Hello World

Gastroenteritis - that is what I had starting Friday morning at 1:30am and continuing into Saturday. Luckily for me the vomiting stopped around 12:30pm on Friday and I was able to keep clear liquids down. I had a lot of ice, water, and Diet 7Up. There is a GIANT misconception about this being the flu. It is not the flu. It is a stomach bug. It could have been something I ate, it could have been someone I work with, who knows. I was just unlucky enough to get it. I was MISERABLE. This is a sickness I do not wish on my worst enemy. Nobody should have to puke from both ends of their body.... just saying. Haha.
While I was sick I had some guardians watching over me:

Mom and dad had the dogs since I couldn't take them outside and Andrew was working. Therefore, it was up to the cats to make sure I was well taken care of. Aren't they sweet?

Enough about that disgusting-ness that was my weekend.
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Blog Giveaway Winner:

ANNA! You win my dear. I will need your address to send you your goodie.
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Saturday Weigh In:
This is going to crack all of you up. Remember, stomach virus all day Friday....

Weigh In: -11.1
Total Lost: 11.5
Pounds to Lose: 89.5

Yeah, gastroenteritis... the new detox diet.

This coming Saturday should be interesting when I go weigh in. It will most likely be a gain. This last weigh in I did at home because I did not want to infect anybody with what I had. Thank God my husband did not get it.
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Other WeightWatchers Stuff:

So, my eating and tracking is going great so far. Again, because of my inability to eat much food and it only being mostly carbs. I incorporated some vegetables yesterday and regretted it immediately. I'll get there soon but my body isn't ready for them just yet apparently.

I am back at work today and I packed a Progresso Chicken Soup for lunch today and we will see how that sits on my stomach. I have that and saltine crackers. I also have a pudding cup and a couple of cheese sticks. That is the extent of my food adventures today. For dinner tonight I think I might swing by a Chinese place and just get a giant thing of steamed rice. I'm obsessed with steamed white rice right now.
Whatever my body wants....
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I really don't have anything else to update. It isn't like I did anything exciting over the weekend. I didn't try any new recipes and I didn't go for any winter time runs. Haha. I was a sloth this weekend. A sick sloth.

And I am still exhausted and cannot wait to go home and go to bed.

TGI....W?

Ah, short work week. Who doesn't like one of those? Especially when you get 4 full days off right in a row. I know I'm excited about it. I'm ready to spend some time with family, spend time with my puppy and just enjoy being lazy.
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WeightWatchers & Food:
Yesterday wasn't all that spectacular. I ended up snacking way too much and had horrible heartburn most of the day. Lunch was OK. I ate my soup and that was about it. Then the afternoon was full of snacking and bad behavior. Dinner was a heaping pile of noodles with RF parmesan cheese. I didn't eat what I planned but I suppose it could have been worse.

Today is weigh in day and I haven't been yet. I'm debating which meeting to go to. If I go to the 12:30 meeting then I can head straight home after work. If I go to the 5:15 meeting then I'll have more time to enjoy the meeting and the people. However, Andrew works from 12:00 - 8:00 today and Walter is going to be locked up in his crate longer than usual. Now, I know he'll be fine... but I want to try and avoid any messes in the cage and a bath for Walter if I can.

I always change my weigh-in day to a weekday but then I never want to go. I do go on weekends but then when I am out of town I don't go. I just really can't seem to commit to a specific day. Maybe I'll start going on Monday's after my appointment with my therapist. I will start seeing her every Monday from 3:30 - 4:30 and I believe there is a 4:45 meeting and it would be on my way home... hmmm.... I might just look into that!

Menu for today:
B: Special K Cereal, FF milk, coffee
S: Banana, 2 Cheese Sticks
L: Chicken Pot Pie Soup with extra peas added in, 1/2 c. garlic mashed potatoes, Yogurt covered pretzels
S: Apple or carrot sticks with hummus (or both I guess)
D: Brown rice, black beans, salsa
Activity: Nada

Again, I'm trying to focus more on food than anything else right now. I am going to try and talk Andrew into going to the fitness center early tomorrow morning. There's just something about exercising before you go and stuff yourself full of food that makes you feel a little less guilty. LOL. I don't normally go crazy on Thanksgiving - but I do eat more of the fatty, high calorie good stuff than usual.
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Beauty Product of the Day:

Philosophy Peppermint Stick Body Wash & Lip Gloss

I love the Philosophy brand. I also have their body wash in Mimosa scent. (yummmmm) Around this time of year I love everything peppermint. Soaps, lotions, glosses, candles, everything. I love candy canes too. I don't know where this obsession came from because nobody else in my family loves peppermint as much as I do. In fact, my mom HATES it. Needless to say, she wasn't impressed with this purchase. Haha. It smells so good though. I look forward to showering just because of the body wash alone. The gloss is just sheer but smells (and tastes) just like a candy cane.

I got this little set from Ulta for $20.00. 

I really like everything about Philosophy. I have a bunch of their products on my Amazon Wish List and I know for sure the next thing I want is the Purity Face Wash. The gal at Ulta gave me some free samples of it and I used it all up the other day. It is amazing. I love how it makes my face feel and it gets all of the make up and dirt off of my face very easily. If I had a Clarisonic I would definitely want to use the Purity face wash with it. 

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That is all for today folks! I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and spend it with friends, family and loved ones! 

Gobble Gobble!!

A Bit Depressed

I don't know if it is hormones. I don't know if it is the cold, crappy weather. I haven't quite zoned in on why I am so depressed right now but I am. All I want to do is cry. I cried myself to sleep last night. I've had to stop myself from crying numerous times already this morning. In fact, I am trying to avoid it right now. I don't want to cry right now. My make up is pretty today AND I'm at work. Haha. Maybe tonight if the mood is still there I will have myself a nice, big, blubbering, sobbing, cry-fest.
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WeightWatchers & Food:

My week restarts tomorrow but this is where I have gotten myself. Also, I didn't track at all last night after I got home from work. In fact, I only tracked my breakfast yesterday so that -16 is probably a lot bigger. I did finally go to the grocery store. We didn't buy a ton of food but we got enough stuff to get us through this week and most of next. (I hope). Mom & Dad always send us home with turkey, potatoes and stuffing (if there is any left) and I can use up turkey for a lot of different things. 

I am going to go to the 5:15 meeting at WW tomorrow and I am still deciding if I am going to drive to Taylorville tomorrow night or just wait until Thursday morning to do it. When I'm in this kind of a mood I am even more indecisive than usual. 

Today's Menu:

B: 1 c Special K Vanilla Almond Cereal, 1 c FF milk, coffee

S: 2 WW Cheese Sticks

L: Progresso Soup with some peas added in, yogurt covered pretzels and an apple

S: Carrot sticks and hummus

D: Brown rice, black beans, salsa and leftover veggies

Activity: None

I am trying to use up all of my leftovers from last week. I still have quite a bit of rice and some veggies and I have no problem eating up rice and bean mixtures. They are yummy and filling. 

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Review of BirchBox products:

I have used the perfume, the shampoo and conditioner, the Raspberry Indulgence tea and the highlighter pencil. 

Perfume - nice, elegant, crisp smell. Very strong. A little bit of this goes a long way. I sprayed on my pulse points (wrists and under my ears). Every time I move around or twist my head I smell it. Definitely like it. Would I pay $98 for a bottle? Probably not. I would ask for it as a gift though. 

Shampoo & Conditioner - It smells wonderful and my hair feels really amazing wet and dry. Especially after the conditioner. My only complaint with the shampoo is I had to use A LOT of it. I have very long and thick hair and most of the time I can get away with not having too much shampoo in my hands to lather up. It seemed like I couldn't get enough of this shampoo. For as much as it is per bottle I don't think I could justify buying it... unless I chopped all of my hair off. Good stuff though.

Raspberry Black Tea - YUM. I ended up having more than one cup of this tea last night. I used the tea bag as much as I could before it was getting too weak. If I could buy a box of that flavor, I would. 

Highlighter Pencil - Love it. Absolutely LOVE IT. Might be my favorite thing from the November Box. I used it this morning underneath my foundation to cover up/conceal the dark circles under my eyes and any blemishes. It blends out so nicely, matches my skin tone pretty well and has a nice creamy texture. I then took it and highlighted my brow bone and put a little on my water line to brighten up my eyes a little. It is wonderful. I would buy this pencil in the full size. I probably will once the sample is gone and sharpened down to a nub. 

