Tuesday, December 30, 2008

All You Need Is Love (and Vegas)



Joe and I have been engaged for almost 2 years. So long that everyone either assumes we're already married or we'll never be.

Well...

Today I booked our tickets to Vegas in April. We'll be marrying it up Venetian style! I'm pretty excited about the whole idea and awfully damn relieved to have the pressure of planning a wedding lifted off my shoulders. I am such an obsessive perfectionist I knew it was going to be a nightmare for me. Now all I have to do is get my ass to the gym, find a pretty, simple dress and buy a ring for that man o mine.

We celebrated tonight with sushi. Our favorite food.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Come onnnnnnn Santa!



So...What do santa's little helpers have when they're depressed?

Low Elf Esteem.

Merry Christmas, friends!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

An Idea

When I first started my weight loss journey, my goal was to lose enough weight so that I could have a healthy pregnancy.

Somewhere along the way, an unhealthy obsession with the scale took over what began as an honest attempt to get healthy. Over the past year I have come to realize that because of my weight loss, many of my female friends find this as a good lead-in for fat-related conversations. I have come to despise it. We are all smart and interesting ladies who can hardly seem to find anything to talk about than how much we gain on vacation, how much weight we need to lose by such and such date, or what body part we hate the most that day. And despite the fact that it's boring as hell, I personally think my self-esteem is feeling the effects of it. I completely stress out over gaining 2 pounds. I feel like I can't eat certain things in front of certain friends for they will judge me for it. How can this be healthy?

I know that participating in a weight-related goal 'program' only supports the thin is healthy ideal, but I do feel like I should be out of the overweight category with my bmi. I'm probably about 10 pounds from that point...but I am so over the number mind-set, I'm tinkering with the idea of chunking the scale altogether. It's just a thought at the moment...one worth thinking on for the next few days.

Searching the web today I found so much information on this topic and a video I would just love to send to all my friends. I thought maybe some of you would enjoy it too.






Saturday, November 29, 2008

Hostess with the Mostest

The countdown to the big event has begun!

Can't you all come to my party this weekend?

I'm making margaritas...with 1800 quervo, fresh squeezed lime juice, grand marnier and cointreu. I'm also making eggnog. It's now a tradition, and it's Paula Deen's recipe so you know it's good! If that's not your taste, you could also choose to have a glass or two of sangria, recipe complements of the bartender at Savilla in Grenwich Village. Goooood stuff!

The theme is Mexican, so I've decided to make a Fundido recipe that I found on Epicurious(cheese AND beer, how could it NOT be good?), roasted red pepper wraps, a mexican chicken casserole, mexican meatballs and of course a big bowl of fresh guacamole with chips - enough to feed 25. I'm skipping the veggie tray this year. Nobody ever touches it but me so I'll just be sure to eat my servings for lunch that day instead.

I'm also doing a brie en croute this year. Although it's not mexican, brie is always a crowd pleaser. And I'm hoping that the beautiful puff pastry casing will make it extra special.

If that hasn't tempted you enough, let me tell you about the dessert table. The cupcake tree will be filled with yummy delights from my favorite local bakery. You can also have your choice of lime meltaways, coconut balls or truffles. By popular request, there will also be peppermint bark and mud buddies hanging around.

I swore I was going to cater most of the event this year, but even with us having the cash to do it, I just get so much satisfaction out of doing everything myself. I will be absolutely exhuasted by Saturday, but it will be worth it.

So who needs directions?

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

mmmm...Sweet Potatoes!

It's been so long since my last post with any content worth reading. I blame it on work. But now I have had five nice lazy days at home with my puppies and honey and I'm almost to the point of not knowing what to do with myself other than blog.

And I haven't yet taken a moment to revel in Obama's win. And I'm a liberal hippie and feel I must.

*WOOOOOOOOO!!!*

So anyway,

During my time off, I've managed to do a little shopping, put up my tree and make a nice mexican themed menu and grocery list for our annual christmas party we have for our friends. I can't believe it's just over a week away! Still have SO much to do! But I did the most important part tonight...decided on attire and placed an order for this scrumptous number from Ann Taylor Loft:



I think it'll be pretty cute with my knee high black boots. I'm excited about it.

As for Thanksgiving, we'll be celebrating the usual way. We always go to Joe's grandmother's for dinner. She loves my sweet potato souffle so much she specifically asked me to bring mine this year. And I love Grandma June, so the sweet potatoes are mashed awaiting oven time in the morning. I love them too, so you can bet I'll skip all of the casseroles and breads that just aren't worth it and have a heaping helping of my own dish instead.

I don't really have any game plan as far as eating goes tomorrow. I know I'll have more than I should and I've been preparing for that all week long. I have also joined the new gym in town and have been three times this week. I took a cycle class and a pilates class and I plan to go again on Friday, perhaps for more cycling if my ass can sit on the seat for an hour, for some damage control.

The scale hasn't been kind. But being in NYC for a week, I really didn't expect it to be all that great. I was up 4 pounds when I got home. I'm back down to a more reasonable 156-ish, but still 2 up from my low. I'm hoping that being at home for a while and the gym time will kick that 2 pounds in the butt!

I am thankful for so much this year...mainly that Joe and I have worked hard to cut our debt in half (and in hindsight the smartest thing we could've done to prepare for whatever will come from these tumultuous financial times) and are on track to finish paying off that debt next summer. You can bet we'll be planning an outrageous holiday to celebrate that zero balance - and without having to carry over a balance to do it. I am also thankful for the people who love me and all my wonderful friends, who gave me the best (surprise) birthday ever this year to celebrate my 35th. I am thankful that I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Long time, no weigh in

I'm on the road...have been for 2 weeks, and will be for another. And then it's thanksgiving. And then Christmas. The eating is non-stop from here on out...or is it?

