Uh oh...

We were in Minnesota for the last 4 days house hunting. Not only did that mean that we didn't have a home to cook in and hence had to eat out, but it also meant that we wanted to get our money's worth since Mayo was paying for our meals! That means that I think I gained about 3 pounds in 4 days! Blech.

But...

I am jumping right back on the wagon today. I still tracked my WW points from the last 4 days(even though I literally went about 100 points over this week!). I tried to do some exercise while we were gone - I used the hotel fitness room twice and swam laps in their pool once. I've also planned some healthy salad-type meals for this upcoming week. But I also wouldn't mind some encouragement to keep on track - it's so easy to keep sliding once you've already been sliding for a few days! Thanks, fam!

Because I told Jennifer I would

We To clarify, just in case people didn't realize, when we say you don't get your points if you don't post, you can still have them, but you don't get 5 points for the individual line item on the spread sheet. But you can still add your points to the total.

Blech. We've done TERRIBLY with company here. But now we can do better. Good luck to everyone for the rest of this week!

Week 6

Maybe it's a little late (most people have already updated their running total after week 6), but people can go back and add to it to see a running comparison....

Mom: 187
Eric B.:
Tanya: 149
Lisa:
Eric M.:
Michelle:
Mike:
Jennifer: 165.5
Emily:
Jon:
Spencer:
Whitney:
Heidi:

149

This week hasn't been too bad for me, I have lost 1.2lbs and loving it. I also haven't had any candy or desserts to eat all week, but I only counted 1 for that, or should it be 2? When I have been feeling like snacking I have been munching on Pretzels, Peanuts and dried fruit, a yummy combination. I also took part in the Pioneer Day 5k in 45 minutes which was about the same as last year, so I need to improve somewhat for next year. Thanks to all those who supported me in the 5k (Me thinks that more family should come and take part in the 5k next Pioneer day).

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Dance Athon in WashingTAHN

Look What I Cooked

I've had artichokes from a can before, but I had never cooked one for myself. Until now!! Here it is before I cooked it.
I wish I had taken a picture of when we were eating it, but I forgot.

My decision on artichokes: Yeah, they're good. But it takes awhile to snip and cook, etc, and you don't get much actual food out of it. So, I might do it again, but not for awhile. I'll just buy the canned ones.

Weight Loss

I have lost 4 pounds during Biggest Loser (2 pounds one week and 2 pounds this week). I don't know how the second set of pounds happened, though, because I did even less exercising and I ate differently since I wasn't at home. But, it's nice to be lower in weight!

I heard the following from strangers while in line for a slide at the water park with Spencer and Whitney: "200 pounds maximum? Well, I'm over that. By at least 30 or 40 pounds!"
Who really pays attention to those warnings, huh? Good thing it doesn't break when people break that rule!

Hmmmm....

Methinks the totals for BOTH Erics look a little fishy....

Week 5

Mom: 177
Eric B.:
Tanya:276.5
Lisa: 94
Eric M:
Michelle: 318
Mike: 368
Jennifer: 165
Emily: 147
Jon:168
Spencer: 69
Whitney:
Heidi: 124

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276.5

That is what you get if you walk at least 4 miles per day to and Disneyland from our hotel, then add the fact that I lost just over a pound for all of vacation, I really did well in not eating desserts and trying to walk from the furthest parking spot. It was really easy drinking 6 cups of water every day when you don't take any water with you, so you end up at all the drinking fountains and drinking at least 3 cups for lunch then at the restaurants for dinner, it was easy. We had fun and that is the most important part.

I hope that everyone is having a fun time with visiting each other this week.

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Meals for 72 Missionaries!

Next week we have training meetings for four days in a row! And we are responsible to feed lunch to 72 missionaries each of those days. We have planned the lunch meals (hopefully well enough to get those counts of veggies and fruits per day that they need)! Tuesday is Subway sandwiches, cut-up fruit pieces and cookies; Wednesday is Lasagna, bread, green salad and cake; Thursday is the Chicken salad croissant sandwiches, chips, carrots and frozen fruit dessert; Friday is a Baked Potato bar with chili, cheese, sour cream, and then banana bread for dessert. What fun! ?? Sister Reeves seems to think serving a huge group is nothing, but we in the office are not so confident as she is. I'm sure that the missionaries will love whatever food we serve them. We will get our exercise just buying the food, preparing and serving it. I'm excited to see the missionaries, of course!

Work hard, eat right, exercise well, and drink lots of water. Love all of you.

Feeling Good!

We just biked to the gym, where I then ran/walked and swam laps, then biked home. Feeling good!

My exciting post

I haven't been able to wear my wedding ring since being preggers with Sarah. It's been really close, but I could never get it on and feel like it wouldn't cut off my circulation.

BUT... Today I put it on and after only losing 15 lbs, it fits again! I'm just looking forward to the day when it's too loose!

:)

Little by Little

Keep it up, everyone! Just a testimonial about how every little bit helps:
Tonight as I was totaling up my points I didn't want to do any push-ups or drink any more water. However, I found that after I sucked it up and did those things anyway, I got just enough points from these activities to push my total over my points from last week, thus fulfilling my desire to get better each week. Each little thing can turn into big progress!

246

Yes that is right, we are on vacation and having a great time, Monday and Tuesday were hard in getting everything needed for the day, but the rest of the week has been easier, with drinking 6 cups a day when you are walking at least 2 miles per day. Vacation is fun and this week we get to go to Disneyland, everyone is excited, the girls are extra excited to see Mickey.

Keep up the good work everyone

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Walking

So now I feel like after my last post I have to add an addendum.

While that particular day was torturous, not every walk with the kids is that bad. There are moments of crabbiness, but that particular day was terrible.

