I made a good decision because I wanted to!!!!!

Okay, I'm going to make this quick post about how proud of myself I am, then I'm going to do what I'm in the library to do: STUDY! :)

I had breakfast on my way to campus at 6:30 this morning.  Then after my first class, around 10, I was hungry.  I went to a little convenience type store that had snacks, and I purposely picked out a fruit cup and string cheese!!!!!  It wasn't even one of those decisions that I said to myself, "I really SHOULD ::groan:: get the fruit and cheese.  I simply wanted to eat that.  I WANT better!!  It was $5 but I don't care.  

I obviously worried about what school was going to do to my eating habits.  If I keep this up, I may actually do BETTER in school.  Imagine that.  Hm. 

Until next time,

:)

Would you like some grease with your pizza?

I remember in middle and high school seeing some of the girls use paper towels or napkins to pat the excess grease off pizza, and I remember thinking they were crazy.  Well refer to my follow the skinny people post, they were ALL thin.  Hmmm, I'm seeing a trend.  


This post actually formed in my head about a week ago.  I made a take and bake pizza.  I added some pepperoni.  When I pulled it out of the oven, there were puddles of grease sitting on the pizza.  I soaked 6 paper towels just to get the standing grease off, and then used a few more to get some of the rest off.  It was a little gross, but after I got all the excess off, the pizza was really good!


I had a really good runner-up post for this, but I just don't remember what it was.  


Until next time,
:)

Follow the skinny people.

I am going to first draw attention to what time it is.  Currently it is 3:50AM.  I have been awake for almost an hour.  I mentioned to my Doctor that this occasionally happens, and she said it was a very hypoglycemic tendency.  OH BOY.  That means at 3AM, my blood sugar gets so low, it wakes me up.  Yay.  Luckily this can be counter-acted by eating a high protein snack right before I go to bed that will keep me satisfied all night.  


So I'm laying in bed trying to sleep, and then I'm thinking about what time it is, and I'm already drafting this post in my head, so I finally say to heck with it, get up, I just ate some yogurt, and now I'm blogging, hopefully I'll be able to go right back to sleep afterwards.


Someone in my Weight Watchers group a few weeks ago gave a good tip.  When you go to a party, if you want to watch what you eat, follow the skinny people.  If you'll notice, they'll go to the buffet table (or wherever there's food) and look around, pick up something and WALK AWAY.  They don't stand near the table and graze.  Interesting thought.  And nifty strategy!  I'm going to try that at the next party I attend :)


I was just thinking that this is what Dave Ramsey teaches too, well not the skinny people trick.  He says to spend, invest, etc, like rich people do.  They got rich somehow, right?  Heh, very interesting parallel.  


I gained 1.8 this week, and I know exactly why.  I did not do well.  It's almost like I wanted to gain (I didn't really).  There are a couple of things (or trips through the drive-thru) that I look back at and wonder, WHY?  And what on earth possessed me to do that, order that, eat that?  It's stupid stuff too.  I go through the McDonald's drive-thru for breakfast.  I bought a whole box of lean pockets, in order to eat for breakfast!  Like really?  


When I went to see my doctor, she said I need to up the exercise, which is true.  So I have a  goal for this week.  I bought a new Pilates video.  I am going to try to do Pilates 3 mornings this week. I am also going to try to walk the majority of the evenings this week (that would be 4). TRY.  If I only get 1 or 2 in, that's better than before, and the next week, I'll aim to improve upon that.  I'm still going to aim for the 4, because if I only aim for 1 or 2, I'll hit it and go "okay, I'm done", which is counter-productive.


My other goal for this week is to track.  I'm like a broken record to myself on this one.  IT WORKS.  I can PROVE it.  Time after time after time after time.  


I don't remember if I mentioned this in a previous post, but I am going to aim to take some basic cooking classes, because as I have learned recently, I'm almost completely useless in the kitchen.  Yes, I can make a number of dishes, however, I'm very lacking in some of the basics, mostly because I wasn't interested in learning them before now.  Had I been, I might have retained more from the times I cooked, watched my parents cook when I was younger.