I've been hanging on while I've been on the road, but man, is it hard! I'm just managing to hold steady. -.5 for the week.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

New Favorite

Easiest dinner ever:

1 cup multi-grain rice
1/2 can red kidney beans
1/3 cup weight watchers shredded mexican cheese blend
as much tabasco as you can stand

Totally filling. Unbelievably cheap. And only about 500 calories.

Pizza incident is but a distant memory now.

My weight isn't budging a whole lot this week thanks to said incident, but I'm only up about .5 and it's not Saturday yet. There's still hope.

On a side note, I'm sewing a halloween costume for my Joe tonight. Should be interesting seeing that I haven't sewn a 'garmet' since home ec class in high school. But I did remember how to fill a bobbin and thread the damn machine. It's a start!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

poop!

Damnit. Out of complete starvation I agreed to have Cici's pizza for dinner tonight. I feel like a bloated cow. I must've had at least a thousand calories with what I stuffed my face with. Yuck. And it wasn't even that good. I would've much rather had a big fat double hamburger at mcdonalds for half that.
Booo me.

So I had the guilt run tonight for a mile to burn some of it off. What else can you do but jump back on the wagon as soon as possible right?

Man, sushi would've been SO much better.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

week 5

Notice the lack of posts.

For me that typically means I have nothing exciting to report. It's been the same up on the weekend down during the week routine that I struggle with time and time again. Doesn't mean that I've given up though. I'm still fighting for every ounce. Although I'll admit, not as hard as I could be.

Hormonally this has been a challenging last few weeks for me. Long story short, I've been off my birth control pills for an entire month now (not voluntarily) and I'm a little bit of a mess. I'll be another mess for another month after I'm back on them, so the lesson is...never let an out of network obgyn write your prescription. Sigh. Hopefully by the holidays I'll be back to normal.

I've lost a pound this week - down to 154.4. My weigh is fluctuating between 154 and 156 consistantly, but I'm ready to see some new numbers. I'm going to set a moderate goal of another pound for next week. AND get back to the water habit.

Actually, I think I'll start it today instead of Monday.

Hope everyone is hanging in there! Just think how hot we'll all be in our holiday dresses. :)

Sunday, October 05, 2008

week 2

It's start of week three already, so it's time to let you all know that for week 2 I am down 1.2 pounds.

It's a loss, but it's bittersweet. After seeing 154 on the scale this week I was certain I'd have a 2 pound loss. But then after too much beer and wine since Wednesday, I am sitting at 155.4. Hopefully that just means 154 will come easier next week.

I gotta lay off the booze!

Total loss so far is 3.4 pounds. Short term goal: I can't wait to be on the other side of 155!

I'm still struggling get back to the gym so I took my birthday gift certificates and bought a Wii Fit today. I can't wait to use it and I'm hoping it will spark some new interest.

Hope you all had a great week!

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Mid-Week Report

Sorry for failing to blog this past weekend. It's just been busy busy at work and settling in from being on the road for 2 weeks.

The good news is that I did lose 2.2 pounds last week without even being at home! That's right, back down to 156.6. The weight I was before vacation, three weeks later.

And the even better news is that I peeked at the scale this morning and saw a NEW number. I've seen 155 before, although briefly. BUT This morning I saw 154.something. I was so excited I forgot what the number was after the decimal point!

I'll be weighing in on Saturday, so check back for the final official report.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Feelin' it

I really feel like the Biggest Loser Challenge is exactly what I've been needing and I can't thank Angie enough for taking this on. I have a renewed excitement for getting on the scale this week, and I know that having all you guys to answer to is what will keep me on track day in and day out.

I have yet to journal my food today (about to when I finish this post), but I'm estimating 1400 calories again (tops). Started off with my faithful oatmeal breakfast, yogurt for a snack. I have finally gotten my hands on the apple turnover yoplait and if you haven't found it, go NOW and get it! Best yogurt ever!!!

I took a cue from a friend today and took a lunch to work consisting of bell peppers and turkey deli slices. I added 2 triangles of the good ol' laughing cow for good measure. PERFECT size lunch for me. And quite a change for me without any bad carbs to speak of. Ok, I admit, I had a 60-calorie Jello pudding for dessert. But still...not too bad!
I had sushi for dinner - mostly sashimi plus 10 pieces of sushi.

But the kicker for today is that I made myself get on the treadmill tonight. Just 30 minutes, and I mostly walked, but still, it's better than nothing. I've been letting the exercise slide lately. For the next three weeks I'll be back home (not on the road for work) so it will be easier to kick some gym ass. and boy, I plan to!

Just two more days here in Columbia, MO. Can't wait to get home, see my honey, my puppies, and get on the scale! :D

Monday, September 22, 2008

Fall = Chili

This is one of the best chili recipes I have ever tried. I have used Guiness and New Castle for the beer it calls for in the recipe. Both are excellent. Poblano chilis are perfect for this if you want a rich, smoky flavor. I plan on cooking up a batch every weekend between now and the company chili cook-off next month at work. You know, just to practice. ;)

One serving = 380 calories without any toppings.
This recipe makes 8 servings.

FOR THE CHILI
3 ancho chiles (dried poblano chiles)
1 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces pork (such as shoulder or chops), finely chopped
2 pounds boneless chuck steak, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large white onion, chopped (2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
Coarse salt
28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes, briefly pulsed in a blender
2 cans or bottles of beer (12 ounces each)
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

FOR THE TOPPINGS
4 ripe Hass avocados, halved lengthwise, pitted, flesh scooped whole from skin, and coated with fresh lemon juice
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 bag (20 ounces) salted corn tortilla chips
5 ounces sharp orange cheddar cheese, grated
Directions
Toast chiles in a skillet over medium heat, turning often, until fragrant and puffed up, 2 minutes. Cut in half; remove cores. Reserve seeds. Transfer chiles to a bowl; cover with boiling water. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook until browned, 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Working in batches, cook beef until browned, 3 minutes per side, adding more oil as needed and transferring browned meat to the plate.

