Laura Lohr

Not Just an Alliteration

Back to the Basics with Weight Watchers

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Disclaimer: I was offered a three-month trial to participate in Weight Watchers.  I was given the choice to join online or in person.  I chose IN PERSON, however the Weight Watchers E-Tools were not included in this trial, so I purchased the E-Tools with my own money.  I have participated in Weight Watchers before and would only recommend brands and products I personally believe in.

It has been a few years since I did Weight Watchers.  After having my daughter, I lost about 40 pounds, ran a marathon six months post-partum and I felt amazing.  Somewhere along the line, I let some negativity creep in and I lost my motivation.  I am not even sure how it all happened now.  All I know is that I stopped giving myself the attention I know I deserve.

Years later, I am working my way back to getting fit.  I have been running on the treadmill and doing about 20 miles a week.  I’ve been doing interval training, which consists of a quarter mile of running all out and alternating with a quarter mile of walking at a 6.0 incline.  I’ve noticed that my endurance has improved tremendously and so has my confidence.  I keep my 5 and 8 pound dumbbells near the treadmill.  I do several sets of dumbbell work during the walking part of my workout, including shoulder presses, bicep curls, triceps extension, hammer curls and lateral raises.  I have been really sore, but I am noticing tiny little changes in my arms.  It makes me feel strong!

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This is my treadmill and Surf Shelf.  I’ve made this my own little corner.  I’ve been consistent with my exercise and I’m completely addicted to Drop Dead Diva.  I’ve been watching it when I’m on the treadmill. You can see my smaller hand weights on the right and my large water on the left.  Heart rate monitor is up at the top, with my Yurbuds headphones, pedometer and Garmin.

I have completed two weeks with Weight Watchers now.  [Read more…]

New Year, New Goals, New Inspiration

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We had a fabulous time with wonderful friends for New Year’s Eve. The six of us adults laughed until we cried. It was so much fun and it was the first time in more than 7 years that we celebrated the new year with other adults. We had a beer tasting. We had good food. We played games. We laughed and laughed some more. I can’t remember a New Year’s Eve celebration where Mr. Bear and I had so much fun in so many years. We are so fortunate to have amazing friends that have endured so many life changes in our lives: marriage, births, job changes, moving further and further away from each other by relocating to Birmingham. We have much in common, have similar interests and have a great time getting together—even if those get-togethers are never often enough. When you find good friends, you hold tight to them. (Thank you, Bennetts for hosting a fabulous party and ringing in the new year with us!)

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Unfortunately, despite the amazing start 2013 had, the tide turned a few days later and we three Lohrs fought the wretched flu, sinus infections, fevers, bronchitis, coughing, hacking, sneezing and other dreaded ailments. It has only been a few days since we have found our way back to good health. Here we are, however, I am thrilled to say!

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Allison was awarded an Ace Award, which is something of a Student of the Month award, to simplify it. Her teacher has such glowing things to say about our little girl. Mr. Bear and I are beyond proud of her! She works very hard in school and her hard work is certainly paying off. While she was absent, her teacher expressed how much she missed her while she was gone and my heart swelled with pride. She is easy to love. She is such a caring, loving, likable child. She is a good little girl. We could not be happier. She has made us better people with her gentle, kind spirit.

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Allie and Dad

Allie Ace Award

Allie Ace Award Stage

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My good friend Tracey and I are planning to do the La Jolla Half Marathon in April. I have to say that I have a lot of work ahead of me, but Tracey is a great motivator! I don’t know if I can keep up with her, but I definitely look forward to celebrating over cocktails with her afterward, like we used to in the good ‘ole days.

30 Bloggers, 30 Recipes, 30 Days, 30 Little Calories #silkalmond

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Silk 30 Bloggers 30 Recipes

Growing up, we drank so much milk, we really should have had our own milking cow. I remember as a kid, having an enormous glass of milk with dinner, milk with cereal and often, a glass of milk when I got home from school. By the time I reached college, however, I stopped drinking so much milk because it seemed like every single time I had a tall glass of milk, I would have horrendous repercussions (from stomach aches to a gassy gut—oh, the joy!) Even the occasional dairy creamer in my coffee has caused me some discomfort.

Over the years, I have tried many dairy substitutes, including soy milk. After doing some research, I began to steer away from soy milk in favor of almond milk.

Enter Silk Almond Milk.

