Kind of Blah...

Usually I am a very upbeat, optimistic person. With the past days events though I haven't been my happy-go-lucky self. It is understandable that I feel the way I do and I know as time goes on I will feel less of the heartache for Hyatt. Part of me wants to run out and get another dog to heal the hurt but that is like having a rebound relationship and hoping it'll work out. Caesar is SO confused without Hyatt. Last night we were outside on the patio and our neighbor walked by with his black lab mix and Caesar shot off my lap and went running because he thought it was his brother. He was soon disappointed though when he realized it wasn't Hyatt. His little tail fell down and he sauntered back to Andrew and I. Sometimes Caesar will just start to cry for no reason at all and I know it is because he is confused. He'll get over it faster than Andrew and I will but I know he is used to being around other dogs and I think he's sad being the only one.

 He is such a sweet boy. We walked around on Saturday morning for a little bit... just wasn't the same.
_____________________________________________________________________________

WeightWatchers & Food:
Well, I had my awesome 2 pound loss yesterday and my 4 mile run so I was feeling pretty good about myself for that. I had some wine in the evening and then made a huge dinner of spaghetti and meat sauce with garlic bread. It needed to be a comfort food night. I used all of my daily points and 14 of my weeklies. That isn't too bad though.
Also, on Saturday I made this fun little recipe and forgot to post about it:

 It was really good! I love fried rice so this was a nice bargain. I added chicken to it to plump it up a bit and it makes a TON. I will make this again.

I was also impressed with my ActiveLink activity from yesterday. When I plugged it in this morning I was shocked and VERY happy!

Go me! 10APs to start the week with. Can't do much better than that. (Except maybe the day I do my 10K) haha.

I don't have much else to update. Again, I am just really frumpy and want to go home and mope. On my training schedule for today I have "stretch & strengthen". I've been doing my wall pushups and well... resting my muscles.

Random Pet Picture of the Day:

AHHH! It is a HOBBZILLA COME TO ATTACK ME.

With hugs, kisses and snuggles.

RIP Hyatt 2010-2013

Friday was an incredibly hard day for Andrew and I. We said goodbye to our wonderful, loving dog Hyatt who was battling a sickness that was slowly and painfully taking his life away from him. There is nothing worse than watching a dog, who has already had such a tragic life, suffer from something when you can do nothing to ease the pain and suffering. Friday morning we took Hyatt to the vet to be put down. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. Sure, I've lost pets to old age or had to give them new homes.... but to lose a pet that is only 3 years old was heartbreaking in so many other ways. Hyatt had a hard life to begin with. His previous owners, before being adopted by us, abused him, beat him and left him for dead at the APL. He had heartworm so bad when he was at the APL they didn't think he would make it. Well, he did. I brought him home the summer of 2012 and gave him the most loving and caring home I could. He grew so much as a dog. He stopped being afraid of people, he stopped snipping at people when he was startled, his personality changed so much in the short time we had him and I am glad that we were able to give him that.
Hyatt is now resting peacefully on my parent's property next to Brutus. Brutus was their 6 year old Lhasa Apso that they also lost to an illness. I have ordered him a headstone and mom has already decorated with flowers.
So many tears have been shed and many more will be when I think of him and his short time here on earth. However, I know the time he had with us was special and he knew he was loved unconditionally. I love you Hyatt. You will always hold such a special place in my heart.

"If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever."

________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday Weigh In:

Weigh In: -2

Total Lost: 3.8

Left to Lose: 99.4

It was a good week with good exercise and mostly good food choices. On Friday, I did indulge in Mexican Food and candy. I'm sorry, but I did comfort my sadness with food.... and beer. I didn't go completely crazy for the day. I just had one meal and one snack time that was a little off kilter. Other than that, the week went well and I was really on track. I'm proud of my loss. 

I just got home from my walk/jog and I cannot tell you how sad it is for me not to have Hyatt with me anymore. He was my running buddy and I already miss his excitement about going with me. He knew when I was going. The minute I put on my shoes and got my Garmin on he'd dance around the apartment knowing that I was going out for a jog. 

It may have been 64º but I was HOT at the end. Holy crap. Which is why I slowed down considerably. I know I'm not fast by any means but that was even slower than usual. I wanted to get it done earlier in the day because of the weather and because we have a busy afternoon planned. We are going to look at a few condos and that'll take a couple of hours. Then I am going to come home, cook dinner and be a lazy ass the rest of the day while spending time with Andrew. 

I'm not ready for the week to start, but I think it is because I'm still depressed. Only time will heal the hurt. 

Who Let Me Stay Up Until Midnight?

It will be a miracle if I stay awake past 9:00 tonight. Last night after work I went to Hobby Lobby because I wanted some spray paint (for our ugly old lamps), yarn to make a baby blanket for a friend of mine, and a box to hold all of my old pictures. Of course when I go to Hobby Lobby I never stick to just the few things I say I am going to get. I got some really cute Halloween decorations as well as a few other odds and ends. That store is pure evil. Everything is SO cute and ALWAYS 40%-60% off! Damn them. This happened though and it makes me super happy:

I love lights. I just do. They are orange, green and purple and I also got a few little wooden decorations. A kitty, a ghost and a sparkly sign that says "Boo!" You can't see those because it is so dark... but that is what I did and just that little bit of decorating makes me happy. I took this before I put up my Avon Halloween tree. That is now on the bookshelf on the left side. 

