I HATE them! Ugh. When I first bought them, they felt great. I have even been walking around in them to get used to the feel. But they support my feet so much, that they make my feet fall asleep when I am teaching Zumba! I cannot dance in them very well at all. I guess they will have to be walking shoes, and I will have to get me some good dancing shoes with support. This is very frustrating. I am normally not a whiner, but this just stinks. If my feet aren't happy, then I am not happy. A lady in my class tonight showed me her Nike Musiques. I may just have to go and get me a pair.
Well, Memorial Day is over, and I am so glad to be back on my clean eating plan. I just ate way too much rich food over the holiday. But it was a great holiday weekend, and I enjoyed the time spent with my family and friends. I don't know why we have to have our days to splurge because with me, it really backfires. Yes, it tastes good at the moment, and is fun to eat that way, but then I feel just awful afterwards! Plus, I have been resting my foot for the last week, and have not had any aerobic exercise. (Just doing my Zumba and toning from a chair, but that is way different) I was hurting tonight teaching! LOL So, with that said, it is nice to be back on whole foods and moving my body again.
I will be teaching Thursday night again, but I feel like I need a class tomorrow, too! I need to get back into the swing of things. Oh the joy of starting over :)
I will list my menu for today, day 80, and list all the good and whole foods I ate! Now time to go to bed and rest this body! *sigh*
Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
1 bowl of Quaker Oatmeal with almond milk
1 c. strawberries
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1 c. sliced kiwi
16 oz water
Lunch-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1 apple, 1/2 c. blueberries and handful of spinach
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
Small spinach salad with celery, boiled eggs and balsamic vinegar
16 oz water
Dinner-
Wendy's chicken salad with lite Italian dressing
16 oz water
No after-dinner snack
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Day 76 & 77- When one door closes, another one opens
Oh wow, I am a few days behind here. Not a lot has happened over the past few days because I have mostly been resting my foot. It is feeling much better! I went to Big 5 Sporting Goods Store and bought me some really nice cross training shoes. They are New Balance and have great support. Plus, I will be getting some good orthotics to put in my shoes this next week. The stress fracture seems to be healing pretty well, and the break from Zumba (or any other activity) definitley helped.
During my down time, I have been putting together new warm ups, cool downs and choreography. Of course, all this has been done mentally, not physically. But during this holiday weekend, I plan to physically choreograph! I have sure missed moving. So, to all my Zumba peeps: I have new, fresh and fun routines. Get ready to shake your booty next week!
School is finally out for my son, and he is looking forward to a fun summer. I love summertime too! However, I just recently got some news that was pretty disappointing. Seems like my summertime schedule for one of my activities has changed, and is no longer available. I don't want to get into too much detail here in this blog, but I was under the impression that this gig was ongoing. Wow...what a bummer. However, my gut told me a while back that this very thing was going to happen. God has given me this gift of a sixth sense where I can feel something is going to happen, whether it be good or bad. I have had it since I was little, and it has stayed with me all of my life. It can be a positive and a negative gift to have.
I will persevere! I have had disappointments all of my life, but I always overcome them. I am sad it has ended, but there are other great things coming! It was a great experience while it lasted and I learned so much from it. I just wish it would have ended differently, plus I was under the impression (from what I had been told) that it was going to continue. It has left a lot of people questioning the situation and in limbo. But, it is what it is, and there is nothing I can do, except move on. When one door closes, another one opens. This is very, very true! I have a lot of open doors waiting for me! I have experienced this all my life. When I was a young girl, it seemed like the closed doors were the end of the world. I now know this is not true. I am older and wiser and been through a lot!
Life is actually very good, and I need to focus on the positive. I have some very good opportunites coming my way this summer and I am excited to move forward. I count my blessings everyday for my family, good friends, good health, talents, and all of the great things I get to do in my life.
It is Memorial Day weekend, and I am going to pick up with my meal plans again on Tuesday. I have not eaten terrible, but I have not stuck with my regular guidelines over the past few days. It's ok. 'Tis the season to attend a few cookouts and enjoy a little. So, enjoy I will! Then back to clean eating in a few days! But I will still check in with you guys before the weekend is over. Good night everyone and keep moving forward! Peace and love to you all....
During my down time, I have been putting together new warm ups, cool downs and choreography. Of course, all this has been done mentally, not physically. But during this holiday weekend, I plan to physically choreograph! I have sure missed moving. So, to all my Zumba peeps: I have new, fresh and fun routines. Get ready to shake your booty next week!
School is finally out for my son, and he is looking forward to a fun summer. I love summertime too! However, I just recently got some news that was pretty disappointing. Seems like my summertime schedule for one of my activities has changed, and is no longer available. I don't want to get into too much detail here in this blog, but I was under the impression that this gig was ongoing. Wow...what a bummer. However, my gut told me a while back that this very thing was going to happen. God has given me this gift of a sixth sense where I can feel something is going to happen, whether it be good or bad. I have had it since I was little, and it has stayed with me all of my life. It can be a positive and a negative gift to have.
I will persevere! I have had disappointments all of my life, but I always overcome them. I am sad it has ended, but there are other great things coming! It was a great experience while it lasted and I learned so much from it. I just wish it would have ended differently, plus I was under the impression (from what I had been told) that it was going to continue. It has left a lot of people questioning the situation and in limbo. But, it is what it is, and there is nothing I can do, except move on. When one door closes, another one opens. This is very, very true! I have a lot of open doors waiting for me! I have experienced this all my life. When I was a young girl, it seemed like the closed doors were the end of the world. I now know this is not true. I am older and wiser and been through a lot!
Life is actually very good, and I need to focus on the positive. I have some very good opportunites coming my way this summer and I am excited to move forward. I count my blessings everyday for my family, good friends, good health, talents, and all of the great things I get to do in my life.
It is Memorial Day weekend, and I am going to pick up with my meal plans again on Tuesday. I have not eaten terrible, but I have not stuck with my regular guidelines over the past few days. It's ok. 'Tis the season to attend a few cookouts and enjoy a little. So, enjoy I will! Then back to clean eating in a few days! But I will still check in with you guys before the weekend is over. Good night everyone and keep moving forward! Peace and love to you all....
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Day 75- Zumba from a chair!
Yes, you read that subject right! I did Zumba from a chair today. Actually, it was Zumba toning. About a year ago, I ordered the Zumba dvd set before I became an instructor. I loved my live class so much, that I wanted to do Zumba on the days we didn't have class. In this dvd set, there is a disc with toning using 2 pound weights. I almost popped my pilates dvd in, but thought I would do the toning instead, only try it sitting down and just work my upper body. Plus, a few months back I ordered the "Exhilarate" dvd set from Zumba. It has a dvd called "Ripped" that has toning, as well. Let me just tell you.....my upper body was on fire! My arms feel like noodles tonight. But I definitely got a great workout!
I did upper body for an hour, then did about 20 minutes of the abs dvd....from a chair. Now, this is not something that I came up with. There is a Zumba instructor that lives in Ohio that teaches Zumba from a chair, and I heard that her class is very intense! This is what I am going to be doing for the next week while I am resting my foot. I want to throw in a few sessions of Pilates, too. Pilates is so good for your body! It helps to lengthen your body, along with building strength and helping with posture. My Zumba instructor has the most amazing arms because she does (and teaches) Pilates. This will be good to get some strength and toning in!
Oh, I just have to post this. A while back, my son and I pulled into a gas station not far from our house, and when we parked, there was this 4-wheeler parked in front with a dog sitting on it! He was being very obedient and patiently waiting for his master. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen! Here is a pic:
I did upper body for an hour, then did about 20 minutes of the abs dvd....from a chair. Now, this is not something that I came up with. There is a Zumba instructor that lives in Ohio that teaches Zumba from a chair, and I heard that her class is very intense! This is what I am going to be doing for the next week while I am resting my foot. I want to throw in a few sessions of Pilates, too. Pilates is so good for your body! It helps to lengthen your body, along with building strength and helping with posture. My Zumba instructor has the most amazing arms because she does (and teaches) Pilates. This will be good to get some strength and toning in!
Oh, I just have to post this. A while back, my son and I pulled into a gas station not far from our house, and when we parked, there was this 4-wheeler parked in front with a dog sitting on it! He was being very obedient and patiently waiting for his master. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen! Here is a pic:
When the guy came out, I had my window down and I asked him how he trained his dog to do that! He said that he has always loved to go riding on the 4-wheeler and is so good about staying there. I thought this was pretty awesome, especially where I am such an animal lover :)
My foot is actually feeling better. I had it iced and elevated most of the day. I did go outside at one point and mowed the lawn on our riding mower. I love doing that! It is so relaxing to me. Just get on the thing and go! Plus I love the smell of fresh cut grass. My dogs went outside shortly after I mowed, and now they all have green little feet! LOL
I will be looking forward to getting some top of the line, new shoes this weekend. I am going back to the Dr. tomorrow and he should have some good shoe inserts for me. But I must say, I sure do miss my classes and people that come. I have become very attached to my students and love helping them and making them happy through Zumba. Since I have been down, I have been working on some new routines (only in my head and through dvd's! Not on my feet) and I am excited to teach some fresh material.
I am ready for bed folks. Hope you all had a great day. Peace and love to you! Muuwwahh!
Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
2 poached eggs
1 slice 9 grain bread
2 slices turkey bacon
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1 apple
16 oz water
Lunch-
Chicken salad with chunks of chicken breast, sliced red grapes, chopped celery, chopped green onions, sliced almonds, pineapple chunks....all tossed with lite mayo, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
Rice cake with peanut butter and honey
16 oz water
Dinner-
Grilled shrimp (6 large pieces)
1 c. banana squash
Spinach salad with boiled eggs, celery, sliced jicama and balsamic vinegar
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
25 cashews
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Day 74- Healthy Feet
I have realized over the past few days how important it is to keep our feet healthy. Although most of my body has benefited from Zumba, my feet have suffered greatly. I do not have the same feet I had 25 years ago, and it is vital that I really take care of them now. Being laid up like I have been the last few days has not been fun at all. I am so sad that I cannot dance and teach, but I don't want to cause permanent injury, so it is important that I rest.
The shoes I have been wearing to do Zumba in are not terrible, but they are not top of the line, either. I have been asking around about workout shoes with good support, plus good shoes that swivel. We do so much twisting in Zumba that the tread on the bottom of my shoes need to be thin. So, finding the perfect combination is tricky. I have a few good brands in mind, but I also need some good orthotic inserts. Good arch support is a must! Looks like "pretty" shoes will be out for a while. Oh how I love walking around in my flip flops or even bare footed.
I got on the Zumba forum last night to seek advice for good shoes. I came across a post that talked about heel spurs and feet problems, and this lady was saying how important it is to stretch your calves everyday. And it is really important to stretch your calves before a workout. I think I am going to throw some calf stretches into my warm up routines. I remember while doing aerobics in the 80's (yes, I am that old!) every instructor I had stretched our calves well. Well, I'm gonna bring it back!
Speaking of dancing, I was flipping back and forth between "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Biggest Loser" tonight. How inspiring those shows are to me! Kirstie Alley has lost 70 pounds while on the show! That woman is amazing. I am so proud of her and she looks stunning! That poor woman has struggled with her weight for so long. Up and down, up and down.....I can definitely relate. Even though the show is over, she needs to KEEP DANCING! It will keep her trim and in shape, and more than anything, it will keep her happy! Kelly Osbourne trimmed up quite a bit while on that show, and then completely reshaped her body afterwards just by continuing to dance.
Kirstie did not win tonight, but she came in 2nd. That is amazing! Yay Kirstie! You go girl :)
The winner of "The Biggest Loser" tonight was a woman. Weepah! Girl power! Olivia won and she looks incredible. The top 3 were all women. What an accomplishment for everyone who was on that show. Congrats to all of them on their new lives and bodies!
I am off to beddy bye now. I wish you all a great evening. See you tomorrow!
Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
2 scrambled eggs
2 slices turkey bacon
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1 apple
16 oz water
Lunch-
6 inch Subway Sandwich on 9 grain honey wheat bread with sliced turkey breast, lite mayo, lettuce, spinach and green bell pepper
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
20 almonds
16 oz water
Dinner-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1/2 c. blueberries and handful of spinach
16 oz. water
After-dinner snack-
3/4 c. sugar free chocolate pudding
The shoes I have been wearing to do Zumba in are not terrible, but they are not top of the line, either. I have been asking around about workout shoes with good support, plus good shoes that swivel. We do so much twisting in Zumba that the tread on the bottom of my shoes need to be thin. So, finding the perfect combination is tricky. I have a few good brands in mind, but I also need some good orthotic inserts. Good arch support is a must! Looks like "pretty" shoes will be out for a while. Oh how I love walking around in my flip flops or even bare footed.
I got on the Zumba forum last night to seek advice for good shoes. I came across a post that talked about heel spurs and feet problems, and this lady was saying how important it is to stretch your calves everyday. And it is really important to stretch your calves before a workout. I think I am going to throw some calf stretches into my warm up routines. I remember while doing aerobics in the 80's (yes, I am that old!) every instructor I had stretched our calves well. Well, I'm gonna bring it back!
Speaking of dancing, I was flipping back and forth between "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Biggest Loser" tonight. How inspiring those shows are to me! Kirstie Alley has lost 70 pounds while on the show! That woman is amazing. I am so proud of her and she looks stunning! That poor woman has struggled with her weight for so long. Up and down, up and down.....I can definitely relate. Even though the show is over, she needs to KEEP DANCING! It will keep her trim and in shape, and more than anything, it will keep her happy! Kelly Osbourne trimmed up quite a bit while on that show, and then completely reshaped her body afterwards just by continuing to dance.
Kirstie did not win tonight, but she came in 2nd. That is amazing! Yay Kirstie! You go girl :)
The winner of "The Biggest Loser" tonight was a woman. Weepah! Girl power! Olivia won and she looks incredible. The top 3 were all women. What an accomplishment for everyone who was on that show. Congrats to all of them on their new lives and bodies!
I am off to beddy bye now. I wish you all a great evening. See you tomorrow!
Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
2 scrambled eggs
2 slices turkey bacon
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1 apple
16 oz water
Lunch-
6 inch Subway Sandwich on 9 grain honey wheat bread with sliced turkey breast, lite mayo, lettuce, spinach and green bell pepper
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
20 almonds
16 oz water
Dinner-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1/2 c. blueberries and handful of spinach
16 oz. water
After-dinner snack-
3/4 c. sugar free chocolate pudding
Monday, May 23, 2011
Day 73- Awful day
Well, I went to the Dr. this morning, and he took x-rays of my foot. Turns out I have a stress fracture in my left foot, along with a nasty heel spur. He told me I need to stay off of it for at least a week. *sigh*
This is going to be tough. I really hate sitting around. But I want my foot to heal so I can get back to teaching Zumba and being productive with other things.
He said he sees a lot of stress fractures in people who exercise a lot. I have actually felt that heel spur for a long time, but I have been ignoring it. I need to really invest in some good shoes with some good arches. I have to face reality and see that as I age, my feet really need to be taken care of. Also, since I have been eating clean, I have cut a lot of dairy out of my diet because of my stomach. But I need to get another source of calcium because I think my bones are paying for it. Not good. This is quite frustrating!
When I came home, I ate a little something for breakfast, and within minutes of eating, I became nauseated. The breakfast did not stay down and I was sick for a few hours after. No need to write out a menu plan for today because I can tell you exactly what I ate all day long. I woke up and drank my water and tea, took my son to school, went to the Dr., then came home and tried to eat some oatmeal. No luck with that. The rest of the day I sipped green tea and water. Blah.
One thing for sure, I will still exercise. I may not be able to do Zumba, but I do have a Pilates dvd and a gym membership, and I will go to the gym and ride the stationary bike. There are lots of other things I can do. Now is a time to work on upper body strength, too.
Time to sign off and get some rest. May tomorrow be a better day!
This is going to be tough. I really hate sitting around. But I want my foot to heal so I can get back to teaching Zumba and being productive with other things.
He said he sees a lot of stress fractures in people who exercise a lot. I have actually felt that heel spur for a long time, but I have been ignoring it. I need to really invest in some good shoes with some good arches. I have to face reality and see that as I age, my feet really need to be taken care of. Also, since I have been eating clean, I have cut a lot of dairy out of my diet because of my stomach. But I need to get another source of calcium because I think my bones are paying for it. Not good. This is quite frustrating!
When I came home, I ate a little something for breakfast, and within minutes of eating, I became nauseated. The breakfast did not stay down and I was sick for a few hours after. No need to write out a menu plan for today because I can tell you exactly what I ate all day long. I woke up and drank my water and tea, took my son to school, went to the Dr., then came home and tried to eat some oatmeal. No luck with that. The rest of the day I sipped green tea and water. Blah.
One thing for sure, I will still exercise. I may not be able to do Zumba, but I do have a Pilates dvd and a gym membership, and I will go to the gym and ride the stationary bike. There are lots of other things I can do. Now is a time to work on upper body strength, too.
Time to sign off and get some rest. May tomorrow be a better day!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Day 72- My foot!
Oh no! I think I have done something to my foot. Friday, I went to a friend's Zumba class at the rec center, and while I was working out, my foot started to sting a little. Then my ankle felt like it was going to give out. I wore different shoes that night, and I am thinking they did not have good enough support.
I am going to have to call my foot doc in the morning and see if I can get in. I will be sick if there is something really wrong with it. It has been swollen all weekend. I am normally not a whiner, but this really frustrates me! I just have too much going on to have a hurt foot. Especially with teaching Zumba! Ack!
A few years ago, I went to the University to walk the stairs. I went up and down those long stairs a few times, and I felt fine. The next day I woke up and could barely walk. I went in to the foot doc and he took x-rays. I had chipped a small bone in my foot and it was horribly painful. I hope that is not what has happened here. I had to wear a brace for 6 weeks. I am hoping it is just a small sprain.
Other than the foot grief, my day has been good. Our family went to see the 4th Pirates of the Carribean movie. It was great! I love Johnny Depp. Penelope Cruz was good, too!
Well, I am off to bed friends. I am going elevate and ice this foot and try to make it feel better. Here is a little health tip for the day. This came from one of my friends on FB. She has some great tips on her page, so I am going to pass her tip on to you. Goodnight!
I am going to have to call my foot doc in the morning and see if I can get in. I will be sick if there is something really wrong with it. It has been swollen all weekend. I am normally not a whiner, but this really frustrates me! I just have too much going on to have a hurt foot. Especially with teaching Zumba! Ack!
A few years ago, I went to the University to walk the stairs. I went up and down those long stairs a few times, and I felt fine. The next day I woke up and could barely walk. I went in to the foot doc and he took x-rays. I had chipped a small bone in my foot and it was horribly painful. I hope that is not what has happened here. I had to wear a brace for 6 weeks. I am hoping it is just a small sprain.
Other than the foot grief, my day has been good. Our family went to see the 4th Pirates of the Carribean movie. It was great! I love Johnny Depp. Penelope Cruz was good, too!
Well, I am off to bed friends. I am going elevate and ice this foot and try to make it feel better. Here is a little health tip for the day. This came from one of my friends on FB. She has some great tips on her page, so I am going to pass her tip on to you. Goodnight!
Day 70 & 71- Fruits and Veggies
Why is it important to eat fruit and vegetables?
Eating fruits and vegetables provides wonderful health benefits! People who eat more fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.
Health benefits
They are high in nutrients and enzymes necessary for your body to function, such as iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. (Dead foods like white bread, refined sugar, cookies and the like rob you of health and vitality.) In greens, you'll find a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect your cells from damage and your eyes from age-related problems. Greens are powerful antioxidants, and they support the immune system.
Remember how I told you a while back how I was going to Jamba Juice a few times a week to get wheat grass juice? Well, a 2 ounce shot of wheatgrass juice is equivalent to 2 pounds of vegetables! That is a lot! Some people can handle wheatgrass, and others gag at the taste of it. Personally, I don't mind it at all. I have not had any in a while, and I need to start going back again. It truly made me feel great and my energy level was high all day! I know I posted benefits of wheatgrass on here before, but here are just a few more:
*Wheatgrass is high in oxygen like all green plants that contain chlorophyll. The brain and all body tissues function at an optimal level in a highly-oxygenated environment.
* Chlorophyll is antibacterial and can be used inside and outside the body as a healer.
* Chlorophyll neutralizes toxins in the body.
*Chlorophyll helps purify the liver.
* Chlorophyll improves blood sugar problems
*Wheatgrass juice acts as a detergent in the body and is used as a body deodorant.
*A small amount of wheatgrass juice in the human diet prevents tooth decay.
*Wheatgrass juice reduces high blood pressure and enhances the capillaries.
*Wheatgrass juice is great for constipation and keeping the bowels open. It is high in magnesium.
So, go and try some wheatgrass! You will be amazed at how good you feel. And remember to get at least 5 fruits and veggies in a day. With summer almost here, we will all have access to wonderful local fresh produce! Summertime is the best for that!
Here is my menu plan for the last two days:
Day 70-
Breakfast-
1 bowl creamy buckwheat cereal with chopped pecans and almond milk
1 c. fresh strawberries
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
20 almonds
5 pea pods
Lunch-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1 apple, 1/2 c. blueberries, handful of spinach
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1 hard boiled egg
5 broccoli floretts with lite ranch
16 oz water
Dinner-
4 oz baked salmon
1/2 sweet potato
5 stalks asparagus
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
1 c. non-fat/sugar free pistacio pudding
Day 71-
Breakfast-
2 scrambled eggs
2 slices turkey bacon
1/2 c. sliced kiwi
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1/2 c. raisins and dried cherries (mixed together)
16 oz water
Lunch-
Salad with romaine lettuce, spinach, shrimp, imitation crab meat, celery, green bell pepper, tomatoes, sliced boiled egg and lite french dressing
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1 c. sliced jicama
16 oz water
Dinner-
4 oz baked halibut
1/2 c. garlic mashed potatoes
1 c. steamed broccoli
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
1/2 c. trail mix
Eating fruits and vegetables provides wonderful health benefits! People who eat more fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.
Health benefits
- Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases.
- Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for type 2 diabetes.
- Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet may protect against certain cancers, such as mouth, stomach, and colon-rectum cancer.
- Diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as fruits and vegetables, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
- Eating fruits and vegetables rich in potassium as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and may help to decrease bone loss.
- Eating foods such as vegetables that are low in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake.
They are high in nutrients and enzymes necessary for your body to function, such as iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. (Dead foods like white bread, refined sugar, cookies and the like rob you of health and vitality.) In greens, you'll find a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect your cells from damage and your eyes from age-related problems. Greens are powerful antioxidants, and they support the immune system.
Remember how I told you a while back how I was going to Jamba Juice a few times a week to get wheat grass juice? Well, a 2 ounce shot of wheatgrass juice is equivalent to 2 pounds of vegetables! That is a lot! Some people can handle wheatgrass, and others gag at the taste of it. Personally, I don't mind it at all. I have not had any in a while, and I need to start going back again. It truly made me feel great and my energy level was high all day! I know I posted benefits of wheatgrass on here before, but here are just a few more:
*Wheatgrass is high in oxygen like all green plants that contain chlorophyll. The brain and all body tissues function at an optimal level in a highly-oxygenated environment.
* Chlorophyll is antibacterial and can be used inside and outside the body as a healer.
* Chlorophyll neutralizes toxins in the body.
*Chlorophyll helps purify the liver.
* Chlorophyll improves blood sugar problems
*Wheatgrass juice acts as a detergent in the body and is used as a body deodorant.
