January 30, 2012

Krazy Mommy Moment:


I am going to clue you in a little bit to my neurotic behaviors.  My good friend gave me the recipe for a good cleaner.  It really is good (equal parts blue Dawn and warm vinegar).  Anyway, I started out with the goal of cleaning my kitchen cabinets.  I ended up cleaning all of the bathroom and laundry room cabinets as well.  While I was down on the floor cleaning the lower set, I noticed that my baseboards were very dusty.  So, I cleaned all of them too.  While I was cleaning baseboards, I decided I might as well clean all of the trim and window seals as well.  The paint on the window seals was a little scuffed up, so I got out the white paint and painted the window seals in every room.  Then, I painted the shelf in my living room and the shelves above my fireplace.  All the while my family was relaxing watching basketball on the couch!  What is wrong with me? My whole Saturday was shot!  I decided that as long as I can admit to my neuroses, I can live with them! 


Fitness Tip:


Lifting weights has totally transformed my body.  I never believed that I could get back my pre pregnancy body.  Now, at 36 I feel and look better than ever before!  Here are a few weight lifting tips.  Transform your body now! Here are a few misconceptions that women have about lifting weights.  Love the part about the boobs!

Myths of Women's Weight Training and Female Bodybuilding

Women Bodybuilding Myths

By Hugo Rivera, About.com Guide

See More About:

IFBB Pro Mercedes Khani Performing Deadlifts

Photo Credit: Brian Moss

 

The myths about women's weight training and female bodybuilding do not ever seem to go away. With this article, I'd like to share the facts regarding weight training and female bodybuilding.


Women's Weight Training Myth #1 -Weight training makes you bulky and masculine.
Due to the fact that women do not, and cannot, naturally produce as much testosterone (one of the main hormones responsible for increasing muscle size) as males do, it is impossible for a woman to gain huge amounts of muscle mass by merely touching some weights. Unfortunately, the image that may come to your mind is that of professional female bodybuilders. Most of these women, unfortunately, use anabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone) along with other drugs in order to achieve that high degree of muscularity. In addition, most also have good genetics coupled with an unbelievable work ethic that enable them to gain muscle quickly when they spend hours in the gym lifting very heavy weights. Believe me when I say that they do not look like that by accident. Women who conduct weight training without the use of steroids get the firm and fit cellulite-free looking body that you see in most fitness/figure shows these days.


Women's Weight Training Myth #2 - Exercise increases your chest size.
Sorry girls. Women’s breasts are composed mostly of fatty tissue. Therefore, it is impossible to increase breast size through weight training. As a matter of fact, if you go below 12 percent body fat, your breast size will decrease. Weight training does increase the size of the back, so this misconception probably comes from confusing an increase in back size with an increase in cup size. The only way to increase your breast size is by gaining fat or getting breast implants.


Women's Weight Training Myth #3 - Weight training makes you stiff and musclebound.
If you perform all exercises through their full range of motion, flexibility will increase. Exercises like flyes, stiff-legged deadlifts, dumbbell presses, and chin-ups stretch the muscle in the bottom range of the movement. Therefore, by performing these exercises correctly, your stretching capabilities will increase.


Women's Weight Training Myth #4 - If you stop weight training your muscles turn into fat.
This is like saying that gold can turn into brass. Muscle and fat are two totally different types of tissue. What happens many times is that when people decide to go off their weight training programs they start losing muscle due to inactivity (use it or lose it) and they also usually drop the diet as well. Therefore bad eating habits combined with the fact that their metabolism is lower due to inactivity, and lower degrees of muscle mass, give the impression that the subject’s muscle is being turned into fat while in reality what is happening is that muscle is being lost and fat is being accumulated.


Women's Weight Training Myth #5 - Weight training turns fat into muscle.
More alchemy. This is the equivalent of saying that you can turn any metal into gold; don't we wish! The way a body transformation occurs is by gaining muscle through weight training and losing fat through aerobics and diet simultaneously. Again, muscle and fat are very different types of tissue. We cannot turn one into the other.


