Week 19...More To Love

Welcome to the 19th (completed) week of Extreme Makeover: ME Edition hosted by the incredible Amber Filkins!

Let's weigh-in...

Before Vacation: 207 pounds
This week: 209 pounds

Gain.....2 pounds

I know the reason for the two pounds. Part of it is my fault and part of it is TOM's. TOM is due to arrive sometime today and he sent his buddy MIGRAINE ahead as a warning. The other reason...2 lbs of red licorice. I was in a gas station in Iowa getting juice for the kids and water for me and hubby when they had these large bags 2 for $3. I love licorice. I was only going to buy one bag (for the trip home) but the cashier talked me into the second one.

I'm pretty proud of myself. I did much better than I expected on my vacation. If you want to read all about it click HERE. I was stressed out because my family (sister, parents) is about to fall apart and my husband and his family were bickering. But I didn't let it effect me (until I saw the licorice).

I talked last week (my post was late...no internet) about an incident with some pancakes. I didn't want to eat bacon and pancakes, I wanted a salad and a big fight ensued. It made me realize how things can fall apart when you don't have the support you need. I know that I drank a lot more wine last week than I needed to. But it was how I was copeing with the situation.

I wish that I had stayed active while on my trip. There were so many times that I wanted to go walk but it wasn't convenient and now I'm having trouble getting started again. Of course TOM is also to blame for that.

The Plan for Week 20:

Friday ~ Walk
Saturday~ Walk
Sunday~ Off
Monday~ Walk
Tuesday~ Walk
Wednesday~ ZUMBA

I also need to start taking my vitamins again.

If you need a pep talk this morning...READ THIS.

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Did you watch More to Love last night? I wasn't going to but nothing else was on while waiting for After The Final Rose to come on. I won't be watching it again. I don't understand why it was important to show their WEIGHT and HEIGHT on the screen. This is a show about overweight people finding love. We KNOW they are overweight...why does it matter what the numbers are? It's not a weight loss show. I was turned off by it. What are your thoughts?

Week 17...Wine, Cheese and Bread OH MY!

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay

Watching the tide roll away

Oooo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay

Wastin' time

No weigh in this week...I'm on vacation in Wisconsin...Lake Okauchee to be exact. We rented a house with my in laws and brother in law. I'm trying to be good. The trip here wasn't too bad. I would eat McDonalds breakfast burrito (one...and no hashbrowns for me) for breakfast and then I packed sandwiches and carrots and lots of water. We didn't eat many meals on the way...just did a lot of snacking.

Monday, we took a day trip to Green Bay and I ate a Angus Mushroom Swiss burger in the car. It felt like a rock in my stomach. I regret eating that soooo much. We have eaten well since we got here...I'm trying to only eat half of the fatty things but my mother in law made rolls last night....

I had intended to exercise every morning. But I forgot that my husband would be leaving the house at 4am everyday to go fishing on Lake Michigan and I don't want to leave my kids alone in the house with my mother in law because she doesn't wear her hearing aid to bed. I will go walk Friday morning because that is a no fishing day.

My weakness.....wine. And cheese. I have consumed much wine and tons of cheese. Oh and I bought some awesome breads at Trader Joe's Tuesday Morning. I could live on these three things. Oh and coffee. I bought lots of fruit and veggies today too. Trying to counterbalance the wine and cheese with some good salads.

I wrote all of the above before a big storm hit on Wednesday morning and knocked out our internet. I wasn't able to post this.....so I will tell you what else I've been up to.

I am disappointed with how much exercise I've gotten. The weather hasn't been the best and my MIL has been with me much of the time and she can't walk. Today, we went downtown...walked along the pier, went to the Children's museum and walked all over! My hips hurt so good today! I really have missed being active.

I have to tell you what I had for dinner tonight. I got in a fight with some family members over pancakes. Yes, pancakes. Long story short...they got chinese and pizza and I ate a salad with blue cheese (we went to the cheese castle yesterday), candied pecans, tomatoes, snap peas and a couple chunks of cheese. It was awesome!!

In the morning, I'm going for a very long walk. I'm so excited!! It is so beautiful here and I'm anxious to see some of the woods around the lake.

I'm pretty sure I will just have to start over when I get back....and I'm excited to continue with Zumba! Also...my sister is moving to Utah and moving in with my family. I'm excited to have her so close by (downstairs) and help her restart her life.

I hope everyone had a great week and I'll be getting back to blog reading soon~!

How Connie Got Her Groove Back

Last night was my Zumba (pronounced Zoomba) class and my friend Sara came with me. I thought it was sooo nice of her to do this because she is 4 months pregnant....but she recently ran a half marathon while pregnant so I thought she wouldn't have any trouble. I was right...she did great!

