Mamavation Monday, December 13, 2010

So many good things this past week! Let's get right to it.

What happened this week:

• Hoorays:
• Won a pair of Earth Footwear on Mamavation TV last week! I am SO EXCITED!!!
• Went for a great walk with Shelley and Anthony (my husband) on Saturday at a new park (for us), and it was another gorgeous Texas day in December.
• Honored and humbled to be chosen as Sista of the Week this week. Thank you all so much for all your support! I know I haven't been a Sista that long, but I've learned so much from each of you.

• Needs some work:
• Still need more consistency with my water. This is a struggle for me.
• Slacked off this last week on my exercise too. Gotta stop that!

• Specific Goals:
• Continue with C25k.
• Look into gluten sensitivity. I think this may be an issue for me.

Mamavation Monday, December 6, 2010

I love chocolate. And I love baked goods. So it stands to reason that I REALLY love chocolate baked goods. I've been craving something chocolatey and bakedy lately, so instead of making a devil's food cake or a batch of brownies that I would have to eat all on my own (my husband is not a fan of baked goods. How did we end up married?), I put a call out to the Mamavation Sistas for a healthier alternative, and the call was answered!  Heather (@notdiyheather) sent a recipe for Yum Yum Brownie Muffins that I tried on Thursday, and I loved them! The recipe is so simple, a box of devil's food cake mix and a can of pumpkin. That's it! I went with a Naturally Nora Cheerful Chocolate cake mix, because it has all natural ingredients (unbleached wheat flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, natural vanilla flavor, cream of tartar, salt, carob bean gum and guar gum), and only one gram of fat per serving, and a can of organic pumpkin. So they're low fat, and high fiber! Woohoo!


I started the Couch to 5k training program last week. On Wednesday (day 2 of the program), I went over to the track by our house to run. If you're not familiar with C25K, it's an interval training program, and week one is run one minute, walk 90 seconds, repeat for 20 minutes or so. I loaded up Pandora on my phone and went to work. I did walk through two of the run intervals, but when I did run, I ran all the way through the minute. I know this sounds silly for those of you that are runners, but let me assure you, I am NOT a runner.  I probably haven't run on purpose since 10th grade when I had to take P.E., and that was a LONG time ago. I was so proud of myself! Not only did I NOT DIE, I felt really good afterwards!


I've been admiring Shelley's Earth Footwear on our weekly walks. She says she can really feel the difference in her legs and butt when she walks. I so want some of these shoes. It's so hot here in Texas, I really doubt I'd ever really have an opportunity to wear the boots, but the Exer-Walks and the Exer-Treks look awesome!


Phoebe  went with us again on Saturday when we hiked (over 9 miles this time!!!), and she carried our water and snacks. I think she likes the backpack. Or at least she doesn't fuss and try to forcibly remove the backpack, which means she must like it!

Those are my husband's little chicken legs, by the way.


What happened this week:

• Hoorays:
• Started C25K
• Walked 20 miles last week!!!!!
• Started to do some faster walks, shaved a minute and a half off my per mile pace.

• Needs some work:
• Have to stop the random eating out. This is mostly facilitated by my husband, but I need to start putting my foot down to eat at home more.

• Specific Goals:
• Continue with C25k week 1, and get through the session without cheating by walking through a run interval.
  

Congratulations to Megan (@mnmspecial) for being Sista of the Week!  See everyone Monday night for Mamavation TV! 

Mamavation Monday, November 29, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I had a great holiday weekend. Lots of family over, tons of food, but I stayed reasonable with my eating, and I count it as a success that I DIDN'T GAIN ANY WEIGHT!  Woot!  I didn't lose any this week either, but I'm taking any small victory I can.  :P

I have been walking a lot lately, and I'm really enjoying it. On Saturday, Shelley (@Momma_Oz), Hubs, and I went on a hike starting in the park and ending at the lake. The weather was beautiful, and Phoebe got a new doggie backpack, so she carried our water.  :)

What happened this week:

• Hoorays:
• Walked more than 10 miles again last week! 
• Found a Mamavation blogger (SkinnySushi) that wanted to get rid of some Nike LunarGlide+ shoes (that just happened to be in my size) for cheap! Hopefully they'll arrive in the mail in the next day or two, and I can get serious with my walking.
• Gained no weight over Thanksgiving!
• Got Phoebe a doggie backpack for our long walks.

