Bobbi's The Simple Life Challenge

Bobbi, author of N Her Shoes, has created a new challenge, The Simple Life Challenge, which is all about living in a more simple matter and cleaner. During the month of May the focus is on eating out less, driving less, and living simple and green. For the challenge Bobbi is pairing us up with a buddy who we share our progress and the number of points we've acquired through taking these steps. We'll also create a package for our partner at the end of the challenge. I am so excited to have a buddy. I love meeting more and more people (via the internet) who have the same goals and interests about fitness.

I am very excited by this challenge because Husband and I are very concerned about becoming greener and and I love the idea of living more simply and cleaner. It is very motivating to see that a lot of her recommended activities for the challenge are things I or we already do.

• I eat on average 18-20 meals from home or at home on a given week (excluding take-out).
• I use my own cloth bags at the grocery store.
• We recycle everything possible. Husband even drives slightly out of his way to a special recycling center that recycles more things.
  
• I utilize the library as much as possible.
• I use a plastic refillable water bottle.
• Husband and I have started taking our own cloth washcloths to the gym so we don't always have to use a paper towel.
• I'm making some Christmas gifts for people.
• We are having a major yard sale this month.
• Husband is looking into buying carbon offsets from our power provider.
• I try to recycle all papers in my classroom and encourage my students to do so too.
• I have designated students in my class to turn off computer, lights and our c.d. player.
• I have given up getting my nails done (mani or pedi). This past weekend I got a manicure but that was a part of a girl's day with my mother-in-law.
  
• Husband and I are going to visit our local farmer's market on Saturday.
  
• We rent videos from Netflix instead of driving to the video store.
• My mom is planting a major garden this summer (eggplants, tomatoes, strawberries, onions, potatoes, corn, squash, etc.). I intend to help but mainly eat what she grows.
  

What I wish I could do in order to live more simply and healthier:

• Carpool to work. I live about 10 miles a way but no one that lives close to me works at my school.
• Remove my desire to buy new clothes. Since I've lost weight I need more spring/summer clothing but I feel guilty buying more.
• Run to the YMCA instead of driving. I live in a rural area and it is hard to walk or run anywhere.

What do you do to live simply and healthy?

Advantages to a Healthy Life Style

I am going to begin this by stressing that I know I am already in a normal weight range. I am not overweight, at this time. I have been overweight or self-conscious about my body for about many years. Although I know that I am overweight now, I still think like an overweight person in many ways. I have learned much about weigh loss and becoming fit over the last few months but I still have more to learn (i.e. see the previous post).

In the months following my wedding I realized I was gaining back some of the weight I had lost for my wedding. So back in early 2008, I bought the book The Beck Diet Solution: How to think like a thin person. I started the book/program but didn't finish it; that just shows how weak my resolution was to lose weight.

So last night after my post about overeating, I decided to pull out the book again and commit to it this time. I read the first 3 chapters which are overviews about Cognitive Behavior Therapy (changing the way I think about food and diet) and read the first day's assignment: Make a list of advantages to losing weight. She stresses that I need to write the list on a note-card and look at it often, especially as it "helps you internalize these reasons and commit them to memory, allowing you to answer your sabotaging voice whenever it tries to convince you that it's okay to stray from your diet". Beck's big idea is that each time I resist temptation I strengthen my "resistance muscle", making it easier to resist temptation the next time.

Here's my list of Advantages to Maintaining this Life Style (and not losing focus)

1. I'll be healthy.
2. I'll be fit.
3. I'll be strong and toned.
4. I'll be happier with the way I look.
5. I'll be healthier when I get pregnant and become a mother.
6. I can work to lessen the chances of getting diabetes. I have PCOS and diabetes are are both side of my family tree.
7. I"ll have more energy.
8. I'll be less self-conscious about my body.
9. I'll be able to run a 5K, 10K, and a half-marathon.
10. It'll be easier to recover from being pregnant and returning to a normal weight.
11. My clothes will fit better.
12. Husband and I will be able to have a fit family.

* I changed this title. I feel like Beck only using the title of Advantages of Losing Weight, doesn't work for me. I don't need to lose any more weight. I want to maintain my weight loss by changing the way I think. I also want to become healthier as that is my ultimate goal.

So, why do you want to lose weight? Have you ever read this book? Do you think you think like a thin person?

"You Know Better!"

"You know better" is a phrase I sometimes use with my students. I use it when they do something they know they shouldn't do. It is a phrase commonly used this time of year because they have been in my class for 150 days. By this time of the year they do know better but don't always act like they should.

