Our New Spin Bike

Do you have Craigslist where you live?  Well, we have found some great deals on used exercise equipment on Craigslist.  Our latest treasure?  A spin bike!  

Look, my son is showing you how fun exercise can be!  Actually, it really is true.  When I turn on the tunes and start riding, my kids run around and jump and dance, and it really is fun. 

When we were thinking about buying a bike, I asked my husband, “The only problem is, where would we put it?”  He replied very matter of factly, “That’s the least of my concerns.”  Does that sound familiar…do you have a husband like mine who doesn’t want to be bothered with the minor details  

Well, the spin bike has landed smack dab in the  middle of our family room.  You can’t miss it.  The good thing is we really use it.  We’ve owned it 3 days and I’ve used it 2 out of the 3 days.  Not bad since exercise equipment often just collects dust or acts as a coat hanger.

But what to do when we have company over?  The unsightly spin bike…hmmm, I know – they can ride the spin bike too!

Winner of the Progresso Soup Giveaway!

The winner of the Progresso soup giveaway is Grace!  Here’s what she had to say: 

Did someone say SOUP? We have soup for breakfast at our house! And yes, soup for lunch and soup for dinner. It’s great on it’s own, with a sandwich, as a starter, as a finisher. Did I mention that I love soup? Oh wait, I must pause for a moment to savor a spoonful of soup while I’m at my computer. (No joke!) I would love to win this most excellent prize. A Progresso soup mug would suit my desk very well.

So Grace, your enthusiasm for soup has won you…

2 cans of Progresso Soup

Progresso soup mug

Progresso digital jump rope that keeps track of jumps and calories burned

Thank you for all who entered the contest, and thank you Progresso for the great giveaway!

Controlling My Cheats

Well, I’ve been hovering between 147-150 lbs.  I must admit I have been allowing myself too many cheats.  Of course, when my husband points this out, I declare that I am not! 

Since I’m not gaining weight and losing a little (albeit a little), I’ve been allowing myself some treats.  For instance, I bought my grandmother a box of truffles, knowing full well that when I visited her, we would open the box and eat them together.  I think I must have had 5 truffles that day because I figured, “When else am I going to have the chance to eat truffles!” 

Then there’s the snacking with the kids.  If they sit down for graham crackers and milk, I have a few crackers too. 

Well, I know in my mind all these “little” things are stalling my weight loss.  I realized that most of my snacking was done in secret (foraging for anything sweet when my kids were napping and I was all alone in the kitchen).  Or when I saw a limited opportunity (like the truffles) and I jumped at it. 

So I decided this week to try something new – and it has totally worked!  I wrote down my allowances on little slips of paper:

• Coffee drink
• Dessert
• Sun chips
• 20 chocolate chips
• Wild card

This is what I am allowed to cheat on during one week.  Just giving myself permission to eat these foods has helped me to control my desire for them!  Since I’m frugal, I save up my cheats and then try not to use them.  But I know if I need them, they are there and I like that feeling.  So far, in my first week of doing this, I only used 2 cards:  the dessert card (I had chocolate cake at a church banquet) and the sun chips one afternoon.

What do you like to eat?  Make yourself some cheat cards to use during the week.  Use moderation of course!    See how many cards you can leave unused and of course, stop eating treats if you do end up using all your cards.

My Biggest Loser Contest

Here’s my hubby, pretending he’s the chef at Benihana’s Japanese restaurant.  He may be smiling, but he’s going down!

We’re having a biggest loser contest going on right now!  Who can lose 10 pounds first?  The winner gets a massage every other day for a week (3 massages).  And of course, the glory of being the biggest loser.

I like 2 things about this contest:

1.  Since my husband is trying to lose weight too, it’s easier to eat healthy at home and skip treats/dinners out together. 

2.  My husband has already commented about how hard it is to lose weight.  He expects it to fall right off after a few good days of eating less.  He is now feeling my pain as I remind him I’ve had to lose weight after each baby.  And that was 40 pounds, not just 10!  Now I have some fresh empathy from him! 

Do you have a biggest loser contest going on?  If so, I’d love to hear about what the rewards are for the winner(s).  Having a biggest loser contest is a great way to gain momentum.  I highly recommend it! 

Here’s an article I wrote about having your own biggest loser contest if you want more ideas.

Book Review: 50 Ways to Feel Great Today

In the introduction, this book begins with a question:

Are you down and troubled?

Well, if you’re a mom, most likely you feel down and troubled once in a while!  The authors write that they want to help, not with easy answers or pious platitudes, but with 50 simple and inexpensive suggestions to boost your mood immediately.   Sound good? 

The fifty ideas vary greatly, from accentuating the positives to flying a kite to immersing yourself in nature.  There are some creative suggestions in the book like planning a treasure hunt for your child.  Other ideas are common and familiar (watching an inspiring movie, taking a nap) but the catch is…when was the last time you actually did one of these things?  My husband and I hadn’t been to the movies in months, but we recently enjoyed a date night and the movie, ”The Blind Side.”

If you want some ideas old and new to inspire you to enjoy your life, this is a great resource book.  It makes a great gift for yourself or a loved one who needs a pick-me-up.  You don’t have to read each chapter because some of the topics won’t appeal to you.  But others will – for me, I grativated to chapters titled, “Name That Feeling – Before It Becomes a Mood” and “Save Your Day with a Nap.” 

