Fall

It has been beautiful lately.  Even yesterday, when it was raining, it was glorious.  I love fall with a passion.  I think it might just be my favorite season.  With winter and spring tying for a close second. And summer in the way back.  I like summer for a whole slew of reasons, but Hate it for it's climate.  Bluh. Give me the crisp bright blue skies of fall, with the crisp cool air.  That's perfection to me.

Things around here have been....  pretty much business as usual.  I've been meaning to post, I've even sat down to do it, but I just never get it accomplished.  So, I just figure that's how it is meant to be with me and this blog.  Not much of a purpose except to give myself a little outlet, and a peek into my life for everyone else.  So exciting I know. :)

So a few updates:

The running - ugh.  I have to admit, it has really gone downhill.  I started running inside because of the lack of light, and I don't really like running on the treadmil.  I don't care if I'm watching the most interesting show on the planet, it just isn't like running outside.  On top of that I've been fighting a cold for over the past week. It seems to be almost gone, except for the coughing and hacking.  That mostly happens at night.  The past two nights I haven't slept well at all, so I haven't stepped foot on the treadmil for about 5 days now.  Maybe tomorrow.... if I actually get more than 4 hours of sleep.  (Seriously, the one night was worse than when I had newborns.)

The weight loss - See above.  I haven't gained any, but I'm definitely not moving down.  I'll have to step it up later.

Christmas pictures - in my last blog I shared some outtakes.  Well I attempted 2 or 3 more picture taking "events".  None went well.  It was almost like torture.  Noah would be looking and smiling - and Ohlen would be making the most cheesy fake smile on the planet.  One would look, the other wouldn't.  But as I went back over the ones I had taken before, I realized that I had one really good one. So I cropped it down a little, and it is going to be the picture.  Too bad it was the VERY FIRST PICTURE I TOOK, during THE VERY FIRST PHOTO SHOOT I attempted.... And too bad I didn't realize that before I gave myself multiple headaches.... :)   A few more outtakes...

Life has been consisting of babysitting and cleaning and cooking and internet browsing and television.  A whole lot more of the first 3 than the last 2.  With a splattering of project working in there.  I have two big projects I'm working on.  One is a set of comforters for the boys for Christmas.  I actually started them last year, but never finished.  And the other is a super top secret project that I can't discuss here, but I will definitely show when I can.

Only about a month and a half until Christmas!  (What?!?!?!?!?)

I Knew It!

Alternately titled My Self-fulfilling Prophecy

I knew my blogging would slow down in the summer.
I knew my crafting would slow down in the summer.

I KNEW once I stopped running outside I would lose some motivation and wouldn't do as much.

Arg.

I do have a few recipe posts in the works - hopefully they will be coming soon.
I also have a whole lot of canning posts I could do - although it is kind of late for that... but I might just do them anyways.

I stopped jogging outside because it is now dark the entire time I'm out there - and that will probably stay the same once we "fall back."  Don't even get me started on Daylight Savings...  Anyways, I've been jogging on the treadmil.  Which is ok - better than I thought it would since I'm now in much better shape than I was the last time I ran on it.  So I shouldn't complain.  There is just something motivating about jogging outside.

Our local festival is this weekend.  Looking forward to taking Ohlen to ride the rides, marching with the alumni band, attending my 10 year high school reunion (Seriously, 10 years already???), walking around and chatting with people, introducing Noah to fair fries, and just soaking in the festival atmosphere.  Notice I didn't mention the fair food for myself.  For some reason this year I really don't have much desire for it.  I'm probably just getting too cheap... :)

Then the next week we are heading to a Renaissance Festival in our state.  I think we are going to take Ohlen this year.  So that should be fun. :)

Stay posted for more frequent blogging.  At least that's the plan.

