I am a Triathlete!

the beginning of this month I competed in my first triathlon up in Logan. It was amazing! Here I am right before the race with my cousin Wade.

Most triathlons are in open water, but I decided to do my first one in a pool. I am not a strong swimmer and am certainly not fast. I was worried I might get tired and have to back stroke, but I was able to achieve my goal of doing it all on my front, either freestyle or breast stroke.

The bike ride was my favorite part: 12.1 miles through beautiful Cache Valley.

My cousin Wade on the 3.1 mile run.

This is moments before I crossed the finish line!

We had wonderful cheerleaders! My cousin Ann Marie had originally planned to race with us, but she's been busy planning a wedding instead of training. I'm excited for Joe to join our family! They and Brad were such good sports to come all the way up to watch us that early!

It may have only been a sprint (half the Olympic distance), but it was a great start. It was really so much fun and I wasn't even sore afterwards; I surely should have pushed myself harder. For my own benefit of trying to beat my times, I'll post them. My swim was 17:33.2, my bike was 48:50.4, the run was 36:41.2 and my overall including transitions was 146:13.0. I definitely want to do another triathlon and hope to do the Cache Valley Sprint again next year! We're officially triathletes!

Thank you to wonderful Aunt Angie who slept over at our house Friday night so that we could leave at six in the morning and not worry about our kids all morning. We love you Angie!

Dirty Dash

At the beginning of this month I ran the Dirty Dash race, which is a 5k mud run. My cousins Ann Marie and Wade, my Aunt Amber and a few of Ann Marie's friends and I were on a team together. Our team name was "Cruisin' for a Bruisin'".

There were photographers throughout the race taking professional photos. I don't love these photos enough to purchase them, so that's why there just the samples. The race was up at Soldier Hollow in Midway. Some of the race was just a dirt road, but they had obstacles like hay bales and these walls you had to climb over.

There were sometimes fans spraying our huge amounts of water to make everything a muddy mess. There were tires to step through and tunnels to crawl though. Some runners slopped themselves with so much mud that they were brown from head-to-toe. I actually didn't get too dirty considering the mess I was running through. Near the end they had this huge blow-up thing. I tried to slide, but it didn't have enough air, so I had to jog down it instead. At the very end there was this huge mud pit. I decided to wear clothes that I don't care for so that I could just throw them away afterwards. Good riddance! I wore some old running shoes that were still great. After the race I washed them off and donated them to charity. I'm glad that people in Africa can benefit from them. Climbing out of that slippery pit was seriously an accomplishment. Here is our team Cruisin' for a Bruisin' with the Dirty Dash stuffed pig: Amber, Tricia, Me, Ann Marie, Rita and Wade.

It was really fun! It's definitely the kind of thing that is way more fun with a team than it would be by yourself. They're doing a 10k Dirty Dash in September if you're up for it.

Olympic Distance

Ready or not, I've decided I'm going to do an Olympic triathlon. It's REALLY FAR to swim nearly a mile across Jordanelle Reservoir, bike 26.2 miles on mountain roads and then run a 10K all in quick succession. I'm determined to do it though. I've still got a lot of training to do, so wish me luck!

Aspiring Triathlete

I've decided to train for a sprint triathlon this summer. I've got a long way to go to prepare, but I'm determined. I've never been really into swimming or biking- or competitive running for that matter, but I'm going to be. I recently got a gym membership and have been going 4-5 times a week getting up at 5:45 a.m. to go. It will take a while to get in shape post-Liesel, but I'll get there.

I've got a fitness blog where I post about my training, eating right and motivation. If you want to join me for the sprint tri, let me know; the more the merrier!

Running Tour

I decided to take the boys on a jogging tour of some of our neighborhood parks. I ran at least 5 mile-runs three times this week. Yay for me!
Anyway, on Monday we ran over to Harrisville Park. Parker has his own descriptions of each park, so I'll put those in quotes. This is "the park by the church."On Wednesday we ran over to Orion Park "the one with the bridge". They have regular swings too, but Parker prefers the baby ones because then I'll run under him and push him really high. Friday I decided to be more ambitious, so I ran up to a bunch of the Pleasant View parks. For those who don't live around here, that means elevation gains. Pushing 70 pounds of weight up steep hills in a Graco Duoglide non-jogging stroller equals a great workout for me!
Our first park was Shady Lane.

The boys were fascinated by the rooster that stopped by to check us out.

Next I pushed the boys up to Pleasant View Park. Parker loves "the green swing park."

After that we headed over to Henry Barker Jr. Park or "the fish park".

Lastly, we went to Lomond View Park "with the horses".

