Author: thefamilyo

Family Road Trip Part 1- KC Barbeque

My husband has family in Missouri and he has an Uncle who was holding a boxer puppy for us so… we headed out to Kansas City. Of course the first thought on my mind – KC Barbeque!! You know what I am talking about, it’s world famous, everyone knows!

Now we had to do our research. So we consulted sources familiar to all… Zagat, Yelp, Google Reviews, Trip Advisor, Guy Fieri and the totally cool Anthony Bourdain. There was one place consistently in the top 3 from all sources. Who would it be? Who’s name kept coming up over and over again? Oklahoma Joe’s of course!

Hands down the #1 place for KC Barbeque is the undisputed Oklahoma Joe’s. With 3 locations serving the greater Kansas City area, it wasn’t hard to get to one right from I-70.

We took 435 South and exited in Olathe to get to the Strang Line Road location.

The is one of their new locations, its nice, new and spacious!

Nice big menu, great selection, pretty good prices.

We ordered the Full Slab Dinner, it came with bread, beans and pickles… does it get any better than this:

Everybody recommended the Z Man Sandwich, read the description:

“Slow-smoked beef brisket, smoked provolone cheese, topped with two crispy onion rings on a toasted Kaiser roll”

How could we resist?

Here it is, of course the BBQ sauce smothering took place right after this photo….

The youngest in our crew ordered the barbeque chicken plate:

My Boys lovin’ it:

Just a small sampling of Awards:

Something also must be said about the french fries, they are seriously the best fries we have ever had. They were off the charts, phenomenal! I would drive back for those alone, the seasoning is amazing!

We are ready to head back, this could be an expensive addiction. Kansas City is 8 hours from Denver. Wishing I had a juicy rib right now.

April 30, 2014
My Weight Loss Story – Goodbye 27 pounds!

Officially, as of today, I have lost 27 pounds since the beginning of February! I am so thrilled and not only with the pounds lost but, the inches lost is even more remarkable. If you are reading this and you want to lose weight and get healthy, START NOW!

O, how I wish I would have started years ago, even months but I let soooo much time go by. I started this journey just a few months ago and I am seeing real results already, it’s amazing. At times, even this week before weigh in, I feel like it’s taking forever to see results but then I do a reality check. The results are there and they are real, slowly coming but surely coming. Start today!

Also, measure yourself in the beginning of your journey. I did not measure myself until about 7 weeks after I started. I measured at the beginning of April and then today… I have lost 14″ from all over, except my thighs. That is just in the last 4 weeks!

I work out just about everyday, we go to the gym at least six days a week. I do cardio using the treadmill, bike, and the elliptical. I also do strength training as well as Just Dance.

When I first started working out in February I could this machine for only 5 minutes before I was gasping and couldn’t go on.:

Then by last week I was up to 20 minutes!!

Yesterday I am happy to report that I did it for 25:38!

So thrilled at results!! Today I am going to shoot for 30!

Start today, if I can do it, you can do it!

****UPDATE****

I am up to 45 minutes now! I am shocked!

April 25, 2014
Angry Birds Easter Eggs

We love Angry Birds in our house! Here are the Easter Eggs we made in honor of our favorite game Birds!

The only problem – poor R2D2 is upside down!

All we did was hard boil our eggs and paint them to look like angry birds. We used some of our favorite angry birds characters including Chewbaca from Star Wars. It looks like they’re getting ready to play a game of football!

April 18, 2014
Weight Loss Journey – 1 pound away from 25 pounds Lost!

WoW again and again!

Who would have thought that I could have lost 24 pounds already? Not me!

I love the way I feel and I love the way my clothes fit! My wardrobe is already growing since I am able to pull out clothes that didn’t fit anymore. I am down 1 jean size and almost another because they are basically falling off. It’s incredible! What a feeling. The ultimate goal is far away but I am please with how far I’ve gotten. There is no stopping now.

What have I learned this week? That there actually is a “right time” to weigh yourself!

