Progress

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Challenge Starts Tomorrow

First, thank you all for the comments on yesterday's post.  I'm still not in a great mental place but we must move forward or else we are standing still.

So my 30 Day Primal Challenge starts tomorrow.  I have my badge to the right (the same as above) to remind me every time I get on Blogger about what I'm trying to do.  I created a calendar to track my successes and opportunities ala Shannon at Fat Wife's Journey to Fabulous.  Thanks for the inspiration Shannon!  I'm aiming for being primal 80% of the time.  I'm just not an all-or-nothing kind of gal.  And Maria at Last Train Out of Fatland is a couple days into her Paleo Challenge which is very similar so I won't feel so alone.  The guru on this journey is Mark Sisson...THE Primal Blueprint guy.  So what is  this Primal Challenge all about?  Well...quite a bit.  Below are the challenges Hubby and I face in the coming month, taken straight from the Primal Blueprint website.  My comments are in blue.



  1. Eat Lots of Plants and Animals.  Easy enough.
    • Cook at home.  Getting better about this.  
    • Eat clean: The quality of your food matters. While sourcing clean food (organic, grass-fed, pastured, etc.) can be difficult and pricey it’s also an important part of the Primal Blueprint. Let me be clear. If your eating plan strictly consists of Primal foods, but your beef isn’t grass-finished, your eggs aren’t pastured and your vegetables are conventionally raised, you are still light years ahead of most people. But there’s room for improvement. This probably isn't going to happen.  Organic and grass fed is just a little too rich for my blood these days.
    • Dial in your carb count
  2. Avoid Poisonous Things
    • Don’t eat garbage.  I can do this, I can do this...
  3. Move Frequently at a Slow Pace
    • Just move: It’s that simple. Just get out there and move. I challenge you to align your low-level aerobic activity with Primal Blueprint Fitness. Too hot...back to the gym.
  4. Lift Heavy Things.  Since I'll be at the gym anyway...moving...might as well lift something while I'm there.
  5. Sprint Once in a While.  I'm not known for speed but OK...
  6. Get Adequate Sleep.  I'll try...really...I will.
  7. Play.  If you’ve forgotten how to play, this challenge will jog your memory. Grok did it and it’s why I train. For the stress-reducing effects, to get you moving without even realizing you’re moving and for the sheer fun of it.  I don't know about this.  I'll make an effort to play with my kids more and hopefully this will satisfy it.  
  8. Get Adequate Sunlight.  Done.  Can't walk to your car in AZ without getting your daily dose of Vitamin D
  9. Avoid Stupid Mistakes
    • Listen to your body: This is such a broad Primal Blueprint law the challenge could take many directions. For the purpose of this 30-day challenge, though, I’d like you to be particularly aware of what your body is telling you during each of the other challenges. Feel a sharp pain during a sprint? Be smart and end your sprint session. Skin turning pink while out in the sun? That’s a sign to seek shade and avoid a nasty burn. 
  10. Use Your Brain
    • Challenge yourself intellectually: I won’t ask you to throw out your television or read War and Peace this month. But I will say that you are gifted with a huge brain, and you should flex it. We each have the power to solve difficult problems, be incredibly creative, and effect major change. And it all begins in our heads. Hmmm...I'll have to figure this one out.  It seems that the type of work I do strains my brain every day but I'd rather make it fun...like crosswords or sudoku or something.  Wonder if that counts?
So there you have it.  This is what Hubby and I are attempting to do in the month of September.  It all seems pretty basic doesn't it?  Doesn't seem that hard.  Just cut out the crap you eat, move your body and get back to basics.  We'll certainly give it the ol' college try.  

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Ranting and Raving

**WARNING** This is going to be a ranty, ravy, negative kind of post that doesn't really have any band related things at all so feel free to skip.  I'm just venting today and we will return to our normally scheduled programming tomorrow.  Thank you.

