How has 2012 been treating you so far? Are you working on those resolutions. I don't like making them because if it is important on January 1st it is important every other day of the year. Start now, no matter what the date on the calendar is. Don't wait 'til the first of the year, Monday or after that big event, start right now. I hope this is the year we all reach our goals or at least take those baby steps to get closer to realizing them.
Long time no blog, huh? I've written a ton of posts in my head but just haven't had the time to sit at the computer and put them out there. Working really sucks up way too much of my life but it's a necessary evil since I wasn't lucky enough to have a big fat trust fund. I've been contemplating posting short and sweet updates just to keep the crickets from taking over this space but I still need to find the time to do that. I really miss unemployment.
I know most people assume that when a weight loss blogger disappears it's because they've fallen into the rabbit hole vat of chocolate and started packing on the pounds again but I'm not too far gone. Yes, I've gained a bit but I'm still hanging on to the wagon. I'm still fighting to get back to my goal weight that I saw for a nanosecond back in September but I've been able to maintain an average loss of 90 pound for a while now. Vacation and the holidays were filled with temptations but I did the best I could to get my workouts in and abstain from stress eating.
To catch you up on what's been going on with me, I'll start where I left off. Las Vegas was a blast. I don't know why it took us so long to get there. We gambled, partied like aging rock stars, barely slept and ate way too much crappy buffet food. I wasn't sure I could do it but I managed to pull an all nighter on our last night there. Of course, at 40+ it took me a few days to recover from it all but recover I did, just in time for the holiday party season. We did escape the sensory overload of the strip a couple of days to check out the Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon and the Valley of Fire. It was nice to get away from all the lights, bells and whistles and be able to check out the quiet desert scenery. It's such a vast contrast to the landscape here in the northeast. It was beautiful but so weird to not see any trees or greenery.
There was way too much family drama over the holidays that's still going on but there really isn't anything I can do about it so I'm trying not to stress out over it. There is always drama in my family and I have learned that the less I get involved the better. I try to be the peacemaker and smooth things over but only end up getting caught in the crossfire so I'm doing my best to stay off the battlefield.
Work has been stressing me out and seriously cutting into my gym time. I barely worked out at all the whole month of December and I was starting to feel like a slug. I did get a few workout in here and there and I've been walking to and from the train station, taking the stairs at the office and going for walks at lunch when I can actually get out but it is not the same as a good sweaty workout at the gym. Ok, are you sitting down? I'm thisclose to completing the C25K program. I completed Week 9, Day 1 which means I only have 2 more days of the program left to do. Not bad, it's only taken me over a year and a half to complete the 9 week program but, you know by now, I'm speedy like a turtle. I never ever thought I'd be able to run for 30 minutes straight without having something chasing me but I've done it. I may be SLOW but I'll get there. I have no doubt about that.
Even though I haven't been able to comment much, if at all, I've been reading and keeping up with what's been going on with you so please know I'm there in spirit cheering you on. I've said prayers for people going through tough times and danced the happy dance for your successes.
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Winter Solstice or just a holiday off from work, I wish you and your loved ones peace, love and happiness no matter what the season.
I hope you do or continue to do what makes you happy and healthy in 2012.
Remember the reason for the season and love the giver, not the gift.
Patriots Day, also known as Marathon Monday, is a BIG holiday here in Boston. It was a perfect day for a run. Oh, not for me, I'm still struggling to complete the C25K program but it was a good day for those crazy fit people who are able to run for 26.2 miles! I can't even imagine being able to run that far but I admire every single person who attempts it. I didn't go in town early enough to get a good spot to take pictures of the runners but I had fun seeing everyone walking around with their white and silver capes like superheros. They are my superheros. Congrats to all who ran, walked, or crawled across the finish line!
Merry Christmas Eve! Are you on Santa's "Nice" or "Naughty" list? I always think I should be on the list somewhere in between naughty and nice.
I hope you didn't get caught up in the commercialism of the season by racking up charges on the credit cards. Presents are great but spending time with the people you love is really what it's all about. Enjoy the beauty of the season, time with family and friends and the joy of giving from the heart.
It's hard to believe we are in the final weeks of the Hot 100.
Status of Hot 100:
Goal #1 - Lose An Additional 15 Pounds by December 31st
I didn't get to weigh-in today but if I use yesterday's weigh-in I could report a 2.8 pound loss. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep it off after feasting tomorrow.
