[Honest & Unforgiving]

I lost my mo-jo. It's been rainy, I failed my Economics class (okay, I got a B+, but same thing), Wendy's stopped serving sweet tea (oh, prolly mentioned that in an earlier post) - things just ain’t right.

I've lost 1 pound in 2 weeks. Not bad for doing not much. We've changed the way we are eating, so that's a plus.

We didn't make it to the gym this weekend, and since the pool was closed yesterday, there wasn't any point. We did, however, make it today.

And I feel fat.  Wait - scratch that. I. Am. Fat.

There's something about those gym mirrors and other reflective surfaces. Or maybe it's the fact that they put the steam room in the pool area with huge, glass windows and doors so that the firm and perfect men sitting in there can watch us dimply and ample bottom mommies chase our toddlers around. Are they laughing at us? I say us, but really - I mean me. Are they disgusted? I know I am. What happened to my smooth, naturally tan skin? Where did all of the bumps and bright whiteness come from? Why are the bulges underneath my upper arm and not on top where they belong (e.g. biceps) - and why do they INSIST on waving at everyone as I walk by?

What is it about those gym mirrors? Why are the mirrors in my house more caring and loving? Eh, maybe it's because they are located in the loo and only show from my belly-button up. And when I am wearing a good bra - all is good with the world. Well, except for the fact that my low-lying biceps will continue to wave... at my reflection, none-the-less. My reflection's upper-arm droopies are nothing but polite and wave right back.

So, somewhere in the garble up there I mentioned a 'gym' and a 'pool'... We had a good time, again! The kids love the pool and Nico REALLY thinks he can swim (silly tadpole). I need to start his lessons asap. The kid is constantly going under water and jumping right back up (the pool is only 3 feet deep in the section I take him to). He does not know how to float, however. At all. So - that's the first task, I am sure.

Hm.. Food yesterday. A bagel with cream cheese for breakfast, for snack/lunch I had a half of a PB sandwich on whole wheat, with 3/4 cup of Chocolate Cheerios, and a thin slice of cheddar cheese. My real late lunch was a Chicken Wrap at the gym (love how they list the nutritional content and calories on the menu board) and then for dinner I made thin spaghetti pasta with mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, and pork chops cut into cubes (just enough to add a little meat; there were more veggies than anything else). I used a little EVOO to mix it all together and keep the noodles moist - then added a little parmesan cheese and Organic Garlic-Salt-Parsley. It was good! The Husband really liked it.

So, now the only thing that ails me is the fact that I have water stuck in my right ear. It's kinda been a problem ear for a while now - but because of the swimming - there's water in there. How the heck do I get it out of there? I've tried everything... It's sooo annoying!

[Here's da deal, Schmeal]

The Husband and I arrived promptly at 11am this morning at our new Gym to have our initial unfit assessments done.  I've outlined everything our trainer gave us below (the numbers in green are our initial goals, not our final goals).  My weight on the scale at the Gym was 264 - at home it's 261. I think the ASU Sun Devil's hat, Nike Shoes, and workout clothes played a part in the difference. They wouldn't let me strip down to my nudies (yes, nudies) to get a more accurate reading; Believe Me - I asked!

The Husband is fitter than I - but not by much; we both have mega work to do. I signed us up for 2 more training sessions each ($160 total) and will re-evaluate if we need more at a later date. For the sake of my pocketbook (which feels skinnier than I at times), I'd almost like to try and squeeze in a session for us each once a month - something to keep us accountable but something that won't break the bank.

This is where I need YOUR help (hello, helloo, hellooo - anyone out there?)...
My trainer dude said that my MAX VO2 is really bad. Something about how I am not getting any oxygen when I am working out (well, that explains the brain damage!). After the 5 minutes on the treadmill at an incline of 5 and speed of 3.5, my heart rate was 176.  While I am fond of any number with a 76 in it (hello, birth year!) - trainer dude wasn't pleased.  He said there is this test I can do with a Jason-like mask (ok, not that bad) that will test the MAX VO2 more accurately and then provide me with a detailed workout plan that ensures I am on target. He says at the rate I am going, I may burn sugar, but I won't be burning fat.  Anyone know anything about this? The test is $150 and I get to keep the Jason-like mask (hmm, wonder if the husband wants to role-play, hubba hubba?!?!).  

Without further ado - the numbers:

18" calf? Don't be jealous!!

[Sweet & Sassy]

So, I started this post while in class last night, but didn't finish - it was my last night of Economics. Yesterday was a very difficult. I had a lot of deliverables for work and a final paper for class.  I also had the Husband and Kid 3 around all day. Breakfast was 2 small pancakes with strawberry jam, lunch was non-existent, and dinner was a salad (grilled chicken) from Wendy' and a water. And a small snack size bag of pretzels.

I am mad at Wendy's for no longer serving Sweet Tea! I even got sassy with the drive-thru dude. They said they stopped selling it on Monday. [OK! WHO TOLD WENDY'S THAT I JOINED THE GYM ON MONDAY?!?!]  I continued to be cute and asked if they were still selling water, or would I have to go to McDonald's to get that.  I have to hand it to the drive-thru dude, he kept it together and didn't spit in my salad (I think).

There were a few other stressful things that happened yesterday - but I don't want to start crying about them again bore you with the details.  The main thing is I survived. and didn't do so by eating a tub of Rocky Road. 

Today is a NEW day. The sky is BLUE. The sun is OUT. It's FRIDAY! We have our unfit assessments at the gym in 2 hours. Today's going to be a good day.

