We’ve all heard it a thousand times, that for proper health, nutrition and weight-loss we must drink plenty of water. I’ve always liked water, so I never viewed this as an issue….Until I started measuring. Eight cups of eight ounces is 64 ounces MINIMUM of water, and if you aren’t used to this quantity everyday it’s an eye opener. I wasn’t even coming close to drinking this much without measuring.

To begin with, it’s more than you think. I found a bottle that held 22 ounces when full, and committed to drinking at least three a day. Any beverages outside of the water bottle, including water were additional. I never let myself off the hook where the water is concerned. If I’m not thirsty, I still drink it. If it’s the end of the day, I still drink it. I’ve learned it’s best to drink earlier in the day than in the late evening. Regardless of when you drink the water, one thing is certain; there are plenty of trips to the bathroom. Eventually, my body adjusted to the water intake and this was less of an issue.

I did find that drinking my morning coffee was less appealing, mostly because I didn’t have room. While I can have coffee, I rarely drink it unless visiting with friends. Even then it’s likely to be about four ounces.

I have not found that drinking water curbs my appetite, but it does help my body decipher between thirst and hunger. My appetite is curbed mostly from a high protein diet and five meals a day. Also, the one or two workouts a day help curb my appetite as food is the LAST thing on my mind while I’m sweating.I’m usually able to drink my first 22 ounces before 6:30am, since my first workout is at 5:30.

Yes, I will occasionally add lemon to my water. It helps rid toxins from the body. Green tea is good also, but if I make tea, it’s in addition to the 66 ounces of water.

I’ve been on this journey about 70 days and have consistently lost 2-3 pounds a week, so it’s definitely working!

Most people dread the scale. I suppose I should too, but I don’t. I’ve seen such great results, that I don’t mind stepping on the scale. You can’t swing a dead cat (as my dad always says) without  finding information about NOT stepping on the scale too frequently. I say, do what works for you.

My personal philosophy is that scale provides me with immediate, unbiased feedback. I step on it everyday so I can watch my progress, but I never let it get me down if it doesn’t move. I am well aware that I’m not going to lose weight every single day, and I know that while there are days the scale doesn’t move, there are days that it moves drastically. I look forward to those days. However, those days won’t happen if I give up. I work twice as hard on the days I know are key to keeping my motivation and psyche up!

This time is very different than in the past. I think it’s because I’m doing this for me. I’m doing it to get healthier and feel better. My goals are long term and not simply aimed at fitting into a cute dress or impressing anyone. If you know me, you know I could give a rats a$$ about being judged by others. Unfortunately, that added to my issues previously. The key here isn’t what others think of me, but that I need to care about myself. I need to get selfish. I need to have “me time”, and guess what? I’m liking it a lot! What else would get me out running for an hour?

There’s another scale in my life right now, and it’s on the kitchen counter. I’ll save that for my next post, but please feel free to leave your kind words of wisdom.

So how does a mom of three with no history of regular physical fitness routines make it work? There are several key factors to my success, and without each of them I doubt I’d be very successful.

First, my husband and I are both committed to eating healthy, working out, and sticking to a routine. Without his support and a consistent 5:30am workout, it would be very difficult. I know how easy it is for things to pop-up that threaten a consistent routine, so the 5:30am workouts help considerably as most friends and family don’t vie for this time slot.

We also selected a 60 day time frame to get started that had very few commitments or events on the calendar. Since healthy eating and a strict diet don’t lend well to eating out, family gatherings, and social events, it was important for us to find a time when we’d be able to eat at home for almost every meal. There have been a few concessions on our part, but eating at home has really helped limit the temptations and prevent any set backs.

Weekly grocery shopping has become more of a process that requires input from each family member. To avoid spontaneous purchases, we are shopping only once a week and sticking to a list. The list includes two or three times the number of fresh vegetables and fruits  we used to buy, and almost zero processed foods.

My husband and I eat five meals a day that are about 300 calories each. This works fine, but really limits some of the meals we can make. We try to select one of three ways to address evening meals; all eat the same thing, all eat some variation of the same thing, or make something separate for the kids. Since the kids are not thrilled with a constant barrage of salads and non-sauced meals, we did spend a weekend making some favorite meals and then freezing single portions. This way the kids can select from homemade items such as spaghetti, cheesy potatoes, chicken burritos, and corn chowder when they don’t want another meal of tuna or eggs.

One food we can have is chili made with lean ground chicken or turkey, so we make quite a bit of chili and everyone likes that. Fajitas with lean meat and tons of veggies is another favorite, as is baked cedar plank salmon. There is definitely more planning that goes into eating healthy, but there is a simplicity to it all.

Lastly, since we get up so early in the morning, snacking in the evening hasn’t been much of an issue. We’re in bed before any cravings set in, and with drinking all the required ounces of water and suggested cups of green tea, there isn’t much room left over for snacks.

I always knew that moving more and eating less was a key to losing weight. However, I knew that moving MUCH more is the only way I am going to get me where I want to be. If moving a little more works for you, great! It doesn’t for me. So…what are my workout regiments and how did I make that choice?

The initial and primary program my husband and I selected is Insanity by BeachBody. We needed to be pushed beyond our comfort levels, and we needed the structure and consistency with it. Insanity is a six day a week program that is 60 days long. We are almost half way through and really love it. We already have plans to start over and go for 120 days. It is mostly a cardio workout, with some ab, strengthening, and balance work mixed in.

Insanity has an eating component too that we’re finding is key to our success. We’ve committed to the entire program which means a very strict and structured five meal a day program, focused on lean protein, fruits and vegetables. I plan to write more on the meal and nutrition portion soon, as well as permanent shopping and eating changes we’ve made (beyond the weight loss).

After getting into our morning workout routine, adjusting our nutrition, and losing some weight I immediately started feeling better. My energy level and endurance increased, so my mind began to think of ways I could push myself a little harder. Then a friend suggested I join a Beginner’s Running class offered at Core Exercise Studio, and I thought that fit perfectly into what I’m doing. I’ve never been a runner, and quite frankly have never enjoyed running. I am, however, committed to giving it a try. I am seeing excellent results on the scale, and look forward to what the future holds. I have a goal of running my first 5K in June. The class is once a week for 1.25 hours, and I run 2 additional hours/days each week. Yes, in theory I could run on my own. In reality, if I was going to do that I wouldn’t be in the situation I’m in. I need the class for structure, accountability, guidance, and support. I’ve also attended Butts and Guts over the noon hour at CORE, and would like to take some Yoga classes too.

So there you have it. Those are my current workouts, so next time I’ll try to write how I’m making this all work with three kids, a job, a husband, a home, and no history of physical fitness routines.

This is the second post, but if you want to read from the beginning, click here.

Today is my first post in a series I’m planning to share about my personal weight loss journey. It’s a journey to get healthier in all aspects of my life, beyond losing weight.

If someone would have told me a year ago, or even six months ago that I’d be going to bed early, getting up at 5:30 every morning to exercise, cut out sugar and coffee, and start running I would have asked what they were smoking. The truth is I am the least likely person to be doing what I’m doing, and I never thought I had any will power. Seriously, I thought that concept skipped my genes. I also believe that the “high” people talk about after working out was as ridiculous as flying monkeys. While I have a long way to go before I remotely consider running “fun”, I have fallen in love with my morning cardio workouts and if going to bed excited (for the next morning workout) counts, then I guess I’ve discovered my own “high” of sorts. My plan is to break down what I’m doing into themes and write about each from an honest perspective of what is working well and what truly sucks. I mostly want to communicate how average I am with kids, a job, a tight budget,  and a hectic schedule. From there I want to connect with others desiring a similar outcome and help any way that I can through sharing my experience.  As you follow along on my journey, I welcome your questions, insight, tips, and encouragement so be sure to leave me comments.

Upcoming Topics:

The Cardio Program I Chose
What on Earth is Enticing Me to Run?
The Dreaded 8 Cups of Water
Meals and Still Feeding the Family
How My DH (Husband) Fits in to All of This
Finding Time Which I Swore I Didn’t Have
Commitment to an Audacious Goal
So Many Damn Scales

and more…

Please forgive me, as it’s been over a month since my last confession and blog post. Where does the time go?

This fall we’ve had the pleasure of hosting our foreign exchange daughter, Kate. It seems like yesterday she arrived and we talked about doing so many things. She leaves next week for her next family, and I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone.

