Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Do you overestimate?

I'm always amazed when I have done a HARD workout and then see just how many calories I burned.   I ALWAYS think that I burn more than I actually do!

I wear the fitbit and I have worn the bodybugg, so I can see how many calories I am burning and both of the devices are really close on the calorie count.  I think the bodybugg is a bit more accurate, but not enough to make THAT much of a difference.



I know I am working hard, I have sweat pouring off me, so I'm just going to have to trust that the calorie counts are accurate!  I do know that most treadmills and ellipticals over-estimate the calorie burn.  Keep this in mind when you are working out next time!


The calories burned are different for each and every person since it matters how much energy you are expending and also how much you weigh.

I know for me, I burn about 130 calories walking at a brisk pace in 30 minutes.  If I am doing heavy aerobics, I burn 160-300 depending on the workout  - HIIT workouts burn the most for me!  Yoga is usually my lowest calorie burner, but I still am getting a great workout!



I find that most people over-estimate the amount burned and under-estimate the amount consumed.  Keep your food and exercise journal.  It is so important to keep track of what you are doing AND what you are eating!  I just keep a cute notebook with me at all times.   This way I can jot down what I eat, what workout I have done and I even keep my to-do list and goals in it.  This is the one I am currently using.  I love it!





If you want to see how many calories you are consuming, I suggest you check out myfitnesspal!  I love that site, easy to use and it integrates with fitbit!  PERFECT!

Have you been watching the Olympics?  I absolutely love the Olympics!!  I was even watching water polo this week.  Now that is one tough sport.  I admire all the athletes and so enjoy this competition!





What is your favorite Olympic sport?  I'm loving the diving, swimming and gymnastics!

Monday, July 30, 2012

August Challenge - Help yourself, help others!!

I went to the lake over the weekend with a friend.  It is so nice to just be able to get away for a while!  Missed my man, but someone has to stick around and earn our keep!

We didn't do much and the internet wasn't cooperating.  Sometimes, we just scab onto my in-laws and other times I try to use my phone's wi-fi.  This weekend, neither one was working.  So, not much posting!

We rested, we ate some yummy food and we saw a movie - The Watch.  It was funny, but a bit raunchy, so you have been warned!

Today, I hit the ground running - Brian had a doctor's appointment, I had a headache and needed to get to Fed-Ex and the UPS store.  Office work is still calling my name, I got a bit done, but didn't get it finished - ugh!

It's almost August, so I have a new challenge.  I am really excited about it and can't wait to share it with you!



First of all, we all know what we want to work on most. You will pick your own goals.

We will also follow the usual - keep a food journal, drink your water, workout at least 5 days per week - yada, yada, yada!

The thing I am most excited about is that we are going to raise money for our favorite charity! You can pick your own charity or you can use the one I am going to choose.

You will assign a $ figure to your goals. However much you want or can give. This is totally up to you.

Every day that you complete your goal, you will put money toward it. Then at the end of the month, we will all send in our collection!

I am planning on 3 goals and assigning $1 per goal. That will be $90 to go to my charity ( I haven't decided which one to donate to yet). You don't have to donate that much, as I said, do what you feel comfortable with. If it is a penny per goal, that is perfectly fine.  You can donate canned goods to a food bank, make this work for YOUR favorite charity!



I have planned out my goals, now I just have to pick my charity.  There are so many to choose from.  I will decide tomorrow and let you know!

I do know that my workout will be Les Mills Pump with TurboFire HIIT workouts and walking.  I will be burning up that darned Fitbit!  

I will be continuing my vegan diet, my meal plan is one of my goals!

So, will you be participating in the fun.  Just think in 30 days we can help someone else, while we help ourselves!

Saturday, July 28, 2012

No more pictures, please Nona!

It was a pretty good couple of days.

I'll just let the pictures do the talking.



Start my morning off every day with my Shakeology!  Using my snowflake cup so I will have cool thoughts.  It is soooo hot here.  This weekend it will be averaging 106!  UGH!



Got my new KALE shirt.  Love it!

Also got my new kindle skin - isn't it pretty!

Spent the day with my favorite 2 year old, she is tired of having her picture taken!  She said "No more pictures, please Nona!"  So I stopped for the day!

It must not be near as much fun for her to be related to a blogger!


Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Dessert for dinner, yes please!

I LOVE Reese's PB Cups. Probably my favorite candy.  I don't eat them anymore, but I miss them.  So, imagine my surprise and delight when I found a way to make these a HEALTHY way!


Luckily for you, I am going to share my joy with you!

1 scoop or packet of Vegan chocolate Shakeology
1 packet stevia

mix together with enough water to have a pudding-like consistency
Put 1 tbsp in the bottom of a cupcake liner
layer 1/2 tbsp of natural peanut butter on top of the chocolate layer
layer another tbsp of the shakeology mix on top

Put tray in freezer for about 1 hour

Eat and Enjoy!

