Find Peace Within

Today was sort of a crazy day for many of us. Circumstances beyond our control have thrown a "disruptor" into our lives and we're left to figure out what to do next.

Lots of decisions to be made. Lots of worries to consider. Lots of fears to work through. And lots of courage to find.

These things happen. To all of us. More often than we want them to. Quite simply, that's life.

But here's what I know:

When there are lots of things that surround you that you cannot control, there is always one thing you can.

You control you.

You are in charge of your stress. You are aware of the chaos and wheel spinning it brings. If ever there was a time to eat right, workout regularly and sleep enough, this is it.

Give your body, your heart and your brain the gift of a healthy starting place. Take care of you.

The rest will work itself out.

---------------------------
This is one of my favorite quotations. Change "God" to "the Universe" if you wish. A quick web search attributes it to Mother Theresa, Sister Theresa and any other number of folks. The author is less important than the message:

May today there be peace within. 
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. 
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. 
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. 
May you be content knowing you are a child of God. 
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. 
It is there for each and every one of us.

Forgotten Favorite Things

Reminded of some old favorites today. Sharing with you.

1. Boneless turkey breast in the crock pot -- OMG! So good.
2. Reduced Fat Wheat Thins ... feels like you're eating a lot. Good chewing.
3. Lemon Pepper seasoning ... on everything.
4. Stirrup Pants ... OK, not really. The pants I bought don't really have stirrups. But I wear the "legging-ish" pants tucked inside of boots and, boy, howdy! It's nice to wear comfy clothes to work!
5. Strawberry Greek Yogurt

The World's Slowest Four Miles

After battling this freaking cold for more than two weeks, I woke up this morning feeling almost normal. (Though it's been so long, I can't quite remember what normal is, to be honest.) The sun was shining, the temps were rising, we had already taken the girls down into the woods to traipse around for an hour or so and Jim had moved on to pulling the giggling pair around in a sled behind the four wheeler.

So the time was perfect for me to sneak off for a quick run.

It wasn't really quick. It was quite slow. But it was a run. And it was the farthest I've gone in a continuous gait
for a very long time.

And it felt great.

The good news? Your strength and stamina don't disappear after two weeks of sporadic and short cardio workouts. Supplementing with strength training helps. And keeping your head in the game is necessary.

So whether you're sick, or just fell off the wagon, it's OK. Get back on. Your body doesn't forget.

(And GAFan and Amber were running 11 miles today ... a perfectly BEAUTIFUL day for it! I gotta admit ... I'm a little jealous.)

No More Limits #4

I climbed a rock wall!

Well, I successfully climbed a few of them and only attempted to climb a couple of others. I'm not exactly SpiderMan yet.

Jim, the nieces and I hit Boulders in Madison today for the $5-for-the-whole-day-harness-included Groupon special. For $20, the four of us got a few hours of exercise, fun and even a little fear.

I learned that I am afraid of heights, that my fingers are sort of weak, that even the guy on the ground holding the rope (belayer, maybe?) gets an upper body workout when trying to hoist 40-pound kids up the wall and that I trust Jim with my life. Well, Jim and the rope and the harness and the carabiners.

Old me wouldn't have dared to step in the harness, let alone have been able to actually hoist myself up. New me will go back again, without kids, so I can get more climbing in!

Noodles Recipes!!!!!!

Sometimes when you want to know something, you just have to ask.

GaryAllanFan and I went to Noodles today and the manager actually wrote down the recipes for my two favorite Noodles things!

Tomato-Cucumber Salad
Dice up tomato, cucumber and onion. (That part I could figure out myself! LOL)
Dressing: Equal parts rice wine vinegar and Mirin with Noodles Asian spice mix. Since I don't have access to the Noodles Asian spice mix, I think I'm going to use Tajin Con Limon ... the Mexican chili/lime shaker of goodness you can find at WalMart. It's sweet and hot ... which is the right thing. And then add some black sesame seeds to make it look like the original.

