Oh what a good day

So today was a pretty good day (not speaking in health and fitness terms here). Since Sunday DH and I have been planning to go to Costco because I had to pick up my glasses...in preparation for getting Lasik surgery. See, they actually make you take your contacts out for a FULL week prior to just having the initial exam. A full week, I haven't been without my contacts for a full week in about 6 years...not even if you added all the time up. Nope, I never take my contacts out. Bad bad Kristen!! Hence, why I am going to have Lasik! Anyway, DH and I had been adding things to the Costco list for the last 5 days, although I didn't write the glasses down because I wasn't going to forget those since that is the main purpose we went there. So we go to Costco, then proceed to go to Fred Meyer since we didn't need some of our groceries in bulk. We got through Fred Meyer and are driving home when my DH turns to me, slaps me on the leg and says "good thing we went to Costco", or something like that. I was still trying to figure out why he hit me. Then it dawns on me. We didn't pick up the glasses. Add this to the list of things about getting older. I'm not as sharp as I used to be!!

Also, while at Costco, we walked by the watch selection...I wanted to see if by chance they had that Suunto watch I mentioned below (they didn't). Then I jokingly ask DH if he had read my blog (he's not really into blogs...not even mine), and he says yes. Hmmm, surprising. So then he says, "so that's what you want for Christmas huh...that's a long time to wait." I could tell by the tone in his voice that this was not our normal conversation. So I asked if he bought me the watch, and he's so bad at lying (and surprises...really really bad at surprises) that he fesses up that he bought it for me! Yeah, what fun what fun, a new toy. Especially needed at this point since I'm 'off the wagon', and really need to get myself back on!!

I also spent about 3 hours editing (messing with) the Html for my blog template. The picture above I took in Cabo San Lucas in February....134 days till we go back WOOOHOOOO. I still have some things to modify, but I couldn't figure it all out today. Html is HARD to mess with when one doesn't know what one is doing!!

In other news, tonight Aaron (and cousin Ryan) all got our yellow belts in Karate, so that was pretty fun.

Here is a pick of my dear daughter Maree, who is 3 1/2. Today she wanted her hair like Auntie's, so I straightened it. This is for you Deanna!


As you can see, she can be a firecracker...gets it from her Auntie, because according to my mother, I was an angel child.

Anyone want to buy me a watch?

So I'm a bit of a gadget girl. I don't own a lot of gadgets because they tend to be spendy (at least the ones I like), but there is one in particular that I've got my eye on these days. Its a watch, but it's no ordinary watch. This watch tracks your heart rate, calories burned, "training effect", and other things. Training effect, woohoo, without spending money to work with a personal trainer, I can have a watch that will analyze my performance heartbeat by heartbeat, and illustrate the improvement of my body's aerobic conditioning with a 1-5 scale. What is this wondrous watch called you may ask. Drum roll please....
It's the Suunto t4.
The reason I think this would be so cool is because the "training effect" takes EPOC (Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) measurements, which is really what I'm trying to achieve with Turbulence Training, and interval cardio. So, if I have a device that tells me from 1-5 how hard I am actually working, you better believe I'm going to shoot for a 5 every time. I am a very visual person, so I think this would totally motivate me. It may not be the cutest watch, but it can't all be about vanity.

Anyone have a spare $199.99-219.99 lying around?? It's on my Christmas list! :)

Synopsis of this week

This has been a busy week! I decided after getting back from my Sacramento trip that I was just going to take the rest of the week 'off' from clean eating and exercise. I have felt nauseous since getting back (NO not pregnant), and I had so many things planned, that clean eating would have been torture. We had a family dinner on Tuesday, then Aaron turned 6 on Friday, and we did mostly a family celebration that day, and at the end of the day Aaron said "this is the best day of my entire life". So I think we succeeded in making it a fun day. Yesterday we had his party with all his friends, and he thought that was great too. Tonight we are going to Grandma's for hamburgers and stuff. Tuesday I plan on getting back on track!

In other news, I just want to share how distressing getting older is. Yes, I am 30.5, and already there are things happening that I really don't like.

1) It is no longer an option to color my hair...the grays are becoming more and more prevalant just in the last year. I won't dare pluck them out because my hair is fine enough as it is...I can't stand to lose even one.