Jogging Tip 5

The last Tip

Routine makes Habit

The best thing for me has been to find the perfect time of day to jog and to stick with it.  For me that means getting up early and going before anyone else is awake.  It is perfect for me. I used to go in the evening after the boys were in bed, but I was starting to get resentful of my exercise time.  It was taking me away from my couple time/ alone time in the evening.  Plus, if we had something going on in the evening, I would skip the jog.  If I go in the morning, it isn't very likely that I'll have a good excuse to skip.  It also gives me some time to think about the day ahead, what I need to accomplish, errands that need to be run, strategies for not going crazy. 

Overall, the reason I wanted to write these tips is because I have fallen in love with jogging, and I wanted to share the love.  One thing I've learned about myself is that if I want to lose weight, and keep it off, my life is going to have to include exercise.  My metabolism is pretty slow, I need to burn what I can.  I'm not seeing any weight "melt" off - I still need to get my eating under control.  I think I'm doing pretty good, but I know I could do much better too.  And weight isn't the only reason.  I have some blood issues that make me more susceptible to having blood clots (another post for another day) so I need to keep my heart and arteries healthy.  It's all about being healthy.  

I promise some picture posts coming soon.  Those are always more fun. :)

Jogging Tip 4

Edited to add links and fix spelling mistakes.

Good Programs

One thing that has really helped me stay motivated are the programs I use on my phone.  I have used Endomondo and Cardio Trainer.  I really like them both.  Endomondo is found on just about any phone, whereas Cardio Trainer is just on Android (I think).  They both do about the same thing.  You start your workout and (if you have GPS turned on) it will track your route.  At the end of the workout it will tell you how far you went, how fast you went, how many calories you burned, etc.  I've found that they aren't always completely accurate with the distance, but it is usually pretty close.  I love having those stats readily available.

There is also the ability to share information - I think Endomondo especially has a large group of users who share workouts and have challenges and what not.  I'm not into that, but if you are, it would be a great tool.

Oh yes, and they are both free as well.  I think there is a paid version of both, but they don't add a whole lot more content that I've seen.

There are also many other programs out there that will do similar things, you just have to find the one that is right for you.

Now, what if you don't have a smart phone?  Take your car and find out how long the route is!  For me it helped knowing just how far I was going.  And I am sure there are sites around these interwebs that would be able to tell you what kind of mile you averaged and how many calories you may have burned if you plug the numbers in.  I love that technology has provided us with these tools!

Jogging Tip 3

Use the right gear for you.

Jogging is great in that, really, you don't need anything except for a good pair of shoes.  And actually, you might not even need that - (google bare foot running sometime.)  But there other little things that help make it more enjoyable - at least for me.  I have my shoes, which I've already talked about here.  I still love them. In fact, they were the only shoes (minus a pair of flip flops) that I took to Colombia.

Light.  I run in the early morning, so I just recently bought a head lamp.  The first one I bought was cheap and only turned on half the time, so I took it back and got a new one.  I haven't actually used it yet and it seems a little chunkier than I would have liked, but I think it will do fine.  I need some kind of light - especially as the days get shorter.

Music Player and Headphones:  I use my phone to play music while I run.  It also keeps track of my route, how long I run, and how fast I go.

Arm Band:  I just recently bought a nicer arm band for my phone.  It's great.  Before I was using a phone holder from a backpack that had a loop in the back.  I put a handkerchief through the loop and tied it around my arm.  Resourceful - yes, Comfortable - not so much.

And that is all.  There are many other things out there geared for runners, but so far this is what I have found to be helpful to me.  And I still just run in Tshirts and shorts - no special clothing for me.  Although I hear the UnderArmor stuff is good for when it gets cold.  I'm going to be outside as much as I can, so that might be helpful.

Jogging Tip 2

MUSIC!

