We Kin Get Thin!

Check in on me!

2011-07-11T16:41:00.000-04:00

Just checking in on you, so you all can check in on me! :-)

Don't forget to visit me at my new digs! www.sweatygirl.net

Giveaway!!!

2011-06-20T11:50:00.002-04:00

Make sure you check out SweatyGirl today! I am giving away my favorite things!

Happy Friday!

2011-06-17T09:24:00.000-04:00

Hello! How are y'all doing? I'm alright! It's been a strange week, but it's finally FRIDAY!
It's going to be a busy day at work today, so I am enjoying the tiny calm before the storm right now.
On Fridays, we take turns bringing in breakfast foods for the whole office. Today there are some amazing looking pastries, and bagels in the kitchen, along with an unbelievably large spread of sweets leftover from a Summer party we had yesterday. I am sipping on my water, trying not to think about it! ;-)

I haven't been losing weight, but I have been feeling good this week. I've been taking some new supplements (you can read about them on SG) and I do think they've made me feel a bit... um.. healthier? Not sure what the word I want is.. but I guess that is it. I assume it's just the mentality of taking even better care of myself, versus the actual benefits of the supplements. But, it could be a combo of both!
I've been really good about drinking more water, which, as you know.. I hate! But again, it does feel nice to be doing it.

Not much else new on the diet front. I am quickly realizing how idiotic it was of me to make a weight loss goal (my 30x30 challenge) when I can't even manage to lose 1! I truly wanted to lose some weight before my friend's wedding, before my vacation, and really... I wanted to be UNDER 200LBS by the 30th birthday. I am by no means giving up on this! Ooooh heck no I am not!
But I do see that it most likely won't happen.
I'd love to prove myself wrong here! :-)

Hey, don't forget to check out SweatyGirl.net !!!!!!!

Same ol' Same ol!

2011-06-08T09:44:00.000-04:00

I've been working hard on my new site, and thanks to anyone who has come over to visit me there!
I truly want to create a good resource for people, but I think getting people to find it is the hard part! We shall see :-)

I keep hoping that Fatty is gonna post here soon. You see, I got him a birthday gift of 3 months to a Combat Training Gym he'd been dying to go to! So he's been going for a couple weeks now, and I think he really loves it! :-) If we're lucky, maybe he'll tell us all about it!

And what about me? Mostly the same old thing here. I've been steadily GAINING weight. Which is super lovely. I've been sticking to the 1000 calories a day, and doing my Insanity on the days I am not training. It truly is INSANE! They aren't joking! Fatty is coming over today to do some with me. Poor sucker!

Trainer Bob and I have been trying to brainstorm ways to get the scale moving in the right direction. We both keep coming up empty handed... but there must be something!
I've started with the super annoying 5 meals a day schedule again.We'll see if that helps at all.
In the meantime, I just have to keep on keeping on! I haven't much time left on my 30x30 goal, and it seems even more unlikely than ever. But, I MUST KEEP TRYING!

In the meantime... check out this cute lady!

And... go visit me HERE!

NEW SITE DEBUT!!!

2011-05-31T12:23:00.000-04:00

Hey peeps!!

I've been working on making a new site for a little while now, and its finally ready to meet my friends! :-)

I really hope you will all come visit me there.

Please go check it out, and leave me a comment there or here and let me know if you have any comments, or suggestions, or complaints! Anything at all, I'd love your input.

If you like it, I would also really love it if you'd spread the word and maybe share the link with your readers. I have a few posts already lined up for the next few days, and I think they might be helpful to some people. So if you want to wait to see the content before you recommend me to your friends, that's ok too :-)

Yay!

JUST CLICK ON THE LOGO!

Snooze & Sweat

2011-05-23T20:01:00.000-04:00

Got myself all psyched up for more Insanity Death... and then was pleasantly surprised that it was the "Cardio Recovery" DVD. It is supposed to be the stretchy relaxy one of the week. Still difficult though. . . a lot of lunging, sloooow squats and static holds. Reminded me of a very hard Pilates DVD I used to have! But, compared to the last 3 workouts? Piece of cake! :-)

Two more DVDs and I'll have the first week completed!

Can't Trust That Day

2011-05-23T08:46:00.000-04:00

I cannot fathom how it is already Monday again. How does that happen!?

I had a lovely weekend. The Taylor Hicks concert, as you know, was great!
And the next night I had a wonderful night out with my Mom & Grammie. We went out to dinner and then attended my Aunt's concert. She is in a singing group with about 30 other people. It was awesome!
They had a Celtic theme for the night, which included a super fun Irish sing-a-long :-) Loved it!

Words cannot express how it feels to see my Auntie on a stage again.
My Auntie is an unbelievable performer. She has been acting and singing her entire life, and so I grew up being in the theater with her and seeing her talent shine. It's been awhile since I've seen her perform. And she was phenomenal. Hearing her voice for me is like the strongest nostalgic flashback, and yet its also like the first time every time.

Saturday was my Grampa's birthday, he would have been 77 I think. So spending the evening with my Grammie, and with music (which my Grampa loved) was perfect.

~~~~~
Switching gears....

I have 4 days left of my Fructose Malabsorption diet trial. But I feel like it's pretty apparent already that there is no basis to assume I have this. Which, like when testing for anything, is good and bad.
Good because I don't want this problem! But bad because now it's back to square one.
There has been no change in weight or symptoms.

As for Insanity! Woo! Man, it does get insane!
Saturday's was difficult, but great. Yesterday, despite being changed and ready to sweat, I had to skip the DVD because my knee was really grumpy. I grappled with it for a bit, but was ultimately sure I made the right decision, because by the evening, I could barely walk on it, and doing Insanity would have downright crippled me!

It is going to take me a long time to finish the whole program, but I don't mind!

~~~~~

Lastly, I'd like to say Hello to my lady Melissa! Who is back to work today for the first time since baby Austin was born. It can't be easy... and I'll be thinking of her all day!

Is this an asylum?

2011-05-21T11:53:00.000-04:00

Ok... third Insanity DVD?! Twice as difficult as the last one!
Starting to realize the true insanity of this thing!

Awesome though! I've got some serious work to do!

Incredible!

2011-05-20T23:23:00.001-04:00

So much talent tonight. SO MUCH.

Amazing show!

AND GODDAMN HE'S SO CUTE!
I shoulda kissed him! no one could have stopped me!

Look at my cute mommy and my cute husband :-)

Takin' it to the streets!

2011-05-20T10:49:00.000-04:00

Another good workout with Bob last night. Balancing the Insanity and the training I can tell is going to be a bit rough (on the knees, in particular) but the plan going forward is :

Sunday : Insanity
Monday : Insanity
Tuesday : Training
Wednesday : Insanity
Thursday : Training
Friday : Rest Day
Saturday : Insanity

Of course, I will swap rest days as needed per my schedule, but that's the gist of it!

Tonight will definitely be a rest day, but I'll still be moving! Mom and I are going to see Taylor Hicks tonight, he's playing a tavern just two towns over! You can laugh at me all you want, but I love him :-)

Silver Fox!

Tomorrow I go to another concert! My Auntie sings in a wonderful group, and they are having a Spring concert tomorrow night. Can't wait!

I am currently running on about an hour of sleep. Rough night last night! I won't film a dramatic reenactment or anything, but it included dog puke, the closest loudest lightning/thunder ever in my life, and a fire alarm!

But do not weep for me.. I've got a very large cup of espresso in my hand. :-)

Weight-wise, sticking to 213 again today, blech!!

2011-05-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

The answer is YES.

Weren't you asking if I am sore today?

Yes indeed! But mostly from my training with Bob on Tuesday, so I will blame him mostly and not Shaun T from Insanity.

(who could blame these abs? I mean... this face!)

I am trying very hard to convince Joel to try at least the fit test this evening. But he's quite resistant. Scaredy cat! ;-)

The Fructose Malabsorption test diet is still in effect. Things are fine. Weight-wise it has been very strange. I was immediately down nearly 4 pounds (after just 2 days) and then 2 days later I was up 10lbs. So I was at 212, then to 208, then 218, and today I am around 213. It's strange, and frustrating, but its unpredictable, so I can't really gauge what is going on. I'm just going to do everything correctly, and wait it out. To stay on track for my 30 by 30 goal I'd need to drop 8lbs in the next 12 days. haHAha!

Creating meals has been a challenge. But I kinda like a challenge, so its ok. It's hard building a meal with very little veggies... its natural to want to replace those veggies with a starch, because I can eat white rice and potatoes. But I don't want to overload on carbs either so it's a funky balance that I need to find. I've been pretty satisfied though, and plenty of energy for my workouts.

In the membrane!

2011-05-18T21:47:00.001-04:00

Here's me before Insanity.

Here's me during Insanity.

Here's me after Insanity.

Mm hmm.

So far, here's my notes... it IS insane but I am *mostly* able to keep up. There was one simple stretch I had to forgo because of my knees. And two parts where I had to rest before it was time to rest.
Luckily, its 3 minutes of crazy nonstopness, and then 30 seconds rest. So at least there are plenty of breathers.

It was fun! super fast, quite challenging, and sweaty!

Dreams

2011-05-18T12:18:00.000-04:00

I've been having some restless nights of sleep lately (due to the rain, mainly. Its very noisy and keeps me up!). But the one thing about restless nights is that it makes me dream more... or at least makes me remember my dreams more. I had this one dream last night where I was on this game show type competition. The movement of your body controlled this little floofball, and you had to get your floofball through an obstacle course.
There was running and jumping and ducking and weaving... and I got to wall where I had to jump and pull my body up and over it. Now, in real life, there is NO way I could actually do this. But in my dream I did it, and it felt SO GOOD. My body felt strong and I was so proud. What a fun and motivating dream!

I have so many daydreams and hopes about getting thinner. I have always been a 'dreamer' and I have so many things I keep wishing to come true. All those little things that when you've been heavy for all your life seem powerful and unreachable.

The biggest thing for me is clothes. As trivial and superficial as it may seem, fashion has always been a passion of mine. Up until logic took over (age 20 or so) I wanted to be a fashion designer. I still to this day doodle dresses I wish I could create. I love style and clothes and I've always wanted more than anything to be able to dress myself the way I want to be represented. (which is virtually impossible from the plus size department)
I long for a day when I can put on a trusty pair of jeans and a plain old t-shirt and know that I look good. Its so simple that it may sound meaningless. But I think some of you may understand.

And course another dream of mine is to just fit in. In the literal way and the figurative way.
I want to fit in all seats and spots. Going to a concert or movie and not spilling into the next person's lap. Not always being the heaviest person in the photo/group/room.

I want to provide knowledge, advice, and motivation to people without looking like a failure preaching beyond my means.

Ahem..

You all know me. You know that I could easily list 200 reasons why I want to lose weight and what I'll do when I get there. I didn't mean to turn this post into that. I just wanted to say, that it is these dreams that keep me going. Dreams that turn into beliefs that turn into motivation. Don't discount your dreams. Feed into them, support them, and don't feel guilty for them. Let them help you reach your goals!

Cutest Pooches, well... ever!

2011-05-17T21:17:00.001-04:00

I am laying in bed now, freshly showered, with a Zevon gazing lovingly at me, and Corgi is snoring like a fat old man.
I am supposed to be watching Biggest Loser, but my cable just pooped itself so now I am enjoying some 'quiet time' in bed with you!

I had a good workout with Bob tonight, old lefty knee gave me some grief, but it got over itself and let me get through the workout. I'll be glad when this nonstop raining finally stops. I don't mind it so much, but my joints sure do!

Without any further adieu, I will not share with you some pictures from Fatty's Bday BBQ.

You can clearly see from these images what is important to us as a family...

cute animals, and FOOD.

Zevon's face pinches my heart valves.

Brother & sister

Big boy Sammy, waiting for his ball to be tossed.

Fatty & Corgi having a grand time with a frisbee.

Long dog is looooong.

Cutest? Hm, I think so!

Let me explain! I made this cake to be Fatty's dream cake!
one layer of homemade cheesecake.
one layer of almond espresso filling w/ crunchies of chocolate covered espresso beans
one layer of a flourless espresso dark chocolate cake (like FUDGE)
one layer of espresso laced whipped cream
topped with crunchies & whole choco-covered espresso beans.

Yes. He loved it.

And the last picture I have for you is just an example of a typical breakfast on my new low-fructose diet.

1/2 cup oats
vanilla
cinnamon
sliced banana
1/8 cup crushed pecans

Delicious!

Banana is a fruit that can be eaten sparingly on a low-fructose diet, because although it has fructose in it, it is balanced out with an equal part of glucose to help break it down.
Interesting, no? No, I know it's really not :-)

Quick & Dirty

2011-05-17T11:56:00.000-04:00

I had a nice weekend,

Saturday, I got my hair did. Yay! Chopped a good 8 or 9 inches off. Feels much nicer! Took nearly 4 hours, which was not cool, but I am happy with it! (sorry these aren't good pics, they are obvy from my cell phone but you get the gist!)

