October 2015

I was a day late, but I did remember to snag the Fitbit graph of in vs out for October. It was actually a good month! I hit goals ... average burn above 3000, and intake below 2000.  It did show up on the scale too. Started the month at 166.5. Ended at 161.30. Average was 163.59, which was down over five pounds from September's average. Low was 159.6 and high was 166.7.

October was Halloween of course (see me in my little kitty cat ears helping out at the elementary school). The little boys almost didn't even go trick-or-treating, but decided to at the last minute. #4 hit 40K that day, and passed me up on our Fitbit friends list. Hubs and the boys had a get-away to St. George and I went in for my annual exam (all my numbers/tests were pretty good).  That was October!

Here are the journal entries from the month ...

1001 (Thursday) 166.5. Total Burn 3474. Exercise Burn 1500/1691 (60minElliptical, ZumbaX2, Bike). Calories in 1800. Well there was the scale shift. I wasn't sure it was going to happen this week. That was the highlight though. It was a rough morning. Even with the bad sleep, I've been getting up and hitting the elliptical first thing, getting in 30-40minutes in before hitting Zumba. This morning, there was an issue with the computer that had #4 stressed out, and #5 broke down completely, stressed about missing school tomorrow, as Daddy has planned a weekend getaway and wanted to leave early. So ... I went into the school when I dropped off the munchkins and talked with the teacher and everything will be fine. I hit Zumba, then stopped at the store grabbing a few groceries and my prescriptions. My thyroid medication actually didn't have any refills left, but they were able to call and get another month ... but I do have to get into the doctor for my annual exam. I did start my anxiety medication back up. I'd quit it in the Spring, not really feeling it was doing anything. I'm not sure if it helps my anxiety at all, but I do think maybe it helps with nervous eating. I've been doing better since I started it up again, and when I stopped is when I had my weight gain over the summer ... got in my elliptical,  but my bike was interrupted when I had to pick up #3 from school (he was scheduled to go to weights, but it got cancelled). We went back to the school a bit later for parent/teacher conferences, although they are "student lead" and I didn't really talk to many of the teachers (the kid has all As). I went to evening Zumba, taking a neighbor girl who wanted to attend too. Not many people tonight, it sure varies. I got my best stats of the week at this class. Kept calories in check today too. 

1002 (Friday) 165.3. Total Burn 2878. Exercise Burn 1259/1107 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike, 30minWEIGHTS). Calories in 1800. I went ahead and took #5 to school, then hit Zumba. I usually can't hit Debbie's class on Fridays, as it starts at 9:00, and I have to drop off #3 at 9:30, but with middle school out today, I could! It was nice to get to that class again. Back at home I helped pack up some stuff, and then Daddy and the three little boys were off for the weekend. #2 couldn't miss school or work, so he was staying home, and I was staying home with him. It was a very quiet day. I was able to keep exercise and eating better than a usual Friday, and better than I would have on the road with the family. I couldn't get to sleep until really late though.

1003 (Saturday) 166.2 Total Burn 2636. Exercise Burn 1000/860 (60minElliptical, Bike, 30min/2.25 Treadmill). Calories in 2000. I'd thought about hitting Zumba over at USSD, but then I slept in after my late night to bed. Another quiet day, as #2 was out with his girlfriend for most of it (with the car, Dad had taken mine, I didn't want to drive his big ol' truck). I got in some exercise. Eating was ok ... it was cold and rainy and cocoa and toast sounded good ... and I haven't been able to stay away from the candy corn. 

1004 (Sunday) 166.7 Total Burn 2500. Exercise Burn 609/721 (60minElliptical). Calories in 1800. Another quiet day. #2 slept almost the entire morning, and then was off to work. My family was having their monthly gathering, but Daddy and the boys were getting home around that same time, so I stayed home and made them dinner and dessert. I do enjoy the quiet house for a short time, but it's nice to have everyone back too.

 1005 (Monday) 167.3  Total Burn 3246. Exercise Burn 1379/1464 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike, 30min/1.5milesTreadmillIncline). Calories in 1600. I must admit to being a little sad at the scale shift up over the weekend. I was good all three days and had deficits, and still a two pound up. But ... it is lower than it has been lately on a Monday morning, so that is good I guess. Got in 40min on the elliptical (three sessions) between getting the kids up and off to school. Hit Zumba, then stopped at Kmart and CalRanch on the way home (more food for the duckies). Laundry and such, then afternoon pickups. Mac&Cheese for dinner. Hubs was out with a work friend for dinner and a movie and didn't get back until late. #2 was working, and the little boys got caught up on "The Voice" and watched it live ... commercials! I can't stand commercials! Netflix, Amazon and PlayOn have spoiled me! 

1006 (Tuesday) 166.7. Total Burn 3546. Exercise Burn 1750/1767 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike, 60min/5milesTrack). Calories in 1500. Got in some early morning elliptical before getting the boys off to school. Hit Zumba, then home for a while. Additional elliptical, bike and weights. #5 had basketball practice in the evening. I sure didn't feel like jogging, but it's either that, or sit and wait, or make multiple trips. Jogging it is. I really surprised myself getting in over 9000 steps during that hour. Kept calories low today too. It helps when I make a dinner I don't like (Taco Tuesday).

1007 (Wednesday) 165.6. Total Burn 3277. Exercise Burn 1400/1505 (80minElliptical, Zumba, Bike). Calories in 1350. Early elliptical, boys to school, then Zumba. Stopped at Sears/Sams/Walmart on the way home. Indulged in some Skinny Pop, and even a Nutrageous bar (I've had one in my drawer for a while now and resisted).  Additional elliptical, even an extra 20min today. Reading/riding on the bike too, although it was late in the evening, I wasn't sure I would get it in. The older boys had basketball clinic. Managed to get in dinner (Hawaiian Haystacks) before they left. It's hard to coordinate schedules. I do like the chicken&gravy over rice, but I didn't have any tonight, keeping calories quite low for the day, even with my earlier indulgences.
  

1008 (Thursday) 164.2. Total Burn 3342. Exercise Burn 1640/1578 (60minElliptical, Zumba x2, Bike). Calories in 1900. Early elliptical, Zumba, and a quick stop at the store. Additional elliptical and bike. Hubs and #3 had another derby tonight, I managed to make a spaghetti dinner to feed them before they were off (although #2 was gone to work already). I did indulge in some of the french bread. Evening Zumba, then home for a shower and to bed.

1009 (Friday) 164.3. Total Burn 2519. Exercise Burn 770/754 (60minElliptical, Bike). Calories in 1950. A little bummed that weight went UP from yesterday's weigh-in. I definitely had a deficit yesterday. Not sure if I was down about that (although overall satisfied with the one pound loss for the week), or just a bit worn out from my week, but it wasn't a terribly productive day. Friday is late-start anyway (at the high school and middle school) and now that I don't have a Zumba class to go to ... I was just dragging after the final drop off. I didn't have internal motivation to do Zumba on my own, instead, I took a nap. Because I'm a SAHM with kids in school and I'm spoiled and lazy like that. Early out at the elementary. Grabbed some Papa Murphy on the way home from picking up the middle-schooler. That was dinner. I did have some of the thin crust with alfredo. I wanted more, but limited myself to two pieces. Hubs and #3 did a derby again. #5 had a friend over, and I didn't quite feel comfortable disappearing into the gym, so I didn't get in a lot of activity today.

1010 (Saturday) 164.4. Total Burn 3002. Exercise Burn 950/1236 (60minElliptical, Bike). Calories in 800. Slept in a little, then hit the elliptical first thing. #5 had a basketball game at 11:00. I tried to walk around a little as I ran the video camera. He and I did a little shopping after, picking him up a new ball and some new shoes. It was a productive day at home. Vacuuming, bathrooms, laundry, cleaning out some cupboards and mowing the lawn. Hubs took the ducks to a farm for the winter. Big football day for the local colleges, but #4 was watching basketball (pre-season NBA). #2 worked the Real soccer game (double header) then stopped by KFC, and ended up staying and helping them close as they were understaffed. I did get in additional elliptical and my reading/riding on the bike ... kept calories way low today. 

