Happy Dance!

So, this morning I was feeling brave, despite my weekend of only doing pretty ok with the eating and the exercising and drinking of water, and I thought I'd risk a trip to the scales. And much to my surprise, I am down to my 10lb mark!! *happy happy dance*

I am so buying some flowers for my table this week :)

Now, off to the gym!


UPDATE:
Jetsam and my pretty flowers brightening up my little apartment :)

Slow and steady

I am feeling pretty good today. I weighed and I am still at 1 1/2 lbs, or 47 1/2 depending on where I count from. But, my measurements have gone down. I have lost a 1/2 inch off my waist and about the same off my hips. I am glad that there are some other measurements to look at - helps me keep in prospective that the scales doesn't tell all.

50 Pounds!

I realized that I have lost 50lbs since my heaviest! That was my junior year of high school way back in 2004 and yesterday the scale said exactly 50lbs less! I actually hit this mark last year, but the whole Thanksgiving/Christmas season hit and suddenly I was back 20lbs. So here I am again!!! YEA! *happy dance*

Back On Track

My ticker is back at 6lbs! Yea! And I think that the exercising before my brain realizes what's going on quote really applied today. :) I set my alarm for 5 and I very reluctantly rolled out of bed at 5:30 and got in a good 30 minute pilates spot. Dave kinda had to kick me out of bed! I wasn't too excited to do it this morning, but I'm glad I did. Now I don't have to worry about it this evening, which is really nice since work was crazy and I didn't even get a lunch break!

Good Motivation

Thank you for inviting me to participate. You are all very motivating; I am going to have to step it up =) I have read that the three keys to loosing weight/staying healthy are #1 getting enough sleep; #2 eating healthy, and #3 exercising (in that order). I am going to have to really focus on all of them, but I definitely need to train myself to go to bed earlier. It is too late for that tonight so I will implement my new "early to bed" plan tomorrow. I heard a quote once that went something like..."anything you do today that is better than yesterday is success". I like that! Tomorrow will be full of success =) Thanks again for the invitation and all the good motivation!

My Little Plan

Heh.. Well, here is the plan that I've been using. I got an account on www.theknot.com and this was one of the handy little tools that they have there.

It's set up to be a six month workout, but I adapted it to fit my time frame, and counted the weeks out so that I know how many weeks 'til the Big Day. Also, do to my time constraints with my gym attendance, I do 30mins of aerobics 3 times a week (generally Mon, Wed, Fri) and then the other two days I do 10 or 15mins and then play with whatever weight machines suit my fancy that day.

Month 1

This month, you should mainly be focused on just getting active and engaged in the program. A good way to get motivated is to start a workout diary. Write down the date, all the reasons why you need to work out, and what your goals are. Write down your weight (always weigh yourself in the morning for consistency), and use a measuring tape to record the size of your chest, waist, hips, thighs, and forearms, so you can monitor your progress. To stay motivated, keep notes all the way through.
Tip: Weigh in and take measurements once a month only. Focusing on quick results will only discourage you.

Weeks #1 and #2

• 20 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week

Weeks #3 and #4

• 30 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week

Month 2

Still here? Good work! Now get out that measuring tape and scale. Any improvements? You shouldn't focus too much on weight loss yet, but your energy should be higher. Keep writing in your journal, and pay special attention to how you feel, how you're dealing with stress, and what you think you are gaining from your exercise program.
Tip: Remember to check your heart rate about 15 minutes into your aerobic exercise to make sure you're hitting your target heart rate.

Weeks #5 and #6

• 40 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week
• 2 sets of 10 stomach crunches
• 1 set of 10 push-ups

Weeks #7 and #8

• 40 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week
• 3 sets of 10 stomach crunches
• 2 sets of 10 push-ups

Month 3

This is usually when people start to give up. Get out your diary, and flip back to your first entry. Remind yourself why you are doing this. Also, flip ahead in your calendar and check how quickly your wedding day is approaching: Aren't you glad you started exercising weeks ago? Weigh yourself and take your measurements again. Are you making progress? Even if you haven't lost weight, you should see some results in your muscle tone.
Good to know: Muscle weighs more than fat, so you might have gained a few pounds, but you've most likely turned some of that fat into muscle.

