another long weekend

my office announced that it will be closed on tuesday due to the NYSE being closed (we follow what they do) AND president gerald ford's funeral which means, i'll have a 4-day weekend... and if my boss lets me take off next friday (so eric and i can head to pittsburgh), i'll be working 2 days next week - how 'bout them apples... nothing like getting good news on a friday and boy does that put me in a great mood... :o)

i have been reading a lot of postings regarding new year's resolutions and what some people are planning for the new year... on vickie's blog, she asked reader's to pick one word that would describe last year - the first word i thought of was satisfied... i know its not the strongest or most powerful word but all in all, i'm pretty happy with myself... i've made progress with my weightloss, exercise routine, eating habits, and most importantly, began to love myself regardless of what the scale was telling me... could i have lost more weight? sure... could i have worked out harder? definitely... have i ever really felt like i was 'dieting'? not really and that's a big one (thank-you WW)... but the fact that i continue to make better choices, everyday, is enough to make me smile and feel that i accomplished a great deal in 2006...

as for 2007, i've never been one to make a formal new year's resolution list but i thought i would just a few things that i would like to work on...

1. quit smoking
2. work on my jogging (time and distance)
3. drink more water
4. lose another 5-10 pounds
5. continue with pilates, maybe add yoga or another class
6. take a real vacation, hopefully someplace warm and sunny
7. get engaged

i think that's a good list to start with... feel free to share your own 'goals' for the new year... i'm not sure how often i'll be posting over the weekend so i'd like to take this opportunity and wish you all a very happy and safe new years... see you all in 2007... :o)

happy friday...

weigh-in wednesday

::: MAINTAIN :::

last night was my mom's christmas dinner so i'm not bummed that the scale remained the same, plus being i was 157.4 three days ago, i'm certain it will go back down again... she made herbed pork loin, scalloped potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, corn, cranberry sauce, rolls, pumpkin pie, cookies, and god knows what else... go mom!!! it was nice to see my brother and his girlfriend as well as my sister, her hubby, and nieces... they spent the night at my place so max was very happy to have so much attention and proudly woke us up at 6:30am to play... as a result, i'm very sleepy today and its still pretty quiet here so its going to be a very long day...

i will be glad when all this holiday stuff is over - i have one more dinner at my brother's on saturday so i can see my other niece and that's it... eric and i will be dog sitting for his brother on saturday night and both agreed that staying in for new year's is a perfect idea... the following weekend we're headed to pittsburgh for his family's festivus so that should be fun (and very cold i'm sure!) and then there's one more free weekend til my foot surgery... we haven't really discussed what we're doing for our 2-year anniversary - i'd like to do SOMEthing special and feel like if i don't take the initiative, nothing will happen... i did tell him since he only got me a book for christmas that he needs to step it up a bit for our anniversary... is it just me or are all men just not into the holidays?

happy hump day...

not a creature was stirring

i kept saying last night that i felt like i was jipped a vacation because i was sick most of the time but am actually happy to be back in a routine... there is hardly anyone in my office today and both the roads and metro were empty this morning, making my commute a breeze... i brought some magazines to catch-up on and my coworker brought in "marley & me" for me to read so i may start that as well... my mom is cooking christmas dinner tonight for my sister, brother and their families so eric and i will be heading there later and then that will be it for holiday meals...

my scale was down to 157.4 on christmas eve and had to laugh because i haven't been to the gym while being sick this past week... so maybe the secret to losing weight is NOT working out??? i haven't been starving myself either so i wasn't surprised to see it back up this morning but that's also because i made dinner yesterday and had crackers/cheese for a snack last night (mmm port wine cheese)... i made crabcakes, califlower au gratin, long grain rice, and a cranberry-almond pudding for dessert - not too shabby if i do say so myself... :o)

i was telling eric how it just didn't feel like christmas yesterday esp. since it was raining and not very cold outside... we haven't even talked about new year's plans and i'd honestly be happy with staying home, drinking margaritas, and watching some movies on his new 42" LCD TV... :o)

happy tuesday...

p.s. can you tell i'm bored? click here

have a holly, jolly christmas

happy friday, everyone... this is my last day of vacation and i've been sick since wednesday, figures right? not sure where i picked it up from but i've been sleeping a lot and feel very congested - i hope its gone by christmas... i've managed to get all my big errands done but have some xmas shopping to finish and menu to plan for christmas day... it will just be my mom, eric and i and then she'll have the family dinner on the 26th with my brother, sister, and their kids... i may do something w/crab but haven't decided yet, and i also have more chocolate covered preztels to make - maybe i'll tackle them tomorrow...

i've exercised twice this week but really don't have the energy or willpower to do anything today - plus is cold and rainy and i'm not feeling well... the scale was back under 160 this morning so i'm going to try and maintain that til next week... having two big dinners won't help but i'm going to enjoy myself and not beat myself up if there's a small gain on wednesday... i give huge kudos to those of you that have continued to lose during the holidays, you have great determination!

not sure when i'll post again so i'm going to sign-off and wish everyone a very merry christmas... :o)

happy friday...

weigh-in wednesday

::: LOSS :::

i can't BELIEVE i saw 158.5 on monday and 160.2 showed up on the scale this morning - which makes it a 0.2 loss for this week... WTF?!?!? i had a super-duper workout last night too - weights and an extremely hard spin class - and this is what i get? 0.2 pounds?... ugh, i'm a bit disappointed but its technically still a loss for the week - i should stop bitching and be happy, right?

day 3 of my vacation was spent w/mom again - we went to IKEA to find a tv stand for her xmas present (split between us 3 kids), then had some lunch before doing more shopping at kohl's and the mall... i woke up feeling like crap and still feel under the weather, plus i'm sore from the gym last night (different machines than what i'm used too)... even though i was home yesterday, i feel like i haven't had a chance to relax yet which was the point of my vacation... as of right now - i have NO plans for friday and that's the way its going to stay...

thursday is already looking busy: doctor's appt, dropping things off at consignment, and then meeting eric for happy hour downtown... maybe i get some R&R in between all that and oh yea, i should probably get in a workout too...

happy hump day...

day two

this is my 2nd day of vacation and its been very nice not having to go to work... yesterday was spent xmas shopping w/mom at the leesburg outlets and it was 11:30pm by the time i got home - when we shop, we shop hard... i got a few things crossed off my list and i also scored a nice sweater coat for myself (on sale) and convinced my mom to buy a few things for me for xmas (crate&barrel outlet kicks ass!)... today, i've been doing things around the house like straightening, organizing my sock drawer, preparing food for the week, getting clothes ready for consignment, and most importantly, catching up on blogs... i'll be heading to the gym later for weights and spin class and i might do some more shopping, we'll see... :o)

the scale read 158.4 yesterday and i was so happy but after eating out twice yesterday, i was back up to 161 this morning... so far today i've had some leftover quiche for breakfast, fruit and yogurt for lunch, and plan on making a nice, big salad for dinner... i'm hoping this will make the scale go back down for my official weigh-in but if not, no biggie... i'm still doing pretty well for the holidays... :o)

eric and i watched 'little miss sunshine' over the weekend and if you haven't seen it, i highly recommend it... we also caught the national geographic photography exhibit downtown which was pretty cool - talk about amazing pictures... sort of makes you look at animals and nature in a very different light... :o)

happy tuesday...

TGIF

i broke down and bought the vera bag - its sitting by my desk and looking oh so beautiful... i can't wait to use it on the way home... my office is buzzing since our holiday luncheon just ended - i did good food-wise: had a mixed salad, grilled fish w/veggies, and only one tiny piece of pumpkin cheesecake... i also had 1 amstel light and a few sips of wine - eric and i shared a bottle of red shiraz last night and i came in w/a headache (i hate drinking wine just for that reason)... it did go nicely with the strombolis - i made them from the whole wheat pizza dough purchased from trader joe's... i'm sure the whole thing was like 12-15 points but it was very tasty... eric made a comment during dinner that he hopes i'm not always going to be obsessed with food and losing weight - i'm still not sure what to make of that... a part of me wanted to say, "i've always had an issue with my weight and probably always will" but i didn't, so i'll just move on...

my weekend plans are pretty open right now, minus going to the gym sat/sun since i'm skipping today (too full)... it IS pretty nice out so maybe i'll go for a walk when i get home - its in the 60s, if you can believe it... i think there was snow on the ground last year...

i haven't gotten anywhere w/the blogger comment issue - some have said if you switch browsers and/or clear your cache, it might work... but if not, those who are not on the beta version will eventually HAVE to switch over so maybe when that happens, you can comment again... either way, its pretty screwy since a lot of people have complained and no one's addressed it directly...

anyway, i hope you all have a great weekend...

