Thankful

...For an opportunity for better health.

...For personal service via our Hyvee dietitian. We learned so much! Our family will live better for it!

...For individualized wellness coaching. We could not have done this without you and your knowledge, expertise, and encouragement!

...For the opportunity to share our experience and success with others.

After Photos

Our AFTER refridgerator photo. Note how full the crispers are with fresh produce! We also changed from 2% milk to 1%, changed from regular mayo to mayo with olive oil (better fat), added yogurt as an additional dairy source (buy yogurt when its on sale, these for the kids were 29 cents each last week), orange juice instead of apple juice (even though juice is essentially empty calories--orange has a higher NuVal score) and the 2X greek yogurt is what Steve and I eat.  In the morning for me and after a workout for Steve.

 Our AFTER pantry photo.  Changes in the pantry include a host of more nutritional breakfast cereals-both cold and hot along with our new found snack--Dr. Krackers--we ordered them online and found they have a pumpkin seed variety in addition to our first love the three seed version.  Protein and fiber in these crackers plus crunch! And don't forget, sunflower butter instead of peanut butter (higher NuVal!).  And beans, lots of types of beans (baked) for fiber and an additional protein source to make those brown bag lunches more interesting!

I promised AFTER photos of Steve and I. Our inches and pounds are not very apparent in photos. Lets delay a photo for a few more weeks. As Wyatt pointed out, Steve and my workout shirts are fitting more loosely. And Charley is going to have to start wearing a belt with his jeans--thanks Kid Fit class! This photo is of the kids playing racquetball at the YMCA.

It's Official!

We won!

"Unbelievable job!"

"Your gate times (YMCA check-ins) blew everyone else out of the water!"

What do we win? We have said from the beginning even if we did not win the prizes, we had already won! Our greatest prize was the leg up on finding a way with this busy family to learn how to eat better and fit exercise into our busy schedule. We did it! But not without help from our Wellness Coach, Wyatt Knapper and our dietitian Janet Macon. Without them and their encouragement and guidance, we would not have been successful, I am sure of it.

Now for the real prize information....$250 cash, $250 gift card to Hyvee, half price YMCA membership for a year, and an appearance on Paula Sands a local television show!  The show will air November 30th at 3pm. Filming will occur here at the house the Monday after Thanksgiving and focus on food changes we have made. Teresa Bryant will be the host of the segment.  Should be interesting.  My first question was...do they know we have 5 kids?  Watch us!

Announcing...

Steve has lost almost 8 INCHES and 2 pounds!

He feels GREAT and has lots of energy! And he says "its like a drug-free high" right after the workout, "amazing"! Who would have ever known it could be like this! He says he's in the best shape of his life!

Steve is burning 400-500 calories in his 40 minute workouts on the elliptical and bike. And lifting weights 2 days per week.

I am so proud of him!

Drum Roll Please!

Down almost 6 inches and 8 pounds...Karen Cummins! 

Remembering that this was wellness coaching (no body fat measurement was taken).

Wyatt was quick to point out that while I was doing my cardio each day I was building muscle. And Janet our dietitian confirms that converting fat to energy while also building muscle can really wreak havoc on the scale.  Fluid in muscle quickly replaces pounds lost from fat. Knowing that, I lost more pounds! 

Wyatt also promises with perseverance and steady work the pounds will just melt off. (Weight loss was not one of my goals remember--I wanted no pressure but now am thinking 8 pounds does not seem like many). But alas, its 1 pound per week, a healthy way to go!!

Back to more cardio I go. Keep pushing, step it up, don't become complacent. Continue to work it-- increase resistance, heart rate, or steps! Work toward burning 700 calories per 40 minute workout! I have my work cut out for me! All the while, continue the resistance training 2 days per week.

It seems like we have been at this for a long time (8 weeks, but really just 42 days!)...bottom line this is new to our bodies.

WOW! It's Week 8

Steve and I have said from the beginning...we don't need to win by points, we have already won with the opportunities for change we have already learned!! Winning would be a bonus. We have learned SO much!

