Thrifty Thursday :)

I love fitness ... my elliptical, my Zumba. I'm not sure where I'd be without them. I'm also cheap ... even as active as I am, I know I wouldn't get my monies worth from paying gym fees.  Luckily, ou really don't need expensive equipment to workout at home. I admit, I'm super spoiled with our home gym  which did require investments (added to  over years)... but it's been worth it.  No excuses when it's right downstairs. I've also discovered a ton of free Zumba classes here in my area (♥Utah). I NEVER thought I'd try Zumba (much less love it) but seeing that first class advertised for free ... the frugal part of me said "you HAVE to try it, it's FREE". 

I will admit ... I did get a little spendy with my gadgets. I started with a cheap-o pedometer ... and went through several of those. Then I invested in one that was a little more expensive (an Omron, not this one, but close, mine was about $25 and I still use it!) When the Fitbit came out ... I stressed over the cost a little. $100. But I bit the bullet and bought it. And I LOVE it.

My little Fitbit has more than paid for itself though. In actual money. There are many reward programs out there. And as my parents and hubby&kids jumped on the Fitbit bandwagon, I've gotten them on board with many of these programs too. In addition to setting up their Fitbits, I've also signed them up for Achievemint, Fitstudio and Walgreens Balance Rewards. I'll check in on things occasionally, letting my mom know that Dad earned his $50 award from Achievemint, and to watch for the email with the information. I looked up the balance on their Walgreens before they made a trip in ... and I'll admit, when they have some Fitstudio points and aren't going to get into a Kmart or Sears themselves before they expire, I'll sometimes stop in, buy something with their points and tell the boys it was a gift from Grandma and Grandpa. 

My mom just happily received her first $50 Achievemint award this past week, and encouraged me to share the programs with my siblings (as many of them have become Fitbit fans as well). I've copied a bit from my email to them ...

• Achievemint: http://www.achievemint.com/login  It's quick and easy to sign up and link your Fitbit account. Then you can just forget about it, and check in occasionally (website or app). After a while, you earn enough points to claim a reward. It takes a little time to earn, and then another wait to receive ... but I've earned it several times ($50), Callahan, Landon, Dad and now Mom.
• FitStudio: www.fitstudio.com *** Update 02/2016 ... Fitstudio had shut down ;( (Farewell Fitstudio). This program works with the Kmart/Sears ShopYourWayPoints ... you get store credit (up to about $8 a week). The credit does expire quickly (within a week, you can't let it roll over and add up. Use it or lose it) ... but while I rarely ever shopped at either store before, I sure do now! You DO have to be a little proactive (tell them you want to use your points, they don't always ask). The program has had a few kinks here and there, but hey, it's free credit so I'm really not going to complain.
• Walgreens : https://www.walgreens.com/balancerewards/balance-rewards.jsp You can earn points (store credit) by linking your Fitbit. Walgreens does have a monthly limit to what you can earn through activity (just $2, or 2000 points) but unlike Fitstudio, the points do not expire and can roll over and add up. I'd signed up Mom a while back and forgot about it, then Mom was making a trip in and wala ... had $20 in credit to use.

These are the top three reward programs I like and recommend. Mainly because there is no risk, only reward. Link up your Fitbit ... or if you don't have a Fitbit (why don't you have a Fitbit?), Fitstudio and Walgreens will work with manual logins or with some other brands of trackers. 

Another program I do like, and just did another review of recently is Pact (My Yearlong Pact). The reason I didn't recommend this one to my parents or siblings is that there IS a risk. You make a commitment, and if you do NOT meet your pact, you will end up paying (they do require a credit card #). But as I mentioned in my review, I've never paid a dime, I've only collected.

Here's a little "snag" from my Paypal account ... $50 from Achievemint (they pay with a GiftRocket E-card), then some of the money earned in 2014 from Pact, which I had let pile up after my first couple smaller withdrawals (just to make sure I did actually get the money!)  The outgoing $$ were some new batteries for my PolarHRM :)

When I see people pondering getting a Fitbit ... I like them to know in addition to all the wonderful feedback, graphs, competition with family and friends for motivation ... it may not be the investment they think it is, as it can actually pay you back!

So that's my Thrifty Thursday report ... I'll probably post more about certain programs as I continue to have additional experiences with them. I hope to post other little money saving tips too. Sometimes fitness related, sometimes not.

WIAW - Girl Scout Cookies

The "What I Ate Wednesday" posts are big all over the Internet. I don't participate often ... because what I'm eating isn't share worthy or anything anyone would want to emulate. In fact, IF I were to participate, I'd have to admit that GIRL SCOUT COOKIES appeared way too much in my MFP food log these past couple of days. 

I didn't order any girl scout cookies. 

Hubby did. 

He ordered several boxes of Samoas. With #1 son gone, I am the only one who eats the Samoas. At least I had help with the Thin Mints (although I still easily managed to eat one sleeve, yikes!). The little boys liked the Trefoils. So did I. The older boys LOVE the Tagalongs and fought viciously over them ... but I still got a few.

What is it about Girl Scout cookies? They are ridiculously overpriced ... often that can actually impact my enjoyment when eating things (I'm just a little too frugally minded). Is it that they are so temporary? Only offered once a year? Keebler does make a some knockoffs that are quite good ... but they aren't quite the same.

So ... now the boxes are empty. The cookies are gone. I can't really say it's time to get "back" to healthy eating, as I haven't mastered that at all yet ... but perhaps I can improve on eating with such reckless abandon. I HAVE recorded everything, in my private MFP diary so no one can actually witness my shame. 

Anyone else struggling with Girl Scout cookie issues this time of year?

Books the Boys are Reading

My boys aren't really readers. Despite seeing how much their mommy LOVES reading, they really only do it because it's a requirement from school. Occasionally, a book or series will click with one of them, and I love to see that! For this month's "Recent Reads" topic, I thought I'd share some of the  books the boys have read and liked.

Just a couple weeks ago, #4 asked me if we had the book "Hatchet". We do. I have read it, and I remember #2 and #3 mustering through. I actually enjoyed it enough that I went on to read two of the sequels (there are five I believe, and I have them all in my personal library).  I pulled out "Hatchet" and #4 surprised me by reading the entire thing very quickly (it isn't a big book, but still). He was interested in reading the sequels too!

