Wordless Wednesday

Calorie Counting

Calorie counting.....possibly the most dreaded thing to count.  In the past year I have learned just how important is to count calories. I have heard for years that it is important and why we need to count calories, but it just didn't click.  In the past year a light bulb went off and it FINALLY clicked. It clicked that in order to lose weight you have to burn calories and watch the calories you consume. It is a little embarrassing to admit it took 30 years for this to click.

I have been listening to Jillian Michael's Podcasts recently. Here is what Jillian said to do to figure out how many calories you should be consuming each day. Use a BMR Calculator and enter your data. How active are you during the day? Select your daily activity (do not include exercise):

1.1 - sit behind a desk all day
1.2 - salesman on your feet some of the day
1.3 - super active
1.4 - construction worker

Take your BMR multiply it by your daily activity = calories to intake each day to maintain your current weight.

example - BMR
Height - 5'5
Weight - 150
Age - 30
Female
= 1472

1472 BMR x 1.2 = 1766.4 calories to take in each day

If you want to lose weight you will need to each about 500 calories AND count your calories. This is currently what I am doing. I am counting calories and trying to burn 500 calories a day by working out. When I really watch what I eat I see the weight come off. I also have to make smart choices. I try to avoid too many carbs, pick fruits and veggies instead of chips or chocolate.

Happy Birthday Lacey!!!!

Happy Birthday to the best sister ever!!!! Today Lacey turns 23! I can't believe she is 23 already! I remember when she was born and how excited I was to have a little sister! 

Lacey thinks it is funny to take a picture with food in her mouth...how old is she again? lol

Now Lacey be serious for a nice picture as I pose with pizza. lol

Lacey & Cliff got these balls that light up. She decided to stick them both under her shirt!

Never a dull moment!

Menu Monday

Menu for the week!

Monday - Waffles & Eggs

Tuesday - Meatballs and Kale

Wednesday - Lasagna Soup

Thursday - Spaghetti with pork sausage

Friday - leftovers

Saturday Pinterest

I wanted to share 3 of my favorite things I found on Pinterest this week.

1. I <3 this saying!

2. What a stinkin' fabulous idea!

Source: Apartment Therapy

3. How adorable are these tiny little ice cream treats!

Source: Martha Stewart

 

Hey I know that place!

Last week Thursday I decided to go on my daily walk to a different area of SF. Normally I walk to AT&T Park. I walk this every day. I know how fast it will take me hitting all red lights or all green lights. I decided recently I needed to see some different scenery.  On Thursday I walked toward the Ferry Building and down a pier.

Fast forward to this past Sunday when I was watching some old episodes of the Bachelor. I can only handle so much of this show because these catty girls usually make me crazy! I do like all the publicity San Francisco and different areas of CA are getting. Now I am a little sucked in and I need to see who he picks.

The pier I walked down last Thursday was the same pier the Bachelor filmed his date with one of the girls. I was looking at the tv thinking HEY I know that pier! I know exactly where they had their date!

bart Happening - Week 5

I don't have any Bart pictures this week. Hopefully I will have a new phone soon. My blackberry makes a LOUD clicking sound when I take a picture. It can be hard to take a picture if there isn't a lot of noise.

There is NEVER a lack of craziness that is going on around Bart. I have started to pay attention again, so I can blog about it.

Last week there was an older black man with a big bag of stuff sitting beside him in a wheel chair. There was a Bart EMT guy standing next to him. I think the guy was homeless. He kept asking the EMT if he was a cop and was searching for the guys gun. The EMT was trying to figure out what was wrong with the guy. The homeless guy said he had broken his neck on Feb 11 and it was Valentines Day. He kept telling the EMT guy to look at the back of his neck to see where it was broke.

While all this was going on there was a confusion with the line I was in. An older woman came up to see if a younger guy was in line. She was wondering if the line was snaking around a different way than normal. The younger guy went OFF on her that he was in line and it didn't matter where he was standing.  Why weren't these people feeling the love? Crankiness!

