July Goals

Here are my July goals:
1. Track my food EVERY day.
2. Run 3x per week.
3. Swim 3x per week.
4. Be able to run 5 minutes straight. (currently can run 2 minutes)
5. Lose 4.5 pounds. (goal weight for end of July 150!)
6. Personal trainer 2x per week.
7. Be able to swim 100 yards without stopping for breath. (currently can swim 25 yards)

We can do this! We can get healthy and make good choices! Let's do it!

Active Day! Start of Week 5

After 3 days without any real exercise, today:
elliptical: 8 minutes
treadmill: 25 minutes (ran: 2 mins, 2 mins, 1.5 mins, 1 min)
strength: 2 core and 4 lower exercises
swimming: 500 yards in 20 minutes

Whew!

Personal Trainer...Kind Of...

I went back to the gym I joined yesterday. For now, it is a 7 day trial membership. It is just a small gym, but part of a larger chain. And, the owner is wonderful.

I will be going to the gym Tues, Wed, Thurs and Fri this week (while my dd is at camp), and the owner is "training" me each of those days... for free! (I'm thinking about offering to pay for it - especially as I'm really not sure if this is the gym I'll stick with.)

Anyway, today I did the elliptical for 8 minutes to warm up. Since he was till busy, I went ahead and did my walk/run for C25K. I ran twice for 2 minutes, once for 1.5 minutes, and once for 1 minute. I really don't feel very natural on the treaadmill and my knee just started hurting (barely) so I thought I better back off.

After that, the trainer worked my core and legs for about 45 minutes. It felt great and all but one of the exercises I'll be able to do at home without a machine. Tomorrow we'll be working on my arms.

It felt to exercise again... I haven't done anything in the past 3 days! I hope to swim laps tonight, but there is a pretty good chance of rain.

Oh... and I weighed in again this morning (my usual days are Tuesday & Friday) and I'm down 1.5 pounds! So, I actually lost a half pound while on vacation! Yippee!

I'm feeling great!!! I can accomplish anything!

Not Too Bad...

I had my weigh in this morning. After 8 days on the road, I weighed just 1 pound more than when I left! Not bad! (Also considering I have some water retention.)

I was disappointed not to get a workout in this morning. My daughter is in camp and she has a party tonight (which I'll be attending), so I'm not sure about tonight, either. I'll at least get a video workout in. Maybe I'll try an SP video?

I am eating well this morning and hope to stay on track with that. I am back to drinking my water which makes a BIG difference. (It's hard to drink while traveling, too! You can only stop so often for a bathroom break!)

I'm a little frustrated as I'm trying to figure out when to fit in my runs. My dh isn't comfortable with my running early in the morning and I had been running while my dd was in swimteam. So, I'm trying to iron that out and find a good time to go. But, I am determined and I will find the time to run, bike and swim!

Gym Trial Membership

I spent about 2 hours at a new gym today. Not working out, just getting oriented and talking to the owner. I'm now doing a 7 day free trial. I'll be working out there the next 4 days while my daughter is in class.

I really like the gym and the owner and they have personal trainers, too. But, it is something I would only use while my daughter is at co-op classes 2x a week. So, I'm undecided. But, at least it solves some problems for this week! And, I'll see how it goes and if I think it is worth the money for 2 days a week.

I'd like a gym that is closer to me, but really don't have a desire to go dragging my daughter to the gym again. We homeschool, so she is almost always with me.

Anyway, I'll let you all know how it goes! And, I did GREAT with my food intake today... including at the pizza/play place where my dd had a party tonight. But, this was my 3rd day without exercies. I'll make up for it the next 4 days, though!

I'm HOME!

Alex and I got back from our 8 day trip to New Mexico this afternoon. We had a wonderful time and it was hard to leave! But, we have a busy week ahead of us and needed to get back. Alex has her end of the summer swim team party tomorrow night and is doing a morning camp all week.

I was proud of the exercise I got in while gone: 2 bikes rides (5 miles and 7.4 miles) and 3 "runs" (doing week 2 of Couch to 5K). The scenery was amazing. The desert is beautiful and we were staying a few miles from this incredible mountain! Oh... it was so wonderful just being outside!

