Sunday, August 22, 2010

Week 8?

I'm now up to 2.5 miles straight. Can you believe it? If I can do it really anyone can do this plan. I must admit the last few weeks were pretty hard for me mentally and physically. I cheated a few times. This little voice keeps saying I'm done and this is as far as my body will go, but then I go another lap and another lap. I just tell myself my mind is wrong it doesn't know what I can do. It is so hard to stay to the plan and keep going. Excuses like it's 100 degrees, the bugs bit me, my knee hurts, why am I doing this keep popping up too.

Luckily Matt's sister and mom go with me. So, that is a huge factor that keeps me going. Plus I'm getting so close.

I went to the nike outlet the other day and got a bunch of great workout outfits. I highly recommend it to anyone needing stuff.

Thanks to a few seasoned runner playlist and a few of my favorites I have finally picked my playlist. I submitted it to iMix to share but it takes a while to be approved. In the meantime here you go.

Ok that is kinda small. Here is a better list.

Faith, George Michael
T-Shirt, Shontelle
Defying Gravity, Freddy
Trouble, Pink
It Wasn't Me, Shaggy
Murder She Wrote, Chaka Demus & Pliers
In da Club, 50 Cent
You Can Do It, Ice Cube
No Woman No Cry, Bob Marley
Dreams, The Cranberries

New on the Menu

I'm excited this week I'm going to try 3 new recipes. I guess you could say I'm a little bored.

Sunday - I'm going to try Ina's Tequila Lime Chicken. I have high hopes for this one b/c I adore her recipes.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/tequila-lime-chicken-recipe/index.html

Monday - No plans.

Tuesday - Is running day. A few places I have read say that shrimp is great for runners so I'm just going to saute some shrimp with some summer veggies.

Wednesday - MarketStreet Tamales

Thursday - Peanut Chicken Wraps. I'm a little worried about this one. Mostly b/c I'm not a huge fan of Peanut Chicken, but Matt likes it so I'm taking on for the team.
http://www.10buckdinners.com/?p=914

Friday - Spaghetti all Carbonara. I tried this once and it was bad but maybe Tyler has a better way of doing it.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/spaghetti-alla-carbonara-recipe/index.html

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Week 5

I'm now in week 5 of the couch challenge. It keeps getting harder but I'm trusting the plan. We have been going to the track which is nice b/c I know the distance but I feel that my pace is getting slower and slower.It took me about 45 mins to complete today when the plan shows 26 mins. I jogged 1.5 miles and walked .5 miles. Plus a lap for warm up.

Ok, let's break this out. The average walking speed is 20 min per mile. I did 2 miles in 40 mins not including the warm up. So, my jog is an average walking speed. Ahh! Ok. Let's take this one step at a time. I'm going to first work on my distance each week. Then when I reach week 10 I'll start on my pace. The average jog is 10 min per mile.

I look forward to next Monday's time.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Week 1

Saturday, Exercise 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Today went pretty well for the first day. I had to slow my jog to about turtle speed a few times and had to stop completely once to catch my breath. I was able to do the full 20 minutes plus warm up and cool down walk. I think I went about 2 miles. From my house to the park around the park twice and back home. I feel really soar now but I can't wait for exercise 2. I'm not going to weigh or measure myself until next week b/c I feel I'm putting to much pressure on that. I'm going to try to focus on the task at hand.


Sunday - 6 mile bike ride on the Ray Roberts Greenbelt Trail. Felt pretty good. I did get tired on the last mile. Hopefully I can conquer the whole thing pretty soon.

Monday, Exercise 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Today went better than Sat's jog. I was able to jog the whole time I was suppose to and didn't take any breaks. I'm feeling pretty tired at this point but I hear you gain energy in the long run.

Tuesday, Day of rest

Wednesday, Exercise 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Today I did the reps in a gym. With all this rain we have been having I thought it would be a good idea to plan on the exercise today inside. It is a lot different. The elements aren't a factor. I don't think I worked as hard as I do outside.

Thursday, Walked outside for an hour

Thought maybe it would be a good idea to do something. 

Friday, Walked outside for an hour

After stuffing my face at a work lunch I needed something. Strangely a few hours later and I'm feeling a little worn down. I'm having a hard time getting off the couch

I can't wait for next weeks workout. We are taking it up a notch with more jogging. I haven't so much as lost a pound or inch but I am feeling better.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Challenge #2 - The Couch to 5K run.

So, as most of you know the special k challenge didn't work so great for me. 1 - I didn't lose any weight. 2 - I was not happy with eating cereal. 3 - I feel it was a waste of time.

