#3: 6 Week Weigh-In

Today was my third 6-week weigh-in and measure with my trainer, so that means I've been working out for just over 4 months now.

In 18 weeks I've lost:

22.1 lbs.
7% body fat
4.5 inches from my waist
4 inches from my hips
1.75 inches from my right arm
.75 inches from my right thigh
1 inch from my neck

So, my weight loss has been slower than the first 6 weeks, but I assume that's normal. I weighed more to begin with so had more to lose. Now I'm getting more toned, so not losing as much, but gaining more muscle. I'm okay with that. ;) Something pretty exciting I had to share... so I have three piles of pants: 1) Fat pants 2) Normal pants 3) Skinny pants. (I assume all women have these same categories.) My "fat pants" I packed away over two months ago. My normal pants were fine for awhile but got pretty loose. So, I've been wearing my "skinny" pants the past 2 or 3 weeks and just noticed yesterday that the pants I just bought two months ago (thinking they would be my skinny jeans) are now getting a little loose. I don't have any jeans smaller than a 10. Even after I lost all the baby weight after I had Ben and was in pretty good shape, I was still in 10s and not smaller (and I weighed 6 lbs. less than I do now!) I decided to make a stop at Old Navy today, just to see where I'm at. (Don't worry, Jake. I didn't buy anything. ;) ) I tried on a size 8 and these jeans fit perfectly. Amazing! I almost screamed in the dressing room because I was so excited. Then I decided to take it a step further and try on a 6 (I haven't worn a 6 since... I can't even remember the last time I did! Probably in high school. When Jake and I met I was wearing small 8s so probably could have been a 6, but liked my clothes a little loose.) So, I pull the size 6s up over my legs and think "Wow. I can actually get them on." Then... I button them. HOLY COW! I can button size 6s! I zipped the pants up and realized, even though they were a tad tight and I wouldn't walk around in public in them just yet, that give me another 2 months and they will probably be perfect. I'm floating on cloud 9. This is HUGE for me! I'm also amazed that even though I weigh more now than I did when Jake and I dated, the pants are fitting perfectly. Crazy! Now the tops are a different story. I have the cute "I've-had-3-kids-who-stretched-my-gut-to-the-max" look. But, it IS getting smaller. My trainer even mentioned today how the shirt I wore today for my workout is really loose and when I first started he remembers it being pretty tight. All I can say is, I'm happy... happier than I've been in a long time. Now if my freakin' toe would heal itself, I would be 100% happy. ;) (It's actually doing a little better so I don't think it's broken, thank goodness. I'm still being extra careful with it and I buddy taped it. Hopefully in the next week or two I can start running again. For now I'm just hitting the bike, elliptical, and weights.)

Please plead my case!

So our vacuum died last week. It was a Hoover Windtunnel (our second in 2 years!) I went to Costco looking for a new one and saw the Dyson DC14 Animal. I've wanted a Dyson for a long time but couldn't make Jake see we needed it because we already had a working vacuum. Now that we don't, I feel it's time to plead my case. They are $399.99 at Costco, steep for a vacuum, but to me it would be so worth it. It comes with a 5-year warranty, which in itself is awesome. My grandma went with me to Costco today to look at vacuums and told me they just bought a Dyson and I should borrow it to see how I like it. I just spent TWO HOURS vacuuming our entire house, stairs included. It was AWESOME. I have never seen so much dirt, hair, dog hair, and who knows what else come out of our floor at one time. I filled two grocery bags of that nasty stuff (I promise you we are not dirty people, our other vacuum was just crap!) So, help me plead my case. Jake does not want to spend $400 on a vacuum but I tell him in the end it will be worth it, and we will have a cleaner house. He thinks we can find one for half the price that will do just as well. Is he right? If any of you have awesome vacuums for less than $200, let me hear it. We need to figure this out soon because I can't go much longer without one. So, recommendations anyone? Or should I just convince Jake we really NEED the Dyson? ;)