Hatchet is a pretty well known book. #4 did NOT want spoilers before he read it, and was mad I mentioned a plane crash and survival skills. Although, if you read the blurb on back, you are going to get that much!

Now, technically, "The River" is book two. It was written second ... but I recommend reading "Brian's Winter" as book 2. Now ... this IS a spoiler, if you haven't read this series. At the end of book 1, Brian gets rescued. I've never heard of an author doing this before, but he decided to write another book as if Brian had NOT gotten rescued as written, but had to survive the winter (and THEN make it back to civilization).  So that is "Brian's Winter" and in my opinion, it should be read before "The River" (which chronologically happens a couple years later).

I really liked the Brian series. Apparently #4 does too. In addition to reading, he made cute matching bookmarks (he has done this in the past with some other books too). I've been so happy to see him reading and actually enjoying it!

#3 has been reading the Swindle series. I remember I bought the first book for son #2 at a school book fair. I'm not sure if he ever even read it. Then #3 needed a book for school and picked Swindle from the bookshelf (this is why I love having a home library). It was quick and easy for him to get through and he asked for the 2nd, then the 3rd, 4th and is currently reading the 5th one.

He had been enjoying the Percy Jackson series and the Micheal Vey books (but then was required to read a "realistic fiction" thus the switch to Swindle). The other series I'll always remember impacting #3 was the Origami Yoda series. #3 has always been a Star Wars fan, so grabbing the first book for him to try was really a no-brainer. The story itself was fine (I did read it myself, as I like to do to see what the boys are reading), but it was the actual origami that intrigued my boy (as you can see in the picture above). There is a fifth book out now ...

Even my munchkin has seemed to enjoy his recent reading. Each month his 3rd grade class needs to read a specific genre (realistic, fantasy, biography, historical fiction) and this month it was "fairy or tall tales" ... hmmm, that was a little bit harder. I showed him a book from the Myth-O-Mania series (I figured myths were similar to fairy tales and tall tales, the same stories passed down from generation to generation) and got the ok from the teacher, so he's been reading "Have a Hot Time Hades".  I read this (and some of the others) a while back. They have a very conversational tone and a lot of humor (here, Hades is explaining that he's really a good guy and Zeus is really quite the dunce). I've always enjoyed mythology, and while these take a slightly different approach than the more traditional fare, the basic mythology facts are still there for the kids to learn. I also turned on Disney's "Hercules" so #5 could get another view of how Hades is most often represented (as the bad guy).

I'm always on the lookout for book for my boys. I realize they may not be interested in the same books I loved as a child (Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, The Witch of Blackbird Pond ... although #3 did read that for school, and when #4 finishes the Hatchet series I think I'll recommend Island of the Blue Dolphins to him). I do fall a little into the thought trap of "oh this book's main character is a girl, the boys won't want to read it" ... Shannon Hale, author of the Princess Academy books and more, wrote on this topic and it was good to read. Shannon Hale's No Boys Allowed?

Personally, I haven't been reading quite as much. I haven't done any reading and riding in several weeks. I was just so busy (still got in my Zumba and Elliptical, but no the bike), then got sick, and I've just lacked motivation. I've done some regular reading, but I need to get back to it on the stationary bike. Check back next month (second Tuesday) for my recent reads!

WWI #85 ... 152?

I was hitting 151 consistently for a few days before weigh-in, and I wondered if it would stay for Friday, not jump to 153, as it has been (alternating between 151 & 153) for the past several weeks. Not quite ... but not up to 153 either! Maybe I've broken the either/or trend! One of these weeks, I'm GOING to be under 150 again! But this last week ... kids were home, schedule was a bit off. I think I'm pretty much over the cold, but still struggling with a sore nose.  I just didn't care that much this week. I never even posted a weekend recap on Monday ...

• Saturday: Busy with basketball. My boy actually only had two games, but then he wanted to watch some others, which required additional driving around. Got in some grocery shopping and stuff around the house, and hubs even suggested a date. A what? It's been a while. We went to Red Robin. I only got in 20 min of exercise (on the elliptical). 
• Sunday: Rest day. No Exercise. Church in the morning and a family party in the evening. #4 concluded the festivities by throwing up all over Grandma's kitchen.
• Monday: #4 hadn't thrown up all night but wasn't sure he felt well enough for school. I let him stay home (which meant I missed my Zumba class) and we did a little homeschooling.  I DID still get my Zumba on (on my own, two 30min sessions) and got in 30min elliptical. I really kept calories in check too (1600, that is LOW for me!)
• Tuesday: Hit with a snowstorm! Glad I didn't really have anywhere to be other than getting kids to school and close Zumba.  #2 was out of school today but just hung around home. I got in two 20min sessions on the elliptical ... my first full 20 minutes since I'd been sick (I'd only been doing little 10 minute spots for the past week and a half). I hit the treadmill for the first time in a while, tried a little jogging, a little at incline, but spent most of the 30 minutes just at an easy walk. Kept calories in check (1800).
• Wednesday: Zumba in the morning, 30min elliptical, and then I did some walking the hallways while waiting between games for #3 in the evening (he played at 6:00 and 8:00 so we had an hour to kill in between). #2 was out of school again (for PT conferences) and I ended up running him around a bit during the day. Also had PT conferences for #3 at 4:00.
• Thursday: Zumba in the morning. 30min elliptical during the day. Zumba in the evening (great class/great numbers!). I had to remember it was early out for the elementary. #3 had me drive him to a friend's house (there are NO kids his age in our neighborhood). Calories got a little out of control today ... I blame girl scout cookies and ice cream!

NUMBERS: My average intake for the week was 2114. My average daily burn was 2600.  Crunching the ins and outs of the days, I did have a deficit for the week, but just a tiny one (-265). I'd like to get back into my different workouts ... back to the bike, a return to racquetball, I know I need to keep weight training as part of the routine, but I haven't done it for a while! As always, I know it's the eating ... I just really enjoy eating.

