Slimmer this Summer Challenge…

FLUNK, BIG TIME!!! No counting calories, no extra exercise other then lots of swimming and two walks. I have been just to worried, to busy, to everything to do anything right. Stupid I know and this is a new week but last week was just not the week to do anything I should of. Week 7 was a wash for me but week 8 is here and I have to do what’s right. Not because of the challenge though I have to admit it’s been such a great reason but mostly because I want to be the most healthiest me possible.

Sorry I flunked this week but thank God I have a new week to get back on track.

I hope you all are getting to the most healthiest you possible. I have been reading lots of your blogs and so many of you are doing so awesome. I am so proud of you all and so proud to be part of this challenge.

Take care and have a blessed week.

Also, weight it up to 170.4...it sucks and it's not good. Have to fix it, NOW!!!

Change is good…I’m hoping…

You all know daycare hasn’t been the most profitable this past year. Thinks have changed, people have moved on and my numbers have shrunk so in order for me to keep doing daycare for the family I have left, because you also know that this is my life, I love kids so much and don’t want to do something different, I have found a solution, I am hoping.

Meet Julie (that’s me), one of Aitkin County’s new activity bus driver.

Now it’s just part time because I’m still doing daycare but when I talked to the bus garage they were thrilled. You see, the manager of the bus garage has known me since my early teens. He’s known me through driving truck, working at the nursing home and now daycare. I see him at least yearly when they make their first few runs of the year and I talk to him yearly because each year my numbers and kids change for the bus pickup/drop offs. All drivers in our district start off as activity drivers. It’s a chance to get a feel of the job without the rush of a timed schedule. Now to do this I already posses a commercial’s driver license so I don’t have to do that, I need though to get the endorsements for bus driving and safety and then do some practice driving with their instructor. I think there’s a drivers test too with the bus but wasn’t clear about that. I don’t think I’ll have any problems with any of the driving, now the written test…I’m not good at test, they make me sick really but I will start studying this weekend and hopefully feel able to take the written test next Friday. Oh I have to get a DOT physical too and pay for a background check, about $100.00 above and beyond what I don’t already have but we’ll figure that out in due time.

Because I’ve been scared out of my mind I wasn’t going to share this quite yet but you guys have always supported me, prayed for me and my family I’m once again asking for your support and prayers and courage to step out of my comfortable box and add something really new.

It’s the weekend, a quiet relaxing one I think. Well there’s garage saling tomorrow and then in the afternoon our friends are coming over to spend some much needed friend time. Mike is going to be hosting a shoot and I am going to go for a leisure walk with Terri and some chat time. Shopping on Sunday and maybe fishing if Jim has the time. And the most important, study time.

I’ll be back on Monday with a Slimmer this Summer challenge update and I’m hoping for a decrease in weight, I won’t promise it though cuz to lose weight you have to concentrate, move your butt and eat well and this week with what’s been happening, I haven’t done a lot of any of it but we’ll see.

Take care my friends and have a blessed and awesome weekend.

Deerflies and a dead itouch…

I wanted to run so bad tonight. It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to just go out and run without it either being so hot I can’t breath or so late it’s dark. So tonight at 7:30 I was done for the day, it was 75* and a bit breezy and I was ready. I grabbed my itouch, turned it on and……..crap, nothing. It was dead, so dead it took a few minutes after I plugged it in for it to be able to turn itself on. So I borrowed Mike but his is full of angry music. I know Mike, it’s not angry but it’s that kind where they yell a lot and it’s not my favorite. Anyways I finally got out and got warmed up, ready to go and they found me, those deerflies. I am sure there were enough of them buzzing around my head, biting me and being nasty pest they could of taken me for a ride. I ran as fast as I could, they can fly faster. The hotter I got the more of them showed up. By time I got home (3.5 miles in 42 minutes) I was so pissed and scratchy and crabby and beyond hot and tired. I don’t think this is the way a run is suppose to be, yes I moved my butt and moved it fast but my mind was going to explode. I HATE DEERFLIES!!!