I am very happy with my first BirchBox and cannot wait until I get a new one in December! 

Stuff, stuff & more stuff

My motivation to blog today doesn't exist. So, you're getting a very short blog post.

Weekend recap: 
I drove to Davenport on Friday night to spend the weekend with my best friend, Sydney, and to pick up my grandma and bring her back here for Thanksgiving. The weekend was wonderful. Friday night Sydney and I both got to town around 6:15 or so. We went to dinner at Olive Garden and then we just hung out and talked. Saturday we stopped by Augustana (Sydney's college) and then met her mom for lunch at Granite City. I love that place and wish that Springfield had one. YUM. After that we went to Ulta, stopped by Leclaire, IA to meet with her dad for a bit, hit up some small shops and then went to the mall. Once all of that was done we went back to her grandma's, played with some of the new stuff we bought and then played our violins together. Something we haven't done since we were in Jr. High School.

My violin is on the left and Sydney's is on the right. Mine is a Stradivarius copy violin made in Germany in the 1930's that I had restored. Sydney's violin is SUPER old and SUPER expensive and I could never in my life afford something like that. Sydney plays in the Des Moines symphony and is also an orchestra teacher. Hence the very nice violin. It was fun playing together again. 

We were both asleep before11:00..... I should say Sydney was asleep at like 8:00. Haha. Sunday we got up really early (like before 7:00) and lounged around before having breakfast and getting ready to hit the road. We went our separate ways and I picked up grandma and brought her back home with me. It was such an amazing weekend and I am sad that it went by so quickly. Sydney and I live 6 hours away from each other and it sucks. She has been my best friend since I was 12 and if I ever got to live in the same city as her again I would be so happy.
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Beauty Things:

I received my very first BirchBox today.

I cannot even explain how excited I am about this! I made myself wait a little bit to open it up. I had something for work come through so I finished that up and then I opened up my box to see what was inside. 

Assorted teas, shampoo, conditioner, highlighter pencil and perfume. Here are the brands and descriptions of each: 

Beauty Protector: Protect & Shampoo: New from the best-selling haircare line, this sulfate-free formula adds shine and volume. (and it smells amazing)

Beauty Protector: Protect & Condition:  This nourishing conditioner hydrates with the help of shea butter and pearl powder. (also smells amazing)

Chella: Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil: This face illuminator brightens and contours - it can be applied 10 different ways! Brow bones, cheekbones or along lip line! 

Joie: Folle de Joie eau de parfum: A Birchbox customer fave, this fresh scent blends mandarin, rose, and sandalwood.(smells very nice, strong so you wouldn't need much. Almost an elegant smell... no wonder it is almost $100 per bottle!) 

Ahmad Tea London: Assorted Teas: A best-selling blend of premium teas from Assam, Sri Lanka, and Kenya. (Flavors are Green Tea, Black Tea English No. 1, Raspberry Indulgence Black Tea)

Once I fully try everything I will let you know what I like the best! 

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WeightWatchers & Stuff:

We're not going to talk about food. 

We're not going to talk about WW. 

I just need a day to even out and not think about it. 

I tracked my food from the weekend and am only -9. Not too shabby. If I wouldn't have done the wine tasting at the winery I probably wouldn't have gone over. It was fun though and I don't regret it. 

I WILL GO TO THE GROCERY STORE TONIGHT. 

End.of.Discussion.

It's Friday, Friday.... ♫♪♫♪

Good morning! There are many reasons I am happy this morning:

1. It's Friday!
2. I get Jimmy John's for lunch today. That always makes it a good day. 
3. I leave for Iowa after work and get to see my best friend! 
4. I had my husband kidnap my violin from my in-laws so I could take it to Iowa with me.*
5. I meet my new therapist today and I am really looking forward to seeing what she can do for me.
6. Did I mention it is Friday?
7. I get to bring grandma back home to celebrate Thanksgiving. Fun!
8. I put up all of my Christmas decorations yesterday and the entire apartment smells like Pine. 
9. IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!
10. It's Friday!
11. SYDNEY! 
12. Ok, now I'm being obnoxious. 