My doctor also told me that I need to be drinking half my body weight in water every day.  According to her scale, that would mean 100 ounces of water.  According to my scale, it's whatever half of 193 is, so I save a whopping 3.5 ounces.  When you drink 100, 3.5 pales in comparison.  I did drink 100 ounces on Wednesday, definitely.  I almost drowned!  Thursday is a maybe, and Friday, I probably got 90.  I know I didn't drink 100 ounces yesterday.  I'll do better tomorrow.  


Well, I'm going to try to go back to sleep, I'm yawning, so that's a good sign.  


Until next time,
:)

I'll take a weight fluctuation of 6 pounds in one day for 200, Alex

WAIT, no I won't.  Well, I will because it happens.  I weighed in at 194 last Saturday, then Tuesday afternoon, I went to the DR and weighed 200.  ::FREAK OUT:: Then Wednesday AM, I weighed myself, back down to 194.  ::WHEW::  I must have digested too much sodium or something.  Goodness.  They also took blood, like 10 vials or something (vampires!), so that may have accounted for some loss.  I was pathetic and puny feeling most of the afternoon and evening until I perked up a little.....around 9 of course :)


Generally, most people gain about 3 pounds during the day.  Just a fact of life, and why it's good to weigh at about the same time each time.  I always weigh myself in the morning, before I eat anything, and I usually don't weigh myself during the week.  


I know I haven't blogged in a bit, been busy, lots to tell, need to write it down because I forgot, and nothing witty's coming to me right now.  


Until next time,
:)

From smooth sailing to titanic (the ending) and back in 18 hours

I had fallen completely asleep, and suddenly, I'm jolted awake by a very loud crashing sound, from in my room.  There are two closets in my room and one of them still had the hanging bar and shelf hanging on the wall (the other has already had this tragedy).  It came crashing down, and brought everything with it, at 1:30 AM this morning.  Scared me just about to death.  I fell back asleep pretty quickly though :)


When I woke up, I promptly assisted in the emptying of that closet, and then after the scurry of a number of errands, we had a new shelf (that doesn't hang from the wall) and so I was able to re-assemble my room from the shambles of throwing stuff everywhere.  My room is now back in as much order as it will get.  It's neat and tidy.  


Somehow, I lost .6 this week, but I have NO idea how.  I am still trying to rack my brain.  The only thing I have thought of is that most of my indiscretions were at the beginning of the week, and after my massage (which released some toxins, which I washed out with book-oodles of water) that it could have undone some of the mess I made at the beginning of the week.  I have to have a really good week this week, and it started with some (if I say so myself) EXCELLENT planning on my errands.  I had 5 stops to make, and I went the furthest from home, and went in order back home.  How lucky was I that frozen food was part of only the last two stops? :)


I've figured out that almost everything I need can be found at Dollar Tree or Aldi, and I'm a FAN.  Good times.  


Last night, I was on the hunt for my mom for some good pictures of landscapes and flowers for her to paint.  I took almost a hundred pictures, and some were fuzzy because I was losing light, but my two favorites are here:


First up,my favorite landscape:

Then my favorite flower:

Both photos are courtesy of Gaylord Opryland Hotel.  Well courtesy to provide the subjects, I did take the pictures :)


I also took several flower pictures at the Public Library branch in Donelson, those will be up on my Facebook page soon.  


I'm now settling down with 3 fans (those wonderful things that blow cold air, not three people that like me :) ), my programming book, and a cold beer to enjoy the rest of my evening.  


Until next time,
:)

There's a reason I wear latex gloves when snaking the shower drain.

And may rich blessings pour out on the genius that invented latex gloves.  Let's just put it this way:  I have long hair.  'Nuff said.  


I'm in a cleaning out mood again, as noted a little in my last post.  I'm also a little on edge, and the appointment with the potential new Luda owner got moved back one more day, so I'm pins and needles right now.  I also ate WAY too much pizza tonight.  I stopped counting after 4 slices.  ::groan:: I'm still emotionally eating, and it's about various things.  Some Luda, some worry over final grades in calculus, some things I only blog about in my blog no one can see :)


I'll probably gain this week, and it's because I got lazy.  So here's the deal.  It works for me when I buy my food and eat my breakfast and lunch out of a box.  Set number of points, no way for me to go overboard, with vegetables....so I'm going to be more consistent with that, and stop going out to eat for the next few weeks.  And I had soda this week.  ::double groan::  so I'm going to give those up (again) too.  Those I'm trying to give up permanently.  I'm going grocery shopping after my Weight Watchers, when I'll be inspired NOT to buy the things I shouldn't, I've found it's the best time to go grocery shopping.  


