Fall For Fitness

My company is launching a fitness challenge - Fall For Fitness. Over the next 12 weeks employees across the states will join teams and compete for most weight lost, most steps walked and most exercise minutes.

I created a team, the Lake Center Loser Corps, to get people from my building to encourage each other and compete against all the other teams in this challenge. The website we're using will have a calorie tracker and allow us to enter our daily activity. Every 2 weeks is a round; round 1 starts on Monday, September 13th and ends Sunday, September 26th.

My goal for this challenge is to walk more (yay free pedometer from the company!), exercise every night after my daughter goes to bed (well, except Sunday night cuz that's just insane after Bible study ends at 10:00 PM), and lose 1-2 pounds per week. If I keep it up (which I should, since I'm the team leader), I should lose 12 pounds (if I lose 1 lb/week) to 24 pounds (2 lbs/week), giving me the chance to lose up to almost 50% of the amount I need to lose to be at my recommended weight.

So my real goals are to lose 2-4 pounds, exercise 360 minutes and walk 70,000 steps per round. That sounds sooo big! But breaking it down by day, that's 1/4 lb, 30 minutes of exercise (taking out Sundays) and 5000 steps.

My average # of steps this week has been around 5500 - 6000, so that shouldn't be too hard to do. 30 minutes of exercise hasn't happened every day, but I'll do my best to either force myself to do it each night or add extra time on some days to make up for the days I can't. If I do this, plus watch what I eat, which I've been doing (cereal with non-fat milk each morning, Eating Right lunches and mostly-healthy dinners at home), then I should have no problem losing .25 pounds a day. Thank goodness for my Wii, with the Wii Fit Plus, Dance Dance Revolution, and Sports Resort software to keep me from getting too bored with my workout routine. Plus, I use the Wii Fit Plus software to weigh myself each day, so tracking that will be a breeze, and motivation to step up my game if I stop losing weight or gain.

So, here goes. I look forward to updating here with my progress; I probably won't do it daily, but update weekly and include my team's progress and standing in the competition each round.

July 1, 2010

Waist: 38 inches
Weight: 179.7 lbs
BMI: 30.67

10 minutes on the Wii Fit
Breakfast: 1 large hard-boiled egg
14 minute walk
Lunch: Eating Right Orange Glazed Chicken
Snack: ice cream drumstick
14 minute walk
Snack: Yoplait Light Boston Creme Pie yogurt
Dinner: green tea, Philadelphia rolls, edamame, mochi

My morning walk went very well! My average speed was 3mph and my shins only started to hurt at minute 10! I'm still using my old walking shoes and of course my iPhone with my special workout mix. I hope I can get my afternoon walk in and a bit of Wii Fit tonight. Feeling good today!

My afternoon walk went very well; my mph was a bit higher. And no pain anywhere!

No Wii Fit tonight; had sushi with my mom and my daughter in Irvine because my dad had a board meeting at our house.

June 30, 2010

Waist: 38 inches
Weight: 180.8 lbs
BMI: 30.86

10 minutes on the Wii Fit
Breakfast: large hard-boiled egg
15 minute walk
Snack: Oats & Peanut Butter bar
Lunch: Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce



I got up earlier than usual today. Was able to do my daily body test on the Wii Fit as well as some yoga and balance games. Hopefully adding this to my walks at work will help with the weight loss.

My morning walk wasn't half bad! It still took me over 15 minutes to walk my route, but I'll get back up to normal speed (3 - 3.5 mph) eventually. I traded out my Champion Stride Fitness Athletic shoes for my older plain-old walking shoes. I felt NO calf or ankle pain. I did have some shin splint pain, but I probably just need to work on my KT Tape placement. I heard on KNX1070 this morning that some doctors are saying that the "toning shoes" can be dangerous as you have to re-learn how to walk in them, and that some consumers are experiencing pain and feel that they don't have enough ankle support. For myself, I'll try them again, but maybe only use them once-in-a-while.