Let me tell you a little story…

I joined a weight loss contest among friends and we post our weight each week on a private Facebook page. I have been weighing myself on Thursdays because that is the day of the week that I weighed in on that very depressing day back in February. I have also been weighing myself at night because I use the scale at the gym and we work out, as a family, in the evening.

Last week I weighed myself before leaving the gym and I was so depressed to see I only lost 1 pound, it felt like more. I came home and posted my weight on our FB page. The ladies were wondering why I posted early because they all post on Friday morning. They told me it is way better to weigh yourself in the morning. I decided to get up early the next morning and run to the gym. Sure enough I had lost 3 pounds! Isn’t that amazing? The trainer at the gym also told me that your morning weight is your “true weight”.

Needless to say, from now on, I will be running to the gym on Friday mornings.

Even though this week saw only 1 pound gone, I feel slimmer in my clothes. I have been doing strength training in addition to cardio, and since muscle weighs more than fat I think I am gaining muscle.

Join me! It is never too late to change your life!

April 17, 2014
Weight Loss Success – No more Fast Food or Restaurants

I have lost 20 POUNDS SO FAR!!

I thought it was time for a before and after picture! I am at only 20% of my goal, but to me, I can’t believe it! I never thought I could do it!! I didn’t really take a formal “Before” picture but I found one taken close to the start of my new lifestyle.

Funny thing is… I lost most of it in my rear, which is great! No more shelf!! Most people I see say something after I go to walk away from them. I keep hearing “Wow, now I can really tell”, lol. Seriously though, looking at the picture on the left makes me disgusted and ashamed. I am so glad that I am finally changing! I can’t wait to buy cute clothes!

One HUGE eye-opener for me was fast food and restaurant food. Now, of course I have always known that Fast Food was not healthy but I truly didn’t realize the extent of it. Truly too, restaurant food is not better. Even those who tout a “healthy, low-cal or low-fat foods, their numbers are just double what you should have for a meal.

Admittedly, grabbing some drive-thru can be so very convenient when you are on the go and have kids to think about. But really, what I realized, I can run into the grocery store grab fresh fruit, yogurt and bottled water for the same price. They even offer cube cheese with apples slices and other types of healthy snacks in the deli area. Sometimes I will grab my boys a veggie tray and they devour it. Fruit trays, no problem, they go in a flash. My first thought is the price is so much more, but really it isn’t. Plus the nutritional values difference is unmistakable.

Or you can make the same food at home for just about half the calories.

Did You Know that new smothered burrito from Taco Bell has 700 calories, 35 grams of fat, 2260 mg of sodium, and 68 carbs???!!?!!? Can you even believe it? The steak nachos have 1190 calories, 60 grams of fat and 117 carbs!!! Yes they are the most fattening items on the menu but I wanted to show you because I was shocked.

More examples come from McDonalds. Of course we have all heard how incredibly horrible the Big Mac is, right? It comes in at 550 calories, 29 grams of fat, 46 carbs, 25 g. protein. Now look at this: the SW Crispy Chicken McWrap is a whopping 670 calories, 33 grams of fat, 67 carbs!!!?? Shocking! Even the grilled version is 510 cals, 30 grams of fat and 53 carbs. So don’t be fooled thinking wraps are better.

I am not just picking on those two big name fast food chains either, let me be clear, all fast food should be avoided. In my, opinion, restaurant food too.

This has all been an eye opener. Like I said, of course we all know fast food is bad for you, but I did not realize the reality until I started reading the nutritional information. This goes for everything in the grocery too. Check them all! Don’t forget to take serving size in to account. ONE GREAT place for a calorie counter is MyFitnessPal. They make looking up nutritional info for all food, grocery and restaurant easy. You can also track all your meals, calories, food intake, etc.

