Summer Fun II

Haven’t checked in for a while so here I am. Things have been going along pretty smoothly and I am holding the line at 150 pounds. One of the goals I made four years ago when I started this thing was to be in good enough shape to keep up with my grandkids. So far so good. I am happy to report that this summer I have been to the beach a couple times and was not afraid to put on a suit and get in the water.

It might not be a pretty picture but at least it is better than it would have been 21 pounds ago.


Can’t say I have really been trying to drop pounds this past month. Kudos to me for I have been to the gym regularly. However, couple that with fun gatherings meaning meals out of my control, and you barely get maintenance let alone loss.


Summer is winding up and I am looking forward to getting back into a settled eating routine. My next goal will be to do some toning. I am feeling kind of flabby.

Summer Fun

Wow, has it really been almost two months? The day after I last posted we left for the East coast to see Kevin graduate from dental school. We had a great 10 day visit Tiff’s family. When we got home Blake and Sara were visiting from Hawaii then Sonnet came to stay while Christian was out of state at field training. What a great month we had with children and grandchildren. Shortly after the last one left I got busy putting the final touches on Mom’s 90th birthday party. All in all I have been very busy with wonderful events and festivities.

How am I eating and exercising you might ask? Great! Of course there have been many meals out and treats with the grandkids, but after all is said and done I am 2 more pounds down bringing my total loss to 21 pounds. After a hiatus from the gym while the kids were here, I am happy to report that I again enjoy going to the gym about 4-5 times a week. Sticking to my allotted amount of blocks has been somewhat lacks though. Portion control is so important for me to keep as a priority. I am happy Stephen & I do not have any real trips in the near future. I would like to be home every day and get back a settled food routine.

Exercise

This is Sonnet finally checking in. My healthy eating/exercise progress has been a bit up and down. My biggest struggle has been fitting in exercise. My two main exercise activities were going to the gym to swim and going on walks with Ruthie. They Gym was dependent on Christian’s schedule (he had to be available to watch Ruthie) and the pool schedule (the High School Swim Team swims there and they have water group classes and other events that take up block of time). Christian is very accommodating but as he picked up a second job it became more difficult to schedule time.  Going on walks was easier, but it was still required working around Ruthie’s schedule (if I cut it too close to nap time I found myself carrying a grumpy baby in one arm while pushing the stroller in the other).  I will admit that sometimes I would get rather frustrated because I often felt inactive. Last week we got a bike trainer. That is something that you set your regular bike on to make it a stationary bike. I love it. Now I can go for a ride when Christian is at work and while Ruthie takes a nap.  This has been great. I have ridden every day.  Then on Saturday, when Christian was mountain biking with our friends, Kelly and Jayson, Kelly mentioned that she goes to a spinning class. Somewhere in this conversation I was volunteered/invited to go to spin class with Kelly. Yikes! I had been riding the trainer but a spin class was a whole hour of insanely fit people spinning at unfathomable speed. However, I will try just about anything once so today I went. It was so fun – in that odd fitness I-think-I-want-to-die sort of way way. The instructor was really nice (not one of those yell at you types) and encouraging. I am definitely going back on Thursday. Wish me luck.

Another 2 week worth post. Last week at weigh-in I had lost another pound. That brought my total to 18 pounds down. YEA! I continue to go to the gym most days. I very much enjoy it. I must admit without the IPad I would not make it the 30 minutes on the Elliptical. I watch movies and that makes the time bearable. After my 30 minutes or 300 calorie Elliptical workout, I hit about 7 machines. It is a good routine that targets endurance/aerobic as well as arm and leg weight resistance. Today weigh-in showed another pound down, 19 total. Not too bad considering I ate crazy yesterday on Mother’s Day. We had a family dinner and yes, my portions were large and yes, I ate dessert. Other than that, I have been a totally awesome Zone eater. I seem to be moving soooo sloooow. Clothes are fitting better but my chest and hips are still too big. Oh well, they say slow and steady is the key. I am trying to be patient.

Playin' Hookie

So, you haven’t heard from me in two and a half weeks. Probably thought I’d fallen off the wagon and didn’t have the courage to admit it. Ah Contraire! Weigh-in day two weeks ago was on the day Stephen & I headed out for a conference in Tahoe. We weighed in but shortly after left town and I never got around to writing. Last weigh-in day was my first day back to seminary and work, so I hit the ground running. Just didn’t make time to write. However, this afternoon I have free and thought I’d catch up.