When I first started jogging I mostly listened to podcasts.  I was, at the time, well and currently I suppose, addicted to the show Lost; and enjoyed listening to podcasts about said show.  Unfortunately the show ended forever in May. (bittersweet)  So that was also an end to the endless stream of Lost podcasts.  (My favorite show is still going - just not as frequently - and they are starting a rewatch in Septemeber - Yay!)  Annyways - back on topic.  So I was out of podcasts and decided to listen to some music.  What a difference!  I couldn't believe how much of a difference it really did make.  I listen to a Pandora station with dance, techno, house, and trance - so stuff with a pretty heavy bass beat.  The music seems to push me forward sometimes.  Maybe it's the band nerd coming out - I have to stay "in step" with the music. :) 

Maybe this a pretty obvious thing, but I really never realized how much of a difference it would make.  I even think it is better than running in front of the TV. 

3 more tips to go - then I will stop yapping about this jogging thing.  For a little while anyways. :)

Favorites Friday (the comeback)

So summer is really not the best time for blogging.  I can sense a down shift in activity in my Reader feed - with the exception of the non personal blogs of course. :)  I've been wanting to blog, it just seems like whenever I'm in the mood, there is some reason I can't get to it.  So finally I'm here - and with a comeback of the shortlived Favorites Friday.

First off are my new shoes.  As seen in the post previous to this one. I've been reading about barefoot running and it's advantages.  Also, I really like to be barefooted.  So I wanted to try out the shoes that claim to be as if you were barefooted.  Or as Ohlen would say, "I'm going out in tiptoes." :)  So after I did some research I decided on Nike Frees.  I'm usually an Adidas girl all the way - but Adidas doesn't make a barefoot shoe that I know of.  They are also pretty expensive new, but I was, luckily, able to find a slightly used pair on eBay for about half the price of a new pair.  I wanted to make sure that I liked them before I fully committed.  And I love them.  I really can tell a difference in how I run (jog...) in them.  If you want to know about all of the logistics of it, just google barefoot running and it will lead you to lots of information.

The second thing I wanted to talk about is this:

This is the final image seen in the series finale of Lost.  I loved this show.  Loved the finale.  And that is really all I'm going to say.  :)  If you would like to talk to me about Lost more - please send me an email. I love discussing this show - which is probably why I like it so much.

Daily Plate and Slim in 6

So I've been working hard this week on weight management. I've been tracking calories every day and exercising every day. I haven't seen crazy results yet, but I'm feeling better, more energetic, and just all around better about myself. There have been two tools that have been very instrumental in helping me achieve my goals.

The first is The Daily Plate. It is a part of the Livestrong site. It is a great tool for keeping track of what you have eaten for the day. There is a search bar where you enter what you have eaten. Then you choose the current food item, fill in how many servings you ate, and you can designate what meal or time you ate it. There are lots of different foods. I've found something to match up with everything I've eaten. It is a bit more difficult if you make most of your meals from scratch, but you can find something very similar - at least that has been the case with me. If you eat prepackaged meals/snacks it is extremely easy to find. They also have a feature where you can group items into meals. This is great for my breakfast, since I eat the same thing every morning. That way I don't have to add everything separately every day.

The site also creates a pie graph to let you know where your calories came from, eg. Carbs, protein, fat. There is also a pie graph you can access that shows all the foods you have eaten that day in regards to their calories. So you can see what is making up most of your calories. It also keeps a running total of sodium, fat, carbs, etc and tallies it towards the bottom of the page.

This has been a wonderful tool for me. I keep the website in my tabs at all times, so it is easy to remember to log what I eat. It is also alot easier to skip the high calorie offenders when I know that I will be logging it.

There are also some other tools available. There is a place to enter your weight and some measurements so you can see your progress over time. There are more in depth tools, but they require a paid subscription. I find that there is plenty there without the subscription, which is great for those of us trying to save some cash where ever we can.

So, if you have ever wanted to keep a Food Journal, I would definitely recommend The Daily Plate.


