201: Looking Ahead

I never have been much of a New Year's Resolution person. I may say I've made some, but I've never really followed through. This year though, you guys have inspired me to really set up some goals and make some great things happen for myself. So here are my overall goals for 2012.

Health

1. Get to Goal Weight: 170lbs
2. Give paleo-style eating an honest month (at least) of effort.
3. Set monthly exercise goals and track consistently (and blog it!)
4. Find fitness events to stay motivated to exercise.
5. Take supplements daily.

Home

1. Paint and install old headboard.
2. Follow the 2012 Organize in 5 Daily Diary.
3. Find a space in the basement to organize crafty items/tools.
4. Carve out a little office niche somewhere in the house.

Work

1. Finish Service Excellence Certification
2. Do monthly or semi monthly staff morale projects.

Where do I start? Well, I plan on doing a fluffy-esque monthly goal setting post on the 1^st of each month and a wrap up on the 31^st. I'll also tell you how I'm doing on the rest of the stuff. I also plan to keep an activity log and populate it with data from my Polar monitor (started that this morning!). I already have my first fitness even picked out for March (I'll tell you more about that later).

And there you have it. Oh, before I forget, my phrase for 2012 is…

Level Up!

Level up my life, that is. There is a blog called Nerd Fitness that I've been reading for about a year now, and it really speaks to me. One of the main points there is you should do something to level up your life every day. In video games (if you are not familiar) you often have to do certain thing over and over (practice?) until you get to a higher level or proficiency. Makes sense that you would do that in real life too. More exercise will get you better fitness level. Making better eating choices over and over will eventually get you better nutrition, health, and weight loss. So, in 2012, I want to remind myself that I always need to be working on leveling up.

Watch out for my first goal post for January coming up!

ETA: linky to the Daily Organize thingamajig!

DEXA Results!

I know I promised you this weeks ago. Sorry! Holidays, you know…

Let's start with what a DEXA scan is. DEXA stands for Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (yes, that is really a word), and it is mainly used to determine bone mineral density. By using two low dose x-rays, a DEXA scan can measure bone density and soft tissue to determine body fat percentage. Exercise.about.com tells me that it is the gold standard for body fat measurement and has a 2-3% margin of error. One neat thing is that it measures all percent fat in your legs, arms, trunk, and head separately. Now I know that my arms and trunk are fatter than my legs (I figured), and my left arm is about 3% fatter than my right arm!

The whole procedure was very quick and easy. I wore comfy clothes with no metal. All I had to do was lie still on a cushy table while the machine moved around above me. It only took about eight minutes. In fact, here's a picture:

I have to admit, when I saw this, I was thinking what is that protuberance on my spine! Um… that would be my band. Funny.

All right, all right, get to the results, why don't I…

Weight (scale): 205

Weight (Dexa): 203 (minus clothes, etc. More of a true weight.)

Lean Mass: 120 lbs

Fat Mass: 83 lbs

Percent Body Fat: 40.9

I know 40.9% still seems like a crazy bad number, but let's break it down a little more. According to my handy-dandy results report, women age 45-59 with body fat less than or equal to 35% have reduced all-cause mortality. Assuming no change in lean mass, I would be there at 185lbs!

Acceptable body fat percentage for an average woman is 25-31%. At 31%, again assuming no change in lean mass, I would be around 175; at 25%, I'd be around 161! So my goal of 170 puts me square in the middle of an acceptable body fat percentage. This report suggests a maintenance weight range of 172 – 185 for me.

Apparently, my bone mineral density is average, so yay for no bone loss yet!

What does it mean? That I'm happy with my intended goal weight, and I'm feeling more confident than ever that I will get there. I'm really looking forward to getting my second one done once I get there! 

Personal Training and Christmas

But not necessarily together...

First the personal training, or in this case, I like to refer to it as personal ass-kicking. I deserved it. Every bit. In fact, I hand picked this girl because I knew she would hand me my ego on a platter. It was great! And I'm horrendously sore. So... I'm happy. And energized. I'm not going to make it back to the gym before next Tuesday, but the workout is mainly bodyweight/dumbbell stuff so there are no excuses for not getting it done at home.

We have a big weekend up ahead. Tomorrow we go to my in-laws, Saturday to my dad's, and Sunday to my mom's. My poor kiddos are going to have some seriously fried nerves by the end of it. We're sending them to daycare tomorrow for half a day just to keep some semblance of order in their little lives. It has the potential to be a logistical nightmare, but we'll make it happen. We have lots of lists!

I finished the last bit of shopping this afternoon, and I finally finished the yarn wreath for my mother in law. I will post pics soon -- it's late and I'm too lazy to plug in the camera right now. It came out really nice though. I'm really happy with it.

Well, here's me, signing off for the weekend. I hope everyone has a lovely holiday and I'll see you on the flip side!

Sunday Night Refocus - Better Late Than Never Edition and Secret Santa!

Better late than never... seems to be my motto these days. I'm losing my spunk, people. I don't know what it is... I was really in the holiday mood and anymore it is waning. I am getting stressed! Lest I forget though, let's check in.

1. Drink more water. Dismal.
2. No candy. Meh. I had some peanut butter M&Ms, but other than that I did avoid the candy.
3. Exercise 3 times: Yes! And I even signed up for some personal training to get some motivation!
4. Bandster Basics. I actually feel I did really well on this. Until Sunday when I grazed all day at my uncle's house. Oh yeah. It's was bad.
5. 1200 cals per day: Again, the weekends did me in. I think I need to approach it more like "I'm only going to eat what I can log", instead of "I'm not logging it because I have no idea what's in it frame of mind."

I got my DEXA results in the mail already -- I'll give you more on that tomorrow. It was very cool, and I'm really really really glad I did it.

So Secret Santa! I got my gift in the mail on Saturday and can I just say that someone out there knows me really well! Sephora gift card and a cool holiday starbucks tumbler. *LOVE*. I am drinking one of the Via packets as I type! Thank you, thank you, thank you secret santa! When are you going to reveal yourself?!

As for my person... I am sending out today (nothing like waiting till the last minute, eh?). And because I am so last minute with it, I'm adding some extra fun.

Plans for staying on track this week...

• water, and no excuses. 
• I made a batch of Rocco Dispirito black bean soup (just got his cook book for Christmas) and divvy-ed it up for lunch portions this week.
• First personal training session on Wednesday night.
• Got Just Dance 3 for Christmas too (yes, we pretty much have Christmas all week long in this family), so I'll be shaking my tailfeathers for some extra cardio a few times a week.

Everyone have a great Monday and a great week. I'll be back tomorrow with DEXA results!

Fill Day!

Finally finally finally. I got a fill yesterday! I was so sick of having that fleeting restriction. Having been around the block a few times with this, I know that when my restriction seems to come and go it means I need a smidge more to get to my sweet spot. And here I am.

Yesterday was a big day. I had the fill in the morning, then I had a marathon exercise physiologist / nutritionist / doctor appointment at the weight control center. I saw a different nutritionist this time, and she was wonderful. Loved the exercise guy too. The main outcome of the whole thing was that I need to supplement with Vit D, and I need to get off the processed food again. The nutritionist gave me some fantastic handouts with soup recipes and lunch ideas which I forgot at the checkout desk. I left her a voicemail today -- I hope she'll interoffice mail some to me since we work for the same hospital system. Hey, it's free, right?

