Thursday weigh in, on a Friday!

Happy Friday!

I am so ready for the weekend!  I have a friend visiting, I am tired as hell, and I have a shit load of laundry to do.  Hence, I am incredibly glad that I have the weekend ahead of me!

Yesterday I did my weigh in:

Yesterday's Weight

Hellz yeah!  -.8

But even better? 

I knew the hubs was coming home Tuesday night and we were talking pizza, and I knew Wednesday we were going out for our anniversary so in preparation, I made sure to work out both nights before going out, and i snapped this pic Tuesday before heading out to dinner:

230.4!!!!

I am headed in the right direction, I am making smart decisions, and I am already feeling better.  Yesterday started a new week and I am looking forward to it!

They opened a new Wellness Building across the street from my work for employees only and this week I took two great group classes! I am looking forward to the classes I have signed up for next week!  On Thursday I was still feeling the burn from my Monday Core class! 

Happy Weekend friends!

Hangry...

OMGAW was I hungry today…a hungry me does not do the world good.  Granted I tend to think of the hunger pains as little pissed off blobs eating away at my fat and doing me a big favor, but straight up, sometimes I think I would rather be fat and content than skinny and hangry.  Well, actually, let’s be real.  I don’t want to be skinny either.  I am striving for healthy, and athletic.  Luckily, I am well on my way to both!!!!  (Insert positive thoughts here!)

And let’s get real.  It’s not easy.  Moderation, exercising, all that crazy crap.  It’s hard.  But it’s worth it.  And once you get in to the swing of things, it definitely gets easier.  I think I am making progress towards the “this shit’s getting easier” mentality.  I am taking steps and making strides to be healthy.  Slow and steady, but steady is the key word.  I have been working on this for over a year.  I have had many successes, on top of many setbacks, but I have continued on.  And that’s what it takes!  I am DOING, not sitting back and watching. 

So instead of reaching into the cookie jar and undoing all of my healthy eating when the HANGRY attack happened, I opted to run to the store and buy a pack of strawberries!  Yeah I ate the whole pack but it was still probably 1/6^th of the calories in a big cookie.  And I feel satisfied and content.  Shit, I feel happy in my choice!  If only there was a word for Happy and Content!

Now this weekend, I am headed up Nort to my friends home.  I am so excited to relax and get in some quality hang out time.  Both of us watch what we eat so we can help motivate each other to eat good, and we have decided that Friday night we will enjoy some drinks and give ourselves a break by not counting the points of our drinks.  It’s about moderation and for me, that’s what works best!

Plus I’ll make sure to get in a lot of water action this weekend!

In foot new, I had an X-Ray today and should get those results tomorrow.  I am praying that all looks good so I can at least continue on the rehabilitation track and start getting more exercise in.  My doctor also gave me a referral to a Physical therapist by my work and I am so going to jump on that offer. 

The next month will be busy, but I am looking forward to July.  June was good, but it had it’s down moments.  Here’s to a great month ahead!  I am looking forward to it!

And shout out to my dad!  That awesome bugger bought my Graduation Cap and gown.  That’s right folks!  This chica graduates at the end of July!  I passed my last class, and with a 4.0! 

Turn that frown...

And that I did! 

I was feeling pretty darn blue yesterday.  But I remedied it with the following

• A cupcake break with my dad.
• A loving phone call from my awesome husband at the perfect moment…he generally knows exactly what to say to flip my frowns.
• An email from my grandma.
• A 1 mile swim with my sister.
• An impromptu dinner with my mom and sister.
• All of this followed by a big bear hug from my hubby! 

It turned out to be a great day and I feel like my head is screwed on just a little bit straighter!

Reading the above also makes me realize that I would be pretty much lost without my amazing family!

Just a quick note...

I know I am in the middle of talking about my Alaskan adventure but I have had some other things on my mind.

A bum anything generally means for me little exercise.  And vacation generally means for me unhealthy eating.  While I didn't eat insanely horrible on this trip, I did eat a lot of carbs, and I can certainly feel it.  But it's hard to not be able to get down with my bad self and exercise...I have always been one who needs to watch what I eat, and exercise.  But since I can't exercise as intensely as usual, I am going to make it a goal to watch what I eat even more than usual.  This means I am going to track everything in my WW tracker.

