Picture Day

Well, hello!
I know this is a day early...but I had time, so I thought it I would do this today. So this is my progress pic from 2 weeks ago.


And this is my pic from today. Jillian is fantastic. She should pay me for promoting her video, but I am proof it works!

I only have 7 pounds to lose to reach my goal. But honestly, that's just a number and I am starting to feel comfortable with my body now, I don't even check my weight like I used to. I really just like being healthy and working out and trying new foods. I am so excited to go clothes shopping on May 1st with my sister. I was going through my clothes the other day when I realized....all of my skinny clothes are gone. I remember thinking last year when I was edging near 175-180 that I probably would never fit into anything again and I got rid of MOST of my pre-pregnancy clothes, what was I thinking? I won't make that mistake again now that I know I am in control of my body, not the other way around. But, yes...I have NO CLOTHES. My clothes are getting too big, and just hang on me. My jeans slide right off. In fact, I have one pair of jeans that fit ok and those are even getting loose. I did keep some old pre-pregnancy jeans, and those are too small. I honestly don't know if I will fit into those again...pregnancy can do amazing things to your hips. Even if I lose more weight, my hips just aren't as slim as they used to be, finally I have a little curve!
For all of those out there working hard and making lifestyle changes ...keep it up, you will see change! Just as a reminder....here is me on Mother's Day LAST year....so not even a whole year ago. See what a difference a few months of hard work can do? Those jeans don't even stay on me anymore!



Before I go...I big shout out to my sister, Darci. She is starting Jillian and walking more, too. She is one of those girls that look cute at all times, so now she is going to get all fit and be even cuter. Damn her! :)

(100)Days

Good morning!

Well, I had a doctor's appointment this morning and since I HAD to get up and get dressed I went on a quick ten minute walk. It was refreshing and I feel more awake now than I usually do at this time. So I will try to do it again on Thursday and maybe work my way up to longer walks and possibly jogging. So my appointment was just a follow-up appointment for the GERD. Everything is looking good and my doctor even complimented my TEN pound weight loss since the last time I was in. I also paid attention to my blood pressure, thanks to Nathalie and her blog a few weeks ago. It was 110/60....I have no idea what that means...but that's good, right? I should refer back to Nathalie's blog. My doctor was also pretty impressed with my exercise and eating healthy! YAY ME!

Guess what today is? It is been 100 DAYS since I started using my Wii Fit! WOW! Now, of course, I didn't use it EVERY DAY but....it's been 100 days since I stepped on the balance boaurd and said "I need to get in shape and be healthier". I have lost ten pounds and a few inches and I am healthier all around. My wii fit age went from 50-ish to 23-ish. I have better balance and better body control. In just 100 DAYS. It makes me wonder waht else I could accomplish in just 100 days. Write a book? Write a few short stories? Learn to play Guitar? Train to run in a marathon? I feel like I can accomplish ANYTHING. Why not, right? I thought I would have quit this already and I am still going strong! So today I am going to make a new goal, non-weight related, because not everything has to be about weight. As you know I have another blog, Bookwormquinn, so my new goal is to write ten short stories in 100 days. That doesn't sound too bad, about a story every ten days. So keep an eye on my other blog and encourage me to keep going, because I need encouragement, and I couldn't have made it 100 days without YOU. (Sarah, Nathalie and Brooke especially) So Happy 100 to me! YAY!

On another note, I had another success....I got my husband to take a walk on Sunday and Monday! This is big for me because, well.....he just doesn't do outdoors and he likes to sit and play games all the time. Now that I am living a healthier life I am trying to encourage my family to do the same, because I love them and I want them to live a long, full, healthy life. I have also gotten Tyler (the hubby) to eat healthier for dinner and I am hoping to squeeze another walk or two out of him this week because it is supposed to be BEAUTIFUL this week. It's supposed to be 70 + for the next three days! WOO!

You may have noticed, I didn't post my portobello mushroom recipe last night...it was not so good. I think the red wine vinegar just made it taste bitter...so yuck. But the point is I am trying to make new recipes, so it's ok that this was a FAIL!

Today is my yoga day and I am looking forward to it. I just feel....blah and tired and some yoga and a short nap sound PHENOMENAL!

A big shout out to Sarah, who is feeling a little down and could use some cheering up!

Mondays

It's Monday....yay. Can you hear my excitement?

So I am not feeling so hot today...but we must go on, right? After I finish this blog I am going to do Jillian Level 1, but I have already decided that I am going at a very slow pace. Then I will take a quick shower and Harliegh and I will go for a walk. Then maybe I will get in some yoga when she goes down for a nap and possibly take a nap myself.

I know most people hate Mondays, but I kind of like em. It gives you a chance to start over fresh, make new goals and throw out old goals that didn't work out.

I really don't know what else to talk about today. My brain is in kind of a fuzz. Blah.

I am trying a new Portobello Mushroom recipe tonight, I will be sure to post the recipe...maybe some pics If I can find my missing camera!

Have a great day!

So I know I didn't post a blog yesterday, but i have one busy little mama. You see, this Saturday is my FINAL class for the term and I have been busy, busy, busy putting together one massive portfolio for my Creative Writing Class. I have revised and edited 7 poems, 1 flash fiction, 1 mentor project and 2 short stories so many times that my head is spinning and all of my characters are all mixed together creating little mini stories. It's pure havoc in my brain! But....I only have to revise one story one more time, and write a two page self-evaluation, and put everything neatly into a folder....though I am running out of hours in the day!

