Brief Post

Not much going on here today. So just posting the bear necessities.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk
Lunch: 6 pts. Smart Ones Three Cheese Ziti
Dinner: 9 pts. Subway 6” Turkey on wheat. All the veggies w/mustard. Sun Chips
Snack: 6 pts. Cashew snack mix 2 oz.

Exercise: Rest Day.

Because You Gotta Have Friends

Pictured above is the lithograph Jonathan sent me for taking second place in the All About The Mouse logo contest. (I was the guy who sent in the ViewMaster design)

I was thinking today about how appropriate this image is. Here you have a group of friends, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, supporting each other through life's journey and here we see them marching together. (Perhaps Crescent Lake is nearby)

Is this a coincidence, or did Jonathan have this in mind when he selected this image?

Only Jonathan can say.

I think my personality is a cross between Rabbit and Tigger.

So here is a question for those of you reading this post. Which of these characters do you most closely identify with?

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk

Lunch: 10 pts. 4oz porkchop with a side of spagetti

Dinner: 4 pts. Smart Ones Szechuan Vegetables and Chicken

Snack: 6pts. Cashew snack mix. 2 oz.

Exercise: 6.1 miles in 76 minutes. Tonights jog turned into a wog as I just could not get into a comfortable rythem tonight. I did my best to keep walking portions under a pace of 14.

Before going let me give a quick thanks to mgreene for posting a comment yesterday. I have added a link to his blog in the right hand column. It was mgreene that inspired an earlier post regarding Ipod use.

Tell next post...

204.8

First let me take a moment to thank my friend Jason for stopping by the blog earlier this week.
Jason runs lights & video while I run sound every three weeks at church. He also has taken a leadership roll in the childrens Awana program. He is a very positive person whom I am glad to know. Thanks Jason, stop by and leave a comment anytime.

Now, how about that weigh in?
It's not a loss, it's not a gain, but hey somehow I maintained.
Considering Thanksgiving last week, and the number of times I posted a question mark for point values, I feel pretty darn good about that number.

My next weigh in will be the morning we leave for MouseFest. The only obstacle I face between now and then is..........me.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk
Lunch: 5 pts. 6" Subway Turkey on wheat, no cheese, loads of veggies, mustard, no mayo.
Dinner: 5 pts. Chicken Panini with spinach and mushrooms.
Snack: 6 pts. Cashew snack mix 2 oz.
Exercise: 4.3 miles in 65 min

Dude, you eat a lot of Smart Ones

If you look back through all the meals I post, you will notice that Weight Watchers Smart Ones meals appear very frequently.
The reason I make use of these meals comes down to simplicity. I can have food on hand at work and it's cheap. Only $1.77 per meal at Target. Now I do intend to bring sack lunches in from time to time. I have just been to lazy.
There is a drawback to dining at work though, and that is never really taking a break. Far too often I quicky eat my meal and then go straight back to work. Lately I have been leaving the office to go read for a bit or run an errand.

Meals.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk
Lunch: 4 pts. Smart Ones Chicken Mirabella
Dinner: 6 pts. Smart Ones Santa Fe Rice and Beans.
Snack: 5 pts. One Taco.

Exercise: Walking treadmill 4 miles 61 min.

One more week till MouseFest woo hoo...

Two Things I Need To Change

1st is a habit that need to break.
I have been stopping at Quick Trip on the way to work to pick up a diet Pepsi quite often. This is becoming a habit, and one that I must curb. If I really felt I needed a caffeine boost I could always bring something from home.
The danger in stopping here every work day is that I find myself thinking about the breakfast sandwiches they sell. What if I were to slip and have that breakfast burrito or a Jalapeño sausage roll? Each of those is worth a days point value. And of course they also happen to sell Krispy Kreme doughnuts. So effective tomorrow I remove that temptation and I skip stopping at QT.

2nd is enough with this "?" as a point value.
I truly need to inform myself. Even if it means reading several package labels and figuring it all up.
Today I made what I thought was a decent choice for lunch. A grilled blackened chicken sandwich at Culvers with green beans instead of fries. I had this same meal about a week ago and did not count the green beans as points. Hey, its a veggie "0" points right? Whoops think again, preparation is everything here. After picking up a copy of Culvers nutritional sheet I learned that maybe I should have skipped the beans. Prepared value on green beans turns out to be 5 points. Perhaps I should have just had the sandwich all by itself.

