snow shoveling

Well the holidays are almost done and I didnt do as well as I would have liked. However thanks to the wonderful snow and all of the many hours of shoveling, i was able to only gain 1 pound which is huge considering how bad I was. So that is my tip for the week if you are feeling blah and need some great excersise get out there and shovel it really does help! Good luck for new year's!

Julie's Late Wednesday Weigh-in

Hello!  I was really good this past week and so I lost a pound!  I made it below 170- I am now 169.5 lbs!  Of course, since then I have eaten a few Christmas goodies and a couple of yummy meals.  I will just have to see what I can do to watch my weight now that Christmas is over.  I hope your holidays went well.  So much has happened that it would take me too much time to recount all of it. Take care!

Road Trips and Diets dont mix!

I recently went to Oregon on a road trip and I did horrible as far as the eating goes. I ate way to much junk trying to stay awake and ended up gaining a pound:( I am trying to do better now that i am home but the holidays are a hard time of year to be good. I hope next week i will have a better report! Good luck to all of you until then.

Julie's Wednesday Weigh-in for December 17

Hello again! This week I lost another pound and a half! I am at my lowest weight now of 170.5 which means I have lost 11.5 pounds so far! I am very excited! On my trip to Oregon, I didn't do very well with eating healthy, but we worked so hard packing that I burned off the extra calories. I am continueing to work hard by getting ready for my family to come tomorrow and I will be helping Mom and Dad unpack next week. This will help burn more calories. Good luck with your fitness goals!

Interesting Holiday Facts....

I was watching an afternoon news show on NBC and they presented a few interesting holiday eating facts on their segment "Who Knew". The first one I payed attention to was how many calories an average slice of pumpkin, apple, and pecan pie has. The pumpkin pie slice was the lowest at 180 calories, then came the apple at a whopping 400 calories. The pecan topped the list at 470 calories! The main reason the apple has so many calories is that it has the extra crust on the top. The pecan pie gets its calories from the nuts which are high in fat(but still healthy when eaten in moderation).

The next good tidbit I found from the show is that the National Institute For Health says that most Americans gain an average of 5-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years! Wow.... if I can get to Christmas without gaining weight, then I am doing better than most Americans! Here's to a challenge that may give us purpose to lose weight this season!

Julie's Wednesday Weigh-in

Hello! I lost another pound and a half this week! I am still trying to get off the extra pounds from Halloween,(I have 1/2 pound to go) but I figure if I can be loosing weight during the holiday season, I am one step ahead for spring!

I am going to fly back to Oregon on friday to help my parents pack up to move. Just being around my family and away from home makes it harder to eat correctly. I need to set some eating goals so that I stay on track. So, lets see, I need to bring my own healthy snacks like rice cakes and light cream cheese. I should also bring my low-sodium V-8 juice. I like to have one can a day so that I get extra vitamins and veggies. It is only 70 calories a can! Another low-fat snack I like to have around is fat-free pudding snacks for a little sugar. The chocolate ones are 90 calories and the vanilla ones are 80 calories.

I know I need to be eating more veggies and less starch but it's hard for me to do that. I'm still trying to get more exercise so that helps me lose the weight faster. Good luck with your goals this week!

Weigh in

This week was a great week for me and losing weight. I lost 2.5 and that makes me smile. Sometimes I just dont want to do any excersise but this week I walked a ton! It also helps to have someone to inspire you to go which I had my mom so that was great. Have a good week!

News Release (in case you haven't read my other blog)

For those of you like me who are not so happy with their less than "hourglass" shape, here is some good news. This is a study that was just released from the University of Utah. Enjoy!

Wednesday Weigh-in for December 3

I didn't gain a bunch of weight this week! I was pretty good and didn't have too many fattening foods. On Thankgiving morning, I had lost another 2 pounds, but a couple of days later I was back up two pounds. Then I dropped down again 1 1/2 pounds, but went back up to level off at 173 lbs. I consider this an accomplishment to not gain more than I started out with last week. Probably tomorrow I will have officially lost the 2 pounds, but for now, I'm satisfied. Just like Angie, I didn't feel the need to have seconds!

I had a good Thanksgiving with my Sister Kristi and my Sister-in-law Kathrine. I did end up drained of all energy in the afternoon of Thanksgiving since I had been up with Dallin who was sick with Roseolla! It was still great to talk with my family and enjoy a great feast! Check out my other blog for more info on our Thanksgiving. Good luck in your weight loss goals this week!