Exercise - shouldn't it be a four letter word? Well at least for me it could be most days. Sure there are days when I can't wait to get moving, but most days, I'd rather sit and do something else. I've found that I do much better when I have a program spelled out for me, rather than just picking something each day. I was using P90X, which is a great program, but it wasn't right for my goals. It really isn't a weight loss program. However, I really like how Beachbody sets up their programs, so I looked in Slim in 6. The premise is that you work out for 6 weeks and slim down. I have heard stories of people radically transforming through this program, but I'm just hoping for a small transformation. I'm about half way through and I'm really loving it. The program starts out with a few days of a 25 minute routine to teach some of the basic moves. Then you move on to the 45 minute routine for about 1.5 weeks. This one definitely harder, but not too bad. Then you do an hour workout for the last 4 weeks. This one is a serious workout, sweating, sore muscles and all that jazz. It's great. Plus when I feel sore, I'm feeling sore in all the places I want to feel sore: thighs, abs, rear. Another feature that I enjoy is that there is always a timer running to let you know how much time is left. I've done other work out tapes where I was constantly looking a clock trying to figure out just how much torture time was left - here they provide it for you. The instructor is upbeat and encouraging, but not sickenly so. I also like that it is an hour of nonstop movement. P90X seemed to have a lot of downtime, even in the cardio workouts - this one just keeps you going.

There are also 3 shorter workouts also, Thin Thighs, Abs, and Flexibility. They are each about 12 minutes long. I do 2 or 3 of those if I'm feeling off and really really don't want to do a full hour.

The downsides: Taking an hour a day can at times be hard to do, but I keep reminding myself that it's worth it. There are some moves that my neck and back don't appreciate. I just take it a little easy on those. I thought I would see better results by now, but I know that I'm just one of those people that is going to have to be very vigilant to lose the weight, that's just how it is. The first couple weeks of the program I didn't watch what I was eating very closely, I'm hoping that by combining the two I will see better results soon.

Management

Lately I have had two things weighing heavily on my mind (well more than 2, but these 2 are the ones I want to talk about). Time management and Weight management. Both have alluded me time and time again. They both take will power and discipline.

Weight management is something I have struggled with since I went off to a college that has basically the best food of most all colleges. (I'm not kidding.) There were tons of choices, and always a very well stocked Dessert corner. Plus, there was a well stocked vending machine in our dorm that housed my roommate's and my new favorite candy bar - Reeses Fast Break. And then add in the late night Taco Bell or Papa John's run and there in spells quite a lot of weight gain in two years. (The next two years I lived off campus since I was married.) There was less food consumption and more focus on exercise - so I actually did lose some weight then. I was on a fairly good path, although I was working at a factory with very well stocked vending machines, and a very large sweet tooth. Then I went and had a baby. Wonderful in most all ways, except for weight management. I didn't quite lose it all - ok not even close, when I had baby #2. Since then I've gotten more serious. I did a program for 90 days. I got down to pre baby #2 weight - which is good, but I need more work. The program I did is more of a muscle focused program - and most of the research I've done since suggests that women really should lose the extra weight before doing that program. Our bodies, because of lower testosterone levels, don't build muscle and burn fat at the same time very well. So I just started a new 6 week program that is focused on weight loss. Now I just have to make sure that I curb my eating habits to match up with the exercise. It's harder than I would have thought. It's so easy to grab a cookie or other not healthy food item when you are home all day. arg. But I'm trying very hard. I'll let you know how the 6 weeks go. Any suggestions or advice??

Then there's Time management. It is so easy to lose a day doing not much of anything. Ok well, other than making meals and bottles, which actually takes up more time than I would have thought. :) There are so many things that I would like to get done, but I don't. It's frustrating. I need some tips/ suggestions - how do you manage your time? Stay accountable with what you do during the day (or evening)? I have thought about keeping a tight schedule at least for a few days to see how it goes. It would have to have some flexibility of course, I do have 2 kids, and that in and of itself calls for being flexible. But just a nice guideline so I can be more productive. I am horribly behind on a project that should have been done over a month ago, I have Christmas projects I want to get done sooner rather than later. I did finish Ohlen's Halloween costume this morning, which was nice. I'm hoping to start fresh next week and try to get this time thing under control.

Oh and how do you like the new blog header? It isn't perfect, but I like it. :)