Anyway, how is this fill feeling? Awesome. And I'm promising myself (and you) not to test it. I'm sticking to liquids or yogurt before 11. No more gulping water. No more big bites. I know I will pay for it, so how about just not doing it in the first place? Right? Breakfast was a 1/2 scoop of protein powder in water before the gym (yes, I even exercised this morning), then a Chobani. Lunch was french onion soup with out croutons. Dinner is supposed to be baked chicken tenders with panko crust and salad or slaw on the side. Now if one of the docs hadn't brought in a cannoli pie, I'd be all set. Yes, people, of course I had a piece. I am Italian, you know. 

I also wanted to say that I'm reading your blogs, but finding it hard to comment right now. I'm reading mostly on my phone, so commenting is a pain. I'm trying to keep up with you though!

Sunday Night Refocus - Monday Morning Edition

Hello blogland! I've decided it's the holidays that are making me a lazy blogger. So much to do, so little time!

Let's check in:

1. Drink more water. Yes! I'd say I got in at least 70oz 5 out of 7 days. Loving Watermelon Strawberry Mio!
2. No candy. I did better this week even with PMS! Wednesday I had some Junior Mints.
3. Exercise 3 times: Didn't do anything this week. Unless you count mad shopping!
4. Bandster Basics. Definitely getting better. Not serving myself too much. In fact, I told my hubby he can't make my plate for me anymore because he always puts way too much there and then gets upset when I don't eat it. 
5. 1200 cals per day: I need to be better about logging on the weekends. I also didn't log a lot this week because of the parties. Bad excuse, I know.

We had two potlucks at work this week, and I made it through both without being a pig. Wednesday I indulged in some cheesy potatoes, but other than that, I tried to stick with the protein and veggie options. On Friday, one of the nurses brought in a fantastic texmex coleslaw. I will have to get the recipe to share with you guys... I need to make it a staple. So good! There is yet another party today at lunch -- pizza this time. I hope they have salad too.

So what's the plan for this week? Well, the gym bag is packed and in the car. I'm planning on going to Circuit class this afternoon.  I think I need some kind of program or routine. This willy-nilly thing is NOT working for me. I also brought my shaker cup to work so I'm prepared for post-fill liquids. I have HMR shakes, soups, and some different herbal teas. I still have to plan for mushies.

Hey, I almost forgot! It's fill week! Wednesday is a big day for me. Fill in the morning (I'm going to ask for a teensy weensy bit), then a giant appointment at the weight control center. First I see the exercise physiologist and get the DEXA scan, then I see the nutritionist, and then I see the doc. Should be interesting. And I promise to post about it in a timely manner!

Refocus - better late than never!

Let's do a status check. This was my list of things to incorporate and how I've done this past week:

1. Drink more water. Yes! Been getting 60-80oz most days. 

2. No candy. Ummm... not so much. But definitely less than usual. I do like my treats!

3. Exercise 3 times. Yes! I did the treadmill one day, resistance training class one day, and Zumba another day!

4. Bandster Basics. Getting there. Getting reaquainted with my stop signs and really listening. Serving myself smaller portions and not picking at my food for an hour.

5. 1200 cals per day, logged on myfitnesspal.com. Yes! I've been logging most days and staying pretty darn close to my goal.

So, where did this get me? Minus 1.3 pounds this morning! Yay! It's about time things started moving in the right direction. I'm going to stick to the same thing this week. Exercise has got to be the key. I noticed that my jeans are feeling tighter these last few weeks even though my weight has only fluctuated a few pounds. Not good!

A failed dinner and trying something new.

Am I the only one who stresses over what to title their blog posts? *sigh*

I made fish tacos last night, and they were gross. I tried making mahi mahi, and I almost barfed when I took it out of the bag and saw it still had skin on one side. Ew. I scraped the meat off the skin when it was mostly cooked, and then I threw in the sauce. And, true to form, I made up two of them for my plate but only managed to get through part of one. My eyes are still way bigger than my stomach. Never has that saying been more true than since I got banded. Am I right or am I right? I made shrimp for the hub's tacos, and he liked his, so I guess it was worth it. 

Yesterday I wasn't feeling too great about some of my food choices. I had some junior mints in the afternoon and a muffin for breakfast. But, the scale was down a pound overnight! Whee! I have my gym bag in my car, so I'm ready for this afternoon. I'm going to try one of the classes they offer. It's called On the Ball -- resistance training and ab work using the exercise ball. Should be cool. I will report tomorrow!

Refocus, Refocus!

Shame on me! I almost went to bed without doing this post. I've been wasting far too much time on pinterest.com. So addicting.

Anywhoozle, I won't be long tonight. I plan on going to the gym tomorrow morning (say wha?), so I must get my beauty rest. Cuz you know my two kidlets will probably not sleep all night, so there's that.

First things first... I got to meet the lovely CeCe and Cat this weekend! We had an awesome crepe breakfast, and the time just went way too fast. I could've sat there and chatted all day with them! I'm stealing this pic from CeCe:

What do we learn from this picture? CeCe and Cat are cute as can be. And I need new bras, um,  like yesterday! Yowsers.

So, yeah, refocusing... I know the scale is going to be up tomorrow. I did really well all week up until Friday, and then all hell broke loose. That is why I'm dragging my sorry ass to the gym this week. Same rules apply as last week: bandster basics, water, exercise, no testing the band! No more screwing around. I WILL be under 200 by Christmas!

I will also post some pics of my craftiness in the form of felt flowers tomorrow. Or you can just look at them on facebook. Night ya'll (that was for you, Beth Ann and Ronnie and Debi!).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick shout-out to all my banded sisters out there... Don't stress over your meal tomorrow. Eat lots of yummy turkey protein and a little bit of whatever else. Have a piece of pie and enjoy it. It's one day. I promise you will not gain back all of your weight.

I love you guys! Have a happy happy Thanksgiving!

Return of the Refocus!

What can I say? I've not been very focused lately. I've talked a good game, but there hasn't been much follow-through. I haven't even been blogging as much as I'd like. Yes, it's the holiday season, but that's no excuse on either account, is it?

 

Last night I was finally catching up on reading some of your blogs when I came across Fluffy's Bandiversary posts. Something struck a chord… again. Really, I don't know how many times I have to be hit over the head with something to make it sink in. So, I'm renewing my vows with you, with my band. To love and to cherish, to take care of in sickness and in health, to do my best not to barf, to eat bandster portions, to not drink with meals, to make healthy choices, to exercise, till death do us part.

 

First thing I'm going to do is reinstate my Sunday night refocus posts, in which I will give you my intentions for the week. Next I'm going to list all my NSVs, so I can review how far I've come instead of getting bogged down in how far I still have to go. I'm also going to print out a list of bandster rules and hang them on the side of my computer monitor at work. There will be no escaping!

 

Let's get to it. Here is what I intend for this week:

1. Drink more water. I know I'm dehydrated. I don't feel the need to be specific -- my intake is that dismal. Just drink.
2. No candy. Period.
3. Exercise 3 times, whether it's at the gym or Just Dance on the Wii. Do something to break out of the rut.
4. Bandster Basics.
5. 1200 cals per day, logged on myfitnesspal.com
6. Thanksgiving: Lots of delicious turkey protein and a little bit of whatever else. A piece of pie. Done. No need to stress over it.