Weeks #9 and #10

• 40 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week
• 3 sets of 10 stomach crunches
• 2 sets of 10 push-ups
• 1 set of 10 squats

Weeks #11 and #12

• 40 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week
• 3 sets of 10 stomach crunches
• 3 sets of 10 push-ups
• 2 sets of 10 squats
• 2 sets of 10 bicep curls
• 2 sets of 10 tricep curls

Month 4

Take a minute to write a note of congratulations to yourself -- you're doing an amazing job (we know it sounds cheesy, but do it anyway). Weigh yourself and take your measurements: If you've been following the program, you definitely should notice some changes by now.
Good to know: At this point, if nothing has changed, you may need a more advanced program, and you should consult a personal trainer.

Weeks #13 and #14

• 40 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week
• 3 sets of 15 stomach crunches
• 3 sets of 15 push-ups
• 3 sets of 15 squats
• 3 sets of 15 bicep curls
• 3 sets of 15 tricep curls
• 2 sets of 10 chest presses

Weeks #15 and #16

• 40 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week
• 3 sets of 15 stomach crunches
• 3 sets of 15 push-ups
• 3 sets of 15 squats
• 3 sets of 15 bicep curls
• 3 sets of 15 tricep curls
• 3 sets of 15 chest presses

Month 5

Okay, now it's time to get serious: There are only eight weeks to go until your wedding. Weigh in and take your measurements. Now, where do you still need the most help? Stomach? Thighs? Butt? Pick one or two areas, and focus, focus, focus. We're going to continue along the same program, but now we're going to add an intense three sets of 15 extra exercises for whichever area still needs help. With every crunch or set, envision yourself in your gown -- you'll get there.

Weeks #17 and #18

• 40 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week
• 3 sets of 15 stomach crunches
• 3 sets of 15 push-ups
• 3 sets of 15 squats
• 3 sets of 15 bicep curls
• 3 sets of 15 tricep curls
• 3 sets of 15 chest presses
• 3 sets of 15 "extra target area"

Weeks #19 and #20

• 40 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week
• 3 sets of 15 stomach crunches
• 3 sets of 15 push-ups
• 3 sets of 15 squats
• 3 sets of 15 bicep curls
• 3 sets of 15 tricep curls
• 3 sets of 15 chest presses
• 3 sets of 15 "extra target area"

Month 6

Just four weeks to go! As you get closer to your wedding date, your crazed schedule may threaten to derail your exercise program, but don't let it. Weigh in and take your measurements, but don't be surprised if they aren't as important anymore -- the way you feel should be motivation enough to keep exercising. We are going to continue working at the same level as last month. If you're having trouble finding the time to keep up this pace, cut back the number of sets you do, but use heavier weights.

Weeks #21 and #22

• 40 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week
• 3 sets of 15 stomach crunches
• 3 sets of 15 push-ups
• 3 sets of 15 squats
• 3 sets of 15 bicep curls
• 3 sets of 15 tricep curls
• 3 sets of 15 chest presses
• 3 sets of 15 "extra target area"

Weeks #23 and #24

• 40 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week
• 3 sets of 15 stomach crunches
• 3 sets of 15 push-ups
• 3 sets of 15 squats
• 3 sets of 15 bicep curls
• 3 sets of 15 tricep curls
• 3 sets of 15 chest presses
• 3 sets of 15 "extra target area"

I have a little book:


And I keep track of my progress daily:



And so far, it's working quite well :)

Doing good!

I am feeling pretty good this morning. I think that I have broken through my plauteau that I have been setting on for ever!!! I am down another 1/2 pound this morning!!! 1 1/2 on the 20 before November and 47 1/2 total!!! Wow, 2 1/1 pounds and I will have 50 lbs total!! Thanks for the support!! It helped me not get too discouraged while I sat - and sat - and sat!!!! :) :)

On Plan!