*A small amount of wheatgrass juice in the human diet prevents tooth decay.
*Wheatgrass juice reduces high blood pressure and enhances the capillaries.
*Wheatgrass juice is great for constipation and keeping the bowels open. It is high in magnesium.
So, go and try some wheatgrass! You will be amazed at how good you feel. And remember to get at least 5 fruits and veggies in a day. With summer almost here, we will all have access to wonderful local fresh produce! Summertime is the best for that!
Here is my menu plan for the last two days:
Day 70-
Breakfast-
1 bowl creamy buckwheat cereal with chopped pecans and almond milk
1 c. fresh strawberries
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
20 almonds
5 pea pods
Lunch-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1 apple, 1/2 c. blueberries, handful of spinach
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1 hard boiled egg
5 broccoli floretts with lite ranch
16 oz water
Dinner-
4 oz baked salmon
1/2 sweet potato
5 stalks asparagus
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
1 c. non-fat/sugar free pistacio pudding
Day 71-
Breakfast-
2 scrambled eggs
2 slices turkey bacon
1/2 c. sliced kiwi
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1/2 c. raisins and dried cherries (mixed together)
16 oz water
Lunch-
Salad with romaine lettuce, spinach, shrimp, imitation crab meat, celery, green bell pepper, tomatoes, sliced boiled egg and lite french dressing
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1 c. sliced jicama
16 oz water
Dinner-
4 oz baked halibut
1/2 c. garlic mashed potatoes
1 c. steamed broccoli
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
1/2 c. trail mix
Friday, May 20, 2011
Day 69- More recipes!
Hey peeps! I'd like to start off by sharing some more recipes. I have this great ham and bean soup! Here it is:
Ham & Bean Soup-
2 carrots (diced)
2 celery stalks (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
1 pkg. John Hormell diced ham (do not drain...add ham juice)
(3) 15 oz cans great northern beans
1 qt. low sodium vegetable broth
1 Bay leaf
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chop up vegetables and add to broth in a pot. Add bay leaf and salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil and cook until vegetables are tender. Add ham and beans and cook for 30 minutes. Take 1 Tbs. corn starch and mix in a separate bowl with a little hot water. Add to soup mixture to slightly thicken. Serve and enjoy!
Beef & Vegetable Soup-
1/3 c. barley, soaked overnight
5 c. beef stock
1 tsp. dried mixed herbs
8 oz lean rump or sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into strips
1 large carrot, diced
1 leek, shredded
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley to garnish
Place the pearl barley in a large, heavy-bottom pan. Pour the stock over and add the mixed herbs, then bring to boil. Reduce the heat, then cover and simmer gently over low heat for 10 minutes.
Skim away any foam that has risen to top of the stock with a flat spoon. Add the steak, carrot, leek, onion, and celery to the pan. Return to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 1 hour, or until the barley, meat, and vegetables are just tender.
Blot the surface with paper towels to remove any fat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Today has been a quiet day. I like days like these. I went out to lunch with my friend and spent a few nice hours with her visiting. I am a social girl, and I do have a lot of friends, but I only have a few very close and good friends. This friend is one of them. She is very special and true blue. Thanks for being such a great friend! You know who you are!
I can't really say I was very productive today. Just came home from lunch and worked on some Zumba stuff, then read for a while. Fixed my son some dinner and helped him with homework, then went to teach Zumba at the church. Zumba is a great way to end an evening!
Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
2 scrambled eggs
2 slices turkey bacon
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1 c. fresh cut pineapple
16 oz water
Lunch (at Chuck-a-Rama)
Salad Bar- Romaine lettuce, crab salad, tomatoes, carrots, mozzarella cheese, peas, 3-bean salad, boiled eggs and lite ranch dressing
1/2 c. oriental chicken salad
1 pork taco in a hard corn shell with tomatoes and cheese and lettuce
1/2 c. potato soup
3 Tbs. peach cobbler
16 oz iced tea
No mid-afternoon snack
Dinner-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1/2 c. blueberries, handful of spinach
After-dinner snack-
1 c. green tea
Ham & Bean Soup-
2 carrots (diced)
2 celery stalks (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
1 pkg. John Hormell diced ham (do not drain...add ham juice)
(3) 15 oz cans great northern beans
1 qt. low sodium vegetable broth
1 Bay leaf
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chop up vegetables and add to broth in a pot. Add bay leaf and salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil and cook until vegetables are tender. Add ham and beans and cook for 30 minutes. Take 1 Tbs. corn starch and mix in a separate bowl with a little hot water. Add to soup mixture to slightly thicken. Serve and enjoy!
Beef & Vegetable Soup-
1/3 c. barley, soaked overnight
5 c. beef stock
1 tsp. dried mixed herbs
8 oz lean rump or sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into strips
1 large carrot, diced
1 leek, shredded
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley to garnish
Place the pearl barley in a large, heavy-bottom pan. Pour the stock over and add the mixed herbs, then bring to boil. Reduce the heat, then cover and simmer gently over low heat for 10 minutes.
Skim away any foam that has risen to top of the stock with a flat spoon. Add the steak, carrot, leek, onion, and celery to the pan. Return to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 1 hour, or until the barley, meat, and vegetables are just tender.
Blot the surface with paper towels to remove any fat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Today has been a quiet day. I like days like these. I went out to lunch with my friend and spent a few nice hours with her visiting. I am a social girl, and I do have a lot of friends, but I only have a few very close and good friends. This friend is one of them. She is very special and true blue. Thanks for being such a great friend! You know who you are!
I can't really say I was very productive today. Just came home from lunch and worked on some Zumba stuff, then read for a while. Fixed my son some dinner and helped him with homework, then went to teach Zumba at the church. Zumba is a great way to end an evening!
Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
2 scrambled eggs
2 slices turkey bacon
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1 c. fresh cut pineapple
16 oz water
Lunch (at Chuck-a-Rama)
Salad Bar- Romaine lettuce, crab salad, tomatoes, carrots, mozzarella cheese, peas, 3-bean salad, boiled eggs and lite ranch dressing
1/2 c. oriental chicken salad
1 pork taco in a hard corn shell with tomatoes and cheese and lettuce
1/2 c. potato soup
3 Tbs. peach cobbler
16 oz iced tea
No mid-afternoon snack
Dinner-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1/2 c. blueberries, handful of spinach
After-dinner snack-
1 c. green tea
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Day 68- Keep dancing!
I forgot to mention that on day 67 (Tuesday), I went in for a mammogram. I have not mentioned this certain subject in my blog yet, and I still hesitate to because I don't like talking about it. In December of 2009, I went in for my annual mammogram. This was my 4th one, and all three before that had come out normal. But when I went on for the 4th one, they found something. The horrible thing was, they called me on a Friday and told me I needed to come back and have more pictures taken, but they couldn't see me till the following Tuesday. So, I worried that ENTIRE weekend wondering what was going on.
I went in that following Tuesday and had more pictures and stayed there while the radiologist looked at them. He said these small clusters he found in my right breast should be biopsied and checked for cancer. So the next morning, I went in early and had a needle biopsy done (not fun). I was upset and frazzled for the rest of the day. How could this be happening to me? As far as I knew, there was no history of breast cancer in my family. It would surely come out benign.
The next day, I got a phone call from my primary physician. The second I heard her voice on the phone, I knew it was not good. Normally, the nurse calls you with any info. When the Dr. calls, it is serious. She told me that the biopsy showed that they found a cluster of calcifications and they tested positive for cancer. She immediately scheduled me to see a surgeon because she said that they should remove the tissue surrounding the calcifications to test it.
This was all so surreal. So many things were going through my head. I take great pride in being a good mom, and the first thing that popped into my head was "What about my son?" First of all, I was scared to death to tell him. He is such a sweet and sensitive kid, and he and I are very close and I did not want to worry him. But we are always honest with each other, so when he got home from school that day, I told him. But I also let him know that they caught it very early and it wasn't even at a stage 1. They called it DCIS breast cancer, and if you're going to have breast cancer, this is the best kind. He actually took it pretty well. He was strong and supportive and comforted me. He assured me everything was going to be ok.
The people who did not take it well were other family members and friends. It is amazing how when this stuff finally happens to YOU, you tend to be calm and collected. But deep down, I was scared. I promised myself I was going to stay positive and get through this.
I found all this out December 9th, right before Christmas. Ugh. I am such a Christmas fanatic and love to decorate and celebrate the holidays with zesto. Not that year. It put gloom on everything. I could not get into seeing a surgeon till after Christmas. The waiting is the hardest part! I wanted this cancer gone now! When I consulted with the surgeon, he said he was entirely booked till the 27th. So, that was the day I scheduled for surgery. My husband said that was probably good because getting surgery after Christmas meant they would give me better attention. Everyone is so hurried before Christmas and anxious to have time off. So, I did everything in my power to relax and be calm and enjoy the holidays (easier said than done).
The day finally came, and we had to check into the hospital around 6 am. We waited and waited for what seemed like an eternity, then they finally wheeled me into a room to get me prepped. First, I had to go down to mammography to get a long needle put into my breast so it would be a guide for the surgeon. That was horrible. But the worst part was, after it was inserted, I had to go back to my waiting room and wait for another 3 hours before surgery. It was so uncomfortable laying there with that needle in my chest. My husband and son were trying to cheer me up and make me laugh, but laughing made it hurt.
The nurse finally came in to get me and they took me into the operating room. The nurses and anesthesiologist were so nice and kind. I knew everything was going to be fine. While the nurse was putting the oxygen mask on me, I whispered, "Take good care of me." And they certainly did. Lights out.....
I woke up in a recovery room feeling nauseated but to a friendly familiar face of a woman that I had played Bunco with. The first words out of my mouth were,
"Hey! You are my Bunco buddy!" LOL She said,
"I thought you looked familiar!"
I am sure I did not look like my usual self with that gorgeous cap on my head with no makeup and that lovely hospital gown. I felt like a rock star....NOT.
The surgery went great and the Dr. greeted me in my room to let me know what all he did. He removed tissue the size of a golf ball from my breast that surrounded those calcifications. Then he removed a few lymph nodes under my right arm pit. They tested the tissue and it came out negative. Everything looked clean! But he wanted to discuss radiation with me in the near future, but I had to go home and heal for at least 6 weeks. I went home with a drain attached to me, and that was a struggle. I could not get the bandaging wet, plus I had to keep that drain in for about 10 days.
You can't keep a good girl down. I am not one to sit around and do nothing. I am constantly on the go and being productive. But it was vital that I stay down and do what the Dr. said. I was not able to go sing for my seniors or volunteer at the school where my son went. I hated it. But it gave me a lot of time to re-group myself and plan for my future.
When I was healed from the surgery, I was ready to start 6 weeks of radiation. That was the worst part of all. The staff at the cancer center were all very sweet and compassionate, so that made it easier. They warned me that I may burn badly because I am so fair skinned, and also get very fatigued. The first week was a breeze and I thought it would be no problem. By the second week, I started to feel tired. The third week, I was getting very burned under my arm. By the 4th week, the burn under my arm was so burned that it was turning purple. They gave me some salve to put on it, plus I was putting aloe vera gel on constantly. Week 6 finally came and went, and I was DONE.
Luckily, the burn never blistered. I think it was because of all the stuff I was constantly putting on it. When the 6 weeks were up, I was so glad it was all over. My arm pit hurt terribly. I could not sleep at night or even wear a bra. But all of this kicked my butt into thinking I needed to adopt a healthier lifestyle. No more fooling around. I wanted to start exercising and eating right. My radiation ended in March, then by April, I was ready to kick it onto gear. That is when I found Zumba. :)
I instantly fell in love with this program. It was fun AND I was getting exercise. I started seeing the weight come off, plus I was able to go out and dance every night! My life was starting to turn around for the better. My eating went good for a while, then I slipped back into some bad habits, but continued to do Zumba everyday. I did not want this cancer to come back. However, I did find out that on my biological dad's side that there were several women who had breast cancer, so that is where I got it. Then this past March, I decided once again I was going to eat clean. I have had a few bumps in the road, but that will not stop me.