Sauce for the Mediterranean Sandwich
Creamy Garlic salad dressing with enough squirts of Sriracha Hot Sauce to make it faintly pink. I would seriously eat this on anything. I didn't see a creamy garlic dressing at Pick 'N Save tonight, but I'll figure out something. Or make it. Anyone have a brand or a recipe?

New Pan, New Salad, New Favorites!

New pan? Grill pan!

New salad? Mix a can of Niblets corn, cup or so of thawed edamame, a hunk of chopped red onion, three chopped artichoke hearts and a handful of chopped fresh mushrooms with a few squirts of Ken's Steak House Lite Northern Italian salad dressing and, voila! Insta-goodness!

New favorites? Tuna steaks with lemon pepper seasoning, seared on aforementioned grill pan.

And, my oh my! Deliciousness.

Skinny Pizza

I found some whole wheat pizza crusts at Woodman's last weekend and gave them a shot last night. The brand is Golden Home Bakery Products.

And, to my surprise, they were good!

Only 130 calories per 1/3 of a 12" crust ... or 390 calories per whole crust. They baked up crispy and crunchy and didn't have that sawdust whole wheat thing going on.

Jim and I each made our own pie. (Mine was better!) But I'll give you both "recipes" ... as if pizza has a recipe? Neither one of us chose a tomato paste base, opting for olive oil and garlic or basil pesto instead. Bake per package instructions. Yum!

Jim's Healthy Pizza
Whole wheat crust
Olive oil
Minced garlic
Black olives
Chopped onions
Sliced Roma tomatoes
Sliced Italian grilled chicken breast
Sliced mushrooms
Reduced fat mozzarella cheese

Lisa's Yummier Pizza
Whole wheat crust
Basil pesto
Sliced onions
Sliced artichokes
Sliced mushrooms
Reduced fat mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

Tug This.

Last week we had one of those all-company meetings on the second floor. When it was finished, I took the stairs back to the fourth floor along with a bunch of others. In this people-train, I ended up walking behind a group of three women I don't know on the way back to my desk. 

One woman was wearing a skirt. A skirt that was just a little too tight. 

How did I know? Because as she walked, it would scootch up a little with each step. 

She knew it was too tight. She was uncomfortable about it being too tight. Every few steps, she'd try to sort of nonchalantly tug it back town. When she got it tugged back down, she'd move from the skirt to her shirt. And she'd give her shirt a little tug around the middle, to pull it away from her body. 

By then, the skirt would be riding up a little and she'd go back to the skirt. Every once in a while, she'd look around a little to see if anyone was noticing. And then the whole process would start over again. 

Oh, how well I remember this motion. How well I remember that feeling. 

Every time I sat down in a conference room chair, my first movement would be to tug my shirt away from my midsection ... scared to death it got caught in an unflattering way on a lump or bump that would only call attention to a spot I didn't want anyone to notice. 

Video conference? Good God no. If I was lucky, I snagged a seat as far from the conference room's camera as possible. But regardless, I might as well have left the room because I spent the whole time trying to sneak looks at myself, looking for a position that made me look skinnier, not participating in the meeting as I should have been. And of course, I was tugging at my shirt with each shift in my chair.

It was just uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable. All the time. Physically uncomfortable in a skin that was too tight and clothes that required constant adjustment. Emotionally uncomfortable because I was afraid people would make judgements about the me they were interpreting from the outside. She's fat. She's lazy. She's stupid. She's unworthy of ... love, respect, blah, blah, blah. 

Ridiculous, huh? 

I hated feeling uncomfortable all the time. I hated that tugging. 

I don't have to tug anymore. 

Every once in a while, I catch myself starting a "reflex" tug. It's in response to the phantom uncomfortable I can't quite shake yet ... like the phantom pain of a missing leg. 

But they're getting fewer and further in between. 

Planning Summer Races

It's January. But I'm dreaming of summer and warm weather and being outside. So I'm penciling in race weekends now so that I can be sure to get the right training in and plan the REST of the summer around them.

