I'm Getting Fatter...

...you all win. See you next week!

Happy Thanksfattenings Everybody!

Correction: belated Thanksfattenings.

So, I know we all have many things to be thankfattening for this year. Most of them are in the fridge covered in plastic wrap right now. But I just wanted to tell each and everyone of you how thankfattening I am for all of you. I love you guys. Can't wait to see your Trimmer Grimmer selves over Christmas!

It's gonna be awesome and so healthy and great. I know all of you are probably working out right now as I type. Hey - instead of a family portrait this year, we should totally do a family workout video! What do you think? Mom's already certified. Make a little extra dough in this economy? Seriously.

Anyway, see all of you trim, healthy Grims next month! Yeah!

P.S. Can we have a Scrabble-off to decide the winner of this thing? I accidentally forgot to work out for the past 2 1/2 weeks and just ate a whole entire pumpkin pie...mine are made with sugar, Jared.

P.S.S. Dad, what do you think about making the deep fried Christmas turkey a little leaner and healthier this year? Like maybe this one:



(Apologies to Elder Jordan for the turkey-bikini shot).

Sweet delicious apple pie!

So, it's been a while since either Amanda or I have posted here on this blog.  Just to let you know, I've been keeping strong from partaking of any processed sugars.  Quite frankly, it seems like I've been too busy to give much attention to any type of sugary craving.  However, last week I got a sweet tooth and needed to fix it before it fixed me and my goal of staying clean to the new year.  So I did what any other person might do, and got on the internet looking for a sugar free apple pie recipe. It wasn't long before I found one and was in the kitchen making the dough and filling.  I tell you that was the best apple pie I've ever eaten, except for the one I've had tonight.  In a weeks time, I've made four of those suckers!  No processed sugar too.  There's all sorts of nice recipes that are easy to find on the internet.  I've found that cooks.com has been a great source for easy and healthy recipes. 

 

Watch out! I've been working on my Chuck Norris skills

Amanda and I have a competition going.  It came as a result of her needing to do sit-ups and me wanting to beat her at something.  So, she's got to do twice the amount of sit ups as I do push ups.  The first time, which was just the other night, I was victorious - cruising easily to fifty while she was thirty or so shy from the finish.  We're increasing the amount by five or ten each time, so I think she'll be whipping me pretty good before long

.

Ashlyn has come a long ways since the beginning of this trek and can now 1. Sit up on her own (for a few seconds before she gets excited and does a face plant or falls back or any other type of vertical descent from an upward position). and 2. can eat solid baby food.  This change in diet for her has caused quite a bit of excitement around here... changing diapers has taken on a whole new meaning.

Anyhow, we're excited about coming up next month and seeing everyone.  Ashlyn will be nearly 7 months by then and Amanda will be at least 3 months pregnant! Just kidding.  

- Jared

Once A Marine, Always A . . .

. . . person who can kick your butt into shape with both eyes closed and one hand tied behind his back.



Meet Rasul. He is an ex-Marine, one of our really good friends and an absolute expert at making Chris and I really, really - unbelievably sore. Chris is helping him with his business and in exchange, he is helping us with our 'business'.

For those of you who don't know, my 'business' is located in my 'trunk' and 'backyard' area. So, in essence, Rasul will be helping me remove junk from my trunk, keep the acreage down in my backyard and stop my business from going all over the place.

He's going to come over twice a week for a month to teach us exercises that don't require machines or weights and that incorporate our core body strength and several different muscle groups at once. Who knew that there were so many [explitive] kinds of squats?!! He even teaches us ways to use Gunnar in our excercises (but you have to have a spotter when you do and you can't just throw him down when your arms give out).

Rasul is clear to say, however, that he is not a trainer: he's a teacher. He's of the philosophy that most of us put our responsibility to get in shape onto the trainer instead of ourselves which creates a relationship of dependency and results in only short lived success. I think he's right. Chris and I had a trainer for a few months and when our sessions ended, so did our lowered body fat and intense work outs at the gym.

He's only come a few times now, but I think it's working.



I mean, check us out.