Well this afternoon that phrase should be used on ME! Instead of running the planned 4.0 miles, I stopped at 2.66 miles due to side pain. Then instead of coming home and playing with our pup or cleaning or reading, I decided to eat! I ate my frustration with not meeting my running goal. I ate my frustration of the situation with our state's budget and education. I ate my frustration of eating my frustration. I KNOW BETTER AND I SHOULD DO BETTER!

I know how many calories I should eat a day. I know how to identify and eat clean foods. I know how to distract myself from emotional eating. And yet, I didn't! What does that say about me? Does that say that I'm weak? Does it say that my goals are too high and I'm being too hard on myself (pity question)? Does it say that I allowed myself to lose control?

Either way I need to refocus on my goals. I need to stay focus on my daily food and exercise goals. I need to focus on becoming fit and stronger. I need to continue to read and learn about weight loss and nutrition. I need to continue to educate myself because I yet don't know enough. Perhaps next time I will will do better and learn from this moment of ignorance.

Any tips?

Balancing the Good With the Bad

So the past weekend was a difficult food weekend filled with homemade cookies, homemade cake, burgers, chips (not baked), potato salad, baked beans.... you get the idea. All of the food was excellent and I chose what I ate; no one forced it down my throat. However, to balance out all the food that may not be the best food choices, I had to be very deliberate with my decisions about food today.

So here is what I had:
Breakfast: 1/2 cup frozen blueberries (I put the serving in the refrigerator so it thaws out over night), oatmeal (Simple Harvest), 1/4 cup plain fat free yogurt
* I mix it all together and enjoy. No baking. I'll take a picture of my breakfast at some point. It doesn't look very pretty but it is so good.

Snack: 14 almonds, orange

Lunch: Flatout wrap with one baked chicken tender, leaf spinach and red-wine vinegar (as my dressing) and a side of green grapes

Snack (pre-workout): Kashi TLC cereal bar - strawberry and an apple

Snack (post-workout): 1/2 cup Fiber 1 cereal and 1/2 cup fat free milk

Dinner: salad with light dressing and homemade ham and spinach calzones.

dessert: 1 fun-size piece of candy (not sure what kind).


I eat pretty much the same breakfast, snacks (except for the type of Kashi bar), and lunch every day. I am a creature of habit and I really like everything I eat. If I stop liking it, I'll change it up. Right now (and for the last several months) I'm happy.

Total number of calories consumed: 1575
I burned at least 300 calories through exercise today.

I'm happy with efforts. I could have worked out more but my eating was still on target!

Hot Husband and the Right Fuel

Hot Husband
I'll begin with some pictures of Husband. Over the last few years, Husband has changed his body too. We've done it together. I am so proud of him. He looked great then and looks even better now! He's lost about 50 pounds.

About 2 weeks ago Husband and I had to go shopping for suits because all of his others were too big. We plan to get those altered but he needed new ones too. So we went to Jos A Bank because they had a "buy 1, get 2 free" sale (Yay!).

Spring 2006 Spring 2009*

*I don't like the shirt but he put it on just for me to take this picture.

The Right Fuel
Husband and I spent a wonderful weekend visiting his family (mom and dad, brother and sister-in-law). We had a great time but any time that we're away from home and can't control the foods we eat, it makes it difficult to eat well. So we tried to enjoy ourselves and make the best choices possible. We came home today and grabbed some thing to eat and then relaxed. After a while we decided to go for a run and within a mile I could tell my body didn't feel the same. My body wasn't able to perform (run) the way it normally does when I've eaten really well. I told Husband that I had been putting "regular gas" (this weekend's food) into a machine that needs "premium gas" (what I normally eat). I knew it made a difference but today I felt the difference. Tomorrow will be a serious detox day for my body -- good exercise and cleaner eating.

Great Quick Run!

Husband and I are minutes away from leaving to visit his parents and family (out of state). After school I had to quickly get to the YMCA in order to fit in a run. I didn't have great expectations for it but it was a wonderful run! It felt great. I sweated a lot. It felt easy and went quickly. What more could I ask for from a run?

Tomorrow my sister-in-law (brother-in-law's wife) and I are treating our mother-in-law to a surprise... manicures, a nice lunch and shopping. It should be fun. I'm hoping to get a quick run in (outside) tomorrow afternoon. I hope it is not too hot. It is in the high 80s now and little to no breeze!

