Soft around the middle update... but no numbers yet!

I've decided that being a girl is for the birds.

and I have a friend who agrees with me.  I love her blog, especially her last post cause I really think that she's been spying on me as we are having the SAME struggles!  Here's her post.  this is SO me!  And another reason why my actual numbers will be coming later.

So, I finally got tired of not fitting in my fat pants.  You know the ones.  They hide at the back of your closet for bad days and bloated days.  Except mine had become my every day ones.  ew.  I'm not gonna tell you that I'm super overweight, but it doesn't matter what size you are, when your pants don't fit, it sucks.

To add some fuel, one of my besties has lost 20 POUNDS, worked her tail off and can actually rock a YELLOW bikini and look AWESOME.  Me?  well you couldn't get me near a bikini unless it was under the premise of cookies.  SEE?????  There's a problem!

So thanks to Pinterest, I found something I thought I could do.  It promised "drop a dress size in 14 days."  I followed the link and landed on the Prevention website.  (yeah, the one directed for 50 and up.)  I figured if it's in Prevention, then I could do it.

Surely.

Here it is...

Shrink a size in 14 Days

I've run a 5k after all, I could do this.

I did day one, as it said and it didn't feel too bad.  All in all, it takes about 40 minutes with the weights.  I'm not working.  I have 40 minutes a day.  At least.

Well the next day you'd thought I'd done 5,023,902,392,093 sit ups my abs were so sore.  I had to take a day to rethink this working out business!

Well, I skipped a day and tried again.  I went six full days.  I weighed myself each morning as well, just to see what would happen...

On average, the first week, I lost OVER A POUND A DAY.  NO LIE.  I even got myself down into the next group of tens on the scale, where I wanted to be.

Now, I have to admit.  I added some stuff.  So here's what I did.

It suggests 1600 calories a day.  yeah right.  I don't count calories, but I can make smarter choices so I did that.  Instead of chips, it was carrots and humus.  Or pita chips or Pirate's Booty.  (have you had Pirate's Booty???)  1/2 the fat of chips and tastes like Cheeto's puffs.  FOR REAL.  And the boys love it too.  Win Win.

And I also slowed way down on the red wine.  BOO HISS.  But I know it had to happen!

Here are my changes and additions:

1.  I added weights right away.  I have two and three pound weights and I knew I could do it so I did.

2.  By the third of 4th day, I added incline on the treadmill.  On the power/interval walk I walk on incline of 2 on the power walks and take incline off for the rest.  On the last bit, at 5.0, I run it at incline of 4.  It's only 60 seconds!!

3.  Pool time.  By the time I was finished, I was HOT and I got in the pool, but felt that I was wasting time.  So, like a brainiac, I started treading water.  10 minutes each day at first, and then up to 15 - 20.  My tiny bit of research on the internet says that treading water slowly can burn up to 500 calories in a half hour.  I figured every little bit helps!!  And, it was no impact and easier on my body.

4.  Again, smarter food choices, up the protein and lower the carb.  Not eliminate anything, just switch things around.

5.  4 minutes of suicide.  I know, that sounds brutal huh?  I found this four minute workout that is a KILLER, but hubby is doing it with me and it takes 4 minutes.  Actually, 3 minutes and 50 seconds.  Don't tell me you don't have time for that.  So, I do this before I do any of the workout routines.  

Yes, if you're counting, on a good day, it's about an hour a day.  More than I've even done in my life!

So, where am I now?

Well I am not going to weigh for another couple of days, until the witch is dead for the month.  But I can tell my clothes are feeling better.  Not the first few days before my cycle, but now they do.  My new "fat" bathing suit seems a bit looser.  I haven't tried any pants with a true waist (thank heavens for drawstrings), but hubby took a second glance the other day say he even noticed a difference after only ONE WEEK.  (He knows what's good for him ;) )

I can see definition in my muscles that wasn't there before, even when I was running a year ago.  My arms especially.  I have a before pic of my belly and if I get REALLY brave and the results continue as I hope, I'll post it.  Maybe.

One last little nugget.

I'm not paid by any product or group.  I'm not a a physician.  If you're doc gives you the go ahead, then do it.  I knew what I could do and went for it.  I have some pants that need to be worn by the time school starts ;)

anybody with me???

Soft around the middle

That would be me.

BUT, I have good news.

It won't be for long.

I'm going to wait two more days to give my official results BUT

I have lost almost 5 pounds this week. 

;)  Two more days and I'll tell you if I made my goal of seven!

Washington D.C part two: Smithsonian museums

Oh my gosh.

If you haven't been to D.C. you are missing out.