Meals.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk
Lunch: 13 pts. Culvers Grilled Blackened Chicken sandwich with green beans.
Dinner: 3 pts. SmartOnes Shrimp Marinara

Exercise: Walked Treadmill 4 miles 61min

Christmas Lights

Many things if life, cause me to wax nostalgic. Christmas is one of those times.
I recall how as a child I would sit close to the tree and enjoy the lights reflecting off the various colored glass bulbs and become lost in a daydream.
I recall a house that I always look forward to driving by. For many years during Christmas this particular house has simply been lit with green bulbs. Landscaping, window trim, gutters, and a tree in the front window all done up with green lights. It’s has always stirred a feeling of peace within me that I really can not explain.
It seems that every night another house is lit up in celebration of the Christmas season. Homes are adorned in multi colored lights, some all in one color, some flashing, some solid. Lawn decorations of Santa Claus, Reindeer, Snowmen and The Nativity are to be found.
Christmas can become a very hustle and bustle time. Especially for us grown ups.
As this season unfolds, may each of you take the time to look back on some special memory and perhaps even daydream a little. May peace fill your hearts and homes.

Meals.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk
Lunch: 16 pts. Spicy Chicken sandwich w/ baked potato from Wendy’s
Dinner: 6 pts. Spaghetti w/ carrots

Exercise: Walking 4.1 miles in 69 min

Enchanted by "Enchanted"

It is so refreshing when a studio can produce a film that everyone can enjoy.
Disney has done a wonderful job with Enchanted. From the previews I felt this film had potential, even though I generally do not like films where the characters change between live action and animation. This film bridged that very well and with wonderful humor.
Princess Giselle enters our world confused and with all the preconceived ideas about love and romance that you would expect any Disney Princess to have stuck in her pretty little head. Slowly her preconceptions begin to change. It's all happens in a very nice way. Let's just say that circumstances begin to tug at her heart a little bit.
The film is full of numerous call backs to passed Disney films. I am sure I may have missed some of them. Even the background musical score harkens back to the early days of Disney animation. Even a melody from the Little Mermaid can be heard softly playing while Giselle is near an aquarium.
There is a musical number in the middle of the film that takes place in a park. During this sequence I began to wonder if a tribute to Epcot’s World Showcase was occurring. The finale of that number ends in front of a fountain that reminded me of the central hub at the Magic Kingdom. It’s hard to say if these were intentional things or if I am simply reading more into it than I should.
I strongly recommend this film. It really is a delight. Kids and adults who are young at heart can once more find that Disney Magic on the silver screen.
Go see it with your special someone.

Meals.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk
Lunch: 6 pts. Two turkey brats no bun, with green pepper, onions and sauerkraut.
Dinner: 8 pts. Maid Rite loose meat sandwich on wheat with baked beans.
Snack: ? Popcorn at the movie. I am sure the points for this are horribly high.

Exercise: 10.2 miles in 112 min at least that's good huh?

Till next time...

Quiet Night on the Tundra

Not much happening here today.
We did manage to brave traffic and get some shopping done.
Took Zoe in for grooming. They placed pink bows in her hair. Very cute but she shook them loose before I could snap a picture.
Really that's about it.

Meals.
Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk
Lunch: 9 pts. One bowl of leftover chili and a corn bread muffin.
Dinner: ? pts. "The Tavern" (a popular pizza and sandwich restaurant)
Italian Grinder Sandwich with a small side of onion rings.

Exercise: Rest Day

Thanksgiving On The Tundra

Greetings fellow bloggers,

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday today. I had not planned on a morning walk but after reading Jonathans blog, Bryans comments, and of course reading about Rae's jog at the Turkey Trot. (nice job Rae) I just had to go out for a walk of my own. The trails around town still had some ice on them as you can see. This added a little time to my walk but I was glad to be out and about.

Don't tell Andy, but as you look to the right in the first picture you can see part of a harvested cornfield. Yep, I admit it my town is surrounded by corn. haha.

I call this second location Sleepy Hollow because at night it can be creepy. When jogging through here as you go past the tree closest to the trail on the right hand side is a larger tree that during a full moon catches a lot of light. The first time I noticed it I thought someone was hiding there. It freaked me out. I laugh about it now, but sometimes...

I returned from the morning walk and we went over to my Father in laws for the big Thanksgiving spread. With all the grandchildren and great grandchildren there must have been at least 40 of us. The meal and desserts were awesome, as always. After the meal several of us played a game of "Disney Scene It?"

My wife and her sisters worked on Christmas lists in preparation for an early start tomorrow.

After we returned home, I laid down on the couch and our dog Jake decided to join me for a nap.