I was really nervous about going to this class. I haven't taken a class of any kind since I was 5 years old and my parents enrolled me in Gymnastic, Ballet, Tap class. I have no dance training at all (not counting linedancing in the 90's while half drunk). I feel like I used to have some rhythm and could swivel my hips with the best of them. You know back in the day when I was single and trying to get a boyfriend dirty dancing in bars.

But then I had a couple kids and turned into a slumpadinka and the most dancing I do now is to Bunny Town on Disney. So I walked into this class with a nervous stomach and scared I wouldn't be able to follow the steps.

This class felt like a cross between The Biggest Loser and Dancing with the Stars. I was sweating more than I ever had in my life, my butt and boobs where bouncing all over the place and my face was red and hot! I'm horribly uncoordinated and most of the time was not in sync with the rest of the gals. I couldn't even get a hula hoop to spin around my waist. AND I was supposed to be watching Amanda in the mirror....but I couldn't stop looking at her butt! Dear Amanda, I am so sorry about that. I will try harder next time. By the way, you have a very nice butt.

AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE!!

Sara loved it too and we are going to take our friend Shannon when I get back from vacation. Going to this class felt like I was doing something FOR ME. Something for myself that is completely separate from my kids and husband. I love being a wife and mother but I feel like I sacrifice so much of myself that I am disappearing. Last night...I felt strong and fat and empowered!

Note to self: get a full body spanx for the next class....and these cool shoes!

To find a class near you...click HERE!

Week 17...My Inspiration

Welcome to the 16th (completed) week of Extreme Makeover: ME Edition hosted by the incredible Amber Filkins!

Let's weigh-in...

Last week: 207 pounds
This week: 207 pounds

LOST.....0 pound

The Plan from Week 16:

workouts completed:
Thursday~ .48 mi (headache)
Monday AM~2.06 mi
Mon PM~ 1 mi(walk with family)
Wednesday~1.24 (headache)

I didn't lose any weight this week. Something is going on with my body...I can't figure out what it is but I'm getting headaches again. Almost daily. I'm waking up with them and they are lasting most of the day. I have recently started taking a new herb...could be that maybe or hummus overdose. Also, THIS could be part of the (weight) problem. I only had half my meal and half my little treat and had the other halves later...but still.

I have been listening to the Momactive radio show ever Friday at Noon. Each week they have a guest and last week it was Sadie Nardini. She is a master Yogi in New York City! She has a channel on You Tube and has a few DVD's out. I WON the Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga: Total Body Transformation and Weight Loss DVD! I can't wait to get started!

Tonight is the BIG NIGHT! I'm going to Zumba! My beautiful friend Sara is going with me. We can't wait to try it and I'm sure I'm going to love it. Check back tomorrow so I can tell you all about it.

We are leaving for Milwaukee Wisconsin on Friday. I have no idea if I'll have internet so that I can write a post but will post an update from my iPhone on Wednesday. I just won't be able to link up.

Question of the week: What's been inspiring you??

This is my daughter....we will call her Mallory. (her daddy is a stickler about me using her real name) She is almost 2.5 years old and she is a spitfire! All my life I dreamed about having a daughter but I never dreamed about how amazing life with a sweet girl would be.

This girl...runs everywhere. She has so much energy and loves to jump and dance. We went for a walk to release our butterflies into the wild on Monday and she grabbed my hand and said, 'Run Mommy Run!' Here we are running with our purses. She agreed to be my running buddy (opps...I'm not buddy...I'm Mally)!

One of my main motivations for doing this is to be able to be active with my kids. I don't want to be that Mom that can't run, play and bike. I can totally see me and Mally running a race together someday.....

****EDITED TO ADD***

It appears that I will be doing ALL the cooking on this vacation. I knew this was going to happen! *connie stomps her feet and pumps her fists in the air* My first thought was...I guess I will need to make my potato salad and watergate salad. But both of those items are not super healthy. My in laws eat A LOT! Please...help me figure out what I can make for side dishes with hamburgers and hot dogs. I want to eat healthy and force them too also.

Are you being consistent?

Last week was kind of tough. I was plauged with migraines so my only REAL workout was last Monday. It was a great one....my furthest yet! I was so proud of myself and felt great afterward.

So here it is Monday again and I'm raring to go. And my legs feel like they are filled with sand and I'm walking through mud. I was so irritated with myself and my body. I felt like all of my hard work the last few weeks was ruined in 6 short days.

I forced myself to keep going and around 1.25 miles...I caught a second wind and I was able to complete my workout with a new farthest distance of 2.06 miles and I even ran a little bit during that burst of energy!