Violent Vomiting

I'd like to thank Aaron and Max for the instant weight loss plan they passed onto me, totally free of charge!  Retching uncontrollably in the Church bathroom last Wednesday night was a milestone.  I was able to spontaneously work the "Trimmer Grimmer" program and fulfill my calling by making fridge magnets with the Young Women.  I made sure to touch everything and hug all the girls so they too could enjoy the benefits of this amazing tried and true program.  After Mutual, although tired and achy from the workout, the impulse to throw it out there again was uncontrollable.  So as soon as I got home I threw open the car doors and left it all on the driveway.  Fortunately, the pouring rain and driving winds kept me focused and low to the ground.  More importantly I had a strong, supportive audience in that Kitty's constant, plaintive cheer-meowing and head butting gave me courage to continue.  With head spinning, sore abs and questionable underwear I pushed through the pain and had one more successful workout at the kitchen sink.  The "Trimmer Grimmer" program is absolutely amazing!  For a free trial at no charge, visit Aaron and Jessica Grimmer at their home in Portland.  For guaranteed results, let Max suck your phone!

Explosive Diarrhea

I was sure that I wouldn't be the first person to bring up poop on this blog...but I suppose someone had to do it.

So Mom came down to visit earlier this week and it so happened that on the day she visited, I came down with the worst case of diarrhea that I've had since my mission.  I won't get into all the details, suffice it to say that the only exercise I got this week were several reps of deep "squats".  

The good news is that Mom was saying that she wanted to lose some weight out of her butt and I think she picked up whatever illness I had.  So Mom, be careful what you wish for...

P.S.

Yes Natalie, I did poop my pants...but just a little.

Happy is where you find him

Hi everyone,
I have been hunting for the last week so my exercising routine has been interupted. However,
hunting in the mountains (steep mountains) can provide for lots of exercise. I hunted with my
brother Dee and two of his friends and we packed in with horses and mules 15 miles from the
end of a long mountain road. On the way in I found out that my horse Happy, was only happy
when I was leading him down, and up, the trail. In his defence, I don't think that he ever had
been in the mountains before and he stumbled and tripped over every rock and log that was
even near the trail. The worst part though was accasionally he would see something on the trail that would spook him and I would have to dismount and pull him thru the scarry part. This happened several times and I had to lead him down and up the steepest section of the trail.
Happy (my horse) was making me anything but happy and I was thinking about exercising
my rifle. I did't and he learned a lot on the trip in and during the week and I was able to ride him the entire way out, four hours, without even dismounting. My butt is still sore.
The hunting was good but the finding was not. I lost a couple of pounds somewhere up in the mtns. Something good. Happy is back in the pasture with the other horses and mules and probably dreading the next hunt.
One thing that I learned was that the Mountain House freeze dried meals are very good.
Something to keep in mind when planning our food storage.
Well, I tried to refrain from eating the candy and hopefully can get a better blood sugar average.
My new knee worked very well and I am pleased that I can still hunt.
I will write more when I lose more.

Jordan's letter

So, Jordan emailed me and asked that i share this with everyone.  I figured I could make everyone feel special and forward it to them individually, or post it on our blog.  Mom, I specifically was thinking of you - somehow, by posting Jordan's email on here almost makes him a part of this family again!

Enjoy, and all I'll send Jordan everyones email.

Jared

m:  jc_grimm@myldsmail.net

Subject:  Hi!