I have so much to show and tell and will try to post at least once a day until I'm done. I hope you are all well and enjoying your summer!

Sandia Peak & Ping Pong

This morning I did w2d3of c25k. It is still hard to do but seeing sandia peak near me makes it so much more fun. We actually went up the peak today, though we used the easy way...the tram.

(me, my daughter, my nephew, my mother-in-law)

Tonight we are at a hotel and I played some ping pong with my daughter. Then I played with my mother-in-law and found out she can really play! We had a wonderful time...and burned some calories too.

I ate very poorly again today. Only one more day before we fly home. I'll try to do well tomorrow, but I will do well when we get back home.

Hiking Up a Volcano Flow

Yesterday I hiked to the top of a volcano flow! It was hot (the weather not e flow!), but I was determined to reach the top. The view Was incredible! I could see the city of Albuquerque below me and Sandia Peak in the distance. What a view!

This morning I did my walk/run. I can always see the mountain while running. It is easier to get outside with such beautiful scenery.

Oh, and despite my great efforts at exercising, my eating hasn't been very healthy the past 2 days. Pizza, chocolate, candy... I will try to get back on track today!

Sunset Bike Ride in NM

Last night my sister-in-law and I rode 7.4 miles through the hills at the base of a mountain in a desert in NM. The sun was setting and the sky looked like it was on fire. There is one peak on the other side of the city and it was beautiful to see it in the distance. As we finished our ride, the lights of the city were beautiful. We even found a prairie dog skull to show my daughter.

(photo from earlier in week)

I'm up this morning as we are getting ready to go for our run. I am enjoying the outdoors, the exercise, and the beautiful scenery!

Running in New Mexico

Last night I did w2d2 of c25k. My mother-in-law watched the grand babies in the park while I ran near a mountain in NM. I quickly learned I needed to drink lots of water! I got dizzy during my first run. And I learned to run down a long hill and walk back up it and did fine. I'm getting much better at running.

Gotta go! Headed off to some museums this morning. Have a healthy day!

On the Road Again...

I am on the road again in two ways. One, as I mentioned yesterday, is that I am riding a bike again! The other way is that I am on vacation! (also, I am borrowing iPad to type so slow going)

Bicycling...As I mentioned it has been several decades since I've been on a bike and this was not my childhood 3 speed! I was afraid I would fall and that I couldn't ride these kinds of bikes. But, I did it! And did great!

Vacation....we are in New Mexico and it was beautiful! We rode at the base of a mountain. There were prairie dogs crossing our path! And a hummingbird flew in front of me. And I almost ran over a cute little lizard! I can see traveling to different places in U.S. to ride. What a way to see things! And we flew down hills and it felt wonderful. I am hooked.

Today...I am only sore in my "seat." I can't wait for tomorrow's ride.

Eating...not counting calories but eating healthy. Will run tonight....through the desert!

Bike Ride...1st in MANY YEARS!

I went on my first bike ride in many years tonight. I was nervous, but it was great! We rode about 5 miles through the desert. It was hilly and beautiful and I loved it.

one way to do it...

I went on my walk/jog this morning and was still debating about whether to do W1D6 or go on to W2D1. Well, somehow, when I'd charged my iPod, I must have deleted W1! So, I 'had to' do W2! And, I did it!! I ran for 1.5 minutes at a time! I don't think I've ever done that before! Yeah, me! I even came home and swam 250 yards!

I'm having a rough day in other ways, but I did have a special treat today. My daughter is on a swim team and, every year, team members (& some moms) get pedicures the day before divisionals. So, today was that day!

Now, I've only had 4 pedicures in my life, and 3 of them weren't much fun. I've had one at a spa that was wonderful. Well, this was incredible! I went ahead and splurged on mine. My feet are in BAD shape! And, I've been working hard and felt I should do this for myself!

Well, I think I lost a pound with all of the deadskin Courtney scraped off! And, I got a 40 minute message by the chair! I had pulled a muscle yesterday, and the message was so wonderful! Ahhh...

