10 Minutes

Build up to more time. Do some toning exercises while at work. To tighten your behind, stand with your feet apart, holding on to your desk for balance. Slowly lift one leg out two feet out to the side, squeeze your buns and slower lower it back down. Repeat and switch legs. To tone your arms, sit upright in your chair and press the palms of your hands together (like you're praying) in front of your chest, hold it for five slow breaths Relax and repeat four times.

It's a series of little actions that make the job easier and once it gets a little easier, you don't mind spending more time doing additional exercises. On Wednesday, 15 minutes!

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!

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?

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!

Birthday Cake!

Happy Birthday Dave! Yes, I'm gonna eat cake. Not too much, but enough to celebrate with my family. I have to weigh in and measure on Monday, so I don't want to mess up my good streak. I'll let you know how I did camping after I weigh in on Monday. Have a wonderful weekend, I know I will!

This Is SO true!

Don't shop when you're hungry! I can attest to the danger in this practice. I've been in the grocery store and bought five different things to eat on the way home. Crazy! I didn't necessarily eat them on the way home, but they weren't the kinds of things I wanted to eat when I got home either!

Now I make it a hard and fast rule that I eat before I go into the grocery store. If for some reason I'm really hungry, I buy an apple. I can say I've stuck with this, diligently. Do you find that you buy dangerous foods when you go to the store hungry?

Here's A Sour Tip

I read somewhere that if you feel like you're about to really pig out, quickly suck on something sour: a pickle or a lemon. It said if you suck it for a while, it may make your sweet craving go away. I tried it with the pickle and that just made me want to eat a tuna fish sandwich with potato chips! I like a little crunch with my sandwiches! Laughing. Maybe it will work for you!

The Dreaded Plateau!

Yes, I'm stuck! I'm plateaued but I'm trying not to panic. I don't really mean panic, but slack off because I'm discouraged. I've read that it's my body getting used to the fewer calories and more exercise, but that just seems counter intuitive. Shouldn't the weight be coming off in light of the lower calories and more exercise?

So, I'm drinking more water and staying on the program. I'm even dropping my calories a little bit every other day to try to push this over the edge. This is gonna be tough because we're going camping this weekend. It's a big trip, lots of friends, and of course, great food! I'm not going to go overboard and I'm going to take advantage of the long walk to the bathroom. I'll let you know how it all pans out sometime next week! Have a wonderful weekend!

Pictures To Motivate You!

Do you use pictures of your skinny self to motivate you to stay on track. I do. I've known people who use their fat pictures, but that doesn't motivate me. As a matter of fact, it makes me see myself in a way that I don't want to be.

I've always been a "brighter side" kind of girl. I want to see things at their optimum, now and in the future. Even if that means I have to use a picture from the past.

Can TV Make You Fat?

Studies show that people who watch a lot of television tend to be overweight. The obvious reason is that they are sitting on their rear and not moving. The other reason is the subliminal messages we get when we sit through the commercials and see all the delectable fast food and sweet treats. I've had commercials trigger a craving for me. Sometimes I can dismiss it, but other times, it will stay with me until satisfied. The study found that overweight people admitted that television encouraged them to sit still and to snack. Sounds like a recipe for disaster!

What's Your Vice?

You all know by now that my vice is food, specifically sweets. My hubby finds himself drawn to a good whiskey when he's feeling life's pressures. Whatever it is, I think half the battle is recognizing that you have a vice.

Yesterday was incredibly stressful. I wanted to fall back and binge but I didn't. fortunately, the scale was kind at the start of my day and that single pound down was enough to motivate me to stay on track. Dave came home and had his whiskey. No judgement, that's his thing and he's okay with it. I'm pretty proud that I kept my wits about me, and though I cried (it's the best release when things build up), I stayed on task and handled all I had any control over. The rest will just be what it will be.

What's your vice? How do you cope when it seems the world is resting on your shoulders alone? I love that you guys share with me and I find comfort and safety in this space. I hope you do, too! With love!

Working Out In The Pool

Today I had a session of aqua-therapy. It started out as these really simple exercises, mostly stretching and bending and all I could think was, this is too easy. I'm going to have to go home and work out again if I'm going to get a real work out in. The therapist must have read my mind because as soon as I thought that, she put me in the deep end of the pool and said, "Run."

Run? In the pool? Yes, with a floatie belt and webbed gloves, she had me running laps in the pool. Five minutes in I was sweating. It was fun and it was a workout. I'm still on my good eating program and I'm starting to feel thinner. My clothes are getting looser and I'm feeling my body really start to change! YAY!

I'm building momentum so the resistance is easier. I'm finding little things to satisfy my sweet tooth and my exercise DVD is getting easier. All in all, it's good! And Tania, get to it! It works when you work it girl!

I Just Don't Feel Like Talking About This Today!

It's just one of those things. I dont' want to chat about it today. Do you know what I mean? I'm on track, worked out, and haven't updated my blog because I just don't want to. So there it is. Until Wednesday! Smiling!

My Supportive Husband

Yesterday, I found myself caught up in work and before I knew it, it was 5:30 and Dave was home. He asked me if I had done my work out and the answer was a meek, "no."

I expected that he was changing his clothes to go running like he usually does, but to my surprise, he said, "Come on, let's do your DVD together." WOW! I didn't expect that but I was so pleased he offered. I'm also glad he did the work out with me so he could see how intense it really is.

We both did it, added in the abs work out and viola, we were done. Both soaked in sweat and smiling. It really does make a difference when you have the support of your loved ones. Do you?