Friday, December 28, 2007

DECEMBER

Ok so I am SOOOOO bad at blogging these days.. I thought I would try to do a catch up . . .


A Few weekend's ago my Aunt Sherri came into town with her kids We had such a fun time hanging out with them. Ashlyn and Sabrina were so dang cute together being little DIVA's together. and the boys; Lochlin Braeden and Spencer . . . What STUDS!! It was so great to see them and we are totally loking forward to spending time with the PLUMMER's Again Soon.


One NIGHT we went out with a FUN GROUP to RIGATONY's and then to F1 Racing.... IT WAS a BLAST to Goof off, be loud and obnoxious and have a SUPER FUN TIME with AMAZINGLY FUN people. . . Sherri, Shauna, Troy, Cliff, Lindsay, Dennis, Kinley, and Chad and I.

We Had so much fun racing eachother around the track and US girls had a BLAST playing dress up's with the JUMPSUITS.





Ashlyn had her MUSIC Performance with Miss JENNY Prince's THAT's ENTERTAINMENT group. I LOVE seeing Ashlyn on the stage... OK SO I AM PARTIAL but SHE IS SO GOOD. and I JUST LOVE hearing her sing. HERE is a video you can see for YOURSELF what a little cutie she is. Singing Sugar Pie Honey Bunch!!! Lochlin kept making her laugh but I LOVE watching her.









So we decided last minute that we would drive to TX to spend Christmas with my Family Emily and Joe, Stephanie and Dave, and Cherry and Scott. . . We have been having so much fun. BAKING, CLEANING, Decorating cookies, Going to the gym, Christmas Parties, Getting together with old FRIENDS Koya and Heather, Meeting up with Benny and Rhonda at their restraunt Poppy's (which was SO FABULOUS) It has been a BLAST here. I LOVE TEXAS. . . I don't know IF we will EVER come back to AZ....

The kids had a GREAT Christmas, The boys got Guitar Hero and Ashlyn was so excited to get the Hair Straightener that puts colors in your hair. My little GLAM girl.






Here are a FEW of the Photos' Hope ALL is going well with EVERYONE ELSE and HOPE everyone had a MERRY CHRISTMAS and has a safe and FUN New Years.




Tuesday, December 11, 2007

This One is FOR YOU!!!




SO...
YES I am down 40 LBS..
Even though it is
TOTALLY
EMBARRASSING
to admit that number... I have been working my butt off at the gym...but really, the rest has been fairly easy.

Sara you asked what i am eating/doing other than the crazy gym schedule . . . Well Here You go... I hope this helps anyone else who has found themselves in the same rut as me.

So I had a hard time even finding a picture with my giggly belly in it. If for some reason I did find myself in front of the camera, I always tried to grab a PROP to hide my waist, boobs and butt... Anything worked from kids on laps, to hiding in the back row of group shots. But I found this picture from back in JULY 2007 while I was spending my summer in Hawaii visiting my parents. This is my LARGEST i have ever been. . . I thought I was healthy. I mean I was eating healthy, I went to the gym, I was really stong and I could run a few miles on the treadmill, But LOOK at me. I want cringe that THIS is what I looked like 4 months ago. I guess while you are big, it is easy to overlook how you actually LOOK.

Well when I got back from Hawaii at the end of JULY the FIRST thing I did to change my life was this TV DIET. . . While in Hawaii.... we had NO NEED to watch TV, our family would go to the beach, go on walks around Laie, etc. . . so when we got home. I wasn't even interested in watching the shows I had previously been into. . . and I was into a TON of shows . . . Kind of the joke.. you named a show and I watched it. from Extra, Inside Edition, Oprah, Dr. Phil, all CSI's, Law and Order's, Gray's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Survivor, the list goes ON and ON.. . I now watch NO TV. I don't even turn on the NEWS in the morning. YES... the TV does go on in our house. I turn on Baby Einstein for Irelyn, and Chad watches the Sun's Games, and the kids watch a little Disney and Cartoon Network . . . BUT you will NEVER find me sitting on the couch watching a show. EVER.... and although I did suffer a little from TV withdrawal's while people are talking about the latest thing happening on Gray's or Desperate. . . I have found that I am completely FINE to NOT KNOW, I no longer even CARE what is happening in the TV world. . . It was crazy to find out that a few weeks ago there was a writer's strike. . . I didn't even KNOW!