Women's Weight Training Myth #6 - As long as you exercise you can eat anything that you want. How I wish this were true also! However, this could not be further from the truth. Our individual metabolism determines how many calories we burn at rest and while we exercise. If we eat more calories than we burn on a consistent basis, our bodies will accumulate these extra calories as fat regardless of the amount of exercise that we do. This myth may have been created by people with such high metabolic rates (hardgainers) that no matter how much they eat or what they eat, they rarely meet or exceed the amount of calories that they burn in one day unless they put their mind to doing so. Therefore, their weight either remains stable or goes down. If you are confused about nutrition, please read Nutrition Basics.

Women's Weight Training Myth #7 - Women only need to do cardio and if they decide to lift weights, they should be very light.
First of all, if you only did cardio then muscle and fat would be burned for fuel. One needs to do weights in order to get the muscle building machine going and thus prevent any loss of muscle tissue. Women that only concentrate on cardio will have a very hard time achieving the look that they want. As far as the lifting of very light weights, this is just more nonsense. Muscle responds to resistance and if the resistance is too light, then there will be no reason for the body to change.

Women Should Train Hard
I have trained with girls that train as hard as I do and they look nothing but feminine. If you want to look great, don't be afraid to pick up the weights and lift hard!




Clean Recipe:

So, my intent was to  give you the recipe for the turkey burgers that I made tonight.  Unfortunately, they were disgusting!  Instead, I will give you another yummy cookie recipe.  This one is for you Celestie!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies:

Makes 3 dozen

Calories: 70, Fat: 3.5g, Carbs: 9g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 2g



Ingredients:

PAM

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup plus 2 T. Sucanat

1 egg white

3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

3 T water

2 cups oats

1/3 cup whole-wheat flour

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2/3 cup raisins

1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease baking sheet with nonstick spray.  In a bowl, hand-mix oil and Sucanant.  Add egg white, vanilla and water; mix well.  Add oats, flour, salt, baking soda, raisins and cinnamon, and mix until just blended to retain the texture of oats.  Drop batter by teaspoon fulls onto baking sheet.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.

I have made these with organic dark chocolate chips too!  Delicious!!



January 25, 2012

Stupid Krazy Mommy Moment:

So, last night I was working on a bulletin board at church.  I had my kids with me, as well as watching a few others (when you have 3, what are a few more?).  Anyway, I ran out of staples and went into the supply closet to find more.  Instead, I found a heavy duty staple gun! Well, stupid me, I shot my @%#&%! hand with a staple!  It went straight into my palm.  I kind of just looked at it for a minute feeling shocked.  Could I really be that dumb?  Yes, actually I am!  I pried it out with my fingernails and two little bubbles of blood appeared.  I went to bed with some ice and thought it would be OK by morning.  Guess again!  My fingers on my hand are soooo sore!  I must have hit a tendon or something.  Tetanus?  Can't remember the last one I had.  Sometimes I feel that I need constant supervision! 

Diet Tip:

Many of you have face booked with questions with exercise and diet questions since my last blog.  That is great!  It means that you are ready for a change.  Regular exercise is key to healthy bodies and weight loss, but no one will see the results that you want without a total diet makeover!  All of your hard work at the gym will be in vain unless you give your body the right balance of healthy clean foods. Check out one of my favorite, motivational websites at eatcleandiet.com.  Here are the basics of clean eating:

What is The Eat-Clean Diet®?

Eating Clean is treating your body right.

It is eating the way nature intended. You eat the foods our bodies evolved to function best on, and that makes you feel – and look – fantastic. When you Eat Clean you eat more often. You will eat lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. These practices keep your blood-sugar levels stable and keep you satisfied. The best part is that if you need to lose weight it will happen almost without you having to try. And yes, you can have a treat now and again.
Best of all, Eating Clean keeps you feeling great and full of energy. In fact, you can forget all about the days when “dieting” meant feelings of hunger, lethargy or deprivation.
Eating Clean is not a fad; it’s a way of life. When you Eat Clean your body will react by losing weight if you need to lose, maintaining a healthy weight if that’s where you are, and even gaining weight if you are too skinny. But regardless of whether you want to lose, maintain or gain, you will feel better than you ever have before.
Never worry about counting calories again. You will never have to diet. Eating Clean will keep you lean and healthy for the rest of your long life. Eating Clean guarantees results! 

