July Stats, August Goals

Total exercise time
July goal: 40 hours
July results: 32.3 hours
August goal: 40 hours

Average daily time
July goal: 80 minutes
July results: 61.87 minutes
August goal: 75 minutes

Number of days exercising
July goal: 31
July results: 30
August goal: 31

Number of days walking
July goal: 26
July results: 17
August goal: 26

Total distance walked
July goal: 80 miles
July results: 57.75 + 39.94 = 97.69
August goal: 100 miles

I didn't hit all my goals this month. I can blame some of that on my fall and my rib (which is pretty much totally better now, so I'm thinking it was just bruised instead of cracked). And I've set some pretty lofty goals for August, but that's the only way to do it, right?

I'm going to try to do two things differently this month:

1. I'm going to do less of the Free Step on the Wii. I've noticed that it seems to get "hung up" occasionally and doesn't count every single step. I might actually try the Free Run and see how that goes.
   
2. I'm going to start keeping track of crunches, lunges, squats, etc. I'm even going to try a plank this week.
   

Also, I realized that when I couldn't walk one day this week, I really did miss it. It's good to have that feeling back.

Song I've had running through my head all week, that needs to go on my iPod ASAP: Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now."

No Yoga for You!

Last Friday, I tripped over some uneven pavement and bit the dust, hard. At first it looked like the only consequence was that my knee was spectacularly skinned. I even thought how lucky I was that I hadn't damaged my teeth, eyes, or ankle (those who know me know that this is a valid concern).

The next day, my ribs on my right side were a little sore, but not too bad. Maybe I drove my elbow into my ribs as I fell? Don't know, but it started getting more painful Sunday and Monday. I even Googled "cracked rib" because of my suspicions.

You know what the treatment for a cracked rib is? TIME. That's it. There's nothing you can do but wait it out. WebMD did say that you should be checked out by a doc to rule out other stuff, but I was reasonably sure that I hadn't done anything else.

Then I talked to my mom (hi, mom!) on Tuesday morning, and she got me to promise that I would go to the doctor just to make sure, so I made an appointment for that afternoon.

My doc said she wasn't sure if it was cracked or just bruised, but she wasn't going to send me for an x-ray, because it just didn't matter. The treatment for both bruised and cracked ribs is exactly the same. That treatment? Yep, TIME.

She did say that I shouldn't be doing any big stretching, which wasn't a hard sell. I'm still trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in, and there are a dozen different ways to move that make me wince.

So all this, combined with this miserable heat, has really done a number on my exercise regimen. I had been getting walks in twice a day, and was starting basic yoga and strength training on the Wii. Now I'm barely managing half an hour of Wii Basic Step. It's supposed to cool down a little this week, so I'm hoping to get back to at least one walk a day, although I know it'll be slower than before.

In spite of all this, it looks like I finally broke that miserable plateau I've been sitting on for a couple weeks. As of this morning, I've officially lost 75 pounds!

Tried and True

I was reading at Eat at Home this morning (a food blog I check regularly), and this week's ingredient spotlight is smoked sausage. The call went out for recipes and as a matter of fact, I do have one we love. It's one of those "measure? huh?" recipes, which I do pretty frequently.

Kielbasa, Potatoes & Peppers
That's kind of it--the whole recipe in the title. Oh, there's also red onion & some oil, but you get the gist. More specific?

• 1 pound Kielbasa or beef sausage, sliced about 1/2" thick (why is it that the ones that don't have turkey in them so rarely go on sale?)
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1/2 red, orange & yellow bell peppers, sliced into strips (you can use green too, if you have no taste buds)
• 4 or 5 redskin potatoes (size depends on how much you love potatoes)
  
• olive oil

The thing here is that you want everything crispy, and everything done at pretty much the same time before you throw it all in a big bowl and put it on the table. For me, there are two tricks to achieve this.

First, you want to par-cook the potatoes. I usually microwave them earlier in the day and then let them cool down. When you're ready to cook, cut them up into chunks.

