Yes, I am a nerd :)

I am a list maker. I have been since I was little. Once I ran across a list I made when I was seven. It was a list of things to do at my grandma's house and included things such as "play in old chicken house" or "look at old coins". The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. My mom was a list maker and my eldest, at the age of 9 is showing tendencies, too, though he keeps track in his head. Some people call this anal retentive or crazy, I call it a way to maintain sanity in a crazy world :) I get a big satisfaction crossing things off of my "to do" list. I've even been known to write stuff down that I've already done just so I can cross it off! In the pre-smart phone era/pre palm-pilot era, my ex was given the equivalent of a Dayrunner at his job. It was some corporate push to increase productivity. He brought the binder home and gave it to me, saying "you are going to love this". It brought list-making to the extreme. One could make a list and then prioritize with an A or B, and then further prioritize with a number. Therefore item A1 was more important than B9. Then, one could block off time to complete these tasks. Wow! How exciting! In addition to fueling my list addiction, this binder turned me onto goal setting: a perfect marriage of list mania and number crunching. I could now make a list of things to accomplish...and then measure how well (and how fast) I did it. I am at the 2 month point in CrossFit. I love it. I constantly feel the need to quantify what I am doing. In fact, on my enrollment paperwork, I noted that CrossFit was cheaper than a tummy tuck. At $100 a month, I can do CrossFit for 60 months vs. a $6000 tummy tuck. A couple of weeks ago, I took some baseline measurements and set a goal to lose 1" from my waist. I am happy to announce that I have lost 1/4" a week for a total of 1/2" gone from my waist. If I continue at the same rate, I'll lose the other 1/2" in two more weeks. However, when I asked the trainer if an inch a month would be a reasonable goal, the reply was a joking "you wish :)"...and then he further noted that it is really hard to say as it depends on metabolism. We'll see.....

Adventures in Intermittent Fasting

I am absolutely starving as I write this post!!!! Today is day two in my experiment with intermittent fasting (IF). I was encouraged by a two pound decrease this morning when I weighed myself. Seems recently that the scale has only gone up up up....I'm sure it's not water weight loss as I've been drinking a bunch to keep my belly full. The mornings are not bad. This morning I had a little tummy rumble when I inadvertently licked the peanut butter spoon while fixing my Body by Vi shake for latter consumption. I suspect that my body is already trained to delay food consumption in the mornings as years of taking thyroid medicine will do that. (Can't have food in belly with that medicine) Evenings are killer!!!! I am so used to eating later (7 p.m. some nights) and maybe even having an ice cream snack (....or chips n'crack). Tonight's dinner was at 5:30. The good news is that both boys like pork chops on the grill now. The bad news is that my pork chop and veggies have worn off. So what is IF? It is not a diet, but a timing of eating. There are many variations on the theme including skipping meals, going days without meals, but I have chosen a daily fast of 14-16 hours (includes bed time). One consumes the normal allotment of protein, carbs, etc in a smaller window of 6 to 8 hours. In my case, I'm having a Body By Vi shake (almond milk and peanut butter) at 11 a.m., which is one hour prior to my CrossFit class. I then have a big meal after my work out, along with some healthy afternoon snacks. I then have an early dinner with my boys. Why? some have suggested that frequent meals can trigger fat production, especially if the meals are of high glycemic carbs. I have yet to see any scientific evidence that supports either small, frequent meals (the long time suggestion for weight loss) or fasting. I don't think anybody really knows the answer...All I know is that what I have been doing isn't working, so it's time to try something new. I'll probably give it a month and then reevaluate. Anybody out there with IF experience?

I've got work to do!!!!