GO REDSKINS & STEELERS!!!

tantilizing tidbits

so much for the new blogger being a good thing, apparently if you haven't switched over to beta - you can no longer comment on blogs that have... funny how there's no contact info on the blogger site so i took it upon myself to email someone at google - we'll see what sort of crap they come up with... anyway, here are some interesting tidbits for this week... enjoy!

- donate your old cell phone, PDA, etc. at recycling for charities (tax-deductible)
- five must-haves for the "loser" on your holiday shopping list
- nicole's challenge: in the thirties by 39
- eat, drink and be merry for a longer life
- looking for an exercise buddy? try this website

as a gift to member's of my department, i made chocolate covered pretzels last night - it went pretty well but i probably won't try the white chocolate and oreo kind again... i made 6 kinds and the best looking ones had to be the carmel, chocolate, and peanuts... i have some left over and wil need to get rid of them fast - maybe i'll give them to eric so he can take them to work... one of my nieces already put in her order for xmas so i guess i'll be making more next week - at least i won't have to carry them on the metro and pray no one steps on my bag...

i still haven't decided on the vera bag - my friend said i can get it for $83 which means $33 comes out of my pocket... eric has offered to buy it for me for christmas and i'm being a complete moron, i should just say yes but i feel like its such an expensive gift... then again, he did buy me an iPod last year... hmm...

and sorry to keep bragging but only ONE MORE DAY OF WORK TIL VACATION...

happy thursday...

weigh-in wednesday

::: GAIN :::

this morning's number has put me in a funk, one that will probably last all day and i hate admitting that... seeing 159 the day after my weigh-in last week really made me feel good, and now seeing 160.4 has turned that feeling into sadness... i promised myself i wouldn't let this get to me but it has, even though i'm still in the range i wanted to be for the holidays... i know where i'm failing - its the same cockiness on the weekends, thinking i have a bit more than usual... god, when am i going to learn... and then i have to wonder why i'm so bothered because in a month, i won't be able to do anything because of my foot surgery... ugh, this totally totally sucks... i SO need a vacation, can you tell?

happy hump day...

p.s. i did manage to print-off my gym's group exercise schedule for next week so at least i can look forward to that...

up on the rooftop

i can't for this week to be over so i can 'officially' be on vacation... my guess is though, it will busy as hell up until friday and then we have our holiday luncheon at noon... but after that, i am done for the week and i'm not back in the office until the 26th... yeee haaa! i don't have any plans written in stone yet but do know i'm doing a few things w/my mom and i'm going to lunch with a girlfriend... other than that, i plan on going to the gym and possibly take some step classes during the day, which should be fun, or something else depending on their schedule... and i plan on sleeping in most days too, or as long as max lets me... :o)

weigh-in is tomorrow, we'll see if i can stay under 160 (this morning, i was not) - i did have a big dinner though so i'm sure that's part of it... and i keep meaning to take my measurements too so i need to do that tomorrow morning - it will be interesting to see if anything's changed since last time...

so to keep w/the holiday spirit - what's your favorite holiday movie? it can be anything so don't be shy... mine would have to be 'rudolph' or 'elf' (that movie is f**king halarious)...

happy tuesday...

turning into a soccer mom

i'm not sure how it is where you live but in my area, the whole 'vera bradley' thing is just huge - like huger than huge... i never really understood the whole phenomenon and why anyone would spend $90 on a cotton, quilted purse... well, i asked a girl on the metro one morning where she got her bag and i did some research since i had no idea what they were... vera had released a new pattern : java blue : and that was it for me - i became obsessed and knew i had to have something w/that pattern (see photo)... i was in heaven and would paint my whole house in that color-combo (if i had one)... anyway, thanks to a coworker's boyfriend's mom, that has a gift shop in VA, i'm buying one at cost, AND decided to put my xmas bonus towards it so i'm only putting out $20 of my own money... merry christmas to me!!! i hope i don't become one of those people that starts buying all the matching accessories because i hate to say it, but their 2007 agenda is quite darling and would look perfect with this bag... :o)

my weekend was good - did everything that was planned as well as found out my hairdresser is pregnant... i thought she looked a bit tummy heavy back in october but have learned to not say anything because who knows if you'll offend the person... she laughed and said, "did you think i was just getting fat?"... it was cute so we talked about that pretty much the whole time - i don't even remember getting my haircut...

the rest of the weekend was spent relaxing with eric, watching a movie (american psycho, christian bale, mmmm), and watching the redskins lose terribly yesterday... i had taped some food network holiday specials (nigella and barefoot contessa) and realized i had already seen them... oh well, i watched them anyway and then was awake til 2am because apparently, orange cappuccino international coffee has too much caffeine... :o(

happy monday...

TGIF

so call me miss anti-social - i skipped a dept. potluck today because i really didn't feel like being tempted with so much food... i think i've put in enough holiday spirit (considering i decorated our corner of the office and people keep coming over to see it) so i don't feel an ounce of guilt... besides, eric and i are going over to his friend's house for dinner tonight (thai food) and i'd rather save my points for later... adding some cardio into the mix is also planned, we'll see how my ankle feels on the treadmill today...

i finished my christmas cards last night, just need to buy some holiday stamps and i'll be done... i do personalize each one but generally write the same thing so it doesn't take that long... i make a list ahead of time but always forget a person or two so i'm glad i have extra - i wonder how many xmas letters i'll get this year... my sister asked me to 'design' hers this year and i have to say, its pretty damn nice (she better not take credit either!)...

my weekend plans are pretty low-key: dinner w/eric's friends, help mom get her xmas stuff out, get my haircut, exercise, and watch football... even though they have no chance at making the playoffs - GO REDSKINS!!!

hope everyone has a great weekend... bundle up, its cold out there...

tipsy thursday

no, i'm not drunk - i just thought it would be fun to have a standing, weekly post about things i find on other blogs and websites...i know i've shared things in the past but i would like to make more of an effort to spread the joy around to my BB's, so here's my list for this week - enjoy!

~ point-free soup recipes from hungry girl
~ questions to ask when researching health-related issues online
~ your favorite alcohol/beer/wine calories and point values are listed here
~ want to make a homemade gift? check out these recipes for mixes-in-a-jar
~ the funniest cookie cutters ever!

i stepped on the scale this morning and was thrilled to see 159.0 and i know its not my official weigh-in day but damnit, it feels pretty good... my goal is to keep this weight til next week and then i'll share what its like to have shed 20 pounds as well as post some pics... i checked my BMI as well and it said 24.9 which is considered in the 'normal' range, how cool is that?!?! ironically, i was thinking yesterday that my dept. hasn't had a lot of holiday food around and what happens? a coworkers brought in cookies today and yes, i had to try one... mmm mmm... :o)

happy thursday...

p.s. GO STEELERS!

weigh-in wednesday

::: LOSS :::

i stood on the scale this morning and cried when it said 159.8 - i couldn't believe what i was seeing... i even tried to take a picture but then the numbers went up... considering i haven't exercised AT ALL in over a week, i don't understand why it went down but hey - i'm not complaining... i haven't seen a number under 160 since oh, i don't know, 2-3 years so to say i'm pretty happy would be an understatement... i'm also not counting this as an official 20-pound loss yet but i'm closer than i've been in a really long time and by god, i'm going to get there... :o)

work was easy yesterday since i had to leave early for a doctor's appt., my appt was at 4:15 and i finally saw the doctor around 5:15, i must've been the last one there... i love my GYN, he's the nicest, most down-to-earth doctor i know, and will tell you whatever you need to know... he delievered babies for two of my friends so i hope i'm just as lucky... i did ask him about my concerns about being 35 and having kids with my blood dissorder, he recommended seeing a hemotologist (i will have to take blood-thinning injections everyday)... so at my age, can i safely have 1-2 kids? sure but if i was looking to have 6 kids, its just not going to be in my future and even if it was - that would mean i need to get pregnant like tomorrow... tick*tock*tick*tock...

after my appt, i got my car's emmission test done (passed), made dinner, went thru sunday's newspaper, took a bath, and then read... nice way to end the day and thank-you, max, for not waking me up at 5:30am this morning... :o)

happy hump day...

