Here I go again

I'm starting 6 weeks of no sugar, no white refined foods, no junk food. I'm such an all or nothing person. I stink at moderation and I'm a stress eater who is addicted to sugar. It's time to go cold turkey again. Last year I went off sugar & white refined foods for 10 weeks. Then I went back to eating how I used to eat and put all the weight I'd lost back on. Time to take it off again. I'm in a challenge with a few friends where we'll track daily points based on eating, exercise, water, vitamins, etc. I'll be posting most of my healthy living related posts on my healthy living blog.
I just enjoyed a delicious piece of strawberry shortcake. The last of such treats for at least 6 weeks.

Sunshine for Vitamin D

SGI - The mortgage company Brian refers his clients to celebrated their 10th anniversary today. I went with Brian to a lunch they provided. They had BBQed hamburgers but after the class I went to last night I just didn't feel like eating a hamburger. So I had lettuce, tomatos & peas for lunch. It was quite good and only had a total of 74 calories! I came home and made a couple whole wheat burritos for lunch instead.

Since Kylie was at a friend's house playing and it was sunny outside I decided to lay out on the trampoline for 30 minute and read a book. It was quite relaxing and I got my dose of Vitamin D for the day! It's still a little chilly out since it's only in the 60s but with the sun beating down on me it felt warmer than that.

Kudos to Brian

Last night at the lecture we went to the speaker committed everyone to workout for 30 minutes a day first thing in the morning. So this morning Brian got up and worked out with me. It was nice to have someone by my side doing squats & lunges with me.

Thanks Brian!

Sunlight & A Plant Based Diet

Tonight Brian & I went to a lecture by Marc Sorenson called "Sunlight & A Plant Based Diet". It was put on by the Vegetarian Society of Utah. It was full of fabulous information on plant based diets, exercise and sunlight. It was great to have Brian along. More fuel for my new attempt at a whole foods diet. He also covered the necessity of daily exercise - at least 30 minutes a day 6 days a week first thing in the morning. I've never been a big believer in sunscreen. We only use it when we go to the beach or pool all day. I've always believed some sunlight is good for us and it was good to learn why it is so important to be out in the sun.

Banana Cauliflower Bread

Today's health creation was Banana Cauliflower Bread. I thought it was delicious. Brian thought it was good but needed honey spread on it to make it better. The kids wouldn't even try it. Fine by me I ate almost the entire loaf of it!

Kim wants to make the whole wheat macaroni and cheese recipe now complete with added squash or cauliflower. We're off to go see how that one turns out!

ETA: Again I loved it but I like homemade macaroni and cheese and my kids prefer it from a box. Kylie and Brad ate it, Kim said it was edible and Bryce gaged. Brian and Brett are off to a Priesthood meeting and missed out.

Deceptively Delicious - AKA - Cooking With Baby Food!

Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I actually love the concept behind this book. We try to eat healthy but I know none of us get enough fruits and vegetables. I've heard of adding extra vegetables to foods like spaghetti sauce and have tried that but now I have a lot more ideas of how to add vegetables to my recipes. I picked a dozen of her recipes to try and am going to experiment with adding vegetables to some of my recipes.

ETA: I spent 2 hours this afternoon making purees. I made the applesauce muffins tonight and I love them. I used whole wheat flour and used less sugar.

I really think they got the title of this book wrong. It should be called Cooking With Baby Food. As I'm sitting there in the kitchen running vegetable after vegetable through my food processor I realized I was just making homemade baby food.

My family is soon going to have all these things hidden in their foods. The purees are all made and ready to go!
zucchini
butternut squash
yellow squash
broccoli
green beans
cauliflower
yellow squash
sweet potatoes
carrots
pears
apples

Here is to healthy eating!

Fit Friday

If it wasn't Fit Friday I would not have got 4 exercise points today! I was so tired I opted to sleep in this morning instead of waking up at 5:45 to workout. I had to volunteer in Kim's class today so here it is noon and I'm just finishing my workout. But I did it. Going for my 12 points today! Thanks Yoga for the inspiration.

