This blog is for and about the Webster family. Each of us want to make choices every day that will result in optimal health and fitness. We represent different generations and different places in life - from empty-nesters to young families to students. Our health goals are as varied as we are, but we want to have a common place to post our progress and our challenges. We will be accountable to each other - to provide support, design incentives, share information we come across, and in general cheer each other on and celebrate our steps toward fitness! If anyone happens upon this blog and is inspired to be more fit and healthy that is icing on the cake. So here we go!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Kathy - A Danger Averted

Finally the fog has lifted!  Wind and snow are much to be preferred for tromping.  During our tromp this evening the sharp eyes of the Fearless Leader spotted a skunk!  I have no idea why a skunk would be out this time of year - but there it was.  Fortunately the FL saw it before the beast did and was able to prevent any interaction.  Can you imagine how horrible 90+ lbs of skunk-sprayed beast would be?! 

Have been watching my new kettlebell DVDs as the 21-day kettlebell swing challenge ends in 2 days and I  need to plan how to proceed when it is finished...looks like MUCH more work is in store.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Kathy - Skirt Surprise!

Do any of you have 'test clothes'?  Mine is a skirt, which would look infinitely better if I were thinner.  In fact, for quite a while I wouldn't wear it all because it was just too awful.  I put it on this morning and was pleasantly shocked.  I looked the best in it I ever have (smile, twirl, dance a little!).  Still have a just a bit more to go before it looks amazing but I am getting there.  Hooray kettlebells!

I encourage all of you to designate a test outfit - and plan for your own amazing moment!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Brooke- A walk in the sun

Me again! I went for a 30 minute walk with Garrett and Chandlar in the sun today. Oh it was lovely!! Garrett just looked at everything and babbled happily to himself. Chandlar and I played "I spy". It was fun!! 60 degrees and just a small breeze was perfect to be out and about in!

I will have to look into some other videos. I know Chad is liking the new me and wouldn't balk to much at me spending $5-$12 on a new DVD.

I know about feeling listless Mom. I noticed that a lot of the time if I crank up happy music (whatever that is for you) it makes me feel better almost instantly. I used that trick today. I was feeling really teary and down for no real reason that I could find and so I looked up a couple of  songs on you tube and it helped.

We can get fit one step at a time! Thanks to each of you! As Jillian says "keep up the good work and you will see the results you are looking for"  Cheers!

Kathy - Motivation

I think it is pretty hard to keep motivated when you don't see much movement on the scale.  It seems to me that the inch you lost is muscle gain - muscles are leaner than fat and heavier.  Muscles also burn more calories than fat so you are gradually tipping the ratio in favor of a better calorie-burning body.  It might help you exercise consistently if you tell yourself you are changing the composition of your body.  Don't know if you have had a chance to check out any of the blogs I listed, but the Faith, Fitness, Fun blog has quite a bit about motivation, which might be helpful.

For me, I am pretty motivated right now.  I am sick and tired of carrying around this extra flab.  I want to be trim and fit and I am tired of messing around.  I AM going to lose 10 lbs.  I have only lost 2 lbs since the challenge started, which is discouraging, but I am continuing to adjust so I can get the results I want.  I now take the beast for her tromp plus spend some time on the treadmill every evening (just about)  For breakfast I am only having a green smoothie, no hot cereal. Supper continues to be only plant-based:  a large baked sweet potato with a little salt, or a bowl of pinto beans smothered in salsa, or a couple baked Yukon Gold potatoes and a side of green beans or peas. I have been battling a bout of depression the last couple days.  I don't know why but have just been feeling listless - it really helps to go for a walk or hop on the treadmill.  I am considering adding in a walk over my lunch break.  I just need to plan ahead and make sure to bring walking shoes, etc. to work.

Hang in there Brooke - I am so proud of how you are working through your times of dragging.  Is there another video you could challenge yourself with?  Maybe do a 30-day challenge with one video at a time...?  Exercise videos are really not terribly expensive - maybe get the Biggest Loser Boot Camp series and do each one for a month. Check out the offerings on Amazon and see what they have....

PS:  I have recently discovered Greek yogurt - it is rich, sweet, creamy and yummy!  It helps satisfy my dessert cravings and only has around 120 calories.  It really tastes like a decadent dessert!

Courage to all who journey!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Brooke- Ice cream and the fireplace

OK so right at this moment my tummy is full of ice cream and I am sitting in front of the fireplace. Really not wanting to do anything but relax and then turn in. It's only 8:30pm!

So as I see it we are two full weeks into this journey. I am the same weight as last week and the only big change is that I lost an inch off of my hips! Strange huh?? Every bit helps I guess. Would help more if I could keep myself consistent on exercise. The Shred was great the first time but I need a new "30 program" to challenge myself. Doing a bit of this and a bit of that is OK but I enjoyed "proving" that I could do the Shred. Not feeling very motivated this time around. I'm liking the new healthier me and I want to keep at it.

So my question to you is what gets you motivated? I need some.