I've also got a long list of errands to run, things to google (grin) and chores to accomplish this weekend, it's going to definitely be productive!  I'm in a clean-out mode, so watch out stuff!  It's trimming time again :)


I'm off to bed!  Have a fun weekend!


I just re-read this post and realized I've been incredibly repetitive.  Whoopsie Daisies.  :)


Until next time,
:)

Caring for self: I can get into this :)

I had a half day today, and I got a massage.  And enjoyed every second of it.  I feel so relaxed and stress-free, I might make it a regular occurrence.  I'm definitely a FAN.  


I've noticed I'm starting to devote a little more time, money, and energy to self care, and I'm definitely seeing benefits.  I'm also enjoying it.  I would not have enjoyed self care 5 years ago like I do now.  


I had a thought earlier that wondered if I'm being selfish.  Now, if I got weekly massages, nails and toes done every two weeks, etc, that MIGHT be selfish, but only getting my toes done every 4 weeks and only in the summer, granted nails get done every two weeks, getting massages monthly at most, and my weekly Weight Watchers meetings, I think I'm devoting an appropriate amount of time to myself.  I have to take care of myself before I can take care of anyone else, right?  Right.  


Part of my pride is evolved by my extensive movie collection.  I boast over 200 titles in said collection, and I'm very proud of that.  It was like back when I had 545 friends on Facebook. Finally, it got ridiculous, and I started trimming away the people I never talked to, people I didn't like, etc.  There were a few people I accidentally removed, and I've re-added since then, but I trimmed down to 40 friends.  Now I'm at a little over 100, but those are all people I keep up with at least, and talk to regularly for the most part.  Family is also in that :) I say all this to say this: I'm going to do the same with my movie collection, trim the movies I either don't watch, don't like anymore, or can get easily through Netflix, on demand, etc.  I'm going to take the rest and sell them to McKay's.  I got the idea from my mom and step-dad who are doing the same thing with their collection.  I probably won't get rid of my TV shows on DVD though.  I will probably get rid of most of my VHS too, unless I decided I like it enough to devote the time to turn it into a DVD via the converter we have.  


Well, I have a long list of things to get accomplished tonight and this weekend, so I'm off!  I'll probably blog once more tonight, but then I'll be checking list items off!  


Happy self-care!


Until next time,
:)

I have a love-hate relationship with feelings. Okay, mostly hate. I'm NOT amused.

I don’t handle grief well.  At all.  I suppose everyone handles it in their own way.  I eat.  I realize I haven’t blogged in a few days.  I’ve been hiding in shame from what I’ve been eating the last few days.  I tonight realized why: In a few weeks, I will be starting back college.  Full time.  I currently have a cat, Luda.  Since moving back in with my parents, and with that her relocation outside, I haven’t had been as close with my cat as I was when it was just her an I.  She can’t sleep with me now, or sit in my lap while I watch TV.  So a few months ago, we made the decision to start looking for a new home for her, to allow someone else to enjoy her, and to allow her to be loved and cared for like she really should, and I’m going to be around less in a few weeks than I have been.  I can’t (least favorite word in English language) give her the love I used to any longer, and it grieves me greatly.  When the discussion first came up, and the decision was made, I cried for a good long while.  Then the idea went away a little because there was no progress on the actual finding.  Now there’s a meeting.  Luda and my step-dad are going to meet a potential new owner.  Tomorrow at 1PM.  I haven’t hardly stopped crying since I found out.  I can't go.  My mom asked for her file a few days ago, and the eating hit.  I'm stuffing.  BIG TIME. 