So, you know that this plan that I keep mentioning from time to time? Well this weekend marks the first check-point. I'm going to re-take my measurements and compare them to where I started, and compare my current weight to my goal. This morning I weighed myself and I'm only 1 pound off of my ideal weight for this check-point. Wohoo!
I am really glad we have this site, 'cuz I am positive that it has helped me keep going with all this stuff! You guys rock :)

Now I'm off to eat ice cream with my Visting Teachees.. hehehe.. I think I'll opt for sorbet :)

New blog

I made myself a blog today! It's very simple so far. Still figuring things out, but I thought I'd let you all know. It's socalemmafran.blogspot.com Very exciting. 

I Didn't Want To, But...

I did my workout. It's a nice feeling of accomplishment.

Progress!

So last night after that last post I actually got up and went running! Dave and I went around our neighborhood and walked/ran/jump roped for about 30 minutes. I even out ran Dave at the end! That's quite the accomplishment for me. He's just like his dad. A runner. But we're discovering that he can sprint very well and I'm starting to be a distance person. So I out ran him! YEA! Hopefully tonight I'll remember to drive where we ran so I can see how far it was. Oh! And other good news! I have never been able to run outside here. The air is too dirty and every time I have tried I have an asthma attack, but last night I was good! I came close at the beginning, but I backed off and walked until I was fully recovered and then I was able to run again! Still not nearly what I can do inside on a treadmill, but I  think this counts way more anyways. And again, a big improvement. And this morning the scale had much happier news for me. I'm still working to get back to this time last week, but I'm not too far away now. Avoid the candy jar and I should be good. :D *happy dance* :D

Motivation - Read when needed

"Success in anything seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes but don't quit. They hang on after others have let go". ~ Unknown
"Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork." ~ English Proverb
"A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world." ~ Paul Dudley White
"True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind and exercise of the body; the two are united." ~ Alexander von Humboldt
"Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states." ~ Carol Welch
I really don't think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon. ~Ellen DeGeneres
"Success is a journey, not a destination." ~ Ben Sweetland
"It isn't sufficient just to want; you've got to ask yourself what you are going to do to get the things you want." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can." ~ Unknown
"Life is like riding a bike. It is impossible to maintain your balance while standing still." ~ Linda Brakeall
Exercise is a dirty word. Every time I hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate. ~Author Unknown
Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. ~Edward Stanley
If it weren't for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn't get any exercise at all. ~Joey Adams
I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing. ~Marsha Doble
Fitness - if it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body. ~Cher

Interesting

I find it interesting that we all started great guns, everyone was loosing, we were all excited, and now there are several of us that are struggling a bit. Here's what I think:

We Can Do It Girls!!!

I'm sticking with my goals, and I love the idea of tracking days exercised. That would turn into big numbers after not very long. In my world, Sundays don't count for this particular thing, so I'm just not going to worry about them. Also, today was better for me. I notice that when Kate started eating salads again she had a hard time at first; then it got better. I think things are going to get better. We're going to set up some good routines. We're going to make this work!

Losing ground.

Do you ever just want to stop working so hard at this whole weight loss fitness exercise thing? I have lost my motivation. Sort of. I really want to exercise, but I don't have time and I'm really enjoying cooking right now, which of course means eating it too. I made a cake on Sunday for family night and Dave and I ate a piece right away and then we had pieces Monday night and I ate a little sliver for lunch today. And the rest has been eaten by other people. That is my consolation. I gave about 1/4 of the cake to Aunt LuWana and Uncle Ken and then took the last 1/2 to work and forced it everyone here. So I was "good" and I didn't eat it all! I made other people eat it! :D 

My scale is screaming at me. I'm not updating my ticker for a while. Does this sound like giving up? That's kinda what it sounds like to me. I don't like that idea. Help!!!

Perhaps I should exercise and then cook. Then I'll be better in my cooking and hopefully better in my eating. Maybe?

Getting Frustrated

Definitely. Getting frustrated. My water weight is out.of.control. I'm not loosing. I did horribly this weekend. (I expected that, and I'm not sorry that I went down to Kate's place.) So cheer me on girls, it's taking longer than expected for the water weight to get stable. I don't actually know how long it took last time, because by the time that I started loosing weight I'd already gotten the whole drinking water thing down pat and I didn't like to be without it.

