Checking In

Still here.


And there.


And everywhere.


Very, very busy. Good busy. Sleep-when-the-head-hits-the-pillow busy.


Walking 2.5 to 3.5 miles every morning. Up and down hills. With a stroller.


Sweating.


Lifting weights: bags of soil and retaining-wall blocks. Putting them on hand-truck. Putting them in vehicle. Taking them out of vehicle. Carrying them up slanted yard (putting in a garden on slopey property -- my project).


Digging. Lots of digging.


And cleaning. Parents bought a 55-year-old home around the corner from me. Lots of grime. Dirt. Webs. And carpet laden with black mold that needed to be ripped out.


The thing is I LOVE THIS WORK. I have to be careful because I will go and go and go.


And not drink water.


And not plan my meals. Or at least not follow through with the plan, grabbing a fast food meal instead.


So, I'm maintaining.


I found another love, too. I should be ashamed of myself. We met last week.

Have you seen the size of these things? "Campfire Giant Roasting Marshmallows" - they are ... giant. I, dare I say it, like them better than chocolate, especially when they are golden-crunchy-chewy on the outside and melty soft on the inside.

I know.

I am what I eat.

White.

Fluffy.

But,

sweet.

Four-Mile Hike

Stewart Falls, Utah

I'm squeezing in some blog time to report that I'm hanging in there. I could be doing better but have been very active. Today our neighbors invited us to join their family to go into American Fork Canyon-Provo Canyon and hike two miles to Stewart Falls. It was amazingly beautiful. Danny, my daughter, and I held hands and walked behind the falling water next to the wall of the mountain (bottom part of falls in photo -- not me in pic). Invigorating. Nothing like a shower of melting snow in the morning to wake you up. We hiked back soaking wet, which was great because of the growing heat from the mountains.

We could see Sundance Ski Resort from where we were. It's owned by Robert Redford. As we were walking, we realized we were on the trail with the Sundance Kid himself. He was with two other adults and a toddler. I was too busy admiring their child-carrier back-pack style with a canopy to notice Mr. Redford. We kept passing each other. We would stop to rest, they would pass. They would rest, we would pass. At one point I walked right by him on the narrow trail and said, "Excuse us, please." "Sure!" he said. Anyway, hikers were polite and respectful. No one bothered him.

I haven't been perfect on the challenge, but I haven't given up. Life is busy and challenging in and of itself. I didn't drink as much water today, otherwise I would have been in the stinging nettle bushes often to relieve myself. Besides, I wouldn't want the Sundance to see my moon-dance in the shrubbery.

Enjoying the falls but not falling.

Back to Basics Challenge #3 - Stop Eating B4 Bed

Hi! How's your hydration? I've been doing really well thanks to my timer. So, far, I'm pleased with how I've been doing on the challenges.


Water: great
To-do list: good (I keep adding stuff to the list -- it's more than 3 -- but it helps me stay focused)
Move: great (I've been walking 2-3 miles each day plus JM's 30-Day Shred and arm resistance) -- I save the goofey dance when I'm in a slump.
Thankful Journal: good


T.O.M. arrived 3 days ago and knocked me down. I just did not feel like moving. But I did. I got at least my walk in, although slowly.


(Okay, I'm falling asleep here at the computer. Let's get the next challenge underway):


Physical
1. Continue to hydrate
2. Continue to move more
3. Stop eating or drinking 2-3 hours before bedtime (unless you have a medical condition where you need a cracker or milk with your medication before bed or some other very valid reason). That's my challenge for myself this week. It's a big one that has worked for me before.


Why do I want to do it? I don't need those extra calories to sleep. I have plenty to get me through the night. If those calories aren't used, then they are stored. Sleeping with a full tummy could also lead to indigestion and gas.


What if I'm hungry? Don't get mad at me for saying this, but, "It's okay to feel hunger." It's not okay to deprive yourself of nutrition. It's not okay to starve. However, if I had balanced, full meals during the day and my nutritional needs are met, then it's okay for me to feel a little hungry before bed time. I'll plan for my breakfast the next day so I don't just grab anything.


Mental
1. Continue making "to-do" lists the night before.
2. Dance to get out of slumps


Spiritual
1. Thankful journal (continue) -- or at least mentally review what you are thankful for regarding the people in your life. It helps to write it down and reread during times you just don't feel thankful at all.

Puppy Love

The Merry from Sheesh has requested to see some more of my German Shepherd, Hansi. I'm happy to oblige (a mom loves showing photos). Hansi is 16 months, neutered, and a beloved family member. His mom comes from an Argentinian line and does weight pulling competitions. One of his aunts is an avalanche rescue dog. The other does search and rescue.

Here are some favorites:

With our cat, Daisy (she loves dogs).

Wasatch Mountains

A boy and his dog.

Welcome home.

Getting a treat from Danny's mouth.

Watching Rin Tin Tin

"I make a cute face so you will play with me."

Watching more tv with his buddy (while I paint the bedroom).

Opening his Christmas gift (he managed to find, himself).

Loves to be brushed (and lets me trim his nails and brush his teeth).

How Many Bags of Dog Food Are You Carrying?

Here is a photo of a person carrying two large bags of dog food (this happens to be Dean Cain who played as "Superman"). I'm more interested in the bags (although Dean is nothing to bark at). Each bag is at least 40 pounds.


Now, I need your imagination here.