Meanwhile, put chiles and 1/2 cup soaking liquid into a blender; puree. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cumin, oregano, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons reserved chile seeds (more for heat, if desired). Cook 1 minute. Add chile puree. Raise heat to medium-high; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Return meat to pot. Add 2 teaspoons salt, the tomatoes, and beer. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-high. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/4 hours. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender and sauce is thick, about 30 minutes more. Discard bay leaf. Stir in vinegar. Serve chili with avocado halves, scallions, tortilla chips, and grated cheese.

Plans and such...

So I've decided to stick with Sparkpeople to keep up with the food end of things. I've been pretty successful using it and I love having a 'free' way to keep up with my intake everyday. I journaled today for the first time in weeks. Around 1400 calories for the day. Not a bad start.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Return of the Motivation

It's been two weeks since my vacation and I'm still up 2 pounds. But lucky for me, a new challenge has sparked my motivation.

I don't have a plan for how I am going to make this happen. I mean, I know how to do it, but I've become so bored with everything I've been doing for the past two years. I've thought about going back to weight watchers (where it all began), but then I thought about trying the Wendie plan, which is a variation of it. I've also thought that I should just keep on doing SparkPeople, since it did work for a few pounds this summer.

So my plan for the time being is to formulate a plan. I'm going to look back over my journals to see what worked.

To be continued...

Monday, August 04, 2008

Progress!





These are the best two pics I can find of my 'before' self. Neither was taken at my heaviest weight, but they were both probably hovering at around 190-ish.

And lastly, taken Saturday just before heading out to a wine and cheese party, the now shot:



And hurray for my second pair of size 8 jeans!

Friday, August 01, 2008

Temperamental Mouse

I just lost an entire blog due to the extremely sensitive forward/back buttons on the side of my mouse. Poo.

I will try to start over at the beginning...

I have no before/after pics for you yet, but I do have this super cute picture of me with my best friend (she is the one on the left, the one with ridiculous food/body issues, the one who has exercise binges and does the deprivation diets). We were heading out to a girl's night out sponsered by a local radio station here in Atlanta. She's got a Wonder Woman pose goin' on for the camera, and I'm just happy to be going out.



How cute we are!


Anyway, I haven't mentioned that I briefly saw 155 on the scale yesterday, and although I'm sitting at 156.0 this morning, I know that the glimpse of 155 means I'm on the 'lighter side' of 156. That just sounded completely ridiculous, but I know that you ladies know what I mean. ;)

I may not reach my goal of 145 by the cruise, but I am seriously ecstatic with where I am right now with my efforts. I'm even thinking that after I get back from my cruise, after I post my swimsuit edition here, I am kicking the scale habit like so many have before me. I feel like the only reason I'm clinging to it now is because I set a goal and I haven't reached it yet. I feel like if I get rid of my scale now, I'd be giving up on that goal, make sense?

All I know is that today, my only goal is to look as smokin' hot as Thick Chick does in her favorite jeans. Mercy!



Ok, since I'm bored at work and I haven't done one of these in a while...

5 things found in my purse:
actually, it’s a backpack these days due to all of my traveling for work:
*Laptop
*Bluetooth mouse
*Passport
*advil
*a blister band-aid

5 things found in my bedroom:
*An empty ream of paper box that my Jack Russell uses to launch herself onto the bed
*The Other Boyelyn Girl on my nightstand
*A freshly unpacked suitcase
*Dry cleaning hanging on the closet door
*Random jewelry on the dresser

5 things I have always wanted to do:
*Be a super cool singer/songwriter
*Take ballroom dancing and yoga
*Learn to sew and knit
*Paint like my mother
*Have a big garden

5 things I am currently into:
*Getting ready for my cruise
*My getting-sexier-every-day arm muscles
*Tofu stir fry
*That book on my nightstand
*Playing Risk II on my pc

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Yanked to White Plains

I love it when I'm given notice on a Friday that I'll be going out of town on business the following Monday - LOVE IT. Especially when it's White Plains, NY. UGH!

I think if I went the rest of my life without going there again, it would be equivalent to winning the lottery. Difficult client, to say the least. We're sent on a mission trip and expecting the building to be in flames when we arrive from the sound of it, but it was quite the opposite. They just have a crappy system administrator without a spine required to do his job. I think it's time we fired this client.

Ok, vent is over. Now on to the stuff you really care about. You have requested before/after pics and I promise they're on the way to ya. I found the 'before', just gotta take a good 'after' shot. I'll get that up for you guys this week. I'm kinda looking forward to seeing the difference myself!

So even though I was in White Plains eating on an expense account, I managed to hold steady for the week AND get in a couple of good workouts by Sunday. I didn't journal all week, which is a first for me since April, but I still managed to make super awesome choices even when the boys (aka my coworkers) were eating the cheese fries from Outback right in front of me. Bastards!

I'm back home this week and clinging to the hope to see a new number on the scale this Friday. I've been strength training consistently and hard for over a month now and I'm finding the process of making muscles fascinating! I think Joe might be a little sick of the daily "check out my muscles" requests though. Sorry, honey. :D
But every week I feel new definition in my thighs, arms and butt - it's so exciting!! Notice I didn't say abs though. I admit to not giving them enough attention, but it's not as though I've been completely neglecting them either. Does it just take forever to see results there or what?

Side note: 30 days til vacation!! Not that I'm counting or anything. ;)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Attack of the 50 lb Lighter Woman

How on earth could I have forgotten?!



I cruised right past 156 without even realizing that when I started this whole thing, I was 206. I've reached a huge milestone this week:





Yep, that's pounds lost.



I remember when I started this how the thought of losing 50 pounds seemed near impossible. The only way I could get around it was to NOT think about it. And now, two years later, I'm there!