A few days ago I was watching TV (surprise, surprise) and the Julian show came on. I was so motivated after watching it Matt and I went for a run. It wasn't very pretty. No wonder why I have gained 40 pounds since high school. I'm not afraid to admit it. I was 90 and now I'm 130. Granted I don't want to be 90 again but 120 would be nice. I'm shooting for 110 by Thanksgiving.

My goal is the turkey trout. (http://www.thetrot.org) It is a 5K.

How am I going to get there. A while back I heard about this couch to 5K site. (http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml)

Wish me luck. I'm heading out for my first workout.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

USVI and BVI

Well, our trip has come to an end. Here are some pics!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Day 8 Special K

Well, I still haven't lost a pound and I think my waist is the same. I haven't lost hope yet! I did breakdown and ate two real meals yesterday and popcorn but I'm back on track. Two weeks until St John! I better start doing sit-ups or something else.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Day 5 of Special K

Ok, I'm on day 5 and I haven't lost a pound. Hopefully it is just because I'm gaining muscles :) I have been bike riding, walking, yoga, and using the wii fit. When I measured myself yesterday I thought I gained an inch but then today I lost half an inch from Saturday. So, who knows if I'm measuring the same each time.

The food is ok. The first few days I was going through some major chip withdraw. Apparently I'm addicted to them. I really like the pretzel bar snack, chocolate shake and berry cereal. I don't like the granola cereal at all. It is just to fat free for me.

This process has been really hard for me. Must be why they call it a challenge. A few things that I hope I can take away are 1) to exercise/do something 30 minutes a day 2) what I snack on 3) what I cook.

Meal tip - divide your plate 1/2 should be salad/veggies, 1/4 lean protein, 1/4 starch. (mine was more like 1/2 fried meat and 1/2 starch)

Snack tip - precut veggies and fruit for a snack throughout the day

Each day seems to get a little better. I'm not as hungry as the day before. Maybe the whole hunger thing was just in my head. I do notice I eat more when I get bored. (like watching tv) I'm going to keep it up until at least this weekend. If I don't see anything change by then I might slowly introduce lunch back.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Weigh In

Day number one and I am so excited. My first protein shake wasn't bad. I bought the strawberry ones last night so I would have something for breakfast before our weekly shopping. They were on sale so an extra bonus. I was surprised on how much sugar they had but I'm glad it did. I'm not sure how long I can last on just shakes so we are going to the store before lunch!

I know a lot of you don't care/want to know but I was to keep a record of my first weigh in. Plus keep in mind I'm only 5'3''.


133 pounds and 34 1/2 inches

This week I'm going to try special's recipes. Seared Steak Salad, Jamaican Chicken Breast with Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Lemon Pepper Salmon. I'm going to cook a few of my favorites to just so I don't go crazy with new stuff. It can be overwhelming. I'm going to try to post about 3 times a week with my thoughts so bare with me in the next few weeks. I promise the payoff of St John stories will be worth it.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

New Appliance Day

We got 3 out of 4 appliances yesterday.




Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Real Countdown

Ok, I am starting a real countdown to our trip. I have decided to do the Special K Challenge. So what if I have never done a diet in my life. I went to specialk.com and it is really simple . Plus the food looks great. I thought it was just going to be a bunch of cereal but it is more than that. I have decided to document this journey to keep myself accountable.

I'm going to start Saturday. Because A - we shop on Saturday for groceries and B - I'm going out to lunch with the girls tomorrow and the office orders lunch on Fridays. I also think it would be easier to start so it will be in sync with my grocery runs.

I'm getting so excited. I'm still looking over their website and I can't wait to try it. I am a little afraid of all the bars last time I went on a bar kick I got pretty sick of them. Good thing they have a lot to pick from. I like that you can also eat veggies and fruit. I might sub a snack for that. I'm going to weigh in Saturday morning. Stay tuned.

I'm debating the whole before and after pic. I think I'm going to skip that part.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Easter!!

Boy was Easter busy this year. We had so much fun! Saturday we went to the park with Matt's fam. It was so nice to just hang out and have fun. I brought the Chicken Salad of course my fav and Matt's parents brought burgers! Matt and I bought the girls gifts this year and put then in huge eggs. They were soo cool. Then we played a little ball. I had the bright idea to bring Pepper. Seriously maximize the second pic. It is perfect.



Then we went to the Rangers game at the Dr Pepper ballpark. That place was packed! This year they added popcorn and peanuts to the teddy section which is amazing.


The year my fam came over for Easter dinner. We tried the honey baked ham. Honestly I liked the ham we did for new years better. One good thing was you didn't have to put it in the oven at all.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

St John Bound

Seriously hands down my favorite beach spot is St John. We are finally going back this Summer. I'm so excited. Here is a rough draft of my itinerary. We are also going to do a boat day but I need to look more into that one.