After waking up I once again decided that with all that wonderful food today another walk was in order. Before leaving I went on-line and discovered with much delight that All About The Mouse was available a day early. So after downloading the show, out the door I went. I enjoyed the show during my walk. I enjoyed this weeks dining topic as we will be doing a number of sitdown dining locations during Mousefest.

I was very surprised by how improved the trails were tonight. Very little ice anywhere.

Meals.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk

Lunch/Dinner: Points are you kidding me? I have no idea really. Turkey,Sweet Potatos, Green Beans, carrots, celery, stuffing, pumpkin pie, the list goes on.

Tomorrow back on track for points.

Exercise: Round One AM 3.50 miles 75 min

Round Two PM 3.37 miles 63 min

Till tomorrow...

204.6 lbs, 4"......of Snow, and Now I've Been Tagged

This morning was a pleasant surprise. I managed to drop 4 lbs. The other day I jokingly mentioned to Jonathan that the gloves were off after he posted a nice loss. He, Rae, and I are doing our best to reach some personal goals before MouseFest. Jonathan said the first one of us to reach their goal has the honor of purchasing some type of beverage for the others at MouseFest.
Who will it be? The next couple of weeks will decide that.

Snow! Yes, I said snow we received 4" today. Roads were nasty for part of the day.
Of course only a few of my neighbors have shoveled their sidewalks. I'm sure the city has been too busy to clear the bike trails. So I guess I have a date with the treadmill tonight. Personally I dislike the treadmill. I find it boring and if I use it I prefer to walk. I guess the important thing is to make use of it.

Thanks go out to Kate for stopping by and leaving a comment today. Kate, I have added you to my blogger list. Now Kate decided to be cute and TAG me. Thanks for that too...I guess. haha.
All in good fun right?

Rule #2 says I must share 5 facts about myself. So let's see if I can come up with some things that are not on my profile.

1. I played Trumpet in Junior High but quit in High School because I disliked Marching Band.
2. I love the old b/w Charlie Chan and Sherlock Holmes movies starring Warner Oland and Basil Rathbone.
3. Growing up I never understood why my Uncle took his family to WDW every single year. Now I'm grown up and I wish I could visit every year.
4. I work in communications and part of my job is delivering cable programming (including the Disney channel and ESPN) to southern Minnesota and parts of Illinois. (I work in central Iowa)
5. One of my ancesters was the Aunt of William Penn.

Rules #3 and 4 say I am suppose to TAG 5 other bloggers and provide links to their sites. Frankly I only follow a few blogs so if I did that, this could just turn into a never ending circle. So I'm going to take an incomplete on rules three and four.

Meals.

Breakfast: 8 pts. Two eggs w/wheat toast. Skim milk.
Lunch: 5 pts. Subway 6" turkey on wheat. No cheese and no chips.
Dinner: 15 pts. Chilli w/cornbread and honey.

Exercise: 3.1 miles 56min + 30min of snow shoveling my neighbors driveway tonight as they are out of town. Anyone care to guess where they went? Yep, WDW and it's their first family trip there. How cool huh? I told them to be sure and pick up first visit buttons. I ended up doing my walk outside after working on my neighbors drive. It was a bit slippery here and there, but more fun than the treadmill.

I hope everyone has a great Thankgiving.

Till next time...

60 Minutes and Common Sense Dining.

Did you happen to see the 60 minutes report "Fast Food For Thought"?

The story was about how the average person under estimates calories in food purchased at places like Subway. As the story put it, people just assume that because the food is "healthier"
they tend to over endulge. Ok I'm willing to believe some people think that way.

But, I am wrong to assume that a person, who truly is concerned about weight and eating healthy foods, would not understand that a foot long sub drowned in mayonaise may not be such a great thing. I did not hear them ask Subway customers if they choose to eat there simply because they liked it or if it was a purposeful heathy choice.

The reporter Lesley Stahl visited Subway and ordered lunch. She ordered (I'm sure only for the purpose of the story) a footlong sub and like I mentioned earlier drowned it in Mayo.
Then of course the whole calorie count was exposed.

I would like to know why Lesley did not go back to the front of the line and order something more sensible. Just to show us lazy overweight Americans that by using a little information you can dine healthy. There are many options at Subway and you can eat heathy there. Now to be fair you can make informed decisions at locations such as McDonalds too. Sure, you might want to skip the fries. Nobody is forcing you to order that Grilled Chicken without mayo as a combo. Get the sandwich and have a water or a diet soda. It's easy to assume that a Salad at locations such as these is a smart choice. But hold that thought. How much dressing are you putting on that salad?
You might just be better off ordering a basic burger.

