Today was a major workout day!!  I walked with Kaki, then did yard work.  Mowing, weeding and sweeping.   On the plus side……pushing the lawn mower over very uneven ground was much easier than in the past.  Yea, push-ups! I got me some upper body strength going on!!  I also have 2 blisters, several scratches and one broken nail.  I  huirt from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet!  

I really want to know why I can’t make grass grow but weeds flourish?!?!?!?   Why can’t grass have the roots that weeds do?    Actually how come I can’t have a pool in the backyard instead of weeds and dirt?  Okay everyone my house…. tomorrow bring a shovel…. here is what I want!

That last post caused quiet a stir…. I am up POINT five as in 1/2 of a pound.  NOT 5 pounds!  I ate a LOT but not that MUCH!!   I’ll spell it out next time.  5 pounds!??!  Seriously?!?!?!   NO NO NO!!  (please no!) 

I had my weekly conference call with Tyler at WellStrong Fitness.  Tyler suggested a work out DVD system called P90x (be sure and add coach Myles at check out) which looks amazing.  But, $119 is a little out of my price range.  So I sent a list of DVD’s that I already own, hopefully one of these will be ok to add.    So, this week the only change I’ll be making  is add a dvd work out.

First I have to say I am SO READY for this week to be OVER!!!!!!!!!  Kaki is on vacation so I didn’t walk.  Yes, I know I could have walked all by myself, but what if I got lost?   What if a pack of wild dogs………. okay so you get the point.  I took the lazy route and slept in.  It showed up on the scale (stupid pack of wild dogs!)  Besides the constant eating and no exercise I am up .5 pounds.  I know it’s not a lot, but, it’s still a gain and I don’t LIKE IT!!!  This whole week has been just poor decisions!!   From eating, exercise but at my job too.  So tomorrow starts my new week.   It will be better!  Deep breath!  Puttin’ my game face on ……… It WILL BE BETTER!!!  (WOW!! That had conviction!!)

When it rains it pours!  Today was one bad phone call after another!!!   (Watch out I’m about to let loose with some major whining!)  My son has to find a new house to rent buy August 15th.  My mother’s mobile home just won’t sell and now the realtor wants it painted and new carpet (we can’t afford either!)    My oldest daughter has to go back in for more foot surgery.   My younger daughter and her husband along with my PERFECT granddaughterwill be arriving later this week for a short visit.  I’m stressing about the logistics of getting to spend time with them.  (I work in a small office.  We already have one person on vacation.  A second person out is wellllllll…… scary).   What the HECK!??!!   Everyone has to dump this on me on the SAME DAY!?!?!?!  So, the logical thing to do??  Eat.  Because of COURSE that’s where the solution is?!?!!  HAVE I LEARNED ANYTHING in the last 4 weeks???!!??!?  YES! I have!!   I did stop plowing through food before things got too out of hand.   Then I sat down and wrote out my stresses instead of eating more.   I may not have any solutions but at least I got it all off my chest instead of keeping it bottled up.

Another day of wanting to eat all day long!!  In the past, a day like today would have made me throw up my hands say “Forget it!!  I’ll start over on the first of the month”  BUT because I’m blogging every night and weighing in on Wednesdays I didn’t!!  I ate responsibly and drank more water. (I’m tellin’ ya, being a grownup is HIGHLY over-rated!)    It probably would have been even worse tonight, but, I had seen a commercial for Yoplait Whips.  If you put them in the freezer they are almost like an ice cream treat.  I have to admit the one I had tonight was really good.  So! I’m still on track.  I didn’t cheat and now I’m going to bed before I eat all 10 of the whips!

Family BBQ for our son Zachary’s 29th birthday.  I love hanging out with my family.  Theres no better way to spend a day!!!  I made some really good food choices (and a couple really BAD one’s!  Wednesday isn’t going to be pretty!)  I DID have skinless grilled chicken. YUM.  I did have fresh fruit salad (courtesy of my wonderful daughter Selena!).   Then I had potato salad BUT only 1/2 cup.  Instead of potato chips I had Quakes rice cake cheddar cheese chips(70 calories for 9 cakes! But if you eat almost a whole bag I think that 70 calorie kudo’s goes out the window. BUT I didn’t have any dip)   I had a normal size (i.e. BIG) slice of Butterfinger ice cream cake (it’s bad luck not to eat birthday cake. HONEST!!  I can’t make this stuff up!!)  At the end of the BBQ I sent the extra birthday cake and potato chips home with the birthday boy.   (Look how smart I AM!!)

