The Walk

So, I'm signing the 10 year old and myself up for a 5K on June 6th. We could do this any old time just by heading out the door, but an organized race sounds like fun for a change. I took the dog out for a 5K walk this morning. She didn't do too bad considering the amount of candy she's stolen from the kids in the past week and a half. It was cold out this morning and we just walked - almost 6400 steps according to my pedometer. It took almost an hour.

Update on past posts. Hubby is still at work. He got moved down to another plant. March Break has left me exhausted - anyone else? We spent time at the Wildlife Park doing crafts and seeing the animals - even went on a nature hike. Also got to the pool and some time in the school gym. We took in "Hotel for Dogs" and that's about it. I only did 3 WW meetings this week, which was good considering that the kids were home and my sitter has strep throat.

I guess today is officially Spring. The table is set with a dollar store table cloth and fake yellow flowers. Corny, but fun. There's frost here, but we're going to celebrate anyway. Take care.

And More Curves - Not so good today

Today is another busy day. Got the kids off to school, returned a library book and paid my membership at the gym for a month. The gym I joined last year has a small 1-time joiners fee, but 1-time means 1-time, so I didn't need to pay for it today. I just brought in my card and paid my membership for the next month. I didn't stay for a workout, but will probably go this evening.

Next I did some banking and bought a couple of things at the grocery before coming home. While in the grocery store I made a to-do list for today and am surprised how much is on it. I am covering a WW meeting in the city today and have a few errands along the way.

After posting yesterday a few things happened that really threw my mood. I had heard that a man was hit by a train close to home on the radio yesterday morning and found out that it had been a friend. He had a son the same age as my oldest daughter and was heavily involved in the community recreational scene. It just hurts my heart that he is gone. This was one of two train accidents in Nova Scotia this weekend. Bruce Preeper will be missed and I send out warm blessings to his family.

My husband discovered that his friend had passed away shortly before being told that he would likely be laid off this Friday. We've never both been out of work at the same time before. Such drama has the makings of a sitcom. He came home in such a state I wondered about leaving him alone with the kids last night. I did and headed off to the city for my WW meeting.

It went well. Everyone just loves talking about exercise. On the way home a dear ran out in front of me. I slowed down and watched it hop off onto the other side of the road, worrying about whether the on-coming traffic could see it. That's when it's partner ran in front of my car, stopped and came head to head with my grill. I let out a yell as it flew to the ground and ran back the way it had come. I hadn't been going too fast, so it may be OK, but discovered later there is a crack in the front of the car. Normally I wouldn't be too concered, but this is a 2009 - my first ever new vehicle.

Sorry to be a downer. I'm going to get ready and head into the city now. After I get home I'm taking the kids for a walk - I think we all need some fresh air. And I will definately hit the gym tonight. Getting back into a routine will do me some good. Food for today...I had oatmeal, blueberries and soy drink, plus a couple of coffees. I picked up a spinach salad on 50% off at the grocery (along with 50% off lf brownies and 50% off bananas) so the salad will likely be my lunch and a banana for snack. I'm taking some fish out of the freezer for supper, too. I think rice, fish and some stir-fry veggies sounds good.

SO - How was your Monday?

Tracker, Tracker on my Desk...

make my tracking the very BEST!

I'm a tracking machine. I had adjusted my pts this week to weight-loss mode, but so far have been using 6WPAs daily. To offset I'm going to plan my weekend to include filling foods and a high-protein breakfast each day. I'm going to try to make Sat & Sun each only use 2WPAs.

As far as the 3-month journal goes, which name do you like better: a 'magic' journal or a 'travelling' journal. OR, any other suggestions?

On the exercise commitments, only made 30+ mins on elliptical Wed night. Tuesday I can't remember what happened and last night was a meeting with my friend. She recently returned from a 6-day conference in Florida with Anthony Robinson, so lots of information was shared.

Hugs to all. Have a great weekend - I'll likely be popping in and out.

