The company I work for, Fiskars has outsourced all of its IT infrastructure which means I no longer work for Fiskars. Fortunately, I now work for Logica. 
It is a scary thing to come in to work working for one company and leave working for another. I am grateful that I have a job and excited about the opportunities that are coming up yet nervous all at the same time!

For now, I sit at the same desk doing the same job I just work for a new company!

"Gold's Gym Approved" Blogger Resources

The "Gold's Gym Approved" blogger program is to help the general public better navigate the web to find blogs that have the most credible, reliable and accurate health and fitness information.


The blogs below have been identified by Gold's Gym, as being one of the top health and fitness sites in the blogosphere. Each of these sites consistently score high marks for the following criteria:

• Encourages and energizes others to be fit and manage weight healthfully
• Promotes a lifestyle that's balanced with healthful nutrition and habitual fitness that promotes quality of life
• Promotes the benefits of creating health and not solely the prevention of disease

Cranky Fitness
"Your Guide to Health, Fitness, Nutrition, Personal Development, and Whining"
http://www.crankyfitness.com/

 

Starling-Fitness
"Daily writings on Fitness, Diet and Health"
http://www.starling-fitness.com/

 

Fitzness
"Live Better. Live Longer"
http://fitzness.com/

 

She Knows
"Find out. Have fun. Be you"
http://www.sheknows.com/channels/diet-and-fitness.htm

Fat Burning Tips 4 Women
"Transform Your Body!"

 

http://fatburningtips4women.com/

 

Fitarella
"Food*Fitness*Family"
http://fitarella.com/

 

Workout Mommy
"Never Underestimate the Power of a Workout!"
http://workoutmommy.com/

 

Fitness for Mommies
"Fit Mom's Blog"

http://fitnessformommies.net/

 

Weighty Matters

"Musings of an Obesity Medicine Doc and Certifiably Cynical Realist"

http://www.weightymatters.ca/

 

 

 

YEA!!!

Today I finally am back to being excited about Weigh-in day. 

I am down 5 this week.  SUPER right.

However, the big news is I am down 31.4 since starting WW in March.

For a grand total of 40.5 for the year

What changed? How did I get over that plateau?
The Gold's Gym 12-week Biggest loser program. Being at Gold's Gym 6 days a week.  This week my calorie burn was just over 4700, last week was 4500.   The classes are fantastic, the people are terrific, my trainer Mike is impressive, my team is magnificent!  GO TEAM GOLD!

Can you tell I like it at Gold's!

Along with the cookbook, I have been collecting some Workout and WW information I wanted to share with everyone. Look if you are interested.

Under cookbook you will find more recipes and some shopping lists

CookBook
Under workout I have some 5k and 10k training plans

Workout

and under WW files some points spreadsheets and other stuff              

WW Files

AJ, Allie and Dan suprised me on my birthday with a party at our house.  Aj cooked Pasta and Sauce, We had LOTS of salad!  I even got Jello Shots!  

A couple friends even played us some live music.

Click to see some pictures

Such a great birthday!

I have been collecting recipes from my weight watchers program for several months. I finally put them all together and wanted to share them with everyone.

CookBook <--click

I cannot take credit for any of these. I found some on the Web, some directly from WW and some from friends.

Enjoy

Here is an example.......
Pork Chop Dinner with Apple-Cider Sauce

POINTS® Value: 7
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 17 min
Cooking Time: 25 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

A delicious one-pot meal perfect for a chilly fall or winter evening. Also terrific with sage instead of dill.
Ingredients
1 pound(s) uncooked red potato(es), baby-size
3/4 pound(s) savoy cabbage, cut into 3- to 4-inch-wide wedges
2 tsp canola oil
1 pound(s) lean boneless pork chop, four 4 oz chops
2 1/2 Tbsp dill, fresh, chopped, divided (plus extra for garnish)
3/4 tsp table salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, divided
1 medium apple(s), Gala suggested, cored and cut into 12 wedges
1 1/4 cup(s) canned chicken broth
1/2 cup(s) apple cider
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup(s) scallion(s), sliced
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Instructions
Fill a large, deep skillet with a small amount of water; set a steamer basket on top and bring to a boil. Steam potatoes until almost tender, about 6 minutes. Add cabbage wedges and steam until potatoes and cabbage are both tender, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Drain and remove potatoes and cabbage to a serving platter; cover to keep warm.

Drain and carefully dry skillet. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with 1 tablespoon dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; gently press to adhere seasonings to pork.

Add pork to skillet and cook, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes; remove to serving platter.

Add apples to skillet; sauté 1 minute. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together broth, cider, flour and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add broth mixture to skillet and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in scallions; simmer until sauce is slightly thickened and apples are tender, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; whisk in mustard and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons dill.

