snow snow snow snow SNOOOOOW!

i love white christmas, love. i can't believe it's december already and i've been terribly lacking in blogland. i feel like i have lots to report, but then not much at all... it's been an interesting month since i last posted.

first off, i ran the 5k! it was 38 degrees and raining the whole time. i failed to prepare my outfit, so the thermals and track pants i wore were continuously falling down, lol. it would have been one thing if i had been out running alone, but i knew many people were seeing the hilarity of my wardrobe fail (which made it that more hilarious). oh, you should have seen me running while hiking up my pants! the course was on the bike path along lake michigan, it included 2 slight hills and 1 pretty significant incline. my time was 34:11 and i was thrilled! that was my longest run outside ever, and really only my 4th or 5th time running outside in general. i've been keeping up with running, but haven't pushed distance yet. i'm not sure if i want to or not. a 1/2 marathon would be pretty awesome though... let's see... i'm pretty steady as far as my weight, but after a trip to new york and recently going out more, i think i need to make a few better choices.

and in some breaking news... the wednesday before thanksgiving i met someone, and he's pretty wonderful. we've been hanging out a lot, and i'm not sure what's happening really, but i like it. he's fond of giving compliments, i'm terrible at taking them, lol. he knows how much weight i've lost, telling him was a huge load of my back (lol, no pun intended), but i am still getting used to myself.

i hope everyone who reads this is happy and well!

having a goal

i think everyone loves the idea of a goal. after losing much of my weight in a relatively short time period, i was spoiled with results. yesterday, i watched a weight loss vlog and was reminded of the journey, but also how hard it actually was. lately i've been brushing it off and i think remembering the struggles helps remind me of the whys. i like to have a goal to keep my momentum. my goals are now mainly fitness related, and although i don't think it's harder than when weight loss was my main focus, it's a struggle of a whole new kind...

i think everyone loves a challenge, and i'm no different! to that end, i'm super excited to say i've found a 5k run/walk that fits my schedule! it's thanksgiving day morning, and all the participants will bring food donations and the money from registering will go to local food banks. i'm very excited, and kinda scurred, but it's a fantastic way to start off thanksgiving day. not only because it's an awesome way to help out the community, but it will also put emphasis on health... on a day, like most holidays, normally considered an all day food fest. i have to figure out what to wear, and i think i'll test out the course pre-thanksgiving to know what i'm getting into :) i'm sure there will be lots of families and a very relaxed atmosphere, so it should be a good time. yay!

i haven't been around much, but i wish you all well and i hope to get back into the swing of blogging soon. i seem to not have much to say... or when i do, i can't blog! lol.

content

i'm feeling really great this week. and there are many reasons i shouldn't... the epic fail of spinning, the confused puppy waking up at all hours of the night, the fact that next weekend is a work weekend (so i'm on day 3 of working 12 days in a row) and the scale has been a little higher than i want it to... but i'm feeling good today and i'm figuring it must be november :)

spinning class was a fail, but didn't actually happen... the time slot i chose only had me sign up, so they said i could join a different one. but i'm either working or at puppy class during the other times. i'll have to wait til the spring session (where i'm sure more new years resolution people will join or the puppy class will be over) to suffer through it. i think i'll try and sneak in some time in the spinning studio beforehand to get an idea. it sounds like you either love it or hate it, and i might as well find out which side i'm on! i'm still running a few times a week, but i'm worried about winter. i get into that "bundle up in a blanket and watch a movie" mode when it gets cold out. btw i get cold so easily now! i guess my higher weight provided insulation or something because i think my body temperature is very different. interesting. it's also very frustrating to not have clothes that fit, it's awesome, but sad when your favorite things don't fit anymore :( i wore a packer's fleece sunday and it was like i was wearing a blanket. sorry for being that jerk who's like "i'm too small to wear this!" but it blows.

halloween was good times. i was sue from glee, basically a blonde wig and a tracksuit, lol. i decided to not drink at all and i had loads of fun. towards the end of the night, they busted out rock band and the new beatles game... i had never played it before and loooved it. all i did was sing, but it was so much fun! we killed it.

faux weekend

i'm at my part-time job! so far so good. it's really long hours every other weekend, so this weekend isn't real. although i can bring my computer to work and watch the packer game, so i'm not complaining.

last night i ran 5k in 33:40, best time yet and boy did i feel it! tallulah has somehow gotten into a schedule of having to go outside at 4am, and that's no good... so we're experimenting with feeding her at a different time. also at puppy class they said not feed the puppy dinner before class... and it's at 6pm! and lasts an hour! she is gonna be ravenous.

i signed up for an indoor cycling class at the y, it starts nov 2nd. i've never been on a spinning bike, so this should be hilarious, fun and/or painful. i will report my findings at a later date.

wading

it seems like lately, i'm just wading. i work, it's not terrible, but it's not challenging. my life feels like it's at a stand still, and i need a jump start. then i remember the mountain of student loans in my name, and push those thoughts to the back on my mind.

why!? why would i just drift? i don't want to, i see it and i act as though i can't help it. i obviously need to take some action, and i'm not sure what that is yet... be it a new creative outlet or pursuing more social activities. i saw a posting for a racquetball class at the y... maybe something like that... both social and active would suit me. i really want to run an official 5k, but the fall dates all conflict with my new weekend job. in addition to me being scared, lol. i need to expand my horizons. i've been on the look out for book club, but it seems only middle aged ladies rock a book club. maybe i'll venture to start one of my own. suggestions are welcome!

size 7

no, don't get too excited... i definitely don't fit into a size 7 pair of jeans. but for me, this size 7 makes me feel just as elated. :) so if anyone is planning on proposing to me, 7 it is!

i know i've mentioned my previous sausage fingers before and idk what ring sizes mean to most people, but for me... when i was at my biggest, the options for rings were few and far between. i was solidly a size 10, sometimes 11. in addition to not being able to find any, who on earth would want to display something on a finger that they'd rather no one look at? i felt that way about myself in general, and being able to now buy rings/clothes/shoes (i recently discovered i can wear knee high boots, they zip up and everything) is somewhat a vanity thing... but it also proves how much my mind is also changing. i will wear this cute/pretty/sexy thing because i am confident enough in myself to be noticed. idk if that quite makes sense, but i'm chugging away at this process still... learning and growing one day at a time.

in 2 days, i will have been at this for a solid year. holy buckets.

boston quickie

last weekend was amazing. my college roommate and i flew to boston saturday morning and returned sunday night. the trip was centered around a rockapella concert at berklee. we had vip tickets to see the sound check and meet them before the show (i bought them for her bday). her favorite member is leaving the group at the end of the year, so it was perfect timing.

it was a fantastic trip, but i definitely ate and drank my way through boston (and i liked it). here is my lunch from sunday, and don't be fooled there's like 2 cups of mash potatoes under there... idk what irish bacon is, but it's delicious. and then i assisted my friend with her fish and chips, lol.

on sunday afternoon we went to the last regular season red sox game! any time in fenway is a good time. the weekend was so wonderful, and then this week i was offered a part-time job! it's every other weekend, pays well, is near home and is in a laid back atmosphere... i'm excited! i start this sunday afternoon for training. that's my week in a nutshell!

tomorrow i'm going to a wedding west of milwaukee and then driving down to chicago for the jonathan coulton concert! it's gonna be a good saturday :)

bright deliciousness

i was particularly fond of my food the past few days, so i thought i'd share the wealth :) first is my 3 egg pepper and sausage omelette. after spending the weekend with omelette making geniuses at the cabin, i've been on an omelette kick. i like that the cooking process involves a level of difficulty (which makes me think of like olympic diving, lol). i think i'm improving at my skillz, ha. then i had some baked tilapia with zucchini, squash and tomato. i'm so accustomed to having red, yellow and green on my plate! i'll have to create some new combos to keep up my color pallete.



and here's tallulah looking innocent...