McDonalds already three times, Arby’s, it’s like I’m eating like I used to.  I’m not hungry until about an hour after I eat.  Empty calories is all.  I forced myself to eat my brought lunch at work today, and felt better, but then turned around forgot to eat dinner before class, and grabbed a burger afterwards.  ::sigh:: now I know what’s going on.  I was trying to process the grief like I used to process everything.  I don’t think I’ll have that desire after tomorrow, I’ll have cried enough. 

I have mixed emotions about this whole thing.  My head says she’s a CAT.  My heart says she's MY cat, and I have very fond memories of my cat and I in our apartments.  My dream of moving out anytime soon has gone away, and soon, so will my kitty cat.  

Below is one of my favorite pictures of me and my cat.  Taken with my web cam a few months after my cat became my cat.  Back in 2008.  I love you, Luda, and hope you find true happiness and love with your next owner.  

Until next time,

:)

Can't 1+1 just equal 2?

Forgive the following, mostly non-weight related Math rant.  We had a test tonight in Calculus.  It was two parts.  Calculator and non-calculator.  Took the non-calculator part first.  There were 30 questions, I estimate I got 29 of them correct (internal happy dance!).  Those were straight forward: solve this equation.  I can do that.  Then came the calculator part.  There were 14 questions, I estimate I got 2 of them right, at best.  Every single one was a word problem, an application of the "solve this equation".  With these, I had to build the equation to solve it.  I can solve them, but I get SO stuck trying to set them up!  I turned in 5 extra credit, so my hope on this test is to get a C.  


I'm one of those exception-to-the-rule kind of people when it comes to Math.  They say you either do well at Algebra OR Geometry, I did well at both.  So when they say Calc II is the hardest of Calc I, II, or III, it'll probably be the easiest for me.  It starts out with hard core integration, so I'm already pumped.  


I keep getting distracted.  I'm feeling 100% again, and I've done enough napping to not be able to sleep right now.  That and I think I accidentally drank a tea with caffeine in it.  MY BAD.  It was small....


Think I'm going to try to go to bed now.


Until next time,
:)

Finally a weight loss show with which I agree

Okay, I like to watch TV, and the Biggest Loser is a pretty decent show.  My only beef is they concentrate SO HEAVILY on the exercise.  And as you know, I'm a big supporter of nutrition being a MAJOR part (like majority rules) of weight loss.  I'm watching Shedding for the Wedding.  It's interesting to me because they're all couples who are getting married (obviously) and they have a definite goal, not just to get healthy (don't get me wrong, that's a WONDERFUL goal, and it's mine!) but to get in a certain place, by a certain DATE, which adds some motivation.  Also, the winner will have they're dream wedding paid in full.  Now, that's a neat motivation.


Here's what I like about it:  They're on week 3 right now, and all 3 of the women who either half-arsed or didn't track at all in their required food journal didn't lose ANY weight, even though they kicked butt in the gym!  Now, I know it sounds like I'm celebrating their defeat, I'm not, I promise.  I'm celebrating the SOLID PROOF that nutrition matters as much or MORE as exercise.  All you have to do is look at how long you will have to run to burn of the ___________(fill in the blank).  For example.  One Kit Kat bar is 210 calories.  For that ONE bar, it will require you to work out on a stationary bike for 20 minutes.  


The trainers on this show say over and over that it's about what you eat.  I'm highly enjoying this.  


What's also cool, is each of the challenges is geared around a different part of the wedding. Tonight's challenge was about the flower arrangements.  Each of the couples got to sit down with a top flower designer and plan their flowers, and the one that won the challenge got their flowers for the wedding.  Next week is the rings.  


Then after the weigh in, the two couples at the bottom compete against each other at some challenge and the winner stays.  It's not house politics and voting.  


They also (for now at least) only show the combined couple total at the weigh in.  The next week at the first workout, they reveal which person lost how much of the total weight loss in each couple.  


I think I really enjoy this show.  I set it up to DVR :)


Until next time,
:)

Psh, Who needs iron?

***This post was created earlier, but we had no Internet...so here it is...Now.  (well duh) :)

Well apparently, I need iron.  I came home sick today because of a lack of it.  Or at least that’s the theory (mind you that's a theory from medical professionals.  You know, the one with the degrees).  Hm, does chocolate help iron? :) No seriously, does it?