After CrossFit on Friday, I took a look at body measurements. There are several measurements to take into consideration. According to the hand-held instrument, my body fat percentage is 28.8%. This is "high" according to the machine, and "Over Fat" according to the nutrition hand-out. I will need to go down several percentage points before I fall into the 21-24% "healthy" range. Next, I took a look at waist and hip measurements: my waist is 34" and my hips are 39". According to the nutrition hand-out, anything over a 33.8" waist is "obese". According to Dr. Oz, one of the 5 numbers you need to pay attention to is your waist measurement. Anything 35" and over for a female increases risk for chronic disease (i.e. diabetes). I am getting near that 35" mark!!!! (FYI Dr. Oz number for men is 40" waist). The handout suggests that a 26" waist for a female is ideal, and Dr. Oz suggests a 32.5" waist. Either way, I am currently not in a good category!!!! My waist-to-hip ratio is 0.86. this is the apple vs. pear shape. Those who are "apple" shaped tend to carry their weight in the abdomen and this increases risk for coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. According to the hand-out, I am on the cusp between "average" and "at risk", whereas sources on the internet clearly put me in the "high risk" category. Finally, I took a look at my BMI, which is 25.23. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered "overweight". Thankfully, I am towards the bottom of this one. Considering all of this, I think my first goal will be to lose one inch off of my waist, since my waist-to-hip ratio seems to be the most serious measurement of health status. Loosing an inch will drop me into the "moderate" risk category in the waist-to-hip ratio. I'm sure if I lose an inch off of my waist, my body fat % my decrease, too. Surely an inch of belly fat weighs something?????? I'm guessing maybe my weight will drop too? Maybe loosing that inch will drop my into the "normal" weight category. Setting a goal to lose an inch off my waist at the start of Thanksgiving week...ROTFLMBO Well, We'll see.

$20,500 down in 14 months!!!

Those of you who know me well know that I'm a huge Dave Ramsey fan! Yes, I drank the Kool-aid 14 months ago :) In those 14 months I've paid down $20,500 in debt. This last debt is the slowest to be paid off as it is the largest. Got $6000 left and gonna "kick the old lady (Sallie Mae) to the curb". For those of you interested in becoming debt free, I highly recommend reading "The total money makeover" by Dave Ramsey. My Sunday School class read this as a group. It is an excellent book that lays out all of the principles. There is also have a class called Financial Peace University. Once you pay, you and your family have a lifetime membership. I attended once, but had trouble getting up to the big city in the evenings. I'm going to watch the website for a more local class. I was one of many laid off in February 2012. I was probably the only one in the group not stressed/freaking out---because I had a plan, an emergency fund, and had paid off most of my debts. I saw being laid off as an opportunity to do something more. I was blessed with another job that allowed me more time with my boys. This job will be ending this December...but because I am not leveraged to my eyeballs, I can be somewhat picky in what job I select. Being a single mom (a single income family)the finances can be terrifying. Getting a grip on what's going out vs. what's coming in has allowed me to have "financial peace"...and a lot let stress in life.

Weight is up...must get on track

About 2 years ago my weight crept up from its low point (135) to what I consider the maximum I'd want it to be...or my "high point" (140). This 5 pound range would allow for fluctuations between time of month, time of day, and dehydration vs. hydration. This "high point" is when I should have become worried and become more focused...but I didn't. I've been lax and over the past year and it has crept up to over 140 pounds...fluctuating between 140 and 145 pounds. In recent weeks, my weight has been as high as 150! This is what happens when one DOESN'T PAY ATTENTION and STAY FOCUSED. 15 pounds can come back. I was down to a size 8. Though I can still cram myself into an 8, a size 10 fits much better. I can tell my face is fuller, too, just by looking at pictures. I still exercise, and my endurance is much better...I just need to focus on diet. I am using the calorie counter app on my smart phone. "IF YOU BITE IT, WRITE IT!!!!"

CrossFit Day 2....

I actually felt like falling over last night...I was sooooo tired. I went to sleep at 9:30 p.m. which is not like me at all. Yesterday's CrossFit workout must have worn me out. WOD consisted of 30 cleans, 50 pistols, and rowing 2000 meters. This was in addition to the usual warm-up (10 dips, 10 push-ups, 10 squats, etc, etc). I also worked on my kipping pull-ups...not quite there yet...maybe get there in a week or two. I did my cleans with 20 pounds added to the bar. I used a "cheater-ball" on the pistols. A pistol is a one-legged squat with the other leg extended. One holds on (barely) to a pole. I used the cheater-ball (a medicine ball) so that I knew when my butt was far enough down. I have never really used a rowing machine. Seems like it was a good cardio workout, along with some upper body workout. It took 10+ minutes to row 2000 meters. My overall time was 18 minutes and some odd seconds. I guess I need to write this down in a journal so that I know what time I need to beat the next time we do this routine. I'm considering converting my shop into a home gym as I've outgrown my laundry room. In my limited free time, I have been searching for some equipment so that I can do this on the cheap/free. Class meets again in 3 hours....I hope I survive.