You will be happy to know that I have been working out everyday. I have done Jillian Level 2 every other day and yoga in between, as well as walking once or twice a day every single day. I managed to make it through Jillian Level2 today without the overwhelming need to vomit. ha. I just worked at a slower pace then they did on the screen, but I made it though it all!

So...I usually do this on Sunday, but I am going to do it now.

Last week's goals

1. Count calories, stick to my 1250 a day plan. (stuck to this for the most part, a couple minor setbacks but I usually compensated by eating less or skipping snacks...no biggie)
2. Try Jillian Level 2! (I'm a little scared) if my leg feels better, that is...( Tried this, went semi-well)
3.Do Jillian every other day and Wii Fit the other days (Yep....succeeded)
4. Bedtime: 11 (hmmm....for the most part, yes...Level 2 wears you out!)
5. Get up early and walk/jog by myself twice(uh......no)


And here are next weeks goals:

1. Stay on calorie counting
2. Jillian...I am going to do Level 1 on Monday and Friday, Level 2 on Wednesday
3. Yoga on Tuesday and Thursday (maybe more since a certain visitor is on the way)
4. Bedtime:11 (don't laugh but I can't figure out how to take the italics off)
5. (ooo...no italics) Get up on Tuesday and Thursday to jog/run (I have an early dr. appt on Tuesday so I need to get up anyway)

That's all.....basically the same as last week with some minor tweaks.

I haven't lost any this week....but....see the parentheses in goal number 3. So I am not discouraged.

Finally...it's friday...and I am trying to say something that I love on Friday...soooooo

Free Time

I love free time sooo much, and it has been something I have seen very little of this week. In fact, I really don't even have the time to go into detail about how much I love free time. So this will just have to do.

Have a great weekend!

Tired

Hello everyone!

So I tried Jillian Level 2 today and had to stop after the strength part of circuit 3. Not because I couldn't do it, but suddenly I had the need to vomit. I didn't...but it was close. Once I thought about it, I think this must be from my GERD I remember reading that I have to be careful not to workout too soon after eating with GERD. I had waited an hour, but maybe I should wait two. PLUS, I am sure all the jumping up and down and bouncing while in the plank position does not help with the reflux! I think on Friday, I will just wait the two hours adn see if that helps, if not...I am going back to Level 1. I don't really want to induce vomiting. Other than that, I really like Level 2.

I saw on the news this morning that women age 20 and up should do a minimum of one hour of moderate exercise a day to fight the weight gain after 50. Did you know that? I didn't but it makes me glad I am making lifestyle changes now!

So this is a pretty short blog...but I am tired.

Later!

Good morning!
Well....I forgot to set my alarm this morning. I hate alarms, so I guess I was hoping I would just wake up on my own. I didn't. I woke up at 7:15 and nestled down into my warm bed and pillow. A few minutes later, Harliegh woke up. I really do want to try to get up because I think once I get a taste of walking/jogging and being 100% by myself I will want more and more! The hardest part is just doing it. But I still have time...my goal was to get up and walk just two days, and it's only Tuesday!

I wasn't as sore as I expected this morning from doing Level 2. I guess the aleve really helped. I am a little sore, but nothing bad at all. Guess what today is? March 23rd? and guess what March 23rd is? Free Cone Day at Ben&Jerry's! AH! Now...please don't throw your shoes at me in disgust. They are only tiny cones and I have to walk down a huge steep hill just to get one...then back up again. But who can pass up a free ice cream cone? Not I.

I am watching Ellen...she has a segment about weird inventions. Some idiot actually invented something called a" The Spoon and Fork Lift"....an actual spoon and fork that is weighted like a dumbbell so you can work out your arms while you eat! SERIOUSLY?!?!?! WOW. Just....WOW.

I woke up this morning and opened my patio door to let in some fresh air. Within ten minutes my eyes were red, itchy, swollen, watery. AHHHHH....SPRING! Gotta love allergies, huh?? So maybe I won't be enjoying my cone as much as I had hoped!

I was reading Nathalie's blog this morning and she was talking about how unhealthy America is. It's true...makes you not so proud to be an American. BUT I am PROUD to say that Minneapolis, Minnesota ( I live in a suburb) is one of the healthiest American cities! YAY!We have to focus on something to get us through the winters, right? Might as well be health!

This blog is soooooooo random and jumping everywhere. I hope you enjoyed the ride. LOL. My brain must be swelling from my allergies! hahahaha....ha....ha.

okiloveyoubuhbye!

Level 2

I did Jillian Michaels Level 2 this morning! YIKES! Level 2 makes Level 1 look like a walk in the park! Really...my head is in a fog right now! It's all a blur to me! LOL The one positive about Level 2 is that it seems to go by much quicker than Level 1. I only stopped once for a 5 second break. In that 5 seconds I blubbered like a fool and nearly started bawling than I told myself to "man up" and keep working so I did. I had to do the "easy" version of most of the workouts, I felt so wimpy!
Luckily, I had the great foresight to take an aleve beforehand so I am not feeling it so much right now. Tomorrow is a different story...but the yoga will help that.
I was going to go into detail about the workouts...but I don't even know how to explain them. Right now, though, I am missing punches and side-lunges. :(

I sat down and made my meal plan through Friday! This really helps me stay on track! I also have been keeping track of my water intake! Today I have already had 4 tall glasses of water (about 14oz of water each) so I will try to get one more down before the day is over. How do I do this when I hate drinking? One tall glass with Breakfast, one before Jillian, one during/after Jillian, one with lunch and one with dinner. I also mark each glass on a paper on my fridge to remind me how many I have had and how many I have left to go.

