It's Me Again...

It's Lindsey again and it's been quite a while since I have updated my status on here. Since my last post, I have had some great weeks, some not so great weeks and some okay weeks. I have been consistently moving in the right direction and I feel like I am getting in better shape all the time. I am able to run faster and longer than I was before. I am still working on running a 5k without stopping and the closest I have come so far is 2.25 miles. I would like to have reached this goal by the time we leave for the Parmenter Reunion so I have about 2 weeks left to go. Then my new goal will be to run it faster and faster. As you can tell, my preferred method of working out right now is jogging.
The Fitness Challenge has really helped me become a healthier person too. Since I have stopped drinking pop, I find that I no longer crave it and love it as a treat on Sunday's or when Adam and I go out. I think no eating after 7:30 is going to have to be a permanent rule for me. I never realized how much I enjoyed snacking late at night until that was taken away from me. Weight loss goals and the fitness challenge have really helped me get into a healthier lifestyle and I am feeling better than I have in years... literally years. :)
Adam is rocking the weight loss charts and is going to have to go shopping for new clothes. I know his last post was a bit disturbing, but I wouldn't ever want to go up against him in a weight loss challenge, he has more self-control than anyone I have ever met. I think I can learn a lot from my husband. Now... what can he learn from me?
I hope you are all doing well. Give us an update on your lives when you get a chance.

Adam vs Britney

Just to let you know that Britney is having a hard time keeping up with my weight loss. You can all call or email her and give her words of encouragement. Actually she isn't the only one who is having a hard time keeping up with my weight loss but who is keeping track:0 You can look over at my ticker and if I have any challengers let me know. I thought I would throw this disturbing picture in for Hillary to remind her to keep doing her Yoga, I bet you cant do this yet Hil. Keep up the Pudge

Jason Johns

Post-Biopsy Inquiry

i just had to share a tidbit, a glimplse into my mind. we all know that you cannot diet the day of surgery. i mean, you have to fast for eight hours before and i think you deserve a little reward after that. in giving us our post-op instructions, the nurse told Frankie that i should eat "something light." when she left our curtained partition, i said to Frank, "when she says "light," is she referring to a single burger rather than a double?"

that kind of attitude will get me nowhere, i know.

The Frank Parmenters

Just a quick update on us, so that everyone knows we are still around. We did get back on my Swank diet, but only 2 days ago. So far, so good. We had mahi mahi and wild rice last night. It was good, and even Darby and Frankie liked it! I let the fillets marinate in a little teriyaki first, then baked them with some mrs (or is it ms?) dash. Very yummy, if you are interested. My biopsy is monday, so surely that lump that they are going to remove is a good 10 pounds. Right? RIGHT? No, I don't really have weight-loss goals as much as fitness/health goals (I like to eat too much to let weight-loss be a motivator!), but Frankie has decided that he wants to lose a little weight and I know that he has always been able to do anything he has tried. We don't have a scale (because of my aforementioned obsessive compulsive tendencies), so we'll keep you posted some other way. Good luck to each of you!

Getting Started

I haven't written anything, lately so I thought I would post, I have had my ups and downs, not a lot of progress as of yet, though hopefully these challenges will give me a jump start. Alyson had dream that I lost a bunch of weight, so I am hoping it is a glimpse into the future :)

Britney

Anyone up for a CHALLENGE????..... issued by Lindsey

One of my friends from Phoenix is doing this fitness challenge and I thought I would post it and see if anyone else wanted to join in for The Parmenter Fitness Challenge 2010. Here is a list of the rules and how the game works. The Fitness Challenge is 12 weeks long and would be kind of a fun way to get or stay in shape. Let me know what you think!

Here’s the lowdown:

Cost of Entry:$25

Winner takes 80%

2nd place takes 20%

Each of the following will earn you ONE point per day, plus ONE bonus point per week if you don't miss a day:

No Desserts (6 points possible, plus 1 point bonus = 7 possible per week)
No Soda (6, plus 1 = 7 possible per week)
No Eating after 7:30pm (6, plus 1 = 7 possible per week)
Exercising (30 minutes, elevated heart rate) (6, plus 1 = 7 possible per week)
Scriptures (at least 1 chapter) (6, plus 1 = 7 possible per week)
Weekly Challenge (6, plus 1 = 7 possible per week)

Wait, you say! There are SEVEN days in a week! That's the beauty of it, my friends - you have Sundays off. Yippee! You can look forward to that one dessert or that one soda one day a week - easier to stay on track and get back into it on Monday!

