July - A Look Back

With the kids on year-round school, "summer"  doesn't start until July (the elementary school got out July 2). So while the older boys were out during June, MY official summer schedule didn't kick in until July. The differences between school and summer schedule aren't too great for a SAHM, but there are changes.  I think the main one is sleeping in. When the kids are in school, I'm generally up around 6:30. When the kids are not in school ... it's more like 7:30 or even later.  Not having daily carpool and homework help does free up some time, but then there are many fun summer activities that can take up an entire day. The weather is nicer (although sometimes too hot), but I'm an indoor exerciser, so that actually doesn't make an impact in my personal routine. Luckily my home gym is in the basement where it is always nice and cool. 

The graph above is a great snapshot of July. Now my goals are an average burn of 3000+ and an average intake of 2000 or below ... so you can see I did not quite get there this month, although it isn't too far off. Another goal is to NOT let the lines cross or even touch. Again, unsuccessful. Trouble spots were ...

• The 4th of July (crossed). That is somewhat understandable, right? Holidays, full day of family fun makes it hard to get in the exercise and good eating.
• Mid-Month (two touching) was a Saturday/Sunday. Saturday I just wasn't able to get in enough activity to counter-act the eating (donuts!). Sunday I was sick and didn't get in ANY activity, but then did feel well enough to eat by the end of the day.
• The lines got close there 3/4 of the way through the month. Sunday (RiceKrispieTreatTrouble) and Monday (friends in town & anniversary dinner).
• Touched again near the end of the month ... another Sunday. Couldn't quite combat the calories even though I did get in quite a bit of exercise (which doesn't always happen on a Sunday).

What I have learned looking back on July ...
1. I need to get up and going earlier, even in the summer.
2. Sundays and holidays are hard.
3. I like donuts.

Weigh In Wednesday

So ... as part of my journey, I like to visit weight loss/fitness blogs and see other people's stories and success, and even frustrations and failures. As I was browsing tonight I came upon a blog hop hosted by Heather at PrettyStrongMedicine.

I weigh in every day, and my faithful Fitbit Aria scale automatically sends that weight to my computer to sync with Fitbit, and Trendweight, and MFP ... this does often make my MFP ticker slide around, and unfortunately sometimes go backwards. I'm happy to say that it is showing a 16 pound loss, so that's better than my 15 pound post just a bit ago (much better than the 13 pound it had backtracked to in recent days). 

Now this morning ... hubby was home. Usually he is gone to work hours before I'm up and weighing myself. I locked the bathroom door and stood on my scale and weighed myself, in my birthday suit as I always do.  I heard the door opening ... hubby was coming in! Now, not that he hasn't seen it all before, but I'm not really a parading around naked kind of gal.  Even if/when I get to goal weight, I don't think I'm that comfortable in my own skin ... in ONLY my skin.

The Fitbit Aria Scale is fairly fancy ... all automated as it is, it can keep track of up to eight different people. However, if two people are close in weight, the scale will "ask" you who you are. In my mad dash to grab a towel this morning, I didn't see the scale ask if I was me, or my son. As I didn't correct it, it sent MY weight record to my son's Fitbit account. 

So I had to jump onto the computer to straighten that out, and re-weigh, making sure my measurements went to my account. 164.5 ... my son's last reading was 155. I guess the scale needs more than 10 pounds to verify a difference.

I was a little perturbed by the bodyfat readings though ... as my reading went to my son's account, it came in at 18.5%. When I weighed again and made sure the reading went to my account, my body fat reading was 37% ... Ummmmm, I was the same person both times, the only difference was who the Aria THOUGHT I was. So this experience definitely puts the "bodyfat" reading validity into question ...

Things are looking on track for my official weigh in on Friday.

July is NOT the easiest month for good eating and exercise. Two holidays (July 4th, and July 24 ... that one's just for Utah), the summer schedule (sleeping in). New wave runners, which mean trips to the lake (not much exercise in), kids out of school and fun, distracting activities ... I know some people find the summer easier, I am not one of them. But at least it's moving in the right direction!