Tomorrow I am going to TRY to get up and go for a walk/jog and then do YOGA! I am sure my body will thank me for the yoga!

Have a great day!

Sunday's Goals

Hello Everyone!
I haven't posted since Thursday! OOPS! But don't worry, I have been reading all of yours. So it's Sunday and that means it's time to evaluate last weeks goals and make new goals.

Here are my goals from last week:
1.Try to go to bed even earlier...maybe 11?
2. Try to do Jillian every day
3. Get up early twice and take a walk



Going to bed early....didn't work out so well. The time change screwed me up and for some reason I couldn't sleep at all last week. I stopped taking my vitamins because I was worried they were causing it but I haven't seen a difference so I might start them up again and just keep trying to go to bed earlier.

I did Jillian everyday up until Thursday. I think I pulled a muscle and I want to give it time to heal. Actually I did Jillian on Friday, too...I just skipped the workouts that I knew would hurt my leg.

I didn't get up early, but I did go on several walks. So I kinda half did this goal!

I weighed myself today and I have gained 1/2 pound. Nothing to be upset about...but a huge difference form the 3 lbs lost the week before! The only difference was that I didn't count calories....even though I hate doing, counting calories has proven to be effective over and over again.

So next week's goals:

1. Count calories, stick to my 1250 a day plan.
2. Try Jillian Level 2! (I'm a little scared) if my leg feels better, that is...
3.Do Jillian every other day and Wii Fit the other days
4. Bedtime: 11
5. Get up early and walk/jog by myself twice

I really want to reach my goal by May 1st, so I gotta focus and stay on track!

Seems like a couple of you are trying Jillian this week. I am excited to see what you think. Be prepared to hate Jillian (and probably me for recommending it) and to be SORE...but it's a good pain, right? RIGHT! Of course it is!

Crispy Tofu and Vegetables

So my tofu recipe for tonight......A-freakin'-mazing. Seriously....It was sooo good. I couldn't stop eating it!I cut the tofu into smaller strips so it was more like chicken finger size and I used Stir-Fry sauce instead of teriyaki. If you want to try tofu..this is the recipe for you. Some tips: After you drain the tofu wrap it in several layers of paper towels and press between two heavy plates ....put in fridge for a few hours before cooking. Also...you have to be really careful when turning the fried tofu. Oh....and look at the awesome calorie count!

Crispy Tofu and Vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh sugar snap peas (8 ounces)
• 1 12- to 16-ounce package light, reduced-fat, or regular extra-firm tub-style tofu (fresh bean curd), drained (see tip, page 00)
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce or soy sauce
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 medium yellow sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
• 8 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon white or black sesame seed, toasted (optional) (see tip page 000)

Directions

1. Remove strings and tips from pea pods; cut in half. Set pea pods aside. Cut tofu crosswise into eight 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in a single layer in a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Pour 2 tablespoons of the teriyaki sauce over tofu; turn slices to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

2. In a shallow dish combine cornmeal and ground red pepper. Drain tofu, discarding marinade. Carefully dip tofu slices in cornmeal mixture; press gently to coat both sides. Set tofu slices aside.

3. Pour 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil into a large nonstick skillet. Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry sweet pepper strips for 2 minutes. Add pea pods and green onions; stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes more or until crisp-tender.

4. Remove skillet from heat; stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce. Transfer vegetable mixture to a serving platter; cover and keep warm. Wipe skillet clean.

5. In the same skillet heat the remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil and the cooking oil over medium heat. Cook the coated tofu slices for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden brown, using a spatula to turn carefully. Serve tofu slices over vegetable mixture. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

6. Makes 4 main-dish servings

Nutrition Facts

• Calories 151,
• Total Fat (g) 6,
• Saturated Fat (g) 1,
• Monounsaturated Fat (g) 1,
• Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 1,
• Cholesterol (mg) 0,
• Sodium (mg) 473,
• Carbohydrate (g) 15,
• Total Sugar (g) 2,
• Fiber (g) 3,
• Protein (g) 9,
• Vitamin A (DV%) 0,
• Vitamin C (DV%) 196,
• Calcium (DV%) 6,
• Iron (DV%) 14,
• Starch (d.e.) .5,
• Vegetables (d.e.) 1,
• Lean Meat (d.e.) 1,
• Fat (d.e.) .5,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

The Ice is Melting

Here are some pictures from my walk yesterday. I will post some more when it gets nicer outside!

The lake is still partially frozen.

This is the killer hill I walk up and down!

Beautiful, huh?


I think I may have pulled a muscle or something. My calf is killing me! It started hurting when I was doing lunges on Monday and it has just gotten worse since. So I am going to give it a rest for a few days and see if it feels better.

I am trying a new tofu recipe tonight. I will be sure to post the recipe!

Portobello Mushrooms in Boursin Sauce

This was my delicious dinner! It was YUMMY!