 

Now, let me tell you about my visit with the NP at the Weight Control Center. Basically, she told me I was a band superstar, but I begged to differ. She told me that most of the band patients she sees lose only 40-60 pounds, and that with me having lost 70 and having kept it off, she was impressed. So, of course, I had to tell her about all of our band superstars losing over 100 lbs. I could tell she was skeptical. Hmph. So, I also told her I plan on losing 100 myself and to give her some credit, she was very supportive and helped me put a plan in place. Next appointment is in December. It's a big day. I have a fill in the morning, then I go to the WCC for a DEXA scan for body composition, a meeting with the exercise physiologist, the nutritionist, and finally the MD. It's 3 weeks away, and I would love to show up under 200. Finally. Seriously done with Two-nusia.

 

So. Over. It.

 

Happy Monday everyone!

Random lady makes my day!

Not much to report from me. Weight steady around 204 for like the fifth week in a row, still struggling to get all my protein in, etc, etc, etc. I do have to say that protein pudding made from HMR 70 is really freakin' good though. It has saved me from an absolute chocolate breakdown once or twice.

I just have one quick story for you. This past weekend I was in Me!jers looking for some workout pants, and a lady who worked there saw me looking through the racks. She told me to hang on, that she was about to be marking some stuff down and she would tell me which ones were on clearance. So she starts with this one rack and says, "Oh, these are plus sizes, you don't need those." Wait... what? I wanted to say, "Are you really looking at me right now in my frumpy sweats and fleece and declaring that I do not need plus sizes?" Seriously, I could've kissed her. No one has ever declared me to be a non-plus size person out loud. It was awesome.

The Nut That Wasn't

Yesterday I had my first appointment with the nutritionist at the weight control center. And would you believe, she was actually sane? Yes, a Nut who is not a NUT! I am so pleased.

First of all, she gets the whole band thing. She didn't suggest anything crazy, and didn't argue with me when I said a certain food wasn't tolerated. She is also Italian, and even commiserated with me on missing pasta. She quizzed me a lot on my habits and validated some of my choices and made good suggestions when things needed change. All in all, I was really happy with the visit. 

She set a protein goal of 65g per day for me, but I'm going to keep aiming for 75g. She recommended some HMR shakes and protein Chicken Soup to help me get there (I struggle). She also suggested I get more consistent with my vitamins and get on some Calcium, and she hooked me up with mega samples of the Bariatric Advantage Calcium Crystals. They are supposed to be flavorless, but regardless it will be a way to get more water in.

So here is my plan:

Breakfast: Protein bar OR bacon/fruit OR protein drink

Morning snack: greek yogurt OR almonds

Lunch: protein and veggies (frozen entree, leftovers, salads)

Afternoon snack: crackers/veggies w/ hummus OR chips and salsa OR cheese OR HMR shake/pudding

Dinner: protein and veggies

Snacks are what get me off track usually. I have a horrid sweet tooth, so I'm hoping that making the HMR pudding will help stave that off while helping me keep the protein count up.

Next week is my appointment with the nurse practitioner!

The flu. Poo.

I've been such a bad blogger lately. But I'm going to fix that. My excuse for last week was that I had possibly the flu, possibly pneumonia. I'm banking on the latter because the antibiotic they put me on really kicked the shit out of whatever I had.

I had kind of a neat NSV yesterday. I don't even know if you could call it an NSV. There is this long sleeve tee I used to wear all the time at my heaviest. I even remember wearing it to support group right after surgery. Well, I caught a glimpse of myself in it, and holy crap, it was ridick. It was so big... even the arms looked like you could fit two of me in them. So much for that shirt! It was a nice little reminder of how far I've come though.

Can I just say that I hate daylights savings time? It really bums me out that it's dark out now when I get my kids from daycare. And dark when I leave the house. Oh, winter, please go fast!

Tomorrow is my appointment with the nutritionist. I'll let you guys know how that goes. I haven't seen her before, so it'll be interesting to see if she's one of those who really "gets" the lapband or if she's going to tell me to eat a half wheat bagel for breakfast. Yes, I actually did receive that advice from a post-band nutritionist. She truly was a NUT.

Desperate times call for desperate measures

That's about where I'm at. I had a conversation with a friend on my trip this past week during which I realized just how little effort I've been putting forth lately. I also realized that the beginning of this plateau was the very month I got this new job. Stress much? So I've decided this calls for some major overhaul in how I am approaching life in general these days. I need to build some new habits and new routines and not let myself get dragged down into the muck of ambivalence.

I've been called on the carpet in the past for my ambivalent attitude towards weight loss. I tried to examine it from a psychological perspective, and the best I can come up with is that ambivalence arises from a perception of being powerless. Do I feel powerless in this journey? I shouldn't. I've already accomplished a major chunk of weight loss so I know it's possible. I think sometimes I let the craziness of other parts of my life sneak into my weight loss mindset. So is it that I feel powerless to change other parts of my life that I now feel I can't do this either? Maybe I've just had a lot of whirlwind changes over the past two years and things have not quite settled down yet. However, I cling to the notion that if you wait for the right time to start something, that time will never come.

So what to do? Well, yesterday I stopped at my hospital's Weight Control Center. All bariatric sugery patients are funneled through here for pre-op and post-op care. I, unfortunately, did not benefit from this because my surgeon at the time was the only one doing lap bands here and kept all her support functions through her own office. She left town 10 months later, and I ended up with my new guy, who I love. To make a long story short, I joined the weight control center so I could see a nutritionist, but I never took advantage of anything else they have to offer. I now have an appointment with the nutritionist next week and an appointment with one of the medical docs later this month. I'm hoping if I put a little more focus on this area it will help me stay on track. I only have 35 more pounds till goal and I don't want to take another five years to get there.

Here I go again!

This morning I'm off on my third and final trip of October. Two coworkers and I are going to a conference in St. Louis. Two awesome coworkers, even! I think it's going to be a great time. Both of them have convinced me to bring workout clothes, but I'm not sure how that is going to turn out just yet. I'm an early morning exerciser, so I may be on my own if I actually venture down.

Anyhoozle, my alarm just went off, so I better get moving. I'll be computer-less this week, so while I'll be reading lots, I probably won't be commenting too much. Hope everyone has a great week!

NSV!

First things first... random number generator picked MandaPanda to get the mineral veil and lip gloss! Email me with your address!

Now onto my NSV...

Friday after work I was running some errands, and I decided to stop into Loehmann's to see if I could find some work clothes. I have mostly avoided this place because they don't have plus sizes. Why bother, right? Well, it's time to bother! I walked out with only one sweater, but that is not what I am so happy about. They have those "public" fitting rooms. You know... where there's a bunch of mirrors and benches and you just try on your clothes right there in a big room? When I first walked in, I had a deep urge to turn around and walk back out. Then I thought, hey, why not? So I tried on my sweaters and didn't miss a beat. I never would have done this even 20lbs ago!

Strangely enough, the scale is still barely moving, but I continue to get compliments and people asking if I've lost more weight. Things must be shifting around in there or something. I just wish I could say, 'Why yes, I've lost another 30 lbs!" Soon enough!

Rain, rain, go away!

It is raining cats and dogs here! I don't like the wind that came with it because it kept blowing my umbrella inside out, but I do like the sound of it on the roof. As long as there is no thunder to wake up my kiddos, I'm a happy camper.

This week has not been a great one. I'm facing a very difficult situation at work which will come to a head tomorrow. I have faith it will all be water under the bridge in a few weeks and we can all get on with life. Until then however, I'm going to have to call on all my communication/leadership skills to get my team through it. Thank God I just took a seminar in Cruci@l Convers@tions. I learned a lot and realized I already possessed some of these skills. I just didn't know I was doing it!