Here's what I'm looking at. Anyone want to join?

May 5-6, LA CROSSE FITNESS FESTIVAL 
La Crosse WI, cost $60
This is a whole weekend event. I'm hoping to get some of my family members to join me here. Jim's promised to do the 5K. On Saturday, there's a 5K and three bike races (5 miles, 32 miles and 62 miles). On Sunday, there's the half and full marathon and a marathon relay. I'm going to do the half.
Link to site: http://www.lacrossefitnessfestival.com/index.html

May 19, ROCK COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WALK/RUN
Janesville WI, Cost TBD
GaryAllanFan is on the board of this first-ever event. There will be a 1 mile, 5K and 10K event. This might be a great event for us to volunteer at? More details to come!

August 18, WISCONSIN DIRTY GIRL
Hartland WI, Cost: $75 
What do you say we all sign up for Wave 23 together? Who's in?
Link to registration: https://www.imathlete.com/events/EventReg/EventReg_SelectType.aspx?fEID=10703&fNew=1
Link to Dirty Girl site: http://www.godirtygirl.com/

Aug. 26, DANSKIN TRIATHLON
Pleasant Prairie WI, Cost: $80 (Relay $135)
I'd really like to try this. The timing isn't great, but what in life is?
Link: http://www.danskintriathlon.net/wisconsin.html#

September-ish, RIVER TO RIDGE
Janesville WI, Cost ?
They don't yet have the 2012 race scheduled, but last year there was a 5K, 10K, Half and Full Marathon.

Snow Way!

No Yak Trax yet. And no snowshoes. But hearing Reba's stories about her winter trek yesterday made me want to get out there and try something. So instead of running on the road this morning, I got Jim to take me down to the woods to clomp around in the snow.

We followed many sets of deer tracks, found trees felled by beavers near the creek, and saw countless mice and squirrel trails.

In the end, I'm not sure how many calories I actually burned. And I don't know that I could count it as a real workout. But it was a nice change of pace for my brain.

Benefit of Being Thinner #28

The clearance racks have WAY more selection!

CC Crew Shout-Outs!

Carsick Caravan Crew Shout-Outs go to:

GAFan and Amber who, training for their upcoming half marathon, ran 10 miles last weekend! That's 10 MILES, people! On snowy trails. With Yak Trax. Come February, that Florida weather is going to make their race a snap! Ladies, I'm so impressed with you! And so jealous of your upcoming trip.

HRGirl completed another week of hell ... er, I mean ... FXB. I talked to her on the phone and she sounds ... well, positively cheerful. And she's in love with a new protein drink that I hope she mentions in her next Guest Post.

Jim ... he fell off the eat-healthy wagon for a while there. And he's back on. His determination is one of the things I love best about him.

Anyone else have great stories to report?

Experiment Week

As of last Sunday, I was up about 6 lbs. from my normal. I ran four miles in the morning, ate chips, snacks, pizza and ceviche at the unexpectedly dismal Packer party and went home to bed.

Monday I woke up and felt like I'd been hit by a truck.

Congested, hacking, headache, tired and ornery. And it got worse as the week went on, not better.

My exercise for the week amounted to one early morning walk of three miles, one morning weight session and an after-work one.

That's it.

I also ate pretty clean. Lots of fresh fruit and veg, loading up on the Vitamin C. Lots of protein -- nuts and dairy and eggs.

And, at the end of the week, I'd lost four pounds. And though I'm not completely better, I am pretty sure I'm going to live.

Part of that is just me settling back into my normal self after the holidays and travelling. Part of it proves that eating right matters most and your body can take a week off without the whole world caving in.

And I think it also helps prove that strength training vs. all cardio thing we talked about earlier.

I am kind of looking forward to hitting the treadmill tomorrow morning. (I'm guessing that running outside might not be such a great idea!)

Healthy Options at Chili's

Met up with the girls tonight for dinner at Chili's and before I left, I made one smart move.

I looked up the nutrition chart.