the worst/best day day of my life

in all fairness, hilly used my question for her new blog series entitled, "put words into my mouth"... i am honored and thought it would be good to answer the same question i gave her - what has been your worst and best day of your life, so far?

the worst day of my life would have to be the day my mom told me she was moving out and leaving my father... i remember laying on the living room floor, reading the newspaper, and just crying uncontrolably... i was 16, a sophmore in HS, and suddenly forced to decide where i was going to live - with her or with my dad... i chose to stay w/my dad because the thought of leaving the house i grew up in was too much to handle but in the end - staying was probably the wrong idea... my father suffered from depression and didn't work during the winter (he was a mason) so i basically ran the house til summer - cleaning, cooking, paying bills, going to school, and working... i remember crying every, single day when i got home from school and had no one to turn too since divorce was still unheard of back then (my brother and sister were much older and out of the house)... i've been told that situation made me the person that i am today - independent, organized, and thrifty but i can't help but feel i was denied some of my mid-teenage years... today i know that my mom made the right decision but at the time, i just couldn't believe it was happening and happening to me...

answering the next part is much more difficult - if i was married or had kids, it would easy but i'm single... what defines 'best' - an emotional feeling? a physical feeling? both? meeting eric has definitely been a highlight of my life and the day i realized he was the man i wanted to marry, will always be permanenty etched in my head... sitting in a lounge chair, drink in hand, watching the sunset, in mexico last year was pretty damn good too... driving down the coast of california, with my best friend from college, was incredibly invigorating esp. since i had lost my job and had no idea what i was going to do next... and getting down to 149 almost 3 years ago was a pretty awesome day - too bad it didn't last... HA!

and now for something fun, make your own snowflake below...



happy tuesday...

love the smell of fresh pine

its officially the holiday season at my apartment and work - all my decorating was finished last night and i worked on my office this morning... i still have a bit to do but will wait for my boss to leave, not that she cared this morning when i was hanging lights around our doorways... i have always decorated at my job because (1) you spend 8+ hours there and (2) it just puts everyone in the holiday spirit... i even brought a little tree over to eric's yesterday and had fun watching norman attack it - guess he's never seen a xmas tree before... :o)

my weekend was good - eric came over on friday night, we had dinner at local restaurant that is considered a "steeler's" hangout, and then watched "x-men 3"... on saturday, i took max to the vets and then spent most of the day decorating and listening to xmas music... i hung out w/my mom on saturday night and did victorian house tour and boy was it cold - it was worth it though, some of the houses were absolutely amazing...

yesterday, i did a cat-run for my sister which involved transporting 9 crates to a rescue in southern maryland - i wish i had taken more pictures cus some were pretty damn cute... at one point they were all meowing which was pretty funny... eric and i watched the redskins game and had a great dinner consisting of: roasted chicken, salad, brown rice, and a baquette with light boursin cheese - thank you, honey... later i went home to finish hanging lights and garland on my balcony...

my sprained ankle is getting better, thank god, and the bruising is going away... i'm hoping to be back in gym-action by tomorrow - i was going to go today but was too busy here and i have to leave early tomorrow for a doctor's appt... perhaps i can make it to the 5:30pm spin class but we'll see... i've been doing well with food and am trying my hardest to stay on the low-side since i'm not exercising but i'm sure i won't see a loss this week... we'll see, i could be wrong...

happy monday...

30 minutes and counting

i just had to share this holiday diet with you, its pretty funny... :o)

my day has been pretty good - i designed a flash holiday card, the boss left early, got my new cellphone, and am preparing to meet eric after work so we can ride home together... haven't seen him all week because of my foot and other stuff so it will be nice to see him... speaking of my foot, the sprain is getting better - i didn't go to the gym today so i'm hoping by tomorrow or sunday, i'll be able to at least go walking... i need to do something because its killing me (and the scale)...

and in other foot news, i've decided to have surgery on my right foot in january - this will be my 4th on the same foot and the 2nd time for hammertoes... i decided its best to do it now so i'm healed by spring/summer... my boss was totally cool about it - things have been slow here so there won't be a problem w/coverage plus i have a ton of sick time to use... she basically told me that my health is more important than work so that made me feel better... i'll be out for 1½ weeks and then will have the pins in for about 5 weeks... lets just hope it doesn't snow too much cus the only thing i'll have on my foot is a sock and one of those hideous surgical shoes (which i spray-painted black last time)... the thought of not being able to exercise makes me sick so i won't worry about it now... i'll just plan on doing a lot of pilates, yoga and drinking slimfast... just kidding...

have a great weekend everyone...

i wish it was friday

my foot is getting better but its still not 100% and its really bumming me out... and to make matters worse, my right foot is hurting more than it used too so the thought of surgery (hammertoes) is becoming more real every day... i need to talk to my boss about taking time off (1½ weeks) next year, maybe in january so its healed nicely by spring/summer... i'll have the pins in for about 5 weeks - nice huh... sorry if i'm not in a talkative mood, i'm just not having a good week... :o(

sarah tagged me on her blog yesterday so here goes...

4 THINGS ABOUT ME

4 jobs i've had:
window display, administrative asst, victoria secret, and graphic designer

4 movies i watch over and over:
willy wonka, alien, gladiator, and bladerunner

4 places i have lived:
scranton, pa; brooklyn, ny; and maryland

4 tv shows i watch:
csi, my name is earl, the office, and weeds

4 places i have been on vacation:
england, france, italy, and mexico

4 websites i visit everyday:
cnn, msnbc, craigslist, and perezhilton.com

4 favorite foods:
pizza, mexican, warm crusty bread, and brie

4 places i'd rather be right now:
southern cali, tuscany, nyc, and puerto vallarta

4 favorite bands/singers:
depeche mode, tears for fears, madonna, and paul oakenfold (dj)

4 bloggers i'll tag:
belladora, becky, trish, and jackie

happy thursday...

weigh-in wednesday

::: GAIN :::

i told you last week was a farce but that's okay, its only 1.2 pounds and i know it will come off again... i'm not sure how soon though, i twisted my ankle last night as i was walking to the metro... i didn't fall, thank-god, but it was enough to make me sit down and regroup... i was on the verge of tears and very flushed but managed to get home and put some ice on it... this was after driving a stick-shift, so talk about painful... its not bruised but its very sore and a bit swollen - i bought an ankle brace-thing this morning and will skip the gym today... at least i'll be able to do pilates tonight but i'm a bit upset that i can't do cardio... :o(

besides my foot drama, things are pretty mellow so far this week... i really should get out my christmas stuff and begin decorating so maybe that will be my goal for this weekend... i have a cute, skinny, artifical tree that i put a gazillion lights on a few ornaments but not many since max likes to play with them... he ruined about 10 glass balls the 1st xmas i had him so i tend to stay more 'pet-friendly'...

happy hump day...

p.s. i treated myself to a starbuck's gingerbread skim latte this morning and later found out, even without the whipped cream, it was 5 points... just kill me... and make it quick...

Q & A

anne had some Q&A's on her blog today, so i thought i'd respond here...

1) why are you trying to lose weight?
i'm trying to be healthier w/my food and exercise so losing weight is just a bonus... ok, truth: i'd like to see a weight i haven't been since college BUT i would also like to be in good shape before i start having children (yea, i need to get married first)... ;o)

2) do you have a reward for yourself once you reach goal?
i haven't really thought of anything in particular but i've pondered getting one of my tattoos enlarged...

3) What food do you wish had zero calories and zero fat?
that would be (a) pizza or (b) anything mexican...

4) as you lose weight, what do you find yourself enjoying more?
i enjoy jogging on the treadmill because a year ago, i could barely run for 5 minutes... now on some days, i can go as long as 45 so i find that pretty amazing...

5) what's your new favorite low fat food/treat?
i would say lite laughing cow cheese and wasa crackers... or lowfat peanut butter on a banana...

what about you?

