Fit with Ruthie

OK.. heres my foto friday.. :) . .. started out with cardio (oops).. but I decided to try jumprope again. and i liked it!.. I tried to do a hundred jumps several times.. the highest I got was 65.. guess not too bad for not jumping in like.. well.. forever! the kids all got into the jumping.. the dog even enjoyed the loud music.. but enjoyed looking at the squirel outside more than anything. (here I am takin a break and breathing really hard!) Jumping was a great workout and I was exhausted by the end.. but remembered I was to lift weights today!.. so.. I decided to do this: boy curls :) puppy curls were a warmup to boy curls :) and then i burned out with weight curls on the ball (the kids were making me laugh) then .. why not try a few pushups! I did 12 10 8 with regular pushups (above) and decided to push it up a notch and did ball pushups .. doing two sets of 8 (those were hard!).. I tried to do a one arm pushup.. but NOPE.. aint happenin' yet :) .. so.. that was my workout fo...

Wow... was yesterday busy crazy. Heres how it went: my son woke up at 5am coughing.. which woke up his brother too.. both tried to go back to sleep but only slept about 10 more minutes as we all had to get up at 6am. We are happy to be a one car (suburban) family and so for we have had zero "issues" with only one car exept for Thursdays. My husband has to be at work around 645am on that day.... and I need the car since I teach on Thursdays.. so.. the whole family gets up and takes dad to work. The last two weeks this hasnt been a problem at all.. and in fact its been nice to be up that early before we have to be gone alllll day :) .. but yesterday was just hard cause DH and the boys have been sick. and we are all going on a lot less sleep than normal. so.. why am I telling you all this (well and myself too) .. because the 5 am wake up ended up being my reason for bad eats yesterday. .. heres my list: 1. carry out burrito (bacon-egg -no cheese) and a coke (cause I was exhaust...

decided to take today off.. been up since 5am.. teaching today and then went out tonight with the kids to see a christmas program downtown.. long long long day... eats have been off drank too much caffine. tired but cant sleep .. urrrgh! will be better tomorrow. looking forward to tomorrows workout! :) see you afterward. r

just finished. lunges leg extensions dead lifts side raises (straight arm) tri extensions (laying down) my goal tonight was to totally fatigue my legs. I think i did it. Walking up the stairs at coop tomorrow might be a bit painful (hopefully :) ... wow.. doesnt lifting make you feel great! did anyone else watch Oprah today? I DVR her show and only watch the ones i am interested in.. today was about people who lost an amazing amount of weight.. (one lady start weight was over 700lbs!) .. check out the before and afters on her site .. ... so inspirational!.. some of the people talked about how they got winded walking around in their house, or couldnt go up and down stairs.... all memories of what they use to be like.. so.. tonight when I lifted .. I went down memory lane. I remembered what it felt like when I couldnt do even ONE lunge! It hurt too bad in my knees/feet and I didnt have the balance to hold myself! I remembered doing bent arm shoulder raises with a can of green beans in ...

I just finished reading Josha's post and realized that I am spose to do 3 bs today. I knew i was going to do 3 bs today but when she started talking about her bicep workout I realized I did biceps on Monday!.. I did chest, back and biceps!.. WHAT? what was I thinking? Its crazy how I can just go in there and zone out to the music on my ipod and pump out a workout and not realize for 2 whole days I did it wrong! funny. I guess I am in such a habit that my mind doesnt care what I do as long as I do something. so.. to correct my mis -lifting.. :) Today I will do Legs, shoulders and tris .. who knows.. might make for a better workout. :) I have been feeling the need for a challenge. I love competition. I grew up playing softball and was very competitive. I loved playing on a team but the older I got ( highschool ) the more I wanted to challenge myself to become better and better.. for me.. it wasnt Just about the team anymore.. it was about self improvement. so .. in highschoo...

ran as soon a DH came home.. it was a good run except Su decided to go solo for a few hundred yards (I dropped her leash when i was taking my sweat shirt off).. .. I got her back though.. did abs afterwards i am sore from last nights lifting! .. glad I didnt miss. eats have been good. just a bobble with 2 sips of coke this morning.. but clean after that.. feeling better! I am sorry this is short.. got a kitchen to clean and 3 guys hair to cut before bed! OH.. my mom and dad have a contract on their house.. might be here by january!