TV Tuesday - On At Our House

Through the years, my boys have discovered some shows not currently on primetime, but ones I remember from my childhood or early married years. From Full House, to The Cosby Show, to Home Improvement. I can't recall how they discovered "Friends" ... but they did, and they loved it. I'm not sure WHY they liked it, and I know much of it isn't appropriate for their innocent minds, but ... We ended up picking up the entire series on DVD. I'd seen some of the episodes over the years, but I hadn't been a die hard fan. I think I have seen them all now, as they have played a LOT in our home over the past couple years.

If you are a fan of Friends, and a Netflix subscriber, you are probably aware that starting a couple months ago (in January), Friends has been available for streaming.  Streaming is easier than putting in a DVD ... so Friends has made a comeback in the past couple months.

Just so you know the boys aren't only watching mindless comedy ... another show that has peaked their interest lately is Brain Games, by National Geographic. I'm not sure where we heard about this one originally, I think it was my oldest son in his psychology class. 

Brain Games is an interactive series that uses games, illusions and experiments to show how our brains manufacture our reality and can often be easily tricked. My younger boys get just an engrossed in this as the older ones, and there are some interesting ideas (for upcoming science fair projects maybe?)  Seasons 1&2 are now available for streaming on Netflix. I was able to snag Season 3 from our local library ... I had to buy Season 4 for the kids as we didn't have another way of watching it.   It's pop science ... but it's still science! I like to see my kids watching something that makes them think.

Big Hero 6 also came out this last month. I went ahead and picked it up for the little boys the day it came out ($19.99 at Target for DVD/BlueRay and digital copy). They had seen it in the theaters with Daddy and had anxiously been awaiting watching it again.  As with most kids movies ... I rarely ever stop and watch, but just catch pieces here and there until I think I've seen the whole thing.  I really should stick it in the DVD player downstairs and watch it from beginning to end while I workout ...

February was a bit of an "off" month, what with prepping my oldest to leave on his mission to Mexico, rearranging/redoing many rooms in the house and then catching a cold ... I haven't been exercising as much. Thus, I haven't been watching as much TV.

Many of the shows that went on break before Christmas have started back up, and even though I don't have a lot of "must see TV" I've struggled to keep up. Grey's Anatomy is generally at the top of my  list. I've currently watched all but the most recent episode. I have the most recent "Good Wife" waiting for me, and just got in a couple past episodes of Nashville (but still have one waiting). I'm currently caught up on "The Walking Dead" (although hubby hasn't seen any since they started up again). I have several "Scandal" waiting for me, and I think I've just given up on "Revenge" ...

What have YOU been watching?

 

Zumba Stats - February 2015

What was Zumba like in February? I started out strong, and ended up sick. I also misplaced my Polar FT4 HRM watch (not that it had been working all that great anyway). I just went without it the last week, and while I missed it's feedback and motivation, I didn't miss the uncomfortable chest strap, and the distraction and frustration it often brings when it isn't working correctly. I have since found the missing watch ... but not before I invested in another HRM I'd been keeping my eye on. The Fitbit Charge HR. I only wore it once for Zumba in February (that last Friday) but so far I like it! It gives me some interesting stats and graphs. I may add a couple columns to my stacked stat list.

You can see I was able to hit some highs ... readings of over 500 on the Fitbit, over 8000 steps for a class (Thanks Southziders!) I had a really hard day (Friday the 13th) when I tried a Zumba class, but left early as I just wasn't feeling it (that was a first).  I hit double Zumba on Thursdays several times, and that evening class has really grown (I think there is a demand for nights).  I've been leading a few more songs in several of the classes, and even lead an entire class (Tues Feb 24) when the instructor was on vacation! I still do NOT plan on becoming an instructor ever (A Zumba Instructor?) but it's nice to be able to help out and give back a little. I do think I get a higher heart rate and burn when I'm up front ... but I also like to be just one of the crowd following along.

Unfortunately I'm missing my Zumba the first Monday of March ... I'm still feeling sick (my poor nose is as red as Rudolf) and #4 is home sick from school. I'm trying to get a little Zumba on by myself at home, but it's harder to get the motivation up on my own. Love my Zumba classes!

Southziders

 

 Marian's Thursday Night

MZL

February 2015

Ah February ... a few days less than all the other months, but it was sure packed! February 2015 will be most remembered as when we sent our firstborn off on a 2-year LDS mission. That required a lot of prep, a "farewell" ... which meant Hubs wanted to improved on the house before having people over, so there was new carpet and couches. Once #1 was gone, we rearranged rooms for the other four boys, which was a big job. We celebrated Superbowl Sunday, and I battled a cold for a couple weeks. I still got in my Zumba most days, but my activity level went down. I was able to decrease my eating a bit to match ... for a bit anyway. My weight bounced between 153 and 151 for weigh ins.

*** Jen's Journal ***

0201 (Sunday) Weight 153.5. Bad Day. Fitbit Steps 8217. Total Burn 2103. Exercise Burn 250/399 (20minElliptical). Calories in 3000. Early morning church ... it's a bit hard after the lazy mornings on the 1:00 schedule. I made our classic Sunday Circles for brunch, and then Daddy prepped our traditional Superbowl Sunday Smorgasbord ... steak, chicken, mashed taters. #1 was actually gone to a friends, so he missed out. I made Superbowl sugar cookies too. We've never been a big football family, but with the Seahawks in contention, and #4's new-found interest in football (albeit the flag variety) we were actually watching this year. It was an exciting game too. Very full tummy though!

0202 (Monday) Weight 156.6. Pretty Good Day. Fitbit Steps 22910. Total Burn 2872. Exercise Burn 1170/1150 (40minElliptical, Zumba, 10milesBike). Calories in 2050. Well, yesterday's indulgences showed up on the scale! Back to the routine. We'd tentatively planned on new carpet this morning, but it got postponed until tomorrow, which works out better anyway. I got the boys to school then hit Zumba. Stopped at JC Penny on the way home, picking up some shoes I'd ordered for the bigger boys. Got in some exercise and picked up the kids after school. The evening was busy with prep for the new carpet. Moving all the furniture and pulling up the old carpet. Lots of work, lots of stress!