1 serving = 4 pb cups




I'm going to keep these in my freezer at all times for those pesky chocolate cravings.  I love knowing that I am having a healthy treat instead of all that sugar and fat!

Don't have Shakeology?  Well, we need to fix that right away!  Dessert for dinner is just a click away!  Shakeology comes in Chocolate, Greenberry, Vegan Chocolate ( my favorite) and Tropical.

If you haven't heard about Shakeology, it is a meal replacement shake that is like 5 trips to the salad bar.  On top of all the health benefits, it is YUMMY!  Trust me, this is da bomb!  Brian and I drink it every single day and now we will be eating it too!

I wish I knew who to give credit to for this recipe.  It is not mine, but it is wonderful.  Thank you to whoever came up with it!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

The ugliest shoes?

We are back home and it is good to be home!  I love going to the lakehouse and spending time there, but there is just something about being at home!

Yesterday was spent taking Bill ( the father-in-law) to the dr in Arkansas and then spending a little time with Judy ( the mother-in-law) and then heading home!  It was a good day, but like I said, I'm glad to be back home for a while.

After spending almost non-stop time with my beloved Brian, we needed a break from each other.  LOL!  So, Brian had a poker game and I took off with one of my friends for dinner, shopping and a quick massage.  Sounds pretty good to me :)



We ate and enjoyed it, then decided to walk around the mall for a bit.  We always seem to end up at TJ Maxx and being the purse-a-holic and shoe-a-holic that I am, we ended up looking for the ugliest shoes we could find.  Oh my, we laughed and laughed.

Here is what we found, not sure which ones are the worst offenders.....






It was hard to walk in some of those shoes.  We had a blast and it was a much needed break from reality for a little while!

This week's challenge is to get a 2 mile or 30 minute walk in daily!  Who's up for the challenge?  You don't have to walk in the ugly, high heels, unless you want to - that would be a great calf workout!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Never to young to learn something new!

Many years ago. back when I was in college, someone told me they knew the perfect way to fold towels.  I looked at them like they were crazy.  But, you know what, they did.  I still fold my towels this way.  It really does make more sense.  They fit in the cabinet better, they stay folded better and they just look neater.

So, when someone told me they had a better way to cut a watermelon, I didn't hesitate to ask how!  It works GREAT!

Luckily for you, she said I could share it all with you!


you start with your watermelon....

cut off the ends like so

Stand it on one end and cut off the rind


just like that


Flip it over and continue cutting off the rind


now you have a naked watermelon


Turn it on its side and cut into slices


all sliced up 


now just cut the slices into chunks


easy clean up and just takes a couple of minutes

hope you have a cute, blue knife!  If not, they are great and I got the set at Sam's!


Ready to eat!

If you give it a try, let me know if you think it is easier.  I was surprised!


Friday, July 20, 2012

Great ending to the day!

We got together with MOST of the family the other night - Chase had to work!  

We had a blast, there was some swimming, there was some pizzas, and there was some ice cream.  Perfect for this hot weather!

Madelyn was excited that she got to make her own pizza

Sometimes you just gotta have a taste

Learning to blow the water through the tube 



Jumping in

hugs!

an apology hug!  Jake was really that into it!

Great way to end the day!



Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Get to clicking, people!

Just a quick post today.  Pressed for time.....

I added my contact and connect buttons this morning!  I LOVE them and wanted to share with you how I got them done and just how easy it was.... for the most part.  Going to have to work a bit on the RSS button, but I will figure it out!

So I have been wanting to add these little jewels for a while, but blogger doesn't have an app for that, so I just looked longingly at everyone else's cute little buttons..... LOL!

I basically googled it this morning and stumbled upon the best instructions and she has DONE ALL THE WORK!!!

It's simply a copy and paste ( change the info to your own) and you are in business!

Check her out if you want to get the social media icons for yourself!   Greatfun4kids! She also has etsy, tumblr and flickr.  I don't have those accounts - do I really need one more thing to keep track of?  She has different designs of the buttons and the links are already done for you!  So easy!

One thing I have learned, I will never understand html. UGH!

I do have 2, yes two facebook links.  One for Feeling Fit with Dana and one for my Nerium biz page!  The content I post is not the same, so you can like them both!

Oh, Instagram was a little tricky, but I finally figured it out - you have to use a 3rd party application.  If you want the deets, just click on the cute little email button and you can let me know!

This is gonna be fun!

Get to clicking people.  Follow Me, Join Me, Love Me ( oh that may be going a BIT too far! )

Have a wonderful night and I'll just leave you with a fun photo from my day today!