excuses. had them. didnt use them. stressed, tired, zero energy. just didnt want to do it. .. when free day turns into free weekend it turns me into my old pre-bfl self and I start hating the way I feel. but .. once again.. a workout and mostly healthy eats for the day has started to turn me back into ME:) .. back to normal :) yipee. I feel so much better after lifting. My arms are literally like jello as I really burned my bis out until I couldnt do one more curl! .. feels GREAT! I am feeling bloated and sluggish but hope that another day of clean eating will have my energy levels back up. When I think of how I feel right now it makes me ponder why I even take a free day. When I first started BFL I LIVED for my free days. But I am seriously considering taking anew look at free days and how much freedom I give myself. Seems it shouldnt be called free if it makes me feel bad and takes two days to get back to "normal" .. .. . and here we are again in the middle of cold weather ...

ok.. so holidays bring out the free day in me.. free day from everything! .. :) so.. I have just been shoppin, eatin, and restin, .. and enjoying some family time:) good thing about free days it already puts the desire in me to get back to normal :).. as a side note .. I think this is the first holiday in a VERY long time that I have not had a horrible tummy ache! (yipee:) so although its been a free few days.. they have been good . I have been looking in to this: (in case you are interested) book cookbook abundance food list my goal between now and Monday is to get my grocery list back together and organized.. and stocked for the week. I am tired of going to the store every other day. I just wonder how I am spose to get fresh fruits and veggies and keep them fresh for a week. It seems that when I buy fresh I have to go to the store Monday, Wed, and Friday... .. Hummmm.. ok.. gotto go. we are going to play apples to apples. :)

decided to wait until tomorrow to do my three bs.. will run on Sunday.. so all is well.. eats have been good but not perfect but that is ok too! I am so enjoying my sweet sis being here for a few days! she got up and went walking with Su, and Cat.. .. (way to go sissy!) :) said the snow was beautiful! .. ok.. gotta go visit :) .. -r

just finished chest, tris and shoulders.. chest press, tri ext., shoulder flies, and PUSHUPS! (pushups make you feel like you are working out!!!) :) family here.. gona go help make taco stew for supper :) more tomorrow after I do cardio tomorrow :) blessings r

.. My hubby put this shirt on a few days ago and walked into the room.. just gotta love it.. and needless to say we all got a great laugh out of it.. boy oh boy doesnt he look HOT! .. or is it just me :) .. who needs superman I got superdh! .. :) today is monday.. spose to be a 3b day.. but I just had to post to say that today was so beautiful that I just HAD to go for a run. I also know that a cold front is coming our way and will be cccccccold from wednesday night through next week.. so.. I took some time to enjoy my last bit of fall weather in anticipation of winter. I will be doing 3bs in about 30 mins and will post when i am finished. eats today were good.. one bobble.. 1. oatmeal with water 2. salad with 6 oz dp (bobble) 3 almonds and choc chips (just a few) water 4. wasa bread (1 slice) and water (just wasnt hunger and was in the middle of scrubbing the bathrooms so this had to do) 5. chicken, green beans, sweet tato.. water 6 will be a shake. (after I workout) nate I on his wa...

its seems this is a no cardio week huh.. today was busy with the kids cleaning and organizing for family to come visit :).. it needed to be done anyway.. ... DH was out of town all day so I couldnt go run alone.. I could have done the treadmill but just ended up not fitting it in.. nate is getting worse with his cough.. I KNEW if I took him to get shots he would end up sick!.. he has a cough .. no fever.. this is our first day of coughing.. wednesday an thurs he was horse, yesterday stopped up congested, and this morning the coughing started.. Its now 1AM and I am up with him watching black and white cartoons.. I am hoping if he sits up it will help.. hasnt so far. :(.. .. I am just so irritated at the doctors office.. I know if they had a section for WELL patients i would not be sitting here with a sick kid!.. frustrating!.. .. oh well.. guess I will just have to let it run its course.. .. bad news is Cat said Jo started sounding horse tonight!.. UHG .. guess it will make the r...

*wake up .. its cold outside.. no energy... breakfast for kids..DH and me...no energy.. feel bad.. cold outside .. cool inside.. want to just lay around... watch a few edu tv with kids... decided to get up and clean.... lunch.... clean some more.. still no energy.... dishes... laundry... shower.... getting a bit of energy back... run to walmart.... free day starts... buy a coke and almonds for free snack.... take three sips.. its ok .. ..... decide to paint the trim on inside of house... paint for 2 hours.. energy coming back... break for supper.. clean some more... goal to have den and kitchen spotless before bed... den goal accomplished.. decided not to workout.. DH goes to lift asks if I already did (no)... clean some more.... tired of running it over in my head if I should just miss or if I should just get in there and lift...... .... grab Ipod...... make the decision to lift... chest, shoulders, tries and a killer ab workout! feels good. all this to say.. LIFE WILL ALWAYS try and ...