And what I found was, as it always is, shocking.

The "best" burger plate has 1300+ calories with 65 grams of fat ... and they go up to one with nearly 2300 calories. There's a quesadilla "salad" with 1300 calories. The humble and sort of good-for-you sounding turkey sandwich meal has 1300 calories with 64 grams of fat. And not to be outdone, the Cajun pasta with grilled chicken clocks in at 1500 calories with a whopping 76 grams of fat.

Keep in mind that my daily calorie intake when I'm running 4 miles a day should be in the 2000-2200 range if all I'm doing is maintaining. And your daily allowance of fat is 60 grams, but most people, even those who don't pay that much attention to fat grams like me, think 30-45 sounds like enough.

Holy crap.

But there are good things to be had. You just have to poke around a little.

In addition to some "Lighter Side" offerings that are listed as Under 600 or Under 700 calories (I can't remember exactly), you can build a better meal by doing your best When-Harry-Met-Sally-Meg Ryan-in-the-diner-before-she-has-the-fake-orgasm impersonation. Ask for substitutions ... and dressing on the side!

I ate the Combination Meal with:

• Double garlic and lime shrimp. You'll get 12 shrimp. I ate 6 and brought 6 home. Total 230 calories. 
• Side of steamed broccoli. Total 80 calories.
• Substitute the loaded mashed potatoes (390 calories, 25 grams of fat) for black beans. Total 100 calories. Or, you could opt for a side salad, too. 

Grand total: 410 calories.

That means I had enough room in my daily calorie budget for a nice cup of hot cocoa (no sugar added) and an extra squirt of low-fat whip cream from the can when I got home!

Yum.

See for yourself: http://www.chilis.com/EN/LocationSpecificPDF/MenuPDF/001.005.0000/Chilis_Nutrition_Menu_Generic.pdf

Charlie's Ceviche Celebration!

This is my brother-in-law's recipe. Straight from his family in Mexico. While I think the technical definition of ceviche requires you to marinate/cook raw fish in acid/citrus juice, this starts with already cooked shrimp, which I'm cool with. Less fuss and less muss.

And did I mention ... it's delicious? Like, so freaking good. In a crave it like sushi or hot dogs kind of way. (Well, maybe that's just me. You crave whatever you want to.)

Charlie's Ceviche Celebration
1 16 oz. package frozen cooked shrimp (you could also substitute fake crab or combine the two), thawed
Juice of 1 orange or 2 clementines
1 finely chopped Serrano pepper (keep ribs and seeds if you want it hot, use less or jalapeno if you want less heat)
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
Big handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 c ketchup
1/4 - 1/2 c orange soda
2T white vinegar
1t dry oregano
Salt to taste
Avocado, chopped, if you want

Mix shrimp, orange juice, pepper, tomatoes, onion, cilantro. Mixture should be about equal shrimp/tomato/cilantro or red/white/green in color. (Like the Mexican flag!) Add ketchup, orange soda, vinegar, oregano and salt. Add avocado right before serving. Should be saucy, but not swimmingly saucy.

Charlie serves on soda crackers. Which sounded strange to me, too. But it's yummy! It would also be good on Scoops, whole wheat crackers, baked pita chips, wrapped up in a whole wheat tortilla, or just straight out of the bowl with a spoon.

Curbing Carbs

I'm trying very hard to curb my refined, processed, white flour carbs this week. You know, in the spirit of shaking things up a little. Giving my body something new to react to.

And, to be honest, I've gotten sort of lazy--popping starchy comfort foods like they're going out of style. So it's time to snap back to reality.

I'm still eating my whole wheat bagel thin and peanut butter in the morning, of course. (Because life without a bagel and peanut butter simply isn't worth living!) But I've cut out carbs at lunch and am limiting them in the evening, just to see if I feel better ... less bloated, less full, less tired.

Unfortunately, my timing couldn't be worse. I'm battling a cold and that always makes me want to eat. Feed a cold, feed a fever! So I've substituted clementines for sourdough pretzels. It's still carb in the form of sugar, I guess. But only 35 calories per clementine vs. the 80-90 per pretzel and it's REAL food.