I’m lying in bed and I feel better, so I get up to walk around a bit, and remember why I’m in bed.  Being out of bed doesn’t last very long.  My eye lids are starting to droop a little and my head’s nodding.  Time to try sleeping again. 

I'm feeling better now, but not back to 100% yet.  I got up and had dinner and did okay with it.  I'm a little draggy, but I think I'll perk up tomorrow.  

I have a calc test tomorrow, so I better perk up.  

I had thought of a few other great things I wanted to blog about, but I didn't write them down.  Shame on me.  I suppose I'll just post again if I think of it.

Until next time,

:)

Tacos, Taco Salad, and Ice Cream Sundaes OH YAY!

Okay, that title is REALLY corny.  First, it was an attempt to mimic the Lions, Tigers, and Bears, oh my!  but then I could only come up with two things, so I just stuck with the one until I came up with three things, which you see there.  I figured out the third halfway through that last sentence.  Train of thought....DERAILED.  lol.  Then, where you might expect oh my, it sounded like a bad connotation, so I said YAY instead.  I think in English class, that's called paraphrasing.  Yup, we'll go with that.  


Friday night we stayed in and made tacos!  Tacos are one of my favorite meals!  I only have to count the shell, meat, and cheese!  I add lettuce, tomato, salsa, other vegetables, and make it a wonderful meal!  I could probably eat tacos every night.  Then Sunday, we had taco salad!  Even better!  I can get more veggies in there!  I had the chips, meat and cheese, as well as tomatoes, green bell peppers, salsa, and lettuce.  3/4 of my bowl was veggies and it was AWESOME!  Then, I was blessed enough to get to try the new ice cream sundae idea from Hungry Girl.  She took fat free (I used low fat) vanilla ice cream and the new 90 calorie fudge brownies from Fiber One (heated of course) to make an ice cream sundae!  It came out at about 7 points, but that's with a little more than the serving size of 1/2 cup of ice cream.  HA!  Right.  Me.  1/2 cup of ice cream.  Not happening.  :)


Well, I suppose I'll turn in for the night.  Yikes!  It's almost 11.  LATER!


Until next time,
:)

If I ignore being hungry, it goes away, until I think about it again.

I'm serious, it's true.  Now, don't get me wrong, I don't do this on purpose.  No need to send in the calvary.  When I'm at work, if I'm super busy, I tend to get distracted from being hungry and just forget about it.  Time gets away from me.  Then, when I stop the bustle long enough to think about it, it hits me like a ton of bricks.  This, of course, is not a good thing for me to do, and normally, I reserve this behavior for weekends, when, usually, I only eat twice a day.  On Saturday I have brunch at 11 and Dinner around 4, Sunday I have breakfast around 8 or 9 and Dinner around 3.  I might have a light snack around 8, but that's it.  Normally, though, this pattern develops on the weekends because that's when I'm hungry.  I also eat two bigger meals instead of 3 smaller ones.  


Today, I was so busy at work, that I didn't even think about being hungry until I pulled myself away from work and went to pick up something to eat.  I don't even remember the drive there and back.  All I know is I was HUNGRY, and I didn't feel it until I left my desk.  


I think I'm having writer's block about this particular subject, and my mind is working on yet another post about a different topic, so I'm going to switch over to that, and if I think of any follow up thoughts on this...well I'll blog about it :)


Until next time,
:)

The most boring title....ever.

I blame the lack of a good title on the fact that I was somewhere without Internet most of the weekend, so this got drafted in Microsoft Word.  On Saturday.  I've slept since then, I've drank since then, and I've worked since then.  I've got the trifecta.  I'm also working on a new post in my head that will cover yesterday and today, etc, so this is just to get this out of the way.  How I did this week!

Weight loss is not predictable.  Except this week.

I said my weight loss would even out this week.   It did.  I lost .4.  I'm REALLY happy about this!  I’m still going in the right direction, and I know I hit a few bumps this week, but I’m losing!  This would be the only time that’s fun :)

I’m going to pay a little better attention this week to what I put in my mouth, because I can feel myself slacking off, getting a little over-confident.  Confidence is fine, it's when I think I got this without the help of tracking etc that I get in TROUBLE.  

Until next time,

:)