I have dinners for my family awaiting!

I feel so empowered!! It took awhile, about 4 hours of shopping and about 8 hours of assembly time, but I have about 25 meals for 8 in my freezer! It feel so good and it has been fun having family meals together. I must say, I had a lot of help from my sweet sister, Danna. She is a rock star, as far as I am concerned!

Check these out! If you are interested in this plan, go to www.savingdinner.com and check out their mega menu mailer. It is amazing.

Maybe if I'm Really Good...

...the pity fairy will put one of these under my pillow.

I have had a couple of horrible days at work, of the variety where I have to remind myself that "we do not cry when we're wearing our grown-up clothes." Home? Not much better. About the only redeeming value to this week is that since Monday was a holiday, it's short. That said, I have to disclose: (1) I set a really big goal for myself last week as far as getting to a regular exercise schedule and kicking myself into gear; (2) after a week, I pulled a muscle in my calf (and also in my hip) doing something unrelated and stupid so I couldn't really walk all that well, much less stick to the schedule; (3) I got discouraged; (4) I had a bad week wholly unrelated; and (5) I went for the cookie dough.

Over the past year, we've all talked a lot about the emotional response to eating - good and bad - and I never really thought much about it. Other than occasionally wanting (but being able to refrain from eating) certain foods after a rought patch, I didn't really connect with the idea because truth be told, I'm an impulse eater, not someone who eats their way through adversity. At least that's what I thought.

So now I'm looking for novel ways to come up with an alternative game plan. So far, I have used the following as proxies: (1) spit-shining the house, (2) washing curtains, drapes, and other things too big for the washing machine but that will fit in the bathtub with detergent and Oxy, (3) leisurely strolling (leg still hurts), and (4) Hugh Grant movies.

I'd love to hear what the rest of you use as stress defusers/distractors. And I promise, I will stop whining and being blue soon. Promise. Promise. So let me hear what works for the rest of you so I can get a jump on that promise.

Muchos besos to my co-bloggers,
Lisa

More tales of that crazy Kristina!

I didn't journal on Sunday or Monday. It was a holiday weekend, AND I was starving as I was premenstrual. But I got right back on track Tuesday... for the most part, anyways. : ) I worked my arse off at the Y, and then I came home and took another 1 1/2 hours to mow our lawn! I did soooo good until I went out to dinner with a girlfriend. I was FAMISHED and had just started my period. So I had a burger, the first burger in several months, thank you.
I've been doing really well, I haven't weighed since Saturday. I will once my cycle ends... You know, I've been so encouraged by what I've been able to accomplish with my fitness. It struck me on Tuesday, the day I started my period, that that was the day I've done the most cardio that I've been able to ever do. I did 73 minutes of intense cardio, and I felt soooo good, and strong. In the past when my cycle has started, that would be the one day of the month for sure that I could give myself a pass on working out for the day. But as I've increased my endurance, I didn't even think to take the day off.

Anyhow, here's some stats:

Tuesday: 754 calories up until dinner. I'm not sure what my total was for the day as I had a burger and a couple of drinks. I think it's safe to say that I had at least 2,000 calories for the day. I had 12 glasses of water. I did 73 minutes of cardio, burning 1,100 calories, and lifted 43,400 pounds.

Wednesday: 1,596 calories, 12 glasses of water, and I did 63 minutes of cardio. I burned 900 calories, and lifted 53,000 pounds.

Kristina is almost to the 170's!!

Three cheers for Kristina!! Go, go, go, girl! Leave those 180's far behind! I am sending you lots of skinny thoughts and will power vibes, babe!

Love, Jules

For Jennifer - the legacy changer

Jennifer, this is the graphic I created for my friend who did the walk last year. I'm posting it here for the ladies of the blog to think about as well.

Thank you so much for your sacrifice of walking so many miles for this noble, important cause.

You are changing the legacy, one step at a time.

Tickers

To Melissa and others who have not known how to post a ticker. Go to www.tickerfactory.com , create a ticker, copy the html coding, then sign into blogger, go to our template of the blog, look for the other ticker coding and paste in what you copied from the website. Simple as that. Melissa, I added your name in the coding, so just paste under that line of code. Hope this helps!

Jules

Wow! Who are those two blond babes?

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

That's right! Elicia got carded for her drink! : )

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

SueAnne & her daughter Paige

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

Mommy! Did you HAVE to tell them it was my birthday?!

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

Jennifer & Jules

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

Yeah! We finally got to meet you Jennifer!

Right before I left for the Hurrah!

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

More Hurrah

Hurrah!

Progress Pics

Here I am at 234.2 pounds on March 8th and 214 pounds on May 24th


It's maybe a little hard to see the differences because I'm wearing sweat pants in yesterday's picture, but I think you can see the difference better in the side view.

The things that I have lost, and gained over the last two weeks...

In my first two weeks of journaling again, my total weight loss is nine pounds. (That's right, I'm up a pound). But even though I believed that weight loss was the first, and primary reason to start up again, I've realized that it really wasn't it after all. Even after just my first two days of journaling again, the sense of being in control of my eating, and not letting it control me, was a very freeing thing. And the renewed pride in myself FOR being in control, the pounds really became secondary. Naturally losing some more weight boosted my self confidence, as my clothes started fitting me better. And I've worked out harder in this last two weeks as well, it's like it's all interlinked.
I'm just thankful that my inspiration has been renewed. I'm thankful for the church photo that they blew up and put on the greeting table of me and my boys. For in that, there was a true reality check for me. We have a way of telling ourselves that we really don't look that bad. Especially when we look back to where many of us were a couple of years ago. But you know what? I don't want to settle for just looking pretty good, for my age, for how many babies I've born, etc... I want to look, feel, and be MY BEST.

Thursday's stats: 1,925 calories, 19 glasses of water, 40 minutes on the elliptical, burning 656 calories, and I lifted 61,000 pounds.

Is it a BIRD? Is it a PLANE? NO!! It's that crazy Kristina who has worked out ELEVEN days in a row!

100_4583, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

I know I look like a dork here, but my eight year old photographer LOVED this shot, ( he even showed me how to pose for it). So this one's for you, Christian.
This was taken pre-work out. If you would have seen me post work out, I'm sure I'd gross a bunch of you out.
Tomorrow will be my last day working out, for a few days anyways. I've got a really busy weekend. And the Y is closed on Monday! (Of all the nerve!)
I know most of you think that I'm crazy, I even think that I am crazy. But I've got a goal, and I'm gonna get there.

Yesterday's stats: 1,321 calories (up until after my early dinner) and then I went to a baby shower, where yummy horderves were offered. And of course the sweet stuff too. Let's just say, that I'm certain that my calories crested the 2,000 calorie mark. Anyhow, I drank 21 glasses of water, I did 1 hour of cardio, burning 814 calories, and lifted 15,000 pounds.