ARRGHHH!!!!

I have been working on my post-vacation blog post this weekend.  Finished it up this morning.  Hit preview and it wouldn't load.  Apparently, Blogger doesn't want to save my current post.  This happened to me one other time and I had to completely re-do it. 

Hopefully, in the meantime you won't have all forgotten me. I can't believe I haven't posted in over a week!!  Things are going fine. My eating has been a bit wacky this week, but I am hopeful for a good weigh-in tomorrow.  I am a daily weigher, so I always have some idea where I am for weigh-in, but often the old body isn't consistent and I am pleasant/unpleasantly surprised for my official weigh-in. 
 
I am going to work on fixing the blog tonight and hopefully be able to post it.  I may have to break it into two parts because of all the pictures.  If anyone has any random Blogger tips to share I would appreciate hearing them.  I am new to this blogging world and am often just winging it.

Wish me luck!

Married to a Triathlete!!

I could not be more proud of my husband.  He set his mind on a goal, worked hard and had an incredible first triathlon experience. I was a little concerned this last week because he'd had some pain in his leg. He rested it completely the past two days. Although he did have some pain in today's race he was able to run through it.

We were well prepared except for a camera incident. I managed to leave the memory card at home so I had to speed home to get it before the triathlon started. Thankfully, we live about 5 minutes away and all the police were occupied blocking streets for the triathlon :)

He had a good start in the pool. The pool is shallow in places and quite a few people end up walking through the water instead of trying to swim it. The swim is 450 meters.  Competitors are started in 15 second intervals.

He made a good transition to the biking. It made me extra happy that we had done the "practice triathlon" last weekend. I think it gave everyone a better feel for what to expect and what they would need to prepare.

My husband and nephew pushed each other hard during the 12 mile bike ride. Every time they passed us (6 laps) they were close together.  My nephew is the one in the camo tank.

Finishing the first lap of the 4 mile run. He said  his leg was hurting some, but he looked very strong. I think the guy in orange is about to be passed.

I loved being at the finish line.  When we did the two races together this summer he was the first one to the finish and I was still out on the course for awhile walking. It was nice to be there to cheer him in and get pictures.

His goal was to finish under 1:30.  We were thrilled to see he finished in 1:17:45.  Wow!!!  He finished 8/20 in his age group and 55/334 overall. I still can't believe how far he has come.

I am also super proud of the other racers on our "team."  My nephew, niece, brother-in-law and husband showing off their numbers and putting on their game faces.

After - a happy group of racers. My niece had a great race - she was the youngest racer in the race.  She ended up second in her age group.  My nephew beat his previous triathlon time by more than 3 minutes and was 4th in his age group.  My brother-in-law was racing as my niece's support. So even though he didn't have his best time he made an awesome memory with his baby.

Next year might be my year to take a stab at the race. I have wanted to do it for quite awhile, but bottom line is I think I am scared. Seriously, watching people on those bikes makes me nervous. What if they run me over?? 

Time to pick our next adventure....

Put the Food Away!!

Without a doubt, I have found my downfall - grazing!  Last night we had people over to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday. He loves pizza, but they rarely order it.  We thought ordering pizza would be a win-win situation for all of us. My father-in-law could have one of his favorites and we could enjoy pizza, but not have too much for two people. That worked out great. I ate my pizza allowance and was happy.

This might have been the right choice for a grazer. I got a couple different kinds of chips.  I recently discovered these popped corn chips. They come in a 5 oz. bag.  A 1 oz. serving is 130 calories and 3 grams of fat.  I found them one day at Aldi and tried the White Cheddar. I really like them. Then last night I got the Kettle flavor - it was good too.  Then the issue became that there were two kinds of yumminess calling my name all evening. Grazer Danger!

When I bought them at Aldi I thought I had a bit of a safety net. Aldi tends to have special buys like this, then they will become unavailable. I figured this should help me control myself :)  Turns out this blog has exposed a flaw in my plan. I just googled them to get a picture for the blog and now I know I can order them online or worse yet, they are probably available at Walmart.  Oh no! What have I done???