i'll post again later this week about my super exciting weekend plans... i love a mini vacay!

toora loora toora loo-rye aye

meet tallulah! one of my friends said the name made her think of the song come on eileen, hahaha.

the weekend was raucous. we had a grand ol' time, and my camera battery died immediately upon arrival... so here is the one and only pic i had on my camera from the weekend... of bubba franks the cat, he's not a fan of the papparazi...
i hope to get some of the many pics my cohorts took. it was a good time, but i think i may have caught a cold from one of my cabin folk :( i'm doing all that i can to prevent a full blown chest cold, but it's looking grim. if you think of me, think clear nasal passages and a full night's sleep... here's hoping!

mother trucker

truckin' along. workin' for the weekend... because this weekend is another college friends cabin extravaganza!! i'm making us tacos friday evening! yummos. i hope to get some choice pictures to share with ya'll :) we tend to take a lot of pictures when we're together, lol.

i'm feeling good about the week so far, but the weekend is quickly approaching. i will go to the y right after work today. do laundry and weekend trip shopping tonight. the pupster is doing well, no name yet... but i have til tomorrow (self imposed deadline). she is very good at doing her business on newspaper when no one's home, and she seems to be getting used to the schedule i've devised for her. of course, still adorable as ever, and she is teaching my mom's beagle (the one rescued from the puppy mill) how to truly play!

i don't mention my weight much, but i am still a daily weigher. and i missed my monthly update! this past tuesday marked 11 months yo. i am happy/irritated/proud/disappointed/confused/excited that i was able to maintain for the past month. maintaining a normal healthy weight is what this whole jazz is about, so that brings me the joy/excitement. i even had a doctor's appoinment last week! my first physical since high school basically... because i avoided the doctor like the plague, lol. ashamed of my weight, ashamed of my body... you know the old story. i knew i needed to go, and i weighed in at the doctor at 156.8!!! on the doctor's scale, in the middle of the day with all of my clothes on... (i wore lighter clothes and flip flops on purpose, hahaha). she was very nice, and like most things you irrationally fear... it really wasn't too bad after all.

at this point my weight fluctuates up and down between 153 and 158. i am in dire need of toning up, so the exercise bug better stick! i want to be healthier, i want to feel stronger and i want to feel confident... i've made huge gigantic steps in each of those areas, but this is for life and i'm ready for more!

sleep deprived

i bought a puppy!!

it was planned, yet spontaneous. she's from the humane society and she's a shepherd/border collie mix. right now she's 8 weeks 5 pounds, but that will be changing rapidly! i'm hoping she doesn't get too gigantic, but 50-60 pounds is likely. i wasn't planning on getting a bigger dog (although all my family dogs have been big, and i tend to like them better than smaller dogs). i was thinking smaller for apartment renting purposes in the future...


but i'm positive having a great dog will outweigh the apartment finding woes. she doesn't have an official name yet (strange because i always name animals immediately, wild animals, squirrels, strays... and i'm having trouble with picking the right one for her)


she's a baby baby so sleeping the past few nights has been short and filled with puppy whines. i'm pretty ruff this morning, it's almost like i haven't slept at all or was out on the town hittin' it hard, lol.


my exercise routine was a little off because of the little pup, but i'm working on a new schedule... and maybe i'll have a new jogging buddy!


right now i'm drinking some yummy yogi chai redbush tea with a bit o' cream, i highly suggest it!

darn you pants!

the 3 day weekend was nice, but i somehow ended up extremely tired/crabby/sassy on monday evening. it made the whole weekend seem lackluster, and i think it related to me having a couple oc moments with food. i really needed to eat those darn baby dill pickles!? like it was my job. and by those, i mean like 20. pickle binge!

i somehow stayed on track exercise wise. sunday: 2 mile jog, monday: 2.33 HIIT outside!, tuesday: epic ymca pants fail followed by shred 1&2 in a row...

the ymca pants fail made me soo mad! i bought these new workout capri pants about 2 weeks ago, they are a large and are somewhat low rise compared to what i'm usually comfortable with. they are cute though, and i feel good in them... or did. they've done well so far, but tuesday night they were determined to fall off... hardcore. i was fine during the fast walking warm up, but as soon as i switched to jogging, they continuously slid down, blaarg! and i know everyone will say it's a good thing... they are loose yadda yadda, but i'm convinced they are merely stretched or something, they are a large! i sense it may also have to do with the increased speed of my jogging, since i'm a movin' a bit more. i'll keep them for a less motion filled workout like pilates and switch over to shorts (aaah shorts! big steps people) for my jogging.

slpga

i often joke with my family about my future career in the senior ladies pga tour... i don't golf... at all. i mini-golf like any good person, and i may have gone to the driving range once with my dad when i was 12. golfing never really appealed to me, but my theory is that since i have yet to try it... it's possible that i'm awesome at it, hahaha.

a few days ago, one of my bosses started chatting with me about the city golf outing scramble. he also mentioned that one of their foursome may be bailing and that he has a set of ladies clubs he bought for his wife last christmas. today he said if the guy drops out i'm welcome to join them and that it's just for fun... i said i'd consider it. hahahaha, if this actually happens, it will be an anecdote in the making. i can just picture a scenario in which i hit someone with a ball and/or club. i may take a little trip to the driving range tomorrow to see how terrible this could go, and base my decision on that. this might be too hilarious to pass up though and maybe, just maybe... i'll start training for my career in the slpga (they don't use that acronym, but i do, lol). side note: a while back my brother looked it up and you only have to be like 45... wtf, that's not senior people.

3 day weekend! woot woot! i started it off with a trip to the y after work as this week's schedule included a HIIT session today. i decided to push out for a longer run. and i ended up with this...

3.5 miles in 40 minutes 20 seconds, that's my farthest distance and a slightly faster pace!

the schedule seemed to keep me on track this week, but i think most of my motivation came from all of you, seeing all the awesome progress in the blogging world... you guys are inspiring whether you are re-dedicating yourselves, owning your work outs or spreading positivity in general! and those who struggle own it too. today i love that word... seems strange right? to love the word struggle... but it indicates that you are wrestling your demons and working against odds. you aren't lying down or giving up, you are struggling to achieve whatever goals you have your mind set on. you are all in.

cheers to a brilliant 3 day weekend if you have one! i surely hope you all do :)

what's this feeling?

so for all you musical theatre dorks out there... my post title makes me sing loathing from wicked in my head... LOVE it. i also HEART glee, so if you haven't watched the pilot... watch it and then watch the premiere next wednesday. musical theatre dork tv heaven.

today, dare i say it... i felt cute! not like "oh, i'm not terrible looking", but honest to goodness attractive and i liked it. don't worry, i'm not getting all big headed or anything, but it was one of those firsts or realizations that made me step back. as a larger lady, i often felt that i looked good, but in all honesty i almost always had some sort of "but" to go along with that thought. "this dress looks great on me, but i wish my calves were smaller" "my hair is really shiny today, but my jiggly arms will distract anyone from that" screw those "buts" people!! we don't need them, no one should ever have to analyze themselves that way! i know i'll continue to do it (i'll strive not to of course), but i hope we can all have days like today where for some reason those "buts" were abandoned by the way side.

i realize this is neurotic, but we all seem to find the flaws in ourselves that others don't even notice... or they notice them and don't care! idk what about today made me feel that way. no one said anything out of the ordinary, no ups man gave me the eye (although i do love my ups man for calling me skinny and being proactive at telling me how great i look). it was definitely a fleeting feeling, but my word it was fantastic!