• Needs some work:
• More water! I get in more every week, but I'm still not consistent with it on a daily basis.
• I'm not being consistent with my non-walking workouts. I need to be more rigid with my schedule for doing my Slim in 6 and yoga workouts.

• Specific Goals:
• Begin to walk faster walks. I can handle the longer distances pretty well at the pace I go, so it's time for me to step it up. I'd like to creep up from a 20 min mile to a 15 min mile.
• Starting a new water aerobics class this week. I'm taking the cardio deep water aerobics class this time.

This week's guest on Mamavation TV is Dr. Lynn Anderson.  I'm excited to talk about sex, self-confidence, and how diet and exercise affect them.  See you all later tonight for Mamavation TV!!

Mamavation Monday, November 22, 2010

On Friday, I had some dear friends over for dinner. These are girls I was in high school choir with, one of whom I haven't seen in almost 15 years. It was like no time had passed at all. Of course, we all looked a bit different, and of course things in our lives had changed since we were 17, but it was so easy to immediately pick up where we left off.

High school choir is really the only time in my life where I've been completely comfortable. I'm not a social butterfly, but those years were different for me. I was so at home with those friends that I literally didn't care what anyone outside of our group of friends thought.

Since I came back from college, I've managed to drift further apart from these friends. Some had children and their lives took such a drastic turn from mine that it was hard to keep up. Some moved and it was more of a hassle to meet up. I could think of an excuse for every friend I lost touch with, but what it all comes down to is, I got lazy. And the internet fueled that. I am a great email/twitter/facebook friend, but a terrible one away from the computer.

So my Thanksgiving Resolution (what, I can't have one?) is to actively become a friend again. I'm going to make sure I see Shelley, and Laura, and Amanda, and Stacie, etc ,etc etc in REAL LIFE, as much as I can, even if it's just to meet for coffee.

What happened this week:

• Hoorays:
• Walked more than 10 miles last week! This beat my goal by more than 3 miles!
• Found a pair of sneakers that don't hurt my feet!  They are not a great pair of shoes by any stretch of the imagination, but they will do until I can afford the ones I want.
• Started to do the Slim in 6 workouts to ramp up for the P90X challenge in January. I am so out of shape.
• I haven't had a soda since I joined Mamavation. I honestly don't miss them.

• Needs some work:
• More water!
• I need to plan my meals better.

• Specific Goals:
• Walk at least 10 miles this week in addition to water aerobics and yoga.
• Not eat myself into a coma on Thanksgiving.
• My Subway Commit2Fit goal is to walk/run a 5k in the spring. I've never entered one, and it's time.

Congratulations to Heather for Sista of the Week!  See you all later tonight for Mamavation TV!!

Mamavation Monday, November 15, 2010

I really don't have a lot to say this week, it's been pretty non-eventful. :)  I'll just get right to the specifics.


What happened this week:

• Hoorays:
• Snuck ground flax into several meals this week, and Hubs didn't notice! Getting him to try new things is always a battle.
• Bought myself a new water bottle. This is a big deal for me, I've found that I drink way more water with a straw or fancy bottle than out of a glass. My new bottle is awesome, it has a little tracker to note how many times you refill it so you can keep track of how much water you've had during the day.
• Committed to do P90X with some of the Mamavation girls in January. I've watched the infomercials, and of course most of those exercises are way out of my league at the moment, but I like how you can modify it for your ability. 
• Really starting to pay attention to food labels. Hubs wanted some rice pudding at the grocery store this evening, so I looked at the label. Corn syrup solids? No thanks. If he wants some rice pudding, I'll just grab the rice out of the pantry and make him some from scratch.
• As evidenced by the above, we haven't cut out all sugars, but I've cut it way down from where we were. I'm avoiding all HFCS (can you believe all the foods that have corn syrup???  Holy crap!) and have switched away from refined white sugar in my cooking. Now I use turbinado sugar when I use sugar at all, and I really like it.

• Needs some work:
• Still need more consistent water intake. I've ramped it way up since joining Mamavation, but I'm still not where I need to be.
• I need to find a good pair of walking shoes for a reasonable price. I can't afford to spend $100 bucks on shoes right now, but I need some shoes that don't give me a blister on the ball of my foot every time I go for a walk. :(

• Specific Goals:
• Walk at least 7 miles this week in addition to water aerobics and yoga.
• Find a doggie backpack for Phoebe. It's time she started pulling her weight on our walks. ;)  Seriously though, I'd like her to be able to carry our water and my keys and phone.