Have a great weekend! I'm busting out some of my summer cotton dresses and cooler summer clothes! YAY!

Progress Reports

I will go ahead and apologize because many of my posts in the next several weeks will be school oriented. I can't help it. My dream job was to be a teacher and I am a teacher. Everyday isn't a dream but I love it!

One of my favorite things about my job is that there is a beginning and end to every school year. I can measure growth because there is an end to which I can compare to the beginning. I also love comparing artifacts and documentation of what the students were able to do to at the beginning of the year and to the end of the year; I collect pieces throughout the year but nothing compares to looking at a piece of writing from the beginning of the year and comparing it to the end.

On any given day it's hard to stand back and acknowledge the growth the students have made. So when I have the opportunity to view work and reflect upon the growth it is an awesome moment. I've learned in my almost three years of teaching that students don't always grow academically in a straight line. I've noticed that many students go through periods where learning is rapid and then at other times it seems to be more of a challenge. Students may also regress and then make great progress. And that makes my job fun because it means that I have to constantly review and reteach in various ways. I love that challenge.

When a student regresses in learning it doesn't mean all of their progress is gone, it just means that I have to be patient but also try harder to reach that student. I keep working because I know the proverbial light bulb will come on and growth made. I'm finding the same thing is true in fitness. Some days and weeks I am making great growth and am working hard to become fit. Some days and weeks my resistance and motivation weakens. This doesn't mean that I give up. I give myself patience and kindness and use the slip-up as motivation to work harder. Today was one of those days when I was regressing in my progress. I had a bad day in terms of eating and didn't get in a great workout. It was a bad day in terms of health and fitness but it's just a bad day. It doesn't cause me to give up or lose focus on the long-term goal. I know because of artifacts and documentation that I've made progress and one day isn't going to undo that. I have confidence that I am making progress on the whole. One bad day doesn't deter me or cause me a moment's thought on giving up. Instead, it pushes me to refocus and rededicate to my goal.

Here is my progress report: pictures.

Engagement Picture (July 2006) -- 25 lbs. heavier than now

Wedding Picture (July 2007) -- 8 lbs. heavier than now. Lost 17 lbs. since Engagement Pictures

Silly Danskin clothes picture (April 2009) A total of 25 lbs lost since Engagement Pictures

I'll later post a complete description of my weight loss and fitness journey.

What Makes You Happy?

Today was a stressful day for me. As the end of the school year (6.5 weeks left!) approaches the stress level rises and the amount of support (my awesome assistant) decreases due to other needs in the school (state mandated testing). Instead of focusing on my not-so-wonderful day or the stress of the next few weeks, I decided to make a list of things that make me happy.

So here is my list. I'm sure I won't include everything but here are a few:

• My husband (of course) but specifically the way he laughs at his own jokes.
  
• Completing a longer than normal run. The day I first ran 3.1 I felt like a champ!
• Baking or cooking when there are no deadlines or timetables.
• A long, HOT shower.
• Laughing until I cry or until my abs hurt.
• A really good Bible Study or discussion about how God is active in our lives.
• Being organized (I try!) and having a clean environment.
  
• Learning more about education or exercise.
  
• Hearing kids giggle.
• Teaching. When I can teach and really teach.
  
• Flipping through magazines at Barnes and Noble.
• The way my Mom hugs.
• Beautiful, untouched land (no buildings or development).
• The beach and the mountains. I'm so lucky to live in a state when I can drive from one to the other in a day.
• A cold Diet Sun-drop.
• Cross-stitching. I am embarrassed by this but I love it. I just started at Christmas. I am almost done with my second piece.
• Hootie and the Blowfish! I have loved this group since 7th grade. I got to see them on my Honeymoon. That was completely unplanned and an awesome gift!
  
• TCBY frozen yogurt. I am so sad the closest one to me closed! What will I do?
• Watching a complete movie. We are in a horrible habit of pausing Netflix dvds.
• Going to bed early AND sleeping in.
• The cute face of my sleeping pup or her wonderful fetching skills.
  
• Buying pretty things for our home or pretty things for me to wear.
• Catching up with friends.
  
• Fresh picked flowers.
• Opening the mailbox and finding new magazines.

What makes you happy? There are so many bad/negatives things going on right now, lets focus on the positive!

Hallmark Commercial Moment

I just read Bobbi's Boston Marathon Race recap and I teared up. It was so touching that her husband ran 3 of the last 4 miles with her. If you haven't yet read it, please do. I commented on her blog that her story was what Hallmark commercials are made of. So sweet!

