A couple of months ago I wrote about how I was going to try a series of diet experiments in an attempt to lose my baby weight. My first experiment in this dieting madness was to try out the Kellogg's Special K challenge. You've seen the commercials--"Lose a jean size in two weeks". Sounds promising. In checking out their website, I found out that they offer a variety of cereal, meal bars, and snack bars as part of their plan. You choose two meals, two snacks and then eat a healthy dinner. You're also allowed to snack on fresh fruits and vegetable throughout the day.
One word describes how I felt for two weeks--HUNGRY!! I'm not kidding. I was constantly hungry. All I thought about is "when can I eat again?" I tried to keep my snacks and meals to every two hours, but I was counting the minutes in between. On one day, I was so hungry I ate a whole canelope in one sitting. I figured since the plan did allow for snacking on fruits and vegetables and it didn't say how much....
The good news is I lost 5lbs (and a jean size) during this two weeks. If you are trying to drop a few lbs quickly, I think this is a decent, short term diet. The down side is that you are eating cereal for almost every meal or some sort of cereal snack bar. They try and "church it up" by offering different types of fruit cereals and chocolate meal bars, but cereal is cereal. I was REALLY tired of cereal after two weeks.
All in all, they keep their promise to lose a jean size in two weeks and it was fairly easy to follow. Just be prepared to be very hungry. And try not to eat whole canelopes for a snack--I'm pretty sure that's not what they have in mind :).
Monday, October 12, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Diets
Most of you know that I had a new baby almost six months ago and in a previous post I mentioned that the baby weight doesn't come off very fast. So, I've decided to experiment with a few of the cheaper diet plans, just to see if any of them work and I can get some of these stubborn pounds off. I'm going to write a post on each one and give a critic of the plans. I've chosen three different diet plans and am going to give each one a two week trial. All three of them allow me to eat a regular dinner, which works very well into my life style. Also, I've started running again (very s-l-o-w-l-y) to get some exercise in--usually about 45 minutes a day. My goal is to get within 5 lbs of my pre-pregnancy weight by the end of October ( about two lbs per week). I'll let you know how it goes. Wish me luck!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Is 40 REALLY the new 20?
I turned 40 a couple of months ago. Forty. Maybe it's me, but something about 40 just seems so...old. To be honest, I was dreading the whole thing. Everyone I knew that had turned forty told me that, physically, they started falling apart within weeks of turning the dreaded age--knees going out, wrinkles more pronouced, skin sagging every where. In my mind I was saying "No Thanks".
But, my day turned out to be great. I was greeted by bright, fun pink and yellow balloons trailing down our stair case and found our kitchen smothered in more balloons and steamers everywhere. What fun! No black decorations announcing my age making me feel ashamed, just lots of cheerfulness. My wonderful husband also held a surprise birthday party for me. My whole day was just awesome! Something my husband said to me that day is so true. Turning 40 is not all that bad, but announcing it to everyone is the hard part.
The truth is 40 is does not feel like 20. Not even a little bit. When I was 20, I was in college and didn't really have a care in the world. My only concerns in life were keeping up with my homework and choosing my social schedule. I was in a lot better shape and even if a few extra pounds snuck on, I could drink Slim Fast for a week and they would be gone. My hair was naturally blonde back then and I could look at my face up close in the mirror without cringing about all of my wrinkles.
Now, at 40, I have a lot more concerns in life and tons of responsibilities. I enjoy all that has changed in my life, but I would definately not label it as "care free". My husband and I just started our family a couple years ago and it is so wonderful. But, my social schedule consists of playdates with toddlers and trips to the grocery store and that extra pregnancy weight does not melt off my body the way it does for my 20 something and 30 something friends. My hair now has to be highlighted to maintain any hint of what it was twenty years ago and I am so grateful for my failing eyesight because when I look in the mirror I can't see how deep the wrinkles go unless I'm really close up (which I avoid unless I'm trying to put on mascara--which brings up another issue: where the heck did my eyelashes go?--ugh!).