Holiday Plan - 2008 version

My Holiday plan from last year helped and provided amazing results. I began a resistance training regime with Phit-n-Phat late November and focused on a lot of other things. I was in charge of Christmas dinner, which I found helpful. BUT...it's not the DAY that can cause problems, but the weeks beforehand and the week or so afterwards before we all crawl back to Weight Watchers or begin the latest in a long line of diets.

Like everyone else, I want to have fun throughout the holiday season. Food can be a big part of that. I don't plan on going into 2009 with extra pounds gained this month, though. So, I've developed another Holiday eating plan to be used to maintain my weight for December (and hopefully shed an inch or so in the process).

I'll use the same categories as last year for those interested in reading that one. I really did a copy and paste, then made my changes - and really, what works stays. Changes reflect the changes I've made this year.

Gatherings - Get a small plate and choose healthy options (i.e. 1 sandwich wedge, some veggies and fruit, limit of 1 small sweet). Why the sweet - because I'm not on a diet. You heard me - I'm a weight watcher but not on a diet. This is my life and we all need a sweet now and then or one of these parties we're gonna stuff sweets down our throat until we're sick of them - at least I would. Deprivation is not pretty. I strongly encourage my meeting members to use their weekly points allowance for indulgenges, and I usually relax for Saturday evenings. If you have multiple events during the week you may find the need to practice some restraint. Having a plan for the evening is always helpful.

Dinners - I load up on veggies before they're mashed, make cranberry sauce with splenda and used it on my 3-4 oz of turkey breast instead of gravy. If I really want some gravy, I'll be sure to ensure it is made with drippings instead of fat - This can be accomplished by letting it cool for while - there will be a nice separation. And who eats desert right after the meal, so when it's time, again limit to 1 small piece of whatever looks the best - if you can come up with a low point option, go for it. Just add 'healthy' in your google search.

Fast food during busy days decorating and shopping - Subway, McDonalds grilled chicken salads, Tim Horton's broth soup, Chinese with steamed rice vs. fried, grilled fish instead of fried. There are actually many options for eating on the run. An of course, nothing beats packing a cooler. This simple lunch-box is the best friend of someone watching their waist-line.

Quick meals at home - Stock up on some easy supplies, like pre-cooked chicken breasts, low fat meatballs, shrimp and frozen veggies for stir-fry's. Take an hour and make some frozen dinners that can be easily grabbed - I use the dinners in the frozen food section as guidelines (rice, shrimp, veggies and sauce) or (pasta, cooked chicken breast, veggies and pasta sauce). The choices are endless, but I do tend to use frozen, pre-cooked meat - but you can also throw in a few casserole dishes with various cuts while the rice is cooking. Pork, Steak, Chicken. For pasta don't cook until done as it will continue to finish cooking when being mic'd. Measure, put in container, and freeze. I love the 2C ziploc containers and usually make 6pt meals.

Sweets at home - Last year I was determined not to buy them, but I have become somewhat lax on this venue. If you have problems with food item control, honestly, you don't need them and neither does your family. Gifting or tossing baked goods is all in the cards for some and can leave them feeling extremely empowered. I'm not a big baker anyway, so any sweets we get can be frozen and used for recess or after-school snacks. My husband refuses to give up on these carb and sugar based items, but if I have healthy alternatives in the house (salad foods, protein bars, or other snack items) I tend to go for those. Do what you need to do, though. For me, the goal will be to ensure healthy items at hand.

Sweets at work - specifically chocolates or truffles, as that's my downfall. Last year I actually allowed myself 1 chocolate twice a week, but only if it was something 'good'. It worked great and I think I'll do that again. It saves me from over-indulging when we do have chocolate.

Exercise - Having taken a major hiatus from resistance training with Corinne, I really miss my bicep definition. And, I've gained a couple of inches in the waist and hips in spite of maintaining my weight. My plan is simple and I am going to own it. I will be working out using the beginner program I used last year. I am commiting to 2 cardio sessions per week and 2 strength training sessions. I do need to sub some items for my knees, but I am excited for this. All my weights have been moved upstairs, including the eliptical and bench. I'm taking over the computer room.

