Fitbit Fluctuations

I don't deal well with change ... I'd still probably be using shiftF8 for computer functions if technological improvements weren't forced upon me.  I've acclimated to email and even texting, although I remember a time I was sure I didn't need either one. I wasn't thrilled when Facebook switched to the timeline, but I'm used to it now. I resisted digital photography and ereaders ... now I sing their praises.  Anyway, when Fitbit rolled out its new dashboard, I really wasn't interested. 

The old dashboard view is pictured above.

The new dashboard view is pictured below.  

You can see it actually has the same information for the most part (some of the information like food and sleep WAS also shown on the original dashboard, just further down than I grabbed on my screen capture). One of the nice things about this new dashboard is that all these tiles are adjustable. You can move them around to suit you, deleting any you don't want, moving what is important to you front and center. Given the choice, I wasn't going to make the switch, but new users (my son and my dad) were automatically signed up for the new dashboard.  As I'd try to compare my day to theirs (what can I say, we are a competitive family) it was a little hard, with the different visual formats.

So I switched. Being an "old" user, I still have the option to switch back, but I don't know how long that will be the case. I'm adjusting to the new look. While the actual numbers (steps, calories burned, floors climbed) are the same on either dashboard, the daily graph (set to steps or calories burned) does have a different look. The activity spikes while similar, aren't quite the same.  If you go to the (also updated) activity page, I can get a look more similar to the original ...

But it still isn't quite the same.

For some reason, I really miss my spikes being pink!

The other thing I really miss (the old dashboard had it, but the new one does not seem to show this anywhere) is the pie chart of my time ... this was the only chart to incorporate the sedentary time (visually) with the lightly, fairly/moderately and very active times.  

I remember having a couple competitions with Fitbit friends. The challenge was to keep the sedentary to half a pie or less.  The new look shows the info over time ... but there's no pie.

I know I could crunch the numbers and calculate my sedentary time ... but I don't like math, and that would mean MORE sedentary time while I figured it all out. It was much easier for me just to look at my daily pie; it was much easier for me to "see" presented that way.

For now, I guess I have the luxury of switching in-between the old and new.

I can have the new dashboard ... and my pie too!

Smart Scale (Fitbit Aria)

Through high school and the first fourteen years of marriage ... I never really stepped on the scale. I just felt that some weight gain through the years (and having five babies) was inevitable. During my pregnancies, I didn't pay much attention to weight gain either ... I really couldn't tell you what I gained or weighed at any point. 

Then ... May 2006. I lost 20 pounds quick and easy and without even trying (yes, there was some stress at that time). But that 20 pound loss ... it changed everything! I felt like losing WAS possible, and I could already see a change at that point. It gave me the motivation to keep going. I lost 30 more pounds over the next couple of months and I reached my goal weight. During THIS time ... I stepped on the scale everyday, sometimes multiple times a day. I've stepped on a scale pretty much every day since.

You can see (in the picture above), I had an old analog scale. Through the years, I upgraded to a newer, digital scale. But when Fitbit recently added a scale to their line of products, I felt like I needed to upgrade once again. Like the Fitbit, the Aria connects wirelessly to the Fitbit Dashboard. Now I can't tell you how many times I would step on the scale first thing in the morning, and by the time I dressed and went to my desk to write down the numbers~ they had slipped from my mind. And while I did enter the numbers (that I remembered *Ü*) into my excel spreadsheet with all my stats, I would seldom actually update the Fitbit website with my changing weight. The Aria does it all ... and includes a body fat reading as well as body weight.

Now the Aria IS pricey ... $130.  But, it's been worth it to me. My Fitbit Dashboard is now completely up to date. The weight is updated daily, and this also transfers to MFP, which updates my weight loss there. Since I have been tracking food on MFP, and making sure I'm staying below my Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) the scale HAS been moving in the right direction too. I've never tracked my body fat before, and while it's still too high, it too is getting lower. 

I've also connected my Aria to Trendweight.com ... so my daily weigh-in is also transferred to that site and the many cool graphs and data it provides.

I didn't discover this website until a few weeks ago, but because of the wireless connection, TrendWeight was able to get ALL the data from the scale, from when I first got it in January. I'm also signed up for a couple rewards sites, and one of those gives points for daily weight and body fat weigh-ins, so the Aria gives me extra points there each day as well. 

I DO still have my old analog scale sitting in the bathroom downstairs ... I hope to be able to recreate the "goal weight" picture at the top of this blog post. 

Step History ...

... I've tracked my daily steps for YEARS. I started in 2006, and in December of 2008, I joined a site called Walker Tracker, a social site for tracking steps and connecting with other pedometer people. There are competitions, and that was a big motivation for me then (I've gotten less competitive through the years).  In 2009 and 2010 I'd hit 30K days with regularity. Twice I topped 40K. Walker Tracker has a lot of nice graphs too. The graph above is a pretty good visual representation of my past year. In 2011 and 2012, I had been staying pretty close to my revised goal of 20K a day. I got a little discouraged around Oct/Nov ... my activity went down. My weight went up. It was mid-May when I joined MFP and started tracking food. I also upped my activity again. You can see my June and July jump ... I plan on keeping it up there!

Just a few more numbers from past years ...
2012 average of 16,305
2011 average of 19,902
2010 average of 25,503
2009 average of 25,161 

Motivational Monday - Magic Pill

... I know most people hate Mondays. I am not one of them. I LOVE Mondays. The weekends are my challenge. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are a break from my weekday routine. It's harder to eat good, harder to fit in the exercise.  For the past several years, I've called them "wicked weekends" and I dread stepping on the scale Monday morning. But ... it does provide me with some motivation to get back at it. After a weekend I am actually excited to get back at it! Five days until official "weigh-in" day (on Friday, BEFORE another weekend). 

Since joining MFP and tracking calories, I've had "better" weekends ... but I still slip. Going out to the movies, a dinner date with hubby, or family parties ... it's really hard to keep things in check. I'm SO grateful I've seen success so far. I know how easy it is to lose motivation when you don't see results. But I know I can do this. I did it once before. I know I can do it again. 

I'd only been giving 10% before ... I have been keeping up with the exercise. Trying to "out cardio my calories".  The problem is, if you aren't logging your food, do you really know how many calories you are eating? Believe me, start tracking and you will be so surprised at how quickly they add up.  Admittedly, I'm taking baby steps. Right now, I'm simply counting calories, keeping track ... I have not moved into the "healthy eating" per say (I've got some eating issues that I'll address at some point). Baby steps *Ü*

Tracking Sleep

I pretty much wear my Fitbit 24/7 (I do take it off for showers and use that time to recharge the battery). When it's time for bed, I keep my Fitbit on me.  I sleep with it on, not only to catch any odd steps during the night, but because it has a sleep function as well as a step function. I don't know how accurate it is, but it is interesting. 

As the graph indicates, the blue is sleeping (or at least very still and unmoving), and the pink is awake (or restless). An actual spike means I got up and walked for a minute (potty run). Now the BIG pink area around 3:30 in the morning is NOT normal for me! That only happens when stupid teenagers decide to doorbell ditch us. And I got a few steps in as I had to go outside and put out the fire that they started on the front porch (and as it would happen our front door was stuck and so I had to go out the back and walk around the house to do it!) Could not get back to sleep for a while ...

