Day 166....good, but not great.

Well, I have worked out some this week. Not as much as I had hoped, but some. I did abs and I have done my balance board (harder than it sounds) but I haven't done the cardio I would like to do. I have had smoothies and I love them but I just wish I knew some simple and super healthy smoothies. I like the fruit smoothies and don't mind adding veggies, I just wish I could find a couple of really healthy go-to smoothies that I like. For now, I will keep experimenting.

We will be in Bismarck this weekend for McQuades and I am sure I will not work out and I will not eat as well as I am hoping to eat, but I will forgive myself and work extra hard next week!

Day 167....ready for a fun weekend!

Day 163....back on the bandwagon.

Well, I am officially heavier than I was a couple of weeks ago (and I have officially decided to not weigh myself anymore). I am ready to get back on the bandwagon....or jog next to the bandwagon....that will help me reach my goals quicker than actually riding the bandwagon. Anyway, I am ready to recommit to losing weight and inches. Starting this morning, I am going to get most of my nutrition from fruit and veggie smoothies. I am still going to eat a healthy dinner and healthy snacks if I am really in need of a snack. But, I am going to get reaquainted with Vita, our trusty VitaMix. I have missed spending time with her. I feel so great when I am drinking smoothies. And, I feel so yucky when I am eating junk. I just can't figure out why I keep going back to the junk.

I am going to start working out again as well. Today I am going to try and get in an ab workout. I always feel great when I am done working my abs. I suppose that since my belly is probably the part of my body I hate the most, I feel like I am being productive when I work my abs. Maybe, if I have a lot of energy, I will rollerblade tonight. Or, maybe I will get on the elliptical. Anything to get myself moving in the right direction. I am going to take this a day at a time and not be too hard on myself this time. I am going to realize that I am not perfect and I am going to make mistakes and when I make those mistakes, I am going to forgive myself and move on.

We will see how things go this time.

Day 164....doing my best.

Day 155....it's been awhile!

Well, it has been awhile since I have updated my blog. There is really nothing to update as far as working out goes but we did get to go on a wonderful vacation and I feel renewed and energized and ready to get back to focusing on working out and getting into shape. We went to Arizona for a week and it was like a little bit of heaven right here on Earth! We were able to just get away from everything and relax and have fun as a family. I was so thankful to have John and the kids all to myself for a full week with no obligations pulling anyone away at all. It isn't very often that we can just get away from it all together and I think we all really needed this vacation! We got to see one of John's sisters and her family on the way to Arizona and on the way back from Arizona (the kids had a blast staying at their house) and we got to see my mom and dad while we were in Arizona. The kids got to swim and play and we got to sit and enjoy the sun.

Now that we are back, we are ready to get into the full swing of summer. With baseball and tball, golf, and tennis, the kids will be busy. John has softball and that keeps him busy. I get to run around and watch all of this so I am kept busy as well! As long as we have nice weather, I am looking forward to spending a lot of time outside this summer!

Hopefully my next updates will include some great fitness progress!

Day 156....back to reality.

Day 143....Cloudy and gloomy.

Today was NOT the sunny, warm day I was hoping for. I didn't expect it to be really nice outside, but I was hoping for at least warm weather. It was downright cold out there! Weather like this makes me just want to cuddle up on the couch, watch tv or read a book, and eat. That does wonders for my weight loss plan.

I didn't work out today. That makes me mad at myself. I was busy all day, but just didn't work out. I had to run to Walmart. That is never fun. But, being the great wife that I am, I made the trip to Walmart instead of making John go. He owes me BIG TIME.

I also started to plan and pack for our trip. I am bringing as little as possible with us. I figure once we get to Arizona we will mostly wear swimsuits, so why pack a bunch of clothes we don't need? I am so excited to pack shorts and sleeveless shirts and sun dresses. The nice thing about the weather here is that it is so cold that we aren't wearing any of the stuff we plan to bring on our trip! I can't wait for the HOT weather!

Tomorrow better be sunny. I need to get myself motivated to work out. Plus, we have tball practice tomorrow evening. I don't want to practice tball in the cold. Ick.

Day 144....hoping for sun!

Day 142....Happy Memorial Day!

First of all, I would like to say Happy Memorial Day and thank all the soldiers and their families who have given their lives to save ours.

The past few days have been very busy! My cousin Stephanie, her husband David, and their two awesome kids, Riley and Elliot were here to visit. I loved having them stay with us but I wish they could have stayed longer. The first night they were here, my aunt and uncle, Greg and LuAnne, who also happen to be in town, came up for dinner. It was so nice to visit for a little bit! The kids played so well together and my kids were so bummed to see everyone go! It is too bad they don't live closer so we could see them more often. But, we are grateful for the time we do get to spend with them!

Yesterday was Graduation. John's brothers, Chris and Anthony graduated so his whole family was in town for the celebration and it was great to see everyone! My kids had a blast playing with their cousins and didn't want the night to end. It is always fun to have the whole family together and there is never a dull minute when Pitners are around.

Today, we went to the mall and got some clothes that we will need for our trip. We are so excited to get to Arizona and just relax by the pool! We are in sunshine withdrawals right now and I can't wait to soak up the rays all day!

John has the day off today so tomorrow will be our first real day of summer break. I hope it is nice outside so the kids and I can go for a walk or go to the park or do something fun to kick off their summer.

Day 143....so excited for summer break!

Day 138....keeping busy.

I broke down and weighed myself today. As of now, I have not gained back any weight that I lost during the GM diet. I am so happy about that! I have been using the elliptical and walking/running so I feel good about that. I have also been keeping with my fruit smoothies. When I get really hungry, I have been trying to fill up on smoothies or vegetables. I think I am finally going in the right direction. Now, if I could just firm up some of my tummy flab, I would be in heaven.

The sun has apparently decided to take a vacation. That is not good news to me. My garden doesn't like these cold days. I can't stand being cold all the time. It is supposed to be nice outside now. It is supposed to be sunny outside now. I just hope the weather turns around quickly. Tomorrow is the last day of school. I can't wait to have my kids home with me for the summer! I am so excited to have the summer weather and spend time outside with my kids. We are going to make the best of the time we have together and I am going to make the most of the time I have with my kids while they still enjoy being around me. :o)

Day 139....keep on moving in the right direction!

Day 136....eye opener.

Yesterday was a very productive day for me. I used the elliptical in the morning, then got a bunch of stuff organized around the house. I have so much organizing that needs to be done and just not enough energy to get it all done. So, I was so happy to get things done yesterday!

The kids have been asking me to pick them up and take them to lunch. Since there are only a few days left of school, I decided to pick them up today. I picked each of them up and we drove around and talked while they ate their lunch. I love having that special time with them!

After lunch, I didn't feel like doing much as far as working out is concerned but I promised Brea that we could go for a walk using the new double jogging stroller. Apparently she feels that because it is called a "jogging" stroller I should have to actually jog the whole time. That is a good idea, in theory, but my body is not in shape for that! I was a good sport and jogged to the soccer complex and made it a couple times around, but then we had to do some walking. I was so tired out, but it felt really good to actually run again! The jogging stroller is so easy to push when the wind is at our backs, but that thing gets really heavy when we are running into the wind! I am look forward to more running this summer! I really don't enjoy running all that much, but I always feel so great when I am done!

These two are loving the jogging stroller!

We have soccer tonight so maybe we will walk around the track a time or two before we come home. I can't believe I have never had a jogging stroller before now. This thing is wonderful! It is so much easier to handle than our single stroller and now I don't have to carry Brea when she gets tired of walking. I just wish there was someone who would carry me when I get tired! I am excited to try this thing with my rollerblades. I should probably make sure we ALL have helmets on when that is attempted.

I hope the sun shines again soon. Although I loved the wind and cooler weather when I was running, I am still a devoted fan of the sun and I miss it dearly. After soccer, we could get a bit of rain to help my garden, then, in the morning, the sun can shine!

Day 137....who wants to join me for a run? :o)

Day 134....another beautiful day!

It has been awhile since I have posted anything. We have been so busy with baseball practices, soccer games, school, and normal day to day chores but I haven't really been doing anything interesting enough to talk about. I have been eating fruit smoothies but I haven't been working out as much as I would like to. I have to try to get back at it tomorrow and be consistent with my working out. I feel so much better about everything when I am consistently working out.

Today was a great day for all of us! We woke up and made our usual Sunday morning breakfast, then spent most of the day outside. John mowed the lawn (I am sure our neighbors ar relieved that we finally got rid of the forest we had growing) while my big boys ran a few errands with me. We had to run to the mall for a few things, then to Lowe's for some new tomato plants since we lost two plants on one of our super windy days last week. Once we got home, the kids put their swimsuits on and enjoyed the sunshine. I got the garden planted and watered and then John and I got the garage cleaned and organized. It is so nice to have things organized. If I could only get my house cleaned and organized I would be in heaven! :o)

I am hoping tomorrow is a great Monday! I plan to do some working out and I am hoping to get some cleaning done. If it is nice outside, I am going to use the new double jogging stroller we bought and take Brea and Landon for a walk.

Day 135....going to make it great!

Day 127....Perfect!

Today was a wonderful day! John had a softball tournament all day and I know he enjoyed that. They didn't win any games so it puts a bit of a damper on his mood but he loves playing softball so I am sure he had fun anyway. The kids and I went to watch one game but then had to get home for naptime and to enjoy the weather. Landon took a nice long nap while the kids and I went outside and set up the slip n' slide and filled up water balloons. While the kids were occupied with their water fun, I planted my garden. It was so enjoyable to set out the plants and decide where to put them and then get my hands (and feet and everything else) dirty and put them in the garden. The plants are the easy part to put in the garden. The seeds are more time consuming, but still fun. It was such a fun day that I didn't want it to end!