60 degress in november

this weather is so crazy, not that i'm complaining, but its hard to listen to christmas music while its 60 degrees outside... my mom informed me last night that according to the farmer's almanac, we're going to have a LOT of snow this winter... don't they say that every year? either way, i'm enjoying the fall-like days because i know mr. snow is right around the corner...

i hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving... the trip to state college was good, we had decent weather and fun was had by all... i didn't overdo it too much food-wise but i also didn't take advantage of the motel gym because i felt like i should spend more time w/everyone... stupid i know, how lame is that... the scale says i'm up 2 pounds but we'll see what the official reading is tomorrow... we took back roads up and coming home so that was nice, plus we got to see my brother on the way home while driving thru hanover (home of utz potato chips and snyder's pretzels)...

the rest of the weekend was pretty mellow - i had lunch w/a girlfriend on saturday and then spent the rest of the day trying to find short, black, leather boots... after 5 stores - i found a pair at kohl's, on sale, so i'm pretty happy... eric and i also caught up on some tv shows, hung out w/some friends, and watched football... oh, he went walking w/me on saturday (thank-you darlin) and then i got another walk in on sunday since the weather was so great...

the boss is out today so things have been pretty quiet... not sure what i'll do this afternoon but i'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet - maybe i'll catch up on all my BB's... :o)

happy tuesday...

weigh-in wednesday

::: LOSS :::

the scale decided to be my friend this week and a show a loss of 1.4 pounds... of course, i think this is an evil trick considering tomorrow is thanksgiving but i'm close to my goal for the holidays (160) and i feel pretty damn good... visiting my sister always throws me for a loop because their house is full of stuff for the girls, chocolate for my sister, and then we usually eat out at least once so trying to stay OP is difficult... i stayed within my range and ate in moderation so that must count for something... knowing this, i feel better knowing i can have a TINY piece of pumpkin pie tomorrow without feeling quilty... AND as long as i get my exercise in (already checked the motel has an exercise room), i'll be in great shape... pardon the pun... :o)

what do you mean you like my other glasses better?

that's what eric told me last night on our way home from work... i think they're too mod for him and yea, i was a bit upset when he said that (because i'm silly and take things very personally) but realized i'm the one that has to wear them and i love them... he tried to get out of it by saying, "honey, i DO like your new ones, i just like the old ones better"... go figure... he made up for it (sort of) by making dinner: pork tenderloin, grilled asparagus, and cous cous... :o)

anyway, i've been finding a lot of good posts today so i thought i'd share what i've come across...

-- avoid blowing your diet at thanksgiving by following these approaches
-- mygrocerydeals.com allows you to search for food bargains in your area
-- here's a low-point stuffing recipe
-- make your own meals at supersuppers

work has been pretty quiet again so i can't image what tomorrow will be like...thank GOD i'm leaving at noon since eric & i need to hit the road for state college... weather looks like it will be snow-free (compared to last year's blizzard!) but it may be rainy, which i'm totally fine with... we may take some back roads and enjoy the countryside since we won't be a huge hurry...

if i don't post tomorrow, have a great and safe thanksgiving everyone..

and remember ~ stuff the turkey, not yourself... :o)

could someone please turn up the heat

happy monday, everyone, hope you all had a great weekend... i drove thru my first batch of snow already, the weather is so crazy where my sister lives and its in the same, damn state (high elevation)... go figure... my mom, sister, nieces, and i had a good time hanging out, shopping, and eating - i think i did okay but nothing stellar... i didn't exercise sat/sun but made a point of going to the gym on friday before i left so that's good... i noticed that the earlier it is, the harder it is for me to jog for longer periods of time - anyone else go thru that? i just couldn't keep up a steady pace for some reason... perhaps i was preoccupied w/getting on the road...

i posted my clothing on craigslist last week and have two potential buyers stopping by tomorrow night, so that makes me happy... i'll probably donate whatevers left OR find a consignment shop, depending on the brand, some places are very picky... and speaking of brands - i almost bought this incredible pair of low, pointy-toed boots on saturday by ralph lauren for $50 but they were a ½ size too big and a bit too narrow... one of these days i'll find THE pair so the search continues...

i'm happy this week is going to be short because i'm in NO mood to work... good thing there's not much going on so that gives me time to read what my BB's have been up too... it also doesn't help having friday off because it was incredibly difficult to get up this morning - i just wanted to snuggle in bed with eric and the kitties... i woke up when it was still dark and had pushed him to the edge of the bed, with no covers, and both kitties were laying behind me... pretty funny...

happy monday...

tornados in DC?

my coworker ordered the new dominos brooklyn-style pizza today and i only had ONE slice... ONE... good thing because according to their website, there's over 450 calories and 22 grams of fat PER SLICE... sometimes it really sucks finding out this information but i think in the end, it helps put things in proportion... like for 450 calories i could have X, Y, and Z or one slice of pizza... it really makes you think about what goes into your mouth...

i had my glasses adjusted last night and they are STILL too tight, maybe i'm just being overly sensitive since they don't have hinge-arms... either way, there's a location right down the street from me so i'm going to stop by after work... at least they haven't seen me there and won't think i'm crazy... i also saved a praying mantis' life last night, so i was feeling pretty good after my pilates class... not sure how i saw him but he was walking across the parking lot and i thought he would get run over, so i moved him to the grassy bank... it made me feel good and yes, i'm a silly animal lover...

i'm taking tomorrow off so my mom and i can visit my sister in western maryland... i'll also have a chance to see my dad who's in a nursing home out there, its always good to see him but difficult because he suffers from dementia and isn't always with it... he still recognizes me but i'm sure he won't for much longer... i got my sense of humor from him but you could never tell since he barely talks anymore... and i also have his blue eyes so at least we can still share that... :o)

hope you have a great rest of the week!

weigh-in wednesday

i saw a TINY gain this morning (.2 pounds) so that's two weeks in a row that i haven't seen progress... again, i'm not going to be upset and continue what i'm doing but sometimes its hard to accept the reality of weightloss... we all know the high you get when you're doing everything right - eating and exercising - and seeing the scale go down as a result... you feel invincible, powerful, and that you can accomplish anything... but on weeks where you don't lose - its easy to feel beaten down, weak, and like a failure... granted, not everyone goes thru these emotions but i bet most of us do and we can't help it...

we WANT to succeed and lose weight but damnit, its really hard sometimes... that's why i love my BB (blogger buddies) and enjoy reading about what THEY are going thru because you know what? we aren't alone in this weightloss world and reaching out for help is okay... whether its by doing your own thing or following a specific program, we need each other in some shape or form... maybe someone is sharing a recipe or workout routine or interesting article they found online... and even though i may not lose every week, i still feel like i'm helping someone out there and that my friends, is pretty damn cool... :o)

oh, and my cool-ass glasses are too tight and giving me a headache so its back to hour eyes this evening to have them adjusted... and the bare minerals is feeling pretty good today, its like wearing nothing on your face - very strange... :o)

happy hump day...

voila

well, if i can't be thrilled about my weigh-in tomorrow (i was up a LOT this morning), i can certainly be happy about my new glasses... check 'em out, not bad huh... :o)



i made the mistake of making enchiladas last night, should've known better, and boy was the scale not my friend this morning... i now have a whole pan in my refrigerator and even though they came out to be 4 pts. each, who can eat just one? i may have to save them and bring 'em over to eric's on thursday night - they sure were good though, god i love mexican food... :-o

question: have any of you tried bare minerals? i've been thinking about trying it for a while now and finally broke down this weekend and bought a small, starter kit... i'm pretty excited about using it since its 100% natural and claims to be better for your skin... i also purchased a few other items on ebay so i'll have a nice set to play with... i've also been a marykay user since college so we'll see what happens...

see you tomorrow for weigh-in (gulp)...

clothing for sale

so i finally got all my good clothes together tonight, took some pics, and posted them online... most are hardly worn, in very good condition, and sized 10-12... i'm selling most things for $5 minus the coats and a pair of satin pants so if you're interested in anything, please let me know... i will accept paypal and can ship via USPS or UPS, whichever you prefer and will figure out shipping once you tell me what you're interested in...

happy shopping!

clothing for sale

i hate the smell of burnt popcorn

when i first started this weight loss journey, i was new to the whole blogging and message board thing... i had done research online about various plans but never really knew anyone else that was going thru the same thing i was... one of first blogs i began to read was reneegetsfit and for those that are familiar w/that site, know about the struggles she's been going thru... over the weekend, renee posted some very heartfelt and pretty inspirational videos, discusses what's been going on, and what she plans on doing to get back on track... i have to say, she's one of the few bloggers that got me into all this so i just wanted to say thank-you... so if you have the time, please check out her site and say hello...

another blog posted this really great list of things we do when we self-sabotage our weightloss efforts... some of these really hit home to me, esp. how old habits are comfortable, how making a change is hard, and how terrifying it is to not know what's going to happen... interesting read...