Anywhoo, I did that shopping trip and then got home to spray paint my lamps, cook and eat dinner, clean the kitchen and vacuum. By this point I was already tired. However, my on my training schedule I had 40 minutes of cross training to complete and Andrew wanted to go to the fitness center after he got off work. I went and did my 40 minutes... 

Legs in motion! He was a little more chipper than I was at being there around 9:00 at night....

My Kindle and I did 10 minutes on the Elliptical and then went to a stationary bike to finish the last half an hour.


Once we got home we had to watch the new South Park, followed by an episode of Too Cute! that was on the DVR and then of course I had to start crocheting the baby blanket... leaving us both up until midnight. The minute I got to bed I knew it would be a rough morning.... and boy was it.... *YAWN*








My Food & Activity from Yesterday:
Breakfast: 1 Egg, 2 slices of wheat toast and WW cheese for a sammich, WW Hazelnut Latte made with skim milk and coffee (11P+)
Snack: (2) Cheese Sticks (3P+)
Lunch: Head West Veggie Sub (15P+)
Snack: Pretzels with Roasted Pine Nut Hummus (4P+)
Before Dinner Snack (at Hobby Lobby): Skinny Cow Candy Bar (3P+)
Dinner: 6 oz chicken breast, 1 c. brown rice (11P+)
Other Food: 2 mini peppermint patties (3P+), Popcorn (5P+), Pixy Sticks (6P+)
Activity: 40 minutes of cross training and 60 wall pushups

I earned 7APs but ate well over my daily points. I still have 12 Weekly Points left and 17APs earned that I haven't touched. So, I'm not worried about my little eating episode from last night. I stayed well within my allowance and I am feeling good about my week! I always worry about the weekend though because of my lack of routine but I am going to do my best to stay focused and have a good weigh in on Sunday!

I do not have much else to say so here is a Throwback Thursday Picture for your enjoyment:

That is me and my cousins Danielle and Sarah. Weren't we adorable all dressed up in matching outfits and we even had our hair done the same! Boy my hair used to be really light. In order for me to get that color now I have to buy it in a box.... 

3 Mile Run

Well, last night kicked off my 10K training. I only have 4 weeks so I jumped into the middle of the training program which is fine since I have done way longer distances before. I just don't want to be completely unprepared for this race like I have been the last two races I have done. The exercise last night was nice. There were times when I thought I was going to have a shin splint attack but I was able to walk it out before jogging again. I basically just jogged when I felt like it and walked as I felt like it. I'm going to really listen to my body and watch my Heart Rate of course. I ♥my garmin.

This is a combo of walking/jogging. Obviously. I'm a slow poke!
My race schedule so far is:

October 20, 2013 - Springfield Marathon Weekend 10K 
November 16, 2013 - Jingle Bell Run 5K for Arthritis 
April 5, 2014 - Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon 

Here is the link to donate to my fundraiser for the Jingle Bell Run. I do have arthritis so I really support this race and organization. Please donate!!!


I will start my Half Marathon training on January 12, 2014. I will be doing this training plan. I have the app for this training program on my phone. I purchased it a long time ago and never did it. This time I am going to. I really want to do a sub 3:00:00 half marathon and I want 2014 to be the year I do it.

Yesterday's Food & Activity:
Breakfast: WW Hazelnut Smoothie made with 1 c FF milk and coffee, Smart Ones Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (8P+)
Snack: (2) Cheese Sticks and 1 c. cottage cheese with homemade salsa (7P+)
Lunch: Jimmy John's Vegetarian Unwich with No Mayo, Thinny Chips and a Pickle (13P+)
Snack: Banana (0P+)
Dinner: 1 c. pasta with 1/4 c. sauce, broccoli, salad with tomatoes and Walden Farms Italian Dressing (6P+)
Dessert: WW Mini Bar (Chocolate Pretzel Blast) (2P+)
Snack: Air Popped Popcorn (4P+)
Activity: 3.1 Mile Run, 90 Wall Pushups and 40 jumping jacks

I earned 7APs yesterday and stayed completely within my Daily Points+ Target. Woo!

Random Pet Picture of the Day:

He has to be different. He cannot sleep in the bed the way you would think he should. He is a rebel and he'll do what he wants.....

At least he got the pillow right.....

Nap Time?

Why am I so tired? I get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. I have my morning coffee (not a lot). It's ridiculous I tell you.