My Toe

So, as funny as this might sound, it's really not that funny. Today as I was getting dinner ready, I stubbed my toe really hard. Truman, our dog, was sprawled out in the kitchen and I was trying not to step on him and instead slammed my toe into the side of a drawer. I almost kicked the dog out of frustration and pain. Jake laughed and then quickly apologized. I told him it really hurt and I probably broke or sprained it. He said there was no way I could have done that just by smacking it. Well, 2 hours later it's turning bluish purple (can't tell so much in the picture) and it's pretty swollen (twice the size of my other pinky toe.) It hurts to walk on it or even slightly bend it. I'm REALLY hoping it's just jammed and a few days off of it will fix it. I guess this week I better take it easy and focus more on cross training than running... which I really do NOT want to do. Geez, of all injuries I could have, it would have to be something with my feet. That's just plain annoying! If anyone can give me some advice or have had a similar experience, tell me what you did.

GREAT News!

My dr called yesterday with my echocardiogram results. He said my heart looked great, younger than it actually is. He said he's sure all my exercising has paid off in more ways than just losing weight. He said the stress test went really well and the fact I made it 14 minutes was pretty astounding to him (they had me run on a treadmill and hiked up the incline and speed while my heart rate was being recorded.) They got it up to 189 and then had me jump back on the table and they did another ultrasound of my heart to see how it acts when it's stressed. He did mention as I recovered after the test my heart would beat 5 or 6 times in a row without a break. In the short term he said he's not worried but it's just something I need to be aware of. If I start feeling chest pains, palpitations, dizzy, etc. I need to stop (obviously.) Anyway, he had no reservations about my exercise and said to keep doing what I'm doing. I was really excited to hear the good news and that my heart acts younger than 27. YEAH, baby. Exercise can turn back the clock... remember that!

Why Obama?

As most of you know now, I AM a Democrat and I AM voting for Obama in 13 days. I have been questioned about my views more times than I care to count over the past month or two. I'm fine talking about it in a civilized manner. What I'm not okay with is people who attack me and question my morality and judgment because they don't understand what exactly they are trying to defend (or attack.) They base their attacks on half-truths and plain out lies that they consider facts because they heard it from some guy who supposedly heard it from someone else. So, I guess it must be true... right??? I was told last week that Obama has lunch with Al Qaeda terrorists. Come on. Let the mud slinging begin. I'm not coming on here to say I'm better than everyone else and anyone who disagrees with me is a moron. I just want to say that if you disagree with me, at least come to the plate with facts. I'm fine with people supporting McCain. This is what democracy is all about, my right and your right to choose what we think is best for our country. I would just ask that you respect me and my decision to support who I want to support.

I was sent this article today by a friend: http://blog.dietoyourways.com/default.aspx It was supposed to be mind blowing and make America see "the light"... I think. Okay, a few words about it (and as a disclaimer, this is my blog so if you disagree with me, that's fine, but it's still MY blog.)

I think it's ridiculous and I think it is overly partisan. First off, we need to understand that it is okay to disagree with each others' opinions. Americans are smart enough to study the issues and choose the candidate they feel represents their beliefs the closest. And I disagree with some of Obama's beliefs. I think if you agree with one of the candidates 100% of the time you probably are not thinking critically. I'm not going to comment on all of the points in that article, especially as many of them are patently false or misleading, but the big one seems to be about the taxes.

This is an area that we are just going to have to disagree on. The richest 5% of Americans have had their taxes lowered (thereby increasing the burden on the poorer 95%) during the Republican leadership. At the same time the Republicans chose to start a costly war (billions every month) and allowed the financial system to deteriorate under deregulation which is now costing us hundreds of billions in bail-outs. So the rich have had it pretty good. Now their tax rates are going back up to what they used to be (still lower than under Republican demigod Ronald Reagan) and they complain. Most Americans don't feel bad. 95% of Americans are getting a tax cut. Of the 5% that aren't, a majority will vote for Obama. I'm not sure why we care so much about that miniscule portion of Americans who will have slightly higher taxes so that we can pay for their war, clean up their mess of a financial system, increased health care coverage (not universal health care, which no one is proposing), and increased availability of a college education.

So we disagree on that and a lot of issues, but Americans will choose based on informed opinions. The country won't be ruined. Obama will keep us safe just like McCain (really!), and we can attempt to have civil discussions above the "Obama pals around with terrorists" crap we are hearing.

