Super Hot Chica in Training

Weight Is Just a Number, Right?

2012-05-19T12:33:00.002-06:00

I popped by Weight Watchers to get weighed in this morning. It had been a while since I had been officially weighed, though I had done so in the meantime on my own. I was rewarded with the number 258.6 for my current poundage.

It's not the highest I have ever been. That was a relief since I know now that I'm at least on the way down still.

I could sit here and beat myself up about gaining back some of the weight I lost. What would that accomplish, though? If you focus too much on the number itself, it can really get you down. I never thought I'd get above 250 and yet here I am.

Weight can also be misleading. Unless you're getting a body fat analysis, it doesn't tell you if you've built up a lot of muscle. People come in all sizes and shapes and 258.6 may look very different on someone else.

It's just a number. It doesn't mean I'm a bad person. I'm not a complete failure. I'm here now ready to focus and make it happen, and my life is in a place where it can happen.

Instead, I'll treat it as a new baseline. If I want to get down to 134 (half of the highest weight I remember), I have 124 to go. My BMI is 44.4 and I need to get to 175 to "just" be overweight. Now I know and knowing is half the battle (GI Joe!)

A high number doesn't have to be your nemesis. It should be used as motivation, but don't let it stop you from achieving your goals. Take things one day at a time.

What keeps you going?

Walking in the Park With Kristin

2012-05-17T00:09:00.000-06:00

I love going for walks with friends. It's a fantastic way to keep up with each other's lives and get some exercise in the process. Last night my friend Kristin and I had fun going to 3 different parks. I've known her for about 11 years now. I'm not entirely sure where the years go. I call her my clown friend since back in the day we were in juggling club together with her brothers and now-hubby. There were times we'd even dress up as clowns. We weren't scary clowns, mind you. Just a bit silly.

I took some fun pictures along the way.

Yes, I'm a dork. I like The Price is Right, too. Meditating after some walking.

This is Kristin. Isn't she cute?

We found this treehouse along the path. Would you want to live here?

I love running water. So peaceful to listen to as it babbles by.

I love parks that encourage you to walk and bike.

This is the view we were rewarded with at the final park.

I'm looking forward to many more walks with Kristin this summer. It's wonderful to have someone who helps you get motivated to get fit. Thanks cutie!

Find a Favorite Fruit

2012-05-16T17:51:00.000-06:00

Photo by theseanster93

I am obsessed with trying new fruits. Part of this is because I write about trees and shrubs and almost all culinary fruits are found on one or the other. I also just love the thought of something sweet and luscious that is good for me!

When I was in California, I had to go shopping for fruit trees for my little patio garden. I am most excited about my peach/nectarine tree. Nectarines are my absolute favorite fruit. They are juicy and tangy-sweet and OH SO GOOD! There are only 3 on my tree right now, but I am sure they will be scrumptious.

I've made it a personal challenge to try as many fruits as possible. I scour the local supermarkets to see what exotic lovelies might have popped in from far away places. Even when I was on my honeymoon in Hawaii, I dragged my patient husband to a farmers' market and was able to add quite a few new kinds to my "Have Tried" list.

You might even like a fruit that you didn't use to if you try it again. I never thought I liked mangoes...until I ate it as an adult and decided I loved it! I still can't say I really like any melon except watermelon, though.

My challenge to you is to try a new fruit today. Even if you think you've tried them all, take another look. Your taste buds and waist will thank you!

Get Thee to the Garden for Exercise!

2012-05-15T20:22:00.000-06:00

At our new place, there's a community garden nearby. I signed up for 4 plots with the plan of growing many vegetables and getting some exercise. I also like to be around plants as much as possible since I have a degree in horticulture.

It's been busy with school, but hubby and I finally got over there last night to do some weeding. We cleared away a garbage bag-worth of weeds. It isn't finished yet but we have made a lot of progress. One more session should get it cleared and ready for planting.

My quads are SORE! It feels awesome when I bend down and feel the delicious pull that tells you muscles were worked recently. I should get a great workout this summer.

I love gardening as exercise. You burn off calories and strengthen your muscles. Once the harvest is ready, you have the added benefit of low calorie fruits and vegetables that are packed with vitamins. I plan on growing such delicious foods as quinoa, popcorn, tomatoes and sugar snap peas. I also have several fruit trees and a box full of strawberry plants on my patio.