Fit Friday

So far so good for Fit Friday. Actually it has been a great week for me. I've gotten 12 points everyday this week. I've already got my 4 points worth of exercise done so I should get 12 again today and am planning on getting 12 points again tomorrow.

I feel great! Come join me in my quest to get healthy: 2009 Healthy Living Challenge

Points - 12 points possible per day
1 Reporting/Accountability point just for reporting your points each day.
1 Water - drink at least 8 - 8oz cups of water everyday, more if you can!
1 Supplements/Vitamins - take a good supplement, even a multivitamin is better than nothing.
1 No Skipping Meals- NO SKIPPING MEALS OR SNACKS!!! You should be eating every 2-3 hours! Plan ahead. Have some healthy snacks in your purse or in the car.
1 Whole Grains - No white flour, white pasta, white rice, etc.
1 No sugar/junk food - No white refined sugar, cookies, cakes, candies, ice cream, chocolate, etc.
1 3-hour rule - Don't eat for at least 3 hours before you go to bed.
1 Counting Calories - It is amazing how fast calories add up.
Workout Points: up to 4 per day
Low intensity (walking) exercise 30 minutes = 1 point
Moderate intensity (jogging) exercise 20 minutes = 1 point
High intensity exercise (running) 15 minutes = 1 point
Give yourself up to 4 points per day based on how long you exercise and at what level your perceived level of exertion is.

Fit Friday

So my good friend Yoga declared today to be Fit Friday. So instead of the 9 points I had planned to get I am now going for a perfect 12. Thanks for the motivation Yoga! I guess I'll be hitting the treadmill again today!

ETA: I did it! Even though I had already showered and was ready for the day I changed back into my workout clothes and got on the treadmill. I burned 475 additional calories to get my 4 points for exercise today. So a 12 point day for me today! Thanks Yoga!

Maintain It Monday

I'm off to a great start and planning on getting all 12 points today in my healthy living challenge. That means over an hour and a half of working out today!
Other than that I have a lot of house work I need to get done. Having the kids home for 2 weeks means very little deep cleaning got done over Christmas break.
I've made myself an hourly planner for the day and have my time blocked off in to sections on where I'm going to spend my time.

Priorities for the day:

• Finish workout - I did get up at 6 and get most of it done!
• Laundry
• Dishes
• Bathrooms
• Upstairs Carpeted Areas
• Limit Computer Time!

Healthy Living Blog

So this family blog was being taken over by my healthy living posts. And since I'm starting again on Monday I'm sure it will get worse so I decided to start a separate blog to focus on my healthy living challenge. I decided that would be better than posting my points, struggles, success/failures etc. on here daily. Plus I have a few friends who want to join in so this way they can post too and we can have a place to help keep each other motivated. Check it out HERE & join me in my quest to get healthy!

Healthy Living - Before Pictures

So you know those before and after pictures people take before starting a workout or diet. I took some today. I've never done it before because posing in front of a camera, in a swimsuit is not my idea of a good time! As part of the challenge I am taking part in we are doing before and after measurements. For the 12 week challenge I finished a couple weeks ago we were encouraged to take before pictures but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I finally got up the nerve to take them today....but fortunately for all of you .... I'm not sharing them! But in 6 weeks it will be interesting to see if Slim in 6 can live up to it's promises! Tiff & I are going to be working out together (well as well as we can living across the country from each other) and we'll hopefully keep each other motivated. Hopefully my after pictures will look half as good as hers do!BTW - I did Ramp It Up today and survived! I've started my modified fast and am excited to start this program in earnest on Monday!