And with that I will drag myself to do the dinner dishes and then workout.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Kathy - Out of Whack

Missed the tromp today because I was getting my hair cut, only an hour of The Biggest Loser - my Tuesday evening is seriously out of whack!

So... I had relaxed a bit during the 'first half' of The Biggest Loser and had just gotten on the treadmill to walk a bunch when the show ended with the message, "To Be Continued....."  Help!  I just started walking, you can't be over!  Sadly I had to watch something else while I walked.  Got my swings in.

So good to hear how and what you all are doing.  Envy your sunshine Kate!  Am curious to hear about your 'granules' Tyler.  Take me skiing Brooke - sounds like fun!  Keep up all the healthy activity - impressive!

Katie-Enjoying the sunshine

Not to rub it in any northern dwellers faces but the weather in southern California has been amazing!  This last weekend it was 75-80!  Steve and I took advantage of the sunshine and went on a bike trail near his house for 12 miles!  Wasn't as sore as I suspected I would be!  We have decided, weather permitting to get that ride in at least once a weekend.
Hit Monday strong with some cardio and am off to start (finally) the Brazil Buttlift dvds.  Wish me luck, lots of squats in my future.

Keep it up guys!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Great Weekend-Brooke

Thank you everyone who posted this weekend. I really enjoyed reading about how you are doing. Needed the giggles too.

I had a great weekend! Lots of extra exercise with tromping up the ski hill with Chandlar and Emery. We put them in lessons and they did wonderful! Emery took snowboarding and Chandlar skiing. Sunday Chad and I joined in the fun. I love skiing!! I love the swoosh of the snow and the chill of the wind. I love that I am in better shape than I have been for a long time. I'm excited that because of this journey to health I didn't hurt nearly as badly as I thought I would today. I'm also encouraged to know that each of you are overcoming health obstacles and exercise blahs too.

Now I'm going to hike to the springs. Have a great day!

Kathy - Tromping Update

The last few days have been warm and wet so we have forsaken the much-too-muddy hill. Once in a while we head to the lake but mostly we have just been moving on down the road.  Tonight was no exception.  Fortunately the torrential downpour cleared enough for us to go.  Cleared, however, is a relative term.  The rain stopped but in its place was a dense fog.  The world was reduced to the pool of light created by our headlamps.  These conditions rendered our 90-lb black beast nearly invisible.  Normally she is off sniffing and exploring but she too enjoyed the light from our headlamps tonight and stayed close. This made conditions a bit hazardous as at any moment a shadow could materialize right where we were about to step.  As we were walking along straining to see and trying not to trip over the beast a pack of coyotes began yelping 5 feet away from us!.  The Fearless Leader assured me that they were probably on a hillside across the field from us, but it still made my skin crawl.  We finally made it through the sea of fog to the island of light that was our front porch light  - Gotta love these tromps!

Anyway!  Hope you are all feeling more energetic and fit...Keep exercising!  Keep eating healthy!  You and your body are worth it!

Tyler - Signing in from Seattle

Wow, it's great to finally get around to posting. Many apologies for the delay, but rest assured that I have not delayed my exercising. Today I began the fourth week of a twelve week training program from the book Strength Conditioning. The program consists of doing a full-body workout three times a week. This stimulates more growth hormone than workout built around standard body splits such as Back/Biceps one day, Chest/Triceps the next. The focus is also on large, multi-joint moves such as deadlifts, lunges, pullups and the like that require several different muscle groups to work together. I've been at this for nearly a month now and have yet to do a single bicep curl or tricep extension!

The twelve weeks of the program are divided into four three-week segments. During segment one, you perform 4-5 sets of 10 reps each. Segment two drops the sets to 3-4 and the reps to 6. Since you're doing fewer reps now, you can significantly increase the weight you use. During my workout today I was able to increase my weight by 40-50% on nearly every exercise. The final two segments increase the reps to 8 and then to 10 respectively. This gradual ramp-up theoretically allows you to hold on to the weight increases you made. Though I've started this program a couple times in the past I've never made it through an entire 12 week cycle so I'm not sure how well it works. It makes sense to me though.

Other than the weight training I'm swinging my kettlebells around every once in a while and doing Qi Gong. I've also prescribed myself some Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang granules, which I'll talk about more in another post. I just wanted to get on the blog and let ya'll know that I was still around and what I was up to. Congratulations to all on your hard work.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Kathy - A Few New Sites To Explore

Hi Family!  Hope you have had a good weekend so far.  I have been looking for some good fitness-type blogs which might be of some help to us.  It is probably not necessary to report that there are a LOT out there. There are lots of hard-core fitness blogs taking things to a very technical level.  Wasn't really looking for that.  What I was looking for was a more personal touch.  Here are a few I found:

1)  Faith, Fun, Fitness.  This is a beautiful blog.  There is a good section on loving your body, which is a healthy perspective to have.  It seemed to have lots of good information.  I was a bit put off when a recipe she posted had ramen noodles in it - talk about death on a plate! But you can pick and choose helpful things from any of these blogs.