*Back story:

Sydney and I met in orchestra in Jr. High School. We have both been playing for a very long time and she is now an amazingly talented player and orchestra teacher in West Des Moines, IA. I had purchased a violin off of ShopGoodwill.com that was a Stradivarius Copy made in Germany in the 1930's. It was beat to hell and I had it restored by an amazing violin maker in Macomb, IL. He did a fantastic job and the violin has the most beautiful, rich sound. I am so happy I purchased the violin and put the money into it to have it taken care of. Sydney and I will get a chance to play together this weekend which is something we haven't done since we were 13 or 14 years old! 

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WeightWatchers & Stuff:

Yesterday went VERY well. No binge eating and the only thing I went over my points on was a vodka tonic (made with diet tonic) that I had while watching American Horror Story from Wednesday night. I spent majority of my evening putting up the Christmas stuff and cleaning the apartment and it kept me out of the kitchen and out of binge mode. That is basically all I have to do at night is keep super busy doing something. However, we all know there are some nights where you just plop down and don't want to do ANYTHING. Those are the nights that get me into the most trouble. 

Oh! And I earned 4 APs yesterday from all the decorating I did! 

Menu for today:

B: 3 pancakes, coffee, milk (7P+)

S: String Cheese (3P+)

L: Jimmy John's #6 Vegetarian with no mayo, thinny chips (19P+) <-- totally worth it.

S: Carrot Sticks (0P+)

D: TBD - I'll be on the road so it'll have to be something clever... I'll have 11P+ to use and IF I need them I have my WPs.

Activity: None - driving! Iowa! SYDNEY! 

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Beauty Products of the Day:

I bought these little gems at CVS the other night. It was in this little gift package for $4.99. It came with another cream that I keep on my nightstand. I LOVE the chapstick. (I know, I'm obsessed with chaptstick. Get off me) The lotion has a really nice consistency and doesn't make my hands feel slick or greasy. Just makes them super soft and I love the smell. It is not overwhelming at all. For $4.99 I think it was a nice little treat.

I got my Avon delivery yesterday and got these lip crayons. They were $3.95 each (on sale) and I have never used lip crayons before so I thought I would give them a try. The top one is Mauve Model and the Bottom one is Nude. I really like them. The nude one shows up a little darker than what you see on the bottom of the packaging but I still like it a lot. The Mauve color is really pretty with a sheer gloss over the top. It is what I used this morning. 

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Random Things:

You know how when you're on Facebook and you just start clicking and browsing? Well, that happens to me and my cousin's wife just uploaded a ton of pictures she has taken throughout 2013 and I was looking at them. Apparently my cousin Mat is in a Toyota commercial and I have been trying to find it on YouTube or somewhere on the internet all morning! My cousin and his wife live in LA and he has been in acting school the past 3 years. He has been in a few independent films and I wish him all the luck in the world! 

If you have seen this commercial or know where it is on line then send me the link! 

I leave you with Hobbs. His life is hard. Like. Ridiculously hard. Don't judge him.

A Fresh Start

We all need a fresh start sometimes. Wipe the slate clean and start all over.
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Wednesday Weigh In:
Weigh In: +/- 0
Total Lost: 0
Left to Lose: 101

Technically if you were going from my previous weigh ins I did lose 1.6 last night. I was happy about that. When I walked into the meeting Irene said "Hi Becky!" because I have been a part of her meetings on and off since 2007. If she didn't know me I would be worried. Haha! Anyway, it always feels nice to walk in there and feel so welcome and I know she is always happy that I'm back. At least she acts like she is. :)
Anyway, I told the receptionist that weighed me to wipe my slate clean and pretend like they didn't know who I was. Irene heard me and said "Nope, don't know you. Never seen you before in my life." They are such fun women at that meeting center and it always makes me wonder why I stop going. I am going to go back to doing the lunch meetings at 12:30 on Wednesday because I like that group and that meeting.

So, slate is wiped clean and I'm starting fresh.

Yesterday I stuck to my plan 100% and still had 3P+ leftover. Andrew and I were going to watch South Park so I made us up some air popped popcorn. I went over my DP allowance but I had my 49 WP to fall back on. I was so proud of myself. I did not binge eat anything and actually felt good when I went to sleep. That is an amazing feeling.