Super Easy Recipe:

The Eat-Clean Diet
Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken

4 servings
Calories per serving: 481
Fat: 4g
Carbs: 69 g
Fiber: 11g
Protein: 42g

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Cup black beans
1 Cup corn kernels
1 small jar organic salsa
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 cups cooked brown rice

Preparation:

Add all ingredients except rice to slow cooker.  Mix and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.  Serve with cooked brown rice.

To add a little spice, add some jalapeno!

January 21, 2012

First off, my dear husband recommended that I add a picture of myself to the blog.  He said that for all you know I might just be a couch potato blogging over a bag of chips!  Really though, this is me in all of my glory!  So embarrassing! (I'd also like to give credit to my very talented photographer......my 12 year old Grace, and to my hair and make up artist......oh ya, I don't have one.)

O.K., so today I dedicate my blog to "Joe".  I think that everyone has a Joe at their gym.  He is the guy that talks his way through his workout.  You never want to make eye contact with Joe.  Otherwise, you will be stuck talking about his old shoulder injury for the next 20 minutes.  Joe must be very lonely, and I feel bad that his only conversation happens with complete strangers sweating it out in the weight room.  My advise is....keep your ear buds in at all times! Even if there is nothing playing on your ipod!

Recipe of the day:
It is so rewarding to make clean, healthy food that my family loves!!  They are pretty picky eaters but they gobbled this one up!! The recipe came from The Best Of Eating Clean cookbook.

Thai Coconut Shrimp

8oz. dry whole wheat or rice noodles
2 C. broccoli florets
2/3 cup light coconut milk
1 T. tomato paste
3 T. natural peanut butter
1 tsp. ground ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
juice of 1/2 lime
1 red bell pepper sliced into strips
1 C. bean sprouts
24 medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and rinsed

Instructions:

Bring two medium pots of water to a boil over high heat.  In one pot, cook pasta according to package directions, then rise with hot water to ensure pasta doesn't get sticky.  Fluff pasta with a fork to de-clump noodles, then set aside.  In the second pot of boiling water, add broccoli, cover, turn heat down to low and simmer for 5 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, add coconut milk, tomato paste, peanut butter, ginger, garlic, pepper flakes and lime juice.  Use a fork or whisk to thoroughly combine.

Simmer coconut mixture, bell pepper and bean sprouts in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent clumping.  Add shrimp and cook for another two minutes, then flip shrimp over and continue to cook for a final minute.

Toss noodles and broccoli with coconut-shrimp mixture and serve piping hot!

This recipe served 5 of us.  I doubled it so I could have it for lunch for a few days too!!!!



Fitness tip of the day:

This is an awesome article about the importance of getting enough protein in your diet.  I recommend Max Muscle Iso-Extreme protein in Berry Blast.  It is not a milk based protein so you don't get that "phlemmy" feeling in your mouth.  This is light enough that I drink it while I work out.  It has 30g of protein per serving, only 5g of carbs, and 143 calories.  My fitness goal is to gain lean muscle, so I don't want a lot of fat and calories in my protein shake.  You can find it at maxmuscle.com.  They ship for free!!!

The Importance of Protein in Your Diet

By Toby Schindelbeck
The first and most important change you will make on your quest for a lean and mean body will be an increase in the amount of protein you consume. This applies whether your goals are to build muscle, burn fat, or just get into better shape. The reason for increasing your protein intake is that proteins make everything in and on your body. That's right, everything. Fingernails, hair, skin, brain, internal organs, teeth, and of course, muscle.

TOP 5 Reasons to Drink Protein Shakes
1.) Convenience
New individualized "meal" pouches allow people to take their shake on the road. And because most mix with water, not milk or juice, it’s as easy as finding a glass to drink it from.