Uncle Nick and Madelyn had a GREAT time in the pool!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Conquering Salad Mountain!!

Oh man, it's been a couple of days huh?

We've been hanging at the lake, helping out the in-laws.  I have gotten a lot of things done.

I take a LOT of photos of my family and the fun things we do.  Every year we do a collage of those photos to put on the wall at the lake.  They are all in the sun room and it is fun to look back over the years and watch the kids grow up on the walls....

I got last year's board done - finally.

We had a pretty good year! 4 graduations, a wedding and just life in general!

Then I have a new challenge for my Missouri Fit Club Facebook accountability group.  We are drinking a green smoothie every day this week.  If you are on facebook and want to join the accountability group, just let me know.  We always have room for more!  It's all about support and motivation!

This one was pretty tasty!



Peaches and Cream in Green!
1 cup peaches - frozen
2 handfuls of spinach
1 cups of water
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 scoop Sun Warrior Protein Powder ( I used vanilla)

Blend in your blender and enjoy!  Brian even enjoyed it!

I am also participating in the Engine 2 Diet plan's Great Salad challenge.  These are challenges I can sink my teeth into..... bum dum pah..... (my lame attempt at drum noises after the joke, sorry)

This was my salad from yesterday - I conquered Salad Mountain!


I did have a seaweed salad today, but I'm not counting that one.  Gonna have another salad mountain for dinner!

I found out about another GREAT GIVEAWAY over at Garlic Gold!  All you have to do to be entered is to like them on their facebook page!  I have already done that and hope I win!  I LOVE this stuff!  Good on salads, baked potatoes, just about any kind of food --- ooh, popcorn!  



I did a blog post about them some time ago - you can read about it here!

So, a lot to talk about.  Came home for today and tomorrow before we head back to the lake for the rest of the week and weekend!  A little relaxing time!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

A Good Read

I don't know if I have told you before or not, but I love to read!  I read all kinds of books and usually have a couple going at the same time.  Weird, huh?



I've always loved to read.  I remember reading in high school for fun, not something assigned.  Many of my friends just didn't understand it.  I love the books, the feel of them, the smell of them and I love watching the movie in my head.

I'm the type of reader that gets nervous if I don't have a few books lined up to read.  I have a library in my dining room and love that too!

Now, I love using my kindle.  Just the thought that I have MANY ( over 800) books at my fingertips and can read whatever I want at any given moment just makes me happy!  Oh and I just ordered the cutest kindle skin.  As soon as it gets here, I'll post photos.....

I've been known to read and workout at the same time...



I started a facebook book club and we will sometimes all read the same book and sometimes just talk about what we are reading, you just never know what we will be up to!  It is fun and I've found a LOT of new authors and books this way.  If you want to be a part of our group, let me know.  If we are friends on facebook - I can add you - if we aren't friends on facebook - why not????

Recently, I was approached to offer up my opinion on a book - uhm, yes please!  I just finished it and have to say that I really enjoyed it. (As a side note, they provided me with a copy of the book to read)

Dead End Deal by Allen Wyler



Here's the bio:

New Medical Thriller Tackles

Corporate Pharma’s Dead End Deal


"A wild Journey…cutting edge science, greed, corruption and political intrigue, you won't be able to put it down."’

--D.P. Lyle, award-winning author of, Hot Lights, Cold Steel.


“Dead End Deal is a medical thriller of the highest order, reviving the genre with a splendid mixture of innovation and cutting edge timeliness. Neurosurgeon Allen Wyler knows of what he speaks, and writes, and the result is a thriller that equals and updates the best of Robin Cook and Michael Crichton. His latest is terrifyingly on mark, riveting in all ways and a masterpiece of science and suspense.”


--Jon Land, bestselling author of Strong at the Break


“The suspense builds and builds in this riveting page-turner. It’s a skillful merging of the medical thriller and political thriller…Tom Clancy meets Tess Gerritsen!”


--Kevin O’Brien, NYTimes Bestselling Author of The Last Victim and Killing Spree

World renowned neurosurgeon Jon Ritter is on the verge of a medical breakthrough that will change the world. His groundbreaking surgical treatment, using transplanted non-human stem cells, is set to eradicate the scourge of Alzheimer’s disease and give hope to millions. But when the procedure is slated for testing, it all comes to an abrupt and terrifying halt. Ritter’s colleague is gunned down and Ritter himself is threatened by a radical anti-abortion group that not only claims responsibility, but promises more of the same.

Faced with a dangerous reality but determined to succeed, Ritter turns to his long-time colleague, corporate biotech CEO Richard Stillman, for help. Together, they conspire to conduct a clandestine clinical trial in Seoul, Korea. But the danger is more determined, and more lethal, than Ritter could have imagined.

