Weekly Weigh-In #6

Down 1.1 pounds this week. I'll take it. It also dropped me into the 150s. Ok, the very tippy top of the 150s, but there is something about seeing a change in the middle digit, right?  I actually first saw the 5 appear several days ago (on Saturday, the day after my last weigh in) but it didn't stick around, just made that peek-a-boo appearance. I was happy to see it again yesterday and today and hope I don't see the 160s again!

Just glancing at my last year ... 

I love that you can SEE exactly where I joined MFP

Mid-May, when that downward trend began.

Before that, I was on a slow uphill climb.

School starts on Monday. That's going to shift the schedules. A return to routine. I do like routine, although I don't necessarily like getting up early. Carpools and homework help take up some time too, and #4's anxiety issues are kicking in, so I think I may be spending some time at the school too ... 

Birthday week coming up ... ummmm (yummm) cake. Not my birthday, but THREE of the boys, plus some extended family as well. I know I'm going to want to indulge, and I probably will. Will my middle 5 (on the scale) survive? 

Weighing in on Graphs

I really like graphs. It takes numbers and makes them visual. It's very helpful to me. But even the same numbers can get a different look depending on the graph. Checking in here today for Weigh In Wednesday to take a peek at how different your weight graph can look, even when using the exact same numbers. 

I looked at my weight graph on my Iphone (using my Fitbit app, above). 

It looks pretty bumpy there.

Pretty big ups and downs.

When I look at the Fitbit website instead of the app (below), it looks very different! 

The reference numbers on the axis expand (showing more weight variety and a longer time) and this totally changed the look, makes it look super smooth (and so slllllooooooowwwww). 

The graph above is from the MFP website ... 

Shows some ups and downs, but decent progress overall.

The MFP app squished the numbers together a bit more, 

and the downward trend looks much more impressive,

of course the small ups look bigger too.

I also sync to Trendweight.com, which in addition to keeping track of actual weight, also projects your "trend" which really smooths out the bumps! It really is an interesting way to look at the numbers, and having your "actual" weigh-in come in UNDER your trend can be motivating, even when the numbers have gone up a bit. I'm not as down as I was, but I'm still down ...

I DID dip into the 150s once (159.5 on Sunday) ... it's moving SO slowly. My MPF ticker has been fluctuating between 20 pounds lost, and 19 pounds lost. It's bad enough when it stays the same for a week, I really don't like when it goes backwards!

... I know, I get a little obsessive with my numbers and graphs. It's often said how important perspective is ... how you look at things. That CAN even come into play with how you look at the numbers from your scale, you know?  

I thought this post worked with the Weigh-In Wednesday link-up. Post your own scale stories and check out other people's progress as well!

Riding and Reading

This is my bike.

A lot of my friends like to ride a bike for exercise. Hubby too. He has both a mountain bike and a road bike and he's put a lot of miles on both. But me ...I've said it before. I'm an indoor exerciser. Especially when it comes to bikes. I don't want to strap on a helmet, watch out for cars or risk getting a flat far from home. It's always a lovely 66° in my basement. I have a fan sitting right next to my bike to blow my sweat away. I do sweat, even though I keep my biking at a pretty leisurely pace (around 16mph). 

The other GREAT thing about my recumbent bike is ... I can read while I ride.

See how perfectly my IpadMini fits right there in front of me?  And unlike a "real" book or magazine, there are no paper pages to turn, just a quite swipe of my finger and on I go.  I love to read. I always have, but through the years I just never seemed to find the time. Or when I had a few free moments, I didn't have a book on hand. Enter digital reading. Between the free offerings, sales and our local library (which allows digital checkouts), I have over 500 books waiting at my fingertips. I've read a lot of books this last year. With my Kindle app on my phone, I'll read wherever I am if I'm stuck waiting. It's easier to read at night, as I don't need a lamp to see the pages. I'd love to read all the time, but I feel guilty just sitting and reading.

I really never cared for the bike much. I just wasn't able to stay on it for more than 10 minutes at a time.  My butt got sore, my legs were jello afterward. Switching out our old stationary bike for a new Nautilus recumbent helped. I like having a little back support. I also put a pillow down on the seat ... you would THINK I would already have enough padding there, but apparently I do not. Then I worked my way up. Now, I put in 10 miles (about 37minutes) without a problem. And I get some reading in without feeling guilty. It IS exercise, but it's more an excuse to get to my book *Ü*  I'm a "fluffy" reader. I like to be entertained. If you want to see what I'm reading (and what I've read) ... my GoodReads profile is here. 

I don't know that I'll ever ride a bike for exercise outside ...