She Gained Back 20 Pounds!

I  talked to a friend I haven't seen in about a year. A year and a half ago we were both exercising and dieting. I lost 15 pounds and she lost 25. I gained back 10 of my 15.

Well, I talked to hear last night and she's gained back 20 of her 25! She told me none of her new clothes fit. (I know that feeling!) I was discouraged. We both worked so hard!

But, this time is different! I'm participating a LOT more with SP. And, I have goals: so far two 5Ks (Sept & Oct) and my first Sprint Triathlon (Apr '11). I think these events will make a difference. I'm training "for" something! And, I can do it!

Go ME!

Rocket Fuel & Positive Bedtimes

Yesterday I went to the bookstore to look for an exercise journal (bought one!) and books about 5Ks and triathlons. I ended up getting a beginners book for triathlons. (Oh, and do you have a favorite book about 5Ks? triathlons? eating/living healthy &/or exercise? I'd love some recommendations.)

Anyway, I read portions of several (my daughter was at camp) and I came away with 2 major thoughts:

"Food is my rocket fuel." It really is! And, I've been thinking about food differently. With my tracking, when I get to my last snack of the night I look and ask myself "What else does my body need today?" Maybe some fiber? or calcium? or even fat? (Yes, I often need more fat.) When I'm tempted, I'm going to try and remember that fact... "Food is Rocket Fuel."

The other thought was that, when you are lying in bed at night, you should tell yourself what "positives" happend that day. For example, yesterday I did C25K W1D5... and I made it! I wanted to quit, but I didn't! And, I've been "running" for 5 days now!!! That has never happened. Also, I swam 250 yards. That's a LOT for me. And, I did my longest stretch without stopping ever... 125 yards! (It wasn't pretty, but I tried to do it and I did it!) I'm also working on the goal of 200 crunches & 100 pushups... well, yesterday I did 80 crunches & 19 modified pushups. That's big for me!

Maybe these 2 thoughts will help you:
Food is your rocket fuel.
End your day by reviewing what went right.

Happy Thursday! I hope you fuel up and do some things you can be proud of tonight!

Bake Camp

Yesterday, Alex attended a Bake Camp at a local bakery! There are 2 themes to choose from: cookies or cakes. She choose cookies, though she wants to take the cake camp now, too.

It was neat that she really got to work in the kitchen! They made 3 batches of dough: sugar cookies (the best EVER!), chocolate chip, and M&M (which somehow didn't get home with her).

They cut out shapes with the sugar cookies. I was told they would learn to decorate them, but they didn't. But, we love the cookies anyway.

And, Alex got to take home a LOT of cookies! (The butterflies aren't something they made.) She even got to take home a big ball of chocolate chip cookie dough that we can bake later. She had lots of fun while I enjoyed some shopping. And, we are all enjoying the yummy cookies!

P.S. I just haven't felt up to blogging lately. I think I am just really enjoying being free from school for awhile. And, I'm really working hard on my new diet & exercise with SparkPeople. I hope to get back to regular posting & reading soon. We'll be headed to New Mexico soon and I hope to post while I'm gone.

Can You DO a 5K from 'the couch'?

I just posted this question on the C25K forum, but thought I'd add it to my blog, too. I'm wondering if others on the C25K program are really starting from the couch or do they start exercising in other ways first.

You see, I haven't done aerobic exercise in about a year and a half. I did one week of Wii Fit and then jumped into running. (And, I'm at least 20 pounds overweight.) As I've mentioned, the first 3.5 days of running, my calves were burning but I was breathing fine. Then, I figured out a different way to run that totally relieved the pain in my calves, but now I'm huffing & puffing.

Today was my first full day with this new style. I huffed & puffed & was walking very slowly between jogs just to catch my breath. At this rate, I think I'll be on week 1 for a long time.

I'm proud of myself for doing 5 days of walking/jogging , but wondering if I'm trying to do too much too soon. **sigh** I will keep this up, though, and am determined to run a 5K this fall!