I 

Despite my best intentions, I did munch on too many of these chips at the party last night...I probably ate 2.5 servings of them.  Despite that, I am going to blame my party downfall on....banana bread.  My mother-in-law brought a freshly baked loaf.  It was so good. I couldn't (or wouldn't) stop going back to it for "one more little piece."  I lost track of how many "little pieces" I had.  I hope I wasn't the only one going back for more because by the end of the evening it was gone!  I swear it wasn't all me.


Clearly, the bottom line for me is to take a serving and put the food away. Not the easiest thing to do for a party.  I had this same issue last week at game night. I had planned to splurge that night, but last night I was going keep in my calories. I am not happy that I failed last night. I am, however, proud to say I have bounced back. After the party I put everything away, had a large glass of water and didn't think much more about the food.  I know these type of events are part of life and I just need to keep working on ways to prevent uncontrolled eating from becoming a part of my every day life again.

My husband is taking a couple of rest days before Saturday's triathlon. He originally planned to rest Friday only.  However, during his past two training sessions he had some pain in his calf. At first he thought it was a cramp, but now we are concerned he pulled something. We thought it would be best for him to give it an extra day of rest.He did go up to the gym and spend a little time in the pool this afternoon. That shouldn't stress his leg and still give him an opportunity to get some exercise today.

After skipping my morning walks for two days, I got my buns back out there.  As you know I have been struggling with mornings. Today I noticed it is getting light quite a bit later.  Maybe that is my problem.  My husband's schedule has changed so he doesn't need to go as early so my routine is off.  Maybe that is my problem.  And yes, by problem I mean excuse :)  I never regret going, but I also refuse to be militant about "I must do this, this and this."  Still searching for balance...

Walking alone reminded of when I first started walking in the morning. My husband had a work schedule that had him leaving the house at 5 a.m.  I would get up with him and then when he left, I would go walking

I did miss meeting up with him during my walk this morning. We go opposite ways on the loop so we cross paths, since we can't stay together with him running and me walking.


The weather wasn't too bad. Even though it was humid, for most of the walk there was a nice breeze and it was relatively cool. Since it had rained all night the roads were pretty wet and there were lots of puddles. Can you find me in the reflection?

I am on the fence about this bird house situation.  On one hand it is cute, but on the other hand I like to think I am practical. I doubt birds would ever use the houses because everyone's nest would be so close...I think I need to research if this is true. I suppose it is really meant as a decoration so practicality is out the window. In the meantime, I thought it was super cute with the pink flowers that are now blooming at the base.

 

Apparently I took 45 pictures of the inside of my pocket this morning.  Yep, I counted them. It seems like the inside of my pocket might be worth sharing if it was "important" enough for me to take that many pictures :)

Moments after I took this picture someone decided to drive through this particular puddle and spray water on me.  So, that was super nice. Perhaps they didn't see it or see me in my bright pink top. 

Okay, seriously these people might consider trimming the dead branches off their tree, so this doesn't keep happening every time there is a bit of wind.  Oh wait, that looks like my front yard. Guilty as charged. The tree needs a serious trimming, but I hate to spend money on it. 

Work was a beast this afternoon, so I am hopping to avoid some serious stress/comfort eating tonight. I have already measured out and eaten a serving of my Popped Corn chips.  I can completely afford them in my calorie budget, so no shame in that.

For dinner I made a favorite recipe that feels like comfort food, but is only about 400 calories for a very generous and delicious serving - Eating Well Chicken Cassoulet. Since it is has been rainy all day and it is only 70 degrees (in August!!) it definitely hit the spot. I served it with a side of spinach.  It might not photograph that well, but trust me it is delicious.

I inadvertently bought this cookbook years ago when I worked at the public library. It was brand new and I had checked it out before anyone else. Somehow while it was in my tote bag it managed to get wet.  The library offered to sell it to me for the library price...I am so glad I bought it. I saw it recently at a yard sale...I should have bought it and gave it to someone. Many of our favorite recipes have come from this book. Of course, I have since found that many of the recipes are also available online. It works out very well...two great meals and no leftovers.

We are gearing up for an extremely busy weekend. Triathlon, golf tournament, packing, and off for a few days of vacation with my niece and nephew.  Hooray for Friday!

