We Have A Winner!

Congratulations to Jill! She is our 3 week challenge winner!
Jill has shown all of us this fall that being consistent makes you strong!!!
What a great example to all of us!

And for the rest of you that post points.....
Cammy is the winner of the drawing! Way to go girl!

Thanks to all of you for making this last challenge so fun. This month has flown by.

Can't wait to get started again in January!!!

My Gift to You.

Dear Healthy Women,
I have been crazy busy these past few days just like all of you but I want to give you each a gift. .... a dog. Sounds crazy...yes... but when you wake up in the morning and have those big brown eyes looking at you and the tail wagging so hard it is about to fly off and the body is twisting with excitement.... how can you not go for a nice brisk walk? That is what I wake up to every morning and most mornings he's not disappointed. We walk for about three miles and enjoy the sights. He goes on sensory overload sometimes. We see wild turkeys, deer, squirrels, cats, dogs, even a coyote once. He never tires, unless it is very hot in the summer but we usually walk so early it isn't a problem. He is always ready to go day or night ...long walk or short. .. but always wants to go FAST. This walking has been a main stay for me these past few years, especially since I lost my walking partner when she moved. When I first get up and start to get dressed he's ready to go, even if I'm not. If I should try to sleep in , he comes to check on me and see what is wrong....such loyalty. If you had such a partner, you would also jump out of bed to start the day. Built in motivation. Get you an energetic Boxer and join the fun. Have a Happy Holiday season.

Wishing you all a Joyous Christmas

The hubby and I have arrived in sunny Denver to spend Christmas with our son Matt, his gorgeous wife Mindelicous and their three darling girls. Yesterday Mindy and I made some sinfully delicious cookies and many of us did a little Christmas shopping. Today there will be a special Christmas program at church where Matt will speak and Mindelcious and Matt will sing a duet. Spiritual calories are more important than those from food, they keep me going.

In all the hustle bustle it's a real challenge to remember the reason for the season. As we each run toward the Christmas finish line may we find the time to reflect upon the wee babe born in a manger, the King of Kings, the Messiah.

May we be kinder to all around us, more generous with our time and talents, more willing to forgive and better able to focus on that which is most important.

Audrey thank you for giving us the gift of support, healthy knowledge and friendship. These gifts cannot be purchased but have been given generously by all of you on Healthy Wife.

May you each have a joyful Christmas celebration with family and friends and in the words of Tiny Tim, "God Bless Us Everyone".

Merry Christmas

Point Posting Time and Christmas Musing

Congratulations for completing another three week challenge. We'll start some two week challenges in the new year.

Please post your points. Even if you only worked on this for a few days. Everyone who post any points at all will be put in the drawing for the second necklace. You have until Monday night to post points.

Healthy Wife Happy Life is in it's 10 months and has evolved as it's gone along. Thank you all for making it so successful. What I love most about this blog is that it's not only about losing weight...although may of us have been doing that or are still trying to do that. Being Healthy is not solely about a number on the scale. I love that we've been able to embrace that it's about being well rounded.

This past session my goal was to put more Christ in Christmas for my family and it's been very successful.

Being Healthy is about spirituality, mental and emotional states of mind and how well our body works. Balance is a vital aspect to life and one that often gets out of whack but we can always work on finding that balance. Finding balance requires constant adjustments, it's not stagnate.

A well rounded person is a person who can take on all sorts of challenges in life and can bounce back from being knocked down a few times.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy spending time with family and friends.

Thank you, thank you for being such great women and wonderful examples.

Rambling Video Post #2

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Well, Melissa had it right with her post today - we are definitely all affected to one degree or another by the weather and the change in daylight exposure. I think our bodies are programmed to kind of shut down during cold weather and lower levels of daylight exposure. Winter is designed to save our fat! Dang it! No wonder we love carbs so much in the winter.

Thinking about weight loss efforts in years past, I was asking myself, "Why do I have such a hard time losing weight in the winter, in fact I tend to gain weight, but it's much easier in the spring and summer?" Plus, in relation to my battles with anxiety and depression, I knew I had harder times starting in late fall and going until spring. And click! I put the two together, weight loss struggles and depression, and I think it's related to the season. I may want to start using some form of light therapy and see if it makes a difference. Melissa, could you tell us more about the light lamp you have, and where you got it from?