See you all later tonight for Mamavation TV!!

Mamavation Monday, November 8, 2010

This was a total Blah week for me. I was completely unmotivated, and (just ask my husband) way too crabby. Cramps seemed way worse than usual, and I was bloated and just plain gross feeling. Plus, my car was out of commission, so I couldn't even get out of the house for shopping therapy!  ;)

With all that said, today begins a new week. My wonderful husband fixed my car, Aunt Flo has been sent packing, and I'm ready to jump back in with both feet.

I did try a new food this past week. I bought some flax seeds in the bulk/organic section of my grocery store, and ground them up in my coffee grinder and added them to my oatmeal. They added a subtle nutty flavor that was delicious. And what a nutritional whollop these little guys pack! Omega-3s, fiber, good for heart health, bones, you name it, they're good for it. I need to find some more uses for these little seeds.

Another thing I've noticed is that with all the water I've been drinking, my headaches that I used to get nearly every day are just about gone. I'm sure they were caused by mild dehydration, as water has never been my favorite thing. Since I've been chugging water like crazy though, no more headaches! I'm sure my liver is breathing a sigh of relief, I was pumping in a lot of advil.

I've been chatting with Shelley (@Momma_Oz) about her new Earth Footwear, and how she likes them. I've been having trouble with my sneakers, and have been noticing that my ankles have been really sore after walks. I've determined that my shoes are throwing my balance off, and my ankles have been turning in to try and compensate. I'm thinking that Earth Footwear might be the answer to my shoe woes. I hope to go into town this week and try some on and see how they help.

I hope to see you all Monday night for Mamavation TV! And follow me on twitter if you're not already, and please let me know if I'm not following you! @jessicafiumara

Goals this week:

• More water! I'm still not consistently getting 64oz, that needs to be a daily minimum for me.
• Try all the new workouts on the Ultimate Body Blitz dvd I won from Fit Bottomed Girls.
• Get back on track with daily walks.

Congratulations to Laila (@OnlyLaila) for being Sista of the Week!!!

Mamavation Monday - November 1, 2010

Happy November!  Although it certainly doesn't feel like it here. It's near 90 degrees here today. Again.  Ugh! Where is my fall weather???? 


Hubs and I celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary tomorrow. I don't think we'll be going out to eat dinner like we usually do, my car has been giving us all kinds of trouble, so I may just get a new starter as my anniversary gift.  :P


We went to a murder mystery dinner party (our first) last night, and it was a blast! It was a pirate theme, but our roles were the governor of Jamaica in 1776 and his wife. We had a great time, and had great (healthy) food, as the hostess is on a gluten free diet.

What happened this week:

• Hoorays:
• Started my water aerobics class. I love it!
• Still tracking my exercise, eating and water intake
• Started taking a soluble fiber supplement. I have noticed a dramatic difference in my digestive issues that I've had since my gallbladder surgery 8 years ago.
• I won a Ultimate Body Blitz dvd from Fit Bottomed Girls! I've only watched the yoga portion so far, but it looks challenging! I can't wait to try them all!
• Tried quinoa for the first time last week, and it was delish! I made it with golden raisins, spinach, pecans, and feta cheese. Will definitely be having that again.

• Needs some work:
• Still need more water.
• Not eating breakfast every day. Need to find some ideas for quick healthy breakfasts.
• Need to regularly exercise on my non-water aerobics days.

• Specific Goals:
• At least 64oz of water every day.
• Comment on at least 15 Mamavation blog posts.
• Try another new food this week.

Progress:

I lost another 2 pounds!!!!!!!

I know everyone has heard that Jared from SUBWAY is running his ING marathon this weekend in NYC. Good luck to him!  See everyone tonight at Mamavation TV. And congratulations to @cuteangel79 for being Sista of the Week!

Mamavation Monday - October 18, 2010

Hi there! So it's been a week since I discovered Mamavation (thanks to my friend Shelley @Momma_Oz). I thought, I'll just hang around, see what these girls are like, maybe in a few weeks I'll pledge. Well here I am, pledging. After one week. It would have been sooner, but I had to wait for the Mamavation Monday post to do it. :)

What happened this week:

• Hoorays:
• Found a new yoga workout that I love!  Did 50 minutes of yoga twice last week.
• Walked the dog, 45-60 minutes 4 days last week.
• Wii Fit strength training routine, 30 minutes 1 time last week.
• Walked for 2 hours in the park with my husband yesterday
• Started to track my exercise, eating and water intake
• Did not go out to eat AT ALL this week (the coffee that I had with Shelley doesn't count, right?)