2 runs down, shred/pilates last night.... i'm feeling the burn folks.

cheers to getting rid of the "buts" as well as any extra butt you'd like to be rid of :)

feeling a wee bit puffy

the wedding was lovely! the bride was beautiful, the groom cried and we had some yummy cook out food for dinner. i was picture perfect as far as food goes yesterday, so why did i go salt crazy today?! idk. it was a choice (or several) and i made them... but now i feel like how a dirigible looks, definitely not lighter than air... blaaaah.

full disclosure: friday's run was a success, but didn't go as planned. instead of a 2.5 mile run, it became a 2.5 mile HIIT session. after 1 mile straight, i needed to slow the pace and decided HIIT would suit me better, for some reason i was lagging. it rounded out to 2.5 miles in 30 min 25 sec (a very similar time to my steady running). i was pleased, but a little irked that i changed it mid-run. i decided to include HIIT next friday, it might be the thing i need at the end of the week.

next week's schedule:
m - 2 mile run and weights
t - shred and pilates
w - 2 mile run and weights
t - shred and pilates
f - HIIT on the treadmill (40 min)

3 day weekend next week!!! i'm pumped... which means this week will be the longest week ever known to man.

busy bee

OMG YOU MUST GO SAY CONGRATS TO FLG ... C25K MADNESS!!!

just a quick update from me, i don't have anything as exciting to report as FLG :)

a friend of mine is visiting this weekend, yaaay! we will be going to another hs friend's wedding tomorrow (should be interesting, details to follow). i haven't seen the bride since hs, so who knows who else will be there... haha. i love a surprise.

the shred and pilates were a success last night, completed after project clean room/wash linens.

have a lovely weekend peoples!

ps 2.5 mile run this evening fo sho

fresh and so clean clean

mmm i love a good shower... after an awesome workout!

2 mile run - check.
weights - check.

i did the 2 miles in 23 minutes 22 seconds. faster than my 5k tempo, i think i'll push a bit more friday. i'm kinda excited about it!

i love love loooved every comment on my last post. thanks for giving me motivation for my workout fellow bloggies!

gosh darn it!

how do i feel like a slacker when i've dutifully done the 30 day shred everday for... let's see... yesterday was the 12th day... why do i feel like a bum?! i know why. i've only had 3 runs in that time period and i know i have to keep it up or i'll lose my progress! i also need to realize that if i do a run, i do not have to, nor should i really, do an extra work out if i don't feel the energy for it.

i'm very "all or nothing" with my work outs. i wanna push to my limits... or lay in my bed. now that i've done the 5k distance, i need to realize that not all runs have to be a 5k, i can run 2 miles and still have accomplished something grand. i get overwhelmed by the thought of running longer and totally flake out on doing it at all... lame. i wanna have the extra cardio and insane endorphines that running provides, so i'm gonna try posting a schedule that will keep me aware.

today: 2 mile run - weights
thursday:30 day shred and pilates
friday: 2.5 mile run - weights

okay 3 days. i can stay focused for 3 days... right?

i'm on it.

give me a goal i can sink my teeth into

"disappointment equals the difference between expectation and reality"

i think everyone who has ever attempted this crazy thing called weight loss has felt disappointment. as i was reading an excerpt from living the low carb life by jonny bowden... that quote struck a chord with me. too often i have expected results or set goals far too lofty to achieve... and what does that do? it promptly causes a crash and burn scenario. "well, i might as well not exercise today" or "if i'm not losing, why not eat this cake?"

unfortunately for me and for many, goals are what pull us through the crazy mess of weight loss. acheiving them gives us the mental push and excitment to stay on course. the key, i guess, is to make goals... but only those that are reasonable. i've learned to extend my deadlines and to see the positives in the day to day struggles. and yet, i'm still having trouble recognizing how far i've come, i fear that if i accept any sort of success... i'll become completely complacent and revert suddenly to my old self. irrational thinking, i know, but it all comes down to the mental aspect of weight loss. the part that i have to catch up on, and i'm guessing it will take quite a while. i lived almost my entire life as that person, i lived as an overweight girl who stereotypically relied on intelligence and humor to interact with practically everyone. don't get me wrong, i pride myself on both my intelligence and humor... but i look forward to getting to know this self, or maybe just reconcile what i thought i was and who i actually am.

thus ends my rambling for this evening.

in other news... today i jogged 5k in 40:42!! slow, but holy crap! the last 7 minutes were torture... well maybe not torture, but i sure as heck wanted to stop at every moment. (this feat gave me that super elated wonderful, i can do anything feeling) then i did the 30 day shred and thought "why on earth did i do both today?!", then i drank a ton o' water and took a well deserved rest.

droopy

my eyelids are droopy... that means i must must must go to sleep imediamente!

today's bullet points...

1. drank water with a fervor (that doesn't make much sense, but you catch my drift :D)
2. ate yummy foods, maybe a little too much... related to nerves i think... darn emotions! (see bullet number 3)
3. saw a posting for a local choir audition, practiced and went to said audition, passed scrutiny of the choir director (although i don't think the bar was set very high) pleased anyways.
4. decided to skip shred... then decided to do it... then decided to skip it... then did it (i'm a flip flopper on the exercise front)

cheers to hump day! have a good one folks :)

ps i was right about the bouncing of the scale... but i'm trying to stay focused on my fitness and athletic goals now, so the scale can do what it wants, biotch! (said to the scale)

pps i love parentheses. hahahaha.

bonkers

number one - confession. i will not be doing a run today. i will continue with the shred (this being day 3). i just don't have time before leaving for my mini-trip and i underesitmated the shred (see number two). lame excuse, but i'll take it as this is weigh in day and i'm pleased with this past months results.

number two - when i said that the 30 day shred wasn't that hard... i hadn't done it 2 days in a row! even that first evening i could feel it in my legs and i realized i'm not even using hand weights yet. i really, really didn't want to do it last night when i got home from the fest, but i did it anyway! yes, jillian i feel the friggin' burn and like any sane individual i loathe the squat. i will be completing day 3 momentarily.

number three - i made bavarian apple cheesecake and feel quite pleased with my baking abilities. i would show you a pic, but it's one of those not as beautiful as it is sooo delicious recipes, lol. also pleased with my ability to a have a sliver and be satisfied. it helps that it is crazy flavorful. :) i'll be taking it with me on my trip, to share the wealth!

number four - weigh in. to preface this weigh in, i really think this number is bonkers! (like crazy, not like bonkers the cat, who is also crazy i might add) i'm more than likely going to see a bounce back up tomorrow, maybe a pound (especially considering i'm heading off to watch a football game... including snacks, haha). i'm extremely happy about it though, and even with the possible bounce i'm looking at a 10 pound loss for last month and a few pounds past by weight goal! thanks to c25k again i believe, and of course sticking to my guns on the food front. well, i might as well show ya...

number five - this whole getting to my "goal" weight business freaks me out. i am very excited and feel accomplished, but i also know that i'm not as physically fit as i want to be. it also makes me fear any slight gain (i guess a little of that is good, but i'm a worrier by nature... i've never written worrier before and i think it looks funny, funny weird, not haha). at this point i will still strive to lose more, not sure how much just yet. i'll let my body do the thinking on that one, i'll just do the leg work... concentrating on toning and fitness. in short, i am far from truly claiming "goal", but i'm well on my way. thank you for all your support, even if i just steal your mojo from reading your blog... i love this blogging community and the insights it provides. i'll delve deeper into my thoughts on this next stage of weight loss via blog when i have a little more time to contemplate it. for now, have a great little saturday folks!

time flies

i don't think this work week was really that fun, but the time sure did fly. i ran both sunday and tuesday this week. this evening i realized it was too dark to run outside and too late to go to the y (it's only open til 9 during the summer, boooo).

in lieu of the gym, i decided to do an exercise tv work out. jillian michaels sucked me into her 30 day shred. it was a nice short work out, definitely got my heart rate up, but much lighter than my gym work outs. it was interesting to see which muscles i'm obviously not using enough of at the gym. i think i'll do the 30 day shred in addition to runs starting today. has anyone else done them? she also has a 2nd and 3rd level shred, that i may progress to if i don't get bored with her. she's sassy though, and i generally enjoy the sass.