2)  Shrinking Sisters:  Three women determined to lose weight.  LOTS of good information and inspiration here.

3)  Perfect in Our Imperfections:  This is a weigh-loss blog but is also a blog which follows and discusses each episode of The Biggest Loser in depth, which I thought was fun!

4)  Healthy Tipping Point.  Also a very nice blog - definitely worth browsing.  She is a former out-of-shape person who is now a runner.  She has a nice recipe section - some really healthy, yummy looking food!  Good tips on running.

Hope you have fun with these!

FL

     I have been previously referred to as Fearless Leader (FL) so that is the handle I will use.  I am very proud of each of you for the self-discipline you have been demonstrating, not only in exercising and watching your diet but also in encouraging one another in this blog.
      My exercise program includes ice skating at the school with my students or playing soccer, walking Kameo and Kathy, and doing a routine of exercises from a book that I think is entitled "Losing it with Jillian".  It is an interesting title and one wonders what you must lose to commit oneself to doing the exercises in this program, common sense for example.  Anyway, one thing I like about the exercise program is that it makes each morning a moment of discovery.  As I crawl out of bed I discover which parts of my body have been most effected by the previous day's exercises. Occasionally I really can't tell because no one part hurts more then the rest.
     I also received a video of Yoga exercises from my wife for Christmas.  I was told that this was a gift for my own benefit.  I have a suspicion it was a revenge gift because somebody got her an exercise book last Christmas entitled something like "Losing it with Jillian".  I learned that when a woman asks for exercise equipment, dvd's, books, etc., they really don't mean they want you to actually purchase these as gifts.  What they mean, as any intelligent human male should know, is that they want you to know that they are interested in improving themselves but would prefer a gift certificate from the local home decor store.
     Anyway, back to the Yoga exercise video.  I have attempted to do the exercises in the video with very limited success.  Instead of thinking about my breathing, as they continually encourage you to do perhaps because they think it may kill you to get into some of the positions they suggest, I find myself thinking about the person that invented yoga.  They must not have had a regular job and had lots of time on their hands.  They must also have had a bit of a sadistic nature.
    One of the positions goes like this:  Put your right heel by your left hip, bring your left leg over your right leg and put your left foot to the right of your right knee.  Now put your right elbow on the left side of your left knee and put your left hand behind you on the floor.  Shift your belly to the left and turn your head to the right and gaze at your left foot which is beginning to cramp.  Remember to breath!
They say that yoga was originally invented to help you reach a state like the gods.  You are supposed to feel so good when you are done that you achieve a state of bliss like the gods.  The only religious point of contact that I have found so far is that, if I can get into the above position sometime before I die, it will be a miracle.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Kathy - Keeping On Keeping On with Adjustments

I loved your conversation with yourself Brooke!  Glad the good advice won out!  Hopefully each of us can listen to our better selves as we continue on our journey.  If we occasionally ignore it though the important thing is not to give up altogether but to keep on keeping on day after day.  If something is not working we should make adjustments and refinements - try a new exercise video or add more exercise time, find new, yummy recipes and foods that are healthy, and above all not give in to discouragement.  That is what this blog is all about - it is by us for us to help us stay the course.  Love you all! 

Friday, January 21, 2011

Dragging- Brooke

You are welcome Katie! I'm glad that tip helped. Don't let your weekend derail you, just get back at it.

I am literally having to drag myself to workout this week. I had to give myself a little pep talk last night. The talk went something like this.

 I don't want to work out. Blech! I know you don't. I feel so weary and it's already 10:30pm. I just want to go to bed. Well exercise might make you feel better. I know it makes you nicer to everyone else. I know, I know!! Maybe do one of your other videos. Yea I think I will dust off my VHS of Mina. I haven't done that one in years.  Okay so I'll just go get my workout clothes on and strap on my shoes.

 So I did it but I felt like a bumbling idiot the whole time because Chad was watching and he made comments about the blond on the video looking like a big ape marching in place and swinging her arms. I thought maybe he was saying things like that about me but just in his head. A little frustrating but I made it.

I'm feeling the same frustration as Mom with the huge fluctuations in the daily scale reading. How can you gain 4 pounds in one day and lose half of it overnight?

I have been browsing a site called formerfatguy.com  his transformation is inspiring!! I want to be healthy!!! I want to be more muscle than fat!! I just have to keep dragging myself one day at a time and I will make it eventually!

Courage to all of you.

