Okay, here we go!  I have been inspired by Team Beachbody Coach Katie Graue to try the 3 day Shakeology Cleanse!

I weighed in this morning at 126lbs.  The cleanse is supposed to give my body time to detoxify.  No dairy, no Diet Coke, no sugar, no carbs.  I’m getting nervous just writing that…

Basically I’ll be having Shakeology, Green Tea, fruit and almonds, salad, and fish.  And water. 

Shakeology fills me up at lunchtime, but I’ve never done a cleanse in my life! I love my carbs and sugar!

I can do this…… Feeling tired right now due to my lack of caffeine, but by the end of this my energy level is supposed to be boosted.   

So far today I had Shakeology for breakfast, green tea, and cantoloupe.  My next snack is almonds and I am hungry right now!

Heat warning extended through Sunday night. Are you ready?!

Stay hydrated and for God’s sake people, bring your pets inside! We had Jane McBride from Illinois Humane on the air with us this week and she had many tragic stories about pets left out too long in this heat!

By the way, we have great way to cool off your dogs! WDBR Dogwash with Illinois Humane at Car Wash City Saturday from 10 am- 1pm!  Plus a microchip clinic where you can get your pet microchipped and registered for $20.

Have a great weekend!

Okay, so I put it off for as long as possible.  I finally started it this week….

An EXERCISE plan!  I know that every day I’m getting *some* exercise, if for no other reason than I’m keeping up with a toddler and an almost four year old.  I just haven’t set aside the necessary “me” time to really do something that will get my heart rate up and give me more muscle tone.  I started this week with the workout DVD’s that come with my Shakeology.  They have a :30 minute and a :50 minute.  So far I’ve only carved out enough time for the :30, but that’s okay!  Even just the stretching exercises at the beginning and end of the DVD are making me feel better.  I’m going to work my way up to the :50 and then eventuallyI think I’ll try the P90x or Turbofire DVD’s. 

The best thing about all the positive changes I’m making for 2011-I am going at my own pace!  It took me awhile to admit that eating right is only going to get me so far.  If I want to see more results I have to get my muscles moving!

It’s worth mentioning again, if you are interested in checking any of these programs out for yourself, the Team Beach Body coaches at Fit50.com have community workouts every Monday at the Hilton Garden Inn at 7pm. 

Right now I am fighting the temptation to indulge in all the delicous pizza sitting in our break room for lunch.  Guess what? Shakeology wins! I’m throwing in some frozen strawberries and having my meal at home.

Kemia Saraf with Gen H was on the show this morning to talk about the new healthy food guide.  No longer a pyramid, it’s a “dinner plate” visual.  Half of the plate is supposed to be fruits and veggies.  Half!  The rest is lean protein, grains and dairy.  And guess what-corn is NOT a vegetable!! It’s a grain. Man, every time I get corn onto Xan’s plate and he eats it, I feel like I got him a serving of veggies, but no!  More starch! Good to know….

Yesterday I finished getting all the boxes in the basement organized!  It doesn’t look pretty yet, but it’s functional

My nutrition plan is going well.  I refuse to call it a diet. I’m changing out my bad habits for healthier ones.  I have weaned myself down to one Diet Coke a day (I used to drink two) and I’m drinking more Green Tea in the morning instead.  Last night was my first time sitting out on pizza night.  I had chocolate Shakeolgy with yogurt instead and didn’t miss the pizza all that much!

Taste of Downtown this weekend! I’m so excited to try out new stuff from restaurants I haven’t been to yet! I’m also going to take the boys to see Cars 2 this weekend!  It will be interesting to see how long the one year old can last during a two hour movie…..

Got any fun plans for the weekend?

I’ve lost three pounds!  Little changes in my diet have resulted in even bigger changes in my mindset!  I can no longer pretend that the little things, in regards to food and nutrition, don’t matter.  Everything you eat matters. Everything. I look more closely at the nutrional value of what I’m eating.  And think about it, if it doesn’t have any value for your body, why do you want to eat it anyway?  Because it tasted good?  I’ve recently found lots of things that taste good and do good things for me. I can have both! You can have both! Now don’t get me wrong, I still treat myself.  Shakeology makes it easier to know I’m getting all the nutrients I need.  It has cut my sweet tooth cravings down tremendously.  If I decide I want two cookies just because, then I have them, and I don’t want to eat half a sleeve of them!