tomorrow i have a part time job interview right after work, and then i'm meeting my sister at irish fest. another weekend, another fest :D at this one they have dogs! all kinds of irish dogs, irish ales and irish sausage. oh and irish dancing, irish music... you get the gist, lol. i'll have to do the shred post-fest and squeeze in a run saturday morning before i head to beaver dam. i'm singing at a friend's church sunday and we have to practice saturday evening... and watch the first packer's pre-season game! i'm really excited to sing a bit, it's been far too long. it's with a small group from my college choir, we'll be singing 5 spirituals, and i can't wait!

have a lovely weekend you! yeah, you! :)

down and dirty

a short one, as it is late and i have to work in the early am. i will most definitely try and sneak another more informative post in tomorrow at work. tonight i ran outside! much slower than on the treadmill i think, but total 2 miles running. i'll take it! i was pleased and it was beautiful tonight. we are right on lake michigan, so i ran along the lake and the marina. pretty, cool and peaceful. idk if it will become the norm or not, i just couldn't resist the perfect weather. :)

me post run

because sweaty face pics are all the rage
at the state fair last weekend there were pigs that loved one another...
pigs that liked to bite other pigs' feet...

gigantic horses! i swear this horse was 10 feet tall... pictured with my mom for scale... when he standing straight he looked like a loch ness monster coming out of his stall, serious...

and racing pigs! those baby pigs race for cheese doodles... when i was a kid they raced for oreos...

my boss is on vacay

is it bad that i kind of slacked off today? we just closed the month, so there is a lighter work load anyways. i just want the weekend to start already! i didn't really slack off, i just didn't look for extra work like i normally do. whatevs. the 2nd in command didn't notice/didn't care, so all's well. i'm one of those ultra loyal, crazy work ethic people, so it was quite different for me. when i had to quit my last job, i nearly made myself sick over having to tell them i was leaving. i definitely have issues. wah waaaah. i enjoyed the faux slacking though :)

i've decided summer is just insane, there is a festival every weekend and i just can't get enough of em. milwaukee is the best place for festivals btw. however, this weekend is the mother load... the state fair. this is an annual family extravaganza. we go every year, and as many of you might know... every state fair is centered around the local food delicacies. here in wisconsin... cream puffs, fried everything, fried meats on a stick and well, fried everything on a stick... the fair website now has a "food on a stick" section, no joke. i am prepared. i know what i will have and i will not be overwhelmed by the scents and ambiance of the fair.

of course, there are many things at the fair that are just as important as the food. the racing pigs. the kids from wisconsin (basically a show choir, i'm a sucker for singing/dancing troupes). cows! baby pigs! baby goats! baby animals of all kinds! (i try to not think about the impending doom of most animals at the fair, as the signs hang above them saying how much they cost per pound) and several local bands that i thoroughly enjoy. it will be grand. before that i'm making a quick trip to see a friend in a musical revue, which also fulfills my singing/dancing entertainment quota for the weekend. whew! it hasn't happened yet, and i can already imagine a nap sunday afternoon lol.

ps i ran 2.8 miles straight in 35.30 after work today and i am beaming, so please pardon the semi-rambling post. today was good. slow and steady :)

all i want for christmas is you

on saturday i bought a few dollar cds at half price books to have in my car. one of them was mariah carey's christmas album... i have heard it many a time and have it on my computer, but i couldn't resist it for a dollar. my roommate and i in the dorms used to listen to it on repeat all year long, good times. since buying it i have been listening to the track all i want for christmas is you over and over again, whenever the radio doesn't please me. (anybody wanna watch love actually? i do.) i currently have pandora set to a station based on all i want for christmas is you and it's making me happy to clean my room. christmas!

my last 2 runs have been consistently 2.5 miles and although i'm really eager to increase the distance (to the point that i'm kinda disappointed when i'm unable to push through it...) i'm happy to report i'm still enjoying it. the enjoying part usually comes after the run, but the post happiness is worth every second of "oh my god, what am i doing? why am i doing this?!"

having a clean bedroom does wonders for clarity of mind... i feel so fresh and calm... the christmas music ain't bad either :)

reefer madness

at work i update the fuel prices whenever we receive a delivery to our fuel site... and today i noticed for the first time that reefer is listed as a fuel type on the software. i'm sure there is some valid fuel explanation for this, but at the time i could only think mary jane and it made me laugh.

i made mock mash potatoes yesterday. basically mashed cauliflower, but surprisingly good... if you like cauliflower. i added a bit of everything to make it more like loaded mash potatoes... cheese, cream cheese, butter and salt. only a little bit of each to give it flavor and more substance. it was really simple... boil cauliflower til uber tender, use hand mixer or processor to mash them... add fixins. i will claim it as a successful new recipe venture, sometimes plain old broccoli just won't do it. i loathed cauliflower as a child... loathed, so i guess my tastebuds have adjusted or grown up too.

tonight i pushed the time just a tad on my run. total distance: 2.56 miles. i will gradually add to this distance and while i run i'll adjust the speed according to my breathing... i'll be adding time more often than increasing speed at this point i think. thanks for all the suggestions! i'll do what i can, and report back my findings.

now i gotta go fill my tank with reefer.

monday monday

morning all! another weekend filled to the brim has past. was summer always this busy? this is only my second summer with a full time job, so i guess i am not used to scheduling all the festivals and summer fun around work, lol.

germanfest was this past weekend, and you know i was there! my sister won a tuba playing contest, for serious (she does not actually play tuba... but she did get a first place medal that is engraved haha). we listened to a band from germany named chikera (i liked to call them shakira). they played traditional german stuff, who the hell is alice about 15 times and american wedding reception classics... like shout. it was entertaining and fun.

i then visited a friend who lives in the boonies... a mostly farmland area of wisconsin (like many areas of wisconsin). more fun was had and on the detour home i got some nice cow pictures. you can expect a detour picture log this evening. :)

i'm done with the 9 weeks of c25k, but not with a 5k yet. i'm trying to decide whether to increase time and speed, or to just increase time until i can complete the distance. i really enjoy doing HIIT on the treadmill, so maybe that will help with my endurance as well. considering that's how the first few weeks of c25k are designed, it may just work... hmmmm. and of course, my higher intensity portions are at a much faster speed than i can maintain for longer intervals. but i get equally sweaty ;)

and they'll never be lonely anymore

the wedding last weekend was a success. the bride (my step-sister) was happy/beautiful/giddily drunk by the end of the reception.

we went early saturday morning to buy centerpiece flowers from the farmer's market, and then arranged them... so the day was loooong. it was a lovely time though, and i enjoyed being a proud member of the dancing fools at the reception... i mean that's what wedding receptions are for right? dancing around like an idiot while others who wish they were also dancing like idiots watch. :) so. much. fun.

completed week 9 day 2 c25k today. it was hard. i need to prepare more properly food/water wise. i drink water all day long, but i've been going right after work to the y... i think i need to have a snack later in the afternoon to boost my energy for the work out. what do you guys eat and/or drink pre/during/post work outs? do you snack at all before? there's only one official day left, but i'm not to 5k distance yet... i won't claim to be a graduate til i do! i'll keep you posted on my progress.

here i be

a few before and current pics... hopefully soon i'll have some cute ones! hahaha.

