perfect 10: week 5

- Walk 12 miles a week (done)
- Do front (2x60) and side (1x30/side) planks 3 days a week. (done)
- Keep on our budget. (done)
- Hit and exceed my initial weight loss goal--and start a new one. (Want to finish this soon. I have no clue, though, sincce I haven't weighed myself since Monday--scary!)
- Read 4 books (done with one and 3/4 way through another)
- Only use my horn for avoiding traffic collisions. (done)
- Cook dinner at home 4 times a week (done)
- Go on 3 hikes (none yet, but there's still time)

Interesting tidbit: in my youth, we used to spend 2 weeks in the summer camping around Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. We'd tool around in a huge van. In a change from current methods, the van only had 2 seats with seatbelts (my dad's and my mom's); the rest of us just kinda lounged in the back of the van on foam and sleeping bags. Not sure if that was even legal then (and definitely not now!). Oh yeah, we also had a make-shift milk jug urinal that was bolted to the inside of the van with a tube going down into the wheel well. Too much info??

Challenge Challenges:
South Beach Steve: Tabata Jacks
Call Me Ishmael: Double Crunches
Call Me Ishmael: The BW Matrix
Anonymous: Jumping Rope
Kimberley: Swimming Pool
Josie: Yoga
Shelli Belly: Kettlebells (may or may not do this, since I (and my gym) don't have these)
Natalie: Burpees

There's still time to put me to work. Add a comment here until I hit my goal. You can add a new one every day!

Friday:
Challenge Challenge: tabata jacks with a score of 25 (I think I scored it right...the lowest count of any cycle, right, Steve?) 
1- 15 minute session on the Elliptical
1- 20 minute session on the Stationary Bike
1- 10 minute session on the Stairmaster
1 set of 2- 60 second planks
2 sets of 30 second side planks (on each side)
30 sit ups
Walk 3 miles
Read the Bible Daily
Pray Daily
Date with Anna
Fast

Total:
4- 15 minute sessions on the Elliptical
1- 20 minute session on the Treadmill
3- 20 minute session on the Stationary Bike
4- 10 minute sessions on the Stairmaster
3 set of 2- 60 second planks
6 sets of 30 second side planks (on each side)
210 sit ups
Walk 14 miles
Read the Bible Daily
Pray Daily
2 Dates with Anna
Fast

Weekly Calories:
Saturday: 2,150 Calories
Sunday: 2,000 Calories
Monday: 1,485 Calories
Tuesday: 1,750 Calories
Wednesday: 1,950 Calories
Thursday: 1,980 Calories
Friday: 840 Calories

Total Week: 12,155 Calories (Average daily: 1,737 Calories)

I think I'll be trying to add more Calories to my diet. I'm thinking that 1,700 Calories is just a little too little food. Next week, I'll be trying to average 2,000-2,100 Calories a day (including my fast day). Thoughts?

I'm back to posting my twEATS! You can follow me here.

The difference a year makes Part I

Anna and I went to our company party a couple of weekends ago, and I finally got the picture!  Thought it would be fun to compare the two, as our company party happened around that same time both years.  Wow, what a difference.  Well mostly.  Anna's still beautiful!  And I've lost almost 125 pounds.  Wow.  Just.  Wow.  I can't wait to see what we'll look like in January 2011!  (Oh, and if you couldn't tell, the left is from 2009; the right is from 2010)

Challenge Challenges:
South Beach Steve: Tabata Jacks
Call Me Ishmael: Double Crunches
Anonymous: Jumping Rope
Kimberley: Swimming Pool
Josie: Yoga
Shelli Belly: Kettlebells

There's still time to put me to work. Add a comment here until I hit my goal. You can add a new one every day!

Thursday:
Challenge Challenge: 50 Double Crunches (those were tough)
1- 15 minute session on the Elliptical
1- 20 minute session on the Stationary Bike
1- 10 minute session on the Stairmaster
30 sit ups
Walk 3 miles
Read the Bible Daily
Pray Daily
Date with Anna

Total:
3- 15 minute sessions on the Elliptical
1- 20 minute session on the Treadmill
2- 20 minute session on the Stationary Bike
3- 10 minute sessions on the Stairmaster
2 set of 2- 60 second planks
4 sets of 30 second side planks (on each side)
180 sit ups
Walk 11 miles
Read the Bible Daily
Pray Daily
Date with Anna

Weekly Calories:
Saturday: 2,150 Calories
Sunday: 2,000 Calories
Monday: 1,485 Calories
Tuesday: 1,750 Calories
Wednesday: 1,950 Calories
Thursday: 1,980 Calories

I'm back to posting my twEATS! You can follow me here.

Beej's Beef Jerky

Okay, so it's just my first time playing with it, but I was able to buy a Jerky Xpress Food Dehydrator for only $20 at my local Fred Meyer.  That's $30 off the normal price--60% off! 

I love beefy jerky, but it's so dang salty, and often too sweet for my tastes.  So I tried to make my own recipe.  It turned out okay, but I'll be tweaking it next batch (which I'll make on Saturday).  I'll post the recipe once it's finalized, but it's getting close (I just have to find out a way to cut down the Lite Soy Sauce even more).  I love experimenting!

