bad. Not because I didn't accomplish my daily goal, but because I really missed it. I even had Turbo Jam dreams last night. Weird I know, but the music was playing in my head and my body just wanted to groove along. I got my hour in this morning. I tried a new workout from BYU Channel. I didn't like it too much. I finished it, but it was just a little off. You know when you're trying to keep the beat and the moves are out of sink. It bugged me. Anyway I get to chose something else for tomorrow, and hopefully soon we will have our treadmill up and running with me on it. I have lots of little goals and one of them is to actually be able to run. I don't think I have run since I was a child.

Another small goal is to revamp our refrigerator. I saw a snippit of Martha Stewart where she was talking about reorganizing your refrigerator with healthy choices in front at eye level. I know I am not the only one who cools the kitchen with daily visits to look and snack. I have tried to find the actual article that she was referring too, but haven't found it yet. As soon as I do I will post it.

Today's Stats
Exercise 1 hour Step Aerobics-minus the step.
Attitude- Good, I am back on track for the week!

Week 4.1 Lesson Learned

Okay folks here we go. I have so much on my mind that I may need to spread it out into more than one post. Last night I went to a wellness class offered by a friend at church. I love going for so many reasons. I feel like I am really making progress in my life, and yes today is weigh in day, and I am getting to that.

One of the things that Margie talked to us about was a talk given by Jeffrey R. Holland entitled, "The Best is Yet to Be", from the January 2010 Ensign. The quote that has been ringing in my heart says, "The past is to be learned from and not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes." What a powerful statement. I mentioned how I made some bad choices over the weekend, and as I predicted they showed up on the scale, but I am not upset. I made my choices, and now I need to refocus and work a little harder for next week. My current weight is 250. I gained one pound, and considering the amount of junk I ate, that is really not too bad.

So lesson learned, I cannot eat willy nilly and exercise and expect that the 2 have no effect on each other. I am recommitted to my food plan, and this week I will have a new focus. My goal for the week is to evaluate how much protein I am eating. I will do this by reading labels more carefully, and logging my meal choices. I still believe that I can eat whatever I want and continue to lose weight, as long as I am exercising, the amount of each is the key. I understand too that the intensity at which I exercise is a big factor. I have decided that as much as I love yoga, it needs to be in addition to a regular cardio workout. Cardio is vital for me.

Well I am off and running, not literally, but I am getting closer to getting my feet off the ground.

Today's Stats
Current Weight-250
Attitude-Still Positive, not giddy mind you, but at least not depressed.
Exercise- 1 hour Turbo Jam
Thoughts for next time-Refrigerator Reorganizing, Flexibility, Planning!

Technical Difficulties Week 3

Well I have not taken a break from exercise, but my laptop decided to take a break. I am in the process of getting a new power cord to remedy the situation, but I am a little behind in my journaling because of it.

I have been working out hard, sticking to my hour a day goal. I have alternated between strength training and cardio, with a bit more emphasis on cardio. Lately, I have gravitated more towards Turbo Jam, and Taebo. Today I wanted something different. I remembered that I had seen an exercise show on BYU Channel. I thought the instructor varied the workout from day to day. So, with some minor interruptions from #1, 3, and 4, I tried out The Total Body Workout. It was fun and different, so I decided to DVR some more episodes. Today was kick boxing and step aerobics with some strength training thrown in at the end. My workout ended up being an hour and 15 minutes with all the starting and stopping I did.

I have come to the conclusion that my body no longer handles junk well. With the changes I have made so far, which have not been huge, I just can't take the garbage I used to eat. We went to an old favorite last night and before we even made it home both Patrick and I were sick. Let's just say Kentucky can keep their chicken, mine is way better! I made some really bad food choices over the weekend and I think I have backtracked a bit. I don't believe in feeling guilty though. I have made the choice to move forward and not make those mistakes again. Isn't that what this life is all about anyway.

I also decided to take my body measurements so that I have more to judge my progress with. I have chosen to not publish those for the world to see. It was hard enough to put my actual weight on here. I will however post my losses.

Today's Stats
1 hour kick step
Blood Sugar-Going down, 92 before lunch WOW!
Food Journal--Still working on this one.

