Ugh! I did get that cold, so I only did light cardio last week and no weight training. This week has been lots and lots of walking: Tuesday around the Wild Animal Park, Wednesday was to the library, and tomorrow maybe the zoo or to Sea World depending on how everyone sleeps tonight (especially hubby).

I will get a new picture up soon, there just aren't too many of me taken these days. You moms know what I mean, we are usually the ones behind the camera.

It is 9pm and I am about to turn into a pumpkin.

Nite all!

~
Audrey

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew.

February goal is 3 cardio and 3 strength workouts each week. Missing 1 cardio (unless I count the 1+ mile walk to the store and 1+ back). will try to get it in, but I think I am finally coming down with the cold I have been fighting off for 2 weeks.

going to bed now!

Nothing to report really. I just noticed that I had 199 blogs written so far and I couldn't leave it at that.

have a nice week everyone, I'll be back late this weekend and hopefully will have a new picture to post.

-Audrey

I am going to do the best I can to workout this week. We will be in the car pretty much all day Wednesday and Friday and I am not sure how much time I will have on Thursday. Tomorrow I need to pack and clean the house, but I will try to squeeze something in. My cardio workout got cut short again this morning. I don't think I am going to be able to do fasted cardio anymore until it warms up - it is just too cold in the morning to take Justin out (and he HATES it when I put on his gloves and hat), so I am going to have to wait until it warms up to take him or he is napping.

If I don't make it back here before Thursday - HAPPY THANKSGIVING one and all (even for those that do not celebrate, I wish you much happiness).

I checked this book out from the library to inspire me to cook so all of us get more vegetables. I have no problem "sneaking" veggies into my sons food, because to be perfectly honest that's one of the main ways Daddy and I are going to eat them too. It has recipes that use cauliflower and beets, 2 things I do not particularly care for or know how to cook. So now maybe I will try them.

I tried the gingerbread cake with carrots and (are you sitting down) broccoli! I didn't think it had enough spices in it for my taste, but otherwise it tasted darn good and you really couldn't detect the veggies. Justin gobbled up the piece I gave him and I will taste test it on some friends tomorrow.

I am sore from yesterday's walk/jog. Not sure if it because it has been a few weeks, or because I took a different hillier path, or because I went with out having to push the stroller for once. strange that my shins hurt and I ran on almost all decomposed granite (softer, more like dirt) instead of sidewalk like I usually do. Probably my technique was different sans stroller.

Only managed 2 challenges of the cardio coach today. tomorrow is strength training.

-Audrey

A successful individual typically sets his next goal somewhat but not too much above his last achievement. In this way he steadily raises his level of aspiration.

Had a good cardio workout this morning by myself, plus two walks to the park.

Hopefully I can get back into my workout routine. I moved on to the next strength workout which I like because it concentrates on only 2 muscle groups per workout instead of 3. Just have to make sure I get them done!

Goal for the week is to try to find some flax seed and experiment with some recipes.

That's about it.

~
Audrey

Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life, I find.
- John F. Kennedy

Saw this in today's cooking section of my paper:the benefit of omega 3 without the bad stuff. I will have to get some and experiment.

-Audrey

The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star.
- Anthelme Brillat Savarin

got a true cardio workout for the first time in it seems like forever this morning. I had been walking to the park or store pretty much every day, but the effort was definately mild. felt good to get out there and jog a little.

want to get some stuff done before Cake Boss starts in a few minutes (can't get calories through the tv can I?) so I am going to cut this short and cheat a little on my daily quote.

-Audrey

THANK YOU to all of our veterans for their service to our country, and a double thank you to the families that support them.

the little boss had a hard time sleeping last week and I was exhausted and sure enough ended up getting sick when the weather went from 95* to 65* in two days. now I am trying to get his sleep back on track with the time change while trying to catch up on some zzzs myself. probably going to take the rest of the week off from working out to fully recuperate.

The batteries in the MP3 player died halfway through my workout this morning (Cardio Coach volume 1). Luckily I have done it so many times I was able to guesstimate the level 3 climbs and final level 4 to finish up. Time to get the batteries charged up and maybe consider getting volume 2. But those four Level 4s in challenge 3 look so hard......

Ok, I am done being a wimp and I will download tonight.

