Christmas Weekend

My sister and her dog are here for Christmas weekend, so I'm taking a break from counting calories.  I'll still try to get some exercise in when I can -- we were planning to take the dogs for walks, but it is supposed to be cold and rainy so I'm not sure if that will happen.  Walking them is always an adventure.

My sister are planning to do some cooking - making dad's famous chili and mom's bierocks that we can freeze for later.  And baking crispy oatmeal cookies, with the hope of recreating the cookie we got during our drive home to Kansas for my cousin's wedding.

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!

Wednesday Weigh-In --- 12/21/11

Minus 1 pound this week.

And today is the last day of the 21-Day No Junk Food challenge!  I'm looking forward to some M&Ms from Aa's party favors tomorrow!  And frozen yogurt from Gogo's!  And I'm definitely looking forward to downloading some new songs from amazon.com for my mp3 player.

It rained on Monday so I headed to the gym for a workout on the dreadmill and the bike. 

Yesterday, Gus & I walked around the neighborhood, back into the new subdivision and over into the subdivision next to the apartment complex.  It was chilly but bearable.

This evening, MM was feeling up to walking for the first time in a while.  She got sick after Thanksgiving and it really knocked her energy down.  So we all walked around the apartment complex because it got dark so darn early tonight. 

Definitely ready for longer days!

Weekend Warriors

Gus and I walked A LOT this weekend. 

Yesterday, we walked to Friars Creek Trail, which is just down the street about 1/2 mile.  I had some old apples that I wanted to feed the horses that are in the pasture next to the path.  And I'm "on duty" for work, so I had to take my work phone and some paper with me.  So I took my little backpack with me, which was a huge pain.  Just another reason Gus needs a doggie backpack to carry all my stuff!  I think we wound up walking and jogging 2.5+ miles.

Today, we went to Temple Lions Park.  I had been to the park once in the past, but we have never walked the path there.  Since it was pretty, I opted to try something different today.  There are two loops - the lower loop is 1.25 miles and the upper loop adds another mile.  The lower loop is pretty level and winds around the park and around the sports fields.  A serious, crazy-long hill is the start of the upper loop.  We walked up that pretty slowly but we made it to the top.  It was definitely some good cross-training for our upcoming 5Ks.  And we took a wrong turn somewhere so I would guess that we walked close to 3 miles.


Speaking of, I think I'm going to register for a Resolution Run 5K on New Year's Day!  It is dog-friendly and only about 45 minutes from Temple. 





Going home from the hospital - May 1981 & Senior Prom - April 1999



Today is the anniversary of my mom's death so I had much to think about and reflect upon during my walk today.  As I hiked up that long hill, I was reminded how blessed I am to be able to walk, even when I am breathing hard and moving at a snail's pace.  And I need to continue to get healthier and appreciate the physical abilities that I have while improving my spirit and self esteem.  My mom always encouraged me to be my best, so I need to get to being the best me I can be. 







The day of my mom's funeral -12/20/03



5K and trying to run

I went to Bryan for a meeting today and then got to have lunch with one of my college roommates!  She and her husband recently adopted a dog, a Blue Lacey named Bluebonnet.  I wanted to meet Blue so I headed over to their house after the meeting.  Blue is super sweet and so tiny compared to Gus!  My friend cooked us a healthy lunch and we discussed many things, including the 5Ks that she signed up for and is training for - one in January, one in March.  She is doing Couch to 5K.  After talking to her, I think I need to revisit the training plan and see if I can follow it.

I did go to the gym tonight because it has been raining for the last 2 days.  I decided to test myself and do intervals on the treadmill.  I was able to run 1.5 minutes at 5.0!  That reassures me that the walking/jogging that Gus and I have been doing outside has been somewhat effective! 

Hoping to get back outside this weekend!

Wednesday Weigh-In: 12/14/11

Weight loss this week:  zero, zilch, nada.

But at least it wasn't a gain.

Spent the weekend in Houston with my college roommate, Aa, for her 30th birthday party.

We started out at her mom's house on Friday night, where we put together favors for the party.  One of my roles was filling cute little gumball machines with teal, purple, and white M&Ms (and I couldn't even eat the ones I dropped on the table because of the 21 Day No Junk Food Challenge).  Luckily, M&Ms don't really have a chocolate smell like Hersheys Kisses do! 

Saturday, Aa and I had to go shopping for shoes for the party.  The dress code was "Show up in your best and make sure you wear your favorite SNEAKERS."  So two birds, one stone.  I needed new running shoes and I needed shoes for the party!  We found shoes remarkably quickly.  They worked great for the party; now, I need to test them out on the street or at the gym!

The party was held in the Reptile House at the Houston Zoo!  It was quite a hike from the parking lot to the reptile house, so sneakers were an awesome idea.

Here is a pic of Al the albino American alligator guarding the favor bags:

I drove back to Temple on Sunday after breakfast with Aa, her mom and her aunt. 

I bought Gus a doggie backpack, but it doesn't fit around his chest.  So I guess I'll return and keep my eyes peeled for another one.  REI has one that has great reviews, but it is $50+ --- I'd like to find a cheaper one first to see if Gus will even wear it before I make a big investment.

101 Days til my sister's wedding = motivation!

Wednesday Weigh-In ---12/7/11

Well, I lost 1 pound this week.  Not what I was hoping for, but a loss is a loss.

Gus and I have walked the last couple nights.  He was soooo excited when I put my workout clothes on after work yesterday that even though it was freezing outside, I opted to take him for a walk instead of going to the gym.  I need some long workout pants or tights to put under my workout clothes.  My legs were a tad cold, but keeping my hands and ears warm made the biggest difference. 

He didn't even fight his cool reflective vest or his Gentle Leader.

I finally turned my heat on last night.  I stalled as long as I could, but I gave in last night.

December Goals

Hello December!  You totally snuck up on me. 

Well, November's tiny weight loss all happened in the last couple weeks, most of which were spent not counting calories and not exercising.  Go figure. 

So for December, we are trying some new tactics. 

My sister and I challenged each other to a 21-day No Junk Food challenge.  In addition, we agreed to 12-15 workouts during the challenge period.  My goal is 15!  We started December 1st, so we will be finished in time for Christmas!  My friends LS and TP are also participating in the challenge! 

When I have successfully survived the 21-day No Junk Food challenge, my sister is going to get me a $21 amazon.com gift card, which I desperately need.  I want new music for my old school mp3 player.  I find that when I'm working out, I skip over a majority of the songs currently on my mp3 player.  It's definitely time for a refresh of my workout music.

I made a healthy crockpot potato soup yesterday.  It starts with diced potatoes, onions, chopped celery, and reduced-sodium chicken broth (or water and chicken bouillon).  After the potatoes have softened, mash them up a bit and add nonfat condensed milk and some instant potato flakes (to thicken the soup).  Warm through.  Served with cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and chives.  yum and virtually fat free (until you add the cheese and bacon!).

I also decorated my guest bedroom window for Christmas.

I think I'm going to get some more ribbon and add a few new ornaments.

Gus and I went with MM to a drive-thru Christmas display last night near Belton Lake.  Gus growled at the reindeer display.  He seemed really excited to see all the lights.

happy december!