Week 2 Weigh In

I  had my 2 week weigh-in this morning... and I'm down 3 pounds! I'm thrilled as at 1.5 weeks I was only down 0.5 pounds. I knew the scale would catch up eventually. I'm still running on momentum and staying within all of my goals every day! I was really tempted by my daughter's McDonald's fries today (just saying that makes me drool), but I didn't eat any!

Learning to Run! Without Pain!

So, last week I did Week 1 of C25K and my calfs were KILLING me every timeI ran. I bought some new shoes at Fleet Feet this weekend and thought that would solve my problem. It didn't! I was re-doing W1 so a friend could join me and, at about my 4th of 8th runs, I started thinking "I HATE running!" It just felt so painful, but just in my calves.

During my 5th run, a lady ran past me. I was barely shuffling along breathing easily... she was kicking her feet back towards her bottom. Hmmm.... maybe I should give that a try? So, I sped up a little and started kicking more. IT WORKED!!! NO PAIN!!!
I ran 3 more times with the same result... NO PAIN! But, boy was I huffing & puffing.

I'm a little disappointed that my new running buddy can't join me at all this week. I knew she couldn't today, but her plans changed. Then, next week I can't do it with her. So, I'm not sure when we'll actually run together! Right now, I'm trying to decide if I should go on to week 2 or stick with week 1 on Wednesday.
Anyway, I'm pleased to have completed my fourth day of "running!"

Sprint Triathlon...Am I Crazy???

So, I've finished Week 1 of my Couch to 5K training. Yeah! And, I've scheduled two 5Ks. I'll be doing one on September 11th (probably more walk/run) and one on October 2nd (try to run this one).

About 5 years ago I started training for a Sprint Triathalon. I was jogging on a treadmill (not very well or very long), doing spinning classes twice a week, and I took semi-private swim lessons for 6 weeks or so. Anyway, life interferred and I had to stop.

Now, I really want to do a sprint (or mini) triathalon! I found one where my mom lives that takes place on April 24th. That gives me almost 10 months to train! I think I can do it, but I'm really scared to even "announce" this to anyone. Right now, I couldn't complete any of the 3 events. (Oh... and I love that this one has the swimming indoors!) How will I find the time to train for all 3 events? Will I even be able to do all 3 events?

Here's my plan:

running - I will continue with my training. I will redo week 1 so my new buddy can catch up. Plus, we have the time and I don't know if I'm ready to go on yet. I will run MWF.

cycling - I am headed on vacation next week and my sister-in-law is going to go riding witih me. I haven't been on a bike in 20+ years! So, this will show me if I can ride and if I like it. I plan on buying a bike when I get back.

swimming - I started tonight by swimming 10 back & forth laps in our pool. It took my 9 minutes to go about 250 yards. The swim will only be 275 yards. So, I know I can do it eventually, but tonight I was stopping after every 12.5 yards. I plan on signing up for some kind of classes when I return from our trip.

So, can I do this? Is this just a beginner's enthusiasm? I'm not sure!!!! And, should I sign up for a few more things before the sprint triathalon... like a bike ride? And, how do I go about finding a local training group? or a trainer? I'm in a big city, but it'd have to be early in the morning or on the weekends.

Day 11: Need More Fiber & Calcium

I just completed Day 11 and am doing really well staying within my ranges on calories, protein, carbs & fat. So, yesterday I decided to start tracking fiber & calcium, too. Yikes! I am NOT doing well on those two categories and really need to figure out how to get a better balance. I know both of them are important!


I also started tracking sodium today and I did really well with that!

Day 11 - Disappointing Weigh In, But Off to Run!

I'm now at a week and a half and just weighed in. I've been doing incredible with my diet & exercise... and STILL only 1 pound! Ugh! But, I know it isn't about the scale. It would just be nice to say "I've lost 'x' pounds!"


Anyway, I have a buddy who is joining me on my W1D3 C25K run this morning, so I'm off to do that. Hopefully, I'll have a better attitude when I return!

Day 10: Nothing But Hot Dogs

I took my daughter to Watermelon Camp today. It's our church's version of VBS and it only lasts a day. The moms stay and it lasts about 5 hours out in the heat. The kids have a lesson, do crafts, go on a nature walk, and swim. And, we have lunch.

