better tUesday - surviving Christmas!

I suppose it could have been worse. Last week was so pitiful we skipped weighing in. This week we decided it was time to face the music and, hopefully, be re-inspired for the New Year.

My poor hubby was up 4.5, and there but for the Grace of God go I. I was only up 1.5 lbs. I'll take it! After everything I've eaten in the last two weeks, that's a gift. Suffice it to say that we're trying to crawl back up on the wagon.

How did you do with your challenges this holiday season?

Ben's Famous! or Mary Jo's features a WannaBee

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of my readers! I hope you are having a safe and happy holiday season.

We are in the midst of the eat-a-thon that goes on every year from the Sunday before Christmas through New Year's Day. Jillian who?

While sifting through the email that has collected while I gorged on everything from candy canes to a very tedious Buche de Noel, I found out one of the WannaBees is famous! Mary Jo's, the infamous fabric outlet and downfall of many a quilter on a no-buy challenge, has featured our very own Ben Hollingsworth on their blog.

Of course, we've know for ages that he was one of a kind! Congratulations Ben! Can't wait to see your next creation.

Hope you all have a very happy new year.

better tUesday and going to guild

Well, the holidays continue to derail my eating habits. I did marginally better this week, down 0.4 lbs, but that was with 3 workouts with the trainer, 5 days on the bike and a 75 minute yoga session! I feel like I should have lost more for how sore I am, but I confess to being less than perfect with my diet.

Saturday night we were at a friend's party with fabulous food. Then last night was the guild holiday party. After all of us ate (and overate) there was still enough left over to feed an army.

We had a great time and I did very well at the auction. I was pretty short with less than $200 in play money to spend (compared to these little elves who had nearly $1K between them!)
but I still found won the bidding on some fun stuff.

I am especially excited about two books I won, both donated by Fiber on a Whim, that have interesting and inspiring suggestions and project ideas for photos and other mementos.

The first is Sew Sentimental, by Linda Lum DeBono. This book is a collection of scrapbooking style projects that incorporate some very basic sewing. What I love most is how the author has commemorated some of the most simple and easily forgotten memories of childhood, but some of the most precious, like playing in puddles and the "me do it" stage of toddlerhood. They remind me that every day is a celebration, not just the "big" days.


My true favorite, though, is Art from the Heart by Catherine Matthews-Scanlon. This book about mixed media collage is just stunning I love the antique photographs and upcycling of clocks, lockets, frames and watches.
I am dying to try some of the projects, and only regret that Christmas is coming so quickly - they would make wonderful gifts! I'm trying to restrain myself from diving right into these before I get everything else done for the holidays.

Hard to believe that 2010 is right around the corner! The clock is ticking for me to come up with a guild challenge. Don't be shy about sending me your ideas and opinions. Seriously. Not everyone at once now...

Waiting patiently...

better tUesday - post Thanksgiving post

Just weighed in and am up 0.9 lbs. I really should be satisfied with that since last week was Thanksgiving and my husband's birthday. I was more careful about what I ate than in previous years, but a far cry from our "plan."

I was hopeful that the damage wasn't too bad since I did go to the gym 4 times (including Thanksgiving morning!), and worked out with the trainer 2 of those days. Actually it makes me wonder what I usually gain that week. EEK!

It wouldn't be as frustrating if my husband hadn't gone down 2.4 lbs. How did he do that? After not exercising a bit since August - yes, all of his weight loss has been through dietary change - he took the dog for two long walks this week equaling 13 miles total. His body must think it has been kick started! It's hardly fair.

Luckily the leftovers are all gone and this week is back to the routine. I guess I'd better kick it up a notch in the gym and get moving towards my next goal.

Just a hit and run post today to keep myself accountable. I'll try to finish that Memory Quilts post tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Sesamoiditis and Belly Dancing

So the first thing I'm going to tell you is about Better U or MYM with Jillian Michaels.

Halloween derailed me a little bit with the eating, and I got a little lax with my diet. With some ups and downs and stay-the-sames, I'm only down about 22 lbs total. I can't complain, but I do need to get with it again.

We were just starting to bump up our mileage to 5 a day when my foot started hurting. Not wanting to go down that same path as my friend last year (plantar fascitis) I immediately saw an orthopedist.