0203 (Tuesday) Weight 154.6. Good Day. Fitbit Steps 23848. Total Burn 3039. Exercise Burn 1250/1329 (40minElliptical, Zumba, 10milesBike, 45minWeights). Calories in 1600. A bit crazy trying to get ready (breakfast/lunches) with the kitchen chaos. Dropped the boys to school then went to Zumba. Carpet installer came around 11:00. I spent much of the day in the gym, as I really didn't have other places to be. Did elliptical, bike and weights. He was finished by afternoon, and #1 and put a few things back into place. I went to #2's basketball game (they lost) and then I had to help out in the snack bar. I'm not quite comfortable in that position (money handling, having to do math!) but it wasn't too bad. On the way home I stopped at Smiths for gas and groceries. I got an alert on my phone reminding me of #5's basketball practice, which had completely slipped my mind! I called #1 and had him run the little one to practice. I got home, unloaded, and was able to go pick him up, then pick up the older boys at the high school as the varsity game ended. Back at home, Hubs and #1 had been busy. My poor piano is banished to the den (instead of the front room) and my cabinet of paper is now out in the shed :(  Hubs also brought home a new loveseat and chairs. Lots of change ...

0204 (Wednesday) Weight 152.4. Pretty Good Day. Fitbit Steps 22084. Total Burn 2810. Exercise Burn 850/1112 (40minElliptical, Zumba). Calories in 2000. I wasn't quite feeling it at Zumba today. Or rather, I was feeling my weights from yesterday. I was a bit stiff and sore. Didn't quite get my usual numbers. Not feeling super motivated today. Spent quite a bit of time going through the old coffee table (which was full of toys and games) as it doesn't fit into the new "room" decor. Went through a bunch of stuff in a side cabinet as well. Filled up boxes for good will and garbage. #3 had a game in the evening. He had practice after school, then got taken to a "good grades" dinner. Another team member had the same schedule, so my kid hitched a ride with them and I met them at the game. We expected an easy win ... got the win but it wasn't that easy.

0205 (Thursday) Weight 153.6. Good Day. Fitbit Steps 29777. Total Burn 3218. Exercise Burn 1480/1514 (40minElliptical, Zumba x2, 10milesBike). Calories in 1850. Marian started Zumba, and then a guest instructor finished it up as none of the other regulars were there. I did get my elliptical and bike in today. #3 had a game in the evening, but I just sent him (he doesn't get much playing time) and I went to Zumba in the evening too. Crowded class today!

0206 (Friday) Weight 153.6. Bad Day. Fitbit Steps 16614. Total Burn 2553. Exercise Burn 400/849 (Zumba). Calories in 2900. Friday mornings are too busy. Up at 6:00, to get #3 to practice at 6:30. I should have hit the elliptical after that ... but I climbed back into bed. Up again to get the other boys off to school. Dropped off #2 just after 8:00, home just in time to turn around and go pick up #3 (last week I went straight there and ended up waiting and waiting). Didn't think I'd quite make it home in time, so I had #1 drop off the little ones. It's been nice having him around, in a couple weeks I'll be on my own again to try and figure this out (just for a couple weeks, then early morning basketball practices and the seasons are over). Dropped #3 back at school then off to Zumba. It started a bit late (later than usual) and looked like the instructor was having an emotional morning :(  Stopped at Kmart on the way home to spend some Fitstudio points, although the program still seems to be struggling a bit. Early out at the elementary, then I went to the neighboring high school to watch #2 play in his game. Another loss, bummer! I'd picked up #3 and his friend and took them too. I left after the first game, and they were able to get a ride home. Varsity won in an unexpected upset though!

0207 (Saturday) Weight 154.1 Bad Day. Fitbit Steps 15417. Total Burn 2392. Exercise Burn 100/685 (10minElliptical). Calories in 3000. Slept in some, then hit Sam's Club during their early hours, grabbing strawberries, bananas and rice krispie treats for fountain dippers. Then #5 had his final basketball game. We brought treats. I then hit Smiths to pick up the croissants and chicken salad. Daddy had the boys working hard all morning (bathrooms, window wells, windows, patio) but they had done good, so I dropped #2 off at his girlfriend's house, and took #3 to his game. They won. He stayed to watch the other team play, then I picked him up and took him to the other high school to watch the 9th graders play in a double header. I picked him up around 9:00, and #2 got a ride home. We tried out nacho cheese in one of the fountains and will do that for the open house.  I think we're all ready for tomorrow.

0208 (Sunday) Weight 154.6. Bad Day. Fitbit Steps 6900. Total Burn 1969. No Exercise. calories in 2500+.  I slept okay, but Hubs was super stressed. He got up early for a run. He melted the chocolate and prepped the cheese in a crock pot. I had everything that could be laid out, laid out. Everything else easily ready in the fridge. Our church meeting was at 9:00. Both #2 and #1 spoke and did a good job. There were a lot of old friends and neighbors come back to hear the boys speak. We had those who wanted to come over to the house for food and visiting. It was a little cramped, but the weather was nice, so some people could go outside too. Very happy when 1:00 rolled around and it was over. We got things cleaned up and Hubs and I took a nap! Pretty calm for the rest of the evening. We didn't really feel like we had a "weekend" but it's back to the routine tomorrow!

0209 (Monday) Weight 155.0. Pretty Good Day. Fitbit Steps 23325. Total Burn 2873. Exercise Burn 1100/1162 (30minElliptical, Zumba, 10milesBike). Calories in 2300. Back to the routine. Zumba was good. I just went straight home after, not stopping at a store like I usually do. Only got in 30min on the elliptical today, as I had watched 10 minutes of my show on Saturday. 30 minutes finished it up and I didn't feel like getting off-kilter again watching 10 minutes into something else. Did some reading/riding ... liking my book "Departure" as my borrowed book from the Kindle lending library.

0210 (Tuesday) Weight 153.6. Good Day. Fitbit Steps 27354. Total Burn 3200. Exercise Burn 1300/1496 (60minElliptical, Zumba, 10milesBike). Calories in 2100. The weather has been so nice. I dropped the boys off a little early to school and made it to Zumba on time. A little smaller class today. Home again for a few sessions on the elliptical and some bike. I debated doing weights, but I really didn't want to be stiff and sore for Zumba. I've been really snacking these past couple of days. I hadn't eaten ice cream in a while, but it's back ... cold cereal too. #2 had a game in the afternoon so I had #1 pick up the munchkins. The boys were playing West Jordan, which had beat us the first go-round. Not this time though, easy win. I had to work the snack bar after his game.