Weight Off My Shoulders...

....and off my tummy, my butt, my thighs...

Linking up with the Weigh-In Wednesday crew....check out all the awesome blogs!



Big milestone this week.  I lost 1.8 pounds which brings me to exactly 25 pounds or 1/3 of a certain puppy :)   She would say she is just a petite lap dog.

To celebrate 25 pounds lost I went on a "What Weighs 25 Pounds?"safari.  I am terrible at guessing how much something weighs. Now I have a pretty good idea what 25 pounds feels like. Thank you to my extra special photographer...my niece. She got some good angles that I think make me look like I have lost more than I have...who doesn't like that??

Potatoes - 2 10-pound bags and 1 5-pound bag.

Ground beef - 5 5-pound packages

Some sort of wheat  - I had never seen this before.

Sugar - 6 4-pound bags (a little short but I never could resist sugar).

Soda - 24 pack + 6 pack

Diet Coke was my main beverage for a LONG time.  I haven't had one in over a year and a half and picking it up today didn't phase me :)  In 2013 my resolution was to not have any soda for the entire year.  I ended up having it twice - 7-UP after my surgery and a sip of my husband's at a restaurant because he thought it tasted weird...it did and we sent it back.

Cheese - 5 5-pound blocks

We definitely eat a "ton" less cheese now than we did.  I don't doubt for a second we would have eaten every bit of 25 pounds of cheese in the past three months if we hadn't decided to get on board with this weight loss adventure. I love you, cheese :)

Milk - 3 gallons approx. 8 pounds each.  Incidentally, "did you know the human head weighs 8 pounds?" Name that movie.

Kitty Litter - 25 pound box.  Can you believe we couldn't find a single 25 pound bag of dog food :(

"Attention Walmart shoppers...crazy lady in aisle...well, in all aisles."  We were pretty efficient in our picture plan so I am not sure if people really noticed what we were doing.  You know I was going to throw my niece under the bus if confronted...say it was for a "what things weigh" project she was doing for school. That might have backfired since school hasn't started yet.  I am such a bad aunt :)

I took this picture at work before I decided to invade Walmart. Five pounds per ream of paper!

As far as which item felt the heaviest, it was definitely the kitty litter.  It was a fun exercise to give myself an idea of what I have accomplished. Glad I am not hauling that weight around anymore. I said from the start that I would really feel like I was doing it for real when I got to 25-30 pounds lost. It is starting to feel real :)

Okay, I promise NO MORE pictures of me today.  Instead a picture of our delicious dinner.  Arroz con Pollo at our favorite Mexican place.  We split the yellow plate and ordered an additional side of veggies, which we also split.  So delicious and less than 600 calories each.

In all seriousness, I can't say I have ever seen that many pictures of myself in one place that I didn't hate. I believe that qualifies as a NSV :)

Fun for the Whole Family

Next weekend my husband, brother-in-law, niece and nephew are doing a triathlon (500m swim, 12 mile bike, 4 mile run).  My sister and I are the cheering section - GO TEAM!  Saturday morning we decided to do a bit of a practice run.  Of course, my sister and I had to get in on the fun too even though we aren't doing the actual race.  Everyone had to do 5 laps in the pool, ride 6 miles then run (or walk) 2.4 miles.  The race started at my sister's house and the course was around the neighborhood loop (a little over a mile).

It was a good opportunity to test how they wanted to set up their transition supplies.  We have a couple of things to pick up.  Someone suggested a bucket to put all the stuff in and then flip it over to sit on when you are drying your feet and putting on shoes.

 

Our "triathlon" started with running 5 laps in her pool.  Mostly we just wanted to get wet to practice the transition and know what it was like to ride/run wet. I thought 5 laps would be no problem and it wasn't really, but I could definitely feel it in my legs more than I expected.

 

I was the first one to start because I figured since I didn't run I would be the overall slowest. Thank you to my sister for taking a few pictures after I had already left on my bike. I think this transition practice will make my first-timer husband and niece much more comfortable.