Lift apples with a slotted spoon onto platter; spoon sauce over top and garnish with remaining chopped dill or dill sprigs. Yields about 1 pork chop, 3 potatoes, 1 cabbage wedge, 3 apple slices and 1/4 cup sauce per serving.

Notes
Savoy cabbage is a more tender and looser leaf cabbage than regular green cabbage. If you use green cabbage just increase the steaming time by a few minutes.

If you can’t find baby red potatoes, simply cut 1 pound of red potatoes into 12 chunks.

Homecoming 09

Homecoming 09 010
Originally uploaded by jhues789

Man my girls are funny!

Woot BOC October 09

Woot BOC October 09
Originally uploaded by jhues789

I got another WOOT BOC. Check out this haul! :-)

Another WW Milestone

This one took a long time to get.  My weight loss has been stuck for a couple of weeks but today I hit WW milestone.  I hit the -25lbs mark.  In fact I hit -27.8!  So that's a grand total of -37.5 this year!

This just makes starting Golds even more exciting!

Team Gold!

This week I am starting a 12 week Biggest Loser Challenge at Golds Gym.  We will be competing with 3 other teams. Each week, at the end of the second session trainers will asses participant progress with a body fat analysis, weigh in, and body measurements. Prizes will be awarded to the three challenge contestants who lose the most body fat – this will be determined by assessing beginning and final body fat compositions and analyzing the percentage of fat mass loss.

I am on Team Gold along with two other teammates. Our trainer (Mike for Team Gold) will create specific exercise and nutritional programs, and provide exercise and nutritional counseling. As a team, we will receive 24 personal training sessions with Mike one of Gold’s elite trainers, nutritional guidance, and a complimentary, all-inclusive 3-month membership to Gold’s Gym.

You can check out the gym at Golds Gym Fitchburg

I'm excited about the whole process.   Here's hoping I'm a big loser!

See our hike at Devils Lake

http://tinyurl.com/q43lkd

If you click on the link you can see more details and pictures.

What does one do with a 1/2 bushel of peaches

We picked up some peaches on our way home from PawPaw last weekend.

Quick Boil them to loosen the skins

Drop them in a fast ice bath

Peal and Cube them

Bag them up and freeze. Man are they going to taste good this winter!

What do you listen to while you workout?

I have some great lists that I am trying to complete. Do you have any good ones??

20 min playlist
"Weird Fishes" - Radiohead
"Umbrella" - Marie Digby
"Energy" - The Apples in Stereo
"A Lesson in Charades" - Asteria
"Keep Holding On" - Avril Lavigne
"Gotta Have You" - The Weepies
"Think of You" - A Fine Frenzy
"Not California" - Hem

25 min playlist
"Jump" -- Madonna
"Chasing Cars" -- Snow Patrol
"Haven't Found" -- Pras, featuring Sharli McQueen
"Hip Hop Is Dead" -- Nas, featuring will.i.am
"High Road" -- Fort Minor, featuring John Legend
"What a Feeling" -- Peter Luts and Dominico
"Teen Love" -- Peter Bjorn and John

60 min workouts
"U + Ur Hand" - Pink
"Stronger" (A-trak Remix) - Kanye West
"Big in Japan" (Workout Remix) - Tom Waits
"Oh Yeah" - Yello
"Without Me" - Eminem
"Badlands" - Bruce Springsteen
"Superstar" - Lupe Fiasco
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" - Kanye West
"This Is New York" - Sander Kleinenberg
"Get Ready for This" - Crazy Frog
"Lose Yourself" - Eminem
"No Sleep Till Brooklyn" - Beastie Boys

60 min workouts 2
"Kickstart My Heart" - Motley Crue
"Release" - Timbaland
"4 Minutes (Workout Remix)" - Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake
"'Cuz I Can" - Pink
"4 in the Morning (Thin White Duke Remix)" - Gwen Stefani
"Work (Steve Pitron and Max Sanna Radio Edit)" - Kelly Rowland
"Baby Boy" - Beyonce
"Come to Me" - Diddy
"No Easy Way Out" - Robert Tepper (from the soundtrack to Rocky IV)
"Anthem" - Pitbull featuring Lil Jon
"I'll Fly with You (L'amour Toujours)" - Gigi d'Agostino
"Feedback" - Janet Jackson
"Time After Time" - Distant Soundz
"American Boy" - Estelle featuring Kanye West
"Sir Psycho Sexy" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Over You" - Chris Daughtry
"I Like It" - Narcotic Thrust
"Never Again" - Nickelback
"Hot Stuff vs. World Hold On (Radio Edit)" - Craig David vs. Bob Sinclar
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" - Neil Diamond