10 more to go.


Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Somebody pass the biofreeze

I cranked up the incline on the treadmill yesterday at the gym.

Ouchie. :(

I've been focusing more on my arm work lately and it's amazing how fast you see results! The tricep jiggle is minimal today and it's so motivating to keep it up.

I think I may be in for another good loss this week although it is rather too early to tell. And by good loss I mean a pound. It's almost impossible for me to lose more than that a week without starving or spending every waking minute I'm not at work on the treadmill. I'm just happy that I'm actually losing again.

OH! And I'm wearing shorts today. To the office. I KNOW!!! But dangit, I've worked hard for cute legs. I'm gonna show 'em off!

Ok, have a great week. I'm off to book a massage.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Hallelujah!

The 157 streak has finally been broken. The scale reads 156. Even. No point anything.

I'm gonna keep plugging along at this sparkpeople thing. Turns out, I do a pretty lousy job at planning my own meals.

The best part of today though is that it's Friday! It's been a hell of a week at work. About a month ago, I drew the short straw (without even knowing) and was assigned to a difficult client to go and 'fix'. An upgrade to their latest version didn't seem to fix the problems they were expecting to be fixed. AND it caused some other issues that didn't exist before the upgrade. *&#$*! So I've been dealing with upgrade fallout all week on top of having to learn how to install a reporting module for them. At this point in my job, everything is a learning process. It will be so nice to finally be here long enough that I'm not having to learn something new everyday just to do my job.

I really do love my job on most days, but man, I cannot wait for vacation!

For now, the weekend will have to do. And I will be keeping to the plan in hopes that next week another new number appears. Oh how I would love to be in the single digits of pounds left to lose!

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

52 days!

52 days until the boat leaves the port.

52 days until my 35th birthday (huh? how the hell could that even be possible?? even if my slowing metabolism and coarsened peach fuzz declare that it must be so??!)

52 days until I wear a bathing suit while I strike the best skinny pose I can for the camera.

And post it here for the world to see!

If you recall back some time ago, I took that challenge to post a bathing suit pic after I return from the cruise September 6. I'm still holding to it. I predict you will all be on the edge of your seats, refreshing my blog at light speed in anticipation of the grand event that day.

Especially any lurking, pervy ex-boyfriends who will just have to settle for me being *somewhat* clothed. Ahem.

Dear lord baby jesus. What have I done.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Sneak Peak

I couldn't help myself from a quick peek at the scale this morning and I am pleased to see 157.6 after the weekend. That's a darn good setup for my official weigh in on Friday. How cool (however unlikely) would it be to skip the 156 altogether??! Not getting my hopes up or anything. I seem to be concreted to this 157.6 number. But Friday is four days away...


This is what I'm munchin' on today:

BREAKFAST

Calories
Instant, Quick, and Regular Oats Cereal, 0.75 cup, cooked 104
Instant, Quick, and Regular Oats Cereal, 0.75 cup, cooked 104
Bread, reduced-calorie, wheat, 2 slice 91
Jams, preserves, jelly, 1 tbsp 56
Peanut Butter, smooth style, 0.5 tbsp 47

401

LUNCH
Celery, raw, 2 stalk, large (11"-12" long) 20
Tuna, Canned in Water, 0.5 can 96
Bread, pita, whole-wheat, 1 pita, small (4" dia) 74
Popcorn, air-popped, 2.5 cup 76
Kraft Mayo Fat Free Mayonnaise Salad Dressing, 2 tbsp 22

289

DINNER
Yellow Sweet Corn, Canned, 0.2 cup 27
Yellow Sweet Corn, Canned, 0.2 cup 27
Beans, black, 0.5 cup 114
Cottage Cheese, Nonfat, 0.75 cup (not packed) 92
Brown Rice, long grain, 0.5 cup 108
Brown Rice, long grain, 0.5 cup 108

476

SNACK
Strawberries, fresh, 1 cup, halves 46
Yoplait Yogurt Light Fat-Free - Peach (6 0z), 1 serving 100

146

Total = 1312

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Fitness Fourth

I failed to see 156 this past week. Boooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Despite my solid efforts, and a huge disappointment, I didn't let it get me down. I turned my long 3-day weekend into a fitness fest. Instead of watching the Braves game on the couch, I drove to the gym at work and watched it from the treadmill. I pushed myself through some hard hittin' strength training (leg presses and pull ups) and although I am suffering from it today, it was SO worth it! I took today off to do some yardwork, but in terms of my meals, I've been pretty great all weekend.

I took my measurements this weekend and I was shocked to see a 1.5" loss in my waist and a 1" loss in my hips in a month. But is that even possible having lost only a few pounds??

In a ditch effort to get these last nagging pounds off, I signed up for the infamous SparkPeople pages. Although I've been journaling my food since May, I love that I can get more accurate counts, keep up with my water intake with a click, and get meal ideas. I'm so bored of the same old thing everyday. I have 8 weeks to lose the 12 pounds. It can still happen. I'm not giving up.
Another inch in the waist and hips is my other goal.

And it will be the best 35th birthday present I could give myself.

Friday, June 27, 2008

women and weight

So I have this friend who told me a long time ago that she doesn't want to discuss weight loss with anyone unless she herself is skinny. So I've abided by her wishes. I don't talk about my successes unless she brings it up (I share with you guys instead!). But the more I've thought about it, the more I realize how selfish she is - because now, four months before a cruise that she booked - she's suddenly in "must lose 40 pounds in 4 months mode" and wants to brag about every pound she loses! Being a braggart is my main pet peeve as far as friends go. A woman who constantly feels that she must be in competition with me is my second. I'm starting to rethink this entire friendship altogether...

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for her that she's finally found something to make her want to finally get control over her eating. Even if it is a completely superficial reason, in the end she will be healthier for it. I've warned her against losing too quickly. For someone who's read every weight loss book ever printed, you'd think she'd know this by now.

