Erica's Blog

Gonyo Fitness Challenge: Week 5

Week 5 of the Gonyo Fitness Challenge is here and I am excited to report that I had positive results this week - I lost an additional 1.6 lbs. making my total weight loss 4.0 lbs.  My total % weight loss is now up to 2.75% (which puts me ahead of Dad).  Hopefully everyone else had a successful week too!

Wedding Dress Shopping

This past Sunday I went wedding dress shopping at Laura's Bridal in Plattsburgh, NY with my mom, Brock's mom, Mandy, Tara and Rachel.  All I have to say is...what an experience! 

I tried on several dresses and veils (some multiple times) of various styles, stepped into different types of lighting to see how it affected the appearance of the dress, and even had the woman helping us remove parts of some dresses to see how they would look without certain accessories.  Glowing with happiness and excitement as I tried on each dress followed by tears of fear of choosing the wrong one, I was able to confidently say at the end of the day that I had found "the one".  I simply felt beautiful beautiful in my dress.  It was exactly what I had envisioned - simple, elegant and one of a kind.

Thanks for everyone's help and support in making this big decision.  Hopefully I'll take Brock's breath away when I walk up to the alter to become Mrs. Erica Arnold on September 25, 2009!

Gonyo Fitness Challenge: Week 4

I can't believe we have been doing the Gonyo Fitness Challenge for a month already...boy does time fly!  Unfortunately I didn't lose any weight this week.  I'm still optimistic though and am certain that next week will be better for me. 

My total % weight loss did not change from last week and remains at 1.65%.  Let's see if Mandy is still in the lead for total % weight loss or if she is going to be passed this week!

P.S. I just ate some delicious spagetti squash (from the Gonyo's Vegetable Garden) with peas, mozzarella, garlic and light cream.  I will post the recipe for everyone tonight.  It is delicious!

Gonyo Fitness Challenge: Week 3

Today marks Week 3 of the Gonyo Fitness Challenge.  I weighed in this morning to find out that I only lost a mere 0.4 lbs this week.  I was kind of bummed about this considering I just ran 6.2 miles yesterday.  I'm guessing my indulgance in popcorn and nachos at the movies last night did not work in my favor.  This just goes to show that you can't just exercise or just eat healthy and expect to lose weight.  It really takes a combination of both of these concepts in order to be successful.

Since we have started the Gonyo Fitness Challenge, I have lost 2.4 lbs which makes my total % weight loss equal to 1.65%.  Looking foward to hearing about how everyone else did this week!

Tufts 10K for Women

Yesterday, I ran my first 10K.  I did the Tufts 10K for Women in Boston, MA with over 7,000 other women.  I finished the race in 56 minutes.  I was so impressed with my time.  I was able to run the entire race without stopping at a 9 minute mile pace!  It's amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it.

Dog Bite

On Saturday I decided to go for a nice jog around West Chazy, NY.  My sister Mandy helped me find a good route that was about 5 miles long.  The run went great until the last tenth of a mile when I got attacked by our neighbor's big white dog.  It bit my back left thigh and left quite a mark.  Check out the picture below:

September Make-A-Dish

Just thought I would share the healthy and delicious recipes that we prepared at our last Make-A-Dish.  They all came from Cooking Lite (www.cookinglite.com)

Sprinach & Artichoke Dip

• Tip: This dip goes great with baked tortilla chips, pita bread and vegetables

Garlic Flatbreads with Smoked Mozzarella and Tomato Vinaigrette 

• Tip: To save time, just use thin pizza dough instead of making your own flatbread

Warm Tortellini & Cherry Tomato Salad

• Tip: You can also use spinach instead of arugula in this salad depending on what you prefer.  We did half and half.

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

Gonyo Fitness Challenge: Week 2

Yesterday was the second weigh-in for the Gonyo Fitness Challenge.  I was very excited when I stepped on the scale and found out that I had lost 2 lbs. this week!  This makes my total % weight loss equal to 1.37%.  It's a great feeling to see that when you really put in the time and effort to excerise and eat healthy, that it can pay off. How did everyone else do?  To calculate your total % weight loss, the equation is as follows:

Total % Weight Loss = [Total Weight Lost (lbs.)/Starting Weight (lbs.)] * 100