I also know that gardening can be a great stress reliever, which can affect your weight. It sure does affect me; whenever I am feeling really stressed, I tend to chow down. I've been working on not doing that, but in the meantime, gardening can help. I especially love the satisfaction of taking my problems out on the marauding weeds that stand in my way.

Someday I would love to have a hobby farm. I'm pretty sure that would keep me in tip top shape. Until that time, I'll enjoy tending my little garden patch, playing exercise video games and doing my races.\

Are you planting a garden this year? What benefits have you received?

Win an iPod Shuffle

2012-05-15T00:01:00.000-06:00

One of my trusty exercise tools is my little green iPod shuffle. It's so easy to load up some tunes and exercise away. It's a must-have for races especially! Good luck! ~Nessa

Happy Home and Family together with Best Vacation Places and Diva Fabulosa is giving away an Apple Ipod Shuffle to one lucky winner!

Prize: Apple Ipod Shuffle or $50 Paypal Cash
Giveaway will run May 15 at 12:01 am EST – June 8th at 12:01 AM EST
OPEN WORLDWIDE

There are lots of chances to WIN! No mandatory task but the more task you complete, the greater the chances of winning. Wait for the Rafflecopter to load and enter below:
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Try Island Way Sorbets!

2012-05-14T11:22:00.000-06:00

I got a membership to Costco and it's been lots of fun discovering new foods. Exploring has gotten even easier now that I bought a chest freezer. I have fruits, veggies, meal makings and more in there.

One of my first discoveries was the Island Way Sorbets. I thought that they were adorable since they came in fruit shells instead of paper or Styrofoam. That means they are also a bit more ecologically friendly since the shells will biodegrade.

The box at Costco has four flavors:

Coconut (pictured)
Pineapple
Passionfruit/Mango
Pomegranate/Lemon

There are other flavors available to buy at the Island Way website.

They taste decadent and don't have too many calories. Coconut has the most at 170. The others have about 50-70 calories depending on the flavor.

Last fall I tried to buy some and to my horror, they were gone. I asked and was told they were seasonal. I just found them again this year. We plan on buying several boxes at the end of summer before they disappear again.

Have you tried these? What's your favorite flavor?

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this and I bought the sorbets myself. It's just my honest opinion that they rock!

This is Me Now, Hear Me Roar

2012-05-13T08:45:00.001-06:00

I had fun while my hubby was away on a business trip recently. In addition to organizing our new house and decluttering, I chopped off a lot of my hair (It was to my waist!) and dyed it red. I'm loving it and so is he.

Here's a picture one of my students took of me right after. A new before picture is born:

I don't mind this picture as much as some of the pictures I have. I'm smiling, I have awesome red hair and there's a pretty backdrop. I do cringe sometimes when I see my arms, especially. I look and see CHUB! The same thing happens when I look at the inner tube around my hips.

Don't worry - I still love me. I've come to terms with my weight overall and I don't hate myself. I've learned not to care so much what other people think. It's very freeing indeed.

I'd just like there to be less of me to love.

I want to be healthy and strong. I want to have more energy to do my 5Ks and the higher races. I want to walk into a store and not wonder if they even have anything in my size. It's as simple as the hope that losing weight will mean I won't snore any more and the hubby won't have to wear earplugs.

I'm going to do this. I'd like you to come along for the ride.

It won't be easy. I'm not perfect and I will have my moments of despair, failure, and doubt. Such is the nature of losing weight, I think. I just have to forge forward and keep my eyes on the prize: health.

What positive things have you noticed as you lose weight?

Salad for School Lunch

2012-05-09T20:12:00.000-06:00

I have been working as a teacher at a local school for the past year. I recently bought a lunch card since I forget my lunch sometimes and it's better if I don't skip meals. I sometimes get extra munchy and make bad choices if I do.

Today was a salad bar. This is what I ended up with. I do wish the salad dressing wasn't added already. I would have only taken a tiny bit, if any. It's a lot easier, though, I suppose, to have the salad already prepped.

I chose:

Salad mix
Cheese
Olives
Carrots
Corn
Tomatoes
Celery
Cucumber
Ham
Sunflower seeds
Imitation bacon bits

It's not too bad overall compared to some of the school lunches I've heard about online. I prefer skim milk instead of the 2% or full (I forget) that they give out. I didn't eat all of the biscuit.

What are school lunches like in your area?

