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  • Inspiration to Fitness – Week 5

    Has it been five weeks of fitness already? This has got to be some kind of personal record for me. Especially the time I’ve spent all aboard the healthy eating train. A train with limited carbs and raw almonds as my most appealing snack option.

    Although I do give myself weekends off. I’m happy to announce that this weekend was filled with crispy beef taco plates, fajitas, queso, and guacamole. And the people said AMEN.

    And I think that’s the key. I can make myself mind over matter the junk food addict who enjoys Gummie Sours Lifesavers and Sonic tater tots during the weekdays because I know that I get to take a break on the weekends and eat the foods of my ancestors. Assuming my ancestors ate a lot of Mexican food. Which is really highly unlikely since they were Sicilian and you never hear anyone talk about visiting Sicily for the guacamole.

    As for working out, I keep waiting to LOVE it and feel all those endorphins and all that other fitness propaganda that people spew. And it hasn’t happened. I love my playlist. I love the way I feel AFTER a workout is over. But the actual running part? Not a huge fan.

    But I’ve found a lot of good workouts on Pinterest that I can do in the comfort of my living room on the days I just can’t get out the door because it’s too cold or too warm or too rainy. Can anyone tell me what we used to do before Pinterest? How did I find recipes or cute clothes or obsessively daydream about all the ways I’d like to redecorate my living room.

    It’s a wealth of workout suggestions that I’ve incorporated to mix things up a little bit.


    Source: iowagirleats.com via Melanie on Pinterest

    Because man (or woman) cannot live by running alone.

    I think that’s in the Bible.

    And here’s the other gem I found on Pinterest that I look at every time I start to lose my motivation and gaze longingly at the couch.


    Source: via Melanie on Pinteres

    Just last week someone told me my face looked a little thinner and I wanted to give them a prolonged hug. It was a good reminder that just because I don’t see results doesn’t mean things aren’t changing. I just see myself everyday and so it’s hard to tell.

    But I know I feel better and isn’t that what really matters? Just wait until I’m sitting by the pool this summer and everyone comments on how healthy my heart looks.

    It will be totally worth all the sacrifices.

    * Don’t forget to check out the Best Buy “Buyer’s Guide” and leave a comment for a chance to win!

  • Beauty is skin deep – Personal Home Microderm Abrasion giveaway

    I think it was sometime a few years ago when I looked in a super-magnifying mirror for the first time in a long time. And I didn’t like what I saw.

    Where did those wrinkles come from? What were all those dark, splotchy places on my face? Why was I an idiot who spent my high school summers teaching swim lessons and neglected to wear sunscreen because I wanted a nice, tan face?

    The sun damage piper had come calling, and it was time to pay. Or time to find some products with a sufficient amount of retinol. It was also time to buy a large sunhat, SPF 150, and sunglasses that covered my entire face.

    I can’t even talk about the summer after I had Caroline when hormones caused me to develop what appeared to be a mustache on my upper lip but was really just a series of dark patches from the sun. It was a dark time. Literally. A kid at the pool concession stand might have called me “Sir”.

    Anyway, ever since those days I have been slightly obsessed with discovering the magic elixir of skin youth. I’m a sucker for anything that promises a glowing complexion and the ability to turn back the hands of time. Even though, let’s be honest, even Cher couldn’t figure out how to do that. I’ve tried the organic oil cleansing method. I’ve tried retinol. I’ve tried every brand you can imagine. I’ve tried petroleum jelly.

    I’ve finally come to love the combination of facial cleanser with electric face brush and some retinol. It’s removed a lot of the dark places on my skin and helps it have more of a glow. But I was so excited when Best Buy sent me the PMD- Home Microderm Abrasion Device. This microdermabrasion device features body and facial caps for wide-ranging use, suction that promotes blood flow to help renewal, and recovery creams (not included) that penetrate your skin. I’ve always wanted to try microdermabrasion but didn’t know if it would be worth the money, and so I couldn’t wait to try this. Unfortunately I had to wait a few days because you can’t use it within 48 hours of using retinol or alpha-hydroxy on your face. I use a lot of both of those things.

    I tried it last week and loved it. My face felt so smooth and soft, and it easily absorbed the face cream I put on afterwards. I’m not sure what improvements I will see over time, but it looks promising based on my first use. I’ll let you know.

    The good news is you can win one for yourself. All you have to do to be entered for a chance to win is leave a comment on this post letting me know what skin care products you love the most and whether or not you’ve ever tried microdermabrasion. Here are the rules.

    Rules:

    No duplicate comments.

    You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

    a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

    b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

    c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

    d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

    This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

    Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

    You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

    The Official Rules are available here.

    This sweepstakes runs from 2/1 – 2/7.

    Also be sure to visit the Inspiration to Fitness page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews, get great fitness tips and find more chances to win! You can also roll over the Best Buy image at the top of my blog to view a calendar of all the Inspiration to Fitness content. Good luck!