She is so inspiring. I'll never run a marathon but I do have running goals and I need to start picking out some local races to run. I guess I'm not a true runner until I run a race.

Obsessed

A coworker commented today that she thought I was obsessed with dieting. I'll set up the scenario:
I had just taken out my lunch of a chicken and spinach wrap with a side of grapes. She gave me a compliment and asked how much weight I had lost. I told her I really wasn't trying to lose weight but were just trying to healthy. I don't like talking about losing weight right now because I know that I am in a normal range. And that's when she made the comment that I was obsessed with dieting. I gave her a look (like, are you crazy??) and said that I was just trying to be fit and toned. In case she didn't understand what I said about being healthy.

So all of this got me to thinking, why would she think that I'm obsessed. Yes, I pack my lunch and don't eat from the school cafeteria (even though our lunch-ladies are great cooks). Yes, I workout almost daily. Yes, I count calories (although this co-worker doesn't know that). But why use the word "obsessed"?

I believe that I have a good balance in my diet and in my exercise. I eat a piece of chocolate (or 2) each evening. I eat ice-cream when I want it. I drink a diet soda each day. I made 4-5 dozen cookies this weekend and ate several of each type. I eat meat, drink milk, eat fruits and vegetables, and drink a lot of water. I believe that I am living a moderate lifestyle. I am doing NOTHING (that I know of) that is unhealthy; there is no anorexia, no bulimia, no colon cleanses, no foot patches, etc. I'm trying to be healthy so why does that make me obsessed?

I think that I am focused. I am focused. I want my body to be healthy as it can be without becoming obsessed. I have lived many years with an unhealthy view of food and exercise. I believe that my current thinking is more balanced. And perhaps that is why today's comment struck such a cord. I know that I am not obsessed, but determined and focused.

30 Day Shred -- Review and Renew

I am a fan of the 30 Day Shred. I caught the fever from the many people who talked about it on The Nest's Health and Fitness board. I decided to give it a try based upon so many ladies describing it as a challenge that changed their body. That's what I wanted (and still do). So I bought it on Amazon in November. I began doing it in November but only did Level 1 for a few days because it was hard to fit it in after a workout at the gym and before cooking dinner. I returned to it in late December.

Here are the dates that I performed the levels
Level 1: December 29-January 14
Level 2: January 15-January 30
Level 3: January 31-February 17

As you can see I didn't do it for 30 days solid. But I did do it most days and I did complete it. Since mid-February I have pretty much been doing it everyday but rotating the levels.
Level 3 -- M, W,F;
Level 2 -- S, S;
Level 1: T, Th

Now here's the renew part: I am going to start the 30DS again but this time with 8 lb. weights. I have done some moves with my 8 lb. weights but mostly the 5 lbs. I feel up to the challenge and here's my plan: I am going to do a particular level for 10 days (2 weeks/5 days) with the 8 lb. weights. If I chose to do the Shred on other days (outside of the 5/week) I can select the level that I want to do and simply do it with the 5 lb. weights. I want to complete this before buying Jillian Micheal's newest DVDs: No More Trouble Zones and Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism And I have 7 weeks of school left so with this plan I can be ready to get the new DVDs once school is out (and I have more time).

Cookie Making Machine

The church that I grew up in (but do not always attend) has created a group to walk in the local Relay for Life. Today special refreshments will be served after church and donations collected. Unfortunately, I will not be able to walk due to attending a friend's out-of-town wedding. So I wanted to help out in other ways as much as possible. I decided to bake cookies. I chose to bake Ashlee's sugar cookies and her M&M cookies. Thank you Ashlee for sharing your recipes with the world!

I used mini M&Ms and had bought them around Easter and had hoped the M&Ms would be Easter colors, pastels, but they weren't. :( I had wanted to use purples and pinks as those are Relay for Life colors. Both cookies are wonderful and so delicious! I am ashamed to admit that I didn't make homemade icing but used store-bought. I ran out of time and energy to make it myself. Nonetheless, I filled the entire platter and many containers for friends and Husband, of course. I love baking but I like to have someone to give it to. I do not do well with temptations around the house.

Who do you give your baked goods to? How do you keep from eating everything you bake or make?



Husband and I are off to visit a church and then lunch with the family before squeezing in a run before it rains.

Earth Fare Virgins and a Visit to our Wedding Location

Our date night last night was wonderful! Not only was I on a date with Husband, who is wonderful, but we got to visit Earth Fare. I'll get to that in a moment.

