Friday, January 29, 2010

I'm Baaack!


I feel a little bit guilty that my blog has been MIA since I've been back from Vegas. The truth is, since I flew in on Monday, I have had so much laundry to do and bills to pay and just catching up in general that I fell off the wagon. There really should be no excuses! That is one of the reasons started this blog, to make me accountable for my actions, and I have to admit it has really helped. Knowing that I had not posted anything in the last 7 days was a total motivator in getting me back on track. Today I went running after work and am going to re-dedicate myself to my health and fitness plan.

So was I as decadent as I thought on my 40th birthday vacay? Yes and no. I was by no means eating salads and cottage cheese all weekend, yet I still felt like I could have done worse. There was no avoiding the alcohol in my opinion, so let's just get that out there right now. When we first arrived I ate a turkey burger at lunch that was pretty big so I only ate half. That night for dinner, I had a healthy meal of grilled fish and caesar salad. Of course I had dessert at my birthday dinner! The dessert sampler - mocha cake, pumpkin cheesecake, creme brulee - I was in heaven. I shared with the table naturally. The next morning, I splurged on french toast and a side of bacon, but left half of it for my husband when I left for my massage. For lunch, we had a great Asian meal which was served family style. The dishes consisted of noodles, soups, stir frys, sushi rolls, etc. That night for dinner we kept it simple since we had such a large lunch and all shared a fabulous charcutrie platter of meats, cheeses, bread, dried fruit and pate. We saw a show that night and I shared some peanut M&M's with my friends. I am sure my calorie count for the day was sky high. There was a digital scale in our hotel room, and I was happy to find out it didn't work! I knew I wasn't planning on dieting in Las Vegas anyway, but its only right that I report the good, the bad and the ugly.

I did pretty well this (short) week despite not working out. I still ate nonfat yogurt and blueberries with whole wheat toast most mornings for breakfast, ate at Subway for lunch 3 times this week because I did not have it together enough to make my lunch. I had salmon and veggies for dinner last night. Another dinner this week was a black bean and cheese burrito with a low carb tortilla. There was another night this week where I had some angel hair pasta and steamed brocolli tossed with parmesan and olive oil. I did slip up one day and had pizza and salad for lunch. Someone was buying and it was my favorite pizza place, soooo...I caved. I don't do well with total deprivation! I ran today, will work out tomorrow and am hiking a brutal hill on Sunday.

I also got caught up on Oprah and watched the show where they discussed the documentary Food, Inc.. This wasn't the first time I had heard of the detrimental effect big corporations have on how and what we eat. I can't wait to see the movie. Alicia Silverstone was also on to discuss her book The Kind diet and about her life as a vegan. While I am not quite sure that going the vegan route is for me at this time, I do like the idea of incorporating more vegan meals into my diet. This is something that will require a concerted effort on my part but I think my body could really benefit from such a change.

Friday, January 22, 2010

The Eve of My 40th Birthday

How am I feeling on the last day of my 30's? Pretty damned good actually. I feel mature, but mature enough to act like a kid if I want to (and I do!) and not care what other people think. I feel beautiful, not in a supermodel sort of way, but on the inside. I am proud of my career accomplishments, but no longer let them define who I am. I look at my husband and children and know that there is no where else I'd rather be. I am excited, not just about my fabulous weekend in Las Vegas, but about my life. I am enjoying the journey of my day to day, and also can't wait to see what the future holds for me. Well enough about that! On to my last entry before my big weekend.

I think I've aged pretty well considering all the fun in the sun I've had...going to college in Santa Cruz, living by the beach in San Diego for several years, snow skiing every winter, and living in a house with a pool. But I am not going to lie, since 40 has been looming over head I have spent a lot of time looking very closely in the mirror. While I do not have "wrinkles" per se, I do have a lot of fine lines and my pores are probably a lot more prominent than I'd like them to be. And every product that I've tried that says will shrink your pores is full of bull. This technically can't be done. And most things I try have such a short-lived effect. By short-lived I mean you might see some improvement immediately after use but a few hours later you look exactly the same. But last night I tried the Concentrated Restorative Treatment by Perricone Cosmeceuticals. I have to say for the first time I was impressed. I slathered it onto clean and dried skin. My skin felt tingly for about 5 minutes afterwards which made me believe it was doing something. I went to bed, and in the morning I did my usual magnified mirror investigation. My pores did seem to shrink! My fine lines were a lot less noticeable! I have to say, I am a fan. Going on 4pm my skin still looks good. This product isn't cheap, but now that I am, ahem, aging - I am just going to have to rearrange priorities. Less clothes and shoes, less money spent on eating out = more to spend on my skin care.

