Healthy Eating, Part 2 and The DC Trip

A few weeks ago I decided to start tracking my calories. I thought it would be easy. It hasn't been easy, but it has been rewarding. In less than a month I have lost 5 pounds! I simply signed up on www.livestrong.com. I found that I was eating too many calories for breakfast and that my daily sodium intake was far too high. A key factor in this has been changing my eating habits. The first one I had to change was breakfast. I found that eggbeaters are low in calories, have no cholestrol, have no sodium and actually taste good! Here is proof of a tasty low cal healthy breakfast:

I continued to eat healthy on my trip to Washington DC to chaperone my daughter's 8th grade trip. It wasn't easy, but the commitment to eat healthy while on "vacation" paid off for me. I didn't gain weight...it probably helped that we walked upwards of 10 miles per day!

All trips have highlights and lowlights. Let's stick with the highlights:

• I enjoyed seeing new, fascinating sights
• I am still torn on which monument is my favorite
• It was a pleasure to get to know these kids better; some have unbelievable stress in their lives!
• At times I was speechless & emotional while learning more about the history of our nation
• I loved taking photos of the kids. It took awhile to manage 10-15 cameras, but they will have the photos forever!
• Although we toured for 3 straight days and we were near exhaustion, we only saw a tidbit of our great capitol city. I will definitely go back with the rest of my family!
• I also learned that when your friend has your back, you have nothing to worry about!

Time for photos:

DAY 1

This is part of the group at the beginning of the trip in the Metro station, looking rested & ready to go. My daughter Ana is the one with her thumb up:

Me with Ana in front of the US Capitol Building:

What Ohioans do when they travel: O H I O in front of the Capitol Building

The incredible architecture inside the US Capitol Building:

A picture of the whole group minus chaperones (around 50 kids). What a job to keep that many kids and adults on track and moving in the right direction!

Always time for a quick hug before the 4d movie at the Newseum:

This is such a powerful message. I admit that it was quite humbling to read this and realize how fortunate I am to live in the U.S. where free speech and free press are allowed:

The Mostly Ghostly night tour in Alexandria:

DAY 2
Ana and me with George & Martha Washington at Mount Vernon and yes, my daughter is now taller than I am:

A cute photo of the kids at Mount Vernon:

Arlington Cemetery, beautiful, yet somber and thought provoking:

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the playing of Taps a little later was heart~wrenching:

At the Lincoln Memorial (this is a tough place to get a photo because it is crowded with people!

The Vietnam War Memorial:

DAY 3

A quick stop between the Holocaust Museum and the American Museum of Natural History, with the Washington Monument in the background, brrrrrr:

I loved the live butterfly exhibit in the Museum of Natural History:

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom at the tidal basin. I decided it was too cold for a pedal boat ride!

No description needed here:

The Jefferson Memorial:

I did miss a few photo ops like at the White House, National Archives and Arlington House. And it didn't seem appropriate at the Holocaust Museum.

I think if a trip changes your thinking in some way, then it is valuable. This trip was valuable in so many ways. I also learned that I have an amazingly sweet daughter. Priceless, wouldn't you agree?

hugs,
 

One Reason I Haven't Been Blogging

This is one of the reasons I haven't been blogging lately. I have a new sport that I am enamored with! I am so focused on the kickbox workout that I rarely look at the clock. It is a great cardio workout and seems to fly by. The only negative is I have less time to blog. But how can you argue with burning more than 600 calories in an hour?

And I almost forgot to mention, the kids are in full rehearsal mode for Sleeping Beauty. I need to master the "no flash mode" on my new camera. Only one week left and they will be performing! They will be singing and curtseying and bowing and waltzing. Wow. It is coming together and will be fantastic! I am so impressed with the depth of local talent!

Tomorrow I am heading to our nation's capital for an 8th grade trip as a chaperone. I hope to get some interesting pictures and look forward to being with my daughter and her friends. I bet there will be a few bloggable moments. And I hope to teach myself a  bit of crocheting or knitting on the bus ride. Wishing you all a fun~filled memorable weekend.