Like all self help books, the outcome is really up to you.  If you take one or more of the ideas and run with it, you will feel great today as the book title promises! 

Thank you Revell for a complimentary copy of the book to review.  Available now at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Funny Baby Lucy Pictures!

Being a baby is so fun!  Except when they put me in funny hats (as if I didn’t have enough hair!)

Hula After Baby?

 

Last week, I attended a Women of Purpose event featuring wonderful speakers Danna Demetre and Carol LeBeau.  One of the venders at the event was passing out little Hawaiian flowers to put behind your ear.  As I reached out to pick one up, a lovely and friendly face greeted me.  Her name was Jennifer and I learned she was the queen of hula! 

Jennifer has her own business called Hula Moves, an effective and fun Polynesian cardio fitness program.  How cool is that!  Everyone loves Hawaii right?  So why not take some of the happiness and joy of the islands and infuse that into your workout. 

Hula Moves incorporates traditional Polynesian dance moves with aerobics and strength training.  A little kickboxing, Pilates, and yoga are thrown in the mix, and you have a great 60 minute workout!  All dance and fitness levels are welcome.  If you live in the San Diego area, I encourage you to check out Jennifer’s classes.  The first class is free!

What I love about Jennifer is her love and enthusiasm.  You can’t help but have fun when you are with her.  So take this tip home with you today:  Whether it’s Hula or something else, find a way to infuse FUN into your exercise routine!  Happy exercising and Aloha!

SOUP-er Way to Lose the Baby Weight…Progresso Soup Giveaway!

I’ve been hovering at about 150 pounds for a few weeks now.  My sweet 3 month old baby Lucy is growing bigger and bigger and I want to be growing smaller and smaller!

So I was very excited when I found out about the Progresso “Souper You Debut” contest.  I must admit I’m not much of a soup person, but Progresso has over 40 flavors of soups at 100 calories or less a serving.  I’m willing to try! 

You can enter the contest here for your chance to win a trip for two to New York City from May 21-23rd.  First prize includes roundtrip airfare, a two night stay in a NYC hotel, a full makeover, and a $1000 shopping spree and consultation. 

All you have to do to enter is submit an essay (200 characters or less) about why you like Progresso Light or 100 Calorie Soups and why you want a makeover, along with a photo of yourself.

As a blogger, I received a wonderful package of soup (along with a cool mug and jumprope) from Progresso to try myself and review.  I love that you can warm up a big can of soup and not feel guilty about eating all of it.  The worst damage (eating the whole can) is 200 calories.  You really feel like you’ve had a meal and you can’t beat the calorie count.  And with all the choices, you feel like you’re ordering from a menu instead of being trapped in dietland.

My favorite flavors so far are French Onion (only 100 calories) and Chicken Barley.  I’m not crazy about soft veggies in soup, so these two are good for me  

Want to try some free soup for yourself?  Progresso has generously offered a gift to one of my readers (it could be you!).  Enter here to win:

• 2 cans of Progresso Soup
• Progresso soup mug
• Progresso digital jump rope that keeps track of jumps and calories burned

Just leave a comment here about why you’d like to win the soup and fun stuff.  The winner will be chosen on January 25th.  Eat soup and be happy!

I Can Zip ‘em But…

Progress is GOOD, no matter how big or small.  I happy to report I can zip my pants now!  Sure, I can’t sit down comfortably in them yet, but we’re making progress.  I wore them around the house for about 3 hours, but after too much sitting and bending, my stomach hurt from them being too tight.  Gotta hate that. 

So they were a good reminder to snack small so I can get into those jeans and wear them in public by the end of the month.  Can’t give up…

Here’s where I was just a few weeks ago:

Can You Lose Weight on Vacation?

We enjoyed a wonderful vacation in Zion National Park in Utah this week.  We vacationed with my in-laws which I thought was a perfect combination.  Wherever we could stroll with baby Lucy, the grandparents could come too.  Except that my husband, a free spirit, doesn’t exactly follow “stroller friendly trails” all the time. 

When we started up the dirt path with the stroller, I already protested – “It’s not going to make it!”  And wouldn’t you know, about 5 minutes up the trail, we ditched the stroller and proceeded to carry the infant car seat with our CHUBBY baby inside.  (We left the Baby Bjorn carrier in the car and it was too far to get it). 

THIS my friends is how you lose weight on vacation!  My husband carried Lucy most of the way up the hill.  Here’s Lucy taking a break – ha ha. 

But then our 3 year old needed to be carried, so I carried Lucy down the hill.  Phew!  My biceps were BURNING!  I was so thankful that Lucy is such an angel – she did not complain one bit although I was muttering under my breath much of the time…”I knew we shouldn’t have taken this trail…I’m not going to complain and ruin this memory…This is my least favorite hike ever…We’ll look back at this and laugh…” 

Yes, at the end of our time at Zion, what was my husband’s favorite hike?  This one with Lucy.  So I guess I am glad we had an adventure.  Make hiking (or something else active) part of your vacation and you’ll be able to keep those “going out to eat” pounds at bay.