I am taking off today from working out.. tom arrived and I am exhausted from a long day of teaching ... so no cardio for me today.. I will enjoy sitting and relaxing and looking forward to upper body tomorrow.. and a great run on Saturday.. I can tell I have truly made the change to the bfl style cause I have no concerns about missing a workout.. I know this is habit of for me and I will never go back to thinking "walking once a week is a workout!" .. :) .. I also have great news on the eats front.. I think my kids are actually making changes in their eating tastes.. Last night at the store i bought some plain layes chips for them to take in thier lunches.. and 2 of the three opted out of taking chips.!!!! .. they DIDNT WANT ANY? are THOSE mY CHILDERN! .. wow.. instead.. they ask if they can take extra clamentine oranges!.. wow. cool gotta go .. in the middle of fixing supper.. keep on truckin! r

here are some pictures from today.... as I said in my post below I have not felt like I have been making much progress these last few days.. and I am happy to see that I am making progress inspite of my bobbles on eats. .. the picture at the bottom is of the sky that I finished in the boys room today.. I started this project over a year ago.. I couldnt finish it cause it hurt my neck and shoulders to paint .. but today.. I conquered the clouds on the ceiling!!! YIPEE!... this is just one little section.. feels great..

Thanks for all your comments and wondering where I was.. I guess this little blog thing really has become an amazing accountabiltiy and support group for me! I would have been back in my size 14s a long time ago if it wasnt for this blog! heres whats been going on: one thing I have noticed is that if I get stressed out that it really effects my willingness to workout and eat right. I was stressed out this past Sunday and Monday agonizing over my youngest son getting his immunizations. We made the decision to just get his last round in single injections over the course of months. The reason for this is to spread out the introduction of virus to his immune system and hopefully keep his immunity high so he doesn't get other illnesses this winter. (he has been to the doctor only once in the last 2.5 years!.. so I want to keep him well.).. (PS>. If I had known years ago what I know now about immunizations I would have done things so very differently.. but I cant go back in time.. H...

I didnt want to do it but I did but I did but I did.. and I thank you. (anyone remember that song.. or am I showing my age?).. today was a day I def didnt want to workout.. but when I asked DH if we were going to watch Heroes 'live" .. he said.. no.. I am going to workout.. did you workout already? .. .. "uh.. no"... I said.. "well.. then... we are working out!" he replied... "ugh.. ok dear" I said... so .. I beat him to the weights and finished first! :) He is looking GREAT!.. its sooo cool! upper today.. chest tris and shoulders.. it was quick but not painless.. I burned out with pushups! and I must say I feel much better and I am glad I did it! now I am tired.. I am cleaning the kitchen and watching tv and calling it a day.

do you ever have on of those days where you just dont feel like it? Well.. today was my day. I am here to say no matter how bad you are retaining water and how abnormally big your tummy and top half feels ladies... no matter how little energy you have.. no matter it was free day on eating and you ate pizza and cinn bread sticks for supper.. no matter how bloated you felt when you put on your running outfit.. no matter..... HIITS WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER! I am living stinking sweating proof.. who needs PMS medicine when you have HIITS! SO.. NEXT TIME you feel PMSed out.. strap yourself in and lace up your shoes and get HIIT. Its worth it! I am thrilled to report that I did an amazing 10 HIITS tonight! ends up this video that Janelle put on her blog helped me a LOT.. now that I am truly resting between hits I can do more of them! .. for those of you who might have missed her post .. take a peak. YIPEE! now I can go finished watching "look alike" and not feel guilty for just ...

I just added some recipes to our eats index .. have some? you can email them to me at ruthieartworks at yahoo dot com and i will add them:) or leave them in my comment box

ok.. so I didnt have my trusty side kick to take pictures when I lifted tonight.. so these will have to do today :) the first is just silly... the second is just silly and the last.. well.. the last is motivating! :) and exciting at the same time.. knowing I will never return to that size ever again! :) .... so this foto friday I am feeling silly AND great about my progress! one meal at a time.. one workout at a time! looking forward to a good session of Hiit training tomorrow! .. this picture is also what I look like when you tell me I can eat fried cheese and warm chocolate chip cookies to my hearts delight! :) hehehe three 3bs done! will be sore tomorrow.. I would much rather be sore than look like THIS and not be sore..... ever. :) blessings r