There are THREE MORE possible points per week.

ONE point per week for Weight Loss - if you've lost at least one pound, or maintained your ideal weight, you get a point.

ONE point per week for Family Home Evening - that's right - doesn't matter which night you hold it on, just as long as you organize and carry it out! One point if you do!

ONE point per week will be a Mystery Point – participants will offer suggestions and then one will be drawn each week.

THAT MAKES A TOTAL OF 45 POINTS POSSIBLE PER WEEK - WINNER AT THE END OF 12 WEEKS TAKES HOME 80% OF THE PRIZE MONEY, SECOND PLACE TAKES 20%!

So… what do you think? Some of you already have awesome healthy habits and no desserts or soda will be easy-peasy. Some of you run your little pants off anyway, so doing some form of exercise daily is no big deal. The extra weekly challenges include things like fitting in your 5 servings of fruit every day for the week, doing 100 sit-ups every day, or getting your recommended 7 hours of sleep. These change weekly to add a little variety and new challenge.

Come on, you could win some decent money here… and get in shape… and develop or break some significant habits… all while having the support (and competition) of a fun group of people across the country! We’ll share ideas and probably taunt a little, it will be great. Let me know if you have questions… and let me know if you’re in!!! Swimsuit body, here I come!!

Invite anyone you think might be interested. The Parmenter Fitness Challenge begins June 14, 2010!

LWLA: Weekly Update

Well, we both lost weight this week! Yea! I seriously didn't think I was going to lose anything because even though I had exercised everyday, I still felt like I was eating too many calories and kind of gave up at the end of the week. I don't feel like I ate a lot of bad food, just too much food. I lost 1.6 lbs. and Adam rocked it and lost 5.8 lbs! He is on a roll.
Today started off really well. I got up and got a really good 1/2 hour workout in and have watched my calories so far today. If I keep going like this, then it is going to be a good week. My goal for this week is 3 lbs. I would love to be back in the 250's again! I found a six week exercise program in Corrine's Prevention magazine that will help me get to the point where I can run 3 miles without stopping. Today I did a little over a mile without stopping. I know some of you might be able to do this already, but it has been a while since I was able to do that long of a run without walking for a while. I'll let you know if it works.
Adam had a great weight loss last week and hurt his knees exercising so he is planning on eating really well again and doing the exercise he can and is hoping for a couple lbs. shed by next Monday. How was your week?

Exercise

Adam and I have really started to exercise to try to get in shape or at least feel better. We still have our weight loss goals and hopefully we will continue to get closer to those as we eat better and work out. Last week we did the 3 mile trek around the air park 5 times. We walked 2 of the times and jogged and walked the other 3 times. We tried to eat well and weighed in this morning. After a week of working hard and expecting results it was a little disappointing to get on the scale this morning and only lose .2 lbs since last week. Adam did better by losing 1.2 lbs. We are not going to let this discourage us. Our alarm clock is still set for 6:00 am when we will get up and exercise. I am really keeping my fingers crossed for an amazing results week next Monday!

Haven't tried yoga yet. It didn't look lame, I just haven't gone out and bought it. We have so many exercise videos here and the weather is starting to get really nice. It is fun to be outside.

Don't Judge Me!

Hi guys. No, I'm not back on my diet and this week isn't looking good, either. Get off my back! Just kidding. I am not back in the game and I'm sure not getting any more attractive, but I thought I ought to check in (this is Hil, by the way). I have been really good about doing my yoga, so I'm not a total slug. How about you guys? Have any of you tried yoga yet, or did it look totally lame to you?

Suffice It To Say

yeah, my week of getting back on my diet started with Taco Bell and ended with Red Robin. I think I am doing it wrong.

Better luck this week! (tonight is fish and quinoa for dinner, so that's a good start)

New Favorite Find!