Though I know better, I'm not in the mood to walk this afternoon. I'm angry and hurt and confused by things I'm feeling and thinking. I'm ok, just frustrated and overwhelmed with everything going on in my life. And I'm not in the mood to walk. I feel like driving to Cherry On Top and getting the biggest cup of the most fattening things they've got over there and just eating at my desk for the next hour and ten minutes of work. I feel like screaming, I feel like crying, I feel like hitting something or someone. I feel ugly and fat and I don't want to do anything about it but complain. I want to scream, "MY LIFE TOTALLY SUCKS!!" and have people agree with me, offer to fix it and make it better. I want to be one of those whiny people who make it onto talk shows and are given free this and free that to fix their life even though they're no worse off than I am, if not better off than I am. I want to smoke a whole pack of cigarettes and go driving until I run out of gas. I want it to be next Tuesday already so that I can actually make plans and not feel like my life is just waiting for the next green light.

June 29, 2010

Waist: 38 inches
Weight: 180.6 lbs
BMI: 30.83

Breakfast: large hard-boiled egg
14 minute walk
Snack: Eating Right Oats & Chocolate bar
Lunch: Eating Right Roasted Turkey
Snack: light kettle corn popcorn, venti dark cherry mocha frappucino
24 minutes on the Wii Fit
Dinner: 2 1/2 breadsticks, Sprite, minestrone soup, capellini pomodoro, Andes mint
Dessert: Ben & Jerry's Banana Split ice cream

Well, this morning’s walk was just AWFUL! Both of my calves started to hurt about 2 minutes in. I stopped at minutes 5 and 8 to stretch and massage them. At 10 minutes the top of my right foot started to hurt, and by minute 12 my left ankle was hurting enough I was limping. I don’t know if I’m over doing the walking (which it shouldn’t be an issue: I started walking 2-3 times a day last September with no problems) or if it’s the shoes. I’m stuck with these shoes for the rest of the day, but I think I’ll bring in my old walking shoes and see if that helps. Bonus, though: no shin splint pain.

Welcome back!

It’s been a long time since I brought my walking shoes to work. I started my whole “healthy kick” last summer when my company had a health fair where I learned that my health was very poor: high cholesterol, high BMI and my body fat percentage was high. Being young, I wanted to change that. I started walking on my breaks at work and quit smoking cold-turkey. I lost almost 15 pounds and dropped 2 pants sizes.

I stopped walking on my breaks when work got busy and I felt guilty leaving my desk to walk instead of helping my team with their urgent problems. By the time our busy season was done, I had lost my motivation and gained back most of my weight.

I’m not sure what’s sparked my interest again; maybe it’s the summer weather or the memories of being proud of myself for losing the weight. Or maybe I just want to feel some sort of “ha ha” moment that I’m doing better in almost every aspect of my life than my ex-husband is doing in his. I’m trying not to be bitter or “holier-than-thou,” but as a single parent, it’s hard to feel like I’m doing the right things all the time and that I’m actually moving ahead in life. I’m very independent and I want to be able to prove to myself and to the world that I can take care of myself and my daughter all by myself.

I picked up smoking again, and I’m sure one of these days I’ll quit again. Honestly, I enjoy it. I smoke about 7-8 cigarettes a day, less on the weekends when I’m spending more time with my daughter and my family. But I’m sure that as I walk more and lose more weight, I’ll smoke less and less.

I’m not sure I’m going to post weekly pictures. Maybe monthly? I haven’t decided. Now that I’ve had a major (7 months) setback, I’m a bit embarrassed that I don’t look much different than when I started last September.

So here’s to my health! And yours, too! If there’s anyone else out there struggling to lose weight and/or have a more healthy life, I’d love to hear from you! And, of course, comments and encouragement are always welcome! I’ve got my Champion Stride Fitness Athletic shoes, KT Tape* for my shin splints, and my MapMyRide** app on my iPhone. Let me know if you’ve found something that you have to have when you’re walking/exercising.

Time to go walk!

End-of-day Recap:
Breakfast: 1 large hard-boiled egg.
10 minute walk
Morning snack: Eating Right* Oats & Peanut Butter bar
Lunch: Eating Right Sweet & Sour Chicken
16 minute walk
Afternoon snack: Yoplait Light* Pineapple Upside-Down Cake yogurt.
22 minutes on the Wii Fit
Dinner: whole grain pasta shells with meatballs and Alfredo sauce, green grapes, light soy milk.
Dessert: Happy Corn (puffed corn)

My morning walk just plain stunk. Either I didn’t apply my KT Tape properly, or I’ve got the worst case of shin splints ever. The only way to walk without hurting was to put the ball of my foot down first, then my heel. I cut my walk short due to the pain and the fact that I had to use the ladies room. I’m hoping my next walk (hopefully at lunch) will be easier.