Date:  October 16, 2008 12:05:32 PM MDT

To:  jaredgrimmer@gmail.com, grimmerma@gmail.com

Dear Family,
Last Tuesday I had the eating experience of a lifetime:
My companion and I were on our bikes and we were going to go drop by a member's house for one reason or another. All of a sudden, in the distance, we heard this weird honking noise. My companion looked at me and said "GHETTO CORN!" I of course, had no idea what he was talking about. He then started grilling me; asking me from whence the noise came, and the hunt was on. We searched diligently for about ten minutes until we saw it; a little white car with a little Hispanic man handing out the aforementioned "ghetto corn". It costed $1.50 and this is what it was: corn on a stick, smothered in mayo, parmagean, butter and chili powder. They'd specifically told us in the MTC to avoid eating from street vendors, but we figured, since he kept things in a cooler and it was an unusually cold day, that it would be safe for us to eat. It was perhaps the most AWESOME $1.50 I've ever spent! I'll try and send pictures next week of the experience.
Other than that, the work is continuing; we have one of our investigators - this guy named Antonio - for baptism on November 15, and his son is going to start taking the lessons with us tomorrow! It seems like the majority of the people we teach actually "hunger and thirst after righteousness". This one lady, Tiffany, when we started teaching her, was just in the mindset of "oh, I'm Catholic, but I'm pretty open-minded about learn of other churches". At our last appointment, she was asking so many questions, we were providing satisfactory (and doctrinally-sound) answers and she's just eating up everything we've given her. This one is bound for baptism! I never really understood what they were saying in the MTC about how there were actual people being prepared to hear what I have to say until I got out here and experienced it for myself! I'm just blown away by it. Just yesterday, one of our investigators asked me if it was possible for him to be baptized again, even if he'd already been baptized in another church! My first thought to myself was "are you serious?!"
I'm learning a lot every day about what it's like to be a missionary. On our last P-day, we played ultimate frisbee...I made the mistake of trying to catch one with my face, and got a pretty big goose-egg on my right temple for a number of days. Thankfully, that's the worst injury I've sustained while I've been out here.
Yesterday was pretty crazy:
first, we forgot to set our alarm so we accidentally slept in until 7:00. When we finally got ready to go, we found, much to our chagrin, that our front-right tire was completely flat! So we looked for our spare, a jack and a tire-iron...we found only the spare. For the next two hours we searched for the other two (mainly the tire-iron, because the other missionaries in our building had a jack). We sadly had to cancel one of our teaching appointments, but after replacing the tire, and going to Pep Boys to get the other one fixed, we were back on track. Sometimes, I wondered why we had to many delays that day, but then I remembered 2 Nephi 2: 24 "all things are done in the wisdom of he who knoweth all things" so then I stopped worrying.
I just wanted to let everyone know that I love them and that I'm still alive. I still don't have everyone's email address yet, so Jared, if you wouldn't mind forwarding this to our brothers and sisters, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks for the prayers! I look forward to hearing from you and hope everything's well,
-Elder Jordan Grimmer

The exception

So far so good...with a little exception.  For the last two weeks I've gone pretty much processed sugar free.  This has been great - I'm eating more vegies and fruit, and pretty much no junk.  I will admit though, I splurged a little.  Last Friday I ditched out on my morning classes for opening day of hunting season. I figured after four years of school - I could skip at least a half day.  Well, just as I was planning on coming back  into town to go to some of my really important classes, we spotted some dear and I forgot all about school.  After hiking around through the desert for a few hours I built up quite an appetite, and since I was planning on coming in early, I hadn't packed a lunch.  As a result I ate a small slim jim and a snickers bar to tie me over.  The next day my buddy had bought some of those powder doughnuts with the raspberry filling.  I used the excuse i think dad's probably using right now while he's up in the Blues - I was hunting and ate two of them!  With only these two minor set backs, I've successfully avoiding  eating any of amanda's cookies, her mom's apple cobbler and everything else anyone's tried to tempt me with.  And no, i never got a deer, so I'll be going back out this weekend, hopefully without any exceptions!

Dill is not pickle juice

Well I know that I haven't posted yet but I've been meaning too! Right now I'm going to school with 15 credits and taking care of Ashlyn and Jared and the house and it gets a little busy sometimes:) I'm excited about this "Trimmer Grimmer" thing because it will definitely help me to work out more and cook better. 

This last week, I have discovered several things in the way of cooking. Firstly, I'm not very good at cooking healthy, and secondly, when a recipe calls for dill, they mean the seasoning, not pickle juice:) I was making a salad dressing that called for dill, so instead of asking Jared what that was, I assumed that they meant pickle juice, so I added it. Much to my astonishment, that's not what it was! haha, it was really nasty, and Jared made fun of me really bad for it. Later we found some dill seasoning in our cupboard.....how am I supposed to know what that is?;)

So some of my goals for this "wellness" program are:

1- Work out 3 times a week for 1 hour every time, focusing on the abdomen and leg strength

2- Support Jared in his silly notion to avoid eating sugar:)

3- Drink lots of water every day! Atleast 64 ounces

4- Loose 10 pounds & have flat ABS;) (no Aaron, not a flat a**) haha

5- Get more sleep

6- Run half a marathon

A couple of Ashlyn's goals include:

1- Making her double chin a triple chin

2- Making mom dress her in pants that fit her  

3- Eat baby food  and not sneeze on mom every time so that food plasters her

End of week #1

I found that Russ' original routine was too easy, so I doubled up the bowflex resistance training.  I kept the weight the same but just did 2 sets of 15 reps each.  I will check w/Russ to see if he wants me to change anything.  Jordan Lydia is here this weekend and she will be giving me some specific ab routines.  The 6kid mama midriff bulge is gettin' in the way.  Can't see my shoes when I look down!  Having everything set up in the gay-raj works out really nice.

