Workouts, Weigh-In and Wonderful Weather

The weather has been wonderful this week. I've seen many friends across the country commenting about it, so it seems this nice forecast is fairly widespread ... except in New York, where Hubby and the boys are on vacation. Chilly with some rain there. With the warmer weather, I see MANY of you joyously jogging outdoors. Me? I'm still an indoor exerciser, regardless. In fact, this warmer weather can be a bit of a detriment to my workout routine. I feel the urge to go outside, stick my lower half in the sunshine and get a little color on my legs; happily reading and relaxing under the blue skies. Sing with me ... "I'm gonna soak up the sun" ...

I was a bit of a bad mommy today. My little one came downstairs early this morning as I was on the elliptical saying he didn't feel well. My first thought was "you can't be sick, I have Zumba today!"  Now ... not that I really think he's faking, but the last couple times he was "sick" and I let him stay home, he really didn't seem bad at all during the day. And there was a miraculous recovery right around the time school let out. I really have been one to err on the side of caution. So much so that last year I got a nasty letter from the elementary school saying my child had missed too many days and any further absences would require a doctor's note. So today ... I "encouraged" him to try school, saying he could call if he still wasn't feeling well. He was pretty much normal by the time I dropped him off, and I haven't got a call. And I got to go to Zumba *Ü*

I wear my HRM during Zumba. It was misbehaving a bit today, I don't know why. Not showing a heart rate, telling me to check the transmitter. Sometimes I need to stop and restart when that happens, but I really didn't want to do that, as then I wouldn't get an accurate reading of the full class. It did finally start registering again, but I know I missed out on it recording for a few minutes. These gadgets, they can be fun and motivating, but very frustrating when they decide not to work.

 

My Zumba stats today ... HRM and Fibit

(I keep stats from every Zumba workout here). 

I really like seeing the stats from the HRM ... but I don't always like to wear the HRM. It's just a bit of a pain to put on. It's tight around my chest, not super uncomfortable, but I'm always quite conscious of having it on. When I put it on ... brrrr, it's COLD (maybe I'll appreciate that more in the hot summer). If I put it on a second time during the day (as I do multiple workouts throughout the day), sometimes it's still sweaty. Ewwww.   I did go ahead and wear it for an elliptical session, and a bike session, just to keep tabs on its information for those activities ...

 30 minute bike ride.

20 minutes on the elliptical 

The problem with the elliptical ... if the HRM is correct (or closer to correct) in its calorie estimate, then my Fitbit is over-estimating by over 50 calories. Not a huge deal, but that is per workout, and I do three-five elliptical sessions a day. So then, that's a difference of  250+. That is a little high. I do try not to eat back all my calories. I attempt to leave an extra exercise calories as a buffer (in addition to the 500 deficit I'm already calculating in), but ... I'm not always successful. I've discussed my exercise estimates before (Trying to be Truthful, Exercise Estimates). I'm just a numbers gal ... I like to crunch the in and out and hopefully work it out so that I lose some weight.

Speaking of weight (and linking up with Weigh-in Wednesday) ... this is NOT going to be an "under 150 all week" week like I did a couple weeks ago. I'm just barely over this morning, and have been all week long (check back on Friday for a full report). My body really seems to like 150! I'm ok with it, I'd just like 145 a lot more. Goal is 135. I know if I paid less attention to numbers and just ate better, I'd probably have better success, ahhhh, just can't quite get to the "eating healthy" part. Of course, many years ago I would have said there isn't any exercise I like either, so ...

Linking up with Workout Wednesday and FitFoodRuns.

How's YOUR hump day?

Pinette. Funny & Farewell

Have you heard of the comedian John Pinette? I was sad on Sunday when I heard the news that he had been found dead in his hotel room on Saturday. He had always struggled with weight, health problems, and as many celebrities do, other demons (drug issues I believe). As far as making us laugh though, he was a family favorite. Pretty clean... enough that I'd let my teenagers listen to his stuff. Because of his size, many of his bits focused on food and fitness. In memory of John Pinette, I thought I'd share a few of our favorite funnies.

In this clip he talks about going to the gym. His trainer tells him to do a sit up. 

He says "I don't do ups. Ups defy gravity. Gravity is a law. I obey the law."  

Lots of funny stuff.

Here he talks about going to see a nutritionist (or two, or three),

and attempting to follow their directives.

Here's a quick look at going gluten-free (not by choice).
Celiacs runs in our family, so this hits home.

RIP John Pinette.
Thank you for making us laugh.

PACT and Paydays

Happy Monday! 

Back to the routine after the weekend.

I thought I'd share my personal experience with PACT today. Programs like this (get paid for healthy habits, pay out if you commit but don't deliver) can be very motivating ... those DietBets run along the same lines. (I have yet to try one of those. I can absolutely say I'll exercise and record my food, but I can't promise I'll lose weight.)

Gym Pact was one of the original reward sites out there. As I got involved with all the others reward programs (Reaping the Rewards), I looked at Gym Pact, but decided it wasn't for me. I didn't workout in a gym, but in my basement. Even when they introduced a motion tracker, I was afraid I'd forget to start/stop it, and the majority of my workouts are just 20 minutes ... Gym Pact required 30 minutes. Instead of simply working toward a reward, you were actually forced to put money on the line, $5 per missed workout.  I decided to pass on Gym Pact.

In January, MFP announced that they were partnering up with PACT (GymPact had shifted its focus away from only gym commitments, thus the change in the name). Now, there was also a food pact (logging three meals each day, at least 1200 calories) and veggie pact (although it should be called produce pact, as it's for fruits and vegetables). In addition to this change, Pact was also syncing with Fitbit, and 10,000 steps in a day would count as a "workout".

10,000 steps in a day.

Do you know me?
THAT is not a problem!

Logging my meals? At least 1200 calories?

That is not a problem!
(As long as I'm not penalized for going over).

Fruits and veggies every day?

Ok ... I'm NOT gonna comment or commit there.

I went ahead and signed up. I reluctantly input my credit card number ... I wasn't crazy about that part. I committed to six days a week for both exercise and food logging. I'm really doing it every single day, but I figured I'd give myself a bit of leeway, just in case. 

For me? It's been a breeze. My Fitbit steps have always synced without a problem. Not long after I reach 10,000 I receive a notification that my steps have been counted. My MFP meals connect and count without issue too.  The week runs from Mon-Sunday, and by Tues/Wed I receive notification that my pact is complete and I've been paid.  It isn't a lot, but it adds up. I hit my first $10 mid-February and I went ahead and withdrew it ... just to make sure I could. No problems. Just last week, I transferred another $21.54 to my Paypal account.

