as Sweet as Honey O!

Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon - June 25th

2011-02-27T17:09:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, I will start training for a 1/2 marathon!
I've asked a few friends and my hubby to join me. I'm excited. My goal is to train over the next few months for the 1/2 marathon and in the process lose 10-20 lbs. I'm committing to blog about my progress...wish me luck!

‎1/2 Marathon Training Schedule for this week:

Mon 2 mi
Tue   0 mi
Wed 5 mi
Thu   2 mi
Fri    0 mi
Sat    7 mi
Sun 0 mi

Food Diaries

2011-02-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

March 1, I will restart my food diary along with my "BEFORE" picture, my current weight and measurements.

Don't give up on me yet :)

Honey O

I HATE animals but I LOVE Sasha!

2011-02-23T11:42:00.000-08:00

I hate animals...yes it's true.

I haven't always hated animals. I remember when I was in grade school living with my Granny. She lived in the country and had chickens, ducks, and cats. I always liked chasing the chickens and ducks and I liked to pet and rub the cats. I even would cry when my Grandpa would wring the neck of a chicken for dinner. (I still ate it, though :)

Anyhoo..........one day, I saw one of the cats walking about with a limp. She had a sizable gash in her leg. Because I really liked the cats, I asked my Grandpa to help me help the cat. So he did. He broke a small stick in half and took a piece of a ripped t-shirt. The goal was to make a splint for the cat. Well...the cat was having no part of that. It took us a while to even catch the cat and when we finally caught her and got her calm to assemble the splint onto her leg, she scratched me TWICE...yes the darn cat scratched me...........TWICE, I say.

As a young kid, I didn't understand why the cat would scratch me when I was only trying to help her. Well, that was the beginning of my hate for animals. I now think cats are evil and I'm somewhat afraid of dogs because I've been chased by a few walking home from school.

So...why would I married an animal-lover?

My hubby and his(our) 3 children love, love, love animals. For years they asked for a dog. I would always say "no"...actually Hell NO!!!

Well.....things changed in 2010. I realized that my love for my children and hubby was stronger than my hate for animals. In May 2010, my baby arrived....and we named her Sasha.

I love my Sasha Boo. She's like my shadow now. At first, I didn't want her to touch me. I wouldn't even let the kids or my hubby touch me after they had touched her.

I didn't want her roaming over the whole house. I wouldn't even let her out of her kennel.

9 months later and I've completely spoiled her. I touch her. I rub her. I wrestle with her. Now, I'm still a germaphobe so I don't do it often. I only do it right before I'm about to take a shower.

Anytime I go shopping I buy her toys that I know she's gonna destroy. I buy her treats that look good enough for me to eat.

I've bought her tons of pillows...nice, plush pillow and she destroyed them all. She's fiesty...just like her mom.

So, I still hate animals, but I love my Sasha!!!

If only I can get my hubby to rub my belly like he rubs Sasha's........

HoneyO

I agree with Justin Bieber

2011-02-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

Justin Berber

“I really don’t believe in abortion,” the teen idol said. “It’s like killing a baby?” When asked if he was still adamantly pro-life in cases of rape, his stance didn’t really change. “Um. Well, I think that’s really sad, but everything happens for a reason,” he said. “I don’t know how that would be a reason. I guess I haven’t been in that position, so I wouldn’t be able to judge that.”

What's so wrong with what Justin Berber said? Look, I'm not a Justin Bieber fan. His songs are catchy but......he's annoying. With that said, I agree with him.

I think he could have articulated his comment "everything happens for a reason," better but people of faith understand what he means. One scripture that comes to mind is when Joseph said "..you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good..." The evil (rape), the good (baby and his/her purpose in life). Of course Joseph was referring to his brother selling him into slavery to Egypt, but this scripture can easily apply to so many situations in our lives when God’s design to bring about good through the pure evil of man.

That is all

HoneyO!

Pinky and the Brain

2011-02-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

Meet Pinky

I'm officially an Apple Head. I love my new toy!

While I am falling in love with my iPhone, I hate the fact that I've become one of "those people." Those people who are physically, spiritually and mentally attached to their phones, constantly checking them, updating stats, downloading apps and sending texts even when you are trying to talk to them....

HOW RUDE!

But that's me now. I've had the phone less than a week and I think it's even cutting into my "chocolate with nuts." (only a few folks will get that)

My top 3 Apps this week:

Myfitnesspal

Free online calorie counter and diet plan. Lose weight by tracking your caloric intake and exercise quickly and easily. Find nutrition facts for over 450000 foods.

Nike + GPS

All-new Nike+ GPS application with no hardware. No longer restricting our running shoe choice is groovy, but the app itself has the even loftier aim of simultaneously acting as your fitness guru, motivator and record keeper.