This last week we were able to do the walk twice. Both times Josh wanted to walk the 2.2 miles and Tyler did the scooter the whole way. And there wasn't much complaining at all. It's good for the kiddos to get out and exercise too. It provides me a way to encourage them to accomplish goals. Like, "Make it to the red fence."

But seriously, it's rill HOT so that does make it rill hard.

But we will keep it up.

A Month Ago...

...we started this program.
...we all probably peed a bit less per day.
...we all parked in the closet spot we could find.
...we might not have eaten fruits and vegetables very often.
...we may have not gotten enough sleep for our bodies.
...we may not have realized how CRAZY Mike would get into this thing.
...hopefully, many of us were a few pounds heavier.


Keep up the good work! It seems like this week was hard for us and for others that I had talked to. Just remember how far we've come and how many changes you are making in your life! We are creating healthier habits and bodies and even relationships within our families.

Remember, too, as we try to be more healthy, to involve the Lord. That may sound cheesy, but our RS lesson today was on the atonement, and we were reminded that it covers our pains, too. Some of the changes we are making may be painful - physical, emotional. Pray for help and you can achieve goals you set, like Mike's 1000 pushups, or Jen's biking more or Michelle's WW Lifetime status!

Hearts and Kisses! (Okay, and rainbows and flowers too, just for the heck of it...)

Week 4

Mom:
Eric B.:
Tanya:
Lisa: 113
Eric M.: -3
Michelle: 281
Mike: 782 (Not a typo)
Jennifer: 233
Emily: 204
Jon: 183
Spencer: 117.5
Whitney:
Heidi: 237

Accidentally in Love

Enjoy!

One day, one thousand pushups.

Saturday.

Biking

I biked 7.5 miles today. I biked 3.5 miles yesterday. I biked 2.5 miles on Monday. Each time I arrive at my destination, I am red in the face... even if the sun isn't shining (i.e. early morning sun hidden by mountains or in the evening after the sun set behind the mountains again but before dark). I don't feel red in the face as I'm biking with the wind (which stinks when I'm going against the wind), but I am certainly red and sweaty when I'm done. Appealing, huh? But, then I'm thirsty for more water, so I drink more of my day's amount when I go bike riding.

Of course, I am using my helmet. Safety first. And, since I bought a gel pad cover for my seat last week or the week before, I haven't had a sore butt from all this riding.

At city council on Tuesday the mayor read a challenge/proclamation about bike riding. He said that with once a week trips as short as 2 miles each, Provo residents could save 1 million 276 thousand pounds of CO2 emissions each month. He challenged Provo residents to take a bike instead of a car for errands at least one time per week during the month of July.

He talked about a bike he rented that had a battery pack and an odometer. The odometer would be nice. I have to mapquest my travels (which is hard when it's on the bike trail that those programs won't compute since cars don't drive on it) in order to figure out the miles I've biked. I did errands on my bike on Wednesday like Mayor Curtis suggested.

Wow -- I have definitely had my age lowered in the mission!

So . . . not only do I get to go proselyting with a young missionary as my companion, but today, since it was the official holiday for Independence Day, the office was closed. Generally, we office staff don't have our P-day on the same day as the other missionaries, but today, the President gave us an extra "P-day." So we joined some of the members of the zone for Ultimate Frisbee. Now, I know most of you have played that with friends at college, but I have never played it. And Mike, don't laugh, I know what you think of my frisbee throwing and catching ability! Then we played volleyball. What fun to be a "young missionary." Now I know why I'm a senior missionary! hehe It was fun to play with them. They were nice and easy on me.

I suggest a change in points

After talking to Emily about her hard week of no sweets (this last week) and my week (the week before) and reading Spencer's email about how hard it is, I suggest we change the points for that item. Maybe double it to 14 so that it averages to 2 points/day instead of just the 1/day it is currently. What do you guys think? Of course, that means those of us who have already done it and counted the 7 points wouldn't get to back track and get additional points, but maybe we up it to 14 from here on out? What say ye peeps?

Eat a fruit/veggie you've never tried before

I took Heidi with me to the grocery store last week (week 2 of the Biggest Loser). I bought a parsnip. What is that, you ask?

Basically a white carrot, to my knowledge.

I told her I was buying it to count toward the point section of eatting a veggie I've never tried before. I didn't get around to eating last week. But, today I did! Here is a picture of the parsnips after I boiled them.

This is after I mashed them and added butter and salt.

Thanks to howtodothings.com, I got ideas of how to prepare/serve parsnips.

They weren't too bad, actually! Lisa says they are bland by themselves, and I think I would agree if I had just chomped on it like a carrot. But, you also know my great desire to turn into a rabbit and eat carrots (see my carrot comment on an earlier post - I think it was Em's post last week sometime).

Here's to trying new things. ;)

Besting Ourselves

Since Mike and Michelle are clearly blowing most of us out of the water, I've decided upon how I'm going to approach the rest of the competition, and will suggest it here for others to think about, too. I want to be better each week than I was the previous week. So, one more night of enough sleep, or one more day with that exercise video, one more day with a walk around the block... Whatever I can do to make my weekly total either increase or at least stay the same.

And as we are all trying to be our best selves, we can each best the number we put up the previous week as we improve. What do you think about my strategy? (And be nice... None of this Jon/Mike air quality banter!)

124

This week has been ok for me, we tried Creamy Spinach Soup from Disney Channel Pass Your Plate, the girls weren't too keen on it, but at least Eric and I got in our 5 servings of vegetables for 2 days straight because of it. Let me know if you want the recipe! I also lost 1.2 lbs this week, that felt good when I saw that.

Well it's off to Southern California for us for the next couple of weeks, a lot more points will be added next week as we will be doing a lot of walking at San Diego's Wild Animal Kingdom Park this week.

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