I hope you all had a great day. Take care and God Bless!!

Slimmer this summer challenge…

Well first and foremost my weight it up two pounds but I know why and I know at the end of the week it’ll be gone and hopefully the 2 pounds will follow. No worries there, it’s not permanent.

Exercise is good. Not always what I planned on for the challenge but my butt is moving. Wilbur and I’ve been walking/jogging up to 6 miles at a shot but I’m not using the C25K program. It makes me feel limited and I want to jog/run as long as I can when I can and right now not interested in someone telling me, run now…walk now…but I’m out there doing it so exercise is good.

Food has not been spot on this weekend. With the heat index in the 100’s I did not do any baking, cooking, grilling or anything. I even went out for supper and ate things that are not on any diet menu but regrets I don’t have, fun I did have and now it’s a new week to eat close to spot on and learn along the way.

I have never been on a diet, this is a life style change and change I really have. I know what’s going to bloat me, I know what’s going to clean me out, I know what’s going to make me feel good and what’s going to make me remember why I’m doing this in the first place. Everyone is on some kind of diet/life style change and we all do it differently but the end goal for all of us is to get healthy, feel good and love ourselves. It’s happening for me and I hope for you too.

Take care and have a blessed week.

A meeting of the blogging minds….

I have to be honest because well you know that it’s me, I don’t ever pretend to be someone or something I’m not and I have to tell you I was terrible nervous to meet Michele. You never know what someone will think of you. You never know if it’ll be a difficult meeting. You never know if they’ll come to your humble home and want to escape but…. the minute Michele was at my door I knew there was nothing at all that I had to worry about. She is the sweetest, nicest, most pleasant person to be with and she was very easy to talk to. I am more of a writer, I’m not that much of a talker but I think it took me about 5 hours before I stopped talking. We didn’t run out of things to say, things to look at, things to do. It was a great visit. Michele brought with her the most amazing lunch for me to try. We had a lettuce salad but not lettuce that I normal have, beets, carrots, grapes, and some very good raspberry dressing, and then some pita bread and turkey too. It was a great lunch and so much fun eating things differently then I do here. For one of our activities I took Michele canoeing. She wanted to learn how to paddle, sit comfortable, and tip and not be afraid. Plus I taught her a couple other things like paddling when the canoe is full of water and also how to get into one. Now that was the hardest part of the day but she did it and she did it well. Mike came out with us too, just to make sure we were okay and also to help empty the canoe so we could do it all over again. Take a peek…

Oh I have to tell you, when Michele first got here she wanted a tour of my place so that was what we did and then I took her for a walk. Michele is from the cities and though she gets out plenty and has lots of pastures and meadows they are not quite the same as I have to offer up here. She had such a great time teaching me what the name of this and that butterfly was, this and that tree and those flowers or them flowers. It was so cool to learn some of these things that I just called by their generic names. She also taught me the name of the flower that Mike is most allergic too. Blue Vervain. It looks like this…

It’s a beautiful flower but not something Mike can go near without having big problems.

When we finished our walk, lunch and canoeing l took Michele for a ride to see more of our countryside. I took her to Cuyuna Country State Recreational area lookout and this is what she saw…

 

Then here on one of the many mountain biking trails.…

Then it was out to dinner at Coaches Corners. Brenda. my best friend, meet us there and we enjoyed more chatting.

It was a great visit, something I hope to repeat many more times in the years to come.

Thank you Michele for such a great visit.

I hope you all had a great weekend. I was so glad our heat wave waited until today to show up but my Lord is it horrible out there. The temps were 89* today with a heat index of 98*. And it rained again to bring that humidity up even more. It’ll be this way for another few days they are saying. My scouts are at camp this week, I’m feeling sorry for them. I am going up on Wednesday with treats, ice and a visit. Mike is going up tomorrow for Climb On Safely. It’s a BSA training course for teaching safe climbing. Mike loves to climb and lots of the scouts are wanting to also so Kevin our Scout Master and Mike are taking the class. I hope that they will be okay out in the heat.