2.) Keeps Metabolism Fired up!
Each time you ingest protein, your metabolic rate increases slightly. Keeping a steady flow of small amounts of protein going throughout your day, keeps your body’s furnace naturally fired up. It’s a great weight loss tool, and great tool for keeping the building blocks of muscle surging through your body.

3.) Maintains Stable Blood Sugar Levels
Unlike carbohydrates, which affect blood sugar drastically, protein keeps blood sugar levels stable and steady throughout the day. In the presence of foods higher in carbohydrates, protein acts as a stabilizer that regulates blood sugar and prevents it from get-ting out of hand.

4.) Keeps Nutrition Honest
Rather than reaching for whatever snack is available on the road or in a convenience store, having packets of protein in your car, purse or workout bag prevents you from reaching for the wrong foods in times of hunger. Better to reach for a protein shake than an empty-calorie candy bar!

5.) Man Cannot Live by Food Alone
Sometimes it’s hard to get all the nutrients we need by eating whole foods. Eating can be an arduous and time-consuming pursuit; particularly for those trying to add muscle weight. Supplementing the diet with protein drinks is an easy way to get the calories we need through "between-meal" protein supplementation. After all, who has time to sit down to eat 8 meals a day?

Muscle is the key word here because the amount of muscle that you have directly affects your metabolism, not to mention your looks. The lean and hard physique that men desire as well as the tight and toned look that women want can both be achieved by adding more muscle. The way to add more muscle is to workout with weights, consume adequate amounts of protein throughout the day, and get enough rest. (Note to women: Working out with weights will not make you "bulky." Testosterone causes men to get that big, bulky look. Women, by definition, do not have enough "test" to get that way. By putting on more muscle, you will increase your metabolism and look more like a fitness model than a bodybuilder.)

Let me explain how this works:
Contrary to popular belief, you do not build muscle when you workout. When you lift weights, you are actually breaking down your muscle tissue. Immediately after working out, your body begins to repair and recover. It does this by taking protein and breaking it down into individual amino acids, then reconfiguring them and placing them wherever they need to go. Instead of just rebuilding your muscle back to normal, your body super compensates. That means you will be gaining muscle. This is what happens if you have enough protein in your system. On the other hand, if you don't have enough protein, your body goes into a catabolic state.

Unfortunately, the catabolic state is what happens to most people. In this situation, your body does not have enough protein to rebuild, so it begins to break down your existing muscle to repair what was broken down in the gym. Obviously, this is not productive. It is also the reason why so many people don't get the results they want and get disillusioned with working out. Fortunately, you can avoid this common mistake by simply taking in an adequate amount of protein each and every day. Figuring out what an "adequate" amount of protein is for your body is fairly simple. For a woman, it is anywhere from a gram to a gram and a half of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. For example, a 130 lb women would take her bodyweight (130), times 1.5 and divide that by 6 (you should consume at least 5 smaller meals per day, but preferably 6-7).

So it would go like this: 130 x 1.5 = 195. 195 grams of Protein per day divided by 6 meals = 32.5 grams of Protein per meal.

For a 200-pound man, it would figure like this: 200 x 1.5 = 300. 300 divided by 6 = 50 grams of Protein per meal. Now, unless you have the time to pre-prepare your meals and take them with you, eating this many times will be next to impossible. That's why protein supplements are essential. Out of all the brands that I carry, the MaxPro is the best high-protein, low carb shake, bar none. It comes in four great flavors and easily mixes in a shaker cup. It has a very thin consistency and tastes awesome with none of that "chalky" aftertaste.

Why should I eat more often if I'm trying to lose weight?
Shouldn't I eat less? Not at all. Probably the biggest mistake that people make who are trying to lose body fat is to not eat enough. The human body is designed to be fed every three to four hours; that's how our metabolism burns. By eating only twice or three times a day, you are putting your body into a fast state. When it is in this state, it is in storage mode. That means if you wait longer than 4 hours to eat, you're body is more than likely to store the meal as body fat, even if it is a good meal. On the other hand, if you eat every 4 hours, and your meal is in the right ratio of macronutrients (which means higher protein, lower carbs and lower fat), your metabolism will be kicked into high gear!