For the scale, I do not obsess. I am well below my WW goal and I know that the introduction of any exercise regime may cause an increase on the scale. I suspect my weight will remain the same through December and will begin to drop in January. I am going to go back to using my excel spreadsheets for menu planning and posting them on the fridge. AND, I'll be focusing on filling foods.

A lot of this really is the same as last year, with some improvements. I hope you get some ideas from some of these Holiday survival plans and if you post one of your own, please let me know so I can link to it. Have a great December.

Weekend planning and weekly update

The leadership training was fun. We did got all of our manuals and fancy briefcases with the Weight Watchers logo on it. I really enjoyed meeting a few new people and began to 'see' a lot of things my leader had done. The trainer had only good things to say about Fiona and when referring to the cream of the crop commented 'like the Fiona's of the WW world'. I new she was a good leader while I was going through.

Anyway, I guess I'll be planning a meeting for Monday night. I haven't gotten hold of Terri yet to work out the details, but had left a message for her yesterday. She's currently leading at the meeting I'll be taking over. Fun, huh.

This week will be filled with cleaning the house, beading with the kids and planning for next week. I have some reading to do for Monday's meeting and also need to plan my eats for next week and get the spreadsheet posted in the kitchen. I think we'll try to get a dozer in for the yard next week too.

That's all for today. Have a great weekend. I'm planning to get back into my st routine - I've been a bit of a slacker lately.

Eats and Treats

I'm trying to post my food in Sparks again this week. They have some neat new features, such as adding extra meals, copying a meal from another day, and exporting your report to excel. They also still have all of the great tools I remember, such as my 'favourites' list, where I added many of my favourite foods or specific items we buy that are not on the general list, such as my PC foods from Superstore.

For anyone starting an exercise regime, this site is also a great resource on how to properly do certain moves. They'll even design a program for you. And it's all free! That's right - Free! Well, what are you waiting for? Go sign up.

Ditchin' The Clothes

I think I'm going to have to start working out in the mornings. The thought of waking up early certainly does not appeal to me, but with summer such as it is I may not have a choice soon.

I started my lower body workout on the deck last night, with alternating lunges, dumbell squats and bunny hops. Then I made my way down to the basement. It's nice and cool down there. I proceeded with the next superset and, before too long, I decided I didn't reeeeaaally need a t-shirt on. In my last superset I also ditched the shorts 'cause they were sticking to me. My dd laughed and told me that she couldn't believe how sweaty I was. I guess I never really appreciated how much those clothes absorbed. On a related side-note, I also need to vacuum that area before lying down on the carpet again. And another nice thing - I was half way getting ready to jump in the shower afterwards.

So - before all that, I went to meeting last night. I did weigh in - up 1.8lbs. I'm figuring it could be just about anything and am not getting upset. 144.4 is still well within my comfort zone for now. I've been picking up the pace with this new schedule, but not focusing on cardio. I've also been slightly off with my eating for weight loss, and I jogged 15-20 minutes to the meeting. Any or all of that was likely a supporting factor. I am back on an eating plan - by that I mean I actually have my daily eats written out and will stick to that until Sunday when I switch it up. Subbing my protein pancake this afternoon for a grapefruit and 2pts of almonds though, since I ran out of time this morning. So, I expect to be smoothed out a bit again next week.

Take care and have a great Thursday - today is a great day to plan your menu for the weekend so you can make sure you've got the food you need in the house. I call it simple logic - you write what you are going to eat and then just eat it. It works for me.

Temptation, etc

Can anyone tell me why, oh why, people want to bring Timbits into work? Oh, and not the yucky plain ones, but chocolate glaze. Gee thanks. Not that I would normally have any - then again, yesterday wasn't 'normal'.

Last night I didn't have a workout planned, but...umm...Burger King wasn't on the plan either. Why is it we just say OK when we're tired. In all fairness, I did get the new Walnut, Cranberry Chicken salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette and a water. Then I had some french fries. Anyhoo - I'm extremely over-tired, so will be doing lower body workout tonight. I'm going to cut down the reps on my lunges and squats and attempt 3 sets tonight. My hamstrings hurt for 4 days last week and I don't think they need to hurt that long. Then I think we ALL need to be in bed early tonight. Being this tired on a Tuesday is bad.