This is a little more "normal" ... hubby is off early, so I usually wake up, but don't quite make it out of bed for a bit. I know, I should just get up and get going on my day!  There are two settings for sleep (normal or sensitive ... try which seems to work best for you). There is a sleeve included to wear your Fitbit on your wrist. I just clip it to my jammie top.  My son sleeps with his clipped to his boxers.

But back to the Fitbit as a sleep tracker. I didn't think I would use this feature, but I've really enjoyed having the feedback. I always thought I went to sleep earlier than I actually do. It's interesting to see the trends (going to bed/getting up) and getting an idea of how much actual sleep time I get. When we splurged on a Fitbit for my 14-year old, I was going to suggest the less expensive Zip. It does not track sleep. The boys had already rushed off to the store and purchased the One before I mentioned the Zip option, but my son has enjoyed the sleep feedback more than I would have thought (and as a parent it's fun for me to point out just how much he is sleeping in this summer!). As my parents bought Fitbits as well, one of the things they were looking forward to MOST from the device was the sleep feedback.

With the new dashboard, there are new, weekly reports of the sleep graph.

They look like this (above).

You still get the look pictured at the top if you go to the Log/Sleep area.

... so if you were considering a Fitbit and wanted an idea of what some of the feedback looked like, there you go. There are a couple other graphs too, showing some of the same info over time (hours asleep over the past 30 days, etc.). My Fitbit is mainly for steps and counting calories burned throughout the day, but I appreciate the night feedback as well!

Blister on a Baby Toe

Toes are NOT the most attractive body part, so I apologize in advance for this lovely picture  *Ü* My poor little baby toe ... I don't know if maybe I shift my foot wrong in my shoe or what, but I always seem to rub myself into a blister here. This first appeared June 8, as I jogged the track during #3's basketball game (well, it wasn't the first time, as this is a trouble spot for me, but I hadn't really had a problem in recent months, probably because I hadn't spent a lot of time in shoes ... I wear slippers on my elliptical). The blister fades a bit after my workout, but when I put on my running shoes (and I have a few different pair I try to alternate between in case it is the shoe) for a longer length of time (say an hour) then it reappears ...

Day to Day (July2013)

July 1 (Monday) Good day. Weight 169.2. Fitbit steps 30660. Total burn 3431. Calories in 2300. Calories out 1600 Exercise was 90minElliptical, 38minBike, 30DS1.1 and jogged the track during the boy's basketball practice. I forgot my HRM, dang it! About 9000 steps, so a little over 4 miles in the hour. Unfortunately there is a class going on right then, made the track very crowded. If it wasn't 100° outside I would have just jogged the park instead. Eating was a hearty breakfast of French Toast and milk. Quite a few snacks throughout the day. Skipped dinner. 

July 2 (Tuesday) Good Day. Weight 167.5 Fitbit steps 31912. Total burn 3653. Calories in 2000. Calories out 1850. Exercise consisted of 100minElliptical, 37minBike, 30DS1.2, some ping pong and jogging the track during the boy's basketball game (4 miles, 483 calories, I did remember the HRM today). Eating consisted of cold cereal, fiber one bar, tortilla chips and spaghetti dinner. Some snacks too. 

July 3 (Wednesday) OK day. Weight 166.5. Fitbit steps 24300. Total burn 3237. Calories in 2875. Calories out 1447. Exercise credit from 100minElliptical, 37min/10milesBike, 30DS1.3, and I mowed the lawn. Eating added up with French Toast for breakfast, Fried Chicken and Yellow Rice for dinner ... and lots of snacks. I was HUNGRY today. Maybe feeling a little justified after the past two days. 

July 4 (Thursday) Bad day (eating/exercise wise) Weight 167.8 Fitbit steps 5497 Total burn 2093. Calories in 2600 (and I got sloppy, might have been higher). Calories out ... 300 (no dedicated exercise, this was the Fitbit adjustment on MFP). Up early and off to the lake for wave running.  Stopped at Maga's on the way home. So mostly sitting and snacking all day. Supervising sparklers in the evening. 

July 5 (Friday) OK Day. Weight 168.4  Fitbit steps 18824   Total burn 2856. Calories in 2200. Calorie burn 1050. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 30DS1.4 + 35minPingPong. Eating: Small breakfast, then nothing until over eating at the movies (popcorn/candy) ... did not feel great that evening.

July 6 (Saturday) Good Day. Weight 167.9 Fitbit steps 22416. Total burn 2850. Calories in 1800. Calorie burn 1050. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 30DS1.5, 40min/2.5milesTreadmill (10min10%incline, Intervals for the rest). Eating: late/small breakfast, Tepanyaki for dinner. Just a couple snacks.  Hubby took the kids to a movie, I begged off, so as not to eat popcorn/candy again and got in a workout during that time instead. Hubby and I did go out to dinner at Tepanyaki, but I had calories set aside and rice/steak/salmon isn't too bad.

July 7 (Sunday) OK Day. Weight 166.7. Fitbit steps 12826. Total burn 2464. Calories in 2000. Calorie burn 670. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 10minWiiFit, 15minPingPong. Eating: Sunday Circles for breakfast (didn't eat a whole waffle though). Crock pot roast beef. Homemade oreos ... ** Rude awakening at 3:00 with stupid teens doorbell ditching the house. Couldn't get back to sleep.

July 8 (Monday) Good Day. Weight 166.8. Fitbit steps 32086. Total burn 3361. Calories in 2150. Calorie burn 1550. Exercise: 100minElliptical, 30DS1.6, 50min/3.5milesTrack. Decent food day for the morning/afternoon. Overdid it on orange rolls for dinner...but they were yummy!

July 9 (Tuesday) Good Day. Weight 166.3. Fitbit steps 27641. Total burn 3309. Calories in 2400. Calorie burn 1500. Exercise: 80minElliptical, 38minBike, 30DS1.7, 60min/4miles Track. Jogged during the boy's basketball game. Seemed a bit behind all day, after sleeping in and starting late. Not a great eating day. The orange rolls were still around. The kids wanted toasted cheese (and I had one too), and hubby made his yummy popcorn. But hopefully the activity offset the eating.

July 10 (Wednesday) Pretty Good Day. Weight 166.3. Fitbit steps 25464. Total burn 3113. Calories in 2200. Calorie burn 1300. Exercise: 120minElliptical, 30DS1.8 + bowling with the boys. Did good on eating until the evening when I grabbed breads from Little Caesars and made brownies.