Mo' vitamin C, mo' better, right?

Guest Blogger/FXB End of Week 1

Here's the new post from our CC Friend HRGirl, about her first full week at Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping in Madison.

The first week is in the books…….

Here’s what I know after six intense, challenging workouts and six days of eating clean six times a day. 

• Water is critical for recovery and when I don’t get the recommended 100 ounces consumed, I definitely feel it in the next morning’s workout.
• I am much more alert eating six times throughout the day and again the water really helps. Prior to this, I was drinking diet coke pretty much all day, working through most lunches and depending on when I got home at night, eating something carby (my word) or not at all.
• I can do a lot more than I thought I could do and each session I push myself that much more and I am better for it.
• I have always been a morning person, but not everyone is…lady in the purple wraps asked me not be so cheery at 5:00am. To that I say “Go stand somewhere else, because I am cheery dammit.”
• I am looking forward to perfecting my roundhouse kick, because it is hard and it looks cool.

Go get'em, HR Girl!

Lift for Life

I get the Oprah magazine. Mostly because I wish I was Oprah. But also because it's a good magazine.

This month's Dr. Oz column is interesting.

(Full disclosure: I'm not exactly a huge fan of Oz or Phil or the Doctors or other advice celebrities because I think once they become famous for giving advice, the advice they give changes because it has to meet marketing requirements ... and that makes me suspect.)

In any case, his point was that strength training is very important. Every bit as important as cardio. And that swapping out a couple of days a week, strength for cardio, won't hamper weight loss efforts. In fact, it might enhance it.

A few fast facts:

A pound of muscle burns about six calories per day, while a pound of fat burns only two. So more muscle "speeds up" your metabolism.

When you turn 40, you start to lose a half-pound of muscle a year and it's usually replaced with fat. Strength training can prevent that loss and the related weight gain.

More muscle burns more fat, like belly and under-the-skin fat. In fact a new study says that bursts of high-intensity strength training might even burn more fat than a steady-state exercise like jogging. (You mean I don't HAVE to train for a marathon to lose weight? Hot damn!)

And, last but not least, strength training reduces arthritis pain, strengthens your bones, keeps your brain sharp and helps control blood sugar.

He also suggests adding two 30-minute strength-building sessions to your workout regiment per week. You can lift hand weights, do planks, butt lifts, squats, lunges, push ups (with or without an exercise ball) ... anything that involves some resistance.

This news thrilled me. I think strength training might be one of the secret weapons for my weight maintenance. In fact, I might take two days a week to do nothing but strength for a while and see how that goes.

My knees are very happy.

Locked and Loaded

First, a confession.

This week sucked. After a terrific week in Phoenix, where I burned a lot of calories and replaced them with great stuff, I got home and funked out.

Work was stressful. I only worked out for real one day, and kind of half-assed it another. I ran out of fresh fruit and veg Wednesday and since there was no time for grocery shopping, I just had to make due for the remainder of the week.

Worst of all, the scale said I'd gained 7 lbs. and I let it bog me down.

So today was the day to de-bog ... both my muscles and my head.

It started with a real workout. Then Jim and I tackled the to-do list, setting 'em up and knocking 'em down. Don't you love it when you make those literal or figurative checkmarks? It ended with a trip to the grocery store--finally--and now my fridge is back in fighting shape, stocked with all the good stuff I've been craving. Just looking at it makes me happy!

And to top it all off, we grilled out. The upcoming week had better watch out. I'm back in sync with myself, locked and loaded, and it feels good.

Moral of the story? Don't let the funky, foggy bog get the best of you. Tomorrow is a new day and you CAN kick its ass.