Yesterday's Food & Activity
Breakfast: WW Hazelnut Latte Smoothie made with 1 c. FF milk and coffee, SmartOnes Peaches and Cream Oatmeal (8P+)
Snack: (2) WW String Cheese and a Banana (3P+)
Lunch: (2) Jalapeno Chicken Sausages, 1/2 c. FF Cottage Cheese with tomatoes, WW Mini Bar (10P+)
Snack: Pretzels with 1 T Garlic Hummus (4P+)
Dinner: 5 oz Chicken Breast cooked in Teriyaki Sauce and EVOO, 1 c. brown rice, a heaping pile of spinach (12P+)
Dessert: Edy's Slow Churned Chocolate Ice Cream (5P+)
Evening Snacks: (7) Pixy Sticks, 10 Saltine Crackers with 1 slice of WW cheese (14P+)
Activity: 60 Wall Push Ups (No AP earned)

I went over my daily points by 16. I tapped into my weekly allowance and have 33 remaining for the week. My stomach was growling like crazy around 9:00 and it started to hurt. I ate my dinner around 6:30 so I am not sure why I was feeling so hungry but that's when the crackers and cheese came in. I had the pixy stix while I was reading. Plan of attack? Move the basket of pixy stix away from the couch when I'm reading OR just get rid of them. I bought them for Andrew's birthday party (Aug 24) and we still have a ton left. In fact, I think tonight they will go in the garbage.

About my activity: I made a plan to do Wall Push Ups every time I went to the bathroom. Why? I don't know. I just wanted to get some kind of arm workout in my day and it seemed the best way to do it. So, every time I visit the bathroom (which is an individual bathroom) I do 15 Wall Push Ups. I don't slack either, I make them hard. Today I have incorporated 10 jumping jacks as well. So, we will see how many reps I do today. My visits to the bathroom are quite frequent since I drink SO MUCH WATER. Also, since I don't have my gallbladder anymore food doesn't seem to stick with me like it used to. (TMI, I know)

The only other news in my life is that my husband has decided he is going to go back to school to be a Pharmacy Technician and I am so happy! I'm glad he has finally figured out something he truly wants to do outside of piano tuning. The certificate/degree will take him 9 months to complete. I can't wait for him to get started. I know he's excited about it too! I told him after that he should go full blown pharmacist so he can make lots of money and I can be a part time worker here at Springfield Van. He just gave me a look and shook his head. I see nothing wrong with him becoming a pharmacist...... just saying....

Random Picture of the Day:

This was taken October 2011 at the Pumpkin Patch in Bloomington, IL. On my lap is little Abigail!
Cannot wait to do this again this year!! I love fall.


P.S. (Look how skinny I was!!!)

Weekend Recap & Other News

Happy Monday, everyone! Let us start off the blog with this. I changed my Weigh In Day at WeightWatchers. I was going Wednesday afternoon at 12:00 but I was so rushed because I was doing that on my lunch break. I decided I wanted to be able to go to the meeting and really relax and enjoy it instead of checking my watch constantly thinking I have to get back to work. I went on Sunday because they have a 9:00 meeting that is smaller and those are the ones I like.

Sunday Weigh In:
Weigh In: -0.4
Total Lost: 1.6
Pounds to Lose: 101.6

I think a 0.4 pound loss in 4 days is pretty good. Considering my weekend was full of pizza and doughnuts. My weekend was also full of ridiculous activity. Our apartment complex was having a community yard sale and we could sell from our garages. I decided the day of that I was going to do it so I was running around like a crazy person trying to get together everything I wanted to sell. After I got it all set out I just let people come and browse as they pleased. Andrew and I ended up making $115 in 3 hours! We had a lot of old cell phones, game consoles and furniture to get rid of. What we didn't sell went to Salvation Army. We split our earnings in half and bought some things we had been wanting. Andrew wanted new jeans and some shoes and an Amazon gift card. I wanted a new book shelf, new lamp shades for the bedroom lamps and some storage bins. I didn't end up finding any storage bins I liked so I just got a new bookshelf and my lamp shades. Of course, you know what a new bookshelf means right? The entire living room had to be rearranged, pictures hung and carpets shampooed. Andrew and I have lived in our apartment almost a year and I never hung any pictures!!! AH! So, I decided it was time to make the apartment more "homey" since we are going to be there at least 1 more year.

Now, that doesn't even scratch the surface of what I did this weekend but I am really pleased with how the new bookshelf looks with the wedding stuff put out. Our unity candle had been in a box in our storage unit/garage since we got married. It needed to have a place! Now, the wedding picture above the couch really needs a frame but lazy 'ol me hasn't gotten around to that either. So, right now it is being held up with tape. Yeah, I know. Classy huh? I'll get there eventually. I really want to wall mount the TV too.

So, after shampooing the carpets, having a yard sale, moving furniture, hanging pictures, shopping, cleaning, renting a UHaul, donating stuff, delivering chairs (from my parent's house to his parent's house), grocery shopping, kitchen cleaning, desk/computer moving, table moving, etc...... I earned 10 APs over the weekend. Haha! I was very proud of that!