I didn’t get to walk at lunch, but I did walk during my second break. It went a lot better than my first walk, but I was slower than I used to be last fall. And my calves were killing me; not sure if that’s due to being out of shape, having been at Disneyland most of Saturday, getting used to my new shoes, or all of the above. But I did finish my normal route. Feels like victory to me.

I plan on using my Wii Fit for a bit tonight to stretch my muscles. And I hope I remember to weigh myself in the morning so that I can set a 30-day weight-loss goal (nothing crazy, probably 5 pounds to start).
 
-Disclosure-
*I was not provided Champion shoes, KT Tape, Eating Right products or Yoplait yogurt for free. However, if the folks at these companies would like to send me some products, that’d be all right by me.
**I was not provided the MapMyRide app for free – well, ok, I got it for free on the AppStore, but that’s because EVERYONE can get it for free.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

I'm so proud of myself for working out again today. I didn't burn as many calories as yesterday, but I did spend more time on the Wii Fit. Since my abs hurt from Hula Hooping, I focused more on balance, agility and stamina. I've also started to measure my waist, since the Wii Fit Plus software keeps a record of that, too! And even though I'm weighing myself every morning, I know not to get too hung up on my weight day-to-day and just make sure I'm progressing each week.

I love that my sister and others are getting motivated to lose weight by reading this blog, as simple as it may be. I would like to ask that you visit my sister's site and give her some extra motivation. As anyone who's ever gone on a diet or lifestyle change knows, it's very hard to find motivation and keep your eye on it. Please offer my sister some encouragement as she is still starting on her workout plan.

Thanks!

Weeeee!

A few weeks ago I bought myself a Wii with my tax refund and some gift cards I had. And I was very disappointed to find that every gaming/toy store I called in a 10-mile radius from my house was out of Wii Fit kits. Don't get me wrong, I love playing the different sports games that came with the Wii, but even though my arm got sore playing Table Tennis, I don't think it counts as a workout.

Well, I finally got a Wii Fit! A friend of mine had purchased it about a year ago and never opened it! I got it for a sweet deal of only $50!

I know I'm overweight, as the Wii Fit so gently told me, but I'm very glad to be able to weigh myself each morning in the comfort of my own bedroom, and work out each evening, as it's been hard to tear myself away from my cubicle, even though I'm supposed to take two little breaks each day. And I like how I can see a graph of my BMI, weight and usage anytime I like.

I'm very excited to add this new equipment to my workout portfolio.

Day 50 - October 16, 2009

2 pounds lost this week!

I can't believe I actually lost 2 pounds this week; I've just not felt like I've done enough to warrant a loss.

I had set a small goal of losing 10 pounds in 30 days, starting on 9/21. With that date getting ever nearer, I don't think I'll hit it; I've got another 3.5 to go. I shouldn't be too hard on myself, considering I lost 4 days of activity when I was sick. I won't get as much exercise today, either, since I've got a funeral to attend. But tomorrow I have a church event that will include a walk as a group, so maybe that will make up for today's loss.

I'm going to check in with my challenge buddy today to see how much she's lost this week. I think each Friday I'll put the score:

This week:

Me: 2 pounds lost

CB: ??

Total (since start of challenge):

Me: 2 pounds

CB: ??

2:00 PM Chipotle Carnitas Bowl

7:00 PM Pork roast, salad, rice, stuffed mushroom, bread, milk

9:45 PM slice of Chocolate Lover's cake

Late "breakfast" and no walking today; I attended a funeral of a co-worker in the late morning.

Day 19 - September 15, 2009

The energy that comes from exercise has finally arrived. The last few days I've woken up before my alarm sounds, though I've stayed in bed, reluctant to give up my comfy spot. But since it's been persistant, I might actually start to get up on time!

It's been two weeks since I quit smoking. I still use my ecigarette in the car, but not as much. For example, I used it yesterday on my way to work, but didn't use it at all the rest of the day. My sense of smell is getting better: when I got out of the elevator on my floor at work today, I could smell that someone had made instant ramen (which of course I soooo wish I could have right now).

