Mamavation Monday: Burn the Turkey

November 29, 2010
Operation Burn the Turkey is off to a good start. The day before Thanksgiving I weighed myself and I was 194lbs and change. The day after I was also 194 and change and this morning I was:
193.6lbs


1lb lost! (Though it is a 2lb gain from last week). Still, not bad. I figure I could easily be back up to 196lbs. Because yesterday's shenanigans totally threw off my mood (post on that coming soon), I didn't get in my weekend workout. Hiking around Disneyland should count though, right?

One inspiration since Thanksgiving is wearing a pedometer constantly. I actually got in a little over 1000 steps just in my kitchen on Thursday! Now that I am back at work, my mileage is down considerably. I was so out of it yesterday I didn't pack my gym bag for today, so it's a bust. I may get in a walk after dinner though and burn off extra calories trying to keep warm. I need to stop talking myself out of working out. Making excuses and procrastinating. I'm really good at that. I haven't reached the point where exercise feels so good that I miss it.


BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by @drlynnanderson. Two winners of the carnival will each win Dr. Lynn's new book Sex Matters so…Get Sexually Healthy the Natural Way.  

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I whip my hair...

November 23, 2010

My daughter is joining in all the other little girls that want to be like Willow Smith. Actually, she just wanted braids like me before I took them out and got my hair relaxed.



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Mamavation Monday: "Hair loss"

-6 lbs! Woot! I think at least 3 lbs are due to "hair loss". I went from having braids/extensions to getting them all out and my hair trimmed and straightened. I didn't think my braids were that heavy though, so who knows. I did get in a little more movement. The gym here at work doesn't provide towels and the shower area isn't nearly as nice as the one at home, so I have to prep a better bag. We went shopping this weekend and I bought the  Gaiam Metro Gym Bag (Black) (on clearance! -- it was either that or use my son's large gym bag). I need better organization. Currently I bring 3 bags to work - purse, laptop bag, and lunch bag. Adding the gym bag makes it 4. Not easy to navigate on the bus.
Trimmed and straight
With braids
Goals:
  • Keep up the water intake. Even though my fat percentage (according to my scale) isn't going down, my hydration levels are up.
  • Keep tracking my meals. I think this is the biggest contributor to my weight loss. I'm sticking between 1200 and 1400 calories a day. I rarely reach or go over my targeted 1700 calories today and I am getting fully faster (must be all that fiber).
  • Up exercise to a consistent 3x/week (starting next week). So far my gym days have been the weekend though I did make it to the gym last Thursday and was kinda sore on Friday, so I skipped. Since I have chronic back pain I'm still figuring out what exercises I can do that don't mess me up the next day.
  • Reconsider applying for the L.A. Digital Mom position. Now you have to do a video! I'm a bit camera shy.
  • Get a physical in the next month or so. It's been almost 4 years! I used to be anal-retentive and get one annually, but I stopped paying attention to my health when I moved back to CA. 
Consistency seems to be the major issue for me. I have all these lofty goals, but I still let Life (translation: work and kids and other distractions) and Busyness get in the way of reaching my health goals.


SISTA OF THE WEEK: Yay for Heather (@notdiyheather) for being SOTW two times now!!!  Please congratulate her on twitter and here. The Sista of the Week will receive an EA SPORTS Active 2 for the honor.
BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by @subwayfreshbuzz. One winner of the blogging carnival wins $100 towards the fitness goal of their choice.
Making the Commitment: Have you decided what fitness commitment you're going to take?  Think about what your Commit to Fit Challenge is. It can be anything from running your first 5K to trying out a new class like tai chi or zumba. Let us know what it is and we'll provide you with the funds (up to $100) to help you meet your challenge!
Hrm, that's a good one. I'm interested in getting healthy, but not necessarily becoming an athlete, if that makes any sense. I hate running, sink like a log, and currently walk a fine line between getting my heart rate up into the fat-burning zone and not suffering an anxiety attack (that's another story). Biking is a possibility. I'll have to research clubs.

Right now I am simply committing to getting more healthful foods into the house and modeling the habits I make my children go through. My daughter is in soccer and about to start softball, my son is into skating, and because of various dietary restrictions for both of them, processed food isn't easy available in our house. I've gotten better at making sure we have more fruit and yogurt for snacks

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Of Mice and Mold

November 16, 2010
Of Mice
If you follow me on twitter or facebook you may have seen a few of my tweets about the mice problem we have. I blame Small Town Mommy. Not one week after I read her post on her rodent problem did I see something scamper under the stove in my kitchen. It being September in the High Desert, we still kept the back door open a lot (makes it easier for the dogs to do their thing too). So we hoped it was a lizard. I mean I *really*really*really* hoped it was a lizard.

