New Glasses

I got my new glasses already! I thought they were supposed to come in on the 3rd, but hey, I'd rather be early than late!!

The Year of the Christie continues!

Eating for the Fun of it.

When does eating become so much more?

I love to eat. I don't get "less satisfied" with each serving I have. I read once somewhere that if you have a cheeseburger, each subsequent cheeseburger is less satisfying, and therefore not as good. But for me, each cheeseburger holds the same value.

Take Saturday, for instance. We had some friends coming over so I decided to make some dip and chips for them. I browned up 40 oz of ground turkey, mixed with onions, and then I added velvetta cheese to it and a large jar of hot salsa. Stirred in crock pot until creamy, kept it on warm.

Served with authentic Mexican tortilla chips! YUM!

I already planned on having 3 servings of the dip (which was only 4 pts a serving) and 2 servings of chips, but I ended up having about 75 chips instead of 25, and having 5 servings of dip.

It never got "old". It tasted so good. Even though I was stuffed beyond recognition. It was still delicious. I couldn't stop. I didn't want to stop.

Also it was very good dip. Friends raved about it, praised it. When I told them I had based it off of one of their dips, they were shocked that I took it and made it better (using less ingredients!) Brian only had one plate, which he was disappointed that he didnt get more. I said "don't worry baby, I ate your share for you!" hahahaha

But it was not an easy night of sleep. I was so bloated and uncomfortable. I thought for sure I was going to get sick. I woke up still feeling the same way. I just started my morning off with a lot of water to help flush it out and then I did 20 minutes on my stationary, Stella. 20 minutes isn't quite the challenge it used to be, even though I haven't biked in months. I think I may just have to up it a bit more. I don't know if I am ready to do 30 but I will try at least! In 20 minutes, I burn 300 calories. (not nearly enough to work off all that extra dip, but its a drop in the bucket)

Planned on doing another 20 last night before bed but it turns out that 4 hours of sleep + birthday party + chinese food + headache = tired, so I slept.

I think I am going to have to start doing morning workouts more, because I really enjoyed "getting it over with" in the morning and then feeling great about myself.

Chinese food was awesome. I thought we were going to a buffet, but it was a sit down restaurant, and I ordered Princess Chicken which is spicy! Brian got sweet and sour, and we traded some and it was really good. Also they served white rice, and egg drop soup (which was really good, and had carrots and mushrooms in it)

I want to make egg drop soup and have that spicy chicken at home, but I think I would grill the chicken and then make the sauce.

but now it is time for sleep (again!) I am incredibly tired, been on the go all weekend. Ready for a relaxing day.

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to my father in law today. He's turning the big 6-0! I made him this card

Yay!

And we are going to a Chinese restaurant. Oh how I love Chinese food.

But its so bad for you. Probably why I love it.

Me + bad food = Gollum + Precious

The Precious! We savedes it!

so my game plan is this: Dinner is at 2. It's nearly noon. Going to do a quick 20 minute ride on the bike (also to help me get over the bloat of last night, wherein I had way too many chips and delicious dip) guzzle some water, and then take a shower and get ready.

The best part of short hair? Totally being able to blow dry it in 10 minutes instead of 70000 hours
Off to sweat it ooooouuut! Maybe it will help me feel energized because I was up until 6 am and slept poorly (the aforementioned bloat)

Puzzle Quest and Quilt Pics

First the quilt pictures! It was the most beautiful quilt EVER!! 

Ducks! Or more specifically, LOONS!

This patch was specifically pointed out to me.
Its of Family Circus and it was supposed to say "He's playing catch with God"
Little kids are funny :)

Second! I started doing a puzzle. As in, a jigsaw puzzle. Do you remember those? The one I picked was a 2000 piece (yes, two thousand pieces) of van Gogh's The Starry Night which is my absolute most favorite painting ever!

I also wanted to see how many hours it would take to finish the puzzle so I made a spreadsheet with things like date, time started, time stopped, total time spent in minutes, who was working on it, and when it was completed. I am also taking a pic when I start and when I finish that session, all the way until the completion of the puzzle. Then it's going to go into a time-lapse/slideshow video.

I spent a little over half an hour today looking for the border pieces and I only got about a third of the way through all of the pieces. It will be a challenge :) Brian wants to help too and I think there will be plenty to go around!

Of course, there will be blog updates about it.

Tomorrow is Brian's dad's birthday party and we are going to a Chinese buffet! I am going to have to seriously think about what I want to eat before I go and do my best to stick to WW.

I also still have to Zumba today. I haven't all week! :(

Of Blog Designs and Quilts

Today is a special day. I am getting my eyes checked and my new glasses! Hurray! I woke up much earlier than I planned. My eye appointment is 11:10 AM and I planned on waking up at 10, getting ready and then running to the bank where I could withdraw money from our HSA. The debit card we have is only in Brian's name, so I can't use it at the store. But I can use it at the ATM, since I know his pin. (What? We are married, there are no secrets!)

Turns out, however, because Brian had to leave for work at 7:00 am this morning, he forgot to give me the debit card. And I forgot to remind him last night. So poo- I can't even go to the bank. Had I known this, I would have just stayed in bed.

It didn't really matter what time my alarm was set, anyway, since I woke up at 8 and was unable to fall back asleep. I lay in bed muttering to myself and finally got up at 8:30. Got dressed, took the dog out, came in, did "Internet things" - checking mail, bank accounts, etc, and it turns out we got our State Refund today! Hurray! That makes up for the debit card debacle.

I started getting ready at 9 am, thinking it would take me a while to do my hair. I forgot I lopped it all off! So hair and make up only took 15 minutes. It took that long because I am virtually blind and I held the hand mirror as close to my face as possible while trying to put on eye makeup :)

At 1 pm (ish) I am meeting my great-aunt for lunch. She made me a quilt! She made my mom one a while ago and now she has finished mine! I am so happy!! I was talking to her on the phone and she mentioned that she couldn't find any duck fabric, but found fabric with loons on it. She was sorry but I am ecstatic! I love all the feathered friends :)))) Don't worry, I will be posting pics of my lovely quilt and I have to find someplace I can put it where it won't get ruined. I really cherish and appreciate hand made items these days. Maybe I'm sentimental now :)

I got a few ideas for a blog design- a permanent one! You may or may not have noticed that I tend to change my background quite a bit on my blog. I just am not liking the template designer. So I am going to spend a lot of time designing my own and may have to spend quite a bit more of time re-learning all the coding... Believe it or not, I actually took a web design course or two, and was pretty good at it (even though I HATE tables with a passion!!) Looking at Blogger's code, there isn't too much I don't understand; even so, my idea is pretty intense, so it will require a lot of thinking on my part, and maybe a domain name is in my future as well.
Of course, Brian will be coerced recruited into helping me!

Have you any hand made items that you treasure? Who made it?

73 Points+ and Mail

I was feeling all blah and boohooey and pretty much fed up with life yesterday. :( So I asked Brian if we would be able to do something fun and different tonight and he suggested we go out to eat. Okay, I'm lying; he suggested a movie, I suggested we go out to eat. Who am I kidding, right?

Anyway we went out to Applebee's (because they were the only ones open after 10 pm and Brian got off work at 9:30) and I spent a few hours looking up what I was going to have online before we got to the restaurant, so I could eat guilt free.

We got a plate of spinach dip to share. I had half. An entire portion is somewhere in the neighborhood of 1600 calories or 43 Points+. It was 22 P+ for a half portion.

That's HALF?! I mean, it's half :)

I also got a pomegranate margarita! Except it was more a martini. Maybe it was a martini? I dont know! But it was. De. Lish. Us! And there were enough for 2! Which I drank! (Brian wasn't fond of it) And they were 9 P+ each.... we aren't even to dinner yet, and I've already used 31 P+!

Mmmm...

Yes, I am enjoying my drink!