Here is an analogy I use to illustrate my point: You have just lit two fires. On one fire, you toss a big fat log and let it sit for a couple of hours. The second fire, however, you feed foot long chunks of fire-wood into it every 20 minutes or so. Now, which fire is going to burn hotter and more efficiently? Obviously, the fire that you are constantly feeding with the right fuel. You'll still have half the log left over with the first fire by the time it is dead, while the second fire is hot enough to melt glass . As far as your body is concerned, the "log" that is left over represents what remains of that big meal you ate and will now be stored as fat.

Earlier, I said that having more muscle will lead to a faster metabolism. This is because the only thing that powers your body is muscle. Every action from walking to breathing and even blinking is powered by muscle. Muscle is the only part of your body that burns calories, so the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be, period. That means eve n sitting on your butt, doing nothing, you will burn quite a few more calories if you have five more pounds of muscle than you do now. Conversely, if you have less muscle mass, your metabolism will be slower.

This leads me back to what a "fast state" is. When you are in this state, it means you have not fed your body for at least four hours. After the four hours are up, as I pointed out earlier, your body tends to store whatever food hasn't been used for energy now as energy for emergencies (which is body fat). Now, whatever energy you have for whatever you do is being supplied by muscle mass. Yes, your body is now sacrificing brain tissue, internal organs, skin and muscle mass to supply you with the energy that you need to get through your day. Talk about a vicious circle! Not only are you depriving your body of the protein it needs to rebuild and repair what you destroyed in the gym, but your storing record amounts of body fat and permanently lowering your metabolism by breaking down precious muscle mass and using it for energy! And it's not even that great of an energy source. You will find that, once you increase your protein intake, you will sleep better, recover faster, and have TONS of energy!

January 17, 2012

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination."
Tommy Lasorda

Krazy Mommy Moment:

I have come to a conclusion as I sit here on my bed watching Everybody Loves Raymond ( sadly, this is what I do nightly after I put my kids to bed). I am Deborah Barrone!  Seriously!  I'm a little bit crazy, over react to almost everything, have anxiety issues, and am a little bit of a control freak!  Even though I love her character on the show, I DON'T WANT TO BE HER.  HELP!!!

Fitness Tip:

I LOVE to lift weights!  I love the way that my muscles feel when I push myself, I love the strength that I feel after a workout, and I love the tone and definition lifting gives my body. Cardio, on the other hand, I HATE!  I really and truly dread my cardio sessions each day.  Today I decided to change things up a bit and add  a Kickboxing class  into my routine once a week.  It was a great workout, and it was pretty fun!  I am usually not a class fan, but I really enjoyed myself this morning.  When I got home, I looked up how many calories I burned in one class. You burn 547.71 calories during 60 minutes of Kickboxing. Not too bad for a cardio session!  I think I will start swimming after class next week. Time to start training for my triathlon in August! 

Today's Healthy Recipe:

If you are anything like me, sometimes you just need a cookie!  These are super easy to make, gluten free, and sooooo good.  I made these on Sunday and wanted to take a picture to show you, but my family gobbled them all up before I could! 

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Ingredients:

1 C unsalted almond butter (I have made them with natural peanut butter too)

3/4 C Sucanat (dried cane juice)

1 large egg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

3 oz. natural dark chocolate chips

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, stir together first seven ingredients until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoon fulls onto Pam sprayed baking sheets.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 15 more minutes. 

Totally Clean and DELICIOUS!!  Enjoy!





Jan. 12, 2012

Happiness doesn't mean that everything is perfect.

Happiness is looking beyond the imperfections.

Author, Unknown

Today's Healthy Eating Tip:

(I can't rotate this!!!!)

Start each day with a bowl of oatmeal!  I love Mom's Best Plain Grain oatmeal.  It is totally natural with no sugar added. I buy it at Sprouts.  I add a Tbsp. of ground flax seed and a Tbsp. of chia seeds.  Heat it for 2 minutes.  Add almond milk, raisins, and cinnamon!!!  Yummy!  It powers my workouts and keeps me full until lunch. You can look at the products and nutritional info at momsbestnaturals.com

We all know the importance of flax meal in our diet. Now, nutritionists are talking about the benefits of chai seeds.  Just one Tbsp. of these little black miracle workers contains 6g of fiber and 2g of protein.  The cool thing is that when you mix them with liquid, they soften into a gel like consistency.  I have started mixing them into everything!!