8:45 AM Kirkland Signature weight loss shake

11:51 AM 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 Bartlett pear

8:00 PM 1 slice of sourdough bread, grilled. 2 all-beef hotdogs, 2/3 cup of chili, 1/8 cup of shredded cheese

In general: 70oz of water

13 sit-ups (from laying flat to touching toes)

42 minutes of walking

Day 15 - September 11, 2009

2.5 POUNDS LOST THIS WEEK!

After not-so-healthy food choices last weekend and going over a bit on my carbs limit, I'm so excited to see this big of a drop! That means I've lost a total of 5.5 pounds! My BMI has gone down 3.1% and my body fat % has gone down 3.7%!

Today I'll only get 2 walks in at work since I have to leave early. Perhaps I can do a bit of yoga this evening if time allows. Or, maybe head to Disneyland and carry my daughter on my shoulders for 10 minutes or so; go from 1lb wrist weights to 40lb shoulder weight!

I am so excited to keep up with this diet and exercise. 5.5lbs in 2 weeks is sooo the motivation and progress I needed to push forward and really do this for myself.

Thank you everyone who's been encouraging me to keep going; your motivation helps me and I think helps motivate others, too. I'm actually kinda excited to take more pictures of myself in 2 weeks! Is that crazy?

8:45 AM Kirkland Signature weight loss shake

12:30 PM Healthy Choice turkey breast with gravy and traditional dressing, corn, peas, carrots and cherry oatmeal crisp

7:40 PM Healthy Choice chicken Alfredo florentine with spinach and tomatoes over whole grain penne

11:50 PM 5 Starburst candies

In general: 60oz of water

Note to self: jeans + 70 degree weather + walking 3.5mph = too much sweat!

Day 12 - September 8, 2009

Today marks one week of no smoking for me. And during this 3-day weekend, I only used my e-cigarette for one day. I think that would be because I didn't do a lot of driving. I mostly want to smoke when I'm driving, so I do anticipate wanting to use it this week to and from work.

I bought wrist weights (1lb each) this weekend and plan on trying them out this week on my walks. I've read mixed reviews on whether or not they do any good or harm. I don't plan on wearing them all day, just during my walks.

I didn't do very well with my nutrition this weekend, so I'm glad I bought frozen diet meals to have for lunches.

9:15 AM "Kirkland Signature" weight loss shake

12:30 PM Healthy Choice Chicken Parmigiana w/ broccoli and caramel apple crisp

In general: 60ozof water

7:30 PM Leftover whole wheat linguini with meat sauce, handful of cashews

8:30 PM Air-popped popcorn with 2 Tbsp of butter and 2 quick shakes of salt

YES!!! I walked my usual route today during my morning break wearing my new wrist weights. I walked .81 miles in 13 minutes 39 seconds! That's 3.5mph and 1 minute 21 seconds less than my usual time! Yay! And the front of my lower legs didn't hurt until I was already halfway through my walk. Awesome!

So far I've lost 2% of my body fat and dropped .6 points on my BMI! Not "Biggest Loser" quality, but I don't get to exercise all day. I am averaging 30-45 minutes of walking 5 days a week. Plus, I've got a small-term goal of losing 10 pounds in 30 days, set on mapmyride.com. I've already completed 35% of my goal in 10 days!

Day 11 - September 7, 2009

I have no official plans for today except going to lunch with my boyfriend and my daughter. We might go to Disneyland later, we might not; it's Labor Day, so it's bound to be crowded.

I downloaded an app for my iPhone that shows me the best options for "good for you" food nearby. So if I'm at a restaurant, it'll show me what I should get and how many calories/fat/carbs it has. I'm not quite sure it's totally accurate: it says that the healthiest thing at 7-Eleven is a jelly donut... maybe they just mean out of the 7-Eleven branded food, cuz I'm pretty sure the bananas at the checkout counter are healthier than the donuts...I hope.

I also want to go to a store to see if I can find wrist/ankle weights to wear when I'm walking; up the challenge a bit since I seem to be plateau-ing on my time/speed (no running, since my knees aren't able to handle it).

1:30 PM Minestrone soup & whole wheat linguini with meat sauce

5:45 PM Otter Pop

8:00 PM 3 small slices of sausage and olive pizza

11:00 PM 2 scoops of mango sorbet

The only exercise I did today was setting up and taking down my daughter's bounce house. However, I did get wrist weights (1lb each) today, so I'm looking forward to using them on my walks this week.

