Tuesday, April 5, 2011

I could eat this for every meal FOREVER and be happy! Thank you Vivi’s!


B7 - Grilled Chicken

I am a huge fan of Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, and Greek food… but my all time favorite meals have Vermicelli noodles as a main ingredient. Yummy! These long thin noodles made from rice are simply fantastic, but not allowed on my Paleo diet. (sigh) I used to be a regular at a couple nearby Vietnamese restaurants, and even though I know there are several things on the menu I could choose from, those darn noodles call my name and I can’t resist them, so I stopped going. Recently, I overheard some of my gym-mates talking about Vivi’s Vietnamese Noodle House and I know that most of my fellow Gym-goers follow a same or similar diet as I do, so I inquired about what they eat there. Turns out, the owner Tanya, also a member of our gym has recommended a couple different options for our eating pleasure and let me tell you, they are FANTASTIC and I don’t even miss the noodles.

B9 - Pork, Chicken & Beef (To Go)

There is something about thinly shredded fresh vegetables that when presented this way, mimic the noodles that were once there. Plus as a bonus when you get these bowls without the noodles, you get a huge heaping pile of these veggies which more than satisfy your hunger and then some. I’ve tried two different dishes “SWEAT360” style, (no noodles / double the veggies). B7 – Bun Thit Ga Nurong – Grilled Chicken, Shrimp Spring Roll, Vermicelli Bowl. (minus the Spring Roll & Noodles), and B9 Bun Tong Hop – The Super Bowl! Pork, Chicken, Beef, and Shrimp Spring Roll (minus the Spring Roll & Noodles). They are both served with a giant portion of shredded vegetables and topped with roasted peanuts and green onions. They give you a side of their homemade fish sauce and a scoop of chili sauce to finish it off just right. I wish someone would tell me what “fish sauce” is… it must contain some sugar, but just the right amount, and it is sweet and tangy, and perfect for this dish. They also have a Lemongrass Chili sauce that is great mixed in. I’ve been told their Beef Soup (without noodles) is really good as well… Next time Vivi’s… next time. Thank you Vivi’s for showing me that I can still enjoy Vietnamese food even without my favorite rice noodle.


Vivi’s Vietnamese Noodle House is located on 25th Avenue in Hillsboro. 503-648-2300 http://www.vivisnoodlehouse.com/  Order B7 without noodles or if you are talking to Tanya “SWEAT360 Style”.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Butternut Squash

I loved the Butternut Squash Lasagna from Health-Bent so much I bought all the necessary ingredients again. Last night while making the sauce, I decided to add a few of my own… first to the sauce I added a significant amount more of the garlic, added red wine (since it was in my fridge left over from when Julie was cooking for me), doubled the roasted red peppers, added both fresh and frozen basil. Ruthie enjoyed picking out just the right basil leaves and putting them all in for us. I added less of the pizza sauce; well I didn’t use pizza sauce at all but ½ a jar of an organic basil tomato pasta sauce. I chose a large white onion instead of a red onion and chopped it and let it caramelize before I added the ground mild Italian sausage. I also let the sauce simmer quite a while and reduce somewhat, while I was busy doing other things around the house. For the Squash, I used a carrot peeler to peel it, then it was cutting it so nicely I decided to use it to make the noodle slices as well…. This made for really pretty even squash but it was a little too thin, next time I’ll make thicker slices with a knife instead. Not to mention this takes a long time to use the peeler. The other addition I made is in the layering. I started with a little sauce, then the squash, then a layer of fresh spinach (since Jeff brought me a bag back from his snow trip)… This turned out to be a great addition to the lasagna, I just wish I would have added more since after it was cooked it shriveled to just a tiny amount. A nice thick layer would have been awesome! Next time. Since I made a huge lasagna I will be having leftovers for a couple days for sure... In my take-to-work container today I added more spinach, I think it will reheat perfectly in my dish… oh great now I’m hungry.

BN Squash Lasagna w/Spinach


Super Kid-Friendly Ideas for this Weekend
This weekend we are doing a first-time sleep over at our house with my niece and nephew… I actually have a few very kid-friendly recipes in mind including a couple sweet treats to try out, and yes my dear sister, your kids and mine, will be able to have some grains and dairy while they are here… but they may not need or want them with what I have planned for them.