Have you ever had a fit assessment? How bad is it? Should I bring a paper bag to put over my head? I'm just askin'...

[Good Eatz & Beatz]

Breakfast
Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Carrot and Banana Smoothie. Yum! A hard-boiled egg. And a slice of whole wheat toast.

Lunch
Turkey and Cheese on Wheat sandwich.

Dinner
Salad from Chipotle (Bad, I know - but I had 3 crazy kids, a final exam, and a huge paper to write - I can only do so much)

Workout
Couldn't get to the Gym, so I did some major dancing in my office today. 3 songs that got my ♥ Rate up.

Song Number 1 @ 9am:

[You're Killing Me, Smalls!]

I had a dream. That I could wake up, feed the kids breakfast, take Nico to daycare, and then come home and relax for a bit. However, that dream was CRUSHED when I took a gander at my Outlook Calendar. I have back-to-back meetings from 9:00am to 5:00pm. That sucks.

The kids get off early on Wednesday's - so it's their day to go play outside until it's time to get The Kid at 5:30.  We won't be able to go to the Gym today - after my meeting-palooza, I have a HUGE paper to put together for my Economics class. Crud. And a final exam to take. I am going to be locked in my office from dawn 'til dusk and dawn again.

Wish me luck!

[Our 1st Smoothie and Today's Meals]

Breakfast
I think I used too much yogurt and not enough ice. But it still tasted great! It was the Tropical Fruit one. I added some yogurt (duh) and spinach. It was a little thick and for some reason, with a houseful of kids, we have no straws (note to self, get straws!). The taste was fantastic - fruity!! Xander (14 year old) claimed he can taste the carrots (yuck to him) - I called bull shit stuff.  He's full of it. You could, however, see little orange flecks, so he knows they were in there, but you cannot (I repeat, cannot) taste the carrots. Silly boy. ;)

Besides a cup of our smoothie, we each had a hard-boiled egg and a half a slice of wheat toast with a smear (if you can call it that) of butter.

I have no idea what the husband had as he leaves for work before the drool is even dry on my pillow. I hope he took a Nature's Valley granola bar at least.  He can taste my smoothies on Thursday's and Friday's when he's off of work! Bet he can't wait!

Nico isn't awake yet - but when he gets up, I have a mini smoothie and egg for him as well! ;)

Lunch
For lunch... I was by myself and out and about. Everything and Nothing sounded good (or good for me). I opted for Chipotle. I am addicted to their burritos, but this time, I opted for their Salad (or bowl, whatever you call it). Lettuce, Chicken, Pinto Beans, and a little bit of cheese. It was good and I felt okay about it.

Dinner
Leftovers.  Between Sunday and Monday's meals, we have leftovers. So, we have either the Lasagna or the Buffalo Chicken pizza (homemade). I will let the kids pick what they want!

Gym
We went to the gym today! It's hard getting all the kids there, changed twice for swimming, and getting back out - but we had a blast and it's bound to get easier, right?  I did 1/2 a mile on the treadmill (10 minutes) and chased Nico around the playpool for an hour (a HUGE workout in-it-self). I also went on the HUGE water slide - I thought I was going to fall outta that thing.  Anyway, a good time was had by all!!

[Just Some Stuff]

The husband and I went to the Lifetime Fitness yesterday and got our membership cards and did the nickel tour (although, I would prolly say its value was a bit more than that, our tourguide/membership gal rocked!). The place is ah-mazing. We cannot wait to take the kids there.

We were given a $150 credit towards services to use up by the end of March - and since our daughter, Izzy, is unable to use the workout part of the gym, I am going to enroll her in a Kid Fit program. It's a seven week program that meets twice per week, and teaches the kids about health, fitness, and self-esteem. They do exercises, play games, and just get active. As you can prolly imagine from my buttprint, some of our horrible habits have rubbed off on our children; the boys are pretty much slender - but Izzy is like me and she's only 10 (11 next month). My sweet girl lurrves to eat - a lot. Is constantly worried that her brothers may be getting something she isn't, that she's missing a meal or a treat. She always asks for seconds. This all wouldn't be a problem, except the kids are not very active. Ok, they aren't active at all.

Izzy weighs 150 pounds. Resources I've looked at suggests a healthy weight for a 10 year old is 90-100 pounds. She has some work ahead of her. But because she is sooo young, it has to be a lifestyle change. It's one of the main reasons we joined this gym.

To get us started, I've signed us up for our first 5k! It's on Saturday, March 27th. So, how are 2 old (grumble, grumble) and overweight peeps and their kiddos going to do a run they haven’t even begun training for? The answer? Very carefully. ;)

The 5k is called Run Wild -- it's at the Phoenix Zoo! They have a 5k run/walk for the adults, and then a 1k for the kids! We get t-shirts, numbers, refreshments, and gear - AND we get free admittance to the zoo for the day. Can't beat that! So, I will schmooze my parents into coming so they can keep Nico (the 3 year old) entertained while we die walk-run out there in the lovely Arizona sun. Thankfully, we start at 7:30am.

We enjoyed Spinach, Mushroom and Zucchini lasagna for dinner last side – with a big bowl of grapes. While the lasagna was good, I realized that we cannot go the month with no meat, but eating pasta every day. I am off to Costco today to grab lettuce and stuff for salads. Our family ♥’s salads – so we can do this. So long as I get my lazy butt in gear and actually make them.

Anyhoo... that’s my update.

[Week 2 - Weigh In]

Weight: 261.4
Bone Mass: 3.8
Water %: 21.8
BMI: 43.5