My favorite healthy food item this week is Campbell's V8 Soup. I have tried the Garden Brocolli and the Butternut Squash and both are delicious. They low-cal, tasty, only contain about 25% of your daily suggested sodium intake, AND you get a full serving of vegetables. I LOVE vegetables, but sometimes I can't get it together to steam or stir-fry, and there are also days when its cold and stormy and a salad just doesn't sound appealing. Most of all, I feel great after I eat these soups. No regrets when you put something good into your body!

I will not be blogging for a couple days while I'm in Sin City. I will be living it up. It's my birthday, I love delicious meals, I love to drink, and I've earned it! I am going to try to work out before my massage on Sunday, and now that I've put it out there, I will be more likely to actually do it. But hey, I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm not perfect, all I can do is strive to do my best. TGIF!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Make Good Choices!

I have a lovely friend that would drop her daughter off at school in the morning and would call out to her, "Make good choices!" before she drove away. I am thinking of this on a pretty regular basis in regards to my Fit, 40 and Fabulous plan. Each day I am faced with a myriad of choices...should I work out, should I blow it off? If I work out, what kind of work out? What shall I eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between? Take the close parking space or park further out so I can get some extra walking in? I'm so tired, but should I wash my face and moisturize before bed?

Anyone that knows me well knows that I am not one to suffer for long, for the sake of anything. Not that I'm whiny, I just know that in my world moderation is the key to everything. If I'm too strict or hard on myself, I will only throw in the towel sooner. So each day, when I am faced with options, I feel that even making several seemingly small good choices each day will have a positive impact over all. If I am happy and feeling good about myself I won't mess with a good thing!

Yesterday was a very rainy day, and I was off of work. I was tempted to lounge all day but instead made sure I worked out early, got cleaned up and I was actually a laundry powerhouse all day. In between loads, I enjoyed time with my kids, played games with them, and caught up on some Tivo. It was both a fun and productive day.

Today was a work day. It was stormy and when I got home, my mother (who watches my kids while I am at work) wanted to head home before it got too dark. So I did not work out. It is definitely a must for tomorrow! My diet was pretty decent today. I had a scrambled egg and wheat toast for breakfast - as well as my beloved coffee. Lunch was a 6 inch turkey sandwich on wheat from Subway. I passed on the soda, but did indulge in some Baked Lays. Snacks in between were my last Luna bar in the box...and a few almonds in the afternoon. Laugh at my dinner but it was all made in the microwave. Time somehow got away from me and the last thing I wanted to do was eat late. I had a Lean Cuisine lasagne and my Just-for-One veggies. Later for dessert I had an apple wedge and a handful of pomegranate seeds. And water, water, water!

As you can see, I'm not perfect. I love the idea behind organic, I think food closest to its original state is the best for you, and I hate ingredients that make food sound more like a science project. But hey, I'm a working mom. I do the best that I can. Sometimes I gotta do what I gotta do and I don't beat myself up for it!

Counting down to Vegas on Saturday! I'd better start stocking up on my rest.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Sunday, Lazy Sunday

I am not working out today. I am pretty sore from yesterday's hike and need to rest. I know its going to rain today and I am totally ok with doing nothing.

Today I am going to spend some time on my skin. I can feel some dry spots as I run my fingers over my cheeks. And, it just looks tired. I need a boost! My treatment of choice is Bliss Triple Oxygen Energizing Mask. The product makes big promises: "brightens, lightens, and tightens the skin with the most active powerful form of Vitamin C available." Sounds pretty good. I pump out a generous amount of the smooth pink serum, and apply it to my whole (damp) face avoiding the eye area. It quickly turns into a foam, which tickles my face as bubbles form. I leave it on for 5 minutes per the directions and wait for some magic to happen. I tend to be a skeptic anyway, and as I was rinsing my face I was wondering if this 5 minute treatment could really make a difference. I dried my face and continued with toner and moisturizer. Then I examined my face closely in the magnified mirror and was pretty pleased with the results. My face appeared tight, bright and shiny (not in an oily way, more like a clean and shiny way). I even had my husband look me over and the words he used were "bright" and "clean". Since today is Sunday I may go the whole day without make up. Give my skin a rest for the day and let it breathe.