Now ... I suppose if I ever lost my Fitbit or my iPhone, I might have a problem fulfilling my PACT. You can contact customer service and put your PACT on hold, or even receive an pardon for sick days (like back in December when I was hit with the flu, I would have needed to do that as I wasn't stepping or eating). Reports of having to deal with customer service are a little hit and miss, some people say their issues are taken care of quickly, others say it's a horrible experience. My first three months have been issue free.

The veggie-pact ... it's actually the highest paying pact (per activity, and you can have more entries overall, up to five a day, 30 a week). You take pictures of the fruits/veggies before/as you eat them, post them to the PACT community, and then they get voted up or down. It sounds like a lot more trouble than it's worth to me ... that and I'm not good at getting in my fruits and veggies. There are a lot of complaints of "cheaters" ... posting multiple pictures, or pictures of pictures. People get frustrated when their foods are voted down. I have not participated in this pact.

Payments each week vary. They are based on the monies collect from those who failed to meet their pact commitments. What you choose to commit to is your choice. Do you want to commit to seven days a week, or only two? You can even commit to pay $10 for a missed workout, meal log or veggie, but the double the risk does NOT double your payout. I guess it's just more of an incentive for you not to miss.

After MY personal experience with PACT ... I do give it a thumbs up. At least when connected to Fitbit and MFP. I can't say it really motivates ME much though. There had been some days I took it easy and didn't get in my 10k steps. Since joining Pact, I have achieved 10k every single day (even though I give myself that one day leeway) so I guess there has been some motivation there. But for the most part, this is stuff I was doing, and would be doing regardless of my participation with PACT. I do know that a program like this can be very motivating to others ... maybe the risk of having to pay out, being more of a motivation than getting the small reward. What do you think?

Do you participate in PACT? 

Would something like this motivate you?

Join with the Motivation Monday team.

The link-up is below.

Just a quick weekend re-cap as well... I actually hit goal on Friday. I don't usually do that. But hubby was busy packing, so I had a little extra time to get an extra workout or two in. I didn't do my weights ... but I got them in on Saturday after the boys got off for their trip. No church meetings on Sunday, so I got in a couple extra workouts then too. The boys were traipsing all around New York City. Both boys forgot to wear their Fitbits (#1 thinks he lost his at airport security) but they were with my sister-in-law, and she had hers on. She sent me her stats ... I thought it would be fun to compare my day with theirs ...

... so they beat me in steps yesterday! And in flights of stairs. I know they were at the top of Rockefeller Center, but I'm wondering if they climbed stairs or took an elevator, and if the Fitbit could tell the difference! But it's Monday ... hopefully I'll beat them today! I've got Zumba Tues/Wed and Thursday, so I should beat them those days! It's nice to have them give me a little competition!

I'm linking up with Move it Monday, MIMM, and MotivationMonday.

and of course, MY  Motivation Monday Team.
Join in and link up!

Tiffany/Morgan/Wendy/Alisha/Betty
JenB/Brandi/Jen/Gwen /Theresa

Coffee Date Link Up

I love link-ups. They are a great way to connect with other bloggers out there. I have been following Jill and Nikki for a while, and they've both done these "coffee date" posts every so often. Just random thoughts, things you'd talk about if you were meeting a girlfriend for coffee.

I never did a "virtual coffee date" before ... and when the linkup was first talked about, I wasn't sure if I would participate. A couple of reasons. First ... I don't drink coffee. That's a silly reason, right?  Admittedly, I have never actually tried it. I'm a really picky eater, even more so when it comes to drinking. But I DO love hot chocolate, so if you don't mind that I'm nursing that while you sip your coffee, then I suppose I could join in.

My other drawback ...meeting a girlfriend for a coffee date is a foreign idea. I was really social through high school and college. I had great girlfriends and I'm still in touch with them; Facebook friends, the occasional email... but we don't actually get together and talk.  In these past many married years, I'm actually quite anti-social.  I've become a bit of a recluse. I'm a homebody. A few years ago I did connect with another mom. We had kids the same ages and we'd get the kids together for a playdate and she and I could talk for hours. It really was a new experience for me. I liked it and looked forward to our conversations. But she has since moved and I've reverted to my reclusive ways. 

But, if we did connect over coffee ... I'd probably be hesitant to talk. I've been so emotional lately and I don't know why. I tear up easily and with little or no provocation. I sobbed over Scandal and The Good Wife a couple episodes ago (they were emotional ones!) A song came on at Zumba last Thursday, it brought back bad, heartbreaking, memories and I had a hard time shaking it. The song "Say Something" doesn't have any personal meaning to me, but it just sounds so melancholy. My life is actually going great, I'm not sure why I've been so emotionally on edge!

If we met for coffee ... I'd mention that the guys (hubby and the two oldest) just left for New York for a week. I was invited of course, but as mentioned above, I'm a homebody. Just the simple thought of NYC is enough to induce extreme anxiety. Ah anxiety issues ...

If we met for coffee ... I bet I'd bring up Zumba. It's been a bit of an obsession of late, which is really funny because I can't dance at all. I just bought some new shoes for Zumba ... I'm not sure if I like them though. My Zumba experience is still so limited, I wonder what other classes are like. If YOU were a Zumba-er, I'd probably ask you a lot of questions.

If we met for coffee ... we'd probably talk about books and TV shows that we are enjoying. It's been great getting back into reading (I go through cycles). I love getting emails from my "book deals" and picking up free digital books or something on sale. I'm currently reading "Cress" on the Nook app (a friend is "sharing" her bookshelf with me, and I bought "Cress" for her for her birthday, as we've both enjoyed the first two books in the series). I do prefer the Kindle app though, much more user friendly! I'm sad "The Walking Dead" wrapped up for the season. Game of Thrones is going to start and after how it ended last season (and how emotional I've been) I'm just not sure I'm up for it! I've been enjoying "The Voice" but I'm not sure I'll keep watching after the battle rounds end. As mentioned above, Scandal and The Good Wife totally grabbed me lately! I'm watching "The Sarah Conner Chronicles" when I don't have new shows to watch ... it's fine, but I'm already thinking about what to watch next. 

If we met for coffee ... I'm sure I'd end up talking about the kids. #1 is graduating and needs to make decisions about college. I feel like a bad mom, I'm just not sure what I'm supposed to be doing to help. I feel quite lost. #2 has basketball stuff coming up ... again, I'm not sure what I need to do to make sure he's getting all the opportunities he can. I worry about #3 and his constant negativity. With spring storms around the corner, is #4 going to have a relapse with his weather phobia? Luckily #5 is easy as pie ... actually they all are. I've got great kids and I'm very lucky!

Hopefully I didn't dominate the conversation. I hope I listened too ... I'll do some "blog listening" and go visit some of the other links in the virtual coffee date link up. The link up is open all month long, so if you want to join in, you have plenty of time. What would you talk about if we met for coffee?