Since my breast cancer scare, I have been back for 2 mammograms. One was 6 months after my radiation ended and then just a few days ago. The one right after radiation gave me another scare. They called me back to get more pictures, saying that they saw something again. Oh no. Here we go again. But the calcification they saw was from healing and radiation and was benign. Thank the Lord! Then I went in just a few days ago for another 6 month check up. Actually it was more like 9 months later because I kept putting it off. It is very nerve wracking. But it came out clean, and I am celebrating life! Life is good and I want to celebrate and keep dancing and living healthy. Never take anything for granted!
Sorry this is so long, but it is something I knew I would finally have to share with you all. I always like to keep things positive in my life, but I truly believe this was an experience to help me grow and steer me in the right direction.
"....and now I'm glad I didn't know, the way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance, I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss
The Dance"
Garth Brooks
Always stay postive and keep dancing! :)
Here is my menu for this day:
Breakfast-
1 bowl creamy buckwheat cereal with chopped pecans and almond milk
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack
Hard boiled egg
1 c. green tea
16 oz water
Lunch-
Tuna salad on one piece of whole grain bread
2 sliced kiwi fruit
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1/4 c. cashews
1/4 c. raisins
16 oz water
Dinner-
4 oz. baked salmon
1/2 sweet potato
1 c. boiled cabbage
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
2 c. air-popped popcorn
I went in that following Tuesday and had more pictures and stayed there while the radiologist looked at them. He said these small clusters he found in my right breast should be biopsied and checked for cancer. So the next morning, I went in early and had a needle biopsy done (not fun). I was upset and frazzled for the rest of the day. How could this be happening to me? As far as I knew, there was no history of breast cancer in my family. It would surely come out benign.
The next day, I got a phone call from my primary physician. The second I heard her voice on the phone, I knew it was not good. Normally, the nurse calls you with any info. When the Dr. calls, it is serious. She told me that the biopsy showed that they found a cluster of calcifications and they tested positive for cancer. She immediately scheduled me to see a surgeon because she said that they should remove the tissue surrounding the calcifications to test it.
This was all so surreal. So many things were going through my head. I take great pride in being a good mom, and the first thing that popped into my head was "What about my son?" First of all, I was scared to death to tell him. He is such a sweet and sensitive kid, and he and I are very close and I did not want to worry him. But we are always honest with each other, so when he got home from school that day, I told him. But I also let him know that they caught it very early and it wasn't even at a stage 1. They called it DCIS breast cancer, and if you're going to have breast cancer, this is the best kind. He actually took it pretty well. He was strong and supportive and comforted me. He assured me everything was going to be ok.
The people who did not take it well were other family members and friends. It is amazing how when this stuff finally happens to YOU, you tend to be calm and collected. But deep down, I was scared. I promised myself I was going to stay positive and get through this.
I found all this out December 9th, right before Christmas. Ugh. I am such a Christmas fanatic and love to decorate and celebrate the holidays with zesto. Not that year. It put gloom on everything. I could not get into seeing a surgeon till after Christmas. The waiting is the hardest part! I wanted this cancer gone now! When I consulted with the surgeon, he said he was entirely booked till the 27th. So, that was the day I scheduled for surgery. My husband said that was probably good because getting surgery after Christmas meant they would give me better attention. Everyone is so hurried before Christmas and anxious to have time off. So, I did everything in my power to relax and be calm and enjoy the holidays (easier said than done).
The day finally came, and we had to check into the hospital around 6 am. We waited and waited for what seemed like an eternity, then they finally wheeled me into a room to get me prepped. First, I had to go down to mammography to get a long needle put into my breast so it would be a guide for the surgeon. That was horrible. But the worst part was, after it was inserted, I had to go back to my waiting room and wait for another 3 hours before surgery. It was so uncomfortable laying there with that needle in my chest. My husband and son were trying to cheer me up and make me laugh, but laughing made it hurt.
The nurse finally came in to get me and they took me into the operating room. The nurses and anesthesiologist were so nice and kind. I knew everything was going to be fine. While the nurse was putting the oxygen mask on me, I whispered, "Take good care of me." And they certainly did. Lights out.....
I woke up in a recovery room feeling nauseated but to a friendly familiar face of a woman that I had played Bunco with. The first words out of my mouth were,
"Hey! You are my Bunco buddy!" LOL She said,
"I thought you looked familiar!"
I am sure I did not look like my usual self with that gorgeous cap on my head with no makeup and that lovely hospital gown. I felt like a rock star....NOT.
The surgery went great and the Dr. greeted me in my room to let me know what all he did. He removed tissue the size of a golf ball from my breast that surrounded those calcifications. Then he removed a few lymph nodes under my right arm pit. They tested the tissue and it came out negative. Everything looked clean! But he wanted to discuss radiation with me in the near future, but I had to go home and heal for at least 6 weeks. I went home with a drain attached to me, and that was a struggle. I could not get the bandaging wet, plus I had to keep that drain in for about 10 days.
You can't keep a good girl down. I am not one to sit around and do nothing. I am constantly on the go and being productive. But it was vital that I stay down and do what the Dr. said. I was not able to go sing for my seniors or volunteer at the school where my son went. I hated it. But it gave me a lot of time to re-group myself and plan for my future.
When I was healed from the surgery, I was ready to start 6 weeks of radiation. That was the worst part of all. The staff at the cancer center were all very sweet and compassionate, so that made it easier. They warned me that I may burn badly because I am so fair skinned, and also get very fatigued. The first week was a breeze and I thought it would be no problem. By the second week, I started to feel tired. The third week, I was getting very burned under my arm. By the 4th week, the burn under my arm was so burned that it was turning purple. They gave me some salve to put on it, plus I was putting aloe vera gel on constantly. Week 6 finally came and went, and I was DONE.
Luckily, the burn never blistered. I think it was because of all the stuff I was constantly putting on it. When the 6 weeks were up, I was so glad it was all over. My arm pit hurt terribly. I could not sleep at night or even wear a bra. But all of this kicked my butt into thinking I needed to adopt a healthier lifestyle. No more fooling around. I wanted to start exercising and eating right. My radiation ended in March, then by April, I was ready to kick it onto gear. That is when I found Zumba. :)
I instantly fell in love with this program. It was fun AND I was getting exercise. I started seeing the weight come off, plus I was able to go out and dance every night! My life was starting to turn around for the better. My eating went good for a while, then I slipped back into some bad habits, but continued to do Zumba everyday. I did not want this cancer to come back. However, I did find out that on my biological dad's side that there were several women who had breast cancer, so that is where I got it. Then this past March, I decided once again I was going to eat clean. I have had a few bumps in the road, but that will not stop me.
Since my breast cancer scare, I have been back for 2 mammograms. One was 6 months after my radiation ended and then just a few days ago. The one right after radiation gave me another scare. They called me back to get more pictures, saying that they saw something again. Oh no. Here we go again. But the calcification they saw was from healing and radiation and was benign. Thank the Lord! Then I went in just a few days ago for another 6 month check up. Actually it was more like 9 months later because I kept putting it off. It is very nerve wracking. But it came out clean, and I am celebrating life! Life is good and I want to celebrate and keep dancing and living healthy. Never take anything for granted!
Sorry this is so long, but it is something I knew I would finally have to share with you all. I always like to keep things positive in my life, but I truly believe this was an experience to help me grow and steer me in the right direction.
"....and now I'm glad I didn't know, the way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance, I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss
The Dance"
Garth Brooks
Always stay postive and keep dancing! :)
Here is my menu for this day:
Breakfast-
1 bowl creamy buckwheat cereal with chopped pecans and almond milk
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack
Hard boiled egg
1 c. green tea
16 oz water
Lunch-
Tuna salad on one piece of whole grain bread
2 sliced kiwi fruit
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1/4 c. cashews
1/4 c. raisins
16 oz water
Dinner-
4 oz. baked salmon
1/2 sweet potato
1 c. boiled cabbage
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
2 c. air-popped popcorn
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Day 66 & 67- Law of the Garbage Truck
"One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches. The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy, and I mean, he was being really friendly! So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so......Love the people who treat you right, and pray for the ones who don't!
Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it. Have a garbage-free day!"
I just had to share this with you all! I thought it was pretty great and so true! I got this cute little story from the Tremonton Senior Center when I sang over there last Friday. The director always gets up and shares a little saying or story, and this is what she shared that day. I loved it so much, I asked her if I could get a copy of it.
I know I could learn a thing or two from this. I tend to be extra-sensitive and take things personally at times. I have become better with this over the years, but I am still sensitive. After reading this, I know that I should brush things off a lot more. Just let it roll off my back. I think a lot of us tend to take things personally. But that taxi driver is right on when he said that there are a lot of miserable and unhappy people out there just waiting to dump on someone. I sure do know people like this in my personal life, as well. People that have been thorns in my side for a lot of years, and it all chalks up to them being unhappy or insecure. It is not my problem. It is theirs. To all you happy and secure people doing good, keep doing what you are doing and move on.
I am covering here for two days, so I have 2 menu plans to write out. Here is what I ate yesterday:
Breakfast-
Omelette with turkey bacon and low-fat cheese
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1 c. bing cherries
16 oz water
Lunch-
1 bowl beef barley soup
1 small tossed salad w/low-cal French dressing
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
Hard boiled egg
16 oz water
Dinner-
Turkey burger on whole grain bun w/ lettuce, tomato, and low-fat mayo
6 stalks steamed asparagus
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
1 rice cake w/ peanut butter and honey
Today, I had Tuesday tea with my mom. I love doing that. It gives my mom and I a chance to get together and catch up. Today has been an easy-going, yet productive day. I look forward to teaching Zumba at the church tonight! That always tops off my evening. Tonight we have a new routine called "Rumba." It's a fun salsa dance with some Reggaeton moves that will surely be a crowd pleaser. Can't wait to try it out! Then Thursday I should have a fun Samba ready to the tune "All the Single Ladies!" Wa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh! I've got some pretty fun choreography coming up here. Even a fun dance to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." Oh how I love the 80's! I've got a lot of ideas for routines brewing in my head!
Well, this is all for today. Here is what I ate:
Breakfast-
1 bowl brown rice crispies w/ almond milk
1 c. strawberries
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1/2 c. almonds
16 oz water
Lunch-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk. 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1 apple, 1/2 c. blueberries, handful of spinach
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
Small tossed salad with tuna fish and low-cal French dressing
16 oz water
Dinner-
Pasta Primavera (Whole wheat pasta tossed with zucchini, peppers, onions, shrimp and tomatoes)
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
Sugar-free cherry jello (3/4 cup)
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy, and I mean, he was being really friendly! So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so......Love the people who treat you right, and pray for the ones who don't!
Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it. Have a garbage-free day!"
I just had to share this with you all! I thought it was pretty great and so true! I got this cute little story from the Tremonton Senior Center when I sang over there last Friday. The director always gets up and shares a little saying or story, and this is what she shared that day. I loved it so much, I asked her if I could get a copy of it.
I know I could learn a thing or two from this. I tend to be extra-sensitive and take things personally at times. I have become better with this over the years, but I am still sensitive. After reading this, I know that I should brush things off a lot more. Just let it roll off my back. I think a lot of us tend to take things personally. But that taxi driver is right on when he said that there are a lot of miserable and unhappy people out there just waiting to dump on someone. I sure do know people like this in my personal life, as well. People that have been thorns in my side for a lot of years, and it all chalks up to them being unhappy or insecure. It is not my problem. It is theirs. To all you happy and secure people doing good, keep doing what you are doing and move on.