Katie-Derailed

Three day weekend + visiting friends in San Diego = not much exercise or diet watching.  I think my biggest success this week was finding a breakfast that stayed with me until lunch (Thank you Brooke for the suggestion of more protein) I had a fried egg/veggie breakfast sausage sandwich on the sandwich "thins" bread.  Was not starving by 9 and was able to work out during lunch without much discomfort.  Cardio burn yesterday: 650 cals!  felt amazing.  I just need to start my dvd series.. It can be so hard to get out of bed in the morning.  Planning on starting this weekend.  Good job family!  Stay the course!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Kathy- Reality Check

I am Biggest Loser fan - and this season is shaping up to be a good one.  The last episode was rather a reality check for me in a sort of subtle way.  It happened when the doctor was talking to Sarah.  Turns out she has the biggest percentage of body fat of anyone on the show this season.  Evidently she was in an accident and has not been very physically active.  As a result she has lost a large amount of muscle mass and has a very low metabolism rate. This struck a cord with me.  While I am not 58% body fat, I do have a very sedentary desk job.  I do not eat a large amount of calories a day and yet I struggle with my weight, gaining very easily and losing with extreme difficulty. This leads me to believe that I do not have a very vigorous metabolism rate.  The doctor told Sarah she would have to exercise 90 minutes a day for the rest of her life.  Wow. What the take home message is for me is, if I really, truly want to be trim and fit, I need to get a bit more serious about it.

I am not going to make any huge, drastic changes to my current plan but I am going to ramp up the cardio from 30 to 60 minutes a day.  To accomplish this I have a new rule:  No television without at least 2 miles on the treadmill and I will do a bit of interval training while on the treadmill by varying it with speed and incline.  For weight training I will continue with my kettlebell swing challenge and for flexibility will continue with yoga. If I don't get results with this I will continue to intensify things until I do. Maybe by the time the challenge is over I will finally have things figured out!  Hope things are going well for the rest of you - are you out there?  Somewhere?

Kathy - Helpful Resource

Hi Family - I remember reading an article on obesity not long ago that suggested weighing every day.  In trying to locate that I stumbled across this site.  It looks good and has links to other places that look good as well:

http://www.myjanee.com/livelight/eat/weigh.htm  This is a a great article on reasons why to weigh every day. 

Hope you find this helpful.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Kathy - The Scale Dilemna

To weigh or not to weigh that is the question.  I have tried both - weighing once a week, which stretches out longer and longer as I start to dread getting on the scale and seeing absolutely no downward movement or weighing every day and being driven crazy with the fluctuations.  This week is a case in point:  Beginning weight: 134.  Day 2-135, Day 3-135, Day 4 - 132, Day 5: forgot to weigh, Day 6-135, Day 7-132. So does this mean I have lost 2 lbs ?  I guess I have for today! 

Update:  Deferred the tromp until later tonight to take advantage of the moonlight - gorgeous!  Did 40 minutes of yoga and 15 minutes of KB swings. I also have decided to measure my body fat percentage and see how that goes. 

Results from recent and ongoing poll:

1)  One person weighs everyday but also takes measurements.
2)  One person weighs everyday but only writes it down once a week.
3)  One person weighs about once a week.  

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

One week down- Brooke

Hello Websters! I'm hoping that you are doing well and that you have made some progress towards the goal!! I know I have...not to gloat but to show I am making progress here for everyone to see is my weight and my measurements.
Start day: 1/12/11
weight: 267
waist:48 1/2 inches
hips:53 1/2 inches

Today: 1/18/11
weight: 265
waist: 48 inches
hips: 53 1/4

I am measuring other areas but didn't want to bore you with all of them :)

So it works if you work it :) On to week two!!

I drank all my water and did 35 minutes on the Wii Fit. It was fun but not as challenging as Shred. The Wii said I had lost 11.5 lbs since the last time I was on...145 days ago. <wink> Oo Oo... I also was able to button the next size down pants today...not comfortable to wear but maybe by this time next week?? Wish me luck!

The Last Day of the First Week

Hi Family - I think this day deserves some sort-of recognition, marks some sort-of milestone, after we have, more or less, been at this a week!  Despite Katie coming off a 3-day weekend with friends, Brooke having strep throat, and the Seattle Websters silently, but faithfully, doing the challenge (right Seattle Websters?), we have made it through the first week.  For me it seems far longer than that.  Is that a good thing? I choose to believe it is!

Tomorrow begins the First of the Second Week!  Get out there and get fit!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Kathy- Day Six!

Almost a week of challenge!  Hope it has been a good one for all of you.  I have done really well with my plan and this past weekend was good - lots less eating and lots more activity.  However, my weight continues to fluctuate, which I find discouraging.  Am going to research how to lose the last stubborn pounds, or something along that line - will let you what I find out.

On another note I feel great!  I can tell a difference in my energy level and this evening when I was giving the floor a quick mop I didn't feel as tired even though I am a bit sore from my beloved kettlebell workout.

The last couple of evenings Dad has taken the GPS along on our walks so we know how far we have gone.  Tonight the hill was muddy so we cut the walk short a bit and only went 0.8 of a mile - I hopped on the treadmill later for a mile. Gotta get that exercise in!  Also did day six of the KB challenge.

Onward and forward!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Brooke- Day 5

Thanks for that post Mom! I like "Physical fitness is not a race, it is a pursuit.  There is no finish line to look for, but a new starting line to cross everyday.  The only real 'goal' is to never finish." Awesome!!

Zumba tonight. I think this is my favorite of all the DVDs I have, it is the only one I wish was longer. Got in my water and ate fairly healthy today.