Here was my food and Activity yesterday: 
Breakfast: 2 Slices of Wheat Toast with 1 Egg and 1 Slice of WW American Singles (7P+)
Snack: Tall, Nonfat, No Whip, Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks (5P+)
Lunch: (2) 4 oz 96% 4% beef patties cooked on the grill and covered with homemade salsa, 1 oz Pop Chips, Cauliflower (10P+)
Snack: NONE - I was entirely too busy to eat
Dinner: 9 oz Wild Atlantic Salmon cooked on the grill, 1/2 Sweet Potato, Cooked Baby Carrots (11P+)
Activity Points Earned: 3

I still had 7P+ left when I went to bed last night and I was going to have some ice cream but I wasn't hungry. I was very proud of myself that I didn't eat the ice cream even though I was full. Normally I go straight for the dessert after I finish dinner but yesterday I did the dishes and then got comfortable on the couch. I didn't think about food the rest of the night. Go me!

Random Pet Picture of the Day:

"I can haz your burger?"


She sat on his lap the entire time he ate lunch. It was cute. Every time he would lift the burger to his mouth she'd tilt her head like she was going to get a bite. That one there is a beggar. She loves all kinds of human food which cracks me up. Usually cats could care less.

Should've seen them after I cooked the salmon.
Kitty craziness.

Wednesday Weigh In

Wednesday Weigh In:
Weigh In: +1.0
Total Lost: 1.4
Pounds to Lose: 101.8

*grumblegrumblestompfitthrowinggrumblestomp*

Yes, I was a bad, bad, WeightWatcher last week and I deserve what the scale said but I am still going to be a child about it and throw a mini fit and wallow in my own self pity for awhile.

*grumblestompgrumblewhinecrygrumble*

And that's all I have to say right now as I eat my Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Large Fries and Diet Coke delicious salad I packed for lunch today with my WW Brownie Bliss and Diet Coke.
No, I didn't give into my urge to drown my sorrows in greasy fast food. That counts for something right?

Weekend Recap

Random Pet Picture of the Day:

It is a Mia Pia Puddin' Pie! Mom sent me this picture Sunday morning. I absolutely love this little girl. She is one of my mom's five dogs. She is only 7 months old and she is a bundle of love and joy. I have never seen a happier dog. She was a shelter rescue. She is some kind of terrier mix.












Weekend Recap:
Well, we left for Iowa after my doctor's appointment on Friday. We got to Grandma's apartment around 7:00 at night. We talked, lounged around and then went to bed. Saturday morning for some unknown reason, I woke up at 5:55 am. Why? Why does my body HATE ME?! I just lounged in bed until 7:00 before I got up to do anything. I ate breakfast and then Valerie came to pick me up so we could go for a walk down by the Mississippi and then hit the Farmer's Market. I really wanted to go to the market because my former Orchestra/Violin teacher (for 7 years of my life) has a booth down there where she sells baked goods. They are to DIE for delicious. I hadn't seen Kris since I was 13 or 14 years old and the fact that she remembered me and gave me a huge hug was awesome. She was always one of my favorite teachers and I am glad I am still in contact with her. (Thanks Facebook!)

After all of that Val took me back to grandma's so I could shower real quick before we headed to her final dress fitting. I learned how to lace up and bustle Valerie's dress for the big day and she looked beautiful. Wedding dresses are so pretty!

I found out something this weekend about being without a gallbladder. I cannot handle chocolate/sweets the way I used to. I got sick on Saturday night (throw up sick, ew) and it was after I ate a few bites of some baked goods I got from Kris. Next time one bite will do!

Other than that we were just lazy and spent some time with grandma. It was a good weekend overall and I'm glad we went. I know grandma appreciates the company as well.

WeightWatchers & Stuff:
I didn't do too bad this weekend. Of course, not feeling well makes a difference on what you eat. I am in the negative on my tracker by 5 points but that will be easily made up by working out today and tomorrow. And my menu for today:

B: Salad with romaine, tomatoes, homemade dressing and 1/4 c. dry roasted edamame
S: String Cheese, Unsweetened applesauce
L: 4 oz salmon, 1/2 c. brown rice, WW Mini Bar
S: 1/2 c. 1% cottage cheese, tomatoes
D: TBD

I have lots of leftovers so we will see what I am hungry for once I get home. And YES, I had a salad for breakfast. Don't knock it. It was refreshing, cool, delicious, crunchy... just yummy! It filled me up and I got quite a few of my GHG's in. (Good Health Guidelines for you non-WW members)
I don't know what my activity will be tonight. Probably something outside as long as it isn't storming. The weather is so nice and cool though. I'm hoping I can go outside! If not, treadmill it is!

I hope everything is having a good Monday so far! Make it a great day!

My Body Hates Me & Other Things

Seriously. Why can I not feel good for more than a week? Haha. I woke up this morning with a UTI. If any of you know anything about me, I get these frequently. I am one of those people prone to them. I do everything the doctor tells me, I take cranberry pills, I wipe front to back, I clean with unscented soap, I pee after intercourse (TMI, right?) lol... however, I STILL GET THEM. I'm miserable this morning and I'm about to punch something. I have medicine left over from my last one but it hasn't fully kicked in yet. I wish it would.

Update on the Chia Seeds:
I really like them. This morning I had them in water as Chia Fresca only I didn't add agave or honey. I like limes a lot and enjoy the tartness it added to the water.