To be honest, I'm not as upset as I thought I would be about turning 40. My grandma told me many years that you never stop feeling about 28 on the inside, the only thing frustrating about getting older is a failing body and not recognizing yourself in a mirror. I always liked her outlook on life-- she was never afraid to try new things, meet new people and keep up with the current times. Should I get to live as old as she was, I hope I'm the same way.
Let's face it-- getting old stinks. None of us likes getting wrinkles and gray hair. We would all prefer to have the energy of our youth but, I would rather take on what getting older brings than to stress out over it and get even more wrinkles. Hollywood has turned getting older into some sort of freak show. I don't even need to mention Joan Rivers to point out how ridiculous plastic surgery has become. Some people don't even look human any more. I sometimes wonder if that's what people are really seeing when they claim they've seen an alien. Maybe it's just another person who took plastic surgery and a face lift a little too far.
So here's to all of us who are turning 40 this year. May we all enjoy it and learn to laugh at ourselves and what aging brings.
But, my day turned out to be great. I was greeted by bright, fun pink and yellow balloons trailing down our stair case and found our kitchen smothered in more balloons and steamers everywhere. What fun! No black decorations announcing my age making me feel ashamed, just lots of cheerfulness. My wonderful husband also held a surprise birthday party for me. My whole day was just awesome! Something my husband said to me that day is so true. Turning 40 is not all that bad, but announcing it to everyone is the hard part.
The truth is 40 is does not feel like 20. Not even a little bit. When I was 20, I was in college and didn't really have a care in the world. My only concerns in life were keeping up with my homework and choosing my social schedule. I was in a lot better shape and even if a few extra pounds snuck on, I could drink Slim Fast for a week and they would be gone. My hair was naturally blonde back then and I could look at my face up close in the mirror without cringing about all of my wrinkles.
Now, at 40, I have a lot more concerns in life and tons of responsibilities. I enjoy all that has changed in my life, but I would definately not label it as "care free". My husband and I just started our family a couple years ago and it is so wonderful. But, my social schedule consists of playdates with toddlers and trips to the grocery store and that extra pregnancy weight does not melt off my body the way it does for my 20 something and 30 something friends. My hair now has to be highlighted to maintain any hint of what it was twenty years ago and I am so grateful for my failing eyesight because when I look in the mirror I can't see how deep the wrinkles go unless I'm really close up (which I avoid unless I'm trying to put on mascara--which brings up another issue: where the heck did my eyelashes go?--ugh!).
To be honest, I'm not as upset as I thought I would be about turning 40. My grandma told me many years that you never stop feeling about 28 on the inside, the only thing frustrating about getting older is a failing body and not recognizing yourself in a mirror. I always liked her outlook on life-- she was never afraid to try new things, meet new people and keep up with the current times. Should I get to live as old as she was, I hope I'm the same way.
Let's face it-- getting old stinks. None of us likes getting wrinkles and gray hair. We would all prefer to have the energy of our youth but, I would rather take on what getting older brings than to stress out over it and get even more wrinkles. Hollywood has turned getting older into some sort of freak show. I don't even need to mention Joan Rivers to point out how ridiculous plastic surgery has become. Some people don't even look human any more. I sometimes wonder if that's what people are really seeing when they claim they've seen an alien. Maybe it's just another person who took plastic surgery and a face lift a little too far.
So here's to all of us who are turning 40 this year. May we all enjoy it and learn to laugh at ourselves and what aging brings.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Contest!
My husband is hosting a great contest to give away some music and restaurant gift cards. It's called, I think rather cleverly, the Beats and Eats contest.
Basically, we need your help selling some CDs. But rather than just asking you to help us sell, we're giving away prizes for the people who sell the most!
Click on the picture below to learn more about the contest:
Basically, we need your help selling some CDs. But rather than just asking you to help us sell, we're giving away prizes for the people who sell the most!
Click on the picture below to learn more about the contest:
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Big Bang Dance
My husband and I have several TV shows we enjoy watching every week and our son, Morgan is usually still awake for one or two of them. He has a GREAT passion for music (just like Daddy) and any time music is playing on the TV he will stop whatever he is doing and listen. Recently, however, one song in particular has captured him. If you've never seen "Big Bang Theory", I highly recommend you check it out--it's a great show. Morgan absolutely goes nuts for the opening song. Here's a video of his Big Bang Dance.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
25 Random Things About Me
OK, this is a Facebook thing and I am happy to comply. But, I have to say, it took me FOREVER to come up with 25 things. I hope it helps you to know me better. Enjoy.
