Catch-Up!

It’s been quite a while.  I’m going to give a quick update on what’s been going on.

My dieting goal is not going so well, partly because of stupid Halloween, and I had a nice revelation to be a better mom and focus on things that really matter.  Like my family.  I really don’t want to go through life with regrets.  Right now, I feel like I could  do better.  So I’m going to focus on some more important things  than what size I am.  

FALL.  Our family has really enjoyed fall.  We’ve loved going on   bike rides and playing at the park.  The weather has been so beautiful.

HALLOWEEN!  was a blast.  The kids loved it.  We carved pumpkins and went trick or treating. Standard Halloween stuff.

GABRIEL finished up his soccer season.  I was so impressed with him.  He hustled and never whined  .  He did a great job!! 

 

WORK has been great!  I had my first closing last week, and that feels great.  My client was very appreciative of my service and that makes me feel good. 

THANKSGIVING was a 4 day non-stop party.  We took no pictures at all.  We were too busy having fun.  Volleyball, basketball, racquetball, shopping at 4 am, eating, poker, more eating, golf, playing cards until 3 am, fun, fun, fun.  My whole family was in St George except Dave and Michelle.  It was a loud, exhausting, great time.

I was just called to be the Primary Secretary.  I am really excited.  It sounds like a perfect job for me.  Mark got called to be a primary teacher.  He is teaching Emma’s class and enjoys it.

I just got all my Christmas decorations up.  It is so fun to pull them out!  But I must say, they are very old (some I had when I was a kid), and our tree is on it’s last leg.  But even so, I love the feelings they bring.  I love this time to celebrate!  I tried to get the shopping done and out of the way this year so I can focus on the true meaning of Christmas.  I want my family to feel our Savior’s love this Christmas and celebrate him and the gift of the atonement He gives us. 

Motivation please

What happened to my awesomely motivating posts? Well, I wrote a good one and it didn’t get saved, and now it is lost forever.   I just didn’t want to start it over again.  Maybe tomorrow. 

I lost 3 pounds the first week.  Yay.  But, I’ve had an awful couple of diet days.  Now I am writing about it.  Hopefully that will be enough motivation to continue on will this silly goal.  

Sweet Dreams

My name is Sara, and I am a candyholic.  My last candy pumpkin was …. last night.   not just one, but a lot.    *shame*

I actually have a strong addiction to junk food.  Mark and I were having an in-house date night.  I wasn’t sure the movie would be enjoyable without candy.  Can I just sit and watch a movie and not eat anything?   I have yet to find out. 

Also, what is it about the weekend that makes me think I’m having a party and therefore justified in eating junk food?   I’m not that big of a party animal.  I’m sure I can do it. 

As with most things in life, it’s important to just keep trying.  Just because you eat one pumpkin doesn’t mean you fail and now can eat the whole bag.  And just because you had a bad night, doesn’t mean you should throw the weekend away and pig out for the next two days.  No.  Get back on the horse and keep trying.  It is a new day with new possibilities, like breaking a horrid eating habit.

Horrid Eating Habit #2

Eating late at night.

The last three hours before bed is the hardest for me,  It’s so important because you can actually lose weight while you’re sleeping, or wake up with a little more body fat depending on what and when you eat in the evening.

Your last meal should be 2-3 hours before you go to bed.  You should feel a little hungry when you go to bed.  It’s your body’s way of telling you your losing body fat.  It’s best to avoid starchy carbs before bed, (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes). 

Why it’s bad to eat before bed

1. Instead of dipping into your fat stores while you sleep, your body will use the food you just ate, and have lots left over because it uses minimal calories while you are sleeping.  So it will store the rest.  as fat.  yay.

2. One nice thing your body does every time you eat is your metabolism increases slightly.  You loose this benefit when you eat before bed because your body is preparing for sleep. 

3. Eating high-glycemic carbs (pasta, potatoes, white rice, sugar, etc.) right before bed will spike your insulin levels and slows nighttime Human Growth Hormone production. That's very bad because about 80% of this fat-burning, muscle-building "super hormone" is released during sleep. 

     Don’t know a lot about HGH?  Some effects are decreased body fat, increased muscle mass, increased bone density, increased energy levels, improved skin tone and texture, increased sexual function, and improved immune system function.  That’s a nice hormone.

4. Eating a large meal before bed can disrupt your sleep. Fatty foods take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and may keep you up. Also be cautious when it comes to spicy or acidic foods in the evening, as they can cause stomach trouble and heartburn.

5.There are many benefits to eating breakfast (I’ll save for another day)  When you eat late at night, usually you’re not hungry for breakfast and miss this important meal. 

4.All this talk of avoiding carbs before bed reminds me how I like to “drink” the crumbs in the Pringles can, and then brush the rest off my pillow.   Here’s a tip for those night carb lovers like me.  If you have a carb craving before bed eat the high-fiber, low-glycemic kind. (apples, berries, peaches, plums, bran cereal, fresh vegetables, vegetable juice, etc.) 