Also, my little guy is sick AGAIN, so I've been scrambling for babysitters all week because I just cannot afford to not be present at work with all the shenanigans going on. He seems to be doing better today, so now I'm just praying my tater tot doesn't catch it. I've been ruthless about them not sharing spoons/forks/sippy cups, etc, which is hard because I normally don't care. I swear he's cried more because I've taken a sippy away from him than anything else.

On the band front, I've been fluctuating in tightness. I'm OTR suddenly -- a couple days early than I was expecting. I haven't been very vigilant about food, though I can tell my volume is down, so I'm coming out fairly even. I still haven't visited the gym. I'm not trying to make excuses -- I know I could be staying on track even with the work stress and the sick kids. I feel I've sort of dropped back into planning mode, and I've got to kick myself back into action. I want to make November a big month!

If you've made it this far, here's a little fun. I was cleaning out my makeup stash and I found a couple things still sealed that I will never use. If you're interested, I have a Bare Escentu@ls Illuminating Miner@l Veil and lip gloss in Praline. Like I said, they are still sealed, never used. I hate to throw this stuff away, so let me know in the comments if you want them, and I'll pick a random number.

Metabolism - a poem

This poem is hanging up in our cardiac rehab office. I liked it, especially the last two lines, because it really is all about the tools we have been given and what we intend to do with them!

Metabolism

 

My metabolism fell asleep.

My system didn't know what to eat.

My body grew, my clothing shrunk,

My mind was in an awful funk.

I searched for answers off and on.

This is what I finally found...

A doctor wise beyond his years,

A nutritionist to allay my fears, and guide

my progress through the years.

They provided the tools for a smaller me,

And this is what I intend to be.

 

W. Vigneau

Home again

Well, I'm back from trip #2! We went to Virginia this past weekend for my cousin's wedding. It was insanely fun as I rarely get to a) hang with my VA cousins, b) have my far-flung family all in one place, and c) travel with my sister. Good times! The wedding was gorgeous, as was the bride. One of my cousins works for the hotel we stayed at, so we lucked into a junior suite for cheap. I so enjoyed sleeping in a king-size bed with no kid interruptions for two nights! My uncle chartered a bus to take the out-of-towners from hotel to church to reception and back to hotel again. Thank God because it got me out of being the DD in a strange place! All the roads are so twisty-turny around there... I'm used to my grid system here in metro Detroit!

Anyway, I am home this week, and then next Monday I'm off to a conference in St. Louis. Any BOOBs in the vicinity? Let me know!

My week thus far...

Oh, it has been pretty sucktastic around these parts. First my ailing hoo-ha, then my cat died on Tuesday, then I got stuck in class all day Wednesday (which I almost forgot about!). Last night, I had to get up at 2:30am to cover up my little guy because he was cold, and I couldn't get back to sleep after that, as usual. So I play some Lego Star W@rs for awhile and finally got a shower and went outside to load up the cars. This is where it gets really awesome: my keyfob for hubby's car suddenly quit working a few days ago. No biggie because I hadn't needed to drive it. Well, today, it was in the driveway, so I had to take it. I told hubs that I needed his keys, and he was all like, "hello, you can just stick the key in the lock 80s style." Ok genius, I'll give it a try. What happens? It set the damn car alarm off! At 5:30 in the morning! Right outside tater tot's room! Lord help me. And of course, it's dark in the driveway, so I can't find my house key to open the door and grab the other keys to shut it off. Seemed like it was honking for 5 minutes straight! 

Yesterday I indulged in a little retail therapy since I didn't want to binge over losing my Snicker-cat. I got a Sonia K@shuk sparkly eye quad, some deep wine nailpolish, and some of that Sally H@nsen design stuff -- it is black and silver sparkles. I think I will try to do it on the plane tomorrow. Better than a bag of candy corn, right?

One bright spot? My staff bought me fancy tea, Godiv@ chocolates, and orange roses for boss' day! I guess they do like me after all!

Monday night ramblings

Warning... crotch-talk ahead...

Oh people, what is a girl to do? I have an infection of sorts in my nether-regions, and the medicine the doc gave me cannot be taken with alcohol. Like, one little drink would make me seriously ill! Now, it's not like I can't go without, but we're going to my cousin's wedding out of town this weekend with NO CHILDREN. So, not only can I not get laid, but I also cannot imbibe. Really. W.T.F. I have the worst luck.

My hubby has tried to get me to see the silver lining in this. He says that 8 days of no drinking could be a nice jump-start to weight loss. Now that is something I sorely need! I've been maintaining fairly effortlessly since freaking May, so one would think that with just a shred of effort I should be able to get some poundage off. I have a mere 35lbs to get to my goal, which seems like almost nothing since I've already lost 70!

I've been a lazy-pants all week, mostly because I'm still trying to kick this cold. I'm pretty sure the other people at the gym would not take kindly to me hacking up a lung next to them on the treadmill. My muscles are feeling so tight -- I should at least make an effort to stretch this week.

So what is the plan? I don't know. I'm still liking the paleo/primal thing. I wouldn't say I'm anywhere close to 100% there, but my daily intake of processed food is way down and I'm eating more veggies and my protein sources are more varied. It's a start. Maybe I need to suck it up and go whole hog. No more fake sugar, no more real sugar, and maybe I'll even buy some coconut oil to cook with! Exercise, well, I think I need a come-to-Jesus there. I've been farting around for too long. I still want to do my Cross Fit on Wednesday nights, but I am thinking of incorporating the interval training from The Paleo Solution for the rest of the week. Time to dust off my kettlebell!

Anyway, if you don't see me around much this week, it's because I somehow have to work 30 hours in the next three days, pack for my kids to go to my inlaws, and pack for me and hubs to go to an out-of-state wedding. I'm tired just thinking about it!

BYOC

Holy crap. I think this is my third post today! Guess I'm making up for the rest of this week!

1. If you were given $1,000,000 that you had to spend ONLY ON YOURSELF....how would you spend the money?

Travel, like to Europe and Africa.

Shoes (who wouldn't, really?)

Expensive makeup (as if I didn't have enough already)

Jewelry (I likes me some bling)

Electrolysis so I would never have to wax between my eyebrows again.

2. Who would you say is the one person that's had the most influence on your life? By that, I mean the person that has molded you in to the person you are today?

Hands down, my mom. So obvious, I know, but it is what it is. I still talk to her every day on my way home from work. We are very different, but I think that's why it works (besides the mother/daughter connection). My mom is one of those people that everyone wants advice from. She's level-headed, smart, and gets tipsy off one little glass of wine. She's the best.

Aside from that, I have a very good friend that had really pushed me to become my own person, challenged me to think for myself. Despite that, she's one person who has always love me, as she would say, "warts and all." She's one of my soul-mates, and I know I would not be the same person without having known her.

3. What is your normal morning routine? Are you a bear in the morning, or is the morning your favorite part of the day?

I am the consummate morning person. I annoy people, especially my husband. Kids want to wake up at 5:30? Whatev, let's do this thing. Boxing class at 5am? I'm there. I don't even need coffee. Bam!

4. If you're a Facebook and Twitter user, which do you prefer and why? If you're just a Facebook user, what do you think of the new changes? 

I have never gotten into Twitter, though my husband thinks I should pimp my blog on it. I really just don't care that much to attract more people. It's not like I'm trying to make money or something. There are a few feeds I follow, but they stream into my google reader, so it's hard to even remember that they're coming from Twitter, except for the fact that they are always very short posts.