By the end Parker had no patience for pictures, hence the expression. There are still more parks within jogging distance, so we'll see if I am motivated enough to run there.

Before and After

Well, I haven't quite reached my goal, but as many of you know, I've been trying to get in shape. I even started a little blog to write recommendations and encouragement for others. Anyway, I have lost 58 pounds from my nine months pregnant peak and 40 since six-weeks post-partum. Anyway, if anyone out there is hoping to lose a little weight and get in shape, there's hope! Good luck!

Halfway There

So a couple of days ago I achieved my halfway mark on my goal to lose 50 pounds. It took me almost three and a half months, but I've been working hard and losing it the right way. It's pretty cool that I am 43 pounds lighter than I was at the beginning of December (nine months pregnant). Here are a few of the things that have helped me lose the weight:

1- KEEPING TRACK of my food intake and exercise. I use Gyminee. It's free and easy to use. I can just type in what I ate and it calculates the calories for me. It let's me eat fractions of a serving and create my own foods. It also keeps track of protein, carbohydrates and fat. It helps you set calorie goals based on your goal weight and your activity level. It also shows you average calories burned by different exercises and therefore can keep track of what you're burning as well. Gyminee has really helped me a lot.

2- NUTRIENT-RICH FOODS It's pretty easy to feel full without consuming too many calories if you eat smart. Protein and fiber are great fillers, so eat plenty, but make sure with fiber you gradually increase your intake. A few of my favorite filling foods are Western Family Non-Fat Yogurt, Low-Fat Cottage Cheese, South Beach High Protein Peanut Butter Bars, deli-sliced baked chicken or turkey, Progresso Light Soups, apples, Special K, Fiber-One Honey Clusters and Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers. Because I am still nursing, I make especially sure to get enough dairy and not let my calories get too low, usually between 1400-1900. If I weren't nursing I'd probably go for 1300-1700 calories daily. I am 5' 6 1/2" and actively exercising, so your goals might be different. I quite often eat regular fattening stuff (yesterday I made delicious cheese and meat lasagna), but I just try to eat well otherwise and can keep my calories low. The hard things are sweets. A few days ago I ate 8 peices of licorice, that's 300 calories or almost the same as one serving of my lasagna. Be very conscientious of candy and sugary drinks.

3- FUN EXERCISES Up until a month ago, I almost always ran for exercise. I still do run, but i have discovered Exercise TV and have found that there are some really fun exercises. There are over 100 free full-length workout videos available. It's a little cheesy, but my very favorite is Teri Ann Krefting's Dorm Room Workout. I also really like Cindy Whitmarsh's cardio videos as well. I use 10 pound hand weights, but I had to work up to it. Just find something active that you enjoy and that you can do with the kids if you need to.
I still have more to lose, but I am feeling great and am excited about the progress. I started a blog that focuses more on my health and fitness goals and I'd love any of your ideas. Good luck to anyone else who is trying to achieve a healthier lifestyle!

Slim & Healthy Life Blog

So, since I've been so determined to get into shape, I've had health and fitness on my mind a lot. I decided rather than put that stuff on my regular blog all the time, I'd make another for that expressed purpose. I may still write about my progress occasionally, but I'll put most of my weight-loss tips on my Slim and Healthy Life blog. I've lost 21 pounds in the last three months. I still have farther to go, but I'm making good steady progress. Anyone is welcome to check it out. I'd love any advice you may have for getting fit!

It's Been Working For Me

Well, I certainly haven't been losing weight at any record pace, but I have been losing it consistently for the last few months. I haven't taken any diet supplements or used any other miracle tricks. I have done it with diet and exercise alone.

To start things off, here are a few links to helpful charts and calculators. It's helpful to know the healthy weight range for a given height and about how many calories you burn without exercise (BMR). I am 5 feet 6 1/2 inches, so 126 - 158 is my healthy weight range. My BMR is about 1580 calories. (Remember, as you lose wight, your BMR changes. It has dropped by 70 calories in the last few months.) Now you need to exercise to raise the amount of calories you can consume, or eat less than that. I exercise 4-6 times a week and usually eat a few hundred calories more than that.

Now that you have figured that out, what to do now? Let's start with diet. When I say diet, I don't mean starving myself or boycotting certain foods. What I do mean is calculating about how many calories I burn and consuming less. Even if I want to eat some deep-fat fried thing loaded with sugar on occasion, it can be done, but for the most part I don't waste my calories. The most important thing is to KEEP TRACK. I use gyminee to do it free online. I just type in what I ate and it keeps track of the grams of protein, carbs and fat along with the total calories. It lets me have fractions of servings and I can even create my own foods. This makes it easy to see what I'm eating and how the calories are distributed.