The second trick is to use two pans. Yes, it makes more dishes. But since everything is served in just one dish, I figure it evens out in the end. You can use one skillet, but it will take twice as long. You don't want to overcrowd the pan.

I used a griddle pan for the sausage slices. Lay them all out and cook on medium-low heat, turning once they brown on one side. I cook the peppers & onions in about a tablespoon of oil in a big non stick skillet. Let them get brown, too. When they're done, put them in the serving dish and set aside.

Turn the skillet up to medium high and add another tablespoon of oil. Let it get hot. Add the potato pieces and swirl them around a little to get them coated. You only want one layer of potatoes here--too many and they won't get crisp. Then wait a few minutes so they can get really crispy. Turn them so the other sides get crispy too. The thing to remember is that this takes time. If you're constantly moving them, they won't crisp up. Once they are crispy, add them to the serving dish with the sausage. (This part is all about the crispy, in case you missed that.)

Mix it all up, take to the table and get out of the way. If I forget to put the ketchup out, one of the kids is getting it before I manage to pick up my fork.

This is not my healthiest recipe. In fact, I don't think I've made it in the last few months. But everyone does love it, and I do have beef sausage in the freezer, so I will be making it soon. I'll just have a smaller portion. And some salad. :)

Food is Boring

It's time to go grocery shopping again, and again, I can't think of what to buy and make for my family this week. Chicken is fine, but Jeff can't have it. Steak is great, but expensive. It's too hot to use the oven. I'm sick of hamburgers. I have yet to find a seafood recipe everyone really likes. No one likes beans but me.

We had spaghetti tonight and pork fried rice last night. We had pizza last week. We have breakfast for dinner all the time.

Wow, that was quite a whiny rant, eh? I guess it's time to buy pork chops or country style ribs again. They're versatile and cheap. I'll get some chicken, too, and grill it after the main meat is done so Lauren & I will have lunch options (Sarah's not a big chicken fan).

Aha! Finally, a suggestion that we haven't had in a while, is easy, and won't heat up the house: French Dip Sandwiches! There's ONE down, at least.

It's Only Money, Right?

Yesterday, the drain in the basement from the kitchen sink kept backing up, and Jeff couldn't snake it out for anything. I cringingly made an appointment with a plumber, knowing that we probably wouldn't get over to the pool today.

When they arrived, I was hopeful that it wouldn't be too bad because at least it wasn't the main stack they had to deal with. Did I mention that friends of ours recently had their basement floor ripped out because of broken pipes?

Yeah, about that . . . we have almost exactly the same issue. The only saving grace here is that we don't have drywall or carpet down there, and there wasn't any crap piled up in that area, so we didn't really lose any stuff.

It will cost over $3K to repair, but at least the kitchen sink is properly draining again, and I can finally run the dishwasher! Hopefully the insurance company won't give us any hassles.

And to really try to squeeze some lemonade out of these lemons, it will force us to move faster on donating stuff and throwing more stuff away. Purple Heart comes Tuesday.

Great

I fool around with the template, and lose a bunch of comments. Sorry, Snapper! Keep commenting, please!

Random

What to write about today?

That we probably won't go swimming tomorrow because we have to have a basement drain snaked out to the tune of about $150.

or

That I didn't get any exercise at all yesterday. Three days into July and I drop the ball on a goal. Oh, well. I'm going to start doing yoga on the Wii more frequently, and the strength training as well. I got a walk this morning, and will try to get another--shorter--one before dinner.

or

That I've recently discovered quinoa and like it quite a bit. I cooked up the last of the package this morning, and mixed some into my black bean salad with lunch. I'll have more with broccoli, chicken, and parmesan cheese tonight. Sadly, it's too expensive at Meijer to get on a regular basis, and Aldi & Randazzo's don't carry it at all. I could probably get it cheaper in bulk if I went to Zerbo's, but I don't get there too often.

or

That I've already thrown out three bags of crap from the basement today. I should buy stock in garbage bags, because there is a LOT more to go through!

That was some game!