~
Audrey

"Some people grow old gracefully, I intend to fight it every step of the way"
Oil of Olay commercial

(and I don't mean the superficial nonsense the media tries to force o

In 12 weeks I have lost:
13 pounds of "scale weight" (7.3%)
3 inches in the waist (8.5%)
4 inches in the hips (9.3%)
1.75 inches in each thigh (6.7%)

I searched through my old blogs and found that on July 16 2007 (the last time I could find measurements) I had a
30.5 inch waist (now 32)
37.5 inch hips (now 39)
24.25 inch thighs (now 24.25)
So, I think I will make those my new 6 week goals, with a little more off the thighs ;)

At my first OB appointment I weighed 165, so technically I could say I am back to my prepregnancy weight. But, I know that was week 10 and I had gained 5 pounds in those first few months.

I admit they have an elastic waistband. I still have a few inches to go until I banish all ealstic waistbands from the wardrobe completely.

another good strength training workout - chest, shoulders and triceps.

Julia, strange question for you. If the exercise is a break down, or up and down the rack, and it is a single arm or leg exercise do you do both arms (or legs) at the higher weight, then drop it down and do them both at the lower, or do one arm completely first and then switch to the other arm?

~~
Audrey

Art produces ugly things which frequently become beautiful with time. Fashion, on the other hand, produces beautiful things which always become ugly with time.

blood pressure was 106/65 and pulse was 58. I am normally low, but these were a little lower than they were before, must be the healthy living.

just a little walk and play at the park today, otherwise I let the body rest from pushing it all week.

~
Audrey

Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.
- Karen Kaiser Clark

Legs, back and biceps today. Felt good, but I may pay for it tomorrow. Also a little light cardio with a walk to the park to play on the slide and in the sand.

~
Audrey

It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.
- Lucius Annaeus Seneca

I can hardly believe it. I am not a jogger, I have never really enjoyed it. I faked it all of the time I was teaching (ssshh don't tell my former students). But this morning when I did my walk/jog for the first time in a week I found I had actually missed it a little. Still not ready to consider the couch to 5K or to run a 10k or half marathon like some of my old high school buddies. But I don't loathe it as much as I used to.

going to go stretch out the legs in bed because tomorrow it is leg strength training.

~
Audrey

The world is a looking glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face.

I started my day by finding out that Jonnie and I are practically neighbors. We live about 20 minutes apart, with Temecula Wine Country right in the middle. Hhhhmmm! No, I don't think that is on the nutrition plan right now especially with her working on the 12 week fitness contest and me still nursing.

Got a little light cardio in by walking to the store. Also did a good chest/shoulder/tricep strength workout.

The last few days are catching up to me so, I am going to hit the hay now.

~~
Audrey

When I was born I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half.
- Gracie Allen

Justin actually slept in until 7:25 this morning. With the work crew coming to put in the new hvac system at 8:00 I knew I didn't have time to do my normal walk/jog cardio. Instead I ended up taking him in the stroller for both his morning and afternoon naps because of the noise in the house. I ended up walking for about 45 minutes to an hour each time, so I am counting that as a cardio workout. I really hope tomorrow isn't a leg strength workout because they are jelly right now. I'd better go stretch out on the bed.

And as far as the new system goes, I might not have wanted to spend the money and we may have been able to wait to replace or just repair for awhile longer, but one look inside the old system at all of the rust and MOLD and I am so glad we did this. Matthew and I both thought we were imagining things when we smelled a faint musty odor sometimes when the old system was on.

up at 5:15 this morning thanks to my little alarm clock calling "Mamom" down the hall. Can't complain too much because he slept really well last night, but I really wanted him to go back to sleep for another 30-60 minutes. But he wasn't having it. So I got him changed and his breakfast ready, left him to play with Dad and dragged myself out to the garage to do my cardio. That is one reason I do like fasted cardio first thing in the morning. I usually get halfway through it before I fully wake up and then I only have a little more to do.

gonna try to fit in another cardio tomorrow before they come to install the new heater-a/c. If I don't get it done I will just juggle some workouts around the rest of the week.

I wanted to be in bed at 9. Blah! I'll make it quick.

1- new photos attached of 10 week progress
2- if I can squeeze in a strength workout tomorrow I will have all of my workouts done for the week and I can take Friday and Saturday off. But someone is coming to quote us on a new hvac system when I normally workout (supposedly ours could go out at any moment, or could last for awhile longer.......).
3- really noticing some cardio improvement lately. I recover quickly and am able to go further (using Sean O'Malley's Cardio Coach volume 1 with walking and jogging).

-Audrey

Faith moves mountains, but you have to keep pushing while you are praying.