Day 10 - September 6, 2009

Was sooo relaxed yesterday, I didn't think about blogging. Sorry.

Yesterday was a do-nothing strenuous day. Having had an exhausting day on Saturday, we skipped church (which was an hour earlier than usual) and breakfast and just waited to meet up with the kids from church at the local "other mouse" pizza and games place. Then we went to the annual International Street Fair and walked around it for a couple of hours. The day was topped off with vegging on the couch, enjoying the A/C.

12:00 PM Salad: romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cubed ham, devilled eggs, black olives, bleu cheese dressing. Got 2 servings, as it was all-you-can-eat and I was considering this my breakfast and lunch.

4:00 PM Frozen fruit bar; banana flavor (with pieces of banana)

8:00 PM Macaroni & cheese

10:00 PM 1 slice of Tropical Torte with Fresh Pineapple

In general: 60oz of water

No exercise except for walking around the street fair at maybe 1.5 mph. My calves are a bit sore from walking 2 hours that slowly in a crowd wearing flip flops.

Day 9 - September 5, 2009

My arms are a bit sore from yesterday's walks; awesome! Today may be a bit of a challenge; I'm going to my boyfriend's mom's house for a bbq and hanging out. There may be alcohol, which I know can be bad for a diet, and the main meal will probably consist of hot dogs and hamburgers. I'll just have to be cautious and eat just a little bit at a time. The only exercise I'll probably get is helping my daughter swim in the pool at the bbq.

7:30 AM "Kirkland Signature" weight loss shake

10:25 AM 4 Cheez-Its

11:30 AM "Kirkland Signature" weight loss shake

7:30 PM-ish Hamburger with light amount of ketchup and mayo, one slice of cheese. Tuna salad, beans.

8:00 PM-ish 1 slice of Tropical Torte with Fresh Pineapple and a scoop of a chocolate cake, chocolate pudding trifle

In general: 50oz of water

Oh, and today is Day 5 of no smoking!

Did not get any exercise today, unless holding and feeding a 5-month-old counts.

Yeah, didn't think so.

Day 6 - September 2, 2009

I'm going to have a rooftop dance party!

Well, not really. But I am going to dance today. Not on a roof, but on the top level of our parking structure which is always empty. When I lived in Oceanside, I used to go line dancing at a club on the Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton every Tuesday and Thursday. Every time I found a new song I could dance to, I would buy the track. I eventually put together an album, and I just remembered that I still have that album on my iPhone. Hooray!

So today instead of walking on my breaks, I'm going to dance. I'm not worried about looking like a fool; I love to dance and I'll probably get so wrapped up in it that I wouldn't notice if anyone was looking.

9:00 AM "Kirkland Signature" weight loss shake for breakfast

1:00 PM Small salad of Romaine lettuce and bleu cheese dressing on the side

7:15 PM Slice of Tropical Torte with Fresh Pineapple (under 350 calories)

8:30 PM One piece of garlic pull-apart bread

9:30 PM "Kirkland Signature" weight loss shake

11:00 PM Slice of Tropical Torte with Fresh Pineapple

In General: 80 oz of water

Wow, I miss dancing! I can't remember the last time I went to the DD at Camp Pendleton; I'm rusty! I went to a club in Fullerton once (can't remember the name) and it was packed. I'll have to try it again so I can remember the dance moves. The shoes I've got at the office for walking aren't the best for dancing, but then neither is the parking structure concrete. But I got a good 15 minutes in during my first break. Sweating like crazy, though, because of this wonderful weather, plus I'm wearing black pants today. I'll have to make sure I keep hydrated.

I might be able to sneak in a different workout today; I'm supposed to organize the storeroom that my department uses for plan materials. Lots of boxes and bending and lifting. Will probably work up another sweat and get to claim it all as weight lifting. :)

I did not get to dance or walk during my lunch. I spent part of it eating, and the rest of it venting and crying to a friend about my boss and job. If my boss stays in the office for the rest of the day, I won't feel comfortable leaving my cubicle, let alone the building, to take my break; she's watching my every move, trying to find a mistake. Right now all I can think about is going out and buying a pack of cigarettes; stress is definitely a trigger for my urge to smoke. And there's nothing more stressful than my boss. I've got to find a way to suppress the anger I feel every time my boss is here or sends me an e-mail or calls me on the phone or talks behind my back at a meeting I can't attend because she holds it after my normal working hours and she won't approve overtime.