But I know I'll continue to read and ride!

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I had this post in mind for a while, but figured I'd wait and post it for the

Workout Wednesday Linkup

Check it out for motivation and other bloggers on this same journey.

Yesterday, I upped my miles to 12, which put me at 45 minutes, that's a nice round number so I might actually switch to that for future rides. I finished my book yesterday ... so I'm starting a new one today! Yea *Ü*

Going Bananas

As I mentioned in my Eating Issues post a bit ago, I have a hard time getting fruits and vegetables into my food diary. While I don't like many vegetables, I do like several fruits ... sometimes it's just hard to have them on hand. I mean bananas. I'll buy a bunch, then no one eats them and they go brown and mushy. I know, I can freeze them for smoothies (for hubby or the boys, I'm not a smoothie girl) or make banana bread (I do like banana bread and I have a great recipe ... it's not exactly low-calorie though!). I really do try to buy bananas and have them around just in case I or the kids get the urge to eat one. The other week, I did have a banana for breakfast for several days and I did feel good getting it in my food diary. It did seem to fill me up for the morning too.

Anyone have any tips on making bananas last longer?

If you haven't seen this cute clip, it really is worth watching. *Ü*

School Days (FMM)

It's almost time ... school starts next week! My oldest will be a senior in high school. I'll have two in middle school (the first year there for #3) and the two youngest (going into 4th and 2nd grade) will be starting a new school too. Our elementary has always been "year round" and I HATE it! We barely get adjusted to the routine when ... it's off track time for 2-3 weeks. And I'm a SAHM, I don't know how working moms do it! The kids don't get out until JULY, and then (depending on which track) they start back up in July too!. Where is summer? Anyway, after years of enduring it,  I went ahead and put in a permit at a different elementary school, one on a traditional schedule. The kids were approved, so we are making the move. I'm a little nervous. It's going to be hard on #4, he's like his mommy and doesn't deal well with change (but really, almost ALL his friends moved away this past year). I do think it will be better for us all in the long run.

I will be happy to return to the routine, especially now that it won't be broken (off track) in a couple of months. We've had a good summer, but at this point I do think the boys are bored and are ready to get back to learning and friends. Getting up early. That is going to be a real challenge after sleeping for a couple of months. With the change of schools, my morning routine will be a little more rushed than last year (the new school starts about 30 minutes earlier than the old one). I really like to start my day with a workout first thing, and I'm going to have to get up and at it if I want to get it in before making lunches, prepping kids and carpools.

How does the start of school affect your eating and exercise routine?

The topic of Friend Making Monday this week is "school" ... these questions come from the All The Weigh blog. Go check out others who have answered these same questions, and post the answers on your own blog and link up too!

School Days

1.  What was your favorite subject in school?  English. I loved reading and writing.

2. Did you attend elementary school and high school in the same town? Yes, and I still drive by my old schools from time to time (the boys have had basketball games at my Jr. High and High school. They tore down my elementary school and rebuilt it).

3.  Are you still friends with anyone that you met during school?  We don't get together a lot, but I'm still in communication with several friends (thank you Facebook). Some from college, high school and middle school, but a few I've know since elementary.

4. What activities were you involved in as a student? I was in Madrigals (choir) and drama ... the ol' High School Musical.  Also in a singing group in college.

5. Did you bring your lunch, or did you get it at school? I'm a super picky eater and always have been (see my post here).  I could NEVER take hot lunch. I brought a peanut-butter and honey sandwich every day elementary-Jr. High, then I burned out on them and haven't had one since.  I remember my friends and I would often bring a gallon of milk and cold cereal and eat that.

6. Did you enjoy shopping for clothing and school supplies?  I grew up in a practical family, we didn't get new clothes at the start of the year, we'd get them as needed. Same for supplies. I don't really ever remember "Back to School" shopping. 

7. Name a song or a band that reminds you of high school.  I didn't listen to the radio much ... the 80's songs all bring back the high school feeling for me. 

8. Did you like school?  I loved school and was very serious about getting good grades. It paid off with academic scholarships that paid for all four years of college.

9. How long have you been out of school? About as long as I've been married (I went to one quarter after to finish up) ... so over 20 years!

10.  What did you like most about school?  What did you dislike most about school?  I liked the social aspect, but I really did enjoy learning and the feeling of accomplishment when completing school assignments and getting a good grade.  I'm afraid I fall into the typical stereotype of a girl NOT liking math!

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This post was part of the Friend Making Monday Link-Up.

Come join in!

