Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Jawbone UP24

I've always been a gadget geek.  I love my electronics and I really like them when they do what they were meant to do.

I got the Jawbone UP for Christmas, and have been wearing it everyday for a month, and I freaking LOVE it!!!  It's genius.  I like the way it looks, it's comfortable, it doesn't bug me at all, and it's red and it counts my steps, caloric burn and tracks my sleep and how well I've slept or didn't sleep on a handy dandy pretty app on my iPhone.  How it knows if I was in a deep sleep or not creeps me out a little but it's good information.

Everyday, I set my goal for 11,000 steps, and all but 4 days I missed and those 4 days, I missed by a lot of steps.  One of those days I forgot to put the Jawbone on after my shower.  There were a few days that I was short about 1000 steps at night before bed, and I was determined to hit my goal, so I went and walked the dogs around the block just to hit the mark.

On my running days, I almost double my steps.   I hit about 15,000 to 18,000 steps.  It's amazing that 20-45 minutes of walking or running pretty much guarantees I'm going to hit the goal.  So basically if I do 20 minutes of moving a day, I'm going to hit the goal.

So I've come a bit obsessed with making sure I get the steps done every day.  I'm logging calories and activity, I'm down 6 lbs. for the month, and that was the goal, to lose weight, and be fit.

The gadget is doing it's thing.  It is working.  It's making me move, it's making me watch what I eat, it's making me accountable.  And it's funny, when I see the numbers, I want to eat better, I want to move more, the more I move, the more I see results, and that is a good thing!

If you're looking for something to help you be accountable, the app, the device, and the results are awesome, easy to set up, and will help you achieve your goals.  It won't achieve your goals, you of course will have to do the work, but it is a tool that changes my mind, as I see the progress everyday, and my work is recorded, and then results happen.   Just get one, you won't be sorry.

Rebecca



Sunday, January 25, 2015

Life Lessons of the Week

It has been a sensational week, because I'm letting peoples reactions, judgements, and snideness just roll off my back instead of hanging out with the mush pot of stinky feelings.

But I did learn a few things this week that I hope make me a better me, and some snarky things that just amuse me.

  • I just feel better when I eat clean and workout consistently
  • Consistency, while challenging is a good thing for everyone in this house
  • I'm scared about the upcoming Ragnar Relay, almost irrationally
  • Autism is a bummer, but when my kids conquer something I see their growth and it thrills me to no end
  • After the 21 day sugar detox failure, I'm addicted to sugar and will try again
  • If almost 20 years later a person is still whining, broke, and discontent, cut them loose
  • There is no way faith and fear can coexist in your head, you will constantly be in turmoil
  • Stay out of stuff that won't bring harmony to your home
  • It's none of your business if no one told you about it
  • Some people wasted a ton of money on college tuition, seriously, a ton of money
  • My sons face on rides at Disneyland is what pure joy looks like
  • I am enjoying riding on the back of the Harley
  • People that go to lengths to not spend time or see my kids are missing out on epic awesomeness.
  • I can make Paleo Bread and it doesn't suck
  • I can run and I thank God for the Galloway Method
  • God is everything or he is nothing
  • Being of service and helping others is more rewarding than you think it will be, and the gifts you get from it are breathtaking
  • I adore my husband
  • I am excited to get a new part time job, I'm excited to talk to adults for a few hours a week.
  • Being a mom is dirty, exhausting, debilitating, and the best friggin thing on the planet.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Disneyland's Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend - The Inaugural

Well the first Star Wars Half Marathon at the Disneyland resort is over.  This year I did not do the half marathon of the event, I only participated in the 10K.  When I signed up for the race months ago, I just didn't have any running mojo.  I felt like I had lost it, and didn't want to run anymore, but there is just something about a Run Disney event that pulls me to it.  There is something magical that happens that makes me overlook the cost, the crowd, the lines for merchandise and the crazy E-bayers that camp out to buy merchandise they aren't even running for!

Boy do I regret not participating in the whole weekend after watching the whole social media storm, and watching people get their series of Rebel Challenge medals.  So live and learn.

Well I think that I got my mojo back, I signed up for more races and am ready for the next Run Disney event on Mothers Day weekend the Tinkerbell Half Marathon weekend.  I didn't sign up for the Pixie Dust Challenge and of course now it's sold out, and I want to do it, so I'll have to find a way.

Back to Star Wars 10K, and absolutely FANTASTIC course.  4.5 miles of the 6.2 mile course was inside the parks, and there is just such a magic that is in the air at the parks.  The Star Wars characters were out and it was amazing to see them all up close and personal.  I adore my medal, I think the 10K medal was the best of the challenge, in my opinion.  Disney takes racing to a different level and adding Star Wars to the mix just

So another Run Disney event is in the books, and I thank Disney for giving me my mojo back and making me feel like a runner again, maybe the force IS with me!


Friday, January 9, 2015

New Year Fresh Start

Have I told you lately that I have fallen in love with a market by my house.? A couple of years ago Fresh and Easy moved into my neighborhood, and I couldn’t have been more thankful.  The market is close, their brand is outstanding and the prices are right!

I am always on the lookout to eat healthier and I need eating healthy to be easy. I got an email from Fresh and Easy highlighting the program New Year Fresh Start.   A 31 days of healthier eating calendar with selections from the Fresh and Easy products that are so far all delicious.  The other amazing thing about this calendar and meal plan is that it lists the caloric content of the items listed on each particular day.  HELLO !!! Genius.  It compliments my entire week of meal planning and really gives me fabulous ideas of meals to make for my family.  There are even things that my EXTREMELY picky eating children will eat!  SCORE!!

The last few days I have been using the calendar as a guide for my eating to stay sugar free, gluten free and grain free, and I have so many options available to me at Fresh and Easy, and I know the products are fresh, they are healthy and they are really very tasty, my favorite items are the Fresh and Easy Beef Fajitas, Fresh and Easy eat well Mediterranean Chicken, and the Fresh and Easy green Super Smoothie. 

So many of us started the new year resolving to eat healthier, and it is so hard for us moms to stick to something when it is overwhelming, Fresh and Easy is the answer I had been looking for. I highly recommend #newyearfreshstart at Fresh and Easy,  it is Fresh and it is Easy (see what I did there)   Fresh and Easy is the key to keeping me with healthy quick and delicious meal options for my family.

Happy New Year!!!

Monday, January 5, 2015

21 Day Sugar Detox - Day 1

It has been no secret to anyone that in the last year since I quit drinking that I replaced the margaritas with salted caramel - ANYTHING - mostly ice cream, mass quantities of it, very late at night.   So when a few friends were discussing and starting the 21 day SUGAR detox, I thought it may be the thing for me.  I have been emotionally eating for 6 years, and in my quest to be fit I'm not achieving all my goals because my nutrition sucks.  Bottom line, I can run to the moon and back but if I'm going to eat crappy then why bother?  So I agreed to do this with a friend.

I got the book, I read it, I shopped, and today is the first day.  I prepped some of my food, and had a successful day, but I'll tell you what.  SUGAR is evil, I really feel gnarly today, a bad headache, and cravings.  I knitted a ridiculous looking scarf tonight, just to keep my hands busy so i wouldn't mindlessly snack.

So I made it through the first day and other than a headache, and wanting to eat a can of cream cheese frosting, the day was a success, and I'm looking forward to getting the toxic sugars out of me.

I also got a Jawbone Up, and I walked over 12K steps, including the 3.2 miles I ran this morning.  So let the detox begin and get this crap out of my body so I don't feed any cancer and I get to that 5 year cancer free mark in March!