i wish i was a cherry blossom

happy friday, y'all - i'm so glad this week is over and even more glad that i have monday off... i'm heading to NJ this weekend to hangout w/my soon-to-married girlfriend and her maid of honor - not sure what our exact plans are but it will be nice to see them... i had to laugh because her mom sent an email about the bridal shower AND bachelorette party - i wasn't aware that mom's plannef those types of things but maybe i'm wrong... i just know that i will be putting a lot of miles on my car this summer and thank-god for ez-pass because i'm gonna need it... :o(

i went for a walk last night after work and even attempted to jog for a bit - i don't know about you but i find it much harder compared to the treadmill... either way, i WILL need to get used to it and thought i would do what i can, at least until my training starts next month... i'm also taking exercise clothes and my iPod with me this weekend and hope to get at least one walk in (weather depending)... :o)

i also burned some cd's for my roadtrip ~ justin timberlake and the killers ~ oh yea, i'll be rocking out on the turnpike, baby... question: what sort of stuff do YOU listen too while driving? music, books, podcasts? :op

have a great weekend...

humpty dumpty sat on a wall

just finished workout #2 of week #1 of C25K and it went pretty well - i was going to walk an additional 10 minutes but after my 5, my foot was getting sore and i thought i should stop... otherwise, it went great so i think this is the right program for me to get back into the groove... my doctor gave me the green light and said surgery on the left foot is a definite yes, its just up to me when i want to do it... hopefully, not in the near future and certainly not during the winter again...

i took my measurements this morning and will begin keeping track of those, as well as my weight which i will post on the sidebar... i'm not surprised at the gain but know its only temporary so i'm moving on... for lunch today, i enjoyed an awesome salad today consisting of: spinach, red peppers, snow peas, mandarin oranges, and feta cheese - topped w/the ken's lite asian sesame ginger & soy dressing... mmm mmm... i need to add something w/crunch though so i'll probably add some walnuts and some avacado that i forgot... for a snack later, i have cottage cheese and fruit, as well as a can of spicy V-8... my goal is to eat more fruits, veggies, and whole grains - i had kashi's golean crunch for breakfast and it was pretty tasty... :o)

eric and i are going for sushi after work so i'm looking forward to that - its a perfect meal because its healthy (depending on what you get of course), light, and not very filling... i didn't get my walk in after work yesterday because there were rumblings of thunder and a threat of rain so maybe i'll get one in on thursday...

happy hump day...

can i get fries with that?

spring must be in the air because my eyes are feeling it - itchy and watery - gotta love allergies... they say it will be near 80 today and if that's true, i am going for a nice, long walk when i get back from the doctor's office this afternoon - i'm going for my final check-up and i'm assuming he'll give me the green light for walking/jogging again (even though i started yesterday, shhhhh)... i'm also going to ask him about my left foot and how many toes he thinks he'll need to straighten, if and when i decide to have that one fixed... it hasn't been bothering me as much so maybe since my right foot has healed, the pressure has been taken off that one (fingers-crossed)...

i started the C25K yesterday and it felt great - no foot pain at all which was awesome - and i wasn't as winded as i'd thought i'd be maybe my body remembers where i left off... i am looking forward to doing this 3x week as well as getting a good walk in everyday, if my schedule allows... my training w/the runners group begins april 10th and the race will be june 16th - less than 12 weeks away (gulp)...

eric and i had a nice time in pittsburgh - we got to spend a lot of time w/his dad in rehab, as well as with the rest of his family... eric said he looked 10x better than when he was in florida so that's good, plus he's getting minimal feeling in his left leg - his arm will need more work... they also think he may have some attention/focusing issues, which can be the result of a stroke, so that will need to be addressed along w/all the other therapies he's been doing... he was able to play a few games of gin (he cheats!) even though i think he would have rather watched basketball... :o)

for lunch on saturday - eric took his mom, sister, and i to a pittsburgh staple in the strip district called the primanti brothers... this place is open 24/7 and serves the food markets along the river, as well as many bars and clubs that are nearby... they serve all kinds of sandwiches (fried balogna, sardines, egg...) with french fries and coleslaw ON the sandwich itself... and in case you don't believe me - this was my lunch and yes, it was amazing... :o)

happy tuesday...