0211 (Wednesday) Weight 152.8. Ok Day. Fitbit Steps 18621. Total Burn 2677. Exercise Burn 854/977 (40minElliptical, Zumba). Calories in 2300. Woke up not feeling great. Not sure if I slept wrong or what, but my back is a bit tweaked. Also, tummy troubles. I went to Zumba, but it was a hard workout. I dropped off #4's lunch (which he had forgotten) and had a pickup at Sears. I did some elliptical back at home, but didn't get to the bike today. I had to lay down and rest for a bit. After school, I caught #4 looking guilty and he admitted he couldn't find his Fitbit. He was pretty sure he'd had it after school ... I pulled up the BTLExplorer app and walked around the house and checked the car, but it wasn't around. We went back to the school, and pretty much as we got out of the car another "One" appeared. It was there on the sidewalk. It must have fallen off as he and his brother made a mad dash race to the car after school. Happy it was found! I picked up #2 from his practice, then #3 had a basketball game. Nice and close tonight (Elkridge, where #1 when to middle school). Our boys won. Still feeling very off, and at home Hubs was in bed saying he thought he was coming down with something too. No fun.

0212 (Thursday) Weight 151.5. Good Day. Fitbit Steps 26159. Total Burn 3112. Exercise Burn 1230/1420 (40minElliptical, Zumba x2). Calories in 2100. Still feeling a bit off. Hubs stayed in bed this morning, but I think that was more to meet a contractor to look at the kitchen. I can't even express how much the thought stresses me out and just brings me down. Made it through Zumba. I stopped at Kmart on the way home, spending some Fitstudio points. I had some coupons I wasn't going to use and I passed them along. The lady in front of me was pretty happy with her $5 off. Stopped at SmithsMarketplace too, grabbing some fruit and milk and bread. Today was the first day I had to pick up #3 after school (he's had practice or gone to games all the other days). I was glad I remembered. I dropped him off at a basketball buddy's house to get a ride to his game. I was really dragging, emotionally and physically. I debated not going to Zumba, and then #2 called for a ride right about when I was going to leave. I picked him up and went to Zumba, even though I was late. At least the traffic had cleared up some, the road there had been completely backed up when I'd gone taking kids just a bit earlier. Zumba was actually quite crowded! Marian and "turned" it so it was "long" rather than "deep" as it had been the previous weeks. I little easier for people to see her. The only spots left were right up front, almost parallel, but that was ok as I'm pretty familiar with most of these routines. I got really good numbers in the time I was there and it improved my mood dramatically!

0213 (Friday) Weight 151.1 Ok Day. Fitbit Steps 11390. Total Burn 2456. Exercise Burn 300/464 (20minElliptical/30minZumba). Calories in 2100. Decent weigh-in, but not a good day. Coincidentally Friday the 13th? I didn't sleep well at all, stressing about stuff. Too bad, as I actually didn't need to get up early as #3 didn't have early morning practice. #4 was insisting I come to his Valentine Party (10:30-12:30), so I had #1 drop #3 off to late start and I hit Zumba with MZL instead of my usual one across town. They were late in starting, and I was dragging and emotionally off. When they finally did get started, my heart just wasn't in it. I couldn't get my heart rate up at all! I told myself to stick out 30 minutes, that would give me time to make it back home and change and get to the school. I wasn't really needed at the school, the kids were rotating classrooms and they had enough parent volunteers (my kid's class was a "movie room" so it didn't really even need any help). I stayed until #4 rotated out and then went home. Went to bed. Early out pickup, then I went over to the high school to watch #2 play in his basketball game. They won. Hubs came for some.These early games are hard (starting at 3:30). We didn't really do anything for the evening. Had to pickup the boys around 8:30 when the varsity game ended.

0214 (Saturday) Weight 152.0. Bad Day. Fitbit Steps 7234. Total Burn 1886. Exercise Burn 100/191 (10minutesElliptical). Calories in 2000. I saw all over the internet people doing cute breakfasts and such for Valentine's day. I didn't do that. I DID make some sugar cookie hearts. I'd made some yesterday, but they were gone and I was still craving. Just kind of a do nothing day. I got in 10 minutes on the elliptical and thought I'd get back down, but I didn't. I spent quite a bit of time on the computer turning video clips from the basketball games into highlight reels. #3 had a game in the afternoon ... hmmm, what else did we do? Hubs tried to grab "Gone Girl" to watch but none of the Redbox near us had it. We ate some popcorn and watched "Better Call Saul" ...

0215 (Sunday) Weight 153.5. Ok Day. Fitbit Steps 10910. Total Burn 2269. Exercise Burn 350/565 (30minElliptical). Calories in 2600.  Not too bad for a Sunday. Had croissants for a quick breakfast. Went to church for the farewell of #1's buddy. They did lots of their mission prep together.  Made Sunday Circles after meetings and homemade oreos for dessert (one last time for #1). Hubs and I spent some time helping #3 on a science project making a Rube Goldberg contraption.  The boys wanted to watch the All-Star basketball game, but the Comcast cable box isn't working! Here we hardly ever actually watch live TV and when they want to, it doesn't work. I don't want to have to call Comcast and deal with their customer service ...

0216 (Monday) Weight 153.2. Ok Day. Fitbit Steps 20885. Total Burn 2746. Exercise Burn 896/1044 (40minElliptical, Zumba). Calories in 2500. The kids were out of school for president's day. I hit Zumba and stopped at JC Penny on the way home to grab an order (shoes for the boys). #2 still had basketball practice. In the early evening we went out to Bucca De Beppo for a "last supper" with #1 and the extended family. Sat at the "pope" table. 