I'm starting to think I have the exercise thing down. It's a habit now. I think this challenge is showing me that food is my next hurdle. I know about eating right but it's really hard when you are down to nothing in the way of groceries and all of the fruit and veggies are used up until pay day. I was handed a really healthy "no preservatives" diet from a friend. She lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks eating this way! It's very healthy and balanced. It is a lot like how Dr. Oz  recommends. I may or may not do it as it seems like it would be way more expensive to purchase the amount of fresh things. Also with the boys (all four) it's hard to change every one's eating. I'm going to just have to window shop and see what the price is to shop that way.

Not losing anything but I'm sure it's my eating. So that will be what I focus on now.

Keep striving for success...it starts over everyday!

Kathy - Physical Fitness

Since we are on a journey to become fit I got to wondering what fitness really is.  I suppose in the final analysis it is different for each of us.  Here are some quotes from personal trainers which might be helpful as you think about accomplishing your goals.

"The human body's ability to move with desired speed, balance, agility and strength gained through proper exercise and nutrition"  Don Hoskins, AZ

"Physical fitness is going through the day with a sense of confidence that you can put whatever the day has in store for you on your back, hold it there for awhile and, and then set it back down later, with good form.  It can give you peace of mind that you are better equipped to handle the physical challenges of daily life, from reaching high to bending low, from running with a purpose, or running with no purpose at all.  Physical fitness is not a race, it is a pursuit.  There is no finish line to look for, but a new starting line to cross everyday.  The only real 'goal' is to never finish."  Tom Bravo, FL

"Physical fitness is training for LIFE.  It's the body's ability to be able to withstand whatever life throws its way!  Sprinting, jumping, walking, playing with the grandchildren...physical fitness is specific to the individual and therefore, training to improve and maintain it should be as well:". Sarah Rippel, LA

Best of luck to each of you in your pursuit of fitness!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Brooke- Day 3 and 4

Yogalates tonight. I feel stronger already! Not a cardio workout at all but definitely can feel my muscles working.  Did get in my water today and ate OK but not great.

Yesterday afternoon my dearest stole me away for the evening/night and took me up the mountain to Callahan's Lodge. Early celebration of our 10 year wedding anniversary (the January 19 one)! So sweet. Before we headed up the mountain we stopped in Ashland and walked the main shopping area and perused the fun shops. I count that walking because it was about 45 mins and we walked up hill and down. It was lovely! I know I didn't get all my water in yesterday. Eating wasn't bad but not top notch health wise.

I'm still having to force myself to exercise but I know that it makes me feel better and so I press on.

Another happy note, I am about 1/2 an inch away from fitting into the next size down in pants!! So fun to put clothes in the "I can't wear pile" because they are to big!! Love it!! Don't know about weight loss but the inches are really melting off.

Happy day 5 to all of you!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Kathy - So Far So Good

Still on track here.  Day 3 of the kettlebell challenge.  Dog walked.  No yoga tonight, but did it last night.  Followed food plan. 

Very pleased with the kettlebell swing challenge - I am no longer in danger of hurting myself or dying.  The Kettlebell Swing 21-day challenge is great.  Very clear instructions on what to do and how to do it.  Very well paced - I can tell I have muscles and that they have worked, but I am not uncomfortably sore.  It is affordable, easy to use, you can start at any level of weight, one simple move works several major muscle groups - I love it!

Heading into the weekend - stay the course everyone!  (I mainly mean me). 

Katie-Day Two

After a long morning of bending over dirty mouths lunch workouts have been feeling really good.  Usually I have been just sitting and eating during the entire lunch hour which leaves me sleepy for the afternoon. Walking for 25 min and then eating has really effected my afternoon energy levels. Yes!  This results in being more willing to hit the gym again after work. 
I have yet to start the Brazil butt-lift, but hopefully next week. I have been just trying to ease myself back into working out regularly. 
I seem to to do really well with eating until dinner time comes... Ugh. 

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Brooke- Day 2

Much of my day I spent finishing the book that the boys gave me for Christmas. Really good book(s)! Enjoyed every moment. I drank all my water and I did Level 3 of the Shred again. Not as healthy at eating today. The whole day I was good until we got Papa Murphy's for supper. But so so yummy! 

Katie, eat more protein for breakfast...not sure what that would be but it helps me. Maybe take a snack of nuts for a quick boost.

Keep up the good work!!


Kathy - Tromping

Hi Guys,  hope your day 2 has been great.  Mine has been so far.  The part of my fitness plan which I absolutely love is taking the dog for her daily tromp - is that a word?  I love getting outside some each day!  This has come as a surprise for me because given the choice I'd take a warm fire, a soft couch and a good book.

Tonight we took the beast to the lake because we thought the hill would be too much of a mess - rain on snow.  Turns out the park at the lake was a mess too - rain on snow and cold enough to make ice.  It was rather treacherous underfoot so we stayed under the trees as much as possible where it was a bit easier to walk.  We had to ford the road a couple times, which was an exciting adventure of traversing a sheet of ice covered with slush.  But I still loved it!  It was so cozy tromping through the trees. We could hear mighty wind blowing higher up the slope but it did not touch us.. The snowflakes floating in the air glinted in our headlamps - yet it was an adventure just to find a place to walk. So- a cozy adventure!  Didn't seem like much of a work out though - tonight it was just exercise for the soul.