Goal #2 - Couch to 5K
Last week I said "I may have to hang my head and admit defeat on this one" but Cammy wisely pointed out that "Admitting defeat is one thing, but no head hanging allowed! It's FUN to try new things, even those that don't work out for us. Or maybe it's *especially* those that don't work." I may never be a runner but I'm going to continue to work on making progress with the C25K. Manuela commented that she struggled with the program on the treadmill but once the nice weather hit she was able to rock it on the pavement. Who knows, maybe by the time spring hits I'll be rocking that C25K program.
Goal #3 - Build More Muscles
As expected, with the bustle of the holiday I've missed a few days at the gym so I haven't done much lifting this week but I'm looking forward to getting back in there and pumping some iron. I feel so tough saying things like that. ;)
Thank you so much for the support you have given me. I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!
Here in the states, Thanksgiving is the official start to the gluttonous holiday season. I was determined not to stuff myself into oblivion this year and I almost succeeded. My focus was on family, friends and football (GO PATS!); the food was somewhat of an afterthought. I actually skipped the big turkey dinner and all the fixin's but I made up for it by indulging in way too many sweet desserts. Over the course of the night I had very small portions of homemade birthday cake, apple pie, pecan pie, ice cream and a lemon square. I wasn't out of control but it was too much for me these days. It was all delicious but I felt pretty ill after eating it. I almost forgot how it feels to be that hyped up on sugar, not to mention the three cups of coffee I had along with it. Obviously, these weren't the best food choices but it was the holiday and I know I burnt off a huge portion of those calories at the gym so it's all good.
So, here's my update for Week 9 of the Hot 100:
Goal #1 - Lose An Additional 15 Pounds by December 31st
Challenge Starting Weight (9/23/10): 194.2 lbs. Week 1: -1.3 lbs. Week 2: -0.9 lbs. Week 3: -2.4 lbs. Week 4: -4.0 lbs. Week 5: -1.1 lbs. Week 6: -2.6 lbs. Week 7: -------- Week 8: -2.2 lbs. Week 9: -4.0 lbs. Total Hot 100 Weight Loss to Date: 18.5 lbs. (Total Weight Lost Since 11/2009: 66.3 pounds)
Well, well, look at that ... I already smashed this goal by losing FOUR POUNDS this week. I'm not changing my challenge goals but I'm going to try to lose a total of 25 pounds by New Year. Why not, right? I obviously didn't set the bar high enough.
I'll admit I was a little shocked when I got on the scale this morning because I missed the gym two days and was not feeling very good after all the crap I ate the night before. Over the past year there have only been a handful of weeks that I've lost up to four pounds and to be able to have a four pound loss on Thanksgiving week is a true blessing and I am very thankful.
Goal #2 - Couch to 5K
Still struggling with the C25K .... I'm not giving up but at some point I may have to admit my body isn't made for running. I'm still going to push to do this but it hasn't been easy for me.
Goal #3 - Build More Muscles
I'm getting stronger and stronger and trying to motivate myself to spend more time lifting and less time doing cardio. I was worried that cutting down on the intense cardio and increasing my weight lifting time would stall my weight loss but, thankfully *knock wood*, that doesn't seem to be happening. I have a feeling I just may be doing something right. (Lori, I think of you every single time I increase my weights. I know you'd be proud.)
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving holiday and didn't put yourself into a food coma. Treat yourself to some healthy foods this weekend and get your body moving. You'll feel better, I promise.
I'm still far behind in my blog reading with over 800+ unread posts but I'm chipping away and catching up and hope to be back to regular commenting soon.
Today is National Pay it Forward Day. Take the opportunity to get out and do something nice for someone, anyone, a friend or a stranger, but do it without any expectation of getting anything in return other than good karma.
It doesn't have to be a big deal, maybe help an elderly person with their grocery bags, put money in a meter that's about to expire, hold the door open for someone running to catch the train, lend a hand, a shoulder to cry on or just give a compliment or a smile. It will come back to you.
John Lennon had the right idea:
Instant Karma's gonna get you, Gonna knock you right on the head, You better get yourself together, Pretty soon you're gonna be dead, What in the world you thinking of, Laughing in the face of love, What on earth you tryin' to do, It's up to you, yeah you.
Instant Karma's gonna get you, Gonna look you right in the face, Better get yourself together darlin', Join the human race, How in the world you gonna see, Laughin' at fools like me, Who on earth d'you think you are, A super star, Well, right you are.