See you again next month?

WWI #38 & 160BPMPopularPlaylist

Well ... not a great week. It started going downhill pretty much after I stepped off the scale last Friday. I was so happy I'd hit my "an entire week under 150" goal. I'm not sure if I felt like I had permission to relax a bit, or "reward" myself with a treat ... or two, or three. Food on Friday, Saturday and Sunday was NOT good. My Monday morning high wasn't really surprising. Although I HAD been very naughty over the weekend and had definitely been over calories, I wasn't 18,5000 over (as the scale was reflecting a FIVE pound increase).  It did motivate me to get back on track though.

I was able to turn things around, but still up from last weigh-in ... in fact the increase from yesterday morning I blame on hubby! Yesterday wasn't great, but I'd done okay. My morning was a little off, as the hubs had scheduled some guys to come in and clean the air-ducts in the house. I HATE having people in the house, I just don't feel like I can keep to my regular routine. Then in the evening, Hubs and #2 stopped at Chick-fil-a after running a pinewood derby and brought home chicken nuggets and fries. I can resist their waffle fries, but their nuggets? It didn't add too many calories (300 or so) but I'm totally going to blame that for the up this morning!

Numbers: Up 2.5 pounds from last week. Average is up also, 1.63 pounds. Amazing how much the scale can fluctuate. High was 153.3, Low was 149.0. I actually DID have a deficit for the week. Even with my overages, I managed to come in at -2115 for the week as a whole.  Average intake 2286. Average burn 2825.  At least my MFP ticker is still at 30 pounds lost. I don't like when it drops back into the 29, 28 ... of course not as good as the 32 it was last week. Gotta get back there and beyond!

Linking up with Fitness Friday,  Follow Through Friday & Finish Line Friday.

Onto FUN Friday stuff... Friday Five.

I'm not a runner. The elliptical is easy, I enjoy my bike riding (and reading), I look forward to Zumba ... but strapping on the shoes and jogging. It really takes effort. Unfortunately, it seems to be the best way to actually get my heart rate up and get in a lot of steps in a short amount of time. I've been trying to commit to jogging a quick mile each day. I usually exercise with the TV on for motivation/distraction. 

Lately ... I've been turning to music again for my jogs ... and it can be SO motivating. I'm the type that needs to have a perfect beat to match my footfalls. On my treadmill, I set the speed to 5mph. That's what I can maintain for a WHOLE mile. I thought I'd share some of my motivational music, my top five 5mph song selection. Ones that I can count on to keep me going~ 

I pulled this screen shot from Jog.fm. I'm not sure about the whole 9 minute mile listing. I do NOT jog a nine minute mile. I need the full 12 minutes. But the 160-165 BPM is perfect for me at 5mph. I'm figuring you've heard these all before, they are pretty mainstream, but in case you want to check them out, here you go ... can you feel the beat? Does it make you want to go for a jog? *Ü*

I have LOTS more songs on my 5mph playlist ... I'll share others in some future posts. 
Do you have a "motivational music" playlist?
Do you need a specific beat for your running/walking?

Linking up with with the FridayFive linkups...

Five on Friday at Hello Happiness
Five Things Friday at Fitting It All In 
Friday Five at Eat Pray Run 
Friday Favorites at Running4Cupcakes
Friday Favorites at Housewife Glamour
High Five Friday at LaurenElizabeth 
 

Zoomba

I think we've all seen this Zumba meme or one similar, right? 

 Honestly though, I have NO illusions. 

I can't dance. I know this.

When I got on my fitness kick, I knew almost everyone had tried and loved Zumba. I'm not a social exerciser though. I'm a homebody with a gym in the basement. I like my routine and my comfort zone. And ... I can't dance. I was heavily involved in musical theater when I was a teen. I am aware of my limitations. I got the lead role (Laurie) in Oklahoma. She doesn't dance. I sought out the role of Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street ... they actually say about the character "but she can't dance!" so it was perfect for me.

Back in January, I did a post (I Hope You Dance). A Zumba class was being offered. It was close, convenient and free. In that post I discussed my anxiety before attending. I mentioned how I wasn't super sold on it after I went...

I'm addicted now. 

I think back on those first few classes and the original instructor. I actually think it was great now, to have her introduce Zumba to me. Her routines weren't super challenging, and thus they didn't intimidate me too much. After attending her class for several weeks, I faced my anxiety again, and tried two other Zumba settings. Now I go every Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday morning. The three groups all have their own style and set up and it keeps it fresh and interesting. It's a great way to start the day. 

• Tuesday, the class is still with my original instructor. It's a bunch of white ladies who can't dance. I really like it though, because it isn't very crowded and at this point, I'm fairly familiar with the routines and steps.
• Wednesday ... it's kind of crazy. It's a largely Polynesian group and they whoop and holler and call out and laugh. It's gets pretty packed! They have several instructors on the stage. I do like that. It's nice to see how different people can customize the steps; some higher energy, some lower impact. Some with perfect grace, some with so much personality.
• Thursday is lead by several Latin ladies. They have the moves ... often moves I can't master. They alternate through several instructors (my Tuesday teacher is there and leads a couple songs, I'm always happy to have a couple songs/steps that I feel I can follow). 

I grabbed some snapshots from yesterday's (a Wednesday) session. I guess it was dress-up day. Bright colors, headbands, tights, legwarmers ... even a couple tutus! It was actually fun to see and added to the energy *Ü*

I do find I have definite preferences for instructors, moves, songs. I also realize I rarely like a routine the first time, that familiarity leads to liking for me *Ü*  I've come to the conclusion that I have ...

Zumba Brain. 

I'm always humming the songs ... and I don't really know the songs! I don't speak Spanish, so it's a lot harder for me to actually sing along and memorize the music. I usually only remember small portions, and I'll run those over and over in my head until I drive myself a bit crazy. I also envision Zumba moves to almost all music. I choreograph stuff in my mind (I'm NOT saying it's any good, just that it is happening). Again ... I drive myself a bit crazy.

 

I wear my PolarFT heart rate monitor, and I also start the timer on my Fitbit. After class, I pull off the two gadgets and snap some pictures so I can easily remember and compare my stats. Sometimes the two estimates are quite close, other times they are off by over 100. Whichever I go by,  I don't get the crazy burn (600+ calories an hour) that some people post. I keep all my picture stats in an album on Facebook (here). Some days are definitely better than others! It can really vary. Sometimes I'm surprised by the burn (or lack thereof) and other times it's pretty much what I expected. It's good to get some feedback tracking!

It's Thursday, and Thursday's are for Thinking Out Loud.  

I've got a lot of Zumba on the brain ... I thought I'd let a little spill out.

