Did anyone get the number of the truck that ran me over??

It was sooo hard to get up this morning. The dreary rainy outdoors didn't help either, even though I love love love rainy days. It was very foggy driving in to work - tres cool! I don't know if I'm fighting off a cold or something, or if it was the aftereffects of having one little drinky-poo last night and sobbing over Shall We Dance? Somebody shoot me, please. What a mess. The movie was actually much better than I thought it would be, and I'm *so* happy that he didn't cheat on his wife. Sorry if that spoils it for anyone.

No workout today - I'm tempted to go tonight after work, but don't want to overdo it, which quickly leads me to burnout. Since that is not my long-term goal, I'll have to stick to my plan. It's hard, though, with the kids not around, not to want to go just because I can!

No measurements last night - I was feeling gassy and somewhat bloated. YUCK! Hopefully tonight.

Eating has been fairly good, although I did succumb to the chocolate "bird's nests" in the office kitchen yesterday. Having Indian food for lunch today, which most like means fattening sauces and naan (bread). Yes, I'm making that choice, and it's clear to me that it's a choice that's not necessarily a good one. Hey, I'm working on it...

Yes Yes Yes!!!!!!!!!! I went down 2% in body fat in the last 6 weeks! Or the trainer doesn't know how to do it properly. I could definitely tell that I've toned up, especially in my arms. I was/am so psyched!!!! I worked out last night (not so energetically, on the elliptical - I was tired and low-energy, plus I was somewhat sore from the day before's workout), and then had my dbf take my measurements. Sadly, they were all the same or bigger, but I'm hoping that it was due to the workout muscle swelling. I'm going to have him measure again tonight, since I worked out this morning after my BFA.

One annoying thing was that the Y scale was like 8-9 pounds more than my home scale, so that registered at 197. Ri-di-cu-lous. Yeah, I had clothes on, while at home I weigh in the buff (no pun intended), but still.

The changes in the past 2 months have been pretty incredible, and it's motivating to continue on, for sure! I dread next week - the gym will be an insane asylum, and I hate jockeying for equipment. Ah well, maybe it will be time to try out the rowing machine!!!

happy tuesday-that-feels-like-a-monday! I've been relatively good over the eat-yourself-silly holiday break, although I did have that "I just ate waaaay too much" feeling more than I care to admit. *sigh* My heartburn is acting up, which is always a sure sign of not-so-healthy eating. One day at a time, sister. I did work out Friday (yeah!) and yesterday (yeah!) and brought my clothes for tonight (yeah!) since the kids are out of town. I have my 6-week body fat % check-in tomorrow morning at 6:00 am. What was I thinking?! It should be interesting, since I've been working out fairly regularly for a little over the 6 weeks (I think 2 months is 1/6?). I also want to have my dbf (dear boy-friend) do my measurements again to see if I've lost any inches. My arms sure look like I have...the problem is, I guess I can't do that until tomorrow night, since I'll work out after the appointment, and I believe that would affect the numbers. I wanna know right away! I'm very impatient.

And I did get outside for a stroll yesterday. Granted, it was to the DD to get a coffee and a (oh no!) donut. It was pouring and chilly, and it was wonderful! Then I cleaned my house, which I haven't done for too long, and that felt great too.

I need to get "off" coffee again very soon. I drink it with sugar/half-and-half, and it sets me up for serious sugar craving cycles each morning, which is unhealthy. I don't like it with skim milk and evil-sugar-substitutes, so it really is all or nothing. Plus my anxiety levels seem to diminish when I am not drinking it...

Well, happy Friday to you! And to me, and to everyone else trying to get ready for the weekend. Happy solstice, first day of winter, and that other big day on 12/25.

I did go to the gym on Wed. (yay!), and I did stop at home so my son could get a towel. Nice mommy, huh? I'm glad the kids are staying active during the cold months.

30 minutes on the elliptical, my new favorite. I was less energetic than my last romp, so it seemed that my heart rate went up faster with less resistance/ramp height and it definitely seemed more challenging, even though I was taking it easier. Ah well, at least I'm working out! I was wearing my clothes from my last workout, and didn't realize quite how, um, ripe they were, but soon shared that ripeness with my fellow workouters. I'm sure they LOVED that!!! Gross, but pretty damn funny.

Shoulders and back on Wed., and I asked a fellow free-weight-room-dude about one of the exercises he was doing (pulling up on a bar off a pulley from the ground, so his elbows were sticking out - apparently it's for your shoulders). I love learning new ways of using the free weights/pulley machines. I am an addict to fitness magazines that show these new ways, but usually don't incorporate them because I haven't worked out for long enough (i.e. past 2 months) to get tired of my current routine. I think it's amusing that I am so bold to ask people questions, since normally I'm rather shy around strangers. Almost all of the time, though, they are happy to help. I love it! It helps restore my faith in humanity, which seems to decrease every year. :-(

Eating has been ok, I guess. I had a big lunch yesterday (ate way too much - I *hate* that bulging-full feeling, and again don't know why I don't just stop), so I wasn't really hungry last night, and was proud that I didn't end up eating something for the sake of eating something. I had an apple before bed, and that was the perfect snack. I have been trying, in the past year or two, to eat more protein, which I don't really like. I can't have more than a small serving of chicken or meat before I start gagging on the rest, so I've been searching for alternatives. I adore cashews (raw unsalted), almonds (raw unsalted), peanut butter (try for natural, but the kids have their not-so-natural version which I also eat sometimes), cheese sticks. I'm trying to have fish more often, and almost always get that when I eat out (not often) since the kids don't like it at home, and it often stinks up the joint. Tofu and protein shakes sometimes. Tuna on my salad. I could eat bacon all day long, but obviously that's not a very good choice at all. I do have eggs, but again start gagging if I eat them too many days in a row. I've been boiling the natural cage-free eggs to have on my salad, which is good. Oh, and I try to have flaxseed oil on my salad each time I have it. Hummus too, although I'm not sure the protein content on that.