'Night everyone - tomorrow is another day closer to reaching our goals!

Katie-Day One Starving!

I got in my walk at lunch time but was derailed after work by a rumbling stomach.  So far I am finding it difficult to find healthy food that will stick with me throughout the day. My day starts early-at work by 6:45 and I'm usually hungry by 9:30.  Any ideas for healthy on-the-go breakfasts that will be filling?

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Brooke- Day One

Hello Websters!

Level 3 Shred done tonight. Also got in my 3 quarts of water. Ate very healthy too. Very long day and I'm tired.

I'm planning on weighing every morning and measuring once a week,

Kathy - Day One

Reporting in on Day One.  Drum roll please.  Walked the dog - check.  Kettlebell swing - check.  Yoga - check.  Followed food plan - check.  So far so good.  It will be interesting to see if I can get up the stairs to the computer tomorrow.  If I can't you'll know because you will not hear from me. 

Also taking a poll. How often do you weigh yourself?  If you feel like answering this question just comment. 

Are we feeling better yet?!

Kathy - Thanks - it is brilliant!

This post doesn't have anything to do with fitness, but whoever of you put the 'first post' info under our title did a very good thing!

Katie- In it to win it!

I have accepted the challenge and am excited to get started.

My goals:  Lose 12 lbs by my birthday Feb 24 & participate in one 10k and a half marathon date to be determined.

The Plan:  Lots of cardio- half an hour of walking at lunch time, running after work and I'm going to start The Brazil Butt-lift dvd program from Beach Body.

Good luck to everyone! 

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Brooke- When challenged by family

Ok Family...It is on!

I did the turbo jam cardio dvd last night (45 mins) and drank two quarts of water

Today I did get down three quarts of water (slosh) and I did Level 1 of The Shred... Muhaha...

And tomorrow....is another day.

Love you all!! Here's to us and this challenge!

Kathy - My challenge plan

My main plan of attack is the Josh Hillis 21-day kettlebell swing challenge.  Josh assures me that kettlebell swings are more effective than boot camp, aerobics or spinning, that, in fact, they burn 20.2 calories a minutes as opposed to the 8 or 9 calories the above mentioned exercises burn.  While this sounds really great, what this information really means is that I am going to die.  So for the next 21 days, in a row, I will be doing kettlebell swings - I may not be doing any typing....just saying. 

Anyway, while I can still type, the rest of my plan includes the following:
1)  Dog walks 4-5 times a week.  This involves walking up and down hills for about a mile and takes 30-35 minutes. 
2)  Yoga 2-3 times a week.
3)  Vegetables only for supper.
4)  Plenty of water - drink 48 ounces at work plus another 16 or so at home. 

Well, there it is, the part that is set in stone.  May refine as I go along.

PS:  If you haven't posted yet but still want to the do the challenge just weigh tomorrow and begin! 

Kathy - Let the Games Begin!

I say no time like the present.  So let's begin tomorrow!  My reasoning is it is the middle of the week so we won't be doing our final weigh-in right after a weekend. So do your first weigh-in tomorrow and start (or continue) working your plan.  Best of luck to you all  - but I am out to win!!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Brooke-Goals

So I've decided to put my goal in writting. Here goes...

Goal: Lose ten pounds

Objective:
A) work out for at least 25 minutes 6 days a week.
B) drink Three quarts of water daily

Methodology:
A) Work out using one of these dvd's Shred, Zumba, Turbo Jam every evening except Friday night.
B) Fill quart jar first thing in the morning and drink by noon, Fill jar at noon and drink by 5, fill jar at 5 and drink before going to bed.

How objective will be measured:
A) Will post on blog everyday I workout and which dvd I did.
B) Will make a water chart and mark it off as I complete each jar of water and will post how much water I consumed.

Frequency, duration, and method of evaluation:
A & B) Post progress on blog daily, until goal is reached, will evaluate in one month to see overall progress and if objectives need to be revised

Reward for 10lbs lost: Professional Pedicure




 

Sophie - Challenge accepted

This is Sophie, wife of Tyler, saying that we will be more than happy to join in festivities surrounding the proposed 30 day challenge. Tuesday or Wednesday work best for the Seattle Websters.

Brooke-Challenge

Brooke here.  Wow!! Mom I think the eyes would have made me walk faster too! That is just a little scary, pretty sure the beast would leave you in the dust if something came after you. Anyhow, health wise I'm all stuffed up and have been dragging myself around all weekend. I did work out Saturday night with the Zumba dvd. Pretty amazing when you wish the program was longer. I also worked out four times last week. I'm planning on working out tonight after I am done posting here. Think I will do cardio turbo jam. I loved the turbo abs. I haven't quite got the hang of the "tuck" yet but I'm trying. I figure if I'm sweating and keeping my heart rate up it works either way.