Before everyone arrived I did clean the house top to bottom!  I sweated so much it definitely counted as exercise.  I cleaned when they left too. So I worked off at least a quarter of that cake.  (It was reallyyyyy good cake!)

One GOOD SON?!?!  One GREAT son!!!    Happy Birthday Zac

Have you ever had a day that you can’t get enough eat?  Well, that’s me today!!   I want food.  A LOT OF FOOD!  Itried extra water, I ate more fruit, drank more water….. had a handful of almonds….. more fruit…. a spoon of peanut butter and more water.   I think just going to bed and sleeping it off that might be my smartest move.  Otherwise Wednesdays post will be FULL of excuses or ummm MISSING!!!!!

I have to pat myself on the back today was my 9th year anniversary at work!!  9 YEARS?!?!  HEY!!  I thought I was a temp? 

If you crave chocolate 24/7  chocolate body wash  is a REALLY BAD IDEA!!

Today was my weekly phone call with Tyler at WellStrong Fitness.  He was going to give me more diet tweaks to do but then heard how much weight I lost this week and decided I was doing just fine for right now.  YEA ME!!!   So for the next week my exercise plan and diet are business as usual.  So?  Then what do you do to celebrate loosing 4 pounds???  You take your beautiful niece to Filippi’s for lasagna!  BUT instead of my full serving tonight we shared ONE SINGLE SERVING!!  ONE!!  And I walked out of there STUFFED!!  

 Then we went to see the new Pixar movie UP with NO popcorn!  (WHO AM I?!?!?!?)  The movie was FANTASTIC!!  Absolutely hysterical!!  GO!  See this movie you won’t be disappointed.  (I’ll bet you a large popcorn!!)

THREE POUNDS this week!!  Woooo hooooo!!!  (That’s 3 pounds down!! I should clarify that just in case you think I would be doing the happy dance for a gain…. which ummm well………NO!  I wouldn’t)  Total loss of 7 pounds.    Who knew such small changes would make such a difference.  I’ve cut out a large portion of carbs.  Added a lot more vegetables (yes that gagging noise WAS from me!) more fruits.  I changed to the Hershey’s sugar free dark chocolate bit size pieces (which is REALLY GOOD! Even better if you accidently drop it in the peanut butter jar first.  Not that I would know that myself…. I’m just guessing… sorta)  

I’m still using my 20 pound weighted vest when I’m on my walk with Kaki and my counter push-ups.  Still doing my crunches on the Bean and the exercises that Tyler at WellStrong Fitness emailed for me to do. 

Okay that’s my weekly update.  Thank you everyone for all the great comments and encouragement!!!

The only thing between me and a MickyD’s chocolate ice cream sundae is the fact that I’ve made Wednesday my weigh in day…….. but really? 

 Doesn’t this look REALLY GOOD?!?!

I’m pretty sure a big ole truck ran me over last night, came back and ran me over again.  I woke up with a stomach ache (adults can have just plain ole’ tummy aches right?)  I did manage to do my morning walk and 50 ab crunches on the Bean.  (Yes, I admit it I am an infomercial junkie)   I left work early cause my stomach was just getting worse.  (Do you think it’s the healthy eating?  My body is rebelling?)

DH and I went out to breakfast this morning.  Yes, I did fall off the wagon.  I had bacon!  I had hash browns!  I had toast!!  I only had one piece of toast instead of 2. (baby steps!)  It was SO GOOD!!  Course DH made me look bad by having a mushroom omelet and asking to substitute his hash browns for peaches.  (What a show off!)  AND while I’m complaining about DH why why WHY is it when men say “Oh I’m going to loose a couple of pounds” it comes off in 5 and 10 pound chunks without much work??!  WHY?!?!? WHY!??!?  YES I KNOW I’m yelling!  If you could see me I’m stamping my foot too!

I did make up for the bacon and hash browns with a fresh fruit salad with yogurt for dinner.  Not to mention tons of water.  No activity today unless you want to count cleaning the fish tank.  It was a great Sunday for relaxing but not really great for weight loss.  

I wonder if I can feed DH chocolate while he is sleeping and not get caught?  WAIT!  MAYBE that’s why my weight loss is slow??  Maybe DH is feeding ME?!?! 

Is anyone buying that? No? Well, it was worth a shot.

For someone who I’m pretty sure was allergic to water a mere 2 and a half weeks ago I sure can’t get ENOUGH!!!  I swear the more water I drink the thirstier I am!!  What’s IN THIS STUFF!??!?!?!