Salt Pond Bay Day (All Day)

Drive Centerline stopping to see Catherinburg ruins/overlook - At this fine example of an 18th-century sugar and rum factory, there's a storage vault beneath the windmill. Across the road, look for the round mill, which was later used to hold water. In the 1733 slave revolt Catherineberg served as headquarters for the Amina warriors, a tribe of Africans captured into slavery.

Tourist Trap for lunch.

Explorer Salt Pond - If you're adventurous, this rocky beach on the scenic southeastern coast—next to Coral Bay and rugged Drunk Bay—is worth exploring. It's a short hike down a hill from the parking lot, and the only facilities are an outhouse and a few picnic tables scattered about. Tide pools are filled with all sorts of marine creatures, and the snorkeling is good, particularly along the bay's edges. A short walk takes you to a pond where salt crystals collect around the edges. Hike farther uphill past cactus gardens to Ram Head for see-forever views. Leave nothing valuable in your car, as reports of thefts are common.

Leaf Lobster Dive Site -You could spend a week diving just this spot and still not see the entire reef. Patch reefs, spur and groove formations, and some large ledges camouflage turtles, spotted moray eels, nurse and lemon sharks

Beach Day (All Day)

Visit Trunk Bay and snorkel its famous underwater trail

Enjoy the sun, sand and sea at Cinnamon Bay

Annaberg Day (Half Day)

Annaberg ruins - In the 18th century sugar plantations dotted the steep hills of this island. Slaves and free Danes and Dutchmen toiled to harvest the cane that was used to create sugar, molasses, and rum for export. Built in the 1780s, the partially restored plantation at Leinster Bay was once an important sugar mill. Although there are no official visiting hours, the National Park Service has regular tours, and some well-informed taxi drivers will show you around. Occasionally you may see a living-history demonstration—someone making johnnycake or weaving baskets. For information on tours and cultural events, contact the St. John National Park Service Visitors Center.

Skinny Legs

Cruz Bay Day (Half Day)

Stroll through the quaint and colorful shops of Mongoose Junction and Wharfside Village in Cruz Bay

lunch and drinks at Woody's

Reef Bay Trail (All Day)

Although this is one of the most interesting hikes on St. John, unless you're a rugged individualist who wants a physical challenge (and that describes a lot of people who stay on St. John), you can probably get the most out of the trip if you join a hike led by a Park Service ranger who can identify the trees and plants on the hike down, fill you in on the history of the Reef Bay Plantation, and tell you about the petroglyphs on the rocks at the bottom of the trail. A side trail takes you to the plantation's great house, a gutted but mostly intact structure that maintains vestiges of its former beauty.

Night Life

Fred's at Cruz Bay - There's calypso and reggae on Friday night at Fred's.

St Thomas

St. Peter Mountain Greathouse & Botanical Gardens - Nestled high in the volcanic peaks of St. Thomas, this site was originally part of the 150-acre Plantation St. Peter. Today, the Greathouse displays examples of West Indian architecture and furniture. The lush Botanical Gardens and nature trail feature streaming waterfalls, tropical bird aviaries, fish ponds, more than 20 varieties of orchids and 150 species of Caribbean plants and fruits. (www.greathouse-mountaintop.com)

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Blizzard in Texas?

We had a foot of snow last Thursday. Seriously the coolest thing that has ever happened in Dallas. For those of you that don't know me I am a want a be country nature girl. I see myself as a Paula Deen meets Bear Grylls. Ok, maybe not so dangerous but you get the point. The most extreme I go is rock climbing with a guide. So, back to this snow. Check out our snow man we made after a night of more snow. This winter has been crazy so much for global warming. Happy Vday everyone!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

New Lights

I'm so excited that my new lights have arrived and are installed. I have been wanting new lights forever. We went to the store really only wanting one for the dinning room but we were getting such a great deal we went ahead and did all three. They match our stuff to a T. We kept the old ones just in case we decide to move one day. Now after knowing how long they take to install I'm not sure if we are allowed to move. I'm so excited that this house is starting to take on my personality. There is just so much more to do. Kinda makes me think you should buy a house that you wouldn't change a thing first. Not that this house has anything wrong with it just needs some character. What is left on my list: new appliances for the kitchen, granite in the kitchen, wood floors for the study and dinning room, and the backyard needs trees and shrubs. I have a few small projects in mind too like putting molding around our bathroom mirrors. I saw it on some decor show and loved it. Maybe the way to go is pick a room do it and move to the next. I think our main focus this year will be the kitchen since that is where we spend all our time. Here's to hoping everything sticks to the plan!


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