Why is it that some things just don't work out for people?  I mean...you have those people where everything just always seems to work out for them and then you have people like me and my hubby and my family...where things just turn to *$&% from the get go and never seem to improve or get any better at all.  Let's go with bullets since it's shorter, easier to clump a bunch of random things together with and give the illusion that you're making some kind of point.
  • Hubby didn't get the federal job.  He didn't get the other job he jumped through 8 million hoops for either.  And we never heard back from the best one.  So we're back to square one.  Not only is he so far down on himself, I have no idea how to pull him out of it, but I'm not too happy with this either.  He's a nice guy, he's competent and good at what he does...why can't he find a better job????  And you know why I think he didn't get these?  Because we really wanted him to.  We could find things to get excited about with each and every one of them and because God apparently hates us or he ceases to exist altogether, NOTHING can work out easily for us.  N.o.t.h.i.n.g.  E.V.E.R.
  • Yesterday, I also found out that my father has to have surgery on his foot.  He burned his foot last week with a scalding cup of coffee (long, stupid story that I don't care to share and you probably would be bored to tears reading).  He went to the workman's compensation approved urgent care, saw a physician's assistant (because no one sees actual effin' doctors anymore!), was given salve and told to go home.  He went back yesterday for a follow up after his foot had turned BLACK and he was still in a great deal of pain.  He saw an actual MD who told him he needed to go to the County Burn Center.  So he went, they admitted him.  They spent yesterday (WAY TMI - and very gross) scraping the dead skin off the bottom of his foot and started treating him for the infection he apparently got also.  He's killed all of  the tissue under the skin as well so that all has to come off and they're going to do skin grafts which I guess means surgery.  He is diabetic and has a heart problem so any kind of surgery is worrisome.
  • So let's recap what's happened in my family since New Year's - we had a terminal brain cancer diagnosis, this recent family drama, 18 billion job declines and now foot surgery.  
  • Hubby's not losing weight.  We all know that until the band is at proper restriction, it doesn't really do much by way of offering help.  But he's getting frustrated and this on top of everything else just isn't helping his ego.
  • I thought I'd look better at 165.  Don't get me wrong, I think I look fine and dandy with my clothes on. It's when I take the clothes OFF, that everything goes to hell.  I mean...I turn into a flabby, ugly, stretch marky mess!  
  • I figured out how to make my Primal Tracking Calendar so that will be posted on 9/1 and am still working on figuring out how to make a badge or something for it for my blog.  I'm not real technically inclined so I'm not hopeful on that.
  • Speaking of not hopeful, I have NO transferable skills.  Seriously, because my company is the only one that really has a group that does what we do, my skills don't really transfer to a different company very well and it's very hard to explain to people what I do.  Not that I'm looking for another job, but it'd be nice to know that when they ship my job offshore, I'll have some options.
  • They changed our insurance stuff at work for 2012.  Thank you health care reform.  It means higher deductibles, more confusing financial stuff and just generally more annoying.  And if you have anything that you see a specialist for on a regular basis...no longer covered AT ALL until you've paid your annual deductible.  Guess what category a lapband doc falls into?  Fabulous.
  • It is too freakin' hot to be August!  I mean...seriously?  114???  STILL??  We hit 117 last Friday!  It's absurd.  It's almost Autumn!  
So OK...there you have it.  I'm sure in the grand scheme of things, compared to what a lot of other people go through...people living in the slums of India, people losing loved ones, people who have been unemployed for a year already with no job in sight, rebels in Libya...these are not life or death stuff we're facing here.  I get that.  I get that I should be thankful for the weight I've lost from a healthful perspective and I DO look a lot better with clothes on.  I know I should be grateful that my girls are healthy and happy and I'm able to put them in good schools.  I know I should be thankful that while our lives are a financial mess, that my hubby and I have what's really important - love and that should be enough.  I get all that.  I've always heard that God never gives us more than we can handle.  I gotta tell you though, I'm reaching my limit.  Perhaps I can't take as much as others, perhaps I'm not as strong as other people are but honestly, I'm about ready to freakin' lose it.  

That is all.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Weigh In 8/29/11

New low! 165.5.  That is 2.5 lbs down from last week and 1 lb down from my lowest.  VERY happy with this.  I'm hoping I can start busting down this plateau I've been on for the last few months.  This fill seems to be helping if it weren't for this blasted sweet tooth that thinks I need sweets even when I'm not hungry.  Working on that.  Trying a new cake for a coworkers going away thing this week so was messing around with cake and frosting this weekend.  New cake isn't turning out well though so it's back to the drawing board.

What else?  Not a whole heck of a lot.  Exercise has been nonexistent.  It seems I'm hot just sitting around in my cube at work so the last thing I want to do is go be hot at the gym.  I know it's a lame excuse but this heat is sapping the energy right out of me.  Really need to recommit to it.

Soooo...supposed to start the Primal 30 Day Challenge on Thursday.  I've planned virtually nothing (even though I was supposed to be taking these 2 weeks to do so).  I'm not sure how I'm going to track what I'm doing...not the food part so much as the 80/20 part.  I want to do well 80% of the time.  We're having cake (my new cake) at work that day and I already have plans to go out drinking Saturday night.  It's OK.  I'm just going to incorporate those two things into my Challenge...It's not like there's someone keeping score.  I can't feel bad about things like this and I've resolved not to.  I think I need to work out a calendar tracking or something.  Days I hit 100% get one mark, 80% another, days I fall below that something else.  Hmmm...will have to ponder.

The dreams I have been having lately have just sucked.  A lot of them were centered around this family drama we've been having.  It seemed I got past that but now it's all about the apocalypse and terrorist attacks.  So weird.  I had a zombie dream one night and then last night, I dreamt I was graduating from high school and someone decided to bomb the ceremony...you know...because my high school graduation would be just the place to make a political statement.  Riiiiiiiiiiiight.  Very weird.