I am covering here for two days, so I have 2 menu plans to write out. Here is what I ate yesterday:
Breakfast-
Omelette with turkey bacon and low-fat cheese
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1 c. bing cherries
16 oz water
Lunch-
1 bowl beef barley soup
1 small tossed salad w/low-cal French dressing
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
Hard boiled egg
16 oz water
Dinner-
Turkey burger on whole grain bun w/ lettuce, tomato, and low-fat mayo
6 stalks steamed asparagus
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
1 rice cake w/ peanut butter and honey
Today, I had Tuesday tea with my mom. I love doing that. It gives my mom and I a chance to get together and catch up. Today has been an easy-going, yet productive day. I look forward to teaching Zumba at the church tonight! That always tops off my evening. Tonight we have a new routine called "Rumba." It's a fun salsa dance with some Reggaeton moves that will surely be a crowd pleaser. Can't wait to try it out! Then Thursday I should have a fun Samba ready to the tune "All the Single Ladies!" Wa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh! I've got some pretty fun choreography coming up here. Even a fun dance to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." Oh how I love the 80's! I've got a lot of ideas for routines brewing in my head!
Well, this is all for today. Here is what I ate:
Breakfast-
1 bowl brown rice crispies w/ almond milk
1 c. strawberries
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1/2 c. almonds
16 oz water
Lunch-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk. 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1 apple, 1/2 c. blueberries, handful of spinach
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
Small tossed salad with tuna fish and low-cal French dressing
16 oz water
Dinner-
Pasta Primavera (Whole wheat pasta tossed with zucchini, peppers, onions, shrimp and tomatoes)
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
Sugar-free cherry jello (3/4 cup)
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Day 65- Phoenix trip
Hello! Before I get talking about our trip to Phoenix, I want to write down my meal plan for yesterday. I was going to get on here last night and write it down, but time slipped away from me and I was so tired by the time I remembered I had to get on here. So, here is what I ate yesterday:
Breakfast-
Creamy buckwheat cereal with almond milk
1 c. fresh cut pineapple
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1/2 c. trail mix
16 oz water
Lunch-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1/2 c. frozen strawberries, handful of spinach
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1 hard boiled egg
16 oz water
Dinner-
1/2 steak enchilada (I sang at a 50th birthday party, and was invited to stay and eat)
3 Tbs. refried beans
3 Tbs. Spanish rice
1 bowl tossed salad w/ low-cal Italian dressing
16 oz water
No after-dinner snack
Phoenix was fabulous! We arrived to 98 degree weather, but it actually felt good after being in this Utah cold for so long. Last October, my husband and I bought a little condo right in Central Phoenix. We have been eager to get down there and enjoy it, and we meant to go over Spring Break, but my husband couldn't get away from his work. So, my request was to go down over Mother's Day. The next day it cooled down to the mid 80's. Beautiful weather all weekend! Here is a picture of our place looking out the front door into the courtyard:
Breakfast-
Creamy buckwheat cereal with almond milk
1 c. fresh cut pineapple
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1/2 c. trail mix
16 oz water
Lunch-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1/2 c. frozen strawberries, handful of spinach
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1 hard boiled egg
16 oz water
Dinner-
1/2 steak enchilada (I sang at a 50th birthday party, and was invited to stay and eat)
3 Tbs. refried beans
3 Tbs. Spanish rice
1 bowl tossed salad w/ low-cal Italian dressing
16 oz water
No after-dinner snack
Phoenix was fabulous! We arrived to 98 degree weather, but it actually felt good after being in this Utah cold for so long. Last October, my husband and I bought a little condo right in Central Phoenix. We have been eager to get down there and enjoy it, and we meant to go over Spring Break, but my husband couldn't get away from his work. So, my request was to go down over Mother's Day. The next day it cooled down to the mid 80's. Beautiful weather all weekend! Here is a picture of our place looking out the front door into the courtyard:
The night we arrived, we went grocery shopping for breakfast items and a few other things for the condo. I was so excited to finally cook in my new little place! Our weekend was relaxing and fun, but went way too fast! Doesn't it always? However, we did visit family and got our place in order. The highlight of the weekend was having Mother's Day Brunch at the Pecan Farm at South Mountain. That was amazing! They held a brunch outside that was just lovely. Such fresh and delicious food. The weather was perfect and everyone there was celebrating their mothers. When we got back, we enjoyed the rest of our afternoon relaxing by the pool.
My husband and son gave me a VERY nice Mother's Day indeed! But my only complaint is that it went too fast. I hope we get to go down again this summer. I know it will be very hot down there soon, but Phoenix is where I was born, and I love going down there to see my family and friends. Also, my grandparents are buried there, and for the first ten years of my life, they were like parents to me. I was very close to them. So, it means the world ot me to be able to go down there more often and visit their graveside.
I got some great pics in Vegas at the wax museum. Here are a few:
Here is my husband and son with Chris Angel (I thought I only took one with my husband, but I had forgot he let me take a few others!)
"I'll be back!"
Viva Las Vegas!
Guitar!
Jamie Foxx
Yes, yes....I jammed with Lenny Kravitz!
Shaq! My gads, I only come up to his belly button!
Oh yeah....croonin' with the Brat Pack!
When we got to Phoenix, I am embarrassed to say that I forgot to get pics with my family and when we went out! I will get some good ones next time. I did get some pics of my grandparents and my Uncle Ted's grave. It made me so happy that I could be down there to visit their graveside.
My sweet little Grandma Blaine. Happy Mother's Day, grandma!
My wonderful Grandpa Blaine. He was a superstar in my eyes. I miss them both so much!
And my Uncle Ted. His name was Calvin Lewis Jr., but "Ted" was his nickname. He was killed in an automobile accident when he was 24 years old. He had just graduated from Colorado State University to be a veterinarian. It was so tragic. He would have made an awesome vet. Now I know where I get my love for animals. My grandparents were so grief-stricken by his death. After they buried him, my grandpa bought two plots right next to him so he and my grandma could be buried there. So here is where they lay at rest.
I sure wish I could have known my Uncle Ted.
Well, now back to reality. Time for bed and gearing up for Monday. Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
2 scrambled eggs
2 strips turkey bacon
1 kiwi fruit
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
20 almonds
16 oz water
Lunch-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1/2 c. blueberries, handful of spinach
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1/2 c. dried cherries
Dinner- (Texas Roadhouse)
5 oz. baked salmon
Salad with mixed veggies and lite Ranch
Green beans
15 peanuts
16 oz iced tea
No after-dinner snack
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Day 64- Back on track
Well hello strangers! Wow, have I missed doing this! First of all, my family and I went out of town to Las Vegas and Phoenix for Mother's Day, and when we got home, I posted on here once saying that I was going to get caught up, then blogger was down for a few days. Ack! So, I am very behind, BUT I am back! I will try to write about most of my vacation, but it may be over two or three blogs. I don't want to make one blog into a whole book!
We had a splendid time on our trip. I want to say this first, though: I did enjoy myself and did not stick to my usual plan. However, I did not go totally crazy. I kept my portions somewhat moderate and did not stuff myself to the brim. I kept a journal of everything I ate the first few days, then I thought,
"Oh, just relax and have fun!"
So, that's what I did, but also tried to keep a level head about it. The crazy thing is, when I got home Monday night, I knew I had to step on that scale the next morning to reveal the truth. (I know a lot of you don't believe in scales, but it is a tool that really keeps me on track right now) Tuesday morning I got up and stepped on that darned thing and......I lost 1 pound! WHAA??? Oh come on. Seriously......no joke. What the heck is going on with my body? Has my metabolism heated up? Is it all that Zumba?? I mean, there was a good five days of eating really whatever I wanted.
I am by no means complaining. I am happy! I told my husband that night when he was off from work, and he couldn't believe it. (Mr. Skeptical) He told me it was probably a delayed reaction. Way to burst my bubble. So, the next morning when I got up, I weight myself again. Same exact weight. Neener, neener, neener! hee hee But now it is time to get back to the ole drawing board and eat clean!
Tuesday and Thursday night, I taught Zumba and kicked back into my exercise routine and eating plan. Friday morning, I weighed myself AGAIN....and down 2 pounds. So, I am now down a total of 27 pounds. CRAZY. Maybe our bodies need a little break once in a while. But our trip was a blast, and our first stop was Vegas. My son has been dying to go there the last few years, so we promised him we would stop on our way.
When we arrived, we all took a short nap, then woke up and got ready to hit the town. We ate the the Rio casino at their seafood buffet. Oh my lawzee....that was incredible! I LOVE seafood, so it was a special treat for me. So, I pretty much count that meal as a healthy one because I ate a bunch of good stuff on the buffet. I had about 3 Tbs. of chocolate gelata for dessert. But they had LOTS of decadent dessert there calling my name.
After dinner, we were headed out of the casino, and we heard this live, latin music coming from within the place. I told my husband that I wanted to go find it, and after walking a little ways, we saw a group of dancers and singers performing on a stage with a spiral staircase. A lady and man were singing Ricky Martin's "Uno, Dos, Tres" while dancers swirled around them. It was mezmerizing. It was like watching "Dancing with the Stars" right there. The men were handsome and the women were beautiful with gorgeous show dresses. I always dreamed of being a Vegas showgirl (not the naughty kind) and dancing on stage every night. However, I chose to be a country crooner instead! :) Guess I am living some of that dream out with Zumba! LOL They started into another number, and we watched about half of it, then had to head on down the road because my son wanted to go to Madame Tussard's wax museum.
The wax museum was so cool. When they make these wax figures of the stars, they make them exactly the same height and size that they are in person. I am amazed at how little most of these celebrities really are! Most of the women are so tiny and petite. The only really tall people were the sports people, John Wayne, Princess Diana, and JFK and his wife, Jackie. I got my picture taken with a bunch of them. The only time I could get my husband to get his picture taken with one was when we got to Jenna Jameson, (porn star) who was sitting there with only a thong on and covering her boobies with her arms. Go figure. With much reluctance, my son joined the snapshot too, with encouragement from my husband. I am sure deep down he was thrilled! LOL I think I might just post it on here later! Ha!
After we saw the wax museum, we walked down to Treasure Island to see the pirate show. By the time that was over, we were ready to head back to the casino where we were staying. We stayed at Circus Circus because that is a great place for kids. It is also where my husband and I eloped to 20 years ago, and got married in their Chapel of the Fountain. (We were going to have a big summer wedding, but decided to bag it and run off and elope) My husband and son went off to the Adventure Dome and I headed down to the casino and played some penny slots. I am not a big gambler at all. I put in $20 and played for a good 2 hours, then got $15 in return. But it was good amusement for a while :)
We all returned to our room around 11 pm and went to bed. We were beat. The next morning we got up and ate breakfast, then my son really wanted to go back to the Adventure Dome, so my husband and son headed that way, and I decided to look around this amazing place. I came across an oxygen bar with aqua massage machines. So, I did the aqua massage first for 20 minutes (AMAZING) then did the oxygen bar afterwards. I have heard about these things, but thought they were a lot of bologna. Well, they're not. I swear I felt ten times better while sitting there getting this oxygen from aroma therapy water. I sat and talked to the guy running the place, and told him my story of starting Zumba over a year ago, then my New Lifestyle I picked up recently and how I have promised myself to live healthy. Normally, he only lets people have the oxygen for 20 minutes, but he let me sit there for an hour and he also hooked up a micro massager to my shoulders and let it pulse away. I told him how much I loved that little machine on my shoulders, so he started in on a sales pitch to sell me one. I declined, and told him I would maybe purchase one online later down the road. So then, he offered me a deal I couldn't pass up. He told me he would sell me the massage unit, the aqua massage I got AND the oxygen bar all for $100. The aqua massage for 20 minutes was $25 and the oxygen was $15. The unit alone was $139. So, all that there was a savings of $79. I was sold.