Monday, April 4, 2011

A lot about Water and Why I Paleo

Are you getting enough H20?

Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues. Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired. (Mayo Clinic)

 
How much of the plain stuff do you need?
There is a lot of debate about how much a person should drink of water each day. Weight Watchers recommends a minimum of 8 8oz cups of water a day and to drink an ounce for ounce match to any caffeinated beverage. So if you had 2 cups of coffee and a diet soda you’d need to drink 11 8 oz cups of water for that day. Some websites recommend a gallon of water per day. A gallon equals 128 oz or 16 cups of water per day. Many nutrition sites promote the half your body weight in pounds to ounces of water per day. Example: a 200 pound person should drink 100 ounces of water per day which equals 12.5 cups per day. I found an article on About.com that has a hydration calculator… for this you answer a series of questions, 9, I think, to determine how much water you should drink daily… not surprisingly the number I came up with was about the same no matter what tool or guideline I use. Try it though, I’ve copy/pasted the link to the Hydration Calculator.

 
Hydration Calculator: http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm?start=1£s_100=100£s_10=90£s=5&minutes=60&preg=0&breast=0&alt=0&dessert=0&alc=0&col=NaN&sick=NaN&col=0&page=8
Water and the Paleo Diet
After viewing and reading several “Paleo” articles on the subject and even a few thoughts from Dr. Cordain, the general consensus on water while eating Paleo is to drink when you are thirsty and not worry about how many ounces… There are a couple reasons for this, one, if you are eating Paleo to actually eat like our Paleolithic ancestors ate, they did not carry around BPA free water bottles with them, they drank when they were thirsty from wherever they could find a clean source of the good stuff. Keeping that in mind, they also didn’t drink coffee’s, sodas, juices, anything processed or manufactured, they actually got a good portion of their water from how their body processed whole fruits and vegetables. There are some studies that show the standard 8 glasses of water a day is too much, that too much water which acts like a solvent washes away good nutrients as well. True, but, my thoughts on this are, we are not cavemen or cavewomen, and as much as I strive to eat a Paleo diet, it will never be 100% Paleo and we do consume a variety of toxins with our everyday intake. I have personally always found that an increase in my water intake boosts my ability to lose weight, and to feel better. The first time I ever joined a weight watchers support group, I think I was 21 at the time. The instructor said something to the group that stuck with me. “There is only one way to get the fat out of our bodies, sweat it out or pee it out.” I’m sure we could all read into that and state some other ways or that it isn’t exactly a true statement, but honestly it’s close… Exercise a lot, eat healthy and drink enough fluids to wash away the toxins and voila you start to shed unwanted pounds.

 
Why the Paleo Diet for me?
A lot of people have asked me why I’m choosing to eat a Paleo diet. Well to start off, it is not because I have some weird desire to revert back to caveman days where I have to hunt and gather my food, it is also not because there have been numerous studies that when grains were introduced into our society as a whole, many different types of illnesses evolved leading to many sicknesses including cancer and obesity. The fact that many people who removed grains and processed foods from their diets actually cured themselves from many diseases including diabetes, Fibromyalgia and a multitude of autoimmune disorders is still not the reason that I eat Paleo. I eat Paleo, because it is the only diet I’ve ever tried that actually works for me. I do not have celiac disease or gluten or dairy intolerance or allergies, but the removal of grains and dairy were the magic ingredient in a stalled weight loss struggle that has been 10 years long. Not only did it finally start to trigger actual weight loss, I’ve never been stronger or more fit in my entire life and that includes when I was a 3 sport athlete throughout school and into college. Sure I could pitch a softball, 60 miles per hour or sprint up and down a basketball court for the entire game, but now, my endurance and cardio health is amazing! I can go and go and go… I don’t lack energy and so long as my severely degenerated spine allows me to move, I do. I’d also like to say, the Paleo diet is not an Atkins diet of high fat and little to no carbs. I eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and lean protein. I make food myself whenever possible, I’m creative with coconut and almond flours and milks and I still eat out, often… You’d be surprised at how easy it is to have a very normal life without grains and dairy without much effort at all. I will say Italian restaurants are hard but not impossible and going to an Adventist potluck where most people are vegetarians presents its share of challenges, but, not impossible… Paleo is a diet that consists of non-processed food with no Dairy, no grains, and no legumes… I’m on the fence about legumes and have yet to be convinced about why they are considered “toxic”… but for now I’m not eating them either. I have tried many different diets, I was even vegetarian for over a year leaning on the vegan side thanks to my cousin, I love tofu, and quinoa, couscous, and rice, but my body doesn’t… This weird thing happens; I get fat, and fast… I am an animal lover and I HATE that animals die so that I can eat, I buy free-range, grass fed, organic, whenever possible and I have a really hard time eating any meat that is on a bone. But that struggle aside, my diet works for me. I would never preach to you or others that it is the “Only” diet that people should eat; it is simply what works for me. I would love for my husband and daughter to be grain-free/dairy-free as well and we are slowly working towards that. Luckily they are both blessed with lean bodies so my job is to make sure they get the nutrients they need, it is easy for them to eat with me then simply add a small amount of grains or dairy, my hopes is that grains don’t impact them negatively like they do me and they will have a nice healthy diet that goes along with nice healthy bodies. The last thing, I am not on a diet… I’m simply choosing to eat or not eat certain things. I made my mind up a long time ago that I will not be on a diet my entire life. That said, I will go through little challenges every once in a while to kick start my weight loss or correct a bad habit. But I will also celebrate with the best of them and enjoy my life. I love food and I also thank God every day that I love exercise as it is essential to my being healthy and living a long life that I’m proud of. I’m thankful that I am able to learn about what makes my body work, before I had any serious illnesses that needed to be corrected.