I must say that I love the idea of non-food rewards! I talked to Andy about it this afternoon, and we're going to set aside some money to do that with. Right now I'm thinking dies for my new die-cut machine. Those are not terribly expensive, but they don't typically come in sets so each one has to be purchased individually (I'm thinking they're about $10). I'm going to treat myself to one every 5 pounds. And at no other time. That's going to be the hard part, especially with spirits kind of low right now.

So cheer me on girls, I'm in a tough spot!!

Rewards

I thought emma brought up an interesting point about rewarding ourselves with non-food rewards. So, this morning I've been doing some research and I've found a list of some interesting ideas that I thought were fun possibilities, and not all have to cost money:

A new plant or fresh cut flowers
Cellphone ringtones
A new book/new CD
Day trips
New workout clothes
Get your hair done
Some new bath products or perfume
A girl's night out
Go to a movie/rent a movie
A day at the park/beach
A bubble bath
New kitchen toy
Fancy pens
Stamps
Art toy
Shoes

Also, as I was reading, it was suggested that you make a list of rewards.. sort of a reward calendar. I really like that, it gives added, intermittent steps to work toword between now and November 6th.

My Rewards:
When I reach my 10lb goal I'll get some fresh flowers for my table.
At 15lbs I'll have a long bubble bath with candles and soothing music
And for 20lbs I get a new ring tone for my phone :)

keeping track of exercise days

I was reading an artice on Spark People. It suggested keeping a log of days exercised and posting the number of days in a row that you have exercised. I think that I am going to change that idea a little and just post on the fridge the number of days that I have exercised. I know that I am not going to exercise on Sunday and I don't want to shoot my self in the foot if I don't get to it every day. But, I am not losing any weight, and I think that exercise is the key for me. So, I am going to start counting the days I exercise and celebrate the change in life style and forget about the pounds so much. It is discouraging to see the scales stay the same - so I need to count the success in other ways so that I won't just throw my hands in the air and say forget it. Total over the last several years, I have lost 46 pounds. However, I have been at this weight since last April. That is a long plateau. I need a different focus.

A wonderful day

Well I'm very proud of me today. I got up early (8:30 - that's early for Saturday) and I got dressed to go outside and clean up my yard. There are way too many weeds and not enough empty dirt for fun stuffs like flowers and veggies. And then I got a call from Dave's mom asking if we wanted to go meet Tommy up in Oak Glen. Tommy went with the youth on a reenactment of the pioneer trek and they hiked with handcarts in pioneer clothes for 3 days up and down the mountains and they came back today and we all met them in the valley and had lunch. So we hiked a little bit up to the valley and then I got my hair dyed and then I came and pulled weeds for an hour and then washed up a bit, went grocery shopping, and then exercised for 30 minutes! It's been a very productive day! Go me! And Dave was snapping pictures playing with his camera while I exercised. I thought you might enjoy them.

I've decided that it's wonderful to celebrate the little things like that. And I have decided that I need to figure out some kind of reward system for weight loss goals met that doesn't involve food. Call me crazy, but I think that celebrating reaching a goal by going out to eat and splurging to get dessert is a little counterproductive. So I think when I have lost 10 lbs I'm going to get a manicure. Any other ideas anyone?

Happy Happy

So, I'm doing this Wedding Workout regime, and they suggest only weighing yourself once a month. And I thought that would be cool, 'cuz then I'd see big chunk results and be even MORE motivated. But that little ticker calls to me. "Update me! Update me!" Hehe.. So, I weighed myself this morning and I've lost 2 more pounds since I last updated it. Wohoo!

Today is wedding dress shopping!! *Happy dance* I'm very excited :) And feeling skinny too, so, it's a good way to go shopping, I think :)

Pictures!!!

And here we have the ab roller thing! Borrowed it in Utah and I want one. Talk about intense!

Side view..... oooooooooooooooo... Note the large amount of concentration. *grunt* *grunt*

And from the front.... Again, a wonderful face! :)
I only pumped out 3 1/2 of these. I want to get me one and get out 10!

I'm back!

After many many moons without a working internet, I'm recovering from the withdrawl symptoms and I am back. Not too much time today so I haven't had a chance to read every one's stuff and catch up, I just thought I'd let you know I'm still alive.