1011 (Sunday) 163.2. Total Burn 2472. Exercise Burn 650/713 (60minElliptical). Calories in 2400. Not sure if it was my empty tummy keeping me awake, or something else, but it wasn't a great night for sleeping. Hubs left early for some pickleball. I had to hit church a little earlier than my usual, so we didn't do the traditional Sunday Circle breakfast. There were Krispie Creme left over from yesterday ... hubs had brought them home after his trip dropping off the ducks (I had one yesterday, one today,  #4 resisted and didn't have any! The other kids had them for breakfast). Walked to/from church. #2 was off to work again. The rest of us hit Texas Roadhouse for an early dinner. I limited myself to one roll. I hadn't totally planned on an hour of elliptical today. I did one 20min session in the morning, and ended up doing two more in the evening after eating a bit more than I had planned. Still kept intake under burn ... just barely!

 1012 (Monday) 164.8. Total Burn 3180. Exercise Burn 1450/1412 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike, 30min/1.5mileTreadmillIncline, 10minWii). Calories in 1400. Back to the routine. Got in early elliptical, 40min before Zumba. Stopped at Kmart on the way home. #2 was home, hadn't been feeling well at school. He had a basketball game in the evening, but was skipping it to attend a work thing (who IS this kid?). He was able to get a nap in too. Poor kid is really burning the candle at both ends. Hubs took #4 to a Jazz game (pre-season, but front row seats). Didn't get a letter from my missionary today :(

1013 (Tuesday) 163.2. Total Burn 3280. Exercise Burn 1600/1523 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike, 60min/4milesTrack, 15minWEIGHTS). Calories in 2050. The kids often like to go a little early to school, get in extra playing time. Today we were early enough that I returned home and then walked to Zumba. It was a beautiful morning, but the cool outside made the gym in the church seem extra warm. It felt so good to walk out into the cool morning after class! I really need to get more accomplished, especially on Tuesdays, the early class gives me some extra time. I just haven't felt very motivated of late. #2 was working a double Real game, so he was off as soon as school was out. #3 has had a cold, but still hit weights after school, and the basketball clinic in the evening. #5 had scouts after school, and then basketball practice in the evening. #4 came with us and shot around, while I walked the track. I just didn't have any energy to jog tonight.

1014 (Wednesday) 162.9. Total Burn 3458. Exercise Burn 1621/1701 (100minElliptical, Zumba, Bike). Calories in 2000. Got in my early elliptical, and then more than the usual throughout the day (I started a new show, "Zoo" which has me hooked). Zumba at MZL, it was a "purple party" for domestic awareness. They always take group pictures with these, but I usually take off quickly at the end. This time they stopped class quick, so I was actually in the picture. I went overboard with the candy corn today ... I can't just have one handful, I end up having several.

1015 (Thursday) 162.6. Total Burn 3148. Exercise Burn 1400/1393 (60minElliptical, Zumba x2). Calories in 2450. The kids are out of school for UEA, so I slept in, and didn't get in any early elliptical. In fact, I barely made it to Zumba at 9:00. The kids actually seemed bored already (just on day one) and #3 and #4 both spend a bit of time in the home gym (MY home gym). I hit evening Zumba as well. Hubs was packed and supposed to fly out to Seattle today at 5:45, but got to the airport late and missed the flight. He ended up re-booking for the morning, so he came home to sleep. He just can't stay away ;) There had been an advertisement for the buffet Golden Corral and the two little boys thought it looked good. We hadn't been in forever, so I told them I'd take them today. It was a bust. The kids were not impressed at all. I was glad they had gotten in on a $2 special. I ate too much though ...

1016 (Friday) 164.2. Total Burn 3042. Exercise Burn 1380/1278 (30minElliptical, Zumba, 80min/4.5milesTrack, Bike). Calories in 2000. With no school carpools, I was able to hit Zumba. The two yougest kids wanted to go shoot hoops at the rec center. I feel comfortable leaving them if older brothers are there to watch ... but older brothers didn't want to go. So I stayed, walked the track and did some bike while they played. My folks came over in the evening. We went out to Mountain Mike's pizza, which had a gluten-free crust for Grandpa, and video games for the kids. We always bring plenty of quarters. Then my folks came back to the house and we played games. Scattergories, Rummikube and Apples to Apples. It was a fun night. We missed #2 who was working.

1017 (Saturday) 164.5. Total Burn 2889. Exercise Burn 1200/1123 (100minElliptical, Bike, Hula). Calories in 1800. We didn't have a lot on deck today, no basketball games with the fall break. I went to the grocery store to grab some things, we were about out of milk and bread. #3 got invited to go play basketball with his buddies, but then they got kicked out of the church, so I had to go right back and pick him up. There had been rain in the forecast, but it didn't hit until late. I didn't even know it was raining until #3 pointed it out. #2 was working concessions at the soccer game, I hoped they didn't get too wet there!

 1018 (Sunday) 163.2. Total Burn 2540. Exercise Burn 830/781 (60minElliptical, Bike, Hula). Calories in 2450. Without Daddy here, we didn't do the usual Sunday Circles, as he is the waffle maker! I did pancakes instead. Usually pancakes don't really appeal to me, but I had some. I got in some exercise, but not a lot, just barely enough to cover calories for the day (as they were a bit high, dang ice cream and candy corn temptations!) I got in a nice Sunday nap as well. 

1019 (Monday) 164.4. Total Burn 3513. Exercise Burn 1730/1754 (100minElliptical, Zumba, Bike, Hula). Calories in 1800. Back to the routine. Up early for some elliptical before getting the boys off to school. It was a "purple party" at Zumba, and quite a larger crowd than the usual. I did a quick stop at Kmart on the way home. Got in several more elliptical sessions and my bike. Also some hula. Monday Mountain Mike pizza day, I just grabbed it to bring home. Hubs returned safely from his trip, but didn't get in until really late.

1020 (Tuesday) 162.3. Total Burn 3601. Exercise Burn 1650/1847 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike, 60min/4.1milesTrack). Calories in 2400. Up and ellipticalled, then got the boys off to school. Walked to/from Zumba again. Back at home, I made dough and prepped breadsticks and cinnamon rolls. I baked up some chicken and made soup for dinner. Got in some additional exercise and did weights. #5 had his practice in the evening, so I walked the track while waiting. 

1021 (Wednesday) 164.0. Total Burn 3339. Exercise Burn 1444/1575 (80minElliptical, Zumba, Bike). Calories in 1850. The usual morning (elliptical sessions and morning school carpools) and then Zumba. Got in extra elliptical throughout the day, and bike. Made some scones with the leftover dough.

 1022 (Thursday) 162.8. Total Burn 3487. Exercise Burn 1595/1731 (80minElliptical, Zumba, Bike, Lawn Mow). Calories in 1950. Got in my elliptical, Zumba and bike, and got the lawn mowed as well. Evening Zumba didn't happen though, as I was the only one to show ;(  Still at 31+K for the day!

1023 (Friday) 162.6. Total Burn 3185. Exercise Burn 1270/1430 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike). Calories in 1450. I sleep in a little on Fridays with late start at the high school and middle school. I wasn't feeling 100% either. My stomach felt a little sick, and my head was foggy. I did some elliptical and got the kids off to school. I wasn't sure if I had the motivation to even try to do Zumba on my own. Then Nina posted about her $5 Friday class, a new location, and I knew right where it was. I decided it hit it. It was a little crowded ... and I hoped being a paid class it might start on time, but alas, still late ... but I was so glad I went and I felt good after (although later in the day the tummy/head issues did come back a bit). Got in some additional elliptical and bike. Should have done weights, but didn't get them in. Early out at the elementary, and after middle-school pickup, #3 had a game (at Soccer City, close to my Monday Zumba). They lost. Two more games tomorrow. Kept calories in check. 