On to the next thing that changed my life. . . I would say it is Moderation . . . I PROMISE I am NOT on a crazy diet. I eat what I want. . . and don't deprive myself of anything that I WANT. . . But. . . The IMPORTANT thing is WHAT I WANT. . . I have always eaten pretty healthy, We DON'T do Fast food (except on the long car drives and RANDOM occasions throughout the year) Salad's have always been one of my favorite foods, I love veggies, and chicken and salmon etc. . . So what is it I am doing???? Well, I eat several times throughout the day (sometimes not as frequently as I should), I watch my portions, AND I am more aware of the food that enters my mouth. I have learned that ONE bite of a cookie is better for me than 4 cookies dipped in milk... After all . . . I just wanted to KNOW what the cookie tastes like, and It isn't going to taste different if I keep eating more and more of them. If I am hungry I should grab something with Protein in it BEFORE I start shoving my mouth full of cookies to try to fill myself up. I thought I would share some of my favorite foods and a few recipes for things I am eating.



1. Fiber One Bars and South Beach Diet Bars - I use these for a quick snack or breakfast meal or just a time when I am scrounging looking for something sweet and satisfying. They are SO GOOD, and I think EVERYONE should have these as a staple in their pantry.


2. Pro Lean Mass - Chocolate Mouse Protein Powder - YUMMMM that is what I will start with. This stuff seriously tastes like the Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink. I usually do one scoop of this with 4 oz of water. for a delicious 119 calorie meal. I get it at House of Fitness on Southern and I think Country Club and it is $35 but it lasts a while.


3. Diet Pepsi - Ok. . . I have not always been a big POP fan. but this stuff is good for a quick energy boost and I actually like the taste. There are NO calories, and I will usually have 1-2 of these a day. Along with a TON of water. I have found that drinking water from bottles is the easiest most convenient way to drink enough. I can grab a bottle and bring it with me, throw it in my purse, etc.


4. Sugar Free Jello and Sugar Free Cool Whip - The most delicious low cal snack out there. I will usually treat myself to this snack a few times a week. 20-30 calories that's all... Not bad for a dessert.


5. Whole Grains - So ever since I have been married I have NEVER bought white bread, yes the occasional loaf of fresh hot french bread from the store, a few times some white rolls and some Hawaiian sweet rolls but all sandwiches have ALWAYS been made on 100% Whole Wheat Bread.. . I dont know what my kids would do if they saw white bread for their PB&J. I also buy the Whole Grain Rice (these 90 second 2 serving one's from Uncle Ben's are GREAT) They are perfect to any meal... although I usually will only use them for a LUNCH, Carbs like this are not eaten at night usually in our house. If you want a little sweet touch to the rice throw in a TBSP of coconut or Spice it up with a little lemon juice and cilantro. For anyone who has been living on WHITE rice it will taste weird for a while... but you get used to it and it can be a YUMMY addition to any meal.


6. 100 Calorie Popcorn - Ok so I really don't use this as a snack to frequently but sometimes when I crave a bit more substance than a little Jello this popcorn can satisfy me. It takes a lot longer to eat it has a salty yummy taste and it is portioned for you. PLUS if you share it with kids or a hungry hubby . . . you are getting even fewer calories.


7. Lean Cuisine - So There are times when I am struggling with WHAT TO EAT for a meal. If I dont want to cook something, or I dont have leftovers What do I eat? Well... Lean Cuisine's are great for those occasion's I just pull one out of the freezer and There is a Lunch. PLUS I usually share it with Ashlyn so I am eating something pretty good and sharing it so I get fewer calories. Watch out for the Breaded and Fried things and the White Starches. I usually try to avoid them. There are quite a few with veggies and a meat.