Southwestern Turkey Burgers
1 20 oz. package ground turkey
1/2 envelope of Fiesta Ranch dry dip mix
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Whole wheat thin sandwich buns or Bagel Thins
Low-fat Pepperjack cheese slice or any cheese you like
Taco sauce ... your favorite variety
Avocado slices
Lettuce, tomato, onion if you wish

Mix dry dip, chopped onion and jalapeno into ground turkey. Make three huge or 4 normal-size patties. Grill. Top with the rest of the ingredients, any way you like!

Let It Snow!

Good news! Shoveling snow is EXERCISE!!!!!

You'll burn about 400 calories in an hour. More if you shovel fast. More if it's really cold. And more if you're heavier. So try not to hate it, as winter officially arrives here in Wisconsin.

Want to know how many calories you're burning during workout or housework or yardwork? There are a ton of calorie counters online.

I like these two:

The first because it reminds me of how much I have to eat, or not eat, to offset the exercise.
http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-burned-shoveling-snow-a170

I like the second one because it's customizable by your weight and time spent.
http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

And, they sell snow shoes at Sam's Club and Menards. Go figure.

P.S. Heard from HRGirl today. Looking forward to her update this weekend on FXB after this message (verbatim, mind you):

My arms hurt to type this sentence - 7 words....Owieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Beats Me

I talked about the MapMyRun site yesterday. And about how it's a great tool to keep track of things.

As I venture out on the web and find other "fitness" bloggers, running websites and forums, etc., I'm discovering out how many people seem to really want to tell the whole world how many miles they're putting in. Or how fast they run a 5K. Or how many marathons or half marathons they do.

They seem to really want to keep score and tell everyone.

I don't get it.

I guess I'm just not a "keep track" kind of girl, but I notice that a lot of runners are. They set annual goals for miles per month or miles per year or best times, etc. And they publish them for the world to see. I don't care that much, quite honestly.

Don't get me wrong. It's good to have goals. I just don't get the part where someone includes a list of races and times in an email signature.

I run because I like it, because it makes me feel good and because my body needs it. I don't run so that I can rack up big totals to "top" your number of miles, your fastest speeds or your list of races. I don't need to know what your goals are and I'm pretty sure you don't care about mine. I'm not racing against you. I'm not even racing against me.

I'm racing for me. And I think that's different.

(And, yes, I'm aware of my hypocrisy here. I'm sort of sending a dig to those that brag about their accomplishments when I'm writing a damn blog talking incessantly about losing weight and working out ... and publicly marking my milestones. Pot, kettle, black? But my hope has always been that you find your OWN way by peeking in at my way. That you find encouragement here. If you get nothing else from this blog, I want you to know that if I can do this, ANYONE can do this. However YOU want to do it.)

Map My Run

I'm back home. And was curious how many miles I put on this past week in Arizona.

So I hit this site: www.mapmyrun.com

It lets you trace your tracks and find out just how far you went. I used it to mark my loop through the ritzy neighborhood next to the Biltmore and the path along the canal near my friend's house.

There's a ton of other features, too. I haven't poked around a lot, but I think you can log your routes/runs/miles for a tally by year, if you're into that sort of thing. (I'm not and I'll explain why tomorrow.) It even lets you log your food and monitor your calorie intake, calculates the calories you burn when you log a workout, graphs your progress. There's a sister site called www.mapmyride.com for biking, too.

Again, if you're a person who likes to keep track of this stuff, and have the patience to do it, I can see how it would be a really helpful tool.

You all know that I don't have that much patience. I just wanted to know how far I went.

What I learned surprised me and thrilled me: Apparently, I can just pick up and run 6 or 7 miles whenever I feel like it.

Can't tell you how cool that feels.

Guest Blogger/FXB Week 1

AND THE JOURNEY BEGINS ...

You know when you get a bruise and it hurts to touch that part of your body, but you do and then you feel the uncomfortable pain?  Yeah, that’s how my whole body feels…

My husband and I are doing a 10-week session at Farrell’s Extreme Body Shaping (going forward it will be referred to as FXB). 

We will be attending 45-50 minute classes, six days a week. Monday through Friday we arrive at 5 a.m. with a 5:15 start. On Saturdays, we don’t start until 7 a.m., so I get to sleep in a wee bit.

