Need some Motivation . . .

So today was the beginning of my third week doing Chalean. I really do like her program, but I have to say I have definitely been battling the mirror and scale this week. Every week that I weigh myself I have actually gained a pound instead of lost anything. And some weeks you are harder on your reflection than other weeks (lets be real here people, whether or not we like what we see in the mirror can change from day to day, even from hour to hour!!). So because of these struggles I was not thrilled to do Chalean today. But I knew that if I didn't "Just Do It" and start today's DVD, instead of drown my frustrations by prowling for sweets in the pantry (of which there is only Nutella, Oh's cereal, and white/chocolate chips. Still lethal in their own right, but pretty tame compared to some of the things my cupboards have been stuffed with), then I would regret it. So I quickly changed into my workout clothes and pressed play before I could talk myself out of it. And you know what? It was actually pretty awesome! Just getting going works every time, and I just need to always remember that. And, of course, after my workout I am always thinking of ways to improve, like what good thing I can eat for lunch and what healthy recipe to make for dinner, and what healthy snacks I can eat. I'm still not seeing massive changes {yet}, but I am seeing little changes that are helping to keep me motivated. I can see some definition in my arms and my pants are fitting a bit better too. One thing that really motivates me, even though I am slightly terrified by it, is my sisters' idea to get a group photo done at the end of the program in our teeny bikinis! AHHH! That thought alone would keep almost anyone from chowing down on fatty sweets!! I really need to start Weight Watchers and jump on a treadmill. I definitely don't feel like two months of workouts will have me feeling confident enough to bare {almost} all for a photograph, especially next to a bunch of hotties. Time will tell!

On to my other favorite {yet conflicting} love: FOOD!

Last night Gary made some exquisite Creamy Tomato Soup. It was divine! He even added a ton of onions, which he is not a huge fan of, but they really gave it a good savory taste. And, not only did he cook up a masterpiece, he also cleaned up too! Am I married to the best guy or what?!

Tonight is Bookclub, yeah! This month we read The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. Such a good book! The characters really draw you in, and the story is a real page-turner, you just NEED to know what is going to happen next! I highly recommend it!

Catching up . . .

So this weekend Gary and I purchased a new piece of furniture for our living room. It is an IKEA cabinet/TV stand. It's a nice little piece of furniture and makes our living room feel more like a living room instead of a dorm room. We got it off of Craigslist and saved ourselves $110. Awesome! We even went to IKEA and got some replacement hardware, which they gave us for FREE!

This weekend we also hit up Dog Beach. We used to go there pretty regularly, but haven't been since before Riley was born. It was a beautiful sunny day in the high sixties. Jack loved it and ran around with a silly grin plastered to his cute doggie face! I love to see him really enjoying himself. It was nice too because he almost completely stayed out of the water (except for one small excursion where he barely got his toes wet, after which he was sure to thoroughly shake himself off, such a funny puppy!) so we didn't have to towel him off or give him a bath, which makes it so easy for us.

So this weekend wasn't huge, but we did get out and we did organize our apartment a little bit more. We have decided that as soon as we finally get our apartment really livable then one of our offers will finally go through and we will have to move out. Isn't that how it always works?

Chalean is going well, but I really have to resolve to eat better along with working out, otherwise I am putting in all of this effort to build up my muscles, but no one will be able to see them through the fat layer. I really don't have any reason not to start either. If I start doing Weight Watchers again I get something like 30 points a day because I am nursing. My mom and sisters only get about 19. It is a HUGE difference, so I have nothing to complain about. It will really help to get more fruits and vegis in and have more energy too. How you eat makes such a difference on so many levels. *sigh* I guess I should stop dragging my feet and just take my own good advice. It is just hard to get back into measuring and taking note of EVERYTHING you eat. But the results happen fast when you do and it really isn't that hard.

I had leftover pork from the BBQ Pork with Roasted Sweet Potato and Pineapple, so I found a soup recipe to use it in. I made Roast Pork Soup (not a very original name, but it was exactly what I was looking for). It was super easy and, I thought, pretty tasty. It has some apple juice in the broth and some basil too, both of which made it kind of sweet. All in all a great way to use up extra pork.

Tonight Gary is making Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. One of those dinners that take you back. Should be excellent (especially since I don't have to cook!)

Thursdays . . .

So Thursdays are the most challenging day of Chalean's program. There is a 45 minute interval workout and a pretty intense ab workout on top of that. Last week I totally slacked on both and really regretted it afterward. This week I tried to mentally prepare myself and put my all into it and I did awesome! This time I don't have any regrets and I can feel really good about the effort I put into my workout.

It's funny to me to watch myself workout. Compared to the people in the video I have a long way to go. They all look like they are working hard but they still manage to smile; I am literally dying in agony on some parts and my face is not hiding any of the effort I am putting into it. They do exercises with lots of movement and they somehow stay in their designated area; I am jumping all over the living room. They have perfectly toned muscles and mist of glowing sweat that just seems to accentuate their beautiful-ness; I am a work in progress and sweat has glued my hair into a disheveled mass onto my forehead. I definitely have a long way to go before I start handing out my resume to become an "athletic model", but at least I am making progress.

Tonight we are going to the Bronson's for dinner and The Office. I am making the Caribbean Seafood Curry Soup, and I am really looking forward to eating it again. It was really yummy! This time I bought raw shrimp, and I have reviewed my notes and hope that it will turn out even better this time around!

Just Do It . . .