Here's an article about SAD I found on Wikipedia: Seasonal Affective Disorder, if you want to read more about it.

KILLER ABS!

Very literally, my abs are killing me! I've really been trying to focus on good running form this past month and a half. What difference has this made? Well, hopefully the biggest is simply.... better form. I am finding as a side effect of good form, my abs are crying out. They are so sore the rest of the day, sometimes for even a few days, after my runs. I was worried I was doing something wrong, but after doing alot of research and talking to "people" and "professionals" it appears that I am getting a kick butt core workout every run! :) Maybe one day when all my baby belly fat melts away, I will discover a firm, flat belly underneath!

Until then... I will keep pounding away at the workouts!

My gift to everyone, would be killer abs. I wish I could afford a hard core workout instructor who could give us hard core workouts individualized to our own unique weight loss needs. :) Until that day, I (and we) all have running! Hey! At least it's free, right?!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

My number #1 complaint in the winter: I'm cold. Specifically, my feet, my hands and my nose. {Closely followed by complaint #2: not enough mood-enhancing sunlight.} Being cold makes me want to eat sugary treats. It's like my body is saying "You need to pack on some extra pounds to ward off the cold."

But, really, it's not the extra pounds I need. It's exercise. Exercise improves circulation which, in turn, keeps your body warmer, including fingers and toes. My close to congealed blood is forced to perk up and start moving around in a frenzied fashion. That makes me warm. I am quite literally at my warmest in the winter right after I exercise (even warmer than having just stepped out of the shower.)

Of course there are other ways to stay warm too: good socks, hot cocoa, a fire, snuggling, a warm bath. {And if you need some more of those, go to the Dragonfly's December Give away fast!) These are all good too, but, for me, they only provide temporary relief, not the more long term solution I crave. So when the hot cocoa and socks just don't cut it and you feel the cold deep in your bones, time to rev up the circulation the old fashioned way and exercise.

As to the sun light, I received this awesome Happy Light as an early Christmas Gift this year. It brightens my day and lifts my spirits almost instantly. If I close my eyes, I can almost imagine the sand, the sun and the azure blue waves lapping the shore.

Somebody hand me a fruity concoction with a pink flamingo in it, please.

Calling All Slackers!

How can you tell if you are getting a good workout? Wear a heart rate monitor! After my digital scale, it's my favorite workout/healthy-living gadget. Since winter has set in, just about the only exercising I get is on my Gazelle strider machine. It's completely user-driven, which means that if I'm daydreaming I don't get a really good workout, especially when my heart rate falls below 100/min. My heart rate monitor is kind of my drill seargant, telling me when I'm slowing down too much. So go check out those last-weekend-before-Christmas sales online at Overstock, Amazon, Sports Authority, REI etc. and get one for your stocking!

Shred

I finally took the cellophane off of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred and popped it in the DVD player. Several of you have written about her rockin' three twenty minute workouts. I only did level one and I was breathing heavilly. The arms, legs and abs were all keeping up nicely, but I have a hard time with intense cardio, even in short bursts. I start wheezing pretty quickly. So I've decided to stick with level one for a week before even attempting level two. All this to say that mixing up your workout routine, even just a little, can be a pretty humbling--and healthy--experience.

Also, there's this: sorry Jillian, but the word "shred" always makes me think of food first.

My gift to you...

I have yet to learn how to pull images off the computer SO after trying for 30 minutes I gave up and am posting a picture of my daughter with SNOWSHOES on :)


My gift would be snowshoes. Why? Because it gives you a great healthy activity to do in the winter time. It gets you above the inversion and into the beautiful sunshine. 
Our family bought them a few years ago and have had some really fun Saturdays up in the mountains. 
On our first trip out,  Emily was SO excited to go snowshoeing with her new pink snowshoes...when we got to the spot she yelled, "HEY, this is just like HIKING! I HATE hiking!" We had to convince her it was an ADVENTURE and she could take pictures of all the little treasures she found.
Even, Emily who "Hates hiking" had a good time!
I have realized I need it for therapy. I NEED sunshine in my life to make me a better mom, wife and person all around.
I wish I could buy them for you and we could somehow get together and go out for a day in the mountains. Now that would be a FUN day!!!


MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Small, but mighty

I've thought about this quite a bit, hoping to write about some miracle kitchen gadget that would have you all transfixed. But, fact is, my little kitchen secret is indeed little and unassuming: the humble 1/2 cup prep bowl. It's all about portion control. I can plop anything in there and know that I've got 1/2 a cup and that that's plenty big to satisfy my appetite. Most often these get used for fruit, yogurt, dry cereal, crackers and nuts (I only fill it half way for nuts). By putting the snack item in a little bowl immediately, I avoid reaching in the box for just one more handful.

If you ever come across more stylish half cup prep bowls on the internet, let me know.

MY wish for you

I really love my Wii Fit.

I was definitely a little sceptical when I first learned of this little item. How could a video game help you lose weight? But, my interest was also piqued. Since we already had the Wii, I asked for the Wii Fit for Christmas last year.

It has really, really helped me get in the exercise. I don't have a gym membership. They're always a waste of money for me. Summertime in Las Vegas is HOT HOT HOT, and I barely make it outdoors to water the plants, let alone to get in exercise. This has been the thing to keep me going.

I love the strength training and yoga exercises. When I was doing them four or five days a week (earlier in the year), I could totally feel the difference it was making in my health. I felt better. It was much easier to climb the stairs at work. 

The other games on it are fun too, and certainly help to break things up, keep you from getting bored. The upshot is you're getting in a workout while having lots of fun.

So, that's my wish for all of you, if you don't already own it. 

The Wii Fit.

You asked for it...can you make it one more week?

Becky...you wanted to see why I think you should be working your best...besides for the benefits of good health this is what's up for grabs.

Chris, the hubby, designed the "I can do hard things" and his Aunt Sylvia made the charms. She thought that the Eiffel Tower was a great thing to put on the other side because it was hard to make. I agree...and it makes the charm versatile.

I know this is a hard time of the year to try to fit in exercise...and food choices are abounding. But we need to make sure these changes we are making are lifestyle changes...not short lived.

Being able to stick to these habits even during the toughest times will only improve our lives in the long run. We can all do hard things. And after a while, they won't seem so hard...but something else will and you can do that too!

Hang in there for another 5 days and then get ready for a break. Will you keep some of these good habits going into the new year? I hope you do.

So, there are two charms up this round. The first one goes to the winner. The second goes to the winner of the drawing of everyone who post points. I mean any points. Only kept track of points for 6 days...what were your points. Keep at it the whole time but it was tough....tell me you points. I want everyone to have a chance to win!!!

YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS! I know you can!

My Christmas Wish for You

Ms. Thunder Bumper Challenge #2

If I was loaded and could buy you all a great gift this Christmas it would be a digital scale. It serves so many great purposes like knowing exactly how much hamburger you're putting in the bag when separating up the family pack from the grocery store to knowing exactly how much you are eating.

It's vital for a family trying to live healthy since learning portion size at a young age will be vital to helping our next generation.

It's also a vital tool for those of us trying to lose weight. I've been thinking about this post this week because of an experience I had.

I was trying to add a little protein to my breakfast of cheerios and banana. I decided some milk with chocolate protein powder would be a great idea. So I pulled out my shaker, did a 4oz. milk 4 oz. water ratio and then got the protein out. It's been a while since I had used the chocolate so I looked to see how much a serving was. The label said: Serving Size 1 Heaping Scoop (39 g)

Hmmm, this scoop is really big. So I pulled out my scale and stuck it on there. It was closer to 55 g. Wooza. That would be a lot more calories than I wanted. So I adjusted the serving to what I really wanted.

No wonder it's so hard to know exactly how many calories are in things. They are giving an estimate sometimes...ahh, it can be so frustrating. I had this happen with baked chips too.

So, if I could buy one for each of you I would. It serves so many purposes.

Here is the challenge. I want you to tell us about what you'd want to gift to each of us because it makes your life easier. It can be your favorite drinking cup or cooking instrument, your favorite DVD or cook book. It can be whatever you wish we all had because you love it so much....scriptures don't count. I don't think there is a single one of us that doesn't have them :-)

I can't wait to see what you all come up with.

