Week 4!!

Here it is again!! Week four is over and I hopped on the scale this morning. Grand total for the last month? Drum roll please....................................

18 POUNDS

I honestly don't even know how. I mean, I'm definitely working hard. I workout six days a week. I've reduced my fat and calories. But I'm still enjoying the food I eat. I don't feel like I'm dieting. Which is good, because I don't want to diet anymore. I just want to live healthy.

I'm also losing inches and my clothes aren't fitting well at all. Which is GREAT! Although I don't want to go buy any new clothes when I know those won't fit me soon enough either. So I guess I'll just be wearing super baggy clothing until I reach my goal. :)

I keep thinking I should probably increase the weight in my workouts and things like that, but I don't know how often to do that. And the idea scares me. I don't know why. I'm weird, I guess.

I did try something new last night. YOGA. It's my newest passion. I LOVE it! It was so fun and relaxing and centering! Maybe that's corny, but it was so great! I'd love to be able to add at least 30 minutes of yoga to my routine every day. But I have no clue where to fit it in. I'm struggling as it is. But I'm definitely going to incorporate it as often as I can!

I'd really like to spice things up with my workouts. I do cardio MWF and strength training TThS. So far I've been doing the one strength training dvd I have and using my elliptical machine on cardio days. I have ordered another dvd recommended by a friend (thanks Tiffany!) and it should be here any day. I'm excited to add that to my routine. I have a step aerobics dvd and a couple of other cardio dvds that I need to start alternating with my elliptical machine. But I was wondering if there are any dvds that you guys like or have heard are great. I'd love to try some new things! I still consider myself a beginner, but I like a new challenge!

I'm also having so much fun trying out new recipes! I'm addicted to www.allrecipes.com. I think I get on almost every day. :) So what are your favorite healthy recipes? I'd love to try some of those! A lot of non-vegetarian recipes can be easily adjusted by exchanging beans or hearty veggies for the meat, so I'd love to try some! Breakfasts, lunches, dinners. I love trying new stuff! And in exchange, here are a few of my favorites:

BREAKFAST:

Spinach Smoothie and Whole Wheat Toast

1 cup fresh spinach
1 small kiwi fruit
4 strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup vanilla soy milk

Blend until smooth! That makes one large serving. Don't worry, the spinach taste will be completely covered by the fruit and soy milk! We got the idea from a friend (thanks again, Tiff!). I didn't have all of the ingredients she used on hand for her spinach smoothies, so we tried this. And it turned out great! I usually just have a piece of whole wheat toast with 1 tsp of Smart Balance Light Spread. Completely filling and completely healthy!!

Veggie "Omelet"

1 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup copped mushrooms
1 whole egg*
2 egg whites
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Scrambled the eggs with salt and pepper, and maybe some garlic powder. Saute the onion and mushrooms with some non-stick cooking spray. When the onions are soft and the mushrooms are starting to brown add the spinach. Once it's wilted, add the eggs. When the eggs are cooked, sprinkle with cheese and enjoy! Sometimes I'll put salsa on this too. So yummy!! *I used to use the whole egg until I realized that I like plain egg whites just fine. Now I use three egg whites and I don't even notice the difference. And the egg whites are fat free!!

LUNCH:

Veggie Wraps!!

1 TortillaLand Uncooked Flour Tortilla
1/2 a red bell pepper, sliced
1 large tomato slice
1 thin slice of red onion
1/2 cup romaine lettuce or spinach (or whatever leafy green I have on hand)
1/4 cup cucumber, sliced and quartered
1 tbsp low fat cream cheese

Cook up the tortilla (you can use any tortilla or wrap; these are just my very favorite thing in the world!). Spread cream cheese down the center. Fill with veggies, wrap up like a burrito and enjoy! I usually have this with a piece of fruit or something. And you can add deli meat or cheese or other veggies. This is one of my very favorite things to eat!

Veggies with Spicy Bean Dip

sliced vegetables (whatever you like or have on-hand)
1-15 ounce can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed (any beans work, pinto are just my favorite for this recipe)
1/4-1/2 cup water
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
a pinch of cumin
canned diced green chiles to taste (optional)

Blend beans with water until smooth. Start with 1/4 cup water and add more if it's too thick. Mix in the other spices. Dip your veggies! A lot of the time I'll dip lots of fresh veggies and some whole wheat pita bread triangles. It's a good source of protein and super filling! Sometimes I use homemade hummus instead of the bean dip. Also super yummy!