July 11 (Thursday) Pretty Good Day. Weight 166.3. Fitbit steps 22357. Total burn 3029. Calories in 2100. Calorie burn 1200. Exercise: 100minElliptical, 30DS1.9, 38minBike(10miles). Too many calories in the snack section (but I did have to have some of the lemon jello cake I made). **tom

July 12 (Friday) Ok Day. Weight 166.8. Fitbit steps 19547. Total burn 2799. Calories in 2220. Calories burned 1000. Exercise: 100minElliptical, 30DS1.10 Eating: Cold cereal, French Toast for dinner. Quite a few snacks.  **tom

July 13 (Saturday) OK day. Weight 166.3. Fitbit steps 22639. Total burn 2845. Calories in 2800. Calories burned 1050. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 45min/3.5milesTrack ... would have done more but had to come down when #3 took a hard hit during the basketball game. Not a good eating day ... stopped at Dunford for donuts, and went to a movie in the evening.  **tom

July 14 (Sunday) Bad day. Weight 166.8. Fitbit steps 2325. Total burn 1773. Calories in 1800. Calories burned 0. Woke up not feeling well and stayed in bed almost the whole day. Did feel a bit better by evening, enough to partake of hubby's BBQ dinner.

July 15 (Monday) Good Day. Weight 166.9. Fitbit steps 25152. Total burn 3187. Calories in 1700. Calories burned 1400. Exercise: 120minElliptical, 37minBike, 30DS2.1, 15minWiiFit. Change up to Level 2 on 30DS ... whew! This level has some different, awkward moves. Hoped to jog the track today as the boys had basketball practice, but #3 wanted to come home right after. Eating: Made waffles (usually make them on Sunday but hadn't felt up to it yesterday) ... I thought I'd come in high starting with a big breakfast,  but didn't eat too much the rest of the day. It felt good to keep calories lower. Did feel fine today after yesterday's sickness.

July 16 (Tuesday) Good Day. Weight 165.8. Fitbit steps 28522. Total burn 3297. Calories in 2000. Calories burned 1500. Exercise: 80minElliptical, 30DS2.2, 37minBike, 55min/4milesTrack. Eating: French Toast for dinner ...

July 17 (Wednesday) Good Day. Weight 165.0. Fitbit steps 27780. Total burn 3410. Calories in 1550. Calories burned 1500. Exercise: 120minElliptical, 30DS2.3, 37minBike. Not sure why(how) I kept the eating so low, grazed throughout the day and that seemed to do the trick.

July 18 (Thursday) Pretty Good Day. Weight 164.5. Fitbit steps 22625. Total burn 3060. Calories consumed 1850. Calorie credit 1200. Exercise: 120minElliptical. Eating: Cold cereal & watermelon for breakfast. Dinner was a bit bigger, leftovers from Sunday's steak. Still too many snacks. Day Notes: It was a disjointed day ... a Dr appointment in the morning (my annual physical, all looks good), chauffeuring kids and we had repairmen around the house much of the day, finishing up the a/c install from a few weeks ago. Didn't get my 30DS in, I'll have to make it up on Saturday to stay on schedule.

July 19 (Friday) Good Day. Weight 164.5. Fitbit steps 24319. Total burn 3057. Calories consumed 2050. Calorie credit 1250. Exercise: 90minElliptical, 30DS2.4, LawnMow (45min, it was HOT and the grass was long, I had to go over much of the yard twice, 258 per HRM, not sure if that is accurate for this activity, just left the Fitbit estimate which was 206). Eating: the boys requested "French Toast Friday" for breakfast, #4 and I had some popcorn chicken and an ice cream cone while shopping. 700CEC. Day Notes: I had been worried about getting my 30DS in, as we had a funeral for a neighbor then waverunning. #4 didn't care to go, so I stayed home with him.

July 20 (Saturday) Pretty Good Day. Weight 165.4. Fitbit steps 27312. Total burn 3152. Calories consumed 2700. Calorie credit 1350. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 30DS2.5, 75min/5miles Track during the boy's basketball game. Didn't eat much in the morning, then hubby and I went out to Johnny Carinos in the evening. Had a couple mozzarella cheese sticks (logs!) and chicken alfredo (did bring half home).  Hubby had stopped earlier in the day and brought home cheese cake (from The Cheesecake Factory).  I'm not a huge fan and won't eat most flavors, but this was plain ... and good. Dinner and dessert ... high calorie count!

July 21(Sunday) Ok Day. Weight 165.8. Fitbit steps 13858. Total burn 2497. Calories consumed 2300. Calorie credit 710. Exercise: 60minElliptical, Walk to/from church. Eating: Sunday circles for breakfast. Day Notes: Made rice krispie treats for hubby to take as a treat, then they weren't needed and the entire pan was home all day to temp me! Also made homemade oreos in the evening.

July 22 (Monday) Ok Day. Weight 166.2. Fitbit steps 14678. Total burn 2563. Calories consumed 2300. Calorie credit 770. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 30DS 2.6. Eating: Skipped breakfast, snacked on popcorn. Market Street (fish and chips) for dinner. Day Notes: Friends in town, so we met up with them at JumpN Bounce for several hours, then a late dinner out with hubby.

July 23 (Tuesday) Good Day. Weight 166.6. Fitbit steps 27003. Total burn 3282. Calories consumed 2000. Calorie credit 1500. Exercise: 70minElliptical, 30DS2.7, 75min/5.5miles Track. Eating: Made snickerdoodles, ate snickerdoodles, but didn't eat a whole lot else, no real meals. Day Notes: Had our friends over (thus the making of cookies) to hang out for a few hours, but did get in some workouts and the boys had basketball in the evening. I would NOT have gotten in that much exercise that late without that! It was the final game though, I'll miss the basketball "push" ...

July 24 (Wednesday) Ok Day. Weight 165. Fitbit steps 11800. Total burn 2373. Calories consumed 2200. Calorie credit 580. Exercise: 40minElltiptical and hike up/down the beach. Eating:  Lots of beach treats (chips, tootsie rolls, Snickerdoodles AGAIN!) Day Notes: State holiday, so family fun at the beach. We'd been a little worried about the weather but it turned out so nice. Got in some exercise to start/finish the day. I actually forgot my Fitbit (and Omron broken) so I didn't have it during the trip. #2 had his, so I wore it (as I wasn't really going in the water) and manually added the steps. Wasn't feeling great in the evening ...

July 25 (Thursday) Good Day. Weight 166.5. Fitbit steps 23848. Total burn 3144. Calories consumed 1600. Calorie credit 1350. Exercise: 100minElliptical. 37min/10milesBike. 30DS2.8.  Eating: Some snacking early in the day. Chinese for dinner ... how many calories are in the sweet and sour chicken withOUT the sauce?

July 26 (Friday) Good Day. Weight 165.2. Fitbit steps 25060. Total burn 3290. Calories consumed 2200. Calorie credit 1500. Exercise: 120minElliptical. 37/10milesBike, 30DS2.9.  Eating: Mainly snacking/grazing throughout the day. Had some bread from LittleCasears for lunch, leftover roast beef for dinner. DayNotes: Went in for my annual mammogram today, it was quick. Stopped at the store and had some chauffeur duty. Ping pong table came out today but my partner #3 was sick so I didn't get any games in.

