Am I a ditz?

I have had a tizzy of a week !! I'm not sure what's gotten into me, but I feel so bllahotiathoaigshdgk!

First off, I haven't been to the grocery store in 2 weeks--so I'm living on cheerios, tofu, almond milk, 1 apple, chipotle peanuts, and water. UGH! I really don't want to think about food these days. I either want sweets or nothing at all. How on earth do you run out of food?

Oh, and the last time I went to the store I forgot to get anything for my husband to eat for lunch. I don't know how he survives with me as the main food cooker. I don't cook anything.

Secondly, I have been doing my laundry all week. I have some whites that need washed, and a load of rags. But other than that it's done! I like the feeling of a clean laundry room. Wellll wellll, last night I threw a whole load of good clothes in the dryer. Then I realized I hadn't washed them yet. Then I put all the clothes in the hamper in the washer on HOT...these included white socks, a white work shirt, a light colored exercise shirt, and BRAND NEW BLUE JEANS. BAAAAHHHHHH! I woke up this morning to find everything a wonderful shade of light blue.

This morning I happily got out some flax seed to add to my cereal. I read the package--"more omega 3's than fish oil, without the smell!" So I poured a very generous amount on my cereal. Now I feel like I have a basketball in my gut, and I am nauseated. I had a very good idea why I felt so gross, so I looked up the side effects on Google. Sure enough I have overdosed on flax seed. On the good side--I may not be hungry for 2 or 3 days.

This afternoon--a wonderful Friday in a 20 somethings life--I am looking forward to one thing: TAKING A NAP! When did I get so old?

Tomorrow is my 3rd 5K. I will be running with dad, Ashley, and Angie. I'm sure we'll have a great time!

Until next time...

Clean Eating and 5Ks

I ran my second 5K this past weekend and finished 2 minutes and 7 minutes faster than the last one. But here's the difference--it was early in the morning, cool, and on flat ground. I had a great time, downed some gatorade and ate and apple. Plus, I earned some great gear--drawstring bag, hat, tshirt, energy bar, finisher's medal, and an ice cold soaking wet towel!

I have been eating clean for 2 days again, I had about 4 days of all out bingeing, so I have calmed down. I get a small cheat per day--otherwise I am going to eat a whole batch of brownies or tub of chocolate chip cookie dough. All the weight I manged to lose came back in water weight--bah!

Today is HIIT day and leg day. As much as I enjoy the high, I have trouble getting motivated. But I brought my workout clothes, shoes, stopwatch, and my music.

I enjoy vlogging for my group more than blogging--that makes sense though. I make videos for dad, and I have a blast! It's fun to get in front of the camera myself. It was awkward at first, but now I can usually rattle off something productive.

I wanna build some muscle. I'll go do that now!

Until next time...

It's been a while...

I have been working my butt off for the past 2 weeks. I signed up for training with The Get in Shape Girl. She's an awesome gal from Boston, MA, and she is a virtual trainer. She creates routines that I can do anywhere, and coaches me on my diet. I weighed this morning, and I have lost 2 pounds in 2 weeks. I lost 1.5 inches off my waist...now if I could get those inches to come off my hips!
Today will be my 5th day of clean eating. I haven't had sweets since Wednesday. I haven't had much trouble avoiding them since I eat 5 times a day--every 2-3 hours. I just have to say "no" when someone offers me sweets. Yesterday someone said, "Rachel, come eat! You could put on a few pounds." I used to be aggrivated by that statement, but then I realized that some folks show their hospitality by overfeeding you. Oh well! I just smile, change the subject, or make an excuse and walk away.
Friday night I was dreading the 5th quarter because they have so many goodies and cupcakes! But, I stayed away...but only after crying to Kyra about my desire to eat a cupcake, at 10:00 at night, after 2 days of clean eating. She let me know real quick that I was better than a cupcake, and it is a trigger food. So, wanting to come back to the group with a success story instead of crying because I failed, I didn't have a cupcake. Hoorah!
I have been vlogging for the fitness group instead of blogging because it's much easier to talk to a camera, then edit the footage. I guess I have become a blog slacker to make my vlogs.
Until next time...(whenever that will be?!)

Huge naps, eBags Packing Cubes, and Morning Lifting

Wow, yesterday evening all my plans went out the window...or to the couch like me. I was going to wash the car, vacuum it, clean the windows, and wipe down the dash, doors, etc. I managed to get in the house, drop all my stuff in the kitchen, change into some pjs and lay down! My goodness gracious! I managed to finish "The Tourist" starring Angelina Joile and Johnny Depp before falling asleep at 7 and waking up at 10. I fell asleep for good at 11:45. I hate being that tired!


I ordered some eBags packing cubes a few weeks ago, they making packing easier. Click here http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/packing-cubes-3pc-set/13032?productid=949922 to see them! They're good for keeping things organized in your closet, and the 3 pack set fits perfectly in a carry-on size bag. I started packing for my beach vacation last weekend, and these bags are so awesome! I have pants and shirts in one, necessities in another, and my bathing suits and cover up in another. I have room for a few pairs of flip flops and my makeup, shampoo bag will fit, too! I believe I like packing because it lets me know something awesome is getting ready to happen! Plus, if I pack well and light, I don't have a hard time UNpacking when I get back home.

I woke up early this morning to do 30 minutes of weights. I did 20 minutes of light lifting to get my muscles warmed up, then I did 10 minutes of all-out, red faced, can't make one more rep lifting. My arms are sore, but it feels nice.

I ordered some Vibram Five Fingers Bikila barefoot shoes. I am going to wear those around the house for a couple of weeks to get my foot used to walking barefoot. I've read that I can't just go out and run my normal distance in these shoes because I will suffer and over use injury to a part of my foot I don't normally use. I will take that advice! I'm pretty excited to get them in the mail today.

I ordered a body fat monitor also, I have gotten my body fat percentage measured 2 times, and I want to be able to track it on a regular basis. I am going to focus on losing fat instead of weight. I want to have nicely defined muscles!

Until next time...

Frisbee, and Heavy Lifting Soreness

Yesterday I wore myself out by power walking in the morning, doing arm exercises--lateral pull downs, bench presses, and tricep extensions to failure. This morning my arms are SORE! I really like that feeling. Yesterday morning I did lunges for 100 yars. I have to stop and start as I go in order to finish the distance. Then last night I did 6 one-minute sprints over the course of a mile. My quads and glutes are killing me today.

I am very discouraged with my progress since late March and early April. I have lost 9 pounds, but I do not look any different. I found The Get in Shape Girl on Facebook 2 weeks ago, and I have seen that it takes more than a leisurely jog and calorie counting to reshape your body. I have vowed to do heavy lifting for the next 30 days to see what types of changes I see in my muscle definition. I know that it will change me, I have to be patient and work with it. Plus, I know that once I see the changes I will never want to stop working out and improving myself.

Here's my thing--I have to work on one thing at a time. It took me 90 days to become a habitual morning runner/walker. I have signed up for yet another 5K. Now that running is a regular part of my day I will be adding lifting. I have to focus on changing one aspect of my lifestyle at a time. I can't expect to live my life for 23 years one way, then wake up a totally different person overnight. Daily goals are the key to reaching larger goals.

I have two goals right now--do heavy lifting every other day or every 3 days for the next 4 weeks, and beat my previous 5K time by 30 seconds. I can have all the support in the world, but if I can't motivate myself to do something then nothing will change. I don't want to be the same person I have always been. I will become better at running, lifting, and eating.

Until next time...

I'm back, and I've run a 5K!

I have been running full time since May. I cut back from 6 days a week because I was wearing myself out. So, I started walking on alternate days and doing lunges on those days. I was at 133 when I got married in January. (My lowest weight ever was 118 in September 2009. I managed to get down that low from counting calories religiously and walking at least 2-3 miles a day.) I don't have a way to check my body fat, so I will need to seek out a place around here that has calipers or an electronic body fat reader.

After I took my running down to 3 days a week instead of 6 I started to see myself losing weight. I am happy to say that this morning the scale said 124.6. I haven't seen that number in well over a year! I started heavy lifting yesterday. My biceps feel pretty sore, but it's nice. I got this advice from Kyra Williams--The Get in Shape Girl. She is amazing, and very motivating! Plus I also joined a great group on Facebook--Clean Eaters and Fitness Fanatics. These guys really know what they're talking about, and they have the same struggles I do! I know now that I'm not the only person who wants to gain muscle, get fit, run fast, and still wants to eat sweets!

I ran my first 5K about a week and a half ago. I finished 9th from last...not too shabby for my first ever try. I just didn't want to finish dead last. I will run my next one the beginning of September. I am looking forward to it...it's in a much larger area, and we will have a dinner the night before, and a great goody bag, and post-race showers and massages will be available. I ran with my daddy (a.k.a. Bland County Survivorman) this past Saturday. He's a self-taught survival guru, and he is in awesome shape for someone whos knocking on 60's door. He kept up with me (which is not a huge feat), and he even encouraged me to run faster...I beat my time on this course by a whole 3 minutes over the last time. I had to run early--so I wouldn't burn up after the sun came up. It gets so hot these days!

I have been making numerous trips to the doctor over the past 6-8 months. I have problems with headaches, and I can't stay awake. Even though I try to workout, eat healthy fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, I will get SLEEPY most of the day. I have had my iron checked--and it was low, so I started taking 1 iron supplement a day. After 90 days I had it checked last week--and it's still low. Today my Dr. told me to start taking 2-3 supplements a day and check back in another 90 days. I have taken an iron supplement before, and it pushed my hemoglobin level 2 tenths over the threshold so I could donate blood to the Red Cross. After giving the blood I passed out, then I couldn't drive home, and I stayed in bed for 2 days. I am pretty sure I won't be giving blood ever again.

This morning I power walked, and I will be doing HIIT this evening--running sprints. Oh, how I love/hate running them. But I have to imagine the results: losing body fat, and looking great for vacation. Maybe I can get back into blogging on a regular basis, I just didn't feel like much was going in around here to talk about.

Until next time...

Motivation

I have had a sleepy few weeks. But I have managed to keep walking or jogging or doing lunges with hand weights even when I didn't feel like it. I finally lost 1 pound after weeks and weeks of jogging. Recenty I jogged with an iPod--something I had been avoiding so I don't become dependent on its beat to motivate me. I did like the music, but I found myself getting aggrivated and distracted when a song came on that I didn't really like.

I have been doing intervals--which according to every fitness article I read probably contributed to my 1 pound weight loss. I have worked up to 35 seconds of running with a 40 second recovery. I repeat this over a mile or 1.2 miles. I am trying to jog or do intervals on non-consecutive days. On those days I don't jog I walk with hand weights and end my mile with 100 or so yards of walking lunges or leg lifts or twists...or something that will make my glutes and hammies stronger.

After another week of jogging I lost another pound--hooray! I have lost 6 pounds in 6 months. From everything I have ever heard that is a steady and maintainable weight loss. Do I still eat cupcakes, ice cream, cookies, and bread? Yes. I have gotten to the point where I can stop eating and walk away. Thank goodness! I am changing, finally. I still have slip ups, but I get back on the right track.

Breakfast is 2 eggs with cheese and salsa, and either a piece of buttered toast or cheerios. I'll have coffee mid morning, and I drink water all day. Lunch is half a sandwich and potato chips. If I have to have a snack it'll be tootsie rolls or some other chocolate treat. I'll eat a reasonable portion of whatever P&E have for dinner. I am really trying to re-train my stomach and brain to communicate so I'll be able to control my eating habits. I try not to graze while I'm making cupcakes or lunches so I don't add unnecessary calories.

I'm going to work on toning my arms. I have decided I'll never have thin, bony arms, like some folks who lose weight. So, I'll be happy with toned arms. Good deal.

Until next time.

Fondant-Covered Cakes, Sprints, and Cheerios

Yesterday I had a sudden desire to make fondant. I went back to the buttercream rolling fondant recipe I tried back in December. Again, it was incredibly greasy. I refrigerated it and covered my cake this morning. It wasn't pretty--and it tore in a couple of places. The cake wasn't much to brag about either :( It was too fluffy (overmixed) and it almost fell appart. I frosted it and froze it to keep it together. When I covered it the already lumpy frosting made the fondant look extra lumpy...I colored the rest of it yellow and green, and I am going to punch out some flowers to cover the cake tonight. The stuff tastes good, but it doesn't work well in the rolling and transferring department. If my cake looks halfway decent I will post a picture. This recipe called for 1 c crisco, 1 c corn syrup, 1/2 tsp salt, some clear vanilla extract, and 2 lbs of powdered sugar. I am going to try a different recipe the next time which calls for less corn syrup and also has gelatin in the mixture.
I jogged my mile 6 seconds slower than my top speed yesterday. Today I walked a mile with 5 lb hand weights and did some lunges and alternating leg lifts at the end of my route. I jogged sprints this past weekend--40 seconds of fast running, then 60 seconds to recover. I did 6 total sprints. I am adding time to my sprints so I can increase my endurance. I hope I can increase my regular jogging pace if I can get my breathing in better shape.

I am a huge breakfast cereal lover. I like Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Blueberry Shredded Wheat, Oreo O's, Special K with Chocolate or Strawberries, or any sweet cereal with yogurt covered granola bits. I purposely got myself some Cheerios when I went to the grocery store. I can still eat cereal for breakfast, but I will not sit around in the evening and eat a whole bowl of marshmallow chocolate goodness. I can still mix in a little bit of the cereal I like, but I get mainly cheerios. I am beginning to develop a taste for the simple cereal.

Until next time...

Cupcakes!

I made cupcakes last night for the first time since March. Anita came up and we whipped up a batch of white cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes. We made mini and regular sized. then, we filled the chocolate cupcakes with a peanut butter filling and topped them with a swirl of chocolate icing. We mixed up buttercream icing, then added some water to thin it down, and added raspberry flavoring and red coloring to create a raspberry filling for the white cupcakes. DELICIOUS! Then we created a light purple and white swirl to ice the top.

I jogged this morning, and I was 35 seconds slower than my fastest time. I can attribute that to working so hard on cupcakes last night and being very tired. I'm still not losing any weight, so I adjusted my breakfast--I now have Cheerios with a banana instead of chocolate lucky charms or chocolate frosted mini wheats. Now if I could only get the rest of the day adjusted to stay away from Tootsie Rolls, Pringles, and ice cream. One thing at a time, one thing at a time. I changed my morning habits to jogging and Cheerios. My mid-morning habits are next in line.

Too Foggy=No Joggy

This morning I stepped (not jumped) out of bed and managed to pull my workout clothes on. After I put my shirt on backwards and walked around the house a minute I made it outside. It was incredibly foggy. So one of my jogging buddies--Anita--suggested we stay close to home because of the thick fog. Even though we were wearing bright orange shirts, it's still hard for cars to see us. I ran my sprints again today. On my first 2 sprints I did a super duper job; my legs flew in a smooth, graceful motion. My arms pumped, my head held high, shoulders back. I wore different shoes, and my feet felt more stable. My last 4 sprints started to slow down. Then I got out of breath. I had fun, though. And I am looking forward to a longer jog!


I finished reading "Darkly Dreaming Dexter." I am moving on now to "Dearly Devoted Dexter." I may have to try a mystery book after I finish they Dexter series written by Jeff Lindsay. I have had my Kindle 3 weeks and have read 3 books already. I can read it when I'm waiting, trying to go to sleep, when I have free time, and it's so handy. I have to say I was hesitant about getting it because I was used to having a real book in my hand. But it's so convenient, lightweight, doesn't get bent pages, and it's always there with you. It's yet another one of life's inventions that makes me think, "What did I ever do without this?"

Sweat Bees and Flower Beds

I have been so excited about the warm weather lately, but I haven't been excited about the sweat bees and other bugs that come along with it. I was sitting in the sun on two different occasions and ended up more aggrivated than relaxed. Why? The sweat bees, gnats, and little no-seeums. They are those teeeny tiny little orangey colored bugs that bite, but you can't ever see them until they land. I managed to get a little sun after lighting a citronella candle and putting a canopy over my head. The pool should be open soon, so I will be able to cool off in a nice float while sporting shades and brightly colored toenails.

Mom and I came to visit grandma today--and we helped her plant flowers in her flowerbed. I had never done anything like that before, but I had a good time. We planted impatiens, added anti-weed pellets, and mulched two flower beds. It was a lot of fun, and I broke a sweat. It was over 80 degrees, so that added to the heat.

Weighted Walks, Morning Motivation, and Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Yesterday evening it was close to 90 degrees. OMYGOSH! It's like someone turned the heat on after the couple of colds weeks we had. It was too muggy to go for a jog, so Sara, Edie, and I went for a 2 mile walk. I thought I'd be tough and bring along two 5lb hand weights with me. I was a half mile in and could already feel my arms getting tired. I did arm curls, tricep extensions, overhead presses, and a butterfly type movement while walking. I was sure I'd have sore arms this morning. But I was wrong--my glutes hurt. They hurt last night when I laid down for bed. I guess carrying around an extra 10 lbs made my legs work much harder than usual--even on a leisurely walk. I will have to take a weighted walk again.

I jogged this morning--nearly a minute slower than my last timed miler. BLEH! I wore myself out in the first 2 tenths by practially sprinting up a hill. I had to walk to catch my breath before taking off again. Then I used my Total Gym for 15 minutes on arm exercises. I could definitely feel that when I was done. I sat my workout clothes out last night.

It's a good way to motivate myself. When I wake up the first thing I see is my workout clothes waiting to be used. Plus, I know that someone is waiting for me to come and jog with them. I have always wanted to be a morning exerciser, and now I finally am. I can't wait to go to the beach and get up to jog on the sand in the mornings and watch the sun rise.

I started reading "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" this weekend. It's a series of novels about a Miami Dade blood spatter expert, and a serial killer who kills only serial killers. The Showtime series "Dexter" is based on this book. My Netflix had suggested I try Dexter for over a year, and one day I finally clicked on it. The very first line of the first show is, "Tonight's the night." From then on I was hooked. The theme song, the characters, the plot twists--they all keep me watching. I watched seasons 1-5 in about 2 months. I would watch while walking on the treadmill, cleaning, or going to sleep at night. I finally finished season 5, and I am so excited to see season 6 in the Fall.

There is only one other series which I have seen all the way through--Gilmore Girls seasons 1-7. I have them all on DVD, and they're my go-to shows to watch when I feel like having a girl day. WOOT WOOT! It's a strange combination of favorites--Dexter and Gilmore Girls.

Sunny days and swimming pools are finally here. Until next time...

Jumping Rope, Beastly, & 3 Day Weekends

This morning brought with it some heavy fog, so that stopped my jogging plans. Instead of being practically invisible to drivers on the road, I decided to get my morning cardio in a different way. I jumped rope. I have improved since a couple of months ago--I can jump 10 times on my left leg, 10 times on my right. But this exercise wears me out! I set my stopwatch, and jumped for 15 minutes (not continuously of course). I would jump, then recover. At the end I was barely able to get the rope around one turn. Then I realized I wasn't even jumping, it was more like hopping. I made myself JUMP rope for a few more rounds. I had definitely broken a sweat by the end.

I finished up Beastly on Monday.

 It was very different from the movie, and in this instance, I have to say I liked the movie better. Even though it's all a fairytale, the movie was more believable (if that's possible). It had a good underlying message of course--that beauty comes from within. It was a book for 11-13 year olds, which explained the writing structure. Some chapters were written completely in a language you'd use while text messaging or talking in an instant message chat room. It was hard to understand, and it was completely irrevelant to the story. By the end of the book I skipped those chapters.

I had a great 3 day weekend to celebrate Memorial Day. The funniest thing is I can't sleep late anymore because my body has an alarm clock that wakes me up anywhere between 5:45 and 6:00 every day; my internal alarm clock doesn't respect holidays or weekends. I did a round of intervals one day instead of jogging. I would run as fast as I could for 30 seconds, then walk back to the starting point. I repeated this 6 times. I consciously changed my breathing pattern, and it seemed to keep me from having trouble breathing. I would breathe in deeply through my nose, then out really fast through my mouth. I also worked my arms for 15 straight minutes. They were noodly and sore the rest of the day. Maybe by beach time I'll see some definition in my arms worth being proud of.

I watched the second half of a movie--"You Don't Know Jack"--about Dr. Jack Kevorkian a.k.a. Dr. Death.

 It was a movie made from his perspective, and it really made me think. It was scary, creepy, and all so real. I may try to watch the first half before sending it back.

Rain Storms, Nasty Colds, & Summertime Reading

Last night I was out on the porch watching yet another Springtime storm blow in. Suddenly the wind was howling, the rain was pouring, and the lightning was flashing one after the other after the other. I don't know what's so fascinating about torrential rain, but I want to watch it when it comes along. But after one extremely loud crack of thunder I was running straight through the front door in terror. I am thankful that we have come out of these recent storms safely.

I the beginning of a cold on Tuesday--stuffy head, sore face. Then Wednesday I ended up with a horrible sore throat. I thought the only way to overcome the sickness was to take 2 daytime cold pills every 4 hours. I apparently react oppositely to daytime medicine. I get extremely tired. I slept from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., except to wake up and eat or get a drink of something between doses. Thursday I felt equally awful--disoriented, heavy headed, confused...so I ended up sleeping several more hours without the aid of medicine. Today I am a little tired, and my ear barely hurts. But other than that I feel alright.

I finished "The Lovely Bones." It wasn't as creepy as the movie. I downloaded a sample version of "Beastly" to look at for today. I will decide whether or not to order the whole version. I would like to have a nice book to read this weekend since it's supposed to be SUNNY!

I can't wait until tomorrow morning. I am going on a long jog. (i.e. more than a mile). I have decided that jogging slowly for a long distance is just as good as running as fast as I can. I have trouble breathing when I sprint, but I feel just as good after a long jog. I am pleased with myself for not wearing earbuds to entertain myself.

This is a good weekend coming up--hotdogs, hamburgers, macaroni salad, sweet tea, and lemonade. I'll have to break out my 5 gallon drink server that I still have in the box. I have some lemons I can cut up to decorate the drink. Hopefully I can get some sort of tan while I'm outside. Everything I read points to the fact that the sun causes, premature wrinking, dark spots, and skin cancer. So, I can limit my sun exposure to a certain extent. But I can't seem to talk myself into staying inside during the prettiest part of a Saturday.

Until next time...

The Biggest Loser Finale Finally!

I stayed up to watch the entire Biggest Loser finale last night. I was so excited to see it come down to Olivia and Hannah, because not matter who won, they both won. Those girls look great! They are SKINNY! They haven't only lost a ton of weight, they are absolutely small. I feel so motivated after seeing them work their butts off for months. I want to work harder, eat better, and look as great as they do.

I jogged today for distance instead of speed. I went 1.4 miles instead of a mile. I sprinted for 30 seconds and was able to breathe normally the whole time. Hooray! I controlled my breathing throughout the route, and I felt myself get into a steady cadence. I usually notice when I get into a good rhythm. It's at that point I feel like I could keep going and going like the little pink bunny with the drum.

I have developed some kind of cold/sinus illness. My ears, face, throat, and head hurts. I jogged through it this morning and managed to feel normal the whole time. As soon as I stopped, though, the grogginess came creeping back in. I'm taking some cold medicine, so that should help a little. I don't like to be sick :( I don't get colds very often, so hopefully my exercise will help it go by more quickly.

I've enjoyed spending time with my Texan aunt Bootsy. It's amazing how much she looks like my momma. I noticed similarities in their mannerisms that I haven't noticed before. I like to watch them interact. It's like they're looking in a mirror. When I see them (and other sisters) together I feel like I am on the outside of one of those exclusive worlds that I will never be a part of. There's something about a sister relationship that is so connected. I have a brother, and I have sisters in law, but I miss having that one person who you can just hang out with and share secrets. But that's just my view on the outside looking in. I'm sure that sister relationships have difficulties--like who gets to use the bathroom to get ready, who gets the nicer clothes, who's more popular, skinny, athletic, smart...

Either way, I'm thankful for my family. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Or, maybe I'd trade anything to have infinite time with them and others here that I love and cherish.

Inner Alarm Clocks and Reading

There's nothing like the way I feel when I get on a good sleep schedule. I can fall asleep and wake up at roughly the same time every day--and it's so great. I like waking up before the alarm clock and starting my day without the dreaded wake-up call that has two choices --off or snooze. I've never been much of a snoozer; however, in my adolescent days I would set my clock an hour before I needed to wake up then snooze it 9 times before finally dragging myself out of bed. Then it would take at least 5 minutes for my eyes to adjust to daylight. I would wander into the kitchen for a drink of soda pop to --as my mom said it-- cut the phlegm. I have been an avid morning hairwasher since I was in the 5th grade. Mom would have to curl the ends of my shoulder length bob because I couldn't figure out how to curl my hair. Then one day I realized I was holding the barrel backwards--which created the dreaded strange line.

Nowadays I don't need my morning shower to wash my hair as much as I need it to rinse the sweat off my face after a jog. But now that I have cut my hair into a short pixie cut, I can get ready in less than 30 minutes. First off, I don't have to use conditioner in my hair anymore which cuts my in shower hair care in half. My summer makeup regiment consists of Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in bisque, Sephora doe-eyed felt tip eyeliner in black, and black Mabelline Great Lash mascara. I mousse my hair with Dove and blow dry just the top to get my cowlicks out. Then I follow up with Garnier Fructis fiber gum hair pomade, then mist with Garnier Fructis humidity friendly hairspray. Poof, I'm done. That leaves enough time for a cup of java and some time to sit and read.

I have over halfway through "The Lovely Bones," a book I saw my friend Brittany reading in high school--and I noticed the cover.

That's about it. Then I watched the movie, and I am still creeped out by Stanley Tucci--even though it's a fictional story based on a book. Phew! I like to watch movies based on books I have read, but I always like the books better. I am always fascinated at how much a movie can leave out and still manage to make sense. I read most of the day Saturday--except for the inevitable afternoon nap that creeps up on my after sitting in the sun for hours. I'm not sure what I'll read next, but my friend Jared is always up on the newest or most interesting book. He has been telling me I need to read "Water for Elephants." I may borrow it from him when I'm done with "The Lovely Bones."

This morning I jogged a mile in 10:56. I finally managed to get it under 11 minutes! Luckily my pace is around 5.7 mph. I am hoping to get my mile down to 10 minutes. The air was warmer today--and very misty--and it was much easier to breathe. I hope the cold weather has decided to leave us for the summer months.

Jogging legs and a dancing flower

This morning I had a great jog. I did intervals yet again -- yesterday I read that intervals burn more of that unwanted fat you store in your pudged out problem areas. I made myself breathe through my nose and out my mouth. I was having trouble in my first interval, but I also hadn't warmed up properly. I was very out of breath and sweaty by jogs end, but I felt great. I felt almost giddy at the end. I have developed some type of affinity to early morning exercise. Right now as I think about it I get excited like I get to do something FUN! Maybe with a little more practice I'll find this jogging thing fun.

I could feel the burn in my arms, which resulted from using my Total Gym yesterday. I used my handy dandy purple watch to see how long I was lifting. I went for 15 straight minutes on my arms. I did my usual exercises, then checked to see how long I'd been working--5 minutes. I had no idea I usually stopped after 5 minutes. So, I kept adjusting my exercises by sitting in different positions, adjusting my grip. I also worked my core while doing overhead pulls. When I finished I drank water and sat on the couch. I felt nauseated, and I shook when I lifted my arms. I can feel some ache in my arms today, but it's just enough to show me I worked them.

When I got to work this morning I had a little gift waiting for me:

It's called a "Bee Happy Dancing Flower." It's a solar powered flower in a miniature pot. The leaves and the flower move perpertually in a smooth soundless motion. I'm not sure why, but it's soothing. Something about a pink flower in a blue pot just brightens my day. The box says it gives you guaranteed happiness, it's pollenless, waterless, small and portable, runs from all natural sunshine, requires no fertilization, and makes you smile. Now that's my kind of plant! I can't drown it, dry it out, or keep it away from the sun too long. Check it out if you need a little fun in your day!

8 Seconds Faster & Magazine Diet and Fitness Tips

There's not really much going on for me today. I did jog this morning, and I finished my mile in 11:02 which is 8 seconds faster than yesterday. My purple watch tagged along again, and by the end I was more than winded. I felt like I was breathing through a BIG straw (not a coffee straw as asthma sufferers describe it). I'm not sure if it's normal to feel like my throat is closing up. I have felt out of breath playing volleyball or doing resistance exercises, but this is different.

It was a few degrees warmer outside today--closer to 50 as opposed to 40. It's supposed to be sunny this weekend, so I am hoping to be in the sunshine soaking up some rays.

My fitness magazine came in the mail yesterday, and hopefully the other 3 will show up within the week. I think I have told myself that sitting on the couch reading magazines about fitness and exercise and nutrition will make me a healthier, thinner person. I'm not sure how I have convinced myself of this, but I can't stop reading articles about "how to have flat abs--TODAY!" or "Get a beach body in 30 days," or "how to stop those sweets cravings," or "guilt-free desserts". I believe there are a few pieces of advice that frequent these publications:

Find a workout buddy! It's always easier to motivate yourself when you know you have a workout date.

Take time to do physical activity everyday even if it's just walking at lunch time or taking your dog for a stroll around the block.

If you're craving something sweet, wait 15 minutes and then reassess your craving. It will probably be gone.

Eat slowly. It takes 20  minutes for your body to register that it's full.

Be prepared for setbacks, and don't beat yourself up. Get back on track tomorrow. Don't let one bad day spoil a month's worth of hard work.

Drink plenty of water! It helps keep your body working properly, wards of fatigue, and helps prevent muscle cramps.

Keep a positive attitude! If you think you can, you will. If you think you can't, you won't.

When you're going to exercise, wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing (or in some cases where you don't want to get chafed, wear form fitting shorts at least).

Eat your dinner off a salad plate. Eating meals from smaller plates tricks you into thinking you have eaten more.

Fill your plate with mostly veggies, then put in some protein and carbs. Eat the filling vegetables first--they take up space in your gut, and water dense vegetables will fill you up quickly. Then, you won't have as much room to gorge yourself on the bread or rolls.

Eat fiber rich foods that fill you up. Highly processed foods enter and exit your stomach quickly--causing a spike in blood sugar. Then you crash, and end up hungrier than you were before.


I guess I have exhausted my magazine tips for the day.

Until next time...

Funny Movies and a new Purple Watch

Lately I have been taking it easy in the evenings and watching movies. I have Netflix and a few go-to movies for when I want to watch something funny (Night at the Roxbury, Don't mess with the Zohan, Grandma's Boy). But Saturday I watched "The Switch" with Jennifer Aniston--and it was hilarious! I really loved the little boy in the movie who was portrayed as a little strange...everyone seemed to listen to him although he had a different way of looking at the world. Monday I watched "Due Date"--a movie about a man who's trying to make it across the country in a car to witness the birth of his first baby...all the while he is with a crazy man and his dog. They have many escapades along the way. Yesterday I watched "Eagle Eye"--a movie starring "Even Steven's" Shia Lebouf that has an underlying theme of "big brother". In the movie, a computer takes over all the technology in the United States and attempts to destroy the line of command in the executive branch of government. It was awesomely creepy and realistic. We all have cell phones, and there are surveillance cameras all over the place. I am glad to live in the country, though, where we don't have stop lights with cameras, constant cell service, or Internet for that matter. Sometimes it's nice to unplug and pick up a book and a glass of iced tea and forget about anything stressful.

Sara inspired me to get a wristwatch with a stopwatch built in. She got one last week and jogged with it Saturday. I think right now I like the way my watch looks better than the feedback it's giving me. It's purple, and its face lights up green, red, and blue. I used it this morning to find I ran an 11:10 mile. I am going faster than I was several months ago when I was treadmill jogging. Plus, I am happy to get up way early and finish everything before my day starts. I like to come home in the evening and not have the "YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE" thought balloon floating over my head. But back to the watch--I feel all athletic when I have it on...it's the clunky kind that you could look at and count your BPM. I'm pretty sure the watch is the magic gadget that will make me have better endurance ... or it'll encourage me to run 10 seconds faster tomorrow.

I sure hope the sun decides to come back soon. I haven't been liking these 48º mornings. But I think the endorphines from jogging are replacing the natural sunny disposition I have when the sun shines.

Until next time...

Runner's High? More like runner's sickness

Sunday I rested. Other than a 3 hour nap, some church, stretching, and a little movie watching, I didn't do a thing. I have not idea what's gotten into me, but I can sleep on demand for hours, then fall asleep at the regular time -- sometimes after drinking regular coffee !!!??? I was sad that the sun didn't really show its face at all this weekend. It would have been a good excuse to go outside and soak up some rays.

I did intervals for a mile on Saturday, and I wasn't extremely sick when I finished. I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I made it to the end.

This morning was a completely different story. I stayed within a .2 mile stretch, and I would run to a marker as fast as possible, then recover and repeat. I did this series 5 times. By the end of each burst my throat was almost closed--it reminded me of my exercise induced asthma episodes as a youngster. When I finished the whole routine I could barely lift my legs enough to walk up my hill. I sat down in a chair and I was incredibly dizzy--the whole world was spinning around me. I felt sick to my stomach, and I finally had to lie down. I am not sure what was going on...but I felt like I was having a reaction to a medicine. I feel better right now--several hours after my morning sprints. Tomorrow I'd like to go on a long slow jog. Maybe I won't feel like I am going to die.

Other than exercise, I found 3 critters this weekend. I saw a dead snake on my running route (which scared the crap out of me nonetheless). I found a dead mouse in my pantry when I moved things out of it to clean the floor. And, I opened my window on Sunday to find a turkey standing on my front steps. I guess that's what happens when you live on a farm. But, there's nothing I can do besides prepare myself to find critters around every corner.

Jordon brought home some awesome dryer sheets this weekend--Snuggle pomegranate something or other--and they smell so good! It's amazing how much smell a little sheet can infuse in a whole load of laundry. I'm also using Hawaiian Breeze Febreze on the couch and in the car...it's equally amazing!

Until next time...

Silent Alarms and an Epiphany

Last night I went to bed with the following intention: wake up at 6:00 and go for a jog with my sissy-n-law and the husband man. At 6:10 I heard a phone ringing, and I realized I falied to turn my phone sound back on after church last night. I was suddenly awake, jumped out of bed, pulled on my running shoes and barrelled out the door. I jogged a mile! WOOHOO! I was going uphill to begin with, and I could hear my usual funky breathing pattern *in in in in out out out out*. I kept telling myself that I felt great--and it didn't matter how slow I was going. When I topped the hill, however, I started to feel good. Unnaturally good. I was sort of happy, and excited, and just...??? I am not sure what was going on. My breathing slowed, my throat opened up, and my legs found a different type of rhythm. I paused after .5 mile to talk to Jordon, and then I took off again. After jogging the hill and getting to within a tenth of my stopping point I ran as fast as my legs would take me. The feeling of finishing a mile in the morning was great, and it took only about 3-4 minutes for me to recover. I basked in the joy of being tomato-faced and noodle legged.

Jordon was kind enough to make my lunch and perk a pot of coffee. I was able to get ready and out of the house on time. Here's the clincher--and something that happened last week--I left the house in disarray (well, my definition of disarray). There were 2 dirty bowls on the counter, jackets and shoes scattered about, and papers lying on the end tables! I have to say that the feeling I get from jogging is much better than the feeling I get from straightening things and washing clothes. Chores will never be done. The floor will always get dirty. Clothes will always need to be washed. The kitchen counter will need wiped down. The stove will get greasy. But, the road will always be there, beckoning me in the morning--waiting for our meeting.

I've never been a jogger, but I think I am beginning to like the idea. I may be losing some weight, but that feeling is no comparison to having more energy and a better outlook. I hope I continue to get motivated to lace up the sneaks and pound the pavement. I am not going very far yet, but I will continue to improve. I am so glad the sun is finally warming up our part of the world!

Biking and Jogging and a Little Inspiration

I have been biking or jogging every day for probably two weeks now. I have made a habit of doing some type of physical activity daily--and it gives me so much more energy. I finally lost the 4 pounds I gained back (after losing them) on my diet. I feel so good lately! My legs are working better, and my clothes are fitting looser. I still eat when I am hungry, but I don't feel like I have to be a hog. For some reason I am not really thinking about food--I am thinking about being active.

I still have my morning cup of coffee with creamer, and I will usually have an omelet or a bowl of cereal with fruit. I have been enjoying asparagus, blueberries, grapes, greek yogurt, and ricotta cheese these days. I have to make myself eat on a regular schedule or I'll get pretty hungry. My favorite snack these days is the Skinny Cow white chocolate mint truffle 100 calorie ice cream bar. They are big enough to satisfy my sweet tooth, and they don't seem like a 100 calorie treat.

I've been doing a little yoga lately. I find that when I am anxious about something I can calm down by laying down on the mat and doing a few poses. I also concentrate on my breathing, turn off all the background noise, and do some stretches. After about 5 minutes of calming down I feel much better! I've also been doing some planks and bridges to strengthen my core and legs. I can definitely feel the soreness even after several days.

I will be adding some distance to my daily jogs. I have been doing sprints at the end of the route, and my heart just thuds and thuds, and my face turns beet red. But, there's nothing like the way I feel after going out for a jog--no matter how long or short. Fresh air and sunshine make the world go around.

I have been praying much more lately--to myself and sometimes outloud. I have been specifically praying for God to work on me. I got tired of asking God to "help me be a better person," or "lose weight," or "be a better example." I don't know what I need to change, but God does. I trust that He can change me in ways I don't understand. I don't have the power to change myself; He is powerful enough to change me. I just have to stop and ask sometimes.

Awesome Friday

Yesterday evening I had a great cookout with Jordon's family. We had hamburgers from their very own beef cow, and it was very tasty. I was able to leave food on my plate--something I have been seriously trying to do.

After dinner I went for my first mile jog in months. I didn't stop at all, and once again I kept up with Sara. And once again I had to stop and throw up when I was done. AHHHH! When I was finished, my face was red and very hot; my legs were cold. I had to lay down for about 15 minutes to get myself back to normal.

This morning I went for a .6 mile jog in the cool morning air complete with bright sunshine. I really think my mood is better when I get exercise.

I accomplished yet another feat today--I left the house with my bed unmade, clothes in the washing machine, and things laying on the end tables of the living room. I figured it was more important to visit with momma for a few extra minutes as opposed to tidying--which I can do later.

Until next time....

Still Jogging

It's Friday--that weekly holiday in the workplace where blue jeans are welcome (along with t-shirts and tennis shoes). I am looking forward to Mother's Day celebrations with Jordon's mom this evening. Tomorrow I will hang out with my momma and go wherever she wants.

I jogged yet again yesterday, and I went further than I have been going. I usually only go .4 miles, but yesterday I went .6. I also did my pushups and some stretching when I made it home.

Earlier this week I jogged with Sara, and we went about a half mile. The mayflies are horrible, and it was drizzly, so I wore a hooded sweatshirt and jogged with my head down to avoied eating any bugs. BLEH! I kept pace with Sara--a 6 ft. tall college volleyball player, and I was very happy! The last time I jogged with her I had to stop and throw up. This time I stayed right behind her and stayed in step with her. Left right left right....

I have to make myself do some bit of jogging daily. I am telling myself that I have to start somewhere, and I can work my way up to a mile, then 2 if I keep trying. It's perfectly fine to start at a short and slow pace. I can't expect myself to wake up one day and run a 5k in 20 minutes. I'd quite possibly pass out.

Breakfast lately has been one single bowl of cereal instead of 2 bowls. If I want some ice cream, I'll have it. I bring two snacks for work--one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I also eat one sandwich for lunch and quit. Yesterday's dinner was baked asparagus and mashed cauliflower. I was definitely missing carbs and protein there...but it was filling enough that I didn't have to eat a thing the rest of the night. I had eaten a candybar and some brownie with ice cream at lunch !!!!

When I'm at home and I want something sweet I head for the pantry. When I get there, the only sweet thing I see is cereal--and I have to save that for breakfast. I have table sugar in there, but what on earth am I going to do other than eat it from a spoon? I know I have cake mixes, but I don't see them because they are 7 feet up in my kitchen cabinet, and baking them would require me to make a mess then clean the mess...so it is a great deterrent! I keep sugar free popsicles on hand, and I limit myself to 1 or maybe 2 a day. Otherwise they upset my stomach REALLY REALLY BAD. I have some skinny cow white chocolate mint truffle 100 calorie ice cream bars. I had one the day I bought them, but I can't bring myself to eat the rest yet because I don't want to run out in the event of a major craving!!! I allow myself one cup of half-caff coffee in the morning with a generous amount of creamer...right now I am really in love with the International Delight Almond Joy creamer....

When I venture down to the in-laws I head straight for the pantry and dig into pop tarts and pringles...soo good!

Jogging, coffee, and magazines

I ditched my high protein, low carb diet 2 weeks ago. I have gained all my weight back since then, but I have decided to be alright with that. Instead of obsessing about my food, I eat what I want to eat when I want to eat it. Sometimes I have too much. Sometimes I am not hungry at all. I guess the best way to deal with food is to not worry about it.

Instead of focusing on what I'm putting into my body, I am focusing on what I can get out of it through activity. I have been walking regularly; I feel much better, and I am in a better mood overall. I have started a very small jogging route. I can currently go .4 miles without being too worn out. I am trying to get to the point where I don't huff and puff anymore before I add distance. I was able to go slightly faster yesterday, and I had a smoother stride towards the end. I have been jogging without a stopwatch or iPod. I have found that if I jog for the sole purpose of a better mood and satisfaction I feel better and look forward to it. I have been telling myself that a small amount of activity is better than no activity at all.

I have also tried a new approach to my evening.  I have been going home, changing into old clothes, and heading straight outside. I will walk or sit down with a cup of decaf and read one of my 4 magazines I receive each month -- Health, Shape, Self, and Fitness. Then when it gets dark I head inside and begin to tidy up the house. I start in the living room and work my way counter clockwise until I reach the kitchen (the biggest job by far). Going outside gets my mind off the imperfections in my organizational structure. I am not sure if I'll ever be satisfied with where things are in the house.

It's almost Mother's Day, and I am looking forward to spending some time with Mom this weekend. I feel an iHop trip coming on :)

Until next time...

Easter Candy Crazy!

Sunday marked a great day to be eating Cadbury eggs and  chocolate bunnies. I received a small Easter basket, and luckily some of the candy still survives in the pantry. We also got some cheese sticks and slim jims. I could eat myself silly on slim jims. Yesterday I went home and suddenly remembered I had a chocolate stash, so I ate chocolate until I was on a sugar high. I had Reese's and Kisses and eggs and a crunchy chocolate bunny. I am saving my chocolate covered marshmallow cross for another day.

Dinner was great last night--grilled kielbasa with onions, peppers, and mushrooms. I had a couple of handfuls of potato chips. I also tried a sugar free Klondike bar. I wasn't thrilled with it. The chocolate had a chemical-ly taste to it, and it was sour/bitter tasting. The ice cream inside was very good.

I couldn't bring myself to sit down after dinner, so I ventured outside and walked around the yard for a good hour. It was dark by the time I finished. It felt nice to get fresh air and talk with Edie.

Saturday morning I jogged for about 7-8 minutes. Sunday I jogged the same route--only faster--and I was sick by the time I finished. I had to lie down. Yesterday morning and this morning I jogged the hill in front of my house 5 times. I know exactly when my legs are going to start burning and my chest is going to get tight. My recovery time seems to be getting just a tad shorter. Walking the hill is getting easier, though, and it has been since I moved and started walking it regularly. I have found that I get ready more quickly when I get up right on time and head outside. I think the light and fresh air make me feel more awake and motivated. It has been close to 60 the past couple of mornings; it feels great to go outside in a light jacket and capri pants.

I am finally finishing "The Memory Keeper's Daughter." I have been reading it for well over a year now. Reading gives me a sense of accomplishment in the act of sitting still. Summer offers a great time to sit outside in the sunshine, get a tan, and read books or magazines. I'm not sure what I'll read next, but I am looking forward to the search.

Birthday Weekend Fun

I was on a roll last week. I felt great, and I wasn't even thinking about sweets. I had lost about 4-5 lbs. Then Saturday came along. Oddly enough, I had forgotten to eat until about noon. By that time I was starving. I had some sugar free pudding and an egg. Then I got in the car and headed to town. I was so hungry I was sick, so I stopped at McDonalds and got the only thing I could think of -- a Big Mac wrap and french fries. MMMMMMMMM. The salt on the fries and the starchy goodness was enough to send me into a sodium filled carbohydrate high. I immediately felt better--no sign of a headache or stomach ache. This could have been my treat if I had only stopped there. But...

It was several hours, 3 test drives, and 2 car salesmen later. I was disappointed that I couldn't afford a Toyota Corolla that I loved--low mileage, smooth ride, great looking car. It was then I decided that I couldn't go another minute without Cold Stone Creamery. I decided Saturday would be my treat day. I hadn't had anything "bad" in almost 2 weeks (the longest in years!). I had a No Fair Funnel Cake topped with cheesecake ice cream, whipped cream, powdered sugar, strawberries, and strawberry syrup. I was in heaven! But, in true binge fashion, I wasn't finished. As I was riding back home I decided that if I found a pint of Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Bun Swirl ice cream I had to eat that too. Low and behold, I found a pint at the local Wal-Mart. I dug into that too! I also had 4 Kazoozles and 4 Starburst. I was sick by the time I made it halfway home. UGH. I went home and ate half a bag of popcorn. I am guessing I let myself go wild because I didn't know when I would experience the sugary goodness again.

Sunday was a good day. I was extremely tired, though. I took a 2 hour nap then a 3 hour nap. Paul & Edie had a birthday cookout for me, so I had a hamburger sans bun. I enjoyed one slice of angel food cake topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Then I left the table to distract myself from eating more.

Monday I began phase 2, so I added a serving of blueberries for a snack along with tuna salad on one slice of whole grain bread for lunch. Tuesday was my birthday, so I indulged in 2 scoops of ice cream and several slices of home made strawberry cake specially made for me. Last night I felt bad for eating so much, so I decided to have some popcorn too.

This morning I had bran cereal with soy milk, and some ricotta creme. For snack I'll have greek yogurt with splenda, blueberries, and peanuts. Lunch will be tuna salad and broccoli with hummus. I didn't plan dinner, which I now realize isn't a great idea. I can usually get access to grilled chicken wherever I go, or I can have a hamburger without the bun. I am drinking lots of water today; I have cut back on the carbonated drinks. I was having a couple of cups of coffee with sugar free creamer in the mornings, but today I didn't have any. Luckily I haven't developed a dependence on caffeine. I am grumpy when I try to wean myself off coffee.

I worked out on my total gym a little this morning. I had it folded up and put out of the way for a few days...which made me forget about it. I missed the Biggest Loser last night, so I will have to catch up on that before next week.

I plan on losing the weight I put back on, and I will walk somewhere today. I will also do my regular 10 pushups a night. I have been forgetting to do those.

Until next time...

Almost 11 and still not hungry??!!

This morning I was working and it was almost 11:00 when I realized I hadn't had my snack for the day. I reached for a string cheese and 15 almonds. I was very satisfied. Lunch was boiled chicken, celery, dip, and sugar free jello. Right now I am feeling a little hungry, but I think I also may be thirsty.

I wanted to share a food diary entry from about 5 weeks ago.

6:40 – 1.5 cups of coffee with creamer
7:00 – BLT on white wheat bread H=2
10:55 – medium banana H=5
11:07 – 1 medium cucumber peeled, H=1 CRAVED FOOD
12:00 – 1.25 c pasta salad H=1
12:06 – 2 kiwis H=0 CRAVED SWEET FOOD
12:15 – Diet Mountain Dew H=0 CRAVED SWEET FOOD
1:10 – no cravings, not hungry
1:43 – H= 2
1:56 – H = 0
2:27 – 1 small apple, 2 tbsp peanut butter H =3
2:39 – very satisfied
3:36 – 4 stalks celery, 2 wedges laughing cow cheese H=3
3:48 – feeling good
4:06 – drinking lots of water
4:32 – H=5
4:36 – Dizzy and light headed, had 1 mug of mint tea with 2 packets equal, and a
Monterey jack cheese stick H = 6
6:03 (at the church after riding exercise bike for 30 minutes) – H = 5 garlic biscuit
1 c. spaghetti with meat and sauce, ¼ of 8 inch custard pie (egg based with crust)
2 chocolate fudge shortbread cookies, went and rode exercise bike 10
more minutes. The whole time I was eating I was thinking “oh my gosh that
tastes so good! I want more food and sweets especially! I love sweet stuff!”
7:10 – 1 soft peppermint , wanted a flavor in my mouth

These days it's easier for me to resist sugar temptation. I feel like I have come so far. If the weather is nice this evening I think I'll go for a long walk outside. Yesterday evening I relaxed, had dinner, made lunch, finished my laundry, cleaned the kitchen sink and counter, watched a movie, and drank 2 tall glasses of sugar free pink lemonade. I went to bed before 10. It was luxurious!

This morning I sauteed asparagus, green onion, and celery; then scrambled egg and mixed it in. It was better than I expected. Then I topped it with delicious shredded cheddar cheese. When I get home I will have a fudgesicle. I am really wanting some chocolate right now!

I have a grocery list so I can start adding foods back to my meals. I am looking forward to greek yogurt, popcorn, peaches, grapefruit, all bran, apples, and blueberries. I had been eating myself silly on strawberries and grapes before, and now I am going to eat other fruits in moderation. MMM MMM.

Tuesday is my birthday, so I will likely have cake. I am going to have Tuesday as my splurge day. It'll be a 2 weeks and one day since I started my new eating regimen. Wish me luck! I will be kicking myself at the end of the day for enjoying myself so much. But, I must have cake and ice cream!

Until next time...

My black pants fit again!

This morning I woke up to find another pound gone, and my black dress pants fit nicely again. A couple of weeks ago they were snug in the belly, and I had to keep readjusting them so they wouldn't squash my belly. For breakfast I had 2 scrambled eggs with cheese and some cucumber. (It was a little old and bitter so I had to throw some of it away). I was especially hungry mid morning , so I had a string cheese, some celery with almond butter, and about 6 almonds. Lunch was blackened talapia from Ruby Tuesday with steamed broccoli and mashed cauliflower--something I have been wanting to try. It tasted essentially like mashed potatoes--I may not have known the difference.

Yesterday I had one small bite of a strawberry chocolate egg. Then several hours later I had about 2 bites of a peanut butter egg dipped in butterscotch. Luckily I was able to stop myself before overdoing it. It felt so weird to be tasting something that sweet. I had some tuna salad on one slice of whole grain bread for dinner. It was strange to be having a piece of bread, but I thought it was ok since my sugar cravings are almost gone.

I can definitely say my sugar cravings have gone down a lot. I do get tired of all the food preparation in order to stay on the straight and healthy. Jordon makes my lunch for me, so that helps a lot. I am focusing on making one change at a time. Right now I am overhauling my eating habits, but I am doing what I would usually do for exercise--walk, pushups, biking, total gym. I am waiting until my food intake becomes second nature before changing anything else. I had a week to prepare to begin my diet, and I think that helped a lot. I used to binge on one day and then say, "Tomorrow is the day." When tomorrow got here I hadn't changed a thing. So, I had a whole week to talk myself into my new mindset about food.

I have heard myself saying that if I am bored I can do things other than eat candy and pastries. I still don't like to talk about sweets or see pictures of them. I need to get a picture of something sweet and look at it and say, "That's sweet, but it is not good for me." I feel like this would help me re-train my brain to want foods that will fuel me and keep me from being tired or sluggish. Knock on wood I haven't had my 3 o'clock sleepy spell in a couple of weeks. However, when it's about 9:15 I am ready to go to sleep.

Yesterday evening I did something very good for myself. I decided before I left work that when I got home I had to sit down on the couch, watch TV, and ignore my housework. I always seem to walk right in the door and start my chores. Yesterday I allowed myself to put one load of laundry into the washing machine (because clothes wash themselves these days; all I have to do is sort and fold them). I sat down on the couch with a lemonade and watched Gilmore Girls on DVD. It felt nice to do nothing. Normally I don't like to sit down for any length of time while I'm at home.

After I did my spurt of straightening and cleaning I went to P&E's house to watch another episode of The Biggest Loser. It's one show that I must watch! I am thankful, though, that I can see the episodes the next day on www.nbc.com/biggestloser. I sit intently in front of the tv and watch every second of the show (up until 9 o'clock at least). I check the next day to see who was sent home.

After I have gotten used to my new eating habits, I am going to set a new goal. I printed off a couch to 5K plan today. I will take this home and study it; then I will decide when to start. I looked at a calendar, and I am thinking about starting on May 30th. That should give me enough time to get completely into my eating routine, and it will give me time to psyche myself up. But, I haven't completely decided on what to do yet. That's why I am giving myself a month and a half to see how I feel about jogging.

Until next time...

Still sore from the Total Gym--but looking forward to it

I used my Total Gym on Sunday night. I didn't feel the soreness until last night when I tried to do my routine again. It was then I realized everything I'd heard about weight training was true--do not train on consecutive days. Yesterday was definitely my day off. I can't wait to get home this evening and go again. I feel so much better since I have been watching my sugar intake and doing more activities like walking and biking.

Last night when I made it home I wanted to do a couple of crafty things--I got 2 shadowbox frames and put artificial flowers in them with backgrounds to match my rooms. I had lower back pain--which I can immediately diagnose as a side effect of stress. I kept getting that adrenaline rush that tells me it's time to lie down and rest for a few minutes. I decided to let the house stay exactly the way it was, and I went to bed. This morning I felt pretty good.

I put on a pair of pants that were recently a little snug; today they are feeling much better. I can see a difference in my appearance through my shoulders and a small difference in my hips. I am still working on losing a couple of pounds this week. Jordon has lost 12 pounds in one week. I can definitely tell a difference in the way his clothes are fitting him. He looks great! He is slowly adding back a fruit and a serving of whole grain bread daily. I haven't missed the bread at all.

This morning I had an apple fritatta. Jordon was skeptical to eat a dish with eggs and apples in it, but he said that after he quit thinking about what was in the dish and just enjoyed the taste he actually liked it. I have decided that I love to drink the Crystal Light lemonade in the mornings. In the evening I add a little Mio. I add Mio to tea, soda, lemonade, water (and other things I am sure...); it makes a drink a little different than just plain.

Today's lunch will be boiled chicken and celery. This morning's snack was 14 almonds and 1/4 large cucumber. Dinner will consist of a meat and asparagus which I made this morning. I am thinking of making tuna salad with some celery cut up in it for dinner. Dessert will be yet another sugar free Fudgesicle.

Before I end today's post I have to brag. I had one Fudgesicle yesterday evening. Then I quit. That's quite the feat. I ate one outside, and then I distracted myself with something else in order to let myself be satisfied with only one.

Until next time...

7 Days--4 Lbs

I never thought I would lose 4 lbs in a week. I understand that aside from The Biggest Loser, 4 lbs is not a reasonable amount of weight to lose. I'd say it's water weight, but I do feel better. My pants are fitting slightly better since last week; I don't feel as puffy-stomached as I did last Monday. I have certainly noticed that my cravings are going away. I never thought I could be in the same room as a piece of raw cookie dough and not eat it! Plus, the church is making Easter eggs right now, and I have had ONE. I ate it before I was trying to quit the sugar anyhow.

Saturday morning I had a boiled egg and celery with dip. Then I went to iHop and had an omelet and NO PANCAKES. I didn't even want a pancake. Then we went to Sam's Club and walked through the bakery section. I saw all the cakes and pies and I wasn't even craving them. The oddest thing was I couldn't even imagine what it tasted like. I could for a second, but then it was gone. Sadly, I didn't have water with me, and I was thirsty! I kept thinking, "I need water and vegetables or I will be hungry forever." I cheated a little bit by having a banana and a V-8 Fusion...but that was only because I was traveling in the car, was hungry, and had failed to prepare by bringing enough snacks. Mom had some chocolate flavored almond butter---delightful! But that was pretty much like eating plain chocolate.

Sunday was great, I took an 8 mile bike ride followed by a 6 mile ride. I also brought my Total Gym to the house and did a round on it. Jordon and I worked with eachother and traded reps while the other one rested. I could have used a nice tall glass of milk, but sadly we didn't have any at the house. I didn't cheat at all yesterday even though Mom and Dad had ice cream sandwiches and peanut covered drumsticks at the house. I made myself stay outside for the majority of the time.

I had my snack--cottage cheese with splenda, vanilla extract, and cinnamon...It's delicious! Also, I can't get enough Jello and whipped cream these days. It's addictive! Here's what's funny...Jordon made my Jello last night and informed me that in addition to boiling 8 oz water and pouring in the packet I needed to add 8 more ounces of cold water. No wonder the stuff was so delicious! I hadn't watered it down enough. It also wasn't especially jiggly...but Jmans looks a lot better than mine.

Right now it's 9:49--breakfast was a bacon, egg, cheese, scallion omelet. I needed some veggies, but I forgot to eat them with my meal. I am feeling a little hungry right now, but I will have some celery with a little bit of almond butter. Lunch will be boiled chicken breast and celery with sour cream dip. I will have the sweet cottage cheese as a snack...and I will probably have my Jello and whipped cream here. I haven't planned dinner tonight, but I will be making my asparagus and having one sugar free fudgecicle for dessert. Tonight I plan on jumping rope with Jordon...we like to coach eachother and have little competitions.

Until next time...

Day 5, and back on the bandwagon

I did pretty well Monday thru Thursday day. Monday I did have one setback--getting sick from stuffing my belly full of broccoli and having to soothe an upset stomach and nasty taste in my mouth with ONE scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Yesterday I did great, I had my usual eggs with cheese and green onion for breakfast followed by some celery when I made it to work. I was not hungry at all, but I had one spoonful of peanut butter at 10 snacktime. 12 lunch came around, and I had one chicken breast fried in olive oil by the Jman. I also had about a cup of asparagus--which I LOVE! I felt awesome throughout the rest of the day. I had to have 1 little snack cup of sugar free jello to stifle my sweet tooth.

Then I went home.

I had one sugar free fudgecicle. Not a bad choice. Then I had about 3/4 cup of cottage cheese sprinkled with splenda, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. If I had stopped there I would have been in good shape...but that wasn't the case :( I escaped the pantry and fridge for a little while to clean all the windows on the outside of the house. I have never been fond of a latter, but I was able to maneuver the thing all around the house to get my windows sparkly clear.

Then to P&E's house. I had intentions of going to see Edie and asking her to come outside for a while. When I found her asleep on the couch I made a beeline to the M&M's on the counter. One handful gone. I paced. Another handful gone. Then I said, "You must go outside and get your mind off this!" Now, once again, this would have been an admirable stopping point for a serial sweet eater like me.

I eventually made it back to P&E's house--where the delicious food lives. (I cleaned my pantry and fridge and the only thing to tempt me is hot chocolate...but I have really forgotten about that stuff). Jordon admitted he had a burrito, I praised him for having something that he wanted...and one of them....I would have had 10 cupcakes if they were around. But he said he wanted cereal...so I thought I had to have some too. I had raisin bran topped with multi-grain cheerios and drowned in 2% milk. I felt like I was in carb-Heaven. Sadly, that still wasn't enough, and I figured if I had splurged that much I may as well have whatever else I wanted. And taa-daa--M&M's again. Two more handfuls went down the gullet and -- SURPRISE!-- no more M&M's in the house. But, I found one more stash--the sugar free chocolate wafers hidden in the pantry. I had 4. Then I was done.

I did my nightly ritual of getting the kitchen clean and shiny, then I made my chicken--which I just had for lunch. I also boiled 3 eggs (which took the plunge this morning when I dropped every one of them in the floor when I made it to work :( ) I still had celery, broccoli, and cucumber at work, so my vegetables were covered. I moved on to the Jello. I made 4 little containers and one big container with double the amount. I just love the stuff, and I can't get enough of it. The store bought already made stuff just isn't at great as the kind I make out of the box at home.

Now, this morning I was ravenous when I woke up...something I hadn't experience in several days. I realized this is a result of my crazy bloodsugar from eating the M&M's, cereal, and chocolate wafers yesterday. I waited until I was spiffy, then I made my breakfast--only this morning I cheated and put an apple in with my eggs...and it was great. I added some cinnamon and splenda. MMMMM MMMMM. I also had 8 oz sugar free Jello topped with light whipped cream. I just needed a jolt of sweetness on my tastebuds.

By 10 I wasn't hungry at all. But, I had some cucumber and dip anyway. Lunch was the baked chicken and more cucumber. I'm in good shape about now. My weight went down and then popped right back up to the starting point. I will begin to ride bikes when I get it over to the house. I am looking forward to doing something fun that isn't strictly exercise.

I hope to do well tomorrow--I'll be around town all day and there are so many good food choices !!! I have convinced myself that evening of bad eating does not a bad dieter make.

Until next time...

I can't even look at broccoli

Yesterday I was feeling great! I had breakfast and didn't even think about food again until my scheduled snacktime. After some peanut butter, I was feeling good. Lunch came along, and I had some chicken that Jman prepared. Then I tried to eat my 2 c. of vegetables. I had broccoli--not a good idea. I ate so much that I started feeling sick. This was noon. By 4:00 I had gotten sick to my stomach and given up some of the broccoli. YUCK!

This morning Jman had lost 4 total pounds. I gained 2 yesterday...but now I am back to square one. I don't feel very hungry, although I have had some heartburn.

My favorite foods so far are baked string cheese and sugar free Jello with lite whipped cream. Maybe today will go better.

Day 1--9:22 AM Feeling Good

First of all, I walked a 5K Saturday, and I felt like I was going to die at the end. I kept up with my 6 ft tall dad, and he walked at full speed the entire time. It took us about 50 minutes to complete the walk. My legs are still sore--and it's Monday. I would love to walk another race sometime.

I went crazy this weekend with my food! We ate cereal for a week to get it out of the house, and we finally depleted our supply on Saturday. Yesterday was my last day of junky eating, so I went hog wild! I had oatmeal for breakfast with Hershey's kisses and graham crackers. I was ready to get rid of the kisses in the pantry, so I heated those up in the microwave with the rest of the graham crackers and ate them up too! I made it until about 12:00 noon and went to the gas station and got a Little Debbie cream filled chocolate chip cookie and split it with Jman; then we ate almost a whole bag of buffalo pretzel pieces. YUM! Mom and dad had dinner for us--roast with carrots and potatoes, biscuits, freshly baked cookies. I had 2 bicuits, and 2 cookies, and 1 raw cookie dough plop. YUM! I had to take a 3 hour nap just after that.

This morning I had a Diet Rite Cherry Cola, 2 eggs cooked in olive oil with a slice of ham and some cheese in the middle...Jordon made an omelet. I also had broccoli dipped in mayonnaise with some "Slap ya Mama" Cajun style seasoning. Lunch today will be chicken cooked in evoo, with more broccoli. Snacks: celery and sugar free jello.

We took our measurements last night. I am at my highest weight and largest circumference. I hope to take those numbers down a few notches. This evening will consist of a walk with Edie along with some chicken or beef for dinner.

More to come soon!

I wanted to give you a few examples of what I love to do!



Smore's Cupcakes



Buttercream Swirled Confetti Cake



Chocolate Filled Peepcakes




Sour Cream Pumpkin Bundt Cake

 



Raspberry Kissed Lemonade Cupcakes



The Last 4 Days of Sugar Binges

I hate it when people say, "You're so small."

Yes, I understand that I am in good health. My weight is fine for my height. But here's the deal--I am a perfectionist, and I know that I can always do better.

I love cupcakes, I love to bake them, read about them take pictures of them, EAT THEM! I feel like I am in hog heaven when someone says, "OHHH, I love your cupcakes!"

This week I had to donate a trash bag full of clothes--not because they were old or worn out--but because they didn't fit me anymore.

A little more than a year ago I lost about 10 lbs, and I felt awesome! I was able to wear sizes I had previously scoffed at when looking at size labels. I could say to myself "No, you don't want that 3Musketeer's" But then one day something changed, and I started eating and eating and eating. Here's something funny; people say, "I never see you eat anything but healthy food!" Well that's because I put on a show; in actuality I eat whatever I can get my hands on. If I'm at home I'll take a spoon to the pantry and eat spoonfuls of peanut butter until my mouth is glued together from the paste-like goodness. When I really want a treat, I'll find the bag of miniature marshmallows and shovel handfuls into my mouth until I am dizzy with a sugar high.

Saturday evening I was with a friend, and I noticed she was so skinny. She told me about the South Beach diet, and I was envious of her success. So, the next day I ordered a book about it. My husband said, "Do you want to try this diet?" I am a newlywed, and I was thinking--WHAT AN AWESOME WAY TO START OUT! So, tomorrow I am sending a list with him to the store and we are going to get his ball rolling on Monday.

We have been eating our supply of sugary cereals this week--chocolate covered shredded wheat, honey bunches of oats, fruity pebbles--along with our inventory of fruits and sweet yogurts. I am a frugal shopper, and an obsessively neat person--nothing is ever in the right place. I can't ever have every dish cleaned. My closet is never organized enough.... and I can't imagine throwing away perfectly eatble food (although I have pumped kitchen soap into jars of frosting and bags of marshmallows and trashed them in order to avoid yet another binge).

Monday we will begin our South Beach Diet journey. I only need to lose about 10-15 pounds, but I am confident that I can learn to control my sugar cravings. I already eat lots of vegetables, so the hardest part will be kicking my sweets in the patootie. Each time I have a bite of a peanut butter filled Easter egg I think, "I will miss you so much!" And I get teary eyed when I see my collections of cupcakes and other sugary treats displayed on my social network page.

Before I leave today I have to say that I think DIET is another "four-letter word" that I hate to say. The word diet makes me envision carrot sticks (which are not allowed on phase 1 THANK GOODNESS) and water and miniscule bites of steak or chicken. I want to change the way I think about food...and I need a better thing to do in my free time than baking cupcakes and doling them out to folks.