1024 (Saturday) 161.9. Total Burn 2495.  Exercise Burn 650/744 (Zumba, Walking). Calories in 2550. I had been looking forward to a lazy Saturday morning sleep in, but then Hubs said he was taking off around 7:00 to go mountain biking. So I decided to get up too, and hit a Zumba class. I'd gone to Zumba Underground a long time ago, when it was in the basement of a house. She has since started Saturdays at a local gym. She was letting her Undergrounders in for free. It was a nice space, nice floor, just four of us. I'll try to hit it again. Then #5 had his basketball game at 10:00. Very easy win for the boys, but my munchkin slid into the concrete seating while trying to save a ball and hit his head hard. Poor kid. I was so cold and not feeling great when we got back home, so I layed down for a bit. Then I was off with #3 to his two games at 3:00 and 5:00. I was video-taping, but as we were getting thrashed I figured I wouldn't be making a highlight video, and I walked while I watched. I walked the hallway while reading in-between games, and even practiced a little Zumba when I found an empty room. In the evening Hubs and I watched "Age of Adeline" and ate popcorn. Yummy popcorn. Oops ... over in calories! 

1025 (Sunday) 161.8. Total Burn 2401. Exercise Burn 400/650 (40minElliptical). Calories in 2400. I got my lazy morning sleep in today. We were planning a big, early dinner, so we didn't do the usual Sunday Circles. #2 was off to KFC for a 10:00-10:30 shift. Poor kid, it's been understaffed so he's had so many more hours than he wants, but he's so loyal and helpful. Hubs and I did a little food prep, as he wants to eat better (and he didn't have a lazy sleep in, he was off for a run in the early hours). It was only my second time at Costco ever! We stopped at Smiths too, as the kids had gone through all the grapes I'd purchased just a few days earlier. They were great grapes! We hit Rodizio, the Brazillian steak house at Trolly Square right when they opened at 4:00. At first #4 seemed to be having a bit of an anxiety attack (complaining of his tummy), he didn't like anything on the buffet portion. But he surprised us by being willing to try a bunch of the different meats ... rattlesnake sausage, wild boar, chicken heart (he said that was disgusting). Our family favorites are the traditional beef and bacon wrapped turkey. We were all quite stuffed. It was a fun family outing, just wish the two oldest boys could have been with us.

1026 (Monday) 163.8. Total Burn 3732. Exercise Burn 1895/1970 (60minElliptical, Zumba x2, Bike). Calories in 900. Back to the routine. Getting up early enough to get in some elliptical before taking the kids to school. I quickly made some blueberry muffins too (well, me and Betty Crocker) to take to Zumba, as we were having a little breakfast baby shower for Nina after class. I did my usual quick stop at Kmart on the way home to spend my weekly Fitstudio points. Got in a little additional elliptical and bike. Laundry time too. #2 had work in the evening. Daddy took the three younger boys to Maga's for shakes. I hit a Halloween Zumba class located nearby ($40 for a 10-pass). It was a little more crowded than I would like, and almost all Halloween songs with everyone dressed up. It was also 90 minutes rather than the usual hour ... so big steps for the day. I wasn't terribly hungry today either, calories were way low.

 1027 (Tuesday) 160.9. Total Burn 3366. Exercise Burn 1675/1620 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike, 60min/4.5milesTrack). Calories in 1500. It was a little cool this morning, so the kids didn't go quite as early (I was busy prepping a roast for the crock pot too). I didn't quite have time to get back home and walk, so I just stopped on the way home from dropping the boys at the elementary school. Got in Zumba, and more elliptical and bike back at home. I also had a doctor's appointment, just my annual exam. Everything seemed fine, still waiting on some bloodwork. Got a flu shot and lab work, but was in and out in under an hour. Hubs had a derby and #3 went along to help. #5 had basketball practice. #4 went and just shot hoops and I walked/jogged while I waited. 

1028 (Wednesday) 159.8. Total Burn 3132. Exercise Burn 1050/1393 (60minElliptical, Zumba). Calories in 2000. I was dragging a little this morning. Still got some morning elliptical in, and hit Zumba. I was actually surprised my stats were as good as they were. My left arm (flu shot) was feeling sore, and I just felt a lethargy in my legs. I pushed through, but then needed to lay down for a bit. Then off to the elementary to check out #4 for a dental appointment. I usually will leave the kids and run a few errands, but I wasn't sure anxiety child would be cool with that, and it wasn't supposed to be that long of an appointment. They pulled out a baby tooth that had a cavity. Unfortunately it had spread, so we'll need to come back in a month or so. I also made an appointment for #3 for ortho which was overdue. Got #4 settled  back at home, then did the other school carpool pickups. We didn't really have any plans in the evening, low-key night at home. 

1029 (Thursday) 159.6.  Total Burn 2731. Exercise Burn 700/993 (60minElliptical). Calories in 2200. I had forgotten to set my second alarm (I have one set for 5:30 to make sure #2 is up and off, then one for 6:30 for me). I woke a little after 7:00, and quickly woke #3 and we still got him to school on time, but I didn't get my early elliptical in. Dang ... and this was the morning I miss Zumba too. I just stayed at the school after dropping off the munchkins, finding a parking spot and then going into the gym to wait for the parade. After the parade, the 6th grade (#4) performed "Thriller" ... then it was off to #4's class to help with the halloween party. I had brought the cup crash, monster toss, eyeball relay and PicturEEKa and got the other parent volunteers set up helping. Seven minute rotations x 12 ... so finally done a couple hours later. I'd worn some kitty ears, and had my picture taken several times for the "parent in a costume" scavenger hunt. When 6th grade was done, I rushed to my 4th grader's classroom and there was in charge of Bingo. We finished up with about 25 minutes before school got out. Do I check the kids out and go home? Go home (for 10 minutes) and come back? I ended up just waiting. Long day at the school! Got in some elliptical at home, but that was it for exercise for the day. I went to Zumba, but like last week, no one showed. Hubs and #3 were off doing a derby. #2 was off working. 

1029 (Thursday) 159.6.  Total Burn 2731. Exercise Burn 700/993 (60minElliptical). Calories in 2200. I had forgotten to set my second alarm (I have one set for 5:30 to make sure #2 is up and off, then one for 6:30 for me). I woke a little after 7:00, and quickly woke #3 and we still got him to school on time, but I didn't get my early elliptical in. Dang ... and this was the morning I miss Zumba too. I just stayed at the school after dropping off the munchkins, finding a parking spot and then going into the gym to wait for the parade. After the parade, the 6th grade (#4) performed "Thriller" ... then it was off to #4's class to help with the halloween party. I had brought the cup crash, monster toss, eyeball relay and PicturEEKa and got the other parent volunteers set up helping. Seven minute rotations x 12 ... so finally done a couple hours later. I'd worn some kitty ears, and had my picture taken several times for the "parent in a costume" scavenger hunt. When 6th grade was done, I rushed to my 4th grader's classroom and there was in charge of Bingo. We finished up with about 25 minutes before school got out. Do I check the kids out and go home? Go home (for 10 minutes) and come back? I ended up just waiting. Long day at the school! Got in some elliptical at home, but that was it for exercise for the day. I went to Zumba, but like last week, no one showed. Hubs and #3 were off doing a derby. #2 was off working. 

1030 (Friday) 160.4. Total Burn 2930. Exercise Burn 1200/1187 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike). Calories in 2100. The kids were out of school today. I slept in, but was up in time to hit Debbie's Zumba class in Daybreak. I wore my Halloween shirt, and there were some Halloween songs again. I stopped at the Dollar Store and Walmart on the way home. I did get in elliptical and bike, calories went slightly over, but not bad for a Friday. Spent quite a bit of time going through the costumes ... it is purge time! Hubs was out with some work buddies late. #2 brought his girlfriend and some pumpkins over and they carved them. Ahh, the smell of pumpkin guts. We haven't gotten around to it for a few years, but the little ones didn't seem that into it.