I knew that lunch would be hot dogs & watermelon, so I brought a bag of nuts. My plan was to just eat watermeon and nuts. Bad idea! It was hot and we were there a LONG time. By 12:30, when lunch was served (and they didn't bring the watermelon out until later), I knew I HAD to eat a hot dog or my body would protest. So, I ate a hot dog... and it didn't blow my diet!

I was proud of myself for passing up the chips and cookies - they didn't even tempt me! And, I ate 4 slices of watermelon and drank five 8 oz glasses of water during the day! I felt great!

I just love how I'm craving healthy foods and that my body isn't even wanting junk food. I can't believe it has happened so fast! (I'm only on Day 10!)

Goal... 5K!

I set a goal this week. I will be running my first 5K this fall!

These are the bibs I have from two 5Ks I participated in with my brother in 2004. I walked probably two thirds of each of them. This time, I plan on running the entire thing.

What got me motivated? Well, my sister-in-law was here two weekends ago and she has lost weight and is really getting in great shape. She was getting ready to go on a 25 mile bike ride the following weekend. I was really impressed! She looked great and felt great. And, I wanted to look and feel better, too.

So, I rejoined SparkPeople. Are you familiar with them? It is a FREE program that offers an online diet plan, calorie counter, and lots of health advice. You get to earn virtual trophies and points for sticking with your goals and for exercising. The best part of SparkPeople are the PEOPLE! You can blog at SP or join forums and you get a lot of positive feedback. It isn't just for people wanting to lose weight, but also for those who want to live healthier lives and just create and meet goals.

On Tuesday, I joined a SP group called "couch to 5K" (or C25K). I am now on a 9-week training program to run my first 5K. On Wednesday, I was talking to a friend at Alex's swim practice and she is now joining me on my runs! Then, yesterday, I decided to approach the swim team and ask other parents to join us for a 5K in October. We will be running in the Komen Race for the Cure. I already have at least 4 potential members and I hope to get 8-10. We'll see!

Is anyone else training for a 5K? or a half marathon? or a mini triathalon (something I'd like to do in the future!)? or some other event? If so, I'd like to cheer you on! We can do this!

Couch to 5K Day 1 & Day 2

Yesterday, I joined the Couch to 5K group and did my first walk/jog. Today, I did my second. You are supposed to take a break, but I wouldn't have been able to get 3 days in this week without doing it this week.


First of all, I can't believe how much energy I have! I am now on my 9th day and feeling so good! I've been keeping up and exceeding my goals. It just feels great!!!

Yesterday, I did a 20 minute cardio video, a 7 minute stretch, did my 35 minutes of warmup, walk/jog, and cool down, and did some lower body work! So far today, I've just done my 35 minute walk/jog, but I plan on doing some upper body work later.

My daughter was at her swim team practice this morning and when I went to pick her up I started talking to another mom who is a friend of mine. She wants to join me on my goal to a 5K! She said her husband has been asking her to run with him for a long time, but he is a "real runner" and she just can't jump in. So, we are going to do this together!!! I'm so excited, as I know this will be easier. There are some logistics to work out with our children, but we just HAVE to make it work!

So, I'm off to eat another healthy lunch... I feel like spreading the Spark everywhere! I love Spark People!

Day 8... Only 1 Pound in 1 Week :-(

I was disappointed this morning when I weighed in that I'd lost only 1 pound during my first week. I've been doing SO good! I've exercised 6 of the 7 days. I've been within my calorie, fat, carbs & protein range every day. I've even eaten extra every night because I've been short most days and I didn't want my body to think I was starving it. So, I'm disappointed and trying to get my enthusiasm back up.


It seems that last time I dieted I lost weight a lot quicker at the start. I'm hoping to see several pounds drop by next Tuesday, but it is hard sitting here on this number.

Monday Memories - Frogs & Frog Bread!

