I "TRI"'d it

So this morning I participated in my first ever triathalon! (By the way, I find the picture above to be a tad "scary"). I can't even begin to describe how HUGE of an event this was for me; it's not even been a year since I decided to get up off my hind end and do something about my weight. If you asked me then if I would have been doing this today, I would have thought you were nuts.

I did very well in the swimming portion of the race and I was the first woman to finish in my heat. I didn't fully anticipate the "moving" from one event to the next so biking in a wet swimsuit was a little "odd" to say the least. Rich was my cheerleader and lap counter and was even so kind to hand me my sports bra and top as I ran by each lap.

It also helped to have a great playlist on my iPod for the race. I biked to "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi and "How Far We've Come" by Matchbox 20. During the run, I know there was "shine" by the Newsboys and "Dive" by Steven Curtis Chapman. The whole race actually went a lot quicker than even I thought it would and I am pretty sure my swim and run times were personal bests. I ended up finishing in just a shade over 40 minutes - not bad for a former couch potato.

Of course, all this would not be possible without given glory to God. As it says in Ephesians 3:20 (NLT) "Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope." My prayer for each and every one of you is that He work his power in you!

New Year/New Me

Wow! 2008! I remember when I used to laugh at high school letterman's jackets with '00 on the sleeve. It made my '92 seem like a breeze! Of course, now we're not quite but almost to the end of a decade. Time really does fly!

For the first time in ages, my new year's resolution does not involve losing weight. For the first time in my life that I can remember, I am actually in my "ideal" weight range for my frame size. Again, I never thought I'd see that day happen. Of course, some of my new year's resolutions are health related - I need to maintain my weight and tone up. I am not going to let this hard work go to waste.

Along with physical exercise, how about some spiritual exercise? I am making a consistent effort to study the Word every day and Ian and I have also started a family devotional which will hopefully help him develop great disciplines.

Oh, and I've also resolved to make real efforts to do things I have never before in my life. The first of these will take place on Sunday, February 24th. I will be participating in my first triathalon. Granted, it's an indoor triathalon, but who would have thought this former couch potato would ever have undertaken such an event. I'm training now and it is whooping my booty but I can't wait to cross the finish line!

Bring it on, Winter!

Today is really the first day I have to acknowledge that perhaps winter is finally coming to northeast Wisconsin. The temperature in the car read 39 degrees shortly before noon today so I doubt it will be getting much warmer. I even saw a flurry or two in the air this morning. But, one thing that makes me incredibly happy despite the colkd and thoughts of snow is the fact that Starbucks has brought out their holiday drinks and my favorite from last season, the gingerbread latte, is not only back, but available in a sugar free version!

So today Kyra and I stopped in for my morning protein "snack". Hey, it may be coffee, but it's made with milk! I was almost, but not quite yet, ready to hear some Christmas carols in the background.

A good problem to have, I guess

So I am now in week #3 of this weight loss cycle. I got out the goal pants yesterday and I can say that while I can get them over my hips AND even buttoned and zippered, I still have about a week or two before I would consider being at "goal". That being said, I am now at a point where my current size is now a little too "big" but the next "goal" size isn't comfortable yet. Makes one kind of wish for "half" sizes.

A New Pair of "Goal" Pants

So, yesterday we finished up our first cycle of Lean for Life. I even managed to lose 3 more pounds during my two weeks of maintenance bringing my total weight loss for the phase to 18 pounds.

Today we begin the cycle again. The first part of this plan is always a little difficult to tackle because it's three straight days of nothing but protein. Strangely, I am not really hungry when doing this, but it does leave a little to be desired in terms of meal variety. I mean, there's not too many ways to pretty up a chunk of meat on a plate. But, this is what "kick starts" the plan into action and who I am I to judge when I get such good results.

Each time I begin a new cycle, I review how the last cycle went and if I met any goals. Well, of course I met the weight loss goal, but I also now fit into a pair of pants that I haven't worn in probably about six months. So, I now am going to dig through my closet and find a new pair of "goal" pants. This will be another size down from my former "goal" pants. I am also going to make a conscious effort to exercise more. I figure I lost weight the last cycle with some exercise, but not nearly what I should have been doing to really keep my "furnace" burning. So, this morning, I woke up at 6:15 and went for a 30 minute brisk walk. I was amazed at how much ground I covered when I'm not stopping every two feet to look at a dandelion or pinecone (though I do very much enjoy my walks with Kyra). We'll see how I do in the next 4-6 weeks. If I get the chance, I'll have Rich take a picture of me in my "old" jeans.

Not all soy nuts are created equal

One of the protein snacks that I periodically munch on is soy nuts. Granted, they aren't peanuts, but they satisfy that crunchy, salty craving I sometimes get. We ran out of the brand that we had been using over the weekend, so I was at Fleet Farm (yes, I have turned "Wisconsin") and picked up one of their bulk bags. I don't quite understand exactly how soy nuts can vary from brand to brand, but these are definitely not going to make their way back into my cart again.