    Best Buy does not sponsor, endorse, approve, or have any responsibility for this promotion.

    _____________________________________

    Today the LifeWay Women are doing a special webcast with Kelly Minter at 11:00 a.m. (central time) to celebrate her new Bible study on Nehemiah. You can click here for the link. Rumor has it there will be special guests, music, cooking, prizes, and more.

  • Inspiration to Fitness – Week 4

    So last week I mentioned that my playlist is what’s getting me through my workouts.

    But I didn’t know that Caroline was going to be sick last week and miss three days of school. So those days turned out to be completely unproductive. And I think that’s one of the hardest things about working out. It seems like something always comes up that changes up your schedule. I’m sure more disciplined people press on through, but I’ve never pretended to be one of those people.

    The good thing is I’m motivated to get right back on the horse or the pavement or whatever this week. It just goes back to how much better I feel after a good workout. I can tell a difference in my mood and outlook. And hopefully I’ll eventually feel a difference in my jeans.

    Here are the songs that are getting me through right now:

    1. Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift

    2. Stronger by Mandisa

    3. Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson

    4. Gunpowder and Lead by Miranda Lambert

    5. Tokyo by Imagine Dragons

    6. All My Fountains by Chris Tomlin

    7. Breathe by Michelle Branch

    8. P.Y.T. by Michael Jackson

    9. Love on Top by Beyonce

    10. Walk this Way by Run D.M.C.

    So those are my songs. Some of them are old standbys that I’ve had on various workout playlists over the years and some of them are new additions that I might hate in the next month.

    But, for now, they keep me moving. And, in the words of Martha Stewart, that’s a good thing.

    What about y’all? Any good workout songs you’re loving right now?

    I’ve also decided I need some better running socks. I’m thinking about getting these from Lululemon.

    Or does anyone have a better sock suggestion?

    Socks and music. This is what my life has become.

    Have you entered my Perfect Portions Scale giveaway yet?

  • An ounce of prevention – Perfect Portions Scale giveaway

    So here’s the hardest thing about trying to eat healthy. Well, not the hardest thing because that would be all the not eating of the cookies and the chips and the bowls of queso and fresh flour tortillas that are an inch thick, but it’s all relative these days.

    My biggest issue has always been all these recipe sites or Weight Watcher guidelines that tell you to eat 4 oz of lunch meat or a 6 oz chicken breast. How am I supposed to know that? Am I some sort of food mathematician? Am I supposed to have some kind of unagi that helps me sense the weight of four slices of ham?

    Because I don’t have that.

    That’s why I was thrilled to get the Perfect Portions – Food Scale with Nutritional Calculator from Best Buy. It instantly adjusts your food’s nutritional facts to your portion size with its food scale and nutritional calculator in one. A touch of a button shows you how many calories are in food and also tracks the sugar content.

    See? It does all the hard work for you. Then all you have to do is enjoy those three delicious and totally filling slices of turkey breast with a side of four carrots and an apple.

    Maybe for fun I’ll make a big bowl of queso and put that on it or a cheeseburger from Whataburger. It might cause the thing to blow a fuse, but I wouldn’t really do that because I am committed to healthy eating.

    The Perfect Portions Scale has helped me so much because it gives me an accurate count of the calories I’m consuming and the nutritional content of all my meals. For someone like me†who doesn’t like to think about those things or use some kind of old-fashioned weighted scale, it is SOLID GOLD. †If you’re trying to make some healthy lifestyle changes, this scale may be just the thing for you.

    While you’re at it, take the pledge!

    The good news is that you have a chance to win†a Perfect Portions – Food Scale with Nutritional Calculator†for yourself.

    To be entered for a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post letting me know how much thought you put into portion size and what you eat during the day. Do you measure? Do you obsess? Or do you eat an entire sleeve of cookies and call it a serving size? Not that I’ve ever done that.

    Anyway, here are the rules:

    No duplicate comments.

    You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods: a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
    b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
    c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
    d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
    The sweepstakes runs from 1/25 – 1/31.
    This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
    The Official Rules are available here.†

    Also be sure to visit the Inspiration to Fitness page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews, get great fitness tips and find more chances to win!† You can also click on the Best Buy image at the top of my blog to view a calendar of all the Inspiration to Fitness content. Good luck!

    Best Buy does not sponsor, endorse, approve, or have any responsibility for this promotion.

    _________________________________

    On a different note, I wrote a post about some of my favorite quotes from books over on Pioneer Woman’s Entertainment section. You can check it out here if you want to.

  • Inspiration to Fitness – Week 3

    So the good news is I was much better about my running regimen this past week and sticking with the Inspiration to Fitness program goals Ashley’s has set for us. I’d like to say it’s because I’ve found new inner strength and discipline that I didn’t even know I had, but the truth is I really wanted to get a pedicure.

    And I threw in a shellac manicure for good measure.