The good news is that I don't have that. Instead I have sesamoiditis, which is basically a pain in the ball of the foot. I am preening a bit that it is most common in active young people. HA!

The bad news is that I can't walk for my exercise, or anything else that puts an impact on that part of my foot, for 3 months. I broke down, joined a gym, and have been on the bike for the last 5 days. I can't say that I love it, but I don't want to lose all the progress I've made.

As for sweet Daisy, she is miserably unhappy. Obviously I can't take her to the gym. I've got the boys taking her in the morning and evening, but they just don't have the time to walk her as far as I was going.

I am hopeful that after the 3 months I will be able to go back to my walks, even if it means shorter distances, but the doctor just said, "we'll see." (According to my kids, that means no.)

Meanwhile, my friend is thisclose to hitting her 50 lb goal! It is so exciting and motivating. As a celebration for 40 lbs, she has arranged a belly dancing class for about 15 of us. That should be a fun time for everyone. I'll let you know how it goes.

Tomorrow I will update you on actual quilt related items of interest. Yes, there are finished quilts in tomorrow's post. I know you'll hardly be able to sleep tonight!

Hope you all had a great Black Friday.

Update - better U, Organized Christmas, etc.

So sorry I have vanished off the face of the earth for three weeks. Football season is always crazy, but this year is even more challenging than normal.

In case you don't watch the news, Atlanta is drowning. We have had more rain in the last month that we probably got all of last year! We are very fortunate not to have had any serious damage, while some people have lost their homes and a few lost their lives. So I'm not complaining, but it's true that rain like this can throw a wrench into the best laid plans and make everything take longer than normal.

Then there's the sickness. Holy crow, the wave of illness in all three schools has been incredible. Again, I have been so grateful that none of my kids were seriously sick and just had the nuisance nausea, headache, cough, sore throat. Just when we thought we were through with the H1N1 cases, a stomach virus knocked down a big percentage of the elementary school. Crazy!

So I haven't been updating much. I haven't been walking much with the weather and kids being home, so I haven't lost much. But I'm still on the MYM plan with Jillian, and I'm still moving in the right direction.

I was reviewing my progress today. At the beginning of summer, back when I started Better U, I was at my highest weight ever. If you remember, that's when I gave up the diet Coke and all fast food. It was kind of disappointing to see that, by July when I started walking really regularly, I was only down 0.9 lbs. Then we started walking several miles a day. I was even more disappointed to realize that, with all of the ups and downs, I weighed exactly the same in August when I started Jillian's plan as I did in July.

So it's not like I haven't tried. But now, on the MYM plan, I am down 19.9 lbs since June - 18.8 lbs of it since August! My BMI has dropped from the "obese" range to merely "overweight." And I have lost at least 4" off my waist, bringing me very close to that magic number (35" for women) that reduces your risk for diabetes and all kinds of other health problems.

I'm a believer!

The Houseworks Holiday Plan is making teensy tiny baby steps of progress. Last week was supposed to be for your closets. I did go through most of my closet and try everything on. I had a huge giveaway pile, sadly not because I've lost too much weight but because even if they fit they are hopelessly out of style or worn to threads. (Did I mention I hate clothes shopping?) I have a small pile of things that need to be mended (mostly buttons that popped off the waist - how embarrassing!) and a few things that just need desperately to be ironed. The good news is that I have plenty of things that now fit if I get invited to a formal event. How many black dresses does one girl need?

I've barely touched my sewing machine and have a guild challenge due in November. I have another birthday quilt to finish, although the participants are not really cooperating (as usual). And I have to quilt the signature quilt for my cousin. And my camera isn't working well.

I guess I have my work cut out for me. But it looks like it's stopped raining, so I think I'll take Daisy for a quick walk first.

Have a great day! And let me know what you're up to.

another better tUesday!

Apparently there is some weird cyclical thing going on with me. It's Week 5 with Jillian and MYM, and I am down another 5.1 lbs, for a total of 17.4 since mid-August!