 

I rode as fast as I could for the most part.  I get a little nervous going fast.  It wasn't long before these speedy guys lapped me.  Again, maybe I could ride faster if I weren't taking pictures :)  By mile 5 my buns were ready to get off that bike. I think it was at that point that I realized I was relieved I hadn't signed up for the triathlon this year.

 

I got passed by a few people :)

 

 

Here is another one hot on my trail.  You can barely see my sister in a green top and black pants by the black car. It isn't long before she passes me. I did suffer some jello legs right after I got off the bike.  What I noticed most was that I took awhile to get into a good stride - thighs just felt tight. A couple blocks in I felt pretty good.

Good job!  I think everyone was pleased with how they did and we are all looking forward to a successful race next Saturday!  One more thing, if you are going to put your hair in pigtails...remember to sunscreen your part...ouch!

 

Millie didn't get to play triathlon with us but she did have an adventure on Sunday. There was a dog fair sponsored by the humane society at a local park. Millie got to try out some agility equipment. Most things she needed a little coaxing to do and then she did quite well.  I was impressed.

 

We played a couple of games.  This one is musical hoops. The dogs are walked around a hula hoop laying on the ground. When the music stops your dog needs to get all four feet inside the hula hoop.  Last one in is eliminated. Millie was doing well until the music stopped.  Either she or my husband accidentally stepped on the hoop causing it to flip up in her face - she was spooked and wouldn't go anywhere near the hoop again. First one eliminated :(  

Dog in need of a sandwich - STAT!!  Her friend behind her seems to have had plenty of sandwiches :)

 

We had a good time and Millie behaved quite well with all the other dogs. 

It was a busy weekend....next weekend will be even busier...stay tuned.

Trouble with Mornings

Good Grief!! Why am I having so much trouble getting out of bed this week? I really am a big fan of the early morning walks.  I haven't even needed the alarm for a couple of months. This week I just can't seem to drag myself out of bed. I think I have missed three morning walks.

So, again this morning I didn't join my husband for our morning walk/run. What is wrong with me? While still in bed, I made a deal with myself.  I could stay in bed if I agreed to walk on my lunch break. I am happy to report I actually remembered my walking gear and hit the road during lunch. I know why I like to walk in the morning - so much cooler! By the last mile I was pretty much frying.  Then to make matters worse when I got back I realized I didn't bring a hairbrush or deodorant. So I spent the afternoon with crazy hair. At least I found some lotion in the ladies room and didn't have to smell like corn chips the rest of the day :)

I did the same route though the historic neighborhood that I did a couple of weeks ago. I tried to take a picture of this house last time, but it ended up blurry. It is one of the most distinctive houses in the neighborhood. When I got back I spent a couple minutes trying to find its history, but no luck yet.

I felt empathy for this poor tree. There are definitely days when I feel like I could use some help holding myself up :)  I like that they tried to save this branch.  I wonder how long it has been propped up.

Do you ever see signs and think that is really an unnecessary sign?  It does seem obvious that the sidewalk is closed  Several of the streets that go off the main street were under construction. In fact, the way I drive home from work is blocked off, but I never remember to go the other way until I see the signs and then I have to backtrack.

I took a different route around the cemetery. Found some more headstones that caught my eye. This list of children's names was engraved on the back of their parents headstone - wow, 10 children and no multiple births. It didn't appear that the children's graves were at this location. I thought it was a neat idea to honor the parents and children even if they were not all buried together. I wonder why the stone hasn't been updated.

Millie caught my eye first on this stone - then I noticed the second name was Mildred. (We actually call Millie "Mildred" when she is in trouble) I wonder what the relationship is between these two.  I thought possibly mother and daughter, but 36 seemed pretty old to have a baby back in 1900. Any guesses?

And every walk should have a little beauty...love the color and size of these roses. The blooms were about two inches in diameter. The were so fragrant. I would love to have them in my yard.

This evening we went to game night at my sister's house. The first Friday of every month we get together with friends to play games and eat.  This is probably the most challenging type of event for me because everyone brings food and it is out they whole evening. Tonight I gave myself permission to have what I wanted and not feel guilty. I have not done that since we started counting calories. I didn't go crazy, but I did enjoy the goodies :)

I better get to bed. Tomorrow should be an interesting day....