Friday’s are my day off.  I used today to it’s fullest advantage!    I cleaned my closet’s out!  (Yes, I said closets.  I’m an empty nester!  It’s what we do!!)  I cleared out so many things that don’t fit.  (So anyone interested in throwing a garage sale I’m in!).  Now don’t misunderstand my little four pound loss doesn’t mean I’m all of a sudden swimming in my clothes.  (ALTHOUGH!!!!!!! You know I woke up one morning 30 pounds over weight shouldn’t it come off that quickly too??)   Anyway, I have clothes that I have kept that I like to call ‘comfort clothes’ they are loose or they have elastic waistbands.  And now they are GONE!  I divided my closet into 5 pound lost sections.   So from now on as things become loose they are going into the AWAY box.  That way when I get to my goal weight I will be forced to maintain.   WOW!  How smart am I?!?!?!?

Also I want to clarify the whole “PUSH UP” thing………..

Kitchen counter  +    Weighted Vest

                                                                                   = Push Up    

And it’s not as easy as it looks.  Go… go on … go do 20.  I’ll wait here.

Just start a blog.  Seriously!!  Your friends read the blog…. then give you THE LOOK when you reach for something that you really shouldn’t.  Your co-workers say “are you going to blog that?”  The lady at the drug store that is staring at you while your in the candy aisle …is it because your hair is standing straight up?  OR because you look like that girl on the Channel 10 Half Year resolution page?  Hummmmm  (okay so it was my hair.  I drove with the convertible top down and well….. it was a unique look for me) 

Tyler from WellStrong Fitness and I had our conference call today.  He thinks I’m doing great.  I’m continuing on my less carbs more protein food plan.  I am sticking with the same exercises.  Tyler did give me a great idea for going out to dinner.  Plan ahead!  Salad.  No bread basket. When the entre’ arrives cut it in half!  (HEY!!  Look…. lunch for tomorrow is already made!) He suggested trying the sugar free chocolate and hard candies…. I’ll let you know about that one.  If it tastes REALLY bad Tyler will hear about it first!

Here’s my weekly no frills progress report  (okay who are we kidding?  Of course there will be frills!)   I’m happy to report another 1.5 pounds gone!  That makes 4 pounds total. 

Walked Monday thur Friday with Kaki. I’ve added my weighted vest to my walking attire to burn more calories.  The vest has weights you can add or subtract.  I have 20 pounds in the vest now.  (Think Ghostbusters and the StayPuft marshmellow man) 

Monday, Wednesday and Saturday I did the exercises that Tyler at WellStrong Fitness emailed for me to do. ( Except the push-ups.  I’m obsessed with being able to do push-ups so I do them more.  Right now I wear the weighted vest and do the push-ups using the kitchen counter.  I can do 40 but only in sets of 10 rest……. 10….. and so on.  I haven’t tried to do them on the floor again, maybe next week).    

I did incorporate most of the food changes that Tyler recommended, I started having oatmeal in the mornings.  I’ve started having a lean protein and salad at dinner time.   I’ve had less carbs.  I’ve added a lot of fruit too. 

 Tomorrow is my weekly phone conference with Tyler I’ll update you tomorrow.   Thank you all again for the great comments and encouragement!  You guys are keeping me honest!

Today was one of THOSEdays.  Where you come home frustrated and mad.  It took everything I had not to buy the 1 pound bag of Peanut Butter M&M’s and eat ‘em all.  (For those of you who think I’m kidding…. ummm Serving SIZE equals CONTAINER size!!  This goes double for M&M’s!)  Instead I bought the (normal) single size bag.  I ate the first few mindlessly………. realized what I was doing and slowed down and enjoyed the rest of the bag.  (btw those bags are tiny!!)

Where chocolate was supposed to make everything better what I think I really need is a punching bag and channel Rocky Balboa!  GGGRRRRR!!!

Anyway for me BIG improvement.  I didn’t sit and eat mass quantities of food.  I enjoyed my tiny bag of M&M’s and then did a whole set of ab crunches! 

This is progress.

My great friend Stephanie in New York sent me the cutest magnet for my fridge! It has two phrases the first “Step away from the fridge there is nothing in here to eat. Put your arms down, put ‘em down! Yea! I want you to do a 180 and walk back to the rice cake immediately!! YEA!” the second is “Oh my goodness I hear the carbs calling your name — ohhh listen listen quietly “ohhh I loovvee you” See? See?? I told you so!.
Thank you Steph!   How did you know those are the exact arguments that go thru my head every time I go near the fridge! 

If I have a hot flash why doesn’t it burn fat? All the hot flashes I have had you would think the fat would just melt off!