TGIF

my weekend officially starts at 1:00 when i leave work, meet eric, and hit the road for pittsburgh... i'm hoping the rain holds off for a while, nothing like driving 4 hours when the weather is crappy... we have plans to see his dad in rehab and see his mom as well, who also had a scare this week medically - she's fine now but i'm sure with all the added stress, it hasn't been easy for her... i decided to pick-up some flowers and take a nice arrangement for her - they always make people feel better plus they make the house smell good... :o)

i'm not sure if you've heard about it but there's a petition going around for a new bill in congress... the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act would let americans put up to $1,000 a year in pre-tax health savings accounts to pay for exercise programs, gym memberships, fitness equipment and sports-league fees for kids and adults... please pass this along and add your name to the petition - its for a great cause...

yesterday, i sent an email to my girlfriend and told her about my 5K training and she called saying her and another friend of ours are doing the same thing (they both have 3 kids, mind you!)... granted, they're not joining the running club but they'd like to do 3-days a week which means i can join them on thursday nights... that is so cool! now i'll have someone to run with at the race AND i'll be able to see them more, so its a win/win situation! :o)

i'm looking forward to monday and getting back on the treadmill, i haven't been very good about my food lately since things will change once i start training... i usually have a bagel and cream cheese on fridays (my weekly treat) but then my coworker was like, "so-and-so downstairs brought donuts, do you want one?"... ugh, why couldn't i just say no? now i regret eating it, even though it was really, really good... ;o)

have a great weekend...

random things

this will be a mish-mosh of things today since i feel yesterday's post was a bit heavy and serious... thanks for all your comments - i hope by expressing my thoughts will help you understand things better or perhaps see things in a different light... i would also like to think that i can have a small part in making things better for someone - maybe by expressing a feeling, or talking about a problem, discussing something i found to be really tasty, or even sharing an accomplishment that you may have thought about doing yourself... so we should share things, ask questions, and just have a good time because that's why i'm here - what about you?

i stole this video from michelle, its the funniest and best fat girl rant ever... everything she says is so true and even resembles parts of my own post from yesterday... so take a moment (or 7 minutes!) and enjoy...

if you're looking for some new websites, check these out...

101 reason why i hate being fat
fitsugar
a weight lifted
image chef
my body is my temple
refrigerator raid

i'm usually not one to reward myself with things because i've always felt that you should treat yourself good all the time... BUT since i'm going to be training for a 5K (god, that sounds so weird), i have picked two things that i'm going to buy myself...

(1) after week 5, i'm going to buy myself the amazing grace 3-piece kit because i smelled it this weekend at sephora and it was heavenly...

(2) and after week 10 AND the race itself, i'm going to buy myself a custom pair of jeans because i will have gotten back into shape and hopefully, will have gone down a size... how cool is it to have a pair made just for your body type!

as for tv - i taped the season premier of workout last night so i have to watch that, plus the 1st two episodes of the riches... anyone watch it? is it any good or should i not waste my time? crap LOST is on tonight - so much to watch, so little time...

happy hump day...

p.s. i got my crocs today and i hate to say it, but i don't think i like them... ugh! maybe they're not meant for my type of feet and they aren't very soft - maybe i should've tried a pair on in the stores first... :o(

light bulb moment

sunday was another relaxing day at home, minus a brief shopping trip to find some slip-on sneakers for metroing, and to the grocery store... i found some cute converse ones but checked 2 other places (cus i like to comparison-shop) and will probably go back and get them... i also finished you on a diet and i found most of it to be pretty hokey - i probably won't follow the 'diet' portion but i'll take into account some things that were mentioned...

1. keep track of what your stomach is telling you - not what's happening on the outside
2. pick one meal a day and eat the same thing -decreases temptation for other foods
3. when confronted w/the urge to eat, find a substitute - do something else
4. keep your hands busy - like when watching tv, etc.
5. walk for at least 30-minutes a day
6. when confronted w/the urge to eat, think about the WHAT and the WHY first
7. seek out professional interactions with other people

my next book will be the four day win plan by martha beck, which was reviewed by several bloggers here and here... since my exercise routine dramatically changed in january, it made me put things into a different perspective and really think about what i want... i'm trying to learn what i'm doing/not doing, why i'm doing/not doing it, and how its affecting my long-term goal(s)... i'm also leaning towards not 'dieting' for a while and yes, that may sound stupid to some of you but honestly - not worrying about how many points i have left for the day or if i calculated something right has been an amazing relief... i'm going to focus more on what i'm DOING and not just what i'm EATING - hopefully my body will respond in a good way... if i can lose a few pounds, then great but if my body is happy where it is - i will accept it and never let the scale ruin my day again...