Home Alone

A little while ago, I posted about the upcoming family vacation. The image above WAS my response to learning of such plans. I really debated staying or going, and ultimately I decided to stay home.  It wasn't so much that I needed a break and wanted the time to myself. It was the car ride, the eating issues, comforts of home (I'm talking toilets here... and my bed and A/C), and how easily overwhelmed I get out of my usual routine. Hubby was very understanding. A couple of the kids (my mama's boys) were a bit dismayed by my decision, but I figured this would be a good thing for them too. They were off ... and I was home alone.

It was very quiet. I went ahead and cleaned the house and guess what? It STAYED clean! I had oodles of time to exercise, and exercise I did. I had several 30k days. Exercise-wise, I got in a lot more than I usually do with the family around, a TON more than I would have gotten had I gone on the trip (I don't think I would have gotten any in). I did miss my ping pong partners though. Food-wise, the home alone time went both ways. On the one hand, I wasn't constantly being asked/expected to make high calorie items (for example, every Sunday I make Belgian waffles for breakfast and homemade oreos for dessert after dinner).  I wasn't in the kitchen much at all. No Friday night date going out to eat or to the movies, no donuts on Saturday morning. No ordering out for pizza (not that I eat pizza, see my Eating Issues post, but I LOVE cheesy bread). No mac&cheese or peanut butter sandwiches (I'd never make them for me, but I always seem to have just a little nibble as I prep them for the kidlets). I could just eat MY foods and try to make healthy choices. But then ... I was a little lonely, and feeling a bit like a bad mother/wife/sister-in-law/daughter-in-law and emotional eating came into play a bit. Also, I'd never just take a full bag of chips as I caught up on the computer, or eat straight from the ice cream carton ... but with no one around to catch me or judge ... But again, compared to the eating  I WOULD have done on the trip  (snacking in the car, going out to eat) I'm sure I still came in ahead here at home. 

It's interesting to think about how much others impact our exercise and eating. 

Sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad. 

I got in a little sunshine.

I can't really do that with the boys around.

It was interesting to note how my sleep habits shifted. Normally, Hubby (and therefore me too) is an "early to bed and early to rise" type of person. We are usually in bed by 10:00. He's up uber early ... ok, I'll admit I've been sleeping in this summer, but during the school year I'm always up by 6:00 or 6:30.

With everyone gone, I'd often pull a late workout, then work on the blog or read or something. I stayed up past midnight most nights (which is very unlike me!). And then with no one around ... it was some major sleeping in. I've spend some nights without hubby before (as he'd go on trips for work or scouts), but I'd never been completely alone in the house at night before. 

And here is what I missed ...

 The car ride is literally better without me there.

Then #1 can sit in the front, 

and #3 isn't squished in the back with the little ones.

16+ hours (one way)

The Space Needle with cousins. 

 Orcas Island ... camping and lake fun.

The family is still on the road on the way back, but they will be home today. I plan on having some homemade oreos ready and waiting. I hope they missed me a little bit. I'll be happy to have hubby home. Back to the chaos of being mom to these five great boys. It's the final week of summer. There's back to school night, orthodontist appointments, last minute school shopping (I did some while they were gone) and whatever fun we want to squeeze into these last few days. 

Eating Issues

I am a picky eater. I have been for as long as I can remember. I think my mom tried ... I do have one recollection of a stand off with her. It was a tuna fish sandwich. I think we sat there for a couple of hours. Then she turned her back and I shoved it down the disposal. Other than that one memory, I don't really recall being forced to eat anything. There was no special treatment though, no meals just for me. I ate or I didn't, it was my choice. There was usually something I could get by on ... if not, I went hungry.  

It is interesting being an adult and looking at my eating issues from a logical perspective. Or rather, the knowledge that it is  not logical. I know that, I can see that. But I can't seem to change it. 

I don't know that there are any hard and fast rules to what I will or won't eat. I just know. It's not even taste (it never gets to that point, I have never tried most foods I "dislike"). It's sight, smell, anticipation of texture ... it's mental, I realize that.  Another childhood memory, when I was a little older ... a meal my mom made which I loved. She told me it was chicken casserole. I especially loved the little brown pieces of chicken. It was actually a tuna casserole, and the little brown pieces were mushrooms! Once I found out what it really was, I could never take another bite, even though I knew I had eaten it and enjoyed it in the past. 

I took cold lunch all though school ... I ate a peanut butter and honey sandwich every single day until Jr. High. I burned out on those and have never eaten one since. The dating years were a bit awkward. I dreaded dates that included dinner, although I could usually find ONE thing at most restaurants and appear somewhat normal. My guy friends actually appreciated it at times- they didn't have to choose between soup or salad, they could have both (because I don't like either, so they could have mine). 