UGH UGH UGH!!!  I’ve been so good all week long!  Weekend hits and BAMB I’m hungry all the time!!!  COME ON!!!!  NOT cool!!

Weekdays my routine is pretty much the same.  Up at 6:00 (okay so snooze button till 6:30 FINE 6:45 gesh!  This honesty thing thing is so outta hand!) walk with Kaki from 7:00 am till 7:45.  Shower/dress/breakfast and fly out the door by 8:30.  Work 9:00am till 6:00pm (Lunch 1 to 2)  Home by 6:30 or 7:00pm.    When I get home DH is already asleep.  I grab a light dinner.  Check email.  Blog.  Do the exercises Tyler has assigned.  Bed by 11. 

Weekends.  UGH!!!  Too much free time I guess because I want to snack all the time!  I did good today anyway… DH cut up a tub of watermelon for me.  I ate all that…. I’m still hungry.  I drank water…… still hungry…..  I have all sorts of ‘good’ food in the fridge but I want something ‘bad’ I want CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!!    I think my solution will be go to bed early. 

My Grandma Jones use to tell me the loose skin that drooped down from her upper arms was called “Bat Wings”   About a year or so ago I FOUND my Grandma’s bat wings under my own arms and I am not amused.   But more than that!!  Did you know there is a muscle under there?  These exercises Tyler at WellStrong Fitness has me doing …. welllllll!!!!!!!  my BAT WINGS HURT!!!

Tyler from WellStrong Fitness and I had a conference call this morning about my 3 day food journal.  (I was very good!  I wrote everything down! Even when I didn’t want too)  Tyler helped me to map out a plan for my meals.  More protein and few carbs.  Not real crazy about the egg without a yolk part….  I mean….. uhhhh ewwww it’s just the white stuff??  But I’m willing to try.   Oatmeal is in.  English Muffin out.  No more Special K cereal with the chocolate pieces at night.  I’m going to try a salad and 3 ounces of protien instead.  100 calorie packs as snacks stay but I need to add more fruit to my diet.   Tyler said I can still have my peanut butter but ummmm my English Muffin is gone?  OHHHHH WAIT!!!   I get to eat it out of the jar with a Spoon!!!  (Can you all hear Tyler talking to his computer right now??)

Tyler also gave me a modified way to do push-ups!  YEA!!!!!!!  I can actually do 2 sets!!  (Tyler still thinks that I’ll be able to do them on the floor in a month or 2.  (OHHHH I wish you could hear the laughing in my head it’s soooo loud!!)

Now that I know I can keep my peanut butter I have to go chase down Gracie and find a spoon.   ;  )

It’s already been one week on the Channel 10 Half Year Challenge.  I got on the scale this morning weighing 1.5 pounds less!  YEA ME!!   It was surprising since in this last week we’ve had a family BBQ celebrating DH & my birthdays.  The Del Mar Fair trip and really can you go to the Del Mar Fair and not have a cinnamon roll or (HEY! I said OR and not AND!) the caramel apple tower.  Anyway a pound and half makes me HAPPY! 

Tonight after work I walked at the mall…. okay so it’s really called window shopping (but I like for you to think I’m just always exercising!  Like a MACHINE!!) I drooled on the new Blackberry 8330 .  Didn’t buy the very cute strappy red heels.  AND didn’t even go near the food court.   So see??  That’s exercising not shopping!

Now I’m going to try to work on the push-up thing.  Tyler at WellStrong Fitness said 20 reps and 2 sets.  I can’t do even ONE!   I’m going to try those everyday till I can do at least 2!   I did move up to a bigger water bottle.   Now I’m drinking at least 2 (but usually 3) bottles of 24 ounces of water.  This is what I call PROGRESS!! 

Thank you everyone for all the encouraging comments.  I really appreciate the support!  

The perfect cell phone ringer for Tyler at WellStrong Fitness. Eye of the Tiger!  

Today Tyler emailed me 4 pages of exercises (a total of 8 exercises) Tyler wants me to do 20 reps per set and 2 sets.  3 times a week to start.    Pffftttt easy as PIE as I read thru the exercises and looked at the pictures!  HELLO!?!?  There aren’t even any weights!  I’ll breeze right threw those!!!     

NOTE TO SELF!!!  DO NOT MOCK THE EXERCISES!!!!!!!!!!!  (OHMYGOSH!  Someday Tyler is adding weights to these moves?!?!?!   WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!)

This is the goal…… the Princess dress!  I was in it 3 years ago…. I want back in it!!    Now excuse me I need some Bengay.