Every year, we go to a baseball game for Father's Day. This year, the game Jeff wanted to go to was last night (actually, the one he really wanted was Friday night, but the girls were at my Dad's boat to watch the fireworks).

It was pretty toasty when we got to our seats. Even though the game started at 7PM (we got there about an hour early), it was 97 degrees. Sarah said she wished it would rain, and I said that just some clouds would do it for me.

After a disastrous first inning (I don't know who was pitching, but he let two home runs go, making the score 5-0), I noticed that it was clouding up. And, um, the clouds didn't look friendly. They looked like the clouds that precede a storm that pops up when it's insanely hot in the summer.

About halfway through the second inning, I saw the first flash of lightning. Hm. Yeah, we're in the upper deck, really high up. The clouds were still a ways off, but definitely moving in our direction. We frequently leave before the last pitch is thrown, but the second inning wasn't even over yet! As the second inning closed, we decided to head out. We stopped to see if my Dad wanted to leave (he & Sharon had come with us, but because he needs wheelchair access, they sat in a different area), but he wanted to stick it out.

We made our way through the concourse, and sure enough, it started to rain. By the time we got closer to an exit (went past the statues, on our way to the covered area under the fountains), the wind was gale force and the rain was driving. At that point, we were all trying to stay together, and not so worried about getting wet, because we knew there was no getting around it at that point.

We made it just under the covered area, but I could see the poor grounds crew getting the tarp on and people trying to get from their seats to a covered area. It was really packed in there, and we weren't staying dry anyway. Some people were shoving, and when a wheelchair could barely make it through, we decided to head out. By the time we got to the Nemo's bus, all four of us were drenched through. It took another 15 minutes or so before the bus was full enough to leave, and by the time we got back to our car, it had mostly stopped raining.

I really wanted our bedraggled selves as this year's family picture, but the stranger I grabbed to shoot it had a hard time with my camera, because it came out quite blurry, to my disappointment. Seriously, if it had been clearer, it would be my new Facebook profile picture.

We got home and I called my Dad to see how they were doing. He was still waiting for a wheelchair to get through, and ready to start walking himself. (Note: he can walk, just not the kind of distances to get from the entrance to our seats.) They finally called us back about an hour later to say that they'd made it out and were on their way home.

So although this was certainly a memorable Father's Day game, it was in no way our worst. That honor still goes to "hood flipped up while driving on the highway, making it impossible to see and requiring the whole thing be replaced" 2008.

Bountiful Breakfasts

Sometimes I'm in a big hurry in the mornings and grab Cheerios or Raisin Bran for breakfast. Usually, though, I'm up in time to make something more substantial. There isn't a lot of variety in the meals themselves, but there are many possible variations in the "add-ons."

1. Chobani vanilla fat free Greek yogurt & fruit. Variations include different types of fruit, fresh pineapple, blueberries or strawberries being my current favorites. I also frequently throw a half ounce of almonds in as well, for extra protein & crunch. I especially like this one in the summertime.
   
2. Oatmeal & fruit. The fruit is usually apples, and I add cinnamon & brown sugar. Again, sometimes I throw in half an ounce of nuts. (Yes, I measure pretty much everything these days. It not only ensures that I don't get too much, but that I get enough. I'm as likely to underestimate as overestimate.) This one is best when it's cold out.
   
3. Scrambled eggs with green onions, mushrooms, cheese, peppers. Sometimes I throw meat, like leftover sausage or ham, in as well. It's usually two eggs, but if I know I have a lot of calories for the day and I'm really hungry, I throw an extra egg white in. Start with a little butter, saute the vegetation, toss in the eggs, save the cheese--not too much--for the end. For the love of all things good, do not overcook the eggs.
   