John finally got home from softball around supper time and we ended up ordering pizza. He watch a bit while I planted the garden, then we got things cleaned up and started getting ready for bed. All of the kids are so tired out! I am sure they will have no problems sleeping tonight! I know I won't have any problems sleeping, either.

I plan to do some working out tomorrow and I hope the weather is nice again so we can go to the park. I love the sunshine! I can't wait for school to be out so the kids and I can enjoy the summer!

Day 128....would love more sun!

Day 126....fun in the sun!

We started out the day with Lance's soccer game. Then, Briar went to a birthday party, which she had to leave early from to make it to her soccer game. While Briar was at soccer, the boys had pee-wee practice. After pee-wee practice, Lance went to a friend's house to play while the rest of us came home and spent some time outside! We got the garden tilled and ready to be planted. The girls washed as much of our vehicles as they could reach. Lane ran around, playing with the neighborhood kids. After church tonight, we went and bought our plants for our garden. I am so excited to get the garden planted.

It is really sad, but I actually almost got teary eyed when I looked at the weather forecast for the next couple of days. It looks like it is going to be beautiful outside! The nice weather makes me so happy! I love being outside, running around and playing with the kids, or just sitting and relaxing. Tomorrow, we are hoping it is nice enough for water balloons or slip n' slide!

John has a softball tournament tomorrow so I am sure we will try and watch some of that as well. I hope his team wins....he is always in a better mood after winning a tournament. :o)

Day 127....looking forward to spending time outside!

Day 125....Happy 10th Anniversary to us!

I really can't believe I have been married to John for 10 years already! We have been blessed with many great things over the past 10 years, but our 5 healthy, happy, wonderful (most of the time) children make everything so much better. Things haven't gone according to plan all the time and things haven't been easy all the time, but everything over the past 10 years has made us who we are today and I am grateful for that!

Yesterday I did a great ab workout but today I haven't worked out yet. I am not sure if I will end up working out but I know I should at least try and do something. Between getting the kids ready and off to school and delivering pizza to the school for a pizza party, and errands and housecleaning, I just didn't stop and take the time to work out. I can't say I haven't had time to work out. I believe you can always make time to work out, it just might not be at the time you feel like working out. But, today, I just haven't made the time to work out. If I don't work out tonight, I really need to do something over the weekend. Hopefully it is nice outside all weekend so we can get out and rollerblade!

Tomorrow....going to be a busy Saturday!

Day 126....hoping for a great day!

Day 123....enjoyed the sun!

Well, the sun was shining so my day started out right! I love it when the sun is shining. It just makes everything better. After I dropped the kids off at school, I ran a couple of errands, then came home to enjoy the day. Nessa and her two little bundles of joy stopped by. I always love having them over. It is even better now that the kids can go outside and occupy themselves while we sit on the deck and chat! The little things in life mean the most!

This afternoon, I somehow lucked out and both of the kids at home with me were sleeping at the same time. Landon takes one long nap during the day, but Brea usually just rests. She was tired out today so she took a nap and I was able to go on the deck and sit and do nothing! I thought about working out, but I just wanted to sit and enjoy the sun. I loved it!

We had to run some boring errands this evening, then we hit TCBY for Waffle Cone Wednesday. I have been so good lately and I don't order anything, but the kids love it and I love the fact that we went to Hammond Park to eat them and play a little tennis. I miss playing tennis. We weren't out there for very long, but it was fun to just run around for awhile and have some fun.

I didn't do an official workout today, but I am not going to beat myself up over it. I ate healthy and drank lots of water and I had an awesome day full of sunshine. I will be working out tomorrow and I am hoping to rollerblade if it isn't raining!

Day 124....excited for more sunshine!

Day 122....turned out perfect!

Today ended up being a great day! I was afraid it would be a very LONG day since Landon was up crying last night. John confessed that he was trying to help me out by waking Landon up at midnight and changing his diaper and giving him a bottle. He had good intentions. He thought Landon would be sure to sleep all night if he was changed and fed at midnight. Landon had other ideas. He decided he wanted to stay up and screamed every time I tried to put him in the crib. He didn't even want to lay down with me. He just wanted to be up. I am not sure if his ears were bothering him or if his teeth were bothering him or if he was just being grumpy and wanted me to stay awake with him. But, he finally fell asleep and then he did sleep all night so it all worked out in the end. I am pretty sure John will never do us any favors like that again, though. :o) From now on, we cross our fingers and hope he doesn't soak through his diaper and pray that he sleeps until we are ready to wake him up.

I thought today would be a long day for Landon since he was up last night. I also thought I would be tired out, but it was a great day for all of us. I had some smoothies again today and my water and even some vegetables. I got a few things done around the house and the day seemed to fly by.

After school, we had just enough time to get home, get our homework done, eat supper, and get out the door for soccer. John and Lane went to John's first night of softball for the year. The rest of the kids were with me for soccer. John's sister was with us to help out while I was on the field coaching Briar's soccer game. The weather turned out to be perfect for soccer! I am always so happy when the sun is shining and we can be outside and not freezing!

The kids should all sleep well tonight after all of the running around we did today. Tomorrow should be a great day. We don't have anything going on after school and that is music to my ears!

Day 123....ready for more sunshine!

Day 121....Rain, rain, go away!!

If only I could make the rain stop....things would be so much better. I miss the sunshine. I want to be able to take the kids out for a walk around the cul de sac and not have them freeze. I want to be able to rollerblade with the boys and get some exercise outside! Instead, I had to settle for the elliptical today. It wasn't so bad. I still feel like I get a pretty good workout from the elliptical, but I would rather be outside doing something!

I did have my fruit smoothies today. They are delicious and I always feel great after drinking them. I feel like I can enjoy them without feeling guilty. I also had a bit of cheesy hashbrowns so I suppose that may have counteracted the healthy smoothies just a bit, but I am not going to beat myself up over it.
We had two soccer games on this chilly, windy, dreary, wet evening. Luckily for me, they were both at 5:45pm so we only had to be out in the icky weather for an hour. It really wasn't too bad since I was out and moving around the whole time. I guess the advantage to coaching a soccer team is that you aren't sitting on the sidelines, freezing. You are constantly moving around trying to avoid kids. Those Kindergarteners really don't have any idea where their bodies OR the soccer ball are going to go. It is interesting to say the least. But, I have to admit, I am having more fun than I thought I would. :o)

Tomorrow is another day and I am hoping to make it a great one, no matter what the weather is like. Of course, it always seems to be a better day when the sun is shining so I am hoping for that.

Day 122....high hopes for nice weather.

Day 120....a weekend to rejuvinate.

I took the weekend to rejuvinate myself. I removed the pressure to lose weight for a couple of days. I am not saying I went crazy and ate and drank whatever I wanted, but I didn't weigh myself and I didn't worry every time I put anything in my mouth that I would gain a bunch of weight. It was nice. It felt good to just live and enjoy myself and not worry all the time about how it would affect how I look or how much weight I would gain....or how much weight I would NOT be losing. It is so silly that I put so much pressure on myself to lose weight. Yet, I continue to do just that. Honestly, I know I will not quit putting that pressure on myself until I am at a weight and a look that I am comfortable with. But, I will ease up on myself a bit. I do know that worrying and stressing about how I look will not make things better. And, the more I worry and stress, the more junk I want to eat and the less I feel like working out. So, I am going to try and new approach and not be so hard on myself. Maybe that will motivate me to work harder at achieving my weight loss goals. Maybe with my own support, I will be able to do better....what an interesting concept, huh? We will see how it goes. :o)

This weekend was a great weekend. We only had one soccer game yesterday and church. After church we went to the grocery store and all of the kids were excellent. Grocery shopping is not usually fun, but it is so much more enjoyable when the kids are behaving. After grocery shopping, we came home and had dinner. Once we all had dinner and were all cleaned up and in our jammies we had a family movie night. I love the nights when we all watch a movie together or when we just get to enjoy time together as a family. It makes me realize how lucky we are to have the family we have.

Today was a lazy day as well. We got up and made our usual Sunday morning breakfast consisting of pancakes, bacon, eggs and sausage (no guilt from myself for eating all of that) and, as usual, it was delicious. Then the kids went and played and John and I just relaxed. This afternoon, Lane had to prepare for his first speech in school. Third grade seems pretty early to start speeches but he doesn't seem to be nervous at all. This speech is a pretty easy going one and I think it is great getting the kids used to speaking in front of the class. He has to demonstrate how to make cookie salad. Tonight he made a few batches and put them in dixie cups for the class to enjoy after his speech. Sounds like a pretty yummy assignment to me!

Tomorrow I am going to get back to my healthy eating and working out. I am going to concentrate on filling up on fruits and vegetables and working out as much as possible. I am going to have a positive attitude and realize that I am not going to be perfect but I am giong to do as well as I possibly can.

Day 121....Looking forward to the new me.

Day 118....need to throw my scale.

So, have you ever had that "skinny" feeling, stepped on the scale, then realized it was JUST a feeling? Or, have you ever stepped on the scale and not liked the numbers that showed up so you decided you were wearing your "heavy" sweatpants, then stepped off the scale, took off the sweatpants, then tried weighing again? Or, saw what the scale said, tried going to the bathroom and then weighing again? OR, stepped on the scale, noticed that one or more of your kids was in the vicinity and made them step back or leave the room in fear that they would somehow step on the scale with you or their mere presence would weigh you down more? Ya, neither have I. That would be just plain silly, huh?

I have decided that I really need to stop weighing myself. I know weight isn't everything. I KNOW that the way I feel and the way I look is more relevant than a number on the scale. Yet I weigh myself and I am disappointed if I don't lose weight or if I gain a pound.