1. I am a closet "Murder She Wrote" watcher--I just love the cheesy old murder/detective shows from the 80's (Matlock, Simon and Simon, etc..)my husband gives me so much grief for this, now you can too.
2. I am always nervous about others reading what I write--I've had this fear as long as I can remember and is probably why I have such terrible spelling and grammar errors.
3. I really want to run a marathon some day--I came close about 3 years ago, but just couldn't do it.
4. I've climbed 2 "Fourteeners" in Colorado and would like to do more--I LOVE the mountains and going hiking.
5. I snuck into a Def Leppard concert about 8 years ago--they were playing here in Colorado Springs and I never got tickets, so I snuck out in the middle of the night (without my husband knowing) and got to see them for about an hour. I fully intended to pay at the door, but no one was there--I still feel guilty about it, but it was SO AWESOME!!
6. My favorite candy in the whole world is Hot Tamales--I cannot watch a movie without them. Peanut M&M's are a close second, but I can polish off a whole big bag in a day, so I don't get them very often.
7. I hate the way my hair looks when I style it--I have been going to the same stylist, Carrie,for about 13 years now and LOVE the way it looks when she does it. I wish I could afford to hire her to style my hair every day.
8. I'm really bummed about turning 40 this year--I have never been bothered about turning another year older, but this year is different. Probably because the wrinkles are getting more pronounced.
9. I enjoy my Dad's jokes--I have given him grief about them as long as I can remember, but if he ever stopped, I would be so sad and disappointed.
10. I am a HUGE Beth Moore fan--I've participated in almost all of her Bible studies and read most of her books. I love her ministry to women and get so much out of the research she does on the Bible.
11. My husband is my most favorite person to hang out with--He won't believe this when he reads it, but it's true. I never laugh more than when I'm with him and his opinion on things is the one I value the most.
12. I like to debate issues with other--I love playing the devil's advocate and hearing others opinions, but it always annoys me when the other person gets uncomfortable and tries to change the subject before I'm finished with it. Come on--There's no crying in debate!!!
13. I like to spend time alone--I crave company if I am isolated for too long, but I really enjoy having a lot of time to myself.
14. One of my biggest fears is of being be-headed--I'm not sure why, but I just really don't want to go out that way.
15. I cheated on a test once in college--It was French class and I hadn't studied at all. The bad news is, I got caught, the good news is that my professor was very kind and didn't expel me from college. I felt just horrible!!
16. The shortest time I've worked at a place is two days--I was a kitchen designer for two whole days before I got a call about a job doing model homes. It was a no brainer because the kitchen design place built their own cabinetry and the whole place reeked of varnish-yuck!
17. I love being a stay-at-home mom--I don't feel any urgency at all to be a career mom (except when finances get tight). It is truly the best thing I've ever done and the most fun.
18. I sing in a band sometimes--it's my husband's band and I sing background vocals when he needs me to and love it.
19. I collect angels--my husband travels a lot to foreign countries and always brings me back a new one for my collection.
20. I am computer illiterate--it's sad, but true. It takes me forever to figure out what I'm doing and if it's not easy--I just give up.
21. I love Television--seriously, I could watch all day and night and not feel guilty. I have my favorite shows (Big Bang Theory, 24, etc.), but I can even watch the same shows and movies again and again and be entertained.
22. I like to sew--I've made several things over the years, but mostly for myself or for gifts. I recently made some throw pillows and sold them at a craft fair. It's the first time I've ever profited off of sewing.
23. I had my own interior design business for ten years--It was a lot of fun, but I'm not a very good paperwork person which is kind of important. I may go back to it some day.
24. I love surprises--Life seems so predictable sometimes. I like to be surprised--in a good way, that is. I remember praying for excitement in my life a while back. Let's just say God's definition of exciting and mine are two different things. I will never pray for that again.