Tonight I am going to get some nice fat-burning sleep. 

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

Dieting is such a  s.l.o.w  process.   I want to see results right now.     I usually push myself so hard those first few days because I want the process to go faster.   Two pounds a week is good, but it hardly shows.  It doesn’t feel like much.   But, that little 2 pounds will add up.  Slowly those pounds will come off if you just keep going. Soon it will be 6, then 8 and 10. 

It’s been very difficult not to go out for a run.  I’m itching to exercise, but I know I’ve got to get a handle on these horrid eating habits first. 

Tip #2

Avoid these horrid eating habits

#1 Not paying attention to what or how much you are eating. 

-Write it down!-

Do you know how fast I can go through a days worth of calories if I’m not paying attention to what I’m eating.      FAST.     A handful of candy corn on my way out the door, some chips when I go in the kitchen, a few twizzlers while I’m reading my book.  They add up so fast.  Before I know it I’ve eaten 2000 calories of junk.   How do you pay attention?  Write it down!  If you can, just make a mental note, and keep a running total of your calories for the day in your head.    At the very least, think about what you are eating.  So many times I’ll eat without the slightest thought about what I just put in my mouth.  Be aware so you can make good choices.

“Keeping a food diary can double a person's weight loss according to a study from Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research.” – abc news.

Tips for using a Food Journal

-Use something that works for you.   whether it’s a  cute notebook, an app in your i phone, or scraps of paper you staple together, the important thing is to get the info down. So whatever makes it easy, do that.  I would suggest something portable as we often eat on the go.

-Write as you go.  Write each thing you eat just after you eat it.  Don’t wait until the end of the day, it’s too hard to remember portion sizes, and those little snacks.

-Keep track of portion size.  Writing “a bowl of cereal” or “a vanilla shake”  could mean you ate 300 calories or 3000 calories depending on the portion size.  I write down my very best estimate of calories.  

-Don’t cheat.   It’s tempting to not record the bad things I eat, but it makes it hard to track and record.  If I write down that I ate a whole plateful of nachos at 11:00 at night, I can better learn and prepare for the next time I get the late night munchies. Plus it removes a little bit of the accountability factor if you cheat.

 

*Stay tuned for Horrid Eating Habit #2.

Big booty

My daily thing: 

I wake up in the morning, go to my closet, and look at my clothes.  After a few minutes I have to admit, I only have one pair of pants that fit me.  I used to love my “favorite” jeans.  Now,  the sight of them makes me sigh. 

So I am officially on a diet.  I am going to give myself a birthday present and it will be 15 pounds lost.  15 pounds in 8 weeks.  I think I will blog about it.  It might be boring, but it might be interesting.  It might give me motivation.  I’ll share some tips and tricks, and maybe it help the three people out there who read this blog.        Probably not. 

Tip #1.  

If you have really bad eating habits, like me, I would suggest not exercising for a little while until you can break those.  I love exercise, but it makes me really hungry.  Which makes eating right even harder.   For a week or two, just focus hard on getting the right calories, and not eating any sort of junk food.  Break bad habits like eating in the evening, and eating sugary snack during the day.

Hopefully, when you add exercise to your day, your good eating habits will be established and you’ll be able to handle the extra calories lost and not stuff yourself with every last candy corn you can find.  

Here’s to hoping!

St. George Marathon 2010

What an experience.   I’ve wanted to do a marathon for a couple years now.  This year I signed up really wanting to do it.  Unfortunately that desire didn’t translate so well into training.  This summer was busy.  I was sick quite a bit, we traveled a lot, and then school and work started.  I kept thinking I’d do it eventually.

It’s embarrassing really.  I didn’t train a lick.  The most I ran all summer at one time was the 6.2 miles I did in the mud run. And that was in June.

Crazy. I know.  What was I thinking? 

I was thinking that my entry cost money I didn’t want to completely waste,  I didn’t have anything else to do, and I wanted to see how far I could go. 

Mark and I joked the week prior about the Marathon on Saturday.  I told him there was absolutely no way I was going to finish, and I hoped I could make it half way.

After a terrible night’s sleep, I woke up at 3:45 to load the buses at 4:15.  (why is it when you really need to go to sleep, you can’t – drives me crazy)   I was hoping I wasn’t forgetting something really important that is just common knowledge to the typical marathoner. 

I took my phone with me, and was so glad!  I was able to text Mark the whole time.  Since I had no clue how it was going to be, It was nice to give Mark updates.   He was so encouraging too, It was almost like he was with me.

So I ran. 

It was really nice until around mile 11.  My calf started cramping really bad.   Mile 14, my knee screamed at me.  I texted Mark and told him I didn’t think I could keep going. 

I’ve been congratulated a lot, and it reminds me of the Nephites in 3rd Nephi when they boasted in their own strength,  when the Lord spared them.  I don’t feel good about taking the credit, because I prayed quite a bit during this race, and I know that I was blessed. 

