On The Road Again

Kenyon and I are headed to New Mexico for several days.

While we always make the trip once a year this year I picked October so we could see the Balloon Fiesta later in the week. I am so excited as I love hot air balloons. Be prepared for a lot of photos!

I have plans to meet another online WW Buddy Luanne, who lives in Santa Fe, and to see my Aunt Barb who recently moved to Albuquerque. No trip to NM is complete without a visit the Coach Outlet. I had better get my credit card ready!

I'll check in with you when I can.

Week 4: Camp III - Mt. Everest Challenge

The information below is from the Thrive Idaho website. I am participating in the Mt. Everest Challenge to walk 250,000 total steps over five weeks.

Elevation: 24,501 feet – Camp 3 is perched on a ledge carved into the ice halfway up the Lohtse Face.

                                       

Everest Fact: The wind can blow more than 200 miles per hour on Mt. Everest and temperatures can reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Health Fact: According to the 2010 Stress in America report, most people live with either moderate or high levels of stress. The major barriers reported in managing stress are lack of time, motivation, willpower, and energy.

Reduce Stress with Healthy Living: When stress is chronic; it can promote disease and negatively affect your health.

Build resilience to stress. Being resilient means you’re able to bounce back from difficult situations or problems. Reinterpret stressful situations to change your perception.

• Be optimistic. Positive emotions contribute to healthier responses to stress.

• Journal your thoughts and feelings. Writing it down can help alleviate pent-up feelings or anxieties that are causing stress.

• Laughter and humor can make life richer and healthier. Laughter increases creativity, reduces pain, and speeds healing.

• Discover and make time for hobbies and activities you enjoy. Create a healthy work life balance. You will be better equipped to handle stressful situations in the future.

Exercise is the simplest and most effective way to reduce stress and depression. Being active provides a natural release for the body during its fight or flight state of arousal. Physical activity gives you an emotional boost.

Relaxing your mind and body can help ease stress. Relaxation can also relieve anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. Try the following techniques to help you relax:

• Yoga incorporates breathing, meditation, and exercises to stretch and relax the body.

• Deep breathing is a great way to lower stress. Breathing deeply and slowly sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body.

• Progressive muscular relaxation involves tensing and relaxing each muscle group to reduce anxiety and muscle tension. Remember to breathe deeply. This method may also help with falling asleep.

I felt as though I was pretty low key on the activity front last week. We are headed out of town for week five but I hope to keep my steps up. This won't be our usual vacations with lots of walking. This is our annual trip to visit my in-laws so there is a lot of sitting and visiting. Since I was able to get ahead on steps over these last four weeks I have no doubt I'll meet my 250,000 challenge. I'm still going to do my best to get in some activity this week.

Monday: 6,167 steps and 2.68 miles

Tuesday: 4,461 steps and 1.93 miles

Wednesday: 7,269 steps and 3.56 miles

Thursday: 9,500 steps and 4.74 miles

Friday: 10,092 steps and 4.7 miles

Saturday: 8,341 steps and 3.6 miles

Sunday: 8,793 steps and 3.79 miles

Weekly Four Total: 54,623 steps and 25 miles

Mt. Everest Challenge Total: 245,327 of 250,000 steps

Funny & Random Sunday

I don't have much for content on this Sunday. I am pretty boring these days. I thought I would share some of my Facebook funny finds and some random photos.

Enjoy!

If you change the word t-shirt to metals...I am so there!

I have joined the Pumpkin Spice craze and seem to have become addicted. GULP! I tried a decaf Americano with three pumps Pumpkin Spice sauce (two pumps in the hot drinks), three Splenda, and a little cream. Oh my. It is delicious both hot and cold. I describe this drink as “richer tasting.” I am not sure if is the full sugar syrup or what but it just is very creamy and rich. Usually I can't drink the whole drink in on setting. Well, I could but don't feel I need to. Regardless, it is yummy and I see my pocket book getting smaller this fall season.

This is the hibiscus flower at Jamie's house. She said the whole bush opened up and bloomed recently. I do love fall but you can't deny spring/summer is beautiful.

Un-Eventful Saturday

Good Morning/Afternoon.

My Saturday has not been super eventful but I feel like I’ve been running around since I woke up!