After successful surgical trials, Ritter and his allies are thrown into a horrifying nightmare scenario: The trial patients have been murdered and Ritter is the number one suspect. Aided by his beautiful lab assistant, Yeonhee, Ritter flees the country, now the target of an international manhunt involving Interpol, the FBI, zealous fanatics and a coldly efficient assassin named Fiest.

Dead End Deal is a fast paced, heart-pounding, and sophisticated thriller. Penned by master neurosurgeon, Allen Wyler—who often draws from experience, actual events and hotbutton issues when writing—Dead End Deal is unmatched as a technical procedural. Its medical and scientific details can impress even the most seasoned medical practitioners. And yet, the technical expertise is seamlessly woven into a riveting plot, with enough action and surprises to engross even the most well-read thriller enthusiast.
A smart, unique, page-turner, Dead End Deal delivers.


I thought the book was well written, the storyline was believable and it sucked me right in!!  I found myself reading faster and for longer periods of time because it was so good!

Go ahead and pick up your copy today - you won't regret it!

Do you like to read?  What are you reading right now?  Any good recommendations?

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Is it nap time yet?

Well, my computer bit the dust and is in the shop.  So, I am having to use the penalty computer, you know the one that kinda works, enough that you can use it most of the time, but really is a pain in the rear!



This one will not work with a battery, only plugged in, and it comes unplugged A LOT!  So, I lose a lot of what I am working on pretty easily.  So, I may be short and sweet here!

Not a lot going on around here, it's still hot, we are working and getting as much done as possible this week so we can take a little time off next week.  No special plans, just gonna hang with the fam!

I got my teeth tightened today and am enjoying a lot of liquid meals!  Trying to look on the bright side here.....

Mads came to play yesterday, we had a good time.   Hide and Seek is her new favorite game.



She cracks me up, she talks like a little adult.  She informed me that she really didn't like my shoes.

Mads - Why are you wearing those shoes?
Me - My sneakers?  I just got done working out.
Mads - I don't like them.  You need to take them off.
Me - I thought you would like them, they are pink.
Mads - They are beautiful, but I don't like them, take them off, please.

So, I took them off.....

When we were getting ready to go eat, this is the next conversation we had:

Mads - What are you going to wear?
Me - I guess my pants and a shirt.
Mads - Girls are supposed to wear dresses.  See my pretty dress?
Me -I do like your dress, you look pretty.
Mads - You would look pretty to if you wear a dress.
Me - I guess I'll pick out a dress
Mads - I'll pick it out.

I think we might be in trouble here.  Remember she is only 2 ( 3 in August).

After lunch we came back and got in the pool.  It was fun and she wore me out.  Is it nap time yet?

Brian and I decided on a whim to go to Springfield to pick up said computer ( it had to go to the computer shop after all) so I got online and found a new place to eat.  When we travel we try to pick a place that we haven't tried before.

Farmer's Gastropub was the big winner last night.  Just the name is intriguing, right?



They offer local produce, grass fed beef and British pub fare.  What isn't to like?

I had the avocado gazpacho and a salad, Brian was so inventive, he went with a cheeseburger ( we won't even talk about his diet lately).  The food was pretty good and the atmosphere was cool!

Monday, July 9, 2012

Perfect Wedding Weekend!



Congratulations to Bekah and Nathan!  



We met up with Mom and Dad in OKC and just had a blast.  We started out at the casino and moved on quickly from there....aka - no mo money!  HA!

We shopped, I did NOT find the right shoes!! But I was okay with that, I just didn't find the right ones and rolled with the ones I brought.  I was a bit disappointed, but I managed :)

We ended up staying at the Colcord Hotel in the Bricktown area.  We have stayed there once before and it is a great place to stay.  We walked around in the heat ( and it was HOT!) until Mom and Dad couldn't take it anymore.



Land Run Statues


Brian and I wanted to go to the OKC Memorial after the sun went down, so we headed off - it's only 6 blocks from the hotel.  This is one of the best memorials, so peaceful.



Since Mom and Dad didn't go with us in the evening, we took them by there after breakfast and then went on the hunt for Dad a new hat.  Langston's had exactly what he was looking for.

Then we took off for Ponca City and Bekah's wedding!

Mom, Debbie and Pam

so thankful for the parasols...

Here we are at the wedding!

Mom and Dad


Thankfully, there was a little cloud cover to give a short break to the heat.  Don't get me wrong, it was still VERY hot, but we made it through!  The wedding was beautiful, Bekah and Nathan looked perfect and the reception was fun!



They did it!

Pretty centerpiece

with the beautiful bride

Mom, Bekah, Connie (cousin and aunt!)


On our way home, I definitely need a lime water.  I thought this was so funny, the geese were lined up like they were going to order one as well!


We had a beautilful sunset on the way home to end a wonderful weekend!