Today I decided that I am going to give myself this weekend. I am going to take the weekend to enjoy myself and not obsess about my weight or how I look. I am just going to be happy with myself and everything I am blessed with. On Monday, I am going to try some sort of fruit cleanse. Not really a cleanse. I am just going to have a lot of fruit and veggie smoothies. I am going to fill up on fruits and veggies and not worry about anything else. I am going to work out and I am going to tell myself that I am doing enough. No more negative talk to myself. I am the one who brings myself down by not living up to my own expectations. Starting Monday, that all changes. I am going to be healthy AND happy!
Oh, and I am sure you are wondering so I better not forget to mention that I did get the house cleaned today. It is a miracle! It took me ALL day but I finally got things done and I am so happy!

Day 119....hoping for sunshine!

Day 117....not as planned.

I didn't get as much cleaning done today as I had hoped. It seemed like I tried and tried all day to clean but just didn't get anywhere. Hopefully I am more productive tomorrow. I was able to walk in the cul de sac tonight. I just kept pushing the stroller around and around and around....and around. But, at least I got a nice walk in tonight. John was mowing so the kids just played outside and occasionally took a lap or two around the cul de sac with me.

Earlier today I decided to take a different approach to my weight loss. I am changing my goal weight. Yes, that is correct. I have now increased my goal weight by 15 pounds so I am officially UNDER my goal weight! Isn't that awesome? I feel accomplished. :o)

I am just going to keep eating my fruit smoothies and working out as much as possible and I am hoping to be able to wear a swimsuit (without hiding my face) at some point in time this summer!

Tomorrow is Friday and I can't wait for the weekend! I am hoping to rollerblade sometime this weekend and if it is nice out I am hoping we can go on a nice long walk as a family. That would be perfect.

Day 118....hoping to start off the weekend with a sunny day!

Day 116....Pleasant Surprise!

I got a pleasant surprise when I weighed myself today. I have lost another pound. So, I am now down 8 pounds from when I started the GM diet/cleanse. I wasn't expecting to lose more weight yet but I am not complaining. I did eat pretty healthy yesterday. I had mostly fruit smoothies but I did add 2 homemade buns with butter for dinner so I really thought that if anything, I would have gained a pound or two. Today I stuck with the smoothie thing and I have had another couple of buns with butter just to fill me up. I also had some steamed broccoli. I am not expecting to lose more weight by tomorrow, but I am hoping I don't gain any weight, either. :o)

Today, I did Brazil Butt Lift again. I did the same thing I did on Monday and my butt is S-O-R-E. I do have to admit, it is a good sore. I know I must be doing at least some of the moves right! I am not sure what I will be doing tomorrow but I do know that I have to try and get cleaning my house moved up to the top of my priorities. I just can't keep putting off cleaning forever. Maybe I will do some cardio cleaning and run from room to room as I get things done. Or do some squats between chores. Or, I could just suck it up and get my cleaning done, THEN work out. I guess only time will tell how ambitious I will be.

I love when the sun is out and I hope it is out tomorrow. I just feel better all around when it is sunny outside.

Day 117....Hoping to actually complete my to-do-list.

Day 115....back to normal.

Today was our first normal day after the GM diet. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. On one hand, I was anxious to be able to eat whatever I wanted. On the other hand, I could just see the scale jumping back up to where it was before I started this whole thing. I ended up having a fruit smoothie during the day and two homemade buns with butter on them for dinner. I didn't go crazy, but I did eat more than just fruits and veggies.

Overall, I lost 7 pounds in one week. I was hoping to lose at least 10 pounds but I am not going to complain about 7. I just want to keep going in the right direction with working out and eating right. It is so easy to put on weight but so hard to take it off. I wish it was as easy to lose weight as it is to gain it....I would be skinny minny then!

I did do another workout from Brazil Butt Lift today. Well, I should probably say I mostly watched another workout from Brazil Butt Lift today. I really am not coordinated when it comes to dance-like moves and there are a lot of dance-like moves in the workout I tried to do today. I could get most of the moves when they were doing them individually, but when they added them to a combo they pretty much lost me. I tried to keep up and I will keep trying but I am not sure it will do a whole lot of good.

Tomorrow should be a great day! I plan to work out and get the house cleaned since I didn't get the house cleaned today. I am ready to avoid the junk food and motivated to shed those last several pounds I have to get to my goal weight.

Day 116....hope it is productive!

Day 114....the end is in sight.

Today was a typical Monday for the most part. I did work out and it felt good. I actually did a Brazil Butt Lift workout and it pretty much kicked my butt....literally. My legs and butt were very sore after doing that workout. I am anxious to try another one. I drank lots of water and filled up on corn on the cob and mushrooms. That was what sounded good to me all day today so I went with it. Today we were allowed vegetables, brown rice, and fruit juice. I may have to have some brown rice later tonight but I don't love it so I may just pass on it. I am anxious for this to be over. It has been a pretty good experience, overall, but I am glad it will be done after tonight.

So far, my total weight loss has been about 6 pounds and I have lost an inch off my belly button measurement. I guess I can't complain about that. Now, I just want to lose a few more pounds and shed a few more inches and I will be happy. I just don't want to put any of this weight back on. That is what scares me. I don't want to wake up a couple days from now and realize that I weigh the same as I did before this week. This whole diet/cleanse wasn't that tough and was worth it to lose a few pounds but it is NOT worth it if I just put the weight right back on.

Tomorrow I have to make sure I have a plan so I keep this weight off. I think for a few days I will be having lots of fruits and vegetables and hopefully drop a few more pounds right away. Then, I may try the Brazil Butt Lift program and see if I can get my booty where I want it. :o)

Day 115....back to "normal".

Day 113....Much easier than yesterday.

Today was day 6 of our 7 day GM diet/cleanse. It was much easier than yesterday was. First of all, I didn't have to eat 6 tomatoes. That was brutal. We were able to eat lean ground beef and vegetables. I had some steamed broccoli this morning. I had water all day and a couple cups of black coffee. Then, for dinner, we had corn on the cob along with mushrooms and hamburger. Yummy. I feel full all day long and I really am not craving anything in particular. The only time I "crave" something is if I open the fridge or cupboard and see something that I know I can't eat. And, that craving really only lasts until I walk away from it. I am not craving any of the junk foods that I used to crave. But, I am certain that on Tuesday morning I will have something besides water to drink and something to eat that isn't 100% healthy for me. My main concern is to not gain back all of the weight I have lost this week.

Tomorrow is a brown rice and vegetables and fruit juice day. I think I will be able to handle that. This week has gone by pretty fast but I will be glad to be done. I may do this again sometime in the future, but for now I am anxious to get back to working out.

Day 114....Final day of my cleanse.

Day 112....ready for this to be over.

Yesterday was easy. Today was not. I really can't stand tomatoes. I had a hard time getting 6 tomatoes to go down and stay down. Ick! The first two, I just sliced them and ate them. I felt like I was a contestant on Fear Factor. I was walking around in circles, trying to just chew and swallow and praying I would be able to finish them all. It was miserable! I don't dislike the taste of tomatoes as much as the texture. They are just so slimy and icky. The next four tomatoes, I sliced up, put in the Vitamix along with a couple spoonfuls of Wonder Soup, blended until it was smooth, and drank it. It wasn't exactly great, but it went down a lot easier than the first two tomatoes!

Along with 6 tomatoes, we are allowed 20 ounces of lean ground beef. I was so excited to try the hamburger. I thought it would taste so good. But, it just tasted kind of dry and not as great as I had hoped. At least tomorrow we are able to have vegetables again.

At this point in time, I am ready to just break out a bottle of wine and some chips and enjoy the rest of our rainy weekend! But, I am going to stick it out and hope that it is all worth it at the end of this 7 day journey. I am not really hungry at all, I just want different things to eat than I am allowed to eat. A fruit smoothie sounds so good right now! Steamed broccoli or some mushrooms sound awesome as well! Hamburger doesn't sound all that great. Of course, the one thing that I am able to eat is the one thing I really don't feel like eating.

When I weighed myself this morning, I was down 5 pounds from the first morning of this diet/cleanse. I would love to lose another 5 pounds in the next 2 days but I am not so sure that is realistic.

Day 113....at least I have veggies to look forward to!

Day 111....easier than anticipated!

Well, today has been way easier than I thought it would be. I didn't think there was any way I would feel satisfied having only bananas and milk along with Wonder Soup. So far today I have had 5 bananas, 2 glasses of milk, and 1 bowl of Wonder Soup and I feel great! I was a bit hungry awhile ago but I had a banana and a glass of milk and it filled me up.

Eating the bananas has been the easy part. Finding the bananas was the hard part! We had to go to 3 different grocery stores in order to find bananas that we could eat today! The first two stores we went to had bananas but they were all green and would not have tasted very good today. I was starting to panic a little because I really didn't want to eat green bananas all day today. Thankfully, the 3rd store we went to had great looking bananas and plenty of them! I bought 14 bananas for John and I (since we had 2 at home already) and 11 for mom and dad (they already had some at home, too) and I am sure the lady working at the grocery store thought I WAS bananas for walking in and buying nothing except a basket full of bananas. :o)

I won't go into details but I also had coffee today out of necessity. :o) Black coffee is allowed on this GM diet/cleanse but I am not a fan of black coffee so I have pretty much cut caffeine out of my diet altogether this week. I had one cup of black coffee on Tuesday (day 1) but then I realized how much I really dislike plain black coffee so I haven't had any since then. Until today. I think the warm, caffeine filled coffee helped with the cleanse part of this diet/cleanse.

Tomorrow we can eat up to 20 ounces of lean ground beef and we have to eat 6 tomatoes. That will be tough for me. I do not like plain, raw tomatoes. At all. But, I am going to find a way to get the 6 tomatoes down and keep it down tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Day 112....hoping I can do it!

Day 110....Easy Peasy.

Today was the easiest day so far. Considering we are only on day 3, that isn't saying much. We were able to eat all the fruits and vegetables we want today. I was in heaven! I was able to have fruit smoothies, plain fruit, and corn on the cob. Yummy! I wish every day was like today. I am afraid it will only go downhill from here, though. Tomorrow is banana day. Yes, that's right, only bananas and milk. We can have up to 8 bananas and 3 glasses of milk along with Wonder Soup. I like bananas but I am not sure I am going to feel satisfied tomorrow. I guess only time will tell.