After my hair appt, I headed over to a delicious BBQ at my parent's house for Fatty's birthday. Everyone had a good time, I will have pictures for you in a bit!

Sunday I did my Fit Test for Insanity... it's a timed cardio test to gauge your progress. Killer! My hamstrings are sore just from that!

Monday, I woke up at 5am so sick. I had a lovely morning and afternoon with my face all up in the porcelain throne. Musta ate something funky. Not.Cool.

And so today is Tuesday, and I am back at work. Feeling much better!

Arrived!

2011-05-13T14:30:00.000-04:00

First of all, I am so glad that Blogger is back up! I had a quick glimpse of a Bloggerless life, and it was SAD! :-)

Secondly... LOOK WHAT CAME YESTERDAY!!!

Boo Yah!

I think I'll be starting tomorrow (Saturday) I asked Joel if he wanted to join me and he just laughed. :) There is a reason they call it insanity, and I can't wait to find out!

2011-05-12T10:19:00.000-04:00

I've just decided ahead of time that this post will be pointless, flowless, and full of random information. I hope that is ok with you :-)

So lets see, what can I tell you?

I've been really into making my own salad dressing lately. It is SO delicious! I use the juice of two lemons, apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, black truffle oil (just a sploosh!), 7 cloves of fresh garlic, fresh parsely, hot red pepper flakes, salt & pepper. I blend it all up in the blender, and viola! Dressing!
The best part is, the lemon is so strong and flavorful that you need VERY little to add a lot to a salad. I've been eating a lot of arugula with just a drizzle of this dressing on it. Super freshy fresh.

Yesterday was my first kinda/sorta fructose-free day. I say kinda sorta because I ate perfectly, but then had a dinner at a tapas restaurant. And I most certainly had some no-no foods. Today, however, I am 100% and should be good for (at least) the two weeks to test myself. It's taking me a bit of time to know what foods are ok and which are not. I've gotten very good at knowing or guessing calorie content, but the fructose content isn't second nature to me (yet).

I forget if I have mentioned this yet, but I ordered the Insanity DVD set and I can't wait until it arrives!
I know that ambitious is not a strong enough word for what this is for me. But hey, why not at least try?
If I can't do it, it only gives me more to work toward, right? If you haven't heard of them, they are a series of work outs for 60 days that are supposedly the hardest, most insane, most sweat-inducing dvds available. The disclaimer says that these are not for beginners or novices. I consider myself somewhere between those two levels. But I'll be damned if I ain't gonna try it! :-)
I'll have to of course, adjust the schedule to fit mine, since you're supposed to do it every day for the 60 days, but I work out with Bob twice a week, so I'll just do it on all the other days until the DVDs are up... which would be.. umm about 80 days to complete. But, chances are I'll need to repeat or work up to some days, so possibly longer than that. Anyway, should be fun, and I'll be sure to chronicle either my own death, or my progress!

Not much else to report these days.
I'll leave you with a picture of my outfit from yesterday which was 70's inspiration day.
This picture makes me very excited for the fact that I have a hair appt on Saturday! CHOP CHOP!

I was under the impression that that shirt was "flowy and cute" I did not realize until I saw these pictures that in actuality it's just too large and very unflattering!

Here's three of us being hippies!

(Me, Bumbles, Lil' Boots)

More on sugar resistance

2011-05-10T10:18:00.000-04:00

I've been reading quite a bit about Fructose Intolerance (Malabsorption). Based on the symptoms, it's a reasonable consideration for me. It affects the gut - bloating, gas, diarrhea. Which I do have an issue with after eating something sugary or more than a small amount of fruit. I have been lactose intolerant for a few years now as well, and I guess they tend to come together. It also shares a lot of symptoms with pre-diabetes, one being - weight gain and the inability to lose weight.
I'm not about to blame my weight loss woes on this quite yet, but it is certainly a symptom that I've been dealing with. And could possibly explain how I could be eating just 1,000 calories per day and actually gaining weight, since I do eat a fair amount of fruit and other foods on the no-no list.

I ate a very low-carb diet for a span of almost 2 years awhile ago and it did not magically melt the weight off, but I honestly can't recall if I had relief from any of the other symptoms. I've just never tracked it properly.

So, here's the tough part...

Avoid foods that contain:

Fructose
High-fructose corn syrup
Table sugar (sucrose)
Powdered sugar
Fruit and fruit juices
Honey
Regular sodas
Flavored water
Sorbitol
Sports drinks
Sweetened milk or sweetened milk beverages

I eat a lot of fruit, and when I do sweetness, I do raw honey, agave, or splenda. All of which would now be off-limits. Also most breads, doughs, and pasta would be off-limits. This will be interesting!

HB!

2011-05-10T08:09:00.000-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOST FAVORITIST BROTHER IN THE WORLD!

(don't worry, he's my only one!!)

Intolerable!

2011-05-09T22:56:00.000-04:00

I've always thought that I had some kind of sensitivity to sugar. If I eat a sugary meal or item, I'm in the bathroom within minutes. But I tend to chalk it up to not being used to it, because my body is used to dieting more-so than not. But I have begun to wonder if it's a legit medical issue.

Am I allergic to sugar?

I admit, this makes me a bit worried. Being allergic, or even just intolerant to sugar means a lot. Essentially, it means going back to a strictly low-carb diet for good. Although I enjoyed eating low-carb when I did, I missed the one thing I love the most in this world... fruit!

I am going to keep researching Glucose Intolerance this evening, and see what I think.

Buggin'

2011-05-04T08:24:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I renewed my bodybugg subscription for the first time! It was a free 6 months initially.
I looked over all my numbers, and I ran the report for average deficit per day since I have owned it.
Based on those numbers... in the past 6 months, I *should* have lost 81 pounds.
Insane, right? I'd be at my goal weight right now... if only those numbers did what science says they should do!

Ah well. Can't dwell on it! Gonna keep on keepin' on!

Last night I had my first real workout in a week. I'm still a bit sick, so it wasn't really fun, but definitely better than I anticipated. Should be back to normal soon!

I am fairly certain my inconsistent posting has finally caused me to lose those wonderful few readers I had, even Fatty doesn't even check this thing anymore!
But that's ok... it's my own fault!
But for anyone left (Hi Melissa!! ;-) ) I wanted to put an update that my Grammie is home from the hospital and doing good. They gave her some fresh new blood and that helped. They found a few little things (like polyps and gastritis) but nothing major or scary. So, whew!

Feeling Healthy

2011-05-02T15:14:00.000-04:00

I'm back at work today, finally! I am annoying all my coworkers by coughing incessantly, but hey, I'm here!

And do you know what else is here?
S-P-R-I-N-G!

Yes, finally, spring has sprung. The sun is out, the grass is growing, the top is down! Spring always makes me feel so vital and healthy and energetic. It makes me want to be outdoorsy. To bike and hike and swim with puppies!
Ok, so I'm still sick and not quite ready for all that yet... but it's coming and I can feel it!

My weight loss has been nonexistent for quite awhile now. And though I'm beyond frustrated, I don't have any brilliant ideas for kickstarting it again. I'm going to maintain eating the 1,000 calories a day. I am going to keep eating whole, clean foods. And I am going to let the warm weather work its magic in keeping me active and moving.

I am aware that I need to drink more water. That will always be my one true struggle! I don't know how my body can resist water so much, when its the thing it needs the most! What is up with that?
Anyway, I'll continue to try to be better with my water consumption.

But I do need a little something to get my motivation a-tingling... so, let's talk goals!

My Goal's for this Spring/Summer
• Hit 100 rotations on the jump rope. (I am up to 76, but not consistently!)
• Do ALL the following activities MORE THAN ONCE each : hiking, cycling, swimming, run 5k (indoors), tennis, basketball, wiffle ball, boxing, canoeing, frisbee.
• Have a healthy BBQ
• Finally stop being a pansy and put on my rollerskates, and TRY TO SKATE!
• Force Fatty to do a lot of this stuff with me!

I am still on Operation 30X30, even though I haven't lost a thing since I started such Operation... I am NOT giving up on it! 30X30 requires me to be at 180lbs by my Birthday. Which is only 25 weeks away. 30lbs in 25 weeks is 1.2lbs lost per week. So 5lbs a month will get me there. Still don't know how to make that happen, but I'll be damned if I ain't gonna try!

This just in - I'm still alive!

2011-05-01T22:55:00.001-04:00

Whew, what a week! Monday morning I started to feel sick, and by the next morning, I was miserable! And I remained so until this evening. I am starting now to feel a bit better. But since Monday I haven't left the house (but once to go to the grocery store. A 10 minute round trip which left me sunburnt! Sunburnt in 10 minutes. I should live in a cave!)

Anyway, I am still coughing non-stop, but thank goodness my fever is gone and I can (mostly) breathe! I did get to eat a lot of Ramen Noodles, which, I am ashamed to say I LOVE. :-) Sorry to those who wish I hated all sodium-filled processed foods... not the case ;-) I love them things. I am just smart enough to save them for life-or-death situations! And they sustained me. Tonight, I had my first real meal of some quiche and an arugula salad.

I missed a lot of work. I missed some fun stuff at work, I missed a Game Night with Joel, and I missed seeing Trainer Bob over at the local 5k race.
That was today. Bob tried him damnedest to get to me run, but that wasn't happening ;-) But I did want to go and support everyone and the company. I, however... slept right through it. I didn't wake up until the mid-afternoon! Thank you, Nyquil.

Well, there's your update for...the entire damn week.
Back to our regularly scheduled program... I hope!

Hoppy Easter

2011-04-25T10:25:00.003-04:00

This weekend was all over the place!

Saturday, I had a wonderful time going bowling with Adam & Drew.

We cosmic bowled and played table hockey (my fave!)

After that fun, we went to an Irish restaurant and had some glorious food.

My name was all over that place!

The next morning it was Easter!

(yes, that is my very best bunny impression)

Joel and I headed over to my parent's house at noon to decorate eggs. Unfortunately, within 10 minutes of our arrival, my Grammie started to really not feel well. 5 minutes later my Mom and Aunt were off to take her to the hospital ER. She is still there now. She is OK, (we guess!), but she has some mysterious internal bleeding that they are investigating. Today, she will be receiving some blood, and tomorrow they'll be doing more tests. Wish her luck!

The rest of us forged on with the Easterness. We decorated more than 2 dozen eggs!

I do hope you all had a nice Easter!

Another Kitchen Sink Meal

2011-04-20T16:44:00.000-04:00

Does anyone else's Mom use that term? (as in... "whats in it?" "everything but the kitchen sink!")

I was home alone and so cold and hungry! So I put on some water for my Carbanada pasta.

Then I grabbed a pan, and everything else I could find. :-)

In my usual fashion, it came out pretty ugly, but I loved it!

Here we have some roasted brussels sprouts, golden beets, garlic, and onions

I added some diced tomatoes and low-sodium chicken broth

Simmered it down, and plopped it onto some of my noodles.

This was so filling, I only made it through about 1/2 this bowl.

Yums!

Book Review - TurboCharged

2011-04-18T09:41:00.000-04:00

My friend at work lent me this book to read. It's called TurboCharged by a brother/sister team Dian and Tom Griesel.

Yes, I know my nails are ridiculous. Awesome though, no?

So, the book...

Starting from the beginning, I immediately thought it was silly and annoying. Just the title "TurboCharged" is silly. But a brother/sister team!? Adorable, so I'll keep reading.

They make this big stink about "forgetting everything you've been told about dieting!" But then proceed to tell me everything I've already been told about dieting. Perhaps they misjudged their intended readers. Someone who would buy and read this book is most likely someone just like me... someone who has dieted for a long time, and has "heard it all."

The first half of the book is just tips and tricks I'd heard all along -
1. Drink a LOT of water. If you feel hungry, just drink 32 oz of water.
2. If you still feel hungry, brush your teeth and then you won't want to eat.
3. Activity, not exercise. Move a lot more throughout the day as opposed to just working out once a day.

Yep, heard it all before.

But... #1. Drinking a crap-ton of water. Yes, I get it. Yes, it's good for you. Yes, sometimes when you feel hungry you're actually just thirsty. I agree with all of that. But drinking 32oz of water immediately upon awakening and then anytime you feel hungry... sounds more like a sloshy punishment.

#2. Brushing your teeth or using mouthwash when you feel hungry...
also I get it, but it's just a little tip or trick, I don't think this is a hard-fast rule to a weight loss program.