Dreyer's Grand Slow Churned Yogurt Blends. I love ice cream and so if I can have a serving: 1/2 cup for 120 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. I am going to do it every once in a while and not feel too guilty. Even if I eat 1 cup it is better than eating any full sized candy bar! I have only tried the fat free vanilla frozen yogurt and the caramel praline crunch. The caramel one is fantastic! Give them a try if you are a fan of ice cream. It is a great substitute for the real thing. I also found Breyer's fat free vanilla ice cream. I haven't tried that one yet, but I love Breyer's Ice Cream. Hopefully it won't disappoint.

LWLA: Entry 7

What a bummer! I really didn't want to weigh in today. I didn't have time in the morning and weighed in a 5:00 instead of first thing in the morning and gained 1.2 lbs this week. Some of that may have to do with when I weighed in and that would be awesome, but I am now more dedicated to doing well this week. I went to the doctor yesterday and I am cleared for moderate exercise that I am starting today. I am going to try to eat healthy this week and not eat too much. I kind of went overboard last week, especially on the weekend when Adam and I were able to go out to the movies and dinner. I ate way too much that night. Mother's Day was filled with lots of good food and Apple Pie too. I am going to try to keep everything in check this week. I like being able to do this week by week and see what has worked for me and what hasn't. If I evaluate myself each week I can see what to do differently. I would love to hear what has worked for you and get new ideas! Good luck this week!

Family Bonding

I was able to find this portrait of Adam, Frankie, and Glen. What sweet little boys.

That was random, right? This is Hillary, of course. Anyway, I need to post so that you guys can all keep me accountable for my health goals. I really don’t have weight loss goals because I don’t have a scale to track my progress. I don’t have a scale because I would weigh myself obsessively like I did while we were visiting in Colorado. How much do I weigh before breakfast? After peeing? While exhaling all the air in my body and almost passing out? See, I get tremendously ridiculous when there is a scale around. So, the new method for me is this: if my pants are too tight, then I’m gaining weight. Pretty scientific, right? Anyway, all this jabber to say that my health goal is to get myself back on my Swank Diet. That’s the one for people with MS. It is not a weight-loss diet, just a be healthier and maybe get the feeling back in your hands diet. So, this is finals week and I’m not going to start it right now. I’m certainly not going to get through my finals without a little super-sized brain food. That said, as of next Monday, I have to be back on my diet. I’ll go Lindsey style and give you updates. Wish me luck, because I’m going to need it! I love to eat filthy, greasy food and I won’t be able to anymore.

Also, I’ve heard tell of more Parmenters wanting to participate on this blog. Please, please do! My e-mail is dirtyecua@yahoo.com and I can give you all the passwords you need or Britney can, too, if she hasn’t already. Spice up our lives and this blog with your input!

So, my yoga meltdown video is what I do for exercise (other than always running after Darbenstien) and the Swank Diet will be my new lifestyle as of next week. Anyone else have anything going on?

LWLA: Entry 6

Only.2 lbs lost this week. If you can even count that as losing anything. I am hoping for a bigger number next week. Now I am starting to sound like The Biggest Loser! :) Surgery and company probably had something to do with it, but it is a new week. Time to start fresh!

Good news!

Britney
I had my bloodwork done and my cholesterol was 10 points less than last year. While my cholesterol is still high, I say that it is still a step in the right direction!

LWLA: Entry 5

Almsost 3.5 lbs. lost this week! Woohoo! I think it definitely had to do with the fact that I found out I had Gallbladder problems and will be having surgery tomorrow to remove this problematic organ. I have been able to keep the attacks in check by hardly eating any fat and not overeating. It was great for my diet! Hope you all are doing well!

LWLA: Entry 4

Here I am reporting this week. The exercise was not as good as the week before, but I did get a handle on my eating. I only lost .8 lbs this week, but I am grateful for a loss at all. My eating habits are going to have to change drastically since I received the results of recent blood work and saw how high my cholesterol was. Scary high, actually. No more red meat for Lindsey! We'll see how fast I can get it down. With a different diet and more exercise I should be on the right track. If anyone has some yummy recipes to share with little to no meat. I would love it if you would share them!

LWLA: Entry 3

Well, a week has gone by and I would be lying if I said I did everything perfect and by the book last week. I was pleasantly surprised when I got on the scale this morning and I had lost 1.8 lbs, but I really was hoping to do a little bit better.