I didn't do a normal workout today but I did walk to and from soccer (actually Briar and I raced home....she had her bike) and I coached Briar's soccer team so that involved a lot of running around in circles trying to not get hit by the kids on the field so that should count as a workout, right?

Tomorrow will be interesting but for now I am going to enjoy tonight. As a matter of fact, I am enjoying a delicious fruit smoothie and corn on the cob. Yum, yum.

Day 111....a little nervous.

Day 109....veggies only.

Today was harder than yesterday but not quite as hard as I thought it was going to be. We were only able to have vegetables and Wonder Soup today. We were supposed to have a baked potato this morning but that was the only potato allowed. I was full after eating the potato, but I got munchy later on in the day and I really wasn't craving vegetables. The soup is pretty good so I had a bowl of that as well as some mushrooms and it filled me up. For dinner, mom sauteed some vegetables and we wrapped them in lettuce. It was delicious! I loved it. I was so glad it was good because it filled me up and satisfied me. For a bedtime snack, we had steamed broccoli. I haven't had a lot of cravings yet but I am not sure they wont hit me later on in the week. I am looking forward to tomorrow because we can have fruits and vegetables. I can't wait for my fruit smoothies!! :o)

I did use the elliptical today. I was so tired out this afternoon but after I used the elliptical I felt energized! It was so great to feel like that. I was afraid that I would be tired out all day today so it was a pleasant surprise to feel as great as I did after working out.

Tomorrow should be a great day. All the fruts and vegetables I want to eat!

Day 110....bring it on!

Day 108....interesting.

Today was an interesting day. It started out right. The kids were all in great moods before school. I love it when days start out like that!

Since this was Day 1 of our GM diet/cleanse, we were able to have all the fruit we want. We could also have the Wonder Soup which is basically a cabbage and vegetable soup. We are able to have Wonder Soup every day on this 7 day diet/cleanse. But, the focus today was our fruit. We were supposed to concentrate on eating melons. I started out the day with a fruit smoothie. Then I had cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon throughout the day. I also had more smoothies as the day went on. I love a good fruit smoothie! And, of course, LOTS of water kept me feeling pretty full most of the day.

The day went great until we had to go to soccer practice. I was outside with the kids and running around and I got hungry! It is hard to make the hunger go away when all you can have is fruit and Wonder Soup. When we got home, I had some watermelon and a fruit smoothie while the kids ate supper. It is not easy watching the kids eat supper while I sit there knowing that I can't have what they are eating. I think it is about 90% mental. It is one of those things where you just want what you can't have.

Tomorrow is vegetable day. We do start the day out with a baked potato, but after that it is just vegetables (no more potatoes) and, of course, Wonder Soup. I hope tomorrow goes well. I am hoping this week will lead to me having more energy and less weight to carry around.

Day 109....hoping I can stay on track.

Day 107....Wonderful!

Today was a BEAUTIFUL day! I love weather like this and it makes me happy just thinking about how nice out it was today! I was even lucky enough to be able to catch some sun on the deck this afternoon while Landon napped. It was my little bit of heaven on earth.

I didn't do a typical workout today but I did put on my rollerblades and got some exercise that way! I love rollerblading. It makes me feel young again! What's not to love about that? I am looking forward to doing a lot more rollerblading this summer.

I also did a wrap today on my tummy. I saw it on someone's Facebook account and thought it looked like it would be worth a try. You just put it on, sit for 45 minutes (with fingers crossed) and wait for the results. :o) I haven't measured to see if I lost inches yet, but you can bet I will be mentioning this again if I wake up tomorrow morning thinner than I was when I went to bed!

Tomorrow I start the GM diet and I will be updating on that for the next 7 days. It should be interesting!

Day 108....another new adventure!

Day 106....didn't dissapoint!

Today was a beautiful day! We woke up and made our usual Sunday morning breakfast. I love our Sunday morning breakfasts together. Then we had to get cleaned up and dressed and ready for the day. Briar was supposed to have her birthday party on Friday but she came home from school with tummy aches so we rescheduled until today. Boy am I glad for the reschedule! The party went great. We let the kids play for a few minutes when they got here, then we did cake and ice cream and presents, then let them play outside. They all seemed to have fun and they all got along great!

Since it was so nice outside, we hung out and played outside all day. I didn't get a normal workout done today but I did put on my rollerblades and the whole family went for a walk/rollerblade/bike ride. :o) It was so much fun! Even though I didn't feel sore or tired out from rollerblading, I bet I will be feeling my muscles in a day or two. Now it is time for baths and bedtime for the kiddos followed by a nice, relaxing glass of wine for this very happy momma! :o)

Day 107....hoping for more beautiful weather!

Day 105....just kept busy.

Today was just a busy day for us. I didn't get the chance to work out, but I was running from the time we got up until now and I still have work to be done tonight. Lance had soccer this morning and then the boys had pee wee practice. After their practices, I was home just long enough to get things together for a birthday party Briar had to go to (and maybe watch an episode of Pound Puppies with the kids) and then we were off again. Since we are not on top of things right now, we had to stop on the way to the birthday party to buy the gift. Brea and I hung out at the party since it was a swimming party and I always worry about the kids at swimming parties. After the party, we picked up the rest of the family just in time to be a bit late for church. We hate being late for church, but luckily we weren't too late so it all worked out.

After church, we made our way home and made dinner. Now the kids are eating and then it will be time to get ready for bed. I feel like I was running and running all day and really didn't get anywhere. That seems to be the story of my life sometimes. :o)

Tomorrow is Sunday. Maybe I will get an ab workout in since I didn't do anything today. Or, maybe I will find some energy tonight and get some sort of workout done. Only time will tell.

Day 106....hoping for sun!

Day 104....not according to plan.

Today didn't go anything like I had planned. I started out the day by getting everyone ready and off to school. That was what I had expected. Then, I went and ran a few errands to get ready for Briar's birthday party which was supposed to be after school today. That went according to plan. What didn't go according to plan was Briar coming home from school sick! She had tummy aches and felt like she was going to throw up so she came home from school and rested. One rescheduled birthday party coming up! Hopefully it is nice outside on Sunday and then I will be glad we had the birthday party then instead of today.

Since we didn't have the birthday party today, we didn't order pizza for dinner, and that meant I had to cook. I made homeade buns to go with our chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. It all turned out well. Too bad John didn't feel well so he couldn't eat dinner. Sigh.

I did manage to use the elliptical tonight after dinner so I feel pretty good about that. I am enjoying the elliptical now and when I turn on the tv and get on the elliptical, time just flies by!

Tomorrow will be another busy day. I am hoping to find time to at least work on my abs!

Day 105....hopefully another step in the right direction!

Day 103....Full from morning to night!

Today was a busy day for me! I got the kids up and off to school. Then I had time to come home and get myself ready for my eye appointment. The eye appointment took quite a while since it has been so long since my last appointment. I actually got to pick out some new glasses. I am pretty sure the pair of glasses I am currently wearing was purchased in high school, so it is a pretty big deal for me to get new glasses.

After getting my eyes checked, I went and puchased a new pair of rollerblades. That's right, I am going to be back on rollerblades! I am so excited! Too bad it had to rain all day. I may have to try them out in the garage if it isn't nice out tomorrow.

We were out running around until I had to pick up the kids, then we came home and tried to get things done around the house. After getting backpacks checked, homework done, supper and baths, I was more than ready for bedtime. But, I still had to work out. Ugh. I went downstairs and used the elliptical. I love the fact that I can use the elliptical and feel like I get a good workout without my lungs feeling like they are going to explode. I love at least feeling like I am in good shape. Now, if my body would just look as great as I feel, I would be in business!

Tomorrow will be another busy day but I will fit in working out somehow!

Day 104....possibly some rollerblading in my future!

Day 102....Core Cardio and Balance.

After dropping the kids off at school, I got some things done around the house and put chili in the crock pot. I didn't work out until after lunch today, but I actually really enjoy this workout. Core Cardio and Balance has some hip flexor work and some shoulder work that just hurts so good. :o)

I am still not really losing the weight I want to lose, but I think things are starting to go in the right direction, FINALLY! I am not dropping the pounds as quickly as I had hoped, but right now I would even take slow and steady. As long as the scale is moving in the right direction, I am happy. And, more importantly, as long as my belly is getting smaller instead of bigger, I am happy.

As of now, I am not sure what tomorrow will bring for a workout, but I am sure I will do something fun. I would like to buy rollerblades....that could be interesting! If I do get rollerblades, I am sure that will be a great workout for me (as long as I am still able to stay on my feet) and it would be so much fun at the same time.

Day 103....ready for whatever it may be.

Day 101....back after a break!

We left on Friday afternoon and went as far as Fargo, where we stayed at my cousin, Dawn's house. Even though we weren't there very long, we had a good time. We always enjoy staying with them! We were up early and on our way to Minneapolis on Saturday. We went to the Como Zoo for the first time and thought it was ok, but it would have been much better if it was warmer out. They had a lot of their animals inside still since it is so early in the season. I would like to go back when they have everything out and ready for the summer. After the zoo, we went to church, then went to Mark and Jenny's house to stay. Saturday night was a fun night, that's for sure! There were so many people there to keep my kids occupied so John and I were able to hang out, relax, and just have some fun! On Sunday we went to the Twin's game. We were sitting up high enough so we were under a little roof and didn't get hit by the rain during the game. All in all, it turned out to be a decent day for a baseball game. I just wish the Twin's would have won. The kids had a BLAST this weekend and that makes the whole trip worth it. After the game, we drove all the way home. We didn't get home until about 4am on Monday morning, so everyone was tired out and ready for bed. We just hung out at home all day and everyone was ready and rarin' to go today!