1031 (Saturday) 161.3. Total Burn 2693. Exercise Burn 650/945 (60minElliptical). Calories in 2000. Happy Halloween! No sleeping in, as #5 had an 8:00 basketball game. They won. #3 wanted to hang out with some friends, friends that live FAR, where I haven't been before, and would require a late pickup. I just knew I wasn't up for it myself, but Hubs agreed to take him and pick him up. I made cookie-press cookies, in a pumpkin shape. They are a family favorite, especially of #3. One cookie press broke, but luckily I had a backup and was able to finish. The two little boys hadn't been sure they were even going trick-or-treating but decided to in the end. #5 just dressed up as a basketball player (one of his NBA jerseys) and #4 was going to go as a Lego Guy (he'd accidentally forgotten the costume at school yesterday, but I had stopped and picked it up) ... but I suggested a "Ref" to keep with the basketball theme. Normally, one parent goes out with the kids, and the other stays home to hand out candy. The boys said they were old enough to go alone, and would stay in the immediate neighborhood, so I let them (of course after a bit I stressed and wished I had gone). They made it back fine. #4 gave #5 all his candy, and I get all the "nut" ones (Reeses, Butterfinger, BabyRuth, Snickers) as the youngest is allergic. Too many of the cookies tonight too though!  #4 had been super active, and was close to a new goal of 40,000 steps on his Fitbit, so he kept walking around until he hit it. I was glad when everyone was in bed and asleep!

WWI #118 - Busy Week, Good Week

I was a little worried about this week. Basketball games, doctor, dentist and helping out at the school ... all were on the docket this week, and I don't do as well without my usual routine. But the scale showed success, even though my deficit wasn't quite as good as the week's past (just -734). NUMBERS:  Down 2.2 pounds from last Friday, the average went down just over two pounds too (161.49). Average intake was 1857, average daily burn was 3006.  Here's a quick week recap:

• Friday (1023): Wasn't feeling 100%, but ended up hitting a $5 Zumba class and felt quite a bit better after. Got in elliptical and bike and spent the evening watching #3 in a basketball game.
• Saturday (1024): Hubs was off early for a bike ride, so I hit a Saturday Zumba class. Then, there were three basketball games (one for #5, and two for #3). I ended up walking around quite a bit while watching and waiting between games, so even with no elliptical or bike, I got in the steps! Over in calories though, as Hubs and I indulged in popcorn while watching a DVD.
• Sunday (1025): Hit Costco with Hubs, then we went to Rodizio as a family (sans #2 who was working). Just barely pulled even with calories in vs out (with just 40min elliptical). 
• Monday (1026): Zumba (and baby shower for Nina, Betty Crocker and I made some muffins to take), some elliptical and bike, then an additional Halloween Zumba in the evening, 90minute class no less! Big activity day, and just not very hungry (or just to busy to eat). 
• Tuesday (1027): After Zumba I had a doctor's appointment. Just my annual exam. It was nice to be in and out in under an hour, even with lab work and a flu shot. Got in elliptical and bike too. #5 had practice in the evening, so I jogged the track while I waited. Another big activity day, and still kept calories in check.
• Wednesday (1028): After Zumba, I had to check #4 out of school for a dentist appointment. Got in my hour of elliptical during the day, but didn't get to the bike.
• Thursday (1029): Accidentally slept in until after 7:00, just barely getting #3 to school on time. After dropping off elementary I simply stayed at the school for the parade, Thriller, #4's class party and then #5's class party (helping out at both). Felt off missing my morning Zumba, and then evening Zumba didn't happen either (as I was the only one who showed up). Still got in an hour of elliptical, eating edged a little high.

 Pictures from the Week

At the doctors office.

#5 as a basketball star on a Wheaties box

The kitties decided to get in on the action when he took it off ...

... a little video of #4 dancing to "Thriller"

Terra Linda Tradition - 6th grade performing "Thriller" ... Starring @cooper__trooper4

A video posted by JenB (@jenblackham) on Oct 30, 2015 at 4:30pm PDT

WWI #117 - Weekly Down, Identical Average

Last week, my official Friday weigh-in didn't change much from the week before, but my average dropped over two pounds. This week was the opposite. My official weigh-in was down, but my average stayed exactly the same. Like last week, my official Friday weigh-in was not my low for the week. Still working hard to back into the 150s (my happy-weight) and then into the 140s (goal).   NUMBERS: Down 1.6 for the official. Average was 163.3, identical to last Friday. Average intake was 2036. Average burn was 3202 ... that equated to a weekly deficit of -6079.

Weekly Recap ...

• Friday: Hubs out of town and the kids out of school. I was able to hit a Zumba class though! The little boys wanted to go to the gym to play basketball, so I walked the track and rode a stationary bike while I kept an eye on them. My folks came over in the evening and we did pizza and games.
• Saturday: No basketball today (Fall Break). I got in several sessions on the elliptical, and some bike. Pretty low-key day.
• Sunday: An hour of elliptical and the reading/riding on the bike. My 12-year has started reading/riding on the bike too. Another low-key day. Did get in a Sunday nap. One of the higher calorie days.
• Monday:  A "purple party" at Zumba, with a larger crowd than usual. Several sessions on the elliptical, and time on the bike. 
• Tuesday: Busy day with Zumba, elliptical, bike and WEIGHTS. Walked the track in the evening during basketball practice. Also made homemade soup and breadsticks (and cinnamon rolls) for the family ... so calories were a bit higher today.
• Wednesday: Zumba, elliptical and bike - and kept calories in check.
• Thursday: Only morning Zumba today, as I was the only one there for the evening class. Still a 31k day with elliptical, bike and mowing the lawn. Kept calories in check too.

 Me on the track. The little boys goofing off on the court below. 

Hubs and his brother ... 

the Fall Food Tour in Seattle, Washington over the weekend.

I tried the "water and vinegar" trick to clean the microwave.

It worked. SO much better!

So that was my week. Encouraged that the scale is moving in the right direction ... it's just so SLOW. Weight fluctuates so much. Gotta just keep going. This next week will be a bit of a challenge as there are doctor/dentist appointments to interrupt my routine, and class parties at the school, and then another day off for the kidlets ... and then of course Halloween! 

WWI #116 - Gain After Golden Corral

I had another pretty good weekend, and weight was going down. I expected a drop for the official weigh-in Friday morning ... but alas, it bopped up. I blame Golden Corral. You know, the all-you-can-eat buffet. We went on Thursday. I  didn't overeat,  had "dinner" very early in the day (around 5:00),  still had a deficit for the day ... so I really didn't think it would be that bad. But like last week, the scale shifted up from Thursday to Friday morning. 

My overall numbers for the week were good though ... only the .1 down for the official weekly check-in, but my average dropped 2.37 pounds (to 163.63) so I was happy about that. I did keep calories in check most of week, the average was 1864. I stayed active, and average daily burn was 3008.  Here's a quick recap of the week ...

• Friday (1009): An hour of elliptical and 30min on the bike. I didn't have the energy to do Zumba on my own, and I haven't found a class that works with the middle-school's late start. Not a productive day. Hubs had a derby in the evening. Kept calories under 2000, but just barely.
• Saturday (1010): Very productive day! Watched #5 in his  basketball game in the morning. For exercise, an hour of elliptical and 30min bike. Cleaning the house, vacuuming, organizing cupboards, laundry, dishes, bathrooms and mowing the lawn too. Helped #4 with some a school project. Hubs took the ducks to a farm. He brought home Krispy Creme doughnuts. I'd really limited calories for the day and wasn't sure I wanted to break that ... but I did have one. #4 resisted completely.
• Sunday (1011): I had to hit church a little earlier than my usual, but I walked to/from. Also got in an hour of elliptical (three 20min sessions). We had a Texas Roadhouse dinner. I did limit myself to just one roll, and didn't overdo, but still one of the higher calorie days in a while. Intake and burn about even for the day.
•  Monday (1012): Back to my early starts. Elliptical, Zumba, bike and some treadmill today. A bit on the WiiFit too. Hubs was gone all evening with #4 at a basketball game downtown. I stayed out of the candy corn completely and kept calories in check today.
• Tuesday (1013): The kids went to school early enough that I came home and walked to Zumba. Also got in an hour of elliptical, bike, and 15min weights. Wimpy weight workout, but better than nothing, right? #5 had basketball practice in the evening. I wasn't up for jogging, but I still walked ... my ChargeHR was wonky giving me high readings. Not sure what was up, but my heart rate wasn't even though it said it was. Too many treats today.
• Wednesday (1014): We were to wear purple to Zumba today. They took a big group picture. Early out at the elementary, as the kids have a long weekend for Fall Break. Still got in my bike, and 100min on the elliptical. I started a new show (Zoo) and I think it has me interested enough that I wanted to get in some extra sessions. 
• Thursday (1015): The kids were out of school, so I slept in. Barely made it to 9:00 Zumba. I'd promised the little boys a trip to Golden Corral. Probably our last though, they were not impressed. #4 didn't eat much, didn't even have any dessert (usually that is his favorite part). Zumba in the evening too.