Pasta Shells w/ Portobello Mushrooms and Asparagus in Boursin Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (5.2 ounce) package pepper Boursin cheese
• 3/4 pound uncooked pasta shells
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and heat the olive oil. Cut the mushroom caps in half, and slice 1/4 inch thick. Cook mushrooms in the skillet 8 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Season with salt. Stir in the chicken broth and Boursin cheese. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until well blended.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add shell pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Place the asparagus into the pot, and continue cooking 5 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the asparagus is tender; drain. Toss with the mushroom sauce to serve.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 380 | Total Fat: 16.6g | Cholesterol: 35mg

I got this recipe off of Allrecipes.com. Of course....I made some changes. First, I used the Light Garlic Boursin Cheese. I also sauteed onions and garlic with the mushrooms for some extra oomph! It was delicious. Even my husband loved it. And did you check out the calorie count? If you absolutely hate mushrooms you COULd replace it with chicken. But the mushrooms were AMAZING! And the boursin cheese is a little on the expensive side but I am sure you can replace it with some garlic cream cheese for a similar taste!

ENJOY!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Hellooooooooooo Nurse (in true Animaniacs style)
I would like to start out this blog by giving a HUGE shout out to BROOKE. She has hit 100 pounds lost! Isn't that amazing? Go Brooke!

So far this week I have manage to do my Jillian workout and even went on TWO walks on Monday, it was rainy on Tuesday. Today I WAS going to skip my workout but I got inspired by both Brooke and Nathalie and their great blogs! I am so close to my goal and living a healthier lifestyle, no breaks for me! So in a minute I am going to eat breakfast, do my Jillian and take my daughter on a walk. Then maybe I will take a break...for an hour or so.

The reason I wanted a break day is because I have not been sleeping well at all. This is normal for me, I have never been a good sleeper, but lately I just toss and turn all night. It could be the time change that has thrown me off, who knows? I think I am going to get some tylenol pm and try that for a day or two. I need SLEEP. This morning, Harliegh woke up at 7:15 and I could not get up, I physically COULD NOT fully wake up. I had a dream THREE times that I woke up my husband and told him to get up. Finally realized I was dreaming and it wasn't real and woke up just enough to wake up Tyler and beg him to get up. He did, and let me sleep until 8:45 when he had to get ready for work. He's such a good hubby.

Of course, that extra sleep only resulted in me having scary nightmares about kidnappers and weird religious cults. But that's another story!

Have you checked out my writing blog? it's Bookwormquinn and I have no followers and have yet to get a comment, so show some love. I am trying to write more and need some encouragement. I am currently working on a Flash Fiction piece (less than 750 words) and it has proved to be a challenge....a lot harder than any short story. In fact, that is one thing that has been keeping me up at night!

So this hasn't really been about anything health related....no I take that back. I talked about sleep...and that has a LOT to do with health! I am also planning on trying a NEW recipe tonight so I will post the recipe. I am trying to get a recipe exchange together soon. I will keep you updated on that!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Wear your green....and eat some green!

Recipes!

Hello Blogateers!


I have had a good day so far. I didn't go to bed early though so I am kind of tired...darn time change. But I did my Jillian workout this morning and Harliegh started doing it with me! It was the funniest thing ever. She was trying to do the jump rope exercise, then after jump rope you do bicycle crunches. So she laid down on the ground and sighed "AHHHHH" and then put her feet up and grunted "Argggggh" it was too cute. After the workout I was stretching and she looked at me weird, walked over to me and pulled on my shirt to get me to stand up. So I did. She gave my a gruff look then started doing jump rope...So, how can you say no to that? I did about 30 more jump ropes! What a great motivator! After workout we went for a walk. It was soooo nice and beautiful outside! 53 degrees! So we went down to the lake for the first time this year. Hardly any snow left and not too many muddy puddles! It was nice, but now I am really tired.

So I was sitting last night writing out some recipes, I have a huge binder for recipes....and it's pretty much empty. I am horrible at writing down recipes I have tried and liked. So I ws thinking of trying a recipe exchange. Would you be interested?

This is how it would work, I think, I would write down a recipe on a index card. Then I would send that recipe to a list of interested people. Once you get your recipe, you have to write down a recipe on an index card and send it to me and whoever else you want to include. Every time you receive a new recipe you have to return the favor and send that person a new one. What do you think? Would it work? Or should I try something else? Comment me and let me know if you are interested and any good suggestions.

getting close!

Hey everyone!
Just a short blog to make my weeks goals!

I have had a great week this past week. I lost 3 pounds! Now that's great, but it is unhealthy to lose too much in one week ( I think 5 is the max) But this means I am only need to lose about 6 pounds to reach my goal! WOOHOO.

I am going to post a pic...not to brag....just to show you that a little hard work can really pay off! As I am sure you all know, anyway!


This is my Wii Fit progress chart for weight. You can see how up and down the dots are....but they are all moving slowly down ward! Yippee!


















And this is a pic of my Jillian abs after another week! This is why I love Jillian!




















I think everyone has a trick that works the best for them, Jillian is mine. I hope you find yours soon if you haven't already.