My biggest challenge this week was going to my cousin's birthday party, catered by a yummy Mexican restaurant. Luckily it was set up as a buffet, so I made a plate with grilled onions and peppers, black beans, grilled chicken, fresh salsa, lettuce, tomato, and just the tiniest bits of cheese and sour cream. It was delicious. I totally skipped the chips and cheese dip, and since it wasn't on the tables I had no problems. I was also very proud of myself for passing on the homemade birthday cake that looked great.

My biggest smile - when the Wii said "that's overweight" instead of "that's obese" for the first time! Yes, my BMI is under 30. w00t!

The walking was tough this week, and only getting harder. In case you are living under a rock, Atlanta is drowning. We walked in the rain a lot last week, and got in 17 of our 20 planned miles, but so far this week we haven't made it yet due to the lovely addition of thunder and lightening, plus schools and roads being closed this morning. Little details like that.

Stay dry, my local friends, and have a better tUesday!

not my best tUesday...

On to week four with Jillian and MYM, and it wasn't my best week.

Although I only missed one day of walking in the craziness, and I didn't eat anything I shouldn't have, there was something amiss. I gained 1.5 lbs. My DH lost 1 lb.

Looking back, I think there were multiple factors:

• I got a little cocky about meals, portion sizes and timing. Instead of eating off Jillian's menu, I started thinking "this looks about right." And instead of eating every four hours by the clock, there were at least two days where I completely missed a meal. Several days I varied my eating wildly due to the unusual schedule.
  
• It wasn't as hot, so I wasn't drinking nearly as much water as usual.
• Cyclical weight gain - although the timing doesn't seem right, four weeks ago is when I gained 2.6 lbs after a great week. 5 weeks before that I was up 3.5 lbs. These are the only times I have gained, and all three times I thought I was gearing up for a great weigh in. I'm not sure this is the culprit, but it's an interesting pattern to watch. At least the numbers are getting smaller!
  

I am going back to the basic menu, and writing down my water consumption. Obviously I can't help if my body goes nuts, but I can try to compensate with diet and exercise.

My biggest challenge this week was working the concession stand at our school's family picnic. I was selling (our) pizza for over three hours, and it smelled delicious. But I never had a bite! It looked great, but I had no NEED for it.

The fun thing that happened this week was that I fit into a pair of shorts that I haven't worn in four years!

My friend with the flu is gradually getting better. She has been walking part way with me the last two days and trying to rebuild her stamina. She lost almost 10 lbs in a week with H1N1 and a week in bed, but I think I'll pass on that method! Hopefully this week will be back in the routine and back to negative numbers!

I hope you have a better tUesday!

tUesdays just keep getting better!

Week three update with Jillian and MYM.

They say doing something for 21 days makes it a habit, and I can see it happening with this food plan. I don't even think anymore about what in the world I'm going to eat for breakfast, snacks, or lunch. Dinner is still the only meal where I have to do much planning, mostly due to the ever-changing schedules for sports and carpooling.

My biggest challenge this week was that it was my turn to work concessions at the varsity football game. I was surrounded by all kinds of yummy greasy junk food, candy, popcorn, soft pretzels, Cokes, and chocolate for hours. I brought my water bottle and had a salad, and never ate another thing. I am still amazed that it is not more tempting.

My biggest smile for the week was that someone who doesn't know I'm trying noticed I have lost weight. That feels awesome!

AND...I have lost 4 more pounds (13 lbs in 3 weeks)!

This week will be tricky with the walking. I went alone yesterday, and will probably have fly solo all week since my buddy's son is sick with the flu. Hopefully he will recover quickly and won't share it - it sounds pretty terrible! We have another friend who walks with us sometimes, so hopefully I can get together with her since it is much easier to get motivated with someone else.

I hope you have a better tUesday too!

a better tUesday with Jillian Michaels

It's been another week with Jillian and MYM.

In the book, she claims that after two weeks of eating this way, you'd never go back. I laughed at that two weeks ago, but am starting to wonder if she's right.

I am still not hungry. I am still walking Daisy like crazy (20 miles last week!). I'm starting to be able to go to the grocery store without having the book in my hand. The more energy thing must be finally kicking in because, while I'm still falling into bed at night, now it's because I come home from my walk and clean and get stuff done all day. Just last week I was coming home from walking and collapsing into a heap until I could muster the energy to shower!