For the treadmill routine, it's 30 minutes @ an increasing incline at a fast walk.  I'm not yet to the point where I can jog or anything, but it's coming.  I do break a sweat and I'll keep pushing myself here.

We go to Waimanalo the end of the month (for Halloween!), and one of the best workouts is just walking the sandy beach.  It always kills my calves for a few days so I want to be in enough shape for a no pain walk.  One of my goals is to learn how to surf.  Lotsa work ahead!

life after "24 and looking to score"

So, I'm sure you're wondering why I was so generous to allow you all a few weeks head start in the "trimmer grimmer" contest. The truth is that I've been secretly working out and not telling anyone;) Actually, rumor has it that my body-fat percentage is now lower than my actual age, which is encouraging.
I'm still working on the specifics of my goal, but so far I've come up with a few ideas, including this good saying:
"25 and looking alive...not like I just ate a small animal"
So I've posted this picture to inspire me to NEVER look like that again. But then again, this was the body I had when Jordan Lydia fell in love with me, so I suppose I had some sort of appeal....probably some pretty nice curves regardless of my gender.
While being a stone mason may not be the easiest job I have ever had, it does have its benefits. I've been toning up quite a bit and losing some weight too. Usually, I'm pretty exhausted when I get home, and working out is the last thing on my mind. I think that with Jordan Lydia doing her routine, will really help encourage me too. Thus far, these are my goals:

1. Don't eat like (or look like I ate) a pig
2. Do Yoga with my wife
3. Go to the gym with my wife
4. Keep being a stone mason (at least until the end of the contest)
5. Do 100 push ups a day (mainly because even though I have posted 5 goals, I feel one of them needs to be associated with an actual number)

My iTunes Gift Certificate

Thank you all for the awesome birthday gift. There are actually a bunch of albums I've been wanting to get, but hadn't been able to justify the cost in these "economic times." So THANK YOU!

Love ya all.

Chris

Getting Physical With the Coffee Table

Gunnar had an accident during his daily dance aerobic routine on Tuesday. Let this be a warning to all of us not to push our bodies beyond their capacity to perform . . . and to avoid exercise involving twirling with your eyes closed around sharp objects.


For more info on the gory details visit http://lospeterson.com

I only worked out once last week - but I'm counting the mad dash to ER as aerobics for one day. Chris is working out like a pro lately though. Everyday he's on the Eliptical followed by 'Perfect Pushups' and at least semi-perfect sit ups ;) And he's been skateboarding instead of cabing it to places lately too.



I'm really proud of him. He's already lost over 5 lbs!! Plus, and this is the kicker, today is his BIRTHDAY and he wouldn't even let me make him his favorite rainbow chip cake. I'm going to put candles in his salad I guess. Happy b-day babe!

1 Week Update

So I kinda sucked my first week. 

I worked out twice instead of three times and the second time wasn't a complete workout.  We've been a little busy and the whole "getting up" super early thing has been too hard.  I did notice that my appetite increased a lot after my first workout, which is cool, so I know that working out will be great for me if I can get myself to do it.

Basically I'm posting all this expecting someone to call me lazy in order to help motivate me to fit these workouts in...either that or you can post about how awesome your workouts have been and that will get my competitive juices going.

By the way, I was in Utah yesterday meeting with a guy who's very interested in opening a Pudding on the Rice in the Mall of America in Minneapolis. The meeting went better than expected and we could have our very first franchise up and running by the beginning of next year.  This has been a huge answer to our (and I know some of your) prayers and we want to thank all of you for the support that you've given us over the years with this. A lot has to be done before this is a done deal and a lot more will be done to make sure it's a successful endeavor, but we just wanted to spread the good news...especially with all the horrific news in the economy right now.  Thanks again and keep those prayers coming!