I know this is long, but it's flowing, baby. One last note of interest (to me anyway, since I doubt anyone's actually reading this!) - I've been working on a particular family relationship, and have not been journalling at all about it (or much of anything else, for that matter), but last night I sat down in front of the christmas tree and journalled my little heart out. I learned an excellent trigger sentence (for me, anyway): "This is what I have to say to you..." For some reason, having the direct conversation on paper is so powerful for me. I believe this technique comes from Danna Faulds, who is an amazing poetess - she blossomed from doing yoga, and has channeled her gifts into writing. If I've improperly attributed the technique, I apologize. Anyway, it works big time for me.

Merry Christmas!

Happy hump day! And happy winter solstice. I can't believe the days will start getting "longer" again (the kids asked how long they would be in bed tonight, since it's the longest night of the year. I think they misinterpreted what that actually means, and I don't blame them!)(Maybe I should put them to bed at 7:00, hee hee!). I miss walking outdoors, which is what I did this time last year before I joined the y. I miss the colors of the winter sky, and the smell of the cold air, and the rosy cheeks and crunching boot-sounds. I miss the solitude, vs. the gym where it's never quiet or unoccupied. I suppose I could still walk outside occasionally, but if I have workout time, I really want to get to the weights. Maybe I'll try a walk or two this holiday weekend...

As for today, because that's all I can focus on for now (but lordy don't I try to focus on tomorrow/next week/next year!), I've packed my stuff for the gym tonight. One of the kids will go swimming while I workout downstairs, but I realized that he forgot his towel. Naturally I didn't realize this until we were already out the door, so he'll learn the magic of drying with the wall hair dryers. Either that, or we could actually stop at home before going to the gym. But the first option is much funnier!

Last night I did not follow the "stop when you're full" principle, and overate some pizza(sl)hut by 2 pieces (granted, the pieces aren't huge, but still) and an extra cheesestick. Blech. Why why why do I do this???

And of course there are baskets galore here at work with chocolate and other goodies. If it's not around, I'm fine, but once it's there, so totally available, I am unable to resist. *sigh*

Baad xenawannabe! She no get up for gym today.

Last night I was in a grouchy mood and it spilled into this morning. I was exhausted and just didn't wanna get up, so I just didn't get up, so there. And *you* can't make me!

Obviously that is not a long-term solution, so let's figure out what is, eh?

Getting up in the morning, early, to get to the gym, even when I don't wanna.
Not eating chocolate and coffee all day - eating fruits and veggies and drinking water instead.
Only eating when I'm hungry, and stopping when I'm not, even if my plate isn't empty.

Gee, that was super easy! I guess I won't need to write here anymore. Ciao!

Worked out yesterday - it felt great! I'm sore from it today, which is a good sign. Recently upped the weights for my chest/arms, and it's making a difference. I had an encounter with 10 pounders that were probably more like 12, since they are made of 2 5-lb plates with a bar in the middle that obviously weighs something. I couldn't figure out why the h-e-doublehockeysticks I was struggling with them. I mean, I know I upped from 8 lbs, but I know I'm not that weak! So I braved my way into asking one of the older dudes if the weights were labeled properly etc. and he explained it. A fellow chickadee overheard and supplied more info, what her trainer told her, etc. I have to mention that her muscles were KICKIN'! I wish I could have taken a pix - she would be my real-life inspiration! It's one thing to see magazine pix that are most likely touched up, even if they are "real life stories" in-that-fitness-magazine-that-begins-with-an-S; it's another to see a woman with a buff bod in person.

I also hopped on the elliptical for the first time in years. What a heart-rate elevator that machine is!!! Definitely much easier to get there on the elliptical than a treadmill, and probably better for my knees/shins. Plus you can go BACKWARDS!!! Woohoo! I was actually sweating. My theory on that, though, is the elliptical is so high off the ground that you're in a different temperature zone. No, I'm not kidding. I feel bad for the stairclimbing folks. They're practically touching the gym ceiling.

My eating is so-so. I haven't had enough fruit lately, and my digestion is telling the tale. But my blood pressure seems to be improving. It was like 117/82 this morning at the doc's, and it had been creeping up into the low 130's/high 80's in the past year. I've also lost about 10 pounds since October, so ya-frickin-hoo!

I attended 2 holiday parties this weekend, and BOTH of them had that evil creation: a home chocolate fountain. *sigh* Can you say chocolate-covered-potato-chips? I knew you could!

Where have y'all been? This is already day 42!!!!! Oh yeah, this is my first post. Anyhoo, I've struggled for most of my married-had-2-kids life with being overweight, and in short, this is a big product of my childhood. Shocking, ain't it? I eat my emotions, although I am getting better, bit by bit, at expressing them instead. It's tough, and I have a ways to go still. But at least I'm moving forward, so gimme a medal!

Day 42 - I started back at the gym in November. Mostly treadmill, and have started running small intervals (currently at 1.5 minutes out of every 5). Since I've been overweight (off/on for 10 years now, mostly on), shin splints are an issue. Alternating body parts with free weights (I dislike machines due to crappy range-of-motion for chicks vs. dudes). Chest/arms, then shoulder/back, then legs. Sprinkling of ab work here/there.

Eating? Well, not too bad given the hellish descent from Halloween into the holidays, but major stress at work has me eating way too many sweets. Mostly chocolate. I adore ice cream. But at least I'm selective about what crap I'm eating, which is definitely different/better than the past, when I would eat it if it was there, regardless of whether I actually enjoyed the taste.

So that's my brief intro. More to come.