The key is to be informed. Something I am working on myself.

"Fast Food For Thought" can be viewed here if you are interested.
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3518744n&channel=/sections/60minutes/videoplayer3415.shtml

Meals.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/ skim milk
Lunch: 6 pts. Smart Ones Three Cheese Ziti
Dinner: ? Home made Chicken and Noodles. Thawed leftovers from last week.
Snack: 6 pts. Cashew-Cranberry-Almond Snack Mix 2 oz.

Exercise: 4 miles 65 min on the treadmill.

Till Next Time Be Informed...

Charles Grodin vs Jon Lovitz

General Knowledge: "All right Fuzzy what seems to be the issue here tonight?!"

Buzzy: "That's Buzzy sir and I'm not sure, he doesn't want to get out there and jog tonight."

General Knowledge: "Listen Fuzzy, you had better work this out or you will be piloting that chicken, understood?!"

Buzzy: "Y...Yes sir". "Ok left brain what seems to be the problem?"

Left Brain: "Well somebody says they feel tired and their feet are sore." "Personally I think it's just an excuse to lay around on the couch and be tempted be those Doritos in the pantry"

Buzzy: "Right brain is this true?"

Right Brain: "I should say not, I happen to enjoy exercise, though my feet are a bit tired." "Wait, did he just say Doritos?"

Buzzy: "Come on guys let's pull it together, at least for an hour. It's gettting late and if we don't get moving I'll never persude you."

Left Brain: "He's right"

Right Brain: "Yeah I know, Ok Buzzy we're with you. Let's grab those shoes and get going."

Yep that really sums up my thinking tonight. Once I finally got moving I kept thinking about Cranium Command for some reason. In fact, General Knowledge could be a great character to use for an AATM intro sometime. hmmm never know what I have in the works.

Ok let's get serious.

Meals.

Breakfast: 5pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk
Lunch: 11 pts. Taco Johns Split a #3 combo with my wife. 1 softshell and half the oles.
Dinner: 9 pts. Grilled Blackend Chicken sandwich with Green Beans and Onions
Dessert: 12 pts. 3" square of cake at my Father in laws birthday. I would have gone smaller if I had known the points before hand. No excuses I could have looked it up. My wife make the cake.

Exercise: Are you ready for some good news? Even though my "right brain" wanted to stay on the couch. I had a very nice jog in terms of time.
My total jog tonight was 4.02 miles in 43 minutes. Now, every jog I do has a .54 mile warm up included in the total I post. It takes me 9 minutes to walk that. Out of curiousity tonight I did a little math. My jogging portion was 3.48 miles in 34 minutes for a pace of 9.77. I have not averaged a pace under 10 since June of 06'. That's pretty exciting.

As December approaches I may revise my goals. I will post my thoughts on that later.

Till Next Time...

MouseFest Plans

Meals First today.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk
Lunch: 6 pts. Smart Ones Santa Fe Rice and Beans.
Dinner: 6 pts. Spagetti
Snack: 5 pts. Krispy Kreme pumpkin spice doughnut. A Poor but tasty choice but I had to list it.
Exercise: Walk 4.2 miles in 62 min

Now a couple of you have asked, so here are our MouseFest Plans.

12/5/07
Arrive at MCO around 6:00 pm.
Magic Express to All Star Movies.
Travel to Magic Kingdom. Hopefully we will have time to catch one or two attractions before boarding the monorail and heading over to Poly.
9:00 Polynesian beach to view Wishes
9:45 Dinner at Ohana.

12/6/07
8:00 am Early entry day at Magic Kingdom.
Morning tour of the park.
12:00 Wilderness Lodge for Lunch.
3:00 Adventureland, Aloha Isle Dr. Scopas Magical Elixer Meet.
Enjoy the rest of the Day at the Magic Kingdom and stay for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

12/7/07
Am is undecided. Not sure if we will follow the Mousefest crowd to Animal Kingdom or head straight to the Disney Studios.
12:15 Lunch 50's Prime Time Cafe
6:00 AATM: Rock'n Mouse Meet!!!
Of course Fantasmic is a must this evening.
Epcot will have extra magic evening hours till 12:30. Might go over there after Fantasmic.

12/8/07
7:00 am Possible walk, wog, or jog with Jonathan, Rae, and Kate. I want this to happen but I will need to figure out any transportation issues between resorts.
11:00 AATM: Beaches and Cream Meet!!!
12:00 Mega Mouse Meet.
4:30 Hidden Mickeys of World Showcase.
6:15 Dinner San Angel Inn
Illuminations.
Magic Kingdom will be open till 12:00 so may go over there after Epcot closes.