 I didn't take many pictures this week ...

The 6th grader is studying medieval times at school. 

Over the weekend we made a hennin (woman's hat) and a shield. 

 Kitten asleep IN my plant ... my poor, poor plant!

TV Tuesday - What I'm Watching

I didn't get a "What I'm Watching" post up in September ... but I have been watching, while working out of course! I finished the second season of Extant (Amazon Prime), and then watched both seasons of Revolution (Netflix). Both shows were exciting and action packed, perfect to keep my adrenaline pumping while exercising, and making me WANT to get back down to the gym to see what would happen next. 

I like Halle Berry. I really like Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who was a welcome addition to this second season. There were other familiar faces (Peyton, from OneTreeHill, The Governor from TheWalkingDead) and favorites from season 1. I like Sci-Fi, and I liked this summer series. 

Back when Revolution originally aired, my boys were interested and watched it week to week. I didn't. I always figured I would watch it at some point, and luckily I didn't see enough to spoil it for me (Series I've "Seen" But Never Watched). They never got around to watching the second season. It has been on Netflix for a while, but I just started watching. I'm a fan of post-apocalyptic stuff (tv/movies/books ... not real life though! Let's keep that stuff fiction!) so this was right up my alley. Lots of action. It kept my interest. I went into it knowing it would end at the second season (ratings dropped and it wasn't renewed) ... and while one storyline wrapped up, it was definitely left open-ended.  One little thing that made me laugh, one of the main characters, Charlie ... her pretty, long hair was down all the time. Never back in a braid or pony-tail. As a girl with long hair, it gets in the way, and I sure wouldn't want it flying around when I was fighting for my life. I can't even stand it down while I dance at Zumba.

When I finish a series, there is always that moment as I wonder what to watch next. It can be hard to make a commitment. Sometimes, I'll start a series and it just doesn't click. This time of year, the current shows are  starting back up too. I always wonder if I should watch my favorites week to week ... or just wait until the season is done.  So far, I've watched the first two episodes of Nashville (it doesn't come to Netflix or Amazon anyway). Grey's Anatomy is a favorite of mine ... I was thinking maybe I'd wait, but then I went ahead and watched the first episode. So far, I think I'll wait on Scandal and The Good Wife. I'm undecided on TWD. I'll probably catch the battle rounds of "The Voice" as well ...

What are YOU watching?

WWI #115 - Good Numbers

I've mentioned several times, that weekends are hard for me. I know I'm not alone in this. More eating, less exercising. This past weekend was an exception. Hubs planned a weekend getaway, but #2 couldn't get off work. I didn't feel comfortable leaving our 16-year old home alone, so it was just the two of us, while Hubs took the youngest three. While I was home alone (as #2 was rarely around) I got in quite a bit of activity, and kept the calories in check. Thus ... the best stats I've had in quite a while (if ever?) NUMBERS: Average intake was 1707, average daily burn was 3061. A deficit of -7628. According to the numbers, that should equate to a two pound loss for the week. My actual numbers were a one pound loss for my official Friday weigh-in, but a -2.5 change in my weekly average. I'll take it.

It wasn't just the weekend that was good, but it was nice to have that to jump start the week. I STILL had a gain of a couple pounds there on Monday morning, which was frustrating, as I'd had deficits Fri/Sat/Sun. In fact, I had a deficit every single day (which hasn't happened in forever). I was just able to control calories this week. I'll admit, a little was the "depression diet" continuing on. Not that I haven't been hungry ... but I haven't been eating as much. Treats are still a problem. Candy Corn is a problem. I'm a bit of an all-or-nothing girl with it. I can't just have one handful ... if I have one, I have several. So even with the lower intake, it hasn't been much good-for-me food.

Just a quick week recap ... I didn't really get out Fri-Sun. #2 and I were sharing a car, and he had it most of the time (home gym comes in handy!) Mon-Thurs I got in my daily Zumba, hour of elliptical and reading/riding on the stationary bike. I did weights, and jogged the track on Tuesday during #5's basketball practice (a 32k day for me! Whew). Hubs had three derbies this week, that kept him and #3 very busy. (More detail in my Day to Day Doings).

Pictures from the Week

Hubs and the three little boys. Enjoying the sun in St. George.

#2 - roses for his girlfriend

Cute Kitty Cuddling

I don't know if my lower calorie intake is sustainable. I know I still need to swap out the treats for more healthy fare too. We'll see if I can pull off another "good" weekend with the family around!

Recent Reads - Three Trilogies

It's been a bit since I did a RECENT READS post ... but I have been reading. A LOT! I've been hitting the stationary bike for 30min almost every day (where I read while I ride), and then I do get in a bit of reading before bed (or at night when I can't sleep, which has been happening a little too much of late). But I have been getting through the books! I thought I'd post today about three post-apocalyptic trilogies I've read recently.

I actually read book 1, Ashfall, quite a while ago (in 2012 according to my GoodReads list). In it, a super volcano erupts, and the ash effectively blocks out the sun, causing an endless winter. This is a story of survival. The main characters are a little too competent (I'd sure want Darla by my side in an apocalypse) but it was an exciting and interesting read. I'm not sure why I didn't feel compelled to continue as book 1 ended, but I finally put the two sequels on hold at my library and finished up the series and quite enjoyed it. It is quite violent and dark, and there is a little sexual content (although nothing too graphic). 

I picked up "The In-Betweener" as a free Kindle download, and noticed the entire series was part of the Kindle Unlimited Library (I don't pay for Kindle Unlimited, but I do get one free borrowed book a month with my Prime membership). Sometimes "you get what you pay for" on these free offerings, but this series was a very pleasant surprise. It is a zombie world (although I don't know that they ever use that word), but this is the first series that actually explained how it came about (and I'm no brain surgeon, but it seemed plausible). I love the consistency of the covers ... although the POV shifts from Emily to Veronica, from the first book to the final two (yet the cover showcases the same girl). There are a lot of time shifts in the books too (present day to flashbacks) but they are all clearly labeled in the chapter headings. I really enjoyed this series, and ended up buying one of the books (and reading the final on Prime) so I could read them back to back.

I picked up this series from my local library, and was happy to see the trilogy was complete before I even started the first book. I really liked book 1 "The Testing" as it set up the world and the characters. It definitely had a Hunger Games/Divergent feel to it, but was it's own story. I was ready to move onto book 2 as soon as I finished the first ... but I did get bogged down a bit in books 2 and 3. I got a little tired of the "is this another test?" mentality, but overall, a good series.

So if you are looking for some post-apocalyptic survival stories ... 

I enjoyed these three trilogies!

WWI #114 - Deficit/Down

I have a bit of a vicious cycle. Friday, my official weigh-in day, is usually the lowest weigh-in of the week. I generally have "good" days Mon-Thursday as I benefit from the structure of schedule and routine. But the weekends ... I tend to blow it. With both exercise and eating. Monday mornings I'm usually up quite a bit from Friday morning, and then work to see if I can get it back down by the next official weigh-in. 

This past week was no exception. I was a little lower this Monday morning than I was the last, but then I didn't have a nice drop on Tuesday morning. I wasn't sure it was going to happen this week. I didn't give up though, I kept at it, and the drop showed up Thursday morning, and my official weigh-in is actually down  a pound from last week.  NUMBERS - Down 1.1, average down 1.26 (to 168.37).  I had a weekly deficit of 3460! It's been quite a while since I had decent deficit. That does coincide with the one pound scale shift.