Eitan's Flexability

I want to improve my flexability by doing yoga atleast twice a week and stretching daily. Currently, I cannot even sit up correctly with my legs extended or lift my arms straight over my head.

I want to focus on stretching and relaxing my whole body. Everyday I do some kind of activity, mostly water sports (windsurfing/surfing/swimming/kayaking/bodysurfing/etc...) so my muscles are tone, yet tight.

My goal is to do yoga with Rhonda, my love, because we can help and motivate each other to do well.

Sore muscles and prayer

Russell's work out program hurts so it must be working.  I only just started last week and even then only did one full workout, so... I am hoping for the best.  I've decided to incorporate a walking routine along with the resistance training on the bowflex, so starting tomorrow I'll be hitting the lovely treadmill.  If the fall rains hadn't already started (buckets!) Dennis and I would be walking outside in the morning... I would be his new Al.  Rather than distance, I'll be doing a moderate walk for 30 minutes, increasing the difficulty each week.

I hope everyone had an opportunity to watch General Conference this last weekend.  Remember Elder Bednar's talk about prayer?  As a family, let's incorporate the power of prayer in our daily fitness routine. It might sound a little corny coming from me, but go online and re-read Elder Bednar's talk and come up with a prayer routine.  Here's one idea:  In the morning, Dennis and I make a list of people, situations, or whatever that needs "prayin' over".  We write it down on a sticky note and slap it on the cupboard door.  It's line of sight, and keeps those things ever present throughout the day.  How can we better incorporate prayer in this project? Any ideas?

Oh and my goal...Flexible and Fabulous

Before baby Max I could arabesque without a major charlie horse in my behind and had a good strong set of abs. So my goal in the next little while is to get my flexibility and core streanght back.

Every day, I plan to do the core streanghtening excercises from my ballet days as well as stretching my muscles back to arabesque bliss.... 

The Ultimate Brain Food

Another recipe for you to try! 

It is always so much easier to stay on track when you eat well. An easy way to make any meal fabulous is to add fresh herbs.  At most super markets these days you can pick up fresh herbs for your kitchen window. I would suggest basil, thyme, chives, or rosemary. Then just add them to any meal for fresh flavor.(google the best way to prep each herb, to avoid using the bitter parts) Oh, and a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime brightens the flavor of any dish so keep a stash in the fridge. And I almost forgot sea salt and pepper grinders are a must....they sell them at every supermarket these days and make all the difference.

Now to the recipe :) I chose this one because it is the ultimate brain food :)

Fresh Salmon, Quinoa, and steamed broccoli with a splash of Olive Oil.

2-5 oz filets of Salmon 

(I cover each side with a tsp. of mayonaise, it flavors them perfectly and  adds the right amount of fat). Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Broil them for 7 minutes on each side. 

Quinoa  (1/2 cup dry grain per person) is the best grain, tastes fabulous and you can get it at most grocery stores in the rice section. Cook it like rice 2 cups of liquid to 1 cup of grain. I use chicken or vegetable broth  instead of water to add more flavor. When cooked, fluff with a fork and add fresh herbs.

Broccoli: Young broccoli is yummy but any will do. Get a bunch per person (the more the better!) I always just steam it in the microwave in a glass bowl with a cup of water and covered with saran wrap for 4-5 minutes. Then drain the water and drizzle with good olive oil and fresh sea salt and pepper to taste. 

SOoooooo....Make the quinoa first and when cooked and steaming.

Put the salmon under the broiler (in the oven) and set the timer for 7 minutes (while thats cooking)

Put the sliced broccoli in the glass bowl with the water and cover with saran wrap...zap in the microwave for 5 minutes let it steam in the microwave while you....

Flip the Salmon over and let it cook on the other side for 7 more minutes.

Then Plate a neat pile of Quinoa, lay the salmon over it and place the broccoli on the side. Drizzle olive oil on the broccoli and grind fresh salt and pepper where you desire. Add a slice or two of lemon and your done :)

Renae's Fitness Goals and Objectives:

Goal #1. Eat better so I can have better hair and skin and live longer w/o cancer or a butt 5 times wider than my shoulders (genetics people).