Win a Weight Watchers Cookbook

2012-05-08T22:01:00.000-06:00

As I've mentioned, I am currently doing the Weight Watchers program. I love only having to worry about one number when I am considering what to eat. Even if you don't do the program yourself, you can enjoy the recipes in this cookbook if you win. Good luck! ~Nessa

Brought to you by Plum Crazy About Coupons and the following fellow bloggers. Please stop by just to say hi.

Shopping Kim, Successful Together, Sister's Saving Cents, Good Steward Savers, Zoe's Printable Coupons, The Frugal Buffalonian,

Slow Cooking Made Easy, 2 Dorks in Love, Super Hot Chica in Training, Penny Pinch Boutique

I am celebrating reaching 3K fan goal! I have teamed up with some other great blogs that are celebrating with me. We are giving away to one lucky winner the Weight Watchers Annual Recipes for Success Cookbook 2012. The giveaway will run from May 9, 2012 12:01 am until May 13, 2012 11:59 pm. The giveaway is open to US residents 18 years of age or older. Thanks for being a fan. Good Luck!

In the book, you'll find:

Weight Watchers Points Plus values for every recipe

Over 275 recipes that help you beat temptation and stay full longer

4 weeks of menus, including 3 delicious meals and a snack each day

I would like to thank my fellow bloggers for helping me to celebrate.

This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, Facebook, Twitter or Google +, or any other Social Media. Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Please see my full Disclosure Policy.

Please fill out the Rafflecopter below. Please give the Rafflecopter a moment to load.

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Not Giving Up

2012-05-08T18:34:00.004-06:00

Life has its ups and downs. It's been hard for a while. I work 2 jobs. I'd come home from working at school and just want to sit down on the couch for the rest of the night. At least I can still work while I'm sitting on the couch. I was tired and stressed and I started just not caring about losing weight any more. You've been there too, right?

It's so much better now. I'll be working full time from home starting in June. We bought a freezer and I had fun buying healthy food options at Costco. A vegetable garden is in the works. I started tracking my Weight Watchers points again today. I want to do this. I NEED to do this.

Next on the list is starting up exercise again. Our new condo complex has a fitness room so I can just jump on the treadmill and zone out to TV shows. I also want to play a lot of Just Dance. I love options where it's just plain fun and doesn't feel like exercise. I have several of the games so I can just change to another one and it's good as new.

What helps you get back on track?

Ice Skating for the First Time in 17 Years

2012-05-04T16:14:00.003-06:00

Today our little class went on a field trip to go ice skating. I was a bit tired from the day before, as the school had held its Jog-a-Thon. I walked over with the kids and did a lap, but mostly helped mark laps for the kids. I also got sunburned. It didn't really hurt too much, but it did make me feel very hot that night.

Because of the sunburn and the fact that I hadn't ice skated except once in high school (17 years or so now - yikes!), I wasn't planning on joining in. But a favorite student of mine came after all and I just knew I would be ending up on the ice.

It wasn't easy. The skates hurt my fat feet. I guess I didn't lace them tight enough and didn't fix it until about halfway through. I spent a lot of time close to the edge so I could be ready to grab on if needed.

I did it though! I got steady enough where I completed a whole lap without having to go to the railing. I held a student's hand for a bit, though it wasn't easy. I didn't fall at all the entire time.

I had to chuckle when we had a demonstration at the end. As the girl twirled around and did jumps, a student from another class asked me if I could do that too. When I laughed and said I couldn't, he said "But you're a teacher!" If only that meant I could do everything....

I hope to go again soon as it will be a good workout. The weight loss journey has been hard for a while but I'm not giving up. One day at a time.

Have you gone ice skating? Any tips?

A New Year, A New Year Giveaway Event Starts Today - Enter Now!

2012-01-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

Life has been SO incredibly busy. We had Christmas in California, which was wonderful. Not so wonderful, however, was learning we had to move out of this place so the landlady's cousin could move in (sigh.) Back on the side of excellent, however, is the fact that we're buying a condo and should move in there in about a month. Score! There's a fitness room in the clubhouse so I can train away for my half marathon in May.

Now that things are starting to settle out somewhat (we've done a lot of packing, we know where we're moving, etc), it's time to get back to posting. I am joining my first multi-blog giveaway event. Without further ado....