July 27 (Saturday) Ok Day. Weight 164.2. Fitbit steps 27350. Total burn 3132. Calories consumed 2700. Calorie credit 1350. Exercise: 120minElliptical, 30DS 2.10, Lawn mow and some ping pong.  Eating: Started the day with a Dunford Donut ... or two. That's a ton of calories right there. Hubby suggested a mini dessert date in the evening, but I didn't have any calories to spare! I'm glad I got my one game on Ping Pong in because the boys put the projector screen up again, dang it!

July 28 (Sunday) Ok Day. Weight 164.7. Fitbit steps 19745. Total burn 2792. Calories consumed 2800. Calorie credit 1000. Exercise: 100minElliptical ... the last 20 minutes was done at 10:00 at night after feeling guilty about my day and trying to at least break even. Did walk to church as well (would have walked home, but it was raining). Eating: Belgian waffle breakfast. Some cinnamon rolls for lunch. Made stroganoff, but I just ate plain roast beef. The family expects homemade oreos ...

July 29 (Monday) Good Day. Weight 164.7. Fitbit steps 26116. Total burn 3247. Calories consumed 2050. Calorie credit 1467. Exercise: 120minElliptical, 39minBike, 30DS3.1 Eating: Didn't eat too much during the day. Haystacks for dinner. Lemon Jello Cake for dessert.

July 30 (Tuesday) Ok Day. Weight 164.0. Fitbit steps 17388. Total burn 2712. Calories consumed 2100. Calorie credit 936. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 30DS 3.2. Day Notes: Took the kids to a waterpark, so a lot of sitting during the day ... also some snacking, although I don't think I did too bad. Admittedly I did not actually count how many tootsie rolls or weighed my chips ... made brownies after dinner (Mac&Cheese, high calorie!) but limited myself to just one.

July 31 (Wednesday) Good Day. Weight 164.4. Fitbit steps 27562. Total burn 3274. Calories consumed 2200. Calorie credit 1495. Exercise: 100minElliptical, 30min/2miles Treadmill, 37minBike, 30DS3.3 & 20min Ping Pong. Day Notes: A bit of a chaotic morning, as hubby and #2 got off to scout camp. #3 was going to go too, but had an anxiety attack about it and stayed home. I'd laid out Rhodes cinnamon rolls overnight, I ended up eating three of them throughout the day. The family still says they are not as good as the ones I make, so I will probably end up making some this weekend. Although exercise started slow, I got in quite a bit in the evening.

June ... Intake and Burn Graph

I love these graphs from Fitbit. Before I started using MFP though, I only had the burn line. No matter what it says, unless you have your INTAKE as well to compare, it really doesn't mean too much. As I had been gaining weight, even with a lot of activity, I must have been eating at the same level - or higher! Now I really try to keep those lines apart, and I was pretty successful this past month. Trouble spots were ...

• Over Oops at the first of the month. It was a Sunday (always hard) and some emotional eating.
• Whoops Weekend at the end of the month (not crossed but close). Movie on Friday, out to eat Saturday and Sunday ... Sundays are always a challenge.

Happy with the total burn average, and the average intake *Ü*

That is where I want them to be. 

Making Progress

When I started here a few weeks ago, my weight was 180 ... as I logged calories and controlled them, I dropped into the 170s. Today, it dropped a little, to 169.6. The change in that middle number is a big milestone. 10 pounds. Happy to be out of the 180s, 170s ... while my goal weight is 135ish, I sure hope I can keep this up to at least 155, which would at least get me out of the "overweight" category. I remember feeling pretty good about myself at 150, even on the way back up from being lower. Just trying to keep it realistic. 

I'm really happy I've been having so many good days. I think I've only gone over my goal ONE day since I started (and that was over my expenditure, not just over my decifit) . I'm not sure what it is.  In the past, I would only need to think the word "diet" and be starving ... and I'd alomst always give in to that. I always felt I had no willpower. My initial weight loss several years ago was almost a fluke ... seriously. 20 pounds fell off initially, then I did start eating "better" (still not good, but better *Ü*) and exercising to lose the additional 30. But it was not hard. Not like keeping it off, not like trying to lose after I'd gained again. While exercise has become a part of my life, I've never got a handle on my eating.

 I'm still not eating healthy ... I'm simply trying to control my calories at this point (maybe once I feel I really have it under control I can start looking at macros and moving to healthier options). I still struggle. Most days, even when I'm really trying, I can't keep calories under 2000 (they add up so fast when there are a lot of empty calories in there).  I'm really trying to pay attention, no mindless or emotional eating.  I have days where my hunger is no longer out of control even on a low calorie count day.

Add to that my exercise. I'm a bit crazy with my exercise ... although admittedly, I'm a little more into quantity than quality. I would feel guilty if I just sat down and watched tv ... but if I'm walking, or on the elliptical, I can justify it. I'm exercising! I love to read as well, but again, feel guilty spending too much time on novels ... but if I read while on the stationary bike, then I'm accomplishing two things at once! I don't do a lot of just sitting ... I don't know if I could do a desk job. I think I'd go crazy.   

... well, enought sitting down writing this up. Time to get back on the elliptical!

Day to Day (June2013)

June 1 (Saturday)

Sports Saturday! Started off with soccer for #5. It was his final game. He got two goals. A little later in the day we had back to back basketball for #2 and #3. I had to have my dad come help carpool one of the kids. They both won and both got some points. Nice to see #2 play again ... he's been out for a while with back to back broken bones (his right foot Sept2012, his left foot Jan2013).

Not a great eating day, although taking into account exercise credit I did manage to stay under goal. I had made some yummy rice krispie treats for hubby to take to a neighborhood carnival in the evening (while I was at basketball) and of course I snacked as I made them and had to taste test them ... and then he didn't end up taking them, so there were still around to temp me!

I got in an hour on the elliptical and 37min/10miles on the bike.

#2 beat me on steps (he ended up playing basketball at the park after the game and really racked up the steps!) 

June 2 (Sunday)

Sundays are hard ... today was hard. Ate too much (2725) and that WAS even with me recording everything and being aware. I actually did hold back a bit ... how many calories could I consume in the past when I was completely oblivious? It was a carb fest today ... I was so embarrased I put my food diary back to private (as I was feeling the urge to be dishonest in what I was putting down, and I can't do that!)

I had a bit of an emotional day, dealing with an issue that's coming up has me super stressed. Some Sundays I don't get in any cardio ... I did get an hour on the elliptical today, but it wasn't enough to combat the calories in (675 extra per the Fitbit for all the day's activity). Weight was up a bit from yesterday - technically I hadn't gone over yet. I wonder what the scale will say tomorrow after today ... 

June 3 (Monday)

Ok - Back on track after the weekend. Weight did come in at 176.7, up after yesterday.

My tummy was actually feeling a bit off, so I didn't eat a lot. It didn't keep me from cardio though. Got in 120minElliptical (6 20min sessions) , 37minBike, 15minWiiFit. It was a beautiful sunshiny day and I spent a little time outside too. Busy evening making dinner, running kids, and getting some groceries. Got in a little ping pong with #3. Basketball signups for summer too ... debating putting #3 on #2's team, even though that would mean playing against kids two grades up ... hmmmm, what to do.