Errands - To Do List

Tired of dull, complicated to-do apps? Introducing Errands, a great way to organize your daily errands and to-do's. It has a beautiful interface, is simple to use and has some powerful and unique features.

Honey O! aka "the Brain"

Food Diary: February 15

2011-02-15T22:07:00.000-08:00

For Breakfast, I had a 12 oz soy mocha with an extra shot

For Lunch..leftover salmon stir fry with a sparkling water

and 2 turtles

My Dinner

the Hubby and Son's dinner

For Dinner, the hubby and son had pot roast, rice and turnips and I had only turnips with chicken sausage. I don't eat beef, but my hubby always rave about the pot roast so I'm sharing my recipe below.

For dessert, I had two (count 'em), two It's Is ice cream sandwiches. This is why I'm 178 lbs.

Here are the ingredients for the pot roast:

I don't really do measurements. I did use everything shown above based on my family's preference. I added all the ingredients together except the pot roast first. Then I place the pot roast in the crockpot and covered it with the mixture leaving all of the veggies at the bottom so they cook throughout.

You can slow cook it on low 8 -10 hours or on high 4 -6 hours.

Oh, and poke hole in the pot roast.

You can also add a little bit of red white or beer but not too much or it will get watery. The gravy should be relatively thick without adding constarch.

If you really want a step by step recipe, send me a message :)

Honey O!

Food Diary: February 14

2011-02-15T21:42:00.000-08:00

I slept in on Monday...until about 11:30 so I ate leftovers with a sparkling water.

My snack since my hubby planned for a late dinner....

Yes, that's champagne...it's Valentine's Day :)

and chocolate syrup

Hubby cooked dinner since it was Valentine's Day...
He was very tired especially after he had to wash the dishes before he could start cooking (I don't do dishes...it's in the prenup...teheehee)

My dinner...Salmon Stir Fry....with a turtle chaser.

My chocolate with nuts...a must on Valentine's Day

Dessert of the Week: It's It Ice Cream

2011-02-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

Who says you can't have dessert while you trying to lose weight?

Well, you shouldn't but I've found that if I want to eat ice cream all I need to do is some physical activity first to control the damage. 60-90 seconds of push-ups, pull-ups or air squats a few minutes before I eat it and another 60-90 seconds an hour and a half after I eat it. (Of course, you can't overdo it like I usually do by eating 2 or 3)

I think the worst thing you can do to sabotage your diet is deprive yourself of the things you really, really love....

So my dessert of the week is:

It's It Ice Cream

Vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two oatmeal cookies and covered with dark chocolate.

The soft chewy oatmeal cookie dipped in chocolate leaves you mouth so rich and tingly.

Try it out....I got mine from Target!

Honey O!

Valentine's Day Interview with Bubba & Honey O

2011-02-14T13:27:00.000-08:00

Almost five years ago, I married my best friend. It was a wonderful day and every day that I spend with him gets better and better. For Valentine's Day, we thought we'd reflect on our marriage by answering a few questions.

Check it out!

How did you know your spouse was the right one for you?

Bubba:

It’s hard to articulate because for me I work on such a gut instinct level. But I knew in my heart that you were the right one. Everything just fell right into place with us, and especially how we would blend a family.

Honey:

After experiencing a relationship from hell a year before I met you, I just knew. I've always felt that God allowed me to experience heartache, shame, and disappointment so deeply before you that it would be so evident that you were THE ONE.

What made you realize that you could spend the rest of your lives together?

Bubba:

The long talks we had as we were dating. The distance between us made us focus on aspects outside of the physical. And as I got to know you, it was the fact that you strengthened me in my weak areas and vice versa. I found we are a perfect balance, and as Libra’s we definitely love to balance the scales.

Honey:

I could be myself with you. I didn't have to put on airs...I didn't even want to put on airs. I was just me. And you loved and respected ME for ME.....the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Were you scared at all?

Bubba:

Heck yeah I was scared. More about if I would screw it up because of my first failure at marriage.

Honey:

No, not at all.

Is there anything you would do differently after 5 years of marriage?

Bubba:

I would work on my communications skills more out of the box. I think there were some unnecessary misunderstandings that didn’t need to happen if I just opened up more. I would also teach you how to make mochas from day one!

Honey:

Why, yes. I remember I used to give you the silence treatment when I was mad at you. I don't do it now but I wish I never did. We lost time together because I needed to prove a point or punish you. I was miserable when I gave you the silent treatment... You're the one person I want to tell everything (which is sort of impossible if I'm not talking to you....huh.) Oh well...you live and learn.

What is your advice to someone who is trying to keep the faith that Mr. Right/Ms. Right is really out there?