[Okay, now that I am looking at my Weight Watchers mobile app cocktail cheat sheet, I have decided that this is, in fact, a martini! Obviously I don't drink much! so that saves me 4 P+ per! YAY!]

Dinner was the riblet basket with sweet and spicy sauce. No pic of this, because my phone died. I think it may have died in shame? I can't be sure.  Anyway, it was good but a little too spicy (Uhm hello? It was sweet & SPICY? Duh!) so I only ate 3/4 of it, but it was still a whopping 24 Points+. (32 for the full thing, I believe.)

All in all my dinner was 64 Points+ (yikes!) and my grand total for the day: 73.

And this is why you can't eat out all the time and still lose weight! This meal was nearly double what I am allotted in a day! Granted, I didn't really *need* the drinks... that would have saved me 10 P+, but I wanted them. Now I only have 10 weekly left! But it. was. worth. it.

Hey, I tracked. Good thing I earned that AP!

I am glad I went (the food was great!) because now I can see how much food is way too much! I am glad I tracked too, even though it was a lot of food. I know that if I hadn't, then I would have ate more. This is what we call planning, kiddos.

I got something exciting in the mail today. What you may ask? I will give you a hint!

It's a card!

The very lovely Alexia over at Dimple Snatcher decided to do a giveaway one day. What was she giving away? Lovely handmade cards! She sent me one and we are now, officially, pen pals. Yay!!

Inside she wrote in pen, it was so marvelous. I love how it wasn't perfect! There were little scribbles, it was written in pen, there was a doodle of a cat on there! It was so retro and so well made. I love it!! I am keeping it forever.  In her letter she said two things that really struck a cord with me and almost made me cry. She said

"Thank you for all the kindness you've sent my way. I really, really appreciate your support....you have no idea...."

and the second bit is even better:

"You are so genuine. And I can relate to your struggles. I'm going to love watching you get to goal. Thanks for inspiring me, I'll never forget"

Aww, Alexia!! Sniffles! Thank you so much for your kind words. And your faith and support. You have made me smile more today than I have all week!

Now, I have to go! I need to get to the store and buy some crafty supplies so I can make a handmade card or two. Someone is waiting on their return card! ;) And family members need to see pics of Max, so I will have to hop to it!

Weigh In, 3 Weeks, and Other Noteworthy Things

First off, a weigh in!

Last week, I made the goal of tracking for 5 full days and earning 14 Activity Points! How did I do?

I tracked 4 and a half days!  (Even though there are 6 entries, there are not 6 full days. There are two half-days)

I earned 24 activity points!

I ate a lot of Weight Watchers meals. 

I still saw a gain on the scale. 

Which is, to say the least, discouraging.

I did all the "right" things this week. I worked out more than I usually do (by a lot!) and tracked a lot too. But I know there are things I did not track, even on the days I recorded. I know that on Saturday, when we had friends over, I ate a lot of things. Pizza. Cheese fries. Coke. Pastry. Enchiladas. To be fair, I didn't eat prior to them coming over, so it was like a mini-binge because I was so hungry. I am starting to recognize my body signals again. Am I really hungry? Am I just bored?

Starting weight: 237.5 

Weight Watchers Starting Weight: 230

Last week's weight: 216.8

This week's weight: 218.6 

Gain: 1.6 

Total lost since WW: 11.6

Total lost since SW:  18.9 

Thoughts: I have gained a total of 5.2 lbs from my lowest weight. When is it going to stop? Uhm, now.

This week's goals:

*Track every day. No matter what. Every bite. Even if I go over my points! 

*Get back in the habit of exercising every day. It's not so hard to do a 20 minute Zumba or a bike ride on my stationary. 

*If I am bored, find something constructive to do. I still need to finish the Lord of the Rings books. I can crochet. I can play with my dog as well. It's not hard to find something engaging.

*Track my hunger signals in eTools. It's there for a reason. I need to figure out if I am eating enough or too much. Sometimes I am hungry and only have a bite or two. Other times I am not hungry, but ravenous, and I eat way too much. 

* Do at least one strength training workout this week. 

That's a lot to do, so I am going to end up making daily lists and then ticking them off. It will make me feel better seeing what I accomplish each day.

Three weeks. Thats when I next see my chiropractor. He asked me how my knee was doing and I told him that it still hurts when I bear my full weight on my leg, or when I extend it fully (like when I am laying down) and when I am kneeling. (such as picking up doggy messes...) And then he said something that really irritated me. He said "Well your knee is 80% better. If you were wanting it to be 100% you would have to come in more. I will see you in three weeks." 

I asked him about this. If my knee still needs more work, why am I not coming in more? His reasoning is that it would be more money for me, and he isn't going to force me into it. I asked him how much more I would have to come in, and he couldn't give me an answer. Basically he is seeing me for my back and neck now (which don't bother me in the slightest) and he's stopped working on my knee since I got my orthotics. He told me they would take care of the issue. They have helped, but they haven't fixed it. 

So here is my train of thought. If I am paying him to fix my knee and he no longer wants to fix my knee, then why am I going? If I had "all the help I can get for now" then why am I going? I have never had any back problems. I went to him specifically for my knee, and now my knee issue has taken a backseat. This upsets me and I am not pleased at all with his answer. Remember, I pay $45 a visit out of pocket. Yeah, it's a lot of money. So I want the best care I can get for it. I would rather him work on my knee the whole time than adjust my back. It's like 20 minutes of back adjustments, 2 minutes of knee adjustment and then another 10-15 of him rambling on. 

It pisses me off. 

I have three weeks until I go back. I am going to do my knee exercises *religiously* until I go back. If I am still having issues, then I am not going to see him anymore. I will look into physical therapy. 

Three weeks. I know it would help to get weight off, exercise, and eat better. So that is what I am going to do. It's an experiment. I am not going to continue to pay someone for a service that they no longer think is necessary. It is bothersome that he works more on my back and when I bring it up, I don't get a logical answer. I don't see how going every three weeks will help my knee any. Even if it's once a week, its still three more times than I am going now! Wouldn't that be more helpful? And wouldn't actually *working* on my knee make my visits more productive? Its not like he is doing anything fancy. He is just rubbing the muscles in my leg and stimulating them and a couple of exercises. I can do these at home, and I can force ask Brian to do my massages. The massages are painful, yes. But necessary.

Truth be told, I don't have the money to go in again before the next appointment I have scheduled. I am using the money in our HSA for glasses. And yes, to me, eyesight is a little more important. Especially at this moment. I am still fuming from this if you can't tell. 

I figure that if I want my knee to get better, I have to do something proactive about it. Tired of being the passenger. It's time to get behind the wheel.

Oh and this is interesting. We ran into a little problem with Brian's new iPhone 3GS last night. The sim card is in a little tray, and you have to use a paper clip to pop the tray open. Kind of like if you want to reset a device, you have to use something small and pointy. Turns out, that it was broken. The catch wouldn't release and it was after AT&T closed so we couldn't go in and switch it. We called the Apple Support line and they suggested a pen or a toothpick (which broke off in the hole, then got pushed into the phone!) and after that didn't work, they told us to go to AT&T in the morning. Which is what we did. At the store, they tried the same methods (really?) and finally decided it was DOA and exchanged us a new phone. This took almost 45 minutes, but we didn't have to pay anything and they switched over his sim card in the store for us, just in case. Now he has his new phone all working and it's all sparkley and everything is right in the world.

To make matters worse! Max peed in the house last night. But it was my fault. I hadn't taken him out in a few hours. Normally he whines, but I guess he wanted to make a point? I yelled "Ah ah!!" Clapped at him and told him "Let's go outside!" He ran to the door and sat down and we clipped on the leash, ran down the stairs, and he peed outside. He really had to go. So 13 days of being accident free has ended. Now starting over. 

Now if you don't mind, I have to go take a nap. I got up really early, slept poorly, and I am exhausted from today's events.