It's the Attitude

I've been doing some listening (and reading) lately and this is my conclusion: We are more likely to succeed when we focus on the good. I'm hearing in meeting that "It's so hard." Yesterday I mentioned about people not changing their lifestyle. I know slips happen, but I'm thinking I never struggled this way with food because I embrased the changes wholeheartedly. Sure, I can still scarf down a days worth of points on a Saturday night in potatoe chips - and sometimes we do that. The difference is, I don't do it regularly AND when I realize what I'm doing I try to remove temptation. Really, a stir-fry is SO much more satisfying and those spices, like cajun or 5-spice, have a perfect flavour.

Exercise I DO struggle with. It's about getting into the head-space for it. I REALLY want to get out and enjoy walks, looking forward to the pool opening up in - yikes - 1 week. Overall, I don't think I have a problem with activity. It's my workouts. I admittedly struggle. SO, I have re-focused my attention to some extent. I am committed to 2 strength sessions a week - 1 for lower body and 1 for upper. With the lower body I am only focusing on 2 sets of my routine and with the upper body I will do 3 sets. Last night I did lower body and after my first superset (20 walking lunges with pulse, 20 side squats and 30 calf pulses, repeat) I was wobbly walking down the stairs. I have a long way to go, but I'm still here - 7 months after joining PnP.

Roller Blading my worries away

The 9yo wanted to head out and do SOMEthing last night, so off we went. In all fairness, I planned to go roller blading with her last night anyway, but hadn't mentioned it. 2.5km with the mild to moderate inclines. This is the third time I've done this route. It's a pretty good one since the hubby can take the 4yo in the car to the playground and we meet him there. It's definately a nice change from walking and left me feeling invigorated. I could have kept going.

Black flies are making a seasonal come-back and MY time in the playground was cut short. On the grocery list this weekend: bug spray and sun screen. Also, the 9yo and I are heading to Frenchy's on Saturday for some much needed summer clothes shopping. She's grown and I've shrunk - neither of us has much that fits well enough, and it's important to look good while you're stumbling over gravel crossing driveways while rolling down the sidewalk.

Cheers, ya'll

Menu planning and Goal updates

Well, I wasn't going to follow Corinne's menu next week, but guess what? I looked at it and am psyched. Wasn't crazy about the chicken again (it was in 2 meals last week and 1 this week and what with egg whites I've started to grow feathers), but she said I could substitute white fish or sirloin for variety if I wanted to. So now I really need to decide when I want to sub what and that means...this won't impact my eating with the family for suppers. They can eat what I eat and everyone is happy.

Well, we're on the third week with asparagus on the menu. I'm enjoying it, too. So is the 9yo. She told me it was the best part of my menu - but she's also putting away her share of chicken breast, too.

I'd say the only thing I'm missing is my soy drinks, so I'm going to work it in. I guess, with subbing stuff, I can kind of still make this menu my own quite easily. I'll stick to the 'as written' version for during the day and just switch up suppers for variety.

My goals are going well. I don’t have my notes with me today, so I’m going by memory here.

28 Inches: I am doing good with my food lately, as you can see from above. I’m really focused and am trying to get energized for ST. This week I am only focusing on my ST sessions, and I’m only concentrating on getting 2 in. Any cardio I do is bonus for this week and next – I am just enjoying life right now, but do want to begin incorporating more cardio in. It’s such a great time of year for it. I am inspired by the ‘Hood’ routine – check out PnP today for a blog post by Becca via Corinne on the subject of incorporating cardio and plyo into your daily walks. Corinne also did a video for this on YouTube.

Debt-Down: I was doing a bit of research for opening debt balances and finally broke down and called the student loan centres. I had guessed around $2K on the federal portion and $500 on the provincial portion. Well, the provincial in now paid off and the federal is just over $600. I felt like I won the lottery. I’ve decided to pay off the federal portion with the tax refund since it has the biggest impact on cash-flow, even though it is the lowest interest and the only interest I pay that is tax deductible. Cost vs. benefit – I’d rather re-direct that monthly payment elsewhere.