Objectives:

a.) Increase my fruit and veggie portioning from 3 a day to the RDI of at least 6 a day

b.) Cook at least once a day w/fresh fruits, veggies and the occasional meat product (with recipe help from Jess)

c.) Stop baking cookies, etc. unless at least 90% leave the house to become someone else's caloric problem

c.) Reduce my white refined sugar intake by replacing sugar with honey or maple syrup and not eating anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup listed in the ingredients

d.) Reduce my chocolate intake from three handfuls of Guittard dark chocolate chips a day, to three handfuls a day. . . okay, fine, you got me. I'll reduce it to two . . and 1/2.

e.) Supplement with vitamins twice a day



Goal #2. Exercise so that I can be toned and flexible enough to punch a bad guy in the face and do some Jordy-style splits afterward.

Objectives:

a.) Increase exercise to at least one hour, 3 times a week (cardio and weight training)

b.) Set up a schedule for our pro fitness trainer, Rasul to teach me technique and an exercise routine

c.) Whenever possible, walk with Gunnar in the carrier or stroller instead of taking a cab or train

d.) Dance with Gunnar every morning in the living room for at least 25 minutes a day

e.) Go to bed before 11:00 pm every night

That's all for now.


Anyway . . . here's my before pic. I know, it's not good.

Several Goals

One of my goals is to never have to do this again:

DAD

Hi everybody,


I guess that I am getting involved with the trimmer Grimmer deal. I am probably the one that needs this the most. I have not talked to Russell yet but plan to. This last summer has been one of the busiest and one of the best of any that I can remember. One of the bad things of this summer is that I kinda forgot that I was a diabetic. As a result of this, my last A1C test (a 3 month average of blood sugar levels) was really, really high. I have another doctors appointment Monday and I am sure that Gary will want me to go on insulin shots. I have been told that the pills will only work for about 5 years and I have been on them for about 7 so perhaps there effectiveness has diminished.

Anyway, I am not very anxious to start the shot thing. So, my goal for these next three months
is to get my A1C back down to 7 or below. This will entail regular exercise, changing my diet (less carbs and sugar), and losing some weight. I am going to be realistic of what i need to do.


Now Goal Change


Weight------------ 238 lbs 225 lbs 13 lbs


A1C--------------- 8.5 7.0 1.5


Exercise---------- none 4 days wk lots


So, this is what I am going to do. I guess I will have to set weekly goals to track my progress. I don't have a picture yet. This is my first experience with blogging.

My "Before" Picture

I thought about looking really sad and turning my picture black and white like those infomercials.  That way my after picture would look really awesome...but I'm too much of an exhibitionist to look sad when Jessica's taking pictures of me in my skimpy black trunks.  Originally, I thought I'd wear tighty whities for my picture, but Jessica said I looked too much like that guy who shoots Bruce Willis in the beginning of the 6th Sense...if you don't remember what he looks like, he was a really skinny white guy in tighty whities. 

As for my goal.  Per Russell's instruction, I'm going to work out 3 times a week doing pretty much the same workout routine, although I might mix up some cardio in there every now and then.  My goal is to increase my overall strength by 25% by Christmas. Russ says that that's an ambitious, but not impossible goal...I told him that I try to make a living selling rice pudding.  I eat "ambitious but not impossible" for breakfast.  That's one of the reasons I'm so skinny.  I should try wrapping it in bacon.

Right now I'm working most every night until pretty late, so either I'll stay up a little later and work out or I'll get up in the morning and do it.  I'm also going to drink 6 raw eggs every morning for breakfast like on Rocky...not really, but I might have Jess record me doing it once just to see if I can.  Tomorrow's the 1st, so I hope you're all getting ready for this thing.  Good Luck!

Bye-bye couch

After consulting with Lil' Russ, I am starting a program of bowflex weightlifting and pilates.  I don't have an actual daily program from him yet but should get it by tomorrow.  Just want to be stronger, more flexible, better endurance and leap buildings in a single bound.  Honestly though, at this moment I'm totally dreading the whole upcoming routine - but that's the devil talkin'.  For some reason, Dennis has not yet been formally invited to "a trimmer grimmer", so his plan is to tag team with Aaron.  He'll gain the weight, Aaron gains the other stuff.  I want a cookie.

The dentist yanked my sweet tooth

So this is my last semester of classes... hopefully, if I pass them all. Taking 19 credits (which includes four physics classes and two math classes) doesn't leave me with a whole lot of spare time.  For the most part, Amanda and I have worked our schedules out to where one of us is watching Ashlyn while the other is in class.  There are a few hours during the week though that Amanda's mom and a friend of ours watches the baby.  