60 min workouts 3
"TNT" - AC/DC
"Walk This Way" - Aerosmith
"Dirty Little Secret" - The All-American Rejects
"So What'cha Want" - Beastie Boys
"Loser" - Beck
"Crazy in Love" - Beyoncé
"Don't Phunk with My Heart" - Black Eyed Peas
"Wonderful Person" - Black Masses
"No More Drama" - Mary J Blige
"You're Beautiful" - James Blunt
"Under Pressure" - David Bowie
"I Want Candy" - Bow Wow Wow
"Right Now" - Garth Brooks
"Gonna Make You Sweat" - C&C Music Factory
"We Belong Together" - Mariah Carey
"Ridin'" - Chamillionaire
"Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson
"Feelin' Alright" - Joe Cocker
"Yellow" - Coldplay
"Testify" - Common

YEA Dad!!!

My Dad won!!

AJ

IMG_4278
Originally uploaded by jhues789

AJ's Senior Pictures are up........Now the hard part. Which one is the best!

http://tinyurl.com/AJPIC-2010

UGH!

It's been a crazy busy couple of weeks and man has it slowed down my weight loss. Now I'm not too freaked out about it because it's still been losses and...AND...I've been able to eat great food, drink great beer and see some great bands.

It's all good......

But now I want to STEP IT UP!

Grilling in the Rain

My Uncle Jim is so much fun!

Best family ever

What a great vacation. We had so much fun and I totally didn't diet. A good and a bad thing. I didn't want to make myself miserable missing out on the fabulous food and feeling guilty because I knew I would still be eating it. I walked two of the days I was up there. I still saw a +2.8......And you know what IT WAS WORTH IT!

Top chart is this year

Bottom is Weight watchers

Session 1 complete Session 2 starts next week!!!

Weight Watchers Session 1 Complete 17 weeks

Total lost 24.4

Total lost this year 33.5

My weight chart 10/2003 to current

Bill Geist visits a Bookstore made from a Manure Tank

I can't wait to check this place out

I was so worried about this weigh-in. After a SUPER weekend of camping I thought for sure there would be a gain................NOPE -1.2!!!!

Giant Tortoise in Madison???

Look at what my Dad found at the the golf course (Click here -News Story- LINK)

Week 15 = 10% goal.

I did it! I hit my 10% goal in the WW program. This is super cool. We have two more weeks in this session. The great news is that we are going to start a second session so I get another 17 weeks to continue with the weight loss.

WW = 22.2
YTD = 31.5


The below chart shows my weight from 2003 to Current...............

Week 15 = 10% goal.

I did it! I hit my 10% goal in the WW program. This is super cool. We have two more weeks in this session. The great news is that we are going to start a second session so I get another 17 weeks to continue with the weight loss.

WW = 22.2
YTD = 31.5


The below chart shows my weight from 2003 to Current...............

Dan took me to the wedding of his friend Casey Beck and his new bride Sybil http://www.sybilandcasey.com/.

What a great wedding!!!

It was 4th of July. The wedding was just a block from Wrigley field and the reception was at the Sheffield Baseball Club http://www.sheffieldbaseballclub.com. Cubs Vs Brewers game. It was a perfect way to have a wedding. (ya and the brewers won!)

Dan took me to the wedding of his friend Casey Beck and his new bride Sybil http://www.sybilandcasey.com/.

What a great wedding!!!

It was 4th of July. The wedding was just a block from Wrigley field and the reception was at the Sheffield Baseball Club http://www.sheffieldbaseballclub.com. Cubs Vs Brewers game. It was a perfect way to have a wedding. (ya and the brewers won!)

Week 14 --

Here I am........Week 14 and the past two weeks have been slow. - .6 this week. Yes it's a loss and I'm totally happy about it. I've been sick for over a week. I didn't work out last week so I'll take the .6 but I need to step it up.

Roadblocks coming up..........

Wedding in Chicago this weekend. The reception is at one of those rooftops overlooking Wrigley. It's a Brewers/Cubs game too. Not sure there will be too many healthy choices...

Weekend after is camping weekend. But I'm planning the menu so I should be OK and there will be a lot of activity points to make up for a smore or two!

Week 13 is a good week!

Heck ya -.8 Doesn't sound like much but that officially puts me at -20.2 for the WW program and -30 for the year.

I still have 2.2 to lose to get to my 10% goal so I have some work to do!

Check out --- Alice.com

I use Alice, and I think it's a great way to buy household essentials (stuff like trash bags, dish soap, and toilet paper) and avoid the chore of running to the store for these goods. It saves lots of time and everything is shipped to my door free.
If you are interested, click on the link below to sign up, and you’ll get a $10 credit in your account after you spend at least $50 on the site.
http://www.alice.com/referral/668E7200

Can you figure it out?