Welcome to A New Year, A New Me Giveaway Event hosted by Daily Mothering, Mommy of Two Little Monkeys and Mommy Digger! Do you want to become a healthier, fitter, slimmer, more beautiful YOU in 2012? Over 55 blogs have come together to present this exciting fitness and beauty event January 24th-31st! Each blog is giving away a fitness and/or beauty related prize worth $25 or more (and some are worth more than $100!). Enter my giveaway and then hop to the next blog on the list at the bottom of this post to have a chance to win more exciting prizes!

What Can I Win?
Glad you asked! I've got a nice prize pack for y'all today. Just peek at the Rafflecopter below for specific prizes like RevAbs (get that 6 pack!), a workout log and more.
The giveaway starts Jan 24th at 12:01 AM EST and ends 11:59 PM EST on Jan 31st. Open to those in US and Canada who are 13+. Void where prohibited.

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Note to Men: Eating Healthy is Not Emasculating

2011-12-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

I know a fellow that is trying to lose weight and eat better. However, he runs into problems sometimes when eating out with other guys. He says it is "emasculating" to take home leftovers or have the restaurant box up half at the start...so he just eats the whole thing. He also thinks it's less manly to eat salads or other healthy fare, sometimes. I guess men are supposed to eat with abandon or such.

Newsflash: Eating in a healthy manner does not make you less of a dude.

I try telling him this, and that it doesn't matter what other people think. That's a lesson I've learned over the years that has helped me so much. I know perhaps that I can't understand fully since I'm a chica, but it doesn't quite make sense to me.

Some of the time he does go get something healthier from a different fast food place nearby and bring it to where the group is eating, so kudos on that for sure. I think he needs to learn not to care what other people say. I wish those other guys wouldn't say anything if his meal is deemed less than manly...whatever that really means.

Do the guys in your life feel like this?

I Conquered Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-25T12:36:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving Day is rough for a lot of us, isn't it? Foods that we only usually have a few times a year are everywhere. Stereotypically, we are supposed to eat until we're overstuffed...and still make room for some desserts after.

This is what my plate looked like this year. I don't think I did too bad! As you can see, half of the plate is vegetables - steamed carrots, broccoli

and cauliflower, as well as Oriental Green Beans.
I have about 6 ounces of turkey, 2 small rolls, 1/4 cup mashed potatoes, 1/8 cup gravy, 1/2 cup noodles (I didn't eat all of them) and 2 stuffing balls. My mother-in-law has a set of the Weight Watchers easy measuring ladles, so I was able to portion everything out easily. I need to get a set the next time I go to weigh in!

I followed that with a piece of sunshine cake (which is yellow cake with pineapple and coconut), a piece of chocolate pie, and a piece of Snickers pie (a Weight Watchers recipe). I had a 2nd piece of Snickers pie later that evening.

I did end up using about 19 of my weekly points in addition to my dailies, but I am perfectly fine with that - that's what they are there for! I still have some left for the week. I monitored everything I ate and logged it. I am feeling pleased that I was full, not overstuffed, and made healthier choices overall.

How was your Thanksgiving?

In Love with Skinnytaste!

2011-11-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my friends and I do International Nights, where we pick a country or two and have some foods from that area. The most recent one was for Argentina and Uruguay. ¡Muy bien!

I was looking around for a recipe for healthier empanadas. These little turnovers are usually fried and full of calories, but adjustments like baking can help. I found a recipe for baked empanadas on Skinnytaste.com.

This blog takes recipes and lightens them up. I love that she also lists the WW Points and Points+ for the recipes. While I didn't end up making them (I ran out of time to look for the Goya discs), I have looked through the recipes and drooled over many of the pictures.

I did make her Kalua pork and pineapple shrimp fried rice (minus the shrimp) and both were delicious. They were a hit with Mister too, which is always great. I already have a few more in mind to try out soon.

What healthy recipe blogs do you like to visit?

Plan Ahead for Eating Out

2011-10-22T10:26:00.000-06:00

One of the things that I like about Weight Watchers is that no food is off limits. Of course, you can't eat a whole bag of Reese's peanut butter cups (yum!) all the time, but you can have some here and there as long as you watch how many points it is and account for it.

You can also go out to eat too. I like to go the restaurant's website and check out the menu before I go. Many places now list nutritional information (thank goodness!), so it makes it much easier to know what my options are and choose accordingly.

