December Progress Pictures, January Goals

It's December 31st! That means more progress pictures.

It's kind of fun putting them together like this but I'll have to do it a bit different next month because they are getting too squishy.

October 1st, October 31st, November 31st, December 31st

This months measurements
Neck 13
Arm 11
Chest 35
Back 32 1/2
Waist above the button 31 (down an inch)
Waist 31 (down an inch)
Waist below the button 32 (down an inch)
Hips 34.5
Thigh 19.5

Weight this morning was 151.4 (down 1 pound)

So in December I lost 3 inches and lost one pound. Not too much but hey I'll take it!

I feel like I really slacked off on the exercise this month, but when I look back, it's way more than I was doing LAST YEAR. Like 100% more!

I didn't do stickers this month. I think I'm going to go back to the stickers and hanging the calendar on the fridge. I like the "sticker for everyday" challenge.

I only rode my bike 2 times in the whole month. Hard to believe that used to be my main exercise.

I had challenged myself to run 70 miles in the month but I only made it to 49.16.

I was thinking about trying to run today but I think it might be better to give my knee some more time off. Yesterday we went and rode bikes and my knees were popping like crazy but they actually felt better when we were done, go figure!

So for January I am going to make my running goal 70 miles again. It's a stretch but just as long as my old lady legs don't fail me I think I can do it. I will start my half marathon training on the 14th but want to of course keep running before that.

I only have about 2 weeks left with my trainer and then she is quitting the gym and training. I may switch gyms so I can work out with her at the new gym she is going to join where "no one knows she is a trainer". We are talking about doing a triathlon together in the fall and the half marathon in April still.

BUT that means I need to come up with my own routines at the gym. I'm looking for some weight lifting "routines" I'm sure that's the wrong word but not sure what else to call it, that I can do on my own working the different areas. I REALLY like lifting the free weights. That's my favorite at the gym. Who would have though?

If you have links to some good free weight work outs please share!

Here is my calendar, I've take to writing in pencil so I can move things around. Sorry it's blue, I keep forgetting to buy printer paper (and ink!)

I think I may do the 30 day shred or the Killer Abs videos every day of January (I guess I should pick one quick!). I kind of like having something to do every day even if it's hard. So what. Life is hard. We'll just all look hotter for being so hard on ourselves :wink:

Here's to an awesome January!!

Rocking It!

Anyone else feel like this was YOUR year??

F'ing awesome I tell you!!!

50-ish pounds down

Running

Bike Riding

Marriage doing awesome

Hot hubby

Kids are all healthy and doing well

Sure we had a few bumps in the road but that's called life!

This was the year of taking control of myself. I've been slipping up a bit this last month but hey New Years Day is right around the corner. I've been tossing things in the trash (take that cupcakes!) this morning and working on my new years goals in my head.

Two things I think I want to do but sound really hard are

Clean eating 

and giving up diet soda.

I've kicked the soda before but it's been a LONG time ago and I lasted like 6 months before I gave in. I don't necessarily drink it every day but pretty close.

I ate pretty clean when I first started my healthy eating. I pretty much followed a low carb diet and hardly ate any packaged foods. I THINK I can do it if I get back to meal planning. Meal planning is really the key for me. That way we aren't trying to figure out what we are going to eat at the last minute.

We can do it! I know we can!

I'm planning on one race a month, training for a half marathon in April and possibly a triathlon in the fall. We're doing it! Yes we are!!

Lazy Saturday and Race Pictures

I started my day off today by taking Jessica to her friend's house in Livermore, which meant a drive over the altamont and back. It was a nice day, and the hills were so pretty and green. No matter how old I am I always think the windmills are cool.

After I got back Scott and I went over to try and get Jessica's car. It got stuck in park the other day so she had to leave it at her friend's house. I did some research online and that seems to be a common problem with these cars. Mine is older and apparently has some different parts so thank God I haven't had that problem. We were all stressed about getting it out of park and it went right in on the first try. So we brought it home, and then it got stuck again. Scott's working on it though, he thinks it needs some kind of switch.

Trevor spent the day playing his new DS. I looked over and he had the kitten in the crook of his arm and she was just chilling.

I spent the day messing around on the computer. Chatting with friends over IM and looking at races online. I found this cool website that lists all the races around. It's called Running In The USA and from there I found another website that has dualathons and triathlons AND mountain bike races. And now? Scott is signed up for his first mountain bike race. I'm super excited for him.

I'm trying to find a 10k race to run in January. I'd like to try and do a race a month to keep myself motivated and moving.