4. Fried eggs. This is generally the highest calorie option. Sometimes I have the eggs with an English muffin or toast (I'm dying to try Eggs Benedict over a grilled portobello mushrooms or polenta, too), but my drop dead favorite is potatoes. I cut up a smallish potato and throw it in the frying pan with a little water and slap the lid on. Once the water has evaporated, the potato is cooked through. (This is better than par-cooking the potato in the microwave, because then you don't have to cut up a steaming hot potato and lose the skin off it, etc.) Then add a couple teaspoons of olive oil and toss to coat. This way, you don't need a ton of fat, but you still get deliciously crispy spuds. Let them sit on one side so they do crisp up--if you're tossing them all the time, they don't have time to get brown. Once they're almost done, I toss in green onion, and leftover sausage or ham. (I don't bother with cheese in this version, because it just doesn't seem to "go" to me. Cheese is more of a scrambled addition.) Once it's all well cooked, slide it onto the plate and fry a couple eggs. Generally, I don't need any more fat because the pan is already pretty well lubed up. Over easy, slide them on top of the eggs, and inhale. Try not to lick the plate.
   

June Stats, July Goals

Total exercise time
June goal: 45 hours
June results: 35.17 hours
July goal: 40 hours

Average daily time
June goal: 90 minutes
June results: 70.33 minutes
July goal: 80 minutes

Number of days exercising
June goal: 28
June results: 25
July goal: 31

Number of days walking
June goal: 28
June results: 23
July goal: 26

Total distance walked
June goal: 75 miles
June results: 78.76 (102.23) miles
July goal: 80 miles

I hit some of my goals in June, but not all. My total exercise time, my days exercising & walking were all more ambitious than I could handle. However, I did hit my mileage goal, and I attribute that entirely to joining a fitness challenge at My Fitness Pal to "walk" 100 miles in June. That included steps on the Wii as well. Since I didn't have actual mileage to go on, I counted every 2000 steps as one mile. So that's why my June walking results have two numbers--the first is actual mileage I clocked around here, and the second in parentheses includes the stepped miles I got on the Wii.

I found that I got most of my walking in if I went very early in the morning. If I waited until after 7, it was already getting warm and the sun was too high. I've discovered that I don't much care for sunshine when I'm out for a walk--I'll actually choose which side of the street to walk on based on how shady it is.

I've also joined The President's Challenge, which I think will also help keep me moving. So for June, the most challenging goal is that I get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. No slacking because the weather is miserable or I'm having a bad day or I'm too busy. I'd prefer to walk outside, but if all else fails, I'll do 30 minutes of Basic Step on the Wii while I watch tv.

I'm still not looking forward to walking the way I expected. It's still something I do because I have to, not because I want to. I did have one rather stressful day where I went out for a walk after dinner, and it did help, but I didn't have the stamina to walk until I wasn't upset anymore. I think I used to enjoy walking so much more because the kids were small then, and I really needed to get out of the house solo more frequently. Now that they're more self sufficient, I don't crave alone time as much.

Today is July 1st, and I haven't gotten any exercise yet. Since it's almost noon, hot out, and I have a lot going on, it looks like it's Wii for Mii today!

Roller Coaster

At first, I was going to say that I felt like a yo-yo. But really, a roller coaster is more appropriate for things lately, even with my weight. Since the beginning of June, I've lost 2.9, gained 2.7, lost 9.1, gained 4.7, and lost 11.5. That is ridiculous! I would really prefer to lose a nice, steady two or three pounds a week.

If I followed the pattern, I'd have a sizable gain this week (weigh in is Thursdays). And I had a bad case of food oblivion today. But I have tomorrow's food fully planned out (Greek yogurt, strawberries & almonds for breakfast, black bean salad for lunch, and steak/shrimp at Applebee's Date Night for dinner), so I'm confident that I'll be making good choices again.

I still have to exercise today, so I'll post those stats tomorrow.

It's a good thing there are no cookies in the house

Actually, there are about 30 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, and I could eat ALL OF THEM.

So I haven't posted as frequently as I promised. Things have been kind of busy. Back in February, I made the mistake of telling my doctor that my stress levels would decrease significantly after May.

HA. Truly, the past weeks have been among the most stressful in my life.

So yes, I'll be posting more in the coming days. I make no guarantees as to the subject or tone.