But no. She goes back to her deprevation and restrictive dieting on South Beach (and eats Ricotta cheese all day) and back to her treadmill bingeing. Whatever works, right?

Sigh.

The problem is...and we all know this...it doesn't work! She'll be over it in a few months. Perhaps she will make it until she gets home from the cruise, but as soon as the motivation of the cruise is gone, so will be the results of all of her efforts. She is as stubborn as the day is long when I try to give her advice. It's her way or the highway. South Beach has worked for her in the short term. And like any 'diet', it stops working when you stop following it. She's made fun of me for the whole Weight Watchers "not a diet" campaign arguing that if you can't eat what you want all the time, it's a diet. I stress to her that switching your focus to less restriction with portion control is key. But I can't win with her. The only argument I hold is the final proof: that I've lost 50 pounds over two years with gradual changes and have kept it off. She has gained.

Do any of you guys have friends like this? I just don't know how to handle it anymore. Especially now that she's in her diet mode and wants to talk about it ALL the time. At least when she's eating everything under the moon, I don't have to have the discussions.

Anyway, I found a great quote today I would love to email to her (and might just yet):

"If you can't see yourself eating or exercising a certain way for the rest of your life — say, consuming raw food and running five miles every day — you shouldn't be doing it to lose weight in the first place"

LOVE it!

Monday, June 23, 2008

Bad at multitasking

Another boring check-in post. Too keep myself accountable, ya know?

I had a blah week last week. No Subway or McDonalds near the client site, so I ate too much sashimi and sushi instead. I am pretty much the same weight as last week. And so another week goes by...one week closer to the cruise and still stuck at 157.

It seems that I can only focus on one thing at a time these days. Either I'm eating perfectly OR excercising hard. But for some reason I have a hard time doing both at the same time.

Lately it's been the workouts that have slipped. So I got my butt in gear last night, tied up the laces, and hit the pavement. I bought some 8 pound weights for my arm reps (I was up to 24 reps with the 5 lbs - which is pretty much useless for building muscle). I plan to break them in tonight.

Turns out, I'm in town all week long, which should be a good thing for my eating AND exercising. I'm aiming to see 156 this week.

Here's what's on the menu today to get to that goal:

15 Coffee & half & half
40 Egg Beater
10 Tsp Salsa
100 Whole Grain English Muffin

130 Soy Nut Mix

160 Tomato Vegetable Soup
75 Salad with Feta Cheese, Olives and no dressing

160 24 Almonds

60 3oz Mango
90 2oz Avocado
30 8oz Romaine
70 2 Tbsp Sun Dried Tomato Vinegarette Dressing

150 1/2 Cup Weight Watchers Cheese Shreds
160 2 Tortillas

60 Jello Pudding
_______________

1320 Calories

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Life on the road

I had my first adventure on the road by myself this week for work. The work part started horribly Monday having spent an hour sitting on the runway for a 1pm flight to Richmond that was eventually cancelled. The next one wouldn't be leaving until 9am the next morning. Luckily, I got on a stand-by to Norfolk leaving at 7pm and drove to Richmond. I finally reached my destination just before midnight. The next day would become a series of IT problems, making my day of training miserable. Finally, on Wednesday, things started shaping up and the week ended on a positive note - and an on-time flight for the trip home.

Eating on the road is a challenge. It's extremely hard to plan your meals, but I was able to count on the trusty McDonald's Southwest salads in a pinch. I loaded up on snacks at the convenience store Monday night - some almonds, apples with yogurt dip, a garden salad (that I ate for dinner) and some veggie crisps. Those certainly deterred me from calling in a late night pizza order and raiding the hotel vending machines. I continued to journal my food all week making the best estimations I could. When I wasn't sure, I calculated meals on the high side just to be safe. I was starving Wednesday evening after not eating enough on Monday and Tuesday. My body fights back with anything less than 1300 calories a day. So I treated myself with some wine and dessert with dinner. My only real 'cheats' all week. I can't even remember the last time I ordered dessert in a restaurant. But I managed to eat only half and it was delicious and well worth it. No regrets there. My one regret is not making it to the gym a single time during the week. The one night I was able to, I was sidetracked...read on....

The best part of my trip was finding this awesome mall in Willow Grove, PA on the day of Macy's one day sale this week. I found these unbelievable trouser jeans by Nine West for only $20. I was paying for them and when the lady at the counter pulled them up to fold them, the girl checking out at the register beside me looked me up and down and said, "those look way too big for you!". When I tried them on, I did have some extra room in them, but for whatever reason, it didn't even occur to me that I could fit in anything less than a size 10. But hearing her say that made me wonder. So, I left the counter, returned to the rack, found the size 8's and tried them on. And I'll be damned - she was right. I walked out with an EIGHT, people!! My first size eight jeans that I have bought in my entire adult life!!!!!

Which brings me to another point. I am really struggling with clothes right now, because it seems that I can't see myself as anything but a double digit wearer. Even my bra that I just bought a few weeks ago is too big in the cup size. Now, to my defense, it does have very molded cups, so even though it doesn't fit, it still looks like it does. But I realized this week that I don't even begin to fill out the cups anymore. Sure enough, when I tried on new bras at Macy's, I was an entire cup size smaller. And I'm embarrassed to admit that I bought a 12 petite in a pair of pants (petities always run smaller, so I'm thinking equivalent to a 10 regular, right?), wore them back on the plane Friday only to be able to take them off without unzipping them when I got home that evening. *sigh* It's delightful and frustrating at the same time.

All said and done, I'm happy to report a loss this week. 157 for the week. Down about a pound. 12 more to go to my goal before the cruise leaves August 30th. This is definitely possible. :D

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Vacation...SHORT(s)!

One day of leisure before I have to suck it up and return to the ball and chain that is my desk and email.