DINNER:

Creamy Italian White Bean Soup

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2-16 ounce cans white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1-14 ounce can chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups water or more vegetable or chicken broth
1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook the onions and celery in oil until tender in a medium pot. Add garlic. Stir in beans, chicken broth, pepper, thyme and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then simmer for 15 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove 2 cups of the bean and vegetable mixture from soup and set aside. In blender at low speed, blend remaining soup in small batches until smooth, (it helps to remove the center piece of the blender lid to allow steam to escape, but be careful not to burn yourself!!). Once blended pour soup back into pot and stir in reserved beans. Bring to a boil, occasionally stirring. Stir in spinach and cook 1 minute or until spinach is wilted. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top. This would be really yummy with some good Italian bread on the side. I feel like I'm getting a healthy version of Olive Garden when I have this soup with a side salad! And it makes great leftovers. (This makes 4 servings).

Mexican Pita Pizzas

1-6 inch whole wheat pita bread
1 tbsp spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, pizza sauce (whatever you have around)
2 tbsp diced green chiles
1/4 cup pinto or black beans
1/4 cup sliced and quartered zucchini
1 ounce grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer ingredients on pita bread. Cook until cheese is melted. I can eat a whole one myself for only 303 calories and 5 grams of fat! And I'm usually stuffed when I'm done. And of course you can use whatever other toppings you want. I usually make this for myself and make the kids and Jason a normal pepperoni or something.

So those are a few of our favorites!! If you try them, let me know what you think or if you do anything differently.

Now share some of yours!

Better Late Than Never!

Four years, eight months and one week ago today the BEST "accident" of my life happened. About three weeks later I knew I was going to be a mom. I hoped and hoped that I'd have a boy. I was the oldest kid in my family and always envied anyone with a protective older brother. I don't know why. I guess the movies made it look great. I guess I'm strange.

Then during my twenty week ultrasound the technician showed us our beautiful baby girl. I cried. Of course it was a girl. My perfect little angel.


I honestly never once even felt a twinge of sadness. I was more than happy. I felt more than joy. I was in love with that little girl. Had been all along.

Then on January 20, 2005, 8 months to the day from the "accident", I held the most perfect, angelic, gorgeous baby girl I had ever seen.


When she was just hours old, I held her little hand in the nursery (she was in the Level 2 NICU because she was early, so I couldn't hold her as much as I would have wanted to) I looked at that perfect little baby and cried to my mom. When she asked me what was wrong I said through my tears, "One day, she's going to tell me she hates me!" Hormones. :)

Now she's four going on fourteen. I can't believe how grown up she is. She says the funniest things and has such a little attitude. She makes it SO HARD to be mad at her! She's a wonderful little helper. And she loves her little brother so much. She especially loves to boss him around.

For her 4th birthday party she requested that everything be High School Musical themed. Napkins, balloons, cake, cups, tablecloth. We even played the soundtrack during dinner.


After pizza, we opened presents. She got Gabriella and Troy (from High School Musical) Barbie dolls for Christmas and all she wanted for her birthday was Sharpay. And of course, she got it. Along with books, a couple of movies, and Barbie clothes.

That silly girl was delighted with every second of her little party. Then when it was time for bed, she climbed up on her daddy's lap, gave him a "bear hug" and "bear kiss", and asked in the sweetest little voice, "Daddy? Can I pleeeeeeeeeeeeease have a sleepover tonight for my birthday? Pleeeeeeeeeease?" (For Payson, a 'sleepover' is getting to sleep in mom and dad's bed).

We both laughed at her precious four year old manipulation. And how do you say no to that? So of course she got her sleepover.

I can't even tell her how much I love her. She made me a mother. She taught me what it means to truly love unconditionally and showed me how wonderful it is to sacrifice your mind, body, and spirit in exchange for just being in her life. I'm so lucky to be HER mom. I'm the one who got that one. And she's amazing! She's brilliant and beautiful and sweet. And she has such a tender little testimony, even at just four years old.