I try to delete/destroy terrible terrible pictures on myself, but we were testing the features on my camera... so these before portraits survived. It's a complete guess (i never weighed myself before), but I think both of the before pics were at my highest weight... or more. The current portrait is from this evening, pardon the dirty hair and face :) The current full length pic is from july fourth weekend... so you may guess why i'm making a crazy face and acting silly. Please note the awesome pbr sign behind me and the fact that a game of bar shuffle board is in the works, soooo classy. i loaned my belt to the birthday girl... and those darn jeans had a mind of their own!

surreal

weigh in: 167.6... bachelorette party included HOLY CRAP!

i have lost 100 pounds. i've discovered that if i tell people numbers, the surprised reaction they respond with makes me feel more like they are thinking "oh my god you were that huge!" rather than "wow, what an accomplishment!" i think i'll just share with you for now. 6 more pounds and i'll be at the very tip top of the "normal" weight bmi range for my height, but i'm not where i want to be yet (body or fitness). my weight loss will be slowing and eventually ending, so i'm planning for the next step. increasing my fitness level and keeping exercise a priority are my main objectives right now.

my last week of c25k approaches. i plan on running in addition to some kind of organized weight program after i complete c25k. i have to do some research to figure out what'll be best. suggestions are welcome!

she's a maniac

:)

i'm happy because last night i went out for my step-sister's bachelorette party and i danced like a maniac. it was fantastic! i have never felt so comfortable in my own skin and it was great. last night made me realize that this healthier version of myself is more than just health or looks... it's that feeling. it's the feeling that drives me right now... not the scale, not the clothes size, not the way i see myself in the mirror, but the mindset that resulted from all the changes i have made. i felt no shame, no embarassment... where as in my old mindset i would have felt uncomfortable... almost like i wasn't the right kind of person to be there, let alone to be dancing and mingling. i am definitely not this self-loving and positive all the time*, but last night made me realize my self perception is changing in a good way.

i did have to delay a day of the couch 2 5k because of the party, but balance makes life better right? i'm thrilled to death for my sister and her fiance, and i can't wait to see her walk down the aisle.


*i reserve full rights to be debbie downer when i feel like it, but for now... :)

whipper snappers

i just wrote out a long winded post, and then the igoogle blogger gadget deleted it! bummer major. i'm sure it was longer than necessary though. here's a summary of the lost post:

- drank a lot july 4th weekend, 3 days in a row
- we realized we're not as young as we used to be... or maybe it's that we just don't drink every weekend
- i ate on plan most of the time
- the scale was kind monday, was up a bit but not as much as expected
- i am in week 8 of c25k
- my step-sister's bachelorette party is this saturday, the wedding is next saturday
- i don't have a dress for said wedding
- i swear i'm on plan most of the time, these posts make me look like a lush!
- i need to post more often and catch up with all of you too... i miss ya!

i love a paid holiday

today is my friday, i hope it's yours too! one of my best friend's birthdays is on the fourth, so celebration madness is about to occur. i'm driving directly after work to meet up with my college folk for concert on the square (the symphony orchestra in madison plays outside in the summer), followed by a show at the comedy club. more celebrating throughout the weekend.

last night i really wanted to go to summerfest, but my friend ditched because of the weather... but i went anyway! i actually really enjoyed going by myself. i'm a fan of people watching, so i got my fair share. there wasn't really any band i was going to see, i just love summerfest in general. i ended up watching "the band of heathens" full set, and i highly recommend them. they are from austin, and they are brilliant live. i would call them blues/country. i always reserve judgment on musical acts til i see them live, you must be good live to be a musician. i looked them up and they will be on austin city limits sometime in the near future, check em out yo.

i'm happy to say i successfully lost half a pound for jack's challenge! congrats to anyone else who participated and kicked that half pound's ass!

i was packing this morning, running late and forgot food for lunch!! :( i leave at 3, but i'm already thinking about food. doh! oh and i'm on track c25k wise. tomorrow will be the last day of week 7? idk what week, the one of 25 minute runs.

happy fourth everybody! i think in addition to celebrating my friend's birth, i would like to start a tradition of watching the episode of it's always sunny in philadelphia titled "charlie goes america all over everybody's ass". i love a tradition, lol.

jon bon jovi's bootay

he likes to shake it... end of story.

summary of the bon jovi concert experience: the audience was as hilarious as i hoped... bikini clad ladies, middle-aged women who have obviously been fans since the 80s and have refused to change their hair and clothing style... and drunk men singing without abandon who love jon bon with all their hearts and souls. sambora was awesome. their drummer was sweet too... and about 4 feet tall, i swear.

week 6 of c25k complete. 2/3 done! that's scary and awesome. today i ran for 25 minutes straight. over 2 miles running (jogging), ain't too shabby. this was really rough, not gonna lie. i don't think my body was happy about it today, i was already willing myself to continue after the 5 minute mark. i was thrilled to have the energy to do some weights after my run though, it feels like a more complete work out if i can manage that.

busy weekend ahead, sister's wedding shower tomorrow... i think i may need to re-assess my menus. i've been steady on the exercise, and the food might be slacking a bit. i might be over thinking things... i do that a lot.

happy wednesday!

in an attempt to up my spirits after seeing a not so nice number on the scale... and to also help everyone cool off in these craazy hot temps... enjoy!

JSKAHAHAPC Holla

All the cool kids are doing it. I am more than excited to join JSKAHAHAPC (Jack Sh*t’s Kick-Ass Half-Ass Half-A-Pound Challenge). The funny man himself has challenged those who enter to lose half a pound in a week... all bets are off bitches.

In other news, I rocked out Week 6 Day 1 of C25k last night, came home and felt the sudden urge to watch White Christmas... maybe it was the sweltering heat, so I did and loved it as always. I love an old movie musical. Snow, snow, snow, snow, snooooow!! Send a crooner my way.

Today's so far so good... had some delicious brats for lunch and now I'm in the planning stages of cleaning my room... in that I just thought of it. The next few weeks are gonna be crazy busy... starting with the BON JOVI concert on Thursday, the first day of Summerfest! I'm not a huge fan, but I know it's gonna be a fun/hilarious time.

I never use caps... and in this post I did... I'm feeling weird about it. I've decided to put full blame on Jack for this oddity as the caps resulted from my copy and paste of the challenge name. Darn you! :)

smiling

today i'm smiling, so everything will be okay.

this week was exhausting. i'm drained, so i'm hoping a long long sleep this evening will do the trick. thank you so much to everyone who commented this past week, it's nice to know you are all there even just in cyberland. hugs to you all.

today i'm smiling because after work i went to the y and completed week 5 of the couch to 5k. i didn't think i'd be able to do it. 20 minutes straight running... more like jogging at my speed ;) i listened to my own music since i didn't have any speed changes, i think that helped a lot. once i hit a mile, i was smiling for the rest of the run. it blows my mind that in high school, that was my most dreaded day... the mile in gym class. and now i'm doing it for fun! (well it is slowly growing on me, i think the milestones are what keep me interested) it was hard, but i did it... that's the story almost every week. each week surprises me.

and of course this past monday was my 8 month mark. so i've got a weigh-in to post.

june 15, 2009: 174.8

it was a good month, i think i have my new exercise routine to thank for that. i'll be recovering from this week for a little while, so i'm hoping to be solidly in the 160s by next month weigh in. omg. 160s... that's crazytalk. holy crap. and now that i wrote it down, it sounds absolutely insane. like i'm jinxing it or something. time will tell, lol.

thank you so much for reading and commenting! i really wouldn't be able to do this without all your support. you guys are the best, muah!

pause

sometimes i wish life had a pause button. for those really wonderful moments that you wish could last forever. or maybe just a replay button. thanks for all the comments, i'm okay or at least i know i will be. it was nice to spend yesterday with my siblings and my grandma.

i'll be heading to the y tonight, it'll be a nice release i think. i don't think i've slept enough as of late, so i'll try and get some extra zs tonight. my eye lids are heavy.

thanks for reading. i generally try to avoid being sappy, but go hug someone you love. hugs are where it's at.

