Clutter house = cluttered body

I was listen to Jillian Michaels'  latest podcast today. In it she talked about making your home a sanctuary and how various parts of your home reflect you - or should. The part that really struck home with me today was how if you kitchen is a mess, if it is cluttered and disorganized it is reflective of how you feel-think-act towards your health. Wow. Anyone who knows me in "real life" knows that I am a slob. I don't mean to be, I don't want to be, I am getting help to be different, but this is my reality at least for now. And my kitchen is very often a DISASTER. Right now it is certainly not awesome-ness but in general it is far better than it has been in the past and certainly above and beyond when it has been the worst. In  the last month it has been not too bad. And in the last month I have been focusing more and more on my health, my fitness, my weight loss, my need for a clean and organized mind/body/life. 

When I focus on me I notice the chaos around me. I care. I want to be different. When I focus on everyone/thing else, I see the chaos, but I don't care. I mean I care if it is approaching health hazard state, but I am so worn down and tired and overwhelmed by everything that I just can't seem to find the... I don't the whatever to deal with the chaos.

You hear over and over again how its important - especially for women - to make yourself a priority when you are trying to be fit and healthy. Mom needs to put herself first sometimes because she will be happier and that will make her a better, stronger, happier mother. And if you are a mother (or woman or caregiver of any kind) that advice tends to go in one ear and out the other. But in this last month or so I have put myself, well not necessarily first, but at least not last. And as I move "me" up the priority list I am happier, I do feel better, I am a better wife and mother. And I am positive that when I get to be #1 on the list I will have the clean and organized kitchen to prove it. I'll even post pictures.

Rested yesterday, 4 more miles today including speed/C25K training.

My first Vlog :)

Be gentle with me :) 6.5 more miles today

Walking to the neighbors for a little cookout - they got me veggie burgers :) aren't they sweet!

Adding my miles

I am on my way to keeping up my mileage challenge. :)

4 miles today.

I do need some suggestions on music to help me go the "extra mile". What do you have on your playlist that helps you keep going?

Journey of 1111.11 miles - can I still make it?

Last November I set out to walk/run/jog "wog" :) 1111.11 miles by 11/11/11. It was a completely reasonable and doable goal at the time and I could totally have made it (be well on my way with over 500 miles by now) if I had stuck with my walking.

But I didn't stick with it. I procrastinated, I let other things get in the way, I put myself last, and I spent a good portion of the first half of the year not working out at all. I'm still having trouble getting in my workout in every day, but I think if I commit and work hard I could still do this - or at least come very close. It would require walking between 8&9 miles a day on average, or 60 miles a week, but I really believe if I do this right, I can come damn close - so right now my goal is 20,000 steps or 10 miles a day at least 6 days a week. I am going to have to get a new pedometer to help - at least until I can afford a Fitbit or Bodymedia  device.

A large part of getting myself on track with this will be when I go out to Vegas in a couple weeks to visit my mom. I plan to use her state of the art fitness facility in her apartment complex to its full advantage while I am there.

So I will be a walking wogging stepping phenom in short order!

Sometimes it's the mistakes...

So I have been making yogurt in the Crockpot for about 6 months now. I have about a 90% success rate with it, but due to old drafty farmhouse kitchen, sometimes no matter how well I insulate the crock, it just gets too cold for the reaction to keep going. Happened again Thursday, but instead of dumping 1/2 a gallon of milk I saved it and decided to try again with a little more yogurt and a warmer room. Still didn't actually work the second time, but I did end up making (sort of) homemade ricotta! It's pretty tasty with a sweet tangy flavor and a crumbly soft/fresh cheese consistency. Would make an excellent clean no preservative substitute for cottage cheese and I am going to try it tomorrow in a smoothie.

My walking has not been going - I have again fallen into the end of the semester I have no work done and 50 pages worth of papers to write. I am going to stop procrastinating now and go back to writing!

So frustrated!

2 miles (so far)
ChaLEAN Extreme - on the agenda
1-2 more miles - on the agenda
264.6 - WTF?

Okay, for the last month or two my weight has gone up up up everyday. I know my exercising has been haphazard at best and my eating hit or miss, but there has NOT been enough miss for 14lb increase so quickly. It is frustrating t say the least. And for the last week I keep going to bed early or falling asleep on the couch early. I only wish it could be pregnancy (it CAN'T be, not possible, don't speculate) because then it would be explainable.

On the upside, we are almost at Thanksgiving break for school, which will give me lots of time to work on projects for the end of the semester. And we are almost at the end of the semester, which will give me a week or two to work on me before starting my Field Period and student teaching. I wish I was in better shape for student teaching, but that is certainly not the point now.

AND my double stroller should be here today or tomorrow. I am hoping for today, and if it comes I will be taking a walk around the village with the boys when I pick them up from daycare.

Now it is off to get the moose dressed and take him to daycare, then home for the rest of my work out and some homework.