One more tip – chips are still a weakness of mine, tortilla chips to be exact. Something interesting I learned in my quest to find a healthy chip – there really are no healthy chips, like none. 🙁

BUT I still allow for a few in my weekly menu. Important note – Tostitos Original are DOUBLE the calories and carbs as regular as classic yellow Doritos – which I think taste better anyway. I was kind of shocked to learn of it. If you compare the backs, the info looks the same but the serving size is double on the Doritos.

In all reality, I need to cut chips out. Any good alternatives that you know of?

Hope you are joining me in this quest for weight loss success! Stay tuned…

Created by MyFitnessPal – Free Calorie Counter

April 2, 2014
Top Ways to Start Losing Weight

Recently I started the journey towards a new, healthy me. I had heard it all, over the years. How to lose weight. Every thing from the cabbage diet to pills to shakes, etc. You know the drill, we are pounded with quick, easy solutions that really don’t have any lasting effect. We also all know the best results happen the right way. What we need is a healthy diet and exercise which are the true keys to a lasting lifestyle change. It’s not about trying this or that. It’s about changing the way you eat forever. You don’t have to deny yourself and eat foods you don’t like either.

What is working for me?

1. Track your food intake. I am using Sparkpeople.com and I started tracking my food immediately. I was amazed at how many calories some of my favorite food had. I had never thought about everything single thing I ate in a day, now I know exactly where I am at.

2. If you do not have a full set of measuring spoons and cups, get some. Measuring absolutely everything, you will be amazed at how many servings you really eat. This way you can know exactly how many calories etc. you are eating per day.

3. Buy a food scale. I bought a digital one on Amazon for under $20, I love it. You can change the units and it is also a timer. Weigh your food, just like measuring, do it to everything you eat.

4. Compromise. I love cheese. I love bread. I did not want to completely give them up so I found an alternative. I started buying low-fat cheese and 45 calorie bread. I also started eating lowfat yogurt. I recommend Fage greek yogurt 2%, its is delicious, creamy, low-fat, GMO free and contains no “junk”.

5. Get a mileage tracker. I have a FITBIT ONE and I am addicted to it! I love it. It tracks my steps, flights, miles and calories burned and my sleep. I had no clue how little activity I was getting before I started wearing it. Now it keeps me on my toes. If my mileage is low for the day I take a walk around or throw on Just Dance on the Wii. My current goal is 6k steps a day although I am considering bumping it up to 7k. Ultimately I want to be at 10k a day, the daily recommended amount for a healthy adult.

This is my Fitbit Dashboard, you can also track your food and sync up with SparkPeople too!

6. Work out! Get active. I am going to the gym 5x week and I am loving it. I finally passed the hump of making myself go, now I want to go. Great investment for our family! Start slow, work your way up.

Start now! You can do it! You really, really can!

March 19, 2014
Weight Loss Week 3 – The Importance of a Good Gym

Woohoo and Yeehaw! I lost 5 pounds this week!! I feel great, have more energy and I am getting into the groove of working out.

I am thrilled at this new lifestyle! I have more energy, my mood is better, I sleep better.

One huge factor in this process has been our new gym membership. My husband and I joined a local Gym that is suitable for the entire family. We had initially joined a local rec center but that proved to be a bad option. There was literally nothing for my kids to do, which is ironic for a recreation center. Thankfully, a friend recommended a local Gym so we went and took the tour.

I was blown away at this place. They have everything you need and more! It is 2 levels, tons of square footage, an indoor pool, tanning, sauna, steam, the list goes on and on. The best and MOST important part – there is an entire children’s workout area! My children love it! They have circuit machines, treadmills, a climbing wall, Dance Revolution and Wii Sports on a big screen. The “coaches” lead children through stretches and they even lecture on healthy eating and taking care of your body. It is fantastic! Here is a video and it is already 7 years old, the room is even cooler now!

I did have one friend warn me about this Gym being a meat market and gym rat hangout but my first thought is: I don’t care who is there or what they look like I am there to work on ME, period. The cool thing is…. it’s not like that at all. There are people from all walks of life and all levels of fitness.