Average intake was 2050 ... that's the closest I've gotten to goal (of 2000) in a while! I had an uber low day Wednesday, and good days the other weekdays, but a HORRIBLE day on Saturday. Those are hard to balance out. Average daily burn was 2989, which is a little more active then I've been of late. I've been getting up and at it early, getting in 30-40 minutes on the elliptical first thing, before taking the kids to school and hitting my daily Zumba. I would get in additional elliptical to add up to an hour (each weekday anyway), and I've been hitting the stationary bike for my riding&reading. I also jogged the track Tuesday evening, which is something I'll keep up for a few weeks while #5 has basketball practices. 

So it was a good week for eating and exercise. Not a great week for sleeping or sanity. It was a down week, depression and anxiety eating at me quite a bit. At least it did seem to impact my appetite some. I call it "the depression diet" and it doesn't always work well on suppression, it sometimes leads to comfort eating too. There were still plenty of treats, but on Wednesday, I actually didn't eat ANY sugar the entire day. Unheard of for me. 

Just gotta break that cycle and keep control during the weekends!

I have hope for this coming weekend. Check back next week.

*** Pictures from the Week ***

 Homecoming for #2 and his girlfriend

Bowling with the Boys ... I won!

I also ate some fried cheese sticks ...

 Kitten introducing herself to Mr. Fishy

#4 hit a new high (on Tuesday) on his Fitbit, 32K! 

He beat me that day, I was at 29K. 

The next day, he passed me up on our Fitbit Friends list too. 

That has been his goal!

Zumba September 2015

Wacky Wednesday at MZL - Think Pink!

September 30, 2015

I went to Zumba 24 times in September ... that is down a few from the previous months. There wasn't class on Labor Day (Sep7) and I missed a Friday class to help out at the elementary school. The Fridays I did hit, I went back to Heather Jones's classes, but alas, she has decided to discontinue her free Friday :(  There are some Friday classes here in West Jordan, but they all start at 9:00ish, and that just doesn't work with the middle school's late start (I'm dropping #3 off at 9:30). So I tried on Friday by myself, and that may be what I have to do ...

My numbers were a little lower this month. I know I felt some fatigue, just really haven't had as much energy.  It's been hard to get the heart rate up, the ChargeHR has almost always been 100calories under the FitbitOne this month. I also noticed, that when I was in charge of picking my songs, I was staying away from some of my more energetic ones (Terrible, Estoy) in favor of "easier" ones ...

Here are the stats for September.

Marian was still out of town after the Labor Day weekend and asked me to sub for that class (0908). I didn't do it all myself, as there are other "helpers" to fill the hour. I did get my highest calorie average and highest average heart rate that day (which makes sense, as I'm up front, and picking my favorite songs I know the best). MZL almost always gets the award for the highest step count, and they did this month (0902) with 7421.

There was a Southziders Neon party on a Friday night (the Friday I missed no less) ... and I didn't have anything going that night (Hubs was off on a hike) but my motivation was low. I didn't get any Zumba classes on Saturday, but I did do a little 20min workshop with the 9-11 year old girls in our area. That was fun.

I did throw in a TRACK workout, just to see how the stats compare to Zumba. I would alternate jogging and walking as needed while I watched my son's basketball practice (0929). It actually did come in higher for the calorie estimate and step count (with 8864 steps!) ... but I sure do enjoy Zumba more! I don't jog for enjoyment, but I can say that Zumba is something I look forward to.

Hopefully I can get my heart rate up more next month!

I didn't get many pictures in September - 

Here are a couple I snagged from the various group pages.

MZL - View from the Stage

(if you look,  you can see me down on the floor)

Amanda at Southziders

(Love the line-up. Looks like she has multiple arms and legs!)

September 2015

September was a bad blogging month ... I pretty much only did my weekly weigh-in posts, and even with that I missed a couple weeks and had to catch up in a combo post. It was also not great for weight. I started the month at 168.10, and ended at 168.9 ... that doesn't sound so bad. Unfortunately, it doesn't really represent what the September scale looked like when looking at all the numbers and stats. The average weight was 169.43, which is up 2.94 from last month. The low for the month was 166.4. The high was 172.2. Yup ... I went into the 170s :(

Weight aside, it was a pretty good month. Back to the school schedule, return to routine. Got the birthdays behind us (for a few months anyway). We had some family fun ... a couple of hikes, a weekend trip to Park City, some bowling (and I won!) and a cousin's wedding. We got a new car ... and new ducks. The kitties are finally getting along!

I did have a little scale success there at the end of September. I hope that bodes well for October, even though October brings out the Halloween treats and the candy corn. Actually, the candy corn was definitely an issue this past month!