So this was my last weeks goals...
1. Take my vitamins everyday
2. focus on drinking lots of water
3. make a meal plan and stick to it
4. workout everday- Jillian DVD on STTH and Wii Fit on MWF
5. try to go to bed earlier..I am setting my goal for 11:30-(this will be the hardest for me)

Guess what? I did ALL of them!

so here are some goals for next week....

1.Try to go to bed even earlier...maybe 11?
2. Try to do Jillian every day
3. Get up early twice and take a walk


and of course continue with the vitamins and water. I might up my calories soon, too. I don't want to get below my goal weight. I want to be a nice healthy weight. I can't believe since Jan 1st I have went from being on the border of overweight to the middle of my healthy range! YAY!


Well...hope you guys have a fantastic week!

Happy thoughts!

ooops...I forgot to do my Happy Friday Blog, so I will do it now.

I want to try to focus on one thing, but I am going to start buy pointing out some smaller things. First, I want to say I am extremely happy with my progress this week. After hitting a plateau for nearly two months, I am losing weight again! I have lost THREE pounds since Sunday. There are three things that I have changed this week that could have caused this. 1. I started taking One-A-Day Metabolism Vitamins. 2. I have stuck to my 1250 calorie meal plan 3. Jillian Michaels.
I guess I could also add in that I have been forcing the water this week, too.

The second thing that makes me happy is YOU. Yes, you, my blog readers and bloggers. We all have different stories and different struggles. Some of you have much longer journeys to make than I do, but I couldn't have made it this far without YOU. You are all AMAZING people! So don't give up, keep blogging and keep commenting. This goes out especially to Sarah, Nathalie and Brooke.

AND the thing I want to focus on today is WALKS. I love taking walks and I am itching to get out and start my walks again. Last Spring, when my daughter wasn't even walking yet I would bundle her up (it stays pretty chilly here until about June) and take long walks. This is how our days went:
Wake up, breakfast, get dressed, leave to take a walk (about twice a week we would start by stopping at the Library). About a half a mile from my house is Lake Minnetonka, one of the biggest lakes in Minnesota. Coming from the state whose slogan is "The land of 10,000 lakes" that's saying a lot. So, naturally, this is my favorite place to walk. The catch is...to get to the lake I have to walk down a HUGE, steep hill. Add in a stroller with a 20 lb baby and you have quite a workout! But it's so worth it. Once you get down to the lake there are a number of docks and the sidewalk runs right along the lake. The town is beautiful and there are usually a ton of flowers and shady trees everywhere. After about a ten minute walk down the sidewalk you come to an old Train Depot, they don't use it anymore, but they made it into a cute little museum. Outside of the train depot they have a beautiful flower garden leading up to more docks and a nice area for picnics. If you walk down a little hill you can walk across a dock to the beach. There is a small stretch of sand and the lake and a great playground. Usually this is the point Harliegh and I would take a break and play. We would walk barefoot int he sand, dip our toes in the water, build sand castles, swim (when it got hot enough), and I would push her in the baby swings. And the sailboats! Sail boats everywhere! White, Bright blue, Yellow, Red. I love sailboats. They are so....whimsical and romantic. After awhile I would put her in the stroller and we would continue our walk.
Over some more hills and a nice little wooded area, we would then be making a loop back to where we started. Across the street from the sidewalk near the lake is a cute row of little shops. Harliegh and I would sometimes stop by Ben &Jerry's for ice cream or Starbucks for a coffee and juice. Sometimes we would duck into the cutest little bookshop you have ever seen. But most of the time we would just window shop, staring longingly into all the clothes stores with merchandise way too expensive for me. Then we would make our way up the huge hill. You think it's hard going down? I can feel every muscle working on the way up.

Those are my summer walks. After this,w e would go home, have lunch, take a nap...and then do it all over again. Occasionally I would opt to walk to the other park a few blocks away (no hills). But that's it....Two walks a day almost every day from April until September!
You might think that is crazy....but that is how I lost the first 30 pounds of my baby weight. Just walking, pretty much!

So that is my happy thought for the day. Hopefully I didn't bore you. When the snow melts and it gets a little prettier I will take pics and show you. It's beautiful!

Walk this way

Good Morning!

Did you know? It's supposed to be over 50 degrees on Monday! I am thrilled! Maybe I can start walking to the lake again! Nathalie sent me a pedometer and I am excited to see how long my walks are because when I was trying to lose weight last year walks really made the biggest difference. If you are just starting out working out/getting healthy I highly suggest starting with walks...maybe some yoga. I LOVE walks.

So today I am going to do Jillian again. I know I did it yesterday....but, I managed to make it through the whole thing without breaking and even somehow had energy to dance while making lunch. SO that's a sign I am ready to do it everyday. So I am going to do it today, then tomorrow I have class, then maybe take an easy day on Sunday. Then...next week, starting Monday, I am going to ATTEMPT it every day, I will just do the Wii Fit on days I absolutely don't think I can make it through Jillian. I sat down and watched Level 2 yesterday, so far I have stuck to Level 1. It looked like something from a horror movie! YIKES. But I think after one more week of doing Level 1, I may attempt it.

Right now, I am going to take my vitamin. Get my daughter dressed for the day and do my workout because I really need all of nap time to work on homework. Procrastination, eh?

Have a great, healthy weekend!

Dear Jillian

hello bloggers!

Today is another Jillian day. My back feels better now. Actually, I tried some yoga yesterday and by the time I was done the back pain was gone!

