All posts for the month March, 2012

Kickin’ It Old School

Embarrassing confession:  I love infomercials.  When I first bought my Vitamix I watched the instructional DVD twice, and it is basically an infomercial.  I love watching the P90X, and Insanity infomercials, and if it is a cooking product that is trying to be sold….forget about it!  The only thing that keeps me from watching TV with my credit card at the ready is a thing called a spouse.

You know what one of my favorite infomercials are?  The FIRM.  Ten years ago I couldn’t sleep and I was introduced to The FIRM DVD’s.  And what do you know, they sold the entire system at my local Target.  That year I pooled all of my birthday money together and bought the whole set with 3 DVD’s and the patented “Fanny Lifter” (good old southern girls!).

Then a couple of years later, I bought the newest DVD (which had 3 workouts on one disc), and added “The Sculpting Stick”.

Those little purple things are called “twigs”, and they weigh about a pound each (ya, I know, I’m gonna get ripped).

This morning I didn’t feel like bundling up the baby to go out for a walk so I dug into my stash of OLD workout DVD’s.  I put on the Sculpting video with ab’s and got moving.

The last time I had done this video was when I was two months out from having Hanna, so it has been almost a year and a half.  I was so out of shape that I had to stop at about 20 minutes in because my legs couldn’t handle “fanny lifting action”.  Just the warm-up had me huffing and puffing.

I was anxious to see how I stacked up this round.  The verdict:  I kicked that “Fanny Lifter’s” a$$!  Not that I didn’t feel a little burn in my legs (I’m working out, that IS the point!), but this time I didn’t get winded, I kept up with all of the reps, and my knees didn’t hurt!  Success!  Apparently, The New Rules of Lifting for Women really amped up my muscles.  I love it when you see results!

Activity Center Update

Dustin and I went to check out the Rec center that is available for us by living in the area (and by available I mean that we have no choice in paying an annual fee so we may as well try to get out money’s worth).  They didn’t have our information on file yet, so we have to wait or get charged a daily fee to use the facility.  Womp, womp.  I am not paying $8 a day to use some crappy overused cardio machines.  There had to be other options out there.

A Whole New World

With all of the technology out there, it is hard to come up with an excuse of why we are not working out.  We are fortunate enough (or stupid enough, depending on how you look at it) to have a Wii, Playstation 3, & XBOX 360 (if you know where I live, please don’t rob us).  All of these devices connect to Netflix and HULU Plus, both of which have an endless supply of workout snippets to try at whatever time of day you desire.   I have decided to take this route for a while and see how much I can get accomplished doing at home workouts.

I have also warned my hub’s that I am going to purchase an exercise ball and a yoga mat.  I have found, from this mornings workout, that exercising at home has its advantages.

  • You can get your protein recovery in right after your workout to help rebuild those broken down muscles.  This morning I made a Pea Protein shake immediately after I was done working out, and I did feel a bit of a difference.
  • No driving to and from the gym.  I’m saving on gas, and time.
  • Playtime for Hanna.  She thinks me working out is a game.  When I was doing push-ups she was climbing on my back (a little more resistance couldn’t hurt), and when I was on the floor doing ab work she was climbing all over me.  It added an element that I just don’t get at the gym, that’s for sure!
Working out from home has been a welcomed change and frees up my time for an afternoon walk with Hanna.
Do you work out at home as opposed to the gym?  If so, what do you do?
Ever bought something off of an infomercial? 
Now I’m off to curb a craving and have a hummus wrap, have a great day!

4 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on March 30, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Challenges, Motivation, The New Rules of Lifting for Women, Working Out

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on March 30, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/03/30/kickin-it-old-school/

The Sweet Relief of Routine

Hallelujah!  My internet is up and running!  And so is my Google reader, apparently,  considering I had over 150 items to be read from the last week!  I’m slowly working my way through and seeing what all of my blog friends are up to.

I am happy to say (more like ecstatic) that life is starting to settle down and that all-to-familiar motivation is creeping back into my mind.  You know the I’ve-been-off-the-wagon-for-so-long-that-I’ve-actually-gotten-sick-of-eating-out-and-I’m-ready-to-kick-ass-on-weight-loss kind of motivation.  That’s the one!

The Diet (And when I say diet, I mean the food that I consume and not a diet plan.  This is a lifestyle not a diet)

I’ve been concocting a plan of action these last few days, and after getting the thumbs up from the Hub’s we are going to be doing round 2 of the PCRM’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart!  The truth is, I have never felt better in my life than when I was doing round one of the kick-start in January.  I cannot deny that this way of life agrees with me.  It is simple to follow, and I feel like all aspects of my life improve when eating a plant-based diet.