First, we visited the outlets in Blowing Rock. That is my favorite place to shop. I have a difficult time spending money on clothing at the mall (full retail) when I can get it cheaper at the outlets. I spend my day with 7 year olds, what do they know about fashion forward apparel? My favorite places to shop at the outlet are JCrew, Gap, and Polo. An exciting thing happened at JCrew. I was thinking that I've lost enough weight to be close to a size six in pants. But I was nervous, I tend to lose but always remain between sizes. However, I tried on 2 different styles of pants in size 6 and BOTH fit! Yay! I'll probably go back in May/June to buy some SIZE SIX pants!

After shopping, we decided to head to Earth Fare. Neither one of us had been to one before and I was so excited after all the posts that Kath has written about buying products and food there. We walked it and I was immediately excited! There was so much there! We walked around and I am sure my mouth was open. I felt like a tourist and I am sure I didn't look like someone who shopped there often. I just kept walking around looking at all the products. It was so much fun! We ended up buying 2 Lara bars, a package of Kashi rice pilaf (as recommended by Meghann), a package of chicken sausage, a frozen lasagna meal for Husband, and banana chips. We ended up eating dinner there because we were so excited by the hot bar and deli. Husband bought some different pasta and vegetable items from the deli counter. I bought a salad with some chicken. Everything was so wonderful! The chicken was great. Everything Husband had was wonderful. We will definitely go back! Next time I want to buy a rotisserie chicken.

Before heading out of town (and down the mountain), we drove into Chetola. Chetola is where we got married. I loved our wedding spot and all the memories that are there. There was a couple there and so I asked them to take a picture of us in front of the gazelo, where we said our vows. We also enjoyed the dessert (baklava crust with chocolate and nuts -- AWESOME!) that we had bought at Earth Fare before getting back in the car.

I love my wedding pictures and shameless display them everywhere! I am one of those girls!

Aw, It's a Date Night

I am so excited! Husband and I are going on a date! Most Saturday nights (or Friday nights for that matter), Husband and I are in bum clothes and are enjoying dinner at home, usually cooked by me. But today Husband is leaving work early and we're going to Boone for a change of scenery and dinner. Husband is a very hard working man and rarely takes off from work so this is a big deal for us. The last time we did something like this it was Valentine's Day. So once every two months I think we should enjoy a really nice date night.

That is one thing I really miss from being a girlfriend. I miss date nights. I miss the ritual of getting ready... spending that extra time so that I not just look good but feel HOT! So today that is what I did! My hair looks good. I'm nails are done. I put extra effort into my make-up. And now I'm ready for my date with Husband!

How often do you and your husband enjoy date nights? What do you do on your date nights? Does anyone secretly miss aspects of being a girlfriend?

Give Me a Break!

Last night my right knee was saying "Give me a break!". Now my right hip is kind of sore. So I am going to listen to my body and give it a break. I am not going to the gym today.

I have a hard time letting go and not working out, especially since I am on Spring Break and I have more time to workout. I feel that if I don't workout I am being "lazy". And I hate laziness. I also really love the feeling of accomplishment that I get from working out. I can say that I accomplished this ______ (insert exercise and time spent). My sweat is proof. But today I body is needing rest so I am going to listen to it. Caitlin, author of the Healthy Tipping Point, ran a crazy 15 mile trail run this weekend and today posted similar feelings about rest.


So if today is a day of rest for my body, what am I going to accomplish instead?
Here is my To Do List

• Major work for school (lesson planning, class blog, create newsletter, etc.)
• Clean the house (Husband and I are going on a day trip tomorrow afternoon and I don't want to have to do it this weekend.)
• Play with Ella A LOT! I love this pup and her tons of energy.
• Watch what I eat. If I'm not going to burn major calories, I'm going to keep my eating as clean as possible.

I'll close with pictures of my cute pup, Ella Blue. She loves to play catch with a tennis ball or frisbee. These are pictures that Husband, the next Ansel Adams, took earlier this month.

The Tale of an Old Sorority T-Shirt

Behold a loved, well-worn sorority t-shirt
in all of it's glory

Back in this shirt's glory days, it was worn on Philanthropy Day of Recruitment (January 2004); I am a sister of Alpha Chi Omega and was a collegiate member of the chapter at Elon University. Since then the shirt has been worn with pride around campus (with cute accessories), with jeans on a casual Saturday and overtime it fell in level of prestige to become a gym shirt..the lowest level for t-shirts.