Love and Comfort

Well like I mentioned earlier, this year is dubbed "Year of The Christie" And I am doing things that I need to do for me, so I can feel great about myself. In addition to weight loss, there are other goals I wanted to do.

I wanted to change up my hair. I did. I cut it all off. Am I happy with it? ....Not really. It's a little too short for my tastes, but everyone else likes it. As my husband said "Every day you will love it a little more, because every day its a little bit longer." So true! He can really have a great inspirational moment, now and again. One of the many reasons I love him

I wanted to get new glasses. I figure since I don't take the time to put in my contacts every day, and I wear my glasses all the time *anyway* I should at least have a pair that I can feel confident in. I don't like my current frames (I've had them 5 years) and I never feel like me in them. I feel pretty lame. I made an appointment for Friday, after I called up Wal-Mart and asked about prices. A complete pair, including the exam, lenses, and frames at most will run me $275. I went in today and looked at frames and found a couple of cute pairs that I really liked- and shock!- they were *not* the most expensive pairs on the shelf! What! That never happens! :)

I wanted a dog. I got him. Max and I are almost inseparable. I love teaching him new tricks (It helps a lot that he is really smart and eager to learn) as well as spoiling him.

I wanted to set a foundation this year. I wanted to be comfortable with what I am *now* that way, losing weight will be easier. I want to lose weight for superficial reasons, yes (bikini, anyone?) but I also want to lose weight because I remember being thin and how much fun it was. How much confidence I had. I miss being confident. Sure I can put on a good show, but I am really uneasy with myself.

I know I can be a little narcissistic, but really, it's not the same as confidence. I want to love myself a little more than I do now. I don't like looking in the mirror and seeing a sad face. I don't like the oppressing thoughts that rain down on me. Since I've cut my hair and got my dog, I have definitely been a lot happier.

It's hard to change if you are never willing to try new things.


Which brings me to the next part: comfort. I don't want to be comfortable with my weight anymore. Does that make sense? I feel like I have stalled out because I am comfortable I lost a little weight. I want to be back on the aggressive attack. I want this weight OFF! I am not giving up by any means. I just don't want to be in this lull I have been in. I mean, I haven't been tracking nearly as much as I should (Even though I tracked a lot this week, it still needs to be EVERY DAY) and I need to be more aggressive in my work outs. Yes my knee hurts. But so does my back. My legs. My ass hurts from sitting on it too much. I am not going to use that as an excuse. I'm not going to go run a marathon tomorrow or anything. I'm not stupid. Mostly I am justifying it.
Tonight? A 30 minute biking session. I want to step out of my comfort zone more. Even if it is just for a moment or two. Taking new fitness classes, trying new things. It's all a part of getting fit and expanding my horizons. I'm practically a cave troll, so there is lots of room for improvement.

And now I will leave you all with something completely irrelevant! I upgraded our phones! We had iPhone 3G's and now we have the iPhone 3GS's. The main reason for the upgrade? They were on sale and I am going to sell our 3G's on eBay. It was $50 for each phone and we were supposed to pay a $18 fee each, but I was flirting talking to the guy and he was nice enough not  forgot to charge me! Whoops!! So we only paid $100 for the phones (which I can easily double when I sell the old ones!) It also turns out that his brother in law is looking for a full time graphic designer for his business. He makes mead/ale and wine, and just opened a store front. Needs someone to design the website, labels, signs, etc. So I, of course, passed on Brian's information.
I'm such a good wife. I whore out my husband! Yay!

Chock Full of Goodies

We went to the grocery store last night. We really just went for basics, like milk and toilet paper. But it turned out to be a full blown shopping spree.

We bought fruit! Bread! Milk! All sorts of good things! We were calculating how much we were spending when all of a sudden, the calculator reset and I had to guesstimate what our running total was. We didn't have a list. We were hungry, having not eaten all day.

It normally spells a recipe for disaster (spells a recipe? wth?) but this time it went amazingly well.

Got 4 packages of ground turkey (which is 5 lbs) pasta, pasta sauce, milk, strawberries, weight watchers meals (a whole slew of those! I got 10 meals and then 2 packages of the ice creams- giant fudge bar [yum!!] and dark chocolate raspberry ice creams!) 2 bags of frozen chicken breasts (on sale- 5 lbs for $10) chicken nuggets, french fries, ramen, mac and cheese, coffee, coffee creamer, dog treats (for Max lol) peanut butter (also for Max) cheese (for me!)

That doesn't really seem like a lot, but it filled out the holes in our pantry, cupboards, fridge and freezer. We are stuffed to the brim now!

It's so nice to be able to go into the kitchen and say "today I am feeling like [insert food here]" and be able to make it! Or heat it up!

Weeee!! It's silly how much of a difference it makes in my mood when we have a full kitchen as compared to an empty one. An empty one brings visions of being poor, not being able to eat, going without. A full one brings on images of success, full tummies, happiness.

I some times feel like that is counter productive to my weight loss? I also sometimes wonder about what I can eat for dinner. I am going to have an awesome breakfast in a few moments. Egg beaters scrambled up with diced ham and fat free cheddar melted on top with wheat toast. And of course, my coffee!! I love coffee.

Brian fixed my stationary bike and I am going to ride it today. I have to put music back on my iPhone. The last time I synced it, it got rid of everything except Lady Gaga and the Offspring, and while those are a lot of the songs I listen to while I work out, I like to hear other things too.

I have to say- the scale has actually gone *up* (not again...groan) but we had friends over on Saturday night and I am still bloated from that. Yesterday I chugged water and ate Taco Bell.

But today- it's back on plan! Healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner. My egg scramble for breakfast (dont forget my coffee!!) lunch will be a WW meal. I'm feeling Meatloaf and Garlic/Chive mashed potatoes. Dinner is of course... Spaghetti! Chugging water. Eating an apple. Maybe a few strawberries. If I can ever get past the texture. I love the taste. Same story, different day.

On a side note, I keep having dreams that men are checking me out. It always ends up being people I knew from school though. Never anyone important, like Johnny Depp, or Orlando Bloom. Sigh. It also always turns out they were just teasing me and then I end up burning them alive? I think its symbolic of me burning bridges. Not letting the past define me? Gaining confidence? I hope. I am not liking the other options!

I rambled again. I am really excited about food.

I See My True Colors

Last night we had a few friends over and my girlfriend brought a game called "True Colors"

Basically, you ask a question and the questions are like

"Who would be most likely to be a road rage driver?"
"Who do you not want sitting next to you if your plane is delayed for several hours"
"Who would be the most comfortable at a nudist colony?"
"Who is the most likely to still have a favorite childhood toy?"

And each person is assigned a color, and you vote for people with color cards, and then you tally the votes. you also have to guess where you fit in. Are you the most likely to have all the votes, some of the votes, or none? The scoring works like this- If you have the most votes, and you thought you would get the most votes, you get 3 points. If you had no votes and you knew you wouldnt get any votes, you get 3 pts. and if you thought you would get some, but not all the votes, you get 1 point. If you are wrong (say you thought you wouldnt get any, but you got one) then you get 0 points.

It's interesting to see what people really think of you.

I came in last both games, because apparently, I think too highly of myself lol I kept thinking I would be the one with the most votes, or some of the votes, and I would get no votes. Hahahaha.

It was a lot of fun dont get me wrong! I really enjoyed it. But once again, it proves that how you think of yourself really affects your self-image. I suppose thats why I never saw myself as "fat" and still don't really. Especially now that I lost a little weight, I feel like I am almost "normal" because my clothes are too big (yeah, even those size 16Ws that I got for Christmas)

Maybe I need to reframe. I don't know. I don't want to be (too) delusional. I like my rose colored glasses.