Day 9 - back from my "rest"

Journey of 1111.11 miles Day 9
5 miles - WATP

Did it late, but I did get in 5 miles today. I took a rest on my birthday, but then I skipped yesterday - I was actually so exhausted yesterday I went to bed at 7:30 - right after I put Jonas to bed. Feeling better today, but off to bed now so I can get up at 5AM tomorrow - yes on a Saturday - need to get in another 5 miles and clean my kitchen before taking the boys to Jonas' school for repsite day and before Jacques' siblings, neices, nephews, etc... come out - apparently they will be here first thing. I am just hoping that Jacques' will watch the boys after they get out of "respite day" or Sunday so I can get my hair cut and do my birthday shopping - mom sent me a gift card and told me to treat myself and that is my plan!

Mmm, oatmeal

Journey of 1111 miles Day 6
Need to walk 3 miles after school tonight

So last year when I really got into "clean eating" I was making oatmeal in the crockpot and eating it all the time - and it was good! But now I have so many other things constantly going in the crock - and the last couple times I made oatmeal it flopped - that I decided to try and make it on the stove top this morning. I know this may not seem like a big deal to some, but since I was never an oatmeal eater until about a year ago, this was a very big deal for me. And I have to say it was a fantastic success! I will make this oatmeal every morning I think - or at least a lot of mornings. I made it with 1% milk to up the protein content and nothing else and let it simmer on the stove for about 10 minutes. After it was done I sprinkled on some sugar in the raw (about 1/2T) and about a 1/4C of walnuts and 1/4C of craisins. Oh man this was good! Yummy and filling, it was such a great breakfast. I like eating well and healthy early in the morning, I feel like it sets me up for a healthy day later - and helps me with my Healthy for the Holidays goal. Now I have walnuts and banana for lunch, grapes and cheese for a snack, and a PB&J sandwich for dinner during my Violence Prevention workshop tonight. Plus a canceled class that gives me a little time to get some homework done. Not a bad day!

Journey of 1111 miles day 4

5.3 miles
Okay, missed my walk yesterday (bad  know) but I did go today! Jonas actually pulled me outside ("Um on, 's nice") and we grabbed brother, L'il girl and the Jeep stroller and went for a 2.3 mile walk. Sadly I only know the distance because we have walked it before. For some reason the GPS/Distance app on my phone was not working right.

When we got home I did another 3 miles! Walk Away The Pounds is fantastic for adding miles in the comfort of your own home. Plus the temp started to dip outside and I did not want to get caught in the rain or something else while no one was home to bring the car and come get us. Sick wet boys = not fun!

Now it is time for lunch, snuggles, naps and homework.

I walked and am eating a big bowl of broccoli and maybe broccoli/chicken casserole later to be healthy for the holidays today - how about you?

The Journey of 1111.11 miles day 2

I only got 1 mile of walking in yesterday (day 1) BUT I did 5 miles today and 3 on 11/10! And I have officially joined Lorrie's Healthy Holidays Challenge. Phew - I thought 5 miles (all walking) would be a breeze, but keeping up a 4.5MPH pace was exhausting. I was beat by the end, but so very glad I did it.

On the monkey front, and keeping with Jonas' general oddness... You would think a kid that likes melted cheese, and LOVES broccoli (yes, broccoli) would at least eat broccoli casserole that was ALL broccoli and cheese, but NO. He won't even touch it. Apparently he really only wants his broccoli steamed. Or on pizza. But he did eat "brea-fas teetees" (that was what he called the pumpkin pancakes I made last night) for breakfast and dinner today. Well, packed with pumpkin puree from the garden, whole wheat flour and just a touch of sugar, those are pretty good "teetees ("cookie" in Jonas-speak).

And going with the pumpkin I have been wanting cookies like nobody's business for days. Instead of buying cookies or trying to deny my craving only to binge and succumb later, I am making whole wheat pumpkin triple chip cookie bars. It's a new recipe - or at least my take on my mom's famous chocolate chip cookies, and I am hoping for something sweet and chewy enough to satisfy my craving, but dense enough that I don't binge - so 1 cookie and some yogurt will be my snack later.

Anyone else want to join our Healthy for the Holiday's challenge just pop on over to Lorries blog My All Natural Weightloss and sign up!

45 days until Christmas

There is only 45 days left until Christmas! Lorrie posted on her blog that she wants to give herself the gift f health for the holidays. I want to give that gift to myself and my family too! She is challenge herself and others to do something for their health everyday and take a picture on Christmas day to show off how they have contributed to their health. I am going to join her. So today I am going to moderate my urge to binge, eat a great big salad, and start my journey of 1,111.11 miles with a C25K workout with the boys after school. 

New Challenge - Goals

With a little over a week until my birthday I am deep in thought of how to make 2011 (and my 33rd year) my best one ever. I have been loving my walk/runs C25K training, but it is super hard to get out with the boys until I get my jogging stroller... (I am pretty sure Dad will be getting it for me for my birthday) - BUT in order to really deserve such a wonderful (and way too expensive present) I have to really do my running/training. So I am going to "announce" my goals for the next year

1. Complete (and eventually run) a 5K every month that I can find one I can afford to enter - I am hoping to do one on Thanksgiving and one in Seneca Falls in December so far.

2. Run/Jog/Walk 1,111.11 miles by 11/11/11. I didn't think I could do over hundred thousand miles in a year... That means I need to do a little more than 3.044 miles a day - every day, no exceptions between 11/11/10 and 11/11/11. This should be fun!