What are YOUR thoughts on Zumba?

And seriously, my title of the post? In my head, I need to think of Zumba spelled "Zoomba" so that I say it right. Otherwise, my ol'American pronunciation sneaks in and I see and say the "u" like "under" "umbrella" and "up" ... and that's just DUMBA. I do really feel Zumba is an NSV for me. I really feel more confident, not like the meme I presented at the top ... I still don't feel like a dancer, but I feel better about myself. I always get quite a few steps in, and I just look forward to Zumba. It makes me happy.

My "Earndit" Experience

I've done a number of posts about the various "reward" sites out there (Reaping The Rewards)... rewarding you for your activity, for personal gain or for charity. I shared my experience with Everymove and Achievemint. I suggested linking up with the Walgreens  and I promoted the Weightless Project, helping out the hungry just by linking up your activity tracker (Fitbit/Jawbone).

I'll be sharing my experience with FitStudio (ShopYourWay with Sears/Kmart) and PACT coming up, but I thought it was past time to talk a little about Earndit ... as it was one of the first ones I looked into. I actually forget about Earndit most of the time. It's one I signed up for, but don't check in on often.

Earndit connects to several different types of trackers. I just synced my Fitbit and collect points from my steps. There are challenges, and points to be gained from referring people too.

I'll get email updates each week with a quick recap of the points I've earned.

Earndit is one of the reward sites that does allow international users. There area lot of "rewards" ... but they are just discounts in disguise. I have yet to see anything that actually appeals to me. They also have several sweepstakes you can use your points to enter, but that seems like a reach, I'm not really a gambling gal.

They do have charity options though...

It's not a specific amount (like the $5 donation to Make a Wish offered by Everymove), but you click on give, and someone else clicks on give, and when enough people have clicked (Earndit doesn't disclose how many points actually add up to the donation going out), then you get an email that the charity donation has been achieved. It's hard to know if any of this is actually happening for sure, but I'd like to think that these small steps are helping others.  At times, there have NOT been any charity rewards available to redeem ... in that case I just hang onto my points until they reappear. They always do.

That's my tip this Tuesday...

Try Earndit ...give a little back.

I'm linking up with with Lisa and Kristen for Tip Tuesday.

March Recap

Time to recap the month of March. If you look at my "Got to Goal" streaks calendar ... well, there are no surprises. Mon-Thurs are my "good" days. On the days I have a structured routine, I hit my goal. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it's a different story. The ONE Friday I hit goal, hubby was gone ... and I exercised into the evening. I'm often above goal on my good days, hopefully enough that it balances out my wicked weekends. The "non-goal" days were not all bad, but there were some BAD ones (all the details are in my Day to Day Doings). 

I did really well with my exercise this month. I exercised every single day. I broke my 60min elliptical streak though ... I only got 40 minutes on March 29.   I got in my elliptical, 1 mile jog and 30minutes on the bike on almost all my Mon-Thurs days (some days I just didn't have it in me for the jog). I went to Zumba every Tues/Wed/Thurs and even got one Friday session in (when the kids were out of school and I didn't have to drive them to late start).  I got in weights Mon/Wed/Fri the entire month. I did my full body weight routine on Mon and Fri and did a couple different DVDs for the mid-week sessions, just to try something new and push me out of my routine and comfort zone. Yes, I do spend a lot of time on exercise ... but it's also my TV time and reading time. Some of my long walks were during basketball games/practices as well. Double duty ... it's how I make the most of my time.

I forgot to grab this graph on the evening of March 31 ... dang it! I really wish Fitbit would allow us to enter a time frame to customize the capture. Once it is past, it is gone. One of the main reasons I set up this blog to begin with, was just to have a place to put these graphs, organized and side-by-side (Intake vs Burn Graphs). My averages are almost where I want them (3000 for average burn, 2000 for average intake). I did have a few days where my intake/burn lines touched or even crossed ... on days I don't get the burn, I need to better curb the calories (but those are the days I go a little crazy with my eating, isn't that how it goes?) Food ... even when calories are kept in check is still not great. Too many treats. To many items in my "Completely Empty Calories" section. I actually named one of my sections that on MFP.  I am tracking everything, good or bad. I'm coming on my one-year anniversary at MFP. I haven't missed a day.

On day one of March I weighed in at 149.50. On the morning of the last day, I was 153.3 ... BUT that was an uber up after a bad weekend. I HAD been 148.0 on the last "official" Friday weigh-in for March, and the day after the high, weight was back to 150.7 which isn't wonderful, but at least isn't too far off where I started the month. I did have one whole week under 150 ... which hasn't happened in the past five years. I hope to repeat that, and lose a bit more, enough that even a bad weekend won't bump me back up over 150. That is the goal ...

I actually consider March a success. 

I'm happy with it.

You know I love link-ups ... I just found a new one Wednesday Wonderfulz ... I'd already had this post written up for today, and honestly, the OCD in me will probably want to backdate this to April 1 (which was a Tuesday). But for now, I'll link up *Ü*

March 2014 Daily Doings

I use this blog to keep track of all my fitness stuff ... it's my daily journal too. I keep up my entries on my Day to Day Doings page, with the most recent entry at the top. As the month ends, I like to gather all my entries and organize them in chronological order, easily referenced for that one month. So here's March ...