Positivity: 1) Find them right; 2) Thank them; 3) Ask them to do something easy. I have really been focused on thanking people lately. It is getting easier. Oh, BTW, thanks for reading meJ

Family time: This involves 1) weekly 1-on-1 time between each member of the family, 2) inexpensive or free family outings each week, 3) monthly family dates. We’ve been doing good on this one. Mark and I need to find time for more 1-on-1, but hey, we’re trying.

Learn to swim: I have done absolutely nothing with this. I mean, I learned to swim in the ocean growing up, but I’ve always wanted to learn proper technique. The 9yo taught me some stuff last summer, so I’m looking forward to learning more this year.

Have a great weekend ya'll

Thoughtful Thursday:

Be warned, this post is a bit lengthy, so I’ve included a summary.

1. Did the virtual post-it note work? You asked, I answer.
2. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Eating Clean. What happens when you don’t have your cooler?
3. Weigh-In Results Show.
4. Would you consider working for Weight Watchers?
5. What’s a BLT? The act or the food? A musing.
   

1. The virtual post-it note. Did it work? Yes – and No. Or maybe No – and Yes. No, I did not get in my ST session on Tuesday night, but thanks to all my great blogging buddies I felt extremely guilty and put in a session this morning. Superman, Chest press, Overhead press, toe taps, lunges, squats, bicep curls, lat raises and some others. 3 sets of mostly 10 reps using mostly 10 lb weights - 12 activities in total. Check that one off. Next scheduled workout is Saturday.

2. My meals for any given day consist of breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, late afternoon snack – all before going home to supper and evening snack. Well, that’s a full 4 meals I take in my cooler every day. Yesterday I asked my 9yo to take my lunch to the car. I looked around on my way out the door and saw that my cooler was gone and proceeded with the morning kiddie drop-off. When I got to work I looked in the back seat. Hmmm, maybe she put it in the trunk. No – look back in the car, again in the trunk. I’m very confused and really not sure how I am going to get through the day. My yogurt and berries; My chicken, broccoli and asparagus; My tuna, egg and rice cake; My cottage cheese and almonds. All gone. Well, I survived. The 4yo hadn’t wanted her oatmeal, to I ate that late morning, then went around 2pm to Tim Horton’s for chili, ham and cheese roll, coffee and a donut. The donut should have been a don’t, but I’m moving forward. Meanwhile, the 9yo felt extremely guilty for having stuffed my lunch in her backpack so she asked her teacher to keep it in the teachers’ fridge. The teacher asked if it was OK for her to look to see what I packed. Well, I’ve told you what was in there. Her comment was that this was the healthiest lunch she’s ever seen. That comment made me feel very good indeed.

3. I went to weigh-in last night and am in new territory, with a 0.8 lb loss. I am now 143 lbs. Ooooooh, so close to 140, but I am aware these last few pounds are painfully slow to take off.

4. After the WW meeting I was asked to hang back a bit. Would I ever consider working for Weight Watchers? Yes, I would. My leader will put my name forward and I am not to be surprised if I get a call. I have thought about this, but really didn’t ‘think’ about it in reality terms for just yet, you know. It made me feel very good, though.

5. Finally, a musing. The definition of BLT: Bite, Lick, Taste. I kind of laugh, because my musing isn’t really about not BLTing, but the definition of a BLT. It's not about how you shouldn't like the knife after spooning out ice cream for the kids or 'steal' a fry from someone else's plate. For instance, if I am making my snacks in the morning and lick the spoon after filling my container, is this a BLT? The food was measured and is on my eating plan for later today, but is that the point? Or even weekly food prep – if it is my food for the week, does it matter if I taste-test on Sunday? Now, part of me says no it's not a BLT – it’s your food, destined to land in your stomach (I would otherwise scrape the spoon into the container, see). Another part of me says, the ACT is BLT and there is a treacherous path between going from licking the spoon of yogurt in the morning to licking the spoon of ice cream for the kids in the evening. The act is a lick – and the act is mindless and often goes unnoticed. The act is a bad habit that I, for one, need to focus on.