By the way- I was voted to be most comfortable at a nudist colony. Poor Brian was voted most uncomfortable lol

Money and Food

It's crazy how much money I spend on food. I've mentioned it before, but I'll say it again. There have been some months where we spent upwards of $500 on food (groceries/eating out) and the crazy part is? We don't have an extra $500 in our budgets. I wonder where we got all that money??? (or what wasn't getting paid.... ugh)

The worst part about money issues is I don't know what to do about it. I mean, other than work more, and sell shit. I can do all that. And of course there is getting a grip on your spending. But it's so hard to stick to a budget. Especially because budgeting feels a lot like dieting. What do you do when your diet isn't going so well? You eat. And that food costs money. So I am effectively failing at two things at once.

Fantastic.

Now I didn't start writing this post to bitch about money troubles or how I can't seem to stick to my allotted points in any given day. I just wanted to jot down (can one even jot when one is typing?) some of my feelings. I think I am "hungry" because I am subconsciously worrying about money. Now truth be told we aren't totally broke, we have more money than we usually do to last us until next pay day... but I still worry about everything. I'm awesome like that.

And I have been eating. And eating. And eating. Did you know I finished a 1/3 of a jar of peanut butter last night? It was delicious! Except it was a bazillion points that I don't really have. :(

I don't know what it is but when I realize I don't have meat in the house (aka ground turkey... I have a bag full of chicken in the freezer) I start to freak out that we wont be able to have "real" dinners. Like chicken isn't real or something. When we are out of ground meat, I am constantly thinking of SPAGHETTI. I want it so bad thats all I think of. Then I obsess on it.

What is going on? I almost said "what is wrong with me" but I don't really think I am defective or anything, just cannot seem to get over food. Why does everything have to taste so damn good?

Somedays I am not hungry at all. Somedays I am insatiable. I am not sure what it is. Hormones? Maybe. Stress? Probably. Lonely? Definitely. Though the dog does help. He always gives me these inquisitive looks when I talk to him. Brian doesn't really give me any looks lol but he is working 7 days this week and lots of overtime so he is pretty much knackered. I don't blame him. It will be nice when in two weeks he has 30 hours of overtime on top of his regular check. Then it will be all "weee! we have money again!"

I guess AT&T is having some special where you can get an iPhone 4 for $18 with a new contract, so I think we will be doing that and then selling off our old phones on eBay. That would be pretty awesome. Or I might you know, sell the new phone. Depends on which makes more on eBay lol :) Hey, spending $18 to get $200+ is always a good idea!

Okay I am done rambling now.

Staying Motivated

On Twitter I saw from Biggest Loser

This week, Joe stayed motivated with a reminder on his arm. How do you stay focused on your goals? #BiggestLoser

So I decided (aside from keeping that formatting from Twitter) that I was going to write a reminder on my arm as well. And I thought of something pretty catchy.

If you track it, they will come... (off)

My mother would be so disappointed. She used to HATE that I did this sort of thing. Not only to my skin but to my clothes. Personally, I like it. Marker washes off. Unless its on jeans. Then not so much.

The point being- I see this little reminder all day long. And it is helping me keep accountable. Now I am not going to run out and get a tattoo of that or anything but it is serving its purpose today.

Notice the #1 near my wrist. I thought of a few others I would put down too, and they will be written at some point.

I have a confession and an announcement to make. My confession first. I had 3 blocks of vanilla almond bark so I melted that in the microwave with 1/4 cup of crunchy peanut butter and mixed it up and laid it on wax paper and let it harden. OMG it was delicious. I ate it all! for 17 points! What?? I tracked it...

And now my announcement. I mentioned on Wednesday that I was going to earn 14 Activity Points this week and I have officially earned 16 APs!! Yay Zumba!! It's nice actually achieving a goal. I think I am going to have to start going back to my daily goals and trying to accomplish those. I  like the sense of accomplishment! It feels great!!

I have also tracked and pretracked every day since Wednesday! YAY!! I am so proud of myself.

I wanted to start C25K this week, but... I didn't. Oh well. Maybe next week. I am just proud of myself for doing Zumba three days in a row. I also download the Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout demo for the Kinect and tried that and it was fun. I really enjoyed it. It's on my Gamefly list. But first I have to get through Mass Effect 1 and Kinect Sports. Siggghhhh my life is so touuuugh lol :)

Short Hair Thoughts

I'm very thoughtful as of late. I think it's all the reading I have been doing. It seems when I actively engage my mind (such as reading) I tend to think a lot more. And the more I think, the more I notice things. When I don't do anything productive (like uhm my life in general) I find myself rather blah.

So... more rambling from me. Sorry.

Since I chopped off all of my hair I have noticed a few things.

1) If I put my hair in a pony tail I look like Pebbles Flintstone

2) My hair gets greasier a lot quicker. I could normally wash it every third day before it got too greasy (on the 4th day) but now it seems like I can only go every 2 days (washing it on the third). Shorter hair will force me to have better hygiene, I guess.

3) Short hair really does make you look thinner. I read it in a magazine. Basically the article said that most women will treat themselves to a hair cut *after* they lose weight, but really they should do it *before* losing weight so they can feel good about themselves. And I think its true. My mood has definitely improved! (another helpful hint: go and buy clothes that are actually comfortable and fit you properly, even if they are a bigger size. Feeling and looking your best definitely impact on how you approach losing weight)

4) Short hair is wash and wear. I used to have to do my hair and it used to take a while. It took sometimes 10 minutes to brush it free of all the knots and tangles (long hair is a bitch!) and if I wanted to curl it or straighten it, it would take sometimes another half hour more. I realize that I don't spend a lot of time doing my hair or makeup as some women, but still. Now I spend even less!

5) I use about a 3rd of the shampoo and conditioner, because I only have a third of my hair! I have to say, its weird washing short hair.

6) My hair feels thicker and healthier. (Despite what the stylist said, I do not have "fine hair", its actually quite thick)

It's been a long time since I have had my hair cut so short and the more I think about it, the more I like it. I don't think I will always keep it this short, but you never know.

It's nice feeling good about myself again. Now all I need are some new glasses and I think even Casual Christie will be looking pret-ty damn good.

Thoughts on WW Meals

I am not going to lie. I love the WW frozen meals (especially the desserts- the peanut butter cup sundaes are to die for)  My favorites (aside from the aforementioned desserts) are the chicken fettucine alfredo, the roast beef and mashed potatoes, the meat loaf and mashed potatoes, the breakfast ham and cheese scramble, the english muffins, and the enchiladas suiza.

I eat a lot of these meals. Especially when they are on sale. And they are on sale now, since its January and all of the Resolutionaries are out and about. It's great because it takes all of the guesswork out of eating. Well, most of it. Since WW changed over to the new PointsPlus plan, not all of the packaging is up to date, so you still have to double check the points values. Some are the same (like the breakfast scramble) and some are higher (like the desserts) but all in all, it's still a lot easier than measuring out your own food every single meal.

I love the convenience of it all. I am not going to lie. I cannot have the desserts in my house for more than 24 hours so I try to only buy one (or three) when I go shopping. I love them that much. Ask me which I prefer: WW peanut butter sundae or a Reese's, and WW will win hands down every time. Not that I wouldn't still eat the Reese's, but it would be second.

One small problem I've noticed. I am a lot more gassy and I am a lot stinkier. I don't know if this is because I am actually getting fiber in my meals now or if it's because of something else, but I smell so bad the dog doesn't like being near me and he licks his own ass. Is it just me? Or is it the fiber? Are you stinky?

No one tells you this kind of thing! I want to know! Is it just the processed pre-packaged food? Or is it the fact  I am eating apples (with the skin on, I might add!) and thereby increasing the amount of fiber I am getting? Does it subside if you stick with the same meal plan for a while? What makes it go away?

I don't know. I haven't really done any research. I only think about it when I toot and then I wonder... is it normal?