This week's Monday Memory comes from our co-op with Mrs. S and her two girls, too. We spent a day studying amphibians. We discussed amphibians, the lifecycle of a frog, and the difference between a frog and a toad. My favorite website was All About Frogs and my favorite books were Amphibians Bev Harvey and Frogs by Gail Gibbons.

From the All About Frogs site, we made some froggy bread! It was a lot of fun and turned out a little chewy, but good! And, we got to work in some math (if we need 6 cups of flour and there are 3 of you girls, how many cups should each girl add?). And, since we're studying microbes in our human body study, we talked about yeast and how it makes bread rise.

Here's Alex (over 3 years ago) measuring some flour.

 And here she is making her frog bread. We really had a lot of fun with this study!

We had so much fun that Alex and I made turtle bread, too!

She even added green dye to her butter!

Day 7... No Back Pain!

I have had back pain for years and it especially hurts to lay on my back at night. So, I rarely do it. Anyway, the past 2 nights I have spent some of my sleep time on my back... and I was able to roll over to my side without any pain! I love it! I guess it might be the exercise, though I was exercising regularly a year ago. Maybe I just didn't notice it then, but it feels GREAT!

Day 6

Today is Sunday and yet I couldn't sleep in. I woke up at 6:30 and was ready to exercise!

I dug through the garage for some of my old exercise videos and put one in. I did 20 minutes plus a 3 minute cool down. And, I've already drank 2 glasses of water and it is only 7:10 on the weekend. (I never do sleep in much, but usually sleep until 7 or so on Sundays.)

Even with the swim meet and going out to eat yesterday, I stayed within all of my goals. I'm feeling great about that!

The only frustration right now is the scales. On Day 2, it showed I dropped 2 pounds. Today and yesterday, it showed I had gained back 1.5 pounds. I really need to not weigh so often... AND not let it get me down. (I'm not really down - just felt a moment of disappointment.) My "official" days are Tuesdays and Fridays, so I need to try to avoid the scales except on those 2 days. It's not all about the scale, right?

At the end of the day I ate cereal (at 7 pm) & fruit (8 pm), I am still not getting enough carbs. It's been a struggle every day - which is funny since I struggled with getting FEWER carbs last time I did this.


Anyone have some good ideas of what carbs I should be adding? I really haven't been eating any bread or "whole grains", so I guess I need to add some.

Day 5

Today my daughter had a swim meet. I was a little concerned as I usually eat pretty bad there... I usually have a doughnut and a hot dog and maybe some chips. Well, I packed 2 Lean Body drinks, nuts, cherries, Gatorade and water and did really well. I got home so tired (7+ hours in the heat!) and had a 100 calorie snack.


It's 4 pm and I wish I had more calories left over. We're going out to eat (we eat out a lot on the weekends), though I'm not sure where. I'll try to be good!

Oh! And, I walked to the meet, so that was one mile total. I guess that's my exercise for the day as I'm pretty wiped out.

The other "positive" for the day is that I usually "quit" my diet on the weekends, but I'm still going!

Day 4

Today was a little harder. I was SO hungry all day long. But, I ended up sticking to the mid-range of my calories, doing great on carbs & protein, and just 1 gram too high on fat.


We went out to eat and I ordered lasagne... I love lasagne! I usually eat half to 2/3rds of it, and ate only half. I ordered water. The big thing, though, was that I usually eat 3 breadsticks... they are SO delicious! Well, I waited until the food came to start eating one (well, almost) and then I ate only 1! That's big for me!

I didn't get any exercise in, but I hadn't planned to so that is OK.

I weighed (will weigh on Tuesdays & Fridays) & was down 2 pounds. Yeah! It's a start!

"Hot Bottom!"

We'll be getting on a plane in a few weeks and heading to New Mexico! My sister-in-law will be teaching at a university in Albuquerque, so we'll be going out to spend a week with her, my nephew Hunter, and my mother-in-law. We're also planning on spending a little time in Santa Fe and Taos.