• 0301 (Saturday) Ok Day. Weight 149.5. Fitbit Steps 23100. Total Burn 2621. Calories in 2600. Calories out 930. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 60minWalking.  Saturday sleep in, which was nice. Daddy got the boys doing some cleaning in the yard. I did some cleaning in the house. #1 went and grabbed some donuts ... dastardly donuts! I ran to the store to restock on groceries ... I need to shop during the week when it's less crowded. #3 had his game at 4:00. The same team they had played on Wednesday night (and lost to). Today, they won. We went straight to #2's game. They had a game at 5:15, which they won, but it was more of a challenge than they had been expecting. Then we had an hour to kill while the girls had their championship game. Girls games are noisier than the boys games! The smaller gym was open, so I just walked back and forth while my video camera recharged. Then it was the championship game for our boys. We'd come across this team several times in the past few months. Often very close ... we've won once, but they have won the other times. This unfortunately was one of those times too. So second place in the district. Still a great season for our boys!
• 0302 (Sunday) Ok Day. Weight 149.8. Fitbit Steps 16286. Total Burn 2347. Calories in 2400. Calories out 700 (estimate, Fitbit/MFP not syncing). Exercise: 80minElliptical, 10minZumbaWii. The usual slow Sunday, although I did get in one extra elliptical session. Glad to have my Wifi back, so I can record my shows (Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, The Good Wife) and catch up while working out. Did the usual big belgian waffle breakfast, then church. The boys had a fireside in the evening. I made spaghetti for dinner.
• 0303 (Monday) Good Day. Weight 151.6. Fitbit Steps 24136. Total Burn 3065. Calories in 2200. Calories out 1374. Exercise: 100minElliptical, 1mileTreadmill, 30minBike, 60minWeights. I had pulled a few "weight" type DVDs from the library ... Biggest Loser, Jillian's Hardbodies, etc., but hadn't decided on what I wanted to do. I ended up just doing MY weight workout today, along with my cardio. Tried to get back to better eating and actually did decent (grapefruit for breakfast, babybell cheese snack) but then had too many treats (ice cream!) and of course, Papa Murphy Mondays. #1 son stopped and did have them leave off the toppings on a portion of the chicken garlic pizza. I almost felt obligated to have my slice. I've told him he doesn't need to do that for me any more. I'll save it for a splurge, and I actually prefer the thin crust!
• 0304 (Tuesday) Good Day. Weight 150.7. Fitbit Steps 29333. Total Burn 3173. Calories in 2300. Calories out 1479. Exercise: 70minElliptical, 60minZumba, 43min/3miles Treadmill, 30min/8.2miles Bike, 10minWiiFit, 10minHula. Started off the day with a session on the elliptical and then Zumba and got my 10x10. I did my volunteering at the elementary school. Today was cardio ... I was feeling a bit of soreness from the weights yesterday. It was National Pancake Day and I really planned on doing that for dinner, but then it was rather cold and dreary and just felt like a soup kind of day, so I made up my chicken veggie soup. Yum. Too many treats still, those Mother's Animal Cookies are rather addictive ...
• 0305 (Wednesday) Good Day. Weight 151.2. Fitbit Steps 27794. Total Burn 3150. Calories in 2100. Calories out 1453. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 60minZumba, 30minBike, 12min/1mile Treadmill, 15minDVD (BL PowerTrain).  Hit the Wednesday Zumba again. It officially starts at 9:00, but this one always seems to run a little late. So after I dropped off the elementary school kids, I ran to the store quick. The Zumba class had started when I got there, and was quite crowded. Still got in a full hour though, as it went over as well. 8000 steps! After the class I stopped at a couple stores ... I really wished I had brought a change of shoes though. I can only wear sneakers so long before my feet start to burn. Grabbed some things from the dollar store and stopped at a thrift shop and found a cute pair of lululemon bottoms for cheap! Home again, alternated house duties with exercise sessions, then carpools. Had Parent/Teacher conferences ... which are actually STUDENT lead conferences. Both boys have all A's, so none of the teachers had requested we stop by. I had #2 get some paperwork from the office that we need to finalize his high school registration. I was glad #3 didn't have basketball tonight ... we did check in, and it was actually an upset. The team that took it all was one that we (and other teams) beat pretty easily during the season. Dang ice cream and cookies were temptations again today. 
• 0306 (Thursday) Good Day. Weight 150.7. Fitbit Steps 30798. Total Burn 3172. Calories in 1400. Calories out 1475. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 60minZumba, 30minBike, 12min/1mileTreadmill, 15minDVD (BL Metabolic Circuit) + walking between basketball games (5000 steps). I was running just a bit late to Zumba so was just shy of an actual hour. Stopped for some groceries on the way home (none of the stores I hit yesterday had the snack size ziploc bags and I need those for the kids lunches, grabbed some bananas and grapes too, haven't had grapes in a while as they've been so pricey). Got in more cardio during the day, then it was the finals for #2's basketball. He's actually been in pain since last Saturday, limping around, so I was a little anxious. During the game, he was really hurting and had to sit out the entire 2nd quarter (he's usually not on the bench much). He went back in and seemed to be feeling better ... in fact I have to say HE won that game. They had been behind, but made a comeback. I actually had mixed feelings ... happy that they won, but that meant we had another game that night. We watched the next two teams play, and then we played the winner of that game for the championship. I walked during our off game and got 5000 steps in. The team we had to play was the one we played last Saturday (and lost to) ... I know we CAN beat them (if we're on) but feared that was not the case tonight with my son's injury and another top player not at 100%. I almost didn't want my kid out there, knowing that he would probably get hurt again ... and he did (get hurt again) and we lost again ... and to make it even worse, there were physical altercations after the game (initiated by our team parents/assistant coach, we have some hot heads, directed at a ref, not at the other team) and police were called and ... oh that just makes it miserable! Even though this was the championship, it is still JUST a kid's game! Our boys weren't even that upset.  Anyway, not a good end to the day :(  I did good on eating - actually had three servings of fruit, kept treats to a minimum and kept calories low.
• 0307 (Friday) Good Day. Weight 148.9. Fitbit Steps 33271. Total Burn 3338. Calories in 2200. Calories out 1597. Exercise: 80minElliptical, 60minZumba, 52min/3miles Treadmill, 30min/8.2 miles Bike, 20minHula, 60minWeights. Lots of workouts today! The oldest had school (they had been out on Wednesday) but the middle school and elementary were out. So I slept in a little, then hit Zumba, which I can't usually do on Fridays, as I have middle school late start at that time. I recorded last nights episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal and wanted to watch them ... thus the multiple workouts *Ü*. Also, hubby and #2 left for a campout, so I continued on into the evening. I was waiting for #1 to come home, so I went down and walked on the treadmill from 10:45-11:30! For food, we did French Toast Friday, which quickly adds calories, plus a lot of snacking, but still kept calories in check overall.   
• 0308 (Saturday) Ok Day. Weight 149.2. Fitbit Steps 16723. Total Burn 2479. Calories in 2300. Calories out 787. Exercise: 80minElliptical. Maintenance day ... calories in about the same as calories out. #3 had his final basketball game today, they lost, so didn't continue on to the tournament (which was ok with me, that would have been another 2+ hours). Hubby came home from the scout trip and had plenty of leftover treats to temp (Twizzlers, peanut M&Ms and cookies).  #1 was out late for Prom. 
• 0309 (Sunday) Ok Day. Weight 150.2. Fitbit Steps 12170. Total Burn 2406. Calories in 2400. Calories out 703. Exercise: 60minElliptical. Daylight savings ... luckily we have the later church, so we were still able to sleep in. Hubby's been having some issues with his Meniers this week (feeling dizzy and sick). He can go months even years between episodes, then have multiple issues as has been the case this week. He was in bed most of the day. I went through a bunch of the boy's clothes today. I got in a little nap after church. Maga, Aunt Ana and her boys came out to visit. Good timing, as I had a big pile of clothes to pass on to the nephews.
  