Well we all shine on, Like the moon and the stars and the sun, Well we all shine on, Ev'ryone come on.
Instant Karma's gonna get you, Gonna knock you off your feet, Better recognize your brothers, Ev'ryone you meet, Why in the world are we here, Surely not to live in pain and fear, Why on earth are you there, When you're ev'rywhere, Come and get your share.
Remember, what goes around comes around. Don't you think EVERY DAY should be Pay it Forward Day?
I'm a big fan of both their blogs and look forward to every single post. I love that they both tell it like it is. They are inspiring and motivating but they don't sugarcoat what it takes to be successful in this weight loss game. They are proof that if you work hard you can get the results you want just like they did.
I remember Jen and Tony's last challenge but I don't think I would have lasted 10 minutes on the elliptical back then. I committed to do 60 minutes on the elliptical but now that I've been going to the gym regularly, sixty minutes isn't such a big challenge anymore. Sixty minutes is my regular workout now, or at least it was before I wrenched my back a few weeks ago.
This is the t-shirt I wore at the gym today.
I signed up to do at least 60 minutes but if I felt good enough I was going to push it for the full 99 minutes. I figured "no pressure" was a good motto to have. I didn't want to re-injure my back so I was just going to wait and see how I felt. I was still feeling pretty good after 60 minutes so I decided to stick it out for the full 99 minutes that Jen and Tony were going to be on the StairMaster. My thighs would have been screaming if I tried to do 99 minutes on the StairMaster but I'm proud I was able to stay on the elliptical for that long. My thighs were screaming a bit and felt like jello when I got off but it felt good.
The whole time I was on that machine I was thinking about what an inspiration Jen and Tony are to me. They are the real deal. Jen still struggles with the candy dish at the office just like I did every single one of those 40 hours a week I was trapped in the office and Tony gets up at an ungodly hour so he can make time for the gym. They've celebrated the joys of birth and the crushing loss of death and through it all they are still fighting the good fat fight through all of life's ups and downs. They are weight loss blogger rock stars.
I really wanted to get a picture of the machine showing 99 minutes but the machines at my gym are set at a 60 minute max with a 10 minute cool down so I had to do 70 minutes and then continue on for another 29.02 for a total of 99.02 minutes!!! I did it at a lower fat burning intensity instead of the high cardio because I reasoned if I was going to go the distance it would probably be a good idea to slow it down a little.
*Do the math. It adds up to 99:02 minutes, 814 calories and 5.87 miles. Not too shabby, huh?
They aren't keeping a big secret from the rest of us. They've showed us how they did it and have been telling us how to do it for years. It's not magic, they just did what it takes. It's not all about a diet of rabbit food and denial, it's about living a healthy lifestyle. Eat healthy foods, enjoy not so healthy foods in moderation and get out and move your ass, it's no big secret. Stop watching so much tv and take a hike, take the stairs instead of the elevator, just keep moving. We all know that right? The question is "how bad do you want it?" Do you want to do what it takes or eat that cake? Do you want to watch tv all night or work up a sweat? It's a choice.
After 99 minutes on the elliptical machine I was a total sweaty mess. If you don't believe me, keep an eye on Jen's blog where she's threatening to post all the sweaty pictures of everyone who participated. There's still time to join the challenge. Get out and do 60 or 99 minutes. Make the choice to get out and get healthy.
I celebrated 4/20 this year by getting high on endorphins and spreading Bob Marley's message of peace, love and all that other other good stuff.
Love the life you live,
Live the life you love.
- Bob Marley
Celebrate 4/20 today by getting high on endorphins! Peace out.
P.S.
I'm sad to say I may have lost a few followers by admitting I enjoy smoking the peace pipe on occasion. I'm sorry if I offended anyone but I'm not going to lie about who I am. After my last post I did learn that 4/20 is the Evil Adolf's birthday so maybe they thought I was celebrating his birthday and they were offended by that or maybe I just bore them, who knows. Anyway, just to clarify, I was not celebrating the birth of one of the most evil men in history, I was referring to the 4/20 stoner holiday.
I'm going to celebrate 4/20 by getting high (on endorphins). I'm not ashamed to admit in past years I've celebrated 4/20 with a big fat Bob Marley Memorial *gasp* *I hope you're not too shocked or offended*. I know it's not healthy but everyone needs a vice, right? Anyway ... this year I'm going to celebrate the 4/20 holiday by getting high on endorphins with two of the most inspiring weight loss bloggers.