So, the rest day is over and it was back to the business of getting in shape today. After being disappointed about the rest day on Monday, I was surprised again today to find myself dragging my feet. I found I had a little hesitation when it came time to press the play button for my workout today. The couch and my new Parents magazine was definitely calling my name. But I ignored their Siren Call and soldiered on anyway. Just Do It! was the motto of the moment. Chalean always says to give her five minutes and she will get you on your feet. She is right! Once I started working out I really got into it and turned a deaf ear on the beckonings of my laziness.

I am really learning that if I push myself hard for 40 minutes then I feel successful in my workout and I don't have the nagging feeling that I could have worked harder, that I could have done better. It is totally prefereable to really feel like I put my all into it.

The torrential downpour has continued, so I haven't ventured out to run at all this week. Yes, it is probably just another excuse (funny how I haven't learned to expand the lesson from Chalean to the rest of my life, huh?), but I am going to go with it until it quits.

Yesterday night I made Potato Bacon Chowder. It was really good and the only thing that I think I would change next time I make this soup is to cook the potatoes for a little less time. It has a milk base (I used half milk, half soy milk), and it also has red potatoes, a parsnip, an onion, bacon, and spinach. Really yummy and really easy. Definitely a keeper!

Tonight I am making BBQ Pork with sweet potatoes and pineapple. I love this recipe, but haven't made it for a while. In a 9 x 13 pan put a pork loin in the oven under the broiler. Leave it there for about 10-12 minutes, then flip and cook for another 10-12 minutes. In the meantime cut up the sweet potato into bite-size chunks then combine them with a can of pineapple chunks. Put a little olive oil on these and then add a bit of salt and pepper. When the timer goes off on the pork loin, flip it and add the potato and pineapple to the pan and broil for 7 minutes, flip one last time and stir the sweet potato and pineapple and cook for a final 7 minutes. The internal temp of the meat should be about 160 and dinner is ready. Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce.

Yesterday I received a piece of spice cake with homemade carmel frosting in the mail from my mom. I think this was one of the best birthday gifts, which is saying a lot because I ended up with a terrific haul this year! This particular cake just tastes like "Birthday" to me, you know what I mean. For me a birthday isn't a birthday without the family singing our usual medley of birthday songs and a piece of this yum-tastic cake. I even ate a little for breakfast this morning and I have to say it was a great start to the day! Thanks Mom!

Day Off . . .

Yesterday after I finished Chalean I was looking over the calendar to see what workout came next and I was actually a little disappointed to find that today was a rest day. It was a great confirmation to me to find that I have really come to enjoy her program and the time I spend exercising. I used my usual workout time today to take some measurements so that I can track my progress. Today marks the first week of the Chalean program and I have already started to notice small differences in how my body looks. It's fun and exciting and definitely helps to keep me motivated! I'm interested to see the changes that will happen by the time I finish.

Last night Gary made dinner. He made oven-baked breaded chicken tenders and roasted potatoes. I love those yummy chicken tenders, and they are really light too, which makes them even more awesome! I love when Gary makes dinner! It gives me a really nice break from the kitchen and he always does a great job. What a lucky girl I am!

We are having dinner with our friends the Bronson's on Thursday. I am going to make that Caribbean Curry Soup for them. While we are there I think we might talk about some plans for the weekend. On February 6th we are going to a party that my midwife Karly is throwing for all of her past and present clients. It will be fun to re-introduce her to Riley and to meet and talk to everyone and hear about their experiences with home birth.

We have had monsoon-like weather for the past two days. Torrential downpours like you wouldn't believe!

New Ward . . .

So they changed up the stake boundaries and announced it after Stake Conference today. We are now in the Twin Oaks Valley ward, and we are still meeting at 9:00 am. We are sad to see some of our old ward friends move to different wards, and happy that some of our other friends are still around. It will be fun to make even more new friends in this new ward!

So here are some pictures of our Saturday excursions:

Breakfast with Phil and Lindsey. So fun to see friends from Salt Lake!!

Riley loves to watch the ducks. These are especially interesting, they are called Mandarin Ducks.

Up close and personal with the Gorillas

Riley and me out in front of the Zoo.

Jambalaya . . .

So two nights ago I made Shrimp Jambalaya for dinner. I thought it was really tasty and not very difficult. There are only a couple of things I would probably change about this recipe:

1. Gary doesn't really love spicy things and the recipe called for Chorizo sausage, which is pretty spicy. I probably will just use regular sausage, and maybe even something reduced fat, because the Chorizo was really greasy

2. Again, pre-cooked shrimp just is too rubbery, so I will go with fresh shrimp next time.

Other than that it was really good and really filling, definitely a keeper!

So I was talking to my mom about my decision to possibly postpone my running until I am done with Chalean and she told me that I should not put it off. She's right. I can do it! I don't know if I will push myself for Ragnar this year, but I do think that I will at least get started.

I did Chalean again yesterday. That workout was similar to the really hard workout on Thursday, only not as long. This time I really pushed myself instead of slacking off. It was easier to motivate myself to really go for it because I knew that it was only 30 minutes, and you can do anything hard for 30 minutes. Plus, I don't want to get to the end of Chalean and know that if I had only pushed myself a little bit harder then I would have looked that much more awesome. I want to get to the end and know that I really went for it.

Today is Stake Conference and as soon as it is over they are going to review the re-districting of our stake. I'm sure that attendance at these kinds of conferences is always awesome. We are going to get there at least a half an hour early so we can hopefully get a seat. More on this later.

Later today I will also post some pictures from out outing yesterday.