I have been purchasing almond milk since I first discovered it from a health conscious friend a few years ago and discovered I could have my “dairy” without suffering the ill effects of cow’s milk. I love to add a dash of chocolate or vanilla almond milk to my morning coffee, or use plain almond milk to cook and bake with. I have replaced the cow’s milk in my smoothies with almond milk. Scrambled eggs? Morning cereal? No problem. I like the

Recently, Silk Pure Almond Milk enlisted the help of 30 health and fitness bloggers to share their favorite Silk recipes on Facebook. The result is absolutely and deliciously wonderful! I love, love smoothies and am always looking for more recipes. There is a Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie, a Key Lime Pie Smoothie, or a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Smoothie, a Long and Lean Smoothie to name a few. The Vegan Almondmilk Broccoli & Sage Risotto is on my list of things to try next. Deliciousness! Go ye to the Facebook page and see the yummy recipes for yourself!

Silk Almond Milk is only 30 calories per serving.

Join the conversation on Twitter: #SilkAlmond

You can check out all the recipes on the Silk Facebook Page and find the recipes here https://www.facebook.com/SilkUS/app_574751085884802.

Check out the Silk Almond Milk website: http://silk.com/

Silk Almond Milk

Disclaimer: FitFluential LLC compensated me for this Campaign. All opinions are my own. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I honestly love Silk Almond Milk and it can always be found in our fridge.

Breakfast is Served #belVita

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belVita Breakfast

In the month of January, Allison and I got to try the belVita Breakfast Biscuits. They come in individually wrapped packages that are easy to take on the go, which we have taken advantage of many times! Life is busy in the mornings, with getting my little angel ready for school and trying to grab a healthy bite of something for myself.

We received a box of every flavor of the belVita breakfast biscuits to try. My favorite was the chocolate, while Allie’s favorite was the apple cinnamon. I felt good about giving them to Allie, as they contain no high fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils and nor artificial flavors or sweeteners. We liked to eat them with a helping of fresh berries, like strawberries or blueberries and a serving of Greek yogurt—our favorite Greek yogurt? Vanilla and honey. Although, I have to admit, I like to dunk them in my morning coffee.

Each package of belVita breakfast biscuits contains 4 biscuits and provide nutritious sustained energy. There are currently five delicious flavors, including chocolate, golden oat, apple cinnamon, blueberry and cinnamon brown sugar. These crunchy and lightly sweet biscuits, with a piece of fruit and a serving of fat-free or low fat dairy are a great way to start the day off with a balanced breakfast.

The sustained energy in our belVita Breakfast Biscuits comes from a combination of specially selected ingredients and a carefully controlled baking process that helps preserve the integrity of the grain. This means the carbohydrates from the grain are slowly released in your body, providing nutritious, long-lasting energy to help fuel your body throughout the morning.

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Disclaimer: I am a FitFluential Ambassador, and I sent belVita breakfast biscuits to sample in exchange for my honest review. FitFluential LLC compensated me for this Campaign. All opinions are my own. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I honestly love the belVita breakfast biscuits and eat them for breakfast nearly every morning.

Gadget Girl Achieves Resolutions With Polar FT40 HR Monitor #Fitfluential

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Getting back in shape is tough after months and months of inactivity. I cannot measure my workouts the same way I did previously because I cannot perform the same way I did previously. When I was offered an opportunity to review the Polar Heart Rate Monitor, I jumped at the chance. With the heart rate monitor, I can calculate my exerted effort and use it to guide my training.

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The Polar FT40 Heart Rate Monitor is so comfortable. I have experienced chafing when wearing various gadgets through my years of running, but not with the heart rate monitor. The sensor band fits nicely around my rib cage. This little gem conformed to my body shape and I hardly noticed I was wearing it. The band is It stayed in place, no matter my activity or intensity. The monitor is comfortable and light weight. Love!

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The heart monitor is easy to use and the display is large enough that I don’t have to squint to read it while I’m exercising. You can set heart-rate based target zones and set an alarm to let you know when your target is reached. This is extremely helpful with my training and helping me find the right intensity. I will be back in shape before I know it!

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My FAVORITE feature, however, is the calorie counter. I was able to put my personal information into the Polar FT40, including my age and weight, and the monitor tracks my calories burned. As I am trying to get back into tracking my activity and my calories consumed, it is helpful to see for myself how many calories I burn. I love watching the calories tick away as I crank up the intensity of my workout and imagine myself reaching my New Year’s Resolutions.

If you are looking for a way to step your workouts an help meet your New Year’s resolutions, the Polar FT40 is a sure way to help you meet your goals. You can find the Polar FT40 for women HERE.

Connect with Polar:

PolarUSA.com
Polar on Facebook
Polar on Twitter

Disclaimer: I am a FitFluential Ambassador, and I was offered a Polar FT40 Heart Rate Monitor in exchange for my honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I honestly love the Polar HT40 and enjoyed using it.

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