It was my favorite gym shirt. It hit around mid-butt/hip. It was soft, comfortable and one of my favorite colors. However, with so much love and wear comes holes, stains and rips. So the shirt is now in complete retirement. It won't be worn again in the foreseeable future. The greatest hope of this shirt is that it will now be sown and created into a quilt made of other old sorority t-shirts. Thank you old shirt for the many hours spent on the elliptical and treadmill. You were a good friend.


What's your favorite piece of gym clothing? When was the last time you retired a piece of gym clothing? What was it?

Pictures of the New Duds

Husband came home to me pretending to be a model. He was smart and quickly complimented me on my haircut. Then he took pictures of me in my new Danskin clothes.

Now it's time for my favorite show, Biggest Loser! I love this show! I love the challenges. And the best thing is that I get to watch the whole show tonight. Most nights I try to fall asleep by 9:30 so I can get up at 5:00 to workout before work. Since I'm on Spring Break, I'll be able to stay up tonight so see the end! Yay!

Does anyone else watch it? What are your thoughts?

New Do and New Duds

I was in great need of a haircut. I had not had one since November. My hair was too long and stingy. When I wear a ponytail too often it means I need a haircut. I decided to try a new hair place, Trends over my spring break; I hadn't been happy with the last place I visited. I went in with a picture and a plan. I had printed off a picture of the looks I wanted. My hair is naturally curly so I wear it curly on rainy days but most days I like it best when it is straight. So my haircut has to work for both styles.

Here is my before and after pictures. I really like the cut. It is cute and it makes me hair look fuller.

After getting my haircut and showing it to my Mom I decided to do some shopping for workout clothes. I had seen on my last trip to Wal-mart that they now carry Danskin clothing. I took dance for 16 years and so was very familiar with the Danskin label. I had purchased a pair of black running capris for $7 and was happy with them so I decided to buy some other items too. Well, I did. I tried on what I thought were short (probably, too short) shorts and loved them. So I bought 2 pairs -- blue and black ($7 each). I also bought a black 3/4 length zip jacket ($13). And finally I bought three plain shirts (light blue, green, pink -- $5 each). Currently all of my workout tops are sorority shirts, but that's a topic for a later post. For the six items I bought I spent $50.

I took a picture in the dressing room but it didn't come out well.

I took some quick pictures of some other Danskin clothing items.

Here are the items I bought. Once Husband comes home I'll have him take some pictures of me modeling the clothes.

Step-by-Step and Prior Fat Girl's Contest

Today I was doing the step-climber. I am so happy to have that piece of equipment available at the YMCA. It is great when I am tired of running. It allows me to work different muscles in my legs and just gives me something different to place my focus. I did it this morning and was sweating, a lot! It felt great.

Every moment on the step-climber I am having to step forward and I started thinking about my fitness process. For the past few months I have been moving forward, becoming a healthier person. I am not working to attain some number of the scale. I am working to attain a healthy and fit life. Yes, I take steps backwards but on the whole I am moving forward.

I know I am moving forward because I get back on track when I makes mistakes. I know I am on making steps forward because I am always looking for ways to learn more about fitness and exercise. One resource I use often are the blogs of others who are also in the process.

One blog I visit often is Prior Fat Girl. Today she announced a contest to win a $15 gift certificate for Mix My Granola. I looked on their website and there are so many yummy combinations available. I think the Low Fat granola with dried raspberries, flax seeds, roasted almonds, and chocolate raisins would be delicious! There are so many different ways to combine the granolas and ingredients. I'm sure they'll be getting my business very soon.

Carrot cake and a walk

Happy Easter!

A traditional Easter Sunday in my family involves church and then having a big lunch at my Mom's house. The traditional Easter foods include ham (or city ham), green beans, rice, potato salad, jello salad, rolls, and deviled eggs. This year I cooked the green beans, ham, rolls and I made desert.

Last year I made coconut cake (2 layers) and that was a big deal to me. I didn't want to do the same thing this year. So I decided to look at A Year in the Kitchen for some other ideas. I came across her carrot cake recipe. I made it and it turned out delicious! I used a combination of recipes I'd seen for the icing. I didn't want it to be too cream cheese tasting.

I find the comments that were made funny. "Meredith is becoming a really good cook." OR from Husband "I was really nervous this wasn't going to be good." Thanks a lot! I can follow a recipe! Everyone ate it and that was the only compliment that I needed. Over 80% of the cake was eaten by the 9 people there for lunch and the rest was divided and sent home.