So tomorrow morning, I will weigh in as usual.  I will watch my food intake all week, and on Thursday, I am going to re-join the Y and start getting my swim on while I work on getting my ankle back into tip top shape.

Wish me luck!  I know it can be done.  I saw a great WW commercial tonight featuring Jennifer Hudson.  I needed to hear her message.  She said to tell yourself you can do it, and not listen to the self-doubt that can eat away at our motivation in our mind.  Thanks Jen...you hit a cord with me!

Heart Happy...

Life can be tough. There are moments of pain, sadness, stress. We load our plates too full; we take on too much. We essentially make life a pain in the ass. So many people complain, hate, and grouch around with every excuse possible and it does not have to be that way. Of course, easier said then done, and yet, I wonder if that is an excuse in itself!

My approach...take life moment by moment. Don't regret. Try something new. Make your life meaningful. I easily fall into the stressed out category, and occasionally grouchy, but when I get this way, I try and step back and really remember what is important. I have found that this leads me to be a pretty happy individual.

Not everyone is built the same way...it has a lot to do with our upbringing and environment. I personally love being busy all the time. My favorite past time is baking and cooking. Sometimes I bite off more then I can chew (pun intended!), and I try to squeeze in baking amidst cleaning and homework and anything else imaginable, but I love the feeling of when I complete a creation. I can share it with others, or watch my family eat it, and I feel accomplished. That feeling can take me pretty far.

I love to dream, and think of the next fun adventure, whether it be traveling, planning a fun event with my loved ones, or just chiseling out a day to pamper myself and relax. Focusing on these things, and not on the negative aspects in life, keeps me charged up and excited about life. It helps me focus on what is really important and not what is superficial. I find my heart just bursting with joy over life's little blessings, like a dinner out with my husband, a walk with a friend, playing cards with my grandma, reading an uplifting blog or story, or a good run. These are small things, but they make me happy, and that rocks!

I challenger everyone to focus on what makes you happy. Don't worry about others. We spend too much time doing that and end up neglecting ourselves. Take the time to make yourself a better you, and it will undoubtedly pay it forward.

Oh, and FYI...you are hella awesome and deserve only good and happiness in your life. Don't forget that!

Christmas in July...hell no

Tomorrow is Monday...I have no clue where the weekend went, or last week, or the first part of summer. It all just flies by and melds into one cluster of crazy business and while I am super excited and loving every moment of my crazy busy summer, I can't help but feel a little melancholy about the fact that we are quickly approaching the middle of July which somehow leads us to Halloween and pretty soon we are singing jingle bells (this could also be due to the fact that Christmas music now starts in early November).

This week alone has been so full of excitement, adventure, and nerves that I have no clue where it went! On Monday I ran a 1/2 Marathon...more on that later. And Tuesday I started a new position! I got promoted to a Sr. Plannogram Specialist...I will be working with the placement of products in the store. I am very excited for this new chapter, even though I really miss my old team and handbags! It is nice to be rewarded for hard work however and the compliments and praise I got through this whole process will keep me chugging along for quite some time.

Wednesday I also got to check another thing off of my bucket list. I saw Nicki Minaj and Britney Spears in concert! While I love them both, growing up with Britney Spears made me extra excited to see her perform. When she hopped on the crazy lady train a few years back, I wasn't sure I would ever get the chance to see her live, but alas, I did, and while she was a bit robotic and tense, she looked great and the show was entertaining! Plus I was with some amazing ladies! Then Chaz and I spent the weekend in Wisconsin with our friends Laura and Dave and we couldn't have asked for a better weekend! I came home with a summer cold but I am sure that is just my body telling me to take it slow after all the excitement. I made sure to party it up however, taking in the rope swing, a few margaritas, and a few competitive games. And nothing is better then hanging out with good friends and just enjoying life!