I much prefer Facebook, and while I was a little annoyed at the changes, some of it is growing on me. I like the option to "Unsubscribe" from certain people, and I have most definitely taken advantage of that. None of you lovelies, of course. 

5.  Repeat question....how was your week in real life and in blog land this week? 

Real life: back to work, back to reality. Still trying to kick my cold, and not having much luck. I coughed about thirty times just while I was typing this.

Blog land: I mean to post more, but well, you know how that goes. I'm very glad Ronnie posted some of my Chicago pics because I am just too damn lazy to do it myself.

Bullets!

• I'm sitting in my office trying to bang out the rest of these appraisals, and my current favorite song comes on... Bruno Mars' Somewhere in Brooklyn. So, of course, I must dance. Luckily, I was not caught. Hell, I will dance all day if it keeps me away from the cursed candy corn.
• I still have my cold. Balls. Of course, the entire ho/spit@l staff sounds like they're hacking up a lung. 
• Last night my three year old discovered how funny bathtub farts are. Love it! Both of them have started this thing where they use the washcloths to "wash" the tub and tile while they're bathing. I guess I must be setting a decent example in that department. Either that, or I don't do it enough and they are staging a toddler protest.
• I had a latte yesterday. I'm paying for it today. My stomach is killing me. No dairy!
• I discovered a coworker who is trying to go paleo too! It's nice to have a like-minded person around who doesn't think it's weird that I eat bacon for breakfast every day.
• My vitamin D level is up to 30. Still not high enough, so I'm going to start on a maintenance dose of 5000IU a day. It's much better than it was back in January though! I practically had rickets!
• And really, who puts a bowl of candy corn out at 9:30 in the morning? Cripes. I should keep a bowl of bacon on my desk (like the one at Texas de Br@zil)!
• How many more exclamation points can! I! use! !!!

Temptation

This is sitting a mere three feet away from me. It's the good kind too.

Where my BOOBs at!

I am missing you guys already! Good thing I have the instant facebook feed to keep me occupied today!

First, I have to send a big thank you to the planners. You guys have outdone yourselves once again. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your hard work -- it was truly fantastic and greatly appreciated!

I had such a great time with you all this weekend -- I don't even know where to begin!I will try to get my pics together and put some up over this coming week. For now, I'm trying to get my house back in order... you know what it's like when dad is left in charge for a few days!

Procrastinate... who me?

I have really tried to buckle down today and get some work done. Luckily I had a little presentation to do at a lunch meeting, so that was a nice break. Other than that, I've been chained to my desk. I have a doctor appointment later this afternoon to beg for some antibiotics. I have the beginnings of a sinus infection and I'll be damned if I let it keep me from partying this weekend!

One of my staff just brought me a piece of this lovely blueberry cream cheese jelly roll cake. I guess this will be my non-paleo meal for today. It's so good. Mmmmm.

Also, I just have to brag on my little guy for a minute. For anyone that doesn't know the story, I had severe preeclampsia with my second pregnancy and he was delivered 7 weeks early at just 3lbs 3oz. He's taken some time catching up, but at 21 months he's finally walking a bit and starting to say some intelligible words! He's a little thing -- only 23 lbs still. It is amazing think of him so tiny you could barely tell you were holding anything and now to see him climbing up into his booster by himself and hugging the cat (even though he calls them dogs) and saying "hello" and "night-night" and "mama!" And he sleeps all night to boot!

Speaking of night-night...

One. More. Sleep!

Just a quickie...

I was just checking out my stats page, and my latest search term was "landboobs." I don't know what they are, but apparently, they lead you to my blog. Awesome!

Also, I cancelled my blood donation for tomorrow because I feel like a pile of garbage. I bought some Airborne, so hopefully that will help give me a little boost.

Last minute laundry happenin' now. Last minute errands tomorrow. Now I must go organize. Let the packing commence!

One more thing... I am totally wearing my tennies during the day, so you can just ignore me from the ankles down. I'm saving the foot pain for the evenings!

Oh the things I should be doing...

I cannot concentrate on anything. I won't even say what I'm supposed to be doing... Instead I am making a packing list for this weekend! I told myself I wasn't going to go crazy this time, but of course, I will probably pack too much anyway. 

My throat is scratchy.  :( 

Quick poll: Do you guys think it's crazy if I donate blood tomorrow? I figure I'll be sitting on a train for six hours on Thursday if I happen to feel a bit off from it. What do you think? 

BYOC

Well, I think I am finally done shopping for Chicago. I still need to get my pants hemmed. I actually bought a dress today, but I'm not sure if I'm going to wear that or pants. Decisions, decisions! I have a crap-ton of work to do next week, and a couple of difficult meetings to attend. Come Thursday, I'll be ready to get out of dodge! It can't come fast enough!

1.  If you were a character on Friends, who would you be and why?

Chandler. He's such a goof. I don't really identify with any of the girls, so Chandler it is. Maybe with a bit of Monica thrown in.

2.  If you weren't in your current career what other career do you think you would have done?

Interior design or something more creative like that. I actually started out college in an architecture program, but I ultimately decided I was not artsy-fartsy enough and didn't fit in. 

3. What did you want to be when you grew up when you were 6?

A fashion designer!

4.  Do you think everyone only has one soulmate or true love? Or are there multiple people for everyone?

I think there are more than one. I think there are many people who can fill that spot in your heart -- all in different ways. Sometimes your soulmate might not even be a romantic partner. For example, I have a friend who I consider a soulmate -- we used to say that we got eachother so well because all of our shit fit together. I don't know.

5.  Repeat question.  Summarize your week in real life and in blog land.

I've been neglecting my blog this week and you know what that means. I've not been doing too well this week. I can't even go there right now.

In real life, well, you know. I'm tired, cranky, and for the life of me I cannot figure out why I don't get cramps until the 4th day of my period. WTF?

Post of randomness

Biggest Loser started tonight! Who's watching? Hubs and I cannot tear ourselves away from this show, which is funny because I never paid attention to the first 7 or 8 seasons.

I carbed out a bit today. Nothing crazy... just enough to keep myself from going into full-blown binge mode. The dangers of being on the rag, you know. By the way, hubs and I have come up with a new name for it. Lately, my allergies have been acting up a lot, and I randomly seem to sneeze a lot right when my period starts (I doubt they are related -- it's got to be some weird coincidence), thus, ...wait for it... RAGWEED SEASON! You know you can always count on me for a good period euphemism!

Anyway, I actually got cramps this month, so I'm thinking there will no Crossfit for me tomorrow night. All I need is to lose a tampon while Okay, I was about to go down a very gross road there. Reign it in, Maria! Sorry gals, I'm still not getting enough sleep.

Speaking of sleep... Moms, please. What do you do with a 3 year old who has become a champion bedtime staller? I am so over it I could just cry. We have a pretty good routine: snack, bath & teeth, pajamas, books, tuck-in and one more story, then good night. Lately, she starts crying anywhere from 15-30 minutes later saying she wants to come out to the living room or something is scaring her or blah blah blah. I don't give in, but it takes me sometimes another 20 minutes to get her calmed down and tucked in again. On top of that, she seems to wake up at 2:30 am quite a bit. It's always 2:30 -- I wish I knew what the hell was waking her up! At that point in time, more often than not, I let her go out to the couch and sleep. Sometimes we put a movie on, sometimes she just goes to bed. I know I should be tougher, but consider I live in a 900 square foot house with another toddler sleeping across the hall!