CrossFit Day 1 :)

After my "introductory class" which left me so sore, I couldn't roll over in bed, I signed up for more punishment. That was two weeks ago. I had to take the instruction course which taught the fundamentals of CrossFit. Class met MWF for two weeks. Yesterday was my first day of actual CrossFit class. We ran. Not a good day to NOT have enough time to run home and change into workout clothes. Lucky for me, I had a compression top in my suitcase in my car. I usually wear this top as a swimsuit; I was just getting back in town after spending the weekend at the lake. My time was 17:30 and we had to run 3 segments with a minute rest in between each. I don't know how long the segments were, but the instructor had shortened the lengths to accommodate the class. That's the great thing about CrossFit, if you can't do the workout, it can be adjusted to allow one the benefit of the exercise while allowing one to "work up" to the full amount/exercise/weight, etc. Any how, he told me that since I beat the other participants times, that I will be doing the full length next time. We'll see what tomorrow holds. CrossFit is now daily M-F with a make-up on Saturday. Did go on a short bike ride last night. My rides will most likely be shorter as evening comes earlier....

It's been about two years since I have blogged. I changed the name of the blog to "New You" as a lot of the information that I share can be used by many people, not just divorced people. I guess I get to keep the URL of "newyouafterdivorce" as I tried about 30 variations of New You, but all were taken. Kind of reminds me of the old SNL skit where all of the internet URL were taken except "clownpenis.fart" If you have any ideas of a good name, let me know. I am still working on body, house and finances (among many other things). I recently started a crossfit training program and hope to post some of my progress (and frustrations!). If any of you are doing crossfit (or any other program), I'd love to hear about it. So far the crossfit program seems promising. There have been times that I have been unable to do a portion of the "WOD" or "Workout of the Day", but the exercises can be modified in order to work up to doing the full "WOD". For example, I am not able (yet) to do a series of pull ups, but have started doing kipping pullups (google it) with a cheater box to stand on. From what I understand, that cheater box is going to shrink as the days go on.

Found away to off-load some junk!

It's been awhile since I've blogged, but thought I'd take a moment to jot down some thoughts about what has been going on. First of all, I had about 300 people for Christmas in the country (open house)--getting ready for this kept me from blogging regularly. It was a good reason to get a lot of things done around the house.
Second of all, I've been doing some cleaning. I found a way to get rid of stuff without having to load it up to take to the thrift stores (you guys know me--I shop at yard sales, but I don't have them...) If you google "Freecycle", you can find a webgroup near you. It's amazing the stuff that people want. All you have to do is post an "offer", to which you will likely receive several responses. Pick one and arrange a pick up. I leave the stuff on the porch, I have yet to have to deal with anybody in person. I've also posted a few "wanted", but haven't had any luck with that so far....
Good luck and happy cleaning!

Recent Adventures in Frugality

Have you ever tried something in the name of saving money, only to find that it didn't work out too well? I have two examples that come to mind: 1) Last year I tried drying out my coffee grounds and then reusing them---the coffee was bitter!!!! Disgusting! The best I can do is pick this up on sale at the dollar store. Lucky for me, I drink Folgers and that is not too pricey. Some may say to just give up the coffee---maybe I'll do that at a much later date :-) 2) My attic clothes line. I do about three loads of clothes/week (jeans, white, colors). I figured that I could save on electricity if I dried my clothes on a line. I used to have a clothes line in my back yard, but this was lost to construction 7 years ago. I decided that I would air-dry my clothes upstairs. Ewww...the towels were rigid and like sandpaper. and the clothes were all wrinkled. I guess drying clothes outside lets them flap in the breeze, thus reducing wrinkles and stiffness.

On a positive note, I bought a tag-along-bike. Jimmy has yet to ride a bike. This hinders going for a family bike ride as he can't keep up on his scooter. I got a good deal on the tagalong; it was barely used---still had the rubber stringy things on the tire. I bought it for half of what they sell for new. I debated for two weeks whether or not to buy it. I decided to go ahead---and that I could sell it for about what I paid for it when Jimmy finally learns to ride a bike.