Our biggest challenge this week was the third grade social. They have these mixers at the start of every school year so that the parents can get to know one another. Everyone brings an appetizer, and the alcohol flows liberally. Although drinking tempts me not at all, a table of spinach dip and mini quiches has been known to waylay me.

Our plan to get through it was for my walking buddy and her family to come over early so we could enjoy a healthy meal together. We made the most filling and satisfying one we've found (yep, those pepperjack burgers!) so we wouldn't feel like we were missing anything. Then we brushed our teeth and set off for the party. I set my appetizer down (homemade hummus - who knew it was so easy?) and left the room where the food was. I got a cup of water and made the rounds, visiting with all of our friends. By the end of the night, my friend and I had only had water and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

And my most fun moment of the week? I went shopping with my walking buddy. I had to return a birthday gift to Talbots. For my birthday party, I had bought my outfit there. The skirt I originally tried on and loved was just a little too casual for the party, so I reluctantly left it in the store. But on Friday it was 25% off and I had a credit! Joy! They didn't have my size. I decided to try the next size down, just for grins. I couldn't have been more excited when it fit, easily! w00t! My friend tried on a sweater that swam on her, and ended up going down two sizes before finding the one that looked right!

So I guess you want numbers:
My friend has lost another pound, for a three week total of 16.5 lbs.
My husband has lost 1.5 more pounds - and I have to note that he did not go to the social and only drink ice water. Ahem. (9.5 lbs in 2 weeks).
I have lost 3 more pounds ( 9 lbs in 2 weeks)!

I also measured my waist. It is tricky to measure on yourself, and last week I wasn't sure, but now there's no denying that I have lost at least an inch!

No doubt about it now, something is working. It's like a snowball rolling down the hill, too, because the more I lose the more motivated I am. We missed our walk on Friday due to pouring rain, but went out Saturday afternoon in the heat of the day to make up for it, something we've never done. I truly missed it.

I hope you have a better tUesday too!

Going Green - Seventh Generation Dishwasher Detergent

One of the things Jillian's book brought up, besides diet and exercise, is environment. I walk a fine line with this issue - I have always been on the recycling bandwagon, and it physically hurts me to waste paper, but the so-called green health & beauty or cleaning products have been a hard sell.

After reading MYM, though, I decided to give the issue another look with an open mind. These products are far more accessible and less expensive than they used to be, and logic dictates that they have improved in efficacy as well.

I'm not going crazy and throwing out everything in my house any more than I did with the food. Just like with my pantry and fridge, I've decided that when I run out of something, I'll replace it with a greener/healthier alternative. Then I'll see what I think and share the results (lucky you!). I'd love some input if you've already tried any of these products.

First, of course, because we go through them so quickly, are the cleaning products. I run my dishwasher nightly, especially now that I'm preparing 3 meals and a snack for everyone every day! So that's first on my list. I bought the 7th Generation Dishwasher Detergent. You should have seen me agonizing over my options. I chose the powder, knowing it takes less fuel to ship, but the former septic tank owner in me kept reaching for the liquid.

So far I've used it for a week and cannot tell any difference whatsoever between it and the Cascade All-In-One Action Packs. We'll see if soap residue starts to build up or if I need a rinsing agent as time goes by, but so far so good.

Please give me a shout if you have any suggestions for brands or products to try. I am wandering in the wilderness on this topic!

Have a great weekend!

A Better better tUesday - Thank You Jillian Michaels

It's a short list of things that make me happier than stepping on a scale and seeing a smaller number. Unfortunately most of those things make me weigh more (babies, chocolate ice cream).

After working all summer and seeing virtually no progress, either on the tape measure or the scale, I finally have some results to cheer about.

Before I tell you the results, I want to say that I logged 19 miles with Daisy this week. There is nothing that keeps a puppy happy and out of trouble like lots of exercise, and she is no exception. She could go further - on the cool days she isn't even tired after 4 miles. But I am!