*Note: If you have an issue with drinking things with weird texture this is not the way for you to ingest the Chia seeds. They do turn into a gel like substance that makes the water kind of, well, gel like a goopy. It doesn't add any flavor to the water, the lime does.

So, after drinking that down I then had 1 c. grits with 1 tsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of Chia Seeds. Very yummy and incredibly filling. I don't think I will be eating my morning snack because food just doesn't sound good right at the moment.







Last night I went to Food Fantasies which is our local health food store. Here in Springfield, IL we do not have Whole Foods or Trader Joe's which pisses me off  so I just go where I can for the oddball things I want to eat. While there I picked up this little gem. Organic Spicy Avocado Hummus. ZOMG. My new favorite thing in the world. Yes, it was over $6 for that tiny little tub of it but I do not go to that store often and buy this kind of stuff so it was really a treat!



I also discovered this Blog after reading Born To Run a second time. I was doing a Google search on how to make Pinole and that blog had a lot of information and an eBook of recipes. I got the recipe book for $17 and stocked up on what I needed to make Pinole Flatbread. Mostly, I just needed the coarse corn meal. I am not going to give the recipe on here because I do not have permission to give that information out. If you are interested, visit this link to get the recipe. I LOVE the flatbread. It is almost like making your own grain chips with tons of healthy things in them! It has whole wheat flour and chia seeds! (and more obviously) It makes 8 "discs" and I cut them into 8 wedges each. One entire disc of 8 wedges is 5P+ on WeightWatchers.

You have to let them cool a bit once they come out of the oven and they look.... interesting. However, the taste is fine and I really enjoy them dipped in my new hummus!

 Close up.

Got lots of them! (64 chips)

Dipped in the Spicy Avocado hummus.









I brought 5 chips (3P+) and 2 T of the hummus (1P+) for a snack today. I am looking forward to eating it once I am hungry again!

I also picked up these at Food Fantasies and am having one for lunch! They are 10P+ for the entire box but there are so many good, healthy and wholesome things in it that I know I'm going to love it!

Menu of the Day:

B: Grits with 1 t of butter and 1 T of Chia Seeds, Chia Fresca water

S: Pinole Flatbread with 2 T of Hummus

L: Go Picnic Box, tomatoes

S: String Cheese

D: Leftover Salmon over romaine lettuce

Activity: I'd like to squeeze in a run after my doctor's appointment. Andrew and I leave for Davenport tonight and I have to pack still. 

AND, here is your random pet picture of the day:

Hobbs was very interested in everything I was doing last night. Especially since I cooked salmon!




Happy Weekend Everyone! I might blog and I might not. Depends on how busy Valerie and grandma keep me!

Nuts.com

I have discovered Nuts.com and I am now IN LOVE. All I did was type "Chia Seeds" into Google and Nuts.com came up as a trusted Google site. So, I did some shopping around and loved the products and prices that they have. PLUS, they have recipes on how to use what you buy! I placed my order on Tuesday and got it today.

Not only is the packaging adorable but I got a free little treat! Some natural, lightly salted cashews. I like little free gifts! I cannot wait to try those. I may try and work them into my menu tomorrow. The orange package has salt water taffy in it. I couldn't resist. It is 4P+ per serving so I thought it would be a nice little treat sometimes and it would take me awhile to eat since taffy is so chewy!
My main purchase was the organic chia seeds and I am currently waiting for them to turn into the "gel" like substance and I will drink them. I really want to try them like this with some fresh lime juice. Chia Seeds are so amazingly good for you.
Here is the verbage from nuts.com: "Chia seeds do not have to be ground for your body to absorb their nutrients. 2 Tablespoons of chia seeds daily will give you approximately 7 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, 205 milligrams of calcium and a whopping 5 grams of omega-3's." 
Crazy huh? It is 2P+ for 2 Tablespoons and I mostly plan on using them in oatmeal or smoothies. They are pretty much tasteless to me. At least the little pinch I tried didn't have much flavor. I'm excited to see how they affect the way I feel and my energy levels. I hear they do wonders for appetite suppressants and energy. I will keep you posted on that. I'm only having 1 Tablespoon right now in some water. (wish I had a fresh lime with me...)

My menu for today is as follows:
B: Toast(4), Almond Butter(3), FF milk(2), Banana(0), Coffee(0)
S: Pop Chips(3), Chia Seeds(1)
L: Brown Rice(5), Black Beans(2), Chicken Sausage(3), WW Brownie Bliss(2)
S: Chobani Flip(5) or Cheese Sticks(3)
D: TBD

Last night I ended up not cooking the salmon and had a brown rice bowl instead. Tonight I want to cook the salmon with the sweet potato and spinach.
I did not exercise last night either. I got an awful headache around 7:00 and it would not go away. I just vacuumed, cleaned up the kitchen, got some documentation together for my husband for a meeting he has and then laid down in bed. I hate headaches.

Fun Dog Picture of the Day:

Caesar LOVES using Andrew's head as a pillow. It is the cutest and funniest thing ever. Whenever Andrew gets up Caesar looks so disappointed. Andrew swears Caesar likes me better than him but I think the love in the family is mutual. He loves me more us both.