We finished Week 1 of our Reward Chart experiment with the girls.  We did this with my oldest when she was around 2 to get her to go to sleep without throwing a fit.  It worked...we never did it again.  Well, my youngest (and oldest for that matter) have been exhibiting some bratty behaviors as of late so we brought back the reward chart.  They did really well all week and it made for a much more harmonious household.  As a reward, we bought them the movie "Tangled."  They had both seen it already but I hadn't yet.  Cute movie.  We got to watch it twice this weekend and I have a feeling we'll be seeing it a few more times before this week is out.  Started the new week clear of reward stars yesterday so hopefully it will keep them motivated.  I haven't decided what next week's reward will be.

This post has already gotten very random so I'll go ahead and wrap it up.  Your Monday DEMotivation:

Friday, August 26, 2011

Week Shaped Up OK

So went to the doc yesterday.  Got a fill...hopefully this sticks.  I just had breakfast...ate half and am full.  Good stuff.  So the pain I was having was pretty well gone by yesterday afternoon but I asked him about the pain anyway...he's very sure it's the gall bladder.  He did a quick ultrasound but found no stones.  He thinks it's one of 2 things.  1) My body produces very small stones that break up by the time we're able to do ultrasounds so we don't see them or 2) I have Cholecystitis  which is inflammation of the gallbladder...brought on by stones or basically the same types of things that cause stones.  So there ya go.  We're keeping an eye on it for now but if the symptoms become more frequent or more severe, it will need to come out.  I lost 5.5 lbs since the last time I was at the doc's office so he was happy with me.  I don't go by their scale though so we'll see how the end of the week shakes out.


What else?  Oh!  The insurance mess.  I talked to the insurance guy at the doc's office back on Tuesday.  He called the surgical center and it seems that stuff got crossed in the mail or whatever but we don't owe anything....Thank Goodness!  


Hubby had a security interview for his new job yesterday where they asked him all kinds of more details on the 30 page packet he submitted earlier.  He did fingerprints, drug testing, etc.  He's got his polygraph on Monday and then it's out of our hands.  Please keep those good thoughts coming!


Weekend promises to be a dull one.  Nothing much going on...it's supposed to be record breakingly hot this weekend so we'll probably just swim and putz around the house.  I hope all of you are having a decent enough Friday and I leave you with a Friday Funny.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Debbie Downer?

I know ever since my bandiversary post, it seems like all I can do is complain but to be honest, things have just kind of sucked since then.  It's life...and I guess this is just how life goes...but it seems to all come down on me at once.  The pinched nerve is better (I think) but right when I get rid of that pain, I find another one.  That gallbladderish pain that I had a few months ago?  The one they never quite figured out what it was?  It's back with a vengeance.  I have no idea what to do for it other than muster through.  I'm hoping it goes away on its own like the last time.  It seems dumb to bother the doc with it since we found nothing the last time we ran all the tests.  The family stuff still isn't good.  A little background (not a lot because it's WAY too personal, yet PUBLIC to put out on my blog...confusing, no?)... my brother and I are not close.  We used to be about ten years ago but haven't been close for the last 5 or so.  A lot of that stems from my sister in law.  She's just a terrible person.  So when this recent something happened in their family, I was really taken back by how much it's affected me.  Losing sleep, having nightmares (prone to them anyway), eye twitch, pinched nerve.  It's just crazy.  And while it's all kind of simmering and getting better, it seems a new blow is dealt each day that kind of sends me reeling.  It's affecting my parents as well (of course, it's their son) and we all don't necessarily agree on what brought it on, how to handle it and where things should go from here.  We don't have to agree as it's not our lives but it's hard to stay out of it.  *sigh*  Families...

So how about we find something good?

NSV:  I got a Vic.tor.ia Se.cre.t catalog in the mail this week.  I stopped looking at their stuff years ago.  Not everything was available in my size and if it was, it was more expensive.  I was looking at their clothes (not the lingerie; although I love that too!) and found that their standard sizing is 0-14.  I'm standard!!!  I still can't buy anything because I can't afford it but just knowing that I can fit into those cute clothes I see in there makes me feel better.

Eating has gone well this week (so far).  It's only Wednesday but I've stuck to the plan.  Eating only what I bring to work (keeping snacking to a minimum) and have eaten at home or brought my own for every breakfast, lunch and dinner so far.  Oh!  That reminds me...tried something new last night.
This stuff was great!  The vegetables are carrots, spinach and tomatoes.  Tasted fantastic and there's a full serving for vegetables in every 4 oz.  I made this with a little marinara and put a little sauteed chicken in the sauce for some extra protein.  My kids loved the rainbow look of it and said it tasted just like regular pasta.  Little did they know they were getting some veggies!  There's also like 7 g of protein or something in each serving.  So add that with the chicken and it's a pretty filling meal.  I had about a cup and was stuffed.

OK.  So that's all I got.  Hubby's got a security interview tomorrow and then a polygraph on Monday for this new job.  Keeping fingers crossed that all goes well.