I have been faithful to the Master Your Metabolism plan in Jillian's book, with a brief side trip on Saturday night for a birthday party. I was still careful and skipped the cake, but it wasn't the usual dinner. I have to say, it isn't as hard as I expected. I haven't been hungry once. Some of the food tastes better than other, but even the kids are tasting new things. Last night we had pepper jack burgers with jalapeno dipping sauce, and they loved it. Gracie skipped the sauce, but the boys declared it a new favorite meal. I'm not cooking separate meals for everyone else because we all need to eat healthier food, even if the kids don't need to lose weight. And I'm not worried about any health risks, because everything I'm eating is real food. This isn't some plan that gives you a shake for breakfast, 2 pills for lunch, and some crazy food combination for dinner; it's whole, simple food. No food groups are banned, no one food is going to fix everything. It's a balance.

Anyway, off my advertising soapbox. I'm not trying to push this at all, just sharing my astonishment and happiness. Who knows? It might all go back up tomorrow.

But this week, my friend (who lost 10 lbs last week) has lost another 5.5 lbs.
My husband (who is under the care of an endocrinologist and still struggles with his weight) lost 8 lbs.
I have lost 6 lbs!

I don't know what else to say except thank you, Jillian! For the first time in a long time I feel like I am taking action that has results. I can't wait to see what another week will bring.

better tUesdays - at the end of my rope

So sorry I haven't been around for awhile. The start of school always makes the wheels come off, and this year is no different. Three kids in three different schools, football practice at opposite times instead of together (like last year), and trying to get myself and my house in shape are just wearing me out!

Not to mention, it isn't that exciting to post about my "better" tUesday when I'm not any better!

While it's true that I have stuck to my fast food fast, I still have not had a diet Coke, and I am walking a LOT (15 miles last week, and 7 already this week) I have lost not one pound. In fact, last week I was up 2.6. Sick, isn't it? For all of you out there who will try to console me by saying "but your clothes must be fitting better," you would be wrong. I have not lost a millimeter off my waist, and my clothes are the same. What's that? "It's muscle weight"? Yeah, if that had been true every time I said it, I'd look like a young Arnold Schwarzeneggar. (HINT: I don't.) And then why don't I lose a bunch when I fall off the exercise wagon?

So I'm going off the deep end, trying something a little more drastic. I am going to try two weeks of Jillian Michaels's Master Your Metabolism diet.
My friend and walking buddy has been on it for a week and already lost 10 pounds! Even if a lot of that is water weight, who cares? I'll take it. She asked her doctor and her sister (who's a pharmacist) and both gave it the green light. Since it isn't anything crazy, just eating a lot of organic and natural foods, then I don't really see how it can be bad for you. Challenging, sure. But I have to do something, and just the first chapter about the frustrations of dieting and working out rings so true to me. Jillian says that if you give it two weeks, you'll never go back. I'm not sure I believe that, but I'm going to give it a shot. I don't know how it can be worse than exercising until I'm drenched in sweat and exhausted every morning and still gaining!

I'll let you know how it works out, if you'll pardon the pun.

Also, I promise that there will be actual quilting stuff in this blog now that the kiddos are back in school. I know you didn't log on just to hear me whine. We had a great speaker at guild this month, and I'll post the pics as soon as I get them uploaded. Fabulous!

So I hope you are having a better tUesday than me. But maybe by next week it will be a lot better (and a little less of me).

Better tUesdays - Week 9 - If You're Not the Lead Dog, the View Never Changes

This has been my view a LOT this past week. A friend and I have been walking our dogs together while Gracie and my friend's son ride their scooters. It has made for a lot less whining about "how much further?" from Grace and some adult conversation for me. Plus the puppies love each other!
This was after they were all good and tired out. Finally! So cute to watch them play together.

As for my better tUesdays, I guess the Wii was not totally off her battery crazed rocker last week. I am down 2.9 from the 3.5 lbs I was up, but not the complete recovery of her senses I was hoping for. I'm not sure where that extra weight has come from, but I'm going with muscle. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Then I measured my waist to see if there was any improvement in that area. It feels like there is in the way my clothes fit. The only problem is that I didn't write it down because I didn't want anyone to stumble across this top secret information. I assumed I would remember. And you know what happens when we assume! I have no idea if I'm losing inches, but I do have a cute pair of pants that is more comfortable than it used to be. We'll call that progress and move on!

I'm keeping my same goals for this week. I feel like they are good ones even if the scale isn't always reflecting that. Since I haven't gotten my gal-pals together yet, I'll keep that same reward. It's becoming less and less about the prize now and more about building the habit.