I'm game for the challenge. When do we start? Have I missed a post from any of my siblings or is it just you and me Mom?

I need a better laid out plan than just my day to day making myself workout. I'm finding it hard to keep at it every day. I know I'm not gaining as my smaller size jeans are starting to be to big but I'm not very motivated lately. Any ideas?

I'm not sure I would do the kettle bell(don't own one, don't really want to buy one) but I could still be working towards winning the pot.

What do you think of starting this Sunday the 16 and making it a 30 day challenge? That would take us to Monday, Feb. 14. And that gives everyone about a week's heads up that it's going to start. Everyone puts in $10 promise and whoever loses the biggest  percentage (of what? fat,weight, inches) wins the pot.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that when I entered my measurements on the body fat percentage calculator http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/body-fat-percentage-calculator.php
I'm not obese!! I'm average! That's a first in a long time!! Yippee...

Well with that I am going to don my workout garb and get to it. Good job Mom!! Keep at it.

Kathy - 21 Day Kettlebell Swing Challenge

I came across this while looking for resources for using my kettlebell.  What do you guys think about it?  Want to do it?  Just Google Josh Hillis or 21-Day Kettlebell Swing Challenge.  It is especially designed for fat loss. 

Kathy - EYES!

Our walk was postponed a bit this evening because Dan (hereafter to be called The Fearless Leader) had a meeting.  It is a beautiful evening - soft clouds filtering the moon and starlight.  Just right for tramping up the hill and through the fields.  We donned coats, hats, gloves, headlamps and started out.  The Fearless Leader doing what fearless leaders do -leading and I doing what I most often do - trudging along about 20 feet behind.  There is snow after all and stubble -slows a person down.  In the daylight we often see wild life on our walks - lots of deer, sometimes rabbits, little field critters, sometimes we hear coyotes and last summer a man stopped by to say a cougar had just crossed the road by our house. Too dark to see anything tonight - we stopped every once in a while to enjoy the clouds.  We were just heading down the hill when the Fearless Leader pointed out the Eyes. Glowing in the light of our headlamps. They were behind us in the brush at the top edge of the field.  We tried to figure out what they might belong to - probably not a deer because they just stayed in the same spot staring at us - a deer would have run.  We would stop and sweep our headlamps over the field and the Eyes were always there.  Lurking.  I walked a little faster and made sure to keep the Fearless Leader between me and the Eyes.  Funny how easy it was to glide over the snow and stubble with amazing, graceful speed.  Wonder how many calories using adrenaline burns?!

Kathy- Weekend Speed Bump

This weekend was a sad detour from my fitness plan - too much eating, not enough moving.  We did take the beast (6-month-old Newfoundland puppy) for a walk Saturday afternoon, but there was a potluck, other serious eating and general laziness the rest of the weekend.  However, as I was bemoaning my lack of devotion to fitness Dan got me back on track with by simply saying, :"Well that is in the past now"  Right!  Onward and forward!  But I think what I need is a motivational challenge.  What do you think guys?  Yes, those of you who are lurking on the blog, intending to post something sometime.  Should we do a 30-day challenge? 

What I would like to do for this first challenge is this:  Everyone participating pledges $10.00.  We start the challenge at a decided upon date (the sooner the better) and whoever has lost the biggest percentage of body weight at the end of the challenge gets the money. 

So!  Please post if you want to participate and also let me know when you want this thing to start.  I vote for sometime this week.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Eating Plan

Kathy posting again this evening.  I had full intentions of outlining my exercise/fitness plan, but got sidetracked thinking about food.  I have struggled trying to figure out what to eat (ultimately for vibrant health, abounding energy, glowing skin) but my immediate goal is to shed (please notice Brooke, I did not say 'shred'!) a few pounds.  I am adamantly against diets!  They are a temporary fix to a permanent problem.  Well, hopefully not permanent, but apt to be if I keep 'dieting'.  What I want is a way of eating that will serve me well for the rest of my life. I have decided the path to weight loss and health is vegetables.  Is that not an earth-shaking notion?!  Here is my plan:
Breakfast:  (Nothing new here - I eat this pretty  much every day) green smoothie, hot cereal with soy milk and maple syrup. 
Lunch:  I brown-bag it.  I take a few almonds and a piece of fruit for a mid-morning snack..  At noon I have a sandwich and an apple, usually  I throw something extra in - such as carrot and celery sticks, some crackers or pretzels. 
Supper/Dinner:  I struggle with this.  For years I only ate 2 meals - a large, home-cooked breakfast and a large home-cooked lunch around 1:00.  Nothing in the evening - no starving, no weight problem.  I can't do that anymore.  I eat breakfast around 6:00 a.m., am starving by 10:00 and have a little snack.  Eat lunch between 11:30 and 12:00 and am hungry and ready to eat in the evening.  I have decided that my evening meal will be VEGETABLES - at least until I lose about 10 lbs OR ramp up the exercise.  Last evening I had a baked Yukon Gold potato with a bit of salt and some petite peas.  Surprisingly this tasted delicious to me and I felt full and satisfied. Plan to use all kinds of vegetables and see what happens.  Hopefully what happens is that I will lose weight!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Yoga!!

