D@$% accurate scales!!

My new scale came today! I went with the "Eat Smart Precision Plus" scale. I was so excited to get this scale I was even dreaming about it! I had dreams where I got on, and I actually weighed LESS than I had on the other crappy scale. I woke up really happy.

Unfortunately that wasn't reality. I just weighed in and am 8 pounds heavier than I was on the other scale. I realize that I didn't suddenly pack on 8 pounds, but somehow I feel fatter now that I know the truth. Sigh.

When I first got on it, it said I weighed 219 pounds!! I almost fainted. Then I read in the manual that it has to adjust the first time or something. So luckily THAT was not reality.

The good news is I've lost 1.5 inches on both my waist and my hips. So there's that.

In other health news, I just boiled fresh ginger and added some turmeric to it for some ginger tea -- which is supposed to be really good for you. Right now it doesn't feel very good. Everything's burning!

I am happy that I know my real weight, so I won't have to be shocked whenever I visit the doctor, but gees, it is a little frustrating. I feel like I already lost those pounds, but in reality I was just way bigger than I realized.

Oh well, I'm looking ahead to next week!

Hungry for Change

I think something significant happened to my mind this week. I've been eating healthy and all that and feeling great, but I watched a movie called Hungry for Change, which you can watch free here until Saturday. The movie didn't even really say a lot that I didn't already know, but for some reason something clicked for me while watching it. The movie advocates eating more vegetables and fruit and cutting back or eliminating processed foods.

Whenever I'd start a new phase of exercising and eating right, I would just think about all the things that I couldn't eat. I had one goal: lose weight, lose weight, lose weight!! But since I had that heart scare (which was probably nothing at all), I have started FINALLY thinking in terms of my health. What is going to make me healthy? What kind of healthy foods do I want to eat for the rest of my life -- not just for my weight loss goal in the next 3 months?

I decided eating salmon every single day is probably not feasible for the long-term, nor would that necessarily be healthy either. I am going to eat it two to three times a week, I think. But I now LOVE salad. Not the nasty Iceberg lettuce salad -- barf. I got this super tasty Herb mix from Walmart that is so good and flavorful! I am going to eat that every day, and I started mixing in spinach (hello super food!!). Add a tomato, cucumber, radish, cilantro, and parsley and some crumbled walnuts or seeds, maybe a boiled egg -- yum! I got a Balsamic vinegar dressing to go with it, and it is SUPER tasty. Like way yummier to me than what I was eating before. And filling!

It's just exciting to me that I am thinking in terms of health now. I always wanted to think that way. Andrew would always remind me that it's not about the weight that I am, but about being healthy. I'd always nod and say, "Yes, I know." But I didn't really KNOW. It's hard to explain, but I finally get it.

There are a lot of different diets out there, but I've always known that I will not survive on a "diet." If I think of it like that then it will not work. I have to change my mindset and think about the nutrients my body needs to perform well. The movie made sense to me -- diets where you eat mostly meat or whatever, I never understood. Thinking in terms of the Word of Wisdom, I think eating a lot of vegetables and fruit, and some whole grains, and a little bit of meat makes sense. It's not extreme, and it's totally doable.

On a side note, I used the scale on Sunday as a stool to see in the mirror better, and I stepped on the glass and completely broke the whole thing. Argh.

So I ordered a new scale (it's going to come tomorrow just in time for weigh-in!), but I'm kind of worried that the number will be way different on a new scale -- because let's face it, the old one sucked. I think my scale was off by maybe 5 pounds, but I'm pretty confident that the amount of weight lost was accurate. So if the new scale says I weigh 5 pounds more than I thought, that will be really frustrating.

It's disappointing that I'll never really know if I made my 10 lb weight loss goal. But I am declaring myself victorious -- I feel I reached it. Even on Sunday when I weighed myself last I was about a half pound away, and I'm pretty sure I lost more than a pound -- so I'll just declare my goal for March MET.

(This post says it was published last Sunday because I started the post then...annoying. It's Thursday night.)

Week 4 weigh-in

Well, on Monday my health insurance got approved, and immediately after finding out I went and did a Biggest Loser workout. I did it 3 times this week, and I haven't had any heart troubles, so we probably just got more expensive health insurance for nothing...but it does give me a little peace of mind.