• 0310 (Monday) Good Day. Weight 152.5. Fitbit Steps 26620. Total Burn 3229. Calories in 2450. Calories out 1525. Exercise: 100minElliptical, 40min/2.25mileTreadmill, 30minBike, 60minWeights. I thought it might be more difficult to wake up this morning, as it would still seem an hour off, but hubby was up uber early, and I couldn't get back to sleep. So I got up at 5:00 to get started on the day. Got in quite a bit of exercise. After picking up the kids from school I took #2 to the doctor to have his leg checked out. His thigh has been tender and he can't bend it. It's been well over a week now, and with games this week. He thinks he can play through the pain, I just wanted to know if he should! The doctor actually said it wouldn't damage things anymore to play, and prescribed some physical therapy. We'll go in tomorrow. Hubby was supposed to take #4 to the Jazz game in the evening, but he was stuck at work with a Meneire's attack :(  I was able to make arrangements for #4 to go with a friend on the team luckily. I don't drive downtown myself! 
• 0311 (Tuesday) Good Day. Weight 150.9. Fitbit Steps 29037. Total Burn 3142. Calories in 1350. Calories out 1438. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 50minZumba, 30minBike, 23min/1.75mile Treadmill. Got the kids off to school then went to Zumba. Had my volunteering at the elementary, then stopped by the rec center to sign up #3 for spring basketball there (as his comp team has gone their separate ways for now). Then some grocery shopping. After picking up the kids from school, I took #2 in for physical therapy. A heat wrap, ultrasound/electric stimulation, some exercises and massage. His game was at 9:00 that night. They got beat pretty bad, but it was ok, as it made it a less intense game. #2 said he felt ok. I was just so busy today I didn't have much time to eat, so calories were quite low. 
• 0312 (Wednesday) Good Day.  Weight 148.3. Fitbit Steps 40292. Total Burn 3818. Calories in 1800. Calories out 2107. Exercise: 90minElliptical, 50minZumba, 12minTreadmill, 30minBike, 30minWeights, 90minWalking. I went to Wednesday Zumba, I was just a little late, and everyone was leaving! I guess someone else was in the gym. The ladies said they were going to another church, and so I followed. It was quite the caravan! Got in Zumba, although it felt a little slower than this group usually is (the one young, wild and crazy instructor wasn't there). Got in my other exercise. I tried Jillian's "HardBody" DVD but didn't care for it at all. She just seems to be trying to make things "new and different" when I like simple and basic like 30DS. I like "combo" moves that work arms and legs together, but I don't care for complicated combo/moving. Every move transitioned into something else. Rather than a side lunge then a forward squat, or a situp that rolls over into a superman, just let me do several reps of the ONE move, then do the other move. I gave up on it and just did a shortened version of my weight workout. I had Parent/Teacher conferences for the elementary kids. Rave reviews ... as always *Ü*.  #5 then went to the Jazz game with his friend (these are the NBA tickets they receive as part of the Junior Jazz basketball program). Daddy and the boys had an activity over at the church, and I had to take #2 to his game ... which would leave #4 home alone (he's 10). I wasn't quite comfortable with that (I'm ok leaving him AND the 8 year old, as long as they are together) so Daddy took him to the activity with him (4-square) which he actually enjoyed, although he was a little out of his element (he's a homebody, doesn't like new things,  like his mommy). #2's game tonight was in a gym with a track above. I TRIED getting some steps in during last night's game, but it was hard as I only had a few feet to pace around in. Tonight ... I had a huge, nice track. I was able to keep up quite a clip as I walked and watched. Our boys were pretty off tonight, couldn't get a shot to land. They lost again. But I got in over 5 miles! I looked at my Fitbit and was so close to 40,000 steps (a new badge for me) so when I got home, I kept stepping until I saw the 40,000 number appear. Time for bed! 
• 0313 (Thursday) Good Day. Weight 148.3. Fitbit Steps 37089. Total Burn 3591. Calories in 2200. Calories out 1910. Exercise: 80minElliptical, 60minZumba, 30minBike, 10minWiiFit, 80min/5milesWalking. Morning carpools, then Zumba. Still learning some of the more complicated steps in this class, but it was good. Headed to the elementary for "Grandparents Lunch". Hubby's mom came, and my folks had planned on it, but they ended up spending the entire morning at the instacare for my dad. He's ok, but exhausted. Early out for the elementary. Another physical therapy session for #2 after I picked him up from school. Another 9:00 game in the evening, at the same place as yesterday ... so five more miles during his game. This team beat the team that smashed our boys on Tuesday, so that didn't bode well! We actually had the lead for the first half, then the other team pushed and pulled ahead. But the boys only lost by 10 and for the first time this tournament felt like they actually played well. Another 9:00 game tomorrow night (no track). It's been a lot of late night basketball this week!
• 0314 (Friday) Ok Day. Weight 148.3. Fitbit Steps 18202. Total Burn 2681. Calories in 2700. Calories out 2681. Exercise: 80minElliptical. 12min/1mile Treadmill. 60minWeights.  The elementary kids were out of school, and late start for middle school, so I got to sleep in. Finally got #2 finalized at the high school (had to take in some paperwork). Got in cardio and weights. #3 had a birthday party. I dropped him off, then took #2 to his game. They finally won one! So another game tomorrow. Had an 11:00 pickup for #3 ... past my bedtime, but I only got home from the basketball game at 10:30, so I was up anyway. Wasn't a good eating day. I think I had a mental "I deserve to eat what I want" attitude. Lots of junk food today ... including girl scout cookies. It's that time of year. 
• 0315 (Saturday) Ok Day.  Weight 149.4. Fitbit Steps19847. Total Burn 2650. Calories in 2300. Calories out 2650. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 30minBike, 30min/1.5miles Treadmill. #2 had his basketball game at 11:00. If they won that, another game at 2:00. They didn't win ... which was fine, I didn't really want to have to stick around for the 2nd game. Back home, I dropped #5 off at a friend's for a birthday party, and back to grab him a couple hours later. Fit in some elliptical, bike and treadmill. Hubby was gone all afternoon/evening. 
• 0316 (Sunday) Ok Day. Weight 149.7. Fitbit Steps 17822. Total Burn 2589. Calories in 2400. Calories out 2589. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 30minBike, 20min/1.5miles Treadmill. At least I've managed to keep the past couple days "ok" ...not "bad" (at least keeping intake/burn even. Not at deficit, but at least not uber over). Got in a bit more activity than usual for a Sunday.  
• 0317 (Monday) Good Day. Weight 149.9. Fitbit Steps 30674. Total Burn 3257. Calories in 2300. Calories out 3257. Exercise: 80minElliptical, 30minBike, 12min/1mile Treadmill, 60min/4miles Track, 45minWeights. #4 complained of a tummy ache and stayed home from school. He really wasn't any trouble, I'd check on him, then pop down for a quick workout. I still had to leave him a couple times for carpool. Since the modem change, our phone won't call out. I spent over an hour talking with tech support ... still unresolved. Frustrating! It was a yucky, windy day. #4 was quite nervous (suffered from an extreme weather phobia a couple years ago and still struggles). Was notified that #3's basketball practice was tonight at the local rec center. The one with a track above the court. I was pretty pooped. I've been feeling like I might be coming down with something. A tickle in my throat. A bit stuffed up. Not really bugging me much during the day, but interfering with sleep. I had to lay down just for 10minutes and rest my eyes. I didn't really feel like going up to the track during the practice, but I also didn't feel like just sitting on the cold, hard benches, and there's not enough time to make it worth it to go back home and come back. So I hit the track. I told myself "just walk" ... but I did end up jogging some and actually felt pretty good. 30K day! 
• 0318 (Tuesday) Good Day. Weight 150.2. Fitbit Steps 29239. Total Burn 3279. Calories in 1700. Calories out 3279. Exercise: 100minElliptical, 60minZumba, 60minBike, 10minWiiFit. NO, the scale went UP, over 150. I really wanted a week staying under. I'll have to keep working toward that. #4 stayed home stick again. I asked him if he'd be ok home alone for an hour while I went to Zumba (just a minute away) and he was ok with that. I checked on him a couple times via text while I was gone. Got in two sessions on the bike today, but no treadmill time. Hubby had been scheduled for a derby, and the boys had Pack Meeting scheduled, but it is also political caucuses this Tues/Thurs and the church came right out and said there should be no church activities that would keep people from participating politically.  So we had the evening off. Hubs actually went to a podcast recording after work and wasn't home until late ... thus my extra bike session. 
• 0319 (Wednesday) Good Day. Weight 148.5. Fitbit Steps 31419. Total Burn 3356. Calories in 2000. Calories out 3356. Exercise: 100minElliptical, 60minZumba, 12min/1Mile Treadmill, 30minWeightsDVD, 30minBike. #4 went back to school today. Not that he's really any trouble, but I wouldn't have felt comfortable hitting Zumba today, as it is a little further away. It was fun and I got a decent burn, although still nowhere close to what I see other people posting. Got in additional exercise at home, including trying out a new DVD for my weights workout. Personal Training with Jackie: Extreme Timesaver. I liked it ok. It was weights, no cardio breaks like Jillian's 30DS/Ripped, but I was wearing my HRM and many of the moves were cardioish enough to keep my heart rate up. The WHOLE minute on one move felt a little long at times.  The boys had scouts in the evening. 