This phrase is used a lot in my house.

Never been so happy for a ZERO

I thought for sure I was going to see a weight gain. But a 0 really?? ZERO. Don't get me wrong I wish it was a loss but it's better than a gain!

Don't make me do it!

I do not want to weigh in this week.

I will admit it. I am one of those people who see a scale and step on it. I know I should only weigh myself once a week. I know this yet I can't seem to stop.

I have not seen any downward progress this week in fact I saw the scale go up (say it ain't so).

I have had three GREAT weeks in a row so I have been expecting a slowdown and even a small up week but I am so close to the next star. ARGH!

OK…… enough of my rant.

I see some yummy delicious carrots (note: sarcasm) in my lunch and I’m hungry!

WW Week 11 -- Another great week -2.8

Another 2.8 lost. That's a great week for me. I am only .6 away from another 5lb star but even better I am only 2.6 away from my 10% target. I hit the 5% in week 6 so hitting 10% in week 12 or 13 would be awesome! After hitting the 10% I get to sit down with my meeting leader and discuss what a reasonable GOAL weight will be for me.

Shingle Springs Home for Sale

This lovely custom home sits on a hilltop setting on 20 usable acres zoned 10ac. Dotted with majestic oaks, seasonal pond and creeks and has incredible views of the rolling terrain. Reminiscent of an Italian villa and surrounded with 100 olive trees, and arbor of baby roses, lots of lavender, potted geraniums and the soothing sound of its fountains.

Great room concept with a huge cast stone fireplace and formal dining area are both open to exterior, Loggia over the beautiful built-in pool. Kitchen is equipped for a “cook” with a Viking range, SubZero refrigerator, walk in pantry and many built-ins throughout. Unique and authentic Tuscan touches throughout.

Boasting 3171 SF, 4 possible bedrooms, 3 full BA and 3-car garage. There is still plenty of room for expansion. Property is “animal friendly” with a gated entrance, fenced and cross fenced and has some horse amenities. Conveniently located close to Amador wine country and 10.5 miles or 15 minutes to town center in El Dorado Hills.

http://www.us360.com/homes/viewer.cfm?tour_id=24291

WW Week 10 = Another Star

Week 10 brought me another WW Milestone. My third 5lb star. I was down 2.6 this week. For a total of 16.6 on the WW plan making my grand total this year just over -24lbs. It was hard this week with Festa. Really hard. I can't imagine what it will be like when my family comes to visit!

Todays Walk at Lunch -- Here's another of our walks

One of my favorite things from this memorial day weekend

Some people have too much time on their hands

I just got this in an instant message while at work.

I wonder how many people actually fall for this kind of shenanigans?

Todays Work Walk

I found some fun software for my blackberry that "follows' me when I walk.

AllSport GPS - Right now they have a 60 day free trial.

Below is today's walk.



Details
Author: jhues789
Date: 21 May 2009 11:51:46 AM
Activity: Walking
State: Wisconsin (wi)
Distance: 1.87 mi (Change units)
Average Speed: 3.5 mph
0:16:59/mi
Duration: 0:31:47
Elevation: Total Gain: 78 ft
Total Loss: 77 ft
Net Change: 1 ft

How much weight did I lose this week.........

BoohooBoohooBoohooBoohooBoohoo

I exercised more, I ate less. But I tracked less and I didn't weigh my food this week. Back to basics. And I didn't gain any weight I guess that's good!

CUTE! Very CUTE!

Week 7 -- Not too good only lost .6 but I went to weigh in convinced that I had gained. Combine that with last weeks -3.2 and I'm OK with it. It was a good weekend of celebrations with the Gang (Drinking = Mucho POINTS). Allie made a great Mother's Day breakfast too!


My Mom and I have been debating our favorite frozen lunches. I thought I'd list a few and their points.

WW Week 6

Two big goals met in Weight Watchers this week.

1 I got my second 5 lb milestone
2 I hit my 5% goal. That means I have lost 5% of my body weight while in WW.

On the WW plan I have lost 11.4 so far and total this year I have lost 20.5.

Rock-n-Glam

ROCK N GLAM SALON is having a special for all MOM's on Sunday May 10th
FOR $5 DOLLAR EACH YOU CAN GET....

HAIRCUT
STYLE

NAIL REFRESHER
FACIAL WAXING

HAND TREATMENT

Corner of Mineral point Rd and Grand Canyon Dr by Panera Bread. 6602 Grand Teton Plaza Suite 130 Madison WI 53719 (608)833-4075