That’s it for today. I had a lot to get out, so I hope you enjoyed some or all of my daily ramblings. Cheers for today.

Gorgeous night to get gorgeous

Tonight is my strength training night. I've actually been in a funk, so I'm posting this note to self.

DO NOT come back here tomorrow and say you didn't do it. No excuses chickie - it's 40 minutes. Go get 'er.

Food check

I've got my food in check the past little while. I'm following one of Corinne's menus this week. Eating 8 times a day is interesting. I'm not sure I can continue with the every 2 hours thing. I'm used to eating 6 mini-meals a day and that's more my grove. I'll stick to it this week - I'm loving the scale results.

Now to get my exercising into check. With all this lean protein I've been eating, I told the hubby that I NEED to do some exercise to support the food. So, tonight I'm pushing some weights and taking a cruise on the elliptical.

Sunday I did 2.5km roller skate again. I think it's going to be a regular route, but I can see getting to the point where I just turn around and head home from there.

Soccer started for the season. We're getting the questions as to why the 4yo isn't signed up. It's big here, but she wasn't interested and, I for one, am glad to have another relaxing summer pool-side instead of swatting flies on a field.

Long Weekend

Weekend went well. I got in an ST session Saturday morning and took Baloo for a 6.8 km walk. On Sunday, the 9yo and I decided to break in our wheels and went 2.5km. I tried roller-blading a couple of years ago on a flat parking lot for around 15 minutes. This trip with flat, mild and moderate incline was fairly intense for me. After 5 minutes I was wondering what I had agreed to. All I kept thinking was the biggest incline just before the end. We made it though. Monday we headed out again for another trip, likely around 3 km since it was return and not as far as the first trip.

We went to see the new Narnian movie. I hadn't read this book because I couldn't find it when we were reading them. We read the first one (the creation of Narnia), the second (LW&W), the third (A boy and his horse, i.e. Caspian), missed the fourth, read the fifth - the ship one. We didn't get to the last 2. I thought the movie was very well done. The 9yo said we need to get it for keeps.

Also went through the boxes of clothes that are between the 2 kids in size. Organized and cleared out a bunch of stuff for donation. We drove by a house with a Princess 2-wheeler with training wheels out by the corner. Hubby stopped to ask if they were putting it out for someone to take, so we took it. In return, we told the 4yo that she should put her tricycle by the road since it's too small for her. She liked that idea and is very happy for the upgrade. Hubby put a note on it saying it needed a new home. The trike disappeared yesterday afternoon in the trunk of a white car.

The home scale actually dropped down a bit this morning from hovering around 150. It's notoriously higher for the past few months than the WW scales. I was glad to see the drop. For my part I went over my points Saturday. I didn't indulge. I took the kids to McD's Saturday and just had fajitas and a couple of fries before leaving them with hubby and going to look at books. I also stuck to water and a couple of small nachos at the movie before handing them on to the 9yo who finished them up. I took it light at supper since we'd been out.
Sunday food was good. We did have chicken cordon bleu, potatoes and fiddleheads for supper. It was so good. My points for the day were around 22.
Monday I was good until supper. I had some steak and prolly too many potatoes, onions and brocolli. nah, not too much brocolli, but I did eat to being a little more than satisfied, so I'll have to work on that.

Tuesday:
Morning: .5C cottage cheese, 1C berries, .5 scoop pp (4)
Snack: coffee with whole milk (1)
Lunch: steak, potatoes, onions, little bit of brocolli, coffee with whole milk (7)
Snack: pro bar and carrots (3)
Supper: pork loin, half sweet potatoe, lettuce & spinach salad (6)
Snack: 0.5C lf soy drink, 1 scoop pro powder (3)

ST: repeater of Saturday morning followed by elliptical or blading with the 9yo - I feel like I'm in a second childhood and so glad I can share this with her. That she WANTS me to :))

Total for day: 24

Goal Updates

It's been a crazy week I tells ya. The 4yo broke a fever again Sunday night, so I've been with her the past 2 days. Daddy took off work today to stay with her as Mommy needs to get caught up at work. But first:

The 9yo was in a dance festival last weekend. Her group took gold for their jazz routine and silver for their hip/hop routine. GO Sissy! This week she is at a Music festival with her school. I've never actually been able to see her at the music festivals, but will get to see them sing at their school soon. She's packing for the trips with brownies, pro bars, almonds and water. Not able to eat on the trip the say - ha! She hides the foods in her jacket citing that she just can't go that long without eating. And I agree. I couldn't either.