This gym also offers over 100 classes a week and they are always packed. I want to try them, they sound like a blast but my worry at this point… I wouldn’t be able to keep up or last. I want to go to the Senior classes first, lol. I figure in 2 months I will be ready to join the classes. I would like to get in better shape and work on flexibility and endurance.

I have been doing 4 miles on the bike and half mile to a mile on the treadmill. I set it at Incline 3 and speed 3. I plan on bumping it up every couple of weeks or so. I am also doing strength training with the guidance of my husband, he helped me put together a routine.

My husband has always been an exerciser so he is thrilled at all of this! We go every night when Dad comes home from work. We come home and have power smoothies and a light dinner. It’s been great.

Ready to join me in a new lifestyle journey? Would love to hear your weight loss stories too!

Cheers!

February 27, 2014
Losing Weight, Getting Healthy Week 2

I made through Week 1 and am well on my to Week 2. I lost 1 pound. That’s it. I was devastated at first because in my mind, I worked pretty hard so far. When I spoke to my Mom she reminded me that a box of butter was a pound. When I thought about it that way, I was happier. One pound is more than none and better than gaining, right? I am not giving up, this is my time.

This week, I cut back even more on my portions and I stayed satisfied. In fact, at times, I wasn’t hungry at meal time. I am starting to love greek yogurt so very much. I need to eat more fruit but it seems like my favorites are never ripe this time of year. I tried to eat a can of fruit cocktail and let me just say it was not a pleasant experience.

I started using Just Dance on Wii just about everyday and I love it! It is a fun way to get moving and burn calories. There is even an exercise mode that keeps track of calories burned. I would love to buy more of them.

I will keep on trucking and focus more on eating fruits and veggies.

I started upping the incline on the treadmill and the resistance on the bike too.

Stay tuned! I will continue posting about my journey to losing weight.

February 17, 2014
Valentine’s Date – a Photo Essay

My husband and I usually do not do anything fancy for Valentine’s Day, maybe some candy and chocolates and a special homemade dinner. But this year when I saw a Living Social Deal for a Wine Tasting for 2, I couldn’t pass it up.

We went on Saturday afternoon the day after Valentine’s Day for or Valentine’s Date and since it was downtown we were quite excited about walking around, taking pictures and enjoying our time together. So that is how I decided to share our evening, in pictures.

Love you Honey!

So thankful for a loving, funny, caring husband.

I love you Craig you are my soulmate, a gift from God.

February 16, 2014
The Beginning of My Weight Loss Journey

This is it! I can really feel it this time. It’s different than ever before. Recently I began the long, rewarding weight loss journey of heading to a healthy lifestyle.

THE CHALLENGE

A couple of weeks ago my Mom emailed me to offer up a weight loss challenge. She offered me money to lose weight!

The challenge specifics: “I will pay you $5.00 a pound. If you continuously lose weight from now until May, I will up it to $10 per pound.”

Wow! Ok so honestly the first thought that popped into my head was ‘I must really be bad if my mom is willing to pay me so much to lose’. I was sad but the reality was, I needed to start a change. She was concerned about my health, I have 3 boys to think about being around for.

I decided to accept the challenge. I needed to go weigh myself since I have never owned a scale. I went into to the neighborhood rec center and they let me use their scale.

Can I just say that I was seriously shocked about how much I weighed? I know that might sound crazy but I really did not realize how out of hand it had become. The last time I weighed my self was with my last pregnancy, six years ago.

Reality strikes. It was time to change forever. I was ready too, just so very ready.

I didn’t want to blog about it at all at first because I was afraid I would fail, it seemed overwhelming. The amount of weight I wanted to lose seemed like an impossibility, I felt too far gone.

Yet, I went for it anyway, I took the first step and then second and third.

Like I keep saying it’s different somehow. I know I won’t fail. I want this. I will succeed.

Follow me on my journey. Join me!

February 10, 2014