Finally My Body is Cooperating

The Great Slim Down of '09 has not gone the way I had hoped. Back in the beginning of the year, things were going along great. I lost about 12 pounds and then the wagon lost a wheel and I fell off. A series of events happened and I lost my weight loss way. I struggled to get back on the now repaired wagon, but when I turned around I found that it had left without me. I pretty much quit trying over the summer and I gained back the twelve pounds plus a couple more. I have insulin resistance and so every time I pass a fast food joint or the candy aisle at the store pounds leap on me and stay. Basically gaining weight is really easy and losing it is doubly difficult because of the metabolic issues with my insulin and glucose. As if losing weight wasn't difficult enough?!?!

After being frustrated for the last 5 weeks I finally see that my body is cooperating again and going the right direction, down! I am back on the insulin resistance medicine (I'm a bad patient), eating is back on track and the Dr. Pepper has been abandoned. I am back to making good choices and in the last week and a half I have dropped seven pounds.

Are you making healthy changes in your life? What are you doing? Do you go to a gym or workout in your living room to a DVD? I would love to hear from you!

Getting healthy is a journey. A journey with discovery and recovery. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change.

And YUM-O Is It's Name, OH!

Since I am back on track with the Great Slim Down of '09 and I am tired of the same ol' meals, I started looking for a new recipe. I happened upon one that sounded really good, easy and only required one dish. That is my type of meal baby. I wanted something filling, low in calories, high in protein and YUM-O and I got it. In keeping with bloggy love, I feel I should pass this recipe onto all of you. I did tweak it a bit, so I will post what I actually made and not the original.

Unstuffed Cabbage

Ingredients

2 lbs extra lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large jar mild salsa (medium for those who like a hotter taste)
1 1/2 package shredded cabbage (cole slaw mix 10 oz pkg.)
2 cups water
2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked

Directions
Brown meat and onion in large skillet on medium-high until meat is cooked through.

Add salsa and cole slaw mix; stir. Reduce heat to simmer; cover tightly. Cook 25 to 30 minutes or until cabbage is tender.

Stir in water and rice; bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir and cover. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Number of Servings: 8

I doubled the recipe and we had a LOT of food. The ingredients and amounts above are what I used, so for a regular amount, half it. It was great! My family really liked it and because I have a veggie monster (Makiah) in my house we had broccoli on the side, you wouldn't need to though. I also added pepper to mine because I like peppery food.

Here is the nutritional value for it, if you are interested in that sort of thing.
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 258.2
Total Fat: 10.2 g
Cholesterol: 39.1 mg
Sodium: 428.6 mg
Total Carbs: 25.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.1 g
Protein: 14.2 g

For more great recipes, check out Spark Recipes.

Over here is an update post, a post with play-doh and a poll, go check it out. Please and thank you.

Wedding Recovery

Whew!! Marryin' someone off is not easy task!! I am so glad the wedding and wedding planning is over!!!

It was a busy 2 days leading up to the wedding and then the day of was, of course, crazy. There were no casualties, for which we should all bow our heads and give thanks for. The day of was insanely crazy, but again, everyone survived (barely, just barely) and the bride and groom took off for their honeymoon and we all cleaned up.

We planned to go to the Old Spaghetti Factory with some very dear friends for dinner, so I had a huge decision to make. . . spaghetti factory or amputate both of my feet (they hurt so bad). I decided to skip the amputation and head for the fun and food and it was a wise decision. Some food just tastes better in the presence of GREAT friends.

Sunday was wonderful. Service was fabulous at Fresh Anointing and then of course, fellowship was great too. We stayed an extra night in STL to recuperate some more and to spend a few extra moments with our "framily". I think I am still trying to recover from the craziness of it all, but exhausted is no longer in the list of descriptions.

I resumed the "Great Slim Down of '09" today, since I fell off the wagon. I picked myself up, dusted myself off and said, "girl, you can do this, no more excuses." Seeing pictures of yourself on the internet, directing someone's wedding will make you want to shed as much weight as possible. Trust me. So if I bite Hubs head off later, he should know it's because I have had NO chocolate today. ~~Smile~~The Wii Fit and I also got reacquainted today.