Challenge Challenges:
South Beach Steve: Tabata Jacks
Call Me Ishmael: Double Crunches
Anonymous: Jumping Rope
Kimberley: Swimming Pool

There's still time to put me to work.  Add a comment here until I hit my goal.  You can add a new one every day!

Wednesday:
Challenge Challenge: 10 Minutes Jumping Rope
1- 15 minute session on the Elliptical
1- 20 minute session on the Stationary Bike
1- 10 minute session on the Stairmaster
1 set of 2- 60 second planks
2 sets of 30 second side planks (on each side)
30 sit ups
Read the Bible Daily
Pray Daily

Total:
2- 15 minute sessions on the Elliptical
1- 20 minute session on the Treadmill
1- 20 minute session on the Stationary Bike
2- 10 minute sessions on the Stairmaster
2 set of 2- 60 second planks
4 sets of 30 second side planks (on each side)
150 sit ups
Walk 8 miles
Read the Bible Daily
Pray Daily

Weekly Calories:
Saturday: 2,150 Calories
Sunday: 2,000 Calories
Monday: 1,485 Calories
Tuesday: 1,750 Calories
Wednesday: 1,950 Calories

I'm back to posting my twEATS! You can follow me here.

POST 200: Seeking Something

Here we are.  200 Posts!  Not that I'm big on milestone posts (in fact, I didn't even realize that this was going to be my 200th post until earlier this week), but it happens to coincide with something I've been wanting to talk about.  I'm stuck.  It's not a plateau (although I've only lost 5 pounds in the past 3 weeks).  It's not for lack of motivation (I only have 3.8 pounds to go).  And it's not that I'm not working for my loss (I've been doing pretty well--when I'm actually in the gym).  I'm just kinda stuck.  I think I've gotten used to this new life.  I'm not really challenging myself anymore.  It's almost like I'm coasting through.  I need to shock myself.  I've let myself feel like I'm there, and it gets much harder once you get this close to your goal.  So I need to punch it up.  I did some of that myself.  I decided not to do my regular workout routine today,  instead, I ran--outside--with some friends.  It was great!  And now, I'm looking for more options.  So, here's the thing.  I've never been one to one of these challenges (other than the charity thing), but I'm looking for challenges.  

Here's a challenge challenge.  I'd like all of you (my few commenters, and slightly more numerous readers) to drop me a comment and offer a suggestion.  There are only a few stipulations: A) the exercise should be able to be completed in a regular small gym, or with no equipment at all; B) it must be reasonable (but a bit of a challenge is cool) and C) it must not take more than 20 minutes.  I will do any exercise that is suggested, and I will do at least one exercise (maybe two) a day, every day, until they're all done.  And each commenter can suggest 1 exercise per day--I will keep collecting suggestions until I hit my goal weight.  But even once I hit my goal weight, I'll still complete all of the suggexercises.  And duplicates are okay. Does that make sense? Or is it too convoluted? We'll see how this goes. So bring it on!       

Tuesday:
30 sit ups
Run 4 miles (at work)
Walk 3 miles (at home)
Read the Bible Daily
Pray Daily

Total:
1- 15 minute session on the Elliptical
1- 20 minute session on the Treadmill
1- 10 minute session on the Stairmaster
1 set of 2- 60 second planks
2 sets of 30 second side planks (on each side)
120 sit ups
Walk 8 miles
Read the Bible Daily
Pray Daily

Weekly Calories:
Saturday: 2,150 Calories
Sunday: 2,000 Calories
Monday: 1,485 Calories
Tuesday: 1,750 Calories

I'm back to posting my twEATS! You can follow me here.

2010 Goals: January Update

Taking from Kimberley's recent post about how her annual goals have been going so far (and they've been going well! Check her blog out), I thought it would be great to do a status check of my own. So, here is goes for the first month of 2010:

1) I want to walk 500 miles.  So far, I've walked 52 miles.  I'm on track!

2) I want to regularly give to our church. We've worked tithing into our budget, and are giving regularly.

3) I want to be free. Debt free. Which means that we need to finally pay off that final little bit of my student loans.  We Haven't done much on this, but I'm hoping to in the next couple of months.

4) I want to have more patience with my driving. This really has been a success so far.

5) I want to entertain more. Success here, too! We've had multiple dinners, a game night, and we'll be hosting a small Super Bowl party--anyone who is reading this and knows me is welcome to come!

6) I want to read. At least 15 books. I'm about 1-1/2 down. I'd still like to pick up the pace!

Sub-goal: "Run" one "5k" a month (this will usually be the first weekend of the month). I've done one. I'll do another on Saturday.

Up to Monday:
1- 15 minute session on the Elliptical
1- 20 minute session on the Treadmill
1- 10 minute session on the Stairmaster
1 set of 2- 60 second planks
2 sets of 30 second side planks (on each side)
90 sit ups
Walk 1 mile (that shouldn't even count!)
Read the Bible Daily
Pray Daily

Weekly Calories:
Saturday: 2,150 Calories
Sunday: 2,000 Calories
Monday: 1,485 Calories

I'm back to posting my twEATS! You can follow me here. And I think I need to do this for a while.