One Ring to Rule Them All

I've been watching the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I love it. I have also been reading the Hobbit. I have never read any of the books.

I have to say, I am loving them!

I always enjoyed the movies, even though I wasn't too fond of Elijah Wood as Frodo. I really just wanted to push him off the ledge in Mt Doom. But no, Sam wouldn't do that.

One of my goals this year was to read more books, and I have to say that I am definitely glad I picked up Tolkien from my library.

I have all four and I am a fast reader. I have three weeks to read them all. I think I will be able to, since I am already 2/3 the way done with the Hobbit haha

Weigh In

No loss no gain this week! I stayed at exactly 216.8! I'd rather not lose anything than gain a little, anyway.

What did I accomplish this week?

*I tracked 3.5 days out of 7!
*I earned 7 APs walking my dog all week!
*I've been outside more times than I can count in the last week! (Thanks again to the dog)
*I bought more WW meals. I like the convenience. Sorry I'm not sorry.

Which brings me to today's menu:

*Breakfast: Ham and Cheese Scramble WW meal 5 points- egg whites, ham, low fat cheese, and potatoes all scrambled up together! Its really good and reminiscent of my egg ham and cheese casserole. It definitely needs salt and pepper.
*Snack: Apple 0 Points
*Lunch: WW meal: Shrimp Marinara (giving that a try!)
*Snack: String cheese
*Dinner: Spaghetti again. I love spaghetti!!

What are my goals for next week?

*Track 5 full days
*Earn 14 APs

I'm off to do Zumba on the xbox right now and then I have a bunch of errands that need taken care of, including, but not limited to, dropping off a poo sample at the vet. I've had the sample collected and ready for a few days now, I just need to get it to the office!

Runs With Dogs

Let's just change my name to that please because that is all I have been doing! Every time Max goes potty outside, he is rewarded with a walk. If he goes piddles, its only a 5 minute walk, and if he gives us a number twosies, then he gets a longer walk, 15-20 minutes. Consequently- we walk a lot! He almost always pees and he only goes poo once a day.

But its not enough to simply walk (well ok, it is.... I admit it) we like to run as well and play in the snow. I think I have spent more time outdoors this week than I have combined from last year. We play "Snow Ball" which involves a tennis ball and a big snow covered yard. We also play "chase me chase you" in which we run after each other. 

It really wears you out. I thought I would hate taking a dog out all winter but the funny thing is, it's a lot of fun. Which will make spring and summer a breeze. Our trails will be available then! They are currently buried in the snow.

I am so tired, I just want to take a nap now. I wonder if Max will cuddle with me lol 

PAR-TAY!

A few of our friends had a home brewed beer party. They make a few batches of home brew a year and they invited a ton of people around to try it this time. Out of the 100+ people invited, about 40 of us were there.

Being a Sunday, and us living in Indiana, we are not allowed to buy booze on the holiest of days. Which doesn't make any sense as most of Indiana are alcoholics. I don't drink a lot, so it especially sucks on days I want to drink and CANT because its Sunday.

But Sunday night, I wanted to. So I had some Bacardi and Cokes. I also had a Jr Bacon Cheeseburger, two servings of cheesy bean dip with tortilla chips, 2 donuts, a cupcake, and some pretzels with cheeseball.

I was b.l.o.a.t.e.d! I almost felt sick. I rarely eat that much in a day, let alone in one sitting. Sure it was over 5.5 hours but I wasn't digesting anything in that time. I was also drinking, which I think slows down the digestive process.

By the end of the night I had a headache, I was not feeling good. I came home and after letting the dog out, fell asleep in bed with my clothes on. Max jumped up on the bed and laid beside me and Brian came to bed too. It was quite a picture- Brian was cuddling me and I was cuddling the dog! I lay in bed burping up food all night long and couldn't sleep.

Today, I had a much better eating day and every time I went outside with Max, I made the most of it. We played in the snow and ran around chasing each other (we only have 16' of leash haha) I was so tired. I still ate a lot of food today, I was so hungry, but I made better choices. I wasn't eating cheeseburgers all day. Even though thats what I want. Have I mentioned I'm on my lady time and all I want to do is eat? Like seriously, I crave food all the time. Either that or sex. Sometimes both. I don't know, it's messed up.

I'm off to bed now. Its 4 AM and while I am a night owl by nature, I am trying to get used to waking up at 10 AM (so early, I know lmao) to let the dog out. Keeping him on a schedule is helping me.

See you all on Wednesday, for a weigh in. It's a great week so far, and I am looking forward to it.

A Hair Day

Over the last two months I have done a lot of things to my hair. First I dyed it like this

Then I did this

And now I am officially done messing with my hair because I did this today

Yes thats right... I chopped it off!!

My hair was getting way too long. I couldn't even brush it. I was a little surprised at how short it was though, but now I love it.

Also in other news, I feel great today! I caught a glimpse of me in the mirror while I was at Wal-Mart looking at clothes (don't judge!) and I looked great! I kept staring at myself. I am not narcissistic at all.

Im so hungry! I wonder what I should make for dinner? I am thinking either homemade gyros or spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

Hmm! For lunch I am having chicken and noodle soup.

Chicken and Noodle Soup

I have been craving soup. Mostly because its a million degrees below zero. So I was going to make a big pot of chicken stock and then you know, add some stuff to it to make soup.

Here's what I have:

-3 large chicken breasts (8-12 oz each)
-3/4 large onion, cut into chunks
-2 carrots, cut into chunks
-4 pieces of celery
-handful of cremini mushrooms
-3 T of garlic powder
-Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
-Water to cover
-salt, pepper to taste

Crank it on high until it boils then simmer until chicken is fork-tender. Strain any foam from the top. Pull out chicken and set aside. Strain solids from the broth. Let the broth cool and skim any fat from the top. Or take a turkey baster and suck the broth out from under the fat. Whichever. Return broth to pot. Shred chicken with 2 forks. Add noodles. I am using bow ties. Add shredded chicken and cook until al dente and chicken is heated through.

Ladle that delicious soup into a bowl. Butter a piece of bread and pop in your favorite dvd. Snuggle with a furry friend or your significant other.

Usually when I make chicken and noodles I use cream of chicken. I like it to be a creamy noodle instead of a brothy soup, but this time I wanted broth and lots of it.

Let me know what you think

Like a Rock

Ohhhh like a rock....

But this isn't a Chevy commercial. It has nothing to do with heavy duty pick up trucks. It has to do with my sleep last night.

This dog and this more active than usual lifestyle is really wearing me out. I sleep so well at night and wake up each morning (yeah, before noon, shocker I know!) feeling invigorated.

That doesn't mean I don't steal a quick nap every day haha!

Having a lot to do every day with the dog is keeping me pretty busy and it's refreshing. I spend a lot of time doing things with or for Max and that leaves no time to be bored or lonely.

It's great!

Crazy Friday

My "yesterday" ended this morning at 5am when I finally went to sleep. I got up at 10 to let Max out and we stayed up all day. We had a lot of errands to run, including going to Petsmart for some doggie supplies, as well a much needed run to the bank, a vet visit, and my best friend, Kayla, is in town picking up her wedding dress. I had to go to that, since I missed the day she picked it out. 

Doesn't really sound like a lot to do, does it? Well, here's what happened... 

Brian came with Max and I to go to PetSmart. We needed a crate and since I am virtually useless, I needed him to carry it for me. While we were there we got other doggie things. We planned on going to the bank right after, but unfortunately, we were running short on time. Brian had to get ready to go to work. 

No big deal. I have a car. I'll go. 

I load Max into my car and away we go! I'm trying to get him used to car rides and everything, so I thought, hey, I'm just headed to the bank, it won't be so bad to take him with me. 

Except.