Kaki and I started the morning with our 45 minute walk. (You’ll be glad to know we didn’t bash husbands for the ENTIRE time we did touch on politics for a few minutes.)  Followed by a conference call with Tyler at WellStrong Fitness. Even over the phone Tyler is enthusiastic and energetic about what he does.  I have NO DOUBT I will reach my goals!  Princess dress here I come!
Tyler gave me my first assignment. A 3 day food journal. With times of day and how much I eat.  While I do that Tyler is designing a home exercise routine that I can do after work during the week. (I guess Tyler didn’t think typing on the laptop while watching tv was enough strength and flexibility training. Maybe I should have mentioned the laptop gets really hot and I’m sure that melts fat!)

And yes I went back and wrote that I had the butterscotch candy OKAY FINE!  There were 5 of them!  MAN!!  Gracie will rat me out the first chance she gets!!! 

Hot day = fruit salad for dinner. Can there be anything better? Watermelon, cherries, apples, peaches, banana and topped with yogurt. YUM!!!
I’m keeping up with my water. (added bonus with the water is the exercise I get running back and forth down the hall!!)
Tomorrow morning 8am my first conference with Tyler at WellStrong Fitness. I can’t wait to officially get started!!

Brengle Terrace Park fireworks were awesome!   This shot was taken from my driveway.

What would the 4th of July be without a BBQ?!?!   Uhhhh it would be my kind of 4th I guess.  Everyone in the family had different plans so DH (dear hubby) and I decided to go to the movies.  Today’s movie made up for yesterdays.  Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal.  I must own that movie when it comes to DVD. (Can I have the suit that Sandra Bullock wears in the beginning??  Please?!?!)   I think you loose weight when you laugh right??  That is an added bonus to this movie!  2 thumbs WAY up!!   I also opted for a small popcorn vs my usual LARGE popcorn.  (look how good I’m being! This is progress!  Really it is!) 

Now DH and I are grilling up some chicken and fresh veggies for dinner.  Then I do believe there has been a challenge issued me to a game on the Wii from my DH.  (Ohhh prepare to be whooped my dear!)  

I hope everyone has a safe happy 4th! 

What is it about a long weekend that makes me so lazy?!?!    Up at the regular time but am I doing anything productive?  Nooooooooo hubby and I are watching maybe the worst Steven Seagal movie I’ve ever seen!  But it’s like a train wreck and I can’t stop watching!  BUT on a positive note I’m not watching and eating.  THAT is what we call progress! (okay now I’m hungry.  Maybe I shouldn’t have said that out loud)

After the movie I’m planning on putting on my head phones and boogie thru the housework.  That is the extent of the sweating I plan to do today.  (and no there is not a  picture of me dancing thru the house….. trust me…. it’s not pretty!!)

Well it’s 7pm and I never did get around to the  housework. I managed to go grocery shopping.  Why is eating healthier so much more expensive than junk food??  Then my son stopped by for a quick visit…. remember I said my kids cause me stress because they do what they want now that they don’t live at home??  WELLLLLL!!!  My son built and is driving a Kikker Hardknock motorcycle soooooo Southern Californian’s drive careful!!  My son is out there!   (And yes now there is a picture!)

Tyler from WellStrong Fitness and I will have our first consultation on Monday morning 8am.  I’m so excited to get started officially but I am doing small things that I know I need to do.  Like the water……. hey!  As promised I’m on my 3rd! (that’s THIRD people) bottle of water!  HA!!  20 ounces more than promised!  Wooo hoooo yea me!

Started the day off with my usual walk.  My friend Kaki and I have been walking every weekday morning for the last 10 years.  (We are actually pretty famous in the neighborhood.  Okay so maybe the famous part is all in my head, but we do get stopped every now and again by people that tell us they admire our dedication) Lately though the walk isn’t enough.  I’ve hit that plateau that just won’t budge.   I have a set of ankle weights that I should dust off and start using a couple times a week.  I’ll keep you up to date on that. 

I did pretty good food wise today.  Had grilled chicken and steamed veggies for dinner.  What I really need is to up my water!!  I’ve gotten so bad at drinking water and I know it is really important to weight loss.   Not to mention making me feel and look better!  So tomorrow I’m drinking (2) 20 ounce bottles of water.  Okay so that doesn’t sound like a lot to some of you …. but for me that might as well be a 5 gallon jug soooo NOW let’s here “WOW! you are really going to drink all that water?  In one day!?!?”  (that’s better.  Thank you!)

I’m off to have a Weight Watcher fudge bar and watch some DVR stuff.