May Stats, June Goals

Total exercise time
May goal: 27 hours
May results: 44.7 hours
June goal: 45 hours

Average daily time
May goal: 60 minutes
May results: 86.5 minutes
June goal: 90 minutes

Number of days exercising
May goal: 27
May results: 29
June goal: 28

Number of days walking
May goal: 23
May results: 24
June goal: 28

Total distance walked
May goal: 50 miles
May results: 56.36
June goal: 75

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how May went in terms of exercise. I surpassed all my goals! The only two days I got no exercise at all were the days I flew to & from Florida.

In June, I've upped the goals a little but not a lot for the most part. I'm going camping with Girl Scouts this weekend, so I know there will be a day or two that I'll get no exercise, and I'm taking that into account.

I haven't posted much lately, but there's been a lot of stuff percolating around in my head, including: different kinds of exercise and how they work for me, body fat calculating web sites, more about music & cooking, as well as other miscellaneous stuff. So look for me to start posting a lot more frequently coming up!

Home Again, Home Again

Florida was really nice. The best part was getting to just hang out and relax. The kids were disappointed that I never did go swimming with them, but when the air temp is 75 and there was a torrential downpour the day before, I know that the water is not going to be where I like it. I'll do lots of swimming this summer.

I did go out walking three mornings. The first day was too hot by the time we got there, and the last day, I had some blisters that hurt too much to walk on. Yesterday, though, I put on my old shoes and had no problems. I do need to get real walking shoes, though. My wintry boots are fine for now, when it's still (STILL!) cold and wet out, but by the time I can wear shorts to walk, I'll need something else.

The other item on my agenda is grocery shopping. I discovered Chobani Greek yogurt in Florida, and can't believe how amazing it is. I know I won't be able to get it just anywhere, but it's worth hunting down. Vegetables are what are really lacking in the kitchen right now, though. I don't know that I'll bother making up any big new recipes, since the kids won't be back for a while, but I definitely want to have all my healthy choices around.

In fact, I'm trying to take this kid-free time to really be focused on being healthy, making sure I eat right and get lots of exercise. Cleaning up the accumulated junk from the bedroom & basement would be a nice bonus.

Dance to the Music

More like walk to the music, but you get the point.

I put some songs on the Wii, and it really does help. During my first walk with it, I finally broke the 3/mph mark, which has taken me surprisingly long to do. I didn't put a million songs on, because I'm trying to do this on a budget. I was very selective, only choosing songs that I thought would help keep me moving. This meant that some songs that I really love will never reach my MP3.

Sting's Fields of Gold? Not a chance. We'll be Together? Definitely. In addition to being pretty peppy, it was my go-to song when I was getting ready to go out when I was at Idaho State, so nostalgia puts it over the top. Disappointingly, it didn't really kick me into overdrive the way I expected. The two superstars in that area are Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation and Gloria Estefan's Everlasting Love. Apparently, I have a heart of glittery disco (shudder).

I also wanted to make sure I kept it as mixed up as possible, so no more than one song per artist (exception made for the Blues Brothers, because I already had those on the computer and didn't have to pay extra). So it was Revolution from the Beatles, but not Back in the USSR. Not yet, anyway.

I only have fewer than two dozen songs on so far, and that's a good start, but it isn't much variety. (and I still can't figure out how to set the thing to "random"--it's a Shuffle, so why does it keep playing everything in order?) I've decided that if I hit my walking goals every month, I'll reward myself with some new songs. This month's goal is 50 miles; I've done 19 so far.

I found an interesting web site that will certainly help me come up with ideas: jog.fm It lists a bunch of songs, including the beats per minute. For example, Queen's We Will Rock You has 90 bpm, but Hammer to Fall has 137. Guess which one goes in the "want" category? Again, it isn't because I think it's a better song; it's because it will keep me moving.

If I had more time, I'd go through all the CDs we have--I'm pretty sure I paid to download something we already own, and anyone who knows me knows that I can't stand the thought of that. But we're in a bit of a time crunch right now, so maybe next week I'll have some more time and make that happen.