Week 3.1 Success

I'm dancing a victory dance that you will just have to imagine! What a great morning! #4 got cereal last night and slept through without even a fuss. Yippee! Sleep is a wonderful thing. That's not the only victory we're celebrating. Yes today I weighed in and am now at 249! Hurrah for me! I am out of the 250's. I know it's only one pound below, but a loss of 6 pounds is something to celebrate.

Since I started exercising, I have noticed that when I eat things that are heavy and greasy, that is exactly how I feel. We are really trying to eat more fresh and real food. Last night we had one of our favorite salads.
Here's the recipe:
1 can beans-Your choice I doubled this last night and had 1 can black, and 1 can kidney beans, but I have done it with pintos and it is equally good.
1 cup frozen corn, I put it in a colander and run cold water over it to thaw it
1 green bell pepper diced
1 large tomato diced, I used grape tomatoes diced, it just takes more
2 green onions diced
1 cup chopped chicken, I bought a rotisserie chicken and pulled out the breast and chopped them, you could use canned or leave it out
2 TBS ranch dressing

I mix it all in one bowl and serve it with tortilla chips. Most of my girls like it, and Patrick loves it. It makes me feel good to get in my veggies and some good fiber, and depending on the chips you use, some whole grain. It is fresh and yummy! In the winter we need some colorful food to take away the blahs.

As for my appointment yesterday, I found out my blood test results and everything looks good. My A1C came back at 6.4 which is great. I am working hard on my exercise and will start food journaling, now that I know what I need to eat. I am feeling great!

Today's Stats
Exercise-1 hour Taebo Fat Blasting workout-I have a new appreciation for "feel the burn"
Weight-249 WOO HOO!
Thanks for all the support!

Week 2.7 Last Day Of the Week

I know it's not the end of the week, but I started all this on a Thursday, so it's the end of my weigh in period. I know I am losing weight, but we'll see tomorrow what the numbers are. My pants are looser if nothing else.

It was hard to get going this morning. I did it though. Nothing is worth it without a little work. Right? I worked hard and I feel good, but tired. #4 needs to get started on cereal!

I have a visit with the Diabetes Nurse educator today, so we'll see what she has to say about my numbers. I am going to ask her more specifically about what meal plan she has in mind for me. I know I have to control my simple carb intake, but I'm curious about what she'll say. I tried to go to mypyramid.gov, but it says I am to overweight and need to contact a medical professional. Funny, I wonder of that's what National Health care will be like. "So sorry we can't help you because you don't fit into our criteria for care."

Today's Stats
Exercise-1 hour Dance your pants off
So, so, sleepy!

Week 2.6 DR. Visit

I had my Dr. visit today. Not too bad. I think it helped that I could tell him I was exercising an hour everyday. He seemed a bit surprised. I wonder why. Anyway, blood pressure was good, blood sugars aren't horrible, but more tests are to come. I have an appointment with the Diabetes Nurse Educator tomorrow.

I came home and did a few things then kicked my bootie into gear and went down to exercise. Something about already being dressed with my hair and make-up done makes me dread getting all sweaty. Oh well I did it anyway. I did my own workout today. I wanted to watch the PBS Masterpiece Classic-Emma. I started watching it Sunday night, but couldn't stay awake. So I did a combo of Richard Simmons dance moves and ball work while I watched. Kind of fun, but it seemed to take a lot longer than just doing the video. At least it's done. Now I can go on with my day!

Week 2 Catch Up

Oh boy! I really got busy this weekend. Friday I did level 2 of the Ball and Band workout. I really enjoyed a faster pace on the cardio, but wasn't quite ready for the tougher strength training. Saturday I tried to go get my blood work done, but there was some miscommunication and the lab wasn't open. So after driving 30 miles to get there, fasting, I was a bit frustrated and ate at Taco Bell, and got a shake from Dairy Queen. Am I possibly an angry eater? I didn't get my workout in, but went home and did some vigorous housework. I should mop the floor more often, I mean for exercise.

Sunday was my rest day, but after several hours of church lugging a 17 pound baby around, I think that should count for something. Today I was feeling a lot of lower back pain so decided to go for my Yoga DVD. It seemed to help a bit.

Now to get to the rest of my day. Tomorrow I have a DR appointment. It's at 7 am. Long story on that one. The point being I ended up with Patrick's appointment he set so it's a lot earlier than I like to get out of the house. The upside is that I will likely just have to move my exercise time a little later than usual.