In wonderful less2love news, I was able to knock down my ticker another pound! I was almost glad my computer was out cuz I gained 2 over the weekend and I didn't want to post that. But it's GONE! Yeah!

Dave and I went swimming this week and we have co-ed volleyball at church tonight. I'm looking forward to that a lot! And during the reunion this weekend I played volleyball for 6 HOURS! Spread over 2 days, but it was so much fun! Dave didn't want to let me play the second day - I had blood blisters all up and down my arms! Takin one for the team! It really wasn't that bad and it was a blast so I played against dr's orders. :) 

Good times. Good times. 

And I tried to get an exercise video in this week, but it got cut short after about 20 minutes. Our house doesn't have a tv set up where I can work out in front of it. :( My tv is in the bedroom so I was trying to do it on the rug at the foot of the bed. Approximately 4ft wide and 10ft long space. Not too comfy. And rather frustrating. I'm sure it was pretty amusing for Dave though! :) So we're looking into getting a mini tv that I can put on the breakfast bar and then take down when I'm done. Then I can exercise in the living room. 

Exercise exercise, watch me do my exercise

Aubrey and I are off to a good start this morning. We got up and walked about 2 miles this morning. We both jogged part of it. She is a pretty fast runner. I w as impressed. I can still out walk her - it doesn't hurt that she got a blister....oh wait....maybe it does hurt!!! :) But it made me walk faster at the end. She took her shoes off and went barefoot. I was impressed, she didn't complain or make a fuss. :) She is here telling me "It was fun."

Still no weight loss, but I was down to my beginning weight this morning. Maybe I will start going down now. I hope so. I am still drinking a lot of water. Walking really helps me with that. I drink before and after. I drank 6 cups already this morning. No, my eyes are not floating, I was sweating like crazy!

Any way, it felt good to go walking - just thought that I would share.

Non-Scale Victory!!

I put up the Non-scale Victory badge today because I exercised tonight! That doesn't sound like much to say it out loud, but let me tell you a little bit about my week:

Monday was a pretty normal day. Except that late Monday night I loaded all my canning stuff and my dehydrator into my trunk for the class that started Tuesday.

Tuesday got up bright at early to be at the class at 8:30, which is early in my book, (I'm certifying as a "Master Food Preserver.") and then came home & did regular Mom stuff until late. At the end of the day I did some yoga and learned that I've lost muscle since I was last doing that regularly. Bummer. But I did it.

Today, I had to be at class at 8:00. This is difficult, since it's about 20-25 min away from home and I just don't do mornings anymore. I hope someday that Andy will be on a 1st shift type schedule and we'll shift our lives back into sync with the rest of the world, but until then getting up to be someplace by 8AM is really hard! After class I did more Mom stuff and then I exercised! I did 25 whole minutes of aerobics this evening. It wasn't my best work, but I did it!

Also, a little more than 1/2 of my bloating is gone. I hope to be back to normal tomorrow if I can get in a bit more water tonight.

Water is Good. But...

If you haven't been drinking enough, and then you start drinking what you're supposed to, you get bloated. So this is what's happening to me right now. As of this morning, I'd gained 5 pounds in 2 days! I am so chugging on the water!!

Not fun

I weighed this morning and have gained a pound. Frustrating. I have been watching what I eat - but I haven't excersized for a few days. I have been really tired and almost achie. (sp?) I have had to wonder if I am not getting enough protien. What ever - I better get on the stick if I want to lose 20 ound before November!!

Getting There

I'm down a pound this morning! I still have work to do on my exercising; not doing quite enough of that, but I'm starting to see progress!

Getting tough

So, today's aerobic workout was on the treadmill (i switch off between that and the elliptical). Some days I do it by sheer will power.. I do 30mins of whatever and force myself to maintain a certain minimum pace. Today was noticeably less forced, I felt like the running parts were getting easier! It could be that I turned up my music loud enough that I could no longer hear the thud-thud-thud of my footsteps, thus keeping my brain from realizing that I was working hard, but really... I think I'm gaining stamina and endurance. It's very exciting!