my weekend was good, eric and i hung out at home on friday and watched 'thank-you for smoking' - it was excellent and i highly recommend it... i did fairly well food-wise at my friend's party on saturday but i did have 2 mimosas and 2 small cookies... everything else was pretty healthy like pasta w/shrimp and asparagus, humus, baked pita chips, spinach dip, dark bread, and cheese... and i didn't have ONE brownie that i brought (yay me!)... sunday was pretty relaxing - i watched football with eric and then played a few racing games on the xbox... i didn't exercise sat/sun but made up for it today - my treadmill routine was 5 mins at 5.5 and then 5 mins on a small incline at 5.0... talk about hard, OMG! i'm not much of a sweater but today, that was not the case (and it felt pretty good, is that gross)...

hope you all had a great weekend! :o)

end of another week

the stupid VEIP place was closed this morning, for veterans day, but that's a good thing because i found out i can get an extension and NOT have to pay the $15 late fee... yaa hoo, that's good news.... i took my time getting ready since they didn't open til 8:30, got some coffee at 7-11 and was all ready to read my USAToday while in line... but i didn't have too and was here by 9:15 anyway...oh well, maybe i can sneak out early instead...

i had great success with finding new glasses last night, they are cooler than cool and should be ready by tuesday... i had tried on several pair and kept coming back to the same ones so i took that as a sign - you know when you know, right? they were having a 50% frame/lens sale but surprisingly, my insurance came out w/a better price and i ended up paying under $200... that leaves me with some extra money in my flex account so now i can use it for drs. appts. etc which is another good thing... :o)

i finally made my turkey meatloaf last night and it was super tasty, here's the recipe if anyone would like to try it... you can add whatever veggies you like, i thought spinach would be a good addition...

1 lb. ground lean turkey
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 chopped onion
1 egg
1 package of chopped spinach, thawed, and drained
splash of worshestire
1 tsp. oregano
1 clove garlic
salt/pepper

preheat oven to 375, combine ingredients, form into loaf, and bake for about an hour... for those doing WW, i calculated it to be 4 points per serving (based on 8 slices total)...

my weekend plans consist of hanging out w/the boyfriend, going to a 'toy' party at my girlfriend's in baltimore (sorry but i don't think i could EVER pay $80 for a vibrator!), relaxing, and watching football on sunday... hopefully the skins will have another win and since they're playing the eagle, that should be easy... :o)

here are some friday tidbits, enjoy...

- yahoo has launched a new food site
- new lean cuisine cafe classic bowls
- for runners, here's a list of 15 foods you need each week for better performance
- and just for fun, this is the funniest cat picture ever

have a great weekend everyone... TGIF...

little boxes made of ticky tacky

blech, i just had a crappy lean cuisine (macaroni & beef) and had to supplement it with a WW yogurt smoothie, which are pretty tasty... nothing worse than being hungry and not being satisfied, at least i have some good snacks in my drawer for later... i WILL be making turkey meatloaf tonight, come hell or high water, so at least i know i'll be having a healthy dinner... oh, i stepped on the scale this morning and was down a pound... figures right...

i was a bit disappointed in last night's LOST finale - i liked the whole kate story but think the sex scene w/sawyer could've been left out... i'm no prude or anything but do they really want us to believe they had sex in that cage, with cameras all around? when was the last time they took a shower anyway... it couldn't have been very romantic either and we all know, she doesn't LOVE him... my hope is to see her w/jack again but now i'm not sure if that will happen. esp. after he saw them on the monitor (eww)... i can't believe we have to wait three f-ing months for it to come back... they should just do it like '24' does, run the whole season from jan - may and be done with it...

there's not much else going on today... i may go and find some new glasses after work, i have money left in my flex-spending acct. and even though my RX hasn't changed that much, its time for some new, cool frames... my boss and coworker are also out tomorrow (veterans day) so i plan on coming in late - not because i can but i forgot to get my car's emissions thing done and now its overdue (and i have to pay a damn late fee!)... i'm usually not the type to forget things but going back and forth to eric's gets me frazzled sometimes - i forgot my cellphone AND my coat last weekend... :o)

anyway, hope your week is going well... happy thursday...

weigh-in wednesday

::: MAINTAIN :::

so such luck this week but i'm okay with it, really... i've had a great few weeks and knew my body would catch-up eventually - i'm not going to be upset because i know i'm doing the right things... i'm eating well and definitely exercising so i'll keep doing what i'm doing and let my body decide what it wants to do... of course i WANT to keep losing but i'm trying to be realistic knowing not all weeks are going to be losing ones and that many will say, "some weeks you lose and some weeks you don't"... its a fact of life, end of story, and i'm moving on... my goal is to get under 160 by the holidays and then maintain til the new year - if i lose more, then great but if not, i'm okay with that too... :o)

and speaking of maintaining, here are some tips to keep your weight in check...

i've been thinking about posting some clothes on here, sort of like how michelle did... i have a lot that i'm getting rid of and though some are definitely goodwill quality, some are pretty nice and i wouldn't mind getting something back for them... is that totally cheesy??? i still haven't decided yet plus i have to take pics of everything which isn't something i look forward to doing after work... sometimes i just want to chill out and do nothing...

anyway, happy hump day...

she's a brick... house

for those of you that were able to see kirstie alley's bikini reveal yesterday, what did you think? here are some things she said after coming out on stage and talking w/ms. oprah...

“... i don't think we ever feel like we're good enough. we don't feel like we're thin enough or pretty enough or smart enough or work hard enough. and we are good enough,” she said.

“the bikini thing is neither here nor there, other than the fact, you know, I am 55 years old. so I thought — come on, we are all good enough. and we look good enough. we are not our bodies.”

“we can decide to change anything — at any age,” alley said. “what I hope for all women is they feel good about themselves, they look the way they want to look.”

i really like the last quote and am trying to focus on THAT instead of what the scale says... even though i was up 2 pounds this morning when i peeked, i have to remember being able to jog 4 miles is WAY more important than what i see number-wise... i DO feel good about myself and how hard i have been working-out... i DO feel good that i said “no” to dessert on saturday night when eric and i went out to dinner... and i DO like the way i look esp. when i wear clothes that fit me and not hide my body (which we're all guilty of)... so what say you, my blogging buddies, what do YOU feel good about these days?

i had a nice weekend and accomplished something i've never done before - i went for a walk on sunday before the redskins game (which was AWESOME!!!) and ended up jogging... granted, i walked up the hills but i didn't give up and kept going til i got back to the house... i also had eric drive me around in the truck so i could clock how far it actually was, granted it was under 3 miles but still - i did it and it felt great... and yesterday, instead of stopping at my usual 30-40 mins. on the treadmill, i kept going for 45 mins. and that my friends, was pretty awesome... its taken me a long time to get to this point and yea, i still have to stop once in a while but i'm doing it and i plan to keep at it... perhaps doing a 5k in the spring is actually feasible now... :o)

happy tuesday...

TGIF

sorry i didn't post yesterday, my boss was out so things were pretty busy here... i did update my photo last night so you can see a current pic and know what i really look like (sans mr. wolfman)... i think i will wait til my next goal to take some full-body shots - it will be interesting to see how i've changed since weighing 179 a year and half ago... and speaking of losing, i heard that kirstie alley is going to have her bikini-reveal on monday's oprah, i may have to tape that one... since doing jenny craig, i think she looks awesome so good for her for keeping her word... :o)

i'm glad its friday and am looking forward to spending it w/eric, i haven't seen him all week since he was sick and i was busy... we are having 'date' night on saturday and plan on going to our fav. cuban restaurant for dinner, and perhaps take a trip to the national zoo during the day... i feel we should spend more time doing couple things and thought having monthly date nights would be good for us - he agreed... we also agreed that going to therapy every other week would be good so it allows us to actually apply the techniques he is teaching us to tackle problems and communicate better... all in all, i think things are going very well so i'm happy... and of course on sunday, the skins play their rivals the cowboys at 1:00pm - i may have to wear BOTH my lucky shirt and hat for the game... GOOOO SKINS!

i met some really cute golden retriever pups this morning, nike and tigger - OMG they were the most adorable puppies ever... eric and i have discussed getting a dog (when we live together) and feel retrievers would be a nice, mellow breed and get along better w/max and norman... she gave me the name of a breeder in PA so i looked them up online and about died looking at all the litter pics... what is it about puppies anyway, how can you not feel all happy and gooey after seeing them (go here if you don't believe me)... nike gave me a nice kiss when i knelt down to pet him and i swear his legs were the size of redwoods... yikes...