 
Back to Water: Tips for increasing daily water consumption
Yes drink when you are thirsty but I lean towards the be sure you are properly hydrated model for increased weight loss and overall health. So here are a few tips for getting your water in. The first one will make my hubby laugh, since every time I decide I’m not getting enough water in, I go out and buy a new water bottle to carry around with me… let’s just say, I have a lot of really cool water bottles.

 
  1. Get a new cool container for it, one that you don’t mind carrying around with you. Currently my two favorites are:  
    1. Lifefactory 22 ounce beverage bottle. This is a glass bottle with a rubbery sleeve. Easy to carry and hold. The water tastes like water… dishwasher safe and easy to clean. I wish it had a clip on my bag top though. http://www.amazon.com/Lifefactory-22-Ounce-Beverage-Bottle-Blue/dp/B003BFS90Y/ref=pd_rhf_shvl_3   
    2. Contigo AUTOSEAL Water Bottle, 24 ounce http://www.amazon.com/Contigo-AUTOSEAL-Water-Bottle-Ounces/dp/B003KZKE1C/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1301942178&sr=1-5  Did you catch the autoseal part? This is great for a throw it in my car, share it with my toddler and it really doesn’t spill unless you hold the release down and try to pour it out. Cleans easy and the top clips onto anything I need it to. 
  2. Some people like to combine drinking water into moving more and get a small water bottle or cup and constantly get up and go refill it as you drink it throughout the day, I’ve found that doesn’t really work though, instead I have an empty water bottle on my desk, so buy a big enough one that you don’t have to continually refill it and it is readily available.  
  3. Place your water in view. Every time you look at it, pick it up and take a drink.
  4. Set certain time goals for water consumption: i.e. 8 ounces first thing in the morning and another 8 ounces before lunch. I like to get the majority of my water in before I leave work… I also like to drink it early so that I’m not taking too many bathroom breaks at night while I sleep. See Getting enough sleep in my previous blog post.
  5. Use a water bottle or container that you know how many ounces are in it… for example if I have my Contigo bottle with my, I shoot for 4 refills that’s more than enough water for me for the day and 4 is easy to count.
Here are a few more tips from a random article I found online. (the above tips are from me.)
  1. Make a bet with a co-worker to see who can drink more water in the course of a day.
  2. Have a big glass of water at every transitional point of the day: when you first get up, just before leaving the house, when you sit down to work, etc.
  3. Make it convenient - keep a big, plastic, insulated water bottle full on your desk and reach for it all day.
  4. When you have juice (apple, grape, or orange) fill half the glass with water.
  5. When you have a junk-food craving, down a glass of water immediately. You feel full quickly and avoid the calories, and it lets time pass till the craving fades.
  6. Have one glass every hour on the hour while at work. When the work day is done your water quota is met.
  7. Substitute a cup of hot water with a drop of honey for tea or coffee.
  8. While at work, get a 20 ounce cup of ice and keep filling it up from the office water cooler. The key is drinking with a straw - you take bigger gulps and drink much more.
  9. Freeze little bits of peeled lemons, limes, and oranges and use them in place of ice cubes - it's refreshing and helps get in a serving or two of fruit.
  10. After each trip to the restroom, guzzle an eight-ounce glass to replenish your system.
  11. Don't allow yourself a diet soda until you've had two to four glasses of water. You will find that you won't want the soda anymore or that just half a can is enough.  
  12. Let ounces of water double grams of fat: When eating something containing 10 grams of fat, I drink 20 ounces of water.
  13. Drink two full glasses at each meal, one before and one after. Also, drink one glass before each snack so you don't eat as much.
  14. Carry a small refillable water bottle at all times and drink during downtime; while waiting in a bank line, sitting on the train, etc.
  15. Use a beautiful gold-rimmed glass and fill it with cold water from the tap.
  16. Drink two glasses of water immediately after waking up.
  17. Bring a two-liter bottle of water to work and try to drink it all before you leave work. If you don't finish, drink it in traffic on the way home - it's like a race.
  18. Always keep a 24-ounce bottle of water handy while watching TV, doing laundry, making dinner, etc.
  19. Add drinking two glasses of water to your daily skincare regimen. Drink, cleanse, moisturize, etc., then drink again.
  20. Drink your water out of a big Pyrex measuring cup - it's a good way to keep track of how much water you are drinking.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Day 11 - 11P2G - Sleep Already!