And to my ski (water and snow) buddy, Di, Happy 40th Birthday! I will be back to celebrate with you!

hugs,
Cathy

Healthy Eating, Part 1

As I have mentioned in a few of my posts since January, I have been working with a personal trainer to increase my strength and be ready for summer water skiing. Here are a few reasons I chose this route:

• perform exercises that are necessary for building strength
• perform exercises without overuse or injury
• seek a higher level that I cannot achieve on my own (ie, I need the push)

I also hoped to look more fit and fight the aging bulge battle. The beginning was really difficult. I was very sore and could barely do the exercises as they were given to me. It  didn't matter if it was push-ups, leg lefts, squats, lunges, you name it and I was weak! I can see that after 16 sessions, I am definitely stronger.

During one of my workouts my trainer suggested that I use the Livestrong web site to track my calories. Of course, I ignored it and decided I didn't want to be "that committed". After a few days I started eating a bit healthier and then started looking at the web site: www.livestrong.com I then signed up for a free account and having been tracking the calories eaten and the calories burned. Today is Day 10 of tracking every morsel that I eat. I have a very modest goal of losing 1 pound/week. The site tells me how many calories I can consume each day to achieve my goal. It is around 1500 calories. I have really had to change a lot of my eating patterns. It hasn't been easy, but I am starting to see results in only a short time. I am cooking some very interesting foods and although they are really healthy, they have been delicious, too!

Roasted Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Parsnips, Onions, Potatoes & Brussel Sprouts. ~Recipe here~

If you are struggling with your weight and want to see why, then I would encourage you to start tracking what you eat (every morsel!) and you will begin to see whether or not you are truly eating healthy foods.

Quinoa with sauteed carrots, celery and onion. Prepare quinoa according to box and then sautee in a bit of olive oil. I sprinkle on a bit of Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime (salt-free):

I am going on a class trip to Washington D.C. with my 8th grade daughter in a few days and I am a little nervous about being away from my healthy foods. Of course I will pack some snacks and we will be walking about 30 miles in 3 days! If any of you have suggestions of healthy things to eat while dining out, I sure would appreciate the tips!

After a recent trip to the grocery:

A pic that my oldest took with my new camera of me with hubby. Don't know why but I really love this photo!

Thanks for all of your comments and prayers for my Mom. She has gotten through the first chemo treatment and will be having another this week. Of course the chemo journey is a very difficult one, filled with a lot of pain and ups and downs. I am proud of how well my Mom is doing and it just shows that a good attitude is important. She is sporting a new wig and my Dad is doing well, too. The kind thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated.

I am hoping to get back to my anti-procrastination list very soon. I am excited about spring! I am nervous about spending a long weekend with 8th graders. Wish me luck!

Hugs,

Cathy

Ski Carnival 2011

A few more ski photos and then  I will move on! Can you believe we had another snow day last Friday? (that's 11!)  These photos are from our ski carnival a few weeks ago, which is such a fun time in our community! Our ski resort is now closed for the season. This is my last winter post until next November/December.

Marissa, my 8 year old on the rails. Notice the concentration on her face! She was dressed as a cheerleader for the costume contest!

Ana and me watching events slopeside:

Hubby & me in costume, posing for a pic.

This is my lower half on the right. Skiing in a long dress is difficult!

Look carefully and you will see Foster in white ski pants, black jacket, orange boots, caught in mid-air on skier cross!

Ana waiting for her sibs on the Slush Cup. Her jacket and goggles are wet from being in the splash zone! She is such a supportive sister :)

The Slush Cup is a big vat of water at the end of a long ski run. Marissa informed me that she was old enough and she was doing it. She did well and made it half way across the pool of water before sinking into that cold water. She is a brave girl!

The volunteer popped her out of her skis and then retrieved them while she made her way out of the icy water. Hubby was waiting with her dry set of clothes. Brrrr!

This is Foster's 3rd time competing in the Slush Cup and he made it all the way across and won in the 15 & under age group! Good job Fos!

I will be back soon to share with you a few recipes and new things that I have discovered. 

I have been glued to CNN (in my free time) watching the devastation of the tsunami in Japan. My degree is in Environmental Issues, so I am highly concerned with the nuclear reactor situation, as well. If you want to help, please consider Save the Children. More than 100,000 children have been displaced.

A sign of spring in my flower bed:

hugs,

Cathy