I have tomorrow off and am ecstatic about my three-day weekend. Happy relaxation day to you all!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy!

I started off my day with a gorgeous hike after breakfast. One of my lifelong friends and I trudged up a local mountain which is incredibly steep. Not only are our buns and thighs burning on our way up, but our cardiovascular limits are put to the test. I love this hike. Its not very long, but it is close to home, so we make up for it by doing it twice. It was a great way to start the day! I'm glad the weather held up for us because a storm is brewing, according to the news. I am proud to say I exercised 6 out of the last 7 days. I am determined to keep it up!

I had a big appetite at lunch time today, so indulged in a Trader Joe's Parmesan Pesto Turkey Burger. I love Trader Joe's! This turkey burger was pretty tasty. My hiking partner had told me that when she tried one she thought it was good but was surprised it was a little greasy, since turkey burgers are usually on the dry side. I read the package and they are 260 calories and have 18 grams of fat per serving. I wasn't sure how I felt about the 18 grams of fat but felt I had earned them on the hike so I went for it. Sometimes you just can't beat convenience.

Need to add a little twist to dinner tonight? As an alternative to green salad, I think salads with fruit are great companions for chicken, pork chops, and fish at dinner time. During the summer it is great to pack for picnic lunches. Here is a very simple recipe to feed a family of four. Bon Appetit!

2 red apples
1 green apple (you can experiment but almost any kind works well)
1 Bartlett pear
1 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries
salt to taste

Whisk together the vinegar and orange juice in a large bowl.

Remove the apple and pear cores and chop fruit into bite-sized cubes. Leave the peeling on. Add the fruit and the walnuts to the bowl with the vinegar and orange juice. Add the dried cranberries. Toss well, drizzle with olive oil and then toss again.

Salt to taste. Ready to enjoy, but I like it better a little refrigerated.

Happy Saturday!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Green is Good! And...my BIG Birthday is Coming!

How to save a forest: 1) Plant a tree 2) Hug a tree 3) Repeat Steps 1 & 2


I read on someone's Facebook page the other day that you can use white vinegar as fabric softener. Yes, white vinegar. My first reaction was one of disgust, but then I put on a new attitude. You shouldn't knock something until you try it, right? And I am all about being kind to my environment. My biggest concern was that it would make my clothes smell like vinegar. But then I remembered that all the "recipes" for homemade cleaning solutions involve vinegar and it doesn't smell once it evaporates. I just want to let you know, if you ever run out of your usual fabric softener and you need to pop in a load of laundry, white vinegar works! No stinky smell, no static cling, and the clothes were soft. I'm not saying I'm going to do this every time. With all the laundry I do I'd have to have a case of vinegar on hand in my garage. Plus I just bought a big concentrated jug from Costco. But I have an open mind!

I have been using cloth napkins at home for the last 8 months and I feel REALLY good about all the trees I'm saving. Sure, I have been hearing all the tree hugger jokes for years since I went to UC Santa Cruz but I don't care. I think being a tree hugger is cool. :) I totally hate paper plates. I know, they are SO convenient. And I do use them when we have big family parties if I don't want to wash 50 dishes. But I just think about the damage we cause cutting down trees, which take years to grow back, and we just use a paper plate for 5 minutes and throw it in the trash.

So I am headed to Vegas in a little over a week. Bring on the debauchery! My husband and I don't get out much without the kids, mostly by choice, so this should be a fun trip. We are going with two other couples and plan to eat good dinners, see a show, get a massage, and drink like fish! ;) I know this trip is going to interfere with my diet and exercise plans but oh well, what's a girl to do? I did however, go shopping to get some hot outfits, which will at least inspire me to stick to my plan until I get there!!!

I did pretty well yesterday. For breakfast I had half a pomelo which is like a giant grapefruit and some cottage cheese with blueberries. I ate a Luna Bar in Blueberry Bliss again at 10 a.m. Of course I was worried about lunch again, since I had plans with a girlfriend at Hukilau and was hoping I would find healthy options there. I scored again with the Ahi Tuna Poke salad and water to drink. Good stuff.