The no-nonsense, straight talking, weight loss rock star, Tony, the Anti-Jared has challenged Jen, the amazing original Prior Fat Girl to a 99 minute StairMaster challenge on 4/20 and they have invited us all to join them in getting good and sweaty. I remember being inspired by their last challenge and I'm sure this one will be just as good except, sadly, we won't have Jen's Mom to cheer us along this time. I know she'll be there in spirit encouraging Jen and everyone else. I can hear her saying "it's on like Donkey Kong" now.
Not only has Tony challenged Jen to 99 minutes on the StairMaster (imagine the thigh burn) but he also raised the stakes up a notch. They both have to get at least 200 people to commit to working out for over 60 minutes on April 20th. Any workout will do. You can walk, jog, wog, run, do a home video, play on your Wii, do jumping jacks, swim, bike, hit the gym, rake leaves, dance, have sex, whatever you feel like doing that gets your heart rate up and makes you good and sweaty. I'm sure Jen would love to see your glowing, post workout, sweaty pictures too.
RSVP at Tony's or Jen's blog and make the commitment to get high on 4/20. If I make it for the full 99 minutes I may still celebrate the ol' traditional way. Bob would want it that way, Mon. Get in the circle, join the challenge and get high on those endorphins. Ya Mon. Peace out.
Who doesn't love chocolate? We even have science to help us make the argument that it's good for us. Chocolate tends to be one of those trigger foods for me, especially if it's covering a salty pretzel.
One of my friends had such a strong addiction to chocolate she actually went to a hypnotist to help her get over it. I'm amazed she hasn't eaten it or had the desire to eat it in over ten years (!). She isn't even tempted by it in the slightest. I wish she had used the hypnotist to help her quit smoking but I guess she wasn't ready to give up the cigarettes and felt the chocolate was doing more harm (??). I'm doing my best to avoid chocolate right now but I can't imagine living the rest of my life without sweet chocolaty goodness.
I can't wait for Easter this year because I gave up alcohol for Lent (what was I thinking?) so I'm looking forward to having a tall cool glass of something with vodka in it more than chocolate eggs and bunnies. I'm still baffled how a holiday about the resurrection of Christ turned into a rabbit delivering baskets full of chocolate and sugar but anyway ....
I recently received a Virtual Chocolate Easter basket from the beautiful Tammy at From Fat to Fab. She is so sweet - thanks Tammy! There's a very good reason you should grab a virtual Easter basket and pass it on to your blogging buddies.
Here's the deal:
HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES:
•Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
•Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
•Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket (THANKS Tammy).
•Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
•Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
•This started as a meme of Hershey donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network up to $5,000 – but after so many bloggers participating, Hershey decided to donate a total of $7,000 honoring the kindness of blogger community. Let's see if we can get them to donate even more money to help those kids.
I tend to be a rule breaker but I'm going to do my best to follow them this time for the cause. I'd love to link to everyone but I have such a long list of cheerleaders and inspirational blog bunnies I'll have to narrow it down to just a few.
YOU! I'd love to personally pass out even more baskets to every single one of you but I'm lazy and it's beautiful out so I don't want to spend any more time indoors on the computer. Even if you don't celebrate Easter, just celebrated Passover or could care less about chocolate, please grab yourself a basket of virtual chocolate and pass it on.
The best part of receiving this chocolate Easter basket is that it has zero calories and will not end up on your hips. Go ahead and enjoy your calorie-free chocolate, put your cottontail on and keep the baskets hopping along!!! :)
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave the historic "I Have a Dream" speech. I like to listen to it every year on this day to remind myself of how far we have come and have far we have to go. No matter what your skin color is we all have dreams. I hope all of your dreams come true.
I Have A Dream
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual,
"Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
It's the first Monday of the new year and I have to admit I was surprised I didn't see too many new faces at the gym. I figured the gym would be packed with all those people who pay for a yearly membership in January only to go a few times and then waste the rest of their membership year once the flames of the New Year fire wears off. I got a good 60 minutes on the elliptical and then came home and played on the Wii for a while.
I've been trying to stay off the scale since I started going to the gym regularly because I didn't want to get discouraged if the pounds weren't coming off as quickly as I would like considering all the work I've been doing. I decided to hop on the evil scale today because I figured I should know where I'm starting off in the New Year. I'm hoping 2010 is the year I "finally figure it out" and get this weight off for good.