Take care my friends and have an awesome week. Blessings to you all.

And the winner is…..and…..

Drum roll please……….the named picked out of the hat is………..

Pam:

EmptyNester has left a new comment on your post "Gotein…review…":
Ok, I'm IN! And I want to win! LOL
Seriously.

And the runners up for the coupons are:

Ronnie

Deb

Myra

So please send me your addresses and I will send out your goodies.

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Now for life here. Eat-close, exercise-boring, stress-off the charts but life is good. Tomorrow Michele is driving up here to visit, play and eat with me.

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I will be back on Monday. Take care and have a blessed weekend.

Gotein…review…

Laura from Gotein contacted me: I am writing to tell you about a remarkable new Product called Gotein. Gotein is a protein powder designed for active WLS patients on the Go. Gotein is a protein powder that comes in a convenient stick pack that simply adds to your water bottle. Gotein contains 16-17g of Protein, 24 of your daily recommend vitamins and minerals, 1g Sugar, 6-7g carbs and 100-110 calories.  We would love to provide you with samples and a give away prize for a review.

Gotein™ Vanilla packet contains 17 grams of our special protein matrix, 5 grams of carbs, 24 essential vitamins and minerals, and is only 100 calories. Vanilla Gotein™ is nourishing and delicious for those want to treat their bodies.

Gotein™ Chocolate packet contains 16 grams of our special protein matrix, 6 grams of carbs, 24 essential vitamins and minerals, and is only 110 calories. Chocolate Gotein™ is nourishing with a delicious chocolate flavor.

 

Gotein™ Strawberry packet contains 17 grams of our special protein matrix, 6 grams of carbs, 24 essential vitamins and minerals, and is only 110 calories. Strawberry Gotein™ is also nourishing with a delicious fruit flavor.

So I gave it a try. It comes in Strawberry (which I couldn’t try because I’m allergic to strawberries but Mike loved it), Chocolate, which was fantastic and Vanilla which was so-so. I got to try two of each and I have to admit putting them in water made them taste okay, passable and good for you but I tried them in skim milk and they tasted amazing, yes it added calories but I figured it into my daily calorie and food allowance so I was good.

So if you are in need of a quick protein snack before or water your work outs. Or even cuz you hungry and it’s a bit of time before supper I’d say give these a try.

Now they provided me with a sample pack for a give away so just leave me a comment and by Friday I’ll pick a winner. I also have 3 20% discount coupons that I will send to the runners up. So that means 4 of you will get a chance to give it a try. I think you’ll be very happy with it.

If you’d like to read more go to www.gotein.com and enjoy their terrific website.

Take care my friends, I hope that you are having a blessed day.

STS Challenge…Phase 6 update…

Well you all know that I bowed out of Brad’s 5K in 100 days and he was very kind about it. He even has invited me to join the next group, if and when he starts one up. So today I went back to my C25K training.

My calories are better this past week. Not perfect but I took Mir’s suggestion and as I’m fixing the kids their meals I’m working hard on at least getting part of mine done. It’s not simple but with lots of thought it’s happening.

I am doing very well with my floor exercises. In fact the kids help me count and one of my little ones can now watch the second hand and know when a minute passes. I do however really, really miss working out at the gym. That sounds so weird from a woman who hated just walking to the mail box, wouldn’t lift a weight if she had too, who wouldn’t run, jog, bike or anything. I really miss it.

I have some NSV I have thought of this past week. I still am enjoying sitting and holding my leg and still breathing. I love putting lotion on my legs and being able to reach all of them. Trimming my toenails. Folding my shorts and remembering I use to fold my old ones in half and thought there were so huge and now opened wide it’s … well feels so nice. Ribs, collar bone, butt bones…things I’ve haven’t seen or felt in so many years and this year I can feel them and see them. Out walking my 6’4” son and husband with my itty bitty short legs, not always mind you but lots more then it use to be. Being able to bend over, lay bricks and breath. Swimming in a swimsuit and not feeling like a beached whale. Yep, loving the NSV.