0217 (Tuesday) Weight 154.1. Good Day. Total Burn 3099. Exercise Burn 870/1392 (40minElliptical, Zumba). Calories in 2350. Tuesdays I usually get a little more exercise in, but I'm not really worrying about it this week. It's too crazy. Get in my Zumba and elliptical and calling it good. Some last minute packing and prep for #1. Hubs picked up the kidlets from school so I could go out and watch #2 play in his last basketball game of the season. They won. Picked up #3 from practice. I was so tired, but we still had the setting apart. It had been pushed to 9:00 hoping #2 would be back from his games, but he wasn't. We just did it without him and then went and picked him up after. Early morning tomorrow!

0218 (Wednesday) Weight 153.8. Good Day. Total Burn 3266. Exercise Burn 825/1561 (40minElliptical, Zumba). Calories in 2600. The day started around 3:00 getting everyone up and off to the airport. We parked and took the shuttle in. Maga beat us there. We said our goodbyes and he's off! We went out to breakfast after ... I usually don't eat much for breakfast, especially not a full meal and never this early (6:00am). Got home and hubs took a little nap before heading into work. I got the kids off to school. Got started on the big room rearrange ... packing up what was left of #1's stuff. #2 came home and helped, and then moved all his stuff in. One down ... except as he moved everything he uses out of his closet, his basement closet was still completely full of stuff! I pulled everything out to look through later and moved #5's stuff down, leaving an empty spot in that room. Moved #3's stuff up there, and then moved #4's stuff down to the space vacated by #3. Going through a ton of clothes that apparently are not being worn. Some outgrown stuff too. Gathered a HUGE pile of stuff for local goodwill. Managed to empty out two dressers and not even need them (so they were set aside for DI too). All this didn't really happen just on Wednesday, but was an ongoing process Thurs/Fri and Saturday too. #3 had practice after school but no game tonight. Also, I had called Comcast and they sent a technition to come out today. He ended up replacing the box and we are back in business. It actually went very smoothly (unlike my previous Comcast nightmare!)

0219 (Thursday) Weight 153.7. Good Day. Total Burn 3403. Exercise Burn 1265/1698 (40minElliptical, Zumba x2). Calories in 1900. The boys seemed to enjoy the new sleeping arrangements ... although #3 didn't want to sleep on the old queen bed so he slept on the couch until we could get him a new twin bed. Getting in a lot of stairs and non-aerobic steps with all this moving. Hit Zumba in the morning, got in my elliptical throughout the day, and then had Zumba in the evening too.

0220 (Friday) Weight 153.2.  Good Day. Total Burn 3148. Exercise Burn 850/1446 (40minElliptical, Zumba). Calories in 2400. Definetly missed #1 this morning, as he has been helping out with crazy carpools Friday morning. I dropped #3 off at 6:30 for practice. #2 off just after 8:00 for school. Then is the decision whether to take the elementary kids, or if #3's practice will end in time for me to grab him first (otherwise he ends up waiting about 20 minutes). He did text that they were done about 8:25, so I went back and grabbed him and got home just in time to get the little ones to school. They weren't as early as they like. They enjoy playing with friends before school. But it was a cold and rainy morning, and an inside day, so it worked out. Dropped #3 back off for his school start and went out to Zumba. Home for a couple of hours ... I'll admit, I did stop and take a little nap while the house was empty and quiet. After picking up kids from school it was more moving, rearranging, going through clothes, cleaning ... but getting there!

0221 (Saturday) Weight 153.9. Ok Day. Total Burn 2455. Exercise Burn 0/750 (No exercise). Calories in 2200. Uggg, bad night. I felt fine all day Friday but as I went to bed I could feel it, a tickle in my throat, a headache, some sniffles. I didn't sleep well at all. And I could have slept in in the morning ... except I couldn't sleep. #2 had practice at 9:00. Hubs emptied out the trailer and we loaded all the stuff we were taking to goodwill. It pretty much filled the entire trailer! Hubs dropped off the donations and then stopped and bought a twin bed and came home and set it up. Still need a few things for #3's room (comforter, curtains, nightstand) ... it's very bare now, but the kid is a bare bones type of boy. Even though he has a ton of space he is tossing out anything he doesn't feel like he is using (including the 2nd pair of jeans I just bought him a couple months ago, for heavens sake you can keep it as a back-up to the one pair you prefer!). He has the old desk from the front room. The room really needs painting, maybe new carpet. I tried washing down the walls, but all the old drawings and boogers didn't come off. #3 had a basketball game too. I was not feeling well, I video taped it (they lost, but #3 had a pretty good game so I still might make a highlight reel) but was anxious for it to be over ... not that laying down really helped me feel any better either. Oh yes ... it is also #2's BIRTHDAY! I'm such a bad mom, in between getting #1 off and the room rearrange I have been completely preoccupied and I didn't have anything for him. Sweet kid said it didn't matter. I'll make it up to him! I have been giving him a lot of stuff here and there (new clothes and such). I hit the store for some grocery shopping and grabbed him some of his favorite treats. He hadn't committed to which kind of cake he wanted (chocolate fudge or white buttercream) ... so I got them both! We had one in the evening with Hubs side of the family over, and we'll have the other tomorrow with my folks and his girlfriend (who was gone over the weekend to a dance competition).

0222 (Sunday) Weight 154.3.  Ok Day. Total  Burn 2193. Exercise Burn 0/485 (no exercise). Calories in 2000. Another awful night. I don't feel great during the day, but it's at night where a cold like this really affects me. I didn't even take any medication during the day yesterday ... but no sleep. Hubs had a lesson to prepare, and with me not feeling well, we didn't go to the first couple church meetings. I had to play the piano and hubs had to teach, so we did hit the third hour. I had made our Sunday Circle breakfast, but I abstained from a waffle. I must admit I had some chocolate cake though (yes, for breakfast). I don't really even like the chocolate cake! After church, hubs took a little nap while I continued to work on the piles of clothes. Since we took the last batch of donations to the DI I am starting again! I also cleaned the bathroom (normally #2's job, but I couldn't have him do it yesterday on his birthday!) and prepped for company. Made spaghetti for dinner ... I haven't been a good wife/mother lately, I can't remember the last time I made dinner. Got that cleaned up and time for company and cake. Turned on home videos of #2 as a baby ... his girlfriend liked that. Grandparents came over and we had cake and played games. I wasn't feeling well though, although bed really isn't that appealing either, as I know I'm not going to be able to sleep :(