Enough ramblin', I must go make dinner, just because I am dieting, doesn't everyone should suffer. ~~wink~~

If Anyone Has Seen My Willpower, Please Send It Home

Does that tell you anything????

No, really, I haven't done terrible, but I haven't lost really anything in the last 3 weeks. My own fault, I dropped off the wagon when Daniel went into the hospital and getting everything back on track hasn't been easy. My eating wasn't great either, again, my own fault.

I started this post on Saturday and now, Monday, I am finishing it! I think I am back on track with the food, but the exercising--different story. I want too, but I am so busy trying to get everything else done, that I haven't been making time for it. That stops today! I have to exercise, it is key to the weight decreasing. So I am going to start scheduling my times to exercise! I also need to get in gear and preparing for the Heart Walk, or I am not going to make it!!! I refuse to fail! I will walk in the Heart Walk and finish it!! Tomorrow morning I am heading to either the treadmill (at the gym) or the high school track to walk.

On Wii Fit, one of my favorite things, there is a section of Yoga. Never really got into Yoga, but I have fallen in love with it on the Wii. I thoroughly enjoy it and it truly is a workout!! I avoided yoga because it was always associated with terms like~~"finding your center"~~"feel the earth's power"~~and other such things. If I am wrong, please don't be offended, but I know my center--God and the power, same thing. I have found yoga to be very relaxing. I usually play slow worship music and concentrate on God or His word and I always come out feeling better. If I am going to tap into something, I want to tap into more of God.

Also, I have been playing so much Wii Tennis that my right arm is incredibly sore!! When we moved a little over a year ago, I got rid of my tennis rackets, because, well, they were loved and very worn!! So I have requested a shiny new racket for my birthday! Which is May 9, by-the-way. I'll be 30!! I used to love to play tennis and I want to get outside and play for real. Don't get me wrong I love my Wii Tennis, but I am ready to get out of my living room. Linton and I are both very competitive and though I'll probably never actually beat him, I am going to make him work for a win!!

So as for my workouts~~
~Wii Fit--various exercises on there, about an hour a day.
~Wii Sports--Tennis--usually for about an hour after the kids are in bed!
~Crunches--30 per day
~Wall Push-ups--30 per day
~Lying Leg Curls--50 per day
~Squats--30 per day
~Toe Touches--70 per day
~Bi-cep Curls--20 each arm
~Tri-cep Curls--20 each arm

My exercises are split up throughout the day, for two reasons. One, is so that I can actually get stuff done around here and, two, so that I can keep the metabolism working. I am back to drinking 12-14 cups (8 oz) of water a day. I also try to drink 3 cups of herbal tea a day.

So, now you have been updated on the Great Slim Down '09. Now I have a literal mountain of laundry waiting for me in the laundry room area! I must go sort and start it before it comes together to form a giant monster of dirtiness!

Have a happy and blessed Monday!! =)

What's Going Here You Ask??

Maybe you don't want to know. Sickness of all types of yuck have been going on here. Just when we thought things were getting better, Sam and Makiah started running fevers and had sinus ick. So I took them to the doctor and they both have Upper Respiratory Infections and that caused Sam's asthma to jump in too. Daniel on the other hand was doing great. I thought, "we are nearing the end of the illness tunnel", when I was snapped back to reality by fever, cough, runny nose and sinus ick. Yes, Daniel is now sporting his very own URI. So I continue with the disinfecting and nose wiping.

At this point I am wondering if a thermal cleaning is possible. Just zap it all!

On an up note, the weather has been grand and as soon as the kidlets are well again, we are heading outside. We may do school outside every day--just because.

Anywoo, in an attempt at a real post, I thought I'd at least sing the praises of our trip to St. Louis, now two and a half weeks old. It was wonderful. We had a grand time of ministering, relaxing and fellowship. It was so needed. There are some people that will always be important and play an important role in one's life and the church family we have over there are those people. Dear friends that are more like family than friends. We all hold them dear and always will. I don't think it will ever matter how far we roam from each other, we will always be close.