I did this recently when we went to Outback with a friend. I knew Mister wanted to get the cheese fries, which have a lot of points. Using the points calculator and the website information, I was able to determine that I wanted to have 1/3 of the cheese fries and the Grilled Chicken on the Barbie. I adjusted my points during the day in anticipation of our dinner. I made sure to ask for no butter on the veggies.

I did go over a bit. They took too long to get us seated, get us water and get our food to us, so I was pretty hungry. I had 3 chunks of the delicious brown bread that I hadn't planned on eating. It wasn't overboard, though, and I had extra weekly points to use.

I'm going to Panda Express today and lunch is already entered into my tracker. I chose a Panda Bowl made up of Mixed Veggies and the Garlic Lover's Chicken Breast. I'll also have Hot & Sour Soup. Yummy!

How do you make eating out a better experience when you're trying to lose weight?

I Started Weight Watchers

2011-10-15T10:21:00.001-06:00

Life has been a bit busy. I've been teaching at a Montessori school, which is a lot of fun. I also am still doing some garden writing for About.com. Ever since a bit before the wedding, my weight has crept back. I even ended up with a new highest weight ever - 268 pounds. That number sure does make me cringe.

I have lost 5-10 pounds on my own (ah, love that fluctuation!) recently, but that's not enough. I remembered how checking in with someone had helped before in keeping me on track. I have friends and family who have had success with Weight Watchers and thought it might be great to try that. I've been giddy all week as I waited for the night we had chosen to start.

Mister is doing it too - love that we're both eating better, so it won't be quite as hard to stay on track. We signed up on Wednesday night and had our first weigh-in. I officially clocked in at 263.8 (fully clothed with shoes and at night). Ouch. It's going to get better though!

I get 39 points every day to use, and 49 extra ones for the week. That's not too bad. Fruits and veggies are 0 points, so I can chomp on an apple or baby cucumber if I get a wee bit hungry.

If I do activities, that earns points which can be traded for food points. I've already traded some in from helping some of the kids at school learn how to do the Charleston. Boy that was fun!

It helps me consider the foods I have been eating and make better choices. I had been chugging some of those diet shakes for breakfast and lunch because it was easy. I looked and they had too many points for my liking. Yikes. For the same amount, I'm now enjoying an English muffin half topped with a poached egg, canadian bacon and cheese. I just make the egg ahead of time so I can just assemble it in the morning at school. Real food!

It will be interesting to see what our next weigh-in will be like. I sure hope it's a good one!

Have you done Weight Watchers? What was your experience?

Sam's Club Box Tops Giveaway - $25 Gift Card

2011-08-13T14:38:00.001-06:00

I'm embarking on a new adventure soon - Montessori teacher. I'll be teaching ages 6-9. I'm a bit nervous but I am sure it will be a wonderful experience. I've got a lot of planning to do - have to figure out how I'm going to eat healthy and find time to exercise. I also have to figure out a PE program for the kids, as well as help find healthy snacks the kids can make. Whew!

Along with that, I'm entering a world with programs like scrip and Box Tops. The Box Tops program allows you to give coupons found on products to your school, which they can turn into money. Yee haw!

You can:

Earn more cash for your local school at Sam’s Club this August with the 6 Box Tops on a Pack promotion.

When you purchase participating Box Top items, you can collect even more Box Tops on some of your favorite General Mills brands such as Honey Nut Cheerios, Nature Valley Oats 'N Honey Crunchy Granola Bars, Totino’s Pizza Rolls, and more!

Sam’s Club has your favorite back to school items from computers to clothing, and at the best values.

Plan ahead and take advantage of the savings made simple at Sam’s Club. Your wallet - and your local school - will be thanking you! To learn more about the Box Tops for Education Program and how you can help contribute to your school, visit www.boxtops4education.com.

Sam’s Club Website http://bit.ly/samsclubbtfe
Sam’s Club Facebook http://on.fb.me/samsclubfacebook
Sam’s Club Twitter http://bit.ly/samsclubtwitter
Box Tops for Education Websitehttp://bit.ly/samsclubboxtops

I have a $25 Sam's Club gift card to give away!

To enter, answer this MANDATORY question:
-Which General Mills’ products are you most excited to see featured in the “6 Tops on a Pack” offer at Sam’s Club?

There are other ways you can earn entries - see the form below!

The giveaway will run from Saturday 8/13/2011 until 11:59 PM PST Sunday 8/21/2011. Open to US and Canadian Residents 13+. Void where prohibited.