My eating issues have pros and cons when it comes to trying to lose weight and eat healthy. On one hand, common diet busters like pizza, hamburgers, hotdogs, tacos ... none of that appeals to me (ok I'll just say it, I've NEVER tried any of them). I don't eat high calorie items like sauces, gravy or dressings.  I'm even more picky when it comes to what I drink. I've never had anything alcoholic (so I don't have to worry about the calories or the lack of control that comes with drinking) and I don't really care for soda.

On the negative side, I don't like smoothies, or salads. Vegetables rarely make it into my food diary, there are only a few that I'll even eat (of course the ones I DO like are the starchy ones that don't really even qualify as vegetables). I'm a little better with fruits, but I still only eat about half of what is available (I've never had a peach, or any "berries" or cherries). The fruit I do eat is plain. I won't eat fruit processed or prepared in any way (no apple pie for me). No yogurt. I'll forgo bread before I eat any whole wheat. I'm not vegetarian, I like beef, chicken, turkey and fish but it has to be plain, no sauces or spices. Of course I like unhealthy fried chicken and fried fish, but other than those ... I never eat bread and meat in one bite. No sandwiches. 

While there are plenty of snack foods and desserts I do not like, I still do enjoy plenty of them out there. Quite enough that it makes staying under 2000 calories a day a challenge.  My joke with hubby is that "if you are what you eat, then I am SO sweet" ... and I am! Unless you try to take away my sugar! Then I get ornery. I'm working on it though. Someday, maybe I'll get it under control enough that I can open up my MFP food diary to public. 

For now ... I'm simply trying to control calories. Once I master that, I'll move on to trying to eat healthier foods. Baby steps. I do feel a little limited, even though I know those limitations are of my own making.  As I see others eating and actually ENJOYING healthy options like yogurt, smoothies, salads, quinoa ... none of the recipes or food plans online or in magazines work for me. I've seen threads about this topic on MFP from fellow picky eaters. At times those posting were encouraged to seek professional help. Ironically, I did get my Bachelor's in Psychology.  I just can't even imagine anyone being able  to get me to try, or like, a new food. On one of the message boards there was a link to an article about Selective Eating Disorder. It was interesting to read, and yes, sounds spot on. I've always thought that I was the pickiest person around ... but apparently I'm actually not nearly as bad as some people out there!

My boys are picky, but nothing like me. I am in an awkward parental position ... if I ever say "Just try it, one bite. How do you know you don't like it if you don't taste it?" Everyone will stop and look pointedly at me. It's the height of hypocrisy, I know.  I have absolutely no problem with anyone else eating any of these items. I'll buy it, encourage it, prep it ... I've got a great lasagna recipe. Or so I'm told.  

This blog is about my journey, and my eating issues definitely play a big part. Despite my limitations, I know I can still be successful. I will just have to take a slightly different road.

Weekly Weigh-In #5

As I'm going to be weighing-in weekly, I decided keep track there in the title of the post ... this isn't really my 5th weekly weigh-in since I started losing, but it is my fifth official post. My first "weekly weigh-in" post was 15 Pounds, mid-July, about two months after I started MFP. Since then I've posted here each Friday morning and I plan to continue. 

 I was SOOOOOOO hoping for a 1 pound loss this week, because that would move me into the 150s... even if it was just 159.9.  But alas ... not quite. Oh well, it did go down (only .8 but that is down). After my THREE pound loss last week, I guess should just be happy that THAT was not an incorrect reading, that I've stayed there and not had any real increases. I was a bit worried. While a new low is great to see, unless it sticks around I can never quite believe in it.

My MFP ticker is showing 20 pounds. It was 19 last Friday, and dropped to twenty on Sunday. Those little ups Wednesday/yesterday moved it back to 19, so I'm glad to see this again. (My Aria scale syncs wirelessly to my Fitbit account as soon as I step off the scale. My Fitbit account syncs with MFP, so ALL my weight fluctuations are obvious as my ticker and this number is changing day to day.)

This was a NO EXCUSES week. If you look in my Day to Day postings, from August 10-August 15 ... you'll see every single day was a "good" day (which means I hit all my fitness goals and had a nice calorie deficit).  I'll post a little bit more about this unique week on Sunday *Ü*

Batteries ...

My hubby has a nickname for me ... 

The Energizer Bunny. 

I just keep going and going and going.