By the time I left, I was floating. I felt SO GOOD. Our trip from Vegas to Phoenix was calm and relaxing for me, where most of the time I am full of anxiety traveling. I use that little micro massage unit everyday on my shoulders or lower back. I noticed since I have been active with Zumba, my shoulders tend to get sore and stiff, and this thing is a lifesaver! I plan to blog again tonight, so when I do, I will post more info about it along with a picture.
This is where I am going to stop. When I come back tonight, I will resume with our trip to Phoenix. It is so great to be back. I have missed all of you! Even though my audience is silent, and I only get a few comments, I know a lot of people are reading this. I appreciate all of your support and encouragement. I will write down my menu, too. Have a great day everyone!
We had a splendid time on our trip. I want to say this first, though: I did enjoy myself and did not stick to my usual plan. However, I did not go totally crazy. I kept my portions somewhat moderate and did not stuff myself to the brim. I kept a journal of everything I ate the first few days, then I thought,
"Oh, just relax and have fun!"
So, that's what I did, but also tried to keep a level head about it. The crazy thing is, when I got home Monday night, I knew I had to step on that scale the next morning to reveal the truth. (I know a lot of you don't believe in scales, but it is a tool that really keeps me on track right now) Tuesday morning I got up and stepped on that darned thing and......I lost 1 pound! WHAA??? Oh come on. Seriously......no joke. What the heck is going on with my body? Has my metabolism heated up? Is it all that Zumba?? I mean, there was a good five days of eating really whatever I wanted.
I am by no means complaining. I am happy! I told my husband that night when he was off from work, and he couldn't believe it. (Mr. Skeptical) He told me it was probably a delayed reaction. Way to burst my bubble. So, the next morning when I got up, I weight myself again. Same exact weight. Neener, neener, neener! hee hee But now it is time to get back to the ole drawing board and eat clean!
Tuesday and Thursday night, I taught Zumba and kicked back into my exercise routine and eating plan. Friday morning, I weighed myself AGAIN....and down 2 pounds. So, I am now down a total of 27 pounds. CRAZY. Maybe our bodies need a little break once in a while. But our trip was a blast, and our first stop was Vegas. My son has been dying to go there the last few years, so we promised him we would stop on our way.
When we arrived, we all took a short nap, then woke up and got ready to hit the town. We ate the the Rio casino at their seafood buffet. Oh my lawzee....that was incredible! I LOVE seafood, so it was a special treat for me. So, I pretty much count that meal as a healthy one because I ate a bunch of good stuff on the buffet. I had about 3 Tbs. of chocolate gelata for dessert. But they had LOTS of decadent dessert there calling my name.
After dinner, we were headed out of the casino, and we heard this live, latin music coming from within the place. I told my husband that I wanted to go find it, and after walking a little ways, we saw a group of dancers and singers performing on a stage with a spiral staircase. A lady and man were singing Ricky Martin's "Uno, Dos, Tres" while dancers swirled around them. It was mezmerizing. It was like watching "Dancing with the Stars" right there. The men were handsome and the women were beautiful with gorgeous show dresses. I always dreamed of being a Vegas showgirl (not the naughty kind) and dancing on stage every night. However, I chose to be a country crooner instead! :) Guess I am living some of that dream out with Zumba! LOL They started into another number, and we watched about half of it, then had to head on down the road because my son wanted to go to Madame Tussard's wax museum.
The wax museum was so cool. When they make these wax figures of the stars, they make them exactly the same height and size that they are in person. I am amazed at how little most of these celebrities really are! Most of the women are so tiny and petite. The only really tall people were the sports people, John Wayne, Princess Diana, and JFK and his wife, Jackie. I got my picture taken with a bunch of them. The only time I could get my husband to get his picture taken with one was when we got to Jenna Jameson, (porn star) who was sitting there with only a thong on and covering her boobies with her arms. Go figure. With much reluctance, my son joined the snapshot too, with encouragement from my husband. I am sure deep down he was thrilled! LOL I think I might just post it on here later! Ha!
After we saw the wax museum, we walked down to Treasure Island to see the pirate show. By the time that was over, we were ready to head back to the casino where we were staying. We stayed at Circus Circus because that is a great place for kids. It is also where my husband and I eloped to 20 years ago, and got married in their Chapel of the Fountain. (We were going to have a big summer wedding, but decided to bag it and run off and elope) My husband and son went off to the Adventure Dome and I headed down to the casino and played some penny slots. I am not a big gambler at all. I put in $20 and played for a good 2 hours, then got $15 in return. But it was good amusement for a while :)
We all returned to our room around 11 pm and went to bed. We were beat. The next morning we got up and ate breakfast, then my son really wanted to go back to the Adventure Dome, so my husband and son headed that way, and I decided to look around this amazing place. I came across an oxygen bar with aqua massage machines. So, I did the aqua massage first for 20 minutes (AMAZING) then did the oxygen bar afterwards. I have heard about these things, but thought they were a lot of bologna. Well, they're not. I swear I felt ten times better while sitting there getting this oxygen from aroma therapy water. I sat and talked to the guy running the place, and told him my story of starting Zumba over a year ago, then my New Lifestyle I picked up recently and how I have promised myself to live healthy. Normally, he only lets people have the oxygen for 20 minutes, but he let me sit there for an hour and he also hooked up a micro massager to my shoulders and let it pulse away. I told him how much I loved that little machine on my shoulders, so he started in on a sales pitch to sell me one. I declined, and told him I would maybe purchase one online later down the road. So then, he offered me a deal I couldn't pass up. He told me he would sell me the massage unit, the aqua massage I got AND the oxygen bar all for $100. The aqua massage for 20 minutes was $25 and the oxygen was $15. The unit alone was $139. So, all that there was a savings of $79. I was sold.
By the time I left, I was floating. I felt SO GOOD. Our trip from Vegas to Phoenix was calm and relaxing for me, where most of the time I am full of anxiety traveling. I use that little micro massage unit everyday on my shoulders or lower back. I noticed since I have been active with Zumba, my shoulders tend to get sore and stiff, and this thing is a lifesaver! I plan to blog again tonight, so when I do, I will post more info about it along with a picture.
This is where I am going to stop. When I come back tonight, I will resume with our trip to Phoenix. It is so great to be back. I have missed all of you! Even though my audience is silent, and I only get a few comments, I know a lot of people are reading this. I appreciate all of your support and encouragement. I will write down my menu, too. Have a great day everyone!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
I am back!
Hello friends! I am back and ready to blog again. I went to Las Vegas and Phoenix over Mother's Day weekend, so I am home now and ready to get back on track. This blog tonight is going to be short because it is dang late, and I really want to get into bed. Since I got home from my trip, I have been trying to get things together for our Cache Humane Society Zumbathon that is happening tomorrow. So, when it is all over, I can relax a little and settle in and tell you all about our wonderful trip.
I sure missed blogging every night, but I had a grand time enjoying the warm weather and visiting with family and friends down there. So, I am off to bed, but I promise I will be back soon to write about my adventures over the past 5 days. Good night!
I sure missed blogging every night, but I had a grand time enjoying the warm weather and visiting with family and friends down there. So, I am off to bed, but I promise I will be back soon to write about my adventures over the past 5 days. Good night!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Day 51- Taking a few days off
Hi friends! I just wanted to blog real quick and let you all know that I am taking a break from blogging for a while. I will be back next week with more inspiration, recipes and fun filled days. So, don't fret. I will be back soon. Any of you that are following my meal plan, just go back to the previous days and follow those menus.
I would just like to write a little bit here about my frustration with the fitness world. I absolutely LOVE Zumba, but since I have entered this world of fitness, I find that it is very cutthroat. I cannot believe the competition that goes on. It can be so vain and narcissistic and some instructors will run you over just to get where they want to be. Wow. I feel so naive and stupid at times. But I am the type of girl that wants to have fun and be everyone's friend. I went into teaching Zumba because I love it, and I want to share it with others. I also care about people. I do not teach Zumba to perform or show off. I teach it to inspire and help people with their health. Zumba has helped me in more ways than one, and I want to pass that feeling on to others. My wonderful ZES, Lindsey Taylor told us in all the trainings I have been to...."Dance to inspire, not to impress." Such a smart, insightful girl she is. I love her to pieces and she has taught me so much. Lindsey, if you are reading this, I want to be YOU when I grow up! :)
My motto: Can't we all just get along? Each and every one of us has a different and unique styles, and we need to embrace it. I love and care about every single one of my students. I do not want to see them get injured so I tell them during class to PLEASE listen to their bodies. We have a formula in Zumba called "Intermittent Training." That is where you start off with high intesity, get the heart rate up, then slowly bring it back down again. Then bring it up again, slowly down. Over and over till the class is over. This intermittent training helps to burn fat and is good for the heart. A lot of people think that you need to stay way high with your heart rate all hour long to get benefits. That is wrong. That only leaves you in an anaerobic phase. Bringing your heartrate down, then jump starting it back up again is what burns fat and makes your heart strong. I worry with some of the formats these other instructors are using because someone is going to get hurt. It is NOT about us as instructors. It is about our students and their well being. We should not treat it as our own workout. If we want our own workout, then we should seek it elsewhere when we are not instructing.
I am so excited about teaching ZumbAtomic! I have something in the works, so I will let you all know when that happens. I am also desperately trying to find a Zumba Gold workshop (Zumba for Senior Citizens). Unfortunately, there are no Gold workshops here in Utah. I have emailed the ZO office to ask them if they would please bring a training here! I may have to fly out to another state to certify. Anyway, there is a saturation of Zumba instructors everywhere. I want to certify in the specialties so I can teach Zumba to EVERYONE. Children need exercise and so do senior citizens. I sing every single week to the seniors, and I would love to be able to stick around after I am done and teach them Zumba Gold. As soon as I have the Gold training under my belt, I will spread the word and I will get everyone from young to old participating in Zumba! Weeepah!
Zumba also offers Aqua Zumba, so you can dance in the water! I LOVE to swim and love playing in the water. Growing up as a kid, I was always around water. That reminds me so much of Brad Paisley's song, "Water." He talks about how water was a big part of his life growing up, and most of his social events were centered around it. My grandparents owned a summer home in in Newport Beach, CA when I was a kid, and from the time I was a baby, up until 16, I practically lived on the beach every summer. Oh how I loved the ocean. I would go out neck deep in it and ride the waves with my body or ride on a body board. Dodging those waves was the funnest thing. Then I remember looking up to find my grandparents or mom, and they would be WAAAAY up the shore! LOL I always lost track of time and the current would sweep me downshore to where I was almost a block away.
Then there were the summers at Bear Lake at my parents cabin. They own a boat, and I was always in the lake swimming or water skiing. I am an Aquarius, the water bearer. So appropriate! So, Aqua Zumba is a certification coming in the future. Water exercise and resisitance is wonderful! Especially for people with bad knees and joints. I am super excited to further my education in Zumba and share it with everyone! How blessed I am to be part of this amazing program. A big thank you to Beto Perez for creating Zumba and inspriring others. Ok, that is all.
It is only 1:00 pm, but here is what I have planned today for my menu. Happy Mother's Day, ladies, and I will see you all soon! Hugs, love, and peace to all. Muuuwaahh!