when i signed up for the runners program, i did it for several reasons - to challenge myself, to try something different, and to meet new people... there are SO many exciting things out there for us to take advantage of, and i realized that i don't want my life to be guided by "what ifs" anymore... i want to live in the here and now and i'm so thankful to truly understand what that means... life is just too damn short to be worrying about little stuff - BE yourself, LOVE yourself, and DO what makes you happy cus that my friends, is what life's really about... :o)

happy tuesday...

sleepy saturday

eric didn't go to p'burg because of the weather so no cat-sitting for me this weekend... i had to come home last night because max was here - it was sleeting and then turned to snow so i was glad to be off the roads... we got a few inches but its beginning to melt - i will be glad when this crap is over! this morning i did some house cleaning and then will be heading to the mall later to do some shopping with a girlfriend... not sure about the rest of the weekend but that's okay, i don't mind having some free time... :o)

speaking of shopping - slickdeals had a link to a great deal on crocs yesterday - i've heard great things about those shoes and considering the problems i have w/my feet, i figured i would give them a try... go here and then do a search for crocs - you can get $10 off and then if you register on the site, you can get an addition 10%... i got a pair for $18 with free shipping and no tax! check it out... :o)

thanks for all the comments on the couch to 5k program... since my goal is to be able to do a 5k, i thought why don't i see if can find one in my area for later in the year... a few clicks later, i found a local road runners club that is starting a program for beginners in april, which will lead to a race in june... they meet twice a week and although i'm terrified - i'm also very excited to meet new people and have some fun... if you're interested in finding a 5k in your area, click here and halfway down the page you'll see 'race finder'...

well, i need to finish up a few things, hop in the shower, and head to the mall... i hope you're all having a great weekend and stay warm... :o)

happy saturday...

you're stepping on my foot

i've had a HELLISH two days of commuting and sometimes i really hate having to depend on public transportation... last night, metro shutdown 2 stops from where i get off because of an 'emergency situation', so trains were offloaded and people were told they can take a shuttle bus... right! i never saw one in the 30 mins. i waited so thankfully, eric wasn't too far from where i was stranded and he came to get me (i treated him to dinner at baja)... then this morning, there was a fire in one of the tunnels so trains were sharing a track and things were delayed yet again - it took me almost 2 hours when it should only take me 45 minutes... ugh, i wish i lived closer so i could drive sometimes - at least i could listen to the radio... :-o

now onto bigger and better things... i have decided to start the C25K program when i get the go-ahead from my doctor (t-minus 12 days) - so many of you are doing it so i thought it would be a great way to get back into jogging... so if you're unfamiliar with the program, here's where you can find out more information --> www.coolrunning.com... and since i hate the way their table looks - i redesigned my own and can email you a copy if you'd like (pdf)... :o)

i'm happy the week is almost over even though eric's heading to pittsburgh friday - i get to catsit norman again so i guess that's one plus... i may go shopping w/a girlfriend - she is newly pregnant and in the need of some clothes but other than that, my weekend is free... i will also be seeing my niece, hopefully, just don't know when yet - my brother seems to not know how to use the telephone...

happy thursday...

a frozen meal must

i haven't done a product review in a while so after having this lunch yesterday, i just HAD to write about it... if you're a fan of lean cuisine, then you will love their butternut squash ravioli - there were tons of veggies (twice the normal amount) and the sauce was incredible... though the points are high (7), its totally worth it - so look for it the next time you are grocery shopping... you can thank me later... :o)

my dentist appt. went well, teeth and gums look good and most importantly, i have no cavities! i even got a new toothbrush and purse-size floss so who can complain about that! i also asked her about how white my teeth looked and she said they're pretty white - i had done the whitestrips thing a few months back and can never tell how well it works... and i'm also mesmorized but the actors on tv and how white their teeth are - my dentist calls them 'chicklet teeth' which is pretty funny...

after my appt., my mom and i did some shopping - i stocked up on a ton of frozen fruit and bought some vanilla whey powder so i can start making smoothies again... i thought it would be a nice change from eating cereal some mornings, even though i could live on special k w/berries... yum-mo...

even though i'm not really counting my weekly weigh-ins, i updated my sidebar regardless... :o)

happy hump day...