• 0320 (Thursday) Pretty Good Day. Weight 148.1. Fitbit Steps 24316. Total Burn 2901. Calories in 2400. Calories out 1222. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 60minZumba, 30minBike. First official day of Spring, and it was a really nice day. Got the kids off to school then hit Zumba. Stopped for some groceries on the way home. Had the munchies today! Got in some cardio & carpools. Trying to catch up on the family blog as well. Spent a couple hours at the high school for sophomore registration for #2. My crowd anxiety kicks in with such chaos.  
• 0321 (Friday) Pretty Good Day. Weight 148.8. Fitbit Steps 17506. Total Burn 2629, Calories in 1700.  Calories out 2629. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 60minWeights, 30minBike, 1mileJog. My first "normal" Friday (no basketball, no day off, just the two carpools, late start middle school). Got in my cardio and weights. While I was on the treadmill, I got a surprise (early and fast onset) visit from Aunt Flo. Glad I was just at home. This really throws me off, it's a week or two early! Caught up on my shows ... Scandal had me sobbing (TOM time?). Early out at the elementary. Hubby and I went to a local theater for a show. It wasn't one of their best. Just ok. It's a dinner theater and we usually eat (some cheesy bread) but hubby wasn't hungry, so we didn't order any. I wasn't sure if I wanted to ... or was happy to save the calories. TOM and a tidbit of information that just threw me ... struggling a bit.  
• 0322 (Saturday) Decent Day. Weight 149.3. Fitbit Steps 13748. Total Burn 2320. Calories in 1700. Calories out 2320. Exercise: 60minElliptical. The three older boys had played in a region churchball game last night. As they had won, they had an 8:00 game in the morning. I went to watch, and they won again. Then Daddy and the boys went out for "Scouting for Food" pickups. Then #2 was representing our stake in the region 3-point contest. He won! 10 three point shots in 30 seconds. #3 had a game a little later in the day. Just playing rec, so a little less competitive. Hubby and #1 did a pinewood derby. I'd gotten my three elliptical sessions in earlier in the day, I had time in the evening, but didn't get back down to the gym. Still feeling my cold or allergies or whatever, TOM and some emotional/mental struggles. Not sleeping. Feeling off.  
• 0323 (Sunday) Ok Day. Weight 147.9. Fitbit Steps 11845. Total Burn 2231. Calories in 2400. Calories out 541. Exercise: 60minElliptical. Got in three elliptical sessions before church (1:00 starting time). Made the kids the usual Sunday Circles (Belgian waffles).  After church, we went out to my folks for dinner and games. Ate a little more than I should have today, didn't quite have the burn to even make it a maintaining day. 
• 0324 (Monday) Good Day. Weight 149.9. Fitbit Steps 33643. Total Burn 3591. Calories in 2200. Calories out 1900. Exercise: 80minElliptical, 12min/1mileTreadmill, 70min/5milesTrack, 30minBike, 60minWeights. Confession, the first time I stepped on the scale this morning it said 150.1, and I reweighed and took the second, slightly lower weight. Hoping for a week under 150! Back to the routine. Got the kids off and a little grocery shopping done. Got in cardio and weights. Took #1 to the podiatrist for a wart on his foot that has been bothering him. I stood up by his head so I wouldn't see any of the actual cutting, but still felt myself getting lightheaded. Quickly sat down as soon as the doc got things covered up. Basketball practice in the evening for #3, but they said they are changing locations :(  ... so I won't be getting my jogs in. Dang it! Enjoyed the track tonight, just jogged/walked, trying to keep my heart rate "in the zone" ... some rubbing on my toes in my shoes.  
• 0325 (Tuesday) Good Day. Weight 148.2. Fitbit Steps 3181. Total Burn 3181. Calories in 2400. Calories out 1500. Exercise: 100minElliptical, 50minZumba, 30minBike, 10minWiiFit. Felt good at Zumba, I'm getting the routines down. Kept heart rate up more. Went to the school for volunteering then stopped at Smiths for a few groceries. Computer time, trying to catch up on some blog stuff, comcast bill inaccuracies (still being billed for equipment I returned over a month ago) and setting up a new rewards program (FitStudio ... and going ahead and placing an order with my rewards points). The little one had scouts after school, Daddy and #3 went to do a derby.   
• 0326 (Wednesday) Good Day. Weight 148.6. Fitbit Steps 25884. Total Burn 3092. Calories in 1800. Calories out 1405. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 60minZumba, 12min/1mileTreadmill, 30minWeightsDVD, 30minBike. Got the kids off, went to Zumba. Got in additional cardio and some weights. A bit of a rainy, dreary day, but then as I was taking #3 to the church for scouts at 7:00, the sun was shining SO bright, reflecting off the wet streets. I seriously had trouble seeing. Hubby and #2 went with their scout group down to see the Blendtec factory ... "Will It Blend?"  
• 0327 (Thursday) Pretty Good Day. Weight 148.2. Fitbit Steps 23667. Total Burn 2866. Calories in 2000, Calories out 1186. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 60minZumba, 30minBike. I was just about to hit the elliptical first thing in the morning, when the power went out. The elliptical actually doesn't require power, but I had to spend the next little bit finding flashlights. It takes longer to get ready in the dark too. Opening the garage door manually and getting the first set of boys off. It was just our neighborhood, so the traffic lights and school were still fine. The power did come back on before I took the elementary kids. Went to zumba, but it was an off day. I kept glancing down at my HRM and it just was not getting up at all. I'd had good workouts the past two days during zumba. I wasn't sure if it was me & my morning, the HRM, the class. This class can be great, but today, it wasn't the songs I was as familiar. The more latin moves that I can't do, shaking the hips and shoulders ... so my heart rate doesn't get up as much as moving the feet. There were also kids running around and it was discouraging and distracting. There are always kids, but they are usually pretty well behaved. One of the brought a ball today. That was a mistake.  Just made it hard. Hubby had a derby in the evening. The two older boys went to play churchball (#3 went to help Daddy). #1 did play, even with his injured foot. They won again, so advance and play again tomorrow, but #2 is leaving for a tournament in Idaho. I think him being gone will end the team's winning streak. Not a good eating day, just wanted junk food. I'm SO tired of TOM. I've never had a period last this long before!  
• 0328 (Friday) Bad Day. Weight 148.0 Fitbit Steps 16244. Total Burn 2570. Calories in 3000. Calories out 2570. Exercise: 60minElliptical, 30min/8.2miles Bike, 50minWeights. I successfully reached my goal of staying under 150 for an entire week. Not sure if that made me feel justified or wanting to relax ... but it was a baaaaadd eating day. Tons of treats. I was also cold and craving something warm, so I made some soup. Not necessarily bad for me, but just added to the calories for the day. Got in the basic exercise, but just didn't have the energy to try and jog today. Fridays are always a bit disjointed with the shifts in school schedules, more so today as #2 was leaving in the morning for a basketball trip to Idaho. The other two older boys had a churchball game, which they lost without the help of #2. Then #3 went to a party ... hubby was on carpool duty as I was just feeling off and was in bed early. 
• 0329 (Saturday) Bad Day. Weight 149.5. Fitbit Steps 12836. Total Burn 2210. Calories in 2800. Calories out 2210. Exercise: 40minElliptical. Still on my sluggish streak ... eating everything. Got in a couple sessions on the elliptical, needed a third to keep up my 60min steak but I just couldn't bring myself to care. #3 had a double header in the evening at 5:00 and 7:00 ... I'd rather the games be back to back so we wouldn't have to wait an hour in-between. Sometimes I'll get walking in, and I could have, there were hallways and such, but again ... no motivation! 
• 0330 (Sunday) Bad Day. Weight 151.3. Fitbit Steps 12328. Total Burn 2249. Calories in 3000. Calories out 2249. Exercise: 60minElliptical. Yucky weather, cold blowing rain then it turned to snow. I miss my sunshine. Got in a couple sessions on the elliptical early on. Hubby had hit the elliptical yesterday while I was at the basketball game, and again today ... back on track for him? Made Sunday Circles. Church. Hubs and the boys headed up to Maga's, I stayed home, as #2 was expected at any time (they won their first three games to make it to the championships, then lost the final. It ended late last night so they stayed another night and traveled home this morning). I made homemade oreos ... it had been a while. Bad eating day again. Need to get back on track! 
• 0331 (Monday) Good Day. Weight 153.3. Fitbit Steps 30295. Total Burn 3437. Calories in 1500. Calories out 1728. Exercise: 120minElliptical, 60min/16.2 miles Bike, 12min/1 mileTreadmill, 70minWeights. Back to the routine, even though the middle school was out ... high school too, but #1 still had his afternoon classes at the technical center. Got in cardio and weights. Shows on Sunday (The Good Wife and Walking Dead) make me want to watch on Monday. Of course they aren't on year round. But a waiting episode does provide me with some motivation. My current book is also motivating me, I actually hit the bike twice today. Kept calories in check as well.

