2011 Goal

So this afternoon was my first time trying out Pilates. Both Stephen and I made a goal to loose weight this year, we want to feel and be more healthy! I'd like to drop approximately 40lbs. Since high school my weight has yo yo'd putting on and dropping 40-50lbs. give or take during life changes (work, moving, having children) - and as of right now I'm on the "putting on" part of the cycle. It was probably the summer of 2007 the last time I felt good about my weight. I had been nursing James for about 9 months (I was a pro at burning calories by breastfeeding!) and exercising, and for some reason the weight came off pretty easily compared to after I had Madeline. I dropped 50lbs. and was below the weight I was at when I got pregnant with James. Unfortunately I have gained back approx. 40lbs. since then. And this time I don't have breastfeeding on my side to help me burn calories. So I am going to try to workout for at least 40 minutes a day, 6 days a week. Watch my food portions, and try not to eat late. We'll see if these changes bring any results. I uploaded a few fitness videos to our Netflix queue and tried Pilates. I liked it! Even though I couldn't hold half the positions. But I tried, and my muscles responded by shaking and being sore afterwards. James and Madeline were totally curious and joining me. Madeline telling me, "Mom you are already looking skinnier to me!". "Thanks babe but it doesn't happen that fast." She then tells me, "But Mommy you can't get rid of your fat around your tummy, because that is from when James and I were in your tummy, and that is love." Sweet huh. And although I don't mind some of my motherhood scars - fat is one I do mind and rather get rid of! Below I uploaded some eGo photos to remember that I can do this and be at that weight again. Madeline liked looking at the old photos of mama and dada.

4 years ago - summer of 2007 at our cousin's wedding in Iowa.

10 years ago, Christmas 2001 I believe - before I had children.

14 years ago, Valentines 1997 I believe. Madeline said, "Wow you guys look different, Dada has rock star hair and his eyebrows are bigger." LOL

So wish us luck, send your encouragement - we can use it!

Life is like riding a bicycle...

...in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving.
~Albert Einstein.
Only on my new (well new to me) stationary recumbent exercise bike I don't need to worry so much about balance - but I do need to keep moving! Stephen and I have been looking into used treadmills and recumbent bikes on Craigslist. Stephen more so wanted a treadmill while I felt I would use a bike more consistently and comfortably workout on one. So I got my bike, it's a used NordicTrack and needed some dusting and cleaning but I got it for $80. Right now it sits in our family room. I can workout on it while watching TV and be in the same room as the kids and Stephen are most of the time.

It has 4 preset workouts spanning from 20-30 minutes. I've done 2 of them so far and let me tell you those hills are killers!!! But I like doing the preset workouts, it gives some variation to my workout and challenges my legs when the resistance goes up not to mention my BPM goes up too! The workouts leave me feeling sweaty, my legs jello-y but best of all I feel more energized after working out on it! I don't know if Stephen is using it as much as I am but he did use it for the 4th quarter of the Viking game on Sunday night cause he had to release some stress! These pics are so my parents could see the bike is safe for the kids to be around. They were concerned because when my brother was younger he lost part of his finger on their stationary bike by putting it in the moving parts. As you can see all the moving parts (besides the pedals) are fully enclosed. The kids just like using it as a new seat to watch TV in.

Update on my 30 day jump start Biggest Loser workout. I've been trying to do the DVD workout at least 5 days a week. They're "short and sweet" so I usually do them in the loft while the kids are taking their bath. I really like them! Previous contestants from the show take turns leading a workout, so they're really inspiring.

Hopefully I'll see some results soon and loose some inches and some pounds! Time to go workout!

Week 1 Day 1

Well I finaaaaaallllyyyyy stopped procrastinating and started my 30 day jump start. This actually wasn't a New Year's resolution - but something I've wanted to do that has taken a long time coming to get motivated. :) So I bought this DVD back in December. Along with a set of 3lb. hand weights. I finally popped it in the DVD player tonight and did my Week 1 Day 1 workout in the loft while the kids played in their bubble bath. Boy am I out of shape! LOL I really liked the workout though, and seeing average to bigger size people on the screen helps motivate me that if they can do this I can too! I like the DVD options and how there is daily workouts for 4 weeks. I plan on doing this every evening while the kids are bathing. Seriously if I cannot devote this little time for myself everyday to better my health and weight then that's pathetic! So I am going to periodically post updates about my 30 day jump start to hold myself accountable.