My goals for this week are to try and eat better. I didn't do great at exercising last week, but I didn't do poorly either. My eating habits, however, were not the best. I made cookies and ate a lot of them and... Adam, Britney and I went to the movies and I ate popcorn, pop, and milk duds. This week I will not make cookies and I am going to try to make my snacks healthy choices like fruit or veggies.

We'll see how this week goes. I love how Monday is always a fresh start! How did you guys do this week?

LWLA: Entry 2

Monday: Pretty good. I exercised and ate pretty good.
Tuesday: Not as good. We made cookies. Enough said.
Wednesday: I tried to do the 30 day shred. Eden was not going for it.
Today: Success! Strapped Montanna on my back and Eden on my front and made the 3 mile trek around the air park. Not as easy with an extra 37 lbs. but we made it and got a good workout.

Lindsey's Weight Loss Adventure: Entry 1

Baby Eden is 4 weeks old as of yesterday and even though I don't have the official doctor's okay to start exercising, I am going to go ahead and start and just take it easy for a couple more weeks while I finish recovering and healing up. I'll tell you now, that recovering from Eden has been a little more of a challenge than with Montanna, but I think I am really on the mend. Thank goodness it is all worth it. These babies are just precious!

I have been thinking about exercise and getting back into shape for months now and am grateful I can actually put a plan into action. My plan started this morning by putting Montanna in the backpack and Eden in the front carrier and setting off for a stroll. I am not sure exactly how far we went, maybe a mile? But the wind was blowing so hard and with Montanna rocking back and forth, I think I got a little bit of a workout. I am looking forward to more walks like this. Montanna and I sing the whole time and Eden just slept. I am sure she will keep on just sleeping for a couple more months.

I also plan on getting on the treadmill this afternoon as soon as either Adam can stop working for a while or Britney gets home so I don't have to jump off as soon as I hear Eden squeak. Montanna has done pretty well at staying off of the treadmill as long as she gets her turn when someone is finished. She can actually do pretty well on speed 1. I plan on doing at least 3 miles. I don't know exactly how long that is going to take me. Maybe I'll go further, or maybe it will take me an hour just to reach that goal. I'll have to let you know when I report back.

Here are my goals so far:

1: Run on the treadmill 5 days a week. Logging in at least 3 miles each time.
2: Eat small meals and don't ever let myself get full. Just satisfied.
3: Drink lots of water - although I am going to allow myself to drink 2 pops a week. If I cut this out completely, I think I will do okay for a little while, and then just start drinking pop again like crazy. By 2 pops, I mean, 2-12 oz cans. Probably as a treat on the weekend.
4: Go on walks with Eden and Montanna at least 3 days a week if not 5. I know I may not be able to get out every day, so I want to make this an achievable goal. Montanna loves to be outside and the weather is finally starting to warm up and it makes it perfect for playing and walking outside.
5: Weigh myself each Monday and record my weight loss so everyone can see it and hold me accountable.

It is a little bit embarrassing letting everyone know that I weigh 170.6 as of today, but maybe if I get that embarrassment over with, you can all celebrate with me when I reach my goal of 135. I know I will feel so much better about myself and I will be so much more excited to go shopping. So now you all know how much I weigh. Hopefully I will be in the 160's next Monday. I think it's a pretty good bet that I will, but I guess you never know.

I am going to put a weight loss ticker on the side of the blog so you can all keep track of how I am doing and if anyone else would like one, I can create it for you or show you how to do it. Wish me luck! Although I am excited now, I know it is going to be a challenge to lose this weight, but I am excited to be at the weight I was when Adam and I started dating almost 5 years ago. My weight has just slowly gone upward with each month and year since then. Good luck to all of you as well.

Here is a picture of Montanna, Eden and I heading out on our walk this morning. Eden is still such a peanut that she is completely covered. It was too windy to take off the blanket. I am going to have Adam take a BEFORE picture of me tonight. I would like to say I am brave enough to do it Biggest Loser Style, but I am afraid I am not. I think it will be fun to look at a before and after picture when I am done. I am saying "bye, bye" to double chins!