I did get to walk during my second break, but only for 10 minutes since I didn't want to send my boss over the edge. I used my iMapMyRide but it somehow stopped recording near the beginning of my walk, so only 30 seconds of data was collected; I discarded it.

Today was a weird day for dinner; I had a party at my house for my second job (think demonstration involving kitchen products). I always forget to eat right before people arrive, so I end up eating a little bit of what I cook, then have something healthy-ish later on. The end of today concludes my second day of not smoking. I am still using my ecigarette and nicotine gum when needed, but I still feel the urge to smoke when stressed. I can't wait for that feeling to go away.

Day 5 - September 1, 2009

Did not do Yoga this morning; today is the first day my company will not allow smoking on company premises. Since I usually smoke during my break and lunch, I'm going to walk around the building instead. If I walk both breaks and part of my lunch, I should get at least 30 minutes or more. Last night I smoked what I hope will be my last cigarette. Since I can't smoke at work, I'm going to try going back to my e-cigarette in the car and at night. It'll make it much easier to exercise, and of course, make me healthier.

I still have a little bit of knee tenderness this morning, and my lower back is sore if I don't sit nice and straight. I'm actually looking forward to my walks at work today; I have an app on my iPhone called iMapMyRide that will track how long, fast and far I've walked. I'm hoping to post the results on here. And some extra motivation: my cousin is motivated by my determination, and her motivation motivates me to work out each day! It's awesome how infectious the desire to exercise can be! Now, if only I can keep this motivation going; it's only been 5 days.

On the drive to work, I noticed that the front of my right thigh is a bit sore, more noticeably when I moved my foot from the gas pedal to the brake. My left thigh is also sore. And while I'm enjoying the benefits my skin is getting from drinking all this water, I'm visiting the ladies room a lot more often. Just about every 1 1/2 hours I have to "go." Kind of annoying, and I'm hoping that will go away eventually.

9:00 AM "Kirkland Signature" weight loss shake for breakfast

12:53 PM Remainder of Chipotle leftovers

7:00 PM Garlic Chicken Pasta with carrots, corn and broccoli

In General: 90 oz of water

The problem with ecigarettes is they need power. I think the heat affected the battery on mine today; I only got to use it twice before it died on me. So, at 10:20 PM, I'm using 2mg Nicorette to keep this craving at bay; I'm used to having 2 cigarettes right after I tuck my daughter in bed.

Walked three times at work today. I've been using the iMapMyRide app on my iPhone; seems to work well. Now I just need to create a playlist on my iTunes so I can keep up the right pace. Take a look at the map below to see an example of where I walk.

Day 4 - August 31, 2009

I plan on walking this evening after work. Hopefully I'll have a walking buddy to join me and my slow-paced 5yo.

9:00 AM "Kirkland Signature" weight loss shake for breakfast.

12:30 PM 1/3 of a Chipotle carnitas bowl from last night

7:30 PM 1/2 a place of lettuce w/ bleu cheese dressing, spaghetti w/ EVOO and meatballs

In General: 70oz of water

30 minutes on the elliptical machine upstairs. A bit uncomfortable for my knees, and after 10 minutes, my toes were tingling, like how they feel when they've been "asleep." I noticed my glutes were working; wonder how sore they'll be tomorrow.

As I finish writing this at 12:23 AM Tuesday morning, my knees are hurting. I won't give up on the elliptical right away, but I don't think I'll use it more than twice a week to determine if will continue to make my knees hurt. I think it's just the position of the foot pads; too wide for my normal stance, and not adjustable to fix it.

Day 3 - August 30, 2009

**Could not post on Sunday; a couple of hours after getting home, the power went out and was restored 10 hours later***

Totally forgot to have breakfast today; went to church on an empty stomach. Lower back muscles not sore anymore and left ankle feeling better, but now my left calf is feeling tight.

12:00 PM "Lunch" after church with friends at Marie Callender's. I had their Soup & Salad bar, two waters and a lemonade. For my salad I chose lots of lettuce, 2 hard boiled eggs, ham cubes, tomatoes, olives and a partial scoop of bleu cheese dressing. I ordered the vegetable soup, but only ate the squash since a lot of it was onion and string beans, and I didn't drink the broth.