...

my grandpa died on saturday. thanks for any prayers or good thoughts. he lived a wonderful life, i hope he can fly planes wherever he is now.

my boss, my workout buddy

i've mentioned this issue before, but yesterday right when i was about to start my first running segment i noticed my boss getting on the treadmill 3 over from me... and of course there was no one on the treadmills between us. i'm not sure why, but it was nerve-wracking. it probably has to do with the fact that he's a runner (he's doing the 10 mile run our town has next weekend and last year he ran it in an hour and 23 minutes... there is a 4 mile one every year as well... next year?!?). i felt pressured to go just a little bit faster on my running segments with him there... which was fine until i failed to complete my last 5 minute run. i did 5, but i had to slow it down for about a minute mid-way. durn!! the 5 minute runs are still hard as heck, but i do them, so onward!

i am again travelin' this weekend, but i'm gonna try and refrain from the alcohol (well let's say limit). my step-grandpa is not doing well, so it will be a short trip to return for family dinner on sunday. cancer sucks. i hope he is still up for some games of cribbage. if you get a chance think good thoughts for him.

btw, i heart you guys. your comments mean the world... your motivating words help me stay focused. i hope you are all well and have a lovely weekend!!

woah nelly

as you may have guessed i decided to take the one day delay, so i trucked over to the y after work for my week 4 day 2.

woah nelly! that was crazy hard! idk what is was about week 4 day 2 of the couch to 5k, but man i was struggling at the end. it's a brilliant feeling to be done and realize that you ran a total of 16 minutes! not straight, but i'm still amazed. it's 30 minutes post work out and i'm feeling quite chipper... it must be working! imagine a huge smile on my face!

my moving bruises seem to be healing some, and i no longer groan when sitting down or standing up lol. i think i'll take it easy tonight and hopefully i'll be back in pre-moving form tomorrow :)

oh i also forgot to mention the hilarious middle aged man who danced with myself and my two friends at the bar friday night... he told me that i don't miss a beat and that i have moves... hahahahha. i wish you all could have been there!

my body hates me right now

moving complete. i out did myself in many ways this weekend... and i have the crazy bruises and sore muscles to prove it. i was happy to help my friend, but my body was dead by the end of the weekend. as i type this, my forearms ache. luckily my couch to 5k run was saturday morning before the moving occurred, but depending on how i feel after work today there may be a 1 day delay in the schedule... i really really don't want to do that, so i'm hoping a lot of water and stretching throughout the day will help.

on saturday's run, i got a side ache... most likely related to the alcohol consumption friday night and not enough water beforehand... but the hundreds of stairs and heavy lifting both saturday and sunday were definitely bonus work outs :)

another weekend approaches!

yay friday! something must be in the air this spring because the 2nd of my 4 closest friends has broken up with her boyfriend... only about 2 months after the other one. i will be travelin' again this weekend to hang out with her/help her move out of the apartment they shared... yikes. the ex is leaving town for the weekend, but she basically wants to pack up today and tomorrow... and move out on sunday. did i mention she fractured her wrist last week? i'll be getting some extra exercise, lol.

i start week 4 of c25k tomorrow morning. aah! it'll be awesome.

say it ain't so is playing on my mp3 player, so i'm a happy girl.

have a wonderful weekend!

bicycle race is playin' on the radio

nothing like a queen song to lighten a blah day.

it's tuesday. it's been one week since my laptop got stolen. yeah, some bastard done stole my laptop out of our house... soo creepy. losing my pictures (only the last few months but all my progress pics) was worse than losing the laptop, it was 3 years old and ready to be replaced. i'm not sure how much longer i'll last without my own computer... but maybe that will be refreshing.

on the up side of life, i'm still on schedule with couch to 5k. yesterday was week 3 day 2 and that 2nd 3 minute run was challenging yo. aaand my mp3 player died in the middle, so i had to clock the last 2 run/walk combinations... worst thing ever.

p.s. i wish the thief would have stolen my scale.

i am a fan of tuesday mondays

i like it when the week starts on tuesday. maybe we can work on that happening every week...

the weekend was super fun and tiring! a few things i learned over the long weekend:

1. the ymca rocks for having the away program, allowing me to use their madison location and keep on track with the couch to 5k. yesterday was week 2 day 2!
2. i am too used to getting up at 5am... so staying up til 4am was not a good idea.
3. i have terrible short term memory sometimes... i borrowed my friends house key when i went to the y monday morning... and i still have it! i'm going to the post office after work to mail it back to her. luckily she has an extra.

we again ended up with free tickets to the brewers game tonight, so i'll be taking in some more baseball. i hate to go and leave early, but i also hate to leave tickets un-used... hmmm.

oh and i weighed in this morning 180.2 and i'm good with that. i'm trying to not be bothered by the scale (and of course failing most of the time, haha), but to concentrate on the couch to 5k routine. i will be starting weights again to go along with the running.

happy tuesday monday!

do the humpty hump

happy wednesday!

i managed to get to the y this mornin' for week 1 day 3 of the couch to 5k. the thought of staying in my bed did cross my mind :)

i can't wait for the weekend! i'm going to madtown (madison) to visit with college friends and celebrate a birthday. yay!

the y has an away program, so i can go to one of their local ys while i'm visiting... and/or run by lake mendota! sah-weet.

morning work outs

i completed week 1 day 2 of couch to 5k yesterday morning before work... meaning i got up to go to the gym at 5:20am. i start work at 7, so i wanted ample time to exercise, shower and get ready.

i'm hoping i can keep it up for the 2 weekday couch to 5k days i'll have each week (there are 3 programs each week and i'll be doing them on saturday, monday and wednesday), but as they increase intensity i may have to adjust to after work again. i felt great all day and i think working out in the morning makes for a more positive day.

in other news... i bought a swimsuit! just one to swim laps at the y, but it was the least traumatic swimsuit shopping experience i've ever had. i chose the cute black and white polka dot one over the blue sporty one... it's a one piece with a wrap look in the front. i really don't think i'll ever have the hutzpa to wear a two piece... ever, but they are so cute. maybe my mind will slowly catch up with my body (i'm definitely not ready yet body wise either haha).

have a lovely tuesday!

it's time i got back to the good life

hey all! let's see... what to say...

I RAN ON THE TREADMILL!! haha, well not ran, jogged really and only when the man told me too... i am officially doing Couch 2 5k. i was going to wait til i finished the second day tomorrow, but i think that just gives me the opportunity to ditch the idea last minute... f%$# that! i am doing this and i'm gonna rock it. nuff said.

i am thrilled that i overcame my irrational fear of the treadmill... more specifically... flying off the treadmill, hitting my head and waking up to realize i passed out after a failed treadmill experience. i realize the treadmill is the poor man's version of outdoor running, but i want to get comfortable with this before i branch out.

more details on the next 8 weeks as they become available...

7 months and counting

well here it is folks, month number seven has passed me by.

weigh in: 183.4

i wish i could be reporting a larger loss, but i think this lower loss reflects my sort of blah attitude this month.

i need to re-dedicate... i have been enjoying time with friends and family, but i need to balance that with my new healthy habits... or blend them i guess.

my step-sister is getting married july 18th, so i'm going to challenge myself to look at the next 8 weeks as a blank slate. i'm not sure what the plan will be yet, but as soon as i have an exercise and eating plan i will post it here. so far i've been really just winging it, and i think a little organization might help me stay on track.

and thanks to chai from relatively low carb! she is challenging anyone who reads their blog to write something positive about themselves everyday. if you haven't checked out her blog, do! she's a positive, inspiring lady.

holy cow

i swear yesterday was april 15th.

i had a fun-filled weekend... friday night the brewers beat the cubs in a great game. danny gokey sang the national anthem and of course my voice was hoarse by the end of the game, i'm a yeller. saturday i went to the milwaukee public museum for the titanic exhibit and enjoyed all my childhood favorites like the bison running of the cliff diarama and the lifesize igloo. i love history, so museums make me happy. the titanic exhibit had a huge chunk of ice to indicate how cold the water/iceberg was, it was a great exhibit. and then we saw wolverine! i kept calling it blade trinity 2.0 because both feature ryan reynolds abs... and i ain't complaining. even as deadpool he is hot, it's like sean patrick flannery as powder... weird, but hot. i digress.