**Update** I only logged 2 miles today. It looks like I am going to have to work up to where I want to be. It sounded a lot easier than it was. :)

Slacker Culture

Bueller? Bueller?

Hey slackers, is anyone out there? This is Hillary, of course, and I’m just trying to check in and see how everyone is doing.

I’ve started a new video and will resume my diet tomorrow. I took a bit of a break for reasons unlisted, but will be back in the game as of Tuesday. I’ve been doing my videos since January and don’t take a break from those, but eating right has always been my Achilles Heel.

How about you guys? Still rocking the p90x? Cutting out soda? What is going on over there?

Dirty South

I have a really yummy southern style recipe for you (this is Hillary, by the way, in case you didn't recognize me from my picture to the left on your screen). It is low-fat and really good; two things which are rarely synonymous! I sort of made it up, so you know it has to be extremely easy.

3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 container of barbeque sauce
1 yellow onion (I know Lindsey and Adam hate onion, but give it a shot)
Garlic powder or cloves
Whole wheat rolls
1 tbsp olive oil

Boil the chicken in just water and then finely shred the cooked chicken. While the chicken is boiling, dice the onion and sauté it in olive oil with either garlic powder (not garlic salt) or minced garlic. Once chicken is boiled and shredded, add onion/garlic mixture and entire container of barbeque sauce. Mix well and then spread onto wheat rolls. It is very yummy (even Frankie likes it) and very low in fat. I know that chicken is hard on Adam’s system, so this can also be made with a pork roast. I would place the pork roast in a crock pot, cook for however long pork needs to cook, and then shred it and follow the same directions as you would for chicken. I like to serve this with a salad. I like romaine/spinach/ cucumber /tomato/red onion/cilantro/and celery. Adam and Britney will probably prefer a bowl full of croutons with a leaf of iceberg on the side! I’m teasing, of course. Balsamic Vinaigrette is a good dressing for this salad and for my new diet. Let me know what you think if you get the chance to try it. I think it would make a good Sunday meal b/c you can throw the chicken or pork in the crock pot and go to church. Anyway, I love you guys and I’m missing you.

Montanna joins in!

Montanna has just started to realize that she is not as small as she used to be and will be joining me in working out in a few weeks. I seriously have been dreaming of working out and getting in shape as soon as I have this baby. I'm sure my resolve will waiver a little bit when I am working on only a few hours of sleep and being drained from nursing, but I will just have to look back on here and remember how badly I want to get back into shape. Keep it up all of you that are willing and able! I'm cheering you on from the sidelines!

Our Tuesday Stroll

So, at about 11:00 this morning I decided that it was marginally warm enough to take Montanna outside for a walk. I asked Adam if he wanted to come with me and he couldn't go right then, but I decided if I put it off now, it probably wouldn't happen later today. So, Montanna and I bundled up and started out on our walk. I started on our 3 mile route around the airpark, with Montanna in the stroller. Things were going great for the first little while. Then about a mile into the walk, Montanna decided that she wanted to get out of the stroller and walk. I was fine with this and we went for a while. It was starting to get a little colder and the wind was picking up and so I decided to turn around and go back home so we were going with the wind and not against it blowing in our faces. Then Montanna convinced me that she was tired of walking and wanted "up please". I tried putting her in her stroller, but she did not want to be in the stroller and she did not want to walk. She wanted me to carry her and push the stroller all the way home. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! This 34 week pregnant body was not going to be able to handle that. So, I struggled to get her in the stroller, strapped her in, and she screamed the entire rest of the way home. When we got home she had tears, and boogers running down her face. Needless to say, I was able to get in a pretty good workout today.

Lesson learned: Exercise is good, but I am not going walking with Montanna by myself again for a little while. The terrible two's are already starting! Yikes!

Little by little

Sorry we haven't been posting. My excuse is I struggle with the spelling of the password. I have begun to cut out Dr. Pepper and haven't had it for over two weeks. I also have been sampling oatmeal for breakfast now and again. I walked three miles on Saturday, with Adam thinking he was the trainer from Biggest Loser. Can I just say that I HATE that show. I had to take Advil afterwords so that I would be able to walk in the morning. I go to the doctor in one month so I am trying to be good, you know one good day one bad day, now I am workin on two good days one bad day.
Britney

Feel The Burn!