Breakfast-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1 apple, 1/2 c. blueberries and handful of spinach
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1 hard boiled egg
20 cashews
16 oz. water
Lunch-
Turkey pattie with whole grain bun topped with low-cal mayo, spinach and tomatoes
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1/2 c. dried cherries
16 oz water
Dinner-
4 oz grilled salmon
1 c. green beans
1/2 sweet potato
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
1/w2 c. mixed nuts
I would just like to write a little bit here about my frustration with the fitness world. I absolutely LOVE Zumba, but since I have entered this world of fitness, I find that it is very cutthroat. I cannot believe the competition that goes on. It can be so vain and narcissistic and some instructors will run you over just to get where they want to be. Wow. I feel so naive and stupid at times. But I am the type of girl that wants to have fun and be everyone's friend. I went into teaching Zumba because I love it, and I want to share it with others. I also care about people. I do not teach Zumba to perform or show off. I teach it to inspire and help people with their health. Zumba has helped me in more ways than one, and I want to pass that feeling on to others. My wonderful ZES, Lindsey Taylor told us in all the trainings I have been to...."Dance to inspire, not to impress." Such a smart, insightful girl she is. I love her to pieces and she has taught me so much. Lindsey, if you are reading this, I want to be YOU when I grow up! :)
My motto: Can't we all just get along? Each and every one of us has a different and unique styles, and we need to embrace it. I love and care about every single one of my students. I do not want to see them get injured so I tell them during class to PLEASE listen to their bodies. We have a formula in Zumba called "Intermittent Training." That is where you start off with high intesity, get the heart rate up, then slowly bring it back down again. Then bring it up again, slowly down. Over and over till the class is over. This intermittent training helps to burn fat and is good for the heart. A lot of people think that you need to stay way high with your heart rate all hour long to get benefits. That is wrong. That only leaves you in an anaerobic phase. Bringing your heartrate down, then jump starting it back up again is what burns fat and makes your heart strong. I worry with some of the formats these other instructors are using because someone is going to get hurt. It is NOT about us as instructors. It is about our students and their well being. We should not treat it as our own workout. If we want our own workout, then we should seek it elsewhere when we are not instructing.
I am so excited about teaching ZumbAtomic! I have something in the works, so I will let you all know when that happens. I am also desperately trying to find a Zumba Gold workshop (Zumba for Senior Citizens). Unfortunately, there are no Gold workshops here in Utah. I have emailed the ZO office to ask them if they would please bring a training here! I may have to fly out to another state to certify. Anyway, there is a saturation of Zumba instructors everywhere. I want to certify in the specialties so I can teach Zumba to EVERYONE. Children need exercise and so do senior citizens. I sing every single week to the seniors, and I would love to be able to stick around after I am done and teach them Zumba Gold. As soon as I have the Gold training under my belt, I will spread the word and I will get everyone from young to old participating in Zumba! Weeepah!
Zumba also offers Aqua Zumba, so you can dance in the water! I LOVE to swim and love playing in the water. Growing up as a kid, I was always around water. That reminds me so much of Brad Paisley's song, "Water." He talks about how water was a big part of his life growing up, and most of his social events were centered around it. My grandparents owned a summer home in in Newport Beach, CA when I was a kid, and from the time I was a baby, up until 16, I practically lived on the beach every summer. Oh how I loved the ocean. I would go out neck deep in it and ride the waves with my body or ride on a body board. Dodging those waves was the funnest thing. Then I remember looking up to find my grandparents or mom, and they would be WAAAAY up the shore! LOL I always lost track of time and the current would sweep me downshore to where I was almost a block away.
Then there were the summers at Bear Lake at my parents cabin. They own a boat, and I was always in the lake swimming or water skiing. I am an Aquarius, the water bearer. So appropriate! So, Aqua Zumba is a certification coming in the future. Water exercise and resisitance is wonderful! Especially for people with bad knees and joints. I am super excited to further my education in Zumba and share it with everyone! How blessed I am to be part of this amazing program. A big thank you to Beto Perez for creating Zumba and inspriring others. Ok, that is all.
It is only 1:00 pm, but here is what I have planned today for my menu. Happy Mother's Day, ladies, and I will see you all soon! Hugs, love, and peace to all. Muuuwaahh!
Breakfast-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1 apple, 1/2 c. blueberries and handful of spinach
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1 hard boiled egg
20 cashews
16 oz. water
Lunch-
Turkey pattie with whole grain bun topped with low-cal mayo, spinach and tomatoes
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1/2 c. dried cherries
16 oz water
Dinner-
4 oz grilled salmon
1 c. green beans
1/2 sweet potato
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
1/w2 c. mixed nuts
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Day 50- Fifty Days!
I have to pat myself on the back. I have been eating clean for 50 days! I feel fantastic and am very pleased with my new lifestyle. There have been a few bumps in the road, but nothing that I couldn't handle. Life is good and there are more good things to come!
I didn't mention this yesterday, but I helped save a little kitty cat. Sunday, my sister-in-law was driving out to Hyrum, and saw this little helpless kitten crossing the road. She stopped to see it and the poor thing was so sick and had infected crusty eyes and couldn't even see where he was going. She took him home and then called me the next morning and asked if I could take him to the Humane Society so he could be adopted. I told her I would, so I went out and picked up the kitten (because my sister-in-law was at work) and put the box in the car that he was being housed in. The poor thing looked awful. He was shaking and had green ooze coming out of his nose and eyes. He also stunk to high heaven from having diarrhea. A very sick kitty.
I changed my mind at the last minute and decided to take him to a family that I know here in town. They love animals, and they especially love to heal sick ones. I called my friend and asked her if I could bring the kitty by for them to look at. She said yes, so I headed straight over there. She took one look at the little guy and said that the Humane Society probably would have put him down because he was so sick. It is just too much of a risk having a sick cat around other animals.
Well, obviously, the kitty needed treatment, so I offered to take him to the vet and see what they could do for him. When I got there, the vet wasn't very optimistic at all. She is a great vet, and I take my animals to her all the time, but she was afraid this little one was just too sick to save. But she said it was my call, and I chose to give the kitty life. First, she wanted to test the kitty for cat leukemia, because if he had it, then that would not be good at all. The test came out negative, so I told her to treat him with anything that would help. She gave him stuff for de-worming, a distemper shot, anitbiotics, and some fluids. I was there for over an hour because of all the stuff she had to do. She also gave me anitbiotics to take home.
So, I took the kitty back to my friend's house, and hoped and prayed that he would get better. It didn't look good, but I thought he deserved a chance at life. I talked to my friend today, and she said he was doing wonderful! He was starting to eat and drink, and was being very playful. He was even starting to bathe himself. The meds really did the job, plus he is getting a LOT of love and attention in this household. I think love and comfort is a big part of the healing process. The poor baby had been on its own for so long and alone. Now he is being showered with love and being well taken care of. My heart just wants to burst with joy!
I went by their house today to visit, and he is the cutest little baby. I held him, and he purred and snuggled in my arms, as if to say "Thank you, you saved my life." I am a sucker when it comes to animals. Always have been, and always will be.
They are God's creatures, and they have a special place on this earth. We need to be good to them, and help them when they need it. Because, if you know a dog or cat, or any other pet, they will give you unconditional love, no matter what. This kitty will thrive and grow into a beautiful, healthy cat. I am glad I listened to my heart, and chose to give him life! :)
Well, it has been another good day. I went back to Kohl's and exchanged the clothes that were too big for some that would fit. Then I came home and cleaned and worked on some ZumbAtomic stuff.
I am off to bed, but you all have a wonderful evening. Buenos Noches!
Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
1 bowl creamy buckwheat cereal with almond milk
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1/2 canteloupe
16 oz water
Lunch-
2 crabcakes
Small green salad with tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and low-cal Italian dressing
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1/2 c. mixed nuts
16 oz water
Dinner-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1 apple, 1/2 c. blueberries and handful of spinach
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
1 c. sugar free orange jello
I didn't mention this yesterday, but I helped save a little kitty cat. Sunday, my sister-in-law was driving out to Hyrum, and saw this little helpless kitten crossing the road. She stopped to see it and the poor thing was so sick and had infected crusty eyes and couldn't even see where he was going. She took him home and then called me the next morning and asked if I could take him to the Humane Society so he could be adopted. I told her I would, so I went out and picked up the kitten (because my sister-in-law was at work) and put the box in the car that he was being housed in. The poor thing looked awful. He was shaking and had green ooze coming out of his nose and eyes. He also stunk to high heaven from having diarrhea. A very sick kitty.
I changed my mind at the last minute and decided to take him to a family that I know here in town. They love animals, and they especially love to heal sick ones. I called my friend and asked her if I could bring the kitty by for them to look at. She said yes, so I headed straight over there. She took one look at the little guy and said that the Humane Society probably would have put him down because he was so sick. It is just too much of a risk having a sick cat around other animals.
Well, obviously, the kitty needed treatment, so I offered to take him to the vet and see what they could do for him. When I got there, the vet wasn't very optimistic at all. She is a great vet, and I take my animals to her all the time, but she was afraid this little one was just too sick to save. But she said it was my call, and I chose to give the kitty life. First, she wanted to test the kitty for cat leukemia, because if he had it, then that would not be good at all. The test came out negative, so I told her to treat him with anything that would help. She gave him stuff for de-worming, a distemper shot, anitbiotics, and some fluids. I was there for over an hour because of all the stuff she had to do. She also gave me anitbiotics to take home.
So, I took the kitty back to my friend's house, and hoped and prayed that he would get better. It didn't look good, but I thought he deserved a chance at life. I talked to my friend today, and she said he was doing wonderful! He was starting to eat and drink, and was being very playful. He was even starting to bathe himself. The meds really did the job, plus he is getting a LOT of love and attention in this household. I think love and comfort is a big part of the healing process. The poor baby had been on its own for so long and alone. Now he is being showered with love and being well taken care of. My heart just wants to burst with joy!
I went by their house today to visit, and he is the cutest little baby. I held him, and he purred and snuggled in my arms, as if to say "Thank you, you saved my life." I am a sucker when it comes to animals. Always have been, and always will be.
They are God's creatures, and they have a special place on this earth. We need to be good to them, and help them when they need it. Because, if you know a dog or cat, or any other pet, they will give you unconditional love, no matter what. This kitty will thrive and grow into a beautiful, healthy cat. I am glad I listened to my heart, and chose to give him life! :)
Well, it has been another good day. I went back to Kohl's and exchanged the clothes that were too big for some that would fit. Then I came home and cleaned and worked on some ZumbAtomic stuff.
I am off to bed, but you all have a wonderful evening. Buenos Noches!
Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
1 bowl creamy buckwheat cereal with almond milk
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1/2 canteloupe
16 oz water
Lunch-
2 crabcakes
Small green salad with tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and low-cal Italian dressing
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1/2 c. mixed nuts
16 oz water
Dinner-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop shakeology powder, 1 apple, 1/2 c. blueberries and handful of spinach
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
1 c. sugar free orange jello
Monday, May 2, 2011
Day 49- New Clothes!
Well good evening, friends! I weighed myself today, and I am down 25 pounds. Yay! I had a busy day with more cleaning and running errands. I thoroughly enjoyed the warmer, sunny weather today. It's about time!
The highlight of my day was when I went to Kohl's to buy some new clothes. I wanted to get some nice Spring/Summer clothes along with some cute sandals. While browsing in the store, I grabbed 3 pairs of capri's and 3 summery blouses, along with some nice sandals. I did not try the clothes on because I grabbed the sizes that I thought would fit me. I went for a size smaller this time and prayed they would fit when I got back home. Well guess what??? I tried them on, and all 3 pairs of pants were TOO BIG. Yep, that's right. I was shocked. So apparently, I have lost 2 sizes. The blouses fit fine, but I am going to have to go back to Kohl's tomorrow and exchange the pants for smaller ones. Let me tell you, that is the greatest feeling in the world. I have always been used to going into the dressing rooms and having to try multiple pairs of pants on because I always grab sizes too small. It was so frustrating, and really took a hit to my self-esteem.
So, I get to go back to Kohl's and exchange my capri's for smaller ones. Yahoo buckaroo! I even bought capri's with zipper's. I have bought pants with elastic waistbands for years. I am a work in progress! :)
Here is a recipe I would like to share with you. Since I am a seafood lover, this one sounds scrumptious to me. I think I will make it tomorrow night for dinner!
Baked Crab Cakes:
Serves 8
Each serving contains:
160 calories
11g protein
20g carbohydrate
4g total fat
Ingredients:
2 egg whites beaten
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon coarse grain Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon old bay or other spicy seafood seasoning mix
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Directions:
1. Line a baking sheet with foil. Combine the egg whites, bread crumbs, celery, bell pepper, mayonnaise, mustard, and old bay in a bowl and mix well.