Let me say ... FXB is like nothing I have ever done before. And by that I mean, I haven’t done kickboxing and I have to say it is exhilarating!  You feel very cool and empowered when you are wrapping your hands with the wraps (there is a particular way to do it and I must have wrapped and re-wrapped my left hand three times) and then when it is time to put on the gloves, you do feel like Rocky, not gonna kid ya.  If not Rocky, then Dolph Lundgren  - Drago in Rocky IV.  “I Must Break You.”  Okay, so I did really like that Rocky – the others, hmm, not so much.  But I digress.

So, at 5:15 this morning, we hit it hard from the start. After 15 minutes I wondered why the instructor was sweating bullets and I wasn't. Maybe I wasn't working hard enough? But then I looked in the mirror and my whole head and shirt were drenched.  I didn’t even realize because I was trying so hard to learn the moves.  That was just the warm up!!!

I made it through the whole class and I was actually smiling when I walked out.  Tomorrow is bands and weighted balls and bars and they say it will be harder and much more intense.  I say, "Bring it on." I don’t need these arms to type and work. Much.

The most difficult thing in the upcoming 10 weeks is going to be the eating.  We need to eat six times a day and make sure we are balancing our carbohydrates and proteins – basically eating very clean.  Throw in drinking 10 cups of water above and beyond what we consume during the training and you can imagine my trips to the bathroom.  One day a week is what they call “fun day” where you can eat what you want and drink what you want, although they do say alcohol will slow your progress down considerably.

I set out on this journey with a goal of getting back into consistent exercise and eating better which, if done correctly, should also help shed some pounds. They shared the stat that women only lose 5-7 pounds on average, but the change should come with inches lost.

Buckle up,

HR (sore) GIRL

The Dog(s) Ate My Wasabi Peas

Note to self: Packing traveling snacks is a great idea.

Keeping them in your suitcase and forgetting to firmly shut the door to your room in a house where two curious dogs live is not such a great idea.

Sorry Cassie and/or Prince Murphy! I'm sure that was quite a shock going in and, perhaps, coming out.

The good news is they appear no worse for wear.

Scale Math

My hotel bathroom has a scale.

The scale, without me standing on it, reads 10 lbs. So, my assumption is that whatever number it lands on I can subtract 10 lbs. from it to get my real weight.

The best part? When I step on it, it reads about 2 lbs. less than my average normal.

So here's my math, let's see if you agree: Two pounds under normal, minus 10 lbs. equals really good territory.

Of course, we both know that's not right. But I'm considering taking the scale with me. There's a little sign by the fluffy robe that says they'll charge me if it's missing. Wonder if they'll even notice the scale is gone?

P.S. Checked out of hotel yesterday afternoon. Left the scale there. And I stayed last night at an EVEN BETTER resort ... Casa de AZLeeeeener, my bestie's house for a quick weekend visit before heading back home. This morning, my breakfast consisted of oranges picked right off her backyard tree. What could be better than that?

Unexpected Downside of Being Thinner #15

Because my butt has less padding, I sit lower in my car. Because I sit lower in my car, I can't see out as well.

I'm not a great parker to begin with, but it's gotten worse because I can't see over the hood as well as I used to. (And yes, I've adjusted the seat!)

Took me three tries to pull into the angled spot satisfactorily at the airport parking garage.

I Could Live Here

What's not to love about the Arizona Biltmore?

• Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture.
• Beautiful pools with plenty of deck chairs and a waterslide
• Lovely fire pits for when the sun goes down
• Huge rooms, astonishingly well-appointed
• 24-hour fitness center with more machinery than I've ever seen in a hotel (more than Denver, even!)

And best of all, a map with multiple running routes marked on it, You can go 20 miles in one direction along a canal and 40 miles in the other direction. But my favorite route is the two-mile loop through a neighborhood filled with gorgeous mansions sporting waterfalls, circular drives and gated entrances.