well, that's all i got for now ladies... hope you all have a great weekend... :o)

weigh-in wednesday

::: HOLY CRAP :::

the mistress of weightloss must be on my side this month because, once again, i saw a loss this morning AND i've made my first goal of 5 pounds... i can't tell you how happy i am and to see progress, after so many months, is very very encouraging... i knew my problem was that i wasn't getting enough cardio and switching to 3-4x week has helped, plus upping my jog-time on the treadmill isn't hurting either... i'm enjoying it now which is strange, i used to think it was hard and boring but its made me push myself harder (and longer) and that's what i needed... maybe someday i'll actually try jogging outside - HAHAHA! i've also been pretty careful about my points and haven't been using all my flexies so maybe that's helping as well... either way, i think shaking things up once in a while is a good thing so if you're in a rut, change your exercise routine or what you're eating and i bet you'll see the scale move in the right direction... :o)

one of my daily reads posted a link about a new diet plan called 'cinch' and after checking out the website - i found it to be nothing more than shakes, bars, special vitamins, special tea, customized menus, and wow - a tape measure... it reminds me a lot of another plan (slimfast) and even though that may work for some, i just can't see it being anything more than quick weightloss and not very long term... i like how the site looks but that's just my designer-voice speaking...

angry fat girlz has a great post about the holidays and how to really think what you like to eat and why... can we avoid everything? probably, but do we want too? is there ONE dish that you must have every holiday and it wouldn't be the same without it? for me, it would have to be either my mom's sweet potato casserole w/marshmallows OR the coconut cookies she used to make for my grandfather... neither are very healthy but oh, are they tasty...

and kudos to other weekly losers... belladora, duenneschen, jackie, trish, pastgirl, hali, and mucho congrats to hilly on losing 8.2 pounds this week... great job ladies!

happy hump day!

i'm on a roll

i got suckered into doing the company's pumpkin for the halloween contest in our building this morning... i searched in my office and found a bunch of pencils and thought, "hmm, i could do the pinhead guy from hellraiser"... my coworkers were like, "who is that?" which tells you, they weren't even born in the 80's... who doesn't know who pinhead is? anyway, after being laughed at and questioned - guess who won the damn contest? moi and i got a $25 red lobster gift card to boot... notice how the pencils are organized by color - god, could i be anymore anal about things?



i peeked at the scale this morning and was down from last week, so i'm crossing my fingers for tomorrow's official number... last night i was on a mission to find brown, stretchy boots and after going to two macy's - i found a pair, on sale, PLUS i had a coupon... talk about a deal, i can't wait to wear them w/all my new brown stuff... seems to be my new color for some reason, do you guys do that too? buy a lot of new stuff and tend to stay in one color range? maybe i'm just weird... :o)

tonight its off to target to return some shirts and to buy some tights, they better have them cus i'm desperately in need of some black ones... i need to be careful though, target's a dangerous, dangerous place... muh ha ha ha...

happy halloween...

put your hands up where i can see'em

as promised, here are some pics from saturday's costume party... so how do you like the wig? not bad for $19.99 huh - my hair stylist even chopped into a bit when i got my haircut saturday morning... i may have to wear this out sometime (wink*wink)... since the whole taping-for-cleavage was too painful, eric had the grand idea of putting water balloons in my bra - i joked about that must be what implants feel like... i shaved his head and put on some fake tattoos, the power went out right before we left so i had to put them on in the dark by candlelight... all in all, the party was pretty fun - people were singing karaoke and playing pool... i only had 2 drinks and snacked pretty minimally so i did great in the food/drink department (eating before we left helped a lot)... anyway, here we are in our halloween-glory - no laughing please... :o)


prisoner ben d. over...

and officer anita lay...

happy monday...

frightening friday

i told my boss yesterday that she should call in sick today since she's been working nonstop on the annual report... well, she must've taken my advice because she's not here... yee haa, how great for a friday, huh... not that its really different when she's out, it just means i can take an extra 5-10 minutes at the gym or leave a bit early w/out getting the evil eye... wish there was a target nearby or i'd pay a visit and try to find a wig for my costume... it arrived yesterday and ladies, it is super super short... its also pretty 'roomy' uptop so i'll have to make some adjustments w/the sewing machine... i'm excited though, i think eric and i are going to be really cute...

anyone see the movie 'the machinist' with christian bale? holy cow, talk about skinny, he was ematiated... i read that he lost over 60 pounds for the role and then had to gain it all back, plus some, in order to play batman... anyway, the movie was pretty good, kinda weird but interesting...

i'm looking forward to the weekend, i'm getting my haircut tomorrow even though i've been toying w/growing it out again... i know i'll be miserable so why try, right? i'll make sure to get in some exercise and then will head over to eric's and start prepping for the party... on sunday, my mom and i are going shopping to some outlets near the bay bridge, i haven't been there in ages and i could use some brown boots... and new bras... and maybe some pants... tights would be good too... ;o)

and in honor of halloween, here's an oldy but a goody...



have a good weekend...

weigh-in wednesday

:: WOW ::

that's all i can say right now - i saw a loss this morning so that makes 3 weeks in a row... i finally feel in control and like i'm making progress with the whole weight watchers thing, so i'm feeling pretty good right now... could it be the extra cardio i'm doing? or the spin class on saturday? or not using all my flexies this week? who the hell knows but damn, i am happy... :o)

i've added a weight loss graph to my side bar, i know its a bit geeky but i'm using it to track my daily weight - i will update once a week... i think its interesting to see how much it can vary day by day, and week by week... i also updated my blog list so feel free to check some new ones, if you have the time...

since i like to support other bloggers, check out michelle's clothing sale - i found some really nice things and maybe you could find something as well... its worth looking into, all sizes are included, so happy shopping! you deserve to treat yourself every once in a while... ;o)

another blogger, roni, has a great list of food finds that are WW friendly... do you have any you can share? i've tried the new crave control yogurt (vanilla + cereal) and have to say, its pretty filling and only 2 pts...

happy hump day...

til tuesday

ever have one of those days where you can't get warm? i think i've been cold since last night - i laid in bed thinking, "i really need to put on my flannel sheets"... perhaps i can switch to flannel pj's first since that would require less work...

i peeked at the scale this morning and its down but i won't count it officially until tomorrow... lets hope that number sticks, ladies... i had a good weight workout today and i even got in 10 mins. on the treadmill so i could add an extra AP for the day... i don't think i've used half of my flext points for the week either so maybe that's what i need to aim for instead of knowing i can use all 35... anyone else not able to use all 35 in order to lose? and to think, i had not one but two pieces of cake this past weekend and both on saturday (mine was better, of course)... i probably just jinxed myself...

i'm sure most of you have probably already seen these but if not, here are some additional weight loss communities you can join...

anyone watch the show 'weeds'? lemme just say, that show is f-ing halarious... the writing in genious...

happy tuesday, y'all...

these covers are so warm

another weekend gone and another monday is half over... had a productive day on saturday, went to spinning for the 1st time in months but there was a sub instructor and he wasn't very good... the music was okay and the workouts weren't very challenging BUT i still stayed for the whole class... then it was home to finish decorating the chocolate bundt cake for my friend's baby showers, jump in the shower, stop by to see my mom (it was her bday), and then over to my friend's house to help get things ready... we had a nice time, there were only 5 of us and allyson was surprised, so that was good... this is her 3rd baby in 4 years and like i said, my girlfriends are just baby-making machines!

saturday night eric and i went to blob's park which is german beer hause/polka place outside of baltimore... friends of his were having an anniv. party so we hung out for a while and i TRIED to polka but was told to quit leading... for someone that is pretty coordinated, i wasn't so much that night... i also ran into the guy who's office is next to mine, now THAT was pretty funny... he asked me this morning what we were doing this weekend (as a joke)...

sunday, we relaxed and watched football most of the day... got in a good motorcyle ride since the weather was nice but it soon turned cold and the ride back was freezing... i made baked fish w/panko breadcrumbs, long-grain rice, and broccoli for dinner and dessert was a reese's caramel peanut butter cup... anyone try these yet? they're okay, i think i prefer the standard ones though...

foodwise i did pretty well this weekend - i wasn't able to weigh myself properly this weekend since eric doesn't have a digital scale, so i'll see how i did when i'm home again... andy, the guy at the gym, asked me if i was losing weight on friday and i said, "no but i think this jogging stuff is changing my shape"... he said i was looking good and to keep up the good work... okay, so maybe i am making progress but can't really see it...

i think i may buy a heart/calorie monitor watch - does anyone have one? if so, can you recommend a good brand? i'd like to see just how many calories i'm burning on my weight/cardio days...

we have an offsite-staff meeting (at the willard hotel) to hear about our company's goals for 2008 so i need to hit the gym early today...

have a good one...