its a bit early for flip-flops

work has been extremely slow and boring as of late, so i'm thankful to be leaving early today for a dentist appt... plus, its supposed to be 70 degrees and i'm looking forward to driving w/the windows down - spring is so close, i can taste it... i miss walking around my neighborhood so it will be nice to go walking again esp. since its staying lighter later... there's one house that has a huge newfoundland so i try to go past there and give him a good rub... :-)

i had a fun on sunday and spent the afternoon with a bunch of 7-year olds - oh to be that young again, full of energy, and so oblivious to the world... the birthday girl was busy skating so i got to hang out w/her little sister and brother, who were fighting over goldfish crackers... i stayed for pizza/cake and then went home for a bit before running to my mom's, and then back down to my friend's for dinner... we decided on sushi and had an awesome meal full of fish, rice, and veggies - sushi is such a great thing because you never feel stuffed or bloated... :-o

monday was a bit rough - i was pretty emotional for most of the day but still went to the gym for a good 40-minute workout... i just have a lot on my mind again so i'm glad to be feeling better today...

according to hungry girl, its national chocolate week so eat up (in moderation of course)... :-)

happy tuesday...

happy birthday to me

so far, i've had a great birthday weekend and thank-you for all the well wishes... eric surprised me yesterday with a harley davidson leather jacket (thank-you darlin!) so i'm an offical biker chick now... to break it in, we went for a ride and then had some brick oven pizza in DC - the weather was really nice here so it was great being outside and enjoying the day with him...

today, eric and i hung out at home and since he had an ultimate frisbee game and plans got nixed with my mom - i went to my friend's daughter's ice skating party (no skating for me though)... later, my friend and i are going to dinner since we've had this tradition since high school - its pretty cool that we've kept it up after all these years... not many people can say that they're still friends with someone that they met in 2nd grade...

all in all, its been a great day and i can't complain... :o)

closer to 40 than i am to 30

the weekend is upon us, what do YOU have planned? because its friday and i ain't got shit to do - here are some fellow bloggers that deserve whoo hooo carrots for various things this week (meaning, its not necessarily weightloss-related)... as for me, i'm going to enjoy my last day and half of being 35 - who knows, perhaps i will do a birthday reflection on sunday...

- foo is working on letting-go of the past and focusing on the here and now
- anne is taking her first pilates class on monday
- nicole has lost over 100 pounds and marie has lost over 70!
- jackie is back on track, after the passing of her best friend/mom
- trixie is going to concentrate on how she feels instead of how she looks
- sarah introduced us to a new cereal
- renee is changing

happy friday and have a great weekend... :o)

what's in a number

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

i know it happens all the time but its never happened to me - someone stole my check card number and bought something online two days ago ($107.59)... if i hadn't been updating my spreadsheets and quicken, i would have never looked at my bank account and noticed - how scary is that!!! so i spent the next hour or so calling paypal and then my bank, being told i would be issued a new card, and that i had to fill-out a fraud affidavite form ASAP... happy wednesday to me indeed - double ugh... i didn't watch LOST but was able to enjoy the fire i made so i gave max a good brushy-brush, and then took my nightly bath... *sigh*

speaking of max - if you're a cat lover, you HAVE to watch this video... i wonder what they put on the keys - maybe some catnip... :-)

besides the excitement last night, not much else is going on... my 19-year old niece had surgery on her leg this week and was put in a full-body cast (she was born with an underdeveloped right leg and wears a prosthesis on her left) so my mom and i may go see her on sunday... eric also has his first frisbee game that day and yes, he plays ultimate and loves it... i told him we could celebrate my bday saturday night by going to this pizza place he keeps telling me about in DC - i can't think of a better way to celebrate turning (gulp) 36.. then again - being flown to a tropical island, with a private hut on the beach, and an unlimited amount of margaritas in hand would be okay too (all calorie-free of course)... ;-)

happy thursday...

spreadable cheesecake

not going to NYC was a good decision - it is snowning like crazy right now... the show contact never called my sister back either so she had to break the news to my nieces who were very upset... i, on the otherhand, enjoying doing my pilates workout this morning and will be doing cardio this afternoon... the scale was up but i'm not fretting - its only a number and i'm trying my best to focus on the here and now... its amazing how much of a burden is lifted off your shoulders when you stop worrying about the little things... :-)

new product alert: i was on the metro this morning and one of the newspapers i read highlights new products once a week... today is was all about cheese-related things so i was THRILLED to see philadelphia making cheesecake filling that's ready to go... i couldn't find a nutritional info and i'm sure its not the best but how cool of an idea - i imagine this would be SO tasty on graham crackers or vanilla wafers... they also had a new squirtable cream cheese but i was unable to find anything online about it but i will as soon as i find it though... gotta love new products! :-)

for all you coffee lovers: get free, brewed coffee during "starbucks coffee break" on march 15 from 10am to noon... starbucks will host its first-ever starbucks coffee break, inviting customers across the country to enjoy a complimentary cup of freshly brewed coffee... yaa hoo, me loves starbucks... :-)

new website: for those of you that are fans of sparkpeople, they have launched a new website called --> sparkrecipes.com... i'm definitely going to check this one out because it looks like you can calculate your own recipe's nutritional information which is excellent! check it out...