Later that evening I went to see a movie with some girlfriends. I made sure I got my workout in before I went. It is so nice to get that out of the way when I could have just as easily blown it off. Believe me, I thought about it! Ok, the movie popcorn proved too tempting to resist, but figured hey, I could have done a lot worse. No soda, no candy. Just popcorn and water. The next challenge presented itself when we decided to have dinner after the movie, which got out at 8:45. Late to eat (which is bad) and out options were becoming limited since we live in a small town. It was my choice, being the birthday girl and I picked Chili's for two reasons: 1) it is 2 minutes from our house, 2) it was open. I just have to remind myself that I can eat anywhere, and find the healthy options. I drank water again to counteract the salty popcorn, and ordered the side mixed green salad. I'm not going to lie, we ordered the Triple Dipper appetizer. I had two nuggets of the boneless buffalo chicken wings and one of the Southwestern eggroll pieces (they come sliced in half). I'm not going to beat myself up. I worked out, I ate well all day, and hell, I had fun. If we are going to diet and make ourselves miserable what is there to live for, right??

Now its the weekend. I am going to stay strict, despite my "Woo hoo, Thank God It's Friday" mood. I had the same breakfast and morning snack today as yesterday, and for lunch let myself have a turkey and avocado sandwich (no chips, and water to drink) which is the only bread I've had all week. I went running with a girlfriend when I got home from work today and feel GREAT. I don't know what we're eating for dinner yet but plan to stay on track. Wish me luck! Happy Weekend!!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

A New Day

Today I wanted to go with a different approach at breakfast. Rather than have my usual carbfest, which doesn't appear to be working for me, I decided to go for 1 scrambled egg and 1 piece of turkey sausage. I have to say, I stayed satisfied much longer than I had after my typical morning fare. By the way, I need to mention I have coffee, without fail, each and every morning. I typically have the coffee maker set and ready to automatically go at 7 a.m. One of my guilty indulgences is Nestle Coffeemate. I know, the ingredient list is full of stuff I can't even pronounce but there is just nothing like it. I figure (at least I hope) that a couple tablespoons of that every day aren't going to kill me!

Once at work, I was plugging right along until my mid-morning snack at 10 a.m, which today was a Luna Bar in Blueberry Bliss. Its just enought sweet and just enough carb to get me through to lunch. Next job on the agenda was to preview my lunch menu. One of our networks was taking our team out today with our new director. I wanted to make sure I found something healthy and went into the restaurant with something already in mind so I wouldn't be tempted. We were going to this fabulous place downtown called 71 St. Peter 71 St. Peter which has a Mediterranean theme. Even though I've heard of the "Mediterranean Diet" and know that people of this decent are typically healthy due to their diet, I don't quite think I was safe to order just anything off the menu!

So, pat me on the back everyone, I did well! I drank only water, ordered the butternut squash soup for a starter, and went with the seared ahi salad. I'm sure the soup had some cream in it, but I still think I made good choices. I didn't even touch the bread. It did help that I was at lunch with the people I am doing the weight loss challenge with...jokesters that we are, we all tried to get each other to eat the bread and order dessert. The prize pot is $500 after all! All of us did really well. Someone ordered dessert for the table as only half of us are doing the challenge, and a creme brulee was brought out and placed right in front of me. I had a teaspoon because I surely didn't want to be rude....

So far tonight I haven't figured out what I want to eat for dinner. I just ended up having some cottage cheese, blueberries and 1/2 banana. I need to drink more water tonight and drink some green tea. I danced with my 3 year old to the Wiggles for a few songs before I had to start their dinner. Looks like I won't be working out tonight, but I plan to exercise 3 more times this week. I need to kick it up a notch if I'm going to start seeing some real results.

If you like salmon check out this super easy and yummy recipe from the January 2010 issue of Parenting Magazine (they have good recipes in there sometimes, who knew?). I made it a few days ago and thought it was great, and again SO easy.

olive-oil spray
1 lb. frozen wild salmon, thawed
2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. black pepper divided

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil; coat with oil spray. Place salmon, skin side down, on the foil. Top with 2 tsp. soy sauce, onion and garlic powders, ginger, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Bake 10 mins. until cooked.

The magazine recipe included a side of mashed edamame. I love regular edamame, and any recipe that requres me getting out my food processor during the week is too complicated because I have enough dishes to do as it is. I just boiled the frozen edamame from Trader Joe's for about 5 mins., and tossed it with some lemon juice, olive oil and salt to taste. I also had brown rice. Uncle Ben's ready rice rocks. You cut the top of the package and put it in your microwave for 90 seconds...and its piping hot and good to go. Again, no dish to wash!