A few weeks later Hunkito heard something the cupboards. It didn't sound like a lizard. By Halloween it was confirmed. The little beast was pooping in the kitchen, and then had the audacity to gnaw into Joy's backpack and get at her candy. First, we let Zoe stay out. I had hopes that my dog, being part terrier, would be a great mouser. No such luck.She's obviously much more border collie ... except for the digging, but that's another story.

So we bought traps. And after getting into my chocolate stash last night, one was caught. Now we have two more to catch and dispose of.

And Mold
That was this morning. We had also called our rental management company to come fix the dishwasher and microwave. What he opted to fix instead was the hot water heater.


Which has been leaking. For months. We thought maybe Joy was a little too exuberberant in using her skateboard in the house (after I blew a gasket she doesn't any more), but it was actually the hot water heater leaking from the garage softening the drywall in the entry way. This was all discovered after I left home. I have no idea what the living room looks like, but we have been assured that they will fix and repair all of it. I hope so, Josh is allergic to black mold. 

Anyone want some 'shrooms?.....



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Katy Perry - Firework

I caved and bought her latest album. Miss Perry has catchy, fun beats (in addition to being freaking GORGEOUS), and a social message. And I can't get her three latest songs out of my head, though that may have more to do with them being on the radio EVERYWHERE. First there was the summer anthem of "California Gurls", then “Teenage Dream” (which I don’t want my daughter singing, but it’s still catchy), and now "Firework". I've had the chorus in my head for about three days now and finally went to watch the video and *really listen* to the lyrics.
Lines like
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in
Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing
===================================

You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
speak to all those times you feel down, stressed out, and ready to give up.  But then she says
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
I admit it's not grand poetry like Shelley and Yates, but the lyrics and images in her video make you want to cheer for all the people who are going through these emotional storms (not to mention being transported back to some stuff myself). I think that if anyone ever dedicated this song to me (and I was in H.S.) they would be my B.F.F. It's just enough encouragement to get you through a bad time.
I don't think I can say that of any other current teen pop-star(let) popular at the moment.

 



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Mamavation Monday: plus 5

November 15, 2010




Well, this can't be good. I haven't added strength training to my routine yet, so I know it's not muscle gain :( .

Goals: I didn't really reach them last week. Not enough water or gym time (as in ZERO, unless you count the 20 on the treadmill I did yesterday), nor did I really get to walk the track during my daughter's soccer practice (her team made the playoffs by the way) which translates to way too many hours on my butt and apparently a five pound weight gain despite cutting calories watching my caloric intake. My only furtive consolation is that it might be water-weight gain. So I am definitely going to be drinking more water this week and may even challenge myself to a liter or 2 of Smart Water.

I forgot that I joined a challenge on Fatsecret -- thinking it was totally doable. And it is, with discipline. And time management. Still working on that. I am a total "go-with-the-flow-maintain-stasis" type of gal ... unless pumped up on Code Red.

I think one thing that I did differently from last week was breakfast. There are some days where I don't get to eat breakfast until 11a.m. ... six hours after I wake up. Back the Breakfast Essentials I go.

So, this week I will:
  • Buy a spare set of headphones for when I forget mine at home
  • Continue tracking what I eat
  • Get my butt off my chair and downstairs to the gym (and not worry what anyone thinks and don't psych myself out)
  • Debate with myself and family about applying to be the L.A. Mamavation Mom. Lancaster is in L.A. county....
  • And drink more water. I need to get up to that magic formula of half my body weight in water.

SISTA OF THE WEEK: Congrats to @MMScarlett for being the Sista of the Week!

BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by Patricia Friberg. Two winners of the blogging carnival get a copy of Belly Beautiful Workout.

More on the L.A. Mamvation mom

Mamavation is looking for Digital Moms in the greater Los Angeles region to participate in the Mamavation campaign from January 17th to March 4th, 2011. One mom will be chosen without having to campaign for the position. (Which means NO voting.) She will be given free products, a nutritional plan, training plan & weekly coaching to help lose weight and change her life. She will also be joined by 2 other Mamavation Moms across the country for extra support and camaraderie.
But this mom MUST be willing to be videotaped. Constantly. Cameras will be set up inside the home and a weekly crew will come to her house to interview her. Her struggle will be turned into a professional 3-5 minute video. That video will then be hosted here to describe visually what the campaign is about. This mother will also be given a copy of the video as a personal memento and short documentary of her boot camp.

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Wordless Wednesday: Wine

November 10, 2010


Wordless Wednesday: Wine
Originally uploaded by Nannerlady

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Mamavation Monday 2

November 8, 2010



I lost another 2 pounds woot!