I am getting back into the swing of the Great Slim Down. I have to say that I let up during all this mess, so much to do besides exercise. Yes, I kind of fell of the wagon for a few days, but I am not going to stop. I re-started the exercising today. Actually when I weighed, I found a nice surprise. I just knew that I had picked up a pound or two. I was truly amazed to find that I had lost another 1.8 pounds. I'll take that! I am also going to start seriously training for the Heart Walk that is quickly approaching. I plan on being out the door by 6 in the morning and on the track. Can't wait actually~~the solitude, just me and the iPod. It may end up being more for my mental health than exercise at this point!

Well, I need to get ready for church now. Hubs is staying home with the sicklets so that I can actually go to church.

Slim Down '09 Just Got A Whole Lot More Fun!!

I have to admit that though I know exercise is the way to truly lose weight, that sometimes it's just not FUN. So I had slacked off just slightly and I needed a pick me up. Well, I got it this week. We have a new addition to the family.

Welcome cute, little, FUN Wii Fit. . . . where have you been all my life??

I have to say that I absolutely love it. I was more than a little curious as to whether or not it would actually be a workout. I got my answer and yes it is. I don't know that I would use it as my sole source of activity, but it definitely gives you a workout. It also tracks weight and BMI, which is helpful. There are many exercises and I like that, because it keeps it from being boring.

Anyway, as for my progress. . .like I said, I had slacked off a little, but I am back full force now. I have been soda free for 51 days and still crave it occasionally, but I haven't caved. I have had a little more sweet tea than I had been, but my water intake is still good. Exercising has been what I slacked off. I didn't stop, I just wasn't doing as much. Since the beginning of the year I have lost 11 pounds and over 12 inches. I plan on being down 5 more pounds by the end of February and as many inches as choose to leave.

I am still doing strength training and aerobics daily. I have added balance training (apparently I am off balance and I should be tripping when I walk), and also some Yoga poses. I am not into the meditation portion of yoga, but the poses do give you quite a workout and help with balance, strength and flexibility.

My first mini goal is to lose 25 pounds by the end of March. My second mini goal is have to lose another 15 pounds before the heart walk in St. Louis. Lofty goal that second one, because I'll only have a month, but ya gotta shoot for something!

Heart Tip: Know your numbers!! There are certain numbers that everyone should know to make sure they are healthy. These numbers tell you a great deal about how your body is doing. You can't reduce your risks if you don't even know you are at risk. These numbers are: HDL--good cholesterol, LDL--bad cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, weight and BMI (body mass index). Knowing all these numbers will give you a good idea of your risks for heart disease. I suggest you also know your blood sugar. Most people who develop diabetes don't even realize they are feeling different until their sugar is way too high. Once you know your base line numbers, your doctor can better monitor any changes.

Here are the links again to my Heart Walk page and my team's page. I haven't done a whole lot of recruiting or fund raising yet, but all in good time.

Hope hope you all are having a fabulous Friday.

Apparently I am Still Incoherent

I have been totally swamped with stuff this week and so I think my brain is on a temporary vacation. Hopefully it's temporary. So I am going to post my tip of the day and head to bed. Maybe some decent sleep will help.

Heart Tip of the Day: Pump some iron! Strength training does more than build muscle (and burn fat), it also strengthens your heart and helps it to beat more efficiently--something that can't hurt. Doing a strength training routine 2-3 times per week can lower your risk of heart disease, increase blood flow and generally make you feel better.

I have been doing strength training as part of the Great Slim Down of '09 and I really enjoy it and I feel myself getting stronger. If you don't have any weights (small ones will do) you can always tote around a kid or three and that should do it!!

Sleep well. I'll try and actually have a real post tomorrow. Goodnight!

Lace Up Those Sneakers and Let's START!

BIG News!!! Drum roll please. . . . .

I'm officially in training. Training to participate in a 5K, this mama is lacing up her pink and white tennis shoes to walk in the American Heart Association START! Heart Walk on May 2nd, in St. Louis. I am so excited!