Happy Hump Day!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Let It Rain!

My day was a bit of a downer. A long, heavy meeting at work in the morning set the tone for the day. Then my plans to run with my sister Megan got rained out. We did salvage the situation by working out together in my garage since we have a treadmill and an elliptical trainer. We also did some weights and crunches. My treadmill run did get interrupted after 10 minutes in when my son fell and hit is head while my mom was inside watching him and "needed Mommy". I did manage to get back on after icing him for a bit but I felt like I just couldn't catch a break. Then, at the suggestion of John Wolf from Wolf Fitness Systems, I logged on to http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ this evening to start tracking my eating and workouts. It is a very user friendly system, as it can memorize foods you regularly eat and can easily find meals at popular restaurants. I realize that although I thought I had been doing great in the eating department the last couple days, I am still eating more than I should be if I want to lose weight. Granted, I haven't been pushing myself too hard fitness-wise, but I am surprised by this information much in the same way I was surprised about my body fat %. What a wake up call! I vow to try MUCH harder the rest of the week...even though I have lunch with a new boss tomorrow and a great restaurant. Hopefully they have grilled fish. Sheesh.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Friends and Foes

Ok, so I have mentioned in the title that these are "lean times". The economy sucks right now, and my personal economy is in the crapper. So I am really doing my best to eat healthy on a smaller budget than I used to. Gone are the days of going out to dinner a few nights a week, shopping at premium grocery stores, buying convenience foods like precut veggies and fruits. I can't believe what I used to spend on the pineapple chunks and the cut watermelon in the produce section. I am actually ashamed. I am ashamed because it took a bad economy to make me realize how wasteful I was. I now totally embrace bulk stores like Costco, Kirkland products are so high quality...my 1 year old drank the baby formula when he was an infant and still wears the diapers. We buy our meats and fish there, divide them into smaller portions and put them in freezer bags for defrosting as needed. The environmentally friendly laundry detergent and softener pretty much rock. I have also decided I love the larger volume of things...how annoying did it used to be when I would run out of certain items (like toilet paper for example) more often and had to run out to the store? That never happens now.

And Walmart...ok don't attack me just yet. I didn't used to be a big fan of Walmart. They were one of the "big guys"... based on what I had read I didn't think they were the greatest of employers, for employing so many people. And before I actually went there, I had the impression that their stuff was of lesser quality. Not to mention the two closest stores to my home (up until recently) were always crowded and made for a less pleasurable shopping experience. But when I lost my job in the mortgage business 2 years ago, I needed to cut corners in a big way. In addition to cancelling my premium TV channels, I started shopping at Walmart. Its got all the regular stuff Walmart has, plus a grocery store. About 6 months ago a new one was built 2 minutes from my home. It is brand new, never crowded and I just LOVE it. I purchased my reusable grocery sacks and I am in that place no less than once a week. Its great for the basics, bread, milk eggs, yogurt, coffee creamer, cereal, butter, baby food...they may not have as many choices as my former grocery store, but frankly it makes my life simpler. I am in and out of that place in under a half hour. The prices are so low, I can't afford not to shop there!

Especially with my husband working a lot of nights, it doesn't make sense to spend money on a ton of fresh veggies each week like we used to. They just go to waste because I can't eat them all and he's not here to help. I have discovered that frozen veggies are easy, taste great, have high nutritional value, and don't need to be eaten in a week. My new FRIEND is Green Giant Just-for-One. Again, I am not a calorie counter or formal dieter but the box boasts -0- Weight Watchers points. I am all about that! I ate the broccoli with cheese sauce at dinner tonight can't complain about veggies that are done in 2.5 minutes and tastes so good!

I did buy some diet hot chocolate mix that I thought would be a good sweet treat from time to time. I have bought sugar free hot chocolate in the past that was really good and hit the spot at minimal calories. Ok, the diet one is NOT good. I am going to throw the whole box out. I will go so far as to say its nasty. So that is my FOE this week...don't want to disparrage anyone so won't mention names but let me know if you want the info! Yuck. I am drinking some good green tea right now as my dessert. A little milk in it and I'm pretending to be at Starbucks. :)

The Relationship Between My Body and What the Fork Brings In

I am not skinny. I am not really fat either. My weight has always been what I think is pretty average in my adult years. I love to eat, and I enjoy desserts and cocktails. Fortunately I really enjoy working out which has always helped to balance things out.