25. Spiders terrify me--We don't have a lot of bugs in Colorado, but we do have spiders. They just creep me out for some reason.
1. I am a closet "Murder She Wrote" watcher--I just love the cheesy old murder/detective shows from the 80's (Matlock, Simon and Simon, etc..)my husband gives me so much grief for this, now you can too.
2. I am always nervous about others reading what I write--I've had this fear as long as I can remember and is probably why I have such terrible spelling and grammar errors.
3. I really want to run a marathon some day--I came close about 3 years ago, but just couldn't do it.
4. I've climbed 2 "Fourteeners" in Colorado and would like to do more--I LOVE the mountains and going hiking.
5. I snuck into a Def Leppard concert about 8 years ago--they were playing here in Colorado Springs and I never got tickets, so I snuck out in the middle of the night (without my husband knowing) and got to see them for about an hour. I fully intended to pay at the door, but no one was there--I still feel guilty about it, but it was SO AWESOME!!
6. My favorite candy in the whole world is Hot Tamales--I cannot watch a movie without them. Peanut M&M's are a close second, but I can polish off a whole big bag in a day, so I don't get them very often.
7. I hate the way my hair looks when I style it--I have been going to the same stylist, Carrie,for about 13 years now and LOVE the way it looks when she does it. I wish I could afford to hire her to style my hair every day.
8. I'm really bummed about turning 40 this year--I have never been bothered about turning another year older, but this year is different. Probably because the wrinkles are getting more pronounced.
9. I enjoy my Dad's jokes--I have given him grief about them as long as I can remember, but if he ever stopped, I would be so sad and disappointed.
10. I am a HUGE Beth Moore fan--I've participated in almost all of her Bible studies and read most of her books. I love her ministry to women and get so much out of the research she does on the Bible.
11. My husband is my most favorite person to hang out with--He won't believe this when he reads it, but it's true. I never laugh more than when I'm with him and his opinion on things is the one I value the most.
12. I like to debate issues with other--I love playing the devil's advocate and hearing others opinions, but it always annoys me when the other person gets uncomfortable and tries to change the subject before I'm finished with it. Come on--There's no crying in debate!!!
13. I like to spend time alone--I crave company if I am isolated for too long, but I really enjoy having a lot of time to myself.
14. One of my biggest fears is of being be-headed--I'm not sure why, but I just really don't want to go out that way.
15. I cheated on a test once in college--It was French class and I hadn't studied at all. The bad news is, I got caught, the good news is that my professor was very kind and didn't expel me from college. I felt just horrible!!
16. The shortest time I've worked at a place is two days--I was a kitchen designer for two whole days before I got a call about a job doing model homes. It was a no brainer because the kitchen design place built their own cabinetry and the whole place reeked of varnish-yuck!
17. I love being a stay-at-home mom--I don't feel any urgency at all to be a career mom (except when finances get tight). It is truly the best thing I've ever done and the most fun.
18. I sing in a band sometimes--it's my husband's band and I sing background vocals when he needs me to and love it.
19. I collect angels--my husband travels a lot to foreign countries and always brings me back a new one for my collection.
20. I am computer illiterate--it's sad, but true. It takes me forever to figure out what I'm doing and if it's not easy--I just give up.
21. I love Television--seriously, I could watch all day and night and not feel guilty. I have my favorite shows (Big Bang Theory, 24, etc.), but I can even watch the same shows and movies again and again and be entertained.
22. I like to sew--I've made several things over the years, but mostly for myself or for gifts. I recently made some throw pillows and sold them at a craft fair. It's the first time I've ever profited off of sewing.
23. I had my own interior design business for ten years--It was a lot of fun, but I'm not a very good paperwork person which is kind of important. I may go back to it some day.
24. I love surprises--Life seems so predictable sometimes. I like to be surprised--in a good way, that is. I remember praying for excitement in my life a while back. Let's just say God's definition of exciting and mine are two different things. I will never pray for that again.
25. Spiders terrify me--We don't have a lot of bugs in Colorado, but we do have spiders. They just creep me out for some reason.
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