(closeup of a page from my scrapbook album)

My sister-in-law also taught there in 2002 when Alex was still 1. (Isn't she adorable???) This is our most memorable photo from the trip because of what happened when we took this photo. I thought this rock looked like a great spot to put my little darling. I plopped her down to take a photo, snapped the shot, and she said "Hot Bottom!" Yikes! I hadn't even checked. That rock was hot!! Oh... I felt so bad. And now, somehow, we still often find reasons to use that phrase, "hot bottom." (Silly us!)

Anyway, if you have any ideas of places to do, things to see, food to eat, etc, while we are in New Mexico, please let me know. And, we are "studying up" on petroglyphs and deserts, but I'd like to study a few more things before we go on our trip and am looking for ideas in that area, too. If you have resources for either of those topics or other things you think we might be interested in, I'd love to hear from you! Thanks!

Life of Fred: Part 2 (a little more information)

I was pleasantly surprised with the number of comments I got on my Life of Fred post in just 24 hours. And, I wanted to add an update.

As I mentioned, we finished school TODAY(!) and I was only "requiring" Alex to do chapters 1-5 and the "bridge" which is like a unit test. Well, she completed 11 chapters... because she was having so much fun! And, that was in 2 DAYS!

Since quite a few of you said you weren't familiar with the Life of Fred books, I thought I'd tell you a little more about it.

After every unit (about every 5 chapters) there is a "bridge." The bridge is kind of like a unit test. There are 5 "tries" to pass the test and the author recommends you have the student get 9 out of 10 questions correct before they move on to the next chapter. (He also suggests a few other options.) So, they take the "first try" bridge. If they get 9 or 10 correct, they can move on to the next chapter. If not, they take the "second try."

Another neat thing about Life of Fred is that it teaches a lot of other tidbits besides math. These are usually found in the footnotes. For example, there is a funny footnote about "onomatopoetic words" on page 20. And on page 31, there is a footnote about "hyperbole." Here's that footnote which also shows you how humorous this book is:

Hyperbole (high PURR bow lee). Exaggeration. Mothers use it when they say, "I've told you a million times to clean up your room!" Darlene would be using a hyperbole if she tells Joe (this is from the story), "It takes you forever to write your class notes."

I hope Alex decides to continue with this book during the summer... since the story is just too good to put down! But, if she doesn't, we'll start it up again in the fall.

Day 3

I had a great day. I had lots of energy and woke up at 5:30 (usually wake up at 6:15) and worked on bills & reconciling our bank account for 1.5 hours. I was HUNGRY and had breakfast at 6:15. We finished up school & I cleaned out both freezers and we cleaned out 3 of my daughter's toy drawers. So, besides taking better care of my body, I'm trying to get my house "in order", too.


As far as my health - I drank 10 glasses of water (this seems easy right now, though it used to "kill me") and stayed at the low end of my range for carbs, fat & calories. And, a lower protein total of 80 this time.

I realized something funny. Last time I started this diet, I realized I was a carb-o-holic. It was EXTREMELY hard for me to stay within the carb range. Between breads & fruits, I just kept going over... way over! Well, the past 2 nights I had to eat additional food just to get ENOUGH carbs! (I had half an apple yesterday to finish that off). So, I have really changed my mindset! I also used to really STRUGGLE to get enough protein, but I'm not finding that hard. I've been eating Bumble Bee tuna or chicken packets for lunch - I love them! And, they are a great source of protein.

Oh, and I made a healthy dinner last night. A new recipe - a type of chicken & noodle soup that everyone liked, though I'll make a few changes next time. Cooking is not something I do nearly enough of, so I'm giving myself a pat on the back for this one. And, I cooked Tuesday night, too.

I did work out with the Wii, but I wasn't feeling up to the cardio and mainly did yoga... which felt really good! I ended with 10 minutes of cardio. Oh, and I did some lower body work in the morning. Great day!!!

My Predictions for 2110

Alex's online class had a fun assignment for this week. They were discussing the World Fair of 1893 which was held in Chicago. At the fair, people made predictions about what they thought the US would be like in 100 years. Alex's assignment was to make a similar prediction for 100 years in our future. So, I thought I'd "play" along...