Kept calories in low ... at 1100 actually. MFP told me I am eating too little, but believe me, it is not something I do on a regular basis! I don't know how anyone can even keep a 1200 calorie day diet regularly. Of course my sugar intake was still in the red, even with that. Exercise out was 1560 .... again burning more in exercise alone than I ate. 

June 4 (Tuesday)

Well ... the scale SHIFTED! 176.7 yesterday, to 173.4 today. 3.3 pounds difference in one day! I guess that is why it is suggested to not weigh in everyday. So even though I'm not sure what is up (if my slight gain was water weight, if some of this is) I'm going to be happy with it. Going down ...

Another good day today. The last day of the big boys in school. I got in 120minElliptical, 37minBike and 60minWeights. Also a little ping pong. Even spent some time cleaning the house (yea me, this is for the CLEANING, not for any caloric burn, but hopefully there was some of that, although I didn't track it, hopefully the Fitbit gave me something for all that vacuuming). Exercise credit was 1547. Food intake was 1850...

Finished my book "The Selection" yesterday ... started a new one for my bike ride today, but it isn't clicking as much. Watching "Falling Skies" during my elliptical workouts. 

Fitbit said the total step count was 22321, with a total calorie burn of 3374. 140 Active minutes. I beat #2 today!

June 5 (Wednesday)

My two older boys are now home during the day. The oldest was actually up uber early to participate in "Senior Sunrise" ... as they are now technically seniors. He did come home and go back to sleep. #2 also slept in, then had me take him to the local rec center. He's saved his money to buy a summer pass and plans on spending many a day there playing basketball. Although I had a very active day (25790 steps) he beat me with over 30K!

It is National Running Day today ... so I decided to "participate" (I can't really say "celebrate"). I did 60 minutes on the treadmill (3.5 miles). I tried jogging but only felt like I could keep it up for the first 1/2 mile. I alternated and did a little more jogging, adding some incline, but mostly walking. My feet weren't very happy with me after either. I really dislike wearing shoes. I do have several different pair but all of them seem to rub somewhere. While I've never liked shoes, I used to walk a lot more than I do now. When #4 was in kindergarten, I'd take #5 in the double stroller and walk to pick him up every day, 1.5 miles each way. As the older boys had basketball, I'd jog the track above the court during their practices and games, often getting in 5 miles at a time. I used to walk on the treadmill at a 14 incline. Now it's a challenge to put in an extended period of time, or any speed/incline at all.

I did get in some ping pong with #1 and #3 and my "usual" workout of 100min Elliptical (five 20 min sessions). No bike today. 

With exercise consideration (1380 calories burned) I did stay under my net goal, but it was close (calories consumed 2190) ... over my static goal of 1800. 

June 6 (Thursday)

Once a week, I generally go out to my folks. Try to help with little tech things (updating Itunes playlists, setting up Mom's new Fitbit, Facebook lessons). The folks are pretty tech savvy but still could use a lesson or two. Not that I'm an expert or anything. My brothers stop by for the harder stuff. I try to get a little ping pong or tennis in with Dad, then go out to eat with Mom. 

Now going out and tracking food is always a challenge. A couple weeks ago we went to Golden Corral and I was pleased to find that everything I ate was in the database. I entered the foods as I went and it was very helpful in keep in control. Today we went to Chuck-a-Rama, and I was hoping for a similar setup. Unfortunately I guess ol' Chuck isn't a national chain, so they haven't had to provide nutritional information. It really was a bummer to try and guess at things. My phone was having trouble too, so I didn't enter anything there, but attempted to when I returned home. Even staying somewhat controlled the one meal came in at over 1800 calories. I hadn't had any breakfast ... and now I guessed I shouldn't have any thing else for the rest of the day either. I did eat a tiny bit later in the day, but not much. I was still pretty full from our late lunch.

Spending a few hours going across town does impact the exercise too. I did pretty good at still getting it in. I'd done two 20 min sessions on the elliptical before I went out, and got in three more. Inspired a bit by a friend's calorie burn on the elliptical (much higher than mine) I did attempt to up the resistance for one workout, and introduce some speed intervals for another. The reading on the machine went up slightly, but the Fitbit didn't really up the calorie count (although the speed intervals got me more steps).

I also got in 10miles on the stationary bike, some ping pong with #3, 10min of WiiFit, walked about 10 minutes (to pick up #5 from a playdate) and ... I tried a weighted Hula Hoop (again, inspired by a MFP friend). I read it's good to start slow, so I did 7 minutes, keeping it up the entire time on my first try (I always liked hula hoops). I watched a couple videos, and they are all very dancy. I am NOT a dancer in any way shape or form, so I think I'll just be keeping it pretty basic, just a little add to the exercise each day. 

Calories consumed came in at 2045. Extra added for exercise was 1396. Fitbit steps 24289. Total calorie burn estimate 3224.

June 7 (Friday)

Good exercise day (especially for a Friday) ... not a good eating day. It was National Donut Day, and my son picked up a dozen. And I did partake. Calories came in at 2800 for the day. Yikes! Mostly empty too. At least hubby was to tired to initiate a Friday night day ... is that bad that I was happy about that? Movies or going out to dinner would have added calories to an already bad day. I did exercise a lot, so I was actually just barely under my MFP goal ... got 1500 exercise credit from 100min Elliptical, 35minBike, 60minWeights, 20minPingPong and 15minHulaHoop. Fitbit steps were at 25494 with total burn listed as 3341

June 8 (Saturday)

I got up and got in my first elliptical session for the day (20min/2miles). It was a basketball day. #2 had his game at 10:00, they lost. Back at home, I mowed the lawn (about 30min) and did some weeding. Then at 2:00 it was #3's basketball game. It was at a rec center that had a track above the basketball court. I ended up walking the track the entire time (in my sandals!) and got over 3 miles. My feet were a little sore. They won, so it was back for the championship game at 6:00 (same location). This time I planned ahead a bit better, actually wore running shoes and brought my headphones. 2/3 of the track is around the main court (where the team was playing) and 1/3 was around an auxillery gym (where I couldn't see the kids). I'd walk the 2/3s, then sprint the 1/3 (to get back to viewing the game). #3 wasn't getting a lot of playing time, I did stop and watch when he was actually in. I got in 5 miles. My feet were even more sore! I did get in 10 more minutes elliptical, 10 minutes of ping pong, and 10 minutes of hula hoop.

I was so busy today, I didn't have much time or appetite to eat. Calories in at 1400. Calories credit from exercise was 1570, so I actually had a negative net.