I sent my weight into Allan for phase 6, a bit late today, noon my time but late his. 169.9. Not great but not back into the 170’s and hopefully never to be there again. My weight fluxes from 167-169, back and forth all week. Of course on the day to report it’s up even a bit more. But a big deal for me is 60 lbs lost now. I’ll take it, as slow as it’s coming off I’ll still take it.

So there you have it, my update. Not perfect, so very slow but excellent for me and really that is what counts. Lose it, keep it off, get healthy and enjoy life. I can do this, I can keep doing this, I WILL!!!!

Take care my friends. God Bless you all!!

No more 5K in 100 days…

I wrote Brad last night and told him I just can not keep up with the pace I’ve been doing. With working 14 hours a day, working with the scouts getting ready with the BWCA, with my garden, yard and so much more I am not getting in my 3 days a week of 50-60 minutes of walking. I am disappointed that I quit after he let me in after he closed this training session but I just can not do it. I am going to go back to the C25K when I can get my walks in and even though I wanted to run the full 5K in October I will just do my best, like I always do with my races and then come this winter I will train for a full run race, maybe even a 10K. I just can’t fit it all in and the stress of feeling like I’ve failed Brad just isn’t worth it.

Just more of my honesty. I can’t do it all, no matter how important it is I just can’t fit it in right now.

I hope you’re having a blessed Sunday. Take care my friends.

Itchy…

That’s what the sunburn is doing now but I can handle that, I can sleep again.

Today I taught my venture crew some canoe safety. Which means I put them in a canoe and tipped it, over and over again. Teaching them how to get into a canoe filled with water and paddling it around. Teaching them how to get as much water out of it and getting back into it without filling it up again. How to steer, how to paddle and how to just have fun and not panic when someone wiggles. They did excellent. I was tired cuz it’s a show and tell type teaching. After we worked on that for a couple of hours we then worked on our gear and needs. I think everyone is getting how important all of this prep is before heading to the BWCA for 9 days of no contact with civilization and just us to rely on.

I  have been starved the past couple of days but have been keeping things in check, pretty close. We are out of fruits and veggies so it’s been hard finding healthy but it’s shopping day tomorrow so that will be great.

Exercise hasn’t been up to par. I just am not finding the time, or maybe it’s taking the time cuz I am sitting down now and I could of done something other then my walk before this. I did work hard with the kids today so am counting that.

Look at what I found today…Soon we’ll be having our own fresh veggies. The beans looked excellent and starting to bud and the corn is over knee high now, the peppers have flowers and the kohlrabi needs thinning and is health too.

I hope you all are having a terrific weekend. Take care and God Bless!!!

Burnt to a cinder…and honesty…

Took the kids mini golfing, swimming, a picnic and then tonight canoeing with Mike. A full day in the sun on top of canoeing last evening in the sun too. Exercise is great, the sun is great, the kids were slathered in sun screen, I didn’t think of myself. DUMB!!! I have my own heater wrapped around my head right now. I think if you put a thermometer on my skin it would say….BURNT!!! Oh well, some cream and cold cloth and tomorrow it’ll be better.

Eating has not been spot on. Not terrible mind you but not great. When you spend as much time outside as possible there is no extra time for cooking. I still have daycare 10-12 hours a day so of course am cooking 3 meals a day for them and snacks but to plan ahead from me, well it isn’t happening. I know lots of people are busy beyond belief and are able to plan ahead, stick with a plan, be good, strong willed and able….me, well I’m still learning and working on it.

I have decided that fall, winter and spring are so much easier then summer and I really thought it would be the opposite. I thought busy would make it easier but that’s not true.

I read a post just a little bit ago from Laryssa about why we blog, why we tell the truth about our ups and downs and she is so right. 

Honesty is the best policy. Well honestly I’m trying but not as hard as I could be. Honestly I need to exercise like I did when I was at the gym. Honestly I can do this, to keep this weight off, to lose the last few pounds, to tone up all that still left hanging around. Honestly it’s just time to really try harder. Will I, honestly?….only time will tell.