I hope I didn't offend anyone. I just wanted to take a second and come out of my little hole and return a short rebuttal for those insisting on attacking with false reports, half-truths, and out-right lies. I told my dad today that I think everyone can agree on this one point, that whoever is elected will have a tough road ahead of them. The recession, mortgage crisis, the war, poverty rising, dependence on foreign oil, education, healthcare, and on and on. Who would want that job, trying to fix these solid issues that most likely cannot be fixed in 4 years, or even 8?! It's going to be hard. Mistakes will be made. In the end, though, it's a question of where you want our country to be headed. More of the same... or something different? I know where I want to be headed.

(Was that enough politics for one post?!)

I'm going to be on Channel 13 tonight!

I was interviewed this afternoon by a Fox news reporter and the story is going to be on Channel 13 at 9pm. So, everyone tune in so you can see if I make an idiot of myself. ;) Just a disclaimer, I'm doped up on cold medicine so who knows what things came out of my mouth. I was interviewed about my Obama sign in our front yard... yes, we are Dems and proud of it. Anyway, tune in. It should be a nice little 30-second blurb.

PS Here is the story. (My 30-second blurb turned out to be maybe 2 seconds. They edited out my all my witty comments. Oh well. At least Josh looked stinkin' adorable!)

Another Awesome Run

I've had a nasty cold the past three days and so didn't get my long run in on Saturday, which I was pretty bummed about. Last night I set my alarm for 5:15am so I could get a really good workout in to make up for the weekend. Well, my alarm went off and I was not feeling it so I hit snooze. I called the gym's daycare right when they opened to see if they had an opening this morning and thank goodness, they did! I went in at 10:30am (I only had about 40 minutes until I had to get the kids and then go pick Ben up from kindergarten.) I turned on the treadmill and told myself to just make two miles, not push myself, and see how my body was feeling after a 3-day cold. I felt GREAT, much better than I should have felt after how sick I've been. I ran 3 miles in 28:08, my fastest 3 mile run so far. (Maybe I should get sick more often!! JOKE.) I felt so good I wanted to go another mile or two but had to finish up so I could get the kids. I've lost 21 lbs. now, more than halfway past my goal. I'm crossing my fingers that in another couple months I'll be there. Yesterday when I was getting ready for church, I pulled out my skirts and tried them all on. My skinniest skirts are loose which is awesome, but not great for our pocket book. Jake told me I need to learn how to tailor my clothes (he was joking... at least I think he was.) I told him when I get down to my goal we're getting me a whole new wardrobe. YEAH, baby! My motivation is back! WOO HOO!! Thanks for all the inspirational posts last week. I needed a little kick in the butt.

Random Happenings

This video cracks me up. Josh does this thing now that Emma used to do when she was his age. When he smiles really big he grinds his teeth together and starts to shake his face and he tightens his fists so they shake too. It's hysterical. He knows it makes people laugh and is funny so he does it a lot to watch us laugh at him... silly boy. We all love him so much.

For FHE this week we carved pumpkins. The kids have been waiting to do this for weeks. Emma scooped out two or three handfuls of seeds and then wanted to wash her hands. She definitely doesn't like to get dirty. Ben was loving it, though and even drew his own picture of what he wanted the face to look like. We have all decided that Jake is the master carver, much better than me. He can make the circles come out perfectly round. I, on the other hand, practically butcher the face. As you can see below, Josh wasn't about to touch the pumpkin innards. I love that look he is giving Jake... "Are you FREAKING CRAZY?! I'm NOT touching that!!" Priceless.

As silly as this picture is, I had to include it on our blog. I went to Lowes two days ago to buy a new toilet seat and lid because the one for the main bath broke. As I was leaving I saw these garbage cans and grabbed one to replace our nasty, disgusting 8 year old one in the kitchen. The kids think it's the coolest thing, especially because it has a lid that pops up... something our other one didn't have. If they love them this much, maybe Santa should consider bringing one for each of them! Who needs Baby Alive and Pokemon stuff!