    On Thursday I treated myself to both.

    Then I went out of town for the weekend and totally kicked my healthy eating to the curb. But I knew I would because man cannot live by roasted edamame alone. Especially during a fun weekend with friends.

    I think the workouts were easier because it warmed up a little last week and it’s so much easier to get out the door when it’s not cold and all you want to do is curl up with a cup of hot choffee and see who’s guest hosting with Kelly Ripa.

    Plus I really do want to be a runner. It’s like I told some friends this weekend, I LOVE the idea of being a runner. I seriously ENVY people who get to say cool things like “I ran the half last weekend” or “I have to carb up because I have my long run in the morning”.

    I am especially jealous of the carbs part of that equation.

    And maybe if I was a real runner I could wear some super cool shoes like these.

    Or probably not.

    Whatever the case, it’s been the actual running that is my stumbling block.

    But here’s the thing, I ALWAYS feel better after I run. Yes, I may hate it while I’m doing it, but I feel better afterwards. And I love the strength training exercises that Ashley has incorporated into the workout because it feels like they’re working.

    At least I think that’s what it means when you can’t sit down on the toilet.

    On the days I run I can tell it clears my head, relieves some stress and gives me extra energy for the rest of the day. And that’s why I’m sticking with it.

    Plus I really like my playlist. I tell you about it in next week’s post.

    * Have you entered my Withings Scale Giveaway?

  • Weighing on my mind – Withings scale giveaway

    The Withings Smart Body Scale Giveaway

    I have always had a love/hate relationship with scales. Actually that’s not true. I’ve just had a hate relationship with scales. Because is there really a woman anywhere who wakes up and thinks, “MAN, I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE IF I PUT ON TWO POUNDS YESTERDAY!”?

    So I will go months without weighing myself. MONTHS. Maybe even a year. And I’ve always justified this approach by saying I can just tell if I’ve gained or lost weight (like losing ever happens without me knowing about it) by the way my clothes fit.

    If my jeans feel too tight? Then I’ll scale back on the Oreos. If my jeans feel too loose? Then I’ll get on my knees and say a prayer of thankfulness and celebrate with even more Oreos.

    But current fashion trends have created a problem with this approach. All of my jeans now have just a hint of stretchy material in them, which is much more forgiving than the Levi 501s of my past. This, combined with the fact that I tend to wear a lot of loose, flowy tunic things as opposed to the days of yore when I tucked shirts in and wore belts, gives me a false sense of security regarding my weight.

    Then I go to the doctor for my yearly checkup and realize I’ve been sitting on a throne of spandex lies. What I’m saying is I realized sometime over the last six months that I really needed to pay a little bit more attention to my weight. Not obsess over it, just keep an eye on it since my clothes are no longer an appropriate gauge.

    On a total side note, P went to the doctor about three months after we’d gotten married, and when the nurse told him he weighed 185 pounds he told her the scale must be broken because he’d weighed 155 pounds since high school. But the scale was correct. He’d gained 30 pounds in the first three months of our marriage.

    Which is such a relief because there was a slight chance I could’ve fit in his jeans when he still weighed 155, and I really don’t want to wear the same size jeans as my husband.

    Anyway, all of this to tell you that I was excited when Best Buy sent me a Withings Smart Body Scale.

    It’s a scale that features Wi-Fi connectivity so your weight data can be sent directly to your private online account. Key word being PRIVATE. You create a PRIVATE account, the Withings scale connects wirelessly, and keeps track of your weight. And you can set up accounts for each member of your family.

    This is so much fancier than the scale we’d previously had in our bathroom, which was one of those really old, non-digital models that just gives you a weight range as opposed to an exact weight.

    When we first got our Withings Smart Body Scale I was a little obsessed and may have weighed myself multiple times each day. This led to contentment first thing in the morning when I hadn’t eaten anything yet and misery late in the day when all the water weight and cheese had set in.

    Obviously I needed a healthier approach. In more ways than one. So now I’ve cut back to just weighing myself once or twice a week. This gives me an idea of how I’m doing, and if I’m staying in my normal range.

    I love that I can keep track of it all online. And I love that the account is PRIVATE.

    The good news is you have a chance to win your very own Withings Smart Body Scale.

    Just leave a comment on this post letting me know how often you feel the need to weigh yourself or if you just go for the yearly surprise at the doctor’s office.

    Here are the rules:

    Rules:

    No duplicate comments.

    You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

    a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

    b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

    c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

    d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

    This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

    Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

    You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

    The Official Rules are available here.

    This sweepstakes runs from 1/18 – 1/24

    Also be sure to visit the Inspiration to Fitness page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews, get great fitness tips and find more chances to win! You can also roll over the Best Buy image at the top of my blog to view a calendar of all the Inspiration to Fitness content. Good luck!

    Best Buy does not sponsor, endorse, approve, or have any responsibility for this promotion.