J is going on day 3 with this fever. I just called Mark to make sure her contacts the doctors office today. Hopefully he's there now. She's starting to get lethargic and has had very little to eat since Sunday mid-day.

GOAL#1: Project Manipulation.
Updates on this: I have really been focusing on asking the family to do simple tasks and making sure I thank them. I must admit though, that I've gotten grumbly a few times and let them know that the requests did not have optional answers. Gotta focus on NOT doing that. However, they have helped a few times with getting ready for dinner and putting some things away. The 9yo drew up a schedule for brushing the dog. Mark put my bench together. I've been focusing on being grateful to them. It's a work-in-progress.

GOAL#2: Operation Debt-Down.
GROCERY BUDGET: This is always a trouble spot for us with several small trips at $20-40 per trip plus the weekly trips. I managed to stick to my grocery budget. We did a really good menu plan last weekend involving treats, awesome suppers, etc. I'm testing the waters of batch cooking. I made lasagna Sunday night (serves 8) so there were left-overs - with a salad. A large chicken cooked in the crock Monday had enough meat for a couple sandwiches, lunches, and soup. Ground chicken was on sale so I bought that and did up a large batch which later was divided in 2. I mixed half in a small casserole dish as the base for sheppherds pie and the other was drained and returned to the pot and I added most of what I need for chili. When we want chili it's just add the beans and adjust the spices. Honestly, I think the only thing I'm running out of is milk for coffee. I even cautioned the 9yo that I made/bought her 12 snacks and when they're gone, that's it until Saturday. She's been a little more careful about eating them all up and is saving them for school snacks when she needs them, rather than wants them - hoping this kills 2 birds with 1 stone.

BUDGET PLAN: I drew up a base budget with all my monthly payments and monthly income. I called most of the credit card companies to get balances, due dates and minimum payments due and documented everything and made sure they were up-to-date. This is still in its infancy and I will need to work on this for a while. For now the student loans are just fixed monthly payments even though the balances are quite low. I think they're paid off next winter but don't want to check on that just yet.

EMERGENCY FUND: This is where I'm starting to waver. I put my money in the emergency fund last week, but realize that there is enough there to eliminate the HBC card (28%). Also, I have $1,000 room on the Visa if I need it. I guess the idea is that, as long as I have access to my emergency fund, does it matter if it's cash saved? Or am I running with the mindset that got me here in the first place?

GOAL#3: 28 inches.
Ab routine: I have not focused on that this week.
Strength training: I am thinking about dropping out of the Fast and Furious challenge at PnP for now and focusing on doing 2 ST/week plus 2-3 cardio session/week. I think that, right now, expecting myself to do more leaves me feeling guilty for not doing it. I may mean that the results won't come as quickly - or maybe it'll mean that I will actually stick with my routine and get there more quickly.
Menu planning and journaling: As mentioned in the budget message this is going very well. I know they grumble when I want to sit for a half hour and document meals for the week with their input, but this is such an important part. I need to know that I can stick to budgets and provide healthy, well-rounded meals that everyone will EAT. So, with the roasted chicken we also needed to provide canned gravy for the 9yo for dipping. Important information. I haven't been doing as well journaling - or measuring. Call it an emotional break. Will re-focus after weigh-in tonight.

Protein Bars

Because Cara's Mom asked, this recipe is very similar to the one I use. I add the dried fruit and nuts for hubby and use real maple syrup. For myself I use the low fat syrup and leave out the extras. I also use 4 scoops of pp and extra egg white and cook for around 20 minutes for a chewy texture or longer for a cakey testure. You can sub other grains, but I like the old fashioned rolled oats. Play with it and enjoy.