So that's me right now. Ragweed season, no sleep, blah.

One more thing... what does one wear to a drag show? I need to go shopping for Chicago!

The final countdown!

Oh people, I am in need of a serious ass-kicking. I binged like no other this weekend. Maybe it's the beginnings of PMS, maybe it's because hubs went up north fishing and I was fending for myself with the kids, who knows? All I know is that it happened, and it's over, and the scale was not happy with me this morning. 207. I know. I'm sure I can pee some of that out, but I really gotta push now, if I'm going to be solidly under 200 by Chicago. 

11 more days. I must be crazy. Shitballs, I'll settle for being closer to 200 than to 210. 

So, have any of you met the foam roller at the gym? This innocent-seeming instrument of torture is my new favorite thing. Find it, try it, love it. I've been rolling out my quads like crazy after I lift, and it makes a huge difference in my DOMS level the next day. I also have been getting over myself and trying other new things. Like the dip/pullup assist machine. Since I can only do Crossfit once a week, I need to work on those moves a little more. I have to set the damn thing to 160lbs before I can get myself up there, but whatev. All in time. I also am making friends with the rower, and me likey a lot. My gym is having a little rowing contest right now to see who can get the best time on a 1000m row -- prizes for each age group. Right now I'm in second place by 4 seconds for women 35-40. You can enter as many times as you want, so you can bet your bippy I'll be beating that time! 

Today's plan...

Exerise: Done! 1000m row, deadlifts (bar only), pullups and dips (assisted), 15 min incline walk

Brekky: 3 slices canadian bacon, plum

Lunch: chicken salad, baked squash with butter

Dinner: chili, salad

Snacks: beef jerky, celery with almond butter

Check me out!

A giant thanks to our lovely Jen for my new blog look! What do you guys think? 

In other news, I attempted to Crossfit yesterday after work. This was after a night of minimal sleep and a day of only liquids. I totally pussed out. When I read the WOD, I just knew I wasn't going to be able to do it, so I got her to scale it back for me a little. Even then, I only managed 4 out of 6 rounds. I thought I was going to puke, and I really did not want to do that on top of a fresh fill. It was still a good workout though -- good enough that I ripped some skin off my palm on the pull-up bar! Badass!

Yesterday when I weighed, the scale showed 201.1. That is an incredible new low for me. Today though, I popped back up to 203. I know it's because I just had to have a fruity post-workout shake at 8:30pm. Yesterdays number shows that I am getting close! I really want to be at 195 by Chicago, and I know I can do it! 

Have a good Thursday all!

Recipe!

Here's the recipe for the BBQ Pulled Chicken I mentioned in my last post: Rachel Ray's Barbecue Pulled Chicken with Cornbread Topper.

We made a double recipe and froze it (with the cornbread uncooked). If you go that route, it took about 50 minutes at 425 degrees to cook all the way through. It is our favorite dinner -- I could eat it all the time!

To fill or not to fill...

That is the question. (I'm feeling oh so original tonight. Cantcha tell?)

I have an appointment with my surgeon tomorrow morning, and I'm not really sure what I want to do. On one hand, I feel like I have pretty good restriction as far as my breakfast and lunch portion, but at dinner I can really put down some volume. On the other hand, I'm not losing despite logging, exercise, cutting carbs, etc.

What makes me want a fill? Well, a little more control for one. When I was losing 10lbs a month like a rockstar, I was unable to eat solids before 11am-ish. These days, I'm wolfing down bacon and eggs at 8am. Hell, I ate a plum this morning -- with the skin on! Unheard of!

What makes me not want a fill? Travel. I'm not worried about Chicago -- since I'll be surrounded by like-minded people, who cares if I barely eat anything or happen to get stuck? Two weeks later, however, I'm flying to Virginia for my cousin's wedding, and two weeks after that I'm flying to St. Louis for a conference. I haven't actually flown anywhere since I got my band, so I have no idea how it will actually affect me. I am confident that I can handle a bit of tightness though -- at least I can go prepared.

I have no intention of having him fill me back up to 1.6ccs. I'm at about 1cc now, so I figure maybe 1.3 would do the trick. I know all you 10cc band owners are thinking WTF!?!?! But yeah, I have a 4cc Allergan band, and have never tolerated more than 2ccs in it. Guess I never have to worry about being topped out, eh? Maybe I shouldn't jinx myself.

What do you think?

Oh yeah, food today:
Breakfast - 3 pork sausage links, 1 plum
Lunch - 3oz chicken with cheddar cheese shreds and a bit of enchilada sauce and 1/4 cup of white rice
Dinner - Pulled chicken with homemade BBQ sauce with blue cheese and scallion cornbread topping
Snacks - beef jerky, cocoa roast almonds

Today was a little light on the veggies. I'll have a big salad for lunch tomorrow.

Why, why, why? And a refocus.

I'm having a bit of a tantrum right now. In my head. From the outside it just looks like I'm enjoying a glass of wine and a piece of cake, but from the inside, well, just picture a toddler stamping and flailing and screaming. It's never pretty.

Why do we do these crazy things? Why, when I know it's going to mean bad things for the scale in the  morning and bad things for the various metabolic processes in my body, why am I still doing it? Why sabotage? Why have I not yet let go of comforting myself with food? There, I said it. I still turn to food for comfort. Why? In general I feel like I'm in a pretty good place. I've had a stressful week, but I can usually get past that sort of thing. So why? Because it was there? Leftover from the tater tot's birthday party? I don't have the answers. I don't think I ever will. But I'm ok with that, because as long as I never stop trying, there is still some glimmer of hope and sanity.

So what am I doing to get past it this week? Refocus on the paleo, baby. I read an interesting article from the Crossfit journal about the Zone diet, and how you can adapt it to paleo or whatever. I just need to pay a little more attention to meal planning this week and bring  a little more creativity to the table. The Zone blocks that are laid out in this article may be a tool for me to do this.

What else? Well, I'm planning on going to Crossfit again Wednesday night. I'll try to hit the gym at least two other times too. Most of all, I will try not to be a total stressball at work this week. Perhaps a noon walk would be in order. At least some fresh air.

Can you believe how close it is till Chicago? I need to go shopping!

BYOC

I really surprised myself at Crossfit this week. People, I did 30 box jumps. In a row. And I front-squatted 65lbs. Yes! I love it! It was definitely the high point of my week.




Now on to the Crazy

1. Do you drink coffee? Decaf or regular? Cold or hot? If not – what’s your go-to morning drink?

Sometimes. More lately. Decaf for the most part. Mostly hot, but sometimes cold. Lately I've been hitting St*rbucks a little too much. I wouldn't say I have a particular go-to in the morning, but I've been enjoying some San Pellegrino with sugar-free hazelnut syrup in the afternoons on occasion.

2. What are your top six characteristics in a partner if you could hand pick them. And just for kicks – if you’re in a relationship – after you make the list of six – does the person you are with possess all five?

I'm horrible at making these kinds of lists. And I'm really tired, so I'm copping out on this one.

3. I’m going to pick a person – not knowing if this person even exists in your life – and you try to describe this person in 5 short words or sentences:

Paternal grandfather

I never knew him -- he died when my dad was only eleven years old. Neither he nor my grandma ever talked much about him, so I sadly don't even know five things about him.

4. What’s your signature item? Color? Piece of clothing or jewelry? Accessory? You know – that one thing people know you will ALWAYS have on?