908pm just got home from my run. had to drive the car to campus and then run around so only 2 miles tonight but it was a good hard run with only two "stops" one to let su go potty and the other because a lost dog started following us and I wanted to see if it had a tag on its collar. (NO).. It was a beautiful dog! still mostly puppy but really sweet. it ran with us all the way until I got to my car and then it ran off .. I looked back and it was in the middle of the road about to get hit. I tried and tried to call it back to take it home with me but it wouldnt come. :( .. I will feel bad if I see it in the street tomorrow just laying there! .. I just dont understand people who buy dogs and then put a collar on but NO tag! thats the second dog this week I have found that way! frustrating! ok.. today was teaching art all day and I did pretty well on eats! I had nothing to fix for my lunch except a salad or a pbandj .. so i chose the salad.. and it was really good! .. heres the ...

ok.. so I had it in my mind that today I would be feeling GREAT!.. but .. i dont. I am tired, lathargic, and craving carbs like crazy... I think its all cause TOM is on it way and it make me more interested into looking again at carb cycling.... any of you ever hear of that? I dont know much about it but from what I read on "buffmother dot com" .. ANYWAY>.. had some bobbles today and I am so ready to have my energy back its not funny! m1: oatmeal with dried cranberries, water (took my multi-vit) m2: almonds and choc morsels, water (then 2 oz of coke, a handful of cheerios, and 5 pringles potato chips --left over from the trip) m3: salad with chicken, almonds, and wasa wafer, water, 5 Mandarin orange slices (took my CLA) m4: m5: Ugh.. days I struggle on eats sometimes I want to just throw in the towel.. and take a nap! :) but I wont... gotta keep going... I know I will feel better soon. more tonight after I lift. tomorrow is coop and I still have to get things together fo...

UGH>. who invented sugar anyway.. I think it was the devil! :) .. such cravings with getting off sugar.. you would think its totally a drug of some kind! Heres a link if you are interested in knowing more. .. Today I came close to having a few sips of coke.. but didnt! not after seeing on "you are what you eat" that there are 18 spoons of sugar in most coke bottles! .. no wonder it throws me for a loop! .. .. so.. I came to post my eats to help keep me on track.. meal #1 oatmeal with almonds and cranberries, water meal #2 trail mix with a bit of dark choc morsels, water meal #3 left over taco stew, wasa cracker, tea with stevia so far so good .. off to clean and then do a few more hours of schooling.. including pe with the kids! .. :) I tell you what ladies.. getting off sugar will go down in the record books for me as one of the hardest things I have done! crazy isnt it! Update: I just finished the run around campus and ab work.... it was nice and cool. ..felt great!. m...

well out trip was fantastic... but now I am having vacation hangover :) it was so nice while on vacation to be able to go to the "Gathering of the Nations" Buffet and eat what ever we wanted! .. or just ordering pizza in our room.. nice to have a few ultra free days! I didnt workout Saturday but we went hiking and drove up to Ski Apache.. I will post pictures later :) I told DH.. the hiking we did would not have been possible for me 2 years ago! There would have been NO way I would have been able to make it up the steep section we went up .. and then down.. it was soooooo fun! Now that I am back home and back to normal.. I am looking forward to eating "normal" again too. I liked having free eats .. but as always.. they come at a price.. low energy and tummy aches. :) .. so today I am back on eats.. and going off bread and sugar (which i ate while free:) .. So far this morning I am having some withdrawals (slight headache, irritability, and lethargic).. which are N...

well we had a great breakfast here which was def off program eats (looooved the bacon).. and then I went and did chest, shoulders and tris in the workout room.. The day was great fun.. except for the horrible tummy ache I had after lunch. I tell you what.. my body is soooo use to eating the Body for Life way that my free days ALWAYS include a tummy ache. I must say that it does motivate me to stay on program and makes me actually look forward to eating and NOT having tummy aches :) .. its late and we have a big day of hiking and site seeing ... so all for now.. Happy freeday everyone! r

we got here and are having fun.. My eats were not at all on for the trip here.. but I didnt over eat so that is good.. .. but its funny.. my tummy is already telling me to EAT RIGHT!.. but.. I am not going to sweat the eats too much.. I will just make sure I dont ever eat and that I eat often.. I did workout (with my friend M).. I ran 25 mins on the tread mill (I did sprints! ughhhh) while watching the kids swim in the pool with the daddies.. :) .. then did abs on the ex. ball the had there and stretched a lot! .. THEN.. I hit the hot tub.. .. AHHH.. I LLLOOOVE vacation!.. the workout room is NICE so I will lift in the morning.. :) and will post later tomorrow after i do! now I am off to check all your blogs! Happy almost weekend!!! :) R

will try hard to stay on eats until tomorrow when my scheduled free day starts.... will run when i get there this afternoon. focus saying today: remember.. its NOT how it TASTES.. its how it makes me FEEL. blessings r