Shrinkaversary Extravaganza

I've seen several friend in this "Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans" group and I've always thought "I can do this by myself!"  I have faith in myself that I can, BUT I can't resist any longer and must join.  These people have too much fun, how can one resist? If you are interested in finding some support with weight loss and fitness, feel free to read up and join at Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.

So, now where I'm at? I begin my weigh in at (gasp, yes, here it is for the world to see) 161.5.  First I have to say, I'm damn proud of that weight because I've worked hard to get the scale this low.  I think the last time my scale saw 160 was probably in 1995.  And for those who don't know me or my history, I'll just let you in on that my highest weight was approximately 212 pounds in 2007. 

I owe a big thanks in loosing most of this weight to Sparkpeople.  I love Sparkpeople cuz it's FREE, and it has tons of resources.  I track my foods and exercise there, but there is oodles of resources there--blogs, message boards, teams, articles, recipes, and much much more. I have some photos of my weight loss journey on my Sparkpage if you want to see how much I've shrunk.

Happy Shrinking to all those in the Challenge!

Spaghetti Squash Plog

The nasty cold going through our house has taken down it's third victim.  And thus since I'm home with the sick boy, I have some extra time I don't normally have on Tuesdays.  And to help fill some of that time, I thought I'd share my love of Spaghetti Squash with the world!

I'm too self-conscious to make a Video Blog (Vlog), and so I'm taking lots of photos....so does that make this entry a Plog (Photo Blog)?

Ok, so off on the journey of enjoying Spaghetti Squash (thumbnail pics are clickable to see full size)....

Behold, the awesomeness that is Spaghetti Squash






The first accomplisment to conquer this vegetable is to cut it in half.  Easier said than done.  Typical of squash, it's thick so requires some effort to cut through. 



This is the inside of the Spaghetti Squash.

The next step is to scoop the seeds and pulp out.  A metal spoon works great for this task.  If you are so inclined, pick the seeds out and roast them just like pumpkin seeds. 

The squash is now prepared for baking.






Preheat your oven to 375* F. 


Place each half of the squash rind side up, inside facing down on a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan.  This will help steam the squash as it bakes.




Set your time for 40 minutes and place squash on pan on center rack of oven.




This is the Spaghetti Squash after baking.  Doesn't look much different.






Here's where the magic of the Spaghetti Squash comes in.  Well, and hence its name.  Take a fork and scrape the squash out.  It will come out in short to long strands that somewhat resemble spaghetti noodles.  The texture of them will be firmer than pasta though.  It has a delightful crunchiness.



Finally, the way I like to eat my Spaghetti Squash is with just a touch of butter and sprinkling of brown sugar.  If you don't have a sweet tooth like myself, you could put butter, salt, and pepper on instead.  



ENJOY!

You Capture - Technology

This is my first attempt at a You Capture. I saw Lissa's post and so checked out what this is all about and thought "hey, this looks really fun!" So I'm jumpin in!

Here's two of my favorite pieces of technology. I tried to go with something different than the typical cell phone or laptop, although those two things are probably at the top of my list.

Firstly, I LOVE my Polar F4 heartrate monitor.  This thing tells me how many calories I'm burning when I'm exercising.  It's a great motivator!

The next thing that I gotta have when exercising is my Zune.

Check out everyone else's You Capture's here.

20 Years ago today

I'd forgotten totally what today was until my mother reminded me.  My mind was too busy thinking about all my kids' activities I had to accomplish today.  So anyway, twenty years ago today I was in the psych ward for the second time in my life, at age 17.  It's also what I consider my sobriety birthday since the last alcoholic drink I had was on October 19, 1989. 

After some weeks spent 'locked up' I made a conscious decision to change the path I was on.  I truly believe if I wouldn't have I would have been dead within a few years.  I also had the threat of being sent to rehab if I drank while taking my antidepressant that hung over my head.

In the last 20 years I've been through a lot of changes, just like a rollercoaster sometimes being at a peak and sometimes being at the bottom.  I've struggled with depression off and on, seeking extra help when I know I've needed it.  I've changed jobs, friends, residences.  But one thing hasn't changed, and that's my belief that I still can't drink alcohol.  My family is too precious to me, and to think of going and getting drunk for a "night of fun" and what that could ultimately lead to, I can't do that.  I know that with my depression and personality disorders, alcohol is a recipe for destruction (and any other mind-altering drugs). 

I had to laugh, a friend commented to me about being sober so long but only being 35.  She hoped it didn't offend me as if she was making light of my celebration.  I just laughed and said no way, and then told her imagine how funny it's gonna sound when I say I've been sober 40 years but I'm still only 35 years old lol. 

Pumpkin Patch Playtime

Being this probably the last nice weekend we'll have here in North Dakota, I figured we may as well join the rest of the Bismarck-Mandan parent community and take the kids to our local

The kids had a blast and I got some great pictures of my kids and my nephew :) You should be able to click these thumbnails to see the full size photos.



I also noticed that Britney Spears and her sister were there, boy have they let themselves go! (click her name to see that pic lol)

Run Forest Run

I have to blog about my walk/run today.  I have such mixed emotions on it.  First the bad part of it--my 5k time was 40 min 10 seconds.  I was hoping to beat my baseline time of 39 min 50 seconds.  I know it's not that much less, but still disappointed I didn't beat that time.  However...the good part is that instead of trying to run faster for shorter stints I slowed down and was able to jog for 10 minutes straight.  I set the treadmill for 5 mph and ran for 10 straight minutes.  I've never been able to do that before.  I only did that once though, after that I did 5 minute jogs with 2 minute walks, which is still better than I did before.  I just have to keep pushing myself.