mother's day was relaxing. dinner at the grandparents and a little golf/baseball with grandpa. then my mom and i went to see 17 again. i was entertained, but lt. dangle from reno 911 (i'm sorry i never remember your real name) was my favorite... hi-larious.

i had grandma left overs for lunch, so i'm full and happy. i'm off to the y after work and a little cleaning might be in order this evening... my closet may have exploded all over my room this morning... can i just say that sometimes i hate clothes!

i wish it were friday

man the weekend can not get here fast enough! i think staying home sick messed with my sense of time. i'm feeling much better, thanks for the well wishes! although i'm kinda post illness lazy, lol. i'm kickin myself in the tush today and heading to the y after work.

did i say i got a new phone? cuz i did! it's red and has slidey key pads like a swiss army knife... it also plays music! i don't really know how to use it properly yet, but i love it. i dropped it already... of course, but it survived.

i made some delicioso cole slaw last night and grilled some chicken with a new no salt seasoning i found, so lunch should be a good time, lol. it's a good thing i have no boyfriend because i am on a serious garlic kick, haha. looove it. the no salt seasoning has many things... including garlic :) i decided that my two favorite seasonings in the whole world are celery seed and nutmeg... because one is the essence of cole slaw and the other the essence of eggnog. the end.

ps. i couldn't find my new/favorite sports bra this morning, and i'm super bummed... i guess my work out will just be a little more jiggly with the older one i was forced to take haha

craptastic

that's how i feel :(

my stomach is angry at me for some reason (i'm guessing not swine flu lol)... so much that i'm very much considering going home sick from work (a big deal since i am always afraid to call in sick or go home sick, never wanting to let anyone down etc... yeah i have issues).

i had a wild weekend, but was feeling fine until last night when i could not fall asleep for the life of me and then i had serious night terrors. like crazy murder dreams. icky.

haha happy monday! hope everyone else is having a much better day :)

i'm doing good food wise and i'm going to refrain from exercise until my stomach revolt has passed...

i had to buy new excercise pants... because a tube of chapstick melted all over a load of clothes in the dryer... including my last pair of wearable/fitting exercise pants! grrrrr. and of course there was this huge wet looking spot on the middle of the ass. not that i imagine anyone's looking at my ass, but it would seriously bother me knowing it's there. so new pants!

skinny fingers

i've always had chubby fingers to go along with my chubby body. i accepted the fact and it didn't bother me that much. i don't wear much jewelry and never rings, so i could avoid thinking about my sausage fingers. getting my class ring in high school (which is now lost, most likely forever) made me think about it... especially when comparing my stubs to my skinny skinny friends, but besides that i just ignored them.

last week i was talking to my sister about my hands. i noticed a little while ago that when i type i can see my metacarpals going crazy. it may not seem like a big deal, but it's one of thsoe little things that reminds me how far i've come. my fingers are nowhere near skinny today, but i think sausage fingers is a phrase of my past... that motivates me to get my bootay to the y after work today :)

mini friend rant starting now...

question:
can someone have a rebound with a lizard? i suspect that my friend is attempting to.

she recently broke up with her boyfriend and suddenly wants to buy a bearded dragon and she even commented about how she considered an iguana... wtf. she has never owned a lizard and is one of those people who get bored easily. i think she just wants a hobby and/or thing to care for, but really? a bearded dragon? i think she has talked herself out of it, but i'm trying to provide her with other ideas to distract her from her "boyfriendless misery". for her, but also for me... one can only stand so many conversations about the capacity of another one's dvr. she needs some hobbies stat.

thanks for listening blogville.

it's past my bedtime

my mind is wide awake, damn you brain!

this week is a good week... i've decided.

i will work out, eat right and laugh often.

i better try and sleep... not much else to say... hopefully some noteworthy shenanigans will occur.

420 and all is well

the meeting went well, it ended up being a "later in the evening meet at a bar for a drink" type of thing. i was nervous because i know he is a great, intelligent person, because she is. i didn't want to look stupid and/or boring. this makes me sound kind of sad, but i'm usually not like that at all. i'm very outspoken and confident. i think very highly of her and knew i wanted to like him. it was nice and we only bored him slightly with high school stories. i gave her the audio book version of john hodgman's "the area of my expertise" for her bday. they drove from new york, so they'll have the car trip home to listen to it.

i was laaaaazy this weekend. i was taking care of my mom's beagle who fears me. it bums me out (i usually have a very good rep with all animals). it was good though, i think she was much better by the end of the weekend. she was letting me pet her without stress yawning. she started following me around and was nudging me to pet her more. she is from a puppy mill, so she has fear of people in general. but besides the dog duties, and one night out... i was in my pjs loafing around all weekend. good rest, but i still felt quite unproductive.

saturday night (the one pj-less time period) i went to see the show altar boyz. soo funny. it is a musical about a religious boy band. it was one of those shows that you leave with your face hurting because you laughed/smiled so much. good stuff. boy band lovers would find it extra hilarious.

this feels like a blind date

or how i imagine one would be like... since i've never actually been on a blind date...

tonight i'm meeting up with my best friend from high school. she went to college in another state, where she met her boyfriend of now, i think, over 3 years. i visited her at school before she met him, and i've seen her every time since then that she's visited wi... but this is the first time i'm meeting him.

is it weird that i'm nervous to meet him? it'll be fine i know, but it still is surprisingly nerve wracking. maybe it's that cliche dream of eventually being married and living next door to your married best friend. i mean, if we don't get along we can't sit on the porch and play canasta (sp?) in our old age, lol.

what? no. really? yes.

calendars don't lie, or do they?

it has been 6 months since i said "i can do this", and i'm still doing it. i can't believe how far i've come and the motivation i still have to keep going. i'm amazed at my progress, but i'm also completely aware of the areas (cough exercise cough) that i can improve on. don't get me wrong, i exercise... but i want to have a more regimented plan. it's a work in progress :)

weigh in: 190.0

what? yes. read it and weep... i mean don't cry, unless it's tears of joy for me then go forth and cry all you want. ;)

i heart all of you who read this. muah.

easter exploded everywhere

i survived easter unscathed by the peanut butter eggs that i used to looooove... i think i'll have to avoid the store until i know they are all gone though... because the only thing more luring than a peanut butter egg, is a peanut butter egg on clearance.

i did indulge in a couple not so wonderful food choices, but they were all conscious decisions... rather than impulsive, sugar induced madness. i claim the holiday another success on the food front. i did forget the y would be closed though, so an extra work out will be thrown in during this week.

i'm inching towards the 180s... even typing that feels wrong. it will probably take a while, so i have time to get used to the idea.

recovery week... or post-weekend reality

last weekend was fantastic. i drank, i ate, i played pool, i watched movies, i played bananagrams and drinking jenga. i ate mostly on plan, but not entirely... so this week is a "i hope to maintain my last week's loss" week. and i'm fine with that... i think.

i'm terribly impatient, and man oh man is the weight loss slowing compared to the beginning.

i realized recently that i'm failing miserably water wise, i just stopped making sure i get my daily dose. i'm on my second 32 oz bottle this morning, so far so good... besides the whole peeing frequently nature of drinking loads of water.

i hope you are all well this mornin' or whenever you read this :)

woah nelly!

i've been absent. sorry. i'm not sure why, but i keep thinking of the blog... but not actually writing on it or reading other blogs for that matter. i had a ruff 2 weeks in which i just kept at the same weight and it started to irk me. i finally saw a little progress, so hope is not lost! i guess that probably attributed to the blogless few weeks, but really i'm just kinda blah lately.

not much else besides my plans for next weekend... it's cabin weekend! which means a bunch of friends meet at a cabin to celebrate one friend's bday... much food, alcohol and fun is had. i'm really not worried about it, it's at a house so i can bring whatever i want in addition to the meals we are making as pairs and it's gonna be a much needed break from monotony.