12/9/07
8:15 am Kona Cafe' for Breakfast.
11:00 Liberty Square. WDW Radio "DSI" w/Lou Mongello
1:00 Terrace Noodle Station, TriviaFest 2007 w/Lou Mongello
MK closes early at 7:00 so we may head over to Disney Studios for Extra Magic hours. I just have to ride TOT at night.

12/10/07
Early entry day at Animal Kingdom.
4:00 dinner scheduled at Tutto Italia in Epcot.
Magic Kingdom has Extra Magic hours this night. This will be our final night so I am sure we will end up here.

We might like to check out the Adventurers club one evening. Does anyone know if admission to Pleasure Island is required for that?

Till Next Time...

It All Started With A Mouse.

And the man behind that mouse has inspired countless people in many ways and will continue to do so for many years.

Recently, Mike Scopa was a special guest on the All About the Mouse Disney Podcast hosted by my friends Jonathan and Bryan. Two topics were discussed, MVMCP and the annual marathons held on Disney property each January.

All this time I had been thanking Jonathan for the inspiration to get off the couch and moving again. After listening to Jonathan, I should be thanking Uncle Walt as well.
Right now you’re saying, what?

Jonathan explained this on the show, but let me try to here also.
Jonathan was inspired by Lou Mongello who was inspired by Mike Scopa who was inspired by…..
The common thread here is Disney. Just think, if Walt had not lived his dream, where would each of us be today? I might still be sitting on the couch eating cheesy poofs if not for Jonathan. Seriously, I was in decent shape in 05-06 and then I just quit.
So I am thankful to my friend Jonathan and to you who support him, each other, and myself.
And Walt, thank you too .

I look forward to meeting many of you very soon at MouseFest. Let’s each raise a Dole Whip and toast Uncle Walt at Dr. Scopas Magical Elixer meet.
What do you say?

Meals.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk

Lunch: 5 pts. Smart Ones Salisbury Steak

Dinner: 3 pts. Smart Ones Shrimp Marinara

Fourth Meal: 8 pts. Grilled chicken sandwich w/ lettuce and tomato.

Snack: 3 pts. Cashew-Cranberry-Almond snack mix 1oz.

Exercise: Jog 9.12 miles in 102 min.

I was inspired by Jogger Blogger's long run today and was able to add that extra mile in tonight.

I said I would review Beowulf so here you go.
Very disappointing. Perhaps if I had been familiar with the story it might have been better. Huge gaping holes in the plot. Some characters were highly detailed while others looked like they walked onto the set from Shrek. (I am not slamming Shrek, I really enjoy Shrek) I felt like I was watching cut plot scenes from a video game.
People laughed out loud at parts of it, and for the first time ever, I witnessed people walking out on a movie, two groups of them. Wait for this one to arrive in your local video store. It won't be long.

Tell Next Time...

Pizza Points Add Up Fast

Very short post as I am going out with my son to see Beowulf. It looks interesting and actually has had some good reviews. So we'll see...
Yes, I'm into the flex points tonight with the pizza.
Still well under the 35 flex for the week though.
The movie could be another temptation, as I love theater popcorn. However, my son will certainly be the one holding the popcorn if we buy any.
Need I say more?

Meals.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk.

Lunch: 8 pts. Subway 6” Turkey on wheat, no cheese, all the veggies, Baked Lays chips

Dinner: 18 pts. (arrrrrggg) Breadeux Pizza. 3 slices.

Exercise: Rest Day

I will comment on the movie tomorrow...

Mousefest Is Coming

Disney MGM Studios 1991. Note the touristy fanny pack.
Yes, I worn that bright green. look at me. I'm from out of state thing everywhere.
Perhaps photoshop would be useful here? haha.
Well, if you can't laugh at yourself.....

Are you looking forward to Mousefest? It is almost here and I can hardly wait.
Vacation with my wife, meeting up with new friends, and of course DISNEY!!!
Our last Orlando trip was in 2002. After Disney, Sea World, and that other lack luster park.
U know which one I mean. Do you know what our kids enjoyed the most?
If you said Disney you would be close, but actually it was our day in Daytona. Just hanging out at the beach. Go figure.
It was a welcome rest from the busy days of that trip.
Has anyone been to the top of the Ponce Deleon Lighthouse? Great view.