I have been terrible at reading, commenting and even just visiting you all and you still take the time to come here. THANK YOU!!! I promise I’ll find some time to visit and check in and support you, I will!!

Take care my friends and have a blessed nights rest.

Wow, what a weekend…

You want to talk about busy. You want to talk about fun. How about you want to talk about a great family and many wonderful friends. That is what my weekend was.

We celebrated our 15th family reunion with a party for my mama and daddy’s 50th wedding anniversary. It turned out so great. It was mostly a surprise, I did share with mama a bit ahead and I told daddy the day of. But it was fantastic and the love, cards, sweet comments in the guest book, WOW!!! Here are the pictures to go with out great day.

I was told the cake was awesome. I did not have any. In fact I didn’t have any of the sweets except a couple tiny mints the whole day. No chips or dip. No breads either. I ate fruit, a few chicken wings, lots and lots of water and the veggie tray. I was a good girl.

Here’s the pre-party spread. Nothing on the back tables yet, it’s coming.

  

Mama always has a program with poems and music and some funnies and then of course I got to say something about the surprise.

Daddy waiting for the cue for the music.

 

These kids start out so little when the games begun. We use to not have any that were competitive because there would be hurt feelings if someone won so we always made them team games and not a win/lose kind. It was fun this year, we played games that were modified from the game show Minute to Win It. It was so much fun.

And the best, mama and daddy cutting their cake. 50 years guys, that’s a very long time to put up with your partners mistakes and quirks but the most important part, all of their love.

Here is the picture of their wedding picture and now. The cutest couple I know.

 

Well it’s a new week and I am sure I will have plenty more to share as the week goes by. Take care my friends and have a great one. God Bless you all!!

I am pretty sure….So here’s Monday’s update…

We have big family reunion on Monday along with all that Independence day offers so I am pretty sure I will not have time to do any type of post. I will after all is said and done but the challenge rules are on or before Monday.

So here’s this week’s update:

Well really there isn’t much to update really. I have been doing my exercises and have see a great improvement in my arms and back. My stomach, I just don’t know, I think that thing is here to hang around for days to come but…yes but…I am working on it.

I have been mental watching myself lately and my posture is not the greatest while I’m sitting down. Do any of you have that problem? You just hunch your shoulders, or roll them forward, when you sit down to use the computer or eat? I do find when I’m sitting back I sit tall but I am not one to sit in a chair all the way back, I’m more of the kind of person that lights on a chair for a little bit and jumps back up to do something else. I need to work on that and that just might help the stomach muscles too.

My eat hasn’t been spot on. My calories are good (1200 or so) but with Allan not really around I’m finding it hard to continue with his phase 6. I am finding I am more eating the good for me, regular stuff in great portions but not by the rules of Phase 6. I am guessing that is also why I haven’t lost anything again this week. Well the scale read 169.9 but that’s just 4 oz of fat gone. Still gone but not enough to really count yet.

My week was not a bust though, good exercise, great walking with my 5K in 100 days and eating in the right calorie amounts.

Stressed to the gills this week also. I am hoping that next week we can find a space where we are all comfortable. Today is Mike’s last day, I am hoping they wish him well. I still have my full time family gone, another almost full time family gone and one that was a full time cut back to part time so it’s leaving me with just one family most days and well if you took $800.00 out of your monthly income…I’m pretty sure you’d be stressed too. BUT…of course I’m good with the buts…I will survive, I will continue until I see another door opening or another opportunity in a different way to service kids. Kids are my passion and I just don’t want to lose them. Michele told me to look into some schooling so my future would be more open. I am thinking about this, it’s just I still have to have an income and not quite sure how to fit all that together but more thinking and planning.