After taking the whole weekend off, I planned to work out yesterday but my body had different plans. I didn't feel well at all yesterday so I took another day off and rested up. I feel much better today so I was able to do Ab Ripper and use the elliptical. I love how great I feel after working out! I am just about to get supper in the crock pot and then hang out with Brea. I told her we could watch a movie together today. :o)

I am not sure what workout I will do tomorrow, but I am looking forward to it!

Day 102....ready for whatever is in store.

Day 97....change of plans.

I have finally resigned myself to the fact that I will not have time to work out today. Packing for the weekend for 7 people is not an easy task. It isn't as difficult to pack clothes and essentials, it is all the extras that makes it an overwhelming job! Trying to pack enough to keep the kids occupied but not too much stuff so we end up losing things is not as easy as it sounds. My kids travel well so I am lucky there, but they still need things to keep them from driving each other (and John and I) crazy during the long drive. The nice thing is that we are only going to Fargo tonight, then on to Minneapolis in the morning. But, Sunday afternoon we will make the long drive all the way from Minneapolis to our house.

So, for now I am going to wait on working out and I will fit it in later if I get time. My workout right now will be running around the house, trying to make sure we don't forget anything! As long as do a head count to make sure we don't forget anyone, the rest will work itself out. :o)

Day 98....here's to hoping it isn't raining!

Day 96....better but still not great.

So far, today has been better than yesterday. I haven't gained any weight over night so that is a plus. I made it through the workout today and felt great. This is the cardio recovery day so there isn't any cardio, but there are a lot of squats and lunges and I love the burn when doing those. Brea and Landon were good so I was able to focus on working out and not on what they were doing. I get a much better workout the days that the kids are occupied and happy!

I just wish I could shed a few pounds. It would do SO much for my motivation and confidence. I just need to figure out what I am doing or not doing to start that weight loss. I guess I just have to keep working and hopefully it will come.

Tomorrow is another day of intense working out and then I will most likely be taking the weekend off. We are leaving tomorrow afternoon to go to a Twin's game on Sunday afternoon. I am sure we will get a good enough workout carrying kids throughout the weekend. I am going to relax and have fun this weekend and come back ready to go again on Monday!

Day 97....working hard then enjoying the weekend!

Day 95....some days are better than others.

Today started out pretty good. I got the kids up and ready and off to school. I was in a good mood when I got home and got ready to work out. Then I weighed myself. Lately I HATE weighing myself. It is so frustrating! I am not losing my dreaded belly fat and I am not losing any weight. I have been working out for over 3 months now so I feel like the pounds should start dropping. They are not. I am not expecting to lose a ton of weight every day, but I would like to see the scale going in the right direction. It is not. I should just throw the scale away. But, then I would just find somewhere else to weigh myself, so what's the point?

I have been having smoothies a lot so I was hoping that would help me lose weight. I have been so careful to not have tons of calories or too many fruits in my smoothies because I know that I wouldn't lose weight that way. I have had lots of spinach, celery, and water in the smoothies (along with a lower calorie fruit like apples or pineapple to sweeten it just a bit). But, I am just not losing the weight. I have also been cutting back on the high calorie snacks and treats and I feel like I should be seeing some results. I am hoping that my body is just getting used to the cleaner eating and once it gets used to everything then I will start losing weight. So, I will give it a couple more weeks and if I don't see any results then I may have to go to strictly having water. That should do the trick. :o)

Today's workout was an ok one. I was a bit distracted by the fact that what I am doing as far as diet and exercise doesn't seem to be working, but at the same time I was more determined to burn as many calories while working out as possible. I made it through the workout and then had a smoothie. Now I am ready to tackle the laundry and other cleaning that needs to be done before the kids are home from school. Some days there is just not enough time to get everything done. Sadly, any cleaning that doesn't get done today will wait until tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be a great day!

Day 96....Cardio Recovery.

Day 94....Started out great!

Today is a very special day. Briar was born 6 years ago today. I can't believe she is already 6 years old! I didn't realize how much a daughter would mean to me until I had my two beautiful girls. I can't imagine my life without any of my kids, but my daughters filled a hole in my heart that I didn't even know was there! Granted, my daughters aren't always very girly, but then again, I am about the most un-girly (that's a word, right?) person you could ever meet. The other day, we were going to pick out decorations for Briar's birthday and she was set on WWE. She wanted John Cena. So, that's what we were going to go with. But, once we got to the party store, I figured she would see Hello Kitty or something else and go with that. I was sort of right....she ended up going with the Spongebob decorations. Whatever makes her happy. :o) Another example of how she takes after me would be some of the things she asked us to buy for her birthday. One of the things she was the most excited for was football cards. She opened them this morning and is already trading them with her brothers. Oh how I love my kids!

So, after getting the kids ready and off to school (Briar with her mini cupcakes and orange juice boxes) I rushed home to work out. Today was Cardio Power and Resistance. This workout seems to have a lot of strength exercises in them. My muscles get tired before my lungs get tired. There is a lot of jumping and a good amount of push ups and plank work. This is one workout where I feel like I can see improvements each time I go through it so that is encouraging! I am so glad that I worked out this morning because the rest of the day is pretty busy. I am going to take each of the kids out to lunch. I pick them up lunch, then we drive around while they eat and we chat. I love that time with the kids.

After school we will have Briar's dinner of choice....chicken noodle soup and carrots. I am still not sure what to think of that, but it IS her birthday! After dinner, we will have cake and open presents, then it will be time to wind down for the night. The days that the kids have school just go by too quickly!

Day 95....back to the normal routine.

Day 93....busy, busy, busy.

Today started out slow. The kids slept in until 10am! I couldn't believe it. I had to go and check to make sure they were all still breathing. We never have a day where they all sleep in that late! I debated on waking them up so we could get ready since we had such a busy day planned but I figured if they were all still sleeping they must all need the rest. So, I let them sleep in and when they all woke up we got ready and started the busy day.

Mom and dad babysat the kids while Briar and I ran some errands. We had to get some supplies and decorations for Briar's birthday tomorrow. After running those errands, I picked up the kids and the girls had their hair cut and had feathers put in their hair at the same time. They look SO cute!

We had a short break after the hair cuts and then we were off to the dentist for the 4 big kids. I love that they can all go to their dentist appointments at one time!

After we got home, I was finally able to work out. I did Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs. I really didn't have the energy to work out, but I knew I had to do something or I would feel guilty. I am glad now that I did work out. I always feel great after working out.

Tomorrow is back to normal for us. Well, almost normal. The kids are back at school tomorrow but it is also a very special day. Briar will be turning 6 tomorrow and she is so excited! I can't believe we have had her in our lives for 6 years already. She is such a blessing.

Day 94....A "special" normal day for us! :o)

Day 92....Happy Easter to all!!

Today was a great day! The kids woke up and found the small treats the Easter Bunny leaves at our house, then we made our usual Sunday breakfast of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and sausage....I love our Sunday mornings.

After breakfast, we all got ready and went to my mom and dad's house for an Easter Egg Hunt! After much searching and a lot of help from John, the kids found all 111 Easter eggs. :o)  I love how much fun the kids have looking for the eggs and I love how excited they get to see coins in some and little candy in others....I love how they are enjoying the simple things in life!

We ate dinner with my parents and, as always it was delicious. My mom is an awesome cook so I always love it when she cooks for us.

I am anxious to get back to working out tomorrow. I ate way too much at dinner but I will just work out extra hard tomorrow and call it good. :o)

Day 93....burning off some Easter calories!

Day 91....Clean, clean, clean....sigh.

Today started out great! We all slept in a little, then got up and made a cappuccino in the Vitamix. Yumm-O! Then the fun began. Or not. We cleaned ALL day. I had to leave a couple of times to run some errands but the great thing was that John stayed home with the kids and kept cleaning. What a man! We got the whole house cleaned and it feels great. We didn't finish up until about 7pm, but it is worth it to have a clean house and the day off tomorrow to just enjoy ourselves.

After cleaning I really didn't feel like working out but I always enjoy working my abs so it wasn't too tough to get motivated. John and I had a great ab workout and, as always, I feel like I push myself harder when John is there to motivate me. :o)

By the time we had a quick dinner and got cleaned up, it was time to squeeze in another fantasy baseball draft before heading off to church. Tonight, we have church at 9pm. I am hoping the kids aren't too crabby that late, but I am sure we will survive. I love Easter and all that it means and I love that my kids are getting old enough to understand the true meaning of so many of these Holidays that we celebrate each year.

Day 92....taking a day off and enjoying Easter!!

Day 90....turning over a new leaf.

I am still working out and I am still looking to lose some weight, but from now on, I will be not only blogging about my thoroughly exciting workout journey, but the rest of my life as well. Working out has to be a part of my every day life, but there is so much more to the average day in the Pitner household.

Take this morning, for instance. It started out as most mornings do....way too early for me. I am lucky that the kids will sometimes keep busy by watching tv or playing games or entertaining Landon until everyone is ready to get up and around for the day. But, today, once we were all up, the first thing the kids asked for is cotton candy. Really? Cotton candy for breakfast? Eeeew. Briar got a cotton candy machine for Christmas and they have been waiting to try it out. I finally took it out last night and said we could try it today. I guess they figured there is no time like breakfast for a bunch of pure sugar. Needless to say, we didn't have cotton candy for breakfast. I have 5 kids in this house....I am not going to fill them up with sugar that early in the morning. I would never survive the day!
The kids did have breakfast (not cotton candy) and now the four big kids went outside to play. Landon took a nap while I put some eggs on to make Egg Salad Sandwiches for lunch. Oh the joys of Lent. Today is Good Friday, which means we have to fast as well as abstain from meat. That isn't so bad, but with the kids around and constantly asking for snacks, it is hard for me to not just grab a bite or two of whatever they are eating. It is funny how many times I catch myself reaching for something that they are eating and not even thinking about what I am doing. And I wonder why I am not losing weight....