I went a mile in 13:34, not quite a personal record, but that I wasn't dying at the end of it, I count as improvement! I went on to go a little over 2 miles in 28mins. Then stretch, then shower.

Naaaaaiiiice :)

Grrrr.

Stupid scales anyways. Yesterday it was all happiness and sunshine. Today, if I'm to believe my scale, I'm seriously underweight: it insists that I weigh 90 pounds. I think I'm going to have get a new one! And that always throws off the rhythm. Ugh.

Time to get serious

Well good morning ladies!
I talked to Dave about the blog and he didn't really say either way if he wanted to join us. I guess we'll see how it all goes.
So I had a bit of discouragement this morning. I jumped on my own scale, which records the previous weight for 2 people, and the last time I was on it I weighed 197.6. Today I weigh 205.0. I was most disappointed. I think it's time to be serious about this. No more 'Yeah. I'm working on it. Sometimes.'
On a much happier note, yesterday was our anniversary and we had a wonderful evening. We went to a Mexican restaurant called On The Border and had some delicious food. And to top off the meal we split a Sizzling Apple Crisp. It was so cool! It came out on the stone ware it was cooked on (surrounded by wood so our little fingers weren't sizzling with it) and the waitress poured caramel over the whole thing when she got to the table and it all boiled and smoked and made a most impressive display. And it was so good! And then we went to the stake president's office and finished renewing our recommends and then we got our Costco memberships and explored in there for awhile and then we went to Wall-E. It was really cute and had some hilarious moments, but I think it's a good to rent, not see in the theater. And then we came home and crashed. It was late. A wonderful day.

Good Morning

This is nice. I like being able to give encouragement and to recieve the same! :) Way to go Kate and Em!! I got on the scale these morning and I have lost 1 1/2 lbs. I am pleased. This is helping me get through birthday season and watch what I eat. Seems like there is always cake and ice cream in the house during June and July!! :)

Chugging Along

I haven't actually lost another pound yet, but I was very encouraged when I was on the scale this morning: although it was after breakfast (it only counts first thing in the morning, before breakfast) I was the same weight. I'm hoping that means that I'm starting to teeter on the brink of 197 and will soon be working on 196!

I've been struggling to get my salad up and running, although I'm getting close since Mom cut up the veggies I bought when she was over at my house. Instead I've been eating watermelon and cantaloupe at each meal, which is also yummy. I'm betting that it'll work the same way given the serving size on melon. If I remember correctly you get about 1/2 a cantaloupe for around 100 calories. That works for me! I don't ever eat that much melon in a sitting anyway. That's a LOT of melon!

I'm feeling enough better than I was that I think I'll resume exercise tomorrow. Maybe some aerobics, maybe some weeding. My garden is badly in need of weeding. And Monkey would love to spend some time outside with me, although I'm not sure that I want his help with the weeds... he's just not that discriminating yet! But my one tomato bush has flowers on it already and we've got a good size pepper that's growing, plus more flowers, and a bunch of beans! So I need to get out there and get things going on so the garden stays a do-able project.

A TICKER!

I have created a ticker! Yea! Let's see if it worked...



SUCCESS!!!

And in other good news, Dave and I played around with some weights and the balance ball last night for about half an hour!
And we're off!!

Gardening - Good exercise!!!

Hello!!

I have decided to go back to sparkpeople.com. I do better when I atleast sort of count caleries.

I was looking around on the site and looked at the caleries expended for walking compared to gardening. Gardening is more!! (at least at the rate that Aubrey and I tend to walk.) I am pleased!! I have the rest of the flower bed cleaned out and I feel like I have had a really good workout!!! Thank you Ritsumei for putting gardening down as exercise!! :)

Flowers and tomatoes

Hi,

How do you post pictres? Aubrey, Sam and I worked for about 3 hours yesterday planting tomatoes and then digging out what I don't want from the little flower bed in the back yard. I decided that the iris that had taken over the whole thing had to go. We planted some of then in the back corner of the yard, but most of them are being thrown away. digging that stuff out was a good work out!!! :) I have some stiff shoveling muscles this morning!! I need to go out and finish it in a few minutes. It is looking much better! It was good excersize and I like playing in the dirt!! :)