I'm happy to say I've lost 10 pounds since I joined the gym a little over a month ago. So, in just over a month I lost a total of 10 pounds which isn't too bad considering most people gain 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year. I'm sure I would have lost more if I didn't go nuts eating all that crack and other holiday goodies. I think 10 pounds a month is a good goal to strive towards.
I'm going to try not to get hung up on the numbers and just continue to focus on going to the gym, getting a good workout and eating relatively healthy 90% of the time. I'm thinking I'll try to limit getting on the scale to once a month so I can track my progress but not get all crazy about the numbers. It should be about how I feel not what that evil piece of metal tells me, right?
How often do you weigh yourself? Does the number affect your mood?
I'm slowly recovering from the sugar induced haze of the holidays. Holy Christmas Cookies Batman!
I'm happy to say there wasn't any drama this year since my Mommy Dearest decided to stay in Florida. My brother and his husband, my father and stepmonster, and my sister and sister's girlfriend all met up with various family members out of state so B and I didn't have to rush around from place to place which made for a very mellow holiday.
It was pretty low-key with all of B's family together at his brother's house in NH. My niece and nephews are teenagers now so there wasn't that magic of watching Christmas through a child's eye but we had a joyous stressless holiday. We ate way too much food (my sister-in-law makes the best cheese danish that I indulge in once a year), we opened lots of presents and envelopes full of green (B's parents are way too generous), we lost money on the scratch ticket swap like we do every year (I keep saying I'm not going to do it anymore), I learned all sorts of Wii tricks from the nephews (I work up a sweat playing my Wii and my nephews barely flick their wrists around) and we all ate way too many delicious sugary holiday treats. It was a blast and I'm glad it's over.
I have to confess that I had to make the dessert I was bringing to Christmas dinner twice because I stupidly made it a day early and then proceeded to eat half the tray. This toffee cracker stuff is similar to the recipe I used but I warn you, it is like crack and I don't want you to lose yourself in its sugary, buttery, chocolaty goodness. I couldn't stop myself from eating it. MMMmmmm.... A small piece here and a small piece there and next thing you know half the container was gone. How did that happen? I made my version of it with health bar pieces and another batch with vanilla chocolate instead of the semi-sweet chocolate morsels and it was amazing but seriously addictive. I should never make it again because I just can't be trusted around it, just like chocolate covered pretzels. It must be something with the salt and chocolate that flicks the switches in my head to auto-pilot and I lose the ability to stop myself from eating more and more.
Like an alcoholic can't just have "one" drink, I can't just have "one" of almost anything with sugar. I'll have a tiny sliver of cake and then have another tiny sliver and another instead of just having a normal slice from the start. Those 100 calorie packs of sweets don't help me because I'll end up eating the whole box. I know I have issues and I'm working on them.
I know I should be able to enjoy anything in moderation but what if I can't control it? Do I need to avoid it forever or will I eventually learn how to control myself with certain trigger foods? I'm glad all the crack is gone and I got back to my green monster for breakfast today. Fruit is a much better and healthier sugar high for me. It doesn't spike my blood sugar the way white cane sugar does.
Luckily I've been going to the gym faithfully and burning lots of calories on the elliptical and dreadmill so the damage on the scale from all the sugar has been minimal. I didn't lose any weight over the holidays but I didn't gain any either and that is something I don't think has ever happened before. Usually the holidays are an all out food fest and a free pass to gain the usual 5-10 pounds because it's the holidays, right? No, this year is different. 2010 is going to be different. I am different.
Julie over at Smoke Yourself Thin recently wrote a post about whether or not sugar can be as addictive as heroin or cigarettes and for me, I think it is. When I have it I always want more. I can't seem to get enough no matter how much I have and I can't refuse it when it's offered to me. I feel the physical effects of the sugar in my body and a haze come over my mind after a big sugar binge.
I'm detoxing now.
What do you think? Can you be addicted to certain foods? If so, what are you addicted to?
I've been a very good girl this year so I would like you to show some love to all my blogging friends who should be found on your Nice List, oh, well, ummm ... maybe just a little bit naughty but mostly nice list:
A remedy for Pasta Queen's never-ending headache.
Strength for Jen, a Prior Fat Girl, and her entire family to get through all the firsts without her Mom.