i'm so sorry that i haven't been around at least commenting on your blogs... i hate that i can read at work, but can't comment! boooo. i send my love to you all!!

greeeeen

it's st. patrick's day! for the past four years, i've spent this day in a drunken stuper dressed head to toe in green.

now that i'm not living in madison and working full-time, that's probably a thing of the past... until it falls on a vacation day or weekend... then i might just be obligated.

this year though, i'm gonna go to the y after work, eat a sensible dinner, catch up on some blog readings, watch some 30 rock and catch some zs. a relaxing evening, but i can't help but hear the little voice in my head quote avenue q... "i wish i could go back to college". :)

on the weight loss front... not much, still chuggin' away but not seeing as much progress as i'd like. i know it will slow down, but i don't want it to yet! lol. when the losses are slow, it makes it that much more difficult to stay on track... "if i'm not losing i might as well not exercise today" or "if i'm not losing i might as well have this s/f chocolate". it's hard...

it makes me think of how proud my grandma says she is of me for losing weight... and how everytime i just brush it off (partly because i don't like being pointed out and because sometimes i like to pretend i never was that big), but really it's an accomplishment. i hope looking at it that way will keep me on the straight and narrow plan wise.

to a healthy week!

5 months never felt so good

well, it's not 5 months til sunday... but close enough!

today i weigh 198.6. i have so much to say, and no words to say it right now. a longer post will happen soon, but for now... i weigh 198.6, that's truly crazy talk.

a smidge of happiness

weigh in: 202.8!! you better stick biotch!

happy saturday everyone!

you know what's especially not fun... buying new, smaller bras. i'm gonna have to do that today, i'm thinking i'll just be going down in the band size... i hope. i wanna be like "weight loss gods no, i want those!" i already had to purchase new bras once in this process and the cups happily remained the same. when i started using the smallest hooks on my bras i felt soo weird. i've always had to use the last hook on any bra i've ever owned.

well, if it gets me a smaller, healthier body overall, i can handle
missing a little boob. :)

awake, i think

last night was fun, the concert was so so. i cannot stand it when an artist feels the need to mouth repeatedly to the sound guy or make jerky faces at him, that's what a sound check is for people! especially when it's not a noticeable error for the audiences enjoyment, just get over yourself and play the song. this is one of very few concerts this has happened at, but man was it off putting. i'm fine with a little interaction, like turn up my guitar or turn down the vocals, but the interaction was nothing less than redonk last night. it's hard to get that "dang you are a prick" thought out of your head, hahaha. the music was enjoyable, so i'll try and forget the unpleasantries.

i had a great time seeing friends and catching up before and after the concert. i was very conservative alcohol wise, but the drink i had tasted crazy strong. my tolerance level is drastically lower than last summer. that's a good thing :) i'm a cheaper date, lol.

i'm trying not to think about it, but i only got 3 hours and 40 minutes of sleep last night. maybe i won't pass out on my keyboard later this morning if i pretend i actually slept. i know from past experience i go along smoothly for a little while and then hit a brick wall something fierce.

it's supposed to be in the 60s again today! i might venture on a walk/jog by the lake after work (again if i'm not asleep, lol). i'll have to take advantage of the warm weather somehow, the forecast is for 30s again tomorrow.

i'll weigh in tomorrow.

shakin' booty

second day in a row was a little ruff, but i survived and successfully completed my planned workout. i remembered to make lunch for today! yay chicken and green beans!

i also realized that i'm going to madison thursday night right after work, soooo i can't workout that day (unless i go insane and get up at 5am to go before work). i will most likely partake in some alcoholic beverages that evening... so i will make tonight's workout extra rigorous :)

these go to eleven

AAAAAHH!!! i just found out that SPINAL TAP (christpher guest, harry shearer and micheal mckean) is coming to milwaukee in May!! thank you reunion tour gods!

it's acoustic, so it won't be the concert of my spinal tap dreams, but AAAH! whenever anyone asks what my favorite movie is i say it's a tie between spinal tap and amadeus.

in my dreams christopher guest will at some point do his corky st. clair voice at the concert. now to get tickets... i guess the presale starts tomorrow. AAAAAAAAAAAAH!

one down

i successfully made it to the y after work yesterday, 30 minutes elliptical, 20 upper body weights. it was a ruff monday and getting there was a little victory.

my lunch today is hilarious... i had no time this morning and forgot to prepare something last night... so i have the 4 brussel sprouts that were left plus a cup of frozen grean beans in a container and then i have about a cup of fage yogurt w/ a little sweetner and pumpkin pie spice mixed in. doh! i'll make sure to cook some chicken for the rest of this week's lunches tonight.

shout by tears for fears is playing on my mp3 player right now. haha.

self challenge

this week i am challenging myself to go the y everyday. i will do cardio and weights each day, alternating upper and lower body on the weights. i will report here each day.

this week is mine to make great.

my bad

last weekend was my bad. i was drawn in by the lure of s/f candy (it was the sale price that did it, damn you pricing gods!!). i realized after 2 days of over endulging that i had to take the reins and get back on track. i am happy to report that i focused and kept on plan after the ruff weekend, and as of this morning my weight is back at last week's weigh in. i would be disappointed if i hadn't overcome a little fall of the wagon... but i did! i'm thrilled to know i can pick myself up, dust myself off and continue on. i am reassured that this is my way of eating and a life change for good.

cheers to an on plan weekend!

snow covered weekend

weigh in time! i must have convinced my body i was concerned, because i had a loss!

last week: 207.2
this week: 205.6!

1.6... and i will take it! it is supposed to snow like a mad man tomorrow, so i might be hibernating saturday :)

have a lovely weekend!

grrrrr

today i declined a part time job offer. it was too far away and too late at night. it was a good decision and i will find a different one. it still disappoints me though, grrrrr.

thanks for the comments people! you are all fabulous. i don't care how much i lose this week! well, as long as i don't gain hahaha. today is an "i feel thin" day, so i'm feeling awesome. AND IT'S FRIDAY!! i really haven't gotten enough sleep all week, so i'm lookin' forward to some quality bed and me time over the weekend.

omg i bought sunflower seed kernels a couple days ago. DE-LICIOUS, but salty as hell. it's like eating salt... delicious sunflower seed flavored salt. i made the wise decision to leave them at work. that way i won't go crazy on them over the weekend :)

humph

this week isn't planning out so well... at least in the weight loss arena. i think there will be a loss, but a very small one at that. i guess it can be expected after the pretty decent numbers the last few weeks, but i'm impatient! i will have to wait until my body realizes i'm still serious :)

i think i'll measure tonight. i've only ever measured my waist. i will do more tonight, so that i have another way to track my progress (sadekat told me to). it's too bad i didn't do it sooner, just from the waist numbers i know i've lost quite a bit. i still have weight to lose though, so it will be good for weeks like these where i may need a reminder that health and weight loss is much more than the number on the scale.

chai's and cyagirl's switch to counting calories intrigue me and i think that might be a great idea for me in the future. (i'll put links for their awesome blogs later, i'm at work and emailing this post lol) i think for now i will concentrate on a clean induction style food plan and consistent exercise. i went a little wild and crazy with cheese and dairy this week :) i live in wisconsin.

side note: damn those california cow commericals!! they anger me. cows don't like to be hot! i often yell at the tv during those commercials, gah! ok, end of california cow rant.

in non-weight loss news, i'm going to book club tonight! it's my first time and i'm excited. i'm meeting two friends for dinner and then we're going together. i have no idea who is in it besides my two friends and i have no idea where it is, haha. i did read the book though, so i've got that down.

holy mackerel

4 month low carb-iversay! i started on october 15, 2008. i weighed in today at...

207.2!

on low carb that's a total of 56.8 lost! and 60.8 total! (after i finally weighed myself in august)

here's a little comparison photo - the red garb was for a badger football game! and it's actually one of the better ones, some are just too terrible: