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…

My youngest daughter and I made up these cute little Easter baskets to set by each plate this Sunday. They were super easy and used items we already had in the house; leftover candy! We used little paper cups (the kind you use in the bathroom) and hot glued candy on them. Obviously I used the hot glue gun, but she enjoyed picking through the candy and handing me pieces. When we were done, we added a line of glue on the top and dipped them in sugar, then added the handles. We took them outside and sprayed several layers of clear polyurethane over the whole thing to make them shine and help hold things in place.

Please share your Easter craft ideas. I’d love to hear from you or post a link if you’ve posted a related article!

Happy Easter!

This is a great way to make a cheap and tasty meal. I thawed a whole chicken, because that’s what I had in the freezer. Then, I made a dry rub marinade and placed it in the crockpot on two cups of homemade salsa. Turned it on low at 8:30 this morning. By 2pm, I pulled all the meat off the bones, dumped it back in the crockpot, and turned it down to warm until supper. The house smells amazing, and the chicken tastes like a Mexican restaurant knock-off.

Dry Rub Recipe for Spicy Chicken Burritos

2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 TBLS brown sugar

Mix all these ingredients well with your fingers and rub all over chicken. I cut all the skin off the chicken, so the spices were directly on the meat. Allow to marinate in the frig for 2 hours if possible. Add two cups of favorite salsa to the bottom of the crockpot, and place chicken on top. Cook on low for about 6 hours and pull chicken apart and place back in the sauce. Serve with tortillas, lettuce, beans, sour cream, etc.

TIP: If you have extra chicken leftover, it would work great in Chicken Tortilla Soup!

I didn’t even know such a thing existed until I read about it two years ago in a local publication. I made a call and found out that our area in Hutchinson, MN has actually had this program available for quite some time. Reading therapy dogs are trained to read with young children who need the extra practice. For kids who love animals, it is a major incentive and a highly anticipated activity each week. There is no cost to the program in McLeod County, but there can be a waiting list to get a time slot with one of the dogs. We go to the Hutchinson Library each week for about 20 minutes. My daughter gets special time “alone” reading the her dog, and has had the pleasure of reading to three different dogs, some of which give her high-fives (or high-paws) after reading. Some put their heads in her lap or close to her leg while she reads, and they are trained to pay close attention and not be distracted. If this is something that interests you, give the library a call. I can’t say enough wonderful things about this program and the volunteers who keep it going! For more information on programs at the library, visit the City of Hutch Library Page.

photo credit: kyz

Several months ago my parents, sister and brother-in-law, and all of us decided to head to Florida in lieu of a family Christmas celebration. The kids, having never been there before were so excited. For weeks before we left, we were hounded with questions like “When do we leave?” and “Will it be hot in Florida?”

Of course, it will be hot in Florida. Wrong!

The evening we arrived, Florida was experiencing some of the coldest weather in a long time and frost warnings were out. To amply things a bit, we left sunny Minnesota where people were experiencing record breaking HIGH temps for this season. So when it was 60 degrees in Minnesota, it was only about 40 degrees on our first day in Florida. Instead of spending a day at the pool as planned, we headed for SeaWorld. This decision ended up being a great one, as we all loved SeaWorld. The crowds were low, the middle of the day was sunny, and the interactions with the Dolphins ended up being a trip highlight.

Traveling with nine people was a blast, but we quickly experienced one of the week’s major destinations; the bathroom. It seemed like someone always had to go, so we became experts at scoping out  and “touring” all bathrooms along the way.

Of course, the kids were excited to spend three days at Walt Disney World, and we visited Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot. When asked which one they liked best, none of the kids could choose. The day we went to Magic Kingdom, we got up very early and were there by the time the park opened. This ended up being an excellent decision. The crowds were manageable, there were no lines for any of the rides, and the weather was fantastic! The biggest tip I have is RENT A STROLLER, if you have a younger child. What a blessing it was to have a place for our youngest to sit, not to mention a place to pile sweatshirts and other items so we didn’t have to carry it all.

I don’t know what happened to Mickey’s status at Disney, as the girls didn’t have to wait in line at all to have their picture taken with Mickey and Minnie. The line for the princess posse was an hour, so we skipped that at the urging of our kids. Hey, if they didn’t want to wait, why should a bunch of adults. Did I mention that the adult to kid ratio was 2:1 ? It really made for a nice time for all of us and plenty of supervision for the kids.

The “free” shuttle from our hotel to Disney was a mixed blessing. While it was very nice to have a free ride both ways, not have to rent a vehicle, pay a taxi, or park at Disney, we definitely were at the mercy of the shuttle service. One night we decided to pay for a taxi instead of wait for the shuttle, as we were all tired and hungry. It was $30 well spent in my opinion. Another night we had to run, and I mean RUN to catch it. That made for a hectic few minutes, but a fun memory of me flinging myself in front of the bus  to force the driver to wait for my parents running with my youngest. Ok, I didn’t fling myself in front of the bus, but I did hold it for them. Lastly, there was one time when we were waiting a bit too long for the bus. A picture captured the sentiments of our crew that day.

We spent one day at the pool and another day at the ocean. We rented two cars and drove to Clearwater Beach. For those of you who are fans of the movie “Dolphin Tale”, I don’t need to explain the significance of being in Clearwater, Florida. The movie is my youngest daughter’s favorite movie, and she has a stuffed dolphin she calls Winter. As it turned out, Winter the dolphin and the Clearwater Marina was across the street from the beach. We took the kids over there to meet Winter, and it quickly became another highlight of the trip.

Who can reminisce about the beach and ocean without mentioning a flock of seagulls. At one point I looked up to see my parents disappear into a beach tent with no less than a dozen seagulls. Moments later they emerged followed quickly by a dozen seagulls. My mom had made the mistake of taking out a cracker to snack on, which you don’t do! Crackers on the beach serve only one purpose apparently; feeding the seagulls and luring seagulls close enough to poop on your sister’s head. Still laughing…

I’ve posted a few tips (rent a stroller, don’t eat crackers on the beach, go to Magic Kingdom early), but I’ll leave you with one final tip. Call your bank and tell them you plan to use your check card in another state. To repeat any of the stories associated with this might get my anxiety and blood pumping again. Suffice it to say you don’t want your card declined at inopportune times!