Truman, the dog. I don't talk about him much but just know, he is still alive and kicking. His two-week horror of a neuter job is finally over with and he's back to his normal self. He has needed a trip to the groomer's for months now and sadly, our dog is the last to get himself taken care of. He's the 4th forgotten child normally. This week was his week though and I took him to All Dog Grooming for an afternoon of pampering. He looked like a different dog by the time the girl was done with him. Jake just laughed when he saw him and couldn't believe it was Truman. He looks so much better now. His hair is short and soft and out of his eyes. He's a good lookin' dog. ;)

We joined the world of Netflix this week. My brother and sister-in-law had mentioned a few months back how much they loved it and Jake and I decided to give a try. We have our first movie coming in the mail today. (It's sad that the excitement in our lives revolves around things like this... but hey, you can't expect trips to Malaysia and New York every week!)

Heart Update

My doctor called this morning with the results of my 24-hour heart monitor test two weeks ago. He said I'm "basically fine" but I do have a slight arrhythmia. It's nothing serious enough to warrant medication or surgery, but just something to be aware of. He did mention a few things that slightly concerned him. My heart rate is pretty high when I exercise (which I already knew.) At one point while I was sleeping my heart rate dropped down to 37. He also mentioned there was a 2-second gap when there was no heart beat recorded. My dr now wants me to get an echo cardiogram. He said he thinks of the heart in two parts, electrical and plumbing. The heart monitor helped him get a better look at the "electrical" part of my heart. Now he wants to look at the "plumbing" which is the reason for the EC. Overall I'm not too concerned. It sounds like my heart beat is slightly abnormal but nothing to make me change anything. I can stick with my regular exercise routine, which I'm happy about. It will be interesting to see what my "plumbing" looks like.

As for my workouts, I think I've finally hit my first slump. I've been waiting to come off my high and I think I'm finally down. I'm still going to the gym 4-5 days/week but I'm not really "feeling" it somedays. I've had to drag myself out of bed the past week just to get my butt out the door (something that wasn't a problem the past two months.) My weight loss has stalled which is annoying. I'm sure that can be attributed to my choice in foods the past 2 weeks. I've stuck with my 1450 cals/day but have chosen a couple things I know I shouldn't have. So, I'm using this post to re-dedicate myself to this. I know I need to push myself harder, instead of just being okay with my usual 3 miles and then 100 crunches. I need to do more. I read a sign this morning at the gym that said "The average weight gained during the holidays is 10 lbs." I don't want to be "average" so I need to step it up. Who is with me?! With Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming, it's going to be hard but I'm sure I can do it. What about you?

First snow of the season

I was not prepared to wake up to a Winter Wonderland this morning. It's not even Halloween yet! I hope this is not a sign of worse to come this winter. Jake says it's supposed to be in the 70s next week and I hope he's right because I am not ready for this. I love fall and don't want to get cheated out of our cool crisp nights. The first picture is of our front yard and Jake knocking snow off of our scrub oak before the branches broke. The kids were so giddy, clambering to get their snow gear on. It was quite a sight, pulling out all the snow bibs, boots, gloves, hats, and coats. Emma's size 7 1/2 boots definitely don't fit her anymore, but she was determined to jam her feet into them. Her mittens are a little too small and are cotton so not great for making snowballs. Josh's size 5 boots should have fit but I think his feet are a little wider than most 1 year olds so they wouldn't stay on. Oh well. This is a good first run through for the winter season and helps me know what to put on my list of "needs" for the kids.

I was anxious to see how Josh would do, his first time playing in the snow. He was intrigued and loved watching the older kids throw snowballs at Truman. When we put him down though and he tried to walk in it and fell, he quickly decided this was not his idea of fun.


Emma was in heaven and would have played outside all day if we would have let her. She made tons of snow angels, buried Truman's chew toys, and threw snowballs at anyone who got in her way.

Ben loved pulling the branches up and down and making it "snow." I think he really enjoys it, but a little less than Emma. He was ready to come in after awhile... I don't blame him.

I put Josh in the swing and he seemed to be okay with that. This is the one picture I got with all three kids. Emma looks like she's in pain, but she's really not. She was getting impatient and wanting me to hurry and take the picture so she could go back to making more snowballs.