"Disclosure: The Sam’s Club gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark."

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The Adventure of the Freezing Refrigerator

2011-07-27T20:01:00.000-06:00

I've seen what raw eggs look like when they're frozen solid. We got to make this discovery because our refrigerator likes to freeze everything, even on the warmest setting. We can't keep a jug of milk because it becomes hard as a rock. The fridge is pretty bare right now since we can only have foods that won't be affected much by freezing.

We even had it repaired, in theory. After ordering in a thermostat (the fridge is only about 6 months old and under warranty), we had a visit from the technician yesterday to install it. Mister went to go get our milk tonight, only to find that it too had succumbed to the tundra.

It has affected how I eat and cook. I can't have any skim milk or eggs and it's difficult to find spots that won't freeze our yogurt or cottage cheese. The baby carrots I bought for a healthy snack are one solid piece now. I can't risk ordering from the co-op since I have nowhere safe to put things like leaf veggies.

The tech department is closed, so I can't even set up an appointment until tomorrow morning. Hopefully they can figure out what is going on.

Have you ever had this problem? What are some ideas for some healthy meals I can make with things that don't need refrigeration or can stand freezing? I'm just grumpy from dealing with it and don't want to think :)

Check Out Your Local Food Co-Op

2011-07-16T09:42:00.003-06:00

Photo by Vanessa Myers

Doesn't that all look delicious? I picked up my co-op order this morning from Bountiful Baskets. They are one of many programs that allow you to pool your orders with a large group of people and get it for a cheaper price. They have conventional baskets (which I got) for $15 and organic for $25. They also have additional items that you can add on to your basket.

In my basket today was:

8 bananas
1 Golden Dewlicious melon
2 mangoes
1 box of blackberries
5 nectarines
14 plums
1 head cauliflower
1 bunch broccoli
1 Romaine lettuce
1 purple kale
1 hothouse cucumber
1 bunch green onions
3 tomatoes

In that plastic bag at the top is my Asian pack. This was an add-on for $7.50.

Asian Pack:

Bok choy
Napa cabbage
Snow peas
Ginger
Garlic
Green onions
Basil

I am pleased with what I got today. I've also gotten orders from The Community Food Co-op of Utah. I like that they offer meat packs too, and their Artisan wheat bread is simply delicious. I do wish they had orders more than once a month (Bountiful Baskets does it weekly or bi-weekly depending on your area). I hear there's another new co-op here, so I should look into their offerings.

You do have to be flexible to order from a co-op. They shop based on what's a good deal that week, so you never know what will come in the basket. I did know what would come in the Asian pack as they listed the things they hoped to be able to include. You can sometimes end up with things you don't like; I am not fond of any melon except watermelon and I don't think Mister is either.

I'll try the melon, though. This is a fun way to try new things that you might not pick out on your own. I don't recall ever having purple kale, so another adventure awaits.

If you live in these states, you can check out Bountiful Baskets. Otherwise, try a search for your state and the word co-op.

Arizona
Colorado
Idaho
Kansas
Montana
New Mexico
Nevada
Oklahoma
Oregon
South Carolina
South Dakota
Texas
Utah
Washington
Wyoming

Have you ordered from a food co-op? Did you think it was a good deal? Is there one you would like to recommend?

I Love the Fitness and Diet Apps on my New Android Phone!

2011-07-12T12:05:00.001-06:00

Technology is magical. I recently got an Android smartphone and I am in love. There's an app for EVERYTHING. Plagued by mosquitoes in the summer? An app will send out a sound to drive them away. GasBuddy will let you know where the cheapest gas is in town. You can tune a musical instrument. Get a sky map. Play Scrabble with friends. And so on.

There are also, of course, a plethora of diet and fitness apps. I downloaded quite a few of them to try out. They are all available for free download, and many have paid versions too. On my phone I now have:

Active.com
C25K Lite
CardioTrainer
DailyMiler
Diet & Food Tracker by Sparkpeople
Endomondo
Ghost Runner
Honest Label Food Scanner
iMapMyFITNESS
Instant Heart Rate
JogTracker
My Tracks
MyFitnessPal
Restaurant Nutrition
RunKeeper
runstar
runtastic
Specialty Produce
Yoga
Zombie, Run!