Surreal

I had quite the "Hello, Dali" moment yesterday. All of us got new glasses, and when I put mine on in the store, I had that period of adjustment where things are suddenly MUCH clearer than before. My previous glasses were old, out of prescription, and badly scratched. The new ones are amazing. At first, everything seemed too close, but then I got the standard "everything is farther away" feeling that comes with new glasses for a severely nearsighted person. (By the way, America's Best is a great place!)

When I was driving in the car, I felt much higher up--like I was driving a pickup or minivan. When I got out of the car, it was even more dramatic. "I'm tall!" I thought. Yes, I am tall; I know that, but seldom give it more than a passing thought. Yesterday, I felt like a giant! Not only did the ground seem farther away, I actually felt like my head was closer to the trees. So I guess more of an Alice in Wonderland moment instead of Dali.

A small part of me is actually tempted to put the old glasses back on, because I think it would make it easier to get things done today if I was just back to "normal." I won't do it, of course. This is normal now and I need to get used to it.

Not Happening

I told Jeff that I'd like to take over a lot of the lawn mowing duties now that it's warmed up. Good exercise, right? We have both a push mower and a gas mower. I greatly prefer the push mower--no fumes, no noise, and I don't have to kill myself to get it started. Unfortunately, the blades aren't very sharp, and it's as likely to bend the grass as to cut it. Also unfortunately, the drive belt on the gas mower is broken, so when using that, it has to be substantially manhandled across the grass.

Since neither mower is exactly optimal, we've really let the lawn go. Jeff powered through the front over the weekend, and I told him I'd have a go at the back today. First, I got out the gas mower, but couldn't get it started. I got out the push mower, and started across the lawn. I was pleased at how it was going at first, even though it was tough going. Then (of course) I stepped into a hole and fell (the ground is very uneven in that part of the yard). Oddly, the fall wasn't the most painful part; that was when I hit the ground, and some blades of grass apparently went right into my ear canal. For a second, I was checking my ear for blood, because it did hurt that much and that's the kind of weird injury I tend to get.

At that point, I knew I wasn't going to get the whole lawn done. I was about to pack it in altogether, but ended up doing a small patch up by the garage. In order to get the rest of it done, Jeff will have to help me get the mower started, or do it himself (looking better and better!)

The best part of all this is that I didn't dislocate or break anything, or even do enough damage to cause a limp, which is unusual enough to be notable. :)

It's A Bore!

Apologies to Lerner & Lowe.

It's a bore!
Just a chore!
Walking on the street
Thinking of what to eat

Trying not to trip
Sure that my feet will slip
It's a bore!
To my core!

See the flowers
Hear the birds
Same as I saw
Sam as I heard
Every single other day
Long before the month of May

It's a bore!
And a snore!

I could go on and on, because that's the tune that was running through my head when I went out walking yesterday, and it's been my attitude for a while now. I had an MP3 player from a long time ago, but it slowly died on me, to my severe frustration. I hinted to Jeff that I'd like a new one (read: "I really want a Shuffle for Mother's Day."), and of course he came through.

It's charging up right now, and I have to put a few songs on it before I head out, but I've already got a whole list of music I want that is strictly to get me moving and enjoying my walks more. More on that later. Right now it's time to get my playlist started!

Jimmy John's

Beach Club Unwich is very tasty. For less than $6 and under 400 calories, it's great. When you missed lunch, it's unbeatable!!!

Biscuit Results

I made the biscuits from CI Best Light Recipe last night, and was pretty satisfied with how they turned out. They were considerably more work than my mom's biscuits, and somewhat smaller, but still light, fluffy and tasty. And for 150 calories each, I ended up having two.

When I asked what everyone thought, Jeff said that the true test of a biscuit was putting sausage gravy over the top. I laughed, because ANY biscuit is tasty when it's slathered in yummy sausage gravy!

End result? I'll continue to make them. That's another one to put in the "win" column for this cookbook.