(Sorry guys; I couldn't find a picture of that body-building Cassy that the boys like to talk about. No Adam, I would prefer it if you DIDN'T find one for me. Thanks anyway.) Is it just me, or does this guy look like he’s trying to poop?

Now that I’ve classed up our blog with a word like “poop,” you know this has to be Hillary posting. So, I’m wondering how we are all doing and thinking that we might need to issue a little family challenge. I mean, I’ve been doing my shred and will hopefully be attractive someday as a result. I have started edging into a smaller pant size, so that is a small miracle! How is everyone else doing? The silence is starting to make me think I’m in this by myself! Lindsey has to hold off for a bit while that little baby is living inside of her, but what is everyone doing? Are you so exhausted from your efforts that you cannot post? I just want to know how it is going, what you are doing, and if we should have a family challenge of some sort. So, how are you doing?

Any ideas for a family challenge?

Today is a Holiday!

Since today is a holiday no one at our house had to work, we woke up, ate breakfast, put Montanna in a backpack and went for a walk this morning. It was so nice to get out in the fresh, cool air and go for a walk. We started out going on the 3 mile route, but ended up only doing about a mile and a half. It was fun to be outside, see all of the airplanes, hear all the dogs barking and just chat as we walked. Hopefully this is a good start to a new week!

Lindsey

A slow start

It warmed up in Denver this week so I walked outside on my lunch 3 days! That didn't used to effect me at all but it make my legs really sore. Just a reminder how fast we get out of shape. I think I actually ate more, thinking about eating less. So this week I'm just not going to think about food but think about walking and blogging! I think Frank should try chasing Darby on her bike. I'm definitely not ready for the shred....yet!

Hurts So Good

Well, today found me wanting to skip my workout, but feeling really guilty about it. I decided to just get it over with, but Darby refused to let me use the big t.v. So, I had to put my video on my computer and put my computer on the kitchen island. The computer apparently wants to punish me for something and it wouldn’t play anything but level 3 of the shred. During the super-man moves, Darby laid on my back and made it so much easier on me, so that was awesome. I am so sore I can hardly move! But man, it hurts so good, right?!

Last night I made teriyaki chicken, broccoli, and a home-made rice pilaf. It was awesome, so if you want the recipe, let me know. I have a hard time dieting because I love to eat and eat a lot, so it helps if my food is super flavorful. What are your dieting secrets?

Britney's Disaster and Some Hope

Day 2
I went to all the trouble of making a healthy lunch and then I forgot it. I hate it when that happens. So naturally I had to go to subway, there goes the no fast food goal for the day. On the other hand I didn't drink pop yesterday. I just learned how to spell exercise, and now I might try it soon.

Our Day 1..... and 2

Well.... Yesterday wasn't as productive as we would have liked it to be. We thought we had a plan, but then when lunch time came, we decided we really didn't and broke down and ate a pizza, mac and cheese, and spaghetti. Not all of us ate all of that, it was kind of a free for all. Anyway, Monday was sort of a diet disaster. But, last night we sat down and each wrote down what our eating goals were and our exercise goals. Hopefully we will get on track here soon. It is a lot harder said than done! Adam has decided that we need to get all the pop out of the house and the only way to do that is to drink it. I offered to throw it in the trash, but that idea was quickly shot down. We will not be purchasing any more of that stuff for a while. We are planning on going hard for a month and won't have a cheat day until the first week in Feb. Hopefully we can keep each other honest here, and it will help us succeed!

I had a heck of a time getting out of bed this morning and didn't get to do the workout video before Montanna woke up, but I am either going to workout with Britney when she gets home, or.... I will be up at 6:00 am doing P90X with Corrine. Either way, I will update my status tomorrow. Good luck and happy dieting!

Lindsey

Day 1: A Tragedy

Well, the day has scarce begun and I (Hillary) am already feeling weak. Not weak like I worked out so hard this morning that I am feeling weak. I mean weak like I made 6 dozen cookies yesterday and only delivered 5 dozen cookies to people in the ward and man those cookies are good and man I want to eat one. Or 5. My resolve is waning, family. How is the first day shaping up for you?