You really can live well and not feel like you’re missing out on the junk you used to love.  You don’t have to restrict yourself from all your favorite foods, you can enjoy them in a smaller portion.

One tip that’s helped me out a lot, I don’t waste a lot of calories on drinks.  You know that  iced cafe mocha that tastes so good?  It could have as many calories as a sandwich, and provides a lot less energy for your body!

These are the things I hear myself say in my mind when I get off track. See if you recognize any of them as excuses you give yourself when you are not eating well:

* I’m too tired.  I’ll just grab something quick for this one meal.

* One more cookie doesn’t matter. I’ve already blown it by having three!

* I didn’t eat a lot of breakfast, so I can eat whatever I want at lunch.

* I’ve worked hard today. I deserve it

* I’m stressed. I deserve it.

* I’m sad. I deserve it.

Don’t you deserve to be healthy and happy?  Make smarter choices about your food.  You deserve it.

I just got a copy of a GREAT book yesterday that will be a useful resource for years to come…. Unplugged Play, No Batteries. No Plugs. Pure fun.  by Bobbi Conner.

The whole idea behind the book is that this current generation of children will be SO plugged into technology that they will miss opportunities to learn social skills and problem solving skills that they can only  learn through interaction with an actual human being.  Along the same lines, kids are more sedentary than they were 30 years ago. So this book offers ideas on ways to fight the childhood obesity epidemic. 

Unplugged Play reminds you to turn off the tv, computer, smartphone (you can leave the radio on and PLAY! Really play, use your imagination so your kids learn to use theirs. 

This book offers advice on ideas for keeping kids busy by themselves and games you can play together.  Some are incredibly easy and simple, some require a little more planning or cleanup.  I just found it and it goes so nicely with my blog’s theme of  “positive change in 2011″ I had to pass it along to you.  I swear, I’m not a co author or anything.  If you’re a parent it re-introduces you to the ways that we used to play. There is real value in it.  Plus, it does wonders for the family unit when you turn off all media (except radio) and listen to each other!

Have you ever had a day or a moment where you just stood there and thought, “yeah, I think I’m getting the hang of this!”  This, for you, could be adulthood, parenthood, cooking, whatever….For me all three came together in one miraculous moment.  I had dinner on the table, the kitchen was clean, the kids were happily playing AND I had gotten in a nap and exercise! 

Several factors came into play that are making MORE moments like these possible.  I’m taking less time for lunch and making healthier choices.  Shakeology, number one, gives me energy AND nutrition.  Then I have time to rest and exercise!

Another factor, I’m starting to notice where my organization has paid off.  I hardly ever have to hunt things down anymore and I have a clearer, less cluttered mind when the house isn’t cluttered.

And last, but certainly not least, I would hate to leave my little helper out of this posting without a nod to his efforts.  Xander is reaching an age where he can not only do more things for himself , but he can entertain his little brother quite nicely AND let me know if anyone (cats, baby) puked, spilled or pooped. 

This all equals me WINNING! to quote the very balanced, extremely organized Charlie Sheen.

Everyone is complaining about all the rain, but we were outside all day yesterday and it was gorgeous! Took the kids to the park, a local zoo in the Quad Cities and then to the Fairgrounds when we got back for a little pre-fair Adventure Village fun! I try to cram in every outdoor activity I can before the kids are stuck in the house for weeks on end in the winter. I wish it were possible to store up some sun!

Last night I got back from a lovely station event at Erin’s Pavillion.  What a beautiful place!  I really hope we do a get together with all our fav clients again soon.  Delicious food, amazing view and fun company! 

I brought back a chocolate bon bon lollipop for Xander and he wolfed it down in seconds.  I told him it was GOR-MAAAAY! You have to savor it.  He asked me what “savor ” meant. 

I told the sitter that Asher was tired and would probably pass out by 6:30.  I got home after 7 and he was wide awake! I picked him up and cuddled him and he started his tell tale eye rubbing right away.  Awwww, the little peanut had been waiting up for me! He was hanging on until I could put him down for the night.   After we said goodbye to the sitter I put him in his crib and he snuggled right in.