After thanksgiving

Well I did pretty good as far as Thanksgiving eating goes. I didn't feel horrible after I ate and i had no seconds! I even left the crust from the pie. I found some new whole wheat stuffing that is half the calories so I made me some of that. It was a great day and I am so glad that I did so well. When I weighed in I had gained 2 pounds but luckily I can blame that on my period! So I hope next week will show the true results.

Wednesday weigh-in for November 26th

I lost two pounds this week! Of course they are part of the four pounds I gained after Halloween. I am really hating having to loose these extra pounds. It's kind of scary how fast I gained weight after Halloween. I guess this is just how my body is going to be as I age.

I am hoping that I will take a hint from the last holiday and not over eat during the weeks after Thanksgiving and Christmas. I don't mind feasting for one day, but it's the leftovers I have to worry about. Halloween candy is loaded with fat and that is why I gained so much. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Thanks for reading!

cookies

I thought I would share a recipe I have for cookies that are good for you and taste good too. I got it from my friend Marcia.

Cake mix Cookies
1 cake mix of your choice I like to use chocolate
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 T water

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes then let cool and dive in!

Raking Leaves

Did you know that raking leaves is actually a great excersise? It is because it uses lots of different muscles! It also gets your heart working so you burn calories. SO if you have to rake your yard dont get discouraged cause your burning calories and getting work done and that same time!

Wednesday Weigh in November 19

Zip, zilch, nada, nothing. No weight lost this week again..... but I did get an exercise ball to bounce on while I watch t.v. or have some time to just bounce. I even bounced while blogging/facebooking. It makes it hard to type though.

I found out one reason for my low motivation and extra eating. For the last 4 weeks, I've been having problems breathing deeply. It would hurt in my chest when I did. But I didn't have any wheezing or anything. I thought it would just go away, but it didn't.

On Monday I went in to see the doctor and he immediatly told me to go to the hospital to have a CT scan done based on my symptoms. He thought I could have a clot in my lung. I thought it was kind of silly since I didn't feel that bad. After the test I found out I had an infection in the lining of my left lung. It's called pleurisy. My bloodwork said I had an elevated white-blood cell count and so I had to begin antibiotics. Luckily, the infection is not contageous. It probably has zapped my energy without me even realizing it.

Since my family was here, I thought I was tired because of being so busy. Good thing I got it checked out instead of just putting it off longer. By the way, I had actually gained 4 pounds over the past few weeks and so now I am going to work on getting those off before I can focus on losing any additional. Gotta get back to bouncing on my ball!

lowfat snack

I am always looking for a really good lowfat snack idea. I love sugar free jello and recently I came across cool whip in a can! So now I can have a squirt of cool whip on top of my jello and its still no calories! I know getting excited about those things are funny to most but when you have to watch your weight like I do it all adds up:)

Get Motivated!

Sometimes it can be so hard to get motivated to get moving and excercise. I have a hard time sometimes and this is what i do... I recently bought me a big ball to bounce on and work on my abs. When I dont want to do anything but watch tv or a movie I make sure that while I watch i bounce! That way I am getting in a workout and doing what i want at the same time. It doesnt really feel like excercise. I also bought this pound weights that are 3 pound balls made from the same material as the ball and I use them during the commercials. My sister in law lost 40 pounds just from bouncing with her baby on one! Give it a try it cant hurt!

Wednesday Weigh-in for November 12

This week has been full of family gatherings and travels, but I didn't gain weight! I haven't lost any though, so I am at a plateau. I want to do more exercising, but I'm not motivated enough to pull out the exercise videos. I am thinking of ways to get myself motivated such as posting a picture of myself when I was much thinner. Also, if I want to have more children, I need to lose this weight and keep it off. Somehow, using this as a motivator may help me. Maybe a picture of a baby next to my skinny picture of me might help me visualize my goals.

I am feeling better about not gaining weight this week, so getting back on track isn't as hard as I thought it would be. What do you do to motivate yourself? Does it just come naturally or do you have to work at it like me? This blog is a learning blog intended to help everyone including the contributors. Did you notice that I added my friend Angie Nelson as a contributor? She is trying to lose weight as well as develop healthy habits. She is using the Weight Watchers program and is doing great using it. You can ask her questions about it and she is good at answering them. Hope your week is a good one!

SOUP

Since winter is right around the corner and its getting colder I have been eating alot more soup. I dont know if anyone has tried the select harvest soups but they are sooo good! And an added bonus they are good for you:) you can eat the whole can for 100 calories and its very filling. There is also progresso soups that are low calories and taste so good. So buy a can on your next visit to the store and see what you think!!:)

Water and Excersise

The thing I have learned this week with not having a weight loss but a gain is to keep moving! If you even do small things like park further from the store or walk a little bit extra it helps. Also keeping the water you need a day close helps with appetite. I like to measure out how much water I need and keep it in a pitcher then I know how much I need for the day. Have a good week everyone!