It seems as though when I'm not watching the baby, I'm either sleeping or getting my homework done.  This has been an inconvenience to my regular morning work out sessions.  So, I figured that I'd take a different approach on this trimmer grimmer approach and go without eating processed sugar for the three months.  There's a few good perks for doing this: One, I'll have to eat healthier, more fruits and vegies. Two, if I ever get the diabetes I'll be able to look back on this time and tame down my cravings for sugar. I'm sure there's a few other good perks to doing this that Russ could elaborate on.

In addition to this, I'll help keep Amanda motivated to stick to her work out schedule, and may even participate in it.

P.S. 

If you go to mypyramidtracker.gov You can enter in how much and what kinds of food you eat and the types of exercise and how long you do it for - and good a fare evaluation of your calorie intake vs. how much you burn.  There's a few other neat features too that you can do on the website.  One thing I've done has been to record (with some effort) the amounts/types of food i ate each day, as well as everything I did (this included how much walking I did, studying, all activities) for a week.  It was really neat and would definitely be worth taking a look at.

Really thinking about my goal

Okay, so I've mentioned to most of you that my goal was going to have something to do with my weight...like I wanted to gain 5 to 10 pounds by Christmas. But after talking to Russ a bit, I think I'm changing my mind. 

I've weighed about a buck fifty since I stopped cutting weight after my junior year of high school wrestling. The most I've ever weighed in my life is about 158 and the only reason I weighed that much was because I had just eaten a really big meal and I hadn't pooped in 3 days.  

So I was thinking that a goal to gain some weight would be awesome, even if it's a Bizarro world kind of a goal. I know that some people can gain 5 pounds in a single meal (I'm thinking of you, Max...really the kid is an eater), but gaining weight is really hard for me. I really just don't get hungry very often. Russ says that some people naturally eat only as many calories as they burn, so unless my stomach gets bigger or my metabolism slows down, gaining weight is going to be tough.

So I was thinking that either I eat a cube of butter every morning, which would make some great YouTube videos, or I change my goal a little. I'm now thinking that I should just forget about weight because my body has got a pretty good handle on that already.  Instead I'm focusing on strength and cardio. We have a little exercise center at our apartment complex and I'm going to set some goals to increase the amount I can lift or pull or whatever. I may do some kind of running goal as well...like I have to be able to be able to chase Gunnar for an hour when we get together at Christmas.

I'll have my official goal figured out by the 1st. And when you guys see me at Christmas, I won't be wearing tight shirts to make it look like I have muscles...I just might actually have them!

By the way, Eitan is officially on board this thing!  I talked to him today and he and Rhonda are thinking of doing some kind of a yoga goal and then they'll lead the family in a yoga class at Christmas time. Just seeing Dad getting into a downward dog position would be totally worth it for me.

Hope all your goals are coming along well, and if you're having any trouble figure out what to do, you should TOTALLY talk to Russ.  He's been doing nothing but studying this stuff and detailing cars for the last 3 years, so he really knows his stuff.

Jess' Recipe = YUM

Jess. Please post more recipes! Renae made this for lunch, and it was yum, yum, yum.

By the way, for all those who think I can't do this, I did 52 minutes on the elliptical this morning and three sets of my "Perfect Pushups" along with some sit-ups. GREAT way to start the week!

I've chosen the elliptical as my cardio of choice because I can read a book while exercising and not get sick. I have a goal to read one hour a day of a business book, so combining the two activities seemed like a logical choice.

Treat yourself !

How cool, nothing motivates me like a competition :)

When I am eating healthy, it always helps when I don't feel deprived of good food, along with accomplishing a personal goal (tbd) I though I could also help contribute to the Trimmer Grimmer cause by including some healthy and more importantly, yummy recipes. I promise, these recipes are easy, affordable and turn out beautifully so I dare you to try them.

Angel hair Pasta con Pomodoro

1 package of Buitoni Capallini (Angel hair) Pasta ....(found in the cheese, meat and pasta section in your local grocery store) because fresh pasta always tastes better.