I need a signature piece! My signature item of clothing has always been this gray hooded sweater -- I actually wore it at BOOBs last year. Well, it's been retired. You can't really shove yourself into a sweater at 275 and expect it to still look nice at 205. Jewelry-wise, I always have on my Italian horn and my cross on a white gold chain. And besides my wedding rings, that's about it.

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in real life and in blog life.

In real life, things have been nutso. I've barely slept more than 4 hours a night all week. It was party because of a sick kiddo and partly because we kept losing power. Being so tired has really left me annoyed with some wo/rk drama. I'm usually a little better at letting things just roll off. I will hopefully be able to relax this weekend.


In blogland, well, real life has affected my ability to keep up!

Still here!

Man, I cannot even remember the last time I blogged! It's been a whirlwind week. 

Anywhoooooze, Week 1 Paleo wrapup first. It went ok. Stress got the best of me later in the week and I resorted to some carby comfort foods. It was a good start though, and I'm still down to 203.8 from 206.4. Things I need to do better: Plan lunches and snacks. Good things? I did not get my mid-afternoon slump, and my energy levels were way up, even from a few days of quality eating. 

Saturday I went to my first official CrossFit workout. I have two words for you: Holy. Shit. My core was so sore from bear crawls that it pretty much hurt to breath for two days. Seriously, I couldn't even sleep flat that night. Other than that, I am totally pumped about it. I'm going to go every Wednesday night, and hopefully some Saturdays too. Whee!

Refocus for the week: tightening up the eating and back to paleo. 

Today's food...

Breakfast: 3pc bacon, coffee with cream

Snack: 2 celery sticks with almond butter

Lunch: leftover chicken and veggie kabob

Snack: handfull of almonds

Dinner: chicken, sweet potato

My band is super tight today... we had a few hot days late last week, and I'm still feeling it. I had actually planned on more food than this, but I just couldn't fit it in.

Hey, if you are on myfitnesspal.com, look me up! My user/name is mdags.

Paleo Challenge Day 4

Down to 202.3 this morning! I love this honeymoon period!

So, it's day 4. If you've peeked at my food log, you might have noticed that I went off the rails a little bit yesterday to the tune of 8 pieces of saltwater taffy and some potatoes. I have promised myself that as long as the scale was moving or the inches are disappearing, I'm not going to push myself to be 100% perfect. Brush it off, and get back on the horse. 

Today's plan...

Breakfast: 2 sausage links with low-cal syrup (I know, I know... old habits are hard to break), grapefruit slices

Snack: beef jerky

Lunch: taco salad. Yes, I'm planning on having some chips. My Thursday taco bar lunch will keep me sane the rest of the week.

Snack: blueberries

Dinner: rotisserie chicken and a salad

I really need to sit down with my books and do some better meal planning. I can't keep on relying on cafeteria eggs and sausage for breakfast.

Also, I'm making an appointment for a haircut soon. Should I get highlights?

BOOBs 2011 Fun Facts!

1. How did you pick your blog name?  I remember sitting on the couch with my laptop agonizing over what to call my blog. I kept trying all kinds of different things that were already taken. I was also in the mindset that this was probably the last time I'd be able to muster the strength and courage to make it happen, thus it's my Last Train Out of Fat Land.

2.When did you start blogging? 

April 10, 2010

3. Theme of blog (weight loss, family, circus clowns, sci-fi, erotica, fly fishing, doll collecting, star wars, etc)

Mostly my lap band and weight loss, but other stuff creeps in too. 

4. Did you go to BOOBs 2010? 

Hellz to the yes!

5. When were you banded?

January 22, 2007

6. How much have you lost?

70 lbs

7. What are you most looking forward to at BOOBs?  

 Seeing all my pals from last year, and meeting lots of new ones!

 
8.What/who do you hope to find/see/accomplish at BOOBs 2011? 

Stephanie and I will be having many a philosophical discussion on the works of Olivia Newton John. Rollerskates and greek mythology may be involved. Feel free to join us!

9.Children? Pets?

2 kids. The tater tot is 3 next month and the little guy is 20 months. Yes, I'm crazy like that. I also have 3 cats: Snickers, Julius, and Mr. Baby. Yes, I'm even crazier like that.

10. Who is your roomie? 

Grace and Kristen

11. What day do you arrive? 

My train is rollin' in around 4pm on Thursday.

12. What airport/flight/time? 

Union Station

13.What events are you signed up for? 

Friday afternoon Chicago Detours tour and the drag show. I am playing the rest by ear.

14.Hobbies?

I am a voracious reader. And I am currently addicted to Lego Star Wars on my DS. I am a nerd, in case you haven't realized it yet.

15. Career? 

I've been doing stress testing and EEGs for five years, but I was recently promoted to supervise a similar department.

16. Single? Married? In a relationship? 

Married almost 6 years.

17. Your birthday month?

June

18. What do you want other BOOBs to know about you?

I like to laugh alot... I always go for the gross-out when presented the opportunity. No subject is taboo with me. I like to think I can party down, but let's face it... I have two toddlers at home, and it'll be a miracle if I make it past midnight. Anyone remember our pajama party in the Bama girl's room last year?

Paleo Challenge Day Two

Well, holy hell, I just may do a little posty-post every day of this challenge!

Food for today...
Breakfast: 1/2 Quest bar, coffee with cream
Snack: 1 small avocado with salt and lemon juice
Lunch: 1 pc beef jerky, slice of cheese, and a small banana. This was my unfortunate 7-11 lunch that I grabbed on my way to class.
Snack: almonds
Dinner: ground turkey with sauteed zucchini and diced tomatoes

That lunch really left something to be desired. I'm hungry as all get-out right now, but I'm doing my best to hold out for dinner.

So, how awesome is this? I set my week one goal to be down 2.5 pounds... and it is already gone overnight! Bye-bye water weight! One other thing I've noticed already is I've had no afternoon slump yesterday or today. Usually around 2:00 I just want to lay my head down on the desk and nap. Today, even though I was in a boring management systems class, I was completely alert the whole time. It's fortunate -- I would've been head bobbing normally, and that never looks good in a class like that!

I also procured a babysitter for Saturday morning so I can go to the Crossfit Intro class. Hubs is running a 5k, so he won't be around. I am so pumped for this. Next summer I am going to be busting out pullups and pushups like nobody's business!

Paleo Challenge Day 1

So far so good, my friends! I know, I know, it's only been what... 7 hours?

Breakfast: 1/2 Quest bar (not strictly paleo, but LaraBars give me wicked heartburn!)

Snack: coffee with cream and no sugar (yes, you read that right. NO sugar)

Lunch: 1 link Italian sausage with onions and peppers, asparagus cuts

Plans for the rest of the day:

Snack: 1/2 nectarine, handful of almonds

Dinner: 1 link spinach and pepper chicken sausage; spinach, mushrooms, and walnuts with ranch dressing

Snack (if needed): 1 cup coconut milk (this shizz is really good, I swear!)

I will reactivate my food log on the sidebar later so you can see macronutrient breakdowns.

The little guy is due to the doctor for his well-visit, so no gym for me today. Maybe we'll take a spin around the block when we get home.

Sunday night refocus, paleo edition

I'm doing it. I'm going whole hog. I'm going paleo for thirty days. Starting tomorrow, ending the day I leave for Chicago.

I would love to write you all a novel about my week, but I gotta tell ya... even though my period is about to be done, I still feel like a raging hormone-driven monster. I'm afraid I won't be able to stop once I get started.