The official last day of The Challenge is November 12th, "they" will begin tallying points on Monday the 14th. Points again are earned by the whole family by exercising 3 days per week (I am proud to say Steve and I exercised 6 days each week). Wyatt said it was a mere 42 days...yeah. But it seemed like a lot to us! Our bodies are just starting to be convinced this is a new way of life. Points are also achieved as the whole family meets the 3 set dietary goals (ours were--5-A Day, NuVal scoring for the first half of the challenge but then we began to try to achieve 3 dairy servings per day, and lastly the dreaded food journals!  I have to say now that the actual recording is a very eye opening experience. Keeps me honest and thinking. What I disliked was maintaining and checking on 6 other family members who also had to record. Busy work. But again, it makes you accountable and definitely more conscious of what is going in. More points for submission of photos (pre, during, and post). Anyone that knows me I have photos! Ask and you shall receive. I will post the after photos later this week. And somewhere in all of this earning of points Steve and I's results will factor in...exact numbers coming with those numbers!

Display board at the West YMCA.

Diet Worthy Info

Last week I met again with our assigned dietitian, Janet Macon, from the West Locust Hyvee. We chatted about our food diaries--some of her comments will follow...then we toured the store in search of "gems" of information to further my quest to make further healthy changes for my family.

First her comments...

Meal replacement drink (Steve has been dabbling) not good to use on a regular basis.

Alcohol burns first. I am not sure I knew this! Alcohol eaten with a meal...burns first. The meal portion is stored as fat! My take home message (might seem obvious to you) 1) save up calories to consume alcohol 2) if you drink don't eat but be smart about it. Hence the reason for beer bellies.

Discovered gems on our tour....

There is a loaf of bread with a decent NuVal score! Its in the freezer section of the Health Market. 81 NuVal for a Genesis brand blue loaf. There is a low sodium version as well for a NuVal of 93! The kicker is they are $4 a loaf. Too high for my family. But what if you were single or not big bread eaters and could just keep it in the freezer, plan, and remove it for the next day...definitely health worthy. AND save 10% on "sack sale" days in the Health Market!

In the bread aisle Village Hearth Light scores 45. And Pepperidge Farms Ancient Grains a 47 NuVal. Better... Also Thomas Light Multigrain english muffins with a score of 42. I love english muffins. But because I love them, I best be careful. I did not know a multigrain version existed. Speaking of multigrains--Quaker makes multigrain oats...something else to try!

I did not know Kashi also sold frozen entrees. Great for lunches at the office. 2 for $6 on sale. Could even divide for a healthy lunch at home among smaller children. Another thing to buy with the bag sale date.

Cariyana is lactose intolerant. We buy her Almond Milk from my mothers food coop. The brand we use is not the highest NuVal available via Almond Milk. We can do better. Good to know!  Also, we could mix Almond Milk and cows milk for the kids and boost them nutritionally. We could also stir in powdered milk for increased protein and calcium. Xavier could use the calories and nutrients.

The Health Market has some wonderful looking wraps on the shelf. Some with green onion, some with garlic flavors. Lower in calorie, higher NuVal.

I have been wanting to make fish tacos. The Health Market sells a flavor packet for this! Might get us off to a good start with my first trial of fish tacos.

She suggests mixing greek yogurt with conventional yogurt in place of ricotta and cottage cheese (higher in sodium) for my lasagna and stuffed shells recipes. I did not know greek yogurt would hold up...never thought of it. Speaking of greek yogurt. I inquired about Yoplait's 2x greek yogurt and if it was just a gimmick. No it is not, twice the protein, higher NuVal.  It has 17 grams of protein (hence, the 2X claim – conventional yogurt contains 6-8 grams and most Greeks contain 10-12 grams) and 45% DV of calcium (most Greeks contain 15-20%).  Weight Watcher plain yogurt will also be one to watch, no NuVal yet but she expects it will be very high. Its traditionally cheaper too!

Janet cannot explain why but instant rice has the same NuVal as longrain rice. Hard to believe instant anything could rank a NuVal of 82!

My kids like juice, healthy juice is hard to come by.  Orange juice is the better way to go with a NuVal of 30. AND Minute Maid makes one that ranks a 52!

Last suggestion. Every week let the kids discover a new vegetable or fruit in the produce department. Take it home, google how to prepare, experiment and enjoy! Turnips, hairy fruit (an exotic fruit called rambuton--$6 each!), and persimmons are in view. 

Lots to digest, literally!