Today's Menu:
B: 2 Pancakes, 2 HB eggs, coffee (8P+)
S: (2) String Cheese (3P+)
L: 3.5 oz Chicken Thighs, 1/2 c. brown rice, spinach, Skinny Cow Candy Bar (11P+)
S: Carrot sticks with 2 T Peanut Butter (5P+)
D: 1 c. spaghetti with 1/4 c. pasta sauce, 1 c. peas, WW candies (12P+)
Activity: TBD

I really need to focus on tackling one thing at a time. Right now, focusing on getting my food intake under control has taken the more important role in my life right now. When I joined WW back in 2007 I lost over 20 pounds without ever exercising. I focused on food, measuring and tracking. I might do that for a bit, especially since the Holidays are very difficult. I might throw in some walks/runs here and there when I feel like it but I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't workout EVERY day. I still have that challenge going on with Anna starting on Thanksgiving that I do at least a mile a day. That could be walking briskly, leisurely walking or running. Doesn't matter. Just 1 mile a day.
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Beauty Product of the Day:
Yes, this is new and totally necessary. Haha. The other day I signed up for a Birch Box subscription. It is pretty much amazing. You pay $10 a month and they send you a box that has all sorts of samples of beauty products, foods, creams, nail polish, etc. Since I am so interested in that kind of stuff I figured that this was a no-brainer. It comes out of my pocket money budget and I think it is totally worth it. Well, my first box doesn't mail out until 11/27/13 so I was shopping on the store looking for a fun little thing to get and I got this:

This cute little bag (taken next to a pen so you could see the comparison and see how small it really is) holds 17 emergency things. SEVENTEEN. I thought to myself, "No way."

Opened up a bit.....

From left to right (and center): Lip balm, breath freshener, hair spray, clear nail polish, tampon

Dental Floss, band-aid, nail file, sewing kit with a safety pin, buttons, backs to earrings and rubber bands for your hair.

Advil, deodorant towelette, double sided tape, stain remover cloth, nail polish remover

Is that not the coolest thing EVER?! The lip balm smells AMAZING. (of course I opened that first.) and I love having the rest of that in my purse if I ever need it. I am that person that likes to have everything. Just yesterday my boss wanted to know if anyone had a sewing kit because he lost a button on his pants. Guess who had one (before this bag)? ME! 

This little bag is so cute. It was $15 but I had a promo code for 10% off since I signed up for a subscription and I also got free S&H. 

Worth it. 

Weekend Recap

Monday always sneaks up on me. Every time. Haha. It was a good weekend. I spent some of Sunday a little hungover from a Halloween Party - but by noon I was mostly feeling fine. The only problem was my stomach, minus one gallbladder, was revolting very badly. I never threw up.... just.... the other way.... blech. That lasted all day. Needless to say, this was the first time I ever drank in excess after my surgery and I will not be doing it again. I didn't even drink that much. It was just a combination of some wine and a couple of shots.

Photo compliments of Ryan. Andrew and are I in the back right with Caesar. Andrew wasn't wearing him Plumbob. He and I were Sims. Caesar was a Monkey. 

PIKACHU!!!! And a Sim of course.

We had a lot of fun. Andrew and I got there right around 8:00 and then we left around midnight. We were both very tired and of course, I was tipsy. Luckily for me I have a husband who doesn't like to drink much at all and he was my wonderful designated driver. ♥

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Saturday Run Recap:

Well, it was more speed walking. I asked Andrew to go with me on Saturday for a walk/run. I wanted to definitely get my exercise in since I knew I'd be indulging at the party that night. We went out to the bike path that runs behind Scheels. I love that path because it is so quiet and nice. You get a combo of shaded areas and sunshine and it is one of my favorites. We went 3 miles. I tried to get Andrew to run a little more but he was fine with just a brisk walking pace. 

I got him to run a little during that first mile which is why it is the fastest. 

So peaceful. And the weather was PERFECT.

He loves when I take pictures of him. My skinny ass husband.

Awww. Look at his skinny ass shadow. Ha!

I earned 8 ActivityPoints on Saturday. That exercise plus all of the movement the rest of the day racked up a lot of points. I love it! 

The only problem is.... well.... we'll get to that...