Tax and Tax savings on home improvement

Sometimes you have just got to run the numbers to see if something will save you money or not, so, I strongly suggest you do that before running out and making a big purchase...but let me tell you about my situation.
After the divorce, I did add on to the house (which costs money) for two main reasons...1) my house was a 2 bedroom house and I have 2 sons who won't always want to share a room 2) I spent an evening in my creepy cellar and vowed I would never do that again.... Here are two (or three?) ways in which I am able to save some with a home addition (Perhaps home improvement with you?)
1) Federal taxes allow for a deduction for a portion of any energy-saving improvements to your property. One just has to make sure the product you are installing qualifies. In my case, the windows applied (energy-efficient), which gave a me a small federal tax savings. Hey, every little bit counts, right?
2) When the old portion of my house was remodeled, the 100+ yr old sashes were replaced with new energy efficient windows selected to look like the old windows (nothing is more unappealing that modern windows made to fit the odd-size of older homes) I custom-ordered the size (just a few dollars more than off the shelf) so they look original. This has saved me money on my electric bill. My house also stays cleaner, too.
3) Our county has a tax rebate program on additions and improvements made to your property. Basically, you pay no property tax on the improved or added portion for 5 years. This is a big savings, too. One would have to check availability of local programs....

Savings at the grocery store

I did a big grocery shopping today. With a combination of e-coupons (the ones that are put on your shoppers card), circular ads, and manufacturer coupons, I saved $83.99 and spent $159.16. In this shopping I bought about six months worth of laundry detergent, toilet paper, dishwasher detergent, dishsoap, and papertowels. I also bought about 3 months worth of food, although I will have to buy produce, milk, bread, etc. I'd be interested in hearing your saving ideas. Of course the papertowels will probably last longer as I don't really use them---and I make my laundry detergent. I just like the tide for my handwashables.

New Photos--what one year of work looks like

Ok, It's been awhile since I've uploaded pictures. I took some more comparison photos tonight. The only thing that you can tell immediately is that I have a tan! ...well, as tan as this white girl gets... My hair is longer, too. I'm down to 139 pounds and was 170+ at my heaviest. I still have a gut. Though you can't tell from the photos, it doesn't fold over now (medical term is 'panus'). From April to Sept, one can tell that I've lost more weight in my breasts. This is a good thing. I had been contemplating reduction, but think that a combination of smaller breast size plus strengthening my back has eliminated most of my back pain. The past two months have been spent focusing on running. Maybe I should have taken pictures of my legs?
I started lifting weights in Sept '09, so this is pretty much a years worth of work.

Saving money-rethinking phone, etc.

I'm home sick today, so while laying on the couch, I thought I'd spend some time between naps figuring out how to reduce some of my monthly bills. The first on my list is my internet bill. I currently use Embarq or whatever their name is (formerly sprint). Anyhow, in order to have high speed, they require a landline. So, I pay for a land line (about $20/month) that I never use...the only people that ever call on it are telemarketers. LOL it was unplugged probably for 2 weeks and I never noticed it. My highspeed is $50/month for a total of $70 to just have internet at the house.

ATT ran an ad for $14.95 high speed and no land line required...and even had a deal that you could use your laptop on the go with ATT network. Sounds too good to be true. I called, and yes, it is a valid deal, but they don't service Oxford :-( So for now, I'm stuck with $70 internet.

I have a couple of options:
1) Call up Embarq and ask why they require a landline if ATT can do it without...
2) switch back to dial-up *sigh* (still have to have the $20 landline)
3) sit in my yard so I get a better signal on Oxford's hotspot at Napawalla Park. Currently I only get 1 bar and that's in my kitchen only.
4) Do without internet at all...I do have a Blackberry, but there are somethings that are hard to do without internet.

Thoughts? Any of you in Oxford have the hook up on cheap internet? I had SUTV come out to do a line of sight test, and my house failed.

My first race, MVelopes, and painting

I ran my first race today. It was a 2 miles "Fun Run" in Oxford, KS. I was third in my division and my time was 25:32. Not a wonderful time, but not too shabby considering 6 weeks ago I couldn't even run 30 seconds. I have never been able to run a mile in my life, and now I can run 2. Actually, 3 as I ran 3 miles on Wednesday night.

This blog is about putting my life, finances, and house in order after a divorce. I've made substantial progress in the body area. As far as finances, I'm slowly paying down debts. I'm using an online budgeting program through Crown Financial Ministries called "Mvelopes", It seems to be a neat program, but getting it set up is giving me fits. Anybody familiar with this program that can lend me a hand?