*sigh*

But going back to the grind is always a good thing for me. My routines go out the window with no schedule to wrap them around and although I've only had one episode of all-out frivolity (yes, that means too many calories consumed by way of wine glass) since Friday, I know that I won't be seeing a loss when I get on the scale Friday morning. I'm aiming for a maintain.

I got a few miles in this extended holiday weekend on top of buying that fitness ball and....
running shorts!

There goes the neighborhood.

I haven't worn shorts since around 1998. I hate the way they ride up from my thighs rubbing together and I always end up walking like a cowgirl to prevent that from happening. Well, they still ride up. I have thighs. Always have, except for a brief moment around 140 when I was taking a fitness credit ballet class in college. But I have to find a way to continue running in this humid Georgia climate, so I found myself in Target trying on shorts Saturday. Not as horrible of an experience as I imagined it would be. Even the clothed view from the rear wasn't especially horrifying. Hurray!

Tomorrow I will end my vacation with a trip to the Farmer's Market with Joe to buy a few nice cheeses for a dinner we're hosting Saturday night and maybe pick up some in-season produce - whatever looks good. My goal of eating more fruit would certainly be more easily acheived if I actually bought some. Can't wait to see what I come home with!

Catch up with you all on the other side (the work side, that is).

Friday, May 23, 2008

Helloooooooooo 150's! (part II)

Yo silly, elusive number on the scale!
I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!

158.8

2 pounds lost this week!
Take that, pesky 160's.

The secret to my success this week has no doubt been the continued journaling of every bite of food during the week in my spiral notebook. Here's what else I improved on from last week:

1. Measured most everything. (I feel that measuring peanut butter is more trouble than it's worth. Can I get an amen?)

2. Ate a 1/2 banana every morning. That's more fruit in a day than I got at all last week. It's a start.

3. My workout tomorrow will put me at my (silent) goal of 4 workouts this week.

4. I have included the strength training routines after my runs twice this week.

5. Looking back over my food journal, I don't see too many huge setbacks. This is mainly due to my lack of journaling over the weekend. I will admit, Saturday was pretty rough: I had 4 or 5 beers at the lake. That doesn't even include the nibbles of junk here and there throughout the day. The purchase of a large bag of Doritos "for Joe" on Sunday wasn't the best idea I've had, but I managed to hold it down to a serving and a half the entire week. AND they're the hotwing/blue cheese combos. GOOD lordamercy tasty!

6. I substituted healthier side dishes with my dinners every night. Tons of veggies instead of something starchy.

7. I just realized that this 'clean out the pantry' project I've been on for almost a month now has discouraged my snack intake (since there are no snacks around to be eaten). And to be honest, I'm hardly missing the 100-cal packs and puddings! That's huge for me. I think I'll just skip that aisle at the grocery store when I finally go this weekend.

THINGS I CAN DO BETTER NEXT WEEK

1. More fruit, more fruit, more fruit. Otherwise, I feel my diet right now is pretty stellar! Wow, I can't believe I can say that!

2. Eh, what's one more workout gonna hurt. I am DYING to sign up for a yoga class or a gym. I need something new, but money is tight for now. So on the to-do list, I think I'll buy that exercise ball I've been wanting for ages. Way cheaper than yoga class.

3. Enjoy my vacation and time away from work! (without finding myself back in the 160's next week)

Happy Memorial Day!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Favorite Finds


I can't believe I've had 20 packs of these in my pantry since January and I'm just now trying them!



These have surged ahead of the competition in the race for my favorite afternoon (or sometimes morning) snack. They're perfectly sweet and salty, really fill me up and keep me from pantry raiding when I come through the back door at 5:17. I thought I would have to resort to hiding the last few bags from Joe or challenge him to a duel if he tried to take them. Lucikly, the shipment arrived today to replenish our stock and has likely saved our engagement.

These perfectly sized bags of soy nut mix Crum Creek's Brilliantly Blended Soy Nut Mix are:

Organic
High in fiber
High in protein
Just 6 net grams of carbohydrates per serving
Conveniently packaged in 10 single-serving packs(1 oz. each)
Trans fat and cholesterol-free
Kosher
Vegan

Soy Nut Mix Ingredients:
Organic Non-GMO Soy Nuts, Organic Chocolate Chips (organic cane sugar, organic chocolate liquor, organic cocoa butter, organic vanilla beans, soy lecithin), Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Raisins, Expeller-pressed Canola Oil, Sea Salt.

130 calories per bag or 2 points.

You can order them here individually or as I prefer, in the Hungry Girl Super Snack Duo containing soy bites and soy nut mix. 12 bags of soy bites, 20 bags of soy nut mixes all for $20 including shipping.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Reminder to Self

For later this week when I am finding any excuse to not workout:

DO IT!
YOU'LL FEEL BETTER!
NO. YOU'LL FEEL AMAZINGLY AWESOME!
YOU'LL FEEL STRONG!
YOU'LL THINK CLEARER!
YOU'LL SLEEP BETTER!
YOU'LL BE CLOSER TO YOUR GOAL ON THAT CRUISE SHIP!
YOU'LL BE A HOTTIE!

Now get off your ass, future me. Feel as good as you do right now!

Friday, May 16, 2008

yeah yeah

Steady at 160.8 this morning. (I was 160.0 yesterday morning - Again I say, stupid scale!)

I imagine the demolishing of tuna salad AFTER dinner last night did not help. I had only eaten 400 calories by the time dinner was on my plate, so I was famished. Not a good plan.

Ah well. I still feel back on track. Still writing everything down. Trying to workout as much as possible, including strength training additions to my runs this week. I found the perfect circuit training set in a Fitness magazine that kicked my butt with squat/dumbell combos and planks.