We've had hard days, of course. But I'd take a million more hard days over not having her around.


We love you more than you'll ever know, Beautiful Girl!! Happy (late) 4th Birthday!!

Week 3

I honestly thought some of you might find this weekly updating completely obnoxious. But apparently not. According to my little poll you are unanimously enthralled with my journey to weight loss, and so here goes another update!

This morning marks the end of week 3. I tried to make sure that things were more doable this week, since week 2 was so hard:

*I decided that I wouldn't eat anything I didn't love. That means I'm not forcing myself to eat salads everyday, I'm allowing myself treats, and I'm not limiting my sodium intake as much so that food has SOME flavor (since I was basically not getting ANY sodium before).

*I decided that I honestly wouldn't deprive myself of ANYTHING if I really wanted it. For example, I had a very small piece of birthday cake on Payson's birthday. (Which was Tuesday, by the way, so watch for a cute post JUST for her soon). :) And Payson wanted pizza for her birthday dinner. So I ordered one greasy and delicious medium pepperoni for Jason and the kids. And I ordered a thin crust veggie pizza, double the veggies, and ate only two small pieces. I was completely satisfied and enjoyed every bite, but saved LOADS of calories and fat! I was so proud of myself that night. :)

*I decided to become a vegetarian. I've gotten some seriously funny looks from this one. Some people assume I'm a crazy animal rights activist now or that I'm judging them for eating meat. This is SO not the case. It was a PERSONAL choice based on some things I've learned and I don't expect ANYONE (including my husband and children) to do it just because I am. But it's been really great for me these last few weeks. I'm getting plenty of protein from eggs, beans, nuts, and seeds. And I don't miss the meat at all. (I'm still eating dairy and eggs. I'm not vegan...yet). :)

*I set TONS of goals! I set my long term goals, I set medium term goals, and I set short term goals. I put a rewards system in place for myself to help stay motivated. And I'm making it fun! I'm about to reach (one pound away) my first goal and so I've already ordered my reward. I figured I'll be there by the time it arrives. :) And all of my rewards are related to my goals. My reward isn't dinner at Olive Garden. It's things like a new workout or yoga dvd, a new pricey pair of work out shoes, and a whole new wardrobe for my whole new body when I reach my final goal!

I also found a website called SparkPeople.com. It's completely free and tracks my water intake, my weight loss, my measurements, my exercise, my calories/fat/protein/carbs/etc, helps me set my goals, provides recipes, support groups, healthy helpful articles, etc. It's been really great! It's making things SO much easier (not easy, easiER) for me! It even provides personalized meal plans and workout programs if you want it to. (I personally like what I've been doing on my own, but they're there for free if you want them!)

I'm trying SO hard not to base my success on numbers alone! We all know that the number on the scale makes a difference. But I'm also very aware that it's not everything. Measurements, the way my clothes fit, and my energy level are all things I'm learning to pay closer attention to.

But like I said, the number sure helps me feel good!! So, here's me bragging:

In the last 3 weeks (since January 1st, 2009) I have lost a total of 14 pounds!! IN 3 WEEKS!! And I ate cake and pizza!!

And this morning, I took a few measurements. I'm still learning how to measure and keep track, so I don't know my total lost inches at this point, but I can tell you I lost 5 1/2 freaking inches off my waist and another 3 1/2 from my hips! WHAT?! Crazy!!

I can't even tell you how excited that made me!! So whatever I'm doing is working and I'm sticking with it.

Right now, I'm less than ten pounds away from where I was when Jason and I got married. That feels good.

I told Jason the other day that I can't wait to go to my family reunion this summer! Last summer I felt like a blob. I hate the pictures of me that were taken. But THIS summer, I'm going to show up looking amazing and feeling even better!!

Watching the Biggest Loser this season has been SO MUCH MORE FUN!! Rather than diving into a big bowl of something creamy and delicious while I sit on the couch and wish I were motivated enough to be like those guys, I AM one of those guys!! I'm working hard, I'm eating healthy, and I'm changing my life. I can't even tell you how big of a deal it is to me.

Anyway, enough of all that. Because it's afternoon and I still haven't worked out. Today is strength training and my muscles are still sore from Tuesday. Wish me luck!! I'll probably fall over dead when I'm done. It'll be AWESOME!!