Less frogs and more princes to kiss for Hilly at Snackie's World.
The perfect fitting pair of jeans for Ex Hot Girl (who is no longer an "Ex," just a "Hot Girl" now).
Happy feet for Allison at Doublechinned.
An unemployment extension and a great job for Tammy at From Fat to Fab.
Huge Glo bar sales for Angela at Oh She Glows.
Reliable internet and warm heat for Friend of the Bear.
A super-duper souped up immunity system for Skinny Me.
and...and...and...
I had very good intentions of listing EVERYONE on my blog roll and including links but I ran out of time and if I don't send this out now Santa won't get it before he heads out to deliver presents to all you good boys and girls out there. I hope Santa brings you whatever your heart desires.
I truly appreciate all of the love and support you have shown me. You are all so very special to me and I appreciate each and every one of you.
I wish every single one of you a joyous holiday season and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish in 2010.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, a belated Happy Hanukkah, and a wonderful Winter Solstice. I wish you all peace, love and happiness in the New Year. May all your days be merry and bright.
If we can afford access to the internet I suspect all of us have our basic needs met. We have an abundance of food to eat, we have clean water to drink, we have clothes (in my case, in multiple sizes), we have a roof over our heads, we have people who care about us, family to support us and so many more luxuries than most people in the world. We are so damn lucky even if our day to day life is one irritation after another.
Many of us have lost loved ones this year but we should remember how lucky we are to have had them in our lives. They will always be in our hearts and happy memories even if they are unable to sit across the table from us today. We need to remember to stop and think about how much we truly have to be thankful for.
I am thankful for you, and you, and especially YOU!
I wish you all in the states here a very Happy Thanksgiving. To everyone else, Happy Thursday! Be thankful you aren't a turkey today.
Every muscle in my body aches and I didn't even hit the gym this weekend. We've been building an addition on our camp and spent the entire weekend raising the roof. I went up and down and up and down the ladder so many times my legs were shaking by the end of each day. My shoulder is throbbing and I can barely make a fist with my right hand because it's numb from using the framing nail gun, that thing is heavy.
As much as I hate my office job I know I'm not cut out for construction work. There's a reason it's called MANual labor. I don't know if it was the country air or pure exhaustion that made me sleep so well but I was out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Bill was dancing all over the roof without anything to hold on to while I was moving like a snail afraid of falling with every single step. We got the roof raised and will hopefully get it enclosed and protected from the elements the next time we're up there.
It was so nice to have a three day weekend up north although I wish I got some time to relax. Between Bill being sick and in the hospital all last summer and building the addition this summer it seems like we haven't had any time to play. I really need to get some play time.
The weather was so beautiful and we were able to get allot accomplished so it was a very productive weekend. Hiking up and down the ladder onto the roof is a better workout than any stair machine I've ever been on. I didn't get any traditional workouts in over the weekend but I can definitely feel the burn. Time to find my muscle relaxers.
I hope everyone here in the states had a great time celebrating the 4th of July, everyone else I hope you had a good weekend.
I'm sad to say we didn't get to see any fireworks, we didn't go to any bbq's and we didn't do anything fun. We're building an addition on our camp so all we did was work on it all weekend. It was backbreaking work. The good news is I got an excellent workout lugging 2x6x10's, lifting plywood, bending, stretching and running around being the gofer. I was totally exhausted and fell into a dead sleep as soon as we got home last night until about 4:00 in the morning when I woke up with a sore throat and a wheezing cough.
I'm can't say I'm surprised since I'm on vacation this week and I had planned on getting the house organized and hitting the gym every single day. It's just my luck that something always happens when I try to take a vacation. Today was a total bust. I couldn't get out of bed and I can't take a deep breath without hacking. First day of vacation wasted. Let's hope I can get over this and enjoy the rest of the week. My vacations are good times, yeah, good times.
B got tickets to the Red Sox game tomorrow night so that should be fun if I can breathe. Of course, we're supposed to have severe thunderstorms tomorrow but hopefully it will hold off until after the game.
Where have you been hiding? Did you forget it's summer here in New England? We haven't seen much of you for the past month or so. It's been foggy, rainy, drizzling, overcast, and cold. I was beginning to doubt we would ever see you again. I hope you stick around and join us for the 4th of July celebrations.
I hope the sun is shining where you are. Be safe, have fun and don't forget the sunscreen.
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