2:30 PM Went swimming at my sister's house. Didn't "swim" much, but helped my daughter dive and swim. Honestly, I would consider it light-impact cardio since I was in the pool for about an hour with her.

4:30 PM Handful of cashews

6:30 PM - power goes out in my neighborhood

8:00 PM - 3/4 of a Chipotle Mexican Grill bowl: carnitas, rice, beans, sour cream, cheese and 1/2 a large root beer. (yeah, not so good, but at least I didn't eat the whole thing)

In General:8 8oz glasses of water

Day 2 - August 29, 2009

11:10 AM Woke up with a very sore lower back. Possibly from yesterday's morning Yoga, possibly from carrying my 40lb child on my shoulders and hip. Either way, it's comfortable if I'm sitting, but walking probably looks funny to everyone else.

Lots of laundry and unpacking of new kitchen stuff, so I'll have to figure out what to do for exercise. This heatwave is making it really difficult to do anything remotely active. Does lifting full laundry baskets up the stairs count? I'll figure out something.

11:20 AM Bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats w/ 2% milk

1:00 PM 16 oz of orange juice

4:15 PM a few tortilla chips with homemade guacamole

6:30 PM Whole grain pasta with a homemade tomato and mushroom "sauce" (more like a pico de gallo)

Over the course of 3 hours, two frozen margaritas

In General:8 8oz glasses of water

No exercise today; lower back muscles sore and my left ankle was feeling the damage from carrying my daughter the night before.

Day 1 - August 28, 2009

My morning started out with Yoga in my living room at 6:10 AM. First added benefit: the heat wave made it into "Hot Yoga." Second benefit: I was able to serve my daughter her breakfast instead of having my dad do it.

I'm not as flexible as I used to be; I can't bend over and touch my toes. When I was younger (age 5 - 13-ish) I took tap, ballet and jazz dance classes. I was good. Genetics took over in Junior High and made my knees "go to pot." Doctors told me no running, jumping, dancing, skiing, stairs, etc. I took a 3 year break from dancing and took Weight Training in High School instead of regular P.E. It allowed me to focus on strengthening my legs and not have to play softball or tennis where running would be involved. My Junior year in High School I took a dance class as one of my electives, where the instructor was gentle with those of us with physical limitations. My knees felt better those last two years of high school because of the muscle conditioning they received from the Weight Training and then the dancing.

Anyway, so Yoga was interesting this morning because my fingers could only go to about 6 inches off the floor when I bent over. It got easier later in the exercise. A couple of the moves gave me a headache, but it didn't last long. But the 30 minutes felt a lot longer than that; I was out of breath and sweating like crazy by the time my timer went off. Not sure if my muscles will be sore in the next few days; right now I feel fine. No notable increase in energy yet, but I'm not as tired as I expected I'd be after getting up 30 minutes earlier than normal and exercising.

9:20 AM "Kirkland Signature" weight loss shake for breakfast. I plan on having leftovers for lunch: 3/4 of a roasted chicken thigh and mashed potatoes. Dinner will be interesting: my daughter, boyfriend, cousin and I are going to Disneyland. Usually we hit Redd Rocket's Pizza Port for dinner, getting the Chicken Fuscilli with a cream sauce. Probably not the best for my diet plan. Again, not big on salad, but I might just have to finally try something other than the fuscilli for dinner.

12:10 PM 1/2 a skinless chicken thigh and more mashed potatoes than I should have had; I didn't want to throw them away, and I wouldn't eat them again as they'd been reheated twice already.

4:15 PM 1 medium sized apple

6:00 PM 1 Granola bar

8:00 PM 1 small corn tortilla

8:30 PM 1 large chicken Caesar salad (took me about 40 minutes to eat it)

11:15 PM 1 medium pineapple spear

In General:10 8oz glasses of water

Around 10:45 PM I noticed that my lower back was a bit sore if I sat down. We did a lot of walking at Disneyland, especially in the later evening when we went from Tomorrowland to Critter Country to Tomorrowland to Adventureland all to ride one attraction (everything kept breaking down when we arrived). The walk from Tomorrowland to Critter Country and back included about 10 minutes of carrying my 40lb 5-year-old on my shoulders. The walk back to the car in the parking structure also included about 15 minutes of carrying my now-sleeping child. So 25 minutes of walking with 40 extra pounds. Not bad.