#3. Activity vs. exercise.
Again.... I absolutely understand this. The part that bothers me is that they say exercise is boring, tedious, and unnecessary. That it's hard to schedule it into your day and then when you do, it's boring.
I agree with that as well to an extent, but then they say that walking is the miracle cure. Just walk and walk and walk some more. Who in the world doesn't have time for a work out, but has time to walk excessively? And I'm sorry, I know it's zen-like for some people... but walking be b-o-r-i-n-g!
Small side note : I was also annoyed that they said women should not buy anything over a 10lb weight. (if you do decide to buy weights to supplement your activity) Come on now!

Then finally the book gets into the actual diet plan. Which is very similar to the paleo diet. No grains and no sugar. They tell you multiple times not to count calories, but then proceed to give you a list of 100 calorie snacks.
The diet plan is 600-800 calories per day (but don't be counting!)

You all know my stance on the Paleo diet already, so I certainly don't disagree with that way of eating.
The calories do seem low, but at least the principles of what types of foods you eat seems healthy enough.

Would this diet work? I think yes, absolutely. But I would also fear that it could be very triggering to those who have or are prone to eating disorders. The idea of tricking yourself out of being hungry doesn't always seem safe to me.

If you were interested in a similar way of living I would definitely recommend reading the Paleo Diet over this. It just has a clearer voice of reasoning.

HB!!!

2011-04-14T08:08:00.000-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BESTEST FRIEND IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!

Melissa - I am so intensely proud of you for the incredible things you've done this year. You handled so much more than I could have imagined and you've added a new color to my life with little Austin.

Thank you for being my friend, and for just being YOU.

Happy 30th Birthday, Mommy!

Oh yah, and you're pretty, too!

Lovely Lavender!

2011-04-13T20:36:00.002-04:00

Last night was my cooking class! The class was at an amazing restaurant called the Herb Lyceum. They grow all their own herbs and it is phenomenal. This class was all about cooking with lavender. I have never cooked with lavender, I usually reserved it for soaps, perfumes, and tea... so I was excited to learn some recipes for it.

The aesthetic of this place is my dream home!

First thing we did was take a quick tour of the grounds and the unbelievable herb gardens. Oh, the fresh smells of the herbs and flowers and wet soil were just breathtaking. After our chef snipped a hefty bundle of fresh lavender, we headed back inside and started of some grub!

BYOB

First up was a Cranberry Lavender Lemonade. It sounds simple and not so special, but let me assure you it was a sweet-sour-complex-soothing-bright tasting cup of heaven.

Chef Paul, getting his ingredients together

It was so cool to be in this chef's professional kitchen. I have eaten at this restaurant before and it is exquisite to say the least. Seeing this kitchen and seeing the chef in action was just such a treat.

We then worked on a few things at once -

Citrus & Lavender Cured Salmon
Lavender Shortbread (o.m.g)
Orange Zest & Lavender Buttermilk Dressing
Lavender Panna Cotta
Lavender Bread Pudding

He printed all the recipes up for us to take home

I can't properly describe the fantasticness of this salmon. I've had a LOT of salmon in my life, and this may be the very best. I am definitely going to try and make this myself.

I am either half asian, or the flash was on. woops!

Jeannette showing off her cute shoes

My auntie made me those aprons. I looove them and wear them all the time. The other people in the class were so jealous of them... I could tell!

I realize this pic looks a bit creepy, but in the evening, this dimly lit rustic wood barn, adorned with dried herbs and antique bottles was the most charming, warm place you could imagine.

I had a super lovely time. I am no longer afraid of lavender as an ingredient, and I got to spend some time with my friend Jeannette!
I am definitely looking forward to attending another class!

Spring!

2011-04-12T10:42:00.000-04:00

Holy cow, it's almost kinda sorta mostly SPRING!
We had a 75 degree day yesterday... what a treat! Nothing makes me happier than springtime weather (why do I live in New England?! beats me!) But the warm sun, the cool breeze, heaven!

I haven't been up to much lately, but now that it's warming up outside, my inner outdoorswoman is bursting to get out. I wanna bust out my bike! I wanna go to the trails! I wanna play tennis! I wanna play basketball, and take the pups to the lake!

The snow is nearly gone from my yard, I honored it with this short film :

Titled : Roly Poley Corgi saying goodbye to an iceburg

I am very excited because tonight I am going to a cooking class! There is an amazing local restaurant and farm called The Herb Lyceum, and they do small cooking classes. So my friend Jeannette and I are going to learn how to Cook with Lavender!
So fun. I am hoping to take some pictures, but I might be too floury to do so :-) We'll see!

Holy Casserolie!

2011-04-07T09:24:00.000-04:00

This girl subliminally planted a message in my head that sounded like this :

casseroles are awesome!

casseroles are easy!

casseroles can be healthy!

I couldn't shake the chant, so I decided to google around for a healthy, easy casserole recipe. I wanted something well-rounded and low-calorie. And here is what I found :

Cozy Quinoa Casserole

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 -6 cremini mushrooms or 5 -6 white mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup acorn squash, sliced (I used acorn squash AND butternut squash)
1 lb ground turkey or 1 lb veggie crumbles
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
6 ounces reduced-fat monterey jack cheese, shredded (I used fat-free cheddar)

Directions:

Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 50 mins

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a skillet, sauté onion in olive oil on medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until translucent.
Add mushrooms, squash, and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add turkey (or veggie meat substitute), breaking into small pieces as it browns, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, stock, and quinoa and bring to a boil. Reduce heat , cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Transfer ingredients from pan into a 9-by-9 casserole dish or baking pan.
Mix in parsley and 3 oz. cheese.
Sprinkle remaining 3 oz. cheese on top of casserole.
Bake in oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

I had read in the reviews that it comes out a bit bland, so I doubled the garlic and onions, added hot red pepper flakes. That was a good decision, however it still came out a bit bland.

Overall though, I loved this casserole. It was super easy to make, made very little mess (yay for 1 pan, 1 dish)

Ok, maybe it's not a beauty queen. But I promise, it's better than it looks. I think this is a really good base, but next time (this weekend!) I'm going to add fresh hot peppers, crushed tomatoes, and even more garlic. It can use a little more moisture, and a lot more flavor, so I think that will help.

I ate the last piece for dinner last night, I paired it with some asparagus and topped it with some bleu cheese. The very best part of this casserole?

Only 320 calories for a HUGE portion!

Does anybody have any low-cal casserole recipes to share with me?

Topless Dogs

2011-04-04T08:45:00.000-04:00

Spring has been teasing us like a jerk. We have one amazing warm sunny day, then a snowstorm. Its killing me! I am soooo ready to get outside. Ride my bike, play tennis, basketball, go on a hike!

Yesterday was warm and sunny, but with a VERY strong and cold wind. We took the opportunity to take the pups out for a walk anyway. The wind didn't ruin it, but it didn't really make it super nice.

It did mark the pups first ride in Midnight Max, though!

Corgi looks so happy!

This is the after-walk shot. They were exhausted and content :-) I put the top back up for the drive home because we were fearing rain.

Getting the pups in and out of the car was NOT easy. Well, to get them in I just picked them up and tossed them in. But getting them back out was not easy. There will be some getting used to, with this new car. But they loved having the top down. Especially Z. He's so off the wall, I thought it might really scare him. But, he was making this hilarious ZEN face. Like the sun was fueling his soul. He's so goofy!

Long Awaited

2011-03-31T08:13:00.000-04:00

Hello all!

It's been a busy time over here. Lots of house stuff, social stuff, work stuff, stuff stuff...

And above it all, a little bundle of baby stuff :-)

My very best friend Melissa and her husband Brad welcomed their new little guy into the world on Monday.

Meet Austin James -

Mommy sees baby

Auntie Shannon sees baby

The world sees baby!

This little man is so precious. I am beyond thrilled for the whole family. I am filled with a whole lot of relief that he and his mommy are healthy and happy!

Makeover

2011-03-21T08:25:00.000-04:00

Joel is finally home!! YAY! While he was gone, I foolishly decided to re-do the upstairs bathroom. The bathrooms are the last few rooms we haven't painted or decorated since we bought the house, and I can't tell you how sick of purplepink we are. With a lot of help from Fatty, I did finish in time and it looks lovely. But there were a lot of snafus on the way. I'll spare you the details, but I will tell you that our septic tank is being pumped today. While I was hard at work in the upstairs bathroom... there was poop hard at work in our downstairs bathroom.

Yes. Poop where it was not supposed to be poop.

Ok, lets move on to some pretty pictures!!

BEFORE :

AFTER :

Photodump and nonsense

2011-03-14T17:24:00.000-04:00

I haven't been up to much lately, which explains how infrequent and lame my posts have been. Joel is away in Florida right now. I'm working on a little special project for him, which I will update you on after his arrival back home :-)

Saturday, I went to go grocery shopping, and when I arrived, the store looked like this :

Crazy! Apparently, the power went out, and customers were unable to buy goods from any refrigerated cases. LAME. Without any Chobani, veggies, or eggs... I was kind of out of luck. Now, I am getting a little desperate for groceries, but I am lacking the time to actually go back! I think it shall be tomato soup for dinner for me tonight!

Here are a couple random photos from my iphone I can share...

This is a really delicious spur of the moment dish I made... It is sauteed spinach and mushrooms, then a pile of chinese flour noodles, then 2 fried eggs. Ok, I realize now that maybe that does not sound good to anyone else. But it was GLORIOUS.

And here is a corgi with her tookus up in the air. I dunno what she was doing, but she was doing it well.

And lastly, here is all the fun that is happening in the bed while Joel is away.

Milestone!

2011-03-09T08:37:00.000-05:00

I've lost 60lbs!!!!!

One more pound and I'll be HALF WAY to my goal weight!

Nada Mucho

2011-03-08T15:02:00.000-05:00

Firstly... THANK YOU! to Melissa & Brad for their donation to the Walk for Hunger. You'll be receiving a little something something from me shortly :-)
If anyone else wants to get in on this, here is the link again - WALK FOR HUNGER

Now, what else?

My weight is doing alright. I am bouncing between 208 and 210... which is awesome. I am really trying for 207.5... so maybe by the end of the week I'll see it! And then, Fatty and I are racing to 200lbs :-) First one there owes the other 20 iced coffees! TWENTY! Boo-yah... it's ON! (currently, he is paying out 10 iced coffees because I beat him to 210!) Word on the street, though, is that FATTY IS BACK. I always like having a buddy on the wagon with me! (getting him to update is a whole 'nutha story!)

I haven't been doing very well in the running department lately. My knees have really been bothering me, and its getting quite frustrating. I just need to ride it out and do what I can when I can do it.

All else is fine... I'm mainly just walking around staring at my phone waiting for the BabyTime call from Melissa! :-)

One o dem days!

2011-03-07T08:25:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everybody! I hope you all had a nice weekend. I had a nice Saturday, and then Sunday was one of those days where everything went wrong!
It all started when I blew a fuse in my office when I turned on the space heater. I went down to the basement to check the box and discovered the basement was flooded. Everything in the storage room was ruined and over the carpet in the "theater" ceiling tiles were down and everything was soaked. Lovely!
After doing all I could with that stuff, I headed upstairs to run on the treadmill. I get on and my knee gives out in the first quarter mile. Fine, I'll walk! So I walk and the treadmill starts making noises like it's angry and broken. Determined to finish my treadmilling despite the noise, I turn on the TV aaaand the TV doesn't work. After my workout, Joel and I decide the best thing to do would be to get the heck out of the house and we decide to go to dinner and a movie.

I got my coat on, tapping my feet waiting for Joel to come downstairs so we can leave... 30 minutes later I holler up to him and he says his computer died and he was trying to fix it. Now, we don't have enough time for dinner and a movie so we decide we'll just go to dinner 'cause I found a cool looking place that serves Caribbean food. After getting a little lost, and driving in some scary thick fog, we find the place and, it's closed.
We google and find a pub type place nearby, and they make his food wrong. lol

I can't even tell you.. what a mess of a day! Luckily, (aside from the basement) it was all very minor things, so I can't complain too much. I think I fixed the treadmill.. Joel fixed the TV and the computer. Now it's just the mess of a basement we have to deal with. This winter has taken a toll on our house more than we could have ever anticipated!

Blah blah, enough of that crap! :-) I hope you have a lovely day today!

Helping a good cause!

2011-03-03T17:23:00.000-05:00

My friend Jeannette has decided to do a 20 mile charity Walk for Hunger. I am proud of her for donating her time and money to a great charity AND for walking 20 miles in one go! :-) I know my legs would be ACHING!

If you can, please take the time to visit her page and help her reach her fund-raising goal!
And to make things sweeter... if you donate just $5 or more, I will personally send you a little present in the mail! Just e-mail me your mailing address to shannonf27@gmail.com and a little something something will head your way as a thank you :-)

VISIT THIS PAGE RIGHT HERE!

Day 30

2011-03-03T11:21:00.000-05:00

Day 30 : The highs and lows of the past 30 days.

I'm sorry that this last entry is so anticlimactic... I already covered these things in my last post, and really, it's all I got!

Highs :
• Convertible!
• Hitting 209lbs!
• Having the 30 day challenge to help me with updating

• Bought a stepper

Lows :
• Struggling with getting stuck at 211-215lbs
• Some really bad arthritis days
• Not even being in the top 10 for Biggest Loser competition

I guess that's it!

Did you miss me?

2011-03-03T09:41:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry that I left you for a few days there... I didn't mean to! As I said, I've been busy, but I've also been struggling for content. When I eat very clean and low-calorie, I tend to eat all very simple things, and therefore... nothing blog worthy. But I'll be trying to at least share something with you, I promise!

Now, who wants the deets on the car?!?!

This image is not mine, but they are of the same year, model, and color. There will be real pictures of mine once the sun comes out :-)

I haven't named him just yet... but I'd love for you to help me choose!

Here are what I have it narrowed down to :

1. Midnight Maximilian (or Max, for short) :-)

2. Indigo Montoya

3. Cornelius Blue

Thoughts?

Despite the new car payment, I am SO so soooooo happy and excited to finally have my convertible. If you don't recall, getting a convertible is my reward for losing 50lbs! So it really feels like an accomplishment. The car is really cute, and it drives like a dream. I just can't WAIT until spring time!

Driving around with the top down on a warm sunny breezy day makes me feel like this :

wweeeeeeee! happiness!

As I also previously mentioned... I am now under 210lbs! I am 2lbs away from having lost 60lbs which will mark my half way point. Isn't that insane? All this time has passed and all this hard work and frustration spent, and I am only 1/2 way there.

On the other hand... I'm also almost to Onederland! Which is somewhere I've never been. It's so strange how easily it can spin in my mind...

BAD : *only* half way there.

GOOD : half way there!!

I gotta get rid of that o word!

On the go

2011-03-02T14:44:00.000-05:00

I am typing this from my phone, and its really not comfortable! But I was feeling guilty for being quiet the past few days. I was/am very busy at work and likewise at home. All good things, though!
This past weekend I finally did it! I bought a convertible! I'll elaborate tomorrow, I promise!

Also, this morning...

209.8lbs!!!
Under 210 and now officially the lightest I've been in my adult life! Ever!
Next goal is 207.5 because that will mark 60lbs lost!
I'd love to see that number in the next few weeks.

Well, my fingers are cramping but I'll talk to you all so soon :)

Add it to your shopping list...

2011-02-24T12:38:00.000-05:00

I bought some of this soup at Whole Foods a few weeks ago (I have since noticed that they have it at Shaw's too!)

As you may already know, I don't love soup. I wouldn't really even say that I like soup. But, I like that it is quick and simple to prepare, easy to always have on hand and low in calories.

That being said, for soup... this kind is pretty phenomenal. It is very different than the tomato soup I am used to (Campbell's!) it is the most gorgeous deep red. It is so rich and flavorful while tasting natural like a fresh, sun-warmed tomato. And there is chunks, which is essential to soup!

I made some of this for dinner the other night and I added a 1/2 cup of giant white beans, a handful of roasted garlic cloves, and a drizzle of red pepper infused oil.

It was phenomenal. I also had to enjoy it with a peanut butter sandwich. I know it sounds gross.... but peanut butter sandwich dunked in tomato soup is the 8th wonder of the world.

Day 29

2011-02-24T08:28:00.001-05:00

Day 29 : Goals for the next 30 days

Geez! I don't usually make monthly goals.. but hey, why not?! :-)

In the next thirty days I'd like to do the following :

• Meet baby Austin
• Lose a minimum of 3lbs
• Run 5k again
• Boxing with Fatty
• See Debbie before she moves

That's it!

Day 28

2011-02-23T17:30:00.000-05:00

Day 28 : Something that you miss

I'm actually a very nostalgic person. I miss a lot of things. . .

I miss camping every year with my family
I miss seeing my friends every single day when we were in school
I miss living with Adam and seeing him all the time
I miss game nights with Melissa
I miss staying up late with my Dad while he played music
I miss all my pets that are no longer alive
I miss my convertible
I miss colleagues that have moved on
I miss slumber parties with girlfriends
I miss my Barbies
I miss doing theater
I miss late night drives to the beach
I miss my Mom's bakery
I could probably go on all night...

But I will tell you, for all those things I miss, there are two things to look forward to.
I'm not often sad when I think of things I miss, I am just glad I have these things to remember so fondly :-)

I will say, however, that in this very moment, the thing I miss the most is the warm sunshiny weather!

All the single ladies!

2011-02-22T22:29:00.001-05:00

As you know, my sweet baby Joel went away this past weekend to visit his BFF in Baltimore. Every time he goes away I schedule a Mommy & Me day. So, on Sunday, I picked up my Mom and we went straight to Whole Foods. We picked up fresh goods to make a wonderful meal. Typically, we like to cook a dish compromised of all the things our men (Joel & my Dad) won't eat.

These foods were :
Egg & Squid Ink Pasta
Asparagus
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Squid
Artichoke Hearts
Beets

The culmination of these goods was unbelievably delicious.

That might not look good to you... but to Mom and I... HEAVEN!
We couldn't stop making mmmm noises.

After dinner we made homemade ice cream with vanilla bean and a raspberry swirl.

You bet your sweet bippy I stayed in my calorie budget too. Impressive, no? :-)

Oh, and check out our view from the dining table...

Thanks to my Mom for a wonderful evening, you really show a single lady a nice time ;-)

Day 27

2011-02-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

Day 27 : A problem you have had.

We all have our big moral problems. Our problems that we may regret forever. Our life-changing gut-wrenching hard-decision-making problems. But for me, those ones are in the past... and
I'm gonna stay in the present right now and talk about any problems I have had just today...

#1. My arthritis is killer today. When I woke up, I couldn't close my hands. I washed my hair with my wrists. (that was interesting!) I'm typing, so obviously it's a bit better. But I can't bend my middle fingers right now... so don't get offended that I am flipping you all the bird right now.

#2. I dressed super casual today because I anticipated some very physical work at the office. That has been postponed, so now I just look/feel dumpy.

#3. It is only 10:56 and I am hungry... it's a long time til lunch!

#4. My nose is super itchy

The end! :-)

Day 26

2011-02-21T08:57:00.001-05:00

Day 26 : What kind of person attracts you?

First and foremost (and most simply put) a nice person.
Someone who is respectful, kind, and tolerant.

Secondly, someone funny. I think everyone would put that on their list. Laughing is the best thing in the world! And someone who can evoke that kind of lightness in someone else is awesome!

Thirdly, someone inspiring. I am attracted to people who have qualities that I'd like to emulate myself.

Day 25

2011-02-20T08:57:00.000-05:00

Day 25 : Someone who fascinates you, and why.

I think I will have to use the term "someone" in a broader sense. I am having a very difficult time thinking of one person who fascinates me. I can think of a billion people who amuse, amaze, or impress me.... but the word fascinate seems to imply a mystery, doesn't it? I've always been fascinated by the really dark stories and figures (as stated in my previous post about movies) I am into stories of serial killers and the like. I could watch documentaries on murderers for days. It's truly fascinating to me. Maybe because it's the furthest from who I am.

Day 24

2011-02-19T08:45:00.000-05:00

Day 24 : Your favorite movie and what it's about.

Sorry guys, this is WAY impossible. I love movies, and I have too may favorites to even fit into one post! I'll do my best to just pick a few....

#1. The Cell
If there is something you ought to know about me, it's that I love nothing more than crazy, psycho bad guys. I love serial killers and seriously deranged villains. I also love surrealism and awesome costumes. The Cell gets high marks on all accounts. Directed by an amazing director Tarsem Singh, here's the synopsis :

An FBI agent (Vince Vaughn) persuades a social worker (Jennifer Lopez), who is adept with a new experimental technology, to enter the mind of a comatose serial killer (Vincent D'Onofrio) in order to learn where he has hidden his latest kidnap victim.

This movie is messed up and somehow gorgeous at the same time.

If you want all the surreal beauty of The Cell but don't like disturbing images, pleeeease watch the movie The Fall by the same director. It's a bit more heartwarming.

#2. City of Lost Children
I'll watch anything by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, but this one especially. It's a french film starring Ron Perlman (love!), here's the synopsis :

A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.

Ok, I know this one sounds scary/sad too.. and it is in parts, but largely it's very sweet and childlike.

Lemme squeeze in some more honorable mentions, in case you need Netflix Queue food!

SLC Punk, Stargate, Amelié, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Suspiria, Labyrinth, Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Boondock Saints, The Abyss, Gentleman Broncos, Barton Fink, Ginger Snaps, OldBoy, 28 Days Later, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Sexy Beast, Layer Cake, Snatch, Spirited Away, Vampire Hunter D, Mary & Max, Minority Report, Black Sunday, Bubba Ho- Tep, The Devil's Backbone, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Delicatessen, Intacto, Pitch Black, Dogma, Kung Fu Hustle, Donnie Darko, Memento, But I'm A Cheerleader, Death to Smoochy, What Dreams May Come, The Big Lebowski, A.I., City Of Angels, Ed Wood, Antibodies.....
Ok, I will stop now, because my fingers are tired. You get it!

Day 23

2011-02-18T08:52:00.000-05:00

Day 23 : Give pictures of 5 guys who are famous that you find attractive.

Ok, this is easy. I crush pretty easily! ;-) I have many celebrity boyfriends! The thing is... is that I am so attracted to talent, that I tend to crush on people that you might go.. huh? But I am not immune to the beauty that is Ryan Reynolds. So, don't give up on my sanity that quickly! :-)

Without further ado... my loves!

(in no particular order. I wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings! ;-) )

#1. Nuno Bettencourt

So so so so so talented. But looks-wise? Yes please! I am a complete sucker for a Portuguese dude. Though, I often say I could never marry him because he's so tiny. He's so short! I might lose him in the couch cushions or something.

Yes, that is his wife. If I didn't love her music too, I'd hate her! ;-)

#2. Rob Thomas

Again, talent talent talent! I think physically, he's adorable but very average. However, I am huge fan of his writing and singing and seeing him live is electric.

#3. Jason Statham

Well, duh.

#4. Peter Gabriel

Yes, I know he just turned 61, don't care. Don't judge me! Love knows no age!

#5. Sam Rockwell

There is nothing, nothing, nothing dreamier than a funny guy. And Sam is hilarious, talented, and adorable!

I'm glad it said just 5. I could go on all day! ;-) Yes, apparently I am 13 years old.

Day 22

2011-02-17T10:11:00.000-05:00

Day 22 : How have you changed in the past 2 years

Well, it's well documented on this blog... but in short - I have changed a lot in the past 2 years... but with so much more to go!

I would say the biggest change has been with the exercise and my attitude toward it. In April, I will be marking 2 years of personal training. It has been absolutely instrumental in changing my feelings about working out.

Aside from that... not much change! I really wish that I was ever-evolving and always improving myself as a person... but in reality, change seems to be much slower than I'd expect. Ask me in another 2 years!

Day 21

2011-02-16T15:26:00.000-05:00

Day 21 : One of Your Favorite Shows

Ok, I have a lot of favorite shows so I am glad this doesn't say just "Your favorite shows" or "all-time favorite show" that would be too dang hard!

I will pick Twin Peaks for this. Twin Peaks came first to mind because I watched Eraserhead yesterday while home sick.

Twin Peaks is a super quirky, dark but silly show about a murder investigation in a small town. It was directed by adorably disturbed director David Lynch. The show only lasted 2 seasons (1 year) but it has really lasted as a cult phenomenon. And for good reason!

Plus, Duchovny in drag? adorable!

Some of my other favorites include : Deadwood, Dexter, Boy Meets World, Quantum Leap, Saved By The Bell, Rome, United States of Tara, Californication, Breaking Bad, Biggest Loser, Heavy, any/all MTV/VH1 reality trash... love it!

Unconventional Workouts

2011-02-15T15:33:00.001-05:00

I work out 6 days a week. You don't need me to tell you that it gets boring when you're doing the same thing all the time. I like to mix it up with running, cycling, boxing, weight training, pilates, etc. But sometimes its easy to turn chores and tasks into a work out.

This weekend I decided to tackle "the glacier."
We had the snow and ice cleared off our roofs last week. That is nice, however the guy did just leave it where it landed, which was a 7 foot high barrier across the doorway. I was determined to get through it! And I knew it was going to be a workout!

And it was! it ended up being 3 hours of hard labor. I had to use my whole body to chip away the ice, and then lifting heavy chunks and throwing them over the deck. I had to laugh to myself at once point, because the movements I was doing were do similar to exercises that Bob makes me do at the gym. It's like math class, you know? You think... when will I ever need this in the real world?? But, I needed it! All those med ball tosses were paying off! Thanks Bob :-)

solid ice, I tell you.

The next day, my knees were a bit sore from the glacier, so I wasn't ready to run again. Instead I brought my ipod player downstairs, cranked it up and started cleaning. I didn't sit down for 4 hours, while I cleaned and shook my booty to the music. I got a good calorie burn in and my laundry and dishes are done... good all around! :-)

Day 20

2011-02-15T14:47:00.001-05:00

Day 20 : How important you think education is.

Honestly, I never really thought about this. Being that I do not and will not have kids, I don't really think about the future of education or job markets. I do, however feel strongly about people learning proper language skills and mathematics and I also feel like childhood education really needs to keep up with societal changes. I think internet etiquette and safety needs to be huge in the schools.

For myself? I did not go to college. No one in my family did, so it was natural for me to not. I have never once regretted not going to college, but that could be just because I got so lucky with finding the job I have. I got it on pure luck when I was 19, and I've been there every since.
Now, if I lost or wanted to leave my job, I would undoubtedly have a lot of trouble finding a new job because of my lack of education. But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Outside looking back in

2011-02-15T14:36:00.001-05:00

I am sitting on the couch, sipping on a coffee, corgi on my feet... watching my regular assortment of weight loss shows. These are people I don't know and yet I find myself tearing up at their triumphs, feeling the pride of success for them and empathizing with their struggles. On a recent episode of MTV's I Used To Be Fat, the subject was an 18 year old girl named Kirsten. Watching Kirsten complete a 5k I was applauding her, bursting with pride for someone I don't even know. I was thinking what a beautiful girl she was, despite her weight.

I do that with every show... I watch with empathy and then with envy. I see beautiful people and their successes. And yet.. I can't see that in myself.

I don't know why that is. I've always seen the very best in everyone. I see every face as more beautiful than mine, and everyone else's accomplishments as greater than mine. In a way, I'm proud of that. I enjoy being humble and I feel comfort in being... unremarkable. I understand that sounds sad, and that it is spawned from my lack of self esteem, but it's true, nonetheless.

Maybe I need to celebrate my own successes a bit stronger, I know that. But it's a bit easier said than done.

Ugh, today!

2011-02-14T22:12:00.000-05:00

Ugh, today!
I am sick, which sucks. Plus, I used a new face wash which like, burned my face off. So my face is red, itchy, and burning and my body feels about the same. (I blame Fatty, he was sick all last week!)
Currently, I am laying in bed waiting for Joel. We're going to try and go to bed early because we our insurance dude is coming to look at our house at 5am tomorrow. I know, 5am! Who does that?! Heh, anyway.. not looking forward to it.

But I will post something of substance tomorrow, I promise!

Day 19

2011-02-14T10:49:00.000-05:00

Day 19 : Disrespecting your parents

Respect is a big thing for me. And if anyone deserves my respect, it's my parents! My parents are not only incredible as parents, they are just great people. So smart, kind, fun, talented, generous, and accepting. I hope I have never disrespected my parents in any way!

However, that is MY parents I am talking about. I don't think that just technically being a parent garners instant respect. People very close to me have parents who don't deserve respect from their offspring. You have to earn respect just like you to have to earn trust... you aren't born into it.

Day 18

2011-02-13T10:34:00.000-05:00

Day 18 : Your beliefs

Well, this is a pretty open ended question. I'm not even sure how to start!

I always say that if I had to choose a life motto... it'd be tie between these two :

"To each his own" and "Get over it!"

I so very strongly believe in everyone's right to be who they are without being judged for it. I want you to life your life however you please. Do what makes you happy, be who you want to be and mostly - let others be who they want to be.

As for getting over it... I know it sounds harsh, and I don't really mean it that way. I just think people let themselves get so upset about things that are out of their control. Stress and aggravation are not necessary in this world. When something goes wrong and you can't do anything about it... just.... let it go. Get over it! You'll be much happier for it! And of course I don't mean it like.... your grandmom died and you need to "get over it" I mean more like... the traffic was bad today, the bread was moldy, you got a papercut.... little things that people let ruin their day, or their week.... and its not necessary. There are nice, beautiful things that can happen in that day after your traffic jam that you don't even see, because you're still upset about something that has come and gone.

As for the controversial things... most of my beliefs follow the same "to each his own" theme...
I am pro-choice, I am all for gay marriage, I am on-board for doing whatever makes you, as an individual, feel like you're doing the right thing.

Day 17

2011-02-12T10:16:00.000-05:00

Day 17 : Your highs and lows of this past year.

As you know by now, I have such a horrible memory for timelines. I can't recall what happened this year as opposed to the year before... but I'll try my best (or, I'll cheat and read through my old entries for ideas! hehe!)

Let's start with the highs, shall we?
• Running 5k for the first time ever! And this just happened!
• Discovered Whole Foods market. Now I am a regular!
• Finally became a girl who weighs less than her boyfriend
• Hit 50lbs lost
• Bought a bike, and learned how to ride it
• Throwing Melissa's baby shower
• Made a new friend
• My trips to Portsmouth, NH, and Naples, FL

Now, the lows
• Hurt my knee worse than usual. Couldn't run, had to go to PT.
• Couldn't do the Mt. Washington climb
• Barely losing any weight between last Feb and now
• My fishie died
• The winter is killing our house

My life is always about the highs, and not the lows. We all have lows, and they always suck... but I like to always recall the positive moments and not dwell on the crap. But there you have it! :-)

Day 16

2011-02-11T10:16:00.000-05:00

Day 16 : Your views on mainstream music.

I love how it makes it sound like pop music is a belief system or something.
I love music. I L-O-V-E music, and all types. I love pop, rock, blues, rap, r&b, 'oldies', classic rock, musicals, dance..... you name it, I love it. The only thing about "mainstream music" that I don't appreciate is the overkill. If you put on a pop station, you're getting the 5 songs that are new and popular on repeat, for weeks. Aside from that... bring it on! I love Lady Gaga just as much as I love The Guess Who. I just love music, people! :-)

Jekyll and Sweaty Hyde

2011-02-10T10:32:00.000-05:00

Before my workout....

After my workout....

There is nothing glamorous about exercise, folks!

I was told that there should really be more pictures of me on this blog. I have always hated having my picture taken, and especially hate having my picture shown. But, in an effort to supplement my self-improvement... I am gonna try and be more accepting of myself. And so, here you are :-)

Day 15

2011-02-10T09:07:00.001-05:00

Day 15 : Your favorite Tumblrs

I don't really follow any Tumblrs. But I am happy to turn this into a Favorite Blogs post instead.
Let's see...

Aside from the blogspot blogs that I follow (which I think you can check by visiting my blogger profile...and please do! some real gems in there!), these ones I also check daily :

Meals & Moves
Fitnessista
SnackFace
Low and Behold
Peanutbutter Fingers

Day 14

2011-02-09T08:41:00.001-05:00

Day 14 : Your earliest memory.

You know... I have an incredible situational memory (yes, I just made that term up, but stay with me!). I can remember situations and happenings so clearly, even from an early age. But, I have a horrible memory for dates and times. So, I can remember what happened, but I can't remember when it happened. I could have been 2 years old, I could have been 12 years old. It's weird.

Anyway, I have wonderful early memories of my Daddy tucking me in when I was so little. He used to push the blankets so far under me, that I was SO SNUG. Immovable! And I loved it. He'd do it to all us kids, and when we were small we shared 1 bedroom. So the only thing better than being tucked in myself, was listening to my brother and sister giggling wildly as they were being scooted into a cocoon!

Day 13

2011-02-08T08:41:00.000-05:00

Day 13 : Somewhere you'd like to move or visit.

I'm a weird bird. I want to see exotic new places, but I am terrified of travel. Not the flying or anything. Literally just, the travel. I get so much anxiety over things.. am I on the right plane? am I late? how will I find where I need to go? etc, etc, etc. It's awful.
Because of this, I never really dreamed of traveling. But luckily, now I have Joel. When we travel, he takes care of everything and then I am not so nuts. Now that I've been somewhere other than New England, I would eventually like to move somewhere warmer. Florida was so amazing... the weather, and the vibe you get from a place with nice weather... is so nice. It's more like a lifestyle, than just weather. Everyone is outside, you go to a restaurant and you eat outside. You walk places, because its so nice out! Convertibles everywhere! It is like my heaven!

As for visiting... I'd LOVE to see Italy, England, France, anywhere in Africa, Egypt, Ireland, Iceland, Scotland! I am completely captivated by old architecture, food, and cultural history and all these places seem so interesting! And of course gorgeous places like Alaska and Hawai'i. And the Grand Canyon!
Big dreams, big dreams ;-)

Elaboration

2011-02-08T08:27:00.000-05:00

Just before leaving work yesterday, I was thinking about my impending treadmilling. I had what should have been a fleeting thought - I wonder if I can bust out a 5k tonight?
I don't know why I thought that. I haven't been even close to it lately. But as I was driving home, I as really psyching myself up for it. Why couldn't I do 5k? I knew that physically, it must be possible. It's only 3.1 miles and I've done 2.5 before (though, that was hard enough!) But still, literally, I could do it.
Mentally though? Not so sure.

Anyway, I convinced myself I could. I hopped on, covered the display with a towel, and vowed to run for 10 songs before looking. One mile takes me 17 minutes, so I assumed that 3 would take about 50.
And off I went! Since I wasn't watching the display, I couldn't tell you when it got really difficult, but my guess is somewhere around mile 2. My knees had really had it, but I had to push through. I had to! 2 days of angry knees is so worth the feeling of being able to say I finally hit 5k!

I really needed this. So maybe that is why I tried so hard. I've just been so frustrated lately and I needed to show that I CAN do something, even if it's not on the scale.

Go me!

Day 12

2011-02-07T21:25:00.000-05:00

Day 12 : Bullet Your Whole Day

• woke up, hit snooze, then got up anyway
• pet corgi's belly
• put in contacts
• took shower
• woke up Joel
• put on my bodybugg
• got dressed
• let pups out/fed pups
• brushed hair/did makeup
• grabbed all my stuff
• drove to work
• blew up balloons, added green paper to look like peaches
• decorated Chelsea's cubicle for her birthday (she's from Georgia, hence, the peaches!)
• updated blog with my 1000th post!
• worked
• made and then drank a protein shake
• logged in my food for the day
• wanting to relive the concert, I put on Robyn on my itunes
• more work
• pooped
• work
• chewed a piece of gum
• phone calls. blah.
• more work
• company lunch, watched people eat pizza
• lunch with my mommy! delicious salad
• Dunks stop, iced dark roast for me, and one for Jeannette
• back to work
• leave work
• stopped at grocery store for prescription, Chobani, and rice cakes
• arrived home
• greeted pups!
• let pups out to pee, fed them, loved them
• call Joel, warn him about traffic issues
• changed into workout clothes
• hopped onto treadmill, vowed to run a 5k
• RAN A 5K. SERIOUSLY. THIS IS MUCH MORE EXCITING THAN ONE BULLET POINT CAN HOLD!
• mopped up my sweat
• ate dinner - Chobani, baby peppers, clementine
• watched reality TV
• took a shower
• took 2 aleve
• update blog
• go to bed!

So GRAND!

2011-02-07T08:41:00.000-05:00

Wowza! This entry is my 1,000th post!

I had a good weekend, Friday night I went to a concert and had an awesome time! I got home really late and was exhausted... I must be getting old!
The rest of the weekend was spent doing chores and watching my poor house fall apart. This winter has been unusually cruel to mi casa. We are going to have to put a LOT of work and money in this Spring. Not cool!

I am going to do Day 12 : Bullet Your Whole Day next. But I have to bullet today... so I guess it won't be ready until later :-) Unless I make it all up... and that doesn't seem fair!

Until then, I leave you with this :

Day 11

2011-02-05T09:17:00.000-05:00

Day 11 : Put your iPod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up

Well, this one is not interesting for the reader, now is it? But ah well, I'll do it!
I made all the titles links to the youtube of the song, in case you wanted to jam along with me!

Leave - Matchbox Twenty
I love, beyond measure, Matchbox Twenty. And this is one of my favorite songs. You'll hear me say that a lot, though. I do have a LOT of favorite songs :-)

When the Sun Goes Down - Fleetwood Mac
I dare you to play this song and not tap your toes!

Because of You - Meat Loaf
Yeah, you all know about my Loaf love. :-)

I Was Married - Tegan & Sara
Gotta love the sound of these twins singing together.

I'mmortal - Skinny Puppy
Loves it!

Going All The Way - Warren Zevon (youtubes didn't seem to have this!)

Not one of my very fave Zevon songs, but since I love all of them... it doesn't mean too much :-)

I Fall To Pieces - Patsy Cline
Have you ever heard this song and NOT sung along? I doubt it.

I Can Hear Music - She & Him
iPod is on a roll today! If you don't listen to She & Him, you should probably start now.

I Come From The Water - The Toadies
Toadies are my favorite rock band. Sometimes, I go on a Toadies binge and listen to their albums on loop all day long. :-)

That Particular Time - Alanis Morissette
And we end with my soulmate, Alanis :-) I know we'd be BFFs, I just KNOW it!

Well, there you go. A tiny slice of my not-so-tiny iTunes collection.

Day 10

2011-02-04T08:28:00.001-05:00

Day 10 : Discuss your first love and first kiss.

His name was Russell, but you can call him Russ for short. He was the new kid in town. He had a leather jacket and Levi jeans. I knew I loved him from the moment I saw him.
He sauntered up to me, plunged one hand into his pocket defiantly. I tilted my head and probably swooned audibly. He said to me "Hey. I'm Russ. Do you want to be my girlfriend?"
Whoa now. Boys from out of town move fast! "Sure" I whimpered, and he smooched me right on the lips.
It was kindergarten, and it was my first kiss.

Now, for my first love...
I would choose Nick. Nick and I lived in the same neighborhood. We met in fifth grade and became instant buddies. Nick was a chubby kid with golden brown hair and green eyes. He had the most infectious laugh you could hear. He made me laugh incessantly, and that is my weakness! We'd hang out before school, during school, and after school. I was head over heels! We were best friends from 5th to 7th grade. He knew, I'm sure, that I was in love with him. I can't imagine pre-teen girls are very subtle with their feelings.
We grew closer and closer. Eventually, in 8th grade I had the guts to ask him to the dance. My big chance! We'd get married, buy a house, live happily ever after! *sigh*
He said yes. Oh, I was excited! I picked out a glorious dress, I had my hair all planned out!
A week before the dance, I caught wind that a girl named Barbara wanted to go to the dance with Nick. MY NICK!? HANDS OFF, BITCH!! She called me that night and confessed her love for him. I called him and told him that Barbara was so much prettier than me, he really ought to go with her instead, that I would understand.
He jumped at the chance! And I was heartbroken. But I did it to myself! I should have fought for my man! I actually repeated the same situation twice after that. I stepped back from a relationship because I thought I was the lesser choice. So sad, little Shannon... so sad!

But it's ok. Nick and my friendship faded away after that. And though we went off to the same high school, we rarely spoke. He became a jerk and a bully in high school, as a lot of boys do. And any pining I had left for him was gone. I've still got some sweet poems and notes and a necklace he made me... stashed away in a box of memories, so I still consider him my first love!

Day 09

2011-02-03T08:28:00.000-05:00

Day 09 : How you hope your future will be like

I feel like this is a rewording of Day 02, which was where I'd like to be in 10 years.
So I guess we should go beyond 10 years from now... Lets say... when I am 65 years old? I think Joel and I will have a house in Florida, or somewhere else warm... on the beach! We'll likely have 2 corgis. I'll be working part time and still very active. We'll finally have the time to travel, so we'll go to Italy and Ireland! Every few months we'll fly out to a town just outside Vegas to visit Brad and Melissa for a few days. Geriatric Game Night, people! :-)
The most I will really hope for is good health!

Day 08

2011-02-03T00:11:00.000-05:00

Day 08 : The time you were most happy with your life

I'd say right-freakin-now. But... as sickeningly sweet and unjust as it sounds... nearly my whole life I've been happy to be where I am. I have zero complaints about my childhood. My family is perfection to me. As a teenager, I was heavy and unhappy about that. But I had friends, good, close, awesome friends. I was lucky that despite my weight, glasses, and demeanor... I never got picked on heavily. After high school, I moved out into an apartment with my best friend Adam. We had very little money, but we had a blast. I loved living there with him. After he moved... I felt a bit abandoned. I had to move into a really crappy apartment, and I hated it there. I was broke, further away from my family, I had just broken up with a boyfriend I'd had for a year...
then I met Joel, and well, we just went over this, didn't we? :-) I won't make you sit through the syrup again. But... thinking back, that 2 years in there is the only time in my life that I look back on with a slight grimace. Even in there, there were awesome times that I will never forget.

And that brings us back to now.
I choose now as my happiest time because I have everything I need, and then some. The love I have with Joel is beyond anything I could have imagined for myself. My house is adorable. My job is stable, my pups are adorable :-) And I am FINALLY truly tackling my biggest foe : my weight.
Battling my weight now is different than before. I am 100% committed and driven. As slow as it goes these days, I couldn't be trying any harder.. and just the trying is giving me something to be proud of.
I do like to think that in another year or two from now it will be the greatest time of my life, because I'll finally be at a healthy goal weight! ;-)

Day 07

2011-02-01T15:16:00.000-05:00

Day 07 : Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality

Let's see... I am a Libra/Scorpio (on the cusp).

Here is the description of a Libra. The things that match me, I bolded :

You are charming, good looking, gentle and kind. You are a good judge of character and have many good friends. You do not like it when your decisions are challenged, and are impatient with people who criticize you. You hate people who are cruel to others. Libras enjoy the arts more than science, so a career in the arts would be a good choice. You will understand other people's views and sympathize with them. A negative Libraian (there aren't many) flirts and seems shallow. They also are impatient with a daily routine.

Wow, I guess I am a good chunk Libra then. And here come Scorpio :

Scorpio is intense and powerful. Although you appear controlled and calm, you are emotional and energetic. Scorpios often have strong and penetrating eyes. They seem fun to be with socially, but some seem self-involved and withdrawn. You can recognize your special qualities and it requires self-control to prevent you from using them for bad reasons. In relationships, you can be passionate and overwhelming. You are also very sensitive and take almost every comment to heart. You discard friends when they start to bore you.

Ok, maybe not Scorpio as much.
I always wanted to be all Scorpio... like if I were writing myself as a character, I'd want to be that brooding, mysterious, sexy woman with the deep eyes of a predator! It sounds so seductive! But I am just not that. I am much more honest and timid, and just not angsty enough :-)

Day 05 and skip to Day 06

2011-01-31T12:45:00.000-05:00

Day 05 : A Time You Thought About Ending Your Own Life.

I have a few anxiety issues. I also have pretty dire self esteem. However, I am so incredibly lucky to never had depression or suicidal thoughts. I am skipping on to the next challenge if you don't mind!

Day 06 : Write 30 Interesting Facts About Yourself.

Are you kidding? I can't think of one interesting thing about myself! But, I'll think of some random facts, I suppose!

(it has now been 30 minutes, and I haven't thought of ONE. This is gonna be a long day!)

1. I have to squeeze my nose when I go underwater. I also cannot blow my nose. I feel like these things are related. No one believes me. :-)
2. I am a nail-biter, since birth!
3. I prefer movies to have non-happy endings. And I almost always side with the villain.
4. I name almost everything. I think it's a horrible shame to not name your car.
5. I have had almost any haircut and color you can think of, I have never been afraid to mess with my 'do.
6. My fantasy dream job is fashion design.

(it has now been an hour and a half.. I'm dying here!)

7. I once had a long stay in the hospital, and then was on an oxygen tank for weeks at home - and my ailment is still a mystery!
8. I am part Native American, and I am related to someone who was on the Mayflower. (so I like to say that any way you look at it, I was here first!)
9. When I was a baby, I was on the front page of the newspaper. I was eating ice cream on the beach during a heat wave. I was CUTE.
10. I was a SYSOP for a BBS for years and years! (anyone remember these?)
11. I do NOT have a Facebook account (thanks to Melissa for this fact. I forget how rare that is these days!)
12. Ages 4-11 I wanted to be an entomologist (and part time fashion designer, natch!)
13. I have an irrational fear of being late. Now I gotta look up the technical term... "allegrophobia".
14. This May will mark my 10 year anniversary at my job.
15. I am legally blind.
16. I don't like to read.
17. Against incredible odds (says the doctor), I once got a carrot shred lodged into a hole in my tonsil. She called all the other doctors in, where they laughed and took pictures of it for a medical journal!
18. I won the "Unsung Hero" award in high school, for my work with the theater program.
19. I also won a Best Costumes & Makeup award at a state theater competition.
20. I once broke into the house I grew up in (it was vacant) and I stole some of my own belongings!
21. I love walking train tracks.
22. I strongly believe that the letter Q should be at the end of the alphabet with X, Y, and Z. It's out of place, I tell you.
23. I am impossibly bad at math.
24. I told Patrick Stewart in person that my Auntie thinks he is dreamy.
25. I like peanut butter sandwiches dunked in tomato soup.
26. I love the smell of bleach (soft scrub, to be specific!)
27. I won $500 on Keno when I was 13.
28. I watch Boy Meets World and/or Saved By The Bell every morning while I am getting ready for work.
29. My cat is named after a Twin Peaks character.
30. I have a lotion addiction.

WHEW! Done!! Took me 6 hours to finish! Good luck to anyone else trying this :-)

Day 04

2011-01-30T12:31:00.000-05:00

Day 04 : Your views on religion.

I was raised sans any form of religion. I am an atheist and I have always been. I believe, wholeheartedly, that everyone should believe whatever they wish to believe. I think religions were born from a good place and give most people a sense of peace or belonging or something else they may be needing in their life. For me, I just don't believe in a god or a higher power of any kind.

If I were to make a religion of my own, it would be founded on very similar principles -
• evolution & biology
• respect
• self-fulfillment

And that is pretty much it. I believe everyone has the right to be themselves and should be allowed the freedom to express that self without judgment. I also believe that while staying true to yourself and your own happiness, one should always be kind, generous, and respectful to all other people and creatures on this planet. (if we ever happen upon some. lol) I don't think we need a deity to enforce those principles.

I wish I had some beautiful story or poignant point to make with these posts. But hey... at least I am posting! :-)

Day 03

2011-01-29T12:17:00.001-05:00

Day 03 : Your views on drugs and alcohol.

I personally do not drink, smoke, or do any drugs. I never have and it's safe to say I never will. I do often wonder why I have such an abhorrent reaction to those kinds of things, because I can't recall any defining moment in my past. Most of my family are big drinkers, and some smoke. I don't really have anything against anyone who does but for some reason I just have never been able to comprehend the concept... a lot like having kids, I guess. I just have never been able to imagine it for me.
I am sure a large part is control-freakness. It is beyond me that someone would want to feel out of control of their own self, to me? That's not fun, that is scary!

Though I may not judge your character if you are someone who loves to drink, I will not want to be around you during those times. I am so SO uncomfortable around people who are drunk or "tipsy". This causes me to be a party-pooper a lot of the time. It doesn't bother me much. It's very much like eating healthy... people seem to feel guilt or shame that you are doing it and they are not. I feel like *I* make them uncomfortable by not drinking just as much as they make me, because they are.

I am very lucky (or smart!) that I am with Joel. Joel doesn't drink either. He has, and he will.. but it is super rare, and I wouldn't have to be around him if he was :-)

So there you have it. I'm a goody-goody-two-shoes, and I like it!

Crazy Good Salad

2011-01-28T14:42:00.000-05:00

Look at this beast I just ate for lunch.

Salad greens, dried figs, goat cheese, prosciutto, balsamic glaze (which I had on the side) and a glop of watermelon gelato (which I am 100% sure was sorbet, not gelato)

I am telling you.. this was fantastic.

Dinner will be a naan pizza with spinach & onions... anyone who says I am lacking on 1,000 calories a day is sadly mistaken! YUM!

Also delicious-related :

Eat some apricots right now, they are GOOD.

Day 02

2011-01-28T08:34:00.000-05:00

Today's topic is : Where you'd like to be in 10 years.

I've always been much more of a dreamer, than a planner. So I can't pull out some beautiful life list I wrote many moons ago. But I suppose I could ponder a bit about it now. . .

In 10 years I will be 38 years old. I will be a healthy weight and as fit as ever! I imagine Joel and I will have found a new house but in the same area. He'll either still be working in Boston, or have started his own company from home. As pathetic as it might sound, I guess I could say that I'd like to be exactly where I am now in 10 years, just in a remarkably better body :-) By then, I'd also like to be in some sort of position to be able to help other people lose weight and get fit, whether that be through a blog, in my circle, or personal training.

The pups will still be kicking, because we know they will live forever! (and don't you dare say otherwise!)

In other news... because I never did a proper weekend wrap up post, here's a tiny picture dump for your visual enjoyment!

Did a lot of this, mostly.

Got to meet this handsome creature.

I know, right?! MMph!

There's my sweet Debbie in our sweet room!

Did plenty of this, too!

30 Day Challenge

2011-01-27T11:24:00.000-05:00

Janetha started a new blogger challenge and I thought I should take a cue from her and do the same.
You all know I like to keep this blog topical. If it's not related to my weight loss or fitness goals I don't feel its really appropriate for this venue. However... I find that because I am such a creature of habit and routine... I very rarely have new things to post about. And also... I really have very few followers ( but I love all the ones I have!!!) So, you'll just have to let me know if you do or do not like what I am writing about.

And so it begins! This is a prepared 30 day challenge, so the topics are as follows :

If anyone else wants to do this with me... please do! There are a couple interesting topics on here it might be nice to learn about you! :-)

And soooo... here's is :

DAY 01 : Your current relationship.

Talk about my sweet baby Joel? EASY!
Joel and I connected over Instant Messenger. He was googling "Booty House Music" and my blog at the time came up in the results, he read some entries and found my IM screen name. He told me he stumbled across my journal and wanted to tell me that he thought I was interesting. After that, we chatted all day, and the day after, and the day after that. One day, I was driving home and I called him on the phone. I called him again the night after that, and the night after that.
Soon after, he decided he'd come visit me. We spent a week on the beach in Maine, and that was it! He went back to school and we whined and pined until he'd come visit again.

Once he graduated, I helped him find a job near me and he moved immediately. We got an apartment, we got a corgi, and we started our best years yet.

Joel and I, as you know, have been together 7 years now. I love him beyond anything in this world. He is... the sweetest, funniest, smartest, most supportive person. I enjoy every day with him. We've never fought or had an argument beyond where we want to go out to eat or who loves who more ;-)

I am very confident when I say that Joel and I will be together, and happy, until the day we croak.

Rambling

2011-01-27T09:02:00.000-05:00

Getting nervous!

2011-01-21T09:42:00.000-05:00

Multiple people have told me I look thinner today! This of course, makes me nervous that I've gained! I doubt that is true though... maybe this time... just maybe... I actually look thinner!

We shall see!

I am also getting nervous about the upcoming week. I am taking Monday & Tuesday off to visit my friend in Connecticut. We'll be going to a casino and I am staying overnight. I have 100% faith in my resolve and will power to stay on track, but I will say that eating just 1,000 calories while out will be a challenge.
But I will also stay as active as possible. We shall see!

Babies, Hippies, and Chickens

2011-01-18T09:02:00.000-05:00

Last Monday, my "Weight Wall" looked like this -

But yesterday, a couple bricks were taken out!

-4.8lbs!

Hooray, I do say!

I am very excited about that loss, but I am not getting too hopeful until I can lose for a second week. First week is always a gimme for me... so, I'll reserve my judgment on this diet until then!

Now, let's talk a little more about my weekend! I had a fabulous one!

Saturday, I spent the day cleaning, running errands, and shopping.

Sunday, I threw my bestest friend Melissa a Baby Shower! I had it at the Melting Pot restaurant, which she loves! She has since told me that it was the best shower ever! And I am so SO SO glad that she loved it, the guests loved it, and everything went perfectly. I even managed to stay within my 1k calories by only eating the salad and 3 ounces of lobster (cooked in broth).

Monday, I went out with Becky. We went back to Life Alive, which I had been dreaming about since our first visit! This time, I got The Mystic Mountain.

omg. greens, carrots, beets, corn, apple, cashew, sprouts, garlic hummus.

Jive Alive juice - cucumber, celery, greens, lemon, and ginger.

I really love this place. I wish it wasn't downtown, because I just.... MMM! I am so obviously a dirty hippie on the inside.

Here's my gorgeous Becky!

Afterwards, we hit up an adorable boutique, where I bought two necklaces and Becky bought the whole store. ;-)

Then, I returned home, cooked up two more chickens,

Say hello Ethel & Gerty!

and then started cleaning my closet. I decided to do a mass cleansing of my clothes. So, this is the first stage - the closet! Then, the bureau, then, the laundry. Whew, too much work being a girl!

I hope your weekend was as nice as mine!

Yeasty Beasty

2011-01-15T23:58:00.000-05:00

It's the weekend, people! How good does that feel?
Friday night I stole Fatty and dragged him on a Whole Foods trip. I know not everyone is as seduced as I am by WF, but he seems to like it still. He found a few things for himself. Me? Yeah, $200 later I've got like, 3 bags of random stuff to show for it. I still don't know how that happens.
After returning from WF I was starving. I started cooking and 10 minutes later I had the most delicious dish...

I can't even. Mmmm!
It is - Al Dente egg fettucini, crushed tomatoes, spinach, onions, garlic, and mushrooms.
Simple, yes? But it all tasted so fresh and so hearty. That huge bowl there is 500 calories. I ate approx 350 calories worth of it and I couldn't make it any further. (I finished the rest for lunch today!)

While eating dinner, I wrote out my work out for the next morning.

I had a possible Fatty partner for this workout, but it turned out that he couldn't make it over.
And that is when the unfathomable happened...
JOEL WORKED OUT WITH ME INSTEAD.
No, I don't have photographic evidence.. but it happened!
He made it through very nearly the whole thing and with a remarkable lack of complaining :-) Such a good doobie! I am so so so so so beyond proud of him right now!

After my work out I enjoyed a protein shake.

While watching MTV's I Used to be Fat

Have you seen it? I'll watch pretty much any show about weight loss, so I like it. The new A&E one called Heavy starts on Monday I think. Better set the DVR!

I asked Corgi if she felt motivated while watching this show.

This was her answer :

Point taken.

After that sad display of chunkitude, I showered, got dressed, and headed out to run some errands. Yes "errands" is what I call SHOPPING. It was a very mildly successful trip. (I did score some Madden boots for $20! cah-yoot!)

But I digress! After returning home, Joel and I started working on our dinner masterpieces.

Here's mine :

300 calories of awesome. Garlic naan for crust, crushed tomatoes, spinach, onion, 1/4 cup shredded cheese, 1/2 cup fake veggie cheese, and nutritional yeast.

And here is Joel's gigantic felon of a pizza :

I can't. even.

(he loved it)

And that, my friends, brings us to now! Right now, I am lying in my heated bed, being very. very. comfortable. I hope you are doing the same!

Snow Day

2011-01-12T17:08:00.000-05:00

We were warned yesterday about a big blizzard headed our way. So, I woke up this morning, and peeped out the window...

Yep, it came!

The next peep went to my email, where there was an email from my boss saying the office was closed. So I headed downstairs and did the first shoveling of the day so the pups could go potty. Corgi got immediately stuck in the snow and had to squirm free, poor chunker.

I spent the majority of my day doing some work I brought home in anticipation of a snow emergency.

However, I will note that I did said work in my pajamas. In my bed.

These guys helped...

Which quickly turned not helpful at all.

CHOMP!

Instant mayhem. Thanks for the help, guys.

At lunch time, I went down and shoveled a third time, and put another chicken in the oven to roast.

More work.

Then, I made my inspiration board, per Fitnessista.

Cute, no? :-) (if you enlarge it, check out the girl on the left side. Holy. Body!) I have to note, I was looking through fashion and media mags for my pictures and could not find a "dream body" I wanted to use as inspiration. But then I found an athletic clothing catalog, and BAM, that chick! amazing. I'm actually pretty pleased that my dream body wasn't inspired by a Glamour cover.

Soon enough it was time for another shoveling.

I spot a victim. (Note, Corgi at a safe distance)

hrrrahh!!

Snowdog!

Z retreated after my snow attack, and I went after him to apologize.

But then he abandoned me in the frozen tundra.

I had just laid down to die, when a corgi came to save me!

Alas, her little stumper legs couldn't make it to me. But, looking at her cute face got me the strength to make it to safety ;-)

Now, I am nice and warm inside, about to get my sweat on on Wayne the Spinbike. I hope you all stayed warm and dry today too!

Preppy

2011-01-10T10:19:00.000-05:00

Trainer Bob and I have decided on a new regimen and today is Day 1.

My food will be as follows :

Breakfast : Protein Shake

Lunch : 500 calories

Snack : Protein Shake

Dinner : 300 calories

Yes, it's low in calories. No, it's not dangerously low. I'm cool with it!

I will be hitting 3,000 calories burned every day. This isn't a big change, though. On a normal day (which includes a workout) my burn ends up between 2,800 - 3,100. So, the difference will be to get in just a little more activity to make it over 3k every day. Now, we know that the numbers don't always work out for me, but in *theory* this would give me -4lbs per week. (I know, I scoff!)

So there you have it!

Today, Day 1, I am already mucking it up too, I need to flop lunch and dinner calorie counts. But I think Bob will forgive me this one :-)

Knowing what lies ahead, I did a little prepping this weekend to get myself ready. I got a new shaker bottle (as I accidentally left mine in Florida!)

I got this guy :

Cute, no? :-)

I bought some more protein powder. I use Tera's Whey, which I really love. I actually didn't need anymore, because I have a big tub of the Bourbon Vanilla. But at WholeFoods the Wolfberry was 50%! So I snatched it up.

(fact : wolfberry is just another name for goji berry)

Ok! So, that takes care of breakfast & snack time.
Now, for meals! I'll be eating the same things as I have been, just making sure they stay in the 300 or 500 calorie zone. This means a lot of lean meats. I snatched a roaster chicken at WF as well and roasted it yesterday (my Mom was over and helped me season it to perfection too!)

Here is what it looked like before cooking :

Ha! Ok, you got me. I don't have a pic of the before. But here is the after :

(yeah, I started ripping into it before I took the pic... sorry!)

Post massacre :

Lookin' good, carcass!

And here is it's final fate :

Yep, that is the whole chicken right there. 4 containers of 6oz each.

I guess I'm gonna need more chickens!

While at WF I also grabbed a couple low-sodium organic soups, and one or two of Amy's frozen meals. I far prefer fresh everything, but sometimes it really pays to have a fast back up plan!

My weight is still fluctuating wildly. Day to day I am 217 to 224.

Today I will mark my starting weight at 220.1, I'll weight in again next Monday to see!

He loves me too!

2011-01-07T16:09:00.000-05:00

Wowza! My office smells like a rosy heaven!

Lemme just say...

2011-01-07T14:38:00.000-05:00

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY FAVORITIST PERSON IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.

MY LIFE! MY LOVE! MY JOEL! :-)

Best 7 years ever, I do say!

BodyBugg, you dirty filthy liar!

2011-01-07T08:42:00.000-05:00

According to Mr. BodyBugg's numbers I should have lost 25lbs between November 18th and today.
(I'd be UNDER 200! Wouldn't that have been nice?!)
At this point, I am not entirely sure what changes I could possibly make that would force the scale to move. But if anyone has any ideas.. I would LOVE to hear them!

As for my diet, I have been able to consistently keep my intake between 1,200 and 1,500. Which I think is ideal. I've been enjoying the Paleo diet, however, it was causing me to gain weight. This doesn't make sense to me either, since it was calorie-wise the same but sans grains and dairy. But some people mentioned too much fructose (sugars from fruit) to be a culprit and I can't deny that... I do eat a lot of fruit. I have decided to add one serving of grains a day in place of some fruit. No change in weight yet, but we'll see.

In the past couple weeks I've been feeling fatter, yuckier, and more out of shape than ever. I hate when this feeling comes on. Yes, I AM up 9lbs, but I am still in the best shape I've ever been. I am following the Couch25k program and I am frustrated because of how easy it is. (I mean, wtf? I'm frustrated by how easy exercise is! That is not me! That is progress!)

So, I beg of you! Please leave me a comment, tell me what worked for you or someone you know. I'll try it! Well, so long as its healthy :-)

His & Hers

2011-01-03T23:12:00.000-05:00

Joel has been on a fit kick lately, and I couldn't be more proud! He's worked out more in the past week than ever in all of our 7 years! (Friday is our anniversary, 7 years I tell you!!)

I know how much energy and discipline it takes to work out consistently and so I know he's really pushing himself. It's truly great to witness! :-) And selfishly, I hope he continues, because it's so nice to have a partner!

Though, speaking of partners... guess who is back in the game?!!?

FATTY!!

That's right. Fatty came over tonight and he did the bike, and some weights, and some boxing! What a good doobs! I did my 20 minute C25K session, then some cycling, and a tiny bit of boxing with Fatso and Corgi.

Now, I'm pooped like this pup :

Zevon is not allowed on the bed. And I had to kick him off after taking the picture.

But man, does he look COMF!

Blogging from the couch

2011-01-01T18:06:00.001-05:00

I just learned something very important.
Apparently, if you put on your cozy jammies on the morning it is remarkably hard to do anything!
It is 6pm and my day has been useless! Gonna get up and go work out now, but I don't think it'll be enough to make up for my sloth :)

I can't say this is a typical problem, but I think i have a new rule for 2011. When i get up on the weekends, I will put on my workout clothes first thing!

I did have a nice NYE with Joel. We stayed in and watched Inception with our cuddly pups :) I hope you all had a wonderful new years as well!

Tis The Season!

