ONE YEAR after the 17 DAY Diet & Workout schedule:

Today is my year anniversary from being overweight. One year ago I weighed 163 lbs. My baby was about a year and 1/2. My mom had died on Feb 15, 2011 and after eating junk and comfort food for a month, I felt gross. My daughter was getting married in Aug and my 25th High school Reunion was in July. So, I asked a friend who lost 30lbs on the 17 day diet to help me out. I lost 35lbs and was a happy 127 during the festivities.

It is a year today and I am still 127 and love eating healthy and kinda like exercising. With the support of my triathlete/marathon husband I have kept it off.

My recent hour workout schedule looks a little like this:
Thanks to my personal trainer who helped me make a plan:
M/W/F:
Gym 5-6:15 or so
Do HIIT run-looks like this:
warm up on 5 for 2 min
go to 6.5 for one min
go to 7. for one min
go to 7.5 for one min
go to 8 for one min
go to 8.5 for one min
go to 9 for one min

then back to 6.5 and do it again
I do this the circuit three times

Then I go to do weight training:
(do each 15 times for 3 rotations)http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
1. Chest Fly (on back with 15lb weight in each hand-bring up to each other)
2. Back Row (on each side with 25lb http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifweight, knuckle on bench, knee on bench, back straight, pull up weight like pulling a lawn mower cord up)
3. Shoulder Raise (10lb weight in each hand, stand up straight, lift up arms at the same time
4. Standing in one place a reverse lung with the 10lb weights in each hand about 15 times
5. 15 Tricep extension behind my back
6. Bicep Curls (hold a 15lb weight in each hand one at a time curl up arm-15 sets, so 30 times)

Then I do some ab workouts...the roman Chair, then some and leg lift/crunches.

On Tues/Thurs I use a ARC Trainer. Some days I go super easy...but today I think was one of my best ever workouts. I did the arc for one hour on resistance of 30, it ended up being 2.67 miles burning about 701 cal, plus I use 2lb hand weights in each hand doing arm lifts/boxing punches, and just pumping my arms with them. Not sure how I would do without my ipod. I have an hour worth of Christian pop music that really helps me get moving. Then home to shower and wait for the babies to wake up!

On Sat/Sun I sometimes take off, do a short run, workout video, or ab workouts. It all depends on our busy schedule.




THY WILL BE DONE!!!

Chicken dinner:

Just made this:
Of course I doubled it...

Ingredients

1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.)
4 tsp. Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine Mayonnaise with cheese in medium bowl. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Evenly top with mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.


My husband (a great cook) and all 8 of my kids who ate dinner tonight...LOVED IT!
It really couldn't of been any easier...took about 5 min to make, had all the ingredients, and was inexpensive.

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Running: My life is a crazy race!!!

Did you know my husband is a triathlete and a marathon runner? His all time favorite thing to do is run and run some more. He is running in the Boston Marathon next month.

I on the other hand, have never liked exercise or running. I just like being pregnant, having babies, and nursing them.

Last year I started to try to lose weight and realized that eating right and exercising was my only choice.

I ran the Marine Corps 10K in Oct. and finished in 59 minutes.

I am not a big race person, too much work and time away from home.

There was a quick 5k in my town last Sat and my friend and I decided to give it a shot.

Just got this message from the race site:
There were 43 finishers in the Female 40 to 49 age group and
210 finishers in the race.

Your overall finish place was 41 and your age group finish place
was 5. Your overall finish percentile was 20 while your age group
percentile was 12. Your time of 24:48.60 gave you a 8:00 pace per mile.

Pretty happy that I did so well and felt so great.