I was so surprised, I was actually expecting to gain. Last week was *that* week of the month, I was bloated, and grumpy, and indulged my chocolate cravings. I also stopped tracking my food intake about Wednesday when I went out to lunch with a friend and had a huge BLT. Thursday, Friday and Saturday didn't fare much better. I got back on track yesterday. I've also made a commitment to try No Eating Out in November
which I first read about on Budgets are Sexy.

Focusing on losing weight and getting healthy is impacting all sorts of areas in my life. (Un)fortunately, both of my kids are at stages and ages where they need fat (the healthy kind), so I am doing what I never hoped to do, be a short-order cook. Of sorts. The kids get what they are used to for breakfast and lunch and dinner is as healthy and appetizing as possible. My daughter is eating less at meal times and sneaking snacks more. Any ideas on how to combat *that*?

Goals:

  • Continue tracking what I eat
  • Get moving for 20-30 minutes each day (theoretically easier since I brought work-out clothes to work and there's a gym in my building)
  • Get more water into me (still hard, but I'm working on it)
Congrats to @OnlyLaila for being the Sista of the Week

BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by Earth Footwear. The winner of the blogging carnival gets a pair of Earth Footwear. Just mention Earth Footwear in your post and link back to their site. Link up to the Mamavation Blogging Carnival here.

I would love to win a pair, but I'm usually commuting during the show time-slot. C'est la vie.



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Photo Friday: Dark

November 5, 2010


Photo Friday: Dark
Originally uploaded by Nannerlady

Last night I was playing with the different cameras available in the retro camera app and caught this one of my daughter at soccer practice. She loves being goalie. Luckily everyone else was at the other end of the field.
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Walk 600 Miles - Phase I - 1st 150

November 3, 2010

Walk 600 Miles - Phase I - 1st 150: "Walk 600 Miles - Phase I - 1st 150"
According to the math, this is 2mi./day. I think I can walk that no problem. I better not be setting myself up for failure....

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Mamavation Monday: 200

November 1, 2010

feet-scale-tapemeasure-de 200 is a number I never wanted to see on my scale. And a few weeks ago I saw it.  Black and white. Re-calibrating my scale didn't change the fact that I was now 50+ pounds overweight for my height and frame. Time to get serious. That, and now my blouses are starting to not fit in addition to my pants. And I really don't like wearing skirts. Or shape wear.

Over the summer I tried a few things, but couldn't stick with them. I'm sleep deprived enough. And not all that self-disciplined when it comes to working out. I used to have a more active lifestyle, and I was the girl you loved to hate because I could eat like a horse and the weight would. not. stick. At one point my grandmother threatened to put me in the hospital because I was losing weight for no apparent reason (it was stress related to finals) but I had dropped back down to 115 (I'm 5'9"). I want to get back to the weight I was at 25 – a fairly healthy 135-140. My current weight is maintaining at 195 for the last two weeks. I fluctuate between 195.6 and 195.4. At least I haven't gone back up.

Right now I am just tracking my weight, exercise, and food intake using a combination of tools available on my phone. I use Fatsecret.com Calorie Counter for food and weight, CardioTrainer for exercise (and sometimes DailyMile).  Now to get my hydration levels up (I drink between 16.9 oz – 20oz/day) and a little more movement other than typing and fidgeting in my seat.

Follow my progress on FatSecret.

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Review: Rachel Ray Chillout Insulated Bags

Good morning! I hope your milk is still cold. Mine certainly stayed that way after 6 hours of running errands yesterday!

I've been on the hunt for a new lunch bag and always stop in that aisle at Costco (a few months ago they had some really nice "designer purse" looking lunch totes). This time, next to the beach chairs and umbrellas they had these 2-piece tote sets! My favorite color is blue, but I didn't like the treatment the bag had been given (multi-colored stripes) and the red/brown just wasn't my style. This green/brown one fit the bill perfectly ($15.99 at Costco). That's about what I was going to pay for one small "designer" lunch tote. For the same price I got a very large insulated tote and a medium-sized lunch tote. Very large! I fit 4 gallons of milk and a box of Healthy Choice chocolate ice cream bars. I couldn't believe that the milk was still cold and even better, the ice cream bars were still frozen!

At the beginning of summer I bought another insulated tote from Costco and it gets used there and at other grocery stores (and soccer games), but I think the Rachael Ray one will get used more if I know I am going to be out for hours and hours. I am so glad it didn't fail it's first test. I usually make grocery shopping my last errand, but there was so much going on yesterday that it ended up being first. Everything else bought was ok being in the car for a few hours except the milk and ice cream. This one is definitely a keeper.

 

*This is NOT a paid or endorsed review. I was just really impressed by the quality of the bag.

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