Fitbit step count was 32123, total calorie burn came in at 3407. I used to hit 30k a lot, but it's been a while. I think I only hit it twice in all of 2012, and both of those were basketball days (with track). I used to jog the track during every game and practice. Then games/pratices moved from the gym with the track, so that wasn't an option. I have both boys signed up (on the same team) for a summer season, and hopefully the practices and some of the games will be at these two gyms with tracks above ... but I'll probably go back to videotaping some games too (#2 LOVES the highlight reels I make of his games, and hopefully he'll be back enough after his break(s) to get some good action. If you want to see what one of my videos looks like you can see one here (it is the gym with the track above where I ran today) http://youtu.be/Uu9kauMng6w My kid is #2 ... these videos are my creative outlet since I've stopped scrapbooking *Ü*

June 9 (Sunday)

Weight just keeps fluxuating between 173 & 174 ... so want to at least get a drop below 170 as a quick/immediate goal... Sundays can be stressful, some issues that just always come up that get me down. Also usually a low exercise day ... can't quite make myself take a complete rest day. I know I should, it's good for the body to have a break, but I think a little exercise helps clear my head, get some exercise endorphins going. I also like to see at least one red spike on my Fitbit graph, helps me visually keep the day in perspective. Then of course, there are calorie considerations. I have a hard time staying at my calorie goal (1350 per MFP), and Sundays are usually bad eating days anyway! We don't do family dinner a lot, as schedules are so crazy and there having everyone home at the same time for dinner is rare. But Sunday mornings everyone is home, so we always do a big breakfast of bacon and belgian waffles. Often we will have a big evening meal, and usually homemade oreos for a treat.

Today I only ate half a waffle (which I've been doing since starting tracking calories) and was doing ok until the Sunday Stress hit ... at which time I NEEDED sugar and indulged in a Snickers PB Square. Hubby needed some treats for a class, so I whipped up some cake batter rice krispie squares. Of course I snacked on some, and then hubby ended up not taking them, so they were around to temp me all day long. I was going to make Haystacks for dinner but was missing a couple ingredients, so it just ended up chicken and gravy over rice. I only ate the chicken, as I was already over calories. I didn't make the usual homemade oreos (much to the dismay of the boys).

I did still start/end the day with an elliptical workout (45min total), did a little WiiFit balance and some ping pong. Also walked to church (just a short walk). I am feeling my workout from yesterday, I'm quite sore ... my calves, quads. Fitbit Steps 11884, Total burn 2430. MFP Calories Consumed 2200, Exercise credit 600 

June 10 (Monday)

Weight up a little from yesterday, even though I have managed to keep calorie intake under calorie burn ... sometimes it's close, but I haven't gone over. Dang it! I was still feeling quite stiff in my legs, I'm assuming from the jogging on Saturday. I was able to work through it for cardio and even did weights. 100minElliptical, 40minBike, 60minWeights. Also a little ping pong. Calorie credit for exercise was 1365.

Eating was ok ... Spaghetti dinner, and I did make dessert (the homemade oreos I didn't make yesterday.) Calories came in at 2200. Fitbit steps were 23580. Total burn of 3197. 

June 11 (Tuesday)

BIG cardio day today! Got in 120minElliptical, 40min/2milesTreadmill (3.0 MPH, some incline, calorie burn on the machine said 226), and 53minBike ... I was actually going for an hour but ... kids, had to stop and be mommy. Didn't quite catch the numbers on the machine so I just had to go with the MFP estimate. Got in a little ping pong and hula too. Total calorie credit today was 1640. Calories consumed came in at 2200. Fairly healthy breakfast of french toast, Lean Cuisine for dinner, but still too many snack calories during the day. Can't quite kick the sugar .... had a couple stress triggers (a note in the mail that #1 had gotten a speeding ticket he had not mentioned to me, and a call from the credit card company verifying an addition of someone to our account ... um NO, glad the company is on top of fraud before anything was actually charged but still) ... I just reach for the sugar during stress!

This was one of those rare days where my Fitbit steps were lower than my Omron. Fitbit came in at 32136 (Omron at 32600). Total burn came in at 3476. #2 STILL beat me in steps today though, he spent all day at the gym with basketball buddies and had basketball practice in the evening. This upcoming tournament has also been a stressor, as it is downtown and I do NOT drive downtown. But I talked with a number of parents on the team and I think he'll be able to catch rides ok. I'd actually LOVE to go watch him play, and be there just in case (as he's had two broken bones in the past several months)... my driving phobia has many drawbacks :(

June 12 (Wednesday)

Good day ... Got in quite a bit of cardio. 100minElliptical, 40minBike and even tried one of those 4-minute Tabata routines. Alas, no ping pong as my partner (#3) was busy. I also got in 60minWeights. Exercise credit came in at 1375. Did ok with the eating. My mom emailed and asked if I wanted to come out and go to lunch. I was stuck at home with carpool duty, so I couldn't. I do like going out, but it IS so hard to keep calories under control when we do. Of course then the boys were clamoring for KFC, so we did indulge for dinner. I kept calories around 2000.  Fitbit steps were 23889. Total burn of 3205.

June 13 (Thursday)

I got in 100minutes on the elliptical, 40minStationaryBike, 40 min Treadmill. I tracked them all with my Fitbit (recorded the activities with the timer) and while the elliptical and treadmill are pretty much on target, the bike (while being the smallest step count by far) had the greatest calorie burn (well over what my machine actually said). I have been aware of this, and so I've been manually inputting jut the bike workout on MFP and inputting the lower calorie burn. Better to underestimate the burn. Total exercise expenditure was 1260.

Did ok on eating ... calories consumed came in at 2000.  Fitbit steps were 25903 with a total burn listed as 3089. I beat both boys in steps today. 

June 14 (Friday)

Weekly weigh-in came in at 172.7, so it is down a pound from last Friday. 

We started with French Toast Friday ... it's a big breakfast for me, as I usually just pick and don't eat much until later. I really tried to keep lunch under control (apple, chicken, some chips) but had way too many treats for the day. If I eat good, I REALLY crave the sweets, and then I have the calories from both. If I only eat the treats ... I'm generally feeling the same, but without the extra calories (and vitamins and fiber, the good stuff I know) from my nutritious choices. Calories came in at 2530 (and that was with me actively NOT eating as much as I really wanted to). Exercise came in at 1330. 100minElliptical. 40minBike, 40minWeights. Fitbit steps 24270. Total calorie burn 3155 ... #2 beat me on steps, he also had 100 flights of stairs today! In between basketball games they ran stairs, and there was just a lot of up and down as they walked around. He was in the 90s when he got home, and ran the stairs in the house until he hit 100. Looks like #1 beat me in steps today too! 

The Weekend (15th&16th)

... I was worried about this weekend, weekends are always hard. So much stuff going on, not as much time for cardio. Often there are family gatherings that make controlling calories difficult. This weekend, we had family parties on both Saturday and Sunday. But it all worked out ok. 

SATURDAY (June15)

Got in 60minElliptical and 40minBike. Cardio calories 860. Fitbit steps 17431. Total calorie burn 2667 

Calories consumed 1800 ... started the day heavy with french toast. Then uber anxiety kicked in. Luckily it was the "stomach knotted up, can't eat anything" kind (rather than the "shove sugar into my mouth" kind). I was literally sick for hours. At the family party, dinner was pizza (I am not a pizza gal, so that didn't tempt me). I actually turned down the cake and ice cream, although I did sneak some off of my son's plate when he left his half-eaten. I guess it's good I checked the calories on the ice cream carton, as this particular brand had DOUBLE the calories of the one I have at home!