So I exercised 3 times this week, and I haven't slipped up on my dieting at all. I have been sufficiently full and loving the food I'm making! It looks so pretty to me, I always want to take pictures of it now. That didn't happen when I was eating a hot dog and chips for lunch -- just so ya know. Yesterday I decided to change up my lunch slightly. I just put the salmon over some tasty greens with tomatoes and a couple crumbled walnuts. Just used lemon juice for "dressing." Super tasty!! Nom, nom, nom.

Anyway, just weighed in...and I lost TWO more pounds! This is the most successful weight loss experience I've had so far, I think. I am not giving into chocolatey cravings, and really I'm not even having them very often. I am very careful about my portion sizes, and surprisingly, I always feel full when I'm done eating. Who needs two helpings of lasagna when one does the trick?

Total weight lost this month? = 9 pounds. Still one more week to go to hit my goal of 10 for March.

Week 3 Weigh-In!

So I have been eating really well this week! I eat this almost every day for lunch -- grilled salmon, carrots, and cottage cheese w/fruit. Yum! I just eat regular dinner, but smaller portions, of course. I've had lots of energy even though I've been getting super crappy sleep (Christian). I haven't really gone back to the exercise videos yet, but I did ride a bike for 30 minutes one day and the other days I've been going on walks with the kids after dinner.

Anyway, I just weighed in....and I lost THREE pounds!! I am very happy with that! Amazing what eating less can do...although I have been somewhat starving on the days that I have gotten some exercise.

I'm already down 7 pounds and well on my way to 10 pounds for the month -- to keep my 30 lbs in 3 months goal in sight.

Feels great!

Andrew update and adventures in art shows...

On his way to a different kind of art show this morning

I think the last time I gave a real "Andrew update" was like four years ago, right after he quit his 5 Buck Pizza job. So it's time!

Andrew is a busy guy! He's been working for his current company for almost a year and a half, and he's doing well there. He's always got side projects going on at home, so when he gets home from programming, he usually goes right back to programming. He's got some gorgeous pics he recently scanned that are in the works, but he hasn't edited them yet.

And yesterday, today, and tomorrow, he is in SLC for "Art and Soup" -- a charity art event. He has his photos on display and a percentage of what he makes goes to the charity -- the money helps people who have health problems who don't have the means to pay.

Since we only have one car, I won't be able to go there and hang out like I normally do at art shows. It's like my favorite thing ever! -- the possibility of selling his prints is so exciting to me. But this one isn't really kid friendly. It's at the Sheraton Hotel in SLC, and everyone's dressed up. The entrance fee of $15 lets you try a bunch of soups, breads, and desserts from local restaurants. Sounds delish, but also probably not great for losing weight!

Andrew said that as far as art shows go, it's art show heaven. No booth fee (just the cut), he didn't have to bring his tent and wall panels (they provide a place to hang pics), it's only 7 hours a day, with a huge break, and they bring yummy food around to the artists! A far cry from Aspen, CO (pictured below) or pretty much any other art show...

The guy without the shirt offered to help Andrew, which was great because set up is torture, but then we realized he was probably looking for money in exchange...woops. Fresh out of money.

See those wooden crates Andrew's got on the cart? Well, inside are his pictures. I can't tell you how much we hate those crates. They are HEAVY (they actually broke the cart during that show), and they serve up splinters like you wouldn't believe. Try moving those around all over the place and opening them up (so many screws!) in time for the show. We were almost always the last ones set up, and the last ones to go home at the end of the show.

Loading up to go to Moab, May 2011

I didn't really blog about any of the art shows -- probably mostly because last summer was really hard/stressful. Below is our car, after the brakes failed on a steep hill...in Aspen...RIGHT as the art show began. That was one of the most depressing weeks we've ever spent. Luckily, Andrew's mom drove hours to rescue us and haul us and the trailer back to Utah. Otherwise, we might STILL be in Aspen.

The good news is -- we have a better way now. Because of the above, said accident, we had to buy a new car. We chose one that was better equipped to haul a trailer (for art shows) and that could get Andrew to better places to photograph. Sorry for the photograph, Andrew...this is one of the few pics that actually shows "Cliff" -- our 2001 Nissan Pathfinder. Kate named him -- the name seemed appropriate, as Andrew likes to take us up in the mountains a lot.