Kathy's 2009 Goals

Kathy's Goals for 2009
Have a "Perfect Year" - Perfect Year = kneeling prayers every morning and night & read my scriptures everyday
Attend the Temple at least once every month
Read the Ensign cover to cover each month
Be early to church each week - Leave home no later than 9:15 each Sunday
Read at least 52 books
Get on top of and stay on top of the house by making sure the kids are doing their chores & I am keeping up with my "Tackle it" goals/projects each day
Keep my body healthy by maintaining my weight, eating healthy and exercising, remain motivated by working with friends to meet my goal
Keep in touch with extended family & friends through blogging, letters, emails and phone calls
Make time to Be Still & Ponder each day
Get in the habit of listening to uplifting music each day by turning on LDS radio, a CD or itunes each day
Be a better mother & wife by spending quality one on one time with my children & husband regularly & not raising my voice so the spirit can be in our home
Focus on the good & don't judge others

Maintain It Monday

Can you say Jello? My legs are now j-e-l-l-0 after just one 25 minute workout. I'm starting the Slim in 6 workout program next Monday with a friend. Since she's been doing it for a long time I figured I'd at least try it out this week. The first video is 25 minutes and you are supposed to work your way up to the hour long video. The 25 minute video was one heck of a good workout!
Usually my Maintain it Monday focuses on my house... I got the kids to clean up this morning and decided to focus on maintaining me by keeping the weight I have lost off....especially after a week of eating way too much junk!

Healthy Living 2009

So yesterday I fell of the wagon. After 12 weeks of being good I was going to use moderation and enjoy a little white sugar and white flour... I was just going to have one cookie and then just one orange stick and then just one fruit gem and then just a few bites of fettuccine Alfredo and a couple bites of pizza and one bite of cake.... I was so sick by the time I went to bed last night! I'm back on the wagon today. I just feel better when I don't eat junk.

Starting on January 5th I'm heading up a Healthy Living Challenge with a group of friends. I know myself well enough to know that I'll gain back the weight I've lost if I don't do something to maintain what I lost. Plus I love seeing the changes in myself and my friends. This challenge will only run for 6 weeks. I'm planning on doing the Slim in 6 workout series with my friend Tiff for those 6 weeks.

So here is the details of the next challenge.

Points - 12 points possible per day

1 Reporting/Accountability point just for reporting your points each day.

1 Water - drink at least 8 - 8oz cups of water everyday, more if you can!

1 Supplements/Vitamins - take a good supplement, even a multivitamin is better than nothing.

1 No Skipping Meals- NO SKIPPING MEALS OR SNACKS!!! You should be eating every 2-3 hours! Plan ahead. Have some healthy snacks in your purse or in the car.

1 Whole Grains - No white flour, white pasta, white rice, etc. There are now tons of 100% Whole Grain products in the grocery stores

1 No sugar/junk food - No white refined sugar, cookies, cakes, candies, ice cream, chocolate, etc. (some things do have sugar in them like breads and whole grain cereals and those are fine - the grams of sugar per serving should be less than 5 grams unless it contains dried fruit like raisins)

1 3-hour rule - Don't eat for at least 3 hours before you go to bed.

1 Counting Calories - It is amazing how fast calories add up. Pick up a kitchen scale and monitor your portion size. Use myfitnesspal or some other way to track the calories you consume each day. The minimum calories you consume should be 1200 per day, the maximum varies depending on how much weight you need to lose, your current weight and the amount you exercise each day. Even if you go over your daily amount you can still get this point if you are tracking your calories.

Workout Points: up to 4 per day
Low intensity (walking) exercise 30 minutes = 1 point
Moderate intensity (jogging) exercise 20 minutes = 1 point
High intensity exercise (running) 15 minutes = 1 point
Give yourself up to 4 points per day based on how long you exercise and at what level your perceived level of exertion is.

Seeing as I don't need to lose any more weight I don't need to get all the points everyday.

My goal for this competition is going to be to get at least 8 points everyday (Sunday being the only exception where my goal is to get at least 6 points) and to have at least 1 perfect 12 every week. I am going to get 360 points by the end of the competition which equates to 60 points per week. For me I know this is a realistic goal and will help me maintain where I am at. I also know that by telling my goal to others I will make sure I achieve it. So keep me accountable!

Maybe this was a bad idea....