One other interesting thing that happened is that Gracie put on a sundress to wear to my mom's birthday. She was surprised to find that it was much looser in the waist than it used to be - she could grab almost an inch of fabric! I told her that all this exercise is helping her body grow stronger and healthier. It's a real challenge to be on this journey without my girl picking up all my body image issues, so I'm choosing my words carefully. So far she seems to be doing well, focusing on how much faster she'll be able to run when lacrosse starts.

How is your BetterU journey going? We're 2/3 of the way done now, but you can jump in anytime!

better tUesdays - Week 8 - the Wii is a jealous mistress

Holy smokes! The Wii is a possessive witch! You know how I decided to start walking Daisy more? Well, it turns out that it's okay if you sit on your ass and don't exercise at all. The Wii is very forgiving of that. But if you go out and cheat on her with walking the dog, she gets all "Oh No You Didn't!"

I have walked Daisy for an hour every day since last Thursday. Outside in nature, up and down hills, for miles and miles. I've sweat and gotten my heart rate up and everything. She loves it! I've even brought Gracie with me so that her eyeballs don't turn square from watching the "He Could Be the One" episode of Hannah Montana too many times.

And how does the Wii repay me? Well according to her scale, I've managed to gain 3.5 lbs since THURSDAY!!! How is that possible? I even weighed first thing in the morning, before breakfast!

I did get a message that her batteries were low, so now I have to figure out how to change them and see if that puts her in a better mood. Geez, I feel like a man bringing flowers to his harpy wife. "But Honey, I have fresh Energizers! It didn't mean anything. Really! It was just a walk in the park. You know I'll come back to you when it's raining."

Anyway, on to the rest of the week. I have still be staying out of the fast food places. It's gotten to the point now where that isn't even an option for me. I do miss my diet Coke if we are out, but mostly just because there aren't any good zero calorie substitutes when you want a break from water. I got unreasonably excited at Jersey Mike's the other day when they had a "soda" button on their soda fountain. Then I could make my specialty drink like I do at our restaurant - club soda and a splash of fruit punch. It has the perfect combination of carbonation, sweet, and almost no calories or artificial sweetener.

It hasn't been quite a week, so I'm sticking to my same goals of walking with Daisy six days a week and my same reward of spending the day with my gal pals. So far so good. I'm just trying to get back on track to posting on tUesdays.

Hope you are all having a healthy summer and that your scale didn't get all Fatal Attraction on you this week!

better thUrsday? - back on the wagon

Oh, how I've missed you all! And I'm so sorry that I just vanished like that and never followed up on the Princess Protection Program Party - the snapshots are still stuck on the other computer, which isn't cooperating.

I have so much to tell you that it will take several posts. For now I am trying to crawl back up onto the betterU wagon and get my rear in gear.

The bad news, of course, is that I've hardly exercised at all and Daisy hasn't gotten her first good walk (with me - she loves to run with the boys). But that isn't all that much bad news as it turns out.

The good news is that I still have had no fast food or diet Coke. I did walk on the beach and swim and play a lot on our vacation and have somehow managed to lose another half a pound, despite eating birthday cake and pizza and everything else in sight. That's five pounds total since I started. Not exactly a world record for six weeks, but I'll take it.

I am starting with fresh new goals and rewards.

• Goal: I will do some form of aerobic exercise six days a week. YIKES. I am scared just to type that. You'll learn why in a later post, but I'll bet a lot of you already know.
• Obstacle: I hate exercise and am lazy as hell.
• Solution: Keep using motivational rewards to drag me kicking and screaming into better health.
• Reward: A day with my girls. Two of my best friends couldn't make it to the birthday party, so a day out with them getting our toes done and having lunch will be the perfect carrot to dangle in front of my face when I'm sweatin' like an oldie!

That's it for this quick hit and run. I promise there is more to come - interesting stuff, maybe I'll even mention quilting! Oooh! Aaahhh!

Have a great day.

better tUesdays - week 4 - Wii Mock U

It has been a hit and miss week here at better U. I FAILED miserably at my new goal of walking with Daisy. It has been miserably hot and Gracie has been sleeping in; not a good combination for tempting me outside the house. I only managed about 90+ minutes on the WiiFit as well, planning all along to squeeze at least one long walk in over the weekend. It never happened.