Winning!
Great day! Long day! Rope climbs made it into the HD workout today… and I’m super excited that it did. I was one, maybe 2 pulls from the top today. I smoked all previous attempts and even had Robert ready with the camera just in case. I lost my footing right before this picture was taken and couldn’t recover from it. Rope burns on both legs getting back down, but I was safe and they were right… you simply don’t fall from up there, you just don’t. I did a mini-celebration then finished the AMRAP… I didn’t make any more attempts for the day, one is all I have in me and then the bruising and burns set in on my shins.

Dinner
 Input: Pretty mellow day for eating. Rue and I finished the leftover pancakes for breakfast, instead of lunch I snacked throughout the day on the lunch items I brought to work, chicken and fresh guacamole, a nut pack, and some grapes. I got a call from the furniture store delivering my munchkin’s bed so I rushed home to open the door for them. We had dinner at 5:30P. It was a great dinner, I took some of the leftover sun-dried tomato chicken from dinner last night, chopped it up and added it and some of the tomatoes to a pasta sauce, I put it over noodles for J&R and I enjoyed my portion over a sweet potato. We had a side salad and some organic carrots, great dinner!
Output: Noon HD @SWEAT360.
Warmup with jogging and drills, 5x5 Kettlebell snatches on each arm. Then a 12 minute AMRAP (As many rounds as possible) I think I did 6 rounds… ??? I was so excited from the rope climb I lost track. After round one, I chose the 4 mini climbs instead… for these, you sit on the ground and climb the rope to a standing position and lower yourself back down. The AMRAP was: 1 rope climb (or 4 minis), 7 Burpees, and 10 Box Jumps.

Random: Today was exciting for Ruthie since her new loft bed arrived. Ruthie has been a co-sleeper, well since day one of her life… we had a brief 6 months just before she turned 4 where she slept in her own bed every night but then she worked her way back into ours. Don’t get me wrong, we love co-sleeping with her, but I also miss sleeping peacefully with my husband too. When Rue is in bed with us, I sleep in mommy mode, and every sound or move she makes I hear it, it makes for not so great sleep for me, but it’s been 5 years so I must be getting adequate sleep or at least close. We ordered her bed, that she picked out about a month ago and she has been telling us that as soon as it arrives, she will sleep in her own bed forever… Well it arrived today, at 5:30P and after we had dinner, Rue and I spent the entire evening putting it together. As soon as her Bennie Bear was in place, she climbed in, said goodnight, turned out her light and went to sleep. Hurray!!!!