Looking back over my food journal for the week, here are my observations:

  • I desperately need to buy groceries. This 'emptying the pantry' mission is starting to limit my healthy eating options.
  • I'm averaging around 1400 calories a day. I think. See next bullet point.
  • I'm still not measuring exact sizes. I'm eyeballing. This is something I need to work on next week.
  • The lack of fruit appearing on these pages is appaling. The grocery excursion will definitely need to include a selection of 'new' fruits I haven't had in a while - grapes and bananas might be good. Perhaps a smoothie for breakfast will help with the fruit intake. Any other ideas out there?
  • I need to ditch the pretzel snack I go for at around 3pm and go back to nuts or a Fiber One bar instead. Those wasabi almonds are really calling my name.
  • Clearly, I love vegetables. But I tend to think of them as free foods that I don't have to measure. Do I really need to?

So the goal for next week is to incorporate these into my food plan AND be in the 150's by next Friday. I'm gonna kick me some 160's ass next week!

On a side note, taking our puppies to the lake tomorrow. It's their first time (that we know of) being in water. Should be a blast!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

old school

I've figured out what to do. Desperate times...

I'm going old school and journaling my food & activity in a little spiral notebook...

And it's working!!!

It's been since last November since I've really, seriously, truly journaled everything. I'm always conscious of my choices, but sometimes you do forget and underestimate what you've eaten throughout the day. I like to blame that on a combination of my thirty-something year old memory and ADD - but placing blame certainly doesn't help the case of my fifty-something year old looking ass.

Joe and I have booked a cruise to Mexico leaving August 30. What a perfect time to start a new goal - for my 35th birthday! And this, my friends, will be my last scale-related goal. After I reach the 145 mark, I plan to stick to fitness goals and measurements. I don't want to be obsessed with the scale anymore. I feel chained to it.

But don't worry. That doesn't mean I'll let go of it all. Oh hell no. I love my newly purchased size 10 jeans (or maybe an 8 when I'm finished)! The exercise is now a part of my lifestyle. And I love having legs that I'm kinda proud of for the first time EVA in my life! The scale hasn't budged for me in a few months now, but my body still has. So I feel confident in declaring 145 as the stopping point. It's practical and healthy for my height and frame. I graduated high school close to 170 - so suffice it to say, I've never been skinny. I wasn't born skinny. I don't care if I ever AM skinny. I just want to FEEL good.

I love to pieces how some of you have posted your bikini pics. I'm jumping on the bandwagon and embracing my body! I plan to have one for the cruise and of course I'll also have a camera in hand. No better time than then, right?

So expect to see me in all my dimply glory on September 8th. Mark your calendars!!

Friday, May 02, 2008

Off My Ass

The motivation is slowly dwendling. I can feel it.
It's been 2 weeks since my last run.
It's been 2 weeks since my last loss.
The last loss was a desperate attempt to lose some of the 4 pounds I've gained.


I need a kick in the butt.

I need a plan. I need a new plan. The old plan is no longer working.

I have but 15 pounds left to lose. I've been sitting at this number on the scale for pretty much the entire year. I'm ready to be DONE with it.

*sigh*

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Just when I thought it was over...

So I managed to finish up bootcamp and lo and behold, there's MORE training before I'm finished. I don't think it ever ends, but it's starting to really stress me out - the testing and testing and testing. And for really, in the grand scheme of things, for not a whole lot more than I was bring home ($) before. *sigh*

I want my normal life back.

I miss reading all of your blogs and I can't even begin to catch up on all of you in the few minutes I have during the week. So here is where I tell you all who might be reading - that I hope you are all doing well and keeping up with your goals. AND having a Happy Easter if you celebrate it. I don't, but the easter bunny managed to visit Walgreen's yesterday and bring me chocolate this morning. Cadbury...mmmmm!!!

As for the rest of life, the stress is great for weight loss. I've dropped like 4 pounds in the past two weeks without even really trying. I'm almost at my goal I set for last week and I'm in the 150's for the first time in maybe a decade! 12's are starting to be a little big on me. I'm still running/walking, logging the miles. It's really the only way I can stay sane with the workload.
I'd be on prescription meds for sure if I didn't.

Shoutout to everyone reading!!!
Until next time I can spare 5 minutes...
xoxo

Saturday, February 23, 2008

The End is in Sight!

The last week of boot camp is finally here!
As of Wednesday around noon I will be completely finished with my final examinations, manager reviews and hardware challenge. It has been exhausting and I'm struggling to fight off a cold this weekend likely induced by all the stress.

I've lost a little more than 5 pounds since class started, so I'm quite proud of that too. I'm down to 161.2 this week and I can't tell you how nice it's going to be to see the 150's on that scale!!

I should be back around more regularly after next week. I miss you guys and the support I get from you all. Hope everyone is well & happy!
xo

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Week 1: Complete!

I have survived week 1 of work boot camp.
Holy hell.

My manager asked me last night (while we were all celebrating at the local pub by getting completely trashed) what the biggest surprise of the class has been so far.

My answer: crying after the 4th day.

It's true. At the end of each day, there is a quiz, and for the second day in a row on Wednesday, my grade was not a fair reflection of how well I understood the material. I only scored 80% because I either overthought the questions or misunderstood them. And it would be different if I didn't get the concepts. At least then I could ask for help.

So, I went home, cried, slept, ate a large serving of comfort food and did my best to shake it off. The next day I made sure not to assume anything about any of the quiz questions. I asked for clarification, and lo and behold I scored 99.83 - the highest grade in the class. My strategy continued to pay off on yesterday's database quiz - my first 100%!!!! (to the dismay of my lower scoring Georgia Tech graduate neighbors who had just took this college course and commented on how easy the test was going to be - heehee! select statement THIS, bitches!)