i'm sure i'm the only one that watches 'dirt' on FX but has anyone seen the previews for their new show 'the riches' with eddie izzard and minnie driver? it looks pretty interesting so i may give it a shot next monday night... i'm also psyched that 'workout' will be back on bravo, starting march 20, so there's much to look foward too this month tv-wise (at least for me anyway)... i'm not into the whole heros, grey's anatomy, or desperate housewives thing so i tend to watch more cable-related shows... wonder when 'girls next door' starts up again...

happy hump day...

snuggle bunny

i... am... sick... of... this... cold... weather... and... ready... for... spring... :o)

my weekend was good - productive and relaxing - and most importantly, eric was home safe and sound... it was good to see him though he was a bit drained from the whole trip and from driving 14 hours but by sunday, he was feeling more like himself... we caught up on some episodes of rome and lost, and for dinner i made homemade lasagna and bread with oregano/garlic butter... mmm mmm... we also took the bike out for a bit on saturday since it was so nice but by the time 6:00 rolled around, it was quite cold and my face was frozen... ah, what fun... :o)

i managed to get up early on saturday (crazy huh) and do my pilates workout before getting my license and running a few other errands... i then met my friend daisy for lunch at baja and chose the chicken salad (only ate half the shell instead of the whole thing) and smothered it with their smokey, chipotle sauce... even though i'm not counting points, there's still a tiny voice in the back of my head estimating numbers - foo had the same kind of comment on her blog... its like WW brainwashes you into always thinking about numbers and i'm not condeming the plan in any way, shape, or form - i'm just saying that even when i don't want to keep track, i probably am anyway...

wednesday was supposed to be the big trip to NYC with my sister, nieces, and mom to see the *emeril live* show but she found over the weekend, by chance, that no one under 18 is allowed for tapings... she is quite upset esp. since its not printed on the tickets - they live in western maryland where its country and pretty isolated so this trip was like the most exciting thing in the world to them (they even prayed about it in church on sunday!)... so needless to say, we'll have to plan another trip for the future and when its warmer - the forecast for tomorrow says snow and highs in the 20s so i'm really not that upset if we don't go... i'll be heading up to NJ in a few weeks anyway to see my friend that is getting married in august so saving gas/tolls is a-okay with me...

happy tuesday...

freaky friday

good news: eric's dad is back in pittsburgh, at a rehabilitation center, and eric's making his way back from florida as we speak... its been a tough week for him so i'm sure he's looking forward to being home, though not looking forward to driving 16+ hours... i am so excited to see him - it feels like ages since we've been together plus with the week i've had - it will be nice to have him home, safe and sound... besides the sailing trip he took last may, i think this is longest we've been apart - i know, gag all you want but i've missed him a lot... ;-)

i woke up pretty sore this morning, yesterday's 6am workout really kicked my ass but i loved it... its a great workout and you can customize the order of the segments or do them all if you want (10 mins each OR 50 mins total)... because i liked the instructor so much, i ordered her rapid-results yoga DVD too so i'm excited to have a growing workout collection... i also did weights today and felt really good - even though i'm not counting anything, i still find myself being cautious about what i'm eating... but i have to admit, not having to constantly worry about what this has, or what that has - has made all the difference... i just couldn't handle that right now so maybe in time, i'll try again... :-)

my weekend plans are shaping up, at least for tomorrow... i have to get my license renewed so god knows how long that will take, and then i have to drop off a ton of stuff to goodwill, and then i'm meeting a friend for lunch... i think we're going to baja fresh so i'm planning on getting the grilled fish tacos and if they don't have grilled, i'm going to get a salad - mmm mmm... sunday, i'm leaving that open for eric cus hopefully he'll be home by then... :-)

i hope you all have a great weekend and thanks for all your awesome comments this week... it really means a lot that you read this blog and care about what's going on... :-)

happy friday...