As far as the house is concerned, this weeks project is repainting the dining room. There is a gosh-awful blue color on the wainscoting that I have never liked since I painted 10 years ago. 10 years is a long time to look at something you don't like.

I have acquired an antique dining room set for $250 and the set includes table with leaves, 6 chairs, and a buffet. I know that I should save my money, but this was a deal too good to pass up. My other set is unsafe (one chair exploded under a guest). The chairs have been overhauled multiple times. I can't get rid of the set because it was my grandmothers (I promise I'm not being a hoarder). I have taken the leaves out of the table and retired it to the kids playroom for puzzles and games. The remaining chairs are strong enough to support the kids weight.

I figure that you can not buy 6 replacement chairs for $250. Plus now I have a buffet to store my serving platters and table cloths.

Week 5, Day 2 and getting ready for the big run :-)

Did day 2 of week 5 tonight. I didn't wait until midnight either :-) The weather was the perfect running temperature. So yes, O-town, that was me hauling my a$$ around town. ha! Tonight I ran two 8-minute runs, in addition to the walking before and after. At one point I timed my jogging speed on the treadmill at the gym. Seems I jog at about 5.1 to 5.3 mph, so it would take about 12 minutes to complete a mile. I have never been able to run a mile or even a half mile, but tonight I ran a half-mile....TWICE :-) So, day 3 of week 5 will be a 20 minute run. This is going to be a big deal as it will be a little over a mile for me. I sure hope I can do it.

39 days until race day :-)

I'm fundraising for Komen Mid-Kansas Race for the Cure. Click on the link to read my bio or to donate. A big thanks to cousin Catherine for being the first to sponsor.

http://race.komenmidks.org/site/TR/Runs/General?px=1203151&pg=personal&fr_id=1040

Beating my speed and I'm finally not "obese" or "overweight"

I did 1.75 miles in 27 minute vs. a previous thirty. I made a conscious effort to pick up the speed. This 27 minutes was 11 minutes of walking and 16 minutes of jogging. Average speed was 3.88 mph, which is better than the 3.5 obtained previously.
that was the last day of Week 4. It's on to week 5 now. Heard a rumor about a 20 minute run....
Glad to announce I'm no longer "Obese" or "overweight" according to the US Dept of Health and Human Services. visit their website http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ to calculate yours. I'm on the high side of normal. My goal weight will put me on the low side of normal.

My "running" speed? LOL

I'm on week four of Couch to 5K and for grins and giggles I decided to calculate my speed. Eons ago I drove around my block in my ancient Cavalier to see what the distance is. If I remember correctly, 4 times around my block is a mile. The lots on our block are 50' X 150'. That means the length down each side of the block is 300'. The perimeter is 1200', so four times around the block would be 5,800', which is over a mile.
I follow the couch to 5K podcast which is 30 minutes long. Week four consisted of 16 minutes of running split up into two 3-minute segments and 2-5 minute segments. The rest of the time is spent walking (14 minutes). It's impossible to separate the distance run from the the distance walked, so I lumped it all together. I made it around the block 7 times (1 3/4 miles). Plug the time and distance into a calculator and my average speed is 3.5 miles. LOL average walk speed for a woman is 3.0! and for a man is 3.5. I guess I need to pick up the pace!

W1D3 .....And I feel fine!

Just completed week 1, day 3 of couch to 5K. Looking forward to week 2. Any joiners? I seem to do this around midnight as it is cool outside. For those of you who aren't night owls or insomniacs, I have a group of friends who train in the mornings.

Hoping to cross something off my bucket list this weekend.

Week 1, Day 2 Couch to 5K

Ooops I did it again. Just got back from day 2 of week 1 Couch to 5K. I had a little "break" due to my pulled muscle, but am back in the game. Several of my coworkers are doing this program and are several weeks ahead of me. In fact, one just ran for 20 minutes solid. visit the website http://www.c25k.com/ for more info. If one googles "chubby jones couch to 5K" there are some pretty awesome podcasts that one can download to their mp3 player. Anyhow, it's awesome running weather around midnight here :-) I just wish that I could find my strap-your-ipod-on-your-arm thingy.... can't imagine where that went... think I'll have a glass of wine and head to bed. Happy runnings.