For some reason, I remembered a challenge I had given to some friends during one of my many attempts of doing a weight loss challenge. I had done some research on sleep and I’m not sure what article this came from so forgive me for not being able to cite the right source but for kicks I found the challenge I had sent out and copied and pasted it here. I don’t get “points” for anything I’m doing now but maybe I should… remembering to and actually getting some good sleep is so beneficial to a weight loss plan and to good health overall. Soooo random copy/paste from an old weight loss challenge I was running and participating in…. enjoy!

Sleep Already!
Getting too much or too little sleep may widen your waist! That’s right Goldilocks: Getting seven to eight hours of sleep is juuuuuust right. People who sleep less or more are likely to gain 11 pounds over a six year period by making no other changes. Skimping on sack time decreases the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin and increases the appetite stimulating hormone ghrelin. What’s more… overindulging means less time moving.

The challenge: Get at least 7 hours of sleep nightly. Points: 1 point per day this is achieved. Report in your daily journal or in a weekly journal which must be received no later than Tuesday 9/2.

Tips: if you have a hard time getting to sleep (me) try these techniques… who knows they might work for you…
  1. Pull your hair (not kidding) I watched a study on Oprah not long ago where the scientists said that by pulling on your hair you can actually trigger the nerves in your head and stimulate it in a way that actually helps you turn off all those other things going through your head, allowing you to fall asleep quicker.
  2. Fade to black: Apparently the 2nd most common reason people have a hard time falling asleep is because of light in the room. (the 1st is anxiety). Make your room dark, use blackout shades or wear a blackout sleep mask… and oh yeah, turn off the TV and unplug the night light.
  3. Get the right pillow for your sleeping style, and replace your pillow every 12 to 18 months.
  4. Quietly listen to music with beats similar to your heart rate, 60 to 80 beats per minute. Check out bedtime beats CD’s www.bedtimebeats.com or try some white noise, like waterfalls or rushing river waters.
  5. Score a new pad… it might be time for a new mattress or mattress pad (I know it is for me) Make your bed comfortable and you will toss and turn much less throughout the night. 
  6. Change your alarm clock… apparently clocks with blue toned digital displays block melatonin production, keeping you up… if you can see your clock and are having trouble falling asleep switch to an amber light instead. (the orange).
  7. Down your dog. Mans best friend could be sleeps worst enemy…
Not getting enough good sleep can actually stall your weight loss. So sleep already!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Day 10:11P2G -- Pancakes & Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Bake

Breakfast
Quick Paleo Pancakes
The dryer is working or at least it appears to be for now… Yay! Hopefully that ends the drama for this week. Food for today was fantastic; I had a late breakfast while waiting for the repair man, of the Quick Paleo Pancakes… I’m not sure what I did different, but they were even better today. The consistency was, well, pancake like. I followed the recipe exactly and made my quick berry compote for the top. Perfect. Lunch was a simple left over chicken warmed with a side of fresh avocado and for dinner we enjoyed for the first time Sarah’s Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Bake from Everyday Paleo. http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/03/09/sun-dried-tomato-chicken-bake/  I followed her recipe, except that I wasn’t paying attention at the grocery store and bought a 6 oz jar of sun dried tomatoes instead of an 8.5 oz jar, and mine were not julliane cut, so I cut them myself. I lost a little of the olive oil in that process but I think it turned out fine. We enjoyed it with a green salad, fresh fruit, and my not quite paleo family added some mashed potatoes and everyone was happy. No crazy activity today, I had to miss Poweryoga @ SWEAT360 but I’m still planning some stretching and inversion before bed.

Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Bake

Dinner
Leftovers Yummy!


Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Day 9 - 11.5 lbs to Goal: Tuesday: A Lot a Tabata

Roasted Cajun Butternut Squash
Am I the only one that thinks eating will make a headache go away? I don’t know why I think that; maybe it is because if I’m having a caffeine withdrawal headache some espresso usually cures it. I’m proud to say that today, even though I had a frustrating morning and a ticked-off induced headache, I stayed on plan. I did have to stop and think about my food choices and I even noted to myself that food isn’t going to help and drank more water instead. I kept the food choices simple and finished up some leftovers, no wasted food for us this week.