Wednesday Weigh In- For November 5th

This week has been full of parties, gatherings and family. I turned 33 on October 30th! I also went to my niece's baptism and afterwards we went to Golden Corral for brunch. There was a ton of food! I didn't have any deserts there, but the food was so rich that I'm sure the fat content was really high- omlet with bacon, pork tenderloin, etc. I binged on candy for Halloween (I know, it's really bad to do that- but I'm being honest here) and have been having a hard time leaving it alone. I put the bucket of candy in the pantry to get it out of my view, but it is hard when I have candy in the house. I usually don't have candy around but I can't bring myself to throw it away since I'm not the only one eating it. My Mom took our family out to pizza for my birthday dinner. It was yummy pizza but I made sure to have a good salad as well. I think my main problem is I lack self control when given the option of eating fatty foods. I hope I can work on this and stop giving in since we will be having more parties this holiday season. It has also been raining/snowing this week. It makes it hard to get in my daily walk. I did walk over a mile on Halloween day in the morning. It felt great! So, my weigh in for this week was 0 pounds lost. Give me some pointers and support guys- I need it!

Wednesday Weigh In

I lost a pound this week! I was excited to see that big of a drop. That brings my total weight loss to ll pounds! It is very exciting to me but I would like this to go even faster so I am looking into exercising options. I would like to be losing two pounds a week but I have to be exercising to do that. I did pick up a used double stroller this week for $25 on ksl.com classifieds! It will help me to be able to take the two boys for a walk in the morning. One of the boys I am refering to is the one I watch in the morning part-time. He is the same age as my son Dallin and they will both be turning two in November. We were able to use the stroller today and the boys loved it! I hope to walk farther as I get stronger. Good luck with your goals this week!

Friday- Try It: A Yummy, Filling, Low Fat Snack!

This week I thought I would share a yummy favorite snack! It's very simple- a rice cake (I prefer the lightly salted) for 35 claories. Add 1 ounce of cream cheese (1/3 less fat) for an additional 70 calories and three slices of thinly sliced ham (see picture-20 calories) for a total of approx. 120 calories! I don't use a full ounce of cream cheese so it is probably closer to 100 calories for my snack. I just put a thin layer of cream cheese on the rice cake. Sometimes I only use one slice of ham which takes off about 14 calories. Any way you adjust it, it's a yummy snack that will keep you full for a couple of hours.

Wednesday Weigh In- The First 10 Pounds- Gone!

I lost another 1/2 pound this week to bring my total loss to 10 lbs!! Yeah! I am just continuing to try to cut out the fat and eat less. I've been having some troubles sleeping at night. I wake up and then can't get back to sleep. Usually this is a signal that I've had too much chocolate or sugar during the day. I thought back to what I've been eating and I realized that the slimfast bars and shakes have a bit of chocolate in them. I have been trying to wean myself off of these and I slept better last night.

My heart has been doing fine the last couple of weeks. I decided to avoid the cost of a co-pay and just started measuring my heart rate. When I had to go in for my yearly with my ob-gyn, I payed attention to when they checked my vital signs. My heart rate was at 93 bpm. I double checked with the PA what was within the normal range. He said my rate is within the norm. So, that is good to be reasured! I must have been really stressed about taking my CNA test and that is why the rate was up to 118 bpm. Well, I hope everyone is having success with their goals! Have a great week!

Wednesday Weigh In

Well, I lost 1/2 a pound this week! It actually showed on my scale last Thursday- so maybe tomorrow I will show another drop. It doesn't always come exactly when you want it. I just need one more 1/2 pound drop and I will have lost 10 pounds! My husband and I can definatly see the difference in my body. I am still looking forward to when someone I haven't told about loosing weight will notice my changes.

Last night I watched The Biggest Looser. It is amazing to see their huge losses. I know that I shouldn't be loosing as much as they are since they have more to loose. I am still envious of them though. It is way slower for me and probably for most people. I'm sure if I could afford a personal trainer and not only that, but a live-in trainer who helps me with my meals, I would be watching the pounds drop faster. I am seeing that I should be planning my meals more than I have. I may start following the Slim Fast diet more closely. Anyway, what I am trying to say is that I have felt more deprived during the past couple of days. It is a hurdle that I need to block out and just keep moving forward! I hope some of you have had a better week! Good luck to you in your goals!