I was talking to Sarah about how great the Jillian work out is. I love it. BUT...I think it is best if you try it when you are already used to doing some hard work outs. I know, Jillian makes comments about how she has made 400lb people do these workouts....but honestly if you are not ready you will end up in tears on the floor and will most likely burn the DVD. But it is great, really. You just have to be mentally and physically ready for it.

Why do I like it so much? It breaks the workouts into 6 minute circuits. Each circuit consists of a 3 minute strength, 2 minute cardio and 1 minute abs. So just when you feel like you can't take jumping jacks anymore...she lets you lie down to do abs. You do 3 sets of circuits so teh whole workout is only 20 minutes. And really....20 minutes won't kill you, right? Most definitely not. I think everyone should try this workout. Just don't get discouraged...if it's too hard adn you REALLY can't get through it...put it away for a week. But I think most of you will be surprised that you can make it through most of it if you really put your mind to it.

So.....I am going to post two pictures to show you the effects of Jillian.

Okay, this first picture is just a
normal week when I did just a Wii Fit
workout every day



















And this picture is after a little
over one week of doing Jillian
just every other day
Of course...some of that
difference might be bloating
but I really believe most of it is from Jillian.

So...as you can see, I am almost to my my pre-pregnancy body! Honestly, I am perfectly happy with my body now. But I just want to tighten up those abs in preparation for my next pregnancy. I look this standing up, but when I lay down on my side....I swear all my inner organs flop onto the bed. Gross, I know. But I just have this loose flappy skin that just hangs there. I have read that if you work those ab muscles it will help tighten that up and the skin will start to slowly shrink, we will see. I also am practicing a healthy lifestyle so it will be easier to stick to when I am pregnant. I am hoping if I do this I won't have the same struggle I had last time. I hear the second pregnancy is a lot harder on your body!

Well, I am going to attempt to do my Jillian workout now so I can fully enjoy my "time-off" during nap time.

Have a nice day!

Oh, my aching back

Hello everyone!

I need your help, yes YOU. My Creative Writing teacher wants my entire class to submit a work to the college's literary magazine. If you are bored and have nothing better to do go to my writing blog
and read my short stories, "Red Shoes" and "The Forgettable Life of Patrick Sullivan". I am taking a poll to see which one is a better story. Thanks!

How is everyone doing otherwise? My back is killing me, I don't know if I did something while working out or if I slept wrong but I had to get up at 3am, nearly in tears, to take some tylenol and rub some icyhot on my back. Usually, I let Wednesday be my day off, and I was going to skip it this week, but a day off might be necessary. :(

When I stepped on the Wii Fit yesterday to weigh myself I was pleasantly surprised. I lost 1.8 pounds! Now, I am sure this was water weight, but still, it's something to be happy about. I am getting very close to my goal! Only 8 pounds to go!

Hope you guys are all doing fantastic and I hope Sarah&Emma are feeling much better and got some sleep!

Think Healthy Thoughts

I want to send out a shout out to Sarah and Emma who are currently horribly sick! Hope you both feel better soon, get tons of rest and pamper yourself. You deserve it. Don't think about weight/working out, you will know when its time to start that again! HUGS!


So today is another Jillian Micheals work out day. I didn't sleep well last night so I was very tired and was already planning on taking a nap when I got up at 7. Fortunately, my dear husband got up for awhile so I could get a little extra sleep. I was STILL thinking of my nap when I started to feel guilty about planning to skip my workout, ESPECIALLY on Jillian day...when it counts the MOST. So I set up some paints for Harliegh and did my workout early, compromising that I could still take a nap if I got my workout in. I am kinda glad I did this and it worked out pretty well, except when Harliegh decided to sit on my stomach mid-crunch. LOL. I was still a little sore from Sundays Jillian Work out, but I found that as I did the workout today, I loosened up a lot and the sore muscles actually improved.

I tried to take my vitamin 15 minutes after eating today and guess what? No Nausea. I guess I will have to do this everyday!


Think Healthy thoughts! (for you and for Sarah&Emma)

Complaining!!! (positively)

Happy Monday....kind of.

I am trying to be positive, but I am going to complain to ya', too...in a positive way! LOL.

Okay...my first complaint...
it's supposed to rain ALL week...positive twist: at least it's not SNOW!

The vitamins I started yesterday made me very, very nauseous....positive twist: I am healthier (I think) and hopefully the nausea will go away soon...I feel like I am prego again! (I'm not)

My entire body is sore! Abs, chest, legs, arms, butt...positive twist: this means I got a great workout yesterday

I am incredibly tired...positive twist: I went to bed at 11:30, even though I tossed and turned. But at least I should be ready for bed early tonight, right?


Ok, I guess that is enough complaining for today. It's true though, the vitamins made me nauseated all day yesterday. Has anybody else had this problem? It happens EVERY time I try to take vitamins. But I am going to stick to it for awhile and see if my body will get used to it. Bleh.
I did do my Jillian work out yesterday! I am definitely feeling it today, but it's a good hurt. I am glad that I only do this every other day! Today I can do the Wii Fit and focus on a lot of YOGA, I am looking forward to it! If you have never tried the Jillian work out....it's hard! But so worth it! I will be honest with you, I have to take several short breaks during the work out, or else I would not be able to make it through it....and it's only 20 minutes!