TGIF

well, we made it to friday, whoo hooo! the sun has finally decided to come out and it looks to be another beautiful, fall day... i decided that i really need a new coat, wearing my leather just seems too premature for the season so perhaps i will go shopping this weekend... i also need to return a sweater i bought last weekend and get a new, black shirt - mine are pretty faded... i also may to do a kitten-run for my sister on sunday (who is pres. of the western maryland humane society) which means, take a bunch of adorable kittens somewhere so they can be fostered and hopefully adopted... :o)

how many of you hop on the scale daily? i know there are some of you that struggle with this and i've never been one to do so but i decided to try it for a few weeks to see what happens... i even created an excel sreadsheet so i have a visual graph (geek, yes i know)... so the only thing i've learned so far is that even when i think i've been OP, that doesn't automatically mean i'll see a loss the next day... i read on someone's blog yesterday that she took a 'rest' day from exercising and saw a 2 pound loss the following day... what about days that you do cardio or weights, is there a difference on the scale for you? just curious, its always interesting to see what other people are doing...

regarding weightloss, here's a list of 64 excuses - which ones have you used? i think i can be honest and say i've said: i'm tired, i'm stressed, start tomorrow, not motivated, slow metabolism, and i'll start on monday...

are you planning on eating out for breakfast this weekend? if so, here are some tips from hungry girl...

hope you all have a great weekend... :o)

what the hell

i ordered this costume today, eric bought an orange jumpsuit and is going as a prisoner so i decided to be the sexy policeman... yea, its a bit skimpy but what the hell - i also got a wig, some fishnets and already have the boots so i'm set... i'll take some pics from the party we're going too, should be a blast! i don't think i've ever bought a costume in my life and yea, i'm an artist, but who has the time... my ultimate costume one day will be an oompa loompa... :o)

and in other good news, my boss told me what my raise will be and i was totally shocked... i got both a merit AND a market increase which is awesome because that means they actually compare what other designers are making in the area... its enough to keep me happy for a while but i may keep looking anyway, you never know... my dream job still may be out there somewhere (2nd to motherhood)...

i made an awesome dinner last night, part from recipe, part from myself... i took a can of northern beans, a can of albacore tuna, some fresh cilantro, red onion, olive oil, and vinegar and poured it over some romaine lettuce... i only ate 1/2 and it came to 4 points! what a deal! its a perfect summer meal but i guess it can be enjoyed year-round... it was the perfect meal to watch LOST with...

last night after pilates, i returned my bi-colored sneakers and found another pair that are not only light as crap and comfortable, they were on sale for $29... just call me miss bargain shopper, i can't wait to try them out...

happy thursday...

weigh-in wednesday

i'm happy to report a loss of .6 pounds this week, it might've been more since i had a lot of sodium yesterday but i'll still take it (yay me!)... i went to the grocery store last night and stocked up on all sorts of tasty things like fruits, veggies, lite laughing cow cheese, mulit-grain wasa crackers, yogurt, cottage cheese & fruit cups, and weight watchers frozen meals were on sale so i stocked up on those too... its always nice to have a fridge full of healthy choices to come home too... i also bought the new multi-grain lean pockets and had one for dinner, it was pretty tasty but not very big (4 pts)....

our 2nd counseling session went well and i think its beginning to help our communication skills... my main objective is to be more forthcoming and vocal about things instead of just assuming eric knows what i'm thinking or what i want to do (part of his nature/type needs reassurance and validation in order to be happy)... the counselor also taught us how to discuss an issue w/out getting defensive or making it personal, with the goal being to understand or 'get' where the other person is coming from... it doesn't mean you have to accept it but understanding why they're feeling a certain way about something will make things much better... so we're making progress which makes me very happy...

here's an interesting read re: the new secret way to lose weight...

have you checked out the dare collage lately?

and just because i feel like it, here are my boys - norman and max (left to right)... how jealous are you?

happy hump day!

officially turned the heat on

morning everyone, hope you all had a great weekend... i am very disappointed in the redskins but am thrilled the steelers won yesterday - what a great game last night! watching football was about all we accomplished this weekend besides washing/detailing our cars and going to the grocery store... we spent the day w/his brother's family and parents on saturday, watched his nephew play soccer, and then had dinner at this local tex-mex place (yum!)... i had hoped we'd get in a motorcycle ride since who knows how long this weather will last but we didn't, perhaps next weekend will be just as nice... :o)

last night i tried a new betty crocker recipe, coconut thai chicken, and it was super tasty but not very low in points... my weight has been a tad up over the weekend but i'm hoping it goes back by down by wednesday so we'll see... i didn't do any exercise sat/sun which is probably a mistake but i slept in on sat and enjoyed every, single moment... and yesterday, well, i was just plain lazy BUT i did buy a new pair of jogging shoes on friday so i'm anxious to try them out today... :o)

anyhoo, here are some monday tidbits for you to enjoy:

>> angry fat girlz has a great post re: the 'safe' zone
>> fat bitch not only celebrated her bday but she lost 5 more pounds
>> sarah is down 3.2 pounds
>> weight watchn woman lost 3.6 pounds

happy monday...

afternoon update: i was so giddy to wear my new sneakers today but upon putting them on, i noticed one is discolored and one is bright white... WTF? i didn't notice that in Kohl's so now i have to return them... ugh! then again maybe its a good thing because 600 calories later, i thought they weren't that comfortable while on the eliptical... hmm...

why can't today be friday?

sorry i didn't post yesterday, i was extremely busy working on a tight-deadline newsletter... as for weigh-in, i was down a pound from last week so i'm happy... i'm also weighing myself everyday just for the hell of it, figured why not see how my body reacts to certain foods... i've never been a scale-junky so it should be interesting to see how my weight fluctuates...

some of you have asked how the therapy session went, all i can say is it went very well and i'm excited about how much this is going to help our relationship... he didn't waste time and got right to why we were there and then filled in the gaps as we went along... he spoke to us as a couple and then made us talk to each other, face to face, which was hard... after discussing those, he started telling us about the enneagram which is a system that describes 9 types of people - we all have a type/number and this is crucial in relationships w/family, friends, significant others because it shows who we really are and why we do things... i know the types are generalized but after he told us what numbers we were, it was unbelieveable at how accurate some of the stuff was... eric is more laid-back and easy-going and i'm more reserved, have to think about things and very cautious... anyway, i am thankful that we're going and even more thankful that eric is willing to put effort into our relationship... the therapist said he can sense there's a pretty strong bond and commented that we're the first couple to sit next to each other on the couch, most men and women sit at different ends - i thought that was funny... :o)

here is a fantastic new website that i found on hungry girl - it brings you everything you need to know about the healthier food options available at restaurants in your area... its still being worked on but check it out!

here's another website that lists various free diet-related articles... enjoy!

happy thursday!

ragweed can bite my ass

i'm sad the weekend is over but had a great time w/my friend and sharing the whole 'wedding dress' experience... she didn't fall in love w/any that she tried on even though we narrowed down the style that looked best (empire waist, v-neck, wrap, and very flowy)... we did more research online sunday and found a dress she fell in love with - now she just needs to find it, try it on and then check the pricetag (cha-ching)... we also found a bridesmaid dress but in deep purple and not chocolate - the color looked awesome on both her cousin and i even though we have very different body types (curvy vs. thin)...

my friend and i had a lot of time to talk and catch up on things, including what's been going on w/eric and i and i come to find out, her and her fiance are going thru the same thing but its reversed... makes me just want to shake eric (jokingly) and say, "see! they're still getting married! what's your problem?"... this sort of made me feel better (in a weird way) and not so isolated like i was the only one... and when i paid a visit to my other girlfriend on sunday, i found out that her and her boyfriend are doing the therapy thing too... she told me, "you're not the only one w/problems" so that made me feel even more optimistic and hopeful about situation... i hate to keep talking about it but it helps...

