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!