Of course like all activities around here, you never know what is going on till the day shows up. It just so happened that my day ended up looking like this:
7:20am pick up race buddy
7:30am check in for race
8:00am run
8:30am go home
8:45am shower and get dressed
10:00am pick up girls at CCD
10:30am arrive at Funeral home
11:00am wake for my husband's grandmother
12:00pm Funeral
1:00pm Burial
1:30-3:30pm repast
3:30pm go home
4:00pm get changed
4:30pm Mass
5:30pm set up for FATHER/DAUGHTER BALL (117 dads/148girls=265)
6:00-9:00pm BALL
9:00pm clean up
9:30pm pick up teenager at her friends party
10:15pm get home
10:30pm pass out!!!
(I like to post my days events sometimes to remind myself someday how crazy I am)



Special thanks to my personal trainer Katie!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

STYLE advice:

From my good friend and author:
Mary Sheehan Warren

Smile even when it's hard to smile.

Look up-to-date. Clothes are kind of fun after all.

Skirts are one of the benefits of being a woman.

Have a totally cool jewelry box stocked with wonderfully exotic items. Don't yell at your daughter when she rifles through it (or loses a few pieces...)

Wear jewelry even when you scrub the toilet.

Wear lipstick. Brush your hair.

You have to have a few years behind you to wear black.

Always wear a pretty top in your best colors.

Wear heels when you can. Wear high heels when you can get away with it.

And finally...

No one should ever spot your underwear under your clothing.

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Our Family Lenten Ideas: REPOST...

I am reposting this (AGAIN)...never too late for holiness!!! I had an amazing group of women at my house for a mom's night out and we had a great lady give a pep talk for LENT. After her talk we all started talking about our "best" Lenten resolutions. That night I went to bed thinking OK, how am I going to pick one, they are all so great! So the HOLY SPIRIT gave me the idea to write down all the ideas and make them family friendly so I could put them in a jar so my family could pick one a day and try to accomplish the task, then when completed we would put the piece of paper on a paper cross on the wall.


So this is what we will try this Lent: (please send me your ideas so I can add them and take away what won't work for you and your family)
Decorate for Lent
Make a special Lenten Prayer for dinner and use it during Lent
Put out a jar for donations to your favorite charity
Try to play some Lenten music today
Read a book to yourself or someone else for 10 min
Have quiet time for 5 min
Don’t eat between meals today
Limit computer to only absolute necessities today
Spend 10 min with someone who needs a friend today
Help someone clean their room today
Read the daily readings for today
Go to daily mass once this week
Play a game with someone today
Go for a quick walk today
Light a candle for someone in need today
Light a candle for the unborn today
Say a quick prayer for someone you know who is sick
Make someone a treat today
Write a letter to someone today
Invite someone over to dinner this week
Make someone a snack today (corporal work of mercy)
Make someone a drink today (corporal work of mercy)
Help someone get dressed today (corporal work of mercy)
Donate a blanket to a shelter or charity that helps the homeless (corporal work of mercy)
Visit a hospital, a sick friend, or a nursing home this week (corporal work of mercy) Send a card to a prison ministry or to a police officer in thanks for keeping the community safe (c.w.m.)
Visit a cemetery or send a note of sympathy to someone who just lost a loved one (corp. work of mercy)
Gently council someone to be holy today (spiritual works of mercy)
Help someone calmly to do school work this week (spiritual works of mercy)
Answer kindly someone who ask you questions today (spiritual works of mercy)
Comfort a friend, neighbor, or relative today (spiritual works of mercy)
Be patient today with someone who is bothering you (spiritual works of mercy)
Say you’re sorry, ask for forgiveness, or forgive someone today (spiritual works of mercy)
Pray for the dead or those who will die today (spiritual works of mercy)
Pray for someone who feels discouraged today
Help someone who is learning a new skill (reading, tying shoes) or teach a new skill Tell a story about when you were little at dinner today Help tuck in and sing someone a song tonight
Give someone hugs and kisses to someone today Sit and talk with someone one to one with no distractions and keep eye contact
Take someone out this week for a special time
Eat a healthy snack today
Plan a special activity for Sunday
At dinner have everyone say one nice thing that happened today
Spend five minutes tonight talking to someone
Play outside for 10 minutes today
Cuddle under a blanket and watch a favorite show or movie with someone this week
Leave special messages in someone’s lunch bag or special spot
When you correct someone today do it quietly, gently, and lovingly
Tonight write down five things you are thankful for
Give up TV or a special activity one day this week
Say something nice about everyone at dinner tonight
Make someone else’s bed today
Do the Stations of the Cross today
Wake up early tomorrow and have some quiet time with Jesus
Go to bed early tonight
Make a nice dinner
Make a nice lunch
Make a special breakfast this week
Get out of bed right away one morning this week
Exercise fifteen minutes today
Drink five glasses of water today
Say a decade of the rosary today
Say a rosary with someone this week
Clean a closet out this week
Pray with someone today
Clean something for fifteen minutes today
Pray for your god parents today
Dress extra nice today
Fix your hair today
Smile as much as possible today
Say a good Act of Contrition
Give away something Make a secret sacrifice
Clean someones room for 10 min
Bring a neighbor a treat
Send a note or draw a picture for someone
Pray for someone who annoys you
Drink only water today
Turn the heat down today
Write down a bible verse from the "Passion" gospel
Cook a special Lenten food (pretzels, hot cross buns, look here, or here) Or these ideas