I've learned how to make delicious 100% whole wheat bread. You'd think it would be a good thing but boy is it addicting. I can eat half a loaf before feeling satisfied. Between whole wheat bread and whole wheat pancakes, waffles & cookies I'm finally using up some of the wheat I've been storing for almost 10 years! I've finally finished off the 50 lb. bag I've used for years and have gone through a 5 gallon bucket of wheat in a very short time! It's a good thing none of us have Celiac Disease!

Celebrating!!!

Today is the last day of the Healthy Living Challenge I took part in. I'm happy to report I met almost every one of the goals I set! The only thing I didn't do was go the full 12 weeks without sugar or flour. I only made it 10 weeks on that goal. Although there were only 2 days in 12 weeks that I messed that goal up!

I lost 15 lbs total & a quite a few inches!
Inches lost:
Calf - .75 inches
Thighs - 2 inches
Hips - 2 inches
Abs - 2 inches
Waist - 2 inches
Chest - 1.5 inches
Arms - .75 inches

In this challenge we earned points based on the following:
3 Workout points: - 20 minutes = 1 point- 4o minutes = 2 points- 60 minutes or more = 3 points
1 For reporting in
1 Water - 8 - 8oz cups or more a day
1 Supplements - take a good multi vitamin!
1 Whole Grains - No white flour, white pasta, etc
1 NO SKIPPING MEALS OR SNACKS!!!
1 No sugar - No sugar, no junk!
1 3-hour rule - Don't eat for at least 3 hours before you go to bed.

I averaged 8.9 points per day for 12 weeks!






I'm going to enjoy the next 2 weeks using moderation in what I eat and then am starting another challenge on January 5th! Anyone else want to join me? It may not be easy but it sure is worth it!

Holiday Stress....

Can you feel it? The list is long... the gifts aren't wrapped, most of the cards aren't sent yet and the house is a mess! However I'm going to enjoy the next week. Cards can be late, the house doesn't have to be perfect and the gifts will get wrapped eventually!

So one thing at a time. First I'm off to workout. I've only got 3 days left in my healthy living competition and I still need to earn 26 more points to reach my goal of 750 points. Since I don't workout on Sunday that means I have to workout today or I won't reach my goal. I'm not going to fail when I'm so close!

Confession Time... I blew it!

I guess I shouldn't beat myself up too badly but I blew it tonight. I've gone without white sugar or white flour for 10 weeks. My goal was to go 12 weeks but I was weak tonight and ate half a piece of Amish Friendship Bread which is mostly white flour & white sugar. It sure did taste good but man the guilt for not making it 2 more weeks....
I've been taking part in a Healthy Living Challenge for the past 10 weeks. I have 2 weeks more to go until the contest ends. I set a goal to get 750 points during the contest and I only have 113 points left to earn. I've averaged 63 points a weeks so barring any illness I should make my goal. I also had a goal to lose 15 lbs and this morning I weighed in at my goal weight. My weight fluctuates a lot from day to day so I might not weigh in consistent yet but I'm close and have 13 days left so I'm confident I'll make it.
Thanks to my awesome friends who helped keep me accountable and motivated! Jenny, Tiff, Rhonda, Britten, Lisa, Nicole, Jen, Amy, Meg, Kendra & Mary Ann you are the best!

3 Workout points: - 20 minutes = 1 point- 4o minutes = 2 points- 60 minutes or more = 3 points
1 For reporting in
1 Water - 8 - 8oz cups or more a day
1 Supplements - take a good multi vitamin!
1 Whole Grains - No white flour, white pasta, etc
1 NO SKIPPING MEALS OR SNACKS!!!
1 No sugar - No sugar, no junk!
1 3-hour rule - Don't eat for at least 3 hours before you go to bed.

Food Storage Friday - Protein

For food storage this week I purchased 4 containers of protien powder. I have a protein drink for breakfast the majority of mornings and we just opened our last 5 lb. container of it. I also bought 2 20 lb. turkeys to go in the freezer for future meals. Can't beat the price!