Friday- Try It! Water: We All Need It

This weeks post may seem like a no-brainer to everyone, but it is surprising how many people don't follow what they know to be good advice- me included. For instance, I know it is important to drink water throughout the day. But do you think I follow this advice very well? Let's just say I'm improving in this area since I found some water flavor/vitamin packets.

I have a hard time drinking plain water. I've tried a couple different kinds of flavorings. The one I like is called Propel Fit Powder. It is made by the Gatorade company and has several flavors available. Vitamins are added as well. It comes in small packets that you open and pour into your water, then shake or stir it up. I usually don't add the whole packet to a 16.9 oz water bottle like the directions say. Since I drink my water at home throughout the day, I just add a little for flavor and leave the packet open on the counter. It makes the packets last longer. Another thing I like about the propel packets is that there is no color to the powder. This way if you spill, it won't stain. Plus coloring is not an essential nutrient. But if plain colored water is not appealing to you, you might try Crystal Light packets. Do whatever it takes to get the water down you.

For my research today I googled "water when exercising" and found a good article at About .com (click here). The main subject was, "Is Drinking Cold Water During or After Exercise Good or Bad". Seems like a funny question since most of us know it is good. The question focuses on the temperature of the water. The answer is surpising. It stated that the American College of Sports Medicine recomends that, "water and other drinks be chilled when used for exercise". Also, "Research has shown that cold water passes through the stomach faster and is therefore sent to the intestines for quicker absorption. During and after exercise, you want to rapidly replace fluids lost due to sweat, so cold water and cold sports drinks are preferred. " There is a little tidbit for you and I to ponder and practice for this week! Thanks for all of your comments and helpful advice everyone! Good luck to you in your journey towards health!

I Passed My Exams!

I'm now a Certified Nursing Assistant! Yeah!!!!! I know it's not a big deal compared to those of you who went to college for two years or more, but for me it's a big deal! I set this goal over two years ago and now I finally accomplished finishing it. Three kids, working part/full-time, and many pets. You can accomplish anything you want too if you set your mind to it! Hope your day is going well!

Wednesday Weigh In

I didn't loose any weight this week, but I did measure around my rib cage and I have lost three inches since making healthy changes! I'm not giving up just because of a slow week.

Yesterday I had to take my Certified Nursing Assistant State Exams. I first had to take the skills test in which I had to prove I could accuratly take blood pressure readings and other vital signs and then record them accuratly. I also had to show how to care for a person in a given senario. I did pretty well and I think I passed, but I have to wait for 5-10 days to get the results in the mail. I also had to take a 100 question multiple choice exam. That was the easy part. I also think I did great on that one as well.

The main reason why I am bringing this up is because during the skills test, I discovered that my tachycardia may be acting up again. Tachycardia is a fast heart rate. I have it as a reaction to the medicine Strattera for my ADD. I've had to lower my dosage of this medicine to keep my heart rate at an acceptible level. During my skills test, there was another student taking her test at the same time. The Registered Nurse and the student each took one of my arms and counted my pulse rate as part of the exam for the student. Then they compared the rates after having written it down. They did this three times. Mine was an average of 118 beats a minute. This is pretty fast for sitting down, even if you are doing an exam. Coincidentaly, the first time I found I had problems with my heart is during my classes as a CNA student when I was pregnant with Dallin. The RN back then told me I should get it looked at.

I followed her advice and began working with a cardiologist. If you think it is hard sleeping while you are seven months pregnant, try adding a bunch of wires and tape to your chest and belly while being monitored with an EKG for a couple of days. NOT FUN! Back then my heart rate was around 120 beats a minute ALL DAY LONG! The cardiologist said that is like running a marathon all the time. It's hard on your heart. Then to top off everything, my doctor said this is the same reaction I would have to all of the medicines for ADD. That is why lowering my dosage was the option I chose back then. Now I have no more options except to stop taking the medicine since I think I am at the lowest dosage. I will have to check on it. Anyway, getting to a healthier weight will be easier on my heart, so I am happy that I am making the changes I need to.

Hopefully, I can get this resolved soon. Having tachycardia zaps your energy and I think this is why I haven't felt like exercising. Also, heart problems tend to make you hold onto water in your body more which may account for not loosing much weight recently. I hope you can take something in this post and use it in your life. Cross your fingers that I passed my tests! I will then be certified for two years!