My baby is turning four. She’s a walking encyclopedia on the topic of dinosaurs. And then there’s the matter of the holidays fast approaching. Thanksgiving is upon us in a matter of 48 hours!  Christmas and New Year’s will be here, as well as our big family trip to Walt Disney World. Good grief Charlie Brown.

Is your life like mine? I’m not complaining. I am very blessed. Sometimes it simply feels like I’m sprinting along side a car, trying to catch up like the scene in “Home for the Holidays” where Holly Hunter is being strung along while her brother Robert Downey Jr. keeps inching the car forward, not allowing her to catch up. This is one of my favorite movies of all time by the way AND it’s a Thanksgiving flick.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Anyone want to write a guest confession for me? I’m looking for some short guest articles or possibly to put some smaller confessions together into a short article to post here. Please email me or leave a comment if you are interested. Thanks!

It’s been a while since my last confession, so I thought I’d share my playlist on my iPod comprised of my “all-time favorite” songs. Your comments are welcome!

Groove is in the Heart, Deee-Lite
Let’s Hear It for the Boy, Deniece Williams
Stayin Alive, The Bee Gees
One More Try, George Michael
Fame, Irene Cara
Funkytown,Lipps Inc.
99 Luftballons, Nena
Time Warp, The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Cecilia, Simon and Garfunkel
Flashdance
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Wham!
Thy Word, Amy Grant
Good, Better Than Ezra
My Maria, Brooks and Dunn
The Shoop Shoop Song, Cher
Lady Marmalade, Christina Aguilara
I Found Someone, Cher
Mickey, Toni Basil
Follow Me, Uncle Kracker
How Do I Live, LeAnn Rimes
Let’s Go Crazy, Prince
Electric Boogie
Mambo #5, Lou Bega
Don’t Cry for Me Argentina, Madonna
Footloose, Kenny Loggins,
Boom! Shake the Room, DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince
Bop, Dan Seals
It Wasn’t Me, Shaggy
Good Beat, Deee-Lite
Home, Daughtry
Crazy for You, Madonna (Vision Quest)

Contrary to popular belief, sushi doesn’t mean eating raw fish. While some sushi can include cuts of raw fish, “Sushi” actually refers to the method of rolling rice. Many sushi dishes only include vegetables, so don’t shy away if you’d like to give it a try.

Living in central Minnesota means there aren’t many options for International cuisine. Like most things, if I want good, fresh, and authentic dishes like sushi, I need to learn how to make it. A few weeks ago I took a class on how to make sushi. I won’t claim to be an expert by any means, but what I have made tastes great. It resembles sushi and is amazingly fresh. If you want to learn to make sushi, here are a few things I’ve learned.

5 Tips to Making Sushi at Home

1. Sushi rice is different than regular rice. Look for “sushi” on the package.
2. When told to rinse the rice first, it means, rinse like there’s no tomorrow. This takes a while!
3. Giving the rice a “vinegar” wash, doesn’t mean that you let the vinegar wash away. It stays on the rice.
4. Let the rice completely cool.
5. If possible, avoid Nori that is rolled in the packaging. What a pain.

Do you make sushi at home? Do you have any tips to add? I’d love to hear from you.

photo credit: .angels

It’s that time of year again when nothing else matters on Wednesday nights between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm. It’s a time when my crazy, hectic life takes a sedative and chills out on the couch or floor for two hours of auditory fun.

This season of American Idol is by far my favorite yet. The contestants are the most talented I’ve seen this early on, and it’s a very diverse group of people (voices, styles, genres, etc). I have so many favorites that I want to see do well, which I don’t remember from past seasons.

If I had to choose a front runner for me, it would have to be Mr. James Durbin! I’m not sure if I prefer hearing rock, love his voice, like his talent, or if I’m still harboring residual anger that Adam didn’t win two years ago. James is my 2011 Adam, and I love the high notes. Scream away Mr. Durbin!

I like Kenny Loggins, aka, Paul McDonald. I also like Casey Abrams, who reminds me of Seth Rogen. Pia isn’t too shabby either, but the name drives me nuts. Who is your favorite?

photo credit: Luiz Gustavo Leme