A Few Questions...

First, I have this weight loss/health stuff on my mind ALL the time lately. I know some people probably care, but others probably don't so much. So tell me honestly and anonymously to the left how you really feel. Separate blog dedicated to health/fitness/nutrition?

And is anyone interested in starting a little cyber group for it? Is that corny? I'm just really wanting to do this and do it right and I'd LOVE to have the support there. So let me know if you're interested.

Week 2

Apparently Cath is the only one with the same sense of humor as me. :) Oh well!!

Anyway, so today is day 2 of week 3. Last week was not so successful as week one. Half way through week 2 I had lost an additional 2 pounds, bringing my total to twelve. Then I hit a funk.

I posted Sunday that I was bummed. That continued for the next few days. And not just because of my calling. I've come to terms with that and am now excited.

I just was frustrated and couldn't figure myself out. So I blew it. I fed my feelings. :) Then I felt sick to my stomach AND I was still bummed. That lasted for a couple of days.

I finally told myself to get over it. I gave myself permission to not care that I had gained a few pounds back and start over. I took a good look at the way I was eating and made some adjustments. I was being to strict.

So today I'm better. I've lost that initial excitement about all the work that's ahead of me. I wish I could just skip that part. But I'm still doing it. Wish me luck with this third week!! Hopefully it goes MUCH better than last week!!

Ha ha ha ha!!

THIS makes news?!

I'm bummed.

We got a call at nine-thirty this morning asking us to meet with the bishop at ten-thirty. Wonder what that could be. So we hustled to finish getting everyone ready and headed to church.

Callings. Big shocker! :) I was called as a primary teacher and Jason and I were called as ward missionaries together.

Let me just say that I have always been taught that you accept any calling from the Lord willingly. And I believe that one hundred percent.

I don't know exactly what our responsibilities will be as ward missionaries. I'm excited to find out.

However, I have been in the primary since we were first married. I'm not excited about this calling. And that makes me feel awful.

I want to be happy about it, but I really, really enjoy Sunday School and Relief Society! I LOVE them. And I love all the women I'm meeting through Relief Society.

I know I'll probably end up enjoying it. And I'll get to know a whole new set of women through primary. I'm just bummed right now, and I wish I weren't.

Then on top of that, I'm struggling today. I'm so addicted to all these wonderfully delicious fattening foods and I'm doing SO WELL avoiding them. But I always do well for one or two weeks and then I blow it.

So far I've been doing great. Today it feels hard. I really want to just binge eat all the junk that I love. :) Don't worry. I won't. I'm just having a hard time thinking about it today.

I decided to treat myself to pasta for dinner. I just chose a healthy whole wheat penne instead of the usual white pasta. I made a pasta salad. Lots of fresh veggies and a homemade lower fat/calorie Italian dressing.

It's better than a healthy veggie soup or a salad. But it's no Olive Garden breadsticks dipped in leftover alfredo sauce...sinful.

I just need to get past this hump. Like lifting weights. At first your arms are shaking and you don't think you can do it. Then all of the sudden, time passes, and the same weight that felt like too much feels like a feather.

I just need to get past the cravings and soon enough it will feel easy again. If you have any suggestions on how to get past this, please feel free!! Opinions welcome! :)

I'm off to eat my healthy crap now...

Week 1

I figure the best way to keep myself on top of both getting healthy AND blogging is to post my progress weekly.

As of this morning I had officially lost ten pounds in my first week!! WHAT!? Yep. TEN. For me, that's insane!! The most I've ever lost when trying to get healthy is like 3 pounds in a week. I'm sure there isn't a noticeable difference yet. Like I said, it's probably mostly water weight right now. But I can feel it, and right now that's what counts.

Today is day one of week two. For my workout this morning I decided to kick my own behind and workout for twice as long. That may sound like a big deal, but it's probably not. I was only doing about twenty minutes a day last week. I didn't want to over do it. I haven't really worked out for...well, forever. Since high school when the Aerobics Nazi kept me fit on B days. :)

It was hard, but I did it. So I'll probably increase my cardio in the morning too. We'll see. My lungs need to get used to working out at all, let alone in this altitude.

So wish me luck on week two!! Hopefully it goes as well as week one.