I remind myself...and anyone else who's going to run the 5k too...that getting through the 5k now matter how long it takes makes us healthier!! So get up and get active!

Also, the more you move the more energized you feel.  I stayed on the treadmill to round out an hour.  In that hour I went 4.25 miles and burned 535 calories.  Hasta La Vista fat! lol

Wanna join the EAS Active 5K Challenge with us? Click the link <-- to sign up and then let Melissa know so she can get your shirt ordered! 

Lost: Will Power, if found please return

The 5K race I've joined is the EA SPORTS Active 5K Challenge in conjuction with Sisterhood Of The Shrinking Jeans. My training started out a week ago, really good.  And then promptly went downhill.  I ran on Sunday for a baseline time, then I ran Monday since I wanted to get on a schedule of running M/W/F and doing strength training on T/H with weekends off.  Well, on Wednesday my run was less than satisfactory and I thought it was just I'd worked myself too hard the previous days.  Thursdays strength training went ok but I was already starting to tell myself "I'm not getting sick."  Friday morning I still tried to tell myself that, but after trying to run/walk for 20 minutes and not feeling "right" my friend I work out with on Friday's showed up and she too felt below par.  We both decided to take it easy, walked for another 30 minutes on the treadmill and then went home.  And that was that, for exercise. 

Being Friday was my anniversary I opted to not log my food for the day.  I can't imagine the amount of calories I ate at dinner at Red Lobster.  Seeing the numbers would probably be enough to give me nightmares of being on the operating table having my arteries manually scraped out.  And alas, I haven't logged any more food the last few days either.

Evidently whatever virus I have not only has given me a huge cold sore, major fatigue, and a runny/stuffy nose...it's also stolen my will power.  Brain fog has taken over in the moments I've been awake.  Will power to watch what I eat, when I eat, how I eat, much less to record that all down in a log, is absent. 

And tomorrow morning I am to have my weekly personal training session with my AWESOME trainer.  Whom will chew me out, rightfully so, for the last couple days.  She regularly reminds me that 80% of weight loss efforts are in eating habits.  We'll see how I feel in the morning, I want to get back on track if my body will allow it.

And in the mean time...if you see my will power out running amuck on the streets, please let me know a.s.a.p. so I can go get it back.

16 years ago today

Sixteen years ago today I was getting myself all pretty and putting on a gorgeous wedding dress. Mid-day I met my groom at the alter and we said our I Do's. We've actually been together for almost 20 years though. That's quite a long time period, but even more so now days considering the high divorce rate.

I won't say life has been bliss for all these years, just like any other normal couple we've had our ups and downs. But I'm very thankful we've had more up times than down times. Learning to live with someone can be a feat, and although you get used to each other, things change--habits, locations, age--and I think making it through those changes makes you stronger. I'm very thankful for my husband, and I'm very proud of what he's done over the years for the sake of our family.

Bingo's life

Did you know... our dog Bingo has his own Facebook page?! I'm not sure what's so fascinating about him, but he seems to have quite the following already.

Bingo | Promote Your Page Too

of school pics and boots

Here's the proofs of the kids school pics that were just taken.  Not too bad overall.  Gina insisted on the green background and I'm pleasantly surprised that it came out well and not a NEON LIME GREEN.  Previous experience in choosing background colors based on the sample they give you to look at ahead of time has proven that actual colors DO vary.  Gina had picked red in first grade, that came back PINK.  Last year the kids chose blue, which you'd think would be this nice muted lighter blue right? No, it was BLUE, and on top of that it made a halo of purple on the edges of their hair.

So, behold the -for once- decent school pics...

And onto the second topic of concern...snow boots.  We need some SERIOUS merchandising revamping up here where we have winter for 9 long months.  What is it with stores having snow boots for kids available for like 2 weeks?  I swear! If you don't watch the stores like a hawk and snatch them size 3's up, you ain't gettin any.  "Sorry, you missed the window to purchase snow boots this year.  Please try again next year." 

Fortunately, for Jimmy, I've found a pair for him already.  At Target, yay go Target! But wait....when it came to girls boots they only went up to size 4.  So while Jimmy still fell into child sizes, Gina evidently cannot wear cutesy moonboots no mo.  And I'm sorry, but I am just NOT spending $70 on a pair of Columbias that she's going to wear 1 season.  I think perhaps I need to start shopping online for some? Any suggestions?

Welcome to our new home!

I've been a total slacker for over 2 years on our previous family blog. Feeling the urge to get back into it, I decided to move over to blogger cuz I've learned how to do things up better here.

So, in the spirit of catching up...here's the Cliff Notes version!

If you can believe it (and even if you can't, tough), Jimmy is a first-grader now. He's doing very well this year and is in the advanced readers program.  My baby is not a baby any longer, but he's still a little kid by all means.  And a loud and energetic one at that.

Gina is in fourth grade this year.  My big girl is the fourth-grade head student council.  She's also finding out that the homework is getting to be more and harder.  Mom is afraid she may have to take math tutoring lessons herself just to help the kids as they grow!

This was their first day of school this fall...

As for the adults of the house, Daryl is temporarily working at an auto body shop in Mandan until the railroad picks back up.  I myself am still just being mom, toying with thoughts of returning to work but only if it's beneficial to our whole family.  I just signed up to run my first 5K race.  I feel nowhere near confident about it other than the fact that I know all of the women running locally and know how nonjudgemental and great friends they are.

Until next time...which hopefully is way sooner than 2 years from now!