Speaking of Michele, remember when I told you we were getting together down in her neck of the woods and going to go sight seeing and all kinds of cool things? Well with my money situation for me to go to her or to even invite her here and treat her to a day out was just not possible so a couple days ago I wrote her and explained and said maybe we should wait another month or two and things will improve. Well my dear Michele said “But, here is the deal: I can wait and will honor your decision, but I am fully able to come up and would enjoy the drive. I also am very easy, and can pack a picnic so we can just go somewhere and just talk. I do not need to go out or be treated. This can be my treat”. Now you tell me how sweet this woman is? I said, yes let’s do that, so on the 16th of this month my new dear friend is coming to meet me, be treated to my area’s walking trails and mines and maybe even a little bit of Antiquing. I really didn’t think I was that worthy of someone wanting to do this. I mean meeting someone in your neck of the woods is different but to drive 150 miles with a picnic and planning to spend the day with me. That is AWESOME!!!!

But I have to stop writing now, my eyes are leaking and it’s hard to type. So there you have my update for week 5 of Debbi’s and Mir’s Slimmer this Summer Challenge.

Take care my friends and have an awesome and spectacular and restful, relaxing, rejuvenating and just plain fun Independence day (or for any one else outside the USA, weekend!!). God Bless you all.

Loving it…

Finally, finally it’s in the 70’s, headed for the 80’s and it’s wonderful outside. I live in Minnesota because all my family is here and it’s beautiful. I don’t live here cuz it’s nice and warm and sunny because a lot of the time it’s not. But today, it’s amazing and I have been off and outside 80% of the day so far. I helped my parents with some things this morning to get ready for our family reunion. I’ve done some gardening today. And shortly I’m going to head back over to mama’s for some other stuff that needs to be done and tonight I’m going to convince Mike he needs to go play some tennis or take me hiking. I have done my exercise too today. I did 5 planks at 1:30-2:45. I did 45 crunches, twice. I did some other fish flopping exercises and I went for a very early 3.5 miles jog/walk (day 2, week 3 of my 5K in 100 days). And for Michele, I went for a bike ride but only made it about 3 miles before I had to head back home, my darn knees just won’t let me enjoy your favorite exercise. Being my unexpected day off I have even stayed out of the cupboards and not eaten anything I’m not suppose to. I am starving mind you but I’m being good. It’s not easy cuz no one is here to share with and I could eat the whole thing.

This month has really been a challenge for me. Losing the first 50 lbs was a breeze compared to these last few. I think because I just want to be done and begin something new. I am happy with my size and weight and though I have some lumps to tone up I even love my body. It has been an amazing journey and one I don’t want to take again so I need to stay in the game, keep up with what I know I should and keep learning.

Tomorrow I have another easy day, just three and they are older and we are going to be doing some pretty cool things. The Train Museum, disk golf and then bowling and dinner.  I’m almost as excited as the girls our for our day out and about. It’ll be fun.

So I’m off to finish some painting and then walking back to mama’s. Take care my friends and keep up the great work. I did some catching up today on quite a few blogs, most I did comment on, others I did cuz blogger wouldn’t let me. But I did read and I did say a prayer for each and everyone of you. Blessing to you all!!

Slimmer this Summer Challenge and ….

So last week I am going to call a bust. I didn’t lose a pound and I didn’t do any extra exercises except my 5K in 100 days. Well I shoveled, and laid pavers, and tilled the garden, mowed, walked 15 extra miles, played tennis, went geo-caching and then the usual stuff but no planks, no crunches no anything extra.

Here’s a peek into my weekend that I sent to my friend;

We had a really good weekend. Saturday I spent the morning with my daddy garage saling. Then after Jim got off from work he came home and took me out for pizza. Then we went and visited our best friends. Jim wanted to stay longer so I walked home the 4 miles (I walked this in 35 minutes). I needed to get in a walk and it was the perfect timing and weather for it. Then Mike and I went and played tennis. We ended our day geo-caching with the Venture Crew. We had a blast and even won a small bet. We bet that whoever found the most caches got a Dairy Queen treat from the other group. Our group found 9 out of 11 caches and the other group found 8. It took us 3 hours to find these with lots of hiking, climbing and more. According to the GPS we put on 15 miles of hill climbing and hiking.