New Year, New Look...

Well, I'm sure you're all irritated with me. I said I was going to catch up on my posting, but so far my posts haven't been much. Life has been cRaZy lately!! I thought things were supposed to calm down after the holidays!

So, to catch you all up, first, THE MOVE.

The week before we left was SO MUCH FUN!! Every day was a lunch date or a dinner date or someone stopping by to visit and say goodbye or all of the above!! It was so great to see everyone before we left.

We headed out early on Saturday afternoon (November 22nd). Jason drove the U-Haul and I had the kids with me in the car. Luckily, I drove in front of him. We went through Provo Canyon to get to I-80 (it's shorter by minutes). The shoulder was under construction and I was in the right hand lane. Payson and I were belting out or best to the High School Musical 3 soundtrack and Jack was staring out the window wondering why Heavenly Father sent him to these crazies. :) Suddenly a Dodge Durango was directly next to us in the left hand lane. I wouldn't have noticed at all, except that HE TRIED TO MOVE INTO THE RIGHT HAND LANE!! Fine, no big deal. Honest mistake. I wait a millisecond to see if he notices us. Nope. I lay on the horn long and loud. Nope. I slam on my breaks and try to swerve into the shoulder to avoid this man slamming into the side of my car, all the while picturing Payson in the back seat driver's side.

Yes, we were able to swerve and stop and avoid this idiot. Everyone and everything were fine. Except...remember the shoulder of the road being under construction? That's right. Big orange pylons keeping me from saving my little ones. Arg. Luckily only the passenger side mirror was hit.

I pulled over to inspect the damage and make sure the kids were okay. Jason had fallen behind. The U-Haul couldn't handle my speed. :) I called him to tell him to watch for us pulled over and explained what had happened.

We eventually made it to our apartment without anymore excitement, all the while the passenger side mirror flapped in the wind.

In case you're wondering, it is now AWESOMELY duct taped to the door again. :) We are the world's COOLEST white trash.

Anyway, we got to the apartment, got our key, met a few really nice men in the ward who helped us move in quickly, and now we're Wyoming residents!!

We couldn't find any of our church clothes the next morning, so we finally made it to church the next week. Initially I was freaked out by the mullets I saw. But a lot of those ended up being Thanksgiving visitor's and many of the ward members were gone for the holiday.

After just a couple of weeks I realized how much I LOVE this ward!! Everyone is amazingly friendly and sincere. The kids and I met several new friends at the ward Christmas party. We were invited to join a playgroup. (A mom in the stake organized it so that every Tuesday at ten they open the church and bring all of the nursery toys into the gym; mom's socialize while kids have a blast; perfect combination!) We found out about story time at the library and what day and time most of the moms from our ward go. I've already been assigned visiting teachers and given a visiting teaching assignment, we spoke the Sunday before last, and we have an appointment with the Bishop this Sunday. Guess what that could be. (I'm going to assume callings).

Anyway, you get the point. Besides the wind and the frigid cold, we are really loving it here. And Jason is loving his job, which makes all the difference in the world!

The Monday after we moved, we headed back to Utah for my Grandfather's funeral. He passed away the Thursday before we left. I was able to spend some time by his side in the days before he passed. I had mixed emotions about it. He was 90 years old. My Grandmother passed away five years earlier. And he wasn't perfect, by far. But regardless of anyone else's opinions of him I loved him so much. And I knew without a doubt that he loved each of us the best he could. I have such a strong testimony of life after death, which makes events like this so much easier to bear.

Anyway, because we had been back to Utah so quickly after moving, we decided to spend Thanksgiving here, on our own. I made the entire meal. And I must say, it was FANTASTIC!! I really am a great cook. ;)

The morning we left, one of my dearest friends in the whole world stopped by the drop off a gift and say goodbye. She had written me the sweetest note and had made me an apron. I wore it all day on Thanksgiving. We didn't take any pictures that day, but I made sure Jason got the camera out to take a picture of me in my fancy cooking duds.

Not the most flattering picture, but whatever! Kristin, I adore you!! You will always be one of my best friends. Thank you for my cute apron. I miss you! And I love you and your sweet family so, so much more!!