Be very careful about eating out. Check out the calories before you go so that you can make a good choice. Every once in a while you may opt to have a free day, but be sure to make that very rare. I end up having only about one or two per month and I try to have really good cardio workouts on the day before, of and after if possible.

Let me just share some recommendations on foods I eat often. These help fill me up, without maxing out on calories. Some healthy foods I like are lowfat cottage cheese, oatmeal, egg whites, Green Giant Steamers, South Beach Protein Bars, Great Value BeneFit Fiber Bars or Fiber One(Oats 'n Chocolate is good), South Beach Fiber Chocolate bars (taste divinely good), Western Family Non-Fat Yogurt, Progresso Light Soups, and Special K. I also like fresh, steamed or boiled veggies and fresh fruits, especially apples. If I get the muchies or a craving for something sweet, I chew sugar-free gum like Stride or Orbit. This is by no means a comprehensive list, nor are these foods ideal for everyone. These are just some of the low-calorie foods I enjoy. If you eat wisely, there is no need to feel hungry. The important thing is to read food labels and keep track of what you eat.

Another tip I discovered. Make sure eat enough in the morning. At first I tried to save my calories for later in the day, but I discovered that if I only ate a little for breakfast and lunch, then I'd be fine until dinner and then be hungry all evening. Most of you probably know this already, but if you skip meals, your body slows its metabolism. It's actually better to eat 5 or 6 small meals rather than three larger ones. This wasn't a problem for me, but I know people who think skipping is good. It's not. Also, be sure to drink a lot of water. Keep track of that too.

The next step is up your exercise. Find something active that you enjoy if possible. That will motivate you to do it. If you can find a friend to go with you, even better. Trying to mix it up is helpful. I often go running, but I change my strategies. Sometimes I time myself to see how fast I run a mile, sometimes I jog 4-5 miles. Still other times I do one minute intervals sprinting/brisk walking. By mixing it up, I make my exercise more effective and more interesting. I own a few workout videos, but I am definitely more motivated to exercise when I try something new. Online you can watch a bunch of free workout videos. I make sure to get cardio and strength training. I don't have a gym membership, but I have a few dumbells and an exercise ball. There are plenty of ways to work your muscles doing push-ups, crunches, sitting against the wall, etc. without going to the gym. Again, the important thing is to KEEP TRACK. You can also keep track of exercise on gyminee.

I am not a medical professional, so take it for what it is. I've just been asked how I am losing the weight without using any drugs or supplements. These are just some of the things that have been working for me.

Good luck getting healthy!

Toning Exercises

This is a great article on how to firm up those buns and thighs. I just started trying it, but it feels like it's already working. If anyone else wants some tips on great exercises that can be done at home, check it out.
Here are links to great exercise video clips. Here are a few favorites I've tried:

Fat Burn

Celebrity Shred

Six-Pack Ab Calorie Burn

Bootylicious Buns

They have great names, huh? These are 10-18 minutes long, but they use the time well. If you're like me, you like to mix it up when you have to do aerobics. There is actually a lot of variety available free on the web. You can do several and still get done in an hour.

Have fun getting into great shape!

Getting Fit

I can do it! So, this is rather embarrassing, but six weeks postpartum I still weighed 192 pounds. I set a goal to lose 50 pounds. I wasn't exactly sure how long it would take me. I knew I could do it in less than a year, but how much less I didn't know.
Anyway, I started exercising diligently 4-6 times a week. I've been running, rollerblading, doing aerobics and doing resistance training with weights. I started keeping track of my weight on Gyminee. After a while I got smart enough to start keeping track of my workouts and food so that I could keep track of my caloric intake.
I usually have my kids with me, so I just pack them in the double stroller- not a sleek jogger, but the gigantic kind that the carrier hooks into. It's basically like pushing a 70 pound shopping cart up the street. I figure it's great exercise that way. I've trained Parker to call out "Way to go, Mommy!" and "Go faster!"
I am proud to announce that I am 1/3 of the way to my goal. I am 175.8 pounds today. Yesterday was the ten week mark, so I've been losing just over 1.5 pounds per week. If I can keep up the same rate of weight loss, then I will be 2/3 of the way there (160 lbs.) by June 1st and meet my goal of 142 pounds by August 10, which fittingly is the week we're going up to Bear Lake on vacation.
Like I said, it's kind of embarrassing to admit my weight, but I'm making progress and that is what matters. Besides, maybe it will help motivate someone else. I am determined to get to a healthy body weight. It's empowering to know that I can do it.