Bubba:

My advice is patience…there is no way around it; you have to have it. Anecdotally, I would say you have to be perfectly willing to live the rest of your life by yourself and then you will find the right person. It seems to me that most of the people I talk to who have found “the one”, did it after they essentially gave up looking and figured they would be alone. Something about being able to totally accept yourself and independence opens you up to not looking for someone to COMPLETE you but someone to complement and enhance the experiences of your life. That’s the best quantitative advice I could give. Everything else is subjective. But ultimately you just KNOW. It’s not something you even have to think about…when that person comes, and beyond the initial euphoria of the brand new romance…you know in your gut you don’t ever want another experience in life to happen without your significant other being able to share in it.

Honey:

Live your life! Don't sit at home waiting for Mr. Right...he won't just show up at your doorstep. Get out...travel...enjoy life. Try some non-traditional dating options and don't worry about what others think...cause they are probably considering them, too.

What was the best piece of marriage advice you ever received?

Bubba:

Best advice is the one I am still struggling with…open communication. Being able to succinctly articulate what I am feeling to give you understanding. The other advice, your spouse should be your best friend.

Honey:

Keep God in the center of our marriage and everyone else on the outside.

What are the most important attributes of a good spouse?

Bubba:

Best friend, great communicator, open to compromise. Marriage is a partnership, it’s not always 50/50. You have to be all of those to be able to work through things together.

Honey:

Good hair, white teeth, nice smile........just kidding. God-fearing..must have integrity, willingness to communicate and can provide for the family and have an overall "Ride or Die" Mentality. Check, Check, Check, Check, and Check!

What is your fondest memory of your 5-year marriage?

Bubba:

There are actually a few….when we were dating I loved getting the care packages, it’s something that still makes me smile. But since our marriage there are two. The day we got married, even through all the headaches was wonderful, and the second would be our trip to Hawaii. Best vacation ever!

Honey:

That day we were headed out to explore the city and I accidentally "pooted"...we laughed soooo hard. I've been pooting ever since.....TMI for internet, I know, but it's the little things that make me smile.

All of our family vacays with the kids.

Does communicating get easier with time? How do you keep your patience?

Bubba:

Yes it does, but for me I have to constantly work at it. As far as keeping my patience, I don’t know, it’s inherent in who I am, so I just do.

Honey:

Communicating is never hard for me. Patience is. You continue to work on the communicating and I'll continue working on the patience.

At the end of bad relationship day, what is the most important thing to remind yourselves?

Bubba:
At the end of a bad day, the most important thing to remind yourselves is that you STILL LOVE each other. The next morning isn’t promised, so no matter what has gone on that day, never let a chance to say “I love you” go by before you go to sleep.

Honey:

That I have everything I need...Christ, my health, and my family.

Is fighting important?

Bubba:

It’s not the fighting that is important, it is how you HANDLE it. It’s those intense arguments when discussed out of love and not anger that create the biggest understandings and compromise in relationships. I would say constructive disagreements are important, being able to have those crucial conversations and look at the disagreements as opportunities to make your marriage stronger and your understanding of your spouse better.

Honey:

Abso-friggin'-lutely! It's a must. That's how we get down to the nitty gritty of a matter.

What’s the one thing you have in common that transcends everything else?
Bubba:

The one thing is that we love each other and are fully committed to “Till death do you part”…Sometimes I am concerned you want to hasten that date….but it is the one thing…LOL

Honey:

Yes, what you said.

Bubba & Honey

Food Diary: February 12 & 13

2011-02-14T10:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've not be deliberate with my food choices this weekend. Really, I've been lazy. But in order to see the err of my ways, I must continue to post what I ate and drank everyday.

I know I'm not the only one making poor food choices, but I plan to correct my behavior...what about you?

After my last post on Friday, I tried some of my crockpot Peach Crisp. (It was gooooood)

I should have skipped it all together.

Saturday morning, I had two strips of turkey bacon and two eggs over hard with cheese and hot sauce. (Everyone eats eggs with hot sauce right? If you don't, you should)

To make this healthier, I should have skipped the cheese but I can't really eat eggs without cheese.

Then, I had a "taste" of the peach crisp.

I should have skipped this altogether but it was made with quick oats and whole wheat flour so it could have been worst.

For lunch, I had a fruit parfait with NO CHOCOLATE!

The yogurt is low-fat vanilla, but I could have chosen the Greek yogurt in the fridge or I could have used plain yogurt. But, it's still a good choice for lunch over what I normally choose.

Bootleg Mac N Cheese

The hubby and son had left over but I had to make bootleg mac and cheese for my son...so of course, I had to have some....

Bad choice as there is not nutritious value to this at all. But it was gooood!

Sunday morning, I had a fruit parfait with granola.

Good choice and my stomach didn't growl during church. Then, I screwed up the day by having 1/2 an ice cream cone after church (not pictured)

Spaghetti Bake and cheesy garlic bread. I used whole wheat thin pasta and I added broccoli to the spaghetti before I melted the cheese.