One even had a replica of Michelangelo's David ... wearing a Santa hat. Cracked me right up.

Guest Blogger

HR Girl got a really cool Christmas present.

It was a 10-week session at Ferrell's Extreme Body Shaping (http://www.extremebodyshaping.com/) in Madison. And she's going to let us know how it's going with weekly updates.

If she's not to sore to type, that is. (Her words, not mine!)

I, for one, can't wait to hear about it. Look for her post this weekend.

Gotta Go

(This won't be a delicate post. Just warning you.)

I got partway through my run Saturday and had a problem. Friday's bad eating had caught up with me and, bad news, I was three miles from home.

Now, there are those who laugh at my running/biking routes. I tend to make circles around my house because I never want to be too far away from home should I blow out my knee or a tire. It would be far more interesting, probably, to hit the trails or ride my bike to, say, Clinton. But I have a fear of getting stuck far away without a good way to get back home.

So here I was, three miles from home. But luckily, three miles from my house was smack dab in the middle of the little town I live near. And, luckily again, the little town sports two bars and one church. One bar has a back door where you can sneak directly into the bathroom without being seen by the regulars.

I did just that.

I feel badly for darting in and out, without so much as buying a beer. I promise to make it up to them on the next 2-for-1 burger night.

I'll buy an extra beer on that trip and not use the restroom at all to make it all even out.

Indoors or Out?

This blustery day begs the question: Do you like to workout indoors or out?

As you know, November/December brought me a bit of a workout funk. I wasn't horribly motivated to head to my basement workout room and hit the treadmill. And when I did muster the energy to haul my ass down the stairs, I found it difficult to run very far or very long. I managed to convince myself that I was too tired or my knee hurt or that I just cound't go faster.

(Remember what I've told you ... your brain is the muscle that's the most difficult to retrain.)

To break the funk, I took to the streets.

While I was mostly off work these past two weeks, I've had the opportunity to run outside ... in the daylight! It's been GREAT! A change of scenery was just the boost I needed to get re-energized.

I've run been running every day. I've been running longer distances. I've been running new routes. It's good to feel jazzed about it again.

Until one of those icy mornings late last week, that is. A 10 a.m. appointment meant I needed to get my workout in from 8-9 a.m. I geared up and headed out at 7:45. And I promptly lost my footing on the gravel driveway. Too slippery to risk it.

So I turned right back around, peeled off the outdoor layers, and hit the treadmill ... grateful to have the alternative. I hit it again this morning, as the wind blew. And blew. And blew.

I can say, right now, that I like running outdoors better. The time goes faster. The change of scenery is nice. But I know that weather and darkness will prevent me from doing it every day until spring comes.

But the treadmill has its advantages. Other than being always available, it also teaches me to keep a steady pace, sustain an uphill climb for several miles, increase speed for short bursts ... and it allows me to catch up on my HGTV or Food Network.

The point is this: Know your brain. Know your body. Know what works for you and what doesn't. Prepare for the funk when it comes. Mix it up. Try something new. Then, to quote that shoe manufacturer, "Just do it."

Eating is Exhausting

I cannot wait for the holiday eating to be over.

Honestly. It's exhausting.

The fridge is packed with veg and "clean" food. I have decreed that we're not buying any crap from here on out. Most of the dangerous leftovers are gone. (Jim bravely stepped in just now to finish the New Year's Eve turtle cheesecake we brought home because the three of us couldn't finish it at the restaurant. What a guy; took one for the team.)

And we just have the Badger game to get through ... then it's back to normal.

I'm a little shocked at how hard it is to eat this way. And how easy it is at the same time.

It's easy to fall into old habits and snitch and snack and add mindless calories all day long. There's no doubt about that.

But what's most surprising to me is how sluggish and bloated and just plain bad I feel when I eat this way now. I have no energy. My guts feel oogly. Eating just feels like work. Too many options. Too many decisions. Too many math problems as I try to figure out calories.

Bring on the New Year. I'm ready.