I have never had to really exercise incredible willpower to lose weight. I am not bragging, its not easy for me to shed pounds when I need to...its just that I don't have any crazy vices like some people I hear about. I don't stash candy between my mattresses for those times of weakness. I don't have a few good days of dieting and then go on "a bender" where I indulge in so many forsaken foods that I wake up feeling ill... with traces of nacho cheese in the corners of my mouth. I just get to the point where I am disgusted, and then make a vow to do something about it. That usually means I have fallen off my workout wagon and I just need to get back on. I will also adjust my eating habits so I cut out some stuff. But I never go on deprivation diets. I just eat less and pass on dessert and fried foods more.

I just really enjoy eating well. I like healthy food, but also just really GOOD food. Sometimes I forget to keep my portion size in check. I do go through phases where pizza "just really sounds good" a little too often, or indulge in a bacon avocado cheeseburger (with fries, of course) because I haven't had one in a while. And wine....oh,wine...its pretty darn good stuff. I like reds...zins, cabernets, pinot noirs...and well, you can't squander away a good bottle of wine on a crappy meal. So that leads me to my steaks, pork chops and other yummy things I like to have for dinner. I love baked potatoes, but typically my "sides" for dinners are artichokes (which I do enjoy best dipped in mayo) and asparagus. I like salads, but am typically do lazy during the week to put all the toppings on that I enjoy the most. Which doesn't really make sense because they all come out of a can (garbanzo beans, kidney beans, black olives) for the most part, except croutons...and blue cheese dressing. So I still eat salad but usually something easier, topped with tomatoes and croutons only.

So to fast forward, I am turning the big 4-0 in a couple weeks. I want to turn 40 feeling fit and fabulous. I am the mother of two small children, a 3 1/2 year old boy and a 1 year old boy. While they do keep me pretty busy, I also find ing that its hard for me to take time to exercise as much as I'd like. I have also gone back to work after being off for a year and have actually put on weight. When I was home I led a much more active lifestyle...walking to the store with the boys in a stroller, taking them to the gym, riding my bike with them in a bike trailer. I also pretty much ate the same boring things all the time. I didn't get out to lunch or dinner more than maybe once every couple of weeks with my friends. Now here I am working in an office, and I am a free woman out on the town with big decisions to make like, "Where are we going to eat today?" and "Oh, you brought donuts in this morning? I think I'll take one, thanks." I have gained 5 lbs in the last few months, and on a short person like me (5'2) it shows. Not to mention the muscle mass I have lost since I have not worked out regularly since I started this job last July. Oh, da horrah!

My husband works most nights so I am left to my own devices as to what to make for dinner. I think I typically make good choices. He is totally supportive of me leading a healthy lifestyle. He is dedicated to working out nearly every day and likes to eat pretty healthy. He has a wicked sweet tooth though, and I try to help him out by not keeping any sweets in the house at all. But he's one of those "binge" people. If he's got a craving, he will dig high and low through every cabinet and the freezer in search of a treat. So, occasionally I throw the chocolate candy from goody bags my son gets at birthday parties in the freezer so if I hubby is having one of his fits, he can find a small something there.

Today a group of five of us from work are starting our version of "The Biggest Loser" challenge at work. We are all geared up to improve ourselves, and hope to support one another. Since we are together 5 days a week, and these are the people I typically make my eating decisions with (good and bad), I think this is going to work out well for us. We all went today to Wolf Fitness Systems to get our body fat tested because one of my co-workers works out there. I have never had my body fat tested before in my life! I thought I was going to get pinched in a few places but it turns out its a little more high tech. John, the owner, put some type of gel on my skin (resembling ultra-sound gel) and put a little sensor gun on specific areas: on my belly, on my waist/hip area, and the back of my arm. After a few beeps, it uploads information into a software and gives your overall body fat percentage. Mine was 28%! I was quite surprised that it was that high, but I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, since my discontent with my body lately is what brought me there in the first place.

I am not a calorie counter, but instead I just hope to keep track of all the exercise I do and put it out "there" (meaning, here) so it will keep me honest. I hope to lose between 7-10 lbs. Our challenge goes from today until March 11...so I'm sure there will be ups, as wells as downs. And hopefully all the downs will be the numbers on the scale!