For dinner, I think I could have skipped the bread...simple carbs at night isn't the best choice when you're trying to burn fat.

I drank sparkling water all day Saturday and Sunday!!! Yay...no guilt from drinking coke!!

Tomorrow is a new day and opportunity to make better choices....in food...and in life :)

70 year old with a boob job?

2011-02-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

This morning, I went to a fitness class at LA Fitness with a friend. When we arrived to the 9:45 am class 5 minutes early, it was already full. I asked my friend if we could just run a few miles and do some weights instead and before she could answer, the instructor yelled "come on in, we have room up front."

So..we did.

I grabbed my step, weights and mat and went upfront next to the instructor. Then, I heard a much older "lady" say "You're not gonna get in front of me!!! You can get over there." I turned around and said, "Well, my girlfriend is going to get over there." I then offered to get behind the "lady" and she ignored me so I stayed where I was.

At the end of the hour class, I went over to the "lady" and said to her, "you know, you were rude to me earlier." To which she goes into a rant about "y'all showing up late" after she and her buddies "arrived 20 minutes early to get a spot." and "you didn't even do the workout." (I stop after 40 minutes cause I was about to barf. However, my friend did the entire workout.)

Okay....now she's pissed me off. I gave her an opportunity to right the wrong she made earlier but she decides to be a pinhead instead (I watch Bill O'Reilly...pinhead...you get it?).

So I respond in my Shaquita voice, "What are you...70...with a boob job? Please!"

Then we exchanged "words" back and forth and I left.

I saw the instructor after class and I went over to talk to her and she said she was "surprised that the "lady" said what she said because she's usually very nice" (whateva)

Well, now I have ANOTHER motivation to workout to get sexy before the wedding.

I'm gonna go to this class every day it's offered and I'm going to get a spot up front next to or in front of this "lady" and I'm going to do the entire workout even if I feel like I"m going to barf, faint, or die.

Cause I ain't gonna let a 70 year old boob job show me up OR be rude to me!!!!!!!!

Not so SWEET as HoneyO......

Hubby: Oh, so you're blogging now?!?!?!?!

2011-02-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

Why yes, Dear....I am!

I guess it's time to tell him he's joining me on my journey to get Sexy for the Wedding.

Today was not necessarily a good day for eating. I was able to run a mile on the treadmill at a really good pace. (Unfortunately my Nike Plus sensor in my shoe died so I wasn't able to post the results.) Anyhoo...here's what I ate for the entire day......

After I left the gym, I went to Red Robin with a friend and had a cup of Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Once I got home, I had a strawberry parfait (with a little chocolate syrup) I could have left off the chocolate but it was calling my name and I hate to be rude.

After running a few errands and before cooking dinner for my family, I had leftovers....yellow rice and a salmon patty. Now, I told myself that I would eat the leftovers for my dinner and not have anything else for the rest of the night....well...keep reading.

And then I had a few Whoopers...cause they were just sitting on the kitchen table. They looked so lonely :(

So, I cooked dinner for my guys and...(sigh) couldn't help myself when I heard them say it was soooo good. So I had a very small plate of .......yes......mashed potatoes and smothered "steak"....really ground turkey. It was good...but I felt a little guilty because I think I overate for the day....especially with all the carbs....oh, I forgot...I had two Cokes....and I really don't even drink sodas much, but again, they were in the fridge looking all bubbly.

I already see a recurring theme here...do you?

Just in case you were wondering....where are the veggies on the plate...well, I skipped the veggies but the hubby and son didn't :)

The Hubby's plate

Let's hope tomorrow gets better!

HoneyO

Countdown to Sexy: 225 days left

2011-02-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

In 225 days, one of my girlfriends is getting married. Yay!!!

She was a Bridesmaid in my wedding in 2006 and I have the honor of being a Hostess in her wedding in September 2011. I want to look my best for her........NO WAIT! let me stop lying --she really doesn't care how I look. I want to look good for ME (and everyone that will be looking at ME...teheehee)

Is that selfish? narcissistic? vain? Oh well.....

This morning I weighed in at 178 lbs. I'm 5'6" medium build. My doctor would say that I'm overweight....She's right. I could lose 30-40 lbs

This wedding has given me a new motivation to eat better and workout more consistently.

I'm a runner with a HUGE SWEET TOOTH and soft spot for french fries, yellow rice and sweet tater pie. I don't think I could ever just give up sweets and carbs. It's unnatural. I do want to eat less, though. And I want to be more consistent with my running and weights.

So...I'm blogging about it. I've never blogged before but I think if I blog about it to the world, I'll stick to it.

I plan to post pics, share recipes and menus for the week, vent about my failures and brag about my accomplishments.

Wish me Luck!

HoneyO

P.S. I'm going to try to get my handsome hubby to join me.....