After such a big lunch, Husband and I went on a walk. Neither felt like running so we decided to walk our 3 mile course. It was such a wonderful day and it was nice to be outside!

The Numbers

Some people hate it and some people love it. I love counting calories. It has opened my eyes to the amount of calories in food. It takes time to plan, count and record but since I began I have seen a change in my body. I am more aware of what I put into my mouth because it has to be recorded. And I record every thing I eat... even on bad days.

Here is what I use to record my calories. It's a planner. There are many books that are specifically for counting calories. Many people do it on excel or online through Sparkpeople or other websites that are similar. If you're going to do it, find a way that works best for you!


The thing that makes counting easy for me is that I eat pretty much the same foods for breakfast, snacks and lunch; I'll blog about that later. Dinner changes but I generally cook it so I know what is being made and served. Most days I try to consume about 1600 calories. I determined that based upon my Basal Metabolic Rate and my activity level.

I also count the calories that I burn. I don't have a heart rate monitor. I WANT one and plan to get one later. Anyway, I estimate that I burn about 100 calories doing the 30DS. It is 20 minutes long and I SWEAT! At the gym, I know most calorie counters are way off. As a general rule of thumb, I think I burn about 100 calories per mile.

So here are the numbers: To lose 1 pound a person must burn 3,500 calories. Regardless of weight, height, size -- that's the rule. So to lose one pound a person needs to either burn 500 calories a day (and not eat over their calories) or eat 500 calories less (which is not a good idea). Most people do it with a combination of diet and exercise.

I would like to point out that I do not plan to do this forever! I will stop calorie counting when I feel completely confident in my ability to maintain. I am pretty much at the weight I want to maintain. I have never maintained any weight I have lost in the past so I plan to use calorie counting to help me. I completely agree with Kath and others this is not a habit that I want to do forever. But for now, it is a tool and I tool I probably need.

It's My Hobby

I view working out and becoming fitter and stronger as my hobby. I enjoy it. I work at it. I am always trying to learn more and more about my body and how to improve upon it. I've read books, magazines, websites. I've tried different videos and classes. I have so much more to learn but I have worked to educate myself about my body and how to care for it. Now, if I was to break up my reasoning into a pie chart it would look like this:


Before a couple of months ago the diagram would have looked much different. When I first started working out my only focus was losing weight for our wedding. I knew I wanted to look my best and felt that losing weight and gaining muscle was necessary. Therefore 99% of my reasoning for working out was vanity. I wanted to look good for my wedding. Later I'll add some before and after pictures (before working out for the wedding, at the wedding).

Over time my mentality has changed. I want my body to be strong and healthy. I want to see how strong and healthy my body can become and I know that it is always a working process. There is no true/goal destination; only the journey matters. This is the vehicle in which I will travel throughout my life. Is it not worth the effort?

Thursday Night is Pizza Night

In the last post, I discussed how I cook most nights of the week... and this is very true. Nonetheless, as the week comes to a close the quality and the amount of my cooking decreases so Thursday night is pizza night. Every Thursday night for the past 6 months we have had Kashi pizza. Husband and I both love it. Now a serving is only 1/3 of the pizza; however, we both eat half of the pizza. Husband usually wants some sort of meat added to his part since most pizza don't come with meat.

The pizzas comes in many great flavors and the ingredients are natural. My new favorite is Mexicali Black Bean. Husband's favorite is Margherita. I really trust the Kashi brand and have honestly not had a bad Kashi product. We typical pair the pizza with a salad. And that is Thursday night dinner... easy, yummy, filling.

Wife = Cook

Before Husband and I got married we went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and Target and registered for many cooking tools. We registered for gadgets, knives, food processors, and simply everything we thought we'd need to cook. However, I don't think I understood that being married meant cooking most nights. I don't think I understood that being married meant I WOULD BE COOKING MOST NIGHTS! I am sure in other marriages the delegation of jobs is perhaps different; however, due to being a teacher and coming home first, the job of cooking fell into my category. For the first 18 months of marriage I was re-creating any meal possible with chicken. I had no confidence and I had no desire to really try to cook. As long as it was warm and edible I was happy.