Meals.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk

Lunch: 4 pts. Smart Ones Brocolli and Cheddar Potatoes

Dinner: 7 pts. 2 eggs scrambled w/green pepper, onions, salsa verde, 1 slice wheat toast

Snacks: 3 pts. Cashew-Cranberry-Almond snack mix. 1 oz.
5 pts. Almond Joy bar

Exercise: Brisk walk on treadmill 4.02 miles 60 min

Till next time...

208.6

My first gain. Ok it's 1 lb, I should not let it bug me, but it does, a bit.
I was able to fit into yet another old pair of jeans this weekend. So I was expecting a loss.
It could be many thing. Water retention, Muscle gain in my legs, who knows.
I can say, that although I have been doing well on my points. I also could have made a couple healthier food choices over the past couple days.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk.

Lunch: 9 pts. Subway 6” Turkey on wheat, no cheese, all the veggies, Sun chips

Dinner: ? pts. Homemade chicken and noodles w/ a small serving of mashed potatoes.

Exercise: Wog 4.45 miles in 61 min. Weather deterred me from doing more. Looks like I may be using the treadmill soon.

Till next time...

11:15pm

It's late and I have not been able to get a walk in tonight. No excuses I tried to go out an hour ago then life got in the way. Tomorrow I am planning on a full six mile jog. Typically, I enjoy my Saturday jogs following the rest day on Friday. So perhaps tomorrow's outing will be as enjoyable.

Meals.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/ skim milk

Lunch: 7 pts. Maid Rite sandwich w/baked beans

Dinner: 11 pts. Hamburger w/fries

Snack: 3 pts. Cashew-Cranberry-Almond Snack Mix

Get Up Offa That Thing - James Brown

Admittedly, tonight was another one of those times that I did not feel like exercising.
Somehow, I managed to pull it together and get out the door.
Temp was around 52 and it felt great. I ended up having a nice comfortable jog.

Breakfast: 5 pts. My morning standard of Raisin bran w/skim milk

Lunch: 5 pts. Smart Ones Lasanga

Snack: 3 pts. Cashew-Cranberry-Almond snack mix 1 oz.

Dinner: 6 pts. 1 hot dog on a wheat bun. That's it, the kids ate everything else. So room for dessert.

Dessert 6 pts. 3 oreos w/ skim milk

Exercise: Jog 4.21 miles in 50 min.

Till next time...

Thanks Again Rae and Congratulations Jonathan.

One week into this whole blog thing, and I would like to once again thank Rae for encouraging me to do this. Posting meals and snacks really does make you think throughout the day. I would say if you don't keep track of your meals, you should.
You may not need to post them for all to see, but for me the accountability is helpful.

Also, I have to say congrats to Jonathan on reaching a personal best jog of 4 miles in 61 minutes for a pace of 15.25. Way to go, I knew you could that.
Jonathan, looking at the map I believe you would be able to see Poly behind your left shoulder. The far side of the Contemporary is only another mile down the road, putting you very close to Main Street. (Your smiling aren't you?)

Todays Meals:

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk

Lunch: 12 pts. Long John Silvers Chicken Planks, Fries, and Corn.

Dinner: 10 pts. Grilled Cheese sandwich & Tomato soup.

Exercise: Walk 4.1 miles in 75 mins

Thanks for stopping by. Till next time...

Sometimes all it takes is getting out the door.

I received some goodies in the mail today. Our Mousefest packet and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas tickets arrived. It will be here soon I can hardly wait.

I really did not fell like jogging tonight. All day long I have just felt kind of off.
Today was very breezy and although the temp was around 52 I thought the wind would make things feel much colder. I was wrong and managed to overdress. (again).
Once I finally started out tonight I found a comfortable pace and was happy that I did not blow off my jog.

Here are todays meals

Breakfast: 7 pts. Doughnut w/1 cup skim milk

Lunch: 15 pts. Fuddruckers Grilled Burger & onion rings.

Dinner: 8 pts. Taco salad

Snack. Cashew-Cranberry-Almond Snack mix

Exercise: Jog 8.64 miles in 105 min

Till next time ...

Music

Music can do many things. (and it does not have to be loud)

It can lift your emotions or bring them down.
It can inspire.
It can transport you back in time.
It can affect the intensity of a workout.
A few of my favorite songs are.

“Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield
“Driven” by Incubus
“Brand New Day” by Sting
“Dreams I’ll Never See” by Molly Hatchet
“I’ve Got the Music in Me” by Kiki Dee

These songs talk about beginning each day fresh, taking personal responsibility, and not letting the world control your dreams. I find them uplifting.

Music is something I enjoy when exercising. But you have to be responsible.