0223 (Monday) Weight 153.2. OK Day. Total Burn 2573. Exercise Burn 450/876 (40minElliptical) Calories in 1100. Still sick. I voluntarily skipped Zumba, I just didn't think I had it in me. I did try a little elliptical. It was hard. Just 10 minute sessions throughout the day. Still did some cleaning, I want this room rearrange finished up (it is almost, just a few things still out in the main room downstairs). Did take a long, hot shower and then a little nap. The high school was playing at Weber State in the playoffs. #2 rode with the team, and friends offered to give #3 a ride. I dropped him off at a basketball buddies house then picked up the munchkins from school. I caught a little of the game as there was a live stream on KSL ... our poor boys were getting pummled (not unexpected, we were 4th seed against the #1 seed). So, last game for the high school (single elimination). I had to go grab the boys as they arrived back home. Hubs had been up uber early and was out cold by about 8:30.  I hadn't been super hungry today ... low calorie day for me.

0224 (Tuesday) Weight 152.6. Good Day. Total Burn 3006. Exercise Burn 880/1307 (40minElliptical, Zumba). Calories in 1200. I might have skipped Zumba today, except that I was committed to help teach. Marian was out of town in Mexico and had asked me and another gal to lead the songs. I had the sound box, the other gal had the music. I went ... but the other gal didn't show, so it was just me and the songs I had on my phone. It still went ok, we did have to repeat a few songs to hit the full hour (and I didn't have a "cool down"). I actually felt okay, the cold didn't impact me as much as I thought. Still stayed somewhat busy during the day and had another low calorie day. Hubs had a derby and #2 went along to help. I dropped #3 at his practice and made a quick trip to the grocery store to grab some bananas and a couple other items. Back to take #3 from one practice to another one ... but then the second practice ended up cancelled. It was ok though, then I got to go to bed early rather than the anticipated 10:00 pickup.

0225 (Wednesday) Weight 150.5. Pretty Good day. Total Burn 2464. Exercise Burn 600/777 (20minElliptical, Zumba). Calories in 2200. I went to Zumba today, it was a push, but I made it. I stopped at Sears on the way home. I was feeling quite lightheaded though ... I hadn't eaten breakfast. I was ravenous when I got home and ate quite a bit. Had more of a lazy day today. Took a bit of a rest and only got two 10min sessions on the elliptical. No basketball game in the evening again. I had tried going without medication today but gave in and took some and was ready to try to go to bed early!

0226 (Thursday) Weight 152.1. Pretty Good Day. Total Burn 2545. Exercise Burn 450/849 (Zumba). Calories in 1900. Again, I might have taken a break from Zumba, except that I had to get the box back to Marian. I didn't feel great, but I was glad I had gone. It was snowing when it was time to leave. It's been such a mild winter this snow in February is a shock to the system! I stopped at the dollar store, hoping to get some snack bags, but they were out. Picked up a few other things.  Heard from #1 son today, got to exchange a few emails. I figured I wasn't in for a double Zumba day, so I took #3 to his basketball game. They'd lost to this team once already, and it looked like it was going that way again. They our boys rebounded and at least made it exciting. Only lost by 2, but at this point it's a single elimination tournament, so that was the final game. #3 and I stopped at Kmart on the way home and grabbed some stuff for #4 with his points, which were going to expire. Then we stopped and grabbed #2, who was at his girlfriend's house (he'd stayed after to do a driving roads session then gone there). Hubs had taken the two little ones and gone to pick up cousins and hit Chick-fil-a for some dinner and ice cream.

0227 (Friday) Weight 151.2. Pretty Good Day. Total Burn 2811. Exercise Burn 600/1120 (20minElliptical, Zumba). Calories in 1800. Final Friday with the crazy schedule (meaning last early morning basketball practice for #3). I had really considered skipping Zumba, as I haven't really had the energy to put enough effort to get a big burn in and this one was clear across town... but I went. I was glad I did. Got in a couple elliptical sessions and then spent some time cleaning out my own closet (after having gone through the boys in the previous weeks). Still have loads of stuff, but I did make a dent. Was able to clear out a couple of things (my nightstand, some shoes) enough to make a noticeable difference. The cleaning kept me pretty active too. Kept it a low calorie day as well.

0228 (Saturday) Weight 151.2.  Ok Day. Total Burn 2286. Exercise Burn 220/595 (20minElliptical).  Calories in 2500. Hit Sams Club in the morning to stock up on bread and bananas. I miss my early morning hours I used to hit before they changed the elementary school start time. Saturday is the only time I can take advantage of it anymore. #3 had games today, at 1:00, and if they won that (which they did) at 3:00. As we went from one location to another, I realized I didn't have my phone. Luckily someone had turned it in to the snack bar, so it was there as I backtracked. #3 then wanted to watch the A team play, then wanted to watch the 9th graders play ... which meant I had to make a couple more trips to get him to those games. Hubs suggested a date ... a date? It's been a while! We went out to Red Robin. Even getting there around 5:30 it was pretty packed, but luckily the wait wasn't too long.  I picked up the boys (#2 had been out most of the day) and turned in. Hubs was out late with a buddy.

WWI #84 ... As Expected

For the past several weeks I've been alternating. 153 one week. 151 the next. Back up, then back down. I was 153.2 last week so what was I expecting this week? 151.2 ... and that's exactly what I came in at. But for the first time in a while, my Friday weigh-in was NOT the lowest. Back on Wednesday I hit 150.5.  Alas, I couldn't keep it and break the cycle ...

I've been struggling with a cold this past week. Saturday and Sunday weren't great. I had enough warning that I COULD have suspended my PACT commitment for the coming week, but I didn't. So I was still required to get in a daily workout (10,000 steps via Fitbit) and log my calories five days out of the week, even though I was under the weather. I didn't want to have to pay $5 if I missed a day!

I wasn't sure I was up for Zumba on Monday, so I skipped it. I still got in a little elliptical, and quite a few "cleaning" steps trying to finish up the work from the weekend rearranging rooms. I got my 10k that day, but barely hit my required 1200 calories for MFP. I didn't lose my appetite completely like when I had the Flu of 2013, but I wasn't that hungry.