*** JenB's Journal ***

0901 (Tuesday) 168.1. Pretty Good Day. Total Burn 3099. Exercise Burn 1225/1312 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike). Calories in 2400. Kids to school and straight to Zumba. Got in my hour of elliptical throughout the day, and reading/riding on the bike. Should have done weights, but I was dragging during the day and didn't get to it. Had additional pickups after school, grabbing #3 from his weight training workout at the high school, then back there in the evening for #5's basketball tryout. I didn't have to stay, but I did watch. He did good but there aren't many boys his age, probably not enough for a team. Too many treats (mint ice cream and candy corn were the main culprits today).
0902 (Wednesday) 168.8. Good Day. Total Burn 3057. Exercise Burn 1050/1123 (40minElliptical, Zumba, Bike). Calories in 1200. Had a good day. Hit Zumba, then a few stores on the way home (Walmart, Sams, Sears). Got in elliptical and bike, but more important, I controlled calories today! Really didn't have any treats, although I did make brownies for the boys and liked the bowl a bit. Second session of basketball tryouts for #5, but as I feared, not enough for a team. We may still put one together with the 3rd/4th kids that were there, at a local superleague, we'll see.
0903 (Thursday) 166.9. Good Day. Total Burn 3277. Exercise Burn 1370/1497 (60minElliptical, Zumba x2). Calories in 2000. A Zumba instructor I'm friends with on Facebook but had never actually met came to Mountain View Zumba today, so that was fun. Of course we had her do some numbers. I didn't stop anywhere on the way home today and should have gotten more done in at home, but I was dragging. Hit my evening Zumba with a neighbor. Hubs ended up grabbing a couple ducks that had been abandoned in the neighborhood ... so we have duckies again. These guys are huge though! Not your standard mallard like the wild ones or the ones we had. I'd done pretty good on calories, but did snack a bit on chips and candy corn there at the end of the day.
0904 (Friday) 167.7. Good Day. Total Burn 2919. Exercise Burn 988/1135 (60minElliptical, Zumba). Calories in 1550. I'll admit to being discouraged at the weigh-in today. Hubs slept in a little too, had a bit of duckie time, and was around for the croissants I had remembered to lay out for breakfast. Dropped off the kidlets and went to my Zumba class. Got some elliptical in. Had to check out the elementary kids early, as #5 had a dentist appointment. He didn't know he would have to get a "numb cheek" and was pretty upset about it. I ran a couple errands while he was being worked on. Did get done in time to pick up Mr. Middle School. My SIL had said she'd do my hair (highlights) so I went out there for a few hours in the evening. It sure is hard to just sit for hours! My poor back was feeling it. But I like being blond again. Kept calories in check today (even with the morning croissant).
0905 (Saturday) 168.5. Bad Day. Total Burn 2659. Exercise Burn 400/870 (40minElliptical). Calories in 2900. Weight up again? I had a good day yesterday, I just don't understand it! It is TOM time, but I usually haven't been able to see any correlation with it and weight gain. The morning was good. I started with some elliptical, then spent the morning with the little boys cleaning the basement ... their room and the bathroom (which was very scary!). Pulled all the sheets off, put new ones on and had the washer running all day long. Hubs was out running errands ... and just driving around, in the new car much of the day. He came home with Krispy Kreme donuts. I had done good on food for the morning but then I bagged it and it ended up a bad eating day with the donuts and some other treats.  
0906 (Sunday) 169.2. Bad Day. Total Burn 2415. Exercise Burn 420/620 (40minElliptical). Calories in 3000. There were still some donuts from yesterday, that was breakfast. I did my duty as primary pianist, but I'm hoping that might end soon. Hubs and I did get in a little nap, then we headed over to my folks for the monthly "waffles and welatives" gathering. Hubs made his waffle mix, and I had made some muffins. We also brought the water balloon filler, even though the day was quite cool. #3 and I had grandma walk us around the yard telling us the kind of trees they have as we gathered some leaves to press for a biology assignment. Between the donut breakfast and waffles and such ... not a good eating day.
0907 (Monday) 169.5. Bad Day. Total Burn 2466. Exercise Burn 500/672 (20minElliptical/Hike). Calories in 3200. Hubs had the say off for Labor Day. It's also #1's birthday, but with him off in Mexico, we didn't have a big celebration of it here (we had written and sent packages I hope made it there in time). Hubs wanted to hit a hike. We grabbed #2's girlfriend and headed up the mountains ... with half of Utah. It was crazy crowded, which just amps up my anxiety, but I tried not to let it get out of control. We went to Hidden Falls, then Donut Falls. Donut Falls was crazy crowded. At some spots on the trail there was a "line" as only one person could traverse a certain spot. The falls themselves were covered with people and we couldn't even attempt to get very close. Even just what we did got the kids feet wet and they were not happy about it! So ... it was a bit of a fail. No one had really had breakfast, so we stopped at Chuck-a-Rama for lunch (about 1800 calories right there in that meal estimation). We didn't have much else going on for the day. Hubs made Mac and Cheese (from scratch) for dinner. We got our weekly email from #1 son and I updated the blog. Back to the routine tomorrow.
0908 (Tuesday) 170.1. Good Day. Total Burn 3230. Exercise Burn 1360/1432 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike, WEIGHTS). Calories in 2200. And ... over. I was so not wanting to cross into the 170s, but I just can't seem to stop it. But ... had a good day today, although calories were still a bit high. The Zumba instructor was out of town for the Labor Day weekend, so she had me handling the class, which was fine with several of us there who knew routines. Back at home I got in elliptical, bike and weights. Made a lemon jello cake to celebrate #1's birthday yesterday (even though he isn't around to eat it). Hubs was out really late and I just wasn't able to get to sleep until he got home.
0909 (Wednesday) 170.1. Bad Day. Total Burn 2787. Exercise Burn 825/985 (40minElliptical, Zumba). Calories in 2850. Totally dragging today. Not sure if it is lack of sleep, or muscle fatigue from yesterday's workout, but NO motivation today. Went to Zumba but couldn't get the heart rate up. Only a couple of sessions on the elliptical. I must admit, I laid down and napped for a bit. And I was starving for treats ... and I ate.
0910 (Thursday) 171.3. Good Day. Total Burn 3120. Exercise Burn 1250/1314 (40minElliptical, Zumba x2). Calories in 2300. The scale sure doesn't take much to move up, whereas it won't go the other direction, even when the numbers say it should (which admittedly, hasn't been much lately). Again, totally dragging. Made it through morning Zumba, did some elliptical. I wasn't sure if I'd get to my evening Zumba class, as #5 had a basketball practice at the high school at the same time. There was also a football game at the high school, which meant parking would be a zoo. I convinced #3 to help me out, attending the practice with the little guy, so I could just drop them off and then hit Zumba. I went right back after and the timing was about perfect. In my rush, I didn't hit Little Caesars, but knowing that I had gone earlier after picking #3 up from his weights session at the school. So there were breadstick in the meal log today. Over in calories, but not too bad.  
0911 (Friday) 169.1. Bad Day. Total Burn 2517. Exercise Burn 710/725 (40minElliptical, Zumba). Calories in 3100. Late start Friday. Got the kids off then hit Zumba. I started out fine, hitting a high HR even during the warm up ... then the fatigue that has been plauging me all week hit. I could just feel it in my arms and my legs. Didn't get great numbers. The instructor has been a little discouraged by the lack of people and energy and announced she's going to shut down this free class. It doesn't really surprise me, but now I'm not sure what I'll do for Fridays. I'm feeling a bit burned out, maybe I'll just take them off. We'll see. Only got in a little elliptical today. My BIL's family was in from out of town. They dropped their girls off to hang at our house while the adults went out (I stayed home). They didn't get back until 1:30ish. BIL also reassured us our cats weren't killing each other, but merely playing ... so we let them stay out together for most of the night.  I spent some time on the computer (blog update, finishing a basketball muvee) and I tend to mindlessly eat while I work ... and that happened. An entire box of Sugar Babies, gone!
0912 (Saturday) 170.6. Okay Day. Total Burn 2128. Exercise Burn 300/327 (Hike). Calories in 1800. There was a hike planned while the out-of-town family was here. We headed out early, and hit the Bells Canyon Trail. It was pretty steep, a bit hard for Maga and the little kids. The hike to the waterfall was two miles, so we cut things short, stopping at the reservoir (which was very low, more like a big mud puddle). We went back to my other BIL's home and he made donuts. Pumpkin spice ones, so I wasn't tempted. Home again for a bit, then we were off for a wedding. It was warm out! There was food there, Mexican ... which isn't really something I like so again, not that hard to control calories. I did have a cupcake. Didn't get in any exercise today. 
0913 (Sunday) 169.7. Okay Day. Total Burn 2210. Exercise Burn 200/414 (20minElliptical). Calories in 1900. Got in some elliptical, and walked to/from church ... that was it for exercise. We did our usual Sunday Circles for breakfast. Hubs went up to Oktoberfest for some of the day. I did manage to keep calories in check today, actually wasn't that hard today.
0914 (Monday) 170.5. Good Day. Total Burn 3255. Exercise Burn 1200/1455 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike). Calories in 1700. Ready to get back it. Got in a little elliptical before Zumba, had a good class out at Southziders. More elliptical, bike and I mowed the lawn. Kept calories in check today too, even though I mad banana bread (and ate a slice).
0915 (Tuesday) 1706.6. Okay Day. Total Burn 2847. Exercise Burn  1000/1046 (40minElliptical, Zumba, Bike). Calories in 2600. A little over indulgence on banana bread today. It was a cold and stormy morning, so the toasted, warm bread just hit the spot. #4 was stressed because of the weather. I walked him into the school and we talked to the principal and teacher about options if he didn't want to go outside for recess. I actually came back to the school in the afternoon for a volunteer project (helping bleach t-shirts) and the weather was awful! Pouring rain and big thunderclaps. #4 survived though. Hubs had a derby in the evening. #3 went along to help, even though it meant missing basketball open play over at the high school.
0916 (Wednesday) 171.3. Okay Day. Total Burn 2894. Exercise Burn 1000/1090 (40minElliptical, Zumba, Bike). Calories in 2700. Banana bread, some breadsticks from Papa Murphy and candy corn pushed me over on calories today. I'm finding it hard to stay motivated during the day ... still stormy outside.
0917 (Thursday) 171.3. Okay Day. Total Burn 3155. Exercise Burn 1354/1350 (30minElliptical, Zumba x2, Bike). Calories in 2700.  Marian couldn't make it to Mountain View Zumba today, so she asked me to handle the class with the other helpers. I prepped a playlist and it went well. Got in some exercise back at home, but again, lost motivation mid-day. Luckily I did have enough energy to make it to Zumba in the evening. I wasn't carpooling with anyone, so I grabbed some Crazy Bread on the way home.
0918 (Friday) 170.0. Okay Day. Total Burn 2363. Exercise Burn 400/566 (40minElliptical). Calories in 1800. Slow start Friday. After dropping off the munchkins, I did a quick run to Maceys to grab some beef they had on sale. Home just in time to unload quickly and and then take #3 to middle school, late start. Then I went straight back to the elementary to help out with the "olympics" there. #4 was in the 3-lap run and came in second place. His team won the olympics though! He'd really been stressing about the whole thing, but I think he enjoyed it after all. Luckily, the bad weather we've been having all week and cleared up for today. Back at home, I waited for the appraiser, as we're refinancing. That took up some of the afternoon. Hubs took off work a bit early and headed up the mountains to join my brothers and dad for a hike. I was invited, but thought they might be going further/faster than I'd be able to. There was a Zumba thing, Southziders 1-year birthday party ... I just couldn't find the motivation to leave the house again. So, slow exercise day ... at least I did keep eating in check. 
0919 (Saturday) 169.3. BAD Day. Total Burn 2180. Exercise Burn 300/387 (20min Elliptical). Calories in 3750. Hubs was running errands in the morning, and brought home donuts. They were yummy donuts, I had more than one. I walked over to the church around 11:00. The "Achievement Day" girls (ages 9-11) had an activity going on, and I had been asked to come talk a bit about Zumba and show them some steps. I did four songs and felt it went well. #3 had a party in the late afternoon, I took him out and Daddy picked him up after. I'd stuck a roast in the crock pot, and we had that for dinner, with Hub's yummy mashed potatoes too. Then some popcorn as we watched a movie.
0920 (Sunday) 171.8. BAD Day. Total Burn 1862. Exercise Burn 0/54 (No Exercise). Calories in 4000. We got up early and headed up to my brother's church to hear his step-daughter report on her mission to Texas. We went over to the house after to visit and eat, but had to duck out a bit early to get #2 home for his shift at KFC. I took a lovely nap. We decided to get dinner, and went to Red Robin, it had been a while! More popcorn as we finished our movie (wifi had gone wonky last night and we had to stop watching). 
0921 (Monday) 172.2. Good Day. Total Burn 3110. Exercise Burn 1250/1300 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike). Calories in 1600. I got in a 20min and a 10 min session on the elliptical in the morning before dropping the kids off at school. It's nice to get a jumpstart on the day like that. Hit Zumba and stopped at a couple stores on the way home. #5 had a little friend over after school. I managed to control calories today ... which isn't at all the same as eating healthy, but still ... made more banana bread today as I had a big bunch turning brown. Limited myself to one slice though!
0922 (Tuesday) 168.9. Good Day. Total Burn 3295. Exercise Burn 1400/1504 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Track-30min/2miles, Bike). Calories in 2100. So nice to see a little scale shift after a good day. It motivates me. Got in early elliptical, and more throughout the day to hit my hour (finished up season 1 of Revolution, going on to Season 2). I've been getting a lot of reading in to between my bike rides and before bed. #5 had basketball practice in the evening, at the gym with a track above. I brought my headphones and shoes and did some jogging, and #4 came along to practice his basketball skills too. But they actually didn't have the gym open (there were practices on all the courts) and he got kicked off and wanted to go home, so I ran him to the house then back to the gym for pickup. Maybe next week I'll get a full hour of jogging/walking in, but 30min was actually enough for me today! Hubs and #3 were doing a derby, and #2 was off playing in a basketball game. Wish it was closer, I love to watch him play. Did okay on calories today. Candy corn is still a huge temptation, and I make it even harder by having it around! I can eat that stuff by the handful (although I take several small bites of each kernel of corn *Ü*). The banana bread was around to tempt me, and then the little boys wanted toasted cheese for dinner and it looked good (but I limited myself to a half).
0923 (Wednesday) 168.0. Good Day. Total Burn 3340. Exercise Burn 1360/1554 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike, WiiFit). Calories in 1200. The scale shifted a bit more. Yea! More motivation to keep it in control. Several elliptical sessions to hit my hour, but it's great getting a couple in during the morning hours before Zumba. #3 has still been working out in MY gym, which has made it a little harder to get in my workouts later in the day. While he was in there today, I decided to hit the WiiFit. It's been a while. #4 mentioned he had been using it (to weigh himself, and said he's lost 5 pounds in the last week or so! I'd been aware of him actively trying to exercise and eat better, but was still surprised!) Just 10min for me, mostly balance exercises. Also mowed the lawn and got in my reading and riding. Really managed to keep calories in check (while still consuming candy corn).
0924 (Thursday) 167.2. Good Day. Total Burn 3385. Exercise Burn 1635/1604 (60minElliptical, Zumba x2, Bike). Calories in 2000. The little boys have been wanting to go early to school, to get in some extra playing time. It generally works out great, but on Thursdays I usually go straight to Zumba after dropping them off, and that already puts me 10-15 minutes early. I didn't want to be 20+ minutes early, so I ran back home, even though it was only for a short while. Still did make it to Zumba on time. I had gotten some elliptical in before, and I got in more after to equal my hour. Did my reading and riding too. Hubs had a derby, and #3 went, even though he could have gone to basketball at the high school. #2 also chose work over basketball clinic, working the Real soccer game (a concessions stand). I hit my evening Zumba, and stopped at Little Caesars for Crazy Bread. I'd done quite well on calories to that point, but I just can't resist that yummy, soft, buttery, bread! Still, not bad for the day.
0925 (Friday) 166.4. Good Day. Total Burn 3074. Exercise Burn 1390/1297 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike, 30min/2milesTreadmill, 30minWEIGHTS). Calories in 1800. After getting the kids off to school, late start for #3, I came home and attempted Zumba myself. We don't really have a good, open spot. In the past I've tried it in the gym downstairs (not great), and in the family room (the new couch situation no longer gives enough space) and the master bath, which is what I did today. I have a mirror and use the computer for the playlist. It went okay. Early out at the elementary. Hubs and #3 did a derby in the evening. Friday night ones are rare, but with nothing on deck for the evening, I got in a little additional exercise. Kept calories in check too.
0926 (Saturday) 167.4. Very Bad Day. Total Burn 2186, Exercise Burn 300/403 (30minElliptical). Calories in 3500. Up a pound :(  ... frustrating after a good Friday! I'd laid croissants out, so that was breakfast. #5 had his first basketball game with this new team ... ouch, it was a slaughter (by our boys). It was 72-0. We had considered playing up in the Superleague, but that had it's disadvantages (having to provide uniforms, no practice space, this was the first time the boys were playing together), but it seems as though that would have been the right move after all. It was Homecoming at the high school for #2. They did their "day date" (bubble soccer) and then dinner and the dance. I only got in a little exercise today ... got in a LOT of eating :( 
0927 (Sunday) 169.5. Bad Day. Total Burn 2032. Exercise Burn 100/238 (10minElliptical). Calories in 2450. So, that jump on the scale was deserved I guess. Hubs and I had an argument ... down day. We did our usual breakfast, but I didn't eat much (depression diet kicking in a bit). Walked to/from church, did my usual Sunday piano. Got in a nap. Hubs suggested bowling with the boys. I had some fried cheese sticks there and actually won the first game after getting a couple strikes in a row. Made homemade oreos in the evening.
0928 (Monday) 170.8. Good Day. Total Burn 3087. Exercise Burn 1200/1285 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike). Calories in 1500. Horrible night, couldn't sleep. Down, discouraged, defeated day. Didn't even feel like going to Zumba, but I did, and felt a bit better for going. Went through the motions today. At least the d.diet helped keep calories low.