Recently on Rae’s blog I was taken to task by mgreene.
I had mentioned that during the 06’ Dam to Dam race I felt not having my Ipod was a mistake.
My reason, I missed that musical lift.

His response caught me a bit off guard but he made some valid points.
He feels that the use of such devices is dangerous. Dangerous enough he points out that the USATF has banned their use in races it sanctions. He attached this link.
http://www.rrm.com/Newsarchives/archive07/07naparule.htm

This is important news and something to strongly be considered.

I do continue to use my Ipod for training. However, I have taken the volume down further, much further in fact. I know now that training without an Ipod from time to time, should be part of my routine in future months as I prepare for the 08’ Dam to Dam in Des Moines.

Frankly I am glad that mgreene responded the way he did. And if mgreene happens to find this post let me say “thank you”

I want to be safe out there on the roads and trails. And I want all of you to be safe as well. Make sure you can hear your surroundings. Don’t drown them out. There is a creek I go by nearly every night. I never used to hear it. Now it has become a welcome sign about 2 miles out.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk

Lunch: 6 pts. Smart Ones Spaghetti in meat sauce.

Dinner: 8 pts. Grilled chicken sandwich, side of carrots.

Snack: 6 pts. 1 serving Tostitos with 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and salsa verde

Exercise: None Rest Day.

So how’s your day going and what songs move you…

Even The Best Laid Plans...

Greetings from the Tundra.

Let's call today a day of learning and reinforcement. Why?
Well, because the purpose behind this blog comes into full effect tonight.

Today my company catered in lunch. Kin Folks BBQ. mmm good.

Menu included bread, pulled smoked pork, beef brisket, beans, and a macaroni salad.
I skipped the bread but tried everything else. Instead of adding BBQ sauce I choose some hot sauce. Although I could not measure things, I felt I did ok on portions. When I got home tonight and added it up. I was a bit surprised.

Here's todays points.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/ skim milk

Snack: 3 pts. Cashew-Cranberry-Almond Snack Mix 1 oz.

Lunch: 18pts (gulp)

Dinner: 6 pts Baked ham 2 oz. Baked potato with light margerin and salsa verde.

Total of 32 pts.

If you consider that I have flex points to use the total points are not so bad. But I realized a couple things here.

I should have waited till after dinner to decide whether to have a snack. If I had done that, I would have been at the top of my range without using flex points.

Portion size is fine and dandy but I do need to look up certain foods and get a better idea of what point values they hold.

Exercise: Walked 6.07 miles in 102 mins

I purposly added two miles to my walk tonight because of those extra points.

So there you have it, an honest report

Till Next Time. Your thoughts...

207.8

Nice weigh in today. I have now lost over half the weight I had put back on. I am very happy knowing that I am back on track. Now I just need to keep chugging along.

I have added a great link to a site that contains the Weight Watchers point calculator. All you have to do is plug in the missing numbers off of product labels and stick to the serving size. Below the calculator you will see the point ranges explained. I have been sticking around 24 points, but I could take that up to 29 each day. Plus I have 35 flex points available each week.
For this month at least, I am going to resist using those flex points.

Let’s just say flex points will be put to use at Mousefest.
Hey, it’s a vacation I’m looking forward to the double fudge whatever it is and the kitchen sink.
Seriously though, we will be using Disney dining and the menus at the sit down restaurants look amazing. I will try to make good choices but if I discover that I have added a couple pounds. I’m not going to sweat it. It will come off.

This evening’s temp 45 with a slight breeze.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran w/skim milk

Lunch: 9 pts. Subway 6” Turkey on wheat, no cheese, all the veggies, Sun chips

Snack: 3 pts. Cashew-Cranberry-Almond snack mix. 1 oz.

Dinner: 5 pts. Smart Ones Pasta Primavera

Snack: 6 pts. 1 serving Tostitoes with 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and salsa verde

Beverage: 3pts. 1 bottle Leinenkugel's Apple Spice Beer.

Realized that the beer cost me 2 flex points after I opened it. oops cheers!

Exercise: 6.27 miles in 77 min


Till next time...

Frost on the Tundra

Yep, I said frost. I was called in to work early today, so my walk had to wait till this evening.
This evenings temp 32 degrees and no wind. Actually it wasn't too bad out.

Todays meals.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran in skim milk

Lunch: 6 pts. Smart Ones Triple Cheese Ziti in Marinara

Dinner: 7 pts. Grilled cheese and jalapenos on wheat with a side of carrots. 1 cup skim milk.

Snack: 6 pts. Cashew-Cranberry-Almond snack mix. 2 oz.