My whole car starts shaking. Vibrating. It's about to explode! I pull into a driveway and it's a vet's office (but not the one I am scheduled at later) and I think, well maybe its some snow caught under the wheel well. Stupid me, I should have kicked it out. I look, and my tire is FLAT. F-l-a-t, as in I am driving on the RIM! The really shitty part about this, is I just fixed a flat tire. My rear driver side tire had a nail in it and it was flat, and needed to be patched. Now, my front passenger tire is flat! Is someone f*cking with me?? Seriously?

I decide to call Brian. Except I don't have my phone. I left it at home (stupid of me!) so I take Max inside the vet's office and ask her if I can call my husband. She let me, which was very nice. I call him and tell him I have another flat and I am stranded it's unsafe to drive home (even though I am only a quarter mile away). I ask him what do you want me to do? Should I call a tow truck? Our insurance will reimburse us for it. The donut is already on my car, and my patched tire is in Brian's truck. I am not really wanting to pay $70 for a 2 minute tow, so I ask him to come put my patched tire on. He has to call me back in a few moments to okay it with his boss. 

He said it will be fine, and he will be there in 30 minutes. Because its lunch hour. F*ck! Max and I go outside and he romps in the snow which is quite hilarious and makes me feel a little bit better. Brian comes and exchanges tires in 10 minutes. I go home and put the dog in the crate, then head for the bank. 

It is now 2:45 and Max's appointment is at 3, and I still have to go to the *other bank* and deposit the cash. I don't have enough time. I go back home, get Max, and go to the vet. We have a good time, and it is now 4. I have to get this money deposited! I go to the other bank and then Kayla calls. "We're in town, come soon!" 

I drop the dog back off at home and rush to the other side of town to David's Bridal where I wait for her to try on her dress (Breathtaking!) It dawns on me I have not eaten all day. I start daydreaming of food.

I drive home and hit up Arby's grabbing a regular Beef and Cheddar sandwich with a small curly fry. I finally get home, let the dog out, we go pee, and then I eat my dinner. I tell Brian I will make him a "hero's dinner" for saving my day, and he picks Chicken Parmesan. But I dont have any of the ingredients for that, so I will have to make one final trip out. 

I am so... tired.

More APs than you can shake a stick at....

Getting a dog has been great!!

Since Max is a little older, there are fewer trips to the bathroom and so far (fingers crossed) no accidents! But because he is still a dog and because I don't have a fenced in yard (or a yard for that matter) it does mean that walks are part of our daily lives now.

Lots of them.

I don't think Max has been on so many walks in his life! He loves it. He waits patiently at the door while I put his leash on. He sits down while I open the door. He then makes a bolt for it!

But we don't go for a walk unless we go potty. That's the rule. No potty? Back inside.

He gets 2 short walks and one long one. We walk a total of 40 minutes (2 5 mins and a 30 min) and let me tell you what... I am completely worn out!! I've earned more activity points in the last 36 hours than I did last week.

I can't wait for spring.

This summer, we are going to the Dunes and we are going to go swimming.

This dog is going to have me bikini ready in no time. Now, if you'll excuse us, it's time for our nap.

Tuckered Out

Like my sweet puppy, I am tired!

We had a busy day today. It started off with not a lot of sleep last night. I was so excited for Max to come home today that I spent a lot of time day dreaming about him and not getting any actual sleep.

We went on lots of walks today. Like 4. Between 5-20 minutes each. We peed each time (well, he did. I wasn't about to put my bare ass out! It's cold!) No poopies. But he didn't eat much today. I tracked everything I ate today though. Including Wendy's, I had 36 points today. I poopied, in case you were wondering.

Now we are being lazy bums and laying on the couch. It's so nice to have such a calm dog. We will see how he feels in a few days.


I guess I can count my walks as exercise, right? Hm...

Sleepless in the Snowfall

For Doggy-related ventures, see The Max Experience

We are picking up Max today.

It's my chiro appointment day

It's my weigh in day.

What a busy DAY!!

My appointment is at 11:30 and we wont be able to pick the dog up from the shelter until after 12:00 so that is perfect.

Oh, also, if I don't wear my shoes with my orthotic insoles in them, I can't walk. Yeah, I know. My calves get really tight (like I did a super intense workout) and my knee aches. But if I wear them, everything is fine, so I guess it means they are working. I will know for sure after my appointment, because he is going to check that today. I can't wait to get my back cracked!

Weigh in was looking a little scary this week. I got on the scale on Sunday and it was as high as 220 (+7 from my lowest of 213) And when I got on the scale on Monday it was down to 219 and when I got on the scale on Tuesday it was 218.4. I tracked all day Monday and all day Tuesday. The excess weight seems to shed quickly if I track what I eat (therein lies the secret to weight loss)

My weigh in this week was: 216.8 which is a .4 lb loss! That means this week I need to track the whole week!

I also did a bit of exercise yesterday. I got a Bollywood dance routine for Your Shape: Fitness Evolved and it was really challenging. I only earned 1 AP in my 10 minute dance, but that is one more than I earn on a daily basis!

Positive self talk and self actions are really making a difference for me. If I catch myself thinking or acting like I am "too fat", then I stop and reframe. It is the Year of the Christie, and I won't let myself get in my way!!

Also, it is the Year of the Rabbit, which was the year I was born. See? It's totally my year! Told you so!

Big News

We got a dog.

No seriously.


His name is Max and he has his OWN blog, called the Max Experience. And he is believed to be a lab/border collie mix.

Go check out his blog. Make him internet famous!!

Interrupting Cow MOOO

The night I went shopping and found out I can fit into the "regular" sized clothes, I was so happy. Brian kept asking if I was excited, and I kept interrupting him with squeals of glee.

He pointed out that I do interrupt him a lot, and it's like that old knock knock joke. You know the one....

Knock knock!

Who's there?

Interrupting cow.

Interrupting cow wh-MOO!

Lol so yeah. Now if I interrupt him, he just yells MOO at me.

It works

No one likes to be called a cow, let alone a rude one.

It's All About Me

That's my theme this year. It's all about me. Things I am going to do to improve myself and my life (and thereby those around me.)

This year, my goals are to do things I normally don't. Such as getting up, getting dressed (nicely, if possible) and doing full hair and makeup, even if I am not going anywhere that day. Such as taking more pictures of myself. Such as taking pride in my home.

I also have other goals, like running that whole 4 mile race in September. Like wearing my orthotics EVERYDAY. Like trying spinning or taking a cardio boxing class.

This year is the YEAR OF THE CHRISTIE.

As if I need to be any more conceited.

Today I got up, and I put in my contacts, I styled my hair, and I put on my make up. I got dressed. I took not only one picture, but 15. Some of them didn't turn out, but a few did. Like this one

Yay I actually photographed myself!

What do you think of my new hair? Previously, it looked like this:

Crazy eye McGee

Today, I tracked my breakfast. 1 cup of coffee with 2 T of hazelnut creamer, fake sugar, with 2 blueberry Eggo-knockoff waffles with 1 T of margarine, 1/4 cup of light syrup, and a bite of a Morningstar "sausage" link. The texture and the flavor of those links sucked. It was kind of mealy texture wise and the "sausage" seasoning was really only a back note, instead of a foreground player. It was also a little cold

All my breakfast was cold by the time I was done measuring it and tracking it. (10 whole points, in case you were wondering)

I haven't had lunch yet, I am about to eat my midday snack of string cheese. I think lunch will be baked chicken with 1/2 cup of fat free cottage cheese and 2/3 of a cup of Green Giant niblet corn. (also approximately 10 points)

I have no idea what will be for dinner tonight. Probably something else chicken related. Or maybe I will make Taco Bake with refried beans, rice, and ground turkey. That sounds pretty good to me too. I have no idea how many points that will be, either. I'll have to add it into WW and see what we come up with.