Input:

Breakfast & Lunch
 Dinner for breakfast, the squash just looked too good not to eat this morning, so I cut it in half, heated it up, added some turkey roast and enjoyed it with a cup of coffee. Ruthie boiled egg and a Larabar for a snack. Drank some liquid vitamins in water, then had a repeat of breakfast for lunch but finally finished off that turkey roast… that was a lot of meals with one roast… It was good but I’m kind of glad it’s gone… now I can work on a new recipe. ½ Banana and a raw nut pack before my workout and after stopping at New Seasons on my way home, I didn’t feel very hungry for dinner. I knew I was hungry but after a nice hard workout the hunger was masked a bit. I decided to keep it simple, I sautéed some of the Healthy 8 Chopped veggie mix in a little olive oil, a lot of veggies, added 2 eggs and made a scramble and added a dollop of guacamole. It was fabulous. I may or may not splurge on a little dessert tonight, I picked up some dark chocolate coconut bliss bars… I’m currently not hungry so maybe I will save it for tomorrow.


Leftover Scramble for Dinner
 Output: A Lot a Tabatta
A little jogging, ladder drills, and dynamic drills, then a fast hard AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) in 10 minutes. I completed 8 full rounds with about 15 seconds to spare and breathe…

8 Rounds in 10 Minutes of:
7 KB Swings (54lb KB for me)
7 Slam Ball shouldering (40lbs round 1, 30 lbs remaining 7 rounds)
15 Bodyweight Squats (fast)

Then comes the Finisher: Tabata Sit-Ups

SWEAT360 - HD 5:30P
Tabata is eight 30 second rounds of as fast as you can for 20 secs and 10 secs of rest. You are supposed to go as hard and fast as you can and count how many you get then on each round after you try to meet or beat your original count. Full range sit-ups, my counts: 11, 11, 10, 10, 10, 10, 9, 10

Great workout! I needed that. No rope climb attempts today… I’m rightfully exhausted.

Why I will never buy an appliance from Best Buy ever again!!!

It started when we purchased the front load washer/dryer combo for our new house, nearly 3 years ago… Delivery and install was included, however when they arrived, they considered placing them in the right place installed and would not actually install them. My dad drove up from Eugene to help me install them, not that it was difficult hooking them up but thanks for the nice install Best Buy.


One month later… I noticed that the main reason we bought this particular unit, it’s efficient dryness sensing, that automatically senses when your clothes are dry so as not to over dry them, wasn’t working. How did I know this.. because it wouldn’t shut off and our clothes when it did shut off were hot like fire. We called the customer service who sent a technician about 2 weeks later. We simply put it on the Normal cycle for 40 minutes so that it wouldn’t over-heat while we waited. When the technician came the first time. He immediately said… it’s not the dryer it is the venting. We then argued about the venting because the manual reads that it needs to vent within 50 feet of the dryer and it was venting 28 feet away. Didn’t matter to him… it was the venting and nothing could be done. Nice… oh and he refused to reinstall the vent hose (put it back on) and said and I quote, “When your husband gets home, he can put this back on for you.” Are you f-ing kidding me? was he saying that because I’m a girl, I can’t put a tube on a receiver?!?! I actually complained about that one… A-Hole!

I placed the hose back on the dryer.. and we continued to use it on normal for about a year then poof it wouldn’t start. Called Best Buy Geek Squad, they sent, oh my gosh, the same technician out. Turns out the fuse that controls the heating element blew, he says because it’s not venting properly making it too hot and thus the sensor-technology won’t work. I said we haven’t used the sensor technology because it has never worked and we don’t want to fry our clothes. He replaced the fuse and still said our venting was too far.

Okay fine, my sister and I headed for the crawlspace and were about to re-vent it entirely, but found an indoor method where it vents right into water inside. It seemed to work but it gave far too much moisture in the air to continue long term. Oh and because it was venting only 2 feet from the dryer I turned the sensor back on and guess what… it fried my clothes… smoke literally came out of the dryer. Nice. Back to normal 40 minutes for us. The moisture got to be too much so I actually re-vented the dryer into our entry way 5 feet from the dryer. This lasted about 6 months… fast forward to now… 3 weeks ago… it wouldn’t turn on again.

I called Bust Buy geek squad – they can send a tech out but It can’t be for a week. Same technician comes… I recap the entire issue and my belief that it is a lemon from the beginning the sensors do not work it over heats, and now it is vented 5 feet away… he doesn’t ever remember being here in my house. Really??? I can understand not remembering the situation but no recollection of ever being here??? Last time he was here he saw my inversion table and talked to me about it for about 10 minutes… but now, this is the first time we’ve met… interesting. This time there is no comment on the venting instead, the fuse has blown and the heating element grounded itself so he needed to get two parts to fix it and would be back Saturday AM to do the work.