• Needs some work:
• Definitely need more water.
• I'm going to start looking at my fiber intake. I need more.
• I'm going to start eating breakfast.
• I'm going to start walking the dog EVERY DAY.

• Specific Goals:
• At least 64oz of water every day.
• Walk the dog every day this week, and pick up the pace. Turn our leisurely stroll into a cardio walk.
• Track my daily fiber intake
• Strength training routine twice this week
• Yoga 3 times this week

So what has my first week of Mamavation got to show for itself?

I lost 2.5 pounds last week!!!!!!!

Woohoooooooooooo!  I completely subscribe to the theory that even a small victory in the beginning will help to keep me on track. I'm ready to tackle week 2!

Congratulations to Angela (@ninemoremonths) for being Sista of the Week last week! Totally deserved.

I'm completely stoked for the twitter party tonight. I'm feeling anxious and excited for the finalists, you'd think I was a contestant myself. I think all the girls are amazing, and no matter who ends up winning, it will be well earned. I hope everyone has a great week, and I look forward to getting to know you all better! 

Next Stop: Motherhood???

Confession time. I'm 34 years old. My husband and I will be married for 4 years on November 2nd (we've been together for 11 years, not counting the years we dated in jr high and high school. That's right, I met my husband when we were 12). And we're ready (finally) to start having kids. Most of the girls I went to school with have preteens now, and I'm just starting to talk about having babies. I guess I'm just a late bloomer. ;)

Why am I telling you this? Because I'm scared. Will our baby be healthy? Will my labor be difficult? Will I have to have a C-section? Will I end up with gestational diabetes? Will I even be able to get pregnant????? There are two major issues that affect all those concerns.

First, even if I got pregnant today, I'll have hit 35 by the time I give birth. Those of you who are pregnant  at this age know what that means. Three scary and somewhat demoralizing words: ADVANCED MATERNAL AGE. Ouch. Kick me in the shins while you're at it, why don't you? Modern medicine is not-so-subtly telling me that because I'm OLD, my pregnancy and birth carry more risks. Apparently, sometime between the 365th day of my 34th year and the 1st day of my 35th year, my reproductive system will completely melt down. Sheesh.

Second, I'm overweight. See that profile picture over there to the right?  That's the last time I was thin. I've been varying levels of overweight nearly my entire life. And while being thin would be nice, that's not really my goal. I want to be healthy. I want to be able to have a complication-free pregnancy and birth. And more importantly, I want to be around to see my future children grow up.

I've tried all the fad diets, and you know as well as I do that they're all bull. The ONLY way I will reach my goal of better health is if I eat right and exercise. Gosh, it sounds so easy. And I'm pretty sure that the actual actions of eating healthy and exercising ARE easy. It's the giant chasm between my current habits of non-motivation and laziness and the new habits that I need to develop where all the problems lie.

So I'm going to take it one step at a time. I think that instead of saying "I need to lose (insert giant number here) pounds", I'm just going to go small. I can plan a week's worth of healthy meals. I can walk my dog every day this week. I can work out 4 times this week in addition to those walks. And if I can do those things next week too, I'll be well on my way to new habits, and better health. And with those new habits, a funny side effect will happen. The weight will come off.

Here's where I need your help. I know I can't do this by myself. If I'm the only person I have to be accountable to, there's no way this will work. I need you to ask me if I'm drinking my water, doing my yoga, walking the dog, eating my salads, not eating a cake. Chastise me when I slip up. I'm a big girl, I can take it. But most importantly, cheer me on when I do good things.

Help me, Mamavation Sistahood! And when we do have a baby, I will name it after all of you. A girl can have 100 middle names, right?  Unless, of course, it's a boy, then the naming after you thing would just be awkward.

Everyone's Got to Start Somewhere (even if it's for the hundredth time)

So. Here's my blog. I plan to use this space to talk about my life, my journey to better health, my love of cooking, and (knowing me) lots about my dog. A friend of mine from high school (hi Shelley!) introduced me to Mamavation (see the badge over there to the left? click it.) recently, and I've found it to be a wonderful group of women. It's not often that you find a group of women who are in it for each other, and support each other with such enthusiasm. I'm hoping that I get to know them more, and perhaps some day soon, I will get to join the Sistahood myself.