Today Jim and I went grocery shopping and then came home to mow. It takes us about 3 hours to mow. I needed to water my plants too.  We laid a patio for the pool. Which means digging out the ground, leveling, adding sand, laying the pavers, adding sand and all that meant lots of carrying of sand and bricks (10, 40 lb bags and 125 pavers at 35 lbs each). Then we filled up the kids little pool and put up a 10x10' canopy to cover them from the sun so they won't burn. When we finished all of that Jim took me fishing in our boat. I caught 3 sunfish and 2 crappies, enough for a nice dinner. To finish my evening I colored my hair so I won't look like an old granny at my mama's family reunion next weekend .

So my plans for this week is to try and get some fish flopping exercises done along with the normal stuff around here. We are always such a busy summer family (well for us yearly but summer just much more so).

I don’t have a clue as to what is happening with the Phase 6 challenge so I’m just going to keep working on losing my last few pounds and see where life goes from there.

So it’s onwards and downwards this week. Not a bad last week, no weight loss but I also didn’t eat on plan. The pizza, a small DQ treat and also 6-9 kids each day with foods that are not on my plan and I didn’t do well planning my week in foods so ate too much of this and that. I did maintain and really with just a few pounds to lose I will take that because it does show that I should be able to learn to maintain in just a few more weeks.

I hope you all had a great and successful week and if you didn’t, this is a new week and a chance to do exactly what you know you should to obtain the healthy and wonderful body that you’re so craving.

Take care and God Bless!!!

Allan….

Allan is leaving the blogging world. He has helped many, many of us lose some massive amounts of weight and now he feels it’s time to move on. I want you to all know just how much Allan has meant to me.

I found Allan last October. Just when I was starting to struggle and lose faith and just not make any more headway in my life style changes. I was bored, stalled and so stuck that I was ready to throw in the towel. Allan was out there, losing an amazing amount of weight and had the first of his 6 challenges. He excepted me as one of the challengers and off we went. From then to now I have lost about 35 lbs and I know that if I hadn’t met him I am pretty sure I would of given up. Now I know that Allan has a way of saying things, doing things, and a different way of being but it is Allan and you know, even though I didn’t always agree, well I wouldn’t change a thing about that man. I am sure I am his slowest loser but a pretty steady one. I have followed all 6 of his challenges to date, not always word by word or exercise by exercise but they were always in the back of my mind and I would think, Allan isn’t going to like this or boy would Allan be proud of this.

Do you know that at Thanksgiving, he called me? He called me on the phone and taught me how to bake an amazing turkey in the most healthiest way possible. He has given me cooking and baking advice. I have learned a ton from this man.

Now for him it’s time to move on, time to do whatever is next for him. I wish him the very best in what’s left of his weight loss journey. He’s been amazing. Good luck Allan.

Now just for you Allan. Unless you change your e-mail address and your cell phone number you’re still stuck with this slow losing but very appreciative member of all of your 6 challenges.

Stop by any and everyone that has met Allan, that has learned a thing or two, that has had a chuckle or two, that has just enjoyed his journey into the land of the healthy, wealthy and wise.

Take care my friends, take care Allan. God Bless you all!!

Community Walk….

Tonight I walked in a community walk. We have a new loop to our walking trails and our trails are working on meeting other trails and one day Minnesota will have a walking/hiking/biking trail that leads just about everywhere you’d like to go.

I had a great time, one of my daycare families joined me so we walked together. Rachel, Abby and their mama, Becky.

For the first time in at least 6 days it wasn’t raining and chilly. It finally warmed up and the sun came out.

Ready, set, GO!!!

 

 

There were about 150 participants and a few of them had their pups walking with them too. Wilbur is wonderful on the leash, Scout….well she’ll learn.

     

All done. The walk was about 2.5 miles. It took us about 40 minutes but I’m not exactly sure because I forgot to use my itouch and tracker.

 

I always have my own personal cheering section. Mike came and cheered us on and took pictures for us. And the ones in the middle of the race I just used my cell phone.

All in all it was a great community event and I am so glad I went.