(We do, however, have new front porch lights that my DH installed all by himself. On Father's Day. What a guy! And a freshly cleaned out garage. Do I know how to celebrate or what?)

For the good news, we have gone a second full week with no fast food, and I am now 4+ weeks with no diet Coke. Although it is not one of my goals, twice I have been offered ice cream for dessert and been too full to eat it - and didn't cram it down my throat anyway! Hurrah!

Of course the one week I really fell off the wagon, I lost 1.1 lbs and my WiiFit age is down to 22 (I ROCKED the COB test!). Go figure.

I think that thing should be called Wii Mock U, because every time I get on the balance board it says, "Oh!" as if it has been shocked by the burden of my massive weight. Also, when I weigh in, it gleefully says, "That's obese!" Out loud.

Is that really necessary? My 12 year old son has better manners.

I did finally collect last week's reward. Gracie and I went to get a pedicure with the girls yesterday. We decided to get confetti toes in honor of our rapidly approaching birthdays. Okay, my rapidly approaching birthday. She, at almost nine, does not share my disdain for the celebration.

Looking forward to next week, I am going to keep the same goals and try to actually achieve them:

• Goal 1: I will increase my activity to 210 minutes, including AT LEAST a 10 minute walk with Daisy every day.

• Goal 2: I am going to try to extend the "fast food fast" for one more week.
  

My reward is going to be to buy a hand-dyed back for Gracie's Orange Crush quilt instead of piecing it from my stash.

My major obstacle to this goal is that it is hot, and it is sooo much easier to hop on the Wii Balance Board than to put on running shoes and leave the house.

What I can do to overcome this obstacle? I am going to try getting up with my DH when the alarm goes off and get my walk in before the heat gets out of control. The dog will be happier and then I won't feel as guilty if I have a busy day and don't get to the Wii that day.

Have a healthy day!

better tUesdays - week 3 - Fast Food Fast

Hello!

I'm not doing such a great job at posting about anything else (since I haven't touched my sewing machine in almost a month!) but I would like it noted for the record that this is my third post in a row about goals and health and all that stuff. I think it was just a Monday thing.

I was expecting the no fast food goal to be much harder and whinier, but my kids jumped all over it. I bought 40 calorie no-sugar-added fudgsicles and the makings of several yummy dinners, and they were a huge help. I have still had no diet Coke for over three weeks now.

I also did my 180 minutes on the WiiFit, and now it's turning into the motivational tool that I originally envisioned when I bought the darned thing 9 months ago. I was trying to get my last few minutes in on Sunday evening, and had gathered an audience. By the time I was done they were all clamoring for a turn to beat my now excellent scores (except heading soccer balls - I cannot do that!). Gracie can hula hoop on the 10 minute round like nobody's business, and none of us can even come close to her score. My boys can do the balance games far better than I - why can't they stand up straight without leaning on a wall or chair or me?

The best part of the week, then, was weighing in today and finding out that I lost another 0.7 lbs, for a total of 0.9 lbs. Not a lot, but definitely in the right direction. My WiiFit age was down to 30 at one point, although I bombed the body test this morning and it went back up to 38. I have also - possibly - lost 1/2" in my waist. I'm not 100% sure because of my primitive measurement technique, which consists of embroidery thread and the ruler on my cutting mat.

I will joyfully collect my reward this afternoon at the salon in the form of a much deserved pedicure.

Looking forward to next week:

• Goal 1: I will increase my activity to 210 minutes; however, my addition to this is to get Daisy back in on this. Her walks with me have suffered since my new romance with the WiiFit. I am going to commit to AT LEAST a 10 minute walk every day, in addition to the walks and playtime she gets with the kids.

• Goal 2: I am going to try to extend the "fast food fast" for one more week.
  

My reward is going to be to buy a hand-dyed back for Gracie's Orange Crush quilt instead of piecing it from my stash.

My major obstacle to this goal is that it is hot, and it is sooo much easier to hop on the Wii Balance Board than to put on running shoes and leave the house.

What I can do to overcome this obstacle? I am going to try getting up with my DH when the alarm goes off and get my walk in before the heat gets out of control. The dog will be happier and then I won't feel as guilty if I have a busy day and don't get to the Wii that day.