I have a doc appointment tomorrow for a fill.  I think I could definitely use one.  Have a great Hump Day!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Monday Already

Yes I weighed in.  Yes I gained.  That is all I'll say about that.

Weekend was good but a rather sluggish one.  We did virtually nothing.  We read books, worked with kids on their homework and workbooks stuff, went swimming and that was about it.  We did go grocery shopping so the meals are planned.  Hopefully we'll stick with it this week.  I pulled a muscle or pinched a nerve or something over the weekend.  My mother thinks it's a pinched nerve because my dad gets it once in awhile when he's stressed out.  This could definitely be it.  Basically the whole upper left side of my body hurts.  It's starts in the neck/shoulder and goes down my side to about my thigh.  Sucks.  Aleve seems to be helping.  The eye twitch is also back in full force.  I found this out as I tried to put eyeliner on it this morning.  What else?  Oh yeah...we got a bill from Hubby's surgical center for his lapband surgery...$22k!  According to this bill, our insurance company didn't pay anything and we owe the full amount.  Now, we know this is crap as we've been receiving statements from our insurance company outlining everything they've paid so far.  So I'll be placing a call to the insurance coordinator guy at our surgeon's office to see if he can clear everything up.  I will say that this is one headache we don't need on top of everything else that's gone on lately.

Hubby has been working on a packet for his background check.  His job offer was with a federal agency and the background check is absurd!  It's like 30 pages long...every address he's ever lived, every job he's ever had, etc.  I'll be honest...I had a hard time remembering apartment numbers and stuff from 10 years ago.  Luckily, he's pretty organized so he's got it together and is submitting it today.  It can take up to 6 months to complete the check so no ETA on when we know how he did.  The only part we're particularly concerned about is the credit check.  With the foreclosure, it's not great but I hope it doesn't mess anything up.

I guess that's about it around here.  The girls are doing well in school and we've started an award chart this week to try to address some behavioral issues that have popped up over the last couple weeks.  Hopefully this will help.  And for your Monday DEMotivation.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Retail Therapy

Thank you all for the nice comments on yesterday's post!  I DO feel I've come a long way but I've still got a lot of work to do.

This week has just been alright as far food goes.  My family is going through a really difficult time right now.  Not my hubby or kids (Thank God!) - my brother and his family specifically but it's affecting everyone.  I'm not sleeping well, I'm getting headaches and my eye is once again twitching from the stress.  This, of course, has led to some not so great food choices.  While I feel I've done better with this stress than I have in the past, I'm still expecting a gain on the scale on Monday.  I decided to try retail therapy that so many of you swear by to cheer myself up the other day.  Shopping has never been therapeutic for me.  Nothing ever fit and if it did, it was fat lady tent clothing that just made me feel worse about myself.  So I tentatively went in search of a dress or skirt I could wear to work.  I didn't buy anything but everything I tried on fit!  I even fit into a size medium dress and a size 12 skirt!  That's right!  I said size 12!  I couldn't sit in it without it ripping but I could zip it.  I honestly don't know the last time I was a size 12 and by rights, I'm not now but I'm strangely close.  It seems I am between a size 14 and 12 and between a size Large and Medium.  That's right...MEDIUM.  Holy cow!!!!  So I took some pics of myself in the dressing room to prove that I went shopping even if all I bought was a new purse (it's a money thing not a clothes thing).  What was shocking was I actually felt better.  For the first time EVER, trying on clothes was FUN and made me forget about things for an hour.
The first pic is my size 12 skirt!
And of course I wouldn't leave you without a Friday Funny.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

One Year Ago....

I was banded.

I was banded August 18th, 2010 at 8:00 a.m.  So how do I feel this year has gone?  Fantastic!  I have lost 62.5 lbs.  I admit I fantasized about being one of those people who hit goal in a year...I imagined my 130 lb self living it up at the beach this summer (Not only was the weight dream unrealistic but I live in the desert...duh!).  But am I disappointed with my progress?  Heck no!  I'm 60 lbs lighter than I was last year.  After gaining weight year after year after year...to be DOWN 60 lbs is just amazing!  Obviously, that means I averaged 5 lbs a month which is 1.25 lbs a week which is right in line where the stats say you'll fall.  I'm statistically normal for once.  I do not believe I would've accomplished what I have this year if it weren't for my lapband.  Yes, I make better food choices.  Yes, I exercise more than I ever did.  But this tool has made it so much easier to stay focused and not get discouraged.  Some more numbers:

                               2010                                                                   2011
Weight:                   230 lbs (104.3 kg)                                              166.5 lbs (75.5 kg)
BMI:                       44.9                                                                    32.5
Shirt Size:                2XL                                                                    Large/Tight Medium
Pants Size:               20/22                                                                  14/Tight 12
Ring Size:                10                                                                       7

Measurements:
Waist                      49.5                                                                    40      
Hips                        45                                                                       Forgot to measure - oops
Chest                      50.5                                                                    40
Thigh                       27.5                                                                    25.5
Calf                         18                                                                       15.5
Bicep                      16                                                                        13
Total Inches lost = 26.5

NSVs in the past year:

  • I walked 60 miles in 3 days.
  • I ran a 5k.
  • I can tiptoe up the stairs without making them creak and moan.
  • I feel sexy again.
  • I need to have my wedding/engagement rings resized.
  • I can shop at "normal" stores.
  • I can RUN...not very fast but I can...
  • I can dance without sweating profusely, without my feet getting sore or having to stop to rest.
  • I get hit on...by guys...even younger ones.
  • I've become more confident in my work and personal life.
  • I wear dresses and skirts again!
  • My "butt shelf" hasn't gone away...but it's a lot smaller...
  • I went ziplining and had to weigh myself in public and didn't really care.
  • I like to shop again (good for ego...bad for pocketbook. LOL)
  • Hubby can actually lift me up without almost falling over.
  • I can go up and down the stairs without getting winded.
  • I can paint my toenails without passing out.
  • I set goals now and usually attain them.  If I don't, I realize that it's not worth giving up...I just keep chugging along.
  • I've gotten much better at FOLLOW THROUGH.  I'm becoming a person to actually finishes what they start.
  • I can play around with my kids, splash with them in the pool and not feel completely wiped out.
  • My kids know what healthy stuff is and what it isn't.  They want to exercise and get strong.  They drink mostly water as opposed to juice or milk and my oldest will actually opt for a salad over french fries.  I want to take some credit for that.
  • I've met tons of wonderful friends and supporters through this site.
  • Hubby has committed to getting healthy with me and is my biggest cheerleader.
They say a picture is worth a thousand word so without further ado...


Monday, August 15, 2011

Weigh In 8/15/11

166.5.  That's -1.5 lb from last week, a new low and the first real progress I've had in months!  Very, very happy to see this!  Feels like some of the work, food wise, I did last week paid off.  Hopefully this week will be good too.

It seems like hearing "Manic Monday" on the radio at 5:00 a.m. Monday morning is just the perfect way to start the week.

Ever been so broke, you considered taking toilet paper from work just so you wouldn't have to buy some?  No?  Me neither.

Hubby got a job offer!  Thanks to all the nice thoughts and well wishes, he did get a job offer with a federal agency.  The pay is so-so...pretty much will keep us even but it involves relocating across the country, closer to his brother and my sister so we're very excited about that.  Also, the potential for more money is much higher than at his current position so in the long run, we think it's a good move.  There's an extensive background check that can take anywhere from 3-6 months so we have no idea when a move may be or when I can even start looking for a job since we don't have any kind of estimate of when he may start.  But that's OK.  We'll work it all out one way or another.  We're very excited about the opportunity!  We're still hoping for another job to work out (would just be better financially and wouldn't involve relocating) but it seems we're finally gaining some momentum in the right direction.

I suppose that's about it in my neck of the woods.  Weekend went by way too quickly but doesn't it always?  We have our meals planned for the rest of the week and I see no reason to stray.  We'll see how that goes.  In honor of the whole debt ceiling crisis thing being avoided, the stock market tanking but us finding a new employment opportunity, I found an "economic" Monday DEMotivator.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Yay for Friday!

This has been a good week.  I feel I've eaten well and not eaten as much.  I have not worked out and have decided to forgo my August exercise goal.  I'm just not feelin' it and I think that's OK.  Instead, I'm just going to train for my Mud Run in September as much as I can/want to and that will be that.

I have decided to accept the Primal Blueprint 30 Day Challenge.  I will try to come up with some kind of badge or sign or something to put on my blog for it.  It's not really my area of expertise but I'll do my best.  I'm going to spend the next couple weeks planning what we'll be eating next month.  I have a friend at work who's joining in the Challenge with me.  Any of you out there who are interested, feel free to join in also.  I'll be posting recipes, the plan...maybe come up with a handy dandy calendar to mark off each day that we do a completely primal day or something.  I'll try to get creative with it and make it so I can be held accountable and all that good stuff.

First week of school has gone really well for the girls so that's been good this week too.  They seem to be enjoying it which is even better.

Hubby is still waiting to hear about the 3 jobs he's applied/interviewed for.  One sounds VERY promising so still keeping our fingers crossed about that.  No big plans for the weekend.  Going out with a friend on Saturday to see Bad Teacher but otherwise it'll be pretty laid back.

Product Endorsement:  We bought a bunch of different kinds of Clif Mojo bars to try this week.  We specifically got them for the girls in case Hubby didn't have time to make them breakfast or something.  Well, the whole family has tried them and they are awesome!  All the flavors are very yummy and there's 8 g of protein in each one so when I need a snack, it's a pretty good one to turn to.  We've tried just about all the flavors and they all rock!  The nutritional information below is for the chocolate dipped ones but they're all pretty much the same as far as the calories, carbs and protein goes.  I highly recommend trying these and, no, I didn't get any free samples or anything to review them.  We just tried them and liked them.  I think they're all natural but 70% organic so that's pretty good all in all.  

So that's all I got.  Hopefully Monday's weigh in will reflect the better choices I've been making this week...even without the exercise.  And now for the return of your Friday Funny (you know you all missed it)!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

New-ish Blogger

At least she's new to me...please go visit Mary at Until My Cup Runneth Over .  If she hits 50 followers before her 50 days cigarette-free, we get to see "before pics".  She hasn't had her WLS yet - still jumping through hoops but I'm sure she could use some BOOBS love.  Go check her out!

Another Diet?

Thanks for all the compliments for my daughters.  They are adorable, if I do say so myself.  LOL.  They love being back at school.  My oldest is adjusting well to first grade so far and I think my youngest is realizing just how bored she was this summer.  So far, so good.

Eating is going well this week.  I haven't eaten breakfast the last two days.  I just haven't been hungry in the morning by the time I'm done with my coffee (just cream and sugar - not a Starbucks drink).  I've been torn as to whether this is a good or bad thing.  My doctor always says "don't eat if you're not hungry" and that it's "ok to skip meals."  But then there's the whole "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" group.  I'm not sure which is right.  I seem to think that the breakfast thing is a myth.  If you eat less, you'll lose weight.  Simple enough assumption.  But then there's the idea that you've got to kickstart your metabolism in the morning.  I don't  know.  I'm going to stick with my not eating when I'm not hungry thing and see how it works for me.

Exercise so far this week:  None.  Still getting into the school groove and new schedule at work...excuses but what can I say?  I'm going to Zumba tonight though so that'll be good.

As for the title of this post, my hubby suggested something to me last night that I'm not sure how I feel about it.  I did a post awhile back talking about Primal Blueprint and what that was all about.  You can read the post here.  My hubby was getting on the bandwagon with it during his preop diet and I like the idea overall.  We have severely fallen off this wagon lately.  So hubby suggested that September be a Primal Blueprint 30 day Challenge.  On the one hand, I feel I need to do SOMETHING to jump start my weight loss again as I have felt "stuck" for awhile now.  I'm due for my next fill at the end of August so the timing of that would work out too.  On the other hand, is this just another diet?  Is this just another temporary attempt to lose weight no different from Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, etc?  Sometimes I think it's not because it's really how everyone SHOULD eat...there's no real restriction on carbs, etc...it's just cutting out the processed crap from your diet.  In essence you end up restricting carbs because that means no pasta, bread or dairy.  But it doesn't say you can't have natural sugars - honey, fruit, etc.  Also, most "primal" people still do dairy and the guru of the program follows the 80/20 rule - do it 80% of the time and you're good.  Hmmm..I told Hubby I'd think about it.  I certainly have plenty of time to think about it.  He decided September would be good...no holidays, no birthdays, no big events (weddings, reunions, etc.) to derail our efforts.  What do you think Blogland?

Monday, August 8, 2011

Weigh In 8/8/11

168.  -1/2 since last week.  Finally back down to lowest weight.  It's taking forever to see any movement on the scale.  My choices haven't been great but not terrible either so it's hard to say exactly what's going on here.  Honestly, I don't even want to get into it because by now, it's like a broken record.

Today is my kids' first day back at school.  In honor of such an occasion, the girls got haircuts on Friday.  Maddie loves her hair a little shorter (confession:  Mommy's the reason it tends to stay longer) and Lori just had to have the same look as her big sister.  It was Lori's first haircut ever and she took it like a champ...sat very still.  Hopefully, Hubby doesn't have too rough of a time with them this morning.  Here are some pics of their new do's.



Otherwise, not a whole lot going on here.  Trying to figure out what kind of gym schedule I'm going to have for the week.  I'll be going Wednesday for sure...just not sure about the other days.  I hope to have something more interesting to say in the coming days.  I'm just feeling very "blah" about my progress lately and even more blah about a few other things so as to not drag the blogging community down with me, I leave you with
Your Monday DEMotivation:

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Back to Zumba!

I zumba'd yesterday for the first time in months and it was great!  My husband's friend's wife (get that?) joined my gym a few months back but hasn't really gone much.  She likes to have someone to work out with and stay motivated.  For the last few months, she asked how I like the gym and how I stay motivated to go, how I work it into my schedule and whatever.  So she was at one of the birthday parties we went to last weekend and she mentioned how she hasn't gone to the gym in forever and if I'd be interested in working out with her.  "Sure!" I said.  Always happy to have a workout buddy.  So she emailed me yesterday to see if I wanted to Zumba last night.  "Sure!" I said.  OK.  I was a little nervous.  She's super skinny and I'm, well, as you know...I'm not.  So exercising with super skinny people intimidates me.  AND the Zumba class was at 8:00 which doesn't sound late to most people but to me, it's right when the girls go down and I'm off to bed right after them.  But I never used to work out at 4:00 in the morning either so what the hey?  So I went and this lady is just so nice.  She barely sweats which is a little unnerving as I'm dripping all over the place but at the end, she said it was a good workout and she'd love for us to keep eachother motivated.  I think I may have made a new friend and for anyone who's followed for any amount of time knows...that's unusual for me.

So I added 65 minutes to my exercise goal.  And yes, I count the cool down.  I mean..I'm stretching...that's exercise.  This lady worked us the full hour and then finally did the cool down, taking an extra 5.  If I'm sweating an extra 5, I'm counting it darnit!

While I'm still on the gym topic.  Let's talk workout clothes.  Each time I would start a new workout regimen, join a new gym, "commit to losing weight," etc. I would buy new workout clothes.  They had to fit just right, look OK and allow me to blend in with my surroundings.  It's like I was dressing for a role in a play.  And because I was always a different size every time I attempted to start working out, I'd have to go buy new stuff.  Duh!  I can't workout in just anything!  So last night, I'm changing into my gym stuff and I realize that this is the same gym stuff I had 60 lbs ago and it's starting to show.  The arm holes in my shirts are just huge and they're baggy.  The pants...well, thank goodness for drawstrings.  So I was thinking "I should get some new workout clothes...nah.  They're just workout clothes."  Isn't that funny?  When I'm fat and not really changing a lifestyle, I need to dress the part but when I have committed and am actually getting somewhere, I don't care.  Here's the epiphany (thanks for hanging with me until I got to the point):  Before...it was like I had to dress the part so people would think I belong there - at the gym.  Now, I don't feel I need to dress the part because I KNOW I belong there.  Very cool.

Hubby job news:  He had a prescreening interview yesterday with a big company and it went well...so we're hoping for an official interview sometime in the next week or so.  He has his third interview for the first job today.  And he has an interview for an even bigger company on Friday.  I'm attributing all these new opportunities to all of your good thoughts out there in the universe. Keep 'em coming!  If even one of these jobs pan out, it will make life just a little better for us.

Boring weekend ahead.  We've got "Meet the Teacher" at Maddie's school tonight.  Very exciting.  But the rest of the weekend is just cleaning, laundry and getting more organized around the house.  Exciting stuff.  So here's your Thursday Tickle:

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Hooray for Hump Day!

Halfway through the week...thank God!  So how are things going this week,  you ask?  Swimmingly.  We did go off plan and have chinese last night.  I ate a bit too much but didn't go crazy.  Back to plan today.  I feel really good about my eating so far this week.  Got to the gym yesterday which is always fabulous.  Thinking of going again tomorrow.  Imagine that.

So, I believe this has been discussed before but I experienced something yesterday at the gym that just creeped me out so much, I have to post about it here.  The locker room.  Now I'm not one who uses the bathroom stalls for changing.  Part of the reason is because the bathroom stalls is just around the wall from the showers and just across from the sauna.  So in a word, it's hot in there.  And humid.  Not ideal for changing.  So I change in the locker room in front of God and everybody.  For me, it's all business.  Get out of clothes, get back into clothes as quickly as humanly possible.  There are those that linger and prefer to "air dry" after their shower.  Whatever. Doesn't bother me much.  Yesterday morning at the ungodly hour of 5:00 after my workout, I'm putting on my make up at the counter.  There's a lady in her 50's getting dressed behind me and she's an "air dry" type.  Another lady comes in and starts talking to her.  Now I could tell these women were friendly but it was "gym friendly"... like I don't believe they are friends in the real world.  So the one lady turns to the naked lady and says, "Oh! You've got a great tan going on there!" and the other lady says "Thank you! I've been on vacation..." and so the conversation went.  I'm sorry but eeeewwwww!  Don't ever comment on the state of some stranger's naked body in the gym locker room!!!  The only reason people feel OK undressing in there is because it's understood that you're not going to look!  And if you do look, you hide it like all the other respectable busy bodies and perverts in the world! OK...Sorry...just had to get that off my chest.

New(er) Blogger Alert - Please go visit Elizabeth here!  She was banded at the end of June and I know she could use all the veteran bandster support y'all are so good at!
 

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

4 AM Workout

Just had to say I did it again.  Up and at the gym today at 4 in the morning and didn't even brain myself on the door on the way out of the house.  That is all.

8 Years Today!

Today is my 8th wedding anniversary!  We got married in Sedona, AZ...still pretty hot out so we had an indoor wedding in a nondenominational church with floor to ceiling windows.  We had about 50 guests and it was absolutely perfect.  The reception was one of the best parties I've been to and the party carried on to the hotel bar...one at the hotel most people were staying at for the "older folks" and one at the hotel bar where our reception was held for the "younger folks."  Hands down...a perfect night.  I wish I had pics on the computer but unfortunately, it's before digital was getting really big and I haven't gotten them scanned yet.