2) Not only are the hairs on my head forgetting what color they should be, but they are also forgetting where they live. They seem to be getting confused, as they keep shooting offspring onto my chin, upper lip, inside of my nose. What the heck is that. This is a cruel joke. This morning was a particularly depressing day for my chin/neck. After paying close attention to this area for months...tweezers in hand, this morning I woke up, and before showering I was inspecting my face once again. There staring at me in all its glory is a hair on my neck that had to measure at least 1/8 of an inch. I swear, this monster was not there last night!! Where has this hair been hiding, and why didn't anyone tell me it was there. Kelly, you're suppose to have my back! Seriously when I first saw it, I thought there was no way it was attached, it must have just been clinging to my skin. Nope, had to get the tweezers to pull that menace out. Horrifying, absolutely horrifying!!

3) The girls...you know the ones I'm talking about. Well they are not where they were before and this does not make me happy. Everything seems to be wandering downward. Enough said.

On a happier note, I am going to have Lasik surgery sometime in the next few months, which will be good since I am a contact abuser. Hey, I have extended wear contacts...but apparently 'extended' does not mean 4 months....

Hmmm..maybe I need more coffee....

Your IQ Is 105

Your Logical Intelligence is Below Average Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Exceptional Your General Knowledge is Average

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

Wii fit

This will be on my Christmas list....and Steve's, and Aaron's. I can't wait for it to come out.

Derailed

Well good morning! Obviously there hasn't been much to report over the last week! Over the weekend I went down to Sacramento with my boss who is also a friend. We only stayed for 24 hours, but we had a fun time. Since then I have struggled to get myself back on track. My previous routine of going to the gym everyday at the same time has just been completely discombobulated by Aaron's school schedule and by the Turbulence Training routine. For some reason it feels awkward to me to workout in the garage while my MIL is here watching the kids. I don't know why. Anyway, I'll figure it out.

A cardio epiphany and more...

So, I haven't been making it to the gym as regularly since Aaron started school. I've been working out regularly though, and have actually bought a few things so I can get a good workout in my garage. Anyway, thanks to Turbulence Training I've had a cardio epiphany. Guess what..I do NOT have to do cardio on a boring machine!! Why I never thought of this before can probably be attributed to the moderate cardio fad...where you had to sustain an activity for 30--60 minutes. Hard to do jumping jacks for that long.
Cardio is ANYTHING that brings your heart rate and breathing rate up. Interval cardio is bringing your heart rate way up to nearly your max, then bringing it down, then back up etc. I've discovered that I enjoy doing interval cardio (the only cardio worth doing for fast fat loss in my book) by mixing different activities. My last few interval cardio sessions have consisted of fast jump roping, jumping squats, mountain climbers, and fast jumping jacks. It is really challenging, but so much more fun than the machines at the gym.
Also, the other day my DH made mention that he needed to start jogging or 'something', and I mentioned that he should do cardio with me, to which he agreed...which I was a little surprised at since he usually wants NO part of my exercise stuff. So after I did my TT, I told him I was going to do my cardio (he had been busy disassembling our pool), so he disappears into the house, and much to my surprise, he came back out ready to go. He made it for 13 minutes. Considering he hasn't done any 'exercise' for nearly a year, that was pretty good, and I was just glad that he actually came out there with me.

On another note, I just got done snuggling with my son before bed like I do every night. Tonight when I walked in my room (he was already in his bed), I was holding my neck/shoulder because it was sore. Aaron asks, "mom, why are you holding your arm like that", and I said "oh, it's just a little sore", and he says "oh mom are you okay, do you want me to rub it?". Sweetest boy! I said "sure". So he rubs my shoulder/neck as good as a nearly 6 year old can. The next thing out of his mouth was slighting disturbing. He says, "mom, your skin feels a little loose.....(pause).....do you know why?". I said, "no honey, why". He says in a slightly sympathetc tone "cuz it's getting old". I laughed out loud at this, but deep down inside I'm cringing. OLD?? What, I'm 30....I feel like I'm still 23. OLD??
Now when people see me, they may notice a subconscious hand on the neck checking how taunt the skin is...... is it because I used to have chubby collarbones??

More random info....

Maree and Aaron are going 'hunting' tomorrow with Daddy...really that just means driving along some log roads looking for animals. Maree, however, is convinced they are going to shoot something, and wants to take her 'bones' AKA bow, but she doesn't have one so she's going to go 'pow-pow'.

I thought I was going to make it to the gym today, but my schedule is a little out of whack since Aaron started school. I have been working out somewhere between 10:30-12 most days, but Aaron starts school at 12:05 and therefore needs to eat lunch at about 11. So I was planning on going after dropping him off and putting Maree in the kids club, but then I realized it closes at 1....not enough time.