I also started "take pride in my home" by doing 6 loads of laundry, two loads of dishes, and cleaning our bedroom and putting our bed back on the slats so its off the ground, and we also rearranged our bedroom. When I say "we" I really mean "Brian moved it all while I ran around looking for a screwdriver"

We also got new lights for our bathroom. They are those stupid vanity-looking light fixtures that house multiple bulbs and they are the big stupid bulbs too. I tried putting a regular sized bulb in there and it wouldn't work. Dumb thing. But we replaced all of them and got the higher wattage ones so I could see better. Don't worry, I picked up the energy efficient ones! We replaced all our incandescents with the compact fluorescents (CFLs) that had a "natural" light feel to them too. And we bought a few extra lamps. It was starting to look like a cave in here! Now it looks like a light house. I won't have to worry about ships plowing into the side of our apartment building any more. Whew! Soon we are going to paint. Brian had this GREAT idea! We will take pictures of our apartment and then upload them into Photoshop and we will scan in those paint swatches and he will put them on our walls so we can see how it looks. And we will take the pics in a few different lighting conditions to see how we like it. Isn't that nifty?

Someday very soon, my progress blog. I promise!

Horrible

I'm doing horrible with tracking. Partly its because I haven't stocked up on what I deem my "healthy foods". I like to eat the same thing consistently for breakfast and lunch and snacks, with the variation being dinner. But lately I haven't bought any breakfast/lunch/snack like foods. However, I did buy 2- 3lb bags of apples in the last couple of weeks and have eaten multiple apples every day.

So that's a bonus, I guess.

What I really like is something no fuss for breakfast, like yogurt with a granola bar, or a bowl of cereal (with only a touch of milk to it) or an English muffin made with ham, fat free cheese, and Egg Beaters (made previously and then frozen/microwaved)

Lunch I like sandwiches, or wraps, again, something no fuss. Maybe soup. I like potato soup with ham and fat free cheddar cheese. Or bacon bits. That way it "tastes" like a baked potato. I also like baked potatoes.

Dinners are where I like to stretch my legs and do a lot of cooking. It's the meal I get to share with my husband. It's the part of the day where I make a mess in the kitchen but come out with plates of hot, delicious food (so it's okay, right?) I enjoy cooking hearty meals like lasagna, spaghetti, pasta skillets, chicken stir fry, pork loin, casseroles, and steak.

I'm going to have to actually sit down and make a meal plan.

I am not giving up. I will get over this whole "thoughtless eating" thing and get back to tracking every day. Even if I have to spend a day preportioning all of my breakfasts, lunches, and snacks and take a sharpie marker to it and write down the Points!

I also like dinner to be my big meal of the day, so I am going to have to figure out how many points I can "spend" on meals and snacks throughout the day. I get 34 points a day.

If I have 5 meal times (3 meals, 2 snacks) that is about 7 points a meal, roughly (6.8, rounded up) If dinner is my "big meal" I want to spend twice that, or 14 points. That leaves me 20 points for breakfast, lunch, and two snacks. If I use 7 points on snacks (say, a Weight Watcher ice cream bar for 3 and a bag of popcorn for 4) then that leaves me 13 between breakfast and lunch. I can then have 7 for breakfast and 6 for lunch.

Breakfast would look like this: English muffin with ham, fat free cheese, and Egg beaters for 4 points, 6 ounces of fat free yogurt for 3 points, and then an apple. Something hot, something cold, and fruit. Or it could be a cup of fat free yogurt for 4 points and then a 2 point granola bar, with a string cheese. Or maybe, turkey sausage links and a whole grain waffle with light syrup, and a piece of fruit!

Lunch would be a small tortilla spread with spicy brown mustard, turkey meat, fat free cheese, and spinach and green bell pepper. And probably, an apple.

Dinner would be some side of meat slathered in some sort of sauce with some sort of carby dish on the side. Heaven!

I have to go to the grocery store today. I found out you can print off a grocery list from WeightWatchers.com and my store has a feature where you can go online and add items to a grocery list and print it off, and it will tell you how much it costs. I may just combine the two and do it that way. There is also a meal planner worksheet I found so I think I will print that off as well, so I can look at that and see what we are having and what we need.

Sometimes a list just confuses me. Like if I write down "lasagna" sometimes I forget to buy canned tomatoes or tomato sauce. Or I might say "spaghetti" and forget to buy spaghetti! I think the grocery store overwhelms me and I get easily side tracked. "Is that a new hair color dye? It's on sale?!"

I really need to sit down and take stock of myself. I know I want this weight off, and I know I am ready for it to come off. I know WW works if I do. So I need to stop dicking around and then just do it. Insert Nike swoosh here.

I need to exercise. I need to track what I eat (even if I don't eat right) and I need to make my meals as consistent as possible. I am not one who gets "burnt out" on certain foods. I ate S'mores Poptarts every single day for 4 years during high school for breakfast each morning. I ate grilled chicken, Green Giant niblet corn in butter sauce, and 1/2 cup of cottage cheese almost every day for lunch in college (until I moved out and got fat). Routine is very crucial for me and for my success in weight loss long term, I think. I need to make a schedule and stick to it each and every day.

We have some friends coming over today, and I am going to make a WW recipe when they come over. I am going to make jumbo shells stuffed with ricotta cheese, Parmesan-Reggiano, spinach, and diced chicken with homemade marinara sauce, a salad and garlic bread. It promises to be delicious, and I cannot wait!!

I may photograph it and do a recipe blog, what do you all think?

Coming up this week- I am finally *finally* going to do my "WTF Christie?" picture blog, where it will have my before and progress pics, so both you and I can see I am a lot better looking than I was. I hope that you like roly-polys....

I got on the Scale and Treadmill today

So I got on the scale today and I am happy to see that I am back down to 215.6 (I was up to 217.2 on Wednesday)

What has changed? Well not a lot really. I still am not tracking much. I tracked beautifully on Wednesday and then not  at all on Thursday (I had a giant ass bacon cheeseburger-plain, a huge baked potato, and half of a ginormous Reese's mousse on a brownie covered in crumbled peanut butter cups and hot fudge) and here we are at Friday. I have been up almost two hours and haven't eaten yet. :(

I went to the gym because today was going to be THE DAY that I officially started my training for the River Rat Race on September 24, 2011. It is a 4 mile walk/run and I plan on running it. All of it.

I may have some lofty goals, especially since I am not a runner, I'm pretty clueless.

I anticipated being able to walk a mile in under 15 minutes. I was wrong. It took me 23 minutes to complete one mile. (2.5 mph speed, in case you are wondering)

I was going to do all 4 miles walking, no matter how long it took today. I was wrong. My knee decided to give out on me and I had to stop at one mile.


I want to run all of that race in 28 minutes. This number is from that one mile I ran on the elliptical in the summer and ran it in 7 minutes. I would love to get to that point on the treadmill. Thankfully I have until September to get to that speed.  Currently, it would have taken me 92 minutes to walk 4 miles

But- I went to the gym! Hurray! It's even cold and snowy outside- and I still went! I had to WALK in the snow, people! I went outside!! I walked a mile- even with a bad knee- and that is more than I have done lately. Afterward I felt so good (despite the searing pain) and I am proud of my 23 minute mile.

Well no, I'm not.

I'm proud I finished a mile. There. That sounds better.

I have also decided that until I get used to wearing my insoles and my knee gets better, that I will *not* be training for the race. No sense in making my knee worse. :(

Today was a test run (errr walk) and I now know where I am at. There is a lot of room for improvement. Which is good, because any improvement will be a success. It's a nice base line test.

Once it gets nicer outside, I plan to actually start running the trails we have here and at some point, graduate to the race course (which goes through downtown Fort Wayne) and continue to train on that. By the time September rolls around, I will be used to the course, used to the terrain, and the only thing that will be different is I will be running with 23,000 other people.

Day 1: complete :)

Just Pay Me!