Ok, I realize this isn't exactly a weight loss related post, so I will end with an update on that front. In spite of grueling 10 hour days, I forced myself to get out of bed at 5:30 twice this week to get in a workout. That, my friends, is just a plain out miracle. This girl NEVER gets up before the sun. But I did, and honestly, it wasn't all that bad. I may just do it again this week since it's too cold now for my usual outside run when I get home at 7pm.

And last but not least, I saw a nice loss of 1.8 pounds this week. That was Wednesday's weigh-in - and it already looks like I'll be having a nice loss next week as well - crossing my fingers!
Finally, the holiday pounds are gone and I'm seeing numbers not yet seen since 2003! Feels so good.

Hope you all are having fantastic weekends!!

Friday, January 18, 2008

My solution to the girl's night dilemma

So, first off, I didn't mean to keep you all in suspense this morning about girl's night. The boot camp that I have mentioned before - and let me clarify is work related and does not in any way involve circuit training or exercise - started today and I've been away from my usual desk. I will be for the next 6 weeks, making blogging anywhere but home nearly impossible. Hence, the abbreviated post this morning regarding my weigh in.

As for girl's night, I did end up going. I didn't have time to make anything to bring, so I just ate a normal dinner beforehand. Luckily, I had some dental work done earlier that day, so I used that as an excuse (not completely a lie) for the tiny portions I took. But it was still not pretty. A handful of regular white grain pasta with pesto, three slices of baguette with brie, three glasses of wine (which I had planned for) and the worst of all - the creme brulee. I only eat ate half the ramekin, but at 11 points for the entire serving, even a bite was dangerous! I ended up logging 40 points for my day yesterday. No doubt part of the reason for my .2 gain today, but good thing I'd saved my flex points!

And I've made up my mind that the particular girl hosting this event is a diet saboteur. Do any of you have friends like this? I couldn't believe that she was judging another girl there (psst...she's new to the blog world. give her a little hello if you have a chance) for still being hungry after she was the one who made a meal that could go down in the 'weight watcher's worst nightmare cookbook'. Even worse, she went so far as to point out the light version of the creme brulee in her cookbook. Ummmm, hello?! Did it not occur to her that would have been a better choice in respect to her guests?! I'm a little baffled by it. I always consider other people's needs, especially when I'm the host. Am I wrong in thinking this way??

F!

I had decided to weigh in today, but I should've stuck with my official weigh in day of Wednesday instead. I'm actually UP .2 from last week. I'm really in disbelief considering how good I've been all week and how many chances to be bad I've said NO to.

I have to just trust that my efforts will show up eventually.

For this week, it's 166.4.

Blah.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Girl's Night Dilemma

So tonight is girl's night hosted at the super skinny girl's house. I hear she's making creme brulee. There will also be brie. And the other three of us are either on weight watchers or being mindful of what we eat.

I think it's completely thoughtless of her and I'm thinking about just bringing my own food to eat. Would it be rude? Or should I just not go?

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Sunday 6


Swizzle's Sunday 7 is responsible for this impromptu post that sums up my weekend in a list of 6 little tasty niblets (see also - too lazy to type complete paragraphs - I don't know how Randi does her novelas!):

  1. The Christmas Tree is finally in the attic! Only 330-something days...
  2. Sweeney Todd just may be my favorite movie ever. Who knew throats being slit could be so damn hilarious?!?
  3. It's Sunday night and my house is clean. *insert sounds of angels singing*
  4. The peanut M&Ms from my christmas stocking are officially GONE.
  5. Hopefully the 7 miles I managed to get in since Friday will help offset the damage caused by accomplishing #4. Heh.
  6. Tomorrow is my last Monday before the work-related 'boot camp' starts. In about 50 days from now, I will have a life again.
Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

Friday, January 11, 2008

166.2

Is the number.

A couple of pounds worth of christmas joy. Eh, it'll be gone shortly.

Anyway, some new finds:

Shape Magazine's 20-minute playlists
my shuffle is dying for some new tunes!

Phytokarite Ultra Nourishing Mask - Ultra Dry Hair
a small sample has made me a huge fan of this miracle for thick, colored hair like mine.
It makes my hair like silk!

Quiznos
just recently came clean with their nutritional information, turns out the cup of chili and a side salad = a pretty good quick meal for only 2 points! Yay!

Now, I'm off to download those new tunes!


Thursday, January 10, 2008

A New Year

This official first week back from the holidays has been exhausting!

First, Let me back up and say that my holidays were amazing, ending with the big 'ol beach bash at St. Pete. I had an awesomely cute dress that I punked out with some black tights and black ankle boots - hot! And most of the pics I've seen of me from all angles don't make me want to photoshop them. Especially this one:

And we really were having that much fun!

But it's good to be back in the swing of things. I've been so busy training my replacement that I haven't had a chance to comment on many of your blogs, but I AM reading them all! It's comforting to know that I was not alone in my overindulgences of the past month. I too have found myself hiding the scale this week so as to not get down on myself about the past that I can do nothing about. BUT, I've been totally back OP this week, and although I did partake of the tiny cakes and tartlettes this past weekend, we forced ourselves to go to the hotel gym on Friday and walk on the beach for 2 hours on Saturday. I don't feel like the damage was severe.

Regardless, I'm ready to face the numbers tomorrow - and I feel pretty good about it. Or at least I do in my clothes.

I haven't really had a chance to think about any resolutions aside from reading a book a month (which was one I failed to do last year). I have a feeling this one will be easy with all the travel time I'll accumulate before the end of the year. I also want to learn to knit. More on resolutions to come...

I do have a loss goal that I'd like to meet by Spring (March 31st): 10 pounds.
I'm guessing that will put me at around 155, depending on tomorrow's weigh in. I would like to have a fitness goal, but I think my upcoming 12-hour days are going to make getting in any exercise an achievement. I plan to keep pounding the pavement though! Nothing better for the stress of trying to plan a wedding and start a new position!!

I really should not be blogging at all tonight. My christmas tree still stands. Seriously.