So I did the next best thing....WENT SHOPPING :)

Okay, then later I improvised at home and had a great workout with my bands, fannie lifter, new exercise ball (from shopping trip), dumbells, new ipod speakers :) Then followed it up with some crazy interval cardio stuff.

I must admit I did just have 2 pieces of WW toast with PB for meal 6..... The bread was only 80 cals each, and is very healthy bread. Otherwise, meals were right on today.

New vocabulary from my 3 yr old...OH, and some exercise

My daughter spent some time over at Auntie's house this evening while me and the other kids had Karate. She came home with some new 'words'. :)

She came home asking daddy if she could have her room "betweened" like her cousins. Her cousins share a room and their beds are separated by a dresser. Apparently this makes the dresser "betweened", and she thought it would be great if she and her brother could also share a room. Either that or she was talking about how the beds used to be stacked...as bunk beds, and whoever is on the bottom is 'betweened' by beds. I'm not really sure.

She also asked if she could have a 'bumpy bed' AKA 'bunk beds'. After I tried to clarify if she was talking about the 'bunk beds', she says, 'yes, the bumpy bed... you jump on it'.


Okay, so back to the exercising! I'm still a little stuck on doing weights one day and cardio the next. With Turbulence Training you are suppose to do weights and cardio together on the same day. Yesterday I did my own version of the TT (I seem to have some aversion to taking a piece of paper to the gym and/or new unfamiliar exercises. I did incorporate some TT exercises, and I did the sets/supersets as usual. So I felt good about that...although I didn't have time to do cardio afterwards...although I did do some Wii boxing last night :)

Today I learned a lesson about doing cardio prior to doing Karate. DON'T DO IT!! Or at least I should not have done it 1 hour prior to Karate. I also did kind of a crazy HIIT today with intervals of jump roping, mountain climbers, jumping squats, jumping jacks. Wowie! Then I stayed for part of the 2nd hour of Karate, which involved me, the Sensei, and another brown belt. So it was more intense moves and sparring. I am beat!!

Also, just a notice...if the scale does not move this week, I'm having DH hide it indefinitely!!

Anyone care for some Jello...and other random things

So I just got done cleaning out a LARGE double shelf cabinet in my kitchen. The kind of cabinet that is curved, and has nooks and crannies that I swear could hide a small child. Anyway, I kept shoving cans/boxes etc in there hoping to create a little more room. Well, it was getting ridiculous so I cleaned it out. Guess what, I have 25 boxes of Jello/jello pudding mix in there. Good heavens...see this is what I do, I buy stuff, it gets put in the never ending abyss that is called my cabinet, then I forget it's there, because it's at least 4 rows back, then I buy some more, shove it in the cabinet, and the cycle repeats. STOP THE MADNESS!! Anyway, I need to start using some of that pudding mix!!

Also, just a cute story (well cute to me), about my dear children and their Grandma. Last night I went with the kids to go have dinner at Grandma and Grandpas (my MIL and FIL) We were all sitting around chatting and Grandma tells us she has lost one of the lenses out of her prescription sun glasses (it has fallen out several times before). She goes on to tell us that she had come in the house from outside to get something and then noticed one lens missing. She said she has scoured the whole house through and through and it is no where to be found...so she'll have to go to Costco to get it replaced. So I half jokingly say to my son "go find Grandma's lens", and he jumps right up and starts looking under the cushions of the couch, and Grandma says "oh I already looked under all those", so then my daughter crouches down to look under the couch and she says "he he he here it is Grandma" in this cute little giggle. And I'm thinking, she's just teasing (she likes to tease....and she's only 3...eeks). So there my son looks down there too, and says, "yep, there it is", and pulls it out and gives it to Grandma. This happened in less than 30 seconds from the time I asked my son to find it. Grandma just laughs...she can't believe it..she said she had already looked under the couch...she'd been looking for 3 days. She then gives them each a dollar, which they were ecstatic about. I guess God answered her prayers that day!

So then I am sitting with my son looking at his new dollar from Grandma. I said, do you know who that president is on the dollar bill, he says 'ya, it's George Washington', I was a little surprised he knew because we had never discussed it before. So then I ask, well who was George Washington, and he says "he was the President", and I said "what President was he", and he says "the first President", as if I asked him what color the sky was. I have no idea how he knows this information, but I'm pretty sure I didn't know all that until at least the 5th grade. So then Grandma asked (she always amazed at what he knows...as a good Grandma should be) "How do you know that", and he shrugs his little shoulders and says "I don't know, I guess God put it in my head for me to know". What a precious child! I sure hope God puts some math skills in that head too. I'm already afraid of having to help him with his math homework anywhere beyond the 3rd grade or so. I was NOT gifted in math...and luckily, in my line of work, it is not terribly important. Good choice on my end!!