I got our AEP bill the other day, and I freaked out how much it was. Twice what I normally pay, I thought I had run our bill up so much just by having our heat on "auto" set at 72 degrees. I freaked out and shut off the heat entirely, and just suffered in 68 degrees, putting on layers of blankets and sweatshirts.

Turns out, I didn't pay last month's bill.

My bill was actually the same, despite the heat being on.

Do you know what this means?



I am now officially my mother. I don't know whether to weep or rejoice. 


Edit: I just went to pay my cable bill and I realized that I had already paid this month's, last month. UGH Will it never end? Soon I'll be getting a letter with "THIS IS A CREDIT" written in red lol

Day 1: Orthotics

Well, in case you were wondering, they work.

My leg is so sore, from my heel all the way through my knee. My knee actually hurts so bad, I can't bend my leg. I've spent the day sleeping away the pain until my bladder dictated it was time to get up. That was an interesting experience, to say the least.

I found some socks and put on my shoes: I wasn't getting dressed, it's too painful to do anything today. I decided to make each step count, however, because there are so few today.

I had every intention of hitting the gym today to walk on the treadmill and see how long it takes me to walk 4 miles. So far it's taken me over 6 days! haha

Instead, I am going to sit on my butt and play games all day. Occasionally getting up to use the restroom or get a drink. Not so different from every day, come to think of it!

On order today: Heating pad and knee exercises. I was told I can use my big exercise ball to help stimulate my leg muscles, by placing it between my legs and squeezing as hard as I can. It will be fun. And by fun I mean not fun at all.

Weigh In

Wee! Weigh in day! I admit, I hadn't tracked a single thing nor have I bothered to! It comes as no surprise then I am still up! .2 lbs from last week, to be honest. So in 3 weeks, I gained 4.5 lbs. Thats an average of a pound and a half a week. I don't think I should be excited about that?

I blame the not tracking. And all the eating out with friends and family and just because my kitchen is a wreck.

Did you know I ate not one but TWO cheeseburgers from Wendy's last night? AND a Frosty? AND not only that, but I still wanted *another* cheeseburger???

See, I read that the "value" of food goes down as you eat more of it. For example, the second cheeseburger should have been less satisfying than the first. But for me, that wasn't the case. I was so hungry for it. I thought I would die if I did not have another cheeseburger.

In fact I spent the whole night debating on whether or not I should get another one! Insane! Madness!....Delicious!

I have no shame.

If I were half as lazy as I am, I would have gone for the third cheeseburger. I would have savored devoured it.

I actually ended up just eating 1/2 cup of fat free cottage cheese and day dreaming of cheeseburgers until I went to bed and then I dreamed about them. Seriously. Effing. Delusional. I. Know.

But today was a better day. I actually tracked. And pretracked. And I got my orthotic insoles, so all is well.

Today went a little sumthin'-sumthin' like this:

Coffee, 2 cups, with 2 oz of milk, 3 packets of Splenda, and 2 Tbl of creamer- 4 points.
Cheese and crackers- two ounces of colby jack and 7 Ritz crackers- 11
And for dinner, which I haven't made yet- 5 ounces of chicken breast, 2/3 cup of mashed potatoes, and 2/3 cup of Green Giant steam fresh corn niblets in butter sauce- 11 points

Also I have been looking at running gear and I think I have settled on a few things. I am going to get an Shock Absorber bra ($70) and a pair of Vibram Five Finger shoes. ($80) My chiropractor actually recommended them, so that's what I will get. Eventually. I still have to get on a treadmill and actually start running before I can buy any of this stuff.

Today for activity- 25 minutes of Zumba Fitness with my new shoes on.

And one last thing... I promise! I am actually being "weened" off my chiro visits! Now that I have my insoles, he is seeing me once next week, and then not again for two weeks! And if I have made progress, then it becomes once a month. Soon I will be done! Which means I can get glasses/contacts!! Yay!!

My Orthotics

I am so happy! Today my orthotics came in the mail! Yippee!! I don't think I mentioned this, or maybe I have, but this will be my third pair.

I had a pair when I was 12 or 13. They were this ugly, bitter yellow color. I got these to first "force" an arch into my left foot and help correct and alleviate some of the pain that I was feeling from walking. At the end of the school year one year, I left these hated shoes in my locker and they were thrown away. Boy was my mother pissed when she found out.

After my first surgery, it was deemed necessary for orthotics again. Luckily I was off the hook about losing the last ones, because my doctor said they wouldn't work, since they were designed for my pre-surgery foot.

These too, lasted a few years before I fell out of favor with them.

My knee wasn't really an issue during the times I was wearing them but it was because they forced an arch out of my right ankle.

I think that while I will probably always loathe orthotics, it is now painfully clear that I need them. It's either that or surgery. Let's go the non-invasive route this time, shall we?

My orders are to start out wearing them 1 hour today, then 2 hours tomorrow, and then 3 on Friday, so on and so forth, and basically wear them whenever I put shoes on. Since I work at home, however, I rarely have shoes on, but I will make doubly sure I wear them each day, and try and wear them while I am working. I will have to pretend its an office job, I guess :)

Have I mentioned how lucky I am to have insurance and a health savings account to pay for this? It'd be really expensive otherwise. Thank you, husband's employer, for having such great benefits. Thankfully I have a job that is extremely flexible so I can take the time to take care of myself, both medically and in my life style.

What exciting thing made your day today? Share!

Is This My Life?

I had a "what the hell am I doing" moment last night.

I was installing Ubuntu, which is Linux, on my computer and while waiting for the installation to finish, I waxed my eyebrows. Geek and Diva all rolled into one? Am I truly "that person"? Well the short answer is no: Not only did it take all night for Ubuntu to install on my laptop, I freaked out that I lost Windows Vista and all of my data (no backups were created prior- dumb move) and my eyebrow waxing went.... sort of ....bad.

I mean, I only ripped off half my eyebrow. Quite literally.

Only 8 short weeks until they grow back :(

Seriously though, it doesn't look too bad. They are just shorter- much shorter- and lesson learned. Pay the $10 to go get it done professionally.

All I can say is thank God I didn't try and give myself a Brazilian.

Reflections.

Since September 29th, the day I joined Weight Watchers, I have lost 14 lbs on the program and a total of 21.5 lbs since my highest weight on my wedding day.

May will be here soon, and that will mark my 2 year anniversary to start getting healthy and back to my former "dating" weight. I am only a mere 31 lbs away from achieving this goal- which is my most important goal for the year. I want to end 2011 at least 31 lbs lighter and back into my former hot body.

I thought about my short journey on Weight Watchers so far, and I have discovered that I do have a lot of work left to do but also that I am doing great at the same time!

I lost 14 lbs in 3 months
I eat fruit on a semi daily basis
I eat veggies on a semi daily basis
I switched from ground beef to ground turkey
I cook even more at home
I took a Zumba class, went bike riding, and bought new hand weights, bought a Kinect (with Dance Central, Zumba, and Your Shape)
I went for a bike ride on New Years Eve because it was almost 60 degrees! Just a year ago, or even a few months ago, I would have wasted that precious day.
I started taking care of my body. Drinking water/tea instead of soda most days. Going to the doctor/chiropractor instead of putting it off, etc.
I started looking in the mirror and really seeing who I was. Not some fat chick, or someone who needs a shower that day. But seeing *me* and noticing all the little changes.

In 3 months I have changed a lot. I still need to work on certain things, such as trigger foods, eating more fruits/veggies, and exercising more regularly. I also need to track more.

I am so pleased with my progress. I know I could have "tried harder" and got where I wanted to be by the end of the year, but it's also a journey. I like the ups and the downs. The hills and the valleys. If it were easy, then it wouldn't be as rewarding.

What's the theme of this year? This year, I want to appreciate every day, because you never know when it's your last. I also want to live life to the fullest, trying new things and enjoying old favorites.

What is your theme for the new year? What are you most thankful for? What were your biggest accomplishments? What were your smallest?