I think I might do this one because it's close and cheap. Probably small and funky too though! It's a 10k or a 10 miler. Hmmmm 10 miles is probably pushing it! I a portion of today with ice on my leg :sigh: Hoping it doesn't take too long for whatever is wrong with it to work it's way out.

Scott BBQ'd us some chicken for dinner and we made a dent in the Christmas left overs. I'm about ready to go through the fridge and throw out all the crap food. I'm ready for clean and fresh!

Oh and they put up the race pictures from last weekend. Lets just say that wet and running and cold don't do so great in pictures. I'm glad I wasn't wearing a white shirt! Think I should buy these?

I kind of like this one, that's my trainer on the left. I get a limp hand when I run haha, That's better than the other one they took. Notice the tie going behind me, that's before I took it off. I had already ripped off a bow, bells, hat, gloves and the long sleeve shirt came off too.

This was the end of the first leg, the 10k. Yes, I'm exhausted, can you tell? I ALWAYS spring out the last bit of the race. It's empowering. I don't understand why people slow down right before the finish. DUDE that's like a whole minute on your time!!

 After the 5k (notice not carrying all the crap) This one was so much easier. I remembered about the cameras and tried to look like I was having fun :wink:

Well I didn't get all the dishes washed but I put away a huge shit ton of clean clothes that I have been taking off my bed every night and putting them back on my bed every day (to find underwear or whatever). Too bad I have a shit ton more to wash!

Oh and I almost forgot, I watched the movie my mom bought me for Christmas. I used to have it taped off of HBO or something on a VHS but it died last year or so.

Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation

It's a great movie, full of one liners. Every time I watch it I'm a bit older and I "catch" something new.

TGIF!!

ALL TOGETHER NOW

IT'S FRIDAY!! IT'S FRIDAY!!!

Can you believe this is the last Friday of 2012? Crazy! This year has just flown by.

 I'm off work until Wednesday. YEAH for 4 day weekends!!

This weekends plans consist of 

nothing

nothing

party

and 

nothing!

In that order. Well I will be doing some house cleaning and laundry. That stupid laundry! Takes over everything. 

Maybe I should put the Christmas stuff away too.

Hopefully Scott will be able to fix Jessica's (NEW/USED) car that we just bought in August. She went to her friends house and went to leave but the car is stuck in park. Can't get the stupid thing to move out of park. F*k me! Pisses me off so much. I called the dealership and it may or may not be covered under warranty and I'd have to cover the tow. I looked online and it's a common problem so they should already know what it is and if it should be covered and I think if you just bought a car from there within a couple months the least hey can do is send someone across town to check it out. 

I know, keep dreaming.

Scott's smart though so I'm sure he can figure it out. I'm just glad that it happened here and not somewhere else, like while she was out away at school or something. She is going with a friend to the coast up north for the weekend so doesn't need her car either so that's a plus.

Tonight I went out to go for a run and my knee started hurting again. Not quite as bad as last time I tried to run but enough so that I had to alternate walking off and on. I'm currently sitting here with ice on it and the heater on.  I hope I didn't hurt myself. That would really suck. Guess I'll not try to run any longer distances for awhile until it starts to feel better. (double sucks)

That being what it is, I did run/walk 5 miles tonight.  That's my new running shirt I have on there, thanks to the hubby for Christmas!! Sweet! It was cold out but not cold enough for sweat pants. Some day I'll learn that one. I need to get myself some more of the cheap pants I bought at Target that work good for me. $10 leggings!

I took the kids to Target today to spend some of their Christmas money. Trevor bought a 3DS XL. He's in heaven. Shouldn't have to entertain him for a day or two :wink: The screen on it is really big. I told Melissa they went from making things smaller to bigger again. 

 I think I MAY have escaped the flu that the rest of the family got. I am the only one in the house that hasn't puked in the last 48 hours. I have been sucking down the Emergen-C and spraying Lysol like there is no tomorrow. I probably just jinxed that and will be praying to the porcelain God later but let's hope not!

Christmas Day!

Well BEFORE the stomach flu hit our house (Jess & I are the last ones standing so far :knock on wood:) we had Christmas Day.

We went to my brother Joe's house this year because my mom is getting a room built on and they've had a few other bad things happen to their house in the last month (termites, ceilings falling in and leaks!).

My parents provided breakfast (no, I did NOT count calories that day!)

And then the little elves started handing out presents

 Look what Santa delivered to my brother Louie's house! They named her Lucy (just like my kitten, go figure). She slept almost the entire day. I'm pretty sure that meant they were going to be up all night.