It's not always true ... I get worn down, just like everyone else. But I do really LIKE exercise now. I'm not sure if there are "exercise endorphins" that actually make me happy, that ironically give me MORE energy when I workout - or if it's all a placebo effect in my head. I do know, on a day I don't work out, I actually feel more run down than on the days I put in miles on my machines. I rarely take a rest day. It takes a lot for me to stop working (out) ...

Not so with my Omron pedometer ... this morning I went to put it on and saw the little flashing battery light. At least it did happen in the morning. It's so frustrating when it dies mid-day and I lose all my data! It is always a bit of a chore ... 10 minutes or so I hadn't planned on devoting to this task. Finding a small screwdriver (that usually takes at least 5 minutes on its own), finding a replacement battery (luckily I do have several on hand), and then resetting the stats on the device. The good news with THAT at least was I was able to put my weight in 20 pounds lower than it had been set at previously. 

My Fitbit has a rechargeable battery ... I just slip it on the charger while I take a shower. I don't need to do it every night, just every few nights and it stays ready to go. I've never had my Fitbit die on me. The little Fitbit Zip has a replaceable battery like the Omron ... I think I personally prefer the rechargeable one. 

Wouldn't it be great if we could just plug ourselves in for an hour or so and get completely recharged? Or simply replace our battery with a new one when we wore down?  I know many people take a rest day to recharge. Do you?  Personally ... I have a hard time taking a scheduled "rest" day. I always need to do a little something. I'm the Energizer Bunny ... and here I go!

30DayShred ... Did It!

I've never watched "The Biggest Loser" ... but I still knew who Jillian Michaels was. Although when I first saw the term 30DS on the fitness message boards, I was a little confused. (As a mom with young boys, 30DS is very similar to Nintendo's 3DS game system in name, but I was pretty sure people weren't talking about a video game!)  I was actually pretty comfortable with my exercise routine ... my elliptical, the stationary bike,  a little jogging here and there, with a weight workout a couple times a week. But then I got to thinking ... comfortable is probably NOT a good word to describe a great workout. It should push you. It should be a little UNcomfortable.

I'd seen so many rave reviews of 30DS, there was a group on MFP starting it up in just a few days, and it was inexpensive and available for instant download on Amazon ... so I figured I'd give it a try. 

Now the group I was participating in decided that instead of doing the 30 Day Shred in 30 days, the goal would be to do it for five days, then take the weekends off. This worked out well for me. It is nice to have a little flexibility, to be able to miss a workout during the week and have the weekend to make it up (and still stay on schedule). There are several cute calendars out there (our group was using THIS one). It was recommended to take pictures and measurements to compare the before/after results. 

This was where I came to shred ... J&G's Gym (my basement). You don't need a ton of room, which is good as I don't have that much open space here. But it was enough. I liked having the mat. I had three sizes of dumbbells (3, 5, and 8 pound) and my FAN ... believe me, I was SO glad I had that fan!

 Here's a quick "at a glance" summary of what you are in for (click on the picture to enlarge it) or just to keep as reference ... First, a small warm up.  Then three minutes of strength moves. Two minutes of cardio. One minute of abs. Repeat two more times then cool down. The first day on each level is always the hardest, as you get to know the moves. It does get easier as you master them and get a little conditioned. 

So ... MY results. Starting July 1, and finishing August 10. I took pictures before/after ... I'm not posting my pictures here, I'm a little too self-conscious of the shorts/sports bra look on me, and I really could not see enough of a difference to warrant showing them off. I lost 8.9 pounds (from 169.2 to 160.3). I lost an inch or two in my waist (I'm really not good at measuring, I move or breathe differently and it changes an inch right there), and an inch on my hips. I do feel like my arms are stronger and more toned (although I still can't do more then five "real" pushups ... working on that).   I did watch my calories and continued my elliptical workouts during this time, so I can't say 30DS worked wonders, but I would recommend it. It's a good, challenging program.

Generally I like to watch a tv series while I workout (see my What I'm Watching post HERE) ... It's a little more entertaining than watching Jillian or another trainer workout. But this was a good change. Pushing me to try moves I hadn't thought of on my own. My body recognized the change ... my heart rate monitor would bump up higher during these workouts than during my traditional cardio on the elliptical or bike.  I will continue to watch my shows while I workout on my machines, but I will also try to add in some cardio DVDs to challenge me and shake it up a bit. I plan on going back to my weight workouts.  Maybe I'll try something like this again in a couple of months.

I'm not exactly "shredded" ... I still have a way to go. 

But I'm happy to say I started and I FINISHED this program. 

I'm now part of the 30DS

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I finished 30DS a few days ago (Saturday was my last day) but I figured I'd post it today, as part of  Workout Wednesday