On to Christmas!! We came back to Utah for a couple of days in December to do some Christmas shopping and go to the temple. The drive home was A NIGHTMARE!! The weather and the roads were awful! And to add to that, on the last half of our trip home, the heater in the car died. Jason and I had piled blankets and coats on the kids to keep them warm and the two of us froze our bums off the rest of the way. (I think I need a new car...)

Anyway, because the drive had been so awful we were FOR SURE not going to come home for Christmas. Besides, we had already gotten excited about having our first very own Christmas.

It turned out SO MUCH BETTER than I could have imagined!! The kids wore the CUTEST EVER Christmas outfits to church the Sunday before Christmas. They looked so grown up and ADORABLE!! I really do believe I have the cutest kids on the planet. (I know. Who doesn't, right?)

On Christmas Eve Jason had to work for a few hours in the morning. No biggie. When he got home we went through the neighborhood carolling and dropping off our neighbor gifts.

We came home and decorated our gingerbread house. Then Jason bathed the kids while I finished up dinner. (I had prepared a lot of it while he was at work, so there wasn't too much left to do). When dinner was ready we all sat down to a fancy candlelit dinner of ham, Mormon funeral potatoes, green beans, corn, rolls, jello salad, and sparkling cider in champagne flutes. Delish!! (Again, I'm an awesome cook!)

After dinner was all cleaned up, the kids got to open one gift each. (Always an ornament that Santa drops off early). Next we left out cookies and milk for Santa, and carrots for Rudolf and the team. We looked outside to see if Santa was close. Jason and I pointed to a blinking red light in the sky and told the kids, "Look!! Rudolf! Santa's close!" Payson looks at as without missing a beat, and very matter-of-factly said, "Mom, that's just a blinking light." So much for magic!!

We headed upstairs for our daily scriptures and family prayer. Instead of picking up where we left off the day before, we read the kids the story of the birth of the Savior in Luke 2 and tried to explain to the kids about the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Then we read a Christmas book before bedtime prayers.

We plan to read The Polar Express by Chris Van Allburg and I Believe in Santa Claus by Diane G. Adamson each Christmas Eve before bed, but I had ordered and overnighted them just to be safe several days before Christmas (couldn't find them anywhere out here) and they showed up three days AFTER Christmas. Nice.

Christmas morning, the kids woke up around seven. They headed downstairs to see what Santa had left them. Sure enough he and the reindeer had scarfed the cookies and carrots and there were three piles of presents on the couch! The red ones for Payson, the green for Jack, and the white to share.

After tearing into the Santa gifts, we opened the presents under the tree one by one in age order. Then cleaned up and had a MASSIVE Christmas breakfast. So yummy!! (Do I need to remind you that I'm awesome in the kitchen?)

This year was so much fun!! Jack was old enough to at least be excited about the toys and Payson was old enough to feel the real magic. I thought I'd feel disappointed about not being with family, but the day was too perfect! We called both of our families several times throughout the day with Thank yous, Merry Christmases, and I love/miss yous.


We spent all of Christmas day in our pajamas playing with new toys, watching new movies, and enjoying our little family. Perfect day!

New Year's was not near as exciting. The kids went to bed at seven, as usual. Jason and I played games and watched movies and tried to stay up. I made it. I woke him up just a few minutes before midnight and we counted with Dick Clark and New York City. We kissed Happy New Year/Goodnight and headed off to dreamland. :)

Then this last Friday my parents called and asked if they could come visit for the day! They wanted to bring up presents and take us out to dinner for our birthdays. (I'll have to steal those pictures from my parents next time I'm in Utah).

Since Payson, Jason and I all have January birthdays, we combined and just had an impromptu celebration on Saturday. It was so great to see my parents and sisters!! I miss them!! Spending the afternoon with them was the best present!! That...and my parents gave me an oil painting that my aunt did of my Grandpa Cox (mom's dad who died of cancer in 2006). It's so beautiful and completely captures him. I love it!!

Jason gave me/us an elliptical machine for our birthday. Oh yeah!! For those of you who don't know already, we have the same birthday. Jason was born January 6th, 1981, and I was born three years later on the same day. :)

Anyway, the elliptical brings me to the title of this post!! New Year, New Look!! Of course I include the minor changes to my blog. But the real look I refer to is ME!