I posted last year.

Make a Spiritual Communion today:

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.

There are tons of ideas here!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Really spoke to my heart today:

O LORD, Master of my life, grant that I may not be infected with the spirit of slothfulness and inquisitiveness, with the spirit of ambition and vain talking. Grant instead to me, your servant, the spirit of purity and of humility, the spirit of patience and neighborly love. O Lord and King, grant me the grace of being aware of my sins and of not thinking evil of those of my brethren. For you are blessed, now and ever, and forever. (St. Ephrem)

Thanks to Elizabeth Foss for posting her Lenten meditations.

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Picky eaters?

A friend of mine ask for suggestions for a picky eater...(BTW: I don't do this for my kids...I make them eat whatever I have or they don't get food...the great thing about big families is when I serve something to one of my kids and they don't want it...I say, "that's ok I will give it to..." all of a sudden it looks more appealing!)

Take your child to the grocery store and have them pick out the fruit and veggies that they like...then put them in special zip lock bags...(they sell cool ones at the dollar store) Have them make a special box or Tupperware with their name on them...every time they need to eat they go to their box and grabs there (pre approved) snack!!!

You can do this for the pantry food too...so one in the frig and one in the pantry will hopefully work...maybe one for the car too!

Don't sweat it too much: don't worry they will be fine...no kid really eats that great and they all have food jags where they want to eat the same thing for a week!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Our very favorite healty snack:

(PHOTO FROM Marathon Mom)

I love the Marathon Mom blog and we found so many great recipes. This is our very favorite:

Granola Energy Balls

2 cups oats
2 cups coconut flakes
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
2. Roll into bite-size balls. (The size you roll them will determine how many the recipe yields. I rolled mine a little bigger and the recipe made about 18 balls.)
3. Store in fridge.

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

SEVEN SONS!!!

Happiness is a Friday night at 10pm and all 7 of my sons are home in their own beds under one roof...gotta love it! This is better than Christmas Eve!!! God is so GOOD TO ME!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Why I like PINTEREST:

I read these comments the other day and have been pondering PINTEREST since.

This is my two cents:
I love pinterest because:

1. I have totally organized my recipes.
2. I have cleaned out my drawers, cabinets, and shelves of papers. No more magazine cut outs, old recipe cards, and unused cookbooks. ( I found my old recipes online and pinned them, found pictures of decorating ideas and pinned them, and I got rid of a dozen cookbooks.)
3. In the 22 years of marriage I have never cooked so many great meals than I have since I started using this site.
4. My kids and I have sat and picked out fun ideas to do together and we have!!!
5. I have found lots of ideas and suggestions that have made my life and homemaking much easier!
6. I am really trying to have a clutter free home and this is really helping me.

About the repinning...I have found all sorts of blogs and cooking sites that are thrilled and thrive on having people link to them.

I will continue to watch and pray about using this site as well as others in the future. As well as trying to find a balance in all my activities in life!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

kobe 2012

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+