Here we are on West Mountain eating Cafe Rio -- just

enjoying a nice view before we noticed we were

surrounded by ridiculously large and scary spiders! EVERYWHERE!

This is another thing Cliff is useful for -- getting a higher/better perspective!

So the "better" way, now that we have Cliff, is to remove all the prints from the crates and put them ever so gently in the back of Cliff. Amazingly, they all fit! So that's what he did for the "Art and Soup" show. Didn't even have to get a trailer. Sweet.

A typical outdoor art show costs $400+ for a booth space, 5+ grueling hours to set up, and then it runs about 10-12 hours in the hot sun for multiple days with no way to get food or go to the bathroom except to leave your booth unattended (if no one is there to help). It's one of the most exhausting things I've experienced, and I didn't even have to be the one talking to people and selling to them all day. It's all very costly, and it causes stress knowing you have to sell so many prints to recoup your money -- not to mention trying to make a profit.

Andrew said the show in SLC this week is also better because the crowd is very different -- they're more educated art buyers. He said he didn't get any of the usual questions -- one of his favorites is, "Did you go to all these places?" After they knew he was the photographer! Hello! (This is asked by a lot of people!)

Plus, for some reason he is almost always set up next to the crazy of the art show -- the kind that, upon first meeting, proceeds to tell you how much they hate photographers... Nice to meet you, too...

It's his first full day at the show, and he's already sold a 30x40 "A Tangerine Blue." Yay!!

Anyway, as hard as the shows were/are, he learned a lot about what kind of photos people want to buy -- which is very useful information...and people loved his photographs and booth (he tried hard to make it different and feel as much like a gallery as he could) -- he was always the talk of the show, among artists and attendees. I was very proud of him.

Andrew at the Logan, UT show, 2011

The SLC show may be the only show he decides to do this year, as he is busy with other things and wants to get some different pictures before he does more. Plus he just got really burned out last year. It was SO much work. Andrew is one of the few people I know who takes work off, so he can go work some more. He's one of the hardest working people I've ever met. We're going to try to fit in an actual vacation this year!

Video: Happy Feet

I haven't gotten the videos off my camera for a long time...The first one is the most recent video taken a couple weeks ago. Ever since Christian saw the movie Happy Feet, he has had happy feet! It's very cute. He'll just randomly do it in the kitchen sometimes.

The video format doesn't quite fit on the blog, so the right side is cut off...not sure how to fix that.




I realize these videos are not super exciting or funny, but my parents don't get to see the kids often enough -- and it appears not many other people are reading my blog anymore, so here ya go Mom and Dad. :) Jan. 2012


November 2011

Week 2 weigh-in and thoughts on mortality...

Well, I just weighed in, and I lost 2 more pounds! Woohoo! Total weight lost = 4 pounds.

This week has been interesting. I worked out every day until yesterday, and I have been eating well -- I felt amazing!

But on Wednesday I began to have heart palpitations! I've never had that before, and it freaked me out -- to say the least. I know it doesn't necessarily mean anything, and my dad's had them for years. But Wednesday night I also started to have a tightness near my heart! Hello! Googling that did nothing to calm my fears.

Suddenly my life was flashing before my eyes, and I started thinking about how my life isn't what I want it to be before I die, and all sorts of dramatic thoughts were spinning around in my head -- mostly, "I'm too young to DIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!"

It's not that I'm really scared of death itself -- I've watched enough I Survived, Beyond and Back to know that the transition is not something to be scared of. :) But I am scared of not being prepared and not having become the person I want to be. And, of course, not being with my family.

I suppose it's good to be reminded of your mortality, even if there might not actually be an immediate threat. We were just in the middle of deciding on insurance for me to apply to when all this came up -- so that added some more stress. So I didn't exercise yesterday, and I may not today either. I just want to get insurance in place before I do again (want to rule out serious problems)....but I don't want to get out of the habit and lose my motivation because I was feeling so great.

Anyway, we'll see...I might just do some mild exercising or something. Hopefully I will keep losing weight because I am really watching what I eat. Last night I made a "Cheesy Eggplant Bake" that was really tasty! Andrew didn't love it quite as much as I did -- he said it tasted really "healthy." But he did like it. It took much longer to make than I realized it would, but I really enjoyed it. Here's a link to the recipe if anyone's interested.