Here is my happy Josh. Hopefully he will get used to the snow these next couple months and start to enjoy it. We'll see. I found the last picture on one of Ben's CDs, taken when he was about 11 months, 3 months younger than Josh is now. It was fun to compare the two pictures. They definitely have similar features but Josh is becoming his own unique person. Jake and I definitely make cute kids. ;)

The kids reminded me of a little tradition we started last winter, drinking Stephen's Hot Chocolate after playing in the snow. It really was a great morning and I'm glad the kids had so much fun.

112 Hours

The length of time it took me to finish the 4 books in the Twilight series. I have to admit, I was quite hesitant to read these books just because I know how I get when I'm sucked into a book that I can't put down. (It didn't help that there was not just 'one' book, but FOUR.) When I thought about reading the series, my mind would automatically shift to the last book I was "sucked" into... Davinci Code. Let's just say, it wasn't a pretty sight. ;) I also think I sort of liked being a "rebel" and not joining the masses. I managed to escape the Harry Potter series unscathed, even when each of my family members and friends were dying for me to join their fan club. What changed my mind? Well, I overheard my friends, Meighan and Abby, talking about the books at church a couple weeks ago and it peaked my interest. My curiosity got the better of me and I caved. Abby was eager and willing to let me borrow her complete set. As I started reading the first book, Twilight, I thought how silly the whole plot was, kind of like Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets romantic tragedy/comedy (thanks, Lisa, for the analogy.) But, I have to say about half-way through I was hooked. My house was neglected for 4 1/2 days. My exercise routine was rudely disrupted by my very late nights. Jake wondered if I would ever leave the loveseat in our living room. My poor kids had a zombie for a mom. Don't worry though, I am back. My journey is over... We all survived.

Thanks again, Abby, for letting me borrow your books... I think. ;) I'll return them as soon as I finish "The Host." Hopefully I can have more restraint this time and not read hundreds of pages in one sitting... I doubt it.

Top 8's

This was fun. Thanks, Karyn.

8 Favorite TV shows...
1. Lost
2. The Office
3. American Idol & So You Think You Can Dance (tied!)
4. The Biggest Loser
5. America's Next Top Model
6. Dr. Phil
7. Antiques Roadshow (yes, I think I'm a 60 year old woman ;) )
8. Anything on the surgery channel (220)

8 Favorite Restaurants...
1. Olive Garden
2. Red Robin
3. Spaghetti Factory
4. Emigration Market
5. Hires
6. Morelias
7. Outback
8. Papa John's (does that count?)

8 things that happened yesterday...
1. Took Ben to kindergarten
2. Met with my trainer at 10am
3. Picked Ben up and gave the kids lunch
4. Put the kids down for naps
5. Ran 3 miles on the treadmill, then showered
6. Made dinner
7. Went to a Stake Primary Presidency training at 7pm
8. Read over 50 pages of "Twilight" before bed

8 things to look forward to...
1. Working out and getting skinnier
2. Seeing my parents in a couple weeks when they come visit
3. Finishing the Twilight series
4. Starting my Christmas cards
5. Party tomorrow night with some good friends
6. General Conference this weekend
7. Watching my kids get excited about Halloween
8. Getting excited about the holidays coming

8 things I love about Fall...
1. My FAVORITE season! Love the colors changing
2. Eating hearty, thick soups
3. Wearing sweaters
4. Crisp, cool air
5. Halloween
6. Getting ready for the holidays
7. Shopping for cute sweaters
8. Warm fires at night

8 things on my wishlist...
1. Lose 20 more lbs.
2. Have all our debt paid off (house, van, student loans... you get the picture!)
3. New wardrobe
4. Have all my scrapbooking caught up
5. Date night with Jake
6. Massages upon request
7. fat-free, calorie-free, sugar-free Reese's peanut butter cups (and they need to still taste good!)
8. Magically have a spotless house and dinner made every day without having to lift a finger (we can dream, right?!)

8 people I tag... (don't have to do it if you don't want to)
1. Ashleigh
2. Mom
3. Whitney
4. Naomi
5. Lisa
6. Cheri
7. Mandy
8. Chelsea W.