Wednesday Weigh In

Wednesday Weigh In:
Weigh In: +1.6
Total Lost: 2.4
Pounds to Lose: 100.8

GAH! I knew that would happen. I had three weeks of losses but some bad choices that FINALLY caught up with me. New week though! I'm ready to go!

For today's blog I want to do this little survey that I got off Bethany's blog that she in turn got from this blog.

I feel… annoyed and frustrated. I had a bad WW week and am angry with myself for not planning better. It was definitely something that was entirely in my control and I just didn't follow through. 

I want… to make MYSELF proud and actually stick to a routine and plan that I have set for myself. 

I need… to forgive myself when I do something that I am not happy with. It is so easy to beat myself up and give right back in to my bad habits and destructive behaviors. 

I have… not quite figured out how missing a gallbladder is going to affect me. So many things have been weird (mostly better) since having it removed. I guess I'm just not used to going to the bathroom so much.....

I am thankful for… Everything in my life that I have been blessed with. My family, my friends, my husband, good health, musical talent, my ability to learn so much so fast, my experiences and cheese. I am very thankful for cheese. ;-p

I would like to… go on another cruise. Just sayin' 

I dream about… running. Almost every night I dream I am running. It is pretty amazing. Obviously since they are dreams there are other twists and weirdness.... but I dream about running.

I prefer… mustard over ketchup on a hot dog.

I listen… to really cheesy, repetitive pop music and it drives my husband insane. I can't help it that it makes me feel good and pumped up!

I appreciate… that my husband has been so patient with me while I learn to control my bad habits. (binge eating and shopping)

I know… that I trust in myself and know that no matter what happens in life that my husband and I will be OK. 

Menu for the Day:
B: Toast with 1 T Almond Butter(3), 1 c. FF Milk(2), Banana(0), Coffee(0)
S: Cheese Sticks(3)
L: Salad with Romaine, almonds, tomatoes and homemade dressing(6), Avocado(4), cottage cheese(4), WW Brownie Bliss(2)
S: Apple
D: Salmon, sweet potato and spinach

Bad Week

As you know, I weigh in on Wednesday's so today essentially wraps up my week. Tomorrow starts a new day, refreshed tracker and an all new set of 49 Weekly Points.
As of today I am -79. HOWEVER, I did not track my dinner/snacks from last night so I do not believe that is accurate.
Bad.Bad.Week.

Blah.

I went to the grocery store last night and that was much needed. Especially since I ended up spending about $170 WITH coupons. I was out of so much stuff including oils and spices and when I have to get that kind of stuff it makes my grocery bill sky rocket. Oh well, we needed everything I purchased.
After I got home from the store I was exhausted. I plopped myself down on the couch and caught up on one of my TV shows. I had 4 episodes recorded. I watched those and by the time I was done Andrew was home from work so we sat on the couch talking while he caught glimpses of the football game. (He's a Fantasy Football kind of guy) We were in bed by 10:15 and luckily I had NO trouble passing out. My alarm went off at 6:00 this morning and someone was NOT happy about getting up:

No one truly understands how hard his life actually is. It isn't easy being a Caesar Monkey Face. Especially when you are required to wake up when your owner wakes up. Rude. 

Today's menu:

B: Wheat Toast(3), 1 T Almond Butter(3), 1 c. FF milk(2), Banana(0), Black Coffee(0)

S: 2 WW Cheese Sticks(3), Pop Chips(3)

L: Smart Ones Meal(7), 1/2 c. 1% Cottage Cheese(2), Tomatoes(0), WW Triple Brownie Bliss Bar(2)

S: Chobani Flip(6), Apple(0)

D: TBD

After all of that food I will have 8P+ left. I bought lettuce and I would love to have a big salad with chicken sausage and almonds. Yum! 

Then tomorrow is the moment of truth.... when I meet the scale at 12:00pm..... 

DUN DUN DUN

Manic Monday

Good morning, bloggers! Another weekend gone and another work week started. This will be my first full week back to work since before I started having gallbladder problems. I say full week even though I do have a doctor's appointment with my general practitioner on Friday at 3:00. I plan on making up the time throughout the rest of the week though so I'm not going to miss out on any time. This coming weekend is going to be busy since we are going to Iowa. We are going to go see Grandma and I get to go to Valerie's final dress fitting to learn how to bustle her dress! Hopefully it will be somewhat of an easy weekend without too much excitement because taking a weekend trip makes it seem like you get no time to relax.

So, next topic.... how much did I suck this weekend? I will show you:

NEGATIVE 80! WOO! *sigh* I didn't track as I was eating nor did I track on the day I ate it. I went through and tracked everything this morning and wanted to throw up. Now, I didn't eat large amounts of food, I just ate very HIGH point value food. I have had three losses in a row at my meetings and I think this week the gain will finally catch up with me. We all have our bad weeks! I could blame my time of the month, but I am not going to do that. It was my fault that I ate the things that I did and it is also my fault for failing to plan my weekend to be successful.