Also, I was given an elliptical on Friday evening. I have been waiting for today (the last day of my gym membership) and am very excited to get started working out at home again. Peggy and her husband also gave me several York weight discs including several 2.5 lb discs, which allows me to make 15 lb weights. I'm still thinking about buying a 12lb set, but that is really all I need. After that it is "Do I want any more resistance bands?" which are, really, really cheap.

In other news, any long-term readers may remember my mentioning that last years vacation didn't go so well. This year I have already made steps to take some day trips for 1 week and rent my mothers cottage for a week. The kids do love it there and having secured it in lots of time there should be no problems this year.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and has lots of healthy foods with them for today. Take care.

Progress pictures

Hoo boy, I can't believe I am DOING this, but I'm going to post the side profile before and after pictures from the 12-week Blast the Fat Challenge at PnP.

My daughter took the afters and I didn't have the heart to ask her to try to get the same distance and profile as the befores. I also couldn't find my shorts. I daresay the belly is shrinking though. I'm going to really focus on this in the next few months before NS beach weather.

The nice thing about this is, even with any flaws, the current after is going to be a before in a few short weeks. Onward and downward (the waist that is).

Oh, and I lost at WI last night. A nice 3 lb buffer between me and that WW 'goal'. Next week will be my last paying week - woohoo.

Cheers, and have a great day.

Weekend Flop

The weekend was not so good. I knew what I was doing and did it anyway. It all started with dinner out Friday night. Dry cereal for snack, spaghetti and garlic bread with cheese was delic - it was no where near what I had planned and left me so full that I know I went over points. Saturday I was tired and slept through snack, hitting empty. I had a pb sandwich, banana and apple waiting for supper. And supper was 2 burritos with tofu sour cream. Sunday was ham dinner with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoe and green beans. Sounds healthy but I got that too full feeling again. It may have come from the cocolate dog i helped eat. No, I didn't weigh the crumbs I devoured.

So, today is a new day. I'm downloading a new exercise routine that incorporates only 2 days ST per week. Also, I'll have a treadmill in my house by the end of the week and am going to quit the gym next month. The roads are getting clearer, but it's still cold. I bought a new pair of Reebok running sneakers at Athlete's World since they're going out of business in Bedford. I also bought a new pair of winter boots for next year for $20.99. I do recall that I saved $114 and spent less than that. Woohoo.

The family made the trip to church on Sunday. First time I've been there since November 2006 - we've gone to mil's church, but haven't been to ours in a long time. It was good to get back and the 4yo had fun in Sunday school. I'm hopeful the 9yo will take the scoul off her face at some point and realize that going to church isn't so bad. All of the other young girls are getting involved in alter or choir work, so I'm hopeful that she'll want to participate next year. Mark and I were both alter-helpers and carried the cross when we were young and I always enjoyed it.

Enough for today. Gotta run.

Spring Ahead

This weekend was all about moving the clocks ahead an hour. Is anyone else falling asleep at their desk today?

It's clouded over, but there's definately a different feel to the sunshine lately. A more direct glow and it's working for me. After a couple of nights sleep I'll be able to enjoy it more.

We're having a bit of a BLT challenge at PnP this month. I never considered myself much of a BLTer, but let me tell you - when you're conscious of it something pops up (or in) every day. The penalty for licking the pb off the jar or gobbling up that scoop of left-over KD - your choice of pop-squats or push-ups. I haven't had to do any yet, but have caught myself with hand on way to mouth almost daily to pop some nutritionally empty off-plan nugget in there.

OK, the work-out plan for this week. I'm hoping my brain stays functioning long enough to plan my menu this week - something I should have done yesterday.

Monday: Lwr Body ST and 20 minute cardio
Tuesday: 50 minute cardio
Wednesday: Day off (and week 1 of maintenance weigh-in)
Thursday: Dance/yoga
Friday: Upper body ST and 20 minute cardio
Saturday: Lwr Body ST and 20 minute cardio
Sunday: Day off