So, the kids did end up having cotton candy today. It was really kind of neat to make, but it did make a sugary mess all over the kitchen. They loved it though, so the mess was worth it.

After the busy day of playing and running around, I didn't do an Insanity workout, but I did use the elliptical. It felt great to do because I could tell that I am in much better shape than I was the last time I was on that thing. Tomorrow will be an ab day again. I am looking forward to it.

Day 91....I love my weekends.

Day 89....Cardio Recovery.

I did not work out early today but I did manage to work out. I like to work out in the mornings but since I had my kiddos all day it wasn't until this afternoon that I was able to find the time to do Cardio Recovery. I like this workout because it always makes me feel a bit sore. I like feeling sore. When I am sore I know that I pushed a little harder and that feels good.

Tomorrow is Cardio Power and Resistance. I had planned to clean the house today so all I had to do tomorrow was work out and hang out with the kids, but for some reason I just couldn't get anywhere with my cleaning. It seems like I worked and worked today but didn't get anything done. Sometimes that kind of feels like the story of my life....

Day 90....hoping for a great day.

Day 88....feels great!

Today was Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs. I really thought about doing something else since today was a long workout, but in the end I decided to do what was on the schedule. I thought I would be too tired out after working out to do anything, but I am not. In fact, I feel great!

After working out, I made myself a smoothie in my Vitamix. I had to send my old Vitamix back to get a new one, and the new one works great! So, I added some spinach, apples, bananas, and water and ice and made a delicious and healthy smoothie. I love my Vitamix!

Tomorrow is our recovery day and I am anxious for that because my knee was sore for some reason today. It didn't hurt too bad, but I could feel that it was sore so I am hoping that the recovery day will give me time to heal up so I am ready to go again on Friday!

Day 89....Cardio Recovery.

Day 87....tough to get going.

Today was Plyometric Circuit. I like this workout but it was hard to get myself going. Sometimes I just get a lot on my mind and it is hard to stop and focus just on working out for an hour. But, I always feel better after I am done working out. I am so glad I have Insanity to add structure to my workouts because on days like today I would have a hard time pushing myself if I was just using the elliptical or trying to decide what to do for my workout each day. I like being able to put in the DVD and just do what it tells me to do and know that I am getting a great workout!

For some reason I feel like it is later in the week than it actually is. Today is Tuesday so that means I still have a lot of working out to do this week. I hope that at some point in time I can find the energy to keep up with the working out I am trying to do! I would feel a lot more motivated if I started seeing the pounds melting off or my abs toning up, but so far I am still waiting for those changes. Until I start seeing those changes I am just going to have to keep working hard. I know the changes will happen, I just want them to happen NOW.

Day 88....one foot in front of the other.

Day 86....start the week out right!

Today was Cardio Power and Resistance. This is a tough workout but it goes quick. I wasn't able to do the whole workout without stopping....the phone rang, I had to get a bottle for the little one, and I had to assist my 3 year old in the bathroom....BUT, I still got a great workout! Sometimes those little unexpected breaks are just what I need. :o) I find that when I have to pause the workout I work harder when I start up again. I kind of feel like I should be able to push harder and go further after a little extra recovery time. Either way, I completed the workout and I feel great. It may not always go as smoothly as planned, but I am always glad when I get through a great workout!

Tomorrow will be another tough workout and I am looking forward to it. I have to be pushing myself if I want to even come close to my new weight loss goals!

Day 87....keeping my goals in mind.

Day 85....Beautiful!

Today was a day of rest for working out, but we were able to go outside and enjoy the nice weather! We jumped on the trampoline and played catch and just enjoyed some fun in the sun. I can't wait until it gets really nice outside. I love summer weather!

Tomorrow I will be back to working out and I will be focusing on eating healthy in order to start shedding some pounds. I am really hoping to start seeing some weight loss!

I can't wait to be back in shape!

Day 86....I am ready for you!

Day 84....better late than never!

Today was another busy Saturday in the Pitner household. I love to get my workout done in the mornings but today it just wasn't in the cards for us to get done early. So, as much as I would have rather had a glass of wine (or two) and thought up some great excuse for not working out, we just sucked it up and worked out our abs. I will have to say that I push myself harder when I am working out with John. I know that if I slack off or don't work as hard as I can John will call me out on it and not let me live it down. I love that about him. I also love how competitive he is so I know that when we work out he is giving it his all as well!

My abs are now burning and I feel great. I am so glad we decided to work out tonight so we can take tomorrow to rest ourselves up and get ready for another great week of working out!

Day 85....will be a day of rest.

Day 83....New Goals!

Starting today, I am officially setting a new fitness goal. My goal is to lose 10 pounds by May 1, 2012. I have about 15 pounds to lose before I am at my actual goal weight, but I think that 10 pounds in just over 4 weeks is realistic. I will worry about the other 5 pounds once I drop the first 10!

Today we decided to do Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs. The workout that was scheduled for today is Cardio Power and Resistance but we moved that one to Monday since the scheduled workout is a Fit Test and we are skipping the Fit Tests this round of Insanity. So, we moved today's workout to Monday and we moved tomorrow's workout to today since we are skipping Insanity's workouts on Saturdays and doing our own ab workout instead. I really want to focus more on my core and I think that the modifications we have made this round of Insanity will help me to shed some weight and tone up my midsection!

Tomorrow we will be doing more ab work. I am always excited to do ab work because I know that my tummy is my biggest problem area right now. I am looking forward to changing that! I can't wait to be ready for summer clothes!

Day 84....keeping my goals in sight!

Day 82....Another Happy Birthday kind of day!

Today was our Cardio Recovery day. I love this workout. All of the squats and lunges get my legs feeling like jelly, but I love it. I love being able to feel the exact muscles I worked. When my legs feel fatigued, I know that I worked hard.

I felt great during and after my workout today, but, I must admit I was a bit distracted. Mom and I put some muffins and a cake in the oven and worked out while they were baking. We delivered the muffins to John at work since today is his 35th birthday! He is looking pretty good for 35. :o) The cake is cooling now and ready to be frosted soon.
We have a busy day ahead of us so I am glad I am done working out and I don't have to try and find time to fit it in later. I am sure that by the end of the day I will not have the energy to work out so I will be even more glad I got it done earlier.

Tomorrow is back to cardio....Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs....I am ready for that.

Day 83....ready for what is in store.

Day 81....Unbelievable.

Today was another Plyo day and it was GREAT! I worked harder than I have worked in a long time and I felt awesome. It is unbelievable how far I have come in the last few months and I am excited to see where I will be by the time summer comes around if I keep working hard. I just keep telling myself that I want to fit into all of the cute summer clothes I have. If the thought of having to wear a swim suit with my kids this summer isn't motivation to work out, I don't know what would be!

I love today's workout because most of the exercises are fun. I like the basketball shot exercise....you just squat down like you are grabbing a basketball, then jump up and act like you are shooting. It is fun but gets very tiring! I also like the end of this workout. We do jabs and uppercuts and that reminds me of kickboxing so I always have fun with that! I miss kickboxing, but this is so much better right now. I don't have to get ready, drive all the way to ATA, get the kids settled, work out, then drive all the way home. Right now, I can just get the kids occupied, put in the DVD and work hard. Plus, the DVD can be paused if I need to take care of one of the kids. I do plan to go back to ATA at some point in time (soon hopefully) but if I am doing Insanity as well, I can just pick the classes that fit in best with my schedule and not feel guilty the days I can't make it to a class at ATA.

Tommorrow is our recovery day and I am excited for it!
Day 82....ready to rock and roll.

Day 80....Pure Cardio!

It was a bit tough to get myself motivated this morning, but I got a GREAT workout and I am so glad I worked out early enough to have the whole day ahead of me! Today was Pure Cario, which means no breaks. It is a tough workout to complete, but I can see myself getting further and further into the workout before I need to rest. It is encouraging to see progress like that!

Mom and I worked out together this morning, and that is always nice. I don't mind working out alone, but working out with company is even better!

I believe tomorrow is Plyometric Cardio Circuit and that is always something I enjoy so I am looking forward to it.

Day 81....going to work hard!

Day 79....Monday blah.

I am not going to lie. Today I did Cardio Power and Resistance but it wasn't my best workout. I am not feeling the greatest and I just couldn't get through some of the exercises. I just wasn't up for doing too much jumping today. I did make it through the workout and I am glad I at least did something but I wish I could have done more. If I feel better later today I will have to do something extra, but for now, I am going to be happy I made it through working out. I wish I could just hang out and do nothing for the rest of the day but my house HAS to be cleaned. I have waited and waited for it to clean itself, but it seems to procrastinate as much as I have been lately because no matter how long I wait, it doesn't seem to want to clean itself. So, that is my goal for today....to clean my house. I know I am exciting!

Tomorrow is a new day and I plan to push myself harder than ever when I work out!

Day 80....ready to work hard.

Day 78....made it through.

Today was another busy day. Lance had First Holy Communion. Then, my brother and sister in law hosted a party for Lance and Emily (my niece) since they had First Communion together. It is always nice to have these get-togethers because I love having the family time! I love spending time with my brothers and their families and, of course, my parents and John's parents and family. It is always a good time!

By the time things settled down enough for me to work out, the girls were in bed, the boys were on their way to bed and I really didn't have much energy to do anything. But, I knew I would be happy if I worked out so I sucked it up (and sucked my tummy in) and did some ab work. My boys worked out with me (their alternative was going to bed) so we all got a good ab workout. I don't know about them but I know I will sleep well tonight!

Tomorrow is week 2 of my second round of Insanity. I am still waiting to shed some of those extra pounds but it hasn't happened yet. If I actually gain weight I am going to blame that on Holly's (my sister in law) scotcharoos and awesome cooking.

Day 79....back to the grind.