It really doesn't help that we have no food in the house either. Our selections for lunches and dinners are lacking big time. If any of you follow me on instagram my Friday night dinner should have shown you how bad the grocery situation is in our apartment. I am going to the store tonight though with a handful of coupons to get us stocked up for awhile.

I realized the other day that I hadn't given an update on Hyatt! Turns out he just had a really bad bacterial infection that turned into a staph infection. He has been on Cipro for a couple of weeks now and we are finally seeing improvement. He was fine when I took him on a run last week and we took him to the dog park on Saturday and he seemed like his normal self!

I don't really have much else to say. I am just trying to get back on track with my eating and I'm starting to plan for my weekend out of town so I WILL be successful!

I need new shoes

Let me tell you about my shoe dilemma. In February of 2012 I was diagnosed with arthritis in both of my feet. It was really bad in my right foot. A scan and lots of doctor's appointments later showed me exactly what my running was doing to me. My doctor was not concerned about me continuing to run. In fact, that month I ran my first ever half marathon. The doctor had me fitted for custom inserts and I was to wear those whenever I ran. Long story short, I hated them. They made my shoes (pictured to the left) fit really funny, they changed my stride and I think they did more damage than good.
Later in the year I thought to myself, "Maybe if I get my shoe one size bigger that will help balance it all out." So I went to the local running center with my inserts and told the lady my problem. She had me try on a size 9 Asics with the inserts and they fit OK. I didn't have a lot of spare room but had enough so that it wasn't extremely tight.
After trying out the new shoes with the inserts I discovered that I was getting HORRIBLE shin splints when I ran and my feet were hurting even worse. What the hell, right? Why couldn't I find a happy medium? I ended up selling those shoes on eBay because I barely wore them and at this point was so fed up with the inserts I refused to use them. The shoes were WAY too big without the inserts. I then went to Scheels to see if I could find a minimal shoe that I liked because when I ran around in the backyard (even on pavement) with no shoes on I didn't hurt. I found a pair of Merrell's that I liked and were on sale for $60 so I got them. I did another half marathon in those shoes and did just fine! However, I have come to the conclusion that until I lose more weight, I will not do a minimal shoe because of the stress it puts on my legs, knees and feet. Therefore, I am now back to the Asics that you see pictured and I have had those bad boys since 2011 and have run a handful of 5Ks, 2 half marathons and did training in those. It is time to replace the shoes. Money is tight right now so I won't be getting them soon, but they are on the agenda for the future.

Last night as I was preparing to go out for a nice little walk/jog with Hyatt I remembered that I have a ton of running gadgets (because I love gadgets) and since I stopped running I hadn't used these gadgets in awhile so last night I pulled them out and got them ready as well. My poor Forerunner 210 was dead as could be so that had to charge for about an hour, my foot pod was buried in my gym bag (that had a layer of dust on it) and I needed to attach that and it took me almost 20 minutes to locate my HRM. Why did I stop running? I have so many cool things that track my runs and help me to get better and I just.... stopped. *sigh* I know this is a true story for a lot of people though and I am not alone.
*Side Note* It is difficult to lace up your shoes when you have a very interested cat next to you. 

He just wanted to help! So after I FINALLY got all of my gadgets arranged and ready I equipped myself with everything, strapped on the waist leash, got Hyatt hooked up and went out for my walk/run! It was still a bit toasty but Hyatt and I managed OK. We did a nice little loop. We left the apartment, went through the little neighborhood West of us and then jumped on the bike path to finish the loop. It looks funny on that little map! I am very glad we live in a place where I can just head out of the apartment and go. There are other bike paths I like in town, but sometimes you just want to go and get it done! I have other apps for tracking runs (Nike+ being the favorite) but RunKeeper works with my GymPact that I do and so I use it the most anymore. It isn't a bad app at all. For being free you can't really ask for anything more! The GPS is a little off, but that is why I wear my Garmin. I like to have a little more of an accurate pace and mile count. 

I miss running. I don't know why I ever stopped but I am kind of upset with myself for not keeping up with it. Once the habit is there it is like second nature. Starting all over again is not fun. Especially since I am heavier, slower and get winded faster. I was surprised to see that the times I did run I was still doing a sub 12 minute mile. That did shock me a bit. I thought for sure I'd be more around 13 to 14 minutes. So, I guess I didn't lose all of my hard work from the past! Now, to get back down to my goal weight and back to a sub 10 minute mile.................

WITH NEW SHOES!!! 

I'm a Brunette!

Say what?! Haha. It is September. Therefore, in my mind it is very close to fall; and being close to fall it means that I dye my hair a darker color. Why? Because I get bored... that's why! Half of the year I have blonde hair and half of the year I have brown hair. It is just how I roll, bitches. 

I really like the way it turned out. Sometimes when I dye my hair brown I get more of a reddish tint to it that bothers me until it washes out a bit. This color turned out PERFECT though. I will probably buy this from now on. I was very pleased when I dried my hair last night. I got the Nutrisse Light Brown Foam dye. It was decently priced (on sale at CVS) and it made my hair so darn soft. I loved it. 