SUNDAY (June 16)

Got in 60minElliptical. Walked to/from church. Cardio calories 728.Fitbit steps 14382. Total calorie burn 2540.  

Calories consumed 1350 ... been a while since I've had a low day (and very unusual for a Sunday!) Being Father'sDay, #2 son made pancakes (Daddy's favorite) ... but they didn't appeal to me, so I abstained (which I never do when it's waffles or french toast). As I wasn't feeling very hungry, and anticipating eating at the family BBQ, I really didn't eat until dinner. There I had some marinated chicken, grapes & tortilla chips, with a brownie and ice cream for dessert (ice cream was still higher than our brand at home, but not the 260 calories per 1/2 cup from yesterday!) I was still surprised I was able to keep the calorie count so low. 

In the past ... I would have brought Doritos and Ruffles (even if I hadn't been assigned chips, as I wanted to be sure MY favorites were there). Today I figured if I didn't like any of the chips others brought, I wouldn't eat any of the chips. I almost always bring a sweet Chex mix (butter/cornsyrup/sugar over cereal and nuts) ... NOT low cal and easy to snack on by the handful. I didn't make it today ~ therefore I didn't eat it today. Even if I'm not assigned desserts, I almost always bring a dessert or two ... because I love dessert and I certainly don't want there to not be enough dessert, and again, I want to be sure it is a dessert I like. Today, I didn't bring a dessert ... and I looked at the cupcakes and cherry pie and thought "well, I guess I won't be eating dessert" ... of course then they brought out the brownies, and I did partake. I volunteered to bring a fruit or veggie tray, but was asked to bring jello cubes (a favorite with the kids). I made a small batch of sugar-free jello cubes (for me and my mom ... and #2 son who said they just tasted better) in addition to a big batch of regular (sugar full) ones.

I feel pretty happy about making it through the weekend successfully! 

Monday (June 17)

Mondays are usually me "back at it after the bad weekend" day ... ironically NOT the case this weekend (I was good) and today (I wasn't "bad" but calorie count was high). Calories in 2700 ~ Calorie Credit (Exercise) 1380. Total Burn (Fitbit) 3196. Did pretty well on exercise - got in six (20min) sessions on the elliptical and did 60 minutes of weights. Fitbit steps were 23314. Weight was up .4 from yesterday's 170.0

My mom had given my dad a new Fitbit yesterday for Father's Day and wanted to have me come out and help set it up. My sister was also in town, so we hit lunch at the local buffet. It's hard keeping calories in check at a buffet, especially when what I like is mashed potatos, fried chicken and fresh rolls (SCONES, Utah style, fried in oil!). So no breakfast, no dinner, but lunch only came in at 1800 calories. At home, I made homemade oreos for a treat (they had wanted it yesterday, but I had beem missing an ingredient). I can't resist them myself, with a nice glass of milk ...

Tuesday (June 18)

Good day ... today was my "Monday" I think *Ü* Calories in at 2029, Calorie credit 1500. Fitbit total burn 3310. Steps 25099. Exercise consisted of 100minElliptical, 35minBike(10miles), 30minTreadmill (most on an incline of 10 ... Fitbit DID seem to be able to tell, as calorie count was higher than a normal, level walk). Also got in a rousing game of ping pong, and a little hula. Eating ... it was a snacky, empty calorie day. I don't eat regular pizza, but we did get a Dominos with white sauce and cheese (so more like breadsticks than pizza) and I had a slice of that for dinner. ... school stress!

Wednesday (June19)

... another good day. Calories consumed 1634. Calorie credit 1677 ... I had a negative net today. Early in the afternoon, the numbers came in at 1176 eaten, 1176 burned. I thought it was funny that they lined up perfectly like that. Probably does not happen often. Total burn was 3485, Fitbit steps in at 25270.

Today's exercise consisted of 100minElliptical, 45minBike, 20minTreadmill (10%incline) and 60min weights! Whew!

Thursday (June 20)

... another good day *Ü* Calories in at 1400 ... seriously, I just don't know if I wasn't that hungry or what. I even kept my treats in check! Awesome exercise day too ... calorie credit of 1680. 60minElliptical, 45minBike, 30minTreadmill (with a 10% incline most of the time, Fitbit didn't give me nearly enough credit for that, but I didn't adjust it at all) ... then in the evening the boys had basketball practice. Above the court, there is a track. Practice was just supposed to be an hour, but they didn't get kicked off the court, so they continued another 30 minutes after. And I walked/jogged the entire time. 12000 steps! I could feel my pinky toe burning, and I do have a huge blister on it. This is the same spot I always get a huge blister. In fact, I don't know if it's really new, or just aggrevated from last time I ran the track during basketball (June8 ... I don't know if it ever really went away). The boys have a game on Saturday ... will I be jogging again? I either jog, or video the games. My boys love the little highlight reels I make, showcasing their awesome moves. Hmmm .... what to do.  Fitbit steps 34774. Total burn 3491. 

Friday (June 21)

Calories in at 1800 ... normally I have several items and a bulk of my calories under the "snack" portion, but today, I really only had Tootsie Rolls. Admittedly, the rest of my day still wasn't super healthy, but not plain sugar either. Calorie credit at 1250. 100minElliptical, 35minBike, some Ping Pong and WiiFit too. I thought about doing weights, but that's as far as I got. Fitbit steps 23470. Total burn 3056. 

I was a little off today, as #4 woke not feeling well. He did throw up then fell asleep for a long nap. It seemed a "one and done" deal. Today was their "Wax Museum" (where they dress up as a famous person from history ... he was Thomas Edison) and I was a little sad that we missed out on that :(

Super Saturday, Slow Sunday (June 22/23)

Another successful weekend ...

SATURDAY (June 22) Fitbit Steps 31266, Total Burn 3342

Calories in at 1850 ... I kept really busy and didn't have that much time to eat. I skipped breakfast (I know it's "the most important meal of the day" but I find if I can put if off, I save those calories), grazed for lunch (watermelon, tortilla chips), FrenchToast for dinner (the kids wanted it, and it's easy and a favorite). Only had two items in my "Totally Empty Calories" section ... Tootsie Rolls and some PB cookies.

Calorie Credit in at 1540. Three (20min) sessions on the elliptical, 35minBike. I also mowed the lawn and did some gardening. I got a good workout in during the boys basketball game as well ... 60min/4miles. I was glad a jogged instead of video taping the game. It was an easy win, and both boys got multiple baskets ... in fact with only five players, they played the entire game. But it was TOO easy, it didn't have the excitement of a well-matched game. They even turned off the score as our team pulled ahead by so much. At least I'm not regretting putting my 6th grader on this team (of 8th graders) - he's a shrimp out there, but holds his own. Much easier on me than trying to juggle practices and games for two different teams.

SUNDAY (June 23) Fitbit Steps 10247, Total Burn 2376 (wimpy wimpy!)

Instead of our usual church, we spent the day as a family at the lake with the wave runners. Hubby and the boys had been a few times this year, but it was the first time for me and the little boys. 