Day 77....ended up being a day off.

Today Lance had his first Confession so Lane, Lance, John and I all went to Confession this morning, then had a busy day ahead of us! We were on the go from 10:00am until 7:00pm. By the time we got home we just didn't feel like working out. We decided to take our day off today and work our abs tomorrow!

I am looking forward to a great ab workout! I am loving this second round of Insanity and I can't wait to start seeing the results from my hard work.

Day 78....ready to work those abs!

Day 76....tougher than anticipated.

Today was rough. I was tired out even before I began, I think. Maybe it was the fact that I knew that after I worked out I HAVE to clean house. It cannot wait any longer. So, while working out, all I could think of was all the cleaning I have to do today. Yuck.

The warmup was tough, as it always is. The actual workout was brutal. Most days I like the fact that there are no breaks and you only do each exercise once, but today I would have loved some breaks. The nice part about the workout is the fact that once you get through the warmup and stretch you only have about 15 minutes of working out before the cool down. The not-so-nice part is the fact that those 15 minutes are non-stop and energy draining! Now that I am done, I feel great (as usual) but I had a hard time making it through the whole workout.

Tomorrow I will be doing an ab workout and I am looking forward to that. I still want to concentrate on my abs a bit more and tomorrow I will do just that.

Day 77....ready to work on the six pack.

Day 75....Felt great!!

Today is day 75 of my official Insanity. And, I have to say, it feels great! The recovery workout was tough (all those squats and lunges make a person sore) but I felt great and I loved every minute of it! I remember the first time I did Cardio Recovery. I could hardly walk down the stairs when I was done (and holding Landon while walking anywhere was dangerous for both of us). Today, my legs still felt sore, but I was able to do more than I have in the past and, more importantly, I carried Landon down the stairs after working out and my legs didn't feel like jello! Score one for this mama!

I have had 2 smoothies so far today and I love my Vitamix. The only thing is, she isn't working quite right so I am afraid I have to send her back and get a new one. I am not looking forward to that. I love my smoothies!

Day 76....back to Pure Cardio....can't wait!

Day 74....back to reality.

Yesterday was such a great workout and I actually felt like I could have done more than what we did. I worked hard but my body recovered quickly and I felt like I could have worked out for a bit longer. Today was NOT like that. I love the warm up today. It is a little different from the other warm ups and it is a nice change of pace. But, I was tired out and ready to be done by the time the warm up was over. My body feels fatigued and I feel weak. I just couldn't power through some of this workout like I had hoped I would. I did get a great workout, though. The fact that I got so tired out and my muscles fatigued quicker than I had hoped only makes me look forward to doing this workout again. I am ready to see improvements and I know I will do better each time I do this workout. I absolutely love the first month of Insanity! Each workout is fun (even the parts that hurt) and I look forward to every day. '

I did take it easy last week and I think that may be why my body feels a bit tired out this week. Plus, this week starts the first month over so we are doing workouts that are different to our body again. The second month seems to be a lot more strength (push ups and plank work) and this month seems to be more cardio. So, although you do a lot of the same exercises, the workouts have a different feel and it is good to switch it up.

In addition to my new round of Insanity, we finally got our Vitamix! I have been waiting not-so-patiently to get it and last night it finally arrived! I am so excited. The kids are quite possibly as excited as I am and I think John will come to love it just as much as we do. :o)

Tomorrow is Cardio Recovery and I am looking forward to it!

Day 75....Recovery will feel great!

Day 73....Plyometric Cardio Circuit.

After working out today, I feel great about myself! I was able to make it through this workout and I felt great the whole time. Again, I am not able to keep up with the pace of some of the push ups or in and out ab exercises, but I am able to go at my own pace and get a great workout. I did feel like I could have gone a bit longer today, though. I wasn't quite ready to stop working out when it came time to do the cool down. That doesn't mean I didn't push myself during the workout, I think it just means my body is able to recover more quickly and more often now and I can push a little harder.

I love this particular workout. I love just about all of the exercises and I really feel like I get a lot out of the Plyometric Circuits. The exercises are fun but they are tough and I really just enjoy being able to make it through a workout without feeling like I am going to be sick or pass out. The first couple of times I did this workout (and all of the workouts in the first month) I had to stop and take breaks and even walk outside to cool off because I felt light headed and sick to my stomach. That was a horrible feeling. I love the fact that I can push myself harder for longer periods of time without feeling so terrible. It makes me realize that all of my hard work is finally paying off!

Day 74....I am already looking forward to working out again!

Day 72....and it begins.

I feel a bit like I am starting over. But, I am not forgetting the progress I have made over the last few months. Today is day 72 of my weight loss, body shaping journey, and I am hoping that within the next few months I am able to kick it up a notch and reach some of my goals. I still have some weight to lose and I would like to get my body fat down a few percent.

Today is supposed to be a Fit Test for Insanity, but we are not doing the Fit Tests this round. Instead, we jumped right into Pure Cardio. It is amazing how much better I feel after doing Pure Cardio today than I felt the first few times I did it. The first few times, I was probably only able to do half (that may even be a generous estimate) of the exercises. This time, I made it through everything without having to stop. I was still not able to keep up with the pace the whole time (I am still slow on my push ups) but I was able to keep a steady pace throughout the whole workout. I was still tired out and there were times when I felt like I might need to take a break, but this time I was able to push through and finish each exercise. That felt great! I know I still have a long ways to go, but after today's workout, I know I am headed in the right direction.

It is always hard to get going and it is so easy to think of a million excuses for putting off working out or not working out at all, but I ALWAYS feel great after giving it my all and getting in a great workout. Working out and eating right have to stay high priority in my life. That is one thing I am sure of.

Day 73....Plyometric Cardio Circuit....I am ready for you!

Day 71....does it get any better?

Today started off with our usual Sunday morning family breakfast. Then we hung out at home and soaked up the sun. I ran to the mall to get a couple of things but didn't stay long because all I wanted to do was be outside with my family!
Lane and Lance had a birthday party to go to this afternoon, but other than that, everyone was outside as much as possible. My wonderful husband put up the trampoline and organized the garage so the kids can easily get at their bikes, scooters and anything else they may want to play with.

I am enjoying this weather and it makes me so happy to be out in the sun. Sometimes I just sit in the sun and smile. Life is good. There is nothing like nice, sunny weather to make me feel energized and ready to take on the world!

Tomorrow is day 1 of my second round of Insanity. I am going to modify the program a bit this time around. I do not plan to do the Fit Tests every time and I think I may just do a quick ab workout on Saturday instead of the scheduled workout each week. Saturday sometimes gets busy around here and, with this nice weather, I want to be able to enjoy being outside but I will make sure to keep active!

Day 72....beginning again.

Day 70....BEAUTIFUL!!

Today was a GREAT day!! We started it out by watching Lance's basketball game at 8am, then we went to see if our Leprechaun traps caught anything. We are pretty sure we had a Leprechaun, but it got away. We will try again next year. :o)

This afternoon we were outside as much as possible! We had a strange dog wander into our yard so the kids kept occupied by trying to find the owner. It turns out it was just visiting our neighbor and got out of their yard. At least the kids were kept busy by playing with and walking the dog. I was also able to catch a few z's on the deck in the sun. A little bit of heaven right in my backyard.

We had a couple of drinks with friends to finish off the day (thanks mom and dad for babysitting for a bit) and I will have to say this Saturday was perfect.

Day 71....hoping for more of the same greatness!

Day 69....possibly a day off.

Well, I think today will be the first of 3 days of rest for me. I have a few aches and pains that I think could use a bit of rest before starting Insanity again on Monday. I was going to do the Upper Body Weight Training workout that we got with the Insanity program but I think I am going to just take the next 3 days to rest my body and get ready for another round of Insanity. I will more than likely play basketball with the kids after dinner (I am enjoying the fact that they are still young enough to think I don't totally stink at basketball. Haha.) and I am sure we will be outside as much as possible this weekend so I know I will be burning calories and not just sitting around doing nothing.

Today is a beautiful day and I can't wait to be outside soaking up the sun.

Day 70....hoping to be active outside!

Day 68....more abs.

I did more ab work today. I really want to concentrate on my core this week. I don't want to exhaust my abs this week, but I am trying to do at least a few days of good core work. So, I did another ab workout and I really feel like I am doing some good. I am also using my Bongo Balance Board. Just standing on it is a pretty good workout, but if you sit down and try to balance just on your butt, you feel your abs almost immediately! It is an awesome ab workout!

I feel pretty good about today. I feel like I am starting to get back in shape and I love it.

Tomorrow can't come fast enough! Day 69 is sure to be a great one!

Day 67....Feeling pretty great!

The guilt got to me yesterday so I did some ab work. It wasn't anything too intense, but it was enough for me to get my body moving and my metabolism up and make me feel good about working out. I am glad I decided to do something because I felt so guilty just sitting around and doing nothing.

So, I was thinking about not working out today since I have so much to get done and never seem to have the time to catch up on everything. But, all I ended up doing was sitting around, avoiding the cleaning that I should be doing. I finally decided I had to do something so I put in Pure Cardio and let that kick my butt! I feel so much better now that I have worked out. I think I may even have the energy to get some cleaning done! Woo hoo!

Tomorrow I may do some sort of ab workout again....I am really trying to concentrate on my core this week and next week it will be back to month 1 of Insanity.

Day 68....I wonder what is in store for me.

Day 66....taking a day off.

I think today will be a day off for me. I haven't taken a day off of working out for a few weeks now and I feel like my body would benefit from a day of rest. After today, I have to figure out what I will do to fill the rest of this week. Then, on Monday, I will be starting my 2nd round of Insanity.

It is funny how I feel kind of guilty for not working out today. I know it is good for my body to rest, but I really feel like I should at least do something. I will have to go out and play some basketball with the kids after school. That will at least get my metabolism up. I guess I could get really crazy and clean the house....a great calorie burner....but that isn't much fun. I will think of something fun to do to at least get myself moving today.
Tomorrow will be some sort of cardio workout. I am already looking forward to that!

