legs made of lead

running was hard yesterday considering i skipped a few days but as much as i wanted to stop and just walk the rest - i didn't AND i also made sure to do 3.1 miles... i'm hoping tomorrow's run is a bit easier and that i'll be okay by the time saturday comes around - we're having practice on the actual course so that should be interesting... i still can't believe how fast this training has gone - just yesterday, i was just goofing around saying i wanted to run a 5K and now i'll be doing it in 2 weeks... funny how things just take shape once you set your mind to it... :o)

i got back to my place last night so there was a bunch of mail in my mailbox, including a skirt i had ordered (i need to pick-up the rest of my order today at the rental office)... i was brave and ordered some things in size 10 and was pleasantly surprised to see it fit perfectly! now we'll just see how the other stuff fits tonight - i'm usually a size 12 for pants because of my damn hips/thighs but maybe the running has slimmed me down a size (yay me!)... i'm also planning on meeting my mom tonight at kohl's because i don't have anything that matches the skirt now (ironic, right?)... plus, i wouldn't mind another pair of capris and maybe some shoes so we'll see what i can find - using a gift card is so fun because its like shopping for free... :-o

work has been pretty slow this week and i just found out my boss is out tomorrow, which means it will be a nice, easy day - perfect for friday... a while back, i mentioned that my dept. is going mac-based - well, they've been delivered and once the software is installed, we'll be up and running... i was telling eric that as scared as i am to start using one - i know it will be good experience for me esp. when it comes to job-hunting in the fall... 99.9% of the ads i see online mention macs so i'll be able to finally apply with confidence - people said that it wasn't a big deal but i always felt like i was lying, now i won't have too... :o)

happy thursday...

hump day

i did not weigh-in this morning because i was eric's and didn't have my scale - i like to keep things consistent so i'm going to skip this week... i think i did 'okay' this weekend, not terrible but probably not perfect either and that's fine - i knew it would be difficult... we did get a few walks in so that made me happy - eric made an effort to point them out since i talked about here it last week... :o)

the trip overall was good - we met some of eric's friends for breakfast in pittsburgh saturday morning, he had not seen them since college so they had a good time catching-up... the couple met each other in france while he was a student and she was the french-aide - talk about oh la la! they have 2 adorable boys so i enjoyed talking to her about marriage, family, and career-stuff... on the home front - his dad is making great progress with his leg and is able to pivot on the bed to his wheelchair which is awesome... his mom is coping as best she can, since she's his primary caregiver, and i helped-out as much as i could cooking, baking, laundry, picking asparagus, etc.... we got to see the month-old calf but missed the birth of another one yesterday which bummed me out, i think that would be so cool to see... norman's sisters are doing well too and we could definitely see similarities between them now so that was funny...

monday, we met another friend from college for lunch before heading to my sister's for the night - my nieces made a special dessert for us so i how could i say no to ice cream samiches with homemade chocolate chip cookies? for dinner though, we had grilled chicken and fresh asparagus so at least that meal was relatively healthy... yesterday, we spent some time w/my dad before heading back to the city - we did arm/leg therapy and then played a game of fish (eric won and i think he cheated!)... it was good to be home though - there was a lot of driving and it was pretty warm when we got back... the boys were happy to see us so it was nice having a quiet night at home with them... :o)

i haven't run since friday and missed both saturday's and tuesday's practice - i didn't want to have to rush home yesterday so i just skipped it... i can't believe the race is like 3 weeks away but i'll be glad when its over - i won't feel so pressured to run every day, i can just do it when i feel like it... eric has said though he likes the way its making me look so who's complaining... ;o)

happy wednesday...

p.s. i got my bridesmaid dress on friday - it looks really good and i'm happy to say it will have to be taken-in some - i was worried that it would be too tight... :o)

friday's top 5

i'm so glad today its friday and that i have the next four days off (in a row, mind you) and couldn't be happier about getting some much needed R&R... visiting eric's parents is always a good time - his dad is making great progress at home so i'm anxious to see how he's improving... and i'm excited to meet the calf that was born a few weeks ago, as well as eating some fresh asparagus from their garden - its the coolest thing to see growing out of the ground... on monday, we'll be heading to my sister's for the night and then on tuesday we'll be spending some time w/my dad before heading back... i hate to admit this but i will miss my run on saturday, go figure... this is the first run i've missed so it will be weird not going, but i plan on taking my sneaks w/me and i have every intention of wearing them at least once (maybe twice)... :o)

so what do YOU have planned for this holiday weekend?

i had a relaxing evening - haven't had a night to myself in a few days so it was nice... i made a quick dinner of roasted asparagus and whole wheat pasta and then did some laundry, vacuumed, and packed for the weekend... i stumbled across VH1's music honors on tv and watched performances by heart (which was excellent), genesis, and some of ozzy - he's just not my style though i liked his MTV series... for some reason he reminds me of my dad - must be the blank-stare thing... i've been staying awake longer for the past few nights so i watched some of paul newman's interview on nightline - it was very interesting... for an old man, he still has beautiful eyes...

anyway, here my weekly top 5, enjoy... :o)

—an actor from heros (and felicity) has joined WW
—check out who was highlighted on MSN this week
—rachael ray can now send recipes to your cellphone
—making time to exercise (25 mins/3x week) can boost your fitness level
—here's a list of new food products on calorieking.com

i doubt i'll be posting over the weekend so i hope you all have a safe and happy memorial day... get outside and so something fun! :o)

happy friday...

weigh-in

the scale was kind to me this morning and showed a 1.2 pound loss so i'm pretty happy... and since restarting WW more than 5 weeks ago, i've lost a total of 5.4 which averages out to like 1 pound a week - not too shabby... i will really have to watch myself though this weekend - eric and i are heading to pittsburgh for the long weekend and its always so difficult for me to stay OP when away from home... i did tell him that i'll have to exercise at least once or twice and he agreed that we should take lots of walks - that made me happy... :o)

as you can see, i thought it was time to revamp the old blog again... i searched for some cool templates and found this one here - you can check out the different styles on the right-hand side and if you like one, just save the code that's under the sample photo... and remember to save your old template's HTML somewhere because you'll need to copy all your personal info like links, stats, etc.... :o)

i found a great post today on the pressures of blogging... i don't think i've ever felt like i HAD to post on a daily basis - i feel that if i have something to say, then i'll write something and if i don't, then i'm okay with it... as much as i love blogging, i don't want to ever feel like i HAVE to do it - i mean, the reason why i started this was to keep an online record of my weight loss... of course its progressed into other things (like many others blogs) and if i were reporting news or more time-sensitive info - then yea, everyday would be needed... but when i'm talking about what i had for dinner or what i did over the weekend - i think i can take it easy every once in a while... so how do you feel about the whole blogging daily ritual? do you ever feel guilty for not posting daily?

my boss took our dept. out to lunch today and after looking over the menu, i chose the tuna burger and field greens instead of fries (yay me!)... i won't be able to do the gym thing either because after work, i'm going straight to the salon to get my hair cut... my normal stylist is out on maternity leave so i hope her temp-replacement does a good job - i'll give you a report tomorrow... :o)

i can't wait for the LOST season finale tonight - i hope its good, don't you?

happy hump day...

time for a quickie

between a busy weekend, being swamped at work, and being in a terrible mood - i haven't had time to post... i haven't had much time to read your blogs either so i promise to do that tonight after i watch the 24 season finale (which i heard was sort of a letdown?)... things are better now, so i'm moving on...

my weekend was busy - we ran 4 miles on saturday - holy cow, i couldn't believe that i actually did it... we walked some but not for long and the last mile was a killer, i won't lie, but i kept going and it felt awesome to reach the end... eric and i then spent the rest of the day working in the yard planting flowers, the garden, and mowing grass (which i really love for some reason)... i had talked about doing the wine festival but the weather was sketchy, then i didn't feel like going and spending $25... so then saturday rolls around and the weather is great and i actually wanted to go so what happens? my girlfriend calls and says she can't go (marital issues) so i didn't go anyway - figures, right? we just hung-out at home and had baja for dinner - they have two new salsas too... one is mango, which was very interesting, and the other one is super spicey - eric loved it... :o)

sunday, we slept in and then went to an international motorcycle show - got to see some pretty old bikes too... eric had fun showing me a few BMW models he used to have back in the day, which made him sad because he really liked having them... course if he hadn't sold one of them, he wouldn't have been able to afford the down payment on his house so i think he made a good decision... i told him there's plenty of time to get another old bike and fix it up... then we took a nice, long ride thru the countryside so it wasn't a bad way to end the weekend... :o)

tonight i have running and then i plan on relaxing when i get home... for dinner, i'll probably have a spinach and goat cheese salad and hope tomorrow's weigh-in will be another good one... and on a NSV note: i wore some capris yesterday that were really baggy and swear they weren't that big when i wore them two weeks ago... pretty cool... :o)

happy tuesday...

T G I F

i'm glad its friday even though this week has been quiet - that usually means that something big is right around the corner... i WAS given a new project to work on yesterday so maybe that's it for a while but we'll see... i also learned some news from an ex-coworker/friend - she told me that one of my current coworkers is leaving to go back to school (she heard this from a vendor we both work with)... this will be the 4th person to have this position since i've been here (4.5 years) so that's pretty strange, i wonder when she's going to tell my boss... and i wonder how my boss is going to take it... :-o

stopped at trader joe's last night and picked up a few things: herbed goat cheese, field greens, spicy black bean dip, light coconut milk, artichoke ravioli and marinara sauce (for dinner tonight), whole wheat pizza dough, and some multi-grain flat bread... when i got home, i made a salad with goat cheese, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar and had that along with my stuffed pepper - mmm mmm... i really can't believe i got out of there w/out spending a fortune AND i was hungry which is never a good thing... ;o)

onto my weekly top 5 - i found some new blogs that i'd like to share as well so enjoy... :o)

—$3 will be donated to the susan b. komen for the cure if you buy this iPod sport armband
—looking for a cute purse? bubbly blend sells fair trade, handcrafted bags
—here are some fun blogs that i found: taste and tell, ramblog, mad about martha, and yumsugar
—how much do you like coffee?
—suburb of boston goes on a diet

because its friday and we could all use a good, heart-warming story - read about a dog that has adopted tiger triplets that were abandoned by their mother... :o)

i'm not sure what my weekend plans are besides going for a run tomorrow - i was supposed to go to a wine festival but between the chance of rain and not many girls wanting to go, i may just bag the idea altogether... eric and i haven't really talked about doing anything, other than working in the little garden he prepared last weekend (planting tomatoes and green peppers)... i'm in the mood for a lazy weekend anyway, i was away last weekend and we'll be away next weekend so can anyone say TiVO?

have a great weekend everyone... :o)

did i just feel a drop of sweat?

i was actually sweating today during my weight routine and that never happens - i must be really challenging myself this time around... i've never been a huge sweater anyway (minus a good spin class) so it was good to know that i'm pushing my body to the next level... AND i'm totally digging my shoulder muscles too - they're becoming quite defined... with summer coming, i think that's a pretty good thing... do YOU have a body part that you may not have liked before, but are in love with now that you're working out? just curious...

i made my stuffed peppers last night and eric raved about them at dinner (i forgot to take a picture, sorry!)... here's the recipe if you're interested...

ingredients
3 large peppers, halved, and seeded
1 lb. lean ground beef (i used 97/3)
2 cans chopped tomatoes (pureed)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 small onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
salt/pepper

directions
cook halved peppers in boiling water for about 10 minutes... then combine all ingredients, stuff into pepper halves, cover with tomato puree, and cover with aluminum foil... bake for 35-40 minutes (til bubbly) in a 400 degree oven... i served these with a side of brocolli but you can also do a salad... according to eTools - the point count was 3 per half-pepper... enjoy! :o)

tonight is the season finale for a lot of shows - the office, scrubs, CSI - both 24 and LOST will be next week... speaking of LOST, it was really good last night - i love that things have picked up again (like in the good 'ole days) but am sad they waited til the end of the season... i wonder what's going to happen to charlie? and what happened to locke? and i'm digging that jack found his balls again... ;o)

after work, i need to head to trader joe's and try to find that black bean dip that roni's always raving about... and i pick-up some of their herbed goat cheese which is to die for... and maybe try their chile lime burgers... and soy crisps.....................

happy thursday...

weigh-in

i was more than shocked to see a loss this morning (-1.8 pounds) but i'll take it nonetheless - last week must've been a weird fluke so i feel incredibly stupid for reacting the way i did... i'm sure i blew all, if not more, than my share of my flex points this week but i've been upping my cardio and doing intervals makes a difference... we did ins & outs again last night, which i hate, but i did them and was happy when the 30 minutes were over... for dinner, i opted for a mini-bag of popcorn and lots of water (i actually wasn't that hungry) and tonight, i'm making stuffed peppers and cannot wait... perhaps i'll post a pic tomorrow... :o)

there's a big news story in my area today - the county where i live is going to start banning trans fat which means all restaurants, bars, and bakeries will need to find an alternate source by no later than january 2009... i think this is excellent news for the health and well-being of our residents and even though i don't eat at lot of fried foods when i go out, its still nice to know it will be a bit healthier for me in the future... :o)

so in between watching workout last night, i was also watching miami ink which is another great show... they were firing one of their artists, kat, who was an amazing tattooist and did incredible portraits on people... every time i watch that show, it makes me want to get another one - i already have 4 (technically 5 since i got one covered-up) but have no idea what i would get or even where i would get it... i have one on my ankle, hip, back, and shoulder and i've often thought about getting my first one made larger... i was a senior in college and as a valentine's day present from my boyfriend, we got tattoos and i remember when my mom first saw it - she freaked... then i moved to NYC and the piercings started but that's another story... maybe i should set a weight loss goal and reward myself w/some new ink - what do you think? do any of you have tattoos? if so, what are they and how many do you have?

happy hump day...

jack bauer, get lost

don't forget --- all you die-hard workout fans --- tonight is the reunion episode at 10pm (est)... :o)

tomorrow is weigh-in day - i'm trying hard not to think about it esp. since i had a gain last week and didn't do so well over the weekend... i HAVE been planning what i can have for dinner though since i don't have that many points to work with (stupid walnuts are like 5 points for ¼ cup!)... it has to be very light - maybe i'll have some yogurt and some fruit... and i'm usually ravenous after my running class so i'll have to be very creative in the points dept - whatever the scale says tomorrow is what it will say, right? do any of you have special/funny/strange rituals that you do before weigh-in? please share... :o)

regarding the bachelorette party that i mentioned a while back - the stripper-pole class didn't pan out because its down to only 4 girls (including the bride!)... so we opted for an overnight stay in princeton and we'll be having a spa day, do some relaxing, maybe some swimming, and have a nice dinner downtown... anyone know of a good place to go? i've also been working w/the maid of honor on the shower favors - we agreed on special embossed boxes that will be filled with either candied almonds (an italian tradition) or small chocolates... i had some other ideas that i thought were pretty cool, like a coaster and a heart-shaped cookie cutter but was voted down - why do people have to be so damn boring?!?! anyway, my mom told me about the new martha stewart craft line at michaels so i'll be checking that out soon... :o)

happy tuesday...

p.s. anyone know what happened to 24? that show sucks now - thank god next week is the season finale, i can't take much more of this soap opera...

what? its monday already?

i hate mondays esp. the ones after a weekend that i was away - i feel like it went by too quickly and that nothing was accomplished... we didn't get home til after 9 last night and by the time i got back to my place, it was close to 10 then i had to unpack, make my lunch, take a bath, and give some much needed attention to max... our mini-trip was good and i was able to see my dad both days - he's doing as well as can be expected and we were able to sit outside for a bit on saturday and watch the end of the nascar race yesterday... its usually quiet there but because of mother's day, many residents were having visitors - i often wonder how many actually have someone to visit them and if they do, how many remember...

eating was okay this weekend and i'm not expecting a loss this week by any means - i never seem to do well when i'm at my sister's and its no one's fault but my own... i'm back OP today, however, and it feels good... i made a nice salad and added ¼ cup of walnuts this time - they went nicely with the ken's lowfat raspberry and walnut dressing... :o)

for all you harry potter fans, there might be an eighth book by jk rowling... i can't WAIT for the movie this summer - the previews look really good... and i'm also looking forward to the new book... :o)

haagen-dazs is giving away a free scoop of their two new flavors - cinnamon dulce de leche and sticky toffee pudding - tomorrow so for more info, go here...

i'm looking forward to going to the gym today - a good treadmill workout will make me feel less guilty about the weekend... i can't believe i'm already on week #8 of C25K, man how time flies... my run on saturday was noticeable different and harder than last week - it was warmer and more humid so i'm learning just how much a small change in the air can make you feel...

happy monday...

this has no calories, right?

so much for good intentions - i stayed with bloody mary's last night (so i got some extra veggie juice at least) and had a few sips of wine w/dinner... we had this mushroom pasta salad, then baked halibut, filet mignon, grilled veggies, and some small mini-deserts (think i had 1/2 bite of 2 kinds)... i have no idea what the count would be so i just entered 30 which is pretty much all my flexies until next week... can i do it? yes, i can and even w/dinner tomorrow night w/my sister and mom - i will find something healthy in my range... its all about choices and learning to make better decisions, there's not much more i can do... :o)

my sister said one of her other cats, hairy, is now missing - he was my favorite out of the 4... he was a maine coon, had legs the size of giant sequoias, and also very old - i hope he's just mourning the loss of scamper and plans on coming back but if not, i hope he died peacefully in the woods somewhere...

this weekend will be busy... i'm heading to my sister's with my mom for mother's day, and we also plan on stopping by to see my dad which is on the way - its been quite some time since i've seen him... i'm going to do my run in the AM and then hit the road - at least i'll have one good workout under my belt for the weekend... i'm not sure what we have planned besides going to dinner, hopefully i can wash my car because its looking rather filthy and pollen-covered...

there's been a lot of interesting stuff going on so here's your weekly top 5... enjoy... :o)

—even thin people can still be fat on the inside
—a new website where writers can speak their minds
—progresso is coming out with WW-endorsed soups
—read about the author of secrets of a (former) fat girl
—check out some great yoga inspired athletic wear by lululemon

and to all you mom's out there - i wish you a very happy mother's day... :o)

have a great weekend, everyone... :o)

no wonder

i don't know why i was so upset yesterday - on the verge of tears throughout the day - all because i saw a gain on the scale... and i also felt like a hypocrite because i'm constantly telling people what YOU were telling me - don't worry about it, let your body catch-up, it will be gone next week, you're doing a great job - and yet, i felt like the wind was knocked out of me... even though i had said a few weeks back that i wanted to focus on the 5K and not losing weight - i STILL wanted to be compensated - esp. since i started WW again (and had such great results the 1st two weigh-ins)... i wanted to be rewarded for all the hard work i'd been doing, for all the points i kept track of, and for all the stuff i said "no thanks" too... i know shit happens and i guess i just wasn't prepared for it so early in the game, but i'm okay now and thank-you for all your comments... i CAN see my body has changed so maybe i need to start actually BELIEVING it and ACCEPTING it... why is that so damn hard?!?!

debbi had two great posts re: the whole running thing and not losing weight, go here and here if you'd like to read them... after reading those last night, i did some research trying to find out why something that seems so logically weight loss-friendly, really isn't... i find it hard to believe but one website said that if you really want to lose weight, doing a 3-mile run, a few times a week, isn't going to cut it - you need to do more... your body may change, get leaner, etc. but the scale may not budge as much as you'd like it too... AND you need to watch what you eat, which makes sense - just because you are running, that doesn't give you a "get out of jail for free" card... i'm sorry if i'm laboring on all this but after the day i had, i felt the need to do some research and find out a few things - and i enjoy sharing them with you... :o)

i haven't lifted since last week and since my legs were finally back to normal, today was my 2nd workout w/the new plan - i was sweating too, which is a good sign, and i'm liking what i came up with... i also did 10 minutes on the elliptical at the end but i was too tired to do more - i really need to watch myself and not overdo it... i've been exhausted all week so i hope its the weather/allergies and that i'll be back up to 100% soon - anyone else been feeling really lethargic?

tonight's the big reception/dinner - the dinner menu looks pretty doable (WW-wise) but its all the free booze and food they're going to have beforehand... maybe i'll stick with vodka tonics instead of wine and eat lots of fruit/veggies (if they have 'em)... wish me luck!

happy thursday...

weigh-in

well, i certainly wasn't expecting a 1.6 pound gain this week - i really felt like i kept track of everything this past weekend but perhaps i didn't... part of me knows its just my body readjusting to the new plan, my running, my new weight routine, and i need to be patient... but the other part of me is struggling w/the fact that if i really want to lose weight (this time), i have to accept that i cannot eat/drink like other people... i'm not a huge drinker to begin with so passing on the beer/wine will not be an issue but its the other stuff... like grilling out w/friends and wanting to have a hamburger AND a hotdog when in reality, i should be having one or none at all... or like going to a party and wanting to try all the tasty food but knowing, none of it is really good for you... we all have to make choice and compromises so maybe i need to work harder on saying 'no'...

and i have to be honest - its not easy staying at eric's sometimes - if i want to eat healthy, i have to bring stuff with me or go to the store... and it sometimes bothers me that he's not as concerned about what he's eating, as i am about what i'm eating - does that make any sense? like when he makes breakfast - its so hard to pass-up the hearty, multi-grain bread when i KNOW its 4 pts (instead of having my english muffin that's only 1 pt)... i try and make good choices but maybe they're not good enough in the world of WW... so, all i can think about now is points and what i did wrong and what i could do better - i don't want to over analyze shit but i guess that just comes along w/the plan... ugh, sorry for the ramble - i'm just really pissed off right now... perhaps i should read roni's post from monday again - if you haven't, check it out here... :o)

i realized its been over two years since i started this weight loss journey and i tried to find some comparison pictures but i don't have many full-body shots... i will have to work on that in the future because its a good way to see progress - though the scale may not show it, your picture definitely will... after going to a wedding w/eric in 2005, i decided to get serious about my weight - though i've only lost 15 pounds, i think you can see a difference... the one on the right is from this past weekend so its the most recent one i have... :o)


























happy hump day...

weekends need to be longer

it was rough getting up this morning esp. after having such a super-busy weekend - i felt like i needed one more day to just relax... i'm happy to say though, i think i did fairly well at the party on saturday - i had 3 margaritas (strong) and nibbled on food but i didn't stuff myself or eat anything that i regret... i had to estimate points so we'll see how things even out by wednesday... i probably did worse last night when we grilled-out w/some friends, but at least i used whole wheat pasta in my salad this time so that has to count for something... the homemade onion rings on the other hand...

my run on saturday was awesome - we did 3 miles and i seriously felt like i could've run for a bit longer... we're still running one way, walking for a bit, and then running back and she said since we've basically done 5K - we'll just be cutting back on the walking... sounds good to me... my legs were (and still are) pretty sore from last week so i took it easy on today's C25K - i don't want to overdo anything...

eric and i tackled his flowerbeds this weekend and got all but ONE finished - i suggested making 'no-mans-land' into a garden and he loved the idea, might be too late for this year though... we weeded, mulched, and mowed, and he even fixed the wall-outlets on the back patio so i could hang my lights for the cookout (such a sweetie!)... i counted the yardwork as APs since we were out there, both days, for a few hours... yay me! :o)

and for some sad news - my sister's cat, scamper, was run-over this weekend... she said my nieces were devastated esp. since they've never suffered a pet's death before... they buried him on their new property, where they are having a log cabin built, and each of the girls wrote him a letter for the service... my sister had 4 cats and since they live in a state park, they pretty much roam wherever they want too (though stay close-to-home most of the time)... scamper would come in every night and sleep on one of the girl's bed and if i stayed there, he would still sleep with me too... he also drooled which was pretty funny... i will miss you scamper and hope you get to catch some heavenly mice up there... :o)





















happy monday...

friday's top 5

funny how i thought yesterday's workout was easy - i should've remembered that the soreness comes a day later... holy canoli - my quads and sides are seriously aching today and though it hurts, its worth it because i know my body is being challenged again (no pain, no gain!)... i may not be able to run today but we'll see - i can definitely put some walking in though and be ready for tomorrow morning's run... :o)

i had a NSV last night while trying on some capris i bought from chadwicks.com a few weeks ago... they were tight when i got them but instead of returning them, i knew they'd fit eventually (they were a great bargain!)... well, they fit perfectly now and i'm thrilled - its funny but it really helped me 'see' the results of all the hard work i've been doing lately (3¾ inches gone since the beginning of april)... so for those of you that are discouraged that the scale isn't moving, find a piece of clothing that you like and maybe can't fit into anymore and use it as your gauge... you'll be amazed at just how much your body can change after one month of eating right and exercising... :o)

my weekend plans are quite busy: running tomorrow morning, helping eric mulch his flower beds (front and back yard), attend my friend's cinco de mayo party tomorrow night, more yard work on sunday, and then grill-out w/some of his friends sunday night... busy busy... what do you guys have planned?

and as promised, here's my weekly top 5...