Kenyon and I went to LePeep for breakfast.  We had planned to walk the four mile roundtrip route but the rain deterred us.  Well, that and hunger.  After a yummy breakfast we headed to the Farmer’s Market downtown.  The rain held off while we made a quick loop through the venders and got some peaches, which is what I headed there for.  When Dawny was in town last week we got the best peaches and I’ve been thinking about them all week.

I am working a half day today to help out a supervisor that needed the afternoon off.  Today is my last day of work and then I have 10 days off!  Kenyon and I are headed to New Mexico to see the in-laws.

I hope your Saturday is treating you well.

My New Toy

“Say hello to my little (well, BIG actually) friend.”

Hello iPhone 6 Plus.  Where have you been all my life??

If you aren’t aware: a) I have a spending problem and b) I have an Apple problem.  I had no desire to purchase a new iPhone 6…until I heard they were coming out with a larger screen size.  Apple just teased me with the “larger” screen size on the iPhone 5 and yet I still had screen-envy over my husband’s Galaxy phone.   The larger screen on the iPhone 5 was nothing compared to the release of the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.  I am so happy I was able to upgrade as it would be difficult to wait any longer for this awesome new large screen size!

After Apple announced the new phones, the pre-sale started at midnight Pacific Time on Sept 12^th.  My coworkers and I were on a group phone call at 12:50 am all waiting for our opportunity to purchase our new toys.  Apple sure put a kink in things by taking down the Apple Store just before 1am and not bringing it back up for several hours.  After about 40 minutes of waiting we were all able to order our phones on the pre-sale through our individual cell phone company websites.  Talk about a headache!  Kelsie and John got their new iPhone 6 one week later but mine was delayed.  The shipping date was scheduled for October 2-13 and much to my surprise, my order was processed sooner and my phone arrived on my doorstep Tuesday.

I’M IN LOVE.

The iPhone 6 Plus is BIG with a 5.5 inch digital display.  The phone is also the largest and thinnest iPhone ever made with it being 6.22 inches tall and 3.06 inches wide.  This phone is being dubbed a phablet, a mix between a phone and tablet.  A phone of this size won’t cater to everybody.  Had there only been one phone release and the iPhone 6, with a slightly smaller screen size of 4.7 inch, was the only one available iPhone I might have been happy.  However, it is great that Apple released both phones giving customers a choice of which size they prefer. 

I am on cloud nine.

My coworker Shauna was asking me last week what I was going to name my new iPhone.  While I don’t have a habit of naming all my prized possessions, my MacBook Air, Karl, does have a name.  I was thinking I might call my new phone Stuart.  He looks like a Stuart.

No Scale This Week

I was able to attend my Tuesday morning WW meeting with my favorite group of members and one of my favorite leaders.  I’ll tell ya, it was so good for my soul.  I really enjoy the Monday and Tuesday WW meetings.  It was wonderful to see Donna and visit with her a bit on what has been going on and how I have been feeling.  I also loved hearing all the comments from meeting members; “we missed you” ; “good to see you”; and “I’ve been thinking about you."  It always feels like coming home when I can attend my Tuesday meeting.  I still have a few weeks until I will be back there permanently. 

I didn’t step on the scale this week.  I am feeling pretty low about my weight gain and I don’t feel I need to be reminded by stepping on the scale and seeing the ugly number.  I know this might not be the best way of thinking but it was the decision I made.  While I have good days and bad days, my self-talk has not been very kind. 

I know I need to make changes.  I was telling Donna it feels as though that drive I once had for exercise and healthy eating is gone.  I don’t go overboard every day but I do eat more than necessary and I eat foods that don’t fuel my body.  My thinking needs some adjusting and my resistance muscle needs to be strengthened.  In a weird way it feels like I’m trying to push the boundaries to see how far I can go.  I don’t know why.  Am I waiting for somebody to say, “slow down on the weight gain?”  Am I waiting for somebody to mention that it looks like I’ve put on some weight?  How would I even react to honest and caring concern?

I’m sorry this blog has taken a bit of a turn in the health and fitness topics.  I’m trying to work my way through all this.

Call Me Queen Lindsay

Good Morning and Happy Hump Day!

I am still on cloud nine from getting my new iPhone 6 Plus yesterday.  I’ll tell you more about that on another day.  Today I’ll fill you in on my recent dentist appointment.