I like to sit in the last row of the train. In the morning I always get a seat. One morning a woman came onto the train. Normally people will stand beside you once all the seats are full. This woman stood beside me, but facing me. She was staring at me the entire time. It was soooo awkward. Luckily she wasn't on the train very long. I wanted to smack her and teach her about personal space. Instead I just ignored her.

Wordless Wednesday

Relaxing Weekend Away!

This past weekend Art and I went away to Saratoga.  We went away to celebrate 6 years together.  It was such a fabulous relaxing weekend! On Saturday morning we went for drive and then for a hike. Along the hike we had to stop for pictures!

These are my new Adidas shoes. I <3 them!!! I love the bright color and they are super comfy!

We walked all over Saratoga.

Here we are getting ready to go out on the town!

Menu Monday

I did it....I bought all the groceries for 2 weeks and it has worked out splendid!!! I didn't have to go grocery shopping this past weekend. YAY!

Monday - Chili

Tuesday - Fish Tacos

Wednesday - Chicken Barley Soup

Thursday - Pork & Spicy Chickpeas

I really liked the veggie curry I made last week. It made enough for 2 meals, plus I froze some. It was super simple, low cal and delish. 
I am also LOVING quinoa! I love it over salads, plain, with veggies, in the curry stew.

I told my friend last week the thought of cooking with barely was strange to me. It was something to feed cattle, but do people actually eat it?  So I decided to make the chicken barley soup!  I am trying to branch out and try other grains.

You can change your life in just a few months....

If I can do it anyone can do it!

I have a hard time noticing much different with my weight loss. To me I am the same person that I was before. I only notice with the size of clothes I wear and how slim my face looks. Otherwise I just feel the same. That is until I a friend pointed out the picture of me with Mickey recently on Facebook. Holy batman! What a difference.

I have lost 75 pounds, 5 dress sizes, and probably gained a few years of life.

Saturday Pinterest - Spring

I am loving the yellow, mint, turquoise and greens for Spring! I think these pictures came from Pinterest.

The Melt

Have you ever heard of The Melt? A grilled cheese sandwich place. They have a location 2 blocks from work.  I am not sure if I can wait a week to try this place out. Grilled cheese is one of the best comfort food ever!

I will report back after I visit!

Bart Happenings Week 4

How cute! This guy had a teddy bear half the size of him, 2 gift bags and a dozen roses. I guess he was going to visit his girlfriend at 6:30am. When I saw him with the teddy bear I just cracked up laughing. It struck me funny to see him carrying this LARGE stuffed animal through Bart. The picture is super blurry, but I couldn't get closer to get a picture.

God Gave Me You!

When I started dating I always looked for someone who would one day be a great husband. If they weren't a good boyfriend there was no way he would be a good husband. When I started dating Art I felt I hit the jackpot.

I wanted a husband through the ups & downs, the good & the bad, the pretty & the ugly. I wanted a mate where we both needed each other because life was so much better with them in your life. I was lucky to find the right man for me!

I found a man who is a rock during difficult times. We have been through a lot during our journey to start a family. He has been there beside me each step of the way. Through every doctor appointment, hundreds of tests, positive pregnancy tests, and miscarriages.

My husband is most importantly my rock. He stands by my side, leads our family, loves me unconditionally, and my best friend. He is the one I run to first with news, talks me off a ledge, let's me cry on his shoulder, laughs with me, and tries to be the voice of reasons.

As his wife I still feel I hit the jackpots of husbands. God gave me just the man I needed!

Six years ago today I met Art for the first time. It was a Thursday night when we met for dinner. We talked on the phone while I drove there. When I arrive I got out of the car, gave him a hug and I felt I was seeing an old friend. I don't ever remember feeling awkward or scared. I can't believe where a dinner six years ago has led us down an amazing journey.

Wordless Wednesday