I will be tracking my calories on Livestrong.com, and I will be keeping daily blog food diaries.  The food log posts may be boring, but the whole reason I have this here blog is for accountability and documentation.  I will try to keep them interesting with lots of pictures and hopefully, some fun recipes!

The Exercise.

This is where I have to show how dedicated I am.  I no longer have a 24 hour gym with child care.  In fact, the hours of the activity center (although free) are from 8-9, which is not the most convenient of time for me.  I am not the kind of person who likes a lot of change in my workout times.  I like to workout at the same time everyday so that my routine is not thrown off.  Walking (and then hopefully running at some point) will be a major player in my exercise regime.  Keep in mind that I live on the side of a mountain, and I am also pushing 40 pounds worth of baby and stroller up and down hills.  Great interval workout right? Right.

Here are some pictures from the first of many walks that we will be embarking on:

These pictures do not do the hill climbs justice.  It felt like I was walking uphill both ways!  My legs are actually sore today!

We are also planning on checking out the Activity Center tonight so that we can get a better idea of what it offers.  We may even walk there considering it is less than 2 miles away from our house, but uphill the entire way.

The Motivation

As if I need any more motivation than my sweet baby girl and amazing husband, but alas, baby talk has been happening.  I think this is the one and only time in my life that I will experience my hub’s wanting another baby before me.  Don’t get me wrong, I would LOVE to have another baby right this very second, but I REFUSE to go through another pregnancy like my last.

I’m not saying that I need to lose a hundred pounds before I’ll consider having another baby, but we did come to the conclusion that I was going to give it my all until next January.  Then we can start trying for another.

This thought has weighed heavy on my mind lately, and I cannot wait any longer.  No more dragging my feet and being “off plan” more than I’m “on plan”.  I have been on this WLJ since June of 2011 and all I have lost is around 30 pounds.  It’s time to get serious and not let life’s obstacles get in the way.  It’s time that I show how committed I really am.

4 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on March 29, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in 21-Day Vegan Kickstart, Commitment, Diet, Motivation, Planning, Plant Based Diet, Vegan

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on March 29, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/03/29/the-sweet-relief-of-routine/

Finger Typing

No Internet at my house until Thursday, so I’m typing this on my iPhone! I miss blogging!
We got moved into our house successfully and now I am trying to get us settled in, and I thought I would give a quick update:
I have barely sat down in the last 4 days, and once I find where my scale is hiding I’ll weigh myself. I’ve been face planting into bed ever night with exhaustion, and it is quite the fulfilling feeling. Maybe I should move more often (totally kidding).
Anyway, back to regular posting by the end of the week!
I hope you are all having a fabulous week!

1 Comment
by Shrinking Carrie on March 27, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on March 27, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/03/27/finger-typing/

48 More Hours

48 more hours and I promise that I will stop whining about this move that we have been enduring, because it will finally be complete!  I’ve had a lot of time to think, since I have spent at least 3 hours of each day this week driving back and forth from the old house to the new house.  I’m pretty sure the shocks on my car (what’s left of them) are about to give out any moment with all of the shite I’ve been hauling.

What have I been thinking about, you ask?  I’ve been thinking about the positives that will come from this move.  So in the true fashion of bloggers, I have come up with my Top 10 Reason’s I’m Excited to Move list!!!

10. It’s oh so quiet.  In my current home we are packed into our neighborhood like sardines!  I have neighbors on one side that play music EXTREMELY LOUD at ALL hours of the day, and night.  They have parties on weekdays, and because we are a corner lot everyone parks in front of our house.  Very annoying.  The neighbors on the other side have a garden which they water 3 hours a day (not to mention some questionable plants that require a locked gate, if you know what I mean) which floods into our back yard and creates a swampy mess all summer long.

Our new home is in a small town.  I looked up the population and the responses averaged out that there is definitely less than 10,000 people.  Our neighborhood is in a covenanted area, and the HOA is strict about a lot of things.  When I got out of my car today is was dead silent.  You can hear nature (probably because we live on the side of a mountain, far away from the interstate), and you can hear yourself think.

9. Lack of restaurants.  I wasn’t to stoked about this in the beginning, but the idea has come to grow on me.  There is limited places to eat.  In fact, the only two fast food restaurants they have in my town are Subway and Wendy’s.  And I have to drive at least 15 minutes just to get to there.  No places to eat means that I can’t flake out on my home-made dinner plans to go get fatty foods.

8. There is a great walking path, and they actually have sidewalks!  My current home is located off of a busy road and I have to brave oncoming traffic if I want to take a walk with the jogging stroller.  I can’t help but think I am putting myself and Hanna in danger when I want to get some fresh air.