I have wanted to walk in it for several years now, but this year I am doing it! I first considered it a few years back, walking in Nathaniel's memory, but I didn't. So this year, I decided, there is no time like the present and I am going to walk. I'm walking for several reasons. These are in no particular order--personal accomplishment, to raise money and awareness to a cause that I am passionate about (and hits very closely to my heart) and it is something productive to do annually in honor of Nathaniel. The most important reason being the last one. According to the AMA 36,000 children are born with a heart defect each year! I was a mama with a baby in that statistic group almost 9 years ago and if it hadn't been for research and research funding, my precious Nathaniel wouldn't have lived past 15 minutes, literally. I also want to add that I believe that God's a healer. First and fore most prayer should go up for those dealing with or born with heart disease, but I also believe that God gave some people the brilliance to work on these kiddos and others to be giving enough to fund the brilliant. So let me say, emphatically, that God brought Nathaniel through those three years and he used some very kind, amazing, brilliant and talented people to complete that task! I know that the Great Physician guided our earthly physicians and what a team they made!!

~~Shout out to Dr. Eric Medelloff (the surgeon), Dr. David Balzer (Nathaniels primary Cardiac doc) the Cardiac Team and the fabulous staff of St. Louis Children's Hospital!! You guys ROCK!!~~

Team Nathaniel has been formed. I have a personal web page through the AMA and a Team Page. Right now the team is me, I haven't started recruiting yet, so if you want to join me you are more than welcome. I shouldn't really say it's just me. Makiah is walking with me and I am pushing the boys. This is a family event. Hubs will be designing a Team Nathaniel t-shirt for those walking. If you can't walk, but you want to help, sponsoring is good too. No pressure to do either, I just wanted to share with all of you what I am doing. Joining and/or sponsoring can be done on those two web pages. Join on the team page and donations can be made on my personal page.

Now, here's your heart tip for Saturday: go nuts!! You have now been given permission to go nuts--walnuts, cashews, flaxseeds or sesame seeds, macadamias and most importantly almonds. Nuts pack a healthy punch for your heart by providing some healthy fats. They also give you something crunchy to munch on with the benefit of it being good for you. Watch out for the salted ones, they pack too much sodium! I like to add raw nuts to my salads or throw them in my chicken meals. Pack some to munch on during those walks for a nutritious boost of energy or as a cure for the afternoon drag. One serving at a time is just perfect for great health!

Gotta run now, do some cleaning, then off to celebrate Dad. Tomorrow is his birthday! I'll be posting pics tomorrow of my wonderful daddy!

I hope everyone is having a splendid Saturday!!

Crankiness Be Gone

Sometimes I am cranky. By the end of the day, I am sometimes a lot cranky. I've decided that I don't like it.

I don't like to snip and snap my way through the day, at everyone and everything. I'm not really sure when I transformed into this cranky stranger, but she is no longer welcome. Goodbye, please don't call again.

Now, that that's over, I think I should tell everyone how wonderful Samuel is doing with potty training. I mean, the transformation is just unbelievable. He actually wants to wear underoos and goes to the potty all by himself, most of time. I am so grateful for this transformation. Now if he would just listen as well as he pees in the potty.

Makiah went to play mini golf with Gramps a couple of weeks ago and she had four hole-in-one shots! I was very impressed. My dad is an avid player and he said she did really well. I am hoping to get her into a golf program this summer, she has wanted to for awhile now. Maybe, just maybe she'll go pro and support me someday!

The Great Slim Down of '09 has taken on some different meaning and I have another reason (as if I didn't have enough) to work harder. I'll share it with you tomorrow. It's exciting.

Today's heart tip is. . . laughter. Yes, that's what I said, laughter. Long, hard and often. Recent studies show that laughter may possibly increase circulation and blood flow. Laughter is a great stress reliever and we all know what that pesky stress does to our bodies. Not only did the scientists tell us that is good, but it's Biblical. ~~A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22~~ Tell some jokes (clean ones, of course), watch some classic comedy (Dick Van Dyke or I Love Lucy--if you don't laugh at them, you need someone to check your pulse), find some humor in your children/grandchildren. Basically, be merry. Your heart needs it, but so does your mental health. Here's a few to get you chuckling.

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Bible class. As she ran she prayed, "Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord,
please don't let me be late!"
While she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again! As she ran she once again began to pray, "Dear Lord, please don't let me be late...But please don't shove me either!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three boys are in the school yard bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, "My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls i t a poem, they give him $50."
The second boy says, "That's nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100."
The third boy says, "I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
An elderly woman died last month. Having never married, she requested no male pallbearers. In her handwritten instructions for her memorial service, she wrote, "They wou ldn't take me out while I was alive, I don't want them to take me out when I'm dead."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A police recruit was asked during the exam, "What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?" He answered, "Call for backup."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Sunday School teacher asked her class why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to Jerusalem . A small child replied, "They couldn't get a bab y-sitter."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "Honor thy father and thy mother," she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Joh nny seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs.
Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and she said, "Johnny, what is the matter?" Little Johnny responded, "I have pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife."