Today's Stats
1 hour Yoga
Attitude-Healthy!

Week 2.1

Well the scale may not show it, but I feel better nonetheless. I am more flexible, more energetic, positive, and were it not for a wee little one, I would be sleeping a lot better too. All the positive rewards of exercise make it worth it.

I decided to go for an oldie but goodie exercise tape, yes tape, today. I did the Richard Simmons "Dance Your Pants Off". Wow! I had forgotten how much it made me work. Fun too! I just have to ignore a few individuals faces while I do it. A little too dramatic for my taste. The best part was that my blood sugar after exercise was 105. That's the lowest it's been in months. I will hopefully get my meds adjusted next week so that it will stay down.

I weighed in this morning and it wasn't any better than a few days ago. There could be many reasons for the gain, but I am choosing to not worry about it for now. I am sure that in the long run only good results will happen.

Today's stats
Weight-255
FBS-142
After EX-105
Exercise- 1 hour Dance Your Pants Off
Mood-Optimistic

Day 7 The Week comes to a Close

Talk about the day to end all days. I am tired of these negative days. Fooey! #4 was up many times in the night and I was supposed to go in early to get some fasting blood work done. Notice I said supposed to. We had some light rain this morning, but with the low temps it was freezing rain. I was finally ready to leave at about 8:30 and got the 2 youngest in the car.

Our garage door opener is broken, so I had to get out to close it. As I was getting out, the van started sliding down our drive. I quickly got back in and parked the van on a flatter surface. We were on our way, or so I thought. I couldn't go more than about 15 miles per hour the mile to the highway. When we got to the stop sign I could see 3 cars off the road. One of them a big fuel truck. I thought to myself, if he's not driving on this, I probably shouldn't. Just then a Sheriff drove by, and shortly after another 2 police officers and 2 tow trucks. Hmmmm...I called my sweetheart who was already at his DR appointment and decided to turn around. It took 5 tries and lots of spinning wheels to get the van back up the driveway. By this time it was after 9:30. It was such an ordeal, I felt completely exhausted. I made myself some breakfast, fed the baby, and took a nap.

So, I missed my exercise appointment, through no fault of my own. It was not a total loss though. After lunch my sweetheart came home early. By that time I was starting to get a migraine. Just another one of life's little gems. I took ibuprofen, got a shoulder rub and we went downstairs to watch TV. While we were watching, I was bouncing on my exercise ball. So in a way I still got in my activity for the day.

Then we got the kids to bed. I hadn't felt much like eating earlier, so I made a late dinner of Chicken tenders with Citrus Salsa. Yum! The pictures all came out blurry, but I posted it anyway. Here's the recipe for the salsa.

Citrus Salsa
Orange Segments and juice
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Green Onions
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
Lemon juice to your liking I used about 2 or 3 Tablespoons
kosher salt

I am not a fan of sweet sauces on meat. This is not sweet, it is very tangy and super refreshing. I love it! Thanks Giada.

Today's Stats
Exercise 30 minutes ball bouncing
One safe family!
Tomorrow- Weigh in day!

Day 6! GRRRR

Today I am feeling a bit dissenchanted. I really did not want to get up and going this morning. My whole right side hurts. I have a nerve pinched somewhere, and it hurts from my neck to my heel. However!! I have made a promise to myself, so I got up and got my shoes on. I did my Ball and Band workout, minus the squats. I just kept the cardio going.

The thought occurred to me that maybe if I weighed early it would motivate me to keep going. Boy was I wrong! I'm up 2 or 3 pounds. I think the Womenly woes are coming, or as we affectionately call them "the woes". I hope that is the reason for the gain. Although I have not been denying myself the things I want to eat, I don't think it's been all that horrible. I guess it's time to start journaling my food, even though I dread it with all my heart.

Ugh!
Todays stats
No FBS
1 hour Ball and Band workout
Mood-Currently Lousy, but Optomistic!

Days 4&5

Day 4 was Sunday, so it was restful right? Mostly anyways. I taught a lesson to the ladies at church. I thought it went well. We talked about our talents, and how we could use them in serving our Heavenly Father. Then I went home and took a much needed nap.