I have not been to the dentist in a very long time.  I had braces put on my teeth when I was in 7^th grade and after a few years of poking and pulling and sore teeth I wasn’t in any hurry to visit the dentist.  I had to get my wisdom teeth out to protect the investment my mother and father had made on my smile but other than that, not much.

The tooth on my lower left molar, second from the back, has been hurting me for a few years now.  It has a hole in it and when something gets in that hole and I bite down it hurts.  I have such a fear of the dentist and I am equally afraid I’d get a lecture for not flossing, even though I brush twice a day.  I finally decided enough was enough and I needed to get my tooth looked at.  I was a ball of nerves that morning and really wanted to cancel.  What if I needed a root canal?  I think that is what scared me the most.

The staff at Emerald West Family Dentistry was great.  I had such a nice time chatting with the hygienist (why do they insist on talking with stuff in your mouth?) and Dr. Hess was also really nice.  The hygienist complimented my teeth saying it “wasn’t that bad” but she would have to “chisel some of the stuff off.”  Then Dr. Hess swoops in and rattles off tooth number this and tooth number that.  The next thing I know I’m being told I need one crown and six fillings.  Oy!

The temporary crown and the filling in the tooth next to it were done on Monday.  Thank goodness for Care Credit and no-interest financing.  I got back for my permanent crown this coming Monday.  I am also slow to feel the numbness and after an extra dose, it took several hours for my mouth and lip to go back to feeling normal.  When the dental assistant pulled out the color matching scale to match the color of the crown to my tooh I asked if I could get a purple crown.  She said no.  Wouldn’t that have been fun?

I will be honest.  I don’t love to floss and it takes forever.  But, I am going to try and be better at keeping my teeth in good shape.  Maybe next cleaning there will be less to chisel.

Week 3: Camp II - Mt. Everest Challenge

The information below is from the Thrive Idaho website. I am participating in the Mt. Everest Challenge to walk 250,000 total steps over five weeks.

Elevation: 22,234 feet – Your view from Camp 2 is breathtaking, as is the altitude. Climbers acclimate to the thin air on Everest by climbing to Camps 1, 2 and 3 and descending back to Base Camp (or below) multiple times before they attempt to summit.

Everest Fact: Climbers burn more than 10,000 calories each day, and double that on the summit climb.

Health Fact: You burn 300-400 calories in 60 minutes during low intensity workouts—bump up the intensity and burn the same amount in 45 minutes.

Weight Loss: Climbers lose 10-50 pounds when they climb Mt. Everest. One pound is approximately 3,500 calories. At its most basic, losing weight is about burning more calories than you eat. Too often we take drastic measures to see quick results; fad diets, pills or very drastic changes that won’t last. The real secret to long term weight loss is to forget about instant results and settle in for long term lifestyle change. Exercise is an important weight loss tool. Aim for at least 250 minutes of exercise each week – that’s about 50 minutes, five days a week. If you’re a beginner, start small, gradually adding time each week to give your body time to adapt. Good nutrition is even more important than exercise. Professionals say that proper nutrition is 80 percent of successful weight loss. Your calorie needs change with age, activity level, and lifestyle. There is no one size fits all for calorie intake and nutrition.

Healthy Eating Tips:

• Control your portion and serving sizes

• Eat whole grain breads and pastas – remember one serving is about one half cup

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables – they should take up at least half of your plate

• For your protein source, eat one serving of fish, lean meat, or beans

• Drink plenty of water

Save Some Calories:

• Instead of an afternoon soda, drink a glass of water (saves 97 calories and 39 grams of sugar)

• Instead of an Egg McMuffin, eat a whole wheat English muffin with one tablespoon of peanut butter (saves 185 calories)

• Instead of reaching in the candy dish on break, walk up and down a flight of stairs for 10 minutes (burns 100 calories)

• Instead of hitting the snooze button, get up 10 minutes early and go for a brisk walk or stretch (burns 50-100 calories)

• Instead of an hour of TV after work, hit the gym or go for a jog (burns 400-600 calories)

I knew week three would be my easiest week of the challenge as I had the FitOne 10K scheduled.  I also got in some extra steps with Dawny in town.