And yes, then there is that run...that 1/2 Marathon. While I can't say I ran an entire 1/2 Marathon, I can say I probably ran about 2/3 of it. Had I not been attacked by a strong case of nerves, and a sudden panic attack, I may have done better, but I am still so proud of accomplishing this goal. I finished, and I wasn't the last one to cross the finish line, so I am happy! And I ran it with my wonderful mother who so could have rocked the race at a much faster pace, but stayed with me so we could complete it together. I am proud of the fact that I completed it. I am proud that I ran the first 6 to 7 miles almost completely with only one bathroom stop and one water break. And I am proud that I did not have my husband or dad come pick me up at mile 7 when I just broke down from STRESS/EXCITEMENT/PRESSURE/IHAVENOCLUE!

This week thus far is looking a little more chill. My knees have been killing me since the race but I did a small run tonight and I am looking forward to some more running this week. Plus classes have started and I am taking a very scary statistics class so I am going to but some time and effort into getting that started on the right foot this week.

On a side note: Thanks to everyone for the support during my 1/2 Marathon Training...I could not have done it without you! I am pretty lucky!

counting my blessings...

I know that no matter what I go through, no matter how hard life can be, I am one lucky individual. I have the love of an amazing husband, the support of a great family, and the enjoyment brought from my circle of friends. There are ups and downs, and the sun is not always shining, but I get to wake every morning, go to a job I love, one that provides me with security. I get to come home to my husband, my grandma, and our cats. I get to spend my weekends with my family and friends, and I am blessed to be active and workout, and pursue opportunities, like training for a half marathon.

just do it...

So you want this…really bad! You crave it, you feel it, you dream it. You get urges to just give it all you got. You have the desire, the strength, and the know how. The best part is, nothing can hold you back. Nothing can stop you. You can actually do this! You have all the abilities and resources…now, just do it!

pink...

This is a song by Pink and honestly, I will probably never ever get sick of it, which is rare as I usually hear a song about 20 times and then I am SOOOOO over it...but not this one. And that is not because of the beat, or the sound, or Pink's voice, although those are all really great in this song. Nope, it is none of that that attracts me to this song but rather the words. When you really listen, and take it in, they just hit, deep, and I love! And love her for putting it out! Here are the words but consider getting it on itunes...it's worth it!

(I am including the original lyrics with the naughty words!...naughty words are good now and then!)

I have also taken the liberty to bold my favorite part...enjoy!

Pink - Fuckin’ Perfect Lyrics

Made a wrong turn
Once or twice
Dug my way out
Blood and fire
Bad decisions
That’s alright
Welcome to my silly life
Mistreated, misplaced, missundaztood
Miss “no way it’s all good”
It didn’t slow me down
Mistaken
Always second guessing
Underestimated
Look, I’m still around…

Pretty, pretty please
Don’t you ever, ever feel
Like your less than
Fuckin’ perfect
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like your nothing
You’re fuckin’ perfect to me

You’re so mean
When you talk
About yourself
You are wrong
Change the voices
In your head
Make them like you
Instead
So complicated
Look how big you’ll make it
Filled with so much hatred
Such a tired game
It’s enough
I’ve done all i can think of
Chased down all my demons
see you same

Pretty, pretty please
Don’t you ever, ever feel
Like your less than
Fuckin’ perfect
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like your nothing

You’re fuckin’ perfect to me
The world stares while i swallow the fear
The only thing i should be drinking is an ice cold beer
So cool in lying and I tried tried
But we try too hard, it’s a waste of my time
Done looking for the critics, cuz they’re everywhere
They don’t like my genes, they don’t get my hair
Stringe ourselves and we do it all the time
Why do we do that?
Why do I do that?
Why do I do that?

Ooh, pretty pretty pretty,
Pretty pretty please don’t you ever ever feel
Like you’re less then, fuckin’ perfect
Pretty pretty please if you ever ever feel
Like you’re nothing you’re fuckin’ perfect, to me
You’re perfect
You’re perfect
Pretty, pretty please don’t you ever ever feel like you’re less then, fucking perfect
Pretty, pretty please if you ever ever feel like you’re nothing you’re fucking perfect to me

food for thought...

This weekend is another weekend in the rink. Luckily it is cold and snowing outside so being inside is not too terrible. And I have set up my computer in the back so I can use my free time to hop on and do some homework. Since alot of my job is making coffee and keeping the food stocked, I am trying to pretend I am in a coffee shop, just enjoying my Saturday...a girl can dream!