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Weigh In, WW, & Food:

Weigh In: +6.1  (HOLY SHIT)

Pounds Lost: +2.9 (DID I MENTION HOLY SHIT)

Pounds to Lose: 106.1

*grumble* My own fault... I know, I know. I just wasn't expecting THAT. Sheesh. It always amazes my husband that a couple of bad days can equal that kind of a gain. Him having a super crazy fast metabolism doesn't understand how that much of a gain is even possible in a week. I told him that I am a pro and both losing and gaining weight and anything is possible. Especially since I am female and sometimes retain water like crazy. Saturday, even before the run, my hands were so swollen I could barely get my ring off. Then after we exercised it was worse. By the end of the night though it was back to normal. Being a girl is stupid sometimes. Ha. 

Foodwise... the party happened. Chinese food happened. Booze happened. Snacks at the party happened. Leaving me a whopping -42 for the week. Now, I am still following Simply Filling so that -42 is all from foods that I counted points for. When we had Chinese I had egg drop soup and a veggie dinner but I counted them as points instead of SF because I feel that I'd be cheating myself if I didn't. Yesterday morning while I was nursing my hangover I had a ton of chicken broth, saltine crackers and water. When I could finally eat all I wanted was noodles. I made whole wheat pasta and broccoli. All filling foods. Then I had popcorn as a snack and Andrew decided we needed Steak 'n Shake for dinner. I had a plain, single burger with half of my fries. 

I always tell myself if could have been worse and at least I tracked. It is a new day. 

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That is all I really have to update. Oh! Green Bay beat the Vikings yesterday. A nice ending to a great weekend. 

Things I Need to Better Understand

I read Beth's Blog post today and it hit so close to home with me that I've taken a moment to really self evaluate my own relationship with food.

People (like my husband) never really understand why "fat people" can't just stop eating so much and lose weight. Well, it isn't that easy folks. If you have never struggled with your weight and a food relationship then kudos to you. There are some of us though that will have this internal battle with food for the rest of our lives. I obviously stopped fighting that battle after I got married because I gained all of my weight back and then some. It is my fault, I know this. I know what I did wrong. I know everything that led to this point and I am not blaming someone else or something else. It was ME. That being said, only I can fix it. Yes, I've been back to WeightWatchers and I've had the same yo-yo weight loss/weight gain that usually happens until I am 100% committed to losing it. BeBe posted this blog entry, that again, hit really close to home and got me thinking. I WANT to lose the weight and be back where I was, but I am not COMMITTED to doing it yet. I loosely follow the program and exercise when I feel like it (which isn't a lot) and I'm seeing those exact results displayed on the scale every Sunday when I go to weigh in. For example:

Sunday Weigh In Results:
Weigh In: +1
Total Lost: 2.8
Pounds to Lose: 100.4

I gained a pound. I knew I would. I only exercised once and I kind of tracked my food. This week hasn't started out much better but today is a new day and Andrew and I finally went to the store and stocked up on good healthy foods. I am lost without produce. I cannot stress that enough. I love fruits and vegetables and when I run out I get so obnoxious with what I eat. It is really depressing.

I guess I need to really sit down and re-evaluate my goals and figure out why I am not committed as I should be. Maybe I need to revamp my big picture goals and focus on the little things more often. All I can think about is fitting back into my size 10 Express Jeans and all of my cute Medium shirts in my closet.
Taken at a friends 80's themed wedding reception. What I'd give to be that thin again. :)))

That is a good long term goal to have, but right now.... it seems daunting. So, here are my much smaller, more easily to be attainable faster goals:

• Hit 5 pounds lost in October - to reach this goal I only have to lose 2.2 pounds in the next 3 weeks.
• Walk/Run my 10K on October 20 - I was honestly contemplating NOT doing it because I'm nervous about how badly I'll do. Me, the girl who has done multiple Half Marathons is afraid of a 10K 
• Hit my 10% Weight Loss Milestone with Weight Watchers before January 1, 2014 - That gives me the rest of this month and 2 more months to lose what I have to in order to hit that goal
• Exercise at least 3 days a week 
• Walk/Run my 5K in November without worrying about pace - Just have FUN! 

I think those are a good start. I need to read those every day and keep my chin up! 

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!!!)

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!