Have a healthy day!

Better tUesdays -Week 2

I have survived Week 1. I am going to say that I have accomplished my goal, because even though I only did the WiiFit 4 times, I did accumulate well over 150 minutes. My WiiFit age has gone down from 42 (older than I am) to 32 (I wish!). I only lost 0.2 lbs, but I am not going to get overfocused on the scale.

I didn't take my reward, because I hadn't completed the goal until yesterday morning; also, I have not had any time to go to the bathroom without being interrupted by one of my offspring demanding socks/lunch/a ride to some sort of sports practice, much less time to fill the tub and actually get in it.

Still no diet Coke. I am about to float away. On a positive note, my oldest has learned how to make the iced tea himself.

I am going to chalk this one up as a success, minor as it might be. Onward!

• Goal 1: I will increase my activity to 180 minutes. In theory this is 30 minutes 6 times per week, but I am going to cut myself some slack if I do 5 days and it still adds up to the right number.

• Goal 2: I am going to stop eating fast food. This is huge, but one of my biggest weaknesses. For the purpose of this goal, I am going to define fast food as a restaurant that has a drive-through lane. Yes, the Chick-Fil-A in the mall counts, because most of them do. No, Bruster's does not count, because that is TOO MUCH for one week.

Since that is a BIG thing and a hard thing, I'm going to give myself a nice reward to stay motivated. I need a new pedicure, and I don't feel like doing it myself. If I go the whole week with no fast food, then I will have easily saved enough to treat myself to some pampering. I really want to do this. I would love, in a year's time, to be one of those women who casually says, "Oh, nothing for me, thanks. I don't eat fast food."

My major obstacle to this goal is that I am busy, busy, busy even though it is summer, and it is easy to run through someplace on the way home from lacrosse or football or piano lessons. Also, I am not good about planning a whole week's meals and going to the grocery store and having sufficient stuff in the house so that I don't just say, "Screw it," and head for Wendy's. I'm being honest here. You don't get to be this size by eating some extra M&Ms.

What I can do to overcome this obstacle? I am going to make a meal plan for the week, including breakfast and lunch. (Those kids! You feed them, and then a few hours later they want to eat again!) My favorite thing about summer is all the good stuff to throw on the grill, so that will feature heavily into my plan. Also making slaw and deviled eggs that can be pulled out for the boys when they come home late from practice, or for a quick lunch.

Who's with me? I really could use some moral support here! Going to add "Supersize Me" to the Netflix queue for inspiration.

Have a healthy day!

Better tUesdays -Week 1

June 1 has arrived!

Joshilyn decided to switch her posts to Mondays, but we know my track record for Monday self-improvement posts, so I'm sticking with tUesday. Turning over a new leaf and all that stuff.

When you sign in to the program - which you can do right from that little button on my sidebar - how helpful am I? - you will be prompted to set some goals and decide on a reward.

Goal 1: I will wake up my Mii and use the WiiFit for at least 30 minutes 5 times per week. And not just for the fun stuff. I will actually do some of the yoga and cardio.

My little baby reward for this tiny baby step will be to come home after the lacrosse tournament on Sunday and close the door and pretend I am single; i.e., I will turn up my Mamma Mia! soundtrack and light candles and sit in the tub and read a trashy, mindless, purely-for-fun book. Janet Evanovich sounds about right.

My major obstacle to this goal is that I am LAZY as hell and I don't feel like it. How's that for laying it all out there?

What I can do to overcome this goal? Hmmm....I am hoping that by telling all of you that shame will factor into the equation at some point. Also, I am considering (not sure yet, so don't hold me to it) making a deal like my mom once did; she and a friend had a competition going, and if either of them gained weight they had to confess their ORIGINAL weight. I think that would be strong motivation. Although I'd probably die first. Or lie.

That's all I've got so far. Oh, and I'm an idiot. I made such a huge big deal about the 6 weeks and how it was fate that it ended at my birthday and blah, blah, blah.

Duh. The program is 12 weeks. I can't even read. I'm so desperate for a "sign" that I made one up in my own head. I guess THAT would be a sign that I need to get off the computer and take the dog for a walk, right?

Have a healthy day!