Saturday was my anniversary and both Jeff and I had plans in the morning… I canceled my plans and waiting for the technician to come or call… at 10:30A I called to find out that the part didn’t arrive so we need to reschedule. WTF!?! Thanks for calling me Best Buy so that wouldn’t have to reschedule my plans… I’m pissed and reschedule for Monday AM. I’m told that if I don’t hear from the technician to call them by 9A. at 3P on Saturday , I get a call from a random parts person letting me know that we need to reschedule the Sat AM appt because my part didn’t arrive on time… Really? No kidding…

Monday AM… I’m doubtful for some reason that I will hear or see him in the AM so I head out to take Rue to school and go to work, at least for the morning. I get a call at 9:20A. The technician is sick today so we need to reschedule for tomorrow instead. Look dude, I’m sorry that you are sick, but schedule another freakin’ person!!! I go to work and proceed once again to move my meetings around and make Tuesday available to working from home… I just want to get this over with…

Tuesday AM…. 9:30A I call Best Buy because guess what… I didn’t get a confirmation from the tech yet. They try to call him and leave him a message, come back to me on hold and tell me that he should call me in the next 20 minutes or so but in 30 minutes to call them back so they can try him again. I have a mtg to attend via phone so I wait an hour and call them back at 10:30A I have to explain the situation all over again, and tell them, I just plain need to confirm he is coming I have another meeting at 11a so please get him on the phone. I then wait on hold for 17 minutes… I get call that goes to my voicemail, then a txt msg from my husband saying that Best buy called them and they need to reschedule… I hung up on the call I was currently on hold for as they were clearly NEVER coming back. check my VM and got an actual Oregon person from Geek Squad telling me that we need to reschedule for today because the technician is sick! Insert head explosion here!!!!

I call her back and in as reasonably kind way as possible I completely freaked out!!! Turns out he is the only technician for this area… his next available appt is Saturday. NO! I asked to speak to a supervisor, they are sending their Washington tech to my house in the morning and if I don’t hear from him before 9:30A I am to call him back directly. How much do you want to bet… he won’t know how to get needed parts to fix my dryer and he will come out here, then have to reschedule???

Thank goodness I paid for the extended warranty for the Lemon that is my dryer… and thank goodness it is so energy efficient and has such great customer service…

New Dated Goal!!!

My ultimate goal has a lot more to do with health than a number on the scale.The real goal is to be healthy and pain free and be able to do whatever I want to do without that nagging inside voice that tells me , "I shouldn't do this, I can't do this, this is going to hurt so much tomorrow... " and mostly to be able to play with my daughter and not have her know that Mommy is in pain. It has been a long 3 years, but I can say that right now in this moment, I can... my goal  has been acheived. I'm not in pain. But it is a continual battle and each day is different. I have to be so careful in my workouts and my daily movements, and sometimes I have setbacks, but for the most part, Charlie Sheen, "I'm winning". I thank God everyday for the strength He has given me and for my drive and persistence to keep pushing forward. But all the mushy mushy stuff aside... there is that one number, that I thought was so far out of reach, that suddenly seemed reachable towards the end of last year. I was 4 pounds from "the number on the scale" that I hoped for. Only to slowly and steadily move farther away from it. With my progress last week and my renewed Paleo vision, I think I have the opportunity to reach that goal. Today I scheduled my yearly bloodwork and checkup that my employer funds as part of our health and wellness program. It is one month from today. Friday April 29th. There are no special anniversaries or birthdays between now and then, well there is Easter, but over the last few years I've gotten really good at the large family functions so they don't scare me or throw me off track anymore. Plus, eating Paleo, I can eat, and I like to cook so it just gives me a reason to try a new dish. So, I have 31 days to lose 12.8 pounds... That's aproximately 3 pounds a week so I need to shoot for 4 pounds a week which is honestly doable. 12.8 pounds is my lifetime goal, but it's not all the extra weight on my body that I have to lose, it is a personal goal set much lower than the possible loss for my body. Wish me luck, I will need it.