Exercise: Walked 4.12 Miles in 62min.

Tomorrow is weigh in day. I had a strong craving for corn chips and salsa tonight. But I prevailed. If tomorrows weigh in goes well I may treat myself, to a properly measured portion of course. haha.

Tell next post thanks for stopping by...

Blustery Day on the Tundra

First, let me thank those of you who have already posted comments.
It’s nice to have support out there. My pledge to you and others who might follow along is that I will post truthfully. My success in using this blog depends on that element.
It’s nice to hear if I am doing well, but I also want to hear from you if I need some….let’s call it tough motivation from time to time.

And if you just want to stop in now and then just to say hello that’s fine too.

This morning’s jog was welcomed by a temp of 42 with winds at 18mph.
Once I got warmed up I realized I had overdressed for the conditions.
I found running into the wind very tiring and ended my run at my minimum goal of four miles.

Today’s Stats.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran in skim milk (It’s a staple to my day)

Lunch: 7 pts Bacon wrapped chicken griller with jalapeños, green peppers, and onions.

Dinner: 6 pts Smart Ones Santa Fe Rice and Beans with added salsa brava.

Snack: 6 pts Cashew-Cranberry-Almond snack mix 2 oz.

Exercise: Jogged 4.06 miles in 47 min.

Till next time…

Getting Use To the Blog World

So, I have been able to add a few details to this blog since this mornings post. Still finding my way around it. But it does not seem too difficult. I will add some other things to the right hand column as this blog progresses.

One of the goals I have, is to follow the Weight Watchers points plan to help me lose weight.
According to WW I am allowed 24 points per day at my current weight. There are also a number of flex points that are allowed. My goal is to use as few of those flex points as possible, especially this month as I would like to be back below 200lbs at the end of November. I will post points next to my meals if I have looked them up. As far as drinks during the day I stick to diet soft drinks and water. I do not plan on posting those as they present no point value. If I choose to have an adult beverage I will post those points.

So here is how today went.

Breakfast: 5 pts. Raisin Bran in skim milk

Lunch: 7 pts. Subway 6" Turkey on wheat w/cheese, all the veggies & no sauce.

Dinner: 9 pts. Spaghetti 1 cup pasta 1/2 cup sauce - 1 slice garlic bread - carrots

Snack: 3 pts. Cashew-Cranberry-Almond Snack mix 1 oz.

Exercise: Walked 4.15 miles in 67 min.

So this was a successful day.
Knowing that I was going to post my meals really did help my focus.

Till next time...

A Starting Line (Of Sorts)

Greetings from the snowy tundra of Iowa. Ok, it's not snowy here but the way time flys it will be before you know it. Temps here are already in the mid 40s at night. Great weather for walking and jogging. Which brings me to the purpose of this blog.
I am doing this for accountabilty reasons as I work towards weight loss and endurance goals.

My Story in brief detail:
Between 05'- 06' I worked on getting myself in shape. By June of 06' I had lossed 50lbs and participated in a local 20k race. Overall I did fine in the race and was pleased that I had finished such a feat.
However, following that race I slowly began to lose my focus. By spring of 07' I had gained 40lbs back. Drag huh? But I can only blame myself. I had a very hard time finding that earlier focus I'd had. Until.....

One day I was listening to the WDWRadio podcast and I heard Jonathan Dichter talking about training to participate in the 09' half marathon at Walt Disney World.
Jonathan has a blogspot http://voiceofmousetunes.blogspot.com/ which I began to read. I became inspired and slowly began my road back to better health. To date I have lost 19 of those 40 pounds and I'm not looking back.

Another person who has been an inspiration to me is Rae! She has done a nice job of holding my feet to the fire. She is responsible for me starting this blog. If you are interested in learning more about Rae! just look in the right side column and click on "Rae's Place".


Some days are tough and accountability is a must. My comments to Jonathan and Rae can be found under my user name "caballerofan" which I created because I enjoy the film The Three Caballeros.

I also need to give a shout out to Bryan Ripper. Bryan has been kind enough to exchange e-mails with me regarding training from time to time. If you enjoy Disney then you must check out Bryans podcast at http://allaboutthemouse.com/ Jonathan is his co-host.

Thanks for being there for me guys. It means more than I can express.

To wrap things up.
Going forward I plan to post how things are going. I will also be posting meals which is something that Jonathan and Rae do and I feel that will help my focus quite a bit.
I will most likely do posts in the evenings. That way I can log both exercise and complete meal information.

This blog thing is a new experience for me so we'll see how this goes.

Till the next post....