Imagine securely strapping these bags to his body. Then, we'll proceed to ask him to do a few things like climbing stairs, walking or jogging a couple of miles, doing push-ups, and jumping jacks... all-the-while having the extra 80+ pounds on him constantly. Moving that extra weight against gravity would be difficult even for Superman Cain. Now strap the bags to a person with less strength and endurance and tell that person he/she has to live daily carrying around the extra weight. Sounds miserable, but that is what I've done to myself. I have 70+ extra pounds of fat "strapped" to me that makes daily moving so unnecessarily difficult. Woof.


What made me think of this? I've been doing the "Jillian Michael's 90 30 day Shred." During the Level 1 warm-up, she says there is no modified version for the jumping jacks because she's seen 400 pound people doing them, and anyone (basically) can do them.


I struggle with jumping jacks. And no wonder! I've got "70 pounds of dog food" strapped to me! (I have no idea how someone with 200+ pounds of dog food strapped to them could do it).


It's really hard for me to do these exercises, but here's the plus-plus if I endure and continue: My muscles will become stronger trying to move my extra weight while at the same time (knock on wood) losing the extra weight. The exercises and daily movement in general will become easier and easier. Then, maybe, I might actually enjoy jumping jacks as much as Jumping Jillian seems to.


For now, I just enjoy knowing that I did it, "bags" and all.

Roth: Women, Food, and God, 2

Prologue, page 4, Geneen is speaking to the participants during a retreat lunch:
"Now, take some time and notice what you put on your plate. Notice if you were hungry when you chose the food. If you weren't physically hungry, was there another kind of hunger present?


And looking at your plates, decide what you want to eat first and take a few bites. Notice how the food feels in your mouth. If it tastes like you thought it would taste. If it does what you thought it would do."

Page 4 and 5, participant asks what's wrong with wanting comfort from food:
Geneen - "Not a thing. Food is good and comfort is good. Except that when you are not hungry and you want comfort, food is only a temporary palliative; why not address the discomfort directly?"


(Me)
Last week while at the grocery store, I managed to steer clear of the bakery section but then came upon a big basket of moon-pies positioned next to something else I needed. I don't think I've ever had a moon-pie: two cakey-cookies with marshmallow-type substance in between and all covered in chocolate. And on sale. I caved for just one.


Upon returning the the van, I opened up the moon pie and took a bite while starting the ignition. I was disappointed. It didn't taste the way I thought it would taste. It felt crumbly and dry in my mouth, kind of flavorless. "No wonder it was on sale. Why do people make a big deal about these things?"


And I threw it away ate the rest of it.


I don't know why I did. There was no nutritional value in it. I don't remember if I was hungry for food. Sometimes it's habits and surroundings and going through the motions without thinking.


Or going through the motions to try to keep from thinking.


Or feeling.

Back to Basics Challenge #2 - Move - Give Thanks

Physical

1. Continue to hydrate

2. Move More and/or Finish Stronger

{This may not be much of a challenge for those of you that are very active and are already set in an exercise routine. For you, I challenge you to Finish Stronger. For example, run your last steps as if you had the energy you started with, lift that last rep as if you're not fatigued and with control and full movement (grunt and growl if you have to).}

For the rest of us -- Each day play an upbeat song you like and "dance" to it. (I have a playlist on the side of my blog if that helps. Scroll down. It's on the bottom. I suggest song #2 "Big N Chunky" for a fun song to start moving ...thanks, Larkspur).

"Can't dance," you say? Neither can I. It's embarrassing at first (even alone), and I have this paranoid feeling there's a hidden camera somewhere. Move as if you can dance. Shake it. Shimmy. Wave your arms. March in place. If you have to do it from a chair, fine, just move more than you used to. Wiggle. Jiggle. Whip out some 1980's aerobic moves. Be unapologetically yourself (a quote that I love from MizFit).

Why do it? It gives you a boost of energy and endorphins and makes the day seem more possible to handle. It also kick-starts your metabolism. And...it's a gateway activity that may lead you to trying other activities and exercises.

When? I think mornings are great (start it off in a fun way). You can do it anytime you want to be awake. Feeling a little low or depressed? Take 5 minutes and dance.

Mental

1. Continue your to-do list the night before. (Modify it to fit your needs).

2. Dance (see above) - The physical movement will boost you mentally.

Spiritual

1. Thankful Journal -- Write at least one thing you are thankful for about the people (or animals) in your life. For example, before I write my nightly to-do list, I list my immediate family members (same notebook as the to-do's). Next to their names, I recall 3 things that each of them did that I was thankful for. "Marie - said thank you to the clerk, played with little brother, gave me a hug." It can be about anyone.

Why? We are bombarded with negativity and discouragement. If we choose to see the good stuff, that will help to counter-balance what surrounds us. This may lead us to seek for more good things. If we are listing our family members, that could help us see them in a more positive light and relate to them in a more loving way (which comes in handy when all live under one roof).

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Bonus

There are some great blogs I'd eventually like to introduce to you. Cammy from TippyToeDiet had a "Trainaversay" a couple of days ago, so I'll start with her. I encourage you to read about it here. She has lost 100 pounds and writes about the day she began strength training and even shared journal entries from that day. I find it motivating.

I first noticed Cammy when she would comment on others' blog posts. She was always encouraging, positive, and funny. I eventually clicked over to her blog and was happy I did.