Weight Watchers has been going pretty well, but last week I did gain a pound. Rightfully so as last weekend I was not as strict with my points while working the hockey event, and I had little time for work outs. But you know what, that is life! Some weeks will be good, some will be average, and some will suck. That is why I love Weight Watchers. Just because I gained a pound does not mean it is time to throw in the towel! hell no! I get to pick myself up and continue on my journey!

I am making the goal this week to not dip into my weeklies as Tuesday will be our 9 year dating anniversary and we are going out to dinner! I am also tracking EVERY LITTLE THING I PUT IN MY MOUTH! Yesterday was day one at the hockey event and I passed with flying colors! No little nibbles, no sneaking unneeded calories..if I ate it, I tracked it, and if I needed a snack, I looked for fruit or veggies or peanut butter and other healthy options! Good thing I organize the food so I make sure there are healthy options!

I am excited about this adventure, just as much today as I was at the beginning. I don't obsess over it, I just live it. That is what WW's has taught me in three months! You can eat ANYTHING, you just have to be accountable!

making the most of it...

My husband and I do not have a boat load of money. We are a single income family, as my husband completes his schooling, and we live with my grandma. We do however rarely feel pinched with money (although I am sure my husband would disagree) but even during difficult times, I find it rewarding to still help others.

We have been blessed with insanely supportive families. Not that they throw money at us, but they love us, and encourage us, and always provide us with the smiles and generosity that bring us emotional support! Of course our families help pick up tabs, or offer financial support if we really need it, but generally, we do just fine, and I think it is largely in part to our upbringings and families. I would say we live above our means, we have luxuries like cable and we go out to dinner. And we make it a point to help others who may not be as fortunate as us.

Both of our cats were adopted from shelter situations. Faith was a feral cat that was caught and tamed. When we first got her, she was very shy, but has since come around to be the biggest softie! All she ever wants to do is cuddle and paw the bed.

And Kea is an 11 or 12 or 13 year old white cat that we got a few months back. She has a gimp leg and was one day away from being put down at animal control. We took her in, vetted her, found that she has a brighter outlook then we imagined and she too has become such a ray of sunshine in or house.

Since adopting Faith, we have donated money to the foundation we got her through. We even sponsored the spay of a kitty this past January. We send boxes of treats and cat food and catnip.

But don’t worry, it is not just the furry friends we help out! We purge our clothes often and donate to clothes closets whenever we realize we have too much crap! Chaz loves putting change in any bucket he finds sitting out helping this cause or that cause. I like to work United way and volunteer events at work, and Chaz is always asking D. Lo what he can do to make her life easier. He has cleaned her garage and her storage room and put up shelves around her house. Those things count! That’s helping another individual!

I don’t spread this message to show you what we do so that you can be proud of us and shower us with compliments. I don’t want that. I don’t need that. That is not what fuels my volunteering. I just put it out there to encourage you to find something you are passionate about and really help out. I can bet that everyone in this world, even the wealthiest of people, could use help in some way. Help comes in a variety of ways, whether it be financial, emotional, or physical. It will make you feel better and it will certainly make someone else feel better!

Accomplishments

It is fun to see that my weight has gone from the 40’s to the 20’s! I like seeing that! Even if I may have hit a plateau last week…ok, well gained L
This weekend I have some big plans for my birthday, so I am really trying to make sure I eat good this week cause who knows what the weekend will bring! Good thing I have my weeklies! They will all be saved for the festivities! Of course I will help counter some of this with my Saturday morning 5k run! I am so looking forward to this event and for a variety of reasons!

First, it is my second 5k, and this one I have actually trained for! Second, I am doing it with some of my best friends, some really strong wonderful women, while my other group of best friends cheer’s us on from the sidelines! I am looking forward to the challenge, to breathing in fresh air while pushing myself. And I am looking forward to the sense of accomplishment after! Well, there is also the post-run beer garden! I mean, it is a St. Patty’s day race!

On top of all that, is the fact that it is my 25th birthday that day! I mean how cool to walk right up to your 25th birthday and greet it with a challenging 5k, being surrounded by amazing friends and family. Hopefully I can greet every milestone this way!