—a list of the top 20 (common) foods that are rich in antioxidants
—sarah jessica parker will launch her own clothing line "bitten" in june
—amanda celebrates her 6-month WW anniversary and has lost 36 pounds
—several ways to feel fabulous after your workout
—missed your favorite show/movie, watch them here

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

what's the plan, stan

i finally came-up with my new routine since tues/thurs are my weight-lifting days... i found some good workouts on this website so if you're looking for some new moves - check it out here (ignore the fact its hydroxycut)... this is my plan that i will be doing 2x week for next 2 months... i usually do abs on the days i do cardio which is mon/weds/fri... :o)

—single leg step-up with dumbbells (5 risers)
—single dumbbell plie squat
—abduction on machine
—adduction on machine
—push ups
—lat pull down with spri (band)
—dumbbell shoulder press
—front dumbbell raises
—single arm row
—barbell bicep curls
—overhead single arm tricep extension

i didn't have to go to the big event last night so eric and i had a nice, mediterranean dinner consisting of fresh hummus, toasted pita, and a yummy salad... when we got to the bowling alley his friend was like, "you guys aren't going to eat here?" and i had to laugh because all they serve is fried food basically... they ordered mozzarella sticks, some kind of egg rolls, french fries, and a grilled samich - if you could see them, they are both very tall and very thin... life is so unfair sometimes... anyway, i drank my tonic water and got some puzzling looks for that as well (because i didn't want any beer) and instead of explaining why - i just said i was saving up my calories for the weekend... as for bowling - i sucked but did manage to get over 100 in the 3rd game and was in the lead til eric decided to roll a few strikes... :o)

work has quieted down again so i'm happy... next week is our big annual meeting which includes a big dinner and a performance by michael cavanaugh of billy joel's broadway hit, movin out... not too shabby... i guess there are a few perks to working here but they're few and far between... :o)

tonight's plan: paint my toenails, watch workout, and CSI... don't be jealous... :op

happy thursday...

weigh-in

i am so rockin' WW right now and the scale is rewarding me nicely - it showed a 2.6 pound loss this morning... whoo hooo carrots! gotta love the eTools thing though, it congratulates you and then reminds you that even though you may lose a lot in the beginning, its normal to lose 1 pound or less in the future - what a buzz kill... but seriously, i love the fact that i can still eat my friday bagel & cream cheese, partake in a work potluck, drink wine, and still lose weight... even though i've been down this road before, this is the first time i'm feeling that the program CAN work when i WORK the program... and this can be said w/any program i know, so it just goes to show you that if you stick with something - good results can happen... :o)

running was H A R D last night - we didn't do the track because of some lacrosse meet so we ran on a path instead (1 mile and then 1 mile of intervals - fast/slow)... i thought i was going to die because its not all flat but i finished and i'm so proud of myself... for any of you out there who think they can't run - you can! i am continuously amazed at how far i can push myself each week and for those that run 8-10K, i am envious because i know difficult that must be... maybe i'll get there someday, who knows... ;o)

work is slowing down and the big event happens today/tonight - i'm hoping i don't have to attend but we'll see what my boss says later this afternoon... plan b is bowling w/eric and his friends so i'd rather do that instead - i even picked a healthy, mediterranean place to grab dinner... this week is going to be challenging point-wise because i have a 'cinco de mayo' party on saturday and i know there will be tons of yummy food/drink there - i will just have plan really well for the weekend... i can do it! :o)

i came across this really interesting site a while back and mind you, its not for everyone but if you like reading anonymous letters - check this out... some entries are so depressing and sad but others are quite romantic... :o)

and for you ice cream lovers, baskin-robbins is having a 31-cent scoop night TONIGHT from 5–10pm...

happy hump day...

*breathe*

its been a long week and its only tuesday - hopefully the craziest will cease today but i doubt it... this big event tomorrow has created a lot of work on my end and the most important piece, the dinner program, might not be final until tomorrow morning (like i need more stress right now!)... i worked late last night and came in early this morning to help move things along - i think it helped but it just makes for a very, long day... :o(

i don't plan on going to the gym today because of all the stuff going on but as of right now, i still plan on going to running tonight... i've been looking thru both my fitness magazine and my other book to see if i can find a new weight workout, and i'm not really liking what i see... my options are to either combine moves from both OR find a new one altogether, we'll see what i decide... week #6 of C25K started yesterday and my run was great, i did more than was required so i'm happy to be making progress in that area... i took my measurements this morning and will post with tomorrow's weigh-in results - i hope it goes well... :o)

sorry this is short but work is calling...

happy tuesday...