I know I posted something similar last year, but this time I REALLY mean it!! (Hopefully...)

I was always thin growing up. Not a rail, but thin. Never for any reason other than being a kid who can eat anything and not gain an ounce. Around 18 or 19 it slowly started to catch up with me. I gained a little weight, but nothing extreme. Then I had Payson. My eating habits went down the toilet and I packed on the pregnancy pounds. I did better with Jack, and lost some, probably from nursing, after he was born. But I've hovered at a terribly unflattering weight since then.

Every now and then I've tried something new. LA weight loss, Curves, and a bazillion work out dvds. I've got everything from Pilates to Step Aerobics to The Firm weight training and cardio program. I even borrowed my moms old Jane Fonda videos for a while! :)

Anyway, I usually manage to do really well for about two weeks and then I revert back to old bad habits. :( This time will be different!!

So I've read this book, Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. The foreword in the book is written by Dr. Mehmet Oz (the guy who's always on Oprah). Anyway, I heard about it from Jason who hear about it through a friend who had read it and bought the book expecting a typical diet book.

Not even! Most of the book is basically a whole new education. He teaches you about how foods are broken down and how the body handles them and what they really turn into in your body. It's fascinating!! His idea is that willpower will only go so far. At some point you give up. (I'm such a great example of that!) He says that with the knowledge you gain from the book you'll be able to continue making healthy choices based on facts and therefore lose and permanently maintain the weight.

I finished it just before New Year's and figured what better time to start?! Besides, I was feeling really crummy from all the junk I had eaten over the holidays. So we cleaned out the kitchen and replaced everything with good, healthy, whole foods.

Today is day seven for me. I'm not going to say this isn't hard. Because this is HARD! But it's working. And I'm enjoying it!! I've dropped ten pounds this week!! TEN POUNDS! I'm sure a good portion of that is serious water weight, because of my dramatically decreased sodium consumption, but pounds are pounds!!

I ate out when my parents came to town. We ate at a Mexican restaurant here in town and I just avoided the pre-dinner chips and ordered veggie fajitas. I skipped the cour cream and tortillas, and just ate the veggies smothered in salsa and guacamole. I was completely satisfied and couldn't finish my plate. And I was able to enjoy the company of my family without feeling guilty!!

I've also started to work out again. I've alternated using the elliptical machine and a toning video every other day. This week I'm going to increase my time. I figured its been long enough that I'd better ease myself into it.

Point is, I'm feeling great!! And I feel like I'm more aware of my health than I ever have been. I honestly believe that THIS time will be different. We'll see in another week or so if I've given up as usual, but I really don't see it happening.

I'm sure I'll frequently be posting about how I'm doing and the fun new recipes that we try. I could really go on about what I've learned forever!! Just ask me, I'll talk your ear off!

Anyway, aside from working on my physical self, I've set so many goals to just be a better me this year. I'm studying my scriptures a little more, being better about my morning and evening prayers, and actually studying the lessons for church before Sunday. (I've never done that before. Isn't that sad?)

I'm also sticking to a better schedule during the week which is helping me get SO MUCH MORE done! It's keeping me super busy, but instead of lounging in front of the television I'm being productive which makes me feel better about myself.

I'm also teaching Payson preschool three days a week at home. It's been so fun so far! We get to spend a little one on one time and I get to watch her learn and grow. I love it!

Anyway, this was going to be a a short and sweet post. I think that's pretty much out the window! But I'm caught up!! On reading and posting!! Woohoo!! One more thing to cross off of my list. :)

28 Years ago...

28 years ago i didn't exist

(that came three years later)

28 years ago my life changed forever

28 years ago Heavenly Father sent a little boy into this world meant just for me

28 years ago that little boy started to become the most wonderful man in the whole world

28 years ago my perfect match was born

Happy birthday to the best husband and father that we could EVER have asked for!! I love you so much more today than I thought possible. (I know that's super cliche, but it's also super true!) You're my favorite person to be with. My very best friend. I can't believe you're mine. You picked me. I'm the luckiest girl in the world!! We love you!!

Ha ha ha!!

I needed a good laugh today. Thanks, Clerissa!!

**sigh**

I am officially done reading all of your posts from the last six weeks. I am now going to bed. I will start catching up on my own posting...soon. :)