foodwise, i did pretty well this weekend - i didn't exercise sat/sun but i made sure to hit the gym after i got back yesterday... i made healthy choices and didn't have any desserts so that's a plus for me... when i peeked at my friend's scale on saturday, i saw a loss but that was before my 800 calorie salad on saturday afternoon at chiles - WTF?!?!? should've known better...

work is boring, boring and more boring... this is what i've accomplished today: read my blogs, had lunch and applied to 2 job postings... and i'll be going to the gym soon... that's it folks, how sad... and they wonder why people are bored and look elsewhere...

happy tuesday...

gotta love long weekends

i am feeling much better and thank-you for the thoughtful comments... eric & i have our first session on tuesday night and we're both looking forward to having someone else make sense of what's going on... we continue to talk, shed tears and laugh - its painful to love someone so much and not know how to fix whatever's wrong... everyone that i've talked to thinks that we're doing the right thing and so far, i've had nothing but positive advice that i did the right thing letting him know how i feel... i have every right to be concerned about my age and having children, so much that i need to set a time limit for things to progress... it may sound stupid to some of you - setting a time limit - but in all honesty, i have too... if there's any goal in my life that i am determined to accomplish (over getting a new job or losing weight), its giving birth before i'm too old... if it comes down to me having one on my own, i'm completely okay with that as well but hopefully it will not turn out that way... i feel therapy will be good for me, him and as a couple so we'll just see what happens...

after a horrible wednesday, i caved in and had pizza for dinner... i counted the points though and still have half of my flex points which is good since i'll be in NJ this weekend... my goal is to keep at least 10 in the bank, just in case i miscalculate something so i'm going to try my best and stay within my daily range... i'm looking forward to wedding gown shopping w/her tomorrow and will try my best to keep it together, we have not talked about what's going on in my life but i don't want this weekend to be about me... its about HER and planning her wedding so that's what i'm going to focus on...

i will be out of pocket til monday so i hope everyone has a great weekend...

GO REDSKINS, kick the giant's ass...

weigh-in wednesday

going for drinks (2 amstel lights) and dinner (lamb/couscous salad) was not a good decision, the day before weigh-in... i am making NO progress whatsover and with the way things have been going in my life as of late, i feel totally defeated and utterly miserable... i thought i was focused but i'm obviously losing direction, i thought i was working out harder but i'm obviously not doing it hard enough... i don't know what i'm doing anymore honestly and i'm tired... tired of trying and failing... tired of being hopeful and then being let down... tired of putting all i have into something, to only be smacked in the face... i feel like my life is slowly unraveling and i can't stop it... and in the blink of an eye, i'm on the verge of tears... i'm so tired of not being happy...

to be continued...

not weight-related

i'm really not in the mood to blog today, eric and i are having problems again and even though i thought progress was being made, apparently i was wrong... go figure... we are now seeking counseling because its obvious we cannot communicate to each other properly, i have no idea what to do when i don't know what's wrong... i read him this 1-page letter that i wrote about how i was feeling about things like sex, marriage, living together, planning a family, looking for new jobs, etc... i have a BIG concern about turning 36 next year because i want children MORE THAN ANYTHING and for every year over 35, women can suffer serious problems while pregnant... hell it may take a while for us to even get pregnant so i think that is a valid subject that needs to be addressed... plus w/my blood dissorder, there's a higher chance of miscarriages and god knows what else... if we were 30, i wouldn't be as concerned but we're not and its time to start thinking about it and i don't think i was wrong in addressing that subject...

this letter just opened another can of worms and that's when we agreed that something needed to be done... we were both crying because we know what we have is special and are so lucky to have it but at the same time, we are sad that something is wrong... what i don't know but perhaps the counselor will tell us... i cried to my best friend on the phone today and said i have put my heart and soul into this relationship and just feel so lost and numb right now... a sick part of me doesn't want to put anymore effort into it until i know where its going, if that makes any sense, but i know that is not being mature... i need to be patient and understanding and hopeful that something good will come out of this... if not, i will deal with it then...

even though i was tired and not feeling well - i forced myself to go for a 30-minute walk outside and then treated myself to a starbucks pumpkin spice latte (first of the season) and shape magaine... i'm going for a drink w/a coworker after work so we can talk, i really need some friends right now and am not very good at reaching out... i think i really need to do that more often...

happy tuesday...

could this day go any slower

i have to give a shout-out to myself for sticking to the 40-minute jog as of late, not sure what has me so motivated but it doesn't seem to be as hard as it used to be... granted, i am not admitting that i actually ENJOY it but there is something to be said for being in a groove for 4-5 minutes... i missed spin class by ONE spot on saturday and i was there 5 minutes after the damn gym opened - these people are nuts, waiting in line outside, like their trying to get tickets to a concert... so i did the eliptical and then treadmill and headed back to eric's to clean and help around the yard... it was a BEAUtiful day so i was happy to be outside, mowing grass and pulling weeds... we opted out of going to see 'little miss sunshine' because it was $9.25/each and eric has a ton of movies that we had to watch... we chose 'syriana' and i have NO idea what it was about - okay then... perhaps 'constant gardener' or 'the davinci code' would've been better...

all i have is four words: HAIL TO THE REDSKINS... yeee haaa, what an AWESOME game... :o)

on friday afternoon, i received a response from a resume i submitted from a small museum/gallery... with my design and web exp. and gallery exp. from college, i thought it was an awesome fit so i applied on a whim... i was thrilled and happy all weekend until i spoke w/their HR person this morning... after chatting for a while, she asked me the range i was looking for and i told her... she said, "oh i'm afraid that's a lot more than we're offering"... i'm thinking, "this is for a manager position, how is MY range too low?" so i asked what they were offering and she told me... maybe i'm spoiled by working in the nonprofit but damn, i felt like telling them to delete the 'manager' part out of their listing because its very misleading... as much as i think it would be challenging and look great on my resume, i can't afford a paycut... if i was married and didn't need a salary to support myself, that would be different...

weight-wise, i'm feeling good and am hoping to see a loss on wednesday... i wrote everything down this weekend including the margaritas we had on saturday night... and the baquette, brie and black pepper salami we had for dinner... oh i love saturday nights at home... :o)

happy monday...

TGIF

it was quite chilly on my walk to work this morning,from the metro, but i love the crisp fall air.. makes me enjoy being outside even more, regardless of how my allergies are acting up... eric wants to do yardwork this weekend so i'm hoping the weather cooperates, they say it may rain but let's hope it doesn't... i've had noting to do here at work so i've read my blogs, sent a few emails, had lunch, and am now just waiting for 2:00 so i can go to the gym... wish my boss would leave early so i can finish reading oprah...

anyway, i copied the list of dares from the book i am reading and challenge you all to pick at least one and do it this weekend... on monday, let's report back here and share our experiences...

have a great weekend everyone... GO REDSKINS AND STEELERS! :o)

30 Dares for a More Gutsy and Fulfilling Life
(written by Natasha Kogan)

Daily Daring Habits

1. Dare to find what makes you ecstatic, and do it for at least 10 minutes a day
2. Date to learn something new every day
3. Dare to do now what you could do later
4. Dare to look forward more often than you look back
5. Dare to stop frustration with action

Dream Huge, Aim Higher

6. Dare to have a life wish list and cross something off every year
7. Dare to chase your passions
8. Dare to bite off more than you can chew, but learn how to spit
9. Dare to imitate people who inspire you
10. Dare to be the person you dream of being

Let Your Inner Daring Female Shine Through

11. Dare to love your quirks and imperfections
12. Dare to learn how to do something amazingly well and show it off
13. Dare to be more creative
14. Dare to not label yourself
15. Dare to take side, but ready to switch

Have No Fear

16. Dare to ignore naysayers
17. Dare to take life detours
18. Dare to take risks if you can live with the worst-case scenario
19. Dare to revel in the awesome-case scenario
20. Dare to un-intimidate yourself

It’s Your Daring Life

21. Dare to do something you don’t think you’re good at once in a while
22. Dare to unclutter your life (at least) once a year
23. Dare to get on the train first and then worry about where it’s going
24. Dare to live it, not count it
25. Dare to dedicate six weeks a year to forming a new habit (or kicking one you can’t stand)

Laugh a Little, Live a Lot

26. Dare to have outrageous amounts of fun
27. Dare to laugh at yourself
28. Dare to color outside the lines
29. Dare to just get in a good mood
30. Dare to share your special vibes with the world