Then I came across the website A Year in the Kitchen. This website has greatly helped me. Ashlee (the author) is not only creative with her recipes but they are healthy. I don't care how many cookbooks I have, if I don't feel confident in the quality of the recipes then I won't cook a single meal from it. Husband and I want to eat good meals and feel content with the nutritional value. I don't want to eat high fat/high calorie meals that make me feel sluggish and gross. Ashlee has a wide variety of recipes: soups, casseroles, pasta, cupcakes, breads, everything! Most weeks when I am planning our menu (and our shopping list) I visit her website for recipes and inspiration. Thank you Ashlee!

After being inspired by Ashlee, I decided to ask for the magazine Cooking Light for Christmas. Each month it is a gift of new ideas. This weekend I made the recipes Butterscotch Bars (Lighten Up). They were very good! Last week I visited our local library to check out some new cookbooks and came across Cooking Light: Super FAST Suppers: Speedy Solutions for Dinner Dilemmas. After checking it out, I found about 25 recipes that I wanted to try. So Husband looked on Ebay for the cookbook and I bought my own copy for $10 (shipping included!). The first meal we tried was Chicken Piccata (YUM).

So what do I mean about balance in life?

Here is the point of this blog: I have a problem. When I feel in control of things going on in my life, I can create balance; I can eat, exercise, relax and spend time with those I love. When there are times I don't feel in control, I lose balance and completely fall of the wagon.

Here is the perfect example: Tonight I have Spring PTO night. I put on a happy, teacher face and go but really it makes me feel like I have no evening. But between staying to get some things put away in my classroom and having to go back to school, I feel like I didn't have time to run. I was also dead tired on the way home and thought that I would just go home and rest. Well, I get home and PIG OUT! I mean PIG OUT! I ate everything I could possibly want. I am sure it is emotional eating as my body did not need all of those calories.

Oh well. I can't change it. I did it. I ate a lot of food. Tomorrow I will have more control over my day... I have a workshop and will be able to get in a really good workout after it. Tomorrow is a new day and a new day to practice balance. The next time I feel out of control, I will try to find ways to give me more control. Now I'm off to change and eat some veggies before heading back to school.

Say "No" to more work

Today is a lovely Sunday... a picture-perfect, wonderful Sunday. The husband and I woke up naturally and began our typical Sunday morning routine: He eats breakfast and plays with our pup Ella outside and I do the 30 Day Shred (Level 2) and then enjoy a simple blueberry, oatmeal and yogurt breakfast. We both enjoy watching "Meet the Press" before getting ready for church.

After church we came home and ate lunch and relaxed a bit. The husband wasn't in the mood to go to the gym so I suggested we go for a run. We ran around Claremont, a cute little town that neighbors where we live. We didn't have a real plan in mind but ran for about 30 minutes and then road our route to determine our mileage. We ran 3.3 miles. For me, the run seemed easier than any run I've done on the treadmill. Maybe I get so caught up in my time and the digits that it makes me feel more tired.

Once completing our run, we came home and did some things around the house: cleaning, pre-cooking (a Sunday ritual), laundry, etc. I had about talked myself into going to the gym to do some interval training. Then I said "NO". I just ran and I don't need to run more. So I decided to read my book. Now, this may not be a big deal for others; however, it was for me. I don't usually sit still, unless I am reading or researching things online. I sat and read for about 30 minutes on the couch and was proud of such an accomplishment. The husband recently bought a new, fantasy camera and was out taking pictures of Ella and different things. When he returned I became the next model/victim.

Now the only things left to do today are:

• help with dinner (The husband is grilling.)
• grade some math tests (Double-digit addition and subtraction are hard for 2nd graders so I am not expecting many 100s.)
• vacume or sweep the house
  

To quote Jillian

"Your balance will improve as you get stronger and more fit."

Jillian -- 30 Day Shred, Level 2

Most mornings when I am going the 30DS, my brain is not able to function. I do the 30DS around 5:30 most weekday mornings before getting ready for work. However, on the weekends when I do Level 2, I am more awake. I have slept more the night before and am feeling more alert and refreshed. Last Saturday as I was doing Level 2, the above quote from Jillian really spoke to me. I know she was probably just speaking of physical balance but could she also be speaking about balancing one's life?

We all work balance so many things: relationships, work, health, spirituality, etc. But do we really have balance in these areas? That is the point of this blog. I want to chronicle the events of my life and work to create balance in all areas.

So here's the question: Do all areas deserve the same amount of "time"? Can one have balance while putting more effort into particular areas and less in others? Or by not sharing time evenly does that create imbalance? Does fitness of body transcend into fitness of mind and soul?

Pretty deep for 10:00 on a Saturday morning.