Day 65....my journey continues!

This week I am taking a break from the Insanity program but I am still going to work out. Today, I worked out my abs. I really want to work on my abs and my core in general this week. I am anxious to keep working out and start seeing some more results.

I am going to keep looking for some new and exciting ways to get into shape and hopefully by this summer I will be in shape and able to enjoy the nice weather without worrying about how I look in my summer-time clothes!!

Day 66....keep on working towards my goals.

Day 64....Insanity Program Complete!!

Well, today I officially finished my first round of Insanity! I will have to say I do have mixed emotions about my progress. While I have seen results and my Fit Tests improved each time, I still would have liked to see more weight loss. I lost 5 pounds and 3.5 inches off my belly button measurement in the past 64 days. I know I have gained muscle and I know I have toned up some and I am happy for that. I am just hoping that I will see some even better results with my second round of Insanity! John has noticed some great results with his first round of Insanity! He told me that he really didn't think he was going to complete the program but he feels great now that he did. He figured he would start it and work out every once in awhile, but I am so happy that he stuck with it and completed the program with me!

We will be sending in our before and after pictures to get our Insanity tshirt. I may not have the body I was hoping for quite yet, but I plan to have it soon and I did do the program so I feel like I earned the tshirt!

Today is also my mom's 56th birthday. I am so proud of her for starting and completing the Insanity program with us. Way to go, mom!

I will have to decide a plan of attack for the next round of Insanity. Tomorrow I plan to do some sort of ab workout, but I think I will take it fairly easy this week and start the program next week.

Proud to be an Insanity graduate. :o)

Day 63....a Happy Birthday kind of day!

Well, I was worried how I would fit in Max Cardio Conditioning and Cardio Abs today since it is Lane's 9th birthday and I want to make sure he has the whole day to celebrate. But, John has to work for a couple of hours this morning so we woke up at 7am to work out. I was not ready to work out right away, but after warming up, I was fine. I am so glad we are done working out for the day. We are actually done with the Insanity Program except for one last Fit Test. We were able to get in most of our workout before Lane woke up, so we didn't cut into his special day too much.

Today's workout was tough to get into, but felt great once we were done. This is the workout where nothing repeats so it actually goes by very quickly. I love the way thing just keep changing. It keeps me from feeling bored. I really feel like I got a great workout today and I know I will be ready for the Fit Test tomorrow.

For the rest of today, I am going to concentrate on my 9 year old! I cannot believe he is already 9 years old. Where does the time go? As I sit here and type this, I look over at him watching cartoons and I realize that he is still my baby and he always will be my baby. But, I also realize that he is growing so fast and all I can do is sit back and enjoy every minute of it. That is what I plan to do!

Day 64....how fit am I?

Day 62....One day closer.

Today was Max Cardio Plyo again. I do like this workout. I had originally planned to work out later in the morning or early afternoon today, but the opportunity presented itself so I was able to work out around 8am this morning. I love being done working out early. I am looking forward to a very productive day today! I cannot believe that our oldest kid turns 9 tomorrow! Where have those 9 years gone? I am so excited to celebrate his special day with him. I am going to get as much as possible done around the house today so I can just relax and enjoy the day and do whatever Lane wants tomorrow. And, now that I am done working out earlier than expected, I have even more time to be productive for the rest of the day!

As far as my workout went, I felt pretty good today. My legs were tired out by the time I was done, but that is typical. I like the weak and fatigued feeling that I get when I get a good work out in! I can definitely tell that I am in much better cardio shape than I was 2 months ago. I am also a lot stronger than I was before I started Insanity. Now, if the weight loss comes around, everything will be perfect.

Life is good!

Day 63....one more good workout before the Fit Test.

Day 61....a bit of a recovery day.

Today was Core Cardio and Balance. This is sort of a recovery workout. There is nothing too high impact or too tough. The hip flexor and shoulder exercises always make me feel like I got a great workout because of the burn that I feel during those exercises. I love feeling like I had a great workout. It makes my whole day go better when I feel like I had a great workout in the morning. I have more energy the rest of the day and I am in a much better mood the days I work out.

We only have two more days of working out, then we do the Fit Test on Sunday. I am ready. I am ready to be done with this round, although I haven't had the results I was hoping for. I have had some results, I was just hoping for more. But, I am confident that I will get more results the second round. I feel like my body is ready to start changing and shedding some pounds. I just need to keep putting in the effort if I want to see those results. I am ready!

Day 62....I can see the finish line.

Day 60....need to focus.

Well, today was Max Interval Circuit and I just felt like I wasn't really focused on working out. I was distracted easily. I feel like I got a good workout, it just wasn't GREAT. And, right now, I want great things. There are just so many things going on right now that I feel like I can't take an hour to clear my mind and work out. I feel like my mind wants to stay focused on getting things done when I should be focusing on working out. I realize that while I am working out, I am not getting things done around the house or errands done, but I am still organizing my thoughts and planning out my day when I know I should just be thinking of getting into shape. Sometimes it is just so hard to shut off my mind and just totally lose myself in working out. But, I know that when I am able to do that I get a much better workout. So, tomorrow I am going to work on a to-do-list before I work out so then I can shut everything out for an hour, work out, then pick right back up where I left off!

I know I have already said this, but I can't believe this is day 60! This round of Insanity has gone by so fast and so slow all at the same time. This week is going to fly by and then I am looking forward to round 2!

Day 61....focus, focus, focus!

Day 59....Running out of time.

Well, today was Max Cardio Conditioning and Cardio Abs. I am trying not to panic about the fact that we are quickly running out of time to see great results with the first round of Insanity. Since we actually do two workouts today, this was one of the longer workouts we have. All I can think about is the fact that I have to work as hard as possible because I have my last Fit Test and my "after" pictures coming up. I am going to take the "after" picture as soon as we finish this round of Insanity, but I am thinking this will be more of a "during" picture. I am hoping to get an actual "after" picture in another month or so. Insanity is only 2 months long, but I really feel like I need another month to actually get the body I am hoping for. I feel like the first month is when my body gets used to working out, the second month is when my body gets into the routine and really starts to burn some fat and calories, but the third month is when my body starts to reshape and really tone up (at least that is what I am hoping for). So, I will do my "after" picture as far as this first round of Insanity goes, but I am hoping to see even more results after doing the first month of Insanity again.

I have a few more days of this round of Insanity and I am going to give it my all and see where it leads me.

Day 60....going to work hard.

Day 58....More Plyo

Today was another day of Max Interval Plyo. I really love this workout. I think it has grown on me. I didn't particularly care for it the first time I did it, but I enjoy it more and more each time I go through it. It is tough to get through the exercises when I have to work around an almost 9 month old playing in front of me. It is especially hard to work out when he grabs onto my legs and pulls himself up and looks so proud of himself as he smiles at me, waiting for me to pick him up. How do I say no to that kid? I had better figure out how to say no to him very soon or we may be in trouble as he grows up!

I felt better doing my push ups than I ever have. I am able to do way more regular push ups before I have to modify or take a break than I could at the beginning of this program. Push ups have always been my weak spot so it is great to see progress there!

The rest of this week I am going to focus on eating healthy and pushing myself as hard as possible during my workouts so I can finish the program strong.

Day 59....still going strong!

Day 57....Fun Family Times!!

Well, today was our day off from Insanity, but we had plenty to keep us busy! First, we had our usual Sunday morning breakfast which usually consists of sausage, bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Y-U-M-M-Y!! Then, we all got ready and headed off to the Dr. Seuss games and activities at the Minot Public Library. The kids all had a blast and we had so much fun watching them. I love finding things to do that all of the kids can enjoy together!

The big boys had a birthday party to fill up their Sunday afternoon even more. I am pretty sure we will all sleep well tonight.

I love Sunday and I love family time....life is good. Back to reality and my last week of Insanity tomorrow.

Day 58....ready to get back to working out!

Day 56....love Saturday.

Today was another day of Core Cardio and Balance. I actually like doing this workout every once in awhile. There are a lot of slower, but more effective exercises on this DVD. There are hip flexor exercises and shoulder exercises that really make you feel the burn! After I am done doing this workout, I feel like I have been worked enough to know that I am getting stronger and more flexible, but not so much that I feel like my body is fatigued. I love it. This is one workout that really energizes me!

Tomorrow is a rest day and I am looking forward to that. I am going to take it easy and rest my body so I can go hard for the last week of Insanity. I am nervous and excited at the same time to end this round of Insanity. I am anxious to star the next round and see if I notice more definition and toning the second time around.

Day 57....A little rest and relaxation for me.

Day 55....Felt Great!

I will admit that I didn't feel like doing much when I started working out. I actually had the thought that I could just do part of the workout and call it a day. I figured that doing something was better than doing nothing. But, once I got into it, Max Interval Circuit kicked my butt and I ended up loving it! I was sweating like you wouldn't believe and my legs felt like they were going to fall off, but I just kept imagining what I would look like once I was back in shape. That is incentive enough for me! Every time I feel like stopping for a break, I think of what muscle I am working at the time, and I tell myself how working that muscle will make me look better in the long run. It seems to help get me through the last few seconds of some exercises.

We have one more day of working out this week, then we work out 7 days next week and that will be the end of my first round of Insanity. I can't beleive how fast the time has flown by! In some ways, it feels like I have been doing this program forever. I am familiar with the moves and the workouts now and I feel like I can push harder knowing what I have to look forward to. But, in other ways, it feels like we just started Insanity! Each week goes by so quickly and I feel like I wish I had just a little more time to reach some of my goals. I am looking forward to seeing my final results on the last Fit Test. I know I have improved tremendously from the first Fit Test. I am also looking forward to the final weight and measurements I will take after next week.

Day 56....Bring it on!!