I can't let this happen again! I must be more consistent and that is going to be a challenge since I'm going on vacation next week. However, we've rented a house on a lake and I'm hopeful that I can get up before my family a few times and get in a workout.

Are you being consistent?

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Part of staying consistent for me...is being motivated. I'm motivated by so many of the folks that blog about their journey and I love finding new blogs to read. Over the weekend, I found out (on twitter) about FITROLL. It's a blog roll of fitness blogs and you can add your fitness blog and find other's to keep you motivated. Sounds great right?

Go HERE and find out the details! See you on the FitRoll!

Let's get ready to Zumba?

I like to dance. When I was growing up, I spent hours and hours in my room dancing in front of my mirror. And back in the day when I was a single woman...I was an excellent line dancer. I loved everything about the Achy Breaky Heart! I heard about Zumba the other day and thought it sounded interesting.

Then there was a float in the North Ogden parade with some gals dancing with a sign about Zumba with Amanda! So...I emailed Amanda and I got some info on it and I'm really excited (and scared out of my mind) to try it! I've emailed all my local pals to see if I can get some moral support while I embarrass myself dance my fanny off and a couple of them have agreed to come with me. YAY!!

I'm determined to give this a try because my husband doesn't think I can do it. There is a reason why I've nicknamed him *the wet blanket*. Check out this story that The Today Show did about it.



My husband thinks something like this is more my speed.

I'll show him!!

By the way...RUBY is going to be on The Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda. If you can't see it (it's on at 10am in some places) you can see the clip on their website.

Week 15...In Love with Hummus

Welcome to the 15th (completed) week of Extreme Makeover: ME Edition hosted by the incredible Amber Filkins!

Let's weigh-in...

Last week: 208 pounds
This week: 207 pounds

LOST.....1 pound

The Plan from Week 15:

workouts completed

Wednesday ~ 1.63 mi
Thursday ~ 1.61 mi
Saturday ~ .95 mi
Monday ~1.92 mi

Not too shabby! I'm pretty proud of my workouts. I have been eating better too. There really isn't a sweet to be found in my house (except for the Mother's Animal Cookies that I found in my basement) so I haven't been tempted.

I ate fastfood (McDonalds) a couple times and it tasted nasty. I ate a piece of pizza last night and it made me feel sick. I have become addicted to Spinach/Feta Hummus with carrots and Roasted Chickpeas. I LOVE IT! I've been drinking more water and taking my vitamins.

Who is this healthy girl?

I watched the first episode of season two of RUBY this week. I was going to wait to watch this season until I was finished watching last season but I couldn't help myself! I wanted to see how much she lost. She lost 140 pounds during the last year! I like this show for several reasons...she is losing the right way...with good eating habits (although her food is delivered to her), exercise and therapy. I'm always amazed to discover that many overweight people have some trauma in their past that contributes to their weight.

The Plan for Week 16:

AM walk/run

• Thursday
• Friday
• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
  

Topic of the week: Share with us some of your vacation survival strategies

Great topic Amber! We are leaving for our family vacation in 9 days and I have been giving this a lot of thought. We are renting a house in near Milwaukee on the lake that my father-in-law grew up on. There is a huge park across the street with walking trails. I'm sure much of my exercise will involve chasing my kids to keep them out of the lake. I intend to visit Trader Joe's my first day and stock up on fruit and veggies and anything other goodies I can find. On Wednesday, I plan to visit the Farmer's Market in downtown Milwaukee but I'm also going to eat my weight in cheese. I'm sure there will be sweets....but I will keep it to a minimum.

Now, for the trip to Wisconsin. 26 hours in the car....3 DAYS! And that's just one way. (god help me) I'm bringing a big cooler with water, carrots, HUMMUS, grapes, cherries and blueberries. I am also going to make up some breakfast burrito's and freeze them...we will reheat these (in the hotel microwave) for breakfast instead of eating high fat and calorie Mc Donalds food. I'm going to make up a HUGE batch of Roasted Chickpeas....these are my new favorite snack. Oh, and nuts. We will bring nuts.

Roasted Chickpeas

1 (12 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
Pam Spray
salt
garlic powder
onion powder
cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Rinse and then blot chickpeas with a paper towel to dry them. In a bowl, toss chickpeas and season to taste with salt, garlic & onion powder, and cayenne pepper, if using. Spray Pam on a baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until browned and crunchy. Watch carefully the last few minutes to avoid burning.

Inspirational Song of the Week: Christina Aguilera Fighter

This week I got excited about trying something new for exercise (more about this later) and I shared it with my husband. He laughed at me and told me that he didn't think I could do it. He really hurt my feelings and I ended up mad at him for a couple days. I'm tired of people telling me I can't do something. This is a great song for this week because I seriously wanted to kick his @ss.....

cause it makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter

TV that doesn't make you FAT!