Monday: 6,069 steps and 2.62 miles

Tuesday: 9,161 steps and 4.66 miles

Wednesday: 3,495 steps and 1.51 miles

Thursday: 8,592 steps and 3.70 miles

Friday: 15,752 steps and 6.79 miles

Saturday: 22,699 steps and 10.9 miles

Sunday: 6,851 steps and 2.95 miles

Weekly Three Total: 72,619 steps and 33.13 miles

Mt. Everest Challenge Total: 190,704 of 250,000 steps

“

Low Key Sunday

The final day of Dawny's vacation arrived and I had to put her on a plane early this morning. I always wish we lived closer. We had so much fun and I can't wait until our next visit!

Sunday was a pretty low key day as we were both feeling the aches and pains of our 10K on Saturday. We got up super early and had our second breakfast at Cracker Barrel. The best part of Dawny's visit was taking her to restaurants she hasn't been to.

We met up with Rebecca to see “Hundred Foot Journey” and then went to Carino's for an early dinner. After watching a movie about food we were starved!

A relaxing evening at home with time in the hot tub and some alcoholic beverages brought Dawny's vacation to a close. Until next time...

FitOne 10K And A Pizza Party

Saturday I walked a lot of steps! I knew this weekend was going to be plentiful in earning steps for my Mt. Everest Challenge. I need a friend in town all the time!

We woke up bright and early for the FitOne 10K. FitOne is a local race put on by the St. Lukes Foundation to raise money for the hospital. For the past several years this race was the Women's Fitness Celebration 5K which was open to only women and children. It was only a 5K distance with men waiting in tuxedos (tuxedo row) to cheer you on at the finish line. The race morphed into FitOne and included men as well as adding a 10K and half marathon distance. I heard next year they are thinking of adding a full marathon distance. All I can say is they better get the kinks worked out before they attempt anything else. While we really enjoyed our race it just wasn't as well organized as the Women's Fitness Celebration was all those years ago.

Hopefully they will work to make some improvements. I do think I would do this race again. After all, every 10K and half marathon finisher got a metal and let's be honest, exercise is fun but getting bling is AWESOME!

The starting line was at the downtown Capitol. I actually really like that we started off at different times so we weren't all one big mass like the old 5K used to be. Plus, the 10K started before the 5K so we weren't as mobbed on the course (eery feeling) and we didn't have to fight for food at the finish line.

My friend Phonenix was running her first 10K and found us at the start line, where I cut in line with her at the porta-potty. Friends rock! P.S. she did AWESOME finishing in 1:02.

My Garmen wasn't working at the start line but Dawny tracked our time at 1:47. That is probably my fastest time yet! We had a lot of fun chatting and people watching (or shoe watching as Dawny really enjoys) along our course. I am so happy these ladies came out to walk with me yesterday. What wonderful friends.

After our race we headed home to change and then I took Dawny to Aspen Leaf for $4 all-you-can-fill yogurt. Sadly it was not up to par and our Boise froyo experience wasn't the greatest.  I also introduced Dawny to SouperSalad.

Later in the evening we had plans to meet up with my family to celebrate both my Dad and Emma's birthdays. We never had a great opportunity to celebrate last week so pizza and cake were enjoyed by all on Saturday.

I am so happy I have amazing friends and family.

Dawny's First Visit To Boise

Good Saturday Morning!

Dawny and I are headed to our 10K this morning. I'll re-cap you on your Friday.

I woke up super early excited for my house guest to arrive and deciced to just get up and make some breakfast. I realized with the Apple Store opening at 8am I might be able to swing in and get a new phone before picking Dawny up at the airport. Okay, not a good plan since people had started lining up at 3am. DOH!

I decided to walk the mall while I waited until the Apple Store opened at 8am so I could at least play with the new phones. The verdict? I LOVE IT!!! The only regret I have for buying the iPhone 6 Plus sight unseen on the pre-sale last week is that it won't be here sooner. I am so jealous of people that have their phones already.

I met some really fun people at the Apple Store and then headed to get Dawny from the airport. We drove downtown to the expo to pick up our race shirt and numbers. Dawny did some inappropriate things to a cow! I also introduced Dawny to Costa Vida and she loved it!

We hung around downtown for a bit and enjoyed coffee at Flying M and also a yummy treat.

Our travels took us back to the mall for another look at the Apple Store and Dawny bought a iPhone 5C. I appear to be a bad influence. The sale associate was a super nice guy.

We finished our day by meeting Danielle and Kenyon after they got off work for Tucanos. Another first time experience for Dawny that she really enjoyed.

More adventures to come.