The Irony of my Omron

When I first started walking, I went through MANY cheap little pedometers. They varied in accuracy and were quite easy to lose.  I looked over all the reviews and upgraded to the Omron Pocket Pedometer and it served me well for a long time now. It is a bit big and bulky ... through the years I've had people ask me what it was, or mistake it for a diabetic pump. Even when I bought my Fitbit ... I just couldn't give up my Omron. I continued to wear it. It was my "watch" and it was a little easier to check my steps on (as I usually had my Fitbit on under my clothes). It also came in handy for those odd times I would forget to put one of them on ... I had the other as a backup.

The other day, the clip broke ... the pedometer itself was fine, but without the clip, I couldn't fasten it to my pocket or waistband.  I wondered if perhaps, it was time to let the ol'Omron go.

I keep all my numbers in an excel file. I have my Omron steps and my Fitbit steps, Fitbit is almost always just a bit higher.  I went ahead and put June's daily step counts into a graph ... you can see that the two pedometers are actually very close. It makes me feel pretty good about the accuracy of both devices *Ü* and as the numbers ARE so similar ... I really should be able to get by with just the Fitbit. Right?

The Omron does have one additional feature that Fitbit does not ... the counting of "aerobic" steps. 10 minutes or more of consecutive steps. I don't know how important that really is to know, but it's an interesting statistic, and between the Omron and Walker Tracker, I've been logging my aerobic steps and aerobic minutes for five years. It's just a little hard to let go of.

So ... the Omron  is called a "pocket" pedometer. The day after the clasp broke, I removed it from the plastic case and slipped it into my pocket and wore it that way. Guess what? I like it SO much better! Without the case, it isn't nearly as bulky. You can't really even see it (although I can easily take it out to check the time or my numbers). I can't believe in all the years of wearing my Omron I didn't ever try taking it out of it's case and putting it in my pocket rather than have it dangling off my pants. Now granted, I don't always have a pocket, and the case is still needed for those times. I did happen to find an extra case laying around (from an older Omron that had died) so I'm still set no matter what I'm wearing. But now ... I'll be taking it out of the case and slipping it into my pocket whenever that is a possibility.

... it only took me six or seven years to figure it out.

10 Things That Make Me Happy (FMM)

What makes you happy? This was the topic of today's link-up from AllTheWeigh. For a moment, it was a little hard to come up with a list of 10 things, but then the ideas started flowing. Thinking about what makes me happy, taking the time to write them down and share them ... it was a worthwhile way to spend my Monday morning.  

Ten Things That Make Me Happy

1. Family: Hubby and my five boys. Sometimes just looking at them makes my heart hurt~ love overflowing. It's so fun to see them happy and interacting, or even just watching them sleep. When I started exercising, I hung up pictures in front of my elliptical and treadmill so I could have visual reminders of all the memories ... it's my happy place.

2. Being Alone: That sounds a little contradictory to the one above ... but as much as I love my family, there are those times when everyone is gone and the house is quiet. Blissful silence. I wouldn't want it all the time, but there are moments when it makes me absolutely giddy.

3. Books: I've always been an avid reader, but I went for years without really getting much in ... just busy with other things. Last year I discovered e-reading and it has made a HUGE difference. I have oodles of titles available at my fingertips and I can read anywhere/anytime (as I always have my phone with me). GoodReads is a great place to keep track of what you have read, what you want to read, and get recommendations and reviews.  I've started working in reading to my workout routines ... my Kindle fits perfectly on the stationary bike.

4. Sunshine: I love, love, love sunshine. A sunshiny day will lift my spirits, while I tend to struggle a bit when it's gloomy. I have a complete Pinterest board devoted to sunshine (HERE).  If there is no sunshine outside, sometimes I have to pop in there for my fix.

5. Yummy Stuff: What is it about cookies and donuts and chocolate. I actually feel happier when indulging... at least momentarily. I love to bake and share and see others enjoy as well. Food is so integral to so many happy memories.  It's a dangerous road ...

6. Flowers: I do love pretty flowers. Lilacs, roses, daisies, orchids, lilies, little purple pansies. I don't really like gardening, but I have a small flower bed (that's all I can commit to tending to). I spend a few moments every day among the flowers. I love fresh flowers inside to brighten up the house as well.

7. Exercise: Exercise wasn't something I did much of for years and years ... then it kicked in. I actually ENJOY exercise now. It is an escape - sometimes I just zone out, no worries or cares. And I don't know if there really are "exercise endorphins" but I know I always feel better on days I exercise ... and I feel off on days that I don't.