And then, as usual we opened presents from youngest to oldest.

Ava was already too tired to open her presents by the time we got started. She was put down for a nap right after.

Adrian was so funny, she'd open a present, get all excited and then hurl it to the floor to open the next one.

Trevor

Tony

Melissa 

Jessica

Maegen

Joe

Louie

Michele

Me (I'll just take the puppy!)

Scott

Mom (she really was happy?)

and Dad. 

Of course by the time we get to Dad all the little kids have scattered and opened all their toys to play with.

Then it was hanging out until dinner. Jess, Maegen and I played Rumicube until my Mom got back from her house and we got in trouble for not getting the potatoes started. Whoops!

It was fine though and we weren't too far behind schedule. Not like anyone was starving after snacking all day. 

Jess took a picture of us all at the table minus her of course. 

My step-dad's brother Bobby came and joined us for dinner too. 

After dinner there was dishes and then a bit of dessert. My brother Louie went home and then the rest of us played a couple games of spoons. It was a really long day. I think next year I'm going to suggest that we just meet more for dinner instead of the early morning. It's just too long for everyone with kids (and me!). It sucked to have to go to work the next day too!

Christmas Eve & Christmas Morning

Raise your hand if you are contemplating going on vacation next year instead of doing Christmas!

I swear, once you are a grown up, it's just not as much fun. All that MONEY you have to spend. Cooking. Cleaning. Hoping everyone likes the stuff you spent all that time shopping for. And getting together with family members that you may or may not like to see on a regular basis.

FUN!!

The day I did my run the girls baked. I was kind of hoping no one would notice us not baking this year. I mean really the best way for me to not gorge myself on cookies is to not have any right? But no, the annual tradition of cookies and peanut butter pie and cute cupcakes was carried on.

  Jessica helped, threatened with my life to not put pictures of her on the internet anywhere)

(those cookies in the big tub are the Mrs. Field's chain letter cookies from years ago)

And I may STILL be eating them tonight. UGH. It doesn't help that we FORGOT a whole huge peanut butter pie at home so SOMEONE'S got to eat it. I'm giving it another day or so and then everything is getting tossed.

Christmas Eve Scott went in to work SUPER early. His boss wanted him to not work and for him to not have to pay him for taking the day off. UM NO? Soo he went in super early and worked 8 hours and still got home in time for us to go to my Dad's house together. Now that's dedication.

I got this cute shirt at the thrift store last week. They had half off tops again when I went in there and I found some nice ones for about a dollar each! (The solid black is a thin sweater)

I should have taken pictures of everyone but just took one of me and my dad (and the food-inner fat girl lives on!) My step mom's sister, niece and brother came over so it was nice visiting with everyone. I haven't seen them in years.

My Step-Mom is a great cook! I had what she called "sweet beans aka calico beans", "Portuguese beans, ham, mac salad, french bread and her famous cheese ball.  I love those sweet beans, she said she'd give me the recipe.

Sadly no coconut cream pie, but she made a coconut poke cake.

After my Dad's we went over to Scott's parents house and DOH I forgot to take a picture of his parents. What's wrong with me? I did get the kids opening up their stockings though (and a slight bit of his Dad in the background)

Scott's sister wasn't able to join us since she had to work (she works at a Grocery store). I told Scott to ask his Mom what she wanted for dinner and she said Papa Murphy's Pizza. At first I was like? For Christmas? But then I was like SCORE I don't have to cook! Scott went and picked them up the day before to avoid the crowds so that was the easiest dinner ever. And good! Not that I was really all that hungry after my Dad's.

We went home after and Scott and I crashed out while the kids stayed up and did whatever it is they do to stay up all night.

Christmas morning we got up and opened presents at home. Well first we had to wake the girls up. I went in and yelled "SANTA CAME!"  Haha Teenagers are so much fun!

They eventually strolled out and then we opened up presents. Everyone got two presents and stockings this year. Santa is on a budget (or should be).

My "key" for whose presents are whose. I never put their real names on the presents.

Trevor got the new Skylander's Giants game (already beat it one day later!) and some of the guys for it AND a nice new sweatshirt with headphones in the drawstrings.

Melissa got a vanity for her room (I swear I went to like 10 stores looking for a nice one!) and a new hair straightener. Jess got a Kindle Fire and a phone charger for her car.

Scott got me a nice new running shirt and I got him a caddy for his tools. We just did a $20 limit for each other and a promise to have a night away together.

After presents at home we went to my brother's house to celebrate with my Mom's side of the family.