My other motivation is this dress hanging in my closet that I see every morning. My best friend is getting married in 5 months and this is my bridesmaid dress (isn't it cute? and the color is so pretty!). I really frowned on the dress size I had to order. When we moved here to TX in 2007 I probably lost a total of 20lbs that first year here (I owe that to breastfeeding and chasing not one but two kids). I was feeling pretty good. And fitting into some clothes that I hadn't worn in years. But this past year I think I've gained most of that back and I'm blaming it on going back to work part time, having a desk job, and being tired and unmotivated after work. Seriously sitting on your bum in front of a computer and partaking in freshly made Krispy Kreme doughnuts while chit chatting with coworkers does no good for your health.

But another great tool I have to help me loose weight and get healthy is our new Samsung blu-ray player. It's wireless and has instant streaming to Blockbuster, Pandora, You Tube and Netflix sites instantly downloading from those sites. My parents got us this player along with 3 months of Netflix...so now I have access to hundreds of Fitness videos! Very cool.

Loosing weight, haircuts and kids...

Hi everyone! Just thought I'd talk about what's been happening...

Well we finally drug out our Torso Track from underneath our bed. Stephen's been doing great with his dieting. He's already lost 20lbs.! He started using a belt for his pants he hasn't used in years, was only able to put it on the first hole, but now it's on the 3rd hole. Even at work the other night (when I started to worry because he wasn't answering his cell!) one of his older belts broke, and his pants kept slipping down so he couldn't keep his walkie talkie and his cell in his pockets because they weighed his pants down! He's now back to eating regular meals with the kids and I (no more cabbage soup), so now it's really time for us to get a good exercise routine going.

I'm even surprising myself with the weight I'm at now. I weigh about 10lbs. less than I did when I first got pregnant with James, and would like to loose another 15lbs. to get down to the weight I was in high school. I am so happy the pregnancy weight just melted off this time around, I guess I owe it to burning calories breastfeeding for a year...and chasing after TWO kids now! It's hard to tell in the above photo, but Stephen and I both got haircuts. Doesn't my hubby look handsome? I got 2 inches cut off. Am happy with this short style. And Stephen really likes it too!

Madeline is really into making funny faces now when I take photos. She doesn't get it from me. This girl is showing more and more traits like her Daddy.

Madeline took this photo, don't mind my messed up hair, or the obvious need that I desperately need my eyebrows waxed. Thanks to our sweet neighbors and friends next door, I have a gift certificate to a spa in South Austin and will be making my way there very soon! Whoa doesn't James' foot look big!?

Stephen bathed the kids tonight. Had to include this funny shot of James looking at me over the shower glass doors. What a ham.

Since we've been here for a year, a lease renewal is up on our house. Stephen and I are really anxious to buy a home and for sure wanted to make it happen this year. But we've been talking about a lot of things lately, praying too - and decided we really need to stop pressuring ourselves on this matter. It's such a HUGE purchase. We don't really want to give into settling for a house we can just barely afford. Without having the luxury of choosing maybe some upgraded options, etc. So we decided this years focus for us, shouldn't be the pressure of buying a house, but really to pay off some debts (including selling our Yukon and getting rid of that loan), increasing our savings account, establishing consistent hours for my job at home with West, and really just focusing on what we have now and how thankful we need to be. So we renewed our lease for our house. Actually we look forward to living here awhile longer, we love and adore our neighbors. Just more fun times ahead with them.

We will continue to pray the housing market stays in our favor, and are hopeful that it will take a long time before prices start shooting up. Besides, housing here in TX is way affordable, and you get a lot of "house" for your money. We'll continue to keep looking at model homes, I love walking through them and checking out the interiors. We've started Spring cleaning. Stephen actually spent several hours organizing the garage, hanging the tool holders on the walls he bought months ago, installing our bike hooks in the ceiling...and he cleaned up our front planter area and went on a "killing" mission to get rid of all those nasty crab grass weeds that grow in the lawn. I'm excited for Spring time! And with our tax refunds would like to get a big trampoline for the kids to put into our gi-normous backyard!