Calories in at 1700 ... I knew I wasn't going to get in exercise today and would need to keep calories in check. We did our usual big breakfast, I'm doing good at only eating 1/2 a waffle now. I WOULD have snacked a LOT more at the lake if I'd had more snacks along. I could feel the urge, but the boys quickly powered through almost everything I brought. We grabbed some Wendys on the way home, and again, I was saved overeating by an error (double check your bags before leaving the drive through, we only got half the nuggets we ordered and paid for but were on the freeway again before we caught it). So instead of six nuggets, I only ate two.

Calorie credit in at 570 ... I did manage to start/finish the day with a 20 minute elliptical workout. Other than that, it was a small walk to/from the beach, and the rest of the day was sitting. Hopefully in the future I'll feel better about being in a swim suit ... 

Monday (June24)

Feeling a bit off and run down today. Odd as yesterday was my "rest" day and Mondays are usually my best days. Only 5.34 hours of sleep according to the Fitbit. And emotional morning, many tears from #4 as we discussed the upcoming school switch.

Calories in at 2000 ... didn't have breakfast until really late. Family dinner of chicken and gravy over rice. I hadn't made homemade oreos yesterday, and they were requested. I made them and only had one myself.

Calorie credit of 1400 ... 100minElliptical, 35minBike and 60minWeights. Normally the boys would have basketball practice on Monday evenings, but almost all the boys were out of town, so practice was cancelled. But there is a game tomorrow, so I should get some jogging in ... it's not until 9:00 in the evening though. I don't care for those late games!

Fitbit steps 24423. Total burn 3238. 

Tuesday (June 25)

... a good day. Went to the school to see #5 in his first grade program. Still an emotional rollercoaster discussing the school switch with #4. Basketball game in the evening for #2 and #3 ... uber easy win. The other team looked like 5th graders (it's a 7th/8th league).

Calories in at 1800. I love cold cereal for breakfast ... the sugar/kid kind. I've really been loving salty tortilla chips for lunch too. Cut up a watermelon, it wasn't a great one. I'm not good at picking them. I kept planning on having some of yesterday's leftover chicken for lunch or dinner, then didn't get around to it. I know I need to get more protein in. Snacks/Empty Calories were a bit higher today.

Calories out at 1600. 80minElliptical, 60minBike, 10minWiiFit. I'd already hit 20K, and then jogged the track during the basketball game ... well, mostly walked. Got in about 4-5 miles there at the very end of the day. I had more steps than #2 during the hour (and again, there were only five players so both boys played the entire game). 

Fitbit steps 30702. Total burn 3428. 

Wednesday (June 26)

... today SHOULD have been a weights day, but too many distractions! First, nice and sunny and the older boys were gone, so I slipped outside for a bit to get some sun on my legs. Then spent some time on the phone finalizing the school switch ... I hope this is a good thing (moving 4&5 to a different elementary, on a traditional schedule rather than year round. Now all five of my boys are going to out of boundary schools). I also had to make a run to the store and the library. Then the AC broke! 80° in the house (at least it's cooler in my gym downstairs, but I always have to come up again).

Calories in at 1850. Calories out at 1260. Another distraction today was the arrival of my new HRM. I've just seen here how many people use them to help calculate calorie burn. I have a Fitbit and my machines all have calorie displays, but I thought I'd check this out too. So some time spent setting that up. I'm not really a fan of putting the cold wet strap around my chest. Some interesting readings so far, not totally unexpected that the HRM is coming in lower than both the FB and machines. Got in the usual 100minElliptical and 35minBike.  Fitbit steps 23508. Total burn 3070. 

Thursday (June 27)

It's HOT... and the A/C is broken. Pretty miserable night last night, and miserable hot day today. 91° in the house. Had a repairman out but it can't be fixed, we need to replace. Hubby bought a portable machine for our bedroom and it actually did a decent job (just in our room). We had the little boys sleep downstairs as it was about 75° down there.

Calories in at 2150 ... I did stress snack some, and then we went out to Wendys for dinner (there was no way I was cooking in the kitchen). Calories out at 1100 ... at least it was cooler in my gym, but the heat was getting to me. I had to stop a few times and rehydrate! 80minElliptical, 40min/2milesTreadmill (1/2 easy walk, 1/2 10% incline) and I did 60minweights. Fitbit steps 21566. Total burn 2946. 

Friday (June 28)

Another over 100° day with the A/C out. We did have some guys out to install a new one today, a new furnace too (as that was part of the problem). So they were in and out all day long. The furnace room backs my exercise room, so I was a little self-conscious about working out still, and wasn't sure if I needed to stay around in case they had questions. So didn't get quite as much exercise in as I usually do. Also had to go to the school for Honor Roll Assembly (all three boys got the award as usual). The A/C was back up and running by late afternoon, but still took hours (the night) to catch up to the hot house. We took the boys and went to the movies ... Monsters University. The A/C at the movie theater was in high gear. 

Calories in ... 2450. We went to the movies, need I say more? Popcorn and candy, I seem to have no control when I'm at the movies so I'd really rather wait for DVD and watch while working out. But sometimes a date with hubby or family time does need to take preference even to detriment of the diet. 

Calories out ... 900. 60minElliptical, 38minBike ... I also went ahead and tried the first level of 30DS for the first time. There is a group starting this in July (Monday) so I think I'm going to join and try to shake up my traditional workouts a bit (although it didn't too different than much of the stuff I have been doing. My HRM did get me higher during the aerobic portions).

Fitbit Steps 17890 ...Total Burn 2722. 

Whoops Weekend (June 29/30)

I HAD been doing quite well over the weekends ... until this one *Ü* I went over my calories Fri-Sun. Over my goal anyway (with the 500 deficit), I think I managed to barely squeak under my total burn ... and speaking of burn, SO nice to have the A/C fixed!

SATURDAY (June 29) 

Calories in 2600. I did ok for the first half of the day. Then during some grocery shopping I picked up some discounted donuts, and ate one (it wasn't even that good). I was also in a sugar snacking mode, and had quite a few snacks. Then the parents invited us out to Red Robin for dinner. I usually try to get the "kids" fish (two fillets instead of four) but I knew my mom wanted a sample, so I got the full size and gave her one. Which left three for me, which I ate. We actually skipped dessert at the resturant, but hubby had brought home some gourment cookies ... too tempting to resist. So, not a great eating day!

Calories out at 1000. 80minElliptical and 38minBike. Fitbit Steps 18959. Total burn 2834. 

SUNDAY (June30)

Calories in at 2400. We always do a big Sunday morning breakfast at our house. Today it was pancakes, which I can usually resist (not the case for waffles or french toast) but then did look good today and I had one. I was totally craving ice cream later in the day, enough that I caved. It was delicious and worth it. Unfortunately it wasn't my only sugar snack for the day ... and we had Skookie for a family treat. The boys did scarf that down, so I didn't get that much, which was ok ...

Calories out at 997. 80minElliptical and 38minBike. I also walked to/from church, but other than those items it was a pretty lazy day.  Fitbit Steps 19634. Total burn 2802. 

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