Friday- Try It! Whole Wheat Tortillas

One night when we had Ryan's brother Rich over for dinner, he helped me make a mouth watering chicken fajita dinner. All of it was tasty but the most surprising part of the dinner that I enjoyed was using whole wheat tortillas. Having grown up on white flour tortillas, I was leary of this "healthy" version of one of my favorite foods. When I bit into this delicious fajita, I was keenly aware of the nutty flavor of the tortilla. I took a few more bites and decided I had been missing out. I really enjoyed the flavor that the tortilla added to the fajita and so I am suggesting it today! Try it- you may find you like it!

Wednesday Weigh In

This week I lost 1/2 a pound! Sounds small, but I am on the cusp of loosing my tenth pound! I just need to loose one more pound and I will have done it! I am realizing that I should be exercising more in order to help burn off the fat faster. Still, I have only been trying to loose weight for two months and I have lost 9 lbs! That averages a pound a week! I have actually been at 173 pounds since Monday so I am hoping to drop down to 172 in the next couple of days! Are you on a weight loss plan? Are you loosing weight or trying to eat more healthy? Just post a comment and tell us your story!

Since beginning my healthy eating kick, I have made some small, but important steps in my families diet. We have switched to 100%whole wheat bread, I haven't been buying as many snack foods that are sugary, and this is a new one- we are drinking skim milk now! At first my oldest noticed that one percent tastes better and he mixed the whole milk for the daycare kids (A Federal requirement for kids under age two) with the skim milk. I'm not sure he is still doing this, but I hope he will wean himself off of it. Knowing him, he will probably grow tired of having to mix the two together and will just start drinking the skim for ease of use. My youngest (22 month old)is on soy milk because of a milk allergy. Here's to making changes in our eating habits!

Welcome to my new blog!

This post is in response to a comment from a friend on my other blog Jewels 4 U. In the post "Wednesday Weigh In", My friend Ann commented how expensive it is while trying to eat healthy. I found that at first it is expensive to eat healthier because I tried so many new recipes and bought low-fat butters and margarine's that slim fast recommended. I also bought slim fast bars and drinks while I was still buying junk food for the family. Since I've been doing this now for about 2 months, I have more of a routine and the family is on board now so I buy less junk and more healthy crackers etc. I still like to buy the slim fast bars because they are so good and give me a chocolate fix without all of the calories.

One expensive thing that was in most of my new recipes was peppers- green, red, yellow and orange. I tried to find the cheapest place to buy peppers in bulk (Sam's Club)and then cut them up and froze them. This saves me money and time in the kitchen. I cut the peppers into four or more pieces after taking out the seeds. Then stick'em in a plastic Ziploc bag and freeze. I buy only garlic in the clove and as a whole bud. I found out that by buying the previously peeled garlic, it goes bad faster. I am lucky that our garden is growing tons of tomatoes right now so I don't buy those.

Lettuce was always a part of our diet but I try to buy the whole heads because you get more for your money. I can see if you are single though, it would be wasted faster so for you it probably is better to buy it bagged. My personal favorite lettuce combo is l head of each of these- Romaine, red leaf and green leaf. I don't buy iceberg since it is mainly a filler without much nutritional value.

The most expensive part of switching to healthier eating is buying the spices that help to flavor the foods. With less fat, it needs more flavor since fat is what gives most foods flavor. If I was on a really strict budget, I would buy only one new spice or seasoning a week(or month) and then make due with pepper and other already bought seasonings. I recommend cumin because of its stimulant properties it helps with appetite. Click on the link to understand the word stimulant when talking about food and drugs. It doesn't "increase" your appetite like in the word stimulate, it suppresses your appetite. In our society, cumin is used in currys, chili powder, taco seasonings etc. In researching cumin I found an awesome blog about spices and foods. Click here to go to it.

My last suggestion is to try out Mrs. Dash seasonings. In my previous Wednesday Weigh In, I mentioned a friend of mine that is a body builder. One day when we were visiting his house he was cooking some fish in a pan on the stove. He was preparing for an upcoming competition and had a very strict diet to stick to. I asked about the seasonings he was using and he said Mrs. Dash because it is MSG free, salt free and had great spices in it. I then checked it out at our local Walmart and was very surprised with the number of combinations you could choose from. From a good chicken grilling seasoning to a barbecue seasoning, to a yummy lemon pepper seasoning. You should also make sure your seasonings are low in salt because we all tend to get too much salt in our diet. It makes our bodies hold onto too much water which makes our weight loss seem less. I think I will need to do a post on MSG as I learn more about it. I seem to have a reaction to it that I need to watch. Look for that in the future