I hope you have a merry Thursday. Feel to share some laughs in the comments, should you so desire!! ~~Smile~~

Lub-Dub, Lub-Dub, Lub-Dub. . . What a Lovely Sound

February is National Heart Month.

I have sort of a passion for heart health awareness. Heart health that we can control and the diseases we can't. Our oldest son, Nathaniel, was born with congenital heart disease. He underwent his first open heart surgery when he was six days old, then another at 9 months old and then another a month before he turned 3. He also had several (by several I mean 13) heart catheterizations. Nathaniel laughed, smiled, played and enjoyed life. Though is life was short. He passed away 5 years ago, just a few months past age 3. Just looking at Nathaniel you would never know anything was wrong. He was the happiest child I have ever seen and that includes his siblings.

Though, at this moment in life, I am not the most gleaming example of health (I'm working on it), I do believe that people should be more heart health conscience, hence the Great Slim Down of '09. Especially women, we have a tendency to focus on everything and everyone else, while heart disease is the leading killer among women today.

So I decided that I would post a heart healthy tip or recipe everyday of the month of February, along with my usually stellar posts!

Today's tip~~Be sure to include dark leafy veggies in your diet. Arugula, Spinach, Kale, Mustard Greens, Chicory and Collard Greens are some to try. They make a great side dish or slip them into a pasta dish for a new twist on things. They are a great source of vitamin A, C, fiber and calcium. The darker the leaves the more nutrient rich.

Also during the month many retailers help out the American Heart Association by asking patrons to add a dollar to their bill. I encourage everyone to do that at least once. It's only a dollar and it goes to research. I can't help but think that it was someone's dollar(s) that helped get the information and technology that helped Nathaniel live as long as he did and as well as he did.


Nathaniel~~age 2 He loved being silly and smiley.


~~The tips I am posting are things I have collected over the years. If it isn't mine then I will credit where it came from.

Temptation Came A Knockin'. . .

and I locked the door!!! I really love, or should I say loved, soda. I still kinda miss it, even after being 27 days soda free. I pass it in the grocery store, and I deny. I pass it at the gas station, and I deny. I pass it up at restaurants. I have done really well. This afternoon the kids and I went over to my parents to spend some time and let daddy have peace and quiet while he gets a couple of papers done. My dad keeps in their fridge Coke Zero. Now, I am a Dr. Pepper fan, but when one is off the sauce, a Coke will do. A Coke Zero is even better, because it won't wreck my diet. The kicker today was it was not just regular Coke Zero, it was Coke Zero Cherry. I love any soda that had cherry flavoring. I wanted one. Bad. I thought about it. I argued with myself. The bad Valerie said that I could have one, as a treat, and it wouldn't even mess up my calories. The good Valerie knew that once I had that taste in my mouth I would crave it again and I would be back at square one. . again.

I am oh-so-proud to say that I RESISTED!! Me, the Dr. Pepper, soda-lovin', queen resisted a soda! I can't say that I won't be tempted again, because, well, that would be plain foolish. But I am one notch stronger in knowing I CAN, when I choose too.

New month, so new goals. This month I am going to step up my workout. The Biggest Loser, I watch it on Hulu and I am just amazed and inspired and it is truly motivating me that I can work harder and do more than I think.

I treated myself to an early reward, basically out of need. I needed to step up my cardio workout and I need a motivator. No better motivator than Jillian Michaels (and a pic of yourself hanging on the fridge to detour extra snacking). That's right, I bought a DVD box set of Jillian Michaels Beginner Circuit Training and it includes a Kick Boxing workout as well. I think the Kick Boxing is going to kick my backside, but I am willing to try. I was going to wait and a new workout DVD was going to be my reward at the first 25 pounds lost. But to get to that 25 pounds, I must change my cardio routine. Besides, I had a coupon for my favorite bookstore and some store cash that was going to expire and I don't let free money expire people. ~~Smile~~

February Goals:

To do some form of cardio--daily, no less than 20 minutes
To do some form of strength training--daily and increase the reps of each exercise I have been doing for a month
To stay below my calorie range by 150 calories
Increase my water intake by 2, making it a daily average 14 cups
To lose 15 pounds this month (lost 9 in January)
To melt off 12 more inches (that's right, 12 inches in the month of January)

Slim Down 2009 Plan of Attack

I've had a couple of people ask me what I have been doing and so I am here to unveil my "Plan of Attack", or more lovingly known as my lifestyle change.