So my hubby and I met when I was 18...just turned 18.  He is 7 years older than me and always teases me about how old I was when movies and stuff came out when he was in high school.  I, of course, attempt to make him feel old at every turn.  When I told my mom I was seeing an older guy, she wasn't surprised at all.  Both my siblings are about Hubby's age so I've just always felt more comfortable with an older crowd.  We met at work...selling goods off of infomercials.  Everything from Brain Gum to exercise equipment.  I am a terrible salesperson but he could sell absolutely anything to anybody.  He certainly sold me on giving him a shot.  I worked 6 to midnight so our dates often started once I was off.  We went to IHOP a lot, saw late movies and walked around a local park most often.  By December, we were in love.  We got engaged in 2002 and promptly spent a year apart during his first year of law school.  He studied, I finished up my fourth year at school and planned the wedding.  Two weeks after our nuptials, we moved to Ohio.  We moved back to AZ two years and one baby later because I found out that I am NOT a snow bunny.

Although we haven't been lucky in the financial sense, our cup runneth over on the stuff that really matters.  Our kids are healthy and (overall) happy little girls.  We trust eachother unconditionally and all we want is to see the other one smile.  He is my biggest cheerleader in everything I set out to do.  When I attempted to go back to school (on multiple occasions), he was right there helping me pick classes.  He's supported me on every weight loss endeavour, including being banded...cooking, finding recipes, trying out new diets, eating whatever I make.  He spent Sunday night cooking all my breakfasts and lunches for the week so I'd have everything ready to go.  We've both made a commitment to be healthy for ourselves, eachother and our girls because I want him around for a really long time.

So there you have it.  Here's to at least 8 more wonderful years.  For your viewing pleasure...a little photo montage this Tuesday morning:







Monday, August 1, 2011

Weigh In and July In Review

Weigh In: 168.5.  - 1/2 lb since last week.  Still 1/2 up from my lowest.

July in Review...from a weight loss perspective, it sucked.  From an exercise perspective, it sucked.  I have hovered at this weight for at least 2 months and I'm absolutely sick of it.  Once again, it's Monday morning and I see that any good I've done the past week was undone by the weekend.  Once again, I find myself doing what I always used to do in weight loss efforts and vow that this will be the week I get "back on track" and really start putting forth the effort.  *sigh*  An old broken record.

In an effort to see some sort of loss on the scale in August, I'm setting the same exercise goal I set for myself in July.  Why not?  I didn't hit it and by God, eventually I will.  I made it 430 minutes in July.  Pathetic - just over half way.  I have set the 800 minutes goal for August.  This is the last week of summer vacation for my kids.  With a start to their new schedules, I'm going to attempt to get a new exercise schedule going on as well.  August is still miserably hot in AZ so family active time is still just relegated to the pool.  This week, my goal is to go 3 times.  Next week, we'll start the big push to exercise.  Also, Mud Run is less than 2 months away, it's time to start training hard for that.  The up side is I may have a new workout buddy.  She's finding it hard to get motivated to exercise also so we'll see how that shakes out.

Food.  My breakfasts and lunches are already made and portioned out.  Nothing but healthy snacks in the house.  Dinners are planned.  No reason to stray from the plan this week.

Weekend Plan.  Stop giving myself a free pass on the weekend.  This past weekend was completely undone by two birthday parties on Saturday where I ate at both and had cake at BOTH.  Absurd.  Sunday found me eating a whole bag (albeit split between the kids, hubby and me but still...) of oreos.  That's right.  OREOS.  Delicious but come on!  I must do better on the weekends.  Also, I need to make sure I'm drinking water on the weekends.  Somehow I just don't drink much of anything on Saturday and Sunday even though I'm so good with it the rest of the week.  And of course, I'm outside more on the weekends so that coupled with no water equals water retention on Monday.  Beautiful.

Today is already off to a bad start.  I try to get ready as quietly and as much in the dark as possible in the mornings as not to wake up my hubby.  This morning, I turned off the bathroom light to go downstairs and ran face first into the door.  Right out of a sitcom I swear.  I'm surprised I don't have a black eye.  It freakin' hurts!  I took some advil once I got to work; hopefully that'll start helping here any minute.  *sigh*  Should've called in this morning.

OK...so enough with all that negative nelly stuff.  This will be a better week.  I've got a plan and I'm fairly motivated.  Hubby has 3 possible job leads - the first one is the one he has his 3rd interview for this week and the other two are ones we're trying very hard to GET interviews for.  Hopefully our luck is starting to change and we're gaining some momentum.  Speaking of Hubby, he got his first fill on Friday.  While there's not a big difference yet, he's starting to get those gentle reminders when he eats too fast or too much so he's off to a good start.  I'm already seeing a big difference in his portions.  Tomorrow is our 8 year wedding anniversary so I'll do a "Why I Love My Hubby" post then.

With high hopes for my hubby's job interview and leads, here is your Monday DEMotivator: