Closed for the holiday. See ya next year!

Monthly Update

Uggh! It's amazing how unnecessary I find the need to update is when I'm not on program. I started off November the same way I started off August, September and October - gung ho! For about 1-1/2 hours... Then the excuses started. Might as well wait until after my birthday. My birthday fell on a weekend so I might as well wait until Monday. I had some REAL soda left over on Monday so I might as well finish it up and start on Tuesday. I'm going out with a friend on Wednesday so I might as well wait until next week. We're having the company TDay potluck luncheon on Friday, so I might as well wait until Saturday and then do a nice weekend fast. I woke craving pizza on Saturday so I might as well get it out of my system. And since I'm not fasting after all I might as well buy that roll of cookie dough at the store. And since I ate both cookie dough and pizza I was too full to finish off the pizza so of course I might as well wait until Monday to start. That will give me Sunday to finish off the pizza and cookie dough.

So here it is Sunday night. I've felt stuffed and completely bloated all day from the pizza and cookie dough. So stuffed that I just can't find any more room in me to finish off the cookie dough. Which means that I have an excuse not to start again tomorrow...which means I might as well wait until after Thanksgiving to start, right?? Grrrr!

I give up pretending for now. Apparently I just don't want it bad enough at this time. Maybe next year will be better.

Oh, well at least I don't have orange hair any more. :)

Bad, It's Really Bad

Someone shoot me, just shoot me now! Tomorrow is the wedding. Since I didn't lose the weight I was aiming for, I was desperate to do something to make a prettier me. I decided to make today a day of beauty.

1. Highlights - just a wee bit. How hard can it be. I mean, it's not like I'm going to dye my whole head. The box lied!! What appeared on the box to be pretty little blond highlights turned my hair orange - BIG TIME! And I didn't even put in the big stripes they showed - I just did two or three hairs at a time! I tried to make an emergency appointment with a hairdresser for a fix but I can't get an appointment before I leave for Tennessee in the morning. I want to cry.
2. Manicure - nails will be soooo pretty. And they did....until I went to get my keys to unlock the car door and messed up 3 nails! But I walked back to the salon and they said no problem! They took the polish off all the nails and re-added it, made me sit under the nail dryer for 30 minutes and off I go again!! Now, here it is almost 10:00 and what do I see but 4 nails with the tips messed up. So once I finish this blog post I'm going to take off the polish. That was wasted money. I'm not a nail polish type of woman anyway. But still, I really want to cry.
3. Face/Eyebrow wax - While I was getting my nails done, they talked me into getting my eyebrows waxed (they do look great! But my eyebrows had a nice shape to them anyway so that's not the beauty bonus I need at this point) and my face waxed which I've wanted to do (I hate those little chin hairs!). My face was extremely red afterwards but that didn't bother me because I knew that it would just take it a little bit. But now the general redness has left, but I'm getting red splotches and bumps all over my face!!! Forget about wanting to cry, I did cry!!!!
3. Spanx - I bought a pair to help suck up some of this extra weight. I decided to try on my dress to see how it looks with the Spanx. OMG!! I can't even get it over my hips!!! And I now realize that I got the Spanx in a size smaller than what I should have so here's another $30 I've wasted and the store won't be open before I have to leave in the morning. The good news is that because I'm stuck mid-way in the Spanx I had to stop crying because a) I can't breath so I have no air in which to create more sobs and b) I can't move so I dare not allow more tears to fall or else there is a chance that I will drown.

If I could, I would just not show up for the wedding. But that's not an option.

But all is not lost - the car rental place accidently gave my reserved car to someone else so they had to upgrade me. So I got a SUV (which will guzzle gas, but it's my vacation so who cares) instead of the mid-sized car that I was going to get.

Autumn

Have I mentioned that Fall is my favorite time of the year???!!!


(another post to come over the weekend after I install my new keyboard. I just want to say that I love Autumn!!!)

And the answer is....

I posed a survey to my fellow workers today with a majority vote resulting in a surprising (to me anyway!) outcome....only 2 of us chose foot over hand!!

The question was:
In a public bathroom (I'm posting a picture so that you can mentally remove the image of a home toilet from your mind!) do you flush the toilet using your foot or your hand?

This question came up today because I went to my manager's office to fill out a workman's comp form. As I explained to her...I was in the rest room and when I went to flush the toilet my shoe flew off. Of course I jumped forward to catch it before it fell in the toilet bowl. But I mis-judged it and I tripped and hit my head on the stall wall. Her question to me wasn't "are you hurt?" it was "what were you doing flushing the toilet with your foot??"

I know you wash your hand afterwards but, ewwww!!! Not to mention the fact that the handle is so low that if I were to bend over using my hands there is a chance that my boobs would fall in the bowl!!

P.S. I really wasn't hurt so flowers aren't necessary. :)

Well Crap

That 4 letter word pretty much sums up the essence of me...

I feel like crap (what do you expect when you can gain 10 lbs in 4 days, or 30 lbs in 1 month???)
I look like crap (why couldn't I have been cursed with zits in my teens instead of waiting until my 40's???)
I'm eating like crap (no excuse, just stating a fact)
My legs appear to be crappy 'ol balloons (I swear - I measured my calves this morning and they are 3 inches bigger than they were last week...EACH!!! Fluid, fluid and more fluid!!!)
There is a crappy 'ol golf ball stuck in my throat - or at least it feels that way!!
And this damn "c" key is sticking so bad that it's ticking me off every time I type CRAP!!!


But other than that....I'm doing great!

It's Not Easy!

I've dreaded typing on the 'ol blog again because of my keyboard. (If you see any extra c's behind my d's ignore them...it just means that I didn't catch them). But life goes on. :)

Someone posted a thread over at 3FC's about this lifestyle seeming to be too easy. I am so jealous! It is not and has never been easy for me. I'm constantly seeing, hearing about or smelling temptations that call to me. No matter how good the soup (clear broth of course, not cream) I'm eating is, I'm always wanting some of the "good" food. And it's not like I just haven't given this enough of a chance because I went through 1 whole year (2003-2004) near perfect and I went 7 months of near perfection this time round...I always wanted something! This re-start has been no different. The first week I did horribly giving in every time I turned around. This week I'm doing better but it's harder than ever to resist the evil foods. But the bottom line is that I have to keep trying. I can tell such a different when I go OP - not just physically, but mentally. So I moving on. No, I'm not going to make my 100 lb loss goal by 10/06/07. No, I'm not going to make my goal for my niece's wedding. And no I'm not going to reach Onederland by my 50th birthday. But I'm still putting up a fight.

On to something else... I was getting ready to go to bed Thursday. I was chewing a piece of gum (I will go to bed with gum in my mouth - the next morning it's still good!). I got the hick up's. I woke up the next day with my gum stuck to my lampshade. Guess that was the result of a HUGE hick up!

:)

I'm backkkkkkkk......

Not doing good

That's actually an understatement! I don't know what I need to do to get my focus back but I am going to continue trying. I will make it!!!

Yesterday I went to get my eyes examined. And I spent almost $1000 on new glasses. I was going to get both glasses and contacts as this is an "odd" year and I give contacts a shot every other year. But the vision office personnel had the personality of a cardboard box - from the receptionist to the doctor. They had basically almost pushed me out of the office before I realized that they weren't going to do the contact portion (they said they forgot). The doctor was already with the next patient by that point, but they were kind enough (that's sarcasm!) to offer to put me down for another appointment. Grrr!

Today I went to the car wash to vacuum my car. Apparently I'm still not used to the new vision prescription because I actually turned into a brick wall. I hate getting old!

Oops!

Inquiring minds want to know how I can do so much cardio without dropping dead of exhaustion or boredom...

I can't!! LOL Today I could barely crawl out of bed. And as far as the boredom goes, I've just accepted that I hate exercise but that I have do it if I have any hope of getting this weight off. Going to the gym helps - I'm so busy watching the TV, watching other people to see how they use different machines (some...actually most of them, still scare me!) and my new favorite thing is the rowing machine - I set it on Fishing mode and try to beat my previous scores (the better/faster you row the more fish bite the dust!). But it gets harder all the time because once I get used to something I lose interest (i.e. the pool - talk about boring! It's fine for 30 minutes, but I'm having trouble maintaining my hour goals).

Food wise - I sucked today! Actually if I were following my normal 1200-1500 goal I would be fine, but I'm really wanting to keep it under 1000 this week. That didn't happen today.

Calories: 1221
Exercise: 1 hour bike, 30 minutes treadmill. That's it...
Weight: Down 7.4 lbs (4.6 lbs to go!)

That's better

Calories: 793
Exercise: 1 hour treadmill, 30 minutes bike, 30 minutes rowing machine, 30 minutes weights.
Weight: down 5.6 lbs (6.4 lbs to go)

It could have been better

Calories: 1177
Exercise: 30 minutes bike, 30 minutes treadmill
Down 1 lb...11 to go.

Pick An Adjective

a) angry?
b) disgusted?
c) frustrated?
d) all of the above and then some....ding, ding, ding, ding!!!

When I lose control, I really lose control. So, last week I said that I wasn't going to weigh myself because I just knew that I was going to gain. Of course, I had to weigh myself - I just couldn't stop myself! I was up 2 lbs. But everything was ok because I got back on program on Monday and by Thursday I was back down into the 20's (just barely). But then I totally lost it again. Between Thursday night and this morning (count it, that 3-1/2 days!) I have managed to gain back those 2 lbs, PLUS an additional 10 lbs!!! Yes, that is correct - not only have I knocked myself back out of the 20's but I've also knocked myself back out of the 30's!! I checked my weight log - it took me 9 weeks to lose those 12 lbs!

That's it - no more excuses!!! I'm back OP and until I lose those 12 lbs I can't have anything but lean meat, fruits and veggies...no Laughing Cow cheese, no 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream, no fat free salad dressing, no pickles, no starchy veggies, no popcorn, NO, NO, NO!!!


Awww, crap! I just remembered that my mother is coming back through town tomorrow and I promised to take her out for her birthday. OK, change of plan. NO MORE EXCUSES except for the birthday dinner.


Pick An Adjective: Ticked - I have never been as ticked off at myself as I am right now!!!

Calories for the day - 860
Exercise - 50 minutes bike, 30 minutes treadmill, 15 minutes rowing machine and 20 minutes weights.

Hate - It's a strong word

I hate my job.

Nuff said.

Danger Will Robinson!!!

OK, I have no idea what brought it on, but it came with force!!!

A Binge!!!!

It was horrible - and I mean it was horrible!! And yes, I thought that a couple of months ago when I had the bad day. But this weekend was horrible!!!!



Are you beginning to get the idea that I had a horrible weekend food-wise?? LOL Oh, well - it's over with. I've done good today. And I am not stepping on the scale for at least 3 days - I know there is absolutely no way I haven't gained and I'm not going to let a bad weigh-in mentally bring me down.

*shudder*

Biggest Loser

I thought this was interesting...

Fat Chance

What? Another Entry So Soon???

This one will be quick(er). I have an announcement, an event and a recipe.

Announcement:
Today is my official weigh-in day and I actually gained a little....from yesterday. BUT I still get to ring in a 4.2 lb loss for the week which gently throws me into a new decade!!! I wasn't going to make a big deal of it because there's a good chance that tomorrow I'll be back up a few ounces (that seems to be how my body works!). But on the drive home I figured out a way to avoid slipping back into the 30's...I'm just not going to weigh tomorrow!!!


Event:
This is my basic exercise plan.

• Monday - 30 minutes - 1 hour cardio (machines, walking, DVD's whatever) and 30 minutes on the weight machines for abs, back and butt.
• Tuesday - 30 minutes - 1 hour cardio. 30 minutes -1 hour in the pool.
• Wednesday - 30 minutes - 1 hour cardio (machines, walking, DVD's whatever) and 30 minutes on the weight machines for arms & chest.
• Thursday - Tuesday - 30 minutes - 1 hour cardio. 30 minutes -1 hour in the pool.
• Friday - 30 minutes - 1 hour cardio (machines, walking, DVD's whatever) and 30 minutes on the weight machines for legs.
• Saturday - 30 minutes - 1 hour cardio. 30 minutes -1 hour in the pool.
• Sunday - 30 minutes - 1 hour cardio.

Since today is Tuesday, I got to enjoy the pool! In my laps I noticed this guy in the lane next to me. When he swam to the end of the pool, he put his feet and calves over the edge of the pool (I actually started to suggest that he use the ladder, because I thought he was trying to get out of the pool in a slow motion, reverse sort of the way!). But what he was doing was sit-ups! He would sit up and touch his knees (which were right at the edge of the pool) then lay back so that his upper chest and head went under the water. Of course, he made it look so easy that I just had to try it myself (after everyone else had exited the pool of course). Do you know how hard it is to throw your legs up over the edge of the pool???? It was almost impossible!!! But that seemed like child's play compared to the next step. I laid back into the pool (picture: HEAD UNDER THE WATER!) and found that I didn't have enough strength to do the sit up!!! That wouldn't have been so bad, but it's almost like with my head under water, my brain wasn't able to communicate with my legs so I couldn't get my legs down off the pool edge. There I was on the verge of drowning and all I could think was "Please God. Don't let anyone walk in and see me this way!". Luckily I must have splashed enough water to make the pool edge slippery because I finally made like a seal and slid right back into the water. The good news is that the concrete at the edge of the pool seem to have acted like a depilatory....I bet I won't have to shave my legs below my knee for at least 2 weeks!

Recipe:

Meatloaf Muffins

1 lb. ground turkey (ground beef can be used, but turkey has less fat)
1 box Stovetop Stuffing Mix
1 medium onion
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 egg whites
1 cup hot water
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1/4 cup ketchup

Mix Stovetop Stuffing & water in a large bow. Stir with a fork until moistened.
In another bowl mix the other ingredients together.
Add the stuffing to the other ingredients

Spray muffin tin with Pam.

Fill muffin tins almost to the top with the meatloaf mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

12 servings - 110 calories (+/- a few calories depending on which stuffing mix and which ketchup you use)

The Much Anticipated Update

My one person audience requested an update so here it is...

After my slightly disappointing weigh-in two weeks ago, I was really anticipating a great WI last Tuesday - or if it wasn't a great WI I was looking forward to at least seeing the same loss two weeks in a row (which is rare for me!). And guess what!!! I saw the same 2 this week!!!! The only problem was that my 2 was proceeded with a "."! So even though I've bumped up my exercise my old nemesis .2 is still following me around. But that's ok - I'm seeing some good numbers so far this week and I'm not planning on letting anything throw me off program so I'm pretty sure I'll be seeing at least a 2 lb loss next Tuesday.

Exercise - I've managed to get to the gym every day except Sundays and one Monday (I was experiencing some digestive problems and just couldn't see myself running downstairs fast enough to reach the restrooms if the need suddenly arose!). I was going gung-ho there for a while, but I've pretty much brought it back down to 1 hour. I do 30-60 minutes on the bike at home every morning before I go to work so I'm still working out at least 1-1/2 hours per day which is good.

But the big news is...I finally got in the pool!!! I would drag in my bag every day, and day after day that bag would go back home with me unopened. Finally on Wednesday I said "No Excuses" and took the plunge. I checked the pool area before going upstairs to do some cardio exercises and there were 3 women in there...all of them were skinny but at least they were women and they were few. I worked out upstairs for 45 minutes then came back downstairs. Checked out the pool area again and there was only 1 woman in the pool (I don't know how many people were in the hot tub since it sits off to the side). So...NO EXCUSES! Unlike others there, I need my privacy so I ended up changing into my suit in one of the tiny little bathroom stalls. I waiting until I could hear no little footsteps and came out of the stall in my suit...with my beach towel sized bath towel wrapped around me! I crept into the locker room (ready to scamper back quickly into a stall should I hear anyone coming) to lock up my stuff. Then...NO EXCUSES! I walked on out to the pool area. The 1 woman had left the pool so I had the area all to myself...EXCEPT for 3 men who had appeared since I last checked it!!! Thinking back there was probably nothing that could have gotten me into that pool faster than the thought of all 3 of those men waiting in anticipation for a glimpse of my spectacular body slowly being unwrapped from the bulky old towel! I did the towel drop and the 10 foot walk to the pool in 2 seconds flat!! Safely under the water (I actually had to scrunch way down because the first part of the pool is only 3-1/2 feet) I was in heaven! I walked the pool, did kicks and even swam for almost 2 hours!! I was feeling so good that I wasn't even fazed when I finally got out and caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror only to see that my eye makeup had run all under my eyes and they were very red so that I looked like a rabid rotund raccoon! Bottom line is that I've been back in the pool two more times since Wednesday and I've reached the point where I'm not even checking the area first...I LOVE THE WATER!!

Disappointed, but not defeated

I'm down 2 lbs this week. I've got to admit that I was hoping that my new exercise routine would send that scale spiraling downward so fast that I'd be at my mini goal in no time!! Oh, well at least I didn't maintain for the 3rd week in a row. :)

Step 2

I had a busy day yesterday.

I went to the Vitamin Shoppe to check the Gnu bars that I'd heard about. I ended up buying some whey powder mix (strawberry), ground flaxseed and a couple Gnu bars. The only thing I've tried so far is the Gnu bar which I'd heard great things about. I was less than thrilled with it (they have diced plums or something in them so it had a real fruity taste which is not what I want to taste when I'm eating a brownie bar!) I also bought a walnut/banana bar - I don't think I'll mind a fruity taste with that one since it's supposed to be fruity. But overall I do think that I will be safer with them than I am with the Fiber One bars which are EXCELLENT but I cannot seem to always stop at one.

I went to the gym and walked the treadmill for 45 minutes, 20 minutes on the elliptical, 20 minutes on the bike and 30 minutes with weight machines for arms and chest.

And I went shopping. I bought 2 new pants outfits for work. One is a real pretty green and the other is a more casual outfit in brown (I also bought a pair of brown sneakers to go with this one...I wanted something totally not me). Both outfits are size 18!!!! Now, I wasn't able to fit into everything I tried on in size 18, but the 18's were fitting me more often than not. I spent 3 hours trying on clothes - that is a record for me.

But on to Step 2 (drum roll please) the most important thing I bought was....

A bathing suit!!!

I don't know that I'll get up the nerve to jump in the pool at the gym in the next few days, but one way or the other I will be in that pool by next Saturday at the latest!!! I know the dressing room at the department store had skinny mirrors because I actually looked good in the suits I tried on. I fell in love with a skirted tankini but I was afraid that the top would float up and my boobs would float out so I decided to stick with a one piece for now. :)