My New Kick Butt Workout!

I just started a new weight training workout last week.  It is called The 30 Day Knockout Total Body Workout. I have seriously seen results in just 2 weeks! AMAZING!  I found it in this month's issue of Fitness RX magazine.  Check it out at www.fitnessRxmag.com, or pick up the real thing at any store! Try it and let me know if it works for you!

Krazy Mommy Moment(s)

Just in case you were wondering, I am definitely out of the running for Mother of the Year!!!  

Parental Failure #1:  Porter (my 5 year old) and I have a standing Thursday date at Chick Fil a each week.  He was playing in the playground (so I thought) and I was chatting with friends at the table.   It was 50 degrees today, so the snow was melting and people were tracking in slush.  I glanced up and my son, whom I thought was playing was "skating" in bare feet through the puddles of disgusting, dirty melted snow!  Not near the play area mind you!  All around the tables of much more attentive mothers!! I was mortified!  Needless to say, he got a thorough bath when we got home!

Parental Failure #2: I am still chatting at the table at Chick Fil a (do you see a pattern here?) when my cell rings.  I don't recognize the number, so I reject the call and just keep on gabbing.  On my way home, I check my voice mail. IT WAS THE SCHOOL NURSE! Apparently my daughter had a stomach ache and needed to come home.  She ended up on the cot in the school clinic for over an hour while I chatted, and Porter played ice capades at a fast food restaurant!!!!!  What kind of parent am I?  Wait, don't answer that!



Me and my girls!  They are my inspiration!

OK, so here goes!  My first entry! I doubt anyone will read this except my mom!  Love you MOM! 

My Krazy Mommy Moment:

My sweet, wonderful husband gave me a gift card for a massage and facial for Christmas.  Awesome right?  Well, I made my appointment and immediately started to feel the GUILT!!!! This is a feeling that most moms feel quite often I have discovered (No, you are not the only one).  I first started feeling guilty about skipping my workout today.  A whole body  weight training circut no less!!!!  How in the world will I make up for all of those calories NOT burned?  So, I get to the salon, strip and lie there naked and completely exposed. Not a feeling most women enjoy. The massage starts.  I should be in complete bliss right?  Except, I am not thinking about the heaven that my body is experiencing, I am thinking about the list of "TO DOs" not getting "TO DONE"!  (Also, I would not recommend drinking a 32 oz. Diet Coke before a 2 hour salon session.  There are no bathroom breaks!).  My massage session ends and the soreness from the past week's workouts is alleviated!  Bliss....YES!  The facial starts and I start to feel guilty about not taking better care of my skin.  Too much Diet Coke and not enough water, the days that I don't shower after a morning workout until 9:00 at night, etc. By the end of the two hours, my body felt totally awesome, and my face was glowing!  Did the guilt stop?  No! Did I still have to go to the bathroom?  YES! 


Lesson learned:  I need to enjoy the rare moments of self pampering without feeling guilty!



Helthy Recipe of the day:

Chocolate Peanut Butter French Toast

1/4 Cup egg whites
1/4 Cup unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop chocolate protien powder
1 tsp. vanilla
2 slices Ezekiel bread with protien
2 Tbs. natural peanut butter
Virgin coconut oil for pan

Mix  the eggs, milk, protien powder and vanilla in shallow dish. Let the bread soak in the mixture on both sides.  Heat a pan to medium heat.  Melt the coconut oil in pan (smooth a little on your lips and cuticles too).  Place soaked bread lices on the pan.  Cook on both sides until they are not soggy.  Remove from heat, spread peanut butter on bread and enjoy!!!!

I ate this for dinner tonight!  Tons of protien and DELICIOUS!!


Fitness Tip of the Day:


NONE!  I feel guilty about that too!