My Favorite Summertime Drink

I love water with fresh fruit in it. For my bridal shower some eight years ago, I received a very pretty pitcher and glass set that was hand painted with bright yellow lemon slices. I didn't use it initially because I was afraid it would get broken. I woke up one day and realized that more than five years had passed and I wasn't using this pretty pitcher that I love so much. I started that day by filling it with water and adding slices of lemon, lime, and orange. I use whatever fresh fruit I have and this has become my favorite summertime drink! My own fruit infused water! I think it even tastes better because I think it is so pretty!

We're Decluttering The Pantry...

Yet again. We had amassed large quantities of crap food left over from Poobah and the S'mores bar. I took all the cookies to Mason's preschool for a special snack but there was still plenty of little special candies in the box singing to me to eat them. I've managed to stick to working out and if I find I can't get the candy tune out of my head, I eat just a small portion.

I'm going to work out of town for a few days and Dave has advised me that he will be clearing out the crap food while I'm gone. That's sweet music to my ears and I'm ever so grateful!

And Again On Monday!

I got up early and hit the gym again today! Yay for me! Do you find it easy to make exercise like brushing your teeth, you know, something you do as a given? It's not the easy for me. I'm dong better and finding a rhythm, but everyday takes concentrated intention. Tell me how you get in your own head to make it happen each day.

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Off To The Gym I Go!

The struggle continues to get the exercise I need. I've been to the gym twice this week and plan to go today. On Wednesday I ran on the treadmill and it felt so good! I have to be careful with my back, but in fact, I felt so good, it made me want to go back. My diet is great and my less pressure attitude is helping. Dave has been great, too! He's been working out and encouraging me, not pressuring me. It's a journey and I'm working on making it part of my life, not my liefs focus. It's Friday! I love Fridays. I'm off and running to the gym so I can enjoy this Friday evening with my boys! Happy weekend!

Life Keeps Getting In The Way

That's not necessarily a true statement if you make your exercise time a priority. I'm taking responsibility when I say, I've been up to my eyeballs in projects. It's so difficult for me to take an hour and do a tape or go to the gym when ALL I can think about while I'm exercising is the stuff that's still waiting for me to do. I know all the common sense answers to this insanity in that, if I'm not healthy, none of the other stuff matters. Or that I need to make time for myself so I'm more effective for the people who need me. I know, I get it.

The bottom line is that the projects never go away, one may get finished but two more probably started while that one was in progress. Health and fitness are essential to the success of all aspects of our lives no matter how we look at it. I started out to write this entry and make just one more excuse for my lack of motivation. I can't do it. I don't have an excuse, an answer, or a direction. All I can do is put myself on my calendar, work to overcome my complete disinterest in exercise for the moment and keep up with the healthy food choices. And that's all I have to say about that!

Naked?!

You guys kill me, but there's some truth in it! Women with a little extra to love look better naked. When you put on anything, it grabs, pinches, and accentuates the soft spots. This may not be a bad thing, but for me, it makes me feel like I look fatter. I wanted to choose a word that wasn't so unattractive, but that's exactly how I feel in underwear, fatter. My bra, panties, a swimsuit, you name it, if it has to be form-fitting, I'm not liking it. So I vote for naked!

When I was a slim size 8, I didn't find this to be true. I liked the way a pretty matching bra and panties looked and didn't notice the lines of my underwear once my clothes were on. The difference? I had less soft, cheesy fat on my body. I could buy bigger underthings, but then I wouldn't have the same level of support (ie, in my bra especially), and who wants saggy panties? Not me. So instead of bigger clothes and uncomfortable pinching, I'm going naked! Any Penny, I'm looking into the nudist vacation for next year, just in case I'm still not a size 8!

We're Home!

And so happy to be here. I'm off to a great start by hitting the gym first thing this morning. We took lots of pictures and though I don't like my size in the images, I love my zest for life. I love that I'm healthy, and happy, and on vacation with people who love me no matter what size I am. Dave even got a pretty good picture of me in the hot tub. Go figure, wearing less looks better! Laughing!

Balance. Keep on keeping on. Make good food choices. Keep the house free from crap food. If you're gonna deviate from the low cal food, make it worthwhile. And know that this this is a journey that has no destination. Every day is a new opportunity to succeed! Yes!

Vacation And Exercise...Do They Really Go Together?

They might if your vacation is rock climbing or backpacking through rough terrain! I have to chuckle because, for all our best intentions, we got only a single day of exercise in during this full week of vacation! I might be wrong, Dave may have gone running twice, but as I write this, he's laughing saying, "Nope, just once."

We brought our workout clothes, I even remembered my DVD, but we have been busy going places, wine tasting, swimming (not the heavy-duty exercise kind), and just enjoying each other. Here's where, yet again, balance comes into play. We are on vacation so the plan is to pick back up where we left off when we get back to our everyday routine at home.

With all that said, I'm not weighing in until I'm a week or two into my normal routine. How do you handle exercise while on a week long vacation?

"Eat This Not That"

While I've been on the road, I've been referring to my new healthy eating bible: Eat This, Not That. This book gives me the skinny on what my healthier options are while I'm not in a position to prepare all my own meals.

Yesterday I ate at Burger King. Per the books advice, I ate a Whopper Jr. that has a mere 340 calories as it's made. I omitted the mayonnaise and cut the calories down to 270! Very cool! I had a few fries and an unsweetened iced tea.

Check out the site and buy the book. It really is a good reference to keep in your car. When you find yourself looking at a restaurant's menu, you'll be better equipped to make a healthier choice. Even if you don't want what's recommended, you can steer clear of the choice that's a full day of calories in one dish. Learn more about this paperback gem at: http://www.eatthisnotthatbook.com/uof/eatthisnotthatbook/

I'm A Little Behind

This title makes me laugh! I wish I were a little behind, because I feel like I have a big one! Laughing! I crack myself up! Okay, I've been on the road since June 18th, so I'm feeling the pressure to keep up.

the good news is that with all this travel, I've not gained an ounce. I've not been keeping up with my exercise, but I've been active. That counts!

I also want to say thank you to Penny and Tania for chiming in even though I haven't been as diligent in my comments back. I'm having some difficulty working in the blog from my mobile device. I love that you're here with me and want you to know I appreciate you two!