Meal Plan Monday

Last week, I did fairly well with my meal plan. I stuck with it every day except for Wednesday which I had forgotten that I had an eye appointment and Ian had baseball practice. This week is also a little different. It is the last week of our "Maintenance Phase" before we hit the plan again starting on Monday. As a result, we are going to "splurge" a little bit towards the end of the week and have a couple of evenings out. So, here we go:

Monday (Protein Day): Honey Mustard Pork Medallions
Tuesday: Crock Pot Roast Beef
Wednesday: BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza
Thursday: Cilantro Lime Halibut
Friday: Dinner out
Saturday: BBQ at friends house
Sunday: FREE DAY

My head is shrinking

Last night I went into the office to catch up on a couple of tapes. I was getting mildly annoyed because my earphones kept falling out. I haven't really had much of a problem with this in the past. Upon further examination, I realized that my head size must also be decreasing because of the weight loss - not a bad problem to have, but it will be frustrating until I get a new pair of ear phones!

I made it through!

Yesterday was the last day of my 4-week weight loss cycle with . I now am beginning two weeks of "metabolic adjustment" which basically means gradually getting my body used to my new weight. Which through four weeks, I have lost approximately 15 pounds (not knowing what my true "start weight" was because I didn't actually go buy a scale until two days into it). Since this isn't my first time on this plan (the first time was pre-Kyra), I knew it would work but I still get amazed at seeing the numbers drop so quickly. In fact, I have a couple pairs of jeans that I can no longer wear. I've still got quite a journey to go to get back to my pre-baby weight, but at least it's a start and I'm determined to maintain my focus!

That was tasty

Even though I like how I feel when I am on this plan, I sometimes feel like I get in a "rut" and make myself the same things over and over again, especially for lunch. What even complicates matters more is that I am not a very good vegetable eater, so this plan is particularly challenging at times when it comes to "mixing it up".

So today I went back to an old stand-by for this plan. Take 1 boneless chicken breast and place it in a greased baking dish. Drizzle it with a thicker teriyaki sauce (I prefer Tastefully Simple Honey Teriyaki, myself) and then top with 2 cups of sliced mushrooms. Drizzle mushrooms with Teriyaki. Put it in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Mmmmmm, yummy!

(The 2 cups of mushrooms may seem like a lot, but they do shrink down when you cook them)

At the half way point

I have now been back on the "plan" for two weeks now. I start week 3 today of the 4 week cycle. Then it is two weeks of "maintenance" to get my body used to the new weight or "set point". I can honestly say it hasn't been horrid (though it wasn't the last time either). I am losing weight and inches. I didn't weigh myself on the first day, but since I did start weighing myself, I am down about 8 pounds total. Not bad for two weeks. If I could keep up this pace, I'd be at my goal by November. I'm sure I will hit a plateau or two, but all in all, I am quite happy especially when I am wearing some jeans comfortably that were just a litte too tight a few weeks ago.

Seriously, I am not trying to sabatoge myself!

If you were to walk into my house right now, you may think I have just thrown my diet out the window as there are the most wonderful smells emanating from my kitchen. In fact, I am making one of my all-time favorites: Carmelitas. But, even though these are oh-so-tasty, these puppies are headed for the Forest Lakes District Conference being held at Hope Community Church this weekend. Pastors and members of their congregations from our district will be headed to our church this weekend and we are trying to feed them all. I figured a little bit of sinfulness wouldn't hurt them!

Here's the recipe for those of you interested. It's super simple:

2 cups quick oats
1.5 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed firm
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 jar (12 oz.) caramel ice cream topping
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts or peanuts

Preheat oven to 350. Combine oast, flour, brown sugar and baking soda. Add melted butter and mix until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of the crumble mixture and set aside. Press the rest of the crumble mixture in the bottom of a 9"x13" pan. Bake for 15 minutes. While the crust is baking, combine the flour and caramel topping. Remove the crust from oven and pour caramel mixture over the top. Use a spatula to spread it out if necessary. Top caramel with nuts, followed by chocolate chips. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of crumble mixture on top of everything else and return the pan to the oven for another 15-18 minutes. Remove when gold and bubbly. Cool completely. Makes about 24 decent size bars, but I usually cut them smaller because they are really rich.

Enjoy!

That's a lot of sugar!

I am now in the habit of checking SlickDeals.net daily after I found an awesome offer on there for ShoeBuy.com. But today (4/10/07) one of the postings leaves me in a quandry. According to one of the "deals" one can get 12 pounds of gummy bears for the measly sum of $22.00 at a shop on Amazon.com. Now, I am a gummy candy afficinado; that being said - 12 pounds is an awful lot of sugar! I think I shall have to pass on this "deal" considering it would ultimately conflict with my lower carb diet. What does one do with 12 pounds of gummy bears?