2010-12-30T09:29:00.000-05:00

I suppose it is now the time to start thinking about what my goals for 2011 will be. Like I said before, I am not immune to the draw of a New Year, so I've got to decide what I'd like to accomplish in this new fresh one!

I cannot make weight loss goals in pounds. It's too unpredictable and I am too used to not ever meeting them. My weight loss goal for the year will be to get into a size 14. It took me losing over 50lbs to go from an 18/20 to a 16/18. So I assume it will take quite a bit to lose another size. I've always figured I'd go from a 20 to a 12 in a year, because that is what other's did. But, it's just not the way for me, I guess!

So, lock it in!

GOAL #1 : Fit into a size 14

I made the goal last year (and, I think, the year before) to run a 5k. This hasn't happened yet. Every time I am derailed by my angry knees. But alas, I am making it a goal again. Lock this one in, too!

GOAL #2 : Run a 5k race

That's it! I am not going nuts on my list of goals. If I learned anything in 2010, it's that a year is remarkably shorter than I think it is. I truly want to attain both these goals, so I will focus just on them and not overload with other things.

As for progress from the past...

I am still not seeing any changes to my body, and my measurements remain the same.

I do see a change in my face, though! I might be down to just one chin! :)

Before

Current

"Must be nice!"

2010-12-27T22:54:00.000-05:00

. . . that is what people say to me when they hear how much Joel spoils me. And it IS nice, let me tell you ;-) I got everything I wanted for Christmas, and then some! I can't even tell you. I was almost brought to tears with the generosity and thoughtfulness of my own man! I mean, yes, it's "our" money, but it doesn't matter. He's the best!

Anyway, on to the loot!

Meet... WAYNE :

I named him Wayne, because Schwinn in my head always sounds like "schwing!"

Isn't he beautiful?! You can see the myriad of tools in the background, it took a bit of setting up and adjusting, but he should be good to ride now... can't wait to take him on his maiden voyage!

Also, this guy! (no name, yet!)

This is called a Powerblock. I had told Joel awhile ago that I wanted the adjustable weights that Bowflex makes. But Joel being Joel had to do a crazy amount of research and decided that this brand/product is even better and more liked than the Bowflex.

I just put together the stand, so I haven't used them in a workout yet either. But I'll probably do a proper review or video when I do! But the gist is, the white block park is the handle, and the weights attach to it with a magnetic/pressure clip that adjusts to whatever increment you want. SO. COOL. That one block there goes from 10 to 50lbs, and he got me two blocks.

Awesome, right?! Oh, but that is not all! He also got me a new TV for the bedroom (aka, GYM). Now, I can do my exercise videos, wii active & wii fit, and watch videos while I run or spin, all in the most spacious room. I can't believe he doesn't care that my gym is our bedroom. Poor guy!

AND, he got me a new lunch box, new earphones for working out, and a heated mattress pad, which I am enjoying right now. Somehow it feels so warm and cozy but also feels like maybe I wet myself. Something weird about having an unnaturally warm bottom.

I had a really wonderful Christmas. I spent the whole day with my family, whom I love so much. And I got to give gifts that made everyone smile (thats my favorite part!!)

I truly hope everyone is enjoying their holidays and the season!

Couch to 5k

2010-12-22T10:20:00.000-05:00

I know by now you are all familiar with the Couch to 5k Program. I thought it might be fun to introduce Joel to the program and see if he wanted to start it. I told him I'd start from the beginning with him and we could do it together!

He was/is a bit nervous, because I can tell he doesn't want to commit to anything. But, I think it's worth a try. So the other night I wrote up a schedule for us on a whiteboard, and put it by the treadmill.

He was still hesitant last night, but he did it! Day One! :-) I am sooo proud!

So now I gotta start too! I think tonight I will do my Day 1.

Despite being told that I should not run, I still feel a need to do it. And despite being forbidden to run outside ever. . . I still have a desire to run a 5k. Just once, just for myself.

Anyone else want to start with us? ;-)

Biding Time

2010-12-21T16:07:00.000-05:00

I'd be lying if I said I was immune to the draw of New Years. It's the Monday Start, the grand Bandwagon jump, the freshest of new beginnings. It seems to enticing, doesn't it?

It also makes you think that the time before that most magical moment is immune to all.

Nothing you eat matters, any work outs you miss are forgiven... why? Because come January 1st all is forgiven, forgotten, and anew.

Scary, isn't it? I've been fighting that feeling for a few days now. There are treats and goodies galore, presents to wrap, parties to attend, and all my time seems accounted for. I have missed 2 workouts in the past week and a half. One was because of my knee (but, was it really? I dunno) and one was because I was simply too busy.

In all honesty, I can forgive myself for it. I don't skip workouts often, it doesn't worry me too much. But the guilt does wear through, though. Ah well. I won't succumb to the Holiday Blackhole of self-indulgence just yet.

But, what have I been up to?

Well, I've been cooking a lot . . .

Lasagna mess from my Xmas party

Wrapping a lot . . .

Snoozing a lot . . .

Oh wait, that's not me, that's Corgi!

And working a lot. It's our busy time right now. And I do enjoy it, I just wish it didn't come at such a hectic time!

Well, gotta get back to it now!

So much to do, so little food!

2010-12-13T22:55:00.000-05:00

I am super-dee-duper busy, as is usual this time of year. I've been going nuts keeping up with work, cleaning my house and cooking for a Christmas party at my house, planning someone special's baby shower, shopping and wrapping for Christmas, and working out!

Being so busy, I've noticed that I've started eating less...going much longer between meals. I used to eat breakfast at 9am, snack at 11, and starving for lunch at 1:30. For the past week, I've forgotten breakfast and gone till lunch at 2. Eating less always sounds like a good idea... but not always! I need to hunker down and plan my meals out again to make sure I'm getting enough.

Anyway, I am off to do more stuff! I hope you are all are enjoying the holiday season thus far :-)

On The Record

2010-12-06T14:06:00.000-05:00

You know how I always say that when people start telling me I look like I've lost weight, it's a surefire sign that I gained?

This morning, I am up 3lbs.

Today I have gotten 3 compliments on how I look like I've lost.

What is with that?! I can't wait till someone says "oh man, you look like you gained a ton!" I'll probably be at goal! ;-)

Monday, again?

2010-12-06T09:40:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Monday again (how does this happen?!) and I am still in a weird place. My weight is only going up and my body feels like it is crumbling. I am finding it hard to rally.
*sigh*

I know it comes back around. So let's get on to my weekend happenings and weekly goal update -

Saturday was to be my 3,000 calorie deficit day. It started out with a good, hard workout from Damon. I then went home, put on some new jams (fyi : the new Cee Lo album is faaabulous) and went hardcore on cleaning the kitchen. We have had a mouse problem lately, so there was some serious scrubbing to be done. Joel informed me that we'd be going to his friend's house in Rhode Island for a Game Night. I was a bit bummed, because I knew I was nowhere near my calorie burn. And so I decided to take a loss, and do the big deficit the next day.

Game Night was pretty good. The drive was over an hour, which was a bit much, but no biggie. I met some of Joel's friends that I hadn't met before. They were all very nice, and I unexpectedly won the game!! suckers! :-)
I started out feeling a little cranky, because before leaving, I was in my closet trying to get dressed. I had nothing to wear that looked decent. I tried on at least 30 things. I was so frustrated. I ended up putting back on the grubby clothes I was wearing and went like that. After meeting another girl there, I felt even worse. She was tiny and dressed impeccably. I felt so uncomfortable.

Anyway, moving on!

Sunday, would now be my mega work out day. I got up and put on my work out clothes right away. I hopped on the treadmill and did a mile and a half. Rested for about 30 minutes and then did a workout on the Wii for 40 minutes. I did some chores and ate some lunch, then hopped back on the treadmill.
This time, however, was not good. About a quarter of a mile in my knee went out from under me.
Because of my knee condition(s) this used to happen to me a lot. As a kid, every time I'd run, it would go loose and I'd fall. That hasn't happened in awhile. But it happened. My knee cap slid to the side and my leg buckled. Luckily, I caught myself on the treadmill bars so I didn't hurt myself.
I got off the treadmill, iced my knee for a bit and tried to devise a new plan. But with my knee out of commission and my shoulder benched as well, I felt too defeated to continue.

The good part, is that after looking at my BodyBugg numbers for the weekend, on Saturday I actually came pretty close to my goal! I only needed to burn 500 more calories to hit my 3k deficit!
So, it's totally doable I think. I'll just have to try again next weekend.

And, that leads us to now.
I'm bruised and I'm frustrated... but I'm ok :-)

Dumps & Dreams

2010-12-01T09:30:00.000-05:00

Today's weigh in : 220.6lb

+ 1.6lbs

As humans, we all seem to be born with a sense of entitlement. And mine comes in a way that makes me feel that if I work hard for something, it should pay off. I don't follow diets, track my food meticulously, exercise everyday or spend more to buy natural foods just because I think it's FUN. I do it because I want to be fit. I want to be healthy. And I want to look good and feel confident.

Don't get me wrong, most of the time I enjoy the workout. I enjoy the taste and the feeling of organic, healthful foods. But the planning, prepping, scheduling, counting, logging, and pushing through the pain - should be worth it! And right now, it's not. It's not worth what I am getting.

However. I'll tell you one thing that I will never do. I will never give up on this goal. Even if you told me, flat out that it is not attainable, I am not sure I could give up on it.

Sometimes, I feel sad that I will have spent my entire life fighting something. Day after day, fighting. It sounds exhausting. And at times (like right now) it is just that. But working hard does feel good. And what better cause to fight for than myself?

I know this post is all over the place.
I don't mean for it to be overwhelmingly negative.
I do feel very frustrated about my gain, and not knowing what I can do to turn it around.

I digress. You've heard this all before :-)

In the meantime... I think I'll distract myself with mini goals!

This week, I'd like to do the following :

1. Run a cumulative 7 miles

2. Create a 3,000 calorie deficit on ONE day. (I don't know how this will happen yet, but it sounds like a lot of fun to try!)(side note: I will not create the deficit by cutting intake, only on burn)

Take my mind off things! Leave me a comment with your weekly goals! If you don't have any, think of this as a good time to make some!

More of the same

2010-11-30T08:54:00.000-05:00

So, yeah... I still feel the same as I did in my last lame post.
I feel ouchie, itchy, and gross.

At least Fatty came over last night and worked out. I guess my shoulder is messed up more than I thought, as I couldn't even go down into 1 pushup without an extreme amount of pain. Lovely!

Alright, whiny time is annoying. Let's think of good things!

• With my sick day yesterday, I was able to get my car inspection sticker! yay!
• Joel went on the treadmill last night! So proud :-)
• I got to spend some time with my Mommy this weekend, which I always love.
• My puppies are cute!

Short and not so Sweet

2010-11-28T23:10:00.000-05:00

I currently have a mysterious rash on my arm, and leg. My arm is so.so.so.so unbelievably itchy. I can't even properly explain. It is so itchy that it's very painful.
I don't know where it came from, so I had to cancel training this weekend, which I am pissed about! But really, I can't in good conscience go to the gym and spread my germies.

Anyway, I'm a grump. Clearly.
Making matters worse, my left shoulder is now very angry. I can tell that these bone spurs are going to cause me more trouble that I initially thought. As I told my Mom— (who was so generous to gift me these problems hereditarily {uh, did I just makeup that word? I like it, it stays.})— it feels like angry eagle talons are ripping up my tendony business in my shoulder hole.
Yep, those are the scientific terms.

Not cool.

I feel like a super fat itchy gimp!

Turkey Day

2010-11-25T23:58:00.001-05:00

Of course, I have to do the obligatory Thankful post :-)

I was born blessed. I got an incredible family, who raised me in a way that allowed me to meet amazing people and form wonderful friendships.

I fell in complete love with the most perfect man in the world.

I want for nothing (aside from losing weight, ha!) and I take nothing for granted.

This year, I'd like to especially thank Bob & the other trainers, for sticking with me and working so hard to help me reach my goals. Ok, I know they get paid for it :) But you have to trust me on this one. These people have my back 100% and want nothing but success for me. It's an amazing feeling and I owe so much to them.

Although he doesn't read this, my other thanks goes to Joel. I love him beyond anything in this world, and he is so supportive of me.

Thank you to my few readers, who stick with me, despite my not-so-motivating lack of success in this weight loss journey. Every comment makes me smile, and just knowing I have cyber friends out there is such a nice feeling!

But I know why you're really reading this... you want to know what I ate!

Ok, here's my plate :

We've got - Turkey, green beans, celery, a pickle, some olives, turnips, 1/2 sweet potato, and butternut squash. I also added after, some of my Mom's homemade cranberry sauce (sugar free!)
I also had a couple pieces of celery with caviar.
And a slice of squash pie (also sugar free... thanks Mom!)

I had a wonderful day spent with family and food, and of course my baby Coops!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!