Blech...I took my vitamins a half and hour ago and the nausea begins. Yuck.

Sorry ...I just had to say that.
I didn't get around to making my meal plan yesterday so I am going to work on that while Harliegh watches Sesame Street.
Have a great day!

Next weeks goals

Good morning everyone!

How are you this morning? I am a little sore today from my workout yesterday, but that is to be expected since I have not worked out in a week!
Today I am going to start my vitamins! I got the generic, Target-Brand of One-a-day Metabolism. There is supposed to be something in there that boosts your metabolism. It's also supposed to give you energy. I really need energy! In the past I have not had good luck with vitamins, my prenatal vitamins made me sick and once I tried Centrum and those also made me nauseous but I am going to try vitamins again. Today I am also going to attempt my Jillian Michaels DVD. It's a love/hate relationship with that DVD, I hate it while I am doing it, but I can really feel it working. Also, I was looking at pics the other day and the week that I was doing that DVD every other day you could really see definition in my abs that you just couldn't see before and I haven't seen since. I am also going to take time today to make a meal plan for myself for the next few days. I find that if I do this I have a better chance of sticking to my goal 1200 calorie goal.

So thats my plan for the day, Now I need to make some goals for next week. Last week, as you know, I didn't stick to any of my goals, so I really need to try harder this week. So, here are my weeks goals.

1. Take my vitamins everyday
2. focus on drinking lots of water
3. make a meal plan and stick to it
4. workout everday- Jillian DVD on STTH and Wii Fit on MWF
5. try to go to bed earlier..I am setting my goal for 11:30-(this will be the hardest for me)


So, that's it. I think that those should be easy enough, right? In the next few weeks I want to start getting up early and walking/jogging in the morning, but I need to work up to that.

If you are interested, I will also be updating my Family Blog and my Writing Blog today, so if you are bored...check them out and leave some comments!

Starting Over

Well ladies, I think I have broken the slump....hopefully. I had a good nights sleep last night and got to sleep in this morning. I woke up with the sun shining brightly and the snow steadily melting and I felt great! I made a brunch for the family and after Harliegh took her nap I did a workout...for the first time all week since Monday!
I was surprised and thrilled to find that I haven't gained any weight, but it also made me think that maybe if I HAD worked I might have lost a couple pounds. OH WELL, I am not gonna dwell on it.
Tomorrow I am going to attempt the Jillian Michaels work out (YIKES!) and if all goes as planned I will continue doing it every other day. I am also seriously considering getting up early and taking a walk every morning. It's still a little cold here in the mornings but the ice is all melted off the sidewalks. I know next week will feel like starting all over but I need to get back into my routine.
Unfortunately because I was lazy all last week I also didn't do ANY homework. So this weekend I have to write a report and rewrite one (or both) of my short stories. Not too bad, but now I wish I would have just finished it earlier. Damn my procrastination!

I only have 9 pounds to lose to reach my goal. I wanted to be able to buy new clothes in May, do you think I can make it? We will see!

LOVE and HAPPINESS

This has been an incredibly LAZY week for me! I was going to blog about that and how I need to get out of this slump, but I kinda already did that on Wednesday. I told myself earlier this week that I could have one week to be lazy, we all need breaks once in awhile, right? So, starting on Monday (possible earlier if I am feeling up to it) I am going to get back into my health routine and start on taking vitamins. Though I haven't weighed myself in few days i don't think (fingers crossed) that I have gained much. I still don't have that "splooge" falling over my jeans that I had at the beginning of the year. I feel I owe this to the fact that I have cut back on packaged food, red meat and completely cut out white bread and pasta. Even though I have been lazy, minus some cookies, I have stayed pretty good on eating. So it wasn't a complete step backwards.

So Sarah and Brooke both blogged today about things they loved or made them happy. I think this is an amazing idea and I think we should all do this every Friday, just to remind us that losing weight/being healthy isn't the only thing we talk about.So I am going to make a list of the things that make me happy, too!




Number one is my daughter, Harliegh. I can't help but be happy around her. She makes me smile, even in my worst moments. She is so smart and beautiful. I can't help it...she is the best thing to ever happen to me and I am one proud mama!





My Husband, Tyler. He really is a great husband and father. Very supportive in anything I ever do. I am so grateful to have him!





My family. Yep, all five sisters and one brother. We can be a little hard on each other sometimes but I love them all dearly!



My pets, Oscar (pictured) and my cat Vicious. They can be annoying but I love them!


My FRIENDS:
Sarah: I am so glad that we have gotten to be friends! Sometimes I turn on my computer just hoping you will be there for me to talk to. It's too bad we didn't get to be friends when we lived in the same state. I know we will be friends for a long time.

Nathalie: I considered you one of my best friends in 8th-10th grade. I am sad we lost touch, but I am glad we found each other and can share our lives in some way. Hooray for old friends!

My friend Jessica, she doesn't read this but she has been my best friend since third grade and I am glad we still remain friends.

My friend Jade, for giving me someone local to hang out with and talk Mommy talk every once in a while.

All my other friends, new and old, who I didn't mention. It's always great to have a friend. This includes Brooke, who I have never actually meant but I would love to get to know and hang out with. Brooke, you seem to have a great, positive personality. Just the type of person I like to surround my life with. Hopefully we will have the chance to meet someday.