Kathy here.  Brooke that is a fantastic idea!  Dad and I did one of the yoga workouts from the DVD I got him for Christmas last evening- it was his evening 'off'  from his torture-inspired Jillian workout.  It was relaxing!  Good word to describe yoga, don't you think?!  I think it is going to be a good addition to our quest for fitness - today I even feel somewhat less stiff and achy whenever I stand up.A physical therapist once told me that one of the most important things you can do for yourself to age gracefully is to keep flexible.  I admit to being a bit skeptical at the time (about 10 years ago...).  But am now a firm believer!

Anyway, while I think it is good to get the heart rate up and all that, what you did was a great alternative for 'those days'. 

Kettlebell workout later this evening - and I really need to get my fitness plan down in writing.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

When you just don't feel like it

So today was "one of those days". I, Brooke, just wanted to do anything other than workout. The baby is sick with a terrible cold, the four year old is testing his boundaries, and the seven year old thinks he should be in charge. I have been dragging all day (pretty sure I'm getting what the baby has) and just got by with the minimal chores, washed the dishes, switched the laundry, made dinner, and washed the dishes again. So after fighting all three boys to bed the last thing I wanted to do was workout. I posted  my status on Facebook how defeated I was feeling and a friend asked if I had anything more "zen-like" to do as a workout. I remembered my Yogalates DVD. So I put on my workout clothes and did my very relaxing workout. Now just because it was relaxing doesn't mean I didn't workout. No I didn't break a sweat but my ab and glut muscles are letting me know at this very moment that I made them work. Good feeling.

So my tip for the day (thanks Tara) is on tough days when you just don't feel like it or are a bit under the weather don't stop completely. Allow yourself to step away from Shredding or running or whatever torture you submit yourself to and have something a bit more "zen-like" to turn to. You will still be moving and you will burn off the stress that was making you feel so bad in the first place.

Monday, January 3, 2011

The Shred begins again

I, Brooke, started my journey towards a healthy weight on November 1, 2010. I challenged myself to do Jillian's 30 day Shred. I made the decision to start the Shred after I flew to a women's retreat in Portland. It was the first time in my 30 years that I had to ask for an extention for the seat belt. I was mortified and sobbed quietly to myself for several minutes before regaining my composure and was just mad at myself for "letting myself go", although almost 10 years of marriage and 3 children later, my body isn't what it was at 20 even if it wasn't completely healthy then. I thought about it the entire weekend and decided I was done being big. When I got home from the retreat I purchased the DVD and started it. I did 29 days of the 30 (the day after Thanksgiving I was very ill with a stomach bug). I posted everyday on Facebook of my progress and woes, which helped me stay accountable.

I can tell you that the 29 days were pure torture but produced a noticeable difference in my appearance. 10 lbs and 12 inches lost!! It was hard work but being able to purchase a size smaller jeans was well worth the effort.  I back slid a little in December. I did great the first two weeks and then a friend from Alaska came to visit and I worked out 3 of the 7 days she was here. Then I worked out 2 days the week of Christmas and didn't work out or watch what I ate for the rest of the month.

So I have decided to start the Shred again for January. First work out was last night. I did level 1 and it was awesome!! I was able to keep right up with Jillian and the girls. I am a little sore in the obliques today but the "pain" is so worth it!! Hoping to shred another size off this month! I'll keep you posted.

The Kettlebell

Tyler brought his 'smaller' 26 lb.kettlebell home for Christmas to show me.  I was entranced by the graceful movements of working out with it.  Even though I could only swing it about 3 inches from my knee caps I could feel my abs tightening, my arms and legs working - fun!  So I purchased a modest 15 lb kettlebell, which I could actually swing as high as my head, and worked out with it last evening.  "Worked out" is code for 'stumbled around awkwardly'.  I proudly finished 5 minutes of a 15 minute workout and rested for the remainder of the evening.
Next day assessment:
1.  Arms: sort of sore
2.  Abs: sore if I really, really concentrate, but probably only in my imagination
3  Legs:  SORE.  My trusty legs which carry me up and down hill with postman-like dedication while taking our puppy for walk every evening are sore!  I guess climbing hills does not require the same muscles as squats and lunges....sort of sad that 5 minutes could produce this level of discomfort however!

Tomorrow evening will 'work out' again and also begin yoga. I am thinking I might need to sneak in an exercise DVD as well.  So much fun, so little time.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

The First Post

This blog is for and about the Webster family.  Each of us want to make choices every day that will result in optimal health and fitness.  We represent different generations and different places in life - from empty-nesters to young families to students.  Our health goals are as varied as we are, but we want to have a common place to post our progress and our challenges.  We will be accountable to each other - to provide support, design incentives, share information we come across, and in general cheer each other on and celebrate our steps toward fitness!  If anyone happens upon this blog and is inspired to be more fit and healthy that is icing on the cake.  So here we go!