I'll be testing these out to find out what works best. I am very happy to see MyFitnessPal on there, as I am going to start tracking my food again and I can now do it on the go. I like looking up 5Ks on the Active.com app. I am still looking over the rest of them.

What Android apps do you recommend?

Walking Again in Paradise

2011-06-15T09:44:00.000-06:00

Hi there. It's been a while, hasn't it? Life was hectic for a while - I worked on writing about my beloved trees and shrubs. Planned some community and school gardens, which are still in progress. Moved to a new place.

Oh yeah, and I got married too :) Life with him has just been so wonderful and he is very supportive of all I do. I'm a lucky gal.

However, this all added up to a bit of a derailment weight loss-wise. With everything going on in life I decided to worry about it after the wedding...perhaps not the best decision, of course, but stress made life difficult. I've stayed generally in the vicinity of where I was before - thank goodness my wedding dress still fit when I saw it again a couple of months later!

My honeymoon has brought walking back into my life, which I am thrilled about. We spent a week on Kauai (with a car) and now we're in Oahu (without). Kauai was lovely - we walked around beaches. Went to see gorgeous destinations like Waimea Canyon in the picture. I made him go to a garden with me. We visited a farmer's market where I got several new tropical fruits to try.

Yesterday's jaunt here in Oahu was difficult - we walked to the grocery store. It was hot and humid (I'm used to the hot, of course, but humid adds a whole new dimension). I wasn't sure how long we would have to walk (I believe now it was about a mile each way). I wore the wrong shoes (doesn't everyone wear sandals in the tropics??). It was a rough walk.

We finally made it to the store. I kept taking my shoes off to feel the cool tile on my soles. I think I had a bit of heat exhaustion, so the rest helped. We got our food and went to leave. Mister offered to have me ride the bus home, but I wanted to walk. I just kept thinking how I once walked 13.2 miles, so surely I could do this too. And I did.

I had more walking adventures today. This time I decided to wear sneakers - how wise of me :P I took the bus to an arboretum, where I strolled around the gardens snapping hundreds of pictures. Later that night we took a walk along the beach and sidewalks, window shopping and having fun.

We aren't done yet - there's snorkeling, another garden (poor guy, I make him go to all these now. He's sweet. I'll reciprocate with something he likes, of course), walks on the beach and more. Life is good again. It gets a little easier each time and I now want to do races again.

What helped you get back into exercise again?

I Need Bridal Bootcamp

2011-03-11T05:03:00.000-07:00

So....it's been a bit quiet here. Life is hectic. I work, I play, and now I'm getting married in June - huzzah!

Dating has been bliss for me. I admit I got comfortable and ended up gaining weight back. I don't entirely mind it though - it was one of the things that convinced me he loved me no matter what :)

Now that I've got a Big Day coming up, I do want to jumpstart the weight loss again. I've lost at least 4 pounds so far, which is wonderful. My wedding dress is snug, but not extremely tight. It would be wonderful if I lost at least a few more pounds by the wedding, then continue on my weight loss journey.

I need ideas on the best ways to step up my weight loss. Should I do a ton of push ups? Start training for a race again? Become a DDR freak again?

How did you lose weight for your wedding?

Udderly Smooth Giveaway Results!

2011-01-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

According to my Google doc generated by the form (I highly recommend it - so easy to use), our winner is Gianna. Congrats! I will be emailing you soon, and you will have 72 hours to get back to me with your mailing address.

Thanks for entering, everyone, and there are more fun giveaways on the way.

Trying P90x and RevAbs Starting Next Week!

2011-01-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

As the new year unfurls, I have been thinking about what I want to do to lose weight again. It's icy and snowy here, so the thought of walking outdoors isn't so appealing. I could try the gym, but it's usually packed this time of year with bright-eyed enthusiasts who made New Year's Resolutions. Invariably it tapers off throughout the following months, but for now it's too crowded for my liking.

Fortunately, my cute boyfriend got me P90X, as I mentioned before. They're on DVDs, so I can just pop them into the Playstation 2 or my laptop and exercise away. I was going to start this week but I've been busy catching up on work.

I also have a copy of RevAbs (made by Beachbody too) that I was given for review. Once I try it out, I also have a copy to give away, so stay tuned!

The P90X should keep me going until spring comes and I can get back to training. I haven't decided if I am going to do just another half marathon or try for a full marathon. I will have to see how the months unfold - it's looking like this is going to be a very busy year.

Have you tried P90X? How did it work for you?