First of all, I cut my calorie intake down. I have not had a soda in 14 days!! Woo Hoo for me!! I know that made my calorie intake go down drastically. I have been drinking only water or herbal tea (sweetened with honey), no large sweet teas from the golden arches, no soda, no juice (it has a LOT of calories in it) and only a little milk (changed from whole, to 1%) with my cereal. I am doing that for 30 days. After the 30 days I’ll go back to having milk and occasionally juice. Sweet tea will only be a “treat” and soda is banished FOREVER. I have also added back into our diets more fruits and veggies. The kids eat a lot of fruit and veggies, but I had kind of exchanged them for, say, chocolate, and that has not proved to be a good thing. So I now eat no less than 5 servings of fruit and veggies a day, compared to the, hopefully, 1 or 2 it was.

Second, I have greatly increased my activity level. Sure, we SAHM's get a lot of moving done, but that doesn't give us the same benefits of actual exercise. I don't currently like any of the cardio DVD's I have used in the past, so we are basically turning up the music and dancing like crazy people (me and the kids). Then I also have gone to playing at least 30 minutes a day of Wii Tennis and also Wii boxing. Both of those give some cardio workout. The big thing though, and it's what makes those inches melt away, is strength training. No, I'm not pumping iron, but I am doing a lot of anaerobic exercise, working major muscle groups (eg, crunches, heel raises, etc).

Third, I joined Sparkpeople.com again. I joined up in the summer of 2007, then got pregnant with Daniel and the weight control flew out the window and here we are again. Spark people is a free online weight loss mega site. It has calorie tracking (which is a key to weight loss), fitness tracking complete with calories burned, nutrition plans (I follow my own), articles on health and fitness, exercise videos and a lot of other helpful information. The thing about Spark people is the camaraderie and support. You find teams to join up with and participate in challenges and find strength from those around you. I really like it. You should check it out, even if you have no weight to lose, you might find the nutrition info interesting.

So now that you are wondering when this post will end, let me sum it all up and give you a list of the exercises I do.

Calorie Intake:
Stopped the soda and sweet tea pipeline to my stomach
Added more fruit and vegetables
Smaller portions
Added mega water intake (I drink between 80 and 100 ounces of water a day)

Exercise: (current level of activity)
25 minutes of cardio 4 times per week--this is the minimum, it's usually everyday (not including Wii)
Toe Touches (I am up to 75 a day)
Crunches (30 a day)
Side bends (120 a day)
Wall Push-ups (easier on the knees, 30 a day)
Leg lifts with stability ball (40 a day)
Squats (20-30 a day)
Bi-cep curls with resistance band (25 each arm)
Tri-cep kick backs (30 a day, both arms)

I think that completes the daily list, there are few others that I don't do everyday. There you have it. The plan of attack for the great Slim Down '09. I am looking forward to sharing this journey.

Edited to add: Since I typed this over the last two days, I have an update!! I weighed this morning at the doctors office and I am down 7, count 'em 7 pounds this week!!! That makes a total of eight pounds in just under two weeks!

Did I Come with an Off Button?

Busy, busy, busy weekend. So busy, I was glad to see Monday come.

Then Monday was busy. Very busy and by the time I sat down to have a minute of quiet to type, I was too tired. I wrote that first line and then went to bed!

So this is a Monday post, published on Tuesday morning.

Makiah is having a very hard time getting back into the school routine. Still. There have been a couple days where I was looking for the nearest public school. But, we will press on and get at it, I know it's what is best for us, but there are days. . .

The lifestyle change (diet) is going well. The soreness is getting better every day and last week I lost a pound (wanted more, but I'll take it) and melted away 6.5 inches off of various locations! So at least I see progress and that is what I want.