There is a walking path within walking distance of my new house.  I clocked the total distance with my car today and it goes about 3 miles.  That is a nice distance.

7. Free Activity Center.  I guess I technically pay for this with my HOA, but it is nothing close to what a gym memberships cost, and I can’t wait to check it out (pictures and post to come).

6. Small town living.  My hub’s grew up in small towns all over and he is actually excited to get back to the small town life.  This will be a new experience for me, but I have heard a lot of great things.

5. A new adventure!  Moving somewhere new is always a new adventure, and I am learning to accept it with open arms.

4. New House, New Habits.  I don’t know about you, but a change in environment is a great way to jump-start a change in bad habits.

3. I get to meet new people.  I love being in my comfort zone (who doesn’t), but I have found that you don’t progress unless you put yourself out of you comfort zone.  Being in a new town means that I’m going to have to make some new friend, a perfect remedy for comfort.

2. Spend less money.  Some days when I’m bored I head out to the mall and spend money. It’s usually not a lot of money, but after a while it adds up.  The nearest place to really go shopping is at least 20 minutes away, and thinking about driving to an anti-climactic destination like Wal-mart takes the wind out of my sails.  I keep telling myself that this is a good thing.

1. More family time.  For the last 4 years Dustin has been spending about 2 1/2 hours a day commuting (that is after working a 12 hour day).  Now we will be living in the town that is centrally located to all of the water plants that he oversees.  This means he doesn’t have to leave as early, he gets to come home for lunch, and he gets home earlier.  Hanna will have her dad around, and I will get to enjoy having my hub’s around a LOT more.  Also, there will be a scheduled routine in my future, and I thrive on a consistent schedule.

Have you ever experienced a move like this?  Do you have anything to add to the list?

 

3 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on March 22, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Challenges, Change, Distractions, Moving

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on March 22, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/03/22/48-more-hours/

I Would Love to Tell You…..

I would love to tell you all that we have successfully closed and moved into our new home by now, but in the true fashion of home purchasing, the closing didn’t get done until a week after we thought it would and didn’t receive the keys until yesterday afternoon.  I’ve been driving around with all of my kitchen stuff in my car for the last day and a half ready to go to the new house (all but my Kitchenaid and Vitamix, I’m not crazy!), and today will finally be the day that we get this party started.

I am so ready for this to be over.  Do you have weird little things that you do when you are stressed?  Have they changed over the years, because mine sure have. My jaw gets really tight and my teeth start to hurt.  Also, when I sleep I roll my eyes as far down as they will go (without knowing it) and I wake up with a headache.  Stress does strange things to a person.

On the weight loss front…..

I would LOVE to tell you that I have been staying on track, and working hard towards my goals, but that hasn’t been happening either.  Last week, I was so intensely stressed that I ate anything and everything.  I couldn’t get enough!  This week I finally took a step back.  I focused on feeling those stressed feelings and not just trying to feed them.  Lucky for me the scale hasn’t changed from the gain I had a couple of weeks ago.  I can work with that.

Another thing that has been on my mind…..

This thought is usually at the front of my mind:  Hanna wants to eat everything that I am eating.  When I started my weight loss journey it was for me, but it was also for Hanna.  I wanted to instill in her different eating habits than the ones I currently had.  Every time I eat something in front of her now it makes me think if I am being a bad example and what would be the better decision for her.  I am so glad that I have this thought because it definitely makes me want to be  a better person.

The rest of this week will be filled with moving and cleaning, which should be great physical activity.  I can’t wait for this week to be over so that I can re-focus and start making a dent in my goals!

 

2 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on March 21, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Challenges, Distractions, Goals, Moving

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on March 21, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/03/21/i-would-love-to-tell-you/

See Ya in 2!

This quote pretty much sums up the status of my life right now.  My life has gotten a bit crazy and my poor little blog has had to take a backseat.  And it’s only going to get worse in the next two weeks.

This week I have been running around gathering documents to finalize the closing on our house, trying to de-junk the current home so we don’t have to move the “same old crap”, and dealing with a baby who can’t get rid of this ridiculous cold which also means that she continues to get ear infections.  Boo.

Life has been stressful.  We are also going to be doing a little traveling at the end of this week for Dustin’s Grannies funeral, and then next week it is closing on the house and moving.

With all this jammed packed into the next couple of weeks I have come to grips with the fact that I need a vacation from the blog for a couple of weeks.  I’m sure you all don’t want to hear me bitch and moan about all of the changes that are happening on a day-to-day basis, but I also respect you all too much to give you canned blog post’s that don’t have my full heart and soul.