By mile 16, my knee felt fine. 

Mile 17 I got to chat with my sister Lisa, who was working at an aid station, and I had an energy boost.  

Mile 18 my energy boost died.  But I came so far, I just couldn’t stop.  I would walk the rest of the way if I had to.

I walked and jogged on and off the rest of the way.  My calves gave me the most trouble.  I just focused on the next aid station where wonderful volunteers would rub Icy Hot on my sore muscles.

my dad, giving me water.

The last six miles, my feet really hurt.  I curled up my toes to keep them from hitting the end of my shoe.  I didn’t know what was going on with my feet, I just knew they hurt. 

Even though it was painful, it was exhilarating too.  Enjoyable even.  I like this sort of thing.  I like really hard workouts.  I like to push myself. 

The hardest part was the last 300 yards because I refused to walk.  All my muscles screamed at me, but I finished with tears of pain and relief in my eyes.   It took me 5 hours and 14 minutes.

The most enjoyable part was hugging Mark afterwards.  He was encouraging and supportive at a distance and it felt so good to be with him again.

Now I can say I’ve done a Marathon, but I don’t feel like I really did it.  I didn’t put in the training hours, and it was honestly a miracle I finished.  It was a very spiritual experience which I am grateful for. 

The recovery was hard.  I was too tired to take care of myself afterwards, and I was so incredibly sore.  I couldn’t walk normal for 3 days.  My toenails were black, and have now fallen off.  I feel great now though, and it’s all a memory.  One I hope I never forget.   I look forward to actually training and completing a marathon.  I think it will be much more enjoyable and satisfying.

More Family Pictures

    This one would have been good except for the Emma’s face.  My kids often pull crazy faces.  It’s one reason we don’t have a lot of good family pictures.

Family Photos

We got pictures taken a while back by the extremely talented Rachel DeVault.   We took them in the middle of back to school, vacationing, and birthday craziness. Rachel did such a good job.  There are so many good ones of the kids, but I wish we got more of our whole family.  Next time.

Enjoy. 

       

Rachel DeVault .  http://rdlens.blogspot.com

My little ladybug turns 3

Abigail LOVES bugs!  She was very clear she wanted a ladybug birthday party.  She talked about it for WEEKS and would even invite strangers to her party.   She was so excited for it! 

I was very crafty for Abigail’s third birthday.  Partly because I started planning it too late to order anything, and St. George did not have a big supply of ladybug things.

  I made ladybug headbands for the guests….

ladybug beanbags, and leaves for games…..

and my sister-in-law gave me her bug pan so I could make these cute little cakes.  

 

The Guests.  Cousins Beckam and Mia, and friend, Matayleigh.

When the friends came, and gave Abigail her present, she immediately opened them.   She loved it.

Games.  We played a dancing game, decorated bug boxes, went on a bug hunt, and played throw the ladybug on the leaf game. 

Abigail wore her costume all day.  Here we are at Gabe’s soccer game.

Later that night, Mark took Abigail out on a special Daddy-daughter date to Fiesta Fun.  It wasn’t planned and she was already in her pj’s. She had So much fun with her dad.  She loves getting prizes with her tickets.

Abigail has been an absolute joy since she was born.  She’s easy- going and so funny.  She’s so often happy.   We’ve all loved having her in our home.  She’s a sweetheart, and will make us feel better when we’re sad.  She pretends to be a kitty cat 50% of the time.  She’s a fantastic eater, whether it’s broccoli or Cafe Rio, she’ll love it.  It seems like everything she does is cute or funny.   When she’s sad, she’ll quickly find a little spot she can hide in and sulk.  She is a little mischievous, but it comes from her curiosity.  The other day she was trying to draw a happy face on herself. 

We love her so much!  Happy Birthday little bug.

I am now the mother of a 7 year old. What!?

 

I am going to continue to do this every year.  Freak out how old Emma is.  Next year she’ll be baptized.  Wow.  I’m thinking of the journal we planned on giving her when she gets baptized filled with our thoughts and memories of her and hopes for the future etc.  I think there’s 10 pages filled out.  We better get to work on that. 

This year Emma planned her whole party, which made it easy on me.  

Mark and I surprised her by getting her ears pierced.  She has been really wanting to get them pierced, but was terribly frightened when she realized what was about to happen.  She started to cry and asked to say a prayer.  She is such a sweet heart.   We kept telling her she didn’t have to do it, but she mustered her bravery and did it.

Next, we let her choose the place to eat lunch.  She very excitedly chose Subway.  

After lunch it was time for her party to begin.   There are so many girls in the neighborhood her age, and we didn’t want to leave anyone out, so there was a big group. 

They played games…

had cake….      and then everyone got pedicures! 

It was a fun birthday, and just what Emma wanted.  She deserves it.  She is an amazing girl, and we all Love her SOO much!