 (1893 Chicago's World Fair)

MEDICAL

I think life expectancy will be quite a bit longer in 100 years. People might be expected live to be 130 or older. I think babies will be able to survive outside of the womb from an earlier age. In fact, I think we will be able to create an artifiicial womb where a baby can grow from fertilization. Or, a premature baby can be put in the womb to finish gestation. I believe many diseases will be cured and cancer will be more easily treated, though not eradicated. However, I believe there will be new diseases, too.

TRANSPORTATION

I believe gasoline will be a thing of the past. Vehicles will run on solar power and environmental friendly fuels. Air travel will be quicker and safer and more readily avaiable. There will be more personalized forms of air travel with many families owning their own air vehicle.

COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY

It's hard for me to imagine communication and technology getting any faster/easier/better than it is today! When I was growing up, our phones were still "corded." I remember seeing my first car phone -and it was HUGE and in a big box. I don't remember using a computer until high school - and it only had a black screen with green letters. We listened to 8-track tapes in the car. For the library, we used an old-fashioned card catalog... all the way through high school. For research, we used books and an encyclopedia - there wasn't an interenet. And, all books were on paper - not digital. So, what will people be using in 100 years? I really can't imagine. It's hard for me to imagine what new inventions will happen in the next 10 years. Does anyone have any thoughts?

FOOD

I believe we'll find alternate ways to grow things to take more advantage of space. We'll use more hydoponics to grow food. Perhaps we'll use multi-story buildings to take up less space. And, we will make a shift back towards eating healthier.

Well, those are my predictions. Maybe you or your child would like to make some predictions about what the world will be like in 100 years. If so, please let me know... I'd love to read your predictions!

Day 2

FITNESS: I worked out for 30 minutes with Wii Fit again. I burned 133 calories.

NUTRITION: I did really good again today. I ended up with under 1400 calories, 183 carbs, 40 grams of fat, and 69 grams of protein. There was a birthday at my house and I made a cake... and ate a slice without frosting. I realized that cake wasn't worth it... it took up over 20% of my calories for the day! I guess I should have had half a slice, but I'm still proud of what I did.

Life of Fred: Fractions

We only have two "official" days of school left! Woohoo! (Alex is taking two online classes which will both continue for an additional two weeks.) So, today I told her what she needed to do to be finished for the year. In math, we started a new book, Life of Fred: Fractions. I just wanted her to finish the first unit, which is 5 chapters and a quiz. She finished chapter 6 tonight!

As you can probably tell, she is really enjoying Life of Fred. Tonight in bed, she created a list of important facts she's learned about Fred so far:

• Fred is 5 1/2 years old
• Fred is 3 feet tall
• Fred wants a bike
• Fred teaches college
• Fred is at KITTEN University
• Fred has a friend named Betty
• Fred's last name is Gauss (rhymes with house)

(Alex's drawing of Fred)

In case you aren't famliar with the Life of Fred books, let me explain a little about them. Each book tells a story about Fred's life. We are reading the first book, "Fractions", which covers one day in his life. Each chapter tells a little more of the story and then has a "Your Turn to Play" page where you do the math. These problems are great "thinking" problems and very unlike a traditional textbook.

Here's an example of a problem from chapter 6. Fred wants to buy a bike and the store owner, Coalback, keeps doubling the price of the bike as he realizes that Fred is very interested in buying the bike. The problem states: "The price of the bike is now $1,600. If Coalback doubles it again, it will be $3,200. How many times will Coalback have to double the price before it is over a million dollars?"

We officially take the summer off from school, though we do continue to do plenty of educational activities. So, it is up to Alex if we continue with Fred or take a break. Either way, I think we'll start next year's math off with a few Fred books!

Day 1... Round 2

I stayed within my goals for carbs, fat, calories & protein (110!) yesterday. In fact, I was low and had to have a snack late last night. (I was getting hungry and just had 8 almonds.)

I hadn't planned on exercising this week, but ended up doing WiiFit for 30 mins while my daughter was at swim practice. So, my goal is to do 30 mins tonight & tomorrow while she's there. (No practice Friday.) For now, I'll just set a goal of 30 mins 3x/week.

Feels like a great start to my diet!