Day 5-Today!
I was a little worried about my exercise appointment today. It's always hard for me to start fresh when I have had a break. Granted it was only one day, but still difficult. To make things harder, the girls don't have school today for Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. So I didn't have to get up early to get them on the bus. I have an alarm set to go off everyday at 7:55 am as a reminder for myself. #4 was up at 4 am to eat, so I was asleep when the alarm went off. I did not want to get up, but #4 was ready to eat again, so I didn't really have a choice. I fed her and got my shoes on.

I decided to do Turbo Jam Cardio Party today for something different. I enjoyed it, but it seemed to hurt my knees and back a bit more than the ball workout. Maybe I'll just do it occasionally for variety. Three more days until weigh in!

Todays Stats
FBS 149
Exercise 1 hour Turbo Jam Cardio Party, plus Ball Cool Down

Day 3

I feel much more flexible already. Only 3 days of working out and I can move much more easily than last week. I decided to have my workout each day of the week including Saturday, with Sunday as a day of rest. Today I was a little late because Little Miss #4 wanted to eat at 8. Since I am still nursing I figured it would be better to just feed her for the 20 minutes instead of trying to soothe her for the hour that I workout. It worked well she went back to sleep and I got to go downstairs without worry. My Sweetheart was planning on working out at the same time, but I got there first, so I got the TV. I am so proud of him. He did his Taebo workout without the video in another area so I could stick to my goal. What a good man!

I could really feel the burn today. To start with, I was going a bit slower than the video, but now that I know the routine better I can keep up, and boy does it kick my bootie.

Just a small thought on sabotage. I don't really feel the need for snacks and desserts if I don't see them. If they are in my house I will find them and consume them freely. A few weeks ago, I made some peanut butter chocolate truffles, and had half of them still in my fridge. When I got that sweet urge yesterday, out came the truffles. I ate what I wanted and the kids disposed of the rest. No more sabotage. I think that's the last of the junk in the house. I know there are a few Halloween leftovers, and a few chocolate stocking stuffers, but those or portionable.
I love the feeling of guiltless eating. I know they are not the best choices, but guilt does nothing to improve my health. It may take me longer to burn off the calories, but that is the whole point of exercising each day right?!

Today's Stats
FBS 153
Exercise 1 hour ball and band workout
BS after EX-130
Breakfast-Oatmeal with frozen berries-Yum!

Day 2

Ow, ow, ow...I kept my appointment even though #4 was up at 12, 3, and 5. It's time for her own room. She did however sleep through my workout. Yippee.

Today's Stats
FBS-150 (Fasting Blood Sugar)
Exercise- 1 hour ball and band workout
Breakfast-Berry and yogurt smoothie.

My goals-110 pound loss, defined muscles, blood sugar control without meds.

Day One!

For many years now I have been overweight. I don't want to be so anymore. I am a beautiful person inside and I want that to shine on the outside too. Why post it all on a blog? Accountability! I am not perfect nor do I think I have all the answers, but I am ready to make a change in my life. For a long time I wasn't ready. Not ready to give up my favorite indulgences, not ready to exercise, not ready to commit to anything. Well today is day one!

I have made a few discoveries in my attempts to lose the pounds.

1-Everything is Spiritual before temporal. (Doctrine and Covenants 29:31-35) I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and wants me to be happy, so He will help me with this. When my physical body is in line with God's laws, then I will be able to accomplish my goal.

2-I am super time sensitive. I hate being late. I calendar all appointments. I watch the clock constantly. So I decided to make an appointment with myself. Everyone else gets their due time, why not me? So everyday at 8 am I have an appointment to be physically active for an hour.

3-Woman cannot shrink by diet alone. I don't know why it never occured to me before that I don't have to give up the things that I love if I exercise. The math is pretty simple. If I take in more calories than I use, it gets stored as fat. If I use more calories than I take in, the fat gets burned up. Duh!

4-Inspiration and Motivation are unneccesary. What you say. Well according to another blogger, you just do it. There's no reason for notes and rewards. The rewards are obvious. I get to live to raise my children. The motivation is already there too. It's called get off your duff and do it. http://www.344pounds.com/

So to sum it all up, I will be checking in on a regular basis with my stats and goals.

Today's stats

Weight 252

Fasting Blood sugar 163

Exercise 1 hour ball and band, Cardio and strength training