0929 (Tuesday) 169.1. Total Burn 3251. Exercise Burn 1600/1459 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike, 60min/4.5milesTrack). Calories in 2450.  A bit disappointed I didn't get a scale drop like last week after a good Monday. Still dragging and down. Another night of bad sleep. Again, didn't feel like going to Zumba, but much better than staying at home in the fetal position. Routine of elliptical and bike, and in the evening #5 had basketball practice. I didn't feel like jogging the track, but didn't want to just sit, or make trips back either, so I jogged the track. #4 had an active day, and came and played basketball at the gym too, and hit a new high of 32k, beating me for the day (which he really wanted to do! I was at 29K). Hubs had a derby he went to straight after work and didn't get home until late. I did overindulge in banana bread and some comfort treats today.

0930 (Wednesday) 168.9. Total Burn 3181. Exercise Burn 1220/1390 (60minElliptical, Zumba, Bike). Calories in 850. Not sleeping at night. Still down and off. Hit MZL, it was a "pink" theme for breast cancer awareness. Still getting in the steps, even if I'm not getting the heart rate up. Stopped at a few stores on the way home, grabbing some groceries (Maceys, Sams, Walmart). I wasn't very hungry, and really didn't eat all day. I'd put a roast in, and that was dinner, with some Brazilian cheese rolls. I didn't have any sugar today ... TOM time too.