I need to feed Makiah and get started on school. I also have a mountain of laundry and some errands to run. Looks like busy bled over into another day.

Have a very blessed Tuesday.

My thought of the day:
Studies have found that dark chocolate helps prevent heart disease and cancer, and has also been shown to improve mood by boosting the brain chemical serotonin. ~~So I say, enjoy a little chocolate everyday, even on a diet! :)

The Pain of Success

At least that's what I hope this is. I jumped whole heartedly back into exercising. My hips and knees are complaining, loudly, that I should have walked back into exercising rather than jumping back in. All I can say is that the scale had better be in my favor at the end of this week of self-deprivation, torture (exercising) and giving up my beloved Dr. Pepper.

Even though my joints aren't happy with me, I do have more energy and generally feel better than I have in a long time. For this I am grateful and I am willing to give up the soda to continue to feel good. I think it's a reasonable trade, don't you?

We have also been eating more at home, which is not only good for the budget, but good for my waistline and everyone's general health. I have recently gotten a little paranoid about what's happening with my food, out of my presence. I kinda want to go inspect the kitchen, the dishwasher, the cooks, and anyone or thing else that is touching my food. Restaurants don't like nosey patrons, so we are eating at home. I guess I have watched one too many Kitchen Nightmares on Hulu.

As for my goals for 2009, for the most part I am keeping up nicely, except for that one about blogging everyday, even if it's just a picture. Gotta get better with that one. The Bible reading is going really well and I am enjoying doing a structured reading. It's good to sometimes go back and read the Beginning, remind myself of how awesome God really is.

Well, I think that adequately updated everyone for today. I am working on a couple posts, so I can get ahead.

I hope everyone has a blessed Friday!!

First Injury of 2009

This post is sans pictures because I can't find the camera cord to upload the photos!! Arg!!

Anyhoo, Samuel has begun the New Year with a bang. . . literally, a bang on the nose. We were playing on Monday, actually having dance time. We crank up the music and dance. It's fun, good exercise and a great stress reliever. Sam was doing is infamous jump and spin. This is where he jumps and spins at the same time, but rather than land on his feet he comes down all the way to his eyes. Looks painful, but when you're three what's a little pain when having fun. So on, what turned out to be the last jump and spin of the day, he shut his eyes. He was getting very dramatic with it and he came down on his knees but also brought his head down. Because his eyes were closed and moving at warp speed he didn't know that his face was going to make impact with the floor. And make impact it did. I was dancing and didn't see the whole thing unfold, being the attentive mother I am and all. I scooped him up and almost immediately the swelling began. Within 15 minutes he had a fat, red-purplish nose. He looked like Rudolph gone wrong. I know it had to hurt, made my eyes water just looking at it. I gave him Tylenol and he fell asleep. He woke up and it was even more red and purplish and a little fatter. Hubs insisted that it was just bruised and so we didn't go to the doctor.

The swelling has gone down considerably and he doesn't have a red and purple nose anymore. It's now just a fainting memory, well, kind of. See for Sam the memory is still very vivid. He tells me about 100 times a day--"I won't bump my nose anymore, that was ouchy". Does he still go at warp speed? Yes, of course. Does he still do his famous jump spin dance move? Yes, only this time, he leaves his eyes open and doesn't drop to his knees.

As for the rest of us, no injuries, only if you don't count the ones to my nervous system. Makiah is having a had time getting back into a school groove. She is easily distracted and I am constantly telling her to get back to work. I should just record it and play it looping every 15 minutes. Hopefully, we will be better in the coming days, but I have to say that the last three days have been difficult to say the least.

The diet, I mean, lifestyle change is going well. I have been soda free for 4 days! That's saying a lot for a Dr. Pepper addict like me. I haven't had any caffeine for 3 days and haven't hurt anyone yet. Who says miracles aren't still happening?!? I have increased my water intake and trips to the bathroom have also increased. All in all, things are progressing well. I plan on posting my progress about once a week. I know you all are excited about that, but I have to share my joy with everyone.

Well, since I am rather nauseated (I think the stomach flu is trying to venture back into my life), I think I'll go take a nap. Resting is part of a healthy lifestyle, don't you agree??