8. Music: Music is so powerful. Our Itunes library is so full of songs for every mood. I have an "up songs" playlist that I can't help but bounce around to.

9. A Clean House: Oh dear, if my husband happens to check out this post he is going to laugh and laugh and laugh! But it's true, I DO love a clean house. Looking at my house you would think I actually hate it. I don't ... I just really don't like cleaning.  Oh those rare occasions when I do accomplish the impossible (and a room is clean and stays that way for a few minutes) I find myself walking past and looking at it over and over with a smile on my face.

10. Accomplishment: This wraps up a LOT of things into one. That feeling you have when you have completed a project and you actually have something to show for it.  It can be as simple as a dinner for the family, a clean house, a scrapbook page ... or something bigger, like achieving a weight loss goal.

Friend Making Monday is a weekly post on the blog AllTheWeigh ... a topic is thrown out (sometimes weight/fitness related, sometimes not) and bloggers answer on their own blogs, then post the link back to the original post (HERE) in the comments section. It's a great way to connect with other bloggers on their own journey, and maybe find some friends and more motivation.  So what makes YOU happy?

Weekly Weigh-In #2

So ... If you look back at my Monday post, I knew this week would be a bit of a challenge, and it was. I think I actually did better than I expected.  I note "good, ok, bad" (based on eating/exercise for the day) in my Daily Doings.  I did manage to have two "good" days (big steps, nice deficit), and managed to keep the other days "ok" (at least not going over my total burn for the day). I even got in exercise on Sunday and the holiday! 

The scale ... it is UP from last Friday's weigh-in. That day was my low. Little ups and downs since that low. At least today my MFP ticker IS back to showing the 15 pound loss. I'll take that as a win after this week. And TrendWeight tracks a little differently ... while it does record your ACTUAL weight, it also works an average shifting them into a "trend" ... and while for the first time since I started I had a couple weigh-ins during the week that actually came in above my trend line :( ... I'm still on track.  But I know I can't take it easy. I know I  need to work on improving the eating ... if you are what you eat, I'm still SUPER sweet *Ü*

Just a few more days in July ... I'm still doing the 30 Day Shred. I will finish up Level 2 tomorrow (I did miss it on Wednesday the July 24 holiday) and move to Level 3 which I think I'm happy about. Level 2 is hard. I'm super sad basketball is over (last game was Tuesday). I'll SO miss my 5-mile jogs on Tuesdays/Saturdays ... I know I CAN still do them, but without the basketball push, I don't do it. I think I only got in one bike ride this entire week ... maybe I can get back to the bike (and the book!)

Hubby and #2 (and maybe #3) will be leaving for scout camp this coming week. That MAY give me a little extra exercise time (no running the kid to the gym, no Friday night date with hubby, some later workouts with hubby not home in the evenings, not making big dinners). Hubby has mentioned a family vacation he wants to take coming up in August. I am NOT a vacation girl. I've actually sat out a family vacation before ... is that bad? I did do the Disneyland vacation last November ... and it probably would have been better if I had stayed home. #4 is a homebody also, I'm not sure if he would choose to stay or go. 

Two Tracks

My boys LOVE basketball, and I love watching them play. But I have to admit, when their games are at the rec center with the track above the court I love it even more. It is the ultimate two-fer. I can support and cheer on my sons, AND get a workout in.

I'm not really comfortable running outside. Weather (too hot, too cold, too windy) and dogs tend to dissuade me. I like the treadmill fine, but I do enjoy the freedom a track provides. Changing speed without pressing buttons, being able to just jog without worrying about hitting the sides and taking a tumble ... and it is just easier. I know I wouldn't get in the same workout at home in the basement. As entertaining as my shows are at home (with my TV/DVD sitting there in front of my treadmill) watching the game makes the time fly by ... and I can listen to my music too.

I put both #2 and #3 on the same team to ease up on the schedule this summer. It was a 7th/8th grade league. #2 is in 8th, and #3 is in 6th.  But #3 wasn't the only 6th grader playing up and wasn't the only small one in the league ... although he was definitely the squirt on THIS team.  The games were played at two different gyms ... and BOTH gyms had a track above. Yea for me!