I think the heart stuff has just made me that much more committed to being healthy. Not just losing weight -- but really getting and staying healthy. I want to be around for a long time with my family, and it's time to start taking what I put in my mouth more seriously.

Here I come WEEK THREE.

Christian the multi-tasker

I keep thinking of things I need to write down about Christian, but then I almost immediately forget them. Argh. I am also making a goal to take more pictures of the kid.

There are a couple of things I should have included in his update --

1) He loves to dance, much like Kate did, but in a very different way. It is my goal to get a good video of it because it is CUTE.

2) He still drinks out of a bottle for his milk, which is my fault, not his, but the way he carries his milk around is unique to him, and he's done it for as long as I can remember. I think he started doing it when he was crawling, since he couldn't carry his bottle and crawl at the same time. But he still does it now that he can walk. He just walks around with the bottle's nipple between his teeth, as pictured above.

He'll play, read books, whatever all while carrying the bottle around in his mouth, saving it for whenever he's thirsty. I'm sure it's a very terrible thing for me to let him do. :)

And there was something that he did today in church that was funny. He recently figured out how to put his index finger to his mouth (more like his chin) and say, "Shhh." Well today he was being pretty loud during the Sacrament, so I told him, "Shhh." My mistake! He put his finger to his mouth and said it, too. Then he let out a loud scream, and he immediately followed it with a "shhh." Then another loud shriek, and "Shhh." I'm glad that he's figuring out what things mean, but for now I need to remember that "shh" has the opposite effect with him.

Weigh-in #1 ... x 5??

I decided to weigh in today because I started exercising and stuff part way through the week. From now on I'll weigh in on Fridays, like I used to.

Last night I went through and read all my entries on here about exercising and losing weight over the past few years, and it got me excited to do it again. It did get me down a little, though, that I haven't been able to stick with it, and even though I was so close to my goal before when I lost 30 -- I can't believe I didn't finish, but instead gained it back! Losing 30 lbs last time took me a lot longer than 3 months, but I will just do my best. I really want to do this!!

I've had a LOT of first weigh-ins over the years, but here is the results of today's first weigh-in: Minus TWO. It's on!!

One tooth down...

Kate's tooth finally fell out today!! It was to the point where it was moving when she talked for heaven's sake. Today she was eating an apple slice, and she said, "Mom, I think I bit something hard." I look over, and I see a dark spot in her mouth where there wasn't one before! Her tooth had fallen out onto her plate. Her mouth didn't bleed at all, and she said it didn't even hurt! So glad I didn't try to traumatize her by yanking and pulling at her tooth. This way was much better!! Every time I look at her now, though, I am inwardly sighing at how big my baby girl is getting!

I couldn't resist...back when that tooth had just come in...'sigh.'

She got ice cream, as promised (I made the promise a while ago hoping she would let me pull it out...), and could not be more pleased. She was so excited. She told me she thought we should call the dentist to let him know. Hehehehe.

After the tooth fell out, she and I went out and got our hair cut! Fun day. Now if I can just remember the Tooth Fairy is supposed to come tonight!

It's that time again...

I'm not sure how many times a person can keep setting weight loss goals and still have anyone care, but I am at it again. I have exercised the past 3 days, and I feel amazing! I have way more energy and am in a way better mood. It has been too long!!

Remember back when I lost 30 lbs?? Well, since then I've had another kid, and I've gained back about 20 of the lbs I had lost. Time to start hacking away again at that fat monster that likes to suck the life out of me.

My life has felt way out of balance lately, and I was starting to get depressed because of it. So, I am taking time to reevaluate and set some new goals.

My goal is to lose 10 lbs a month for 3 months. That would put me at a weight I have not been since early marriage -- and in time for summer! I realize the number isn't as important as just being healthy and fit, but I like to have something to work toward. I'd still have 10-15 lbs to lose to get to my super-freak-out-and-die-I-can't-believe-I made-it weight, which is where I was when I got off my mission and got married.

I go through periods of not feeling motivated to work out AT ALL, and then other times, like now, where all I want to do is get healthy. I have to use that motivation when I have it!!

Christian is finally old enough that I can work out while he is awake, and he doesn't scream and cry and grab onto me. That didn't work out so well.

And if no one is reading this blog anymore...that's okay! It still helps me stay motivated to record my progress.

Here I go! Anyone want to join me??