WeightWatchers & Food Stuff:

For dinner last night I ended up having 1 c. pasta, 4 oz ground beef (97/3), and peas all mixed together in a bowl. Those are sometimes my favorite meals. Just a mixture of good food in one easy serving. Very filling too! I went over my points by 7 because I decided to have some Tootsie Rolls after Andrew got home. I did earn 2 ActivityPoints last night too because I was running around and running errands like a mad woman. Also, dying my hair. :) 

Today's food has been:

WW Sweet Hazelnut Smoothie made with 2 ice cubes and 1 c. FF milk

2 WeightWatchers Colby Jack Cheese Sticks

Spaghetti squash, 1/4 c. spaghetti sauce, chicken sausage, spinach all mixed together, 3/4 c. FF cottage cheese with a tomato, sugar free jell-O and a WW Mini caramel chocolate bar. I'm very full! 

My afternoon snacks (if I choose to have them) Chobani Key Lime Flip and/or 8 Triscuit crackers with 2 T hummus and tomato slices. 

Dinner has yet to be determined. I will probably come up with something creative. 

I would very much like to try and exercise tonight but I am still so tired. I am thinking that maybe I need to get my body used to working 8 hour days again before I incorporate more on top of that. I think I overdid it yesterday. I guess we will see how I feel when I get home! 

Wednesday Weigh In

Wednesday Weigh In:
Weigh In: -0.8
Total Lost: 4
Pounds to Lose: 99.2


WOOHOO! That's right! I lost AGAIN. That is three weeks in a row. I have not had a streak like that in YEARS. I'm a gain one week, lose the next, gain two weeks, lose the next. Therefore I am ecstatic about this. I've lost 4 pounds in 3 weeks and I am super proud of myself. *pats self on back*

Today has been my first full day back at work since surgery. I.Am.Exhausted.
If I allowed myself to, I could go home and sleep the rest of the night. No joke. Skip dinner and everything. Just hit the bed and snooze away! That isn't going to happen but it does sound awfully nice.

Food of the Day:
Breakfast was a WW Sweet Hazelnut Smoothie made with 1 c. FF milk. My snack was 2 WW Cheddar Cheese Sticks.
Lunch: Sandwich with wheat bread, 2 T Garlic Hummus, Tomatoes and lettuce. 1 c. FF cottage cheese, Sugar Free Jell-O (cherry) and a WW mini bar.
Afternoon snack was a Chobani Key Lime Flip.


Needless to say I have been very satisfied all day! I'm in love with hummus sandwiches right now. Load them up with vegetables and chomp away. I need some cucumbers to add to it. No lunch meat needed!

I don't have much else to update and besides, I am leaving here in 6 minutes! I got here at 7:30 today so I could take an hour for lunch and go to my WW meeting. Thankfully Irene was back. It was great to see her!

I hope you all have had a fabulous Wednesday and it feels GREAT to be back to my normal routine.

I'm All Better!

I saw my surgeon today. I am cleared to go back to work and have no restrictions. I can return to my normal exercise routine. Yay! I've been taking walks with the dogs every so often but the weather has been too damn hot and I still have a little discomfort. However, the weather is finally looking better and the pain I have isn't anything that cannot be tamed by Advil. So, I'm back to normal! (I just poop more) Bahahaha!

Since I didn't do this last week...

Wednesday Weigh In (8/28/13) Post Op:
Weigh In: -0.8
Total Lost: 3.4
Pounds to Lose: 100

I lost! I couldn't believe it. My eating was so strange the week after my surgery. I ate a LOT of carbs and a lot of "comfort" foods. I guess I didn't eat as large of quantities as I thought I did. I told the receptionist I only lost because I had an organ removed. She laughed at that.

This week started out really well but then I went to Taylorville for the weekend to visit my family and I feel like I all I do down there is eat. Mom and dad cook really delicious food with home grown vegetables and fruit and it is hard to say no! I tried to eat little servings and I did have only 2 beers. So, that isn't too bad. I return to work tomorrow so I cannot go to my 9:00 Wednesday meeting. I am going to take an hour lunch break and go to the 12:00 meeting instead. So, if I gain tomorrow that would be the reason why. I am doing it later in the day. They do have a Thursday morning meeting at 7:15 but Irene isn't the leader. I am very, very committed to Irene because she has been my leader since 2007. Her meetings have a very high success rate. We will see how going at nooon works out for me. If I find it is too much of a hassle I will probably switch to Thursday morning.

As far as our debt free journey... it has been on hold. Big time. I haven't gotten any medical bills yet so I don't know how much we are going to owe the hospital. I also haven't been working and do not have any PTO so I haven't been making any money. Poor Andrew has had to support us the past few weeks! (Which he does just fine.) I just miss the extra income that comes from my paychecks. It really helps.

I'm just happy that life is going to be back to normal. I always think I am going to enjoy my time off, which I do, but then again I hate being off of my routine. It is hard to stick to a daily plan of eating and exercising when you don't have a strict schedule to base it around. I just think of the last couple of weeks as recovery and vacation. I didn't do terribly, heck, I lost both weeks, but now I will be able to really be 100% OP and do very well.

Not much else to say my friends. Will post more tomorrow!