We had a wonderful time in Tahoe eating sensible.  Notice the water - I cannot think of the last time I had anything but water to drink.  Good thing we wern't soda pop drinkers to begin with.

I packed things like tuna, fruit, boiled eggs and our delicious 1 block trail mix snack bags. Sonnet turned us on to a yummy treat called Cliff Builder Bars. They make an easy snack, come in six flavors and taste good. It was handy to have a refrigerator in our hotel room. We picked up cottage cheese and yogurt at the store there and could pretty much eat out of our room however, at least once a day we went out to eat. The casinos buffets in Lake Tahoe are wonderful. A plethora of healthy food just waiting to be eaten. Of course, there was more unhealthy food but that didn’t tempt us. I have found that I really like spinach. Romaine lettuce and spinach make up the base for my favorite salads.
 I have been hitting the gym about 5 times a week. This increase in exercise has really paid off. Clothes are fitting better. Even while in Tahoe I availed myself of the hotel gym and walked extensively around town. At last weighing, I have lost 17 pounds. Feels great! Stephen is coming along slower. He does the diet thing pretty good but doesn’t really exercise. He is moving in the right direction and that is what is important.

 

Jami's B-Day

 

 So the Walkie-Talkies went out to lunch today to celebrate Jami’s B-day.  I made a good lunch selection of fish.  It came with rice and salad.  I substituted the rice for double salad.  Good so far.  It was a good lunch and when we were ready to go I mentioned that we did not get Jami any dessert, didn’t even ask her if she wanted something.   We always get dessert.  Someone suggested we go down the road to a place called Tutti Fruiti.  It was a cute yogurt shop.  They offered sugar free/fat free vanilla (those kinds of things always make me wonder just what exactly it is they are made of).  It tasted good so I used that as my base.  Good so far.  Well, then there was the topping bar…I had a scoop of Butterfinger, heath bar and almonds with a splash of hot fudge and caramel.   Not so good.  We all sat around eating and talking.  The company was delightful but the yogurt nothing special.  I mean it was good but not worth the calories.  It was a good experience that reminded me that by eating healthy I am really not missing out on anything and to spend my fluff calories only on things I really want.  Tonight we have Relief Society and there is sure to be treats.  No problem.  What I had today confirmed that even goodies I think will be delicious can in reality be unsatisfying.

Weekly Weigh In

Well, I can report that I went to the gym 5 days last week and just got home from the gym today. Lovin’ it! Sonnet says I should step up my block allowance because my activity level has increased so I think I will increase it by 1 block. This gives me a total of 10 per day. I have been happily Zoning as well. Alas, with all my efforts I have only dropped 1 pound – go figure. I have noticed a difference in inches though, which is far more satisfying. Clothes are fitting better giving me more options in the wardrobe department. Stephen dropped 5 more pounds bringing his total to 9 pounds. Good for him. He does not work out per say, but if you count the time he is outside working on his Jeep I guess you could say he is upright and moving for hours most afternoons.

Tonight I am going to try my hand at cooking Tilapia. Sonnet suggested covering it with salsa and baking it in the oven for about 15 minutes. I will add a broccoli, carrot and cauliflower medley as a side with strawberries and cream for dessert. OK, change of plans – When Stephen got home we went to Hart Park and took a walk. By the time we got home it was late to begin cooking so we just had an easy-fix dinner from the cupboards. Stephen had cottage cheese and stewed tomatoes (4 blocks) and I had two boiled eggs mixed with a little Mayo spread on a piece of bread (2 blocks), a string cheese and some strawberries (1 block). Hopefully I can try the fish soon.

Tiffany says....

..."I'm going pretend like last week didn't happen.  Next week will be better!"

Impatient

I am so impatient. All I see are bulges and wrinkles. Bulges that do not seem to be going away. The wrinkles are a fact of life but I don’t have to like them. I have started back to the gym which feels good, but come on; shouldn’t I be reaping some kind of instant benefit?  Instant – I like that word. I want instant results. Never mind that it took years to get where I am. Still, I have been good for three weeks now and I want to see Results! 
                               I just want to be cute. Is that past for me? I hope not.

Having a bit of a pity party – is it showing?

Weigh In

OK, what a weekend. Saturday we had a family get together at Jim’s house. Of course the food was everywhere. I brought Chinese Chicken salad – thought that was pretty safe and something we could eat with no problem. I made a good start. Had my salad and was satisfied. Stephen had a pork sandwich. We were doing OK, but as the afternoon wore on it was hard to say away from the snacks. Dad reached for the nuts and I had a problem with the cheese. Back at home I was through for the day. My saving grace is that I went to the gym that morning as well as the two day before. Getting back to the gym feels good.


Easter was fast Sunday for us so we didn’t eat until around 4:00. I ate leftover chicken salad and some sugar free chocolate pudding – yum. Our friends the Henrie’s invited us over for Easter dinner and I was surprised when Dad thanked them but refused, even when tempted with banana cream pie. He said we ate poorly the day before and had to get back to it. Good job Dad!


Today we will have been Zoning for 3 weeks. Dad is down 4 pounds and I am down 12 pounds. I like the way it feels however, exercising including weight resistance is really needed to get the body conformation I am looking for.

Tiffany Checking In

It has been a crazy week with the kids home for Spring Break, but I've gotten out to run a few times this week.  One of the runs was a 3 miler that about killed me.  We live in a very hilly area and the hills about did me in.  I think I will work on making my 2 mile run feel good before I attempt the 3 miler again.  I've decided to find a 5K this summer to register for.  Having a deadline helps to motivate me.

Eating is tricky with three kids at home, but everyone has enjoyed most of the new recipes we have been trying.  Our new favorite is a spicy salmon with avocado salsa.  I think the side for that one was steamed zucchini and yellow squash.

There you go.  Me checking in.

True Confession

Stephen & I headed to San Diego for a three day conference.  We had a great time and zoned it almost the whole time.  Our last night there we went to the Padres game. Stephen warned me he intended to eat hot dogs and whatever else looked good.  With that warning I prepared my own mind to relax and go with the flow.  Boy did we indulge.  I had some ice cream first thing.  The chicken tacos were not too terriable but getting that churro was over the top...oh and did I mention the peanut M&M's...yea, way bad.
  

I had not eaten like that in some time and felt very full.  I ended up walking all the way around the stadium during the 7^th inning just to get comfortable.  The next morning we were back zoning and I feel great.  Just goes to show you that sometimes – and I mean only sometimes, life happens and you have to go with it and get over it.  Just make sure you let the occasional gut buster be the exception NOT the rule.

Feelin’ Strong

Chicken fajitas are delicious. Totaling 4 blocks, Stephen can have 3 corn tortillas filled with chicken, bell pepper and onion garnished with tasty avocado just for good measure. That has been popular this week. I found I really enjoyed ½ a cantaloupe topped with ½ cup cottage cheese for a 2 block treat.
Our ultimate favorites however, are our handy dandy 1 block snack bags. Together Stephen & I make a trail mix of jerky, dried fruit and almonds. In a small snack size baggie they make the perfect grab and go goodie. The jerky and fruit keeps you chewing while the almonds add a satisfying crunch.


Feeling’ strong and sticking to my commitment well.

P.S.  Look at this cabbage soup I made.  Stephen loves vegetable soup and it is pretty easy to throw cabbage, onions, stewed tomatoes and seasonings into a pot.  Even I can do that. 

Checking In

This has been a good week for all of us. Stephen has been sticking to the Zone pretty well and is down 4 pounds. We went out walking together yesterday but that was the only time. We hope to go walking or biking more often. Right when Stephen gets home seems to be the best time for us. In addition to our walk, I did manage to get to the gym one other day. Clearly there is room for improvement in the exercise arena.


Staying on the Zone is not difficult per say, but does require a different mind set. A few of our habits had to change. I was to an unhealthy point of having pretty much what I wanted when I wanted it. We have never really stocked the house with cookies, soda pop, chips or ice cream, which is good; however Stephen and I were very quick to go out to eat or stop somewhere and get a ‘treat’. I will admit the later was almost always my idea. Even without sweets in the house, it is not hard to pack it on with everyday foods. For example I love cereal, peanut butter and honey sandwiches and cheese on bread to name a few. Days without some of these favorites has not been too bad but will take self discipline and control down the road. We were able to go out for Friday night date night to our favorite restaurant though. La Costa Mariscos serves the best fish ever. A generous serving of grilled white fish comes with steamed vegetables, a small salad and pot beans – perfect!

One thing I love about Zoning is the prescribed portion control. I feel great on the amount of food I am eating. It is much less than I usually eat and a few times last week I was feeling the void. But all in all, it is an epiphany to me to find out how well - even better my body functions on less food. Especially if it is the right kind of food.

Sonnet checked in and she and Christian are both Zoning well. Sonnet’s big challenge is satisfying her desire to cook. She loves to cook. I have a Zone cook book that I wish she had. It is full of recipes that would keep her interested. Totally out of character for me, I just Googled ‘The Zone Diet’ and found a great website. There is a plethora of recipes to choose from. Another challenge is the fact that Sonnet is home most of the day with little Ruthie. Without a structured schedule full of tasked to occupy the day, snacking is almost a form of entertainment. You know, eating becomes something to do. That is a difficult situation every new mom faces. It takes a concerted effort to refrain and get off that baby weight.

Tiffany checked in and is having success with her running. Most days last week she hit the road and loved every minute of it. When Kevin was gone for a few days she power walked pushing a stroller with Audrey. Now that he is back she can take off by herself.

This has been a successful first week. We can be pleased.

Back in the Game

Day three and feeling good. I was worried about the Relief Society birthday dinner last night for no reason. They served up a salad bar – perfect. I had a delicious dinner and easy skipped on dessert.  Today the missionaries are coming for dinner and I am serving taco salad. Stephen & I can make ours just the way we need to and the missionaries can eat away. I usually serve dessert when the missionaries come so I decided to make a pan of brownies, cut them up and send them on a plate out the door with them when they leave. Brilliant. I checked in with Sonnet today and she said they had been Zoning all day. This is day one for them. Good Job!



I didn’t mention that Tiffany is now in the mix.



In talking to her she expressed a general dissatisfaction with her lack of exercise. During a Baltimore winter there are weather challenges to getting out and moving. Her activity of choice is running and just had not managed to get up the gumption to hit the road. When we talked, I mentioned that S&C as well as Dad & I were starting the Zone. She said she would start running while we started Zoning. Great to have a support group. I got a text from her yesterday saying she went for her first run – good for her. I guess we are all on our way.

It's Been a While

Hello Pigs to Twigs. So nice to check in and catch up a little. I am afraid the song is pretty much the same – weight is a constant struggle. The good news is that Sonnet and Christian came for a visit over his spring break. Of course they brought cutie-pie Ruthie. She is so fun and adorable.

Sonnet is holding on to baby weight as well as plain old Sonnet weight. Stephen and I are both heavier than we want to be as well. It was so nice to have Sonnet to talk to about it. I have discovered that I am a person that really needs a support group or person/cheerleader when it comes to weight loss. Not so much maintenance but defiantly weight loss. After talking about which strategy to attack the problem with, Sonnet and I decided to go back to the Zone diet by Dr. Berry Sears. Years ago when the kids were in high school Stephen & I went on the Zone. The kids did too as I recall. We really learned a lot about foods and the importance of balance between protein, carbs and fat. Over the years whenever I attempt to do what I call, ‘eat right’ or ‘be good’, I am generally referring to following Zone guidelines.


We told Stephen and Christian of our plan and they were all in. Christian by no means needs to loose any weight – he is fit and trim. He does however, have weight gain goals and would like to build some mussel mass. After talking about it we decided to begin today. Today for Stephen & I that is. Sonnet & Christian will begin on Wednesday when they get back to Arizona. We all weighed in and measured and were given the amount of blocks of food allotted per day (akin to ‘points’ if you are familiar with weight watchers). This ‘portion control’ as it were, will be a great help to me.


Stephen & I stopped by the store Saturday to pick up a few things to get us started. I will go more detailed shopping today. The definite down side of this venture is the whole cooking thing. I am not a cook. As I flipped through the recipe portion of the books, I was not thrilled. It just looks like uninteresting work. When Sonnet lived with us we ate delicious meals and she loved every minute of it. All that shopping and chopping was fun to her. Yuck – not for me. However, Stephen is a big help and I must admit if we are cooking or preparing food together I can actually say I enjoy the experience.


I have thought about it though and decided that I do have the time right now to do this for Stephen & me. I mean, with the kids gone my life has less demands on it and focusing on health and nutrition is a good use of my time. Especially if we want to realize our goals of being healthy enough to serve missions and be a part of our grandkids lives. And if I can be a help to Sonnet like she is a strength to me, it is well worth my efforts.


So, here we are – Today – starting the Zone. Stephen packed his lunch last night and has his breakfast all planned. I ate some cottage cheese and an apple this morning. I will have a dried fruit and jerky trail mix for a snack and a yogurt and fruit parfait for lunch. I did manage to pick out a few meal suggestions from the recipe book and will try one tonight. My schedule brings a little opposition though - wouldn’t you know I have the Relief Society birthday dinner tomorrow night and the missionaries for dinner the following night. Augg, it’s always something but we will endeavor to persevere.