You may not know this...but I love watching TV. My hubby and I watch The Young and The Restless every night and are loyal watchers of Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and LOST. But my secret indulgence...reality shows and The Food Network.

Do you know about Ruby? I saw her on Oprah a few months ago and wanted to watch her show but I don't get the Style channel. I just discovered her first season on Apple TV (you can also purchase them on iTunes and watch on your computer). In case you don't know...Ruby is a southern lady that weighed around 700 pounds and decided that she wanted to live a better life and lose the weight once and for all. After losing 230 pounds, she got a reality show. The second season of Ruby begins on Sunday, July 5th 7pm Central Time. You can also find her on Twitter @rubysjourney




I just found out about this new show Cook Yourself Thin on Lifetime. Cook Yourself Thin Cookbook gives you skinny alternatives to your favorite foods. I'm going to LOVE this show because I love to cook but some of my favorite recipes are not the healthiest and I'd love to know how to make them lower calorie so I can continue to eat them. Take the Cook Yourself Thin Quiz Here are my results....

You’re a Comfort-Food Craver

You love food and home-cooked meals. Some of your favorite recipes have been in your family for years, and just the smell of them makes you feel safe and happy. You’re also a modern foodie and love to sample the latest bistro. You have a pretty good idea about nutrition and how to create a flavorful, satisfying meal, but your enthusiasm for eating means portion control doesn’t enter your mind. Some of your cooking methods and ingredients are as antiquated as your recipes (it is possible to make mashed potatoes without cream and a stick of butter, you know). Fortunately, while our recipes cut down on calories, they never compromise on taste or comfort. (Check out these delectable "Cook Yourself Thin" recipes.) Open your mind to some new ingredients and techniques and you can feel cozy without looking like a plush teddy bear.

You can watch full episodes HERE!

Cash And Prizes

”The rewards go to the risk-takers, those who are willing to put their egos on the line and reach out to other people and to a richer, fuller life for themselves.” --Susan RoAne

I've been giving some thought to rewards. I feel like I should give myself one for reaching the 3 month mark and having some results. Of course my first instinct was to take myself to Starbucks and have a coffee and a bar but I quickly reminded myself that we don't reward ourselves with food. *connie rolls her eyes at herself*

205 pounds (10 lb goal) ~ A Deluxe Pedicure
200 pounds (15 lb goal) ~ A One Hour Massage
195 pounds (20 lb goal) ~ Polar Heart Rate Monitor

This one is for when my hips are 40 inches and my waist is 31 inches. (currently 44.5 and 34.75)

Printed Bra Cup Twist Top from Athleta.


Trail Finder Capri from Athleta.

Week 14...Getting Stronger

Welcome to the 14th (completed) week of Extreme Makeover: ME Edition hosted by the incredible Amber Filkins!

Let's weigh-in...

Last week: 208 pounds
This week: 208 pounds

LOST.....0 pounds

The Plan from Week 14:

I was doing awesome...until Monday. My old friend TOM showed up. Generally, I am completely wiped out for two solid days. I just can't function and I crave carbs and sugar. The best way I can describe it is...it's a full moon and I'm a werewolf. My husband knows better than to deny any food or drink I have requested. He just sets it in front of me and backs away slowly. So...the fact that I didn't lose or gain any weight this week is making me really happy because there was coke, a quarter pounder and hostess cupcakes in my diet the last few days. During this time...I also stopped drinking as much water and taking my pills. I've got to find a cure for this. The good news is that I didn't feel as bad as I normally do. I think it's because of the exercise and eating better and the Vitamin D!

The Plan for Week 15:

AM walk/run

Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Monday
Tuesday

PM Weight Training

Friday
Sunday
Tuesday

Also...

Vitamins
Drink 80 oz of water
Plank and sit-ups (Wed, Fri, Sun)

Question of the week!
Share with us how you're feeling about your progress.

I am feeling great about my progress! I did a post on Monday of my 3 month Before and After picture and measurements. Click HERE to see it. My clothes are fitting better and I feel strong. Each day that I walk/run...I'm able to run just a little bit farther and I feel sooo good when I get home. The whole day goes so much better when I have taken this time to be my own best friend. Some of you have commented on that post and I want to tell you that I love you and your support means more than gold! So...I decided to draw a name from those that commented to win a Starbucks Gift Card! Lucky number 5 (thanks to the random number generator) is Jen from Harried Mom of Four! Thanks Jen!


Here is my Inspirational Song of the Week: I can run faster and longer when this song is playing! Seriously! I dare you to try NOT to run while that song is playing.

Poker Face...Lady GaGa