2 cups of cherry tomatoes(sliced in halves and or quarters)

2 cloves of minced garlic (buy it pre-minced in the produce section of the grocery store)

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of sugar

Small bunch of Fresh Basil (coarsely chopped) 4 leaves should do it.

Parmesan or Romano or Mitzithra Cheese (whatever suits your fancy)

Salt and pepper to taste

Ok...Cook the pasta per package directions...around 6 minutes in salted boiling water

While it's cooking...

Saute the garlic in olive oil 'til golden, add the cherry tomatoes and sugar, adding salt and pepper to taste.

When the pasta is cooked, drain (saving 2 cups of pasta water) and add the pasta to the tomatoes in the saute pan along with the 2 cups of retained pasta water.

Finally add the roughly chopped basil, toss and serve garnishing with your favorite cheese.

Now don't deprive yourself of the yummy rustic bread to compliment the pasta but a fabulous slice of whole wheat bread toasted and dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar is the ultimate healthy choice.

Bon Appetite! Love Jessie

The Rules Of En-shape-ment

A note before reading: If you have ideas/suggestions/changes for rules - please post them in the comment section! Thank you my family.



RULES:

1.) Everyone participating needs to consult with a health professional or Russell before starting in Trimmer Grimmer Program/Contest. Not to say that Russell is not a health professional - he is. And he has generously offered to consult each of us on our health goals at the very reduced rate of $10 per person! Do it now! The deadline for you to talk with him and set your goals is October 1st! Russ will help you with your goals but keep in mind that they should be concrete, measureable, attainable.
His phone # is: 918.576.9729

2.) No being critical of others. This includes but is not limited to calling someone (besides Andrew) 'fat butt', 'cellulite face' or telling them they should 'just give up and wear sweat pants to church'. Also, no saying any of these things about yourself. And no comparing yourself to someone else and feeling sad. So sad that you try on all of your skinny clothes and then cry on the floor and decide to eat rocky road ice cream in the bathtub alone in a moo-moo.

3.) Posts to this blog should be about YOU, about your health goals and things you're doing and interested in or things that are helping you improve your health. This can include exercise strategies, inspiring anecdotes, recipes, DYI liposuction tips, laxatives etc. Wait - scratch the last two. Do not post about someone else and what YOU think they should be doing.

4.) Everyone should try their very best to post to this blog at least ONE time a week. And to make comments of encouragement or bewilderment on the posts of others. If you do not blog, expect that someone you are related to will be calling you to remind you and/or get info from you to post on your behalf.

5.) Everyone participating should submit a before picture (okay, that can be optional) along with their goals. Please email both to me before October 1st and I will set them up on the blog for you. No photoshopping guys! (Save that for the after pictures.)

6.) The Trimmer Grimmer Wimmer, I mean, Winner (he or she who has accomplished the greatest percentage of her or his goals) will be declared on January 1st, 2009!

7.) Have fun! Or if you don't want to have fun then at least be funny about it. I am totally serious. This is a rule.



Here's one my and Gunnar's before pics. One of my health goals is going to involve upper body strength. I think Gunnar's goal will include being able to find his belly button with more ease.

Do It To It, Lars

Aaron and I were talking recently about how both of our families want to get into better shape. Jess has been working out already and trimming up beautifully after baby Max. I want to tone up and get my guns back. Chris wants to loose a few pounds and Aaron wants to (NEEDS to) gain a few kilos. . . or seven.



BUT, it's hard to do. And it's hard to be consistent. And it's hard to turn down that Little Debbie snack pack when it's staring you in the face with all it's delicious trans fatty temptation. So, we thought "Hey, let's set up a blog and get healthy as a family!" And then dad suggested, "Hey, let's turn it into a contest!"

So - that's what we're doing. We're going to fight the 'Grimmer-big-gut-no-butt' and 'Clarke-vice-versa together!' All of us Grimmers and in-laws, who want to participate will be asked to set specific, concrete and measurable health goals. (We're thinking of giving Russ some consulting work). Then, you will need to post to this blog at least once a week to keep us abreast and/or a-moob of how your progressing on your goals - as well as any weight-loss health tips you may have.

And the person who accomplishes the greatest percentage of their goals by a certain date (TBD) will be the WEINER!

Each of you should have been sent invitations to author this blog and I hope that you will. Let me or Aaron if you have any questions or ideas! Thanks.