Absent

I know I have been absent for quite sometime. I have a lot of thoughts on my mind lately. As I try to sift through everything, I feel overwhelmed. Unfortunately this blog has not been a priority. I haven't given up, and I will be back. I have to take a moment to sift through everything. My mom was diagnosed with Cancer and is having surgery on Monday. Not only am I sick to my stomach about it, but I am also angry with myself. I know, not a positive thing, but it will pass, and I will use that anger to do positive things in my life. You see, I always thought there would be so much time. There would always be enough time to get in better shape to run with her. I procrastinated, and now, I felt like, overnight my time ran out. So, naturally I was angry. Running with my mom, was never just a run. It was developing a deep relationship. One that can only be created through hours of intimate conversation. One only created by the relationship, and support of running. Accomplishing amazing goals. As I sat with her one day and talked about my frustration, she reminded me that I had promised to run another half marathon with her. That she was going to get better. I've made a promise to myself, I will do whatever it takes, to get to that point, so I can still have those intimate moments with her. I am desperate for her. A temporary setback, but I'll be back stronger after the year comes to a close. After my mind can settle from all my worrying.

Thankful

I know I'm totally late but since Audrey didn't post her Thunder Bumper today, I'm sliding this in at the very last moment possible!! I am thankful for a lot of things, but the thing I am thankful for the most, is my FAMILY.

My Dad is the most calm, loving and positive man I know. Even when things are less than great, things are "GREAT!" He gives the best hugs and always has great advice. He works way harder than any person should at both work and church. He is super passionate about everything he does which is an awesome quality to have. My Mom is a lover. She has 5 crazy (or previously crazy) kids who have taken her through hell and back, but she still loves each and every one of us to death. Having someone love you despite your faults, mistakes, etc is the best thing one could ask for. A lot of parents can't do that, and she is amazing for that.

Being my oldest sister, Audrey has been the person I've looked up to all my life. Since I am 11 years younger than her, I didn't get much time with her before she left for college, but I still wanted to be just like her! Now that I'm "grown up" I admire her even more for her super woman capabilities in being a mom, cleaning, organizing and just being plain awesome. Her (fast) husband Chris is pretty awesome as well. They are also parents to the funniest kids I know.



My sister Heidi definitely keeps things interesting in our family and I love her for her energy and loving personality. She's creative and never gives up on what she wants. My niece Makayla is officially a teenager and that is kind of freaking me out! She's wearing makeup and in middle school and that is just too much for me. I am thankful for how strong of a person she is!!


I am so thankful for my brother Tyson & his 2 (almost 3) sweet girls. They are the best people to hang out with and are always doing something fun. I can always count on my brother to be there for me in anything I do. He definitely has my Dad's positive attitude and is such a hard worker.


I am so thankful for my brother Jared for his super persistence to achieve his goals. He works hard at everything he does from work to sports and is totally in love with his family. I am also thankful for my sister in law for being so funny and putting up with my crazy brother. I don't know how how she manages with 4 kids, but they sure are a cute family!


Sorry for the long post! Without my family, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I am so lucky to be able to call them my family! ♥

The Queen and her sneakers

The Queen is here to visit with us for all of one and half days. My kids are loving all the Queen's attentions. And so am I. But here's a few other little details that make me love and admire her as a healthy wife:

1) She brought a lemon (for fruit tea) and a carton of fresh raspberries.
2) She brought her sneakers, just in case.
3) She brought her own protein drink.
4) She brought 4 bags of freshly baked ginger snaps and hasn't eaten a single one.

Isn't she awesome!?

Dexter Brian

I don't know what kind of face my daughter is making...but the rest are pretty cute, if I may say so.


Here is a picture Mindelicious requested. He's pretty chunky! Actually, most of his weight is in his cheeks, which have thinned out a little bit.

Gratitude - My First HWHL Rambling Video

This is why I prefer writing to public speaking - editing! Otherwise, I go off into tangents and am a babbling mess, but I thought it would be fun to try something new for the HWHL blog! Let me know what you think!