And He's Off!

We returned from Utah last night where we took Alex to the MTC. It was a wonderful experience for the family. Thanks to all of you for being so supportive and helping him get ready to serve. Soon we will put up a missionary site to keep everyone up to date on his activities.

As this blog is dedicated to fitness and nutrition, I will tell you that we ate really good tasting food. We can recommend a few places to eat - Winger's in Orem serves some greate honey BBQ wings with a kick. Orem also has a Krispy Kreme and yes, we waited until the light was on to get ours fresh off the line. If you are ever in Kanab, give Grandma Tina's a try. They make a great patty melt, grilled cheese and even vegetables.

I personally did not follow my eating plan very well as my weight ticker will attest. I did go for a morning jog one day and a walk the next, both times it snowed. I bundled up in complete head to foot thermal-arctic wear while the local kids walked to school in not much more than a sweatshirt. I also shoveled the walk & drive way. Good fun but glad I don't have to do it every day.

What are your favorite places/things to eat when you are on the road. Do you try to eat healthy when you are away from home?

A River Runs Through It...

Ugg - not feeling very sporting today. I've been fighting off a cold this week and am just a bit run down. It was my day to go running, but I decided to listen to my body and take it easy. I went for a brisk walk at lunch time - very sunny and cool today - perfect weather for being outside.

We have a big driving trip planned next week, so I need to be rested and ready.

I am wanting to keep hammering down the weight, so I feel like I should push harder. I sometimes hear two voices in my head, the one of reason (a plump, easily distracted but comfy voice) and the one of the goal seeking zealot (an energetic, hearty, but sometimes foolish voice) I listened to the zealot and went 'Biking in the Rain' - one point for consistency, minus one for overall health. Today was the reasonable voice's turn.

What voices do you hear? Which ones do you listen to?

Bikin' in the Rain

It rained all day today but it's Monday, so I gotta ride my bike. It was kind of fun - the way in was not bad, the ride home was drizzly and wet. Guess where all the water in the street goes when it's raining - in the bike lane! I was soaked and dirty when I got home.

What do you do when it's raining?

Kendra's race

I ran in a race today - surprise! It was a fund raiser that a very good coach (Brian Dempsey) at O'Connor has been sponsoring for several years now. It originally started as a way to help one of his students that was battling cancer. She is now cancer free! They have decided to sponsor "Camp Rainbow". This organization helps kids with cancer have fun during their treatment and recovery. It was a good time, I would do it again.

What are your favorite charities/community groups?

Trip to Chino Bandido

Today, a group of us from work went to "Chino Bandido Takee-Outee" It's a rather interesting hole in the wall place that defies description. The food is a fusion of Asian and Mexican styles. If you have never been, try it out, you will either love it or hate it, there's not much in between. I had the Emerald Chicken in a quesadilla, machaca beef, black beans and pork fried rice - topped off with their signature Snickerdoodle cookie - MMmm tasty! Do you like Chino Bandido?

Word of warning: When I went to journal everything I ate in my food diary, it was amazing how fast the calories added up. Good thing I rode my bike to work today!

Dana's Theory of Weight Loss

Here's my complex (not really) theory of weight loss:

1) Burn more calories than you eat. My plan is to burn 500 to 1000 calories more than I eat each day. For me, at my age and general state of being, this translates to a 1 to 2 pound weight loss per week. Your mileage may vary.

2) Eat right. Watch your portion size, eat smaller amounts throughout the day.

* More foods in their natural form like, fruits, vegetables, whole wheat, grains, lots of fiber.
* Less processed foods, sugar, cookies and crackers are the devil but I love them!
* Lean meat - fish, chicken, pork

Am I a food nazi? Not really. I pretty much eat what I want, just less and better. Like Captain Barbosa says "...the code is more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules..." (see post on Chino Bandido)

3) Exercise vigorously every day. I like riding my bike and walking, so that's what I do. I work it into my schedule, I ride my bike to work most days and go for a walk or run at lunch on days when I drive. For me it has to be a regular part of the day, I am prone to make excuses if it is just to work up a sweat, but I always go to work.

4) Keep track of everything you eat and all the physical activity you do. It is really easy to get into bad habits like eating too much, wrong food choices, not enough activity, etc. It helps to know exactly how much you put in vs how much you take out - takes the guess work out of it and forces you to be honest with yourself.

Will it work? So far so good, but the first 5 pounds are the easiest right? I have found that I feel better when I eat good food in moderation. I also feel better when I can move around comfortably in my body. At the end of the day don't we all want to enjoy our time here?

What does eating right and exercise mean to you?

I feel like a million bucks!

The ride was excellent this morning. Got the tires aired up for extra speed. I must have had a bit of luck too because I caught the green light at almost every intersection. I am working on pedaling in the highest (fastest) gear but it does not feel right yet. I am working my way up though and can feel my legs and endurance getting better...stronger...faster...