On the way home Mike and I were talking and we talked about even one year ago I wouldn’t of done this. I had just really gotten into my walking and enjoying it but still had lots of body to fight and there was no way I would been out there with others. It now feels wonderful to be able to do these things.

If your community has anything like this happening, give it a try…you’ll be glad you did!!!

Take care my friends and have a blessed night sleep.

The first day of summer…and…

In mid-northern Minnesota that is. Not the warmest weather we’ve ever had but sure is saving on the electric bill with no air conditioning.

 

                   

We finally got to go fishing. Really I got to go fishing, both my guys don’t fish but they took me. I caught one bass so not a great catch but two hours out on the water, it was amazing.

This week has been hard for my diet and exercise. I am tired, stressed and did I say tired? When I go to bed at night my sleep is full of nightmares….last night everyone was getting killed. Night before that, we were all lost. No sleep makes for long days and either to tired to eat and exercise or over stimulated so eating at the top of my calorie count and running myself ragged. I need to find a happy medium. I will!! Life isn’t easy but you know it’s not suppose to be, what’s life without some challenges?

I hope that you all are doing well with you life style changes. I have 5.2 lbs to goal. So close, I’m excited to get to the end of this and start my next phase in life. Onward and upwards (downwards really).

Take care and God Bless!!

A quick update…

I know it’s Monday and I am suppose to update everyone but it’s going to be a quick update because I have 6 kids that are in every area of the house and since daycare starts very early and doesn’t end until quite late I’ll just squeeze in what I can. I have to tell you it’s been a good week in eating and exercise though the exercise isn’t what was on plan.

My goals were:

*Crunches, planks, bicycle crunches and leg lifts. Two times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes. *To run a 5k in 24 minutes October 1st by using Brad 5K in 100 days.

Well I did 6 days of shoveling, 2 days of trenching, 4 days of pulling wire, 6 days of running here and there and lots more. For crunches, planks and the rest…..none. For running my program, yep I did that 3 times just like instructed and then 1 extra day of pushing my running to my max and really did good.

My phase 6 with Allan is going good. I am now 170.2. That’s down 2.2 lbs last week. So still heading in the right direction plus with my TOM just maybe it won’t all come back. HOPEFULLY!!!

So for now that’s my update. This week I am going to work on my real goals except there is still lots of shoveling happening (now drain tile and tailings and pea rock to be moved) but I’ll just do my best.

I am sorry I haven’t been super supportive of everyone, there just isn’t enough time in the day to get everywhere but I am praying for you all and hope that you all are doing well and challenging yourselves to become the most healthiest you possible.

Take care and God Bless!!

Brads 5K in 100 days and a good run….

I have been working on Brads 5K in 100 days but because I’m starting out as a beginner I didn’t feel as pushed as I could but that’s good too since his program starts you at the beginning teaching you proper everything. I’m not complaining at all since I know that in about 3 weeks it’ll be about where I am. But this morning I woke up with energy to boot. I think it’s cuz after mowing in the rain for 2 hours I came in and sat on my butt and watched TV, read blogs, commented and just relaxed the evening away so felt super this morning so I decided to go for a jog. And I did!!! 3.5 miles in 45 minutes. Not the fastest but I did have these guys with and to control a puppy on a leash is a bit more interesting then just Wilbur.

Near the end when I wanted to push it a bit I let Wilbur go and kept the puppy with me. Right now I’m drenched in sweat and heading to the shower (waiting for the dishwasher to go) and the pups are sleeping. I did feed them both and water/milk them so now their bodies are tired and their tummies are full. Mine too. :o)

Today is garage saling morning, my cleaning job and then at 12:30 Mike and I are doing our CPR and First Aid training (well really updating, we do it every two years).  We are doing it with the Scouts for our up coming BWCA trip.

Anyways, I just wanted to stop by and say hello, hope you have a great Saturday. Mine will be busy but a good busy. Now if the sun could shine instead of day 3 of more rain, really they are saying we have another 3 days of raining coming so put on my wet gear and just enjoy it’s not a hundred out there.

Take care my friends and have a blessed day.