Hubby says that every American should go.  I agree.

I also think you should go if any part of history, or nature, or science, or anything in school ever, for one second, interested you.

Cause you'll probably see it there.

I have a million pics from the Smithsonians.  We went to only 2, there are like 19. 

They are ALL FREE.  And Amazing.

Here are only a few!!

We went to the museum of Natural History first.  (think Night at the Museum movie.)  (yup, that one.)

This one is cool.  It had fossils, an ocean exhibit, dinosaurs, mammals, gemstones, insects... 

This is a shark mouth fossil.  I promise.

Giant Squid Preserved...

The Mammals exhibit was all taxodermy, but it was SO COOL. 

Pobably my favorite one, look at the muscles in their legs!

In the Rotunda, this guy is huge!!



Dinosaurs!!

The Hope Diamond, 42 carats

The Rotunda again, from the scond floor, SO COOL.





The next day was the Nantional Museum of American History.  This place has everything, including the original flag from which the Star Spangled Banner is written.  No pics are allowed of that, but it was so moving to see it!!!

Here are a few things that I loved from there, but again, this isn't even close to what you'll see. 

by far, one of the most amazing things on display, Abe Lincoln's hat he was wearing the night he was assassinated.

The First Ladies exhibit is always fun, this is Jackie's innaugural dress...

And Laura Bush's dress...



End of the Civil War happened in these chairs at Appomattox

English Revolutionary war uniforms, earned them the name Lobsterbacks

Women in WWII, Rosie the Riveter was based on them!



Two Steel beams from World Trade Center, 9/11

Kermit!

 Ack, feeling old on this one.

And this one too!

Wizrd of Oz Ruby Slippers...

We had SO MUCH FUN and will do it again soon I'm sure :)

Anniversary Trip: Washington D.C. Part One

Long time no blog!!

The hubster was nice enough to agree to go to DC on the 4th of July, which also happened to be our 10th anniversary!  I was super pumped, he said he was :)  I also know that he knew it was on my bucket list :)  Isn't he sweet??

We dropped the kids off in OKC on Monday at Granny's and headed out Tuesday.  Since I'm married to a traveling husband, we were able to use points for flights and hotel.  HUGE perk.  At DFW we went to the lounge, which was quiet and peaceful.  Oh and we had these.  :)

Next we get on our flight and got our first class upgrades.  WOW.  I'm already spoiled!!

We get to DC and get to the hotel.  And look!  They had decorated for our anniversary!!

In the little time we had before dinner, we went the two blocks to the White House.  Next, we went to dinner with a coworker of the hubs.  Here's the view down Pennsylvania Avenue at the place we had dinner.

And here's a little of what we did inside.

That evening we planned on walking the Mall and getting pics of the monuments at night, which I was REALLY excited about.  However, a storm moved in.

So, we headed back to the hotel for the night.  The next day was the 4th!

The 4th was HOT.  And due to my lack of investigating, I failed to realize that the entire Mall would be closed that morning to be swept for security.  So after we walk the bajillion miles to the Lincoln Memorial, we find out we can't get there due to security.  It was 8:30 AM and it was closed until 10:00.  So we headed back down to the Mall.  At this point we see the Museum of Natural History.  (The Smithsonian pics will be another post.)

After that, we have lunch and then head back to cool off and rest for the evening.

The idea of sitting on the Mall, in the sun, with nothing to sit on didn't sound appealing, but discovered the hotel next door was having a party of sorts on the sidewalk complete with band and burgers.  Here's the view from the dinner table.

And here's the only pic of the two of us from the whole trip!

We also met two other really fun couples and talked and chatted with them for an hour or so.  In fact we were having SO much fun we lost track of time!  AND the fireworks started early!!  We almost missed them!  It took everyone off guard I think cause we were all running!  Anyway, we found a corner that was mostly unobstructed.  My pics were poor but they were still awesome!

The 5th was another full day of walking, but mostly indoors this time.  We started at the archives to see the Magna Carta, The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.  AMAZING.  No pics inside though.  Here's the outside of the Archives.

We spent the next few hours inside the Museum of American History which was also amazing!  Both of us really loved that.  More on that later.

We hadn't seen any of the memorials yet, so we headed down to the Lincoln Memorial, the WWII Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, The Korean War Memorial, and the MLK Memorial which is very new.  I also stuck around to take a few evening pictures.

WWII

WWII

 WWII

The Lincoln Memorial

MLK Memorial

and Vietnam Memorial...

The trip was amazing and very meaningful to both of us for lots of reasons!  Can't wait to go back and take the kids when they will understand how cool it is to see all this!!