Other things that make me happy:

SUMMER!!! I can't wait for summer (I know I live in the wrong state)
Reading
Writing (refer to my new blog!)
Taking long baths (while reading, of course)
Pandora Radio (I swear Pandora knows my mood at all times and knows just the perfect song to play)



So everyone, have a happy and healthy weekend. I will try my best to get back on track!

Man, I am in a funk this week! This can be from a number of factors: recovering from being sick last week, recovering from my sister and nephew visiting, my "friend" is here this week, I have been reading a book I CANNOT put down, I am mentally exhausted from school, I am getting used to not working out. I don't know...I just can't shake it. I forced myself to do 20 minutes of yoga on Monday, yesterday I couldn't even talk myself into a workout. Today I am tired and I went to bed early! Of course, I didn't sleep well, but I never really do. I can already tell that I will desperately want a nap today :(. The positive thing is on Monday and Tuesday, Harliegh and I got outside for a walk, so I have been a little active at least!

So I think I have decided to give myself a break so I can "refresh". I am going to set a goal to do 20 minutes of yoga a day and to go out for a walk when the weather permits. I am going to take a nap if I need it because I think my body is telling me I need more sleep. I am going to load up on water, because lethargy can be a sign of dehydration. I am going to work on getting caught up on housework since I got behind last week. I am going to set my goal to get back into full workout mode by Sunday, but if I feel like it sooner I will. I also want to start taking some vitamins.

If you haven't checked yet, I started a new blog on reading and writing. If you are interested click here. Leave some comments!

Happy March!

Happy March!

It is beautiful today up in Minnesota! 33 degrees and the sun is out! So Harliegh and I decided to take a walk. We ended up walking around for
about 20 minutes, even though it was limited as to where we could walk since there is still a ton of snow and ice. I took pictures to share with you our
first real walk of 2010. Yep...that's A LOT of snow! But that is a HUGE improvement over what it was only a few weeks ago! I did take measurements today, but like I thought, there has been no change. Oh well. I will post new measurements on the 15th of March. MARCH....that sounds great doesn't it? April will sound even better!

Negativity

Ok, so I realize today is weigh-in today and I will post my measurements later,though I am not expecting anything, especially since my "friend" just arrived.

I just wanted to say a little something inspired by Sarah's blog rant. If you haven't read it...read it now!

Every woman is different and we should embrace that beauty!

When you look at models in magazines and television, remind yourself that they are most likely NOT healthy and they are FAKE. Seriously, if we all had a team of make-up artists, hairstylists, people dressing us and even more people fixing every flaw on a computer, we would probably look just as good as them. What makes me sick is when they put a super-skinny model on a page advertising plus-size women...what's wrong with you people?

Let the industry do what they want, they are made on a bunch of LIES. But what we need to work on is acceptance of other normal woman. What I mean is...we all need to realize that every woman's body is different. We need to be happy with who we are. We need to stop judging other woman. Now, I admit, it really bothers me when a person is very unhealthy and they don't seem to care about their own HEALTH. But everyone should be happy with their bodies and want to be healthy.
This is what I mean.
As most of you know, I am a small person naturally.Don't hate me...that's just my body, but that doesn't mean I haven't had problems with weight recently. Now, I was TINY in high school. I didn't break 100 pounds until my senior year and I wore a size 0-3. I HATED IT. But I was healthy, seriously, I ate normally, I just was very thin. Well, even at that size I was made fun of. People made jokes about me being anorexic or bulimic, they joked that you couldn't see me if I stood a certain way, they called me skeleton, they called me flat-chested. Seems to me that if you want to be "perfect" you had to be right smack in the damn middle, and how many people actually are? I hated the way I looked back then, I was so self-conscious. I made it a point to eat a ton of food when I was in public, and then I made sure I didn't got to the bathroom after I ate for fear that people would say I was puking.
After high school, I started gaining weight, at a healthy pace. It was just time catching up with me and my metabolism slowing down. I was around 135 and I was finally starting to feel comfortable in my skin. Then different comments came, my friends who knew me in high school started pointing out that I had "put on a little weight". One friend took one look at my tiny little muffin top rolling over my bikini and snorted, saying "Wow, Quinn, you have put on some weight. You need to start working out or something." This was at 135 pounds!
About 3 months after I had my baby I started putting on weight rapidly due to a crappy little birth control pill I started. After I had Harliegh, I walked out of the hospital at 145 pounds. But then I rocketed up to close to 180 at my heaviest. For the first time in my life, I was in the "obese" range. Then the comments really started "Quinn is not so skinny anymore" "You can't shop in the Jr's section anymore, better hit the plus-size" "We are going to have to start calling you hips instead of Skeleton, now" "you need a new bra, your boobs are starting to sag now"
Thanks people. Thanks.
Why do people have to be so negative? Now I am finally starting to get back to a good weight for me. I am toning up and notice changes in every aspect of my life, even when the weight doesn't move. I decided that I need to be happy with me. I wish I could make everyone see that those negative comments don't help. It just makes you look like a stuck-up, judgmental bitch. But we all know those voices are out there.

So put those voices in a corner...shoot them in the head...and live your life. Be happy. Be Healthy. And love your body, love your shape. There will always be someone out there who will feed you negativity...no matter what your size is.
So just be beautiful. and don't judge others (I know you don't...)