2. Gently fold in the crabmeat. Spread the flour on a sheet of waxed paper and spoon the crab mixture into 8 equal mounds on the paper. Shape into patties. Flour the crab cakes and place on the baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to350(F. Lightly coat a nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat until hot.
4. Add 4 crab cakes to the pan and cook until browned, about 2 minutes on each side, drizzling 1 teaspoon oil around the cakes after turning and shaking the pan to spread the oil.
5. Transfer the cakes to a paper towel lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining crab cakes and oil.
6. Place the crab cakes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake until hot, 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve with garlic mashed potatoes.
Health and wellness tip of the day:
The highlight of my day was when I went to Kohl's to buy some new clothes. I wanted to get some nice Spring/Summer clothes along with some cute sandals. While browsing in the store, I grabbed 3 pairs of capri's and 3 summery blouses, along with some nice sandals. I did not try the clothes on because I grabbed the sizes that I thought would fit me. I went for a size smaller this time and prayed they would fit when I got back home. Well guess what??? I tried them on, and all 3 pairs of pants were TOO BIG. Yep, that's right. I was shocked. So apparently, I have lost 2 sizes. The blouses fit fine, but I am going to have to go back to Kohl's tomorrow and exchange the pants for smaller ones. Let me tell you, that is the greatest feeling in the world. I have always been used to going into the dressing rooms and having to try multiple pairs of pants on because I always grab sizes too small. It was so frustrating, and really took a hit to my self-esteem.
So, I get to go back to Kohl's and exchange my capri's for smaller ones. Yahoo buckaroo! I even bought capri's with zipper's. I have bought pants with elastic waistbands for years. I am a work in progress! :)
Here is a recipe I would like to share with you. Since I am a seafood lover, this one sounds scrumptious to me. I think I will make it tomorrow night for dinner!
Baked Crab Cakes:
Serves 8
Each serving contains:
160 calories
11g protein
20g carbohydrate
4g total fat
Ingredients:
2 egg whites beaten
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon coarse grain Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon old bay or other spicy seafood seasoning mix
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Directions:
1. Line a baking sheet with foil. Combine the egg whites, bread crumbs, celery, bell pepper, mayonnaise, mustard, and old bay in a bowl and mix well.
2. Gently fold in the crabmeat. Spread the flour on a sheet of waxed paper and spoon the crab mixture into 8 equal mounds on the paper. Shape into patties. Flour the crab cakes and place on the baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to350(F. Lightly coat a nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat until hot.
4. Add 4 crab cakes to the pan and cook until browned, about 2 minutes on each side, drizzling 1 teaspoon oil around the cakes after turning and shaking the pan to spread the oil.
5. Transfer the cakes to a paper towel lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining crab cakes and oil.
6. Place the crab cakes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake until hot, 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve with garlic mashed potatoes.
Health and wellness tip of the day:
Flaxseeds are a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids. To regularly consume flax seeds, sprinkle them on your cereal, salads, and sandwiches or put in soups and stews.
Now, this tip I am going to try! My cousin back in Georgia has a flaxseed muffin recipe that is supposed to be really good. When I get it and make them, I will post the recipe on here.
Hope you all had a wonderful day! I am off to bed. I have another big day tomorrow! Peace and love to all of you! Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
Brown Rice Crispie Cereal with almond milk
1 c. strawberries
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-morning snack-
1 hard boiled egg
16 oz water
Lunch-
3 oz broiled salmon
1/2 sweet potato
1 c. green beans
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
2 date bars from Shangri-La store (very yummy!)
1 c. Orange Red Carrot Raw Greenbush Tea
16 oz water
Dinner-
1/2 chicken pecan salad wrap from Wendy's (saving other half for tomorrow)
Side salad from Wendy's with Pomegranate dressing
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
1/2 c. mixed nuts
Day 48- Ding Dong, the devil is dead
Ok, so I had a whole different topic to cover tonight, but that all changed at 8:50 pm. I was in the middle of watching "Desperate Housewives" and the news interrupted with a special report. I thought, "Oh great, I don't get to see the ending of my show!" But right when they said "Osama bin Laden has been killed" I didn't mind the interruption at all. Hallelujah!
I remember that horrible day so well. I was at work when it happened, and all I could think about was getting home to my 3 year old son and holding him. But I had to wait till 3 pm to go. That was agony. When I got home, I remember holding my son and sitting close to my husband, turning on the tv and being glued to it all afternoon and night. I have never experienced so much horror in my life. I think my husband and I have never watched so much telelvision in our lives like we did those first three weeks after 9/11. I also remember watching "Pearl Harbor" just a month or two before and thinking how lucky I was to not have lived through anything like that in my lifetime. Watching that movie was so heartbreaking and devastating. Little did I know. Just a short time later, I viewed horrific scenes on live tv of that horrible day of 9/11.
It is not fun to live in fear. Even though little Logan, Utah is relatively safe, I still remember being very jumpy at every little thing. We live 3 blocks from Logan High, and about a week after 9/11, there was a football game one evening, and Logan High made a touchdown, and the school fired their cannon. That big boom unnerved me to the core. I thought it was a bomb right down the road.
I am so grateful to our troops who fight for us everyday for our freedom. I am so blessed to live in this country and be an American. God bless the USA! I thank our troops from the bottom of my heart for catching this spawn of satan and helping him meet his maker. I do not understand what makes people like him tick. People who are control freaks and think their way is the ONLY WAY is just beyond me. I don't want to sound full of hate here.....I am just full of relief. This capture was way overdue. FINALLY.
My day today was good. This morning I put on some hamhocks and beans for my family and let them cook all day in the crockpot. My husband loves them, so I thought that would be our meal for tonight. I am allowed to have those because beans are full of protein! Yum. While they cooked, we went to see a movie. "Fast Five." That is one of the many sequels to "The Fast & Furious." Wow....the theater was filled with testosterone. Such a guy flick, but I really did like it. It was full of action and excitement, and Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are still hotter than ever! ;) Actually, I am not a chick flick kind of girl. I prefer comedies, action or autobiographies. My husband teased me to no end last Saturday after we saw "Water for Elelphants." Hollywood did sap it up a bit. The book was not that mushy. The book was fantastic, and not really a lot of romance. It was actually quite raunchy in a few sections, but of course, that was not in the movie! LOL
Well peeps, I am off to la la land. Very tired tonight! Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
2 scrambled eggs
2 slices turkey bacon
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1/2 c. raisins
16 oz water
Lunch-
1 bowl vegetable soup
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1/2 c. mixed nuts
16 oz water
Dinner-
1 bowl hamhocks and beans
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1/2 c. pineapple, 1/2 c. blueberries, and handful of spinach
I remember that horrible day so well. I was at work when it happened, and all I could think about was getting home to my 3 year old son and holding him. But I had to wait till 3 pm to go. That was agony. When I got home, I remember holding my son and sitting close to my husband, turning on the tv and being glued to it all afternoon and night. I have never experienced so much horror in my life. I think my husband and I have never watched so much telelvision in our lives like we did those first three weeks after 9/11. I also remember watching "Pearl Harbor" just a month or two before and thinking how lucky I was to not have lived through anything like that in my lifetime. Watching that movie was so heartbreaking and devastating. Little did I know. Just a short time later, I viewed horrific scenes on live tv of that horrible day of 9/11.
It is not fun to live in fear. Even though little Logan, Utah is relatively safe, I still remember being very jumpy at every little thing. We live 3 blocks from Logan High, and about a week after 9/11, there was a football game one evening, and Logan High made a touchdown, and the school fired their cannon. That big boom unnerved me to the core. I thought it was a bomb right down the road.
I am so grateful to our troops who fight for us everyday for our freedom. I am so blessed to live in this country and be an American. God bless the USA! I thank our troops from the bottom of my heart for catching this spawn of satan and helping him meet his maker. I do not understand what makes people like him tick. People who are control freaks and think their way is the ONLY WAY is just beyond me. I don't want to sound full of hate here.....I am just full of relief. This capture was way overdue. FINALLY.
My day today was good. This morning I put on some hamhocks and beans for my family and let them cook all day in the crockpot. My husband loves them, so I thought that would be our meal for tonight. I am allowed to have those because beans are full of protein! Yum. While they cooked, we went to see a movie. "Fast Five." That is one of the many sequels to "The Fast & Furious." Wow....the theater was filled with testosterone. Such a guy flick, but I really did like it. It was full of action and excitement, and Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are still hotter than ever! ;) Actually, I am not a chick flick kind of girl. I prefer comedies, action or autobiographies. My husband teased me to no end last Saturday after we saw "Water for Elelphants." Hollywood did sap it up a bit. The book was not that mushy. The book was fantastic, and not really a lot of romance. It was actually quite raunchy in a few sections, but of course, that was not in the movie! LOL
Well peeps, I am off to la la land. Very tired tonight! Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
2 scrambled eggs
2 slices turkey bacon
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1/2 c. raisins
16 oz water
Lunch-
1 bowl vegetable soup
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
1/2 c. mixed nuts
16 oz water
Dinner-
1 bowl hamhocks and beans
16 oz water
After-dinner snack-
Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1/2 c. pineapple, 1/2 c. blueberries, and handful of spinach
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Day 47- Happy Saturday!
Today was a nice, relaxing Saturday. I did get up and go to Zumba to get my workout in. Then came home and met my mom here again and fixed her one of my "clean" breakfasts! She loved it so much yesterday that she wanted to come back and have more! I relaxed the rest of the day and it was marvelous. Around 7 pm, we met my in-laws at a new pizzeria here in town called "Pizza Pie Buffet." There really wasn't a whole lot there that I could eat, but I made the best of it. There was a small salad bar, which was actually quite good. Then there was LOTS of pizza and dessert pizza. Yikes! I stayed away from that, but I did have a tiny, tiny bowl of whole wheat pasta and drank lots of water. See, there are challenges everywhere you go. You just have to learn how to deal with them and make the right choices.
The rest of the night was quiet and I just read and watched some new ZIN choreography. The new ZIN 32 is pretty awesome. Lots of new moves coming! :) But I like to choreograph my own, too. I have several of my own routines that I put together. What a fun life I have with this Zumba!
Well, I am off of here for now. See you guys tomorrow! Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
1 bowl creamy buckwheat cereal
1 smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 apple, 1/2 c. blueberries, 1 scoop shakeology powder, handful of spinach
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
No mid-morning snack
Lunch-
Tossed salad with albacore tuna, celery, green bell pepper, sunflower seeds and low-cal Italian dressing
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
20 almonds
16 oz water
Dinner-
Salad bar with romaine lettuce, peas, kidney beans, boiled eggs, sunflower seeds and low-cal ranch dressing
1/2 c. whole wheat pasta
1/2 c. pineapple
1/2 c. peaches
32 oz water
No after-dinner snack
The rest of the night was quiet and I just read and watched some new ZIN choreography. The new ZIN 32 is pretty awesome. Lots of new moves coming! :) But I like to choreograph my own, too. I have several of my own routines that I put together. What a fun life I have with this Zumba!
Well, I am off of here for now. See you guys tomorrow! Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast-
1 bowl creamy buckwheat cereal
1 smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 apple, 1/2 c. blueberries, 1 scoop shakeology powder, handful of spinach
1 c. green tea
32 oz water
No mid-morning snack
Lunch-
Tossed salad with albacore tuna, celery, green bell pepper, sunflower seeds and low-cal Italian dressing
16 oz water
Mid-afternoon snack-
20 almonds
16 oz water
Dinner-
Salad bar with romaine lettuce, peas, kidney beans, boiled eggs, sunflower seeds and low-cal ranch dressing
1/2 c. whole wheat pasta
1/2 c. pineapple
1/2 c. peaches
32 oz water
No after-dinner snack
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