So cheer up Charlie, I will be back in 2, I promise!  I have grown to love my blog land, and there is no way you are getting rid of me that easily!  I will also still be apart of the “Monica’s Birthday Challenge”, and I will be continuing to weigh in on Saturday’s.  I will also continue striving to eat healthy in these stressful times and exercise to help me keep healthy habits going strong!  Until then I will try to commit important thoughts to memory so that I can tell you guys all about then on March 20th!

Thanks for sticking with me!  Normalcy is in the near future and I am ready to get there again!

1 Comment
by Shrinking Carrie on March 6, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Blogging

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on March 6, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/03/06/see-ya-in-2/

FMM: What’s On Your Workout Playlist?

I am off of the ledge today, and happy to report that I have already taken 3 pounds off of that dirty number I shared yesterday.  I know a lot of it will be gone by this weekend so that is helping me stay positive!

I totally proved that little cartoon wrong.  Bitching DOES burn calories!

Now onto Friend Making Monday’s!

I’m loving the new button that Kenlie made!

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

FMM: What’s On Your Workout Playlist?

I LOVE the topic this week because I look forward to jamming out every time I go to the gym.  One of the reason’s I love going to the gym is to listen to music and zone out!  I like almost all kind of music.  The only genre I refuse to listen to is Country.  In fact, it is a wide known fact about my personality.   I CAN’T STAND COUNTRY.  My favorite type of music is Alternative, but because of the language it brings with it, I tend to listen to a lot more top 40 since I had Hanna.  I would rather have her learn cursing from me or Dustin, hehe.  A few things I am loving working out to are:

  • David Guetta’s new album Nothing But The Beat
  • Skrillex Bangarang

  • Gareth Emery
  • Shiny Toy Guns

Here is my entire gym playlist:

What is your favorite music to workout too?  

6 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on March 5, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Friend Making Monday

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on March 5, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/03/05/fmm-whats-on-your-workout-playlist/

A Loss and a Gain

‎”Things don’t go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be.”

Thank you again Livestrong.com for another inspiring Facebook status!  I sure needed it after the past week.

In the wee hours of the early morning on Wednesday, Dustin, Hanna, and I set off for Las Vegas after getting news that Dustin’s Grandmother had a stroke. My husband has been truly blessed in his life, and although I do not feel it is my place to give out information about his past, I have to say that his family is amazing.  In high school the Larsen/Beighley clan started feeding my husband, and ended up not being able to get rid of him.  I call his family Dustin’s “surrogate” family, but to Dustin they are thicker than blood.  So when his granny went to the hospital from pneumonia this past week, it was not a hard decision that we needed to be with the family.

After many twists and turns throughout this week Granny decided it was her time to go this morning.  She (along with every. single. member of the Larsen/ Beighley Family) was one of the most selfless people I was blessed to know.  She gave service to anyone who needed it and always put others before herself.  I celebrate the life that she lived, and also the work in the after life that she will be doing.  I am so blessed to know that there is a heaven above and a Heavenly Father waiting with open arms.  I will miss you Granny, and I can’t wait until the time that we will meet again!

And in regards to the “gain” portion that I mentioned in the title….

In stressful times I eat.  You can tell how stressed I am by the amount of food that I eat.  This week started out great, and by Tuesday  I was down 3 pounds ready to win this weeks weigh in for Monica’s Birthday Challenge, and then the week started to go South quickly.  As soon as I knew we were going to be traveling I started to crave food.  Spending time in a hospital made me crave food.  Being in a place that had thousands of options to choose from made me crave food.

So what did I do?  I ate.  I ate my feelings.  I ate my sadness.  I ate my frustrations with eating too much by eating more.

And then I had a little break down, and a pity party for myself.

Then I put on my big girl panties and I weighed myself. If you do the crime, you do the time, and I needed to see the number that was going to show up:

That my friends is a 13 pound gain since the beginning of February.  Wait.  Wasn’t my goal to lose 5 pounds a month?  Hmmm.  I seem to be going the opposite direction.

I tried to tell myself it’s because I have only pooped twice in the last 5 days (going out of town in hard on my digestive track), or that I have a lot of water retention and salt hanging around in my system.  While all of these things are true, and the weight loss will come quickly with those first few pounds once I get back on a healthy track, it is still a gain.  It is still a step backward, and it is still frustrating.  My first thought is that I have to come up with a plan of action, but the plan is simple and needs no long thought process. Track food.  Exercise.  Drink Water.  Sleep 7-8 hours.  Repeat.

 

 

4 Comments
by Shrinking Carrie on March 4, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Challenges, Commitment, Distractions, Dustin, Family, Food Binge, Frustration, Indulgence, Poop, Weigh in

Posted by Shrinking Carrie on March 4, 2012

http://shrinkingcarrie.com/2012/03/04/a-loss-and-a-gain/

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