Just an update

Well, first off I have to admit that the last few days have not been shining moments in clean eating. Free day was Friday, and I enjoyed it to the fullest. Saturday I got busy, starving, and ate 2 pieces of leftover pizza, then later had 2 oatmeal raisin cookies. The rest of the day was clean. Yesterday was clean eating until dinner at a friends house. It all started out well, but ended with some bread with olive oil, and homemade ice cream with a brownie. I'm not beating myself up about it though because to me, this is what life is about. Mostly good eating combined with the occasional indulgences that make life great. However, I did indulge more than I had planned, so I felt I needed to come clean with that :)

My arms and back are still really sore from my boxing adventures. Today I did a variation of the Turbulence Training at home. I had to modify because I didn't have all the proper equipment, and didn't think the gym's child care was open, so didn't want to go to the gym. I started with the jump rope and beat my own personal record of # of consecutive jumps (which was 261 yesterday), I got to 317 today. I don't know what my jump rate is, I should time it sometime, but I'm going pretty fast. Seems like I have much better form when I first start...before I start getting fatigued and losing form. Then I did squats with a exercise bands under my feet, and with each stand I did an overhead press. I did 20 of those, then chest presses with the exercise band and a 5 pounder in each hand, 20 of those. Rinse and repeat. Rest. Then I did push-ups with my feet on a fanner lifter (left over from my "The Firm" days) x 15, then hip extensions, rinse and repeat, rest. Then dips on the fanner lifter, and bulgarian squats. I don't think I repeated that one...they were both hard. Then I did some bird dogs and plank. Somewhere in there I also did some different squats with the exercise bands under my feet, but pulled through my legs in the back. I was trying to mimic a kettlebell exercise I saw. I thought it worked quite well. Then some more jump roping. Then I came in to do some boxing. My new best score for the punching bags in 1 minute is 25, that's 7 better than yesterday, woohooo. Anyway, I boxed for 20 minutes, and was sweating a ton. I think I will try to box tonight also just for some added calorie loss.
Today's eating is right on. So far I've had a breakfast sandwich (WW english muffin, 1 whole egg and 1 egg white poached, and 1 Morningstar breakfast patty), a canned turkey and broccoli casserole I made yesterday (which was amazingly tasty), 1/2 a cantaloupe, a PureFit protein bar, and a Enviga green tea drink. I'm looking forward to some cottage cheese and fresh tomatoes later, and may be having steak for dinner..not sure yet.

Oh, and just as a side note in case there are any other Wii people out there. I learned 2 nights ago that I bowl SO much better backwards..yep, I stand facing away from the TV hold the controller B button up and flick my wrist from pointing at the ground to the TV. I bowl so much straighter this way, however, out of 10 rounds, I left the 6 pin up 7 times I think...just the 6 pin... At least I was consistent I guess. Now if I could figure out how to adjust this to strike consistently, I'd be set :) My dear 6 year old son keeps asking me why I am only bowling backwards now.... mommy likes to WIN :)

Fun with the Wii....

Okay, I have to admit that I am a closet gamer. I have always loved playing video games, and so far the Wii Sports is one of my favorites. I'm the one who actually convinced my hubby that getting a Wii would be a good idea. He thought the graphics were poor, but he gave in...it really didn't take that much effort since he is really a 10 year old in a grown man's body. If you are not familiar with the Wii, watch this

Anyway, so last night after reading a little more about Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto, I decided I needed to try to be a little more active every day...not necessarily doing cardio, but just moving around more....especially since my job involves sitting at a computer...not a lot of calories burned doing that. So, I decide that I'll play the Wii...I had already done a 30 minute HIIT with the jump rope..showered, slipped into some comfy clothes. After 15 minutes of boxing, I was seriously sweating again. I was only doing one of the training exercises where you try to punch out as many punching bags as possible in 1 minute. Well I was trying to beat the high score, so I just kept trying. WOW, today my arms and back are sore!

Moral of the story, exercise does not have to be a drag...find things you like to do and commit to doing them!!

As for me, I'm off to box :)
Oh, and I did beat the high score yesterday :) I got 18 in 1 minute