8. Egg White Oatmeal Pancakes - SO gross sounding but so good. . . You mix in a blender 3 egg whites, 1/2 cup raw oatmeal 2 Tbsp splenda and 1/2 tsp cinnamon then pour in a pan to make about 3 pancakes. I will top them with a little dab of Sugar Free Jelly and a little Sugar Free Cool Whip. YUMMM... These are a good treat when I have a little more time to make something for breakfast.


9. Dinner's - My dinners usually consist of a Meat and a Veggie. We pretty much ALWAYS have a salad, but some of my other favorite veggies are sauteed zucchini (I spray a pan with a little I can't believe it's not butter spray and throw the sliced zucchini on with a sprinkle of garlic salt and dab of Parmesan cheese. . . YUM) I also LOVE Broccoli usually with a little lemon juice or garlic and parm cheese. . . As for the Meat's we usually have Chicken or Fish, I Try to avoid highly sugary marinades and stick to spices and grilling but My favorite Chicken dish is what we call Salsa Chicken which is just salsa, taco seasoning and water dumped on some chicken in the crock pot, then shredded and put on top of salad. We also use the Mango Ginger Habanero Marinade (from Costco) on top of some Salmon then baked. Ok and last thing about Dinner's . . . Cook them at home. . . You are able to control the amt of fat's that you use and consume and you can spend the time while cooking to help your kids understand the importance of eating healthy. . . It is so cute because my kids talk about eating their Protein's I LOVE that they know about being healthy.


10. Sugar Free GUM - I LOVE gum. I love the Orbit Sweet Mint Gum and usually will have 3-4 pieces a day. It helps get your mind off eating because you are chewing something.

LASTLY . . . EXERCISE!!! Park further away, walk to pick up the kids at school or to get the mail, take the stairs instead of the elevator, I have been wearing a Body Bugg for a few weeks now and it is so interesting to see the number of steps I take each hour, I walk about 840 steps while getting my kids ready in the morning, just the basic things you can see how it adds up.
If anyone wants to start doing any classes with me at Fitness Works. . . I am a Class JUNKIE.
I do RPM (bike), Pump (weights), Step, Attack, Combat, and Flow (yoga) throughout the week.
on average I burn about 3200 Calories a day I am eating about 1500 Calories and that deficit has helped me loose about 2 1/2 lbs a week. It is coming off slow, but I know I will be able to keep it off.
I know this was the LONGEST post EVER!!! I hope This answers any questions Sara that you had about what I am doing. If you can think of anything else let me know I will try to answer as best as I can.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Have You STOPPED Checking??


I know I have been REALLY, REALLY bad at updating my blog lately... There is NO EXCUSE... Sorry Bloggers... I just haven't sat down at the computer. Chad is working from HOME... Which I LOVE... BUT.. he is at the desk all day.. I could take my laptop out of the room and use it somewhere else BUT.. It is just easier to NOT get on the computer at all... Our Family has been on a TV diet since we have gotten home from Hawaii this summer so I am not even wasting time watching Oprah, Desperate Housewives, or Gray's Anatomy. . . I honestly have just been busy getting end of the year stuff together for Primary, and Scouts, Tring to get up the Christmas Decorations, Helping in the Kids Classrooms, Trying to keep up on cleaning my house, organizing closets, cleaning out the garage, you know all that fun stuff... PLUS i am still going to the GYM usually two times a day 5:15 AM and 4:20 PM.. (ok I am down 40 lbs from the Hawaii pictures I have posted on this blog from July... Whoo Hoo... I just wish I felt comfortable getting pictures taken... NOT YET... a little bit more to go.. THEN I may do a BIG REVEAL Picture)
So This past weekend My Little Sister Steph Came into town to go with Chad and I to see DANE COOK... OK it was crude.. but SO DANG FUNNY. We had a blast. We had a GREAT weekend spending time with Steph and we were sad to see her go Sunday Afternoon. But... She will be back soon to help Mom and Dad MOVE to TEXAS after Christmas. YEAH for getting them back on the MAINLAND.





Well.. We just saw SANTA last night at the ANNUAL Howey Christmas Dinner. It is So nice to have Santa Stop by to see us so we dont have to fight the mall crowds, etc...