What a Crock

I've enjoyed being a part of the Motivation Monday team these past few months. Having a specific  theme can be a bit daunting, as I haven't always felt like I had something to say about a particular topic. But it's been a nice writing challenge. This week, the theme is "Healthy Crock Pot Recipes" ... now if you know me at all, you are aware that while I've jumped on the fitness bandwagon, I'm still not there on anything food related. I do have a couple of crocks, and I use them fairly often. I'm just not sure if it's for anything particularly "healthy" ...

The main thing I use crock pots for is to cook meat. It's slow but simple. Throw in a roast, or beef chunks and then just wait until they are done. Tender and juicy. We love to just eat a plain beef roast, or turn it into french dip. I'll drain the beef chunks and turn that into simple stroganoff (add a can of cream of chicken soup, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and some cooked noodles ... done. Told you it was simple.)

I'll put in some pork (a shoulder roast and some ribs) along with a can of root beer and let it cook until the meat falls apart. Drain, discard all the fatty stuff and any bones,  shred the meat and add some barbeque sauce. Pulled pork sandwiches.

Stick a turkey breast in the bigger crock pot and let it cook all day.

Crock pots are great for keep soups warm too. I make a chicken noodle, chicken veggie, and a chicken and wild rice soup, and I'll stick them on the counter in the crock pot to serve.

A word of warning ... do not try to melt chocolate in a crock pot. We have a chocolate fountain,  and we were wondering if the low setting on the crock might work to prep the chocolate for the fountain. We tried it ... it was a disaster! Burned chocolate smells terrible and it looked even worse. Stick to a double boiler for chocolate (although there was caramel served in a crock pot at a scout activity, and that seemed to work ok).

What do you use your crock pot to create?
This link up is open for several more days, so create a crock post and share it!

Join with the Motivation Monday team
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JenB/Brandi/Jen/Gwen /Theresa

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