Gym #1, in the main rec center we go to (close to our home). It's a pretty small track, you have to cycle several times (I think 16, but don't quote me) to make a mile. It circled the entire basketball court and gave me a great view of the game, especially if I could stick to the inside edge. I only almost ran into a pole a couple of times. Generally I had the track to myself  as the games were played mid-day on Saturdays - not a prime workout time for others. *Ü*  The boys also practiced at this gym, I and would have worked out then too, but there was a circuit-training class taking place during that time ... and 30 people on that small track? No thanks!

Gym #2 has a slightly larger track. Instead of circling completely around the basketball court, 3/4 of the track circled it and then ...

... there is a wall, and another, smaller court. So unfortunately, while the boys were playing at this gym, there would be a short span of time during each lap where I could not see the game. This actually FORCED me into intervals *Ü*  I would walk/jog around the large court, watching the game, then when I got to the wall I would sprint the remaining 1/4 track until I came back out on the other side of the wall. I would then slow and hope I hadn't missed anything too important. 

 Well ... the season has now come to an end. I will SO miss my basketball workouts! As many of the games were late on Tuesday evenings, I can tell you I certainly would NOT have worked out at home during the same time. At the end of an already active day,  I was tired, and I really didn't feel like jogging. But I really don't like just sitting and watching, not when I have such an attractive alternative. It always felt so good to get in so many steps (usually five miles) and a nice caloric burn. It's hard not to feed off the adrenaline from the game. To see the kids running and jumping and just match their energy. And not that I'm one of those crazy parents who yells from the sidelines, but jogging the track really does give me a place to put any emotional energy I might have.

The boys WILL play basketball again (they play year-round), but it probably won't be at either of these locations. Oh well, it was great while it lasted!

Let’s Talk About TV (FMM)

Each Monday, as part of a link-up hosted by AllTheWeigh,   a topic is thrown out.  Sometimes weight-loss related, sometimes not. Bloggers answer on their own blogs and include the link back to the original post (here) in the comments section. This is a fun way to connect with others. So I'm a day late and a dollar short, but as TV watching IS a big part of my weight-loss journey, I did want to jump in here on this topic (even if it is a week behind). 

Let’s Talk About TV

1.  Share your current “Must-See” TV shows.  I don't watch a lot of "current" TV ... I  tend to wait until programs hit Netflix or DVD then watch an entire season.  But shows I have gotten attached to and DO want to watch as soon as each episode airs are ...

2.  Do you prefer reality shows or sitcoms?  Sitcoms seem to indicate comedy to me, which is ok, but I tend to favor action/drama. I really like serial shows that carry the story from week to week and keep me wanting to come back.  Other than Survivor, I don't really watch much reality ...

3. Who is your favorite talk show host?  I don't watch talk shows ... just never have.

4. Which network(s) do you turn to for news?  I don't watch the news either ... (I'll try to catch written recaps online). 

5. Do you have Tivo or DVR?  If so, which programs do you have set to record?  I used to have Tivo, but have now turned to other ways of watching (I didn't have the Tivo in my exercise room).

6. Have you ever started watching a show simply because you heard so much about it on social media?  If so, which one did you watch?  I heard a lot of buzz about Downton Abby, so I'm giving that one a try now (it's on Amazon Prime).

7. List any TV series that you own on DVD.  I tend to only want to watch shows once, so DVD collections at our house are more for hubby and the kids. We do own the entire series of Friends, Seinfield, Home Improvement and Full House. 

8.  Do you have a subscription to Netflix, Hulu, etc?  If so, what kind of device do you use to stream it?  We have Netflix and Amazon Prime (more for the free 2-day shipping, but I have been watching some of the shows too) and I also use a service called PlayOn which allows me to watch current shows (that are available online, and almost everything IS available online somewhere) on my TV in the gym. Before I got PlayOn I couldn't keep current with any show (as I only watch TV when I'm working out).  I LOVE my Roku! It is the best streaming box out there in my opinion (and I've tried many of the different options). 

9.  If you could star in a TV show that already exists, which one would you choose? I actually used to be an "actor/singer" (school and local theater) but this question is a hard one ... I admit to imagining what it would be like to be a contestant on one of the singing shows.

10.  If you could bring back one TV show that is no longer on the air, which one would you choose? I'll join the original poster in wanting to see more 24 ... that was the first show I watched when I started working out to TV. It was such a great show to keep me completely captivated and wanting to go downstairs for just one more episode (thus one more workout). And it was hard not to feed off the adrenaline as Jack would fight his way through the day. 

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What are your TV habits? 

Check out the original post (here) and see what others are watching.

I'm also keeping a list of what I'm watching currently HERE ...

Motivational Monday - Direction

... this coming week will be a bit of a challenge, lots going on, busy busy!. Maybe more maintenance. The scale went up slightly over the weekend. Nothing huge, not really surprising, but up nonetheless. My MFP tracker DOES shift and show the change... no longer showing my 15 pound loss. I hate when it goes backward, but it's a good reminder that it is a constant battle. You can not stop.

Today is my anniversary (which I'm thinking will include going out to dinner), getting together with some friends in from out of town (which will affect exercise/eating) and a holiday (here in Utah anyway), where I'll likely get NO exercise in. It's a bit ironic how good days with family and friends very often mean bad eating/exercise days. But even with all this, I'm not discouraged or down. I feel I have made a change. I've changed direction. Just being aware of what I'm eating. Taking the time to log it. Watching the numbers, even if they aren't exactly where I want them to be. It's slow going, and I'm not going to get to my goal weight quickly, but at least I'm on my way. I really love this quote ... it's my motivation this Monday. 

Fifteen Pounds

In the world of weight-loss, when someone says "that's really a new low for you" it is actually a positive thing! Thanks for the compliment Fitbit (it's a new badge for my profile there *Ü*) ... and it's the same number my MFP tracker is showing. 15 pounds down. Yea!  Pretty much from the moment I started tracking (and controlling) my incoming calories a couple of months ago, I've had a consistent, by the numbers, loss. I'm so grateful. I know it doesn't always happen. Seeing success gives me the extra motivation to keep it going. I'm really hoping I can get to 150 (which would move me out of the "overweight" category) before I hit any snags or plateaus. 

Here's a quick capture of the last week + ... thanks to my smart scale all my numbers are automatically sent to my computer, to my Fitbit dashboard, and to MFP.  You can see it's pretty slow and steady, with small ups and downs. While I do weigh-in everyday, I have Friday as my "official" weigh-in day and I watch those numbers for week-to-week trends. 

I checked my history ... I'm now back to where I was last year (June2012).
I wish I would have STARTED then ...

Dress For Success

I have a confession ... that is what I look like most of time.

I wear my workout clothes (knit shorts and a t-shirt)  pretty much all day long.  They are comfortable, cute and you could say I'm "dressing for success" ... at least as far as exercise goes. It's one of the benefits of being a SAHM, I often do not have places to go and people to see. I'll pop down to my home gym several times a day. After all, I'm still dressed for it, so I might as well get another session in, right? No excuses.

When I DO leave the house ... carpool, grocery shopping, taking a child to an appointment ... well, I've gotten to where I still just stay in my workout wear. I'm a little sweaty and disheveled, but I don't look that bad. I guess in reality it's gotten to the point where even when I would change and dress in "regular" clothes and try to look nice ... it feels like a moot point. I don't look good regardless, so I might as well stay comfy and ready for another workout.

The other day I picked up a couple cute new tops as a reward for my recent weight loss. I was actually wanting to wear them. And now that I've lost the pounds I gained over the winter/spring, at least I can fit into the capris from last summer (which I couldn't do a couple of months ago). I was just running to the grocery store to pick up some milk, but I decided to change my clothes and try to improve my appearance from the usual sweats and t-shirt. It felt good. I'm not saying I looked great, but it was a bit of a boost to at least make an effort. Ok, my hair was still in a ponytail, but I actually put on some earrings and lipstick *Ü*

And what do you know ... I ran into someone I knew while I was out.  It was nice to not be a sweaty mess, to actually feel ok saying hello rather than ducking into another aisle and hoping I hadn't been seen. 

I changed back into my sweats and t-shirt when I got home ... I wanted to get in one more session on the elliptical. While staying dressed in my workout wear really does motivate me to get my exercise in, I think I'm going to make more of an effort to "dress for success" when I leave the house too.  Changing clothes may be part of the change ...