Tuesday I probably would have skipped Zumba, but the instructor was actually out of town and had asked me and another gal to fill in teaching the class. I had the speaker box, so I was committed. The other gal had the music ... but she didn't show! I had several songs on my iphone (as I'm not an official Zumba instructor I didn't have any of the ZIN songs, just ones that I had liked that were available on Itunes) but by repeating a couple songs, we still got in a solid hour. I don't know if it was just the extra energy of being up in front ... but I actually felt pretty good during class. Had a 24k day total, and still wasn't that hungry, so kept calories low.

I think it was the keeping calories low Mon/Tues that caused the weight drop for Wednesday morning. Unfortunately after Zumba Wednesday I was STARVING and I ate and ate! I went to Zumba on Thursday as well, but only got in a little extra exercise both days. My poor "bike book" ... the one I HAD been reading while riding my stationary bike had been ignored (as I didn't get in any bike riding this week or last week). I finally just grabbed it and finished it up reading while resting in bed.

NUMBERS: Down two pounds (up/down/up/down), average went down -.26.  My average intake dropped to 1829, first time it's been under 2000 in I don't know how long. I credit that to my cold rather than any good eating or willpower. My average daily burn was 2626, lower than my usual but about what it was last week (also an off-week with exercise interrupted).  I managed a small deficit (-980) for the week ...

That was my week ... how was yours?

Linking up late with Weigh-In Wednesday ... wish my Wednesday weight HAD made it to Friday!

To Medicate or Not to Medicate

I've been battling a bug for almost a week now. Last Friday I felt fine, until I went to bed ... then there it was. A tickle in the back of my throat. I do think it's just a bad cold. Sniffly, sore throat, but no fever. The last few days a cough has come in too.

It's nice to have medical options in this day and age. The picture above is from my kitchen counter ... first, I guess you can see I'm a "generic" gal. I don't really care about the name brands (Let's same some money! $$ Thrifty Thursday! *Ü*) I also prefer to treat the individual symptoms ... rather than taking a combo pill, I generally will just hit what I feel I really need. If I'm just stuffy ... just the decongestant. I've had a headache ... and a bit of an earache too. I have been needing to add the ibuprofen and cough medication at times too though.

Sometimes during the day, I try to go without medication. I want to see how I'm really feeling. I don't just want to mask some symptoms if that then makes me continue to push too hard. I want a true judge if I'm feeling better or worse than the day before. At night though ... I want my sleep! So I will usually medicate. Even with it, my sleep lately has been lousy.

I have still been exercising a little, but I have toned it down this week. I tried going without medication Wednesday, but by afternoon I was pretty miserable and went ahead and popped some pills. I did make it through today without them though. Hopefully I'm on the mend.

Hubs had this a week or so before me, and still has some lingering coughs and sniffles. He says the it's really been going through the office at work. I've been trying to be careful to wash hands and such here at home, so the kids don't pick it up ... #3 has been sniffling though.

Just thinking out loud ... do YOU prefer one pill, or do you like to limit it to the specific symptoms? Do you ever try to tough it out without medication, or do you take advantage of modern medicine?

A HRM Hiatus

I own TWO Polar FT4 heart rate monitors. I bought my first one back in 2013, when I first started on my weight loss journey (again). I didn't love it. I didn't even wear it all that much. It took until July of 2014 before I even talked about it on my blog. When I started Zumba last year ... I started wearing it for that hour, and comparing the stats to those my Fitbit estimated (Zumba Stats). I did get a little addicted to the data, and to the motivation during the workout. I'd glance at the watch and check my heart rate, and if it wasn't high enough, I'd try to push myself a little harder.

But ... even though the Polar FT4 has really good reviews, it seems like after about 6 months of daily use, it just doesn't work as well. I'll admit, I'm not that good about washing the strap (it's recommended to rinse it after every use). I know at some point the battery would need to be replaced. I just ended up buying a new one. I'd started with the gray watch, then decided I wanted the pink after all. Sometimes when I'd work out twice in a day, I wouldn't want to put the soggy strap back on and ... a small part of me wondered if perhaps my original Polar was a bit wonky. So many people would say their HRM was giving them nice big numbers for a calorie burn. Mine wasn't. It's so hard for me to get my heart rate up. Maybe I'm super fit? Maybe I'm just a workout wimp? Anyway, I secretly hoped that with a new Polar FT4 I'd magically get better numbers. Yea ... that didn't happen. Pretty much the same.

My pretty pink Polar worked well for ... about six months. Then I started getting wonky readings. It wouldn't pick up a heart rate. It would, then it would drop to zero. It would seem to get stuck on a high or low number and not change. Grrrrrr.  Same as before. I ordered some new batteries and tried installing them in the old one (which had died completely) and got it up and running. Sort of. Still some struggles.

I wore my gray watch portion to Zumba last Friday. Later, when I was back home and went to record my stats from class ... I couldn't find it. Monday, I was feeling sick, and didn't go to Zumba. Yesterday, I went, but still feeling sick, I didn't think I could endure the tightness of the chest strap (I was having enough trouble breathing as it was!).  Anyway ... as I head out to Zumba today. I COULD strap on the pink Polar ... but you know what? I think I'm going to take a short HRM Hiatus. 

As motivating as the monitor can be ... if it isn't working right, it can be SO distracting. As I'm dancing along in class, I look and see it reflecting a big fact ZERO and what do I do? I STOP. I adjust the chest strap. I pause it and restart. I press it the transmitter more firmly into my chest. Then I give up and go back to dancing, but feel discouraged because I know it's not recording correct information.

Today ... I'm just going to dance.

Now, I'm not cRaZY ... I'll still wear my Fitbit of course! Linking up with Workout Wednesday ... wish me luck, I'm still feeling under the weather. I actually felt pretty good during Zumba yesterday and was glad I had gone. I actually really didn't have a choice,  as I had committed to helping out with the class. The instructor had gone on vacation to Mexico and asked me and another gal to take over the class and lead the songs. The other gal didn't show ... it was all me! My first (and last? A Zumba Instructor?) time leading a Zumba class (I actually don't know/didn't have the music for that many songs, so we had to repeat a couple to hit the hour).