So, in a nutshell, hubs and I are challenging ourselves for a month. Daily weighing and posting on the white board in the kitchen. Tomorrow, when I get home from work, I'll be taking pics and measurements. I'm also starting Cross Fit at the gym next week, and I'm pretty geeked about that.

Oh yeah, if you're wondering what paleo is, check out Mark's Daily Apple and Robb Wolf's site.

Quiet 'round these parts

Why do I make up these post titles that sound like cowboy-speak?

Yes, I've been quiet. I wouldn't say I've been hiding, just quiet. It's another rough work week for me, and I'm just exhausted. I won't go into detail because, frankly, I don't want to relive any part of it. Things should settle down next week. Needless to say, I haven't made it to the gym, though once again hubs has promised to pick up the kids once a week so I can go to a late exercise class. They are offering cross-fit at my gym through a local affiliate, and I really want to try it.

I'm also PMSing like a mo-fo.

In all this funkity funk funk, I've actually started cutting sugar and flour from my diet. Okay, I will admit that the withdrawals may be adding to the funk. Just gotta get through a week or two. It's been going very well, although I did stick a spoon into a jar of hot fudge when I got home. Hey, it's a work in progress. I just finished reading Gary Taubes' Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It. Very good read. In keeping with my self-help junkie promise I made earlier this year, I had to give it the ol' college try. So, I'm following the Primal Blueprint, which is another book I am in the middle of reading. Any other bandsters out there going primal? I'd love to hear about it!

Anywhoozle... my brain is tired. I need to zone out for another thirty minutes before I go pick up the chitlins.

Look who I had dinner with!

Yes, it's none other than Grace and kagead ! We enjoyed some delicious tapas and sangria tonight. I've decided tapas is the perfect bandster dinner outing -- why have I not thought of this before?! Anywhooz, I could've sat and talked with them all night, but there will be plenty of time for that in Chicago, right?

I would tell you more, but I'm already up way too late for my own good. Hey, at least I managed to post the picture!

Choices

And that's what it's all about... right?

Early this morning around 4am, I had just got up to change the little guy's diaper and decided to stay up since my alarm would be going off in 45 minutes. Of course, I end up in the kitchen trolling for food, and I spy some gummy fruit slices. I don't even like these things, but I popped one in my mouth anyway. As I was about to walk out of the kitchen, I thought, "Let's not start the day like this," and I promptly spit it out into the garbage. It's things like that that will make or break the day, dontcha think?

Lap Band Gal posted about a recent NSV -- and it reminded me of something I did this weekend. We were at my cousin's house for a birthday party, and my little guy had climbed further than I expected onto the play set. Without even thinking, I climbed up and got him and sent him down the slide to his dad. Later, I realized that even just last summer I probably would have not wanted to do that for fear of getting stuck in a small opening or having the whole thing disintegrate underneath me. It's nice to have let go of some of that.

Sunday night refocus, and boy do I need it.

I went off the deep end quickly this week. I type this as I sit here sipping a glass of sangria. It hasn't been horrible, but I would put myself at about 40/60 good/bad choices this week. I can do better. I keep telling myself I could get down to around 190 before Chicago, but if I keep farting around like this, it ain't happenin'.

You know me though, I'll keep plugging away, even if it is only a half-ass effort. Better than nothing, I suppose.
I keep thinking about my whole approach to things. I've tried to go back to things that worked in the past (specific food items, specific exercises, etc.), but those things just don't seem to be fitting into the grand scheme of things right now. I even thought about going back on the elimination diet for a few weeks, but even there, I don't have any great motivation to be so strict. I already know what my problem is (dairy), so I avoid it, and that's that. I need a new health philosophy, a new weight loss frame of mind. I need a fitness goal of some sort. Lord, I wish I was a runner, because I would be all over the 5ks. I just don't know what to do with myself sometimes.

I read somewhere recently that the people that get to their goals are the ones that learned to enjoy the journey itself and not just get through it for the sake of their ultimate destination. I think that is where I'm having trouble right now. I'm looking to hard at the goal, and not relishing the good things about this journey. I'm not enjoying the good food choices (which is ridic when you consider my hubs made the most delish zucchini patties with collard greens on the side tonight), and I'm definitely not enjoying the exercise.

What does this lead me to? I guess I need a change-up. Something totally different. I have no idea what that might mean food-wise, but for exercise, I think I'm going to try doing some classes at the gym instead of just hitting the treadmill and the weights. My gym has quite a few classes that are free to members, so why not try it out? There's Zumba two days a week, boxing, CardioSculpt, Track Blast, and even yoga right when I could be there. I'm going to try everything. Even the stuff I think I won't like. Hell, I might even try spinning in the mornings.

Anywhoozle, that's where my head is at this week.

BYOC

BYOC – Bring Your Own Crazy – 5 questions you can copy and paste to your own blog if you so desire – in an effort to get to know your fellow bloggers better and to give your blog brain a break!

Enjoy!

1. I have to do some MAJOR cleaning tonight…which is prompting me to ask…what is the absolute worst thing you hate to clean or cleaning chore you hate the most? (vacuuming, dusting, laundry, toilets, floors, etc.)

All of it. Every last thing. I pay someone to clean my house. No seriously, I do.

2. Brown or Black? Fly or Drive? Hot dog or Burger? Gold or Silver?

Black. I've tried to branch out into brown, but it just doesn't work for me.

Drive or Fly. Depends on the distance. For instance. My hubs hates to fly, so he wanted us to drive to Virginia for my cousins wedding. 11 hours in the car on Friday, wedding on Saturday, and 11 hours in the car on Sunday again? I think not. I will just make sure he has a drink or two before we board.

Burger. But I do occasionally get a hankering for a hot dog, especially Chicago style.

Silver or white gold.

3. Repeat question: I'm going to pick a person not knowing your relationship with them or even if a relationships exists – and you then try to describe that person in 5 short sentences/words.

Maternal Grandmother

This is a good one! I lived with my grandma for two years before I got married, and she's one of my best buddies.
Spitfire
Loving
Saucy Sicillian
Sharp as a tack
Always good for a hug

4. Even if you don't have kids, how do you feel about kids in multiple sports during their school years?  Were you in MULTIPLE sports all during school?  Forced or by choice?

Like Draz said, I was limited by my parents in how many things I could do. In fact, I was forced to choose between piano and basketball when I was in 7th grade, and like the idiot 12 year old I was, I chose basketball. I regret giving up piano to this day.

Having said that, I can see myself being a little selfish and not wanting my kids to get too crazy with stuff. But I'm also a sucker when it comes to my babies, so I will probably remember my own regrets and let them do more. Of course, my kids are still in daycare, so I have a long time before I have to deal with that.

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in real life and in blog land.

Blog land has been good. I've been neglecting my commenting duties a little this week. Sorry guys! 

Real life is good too. My first week back at work after vacation has been great except for some nonsense today. The next two weeks are going to be a little rough, but I'll manage. Still holding onto a couple vacation pounds -- doesn't help that I haven't made it to the gym at all this week. 

Talkin' 'bout the band

Today I got to put on my WLS PSA hat, and talk to a group of nurses about the lap band. It was nothing formal -- a nurse I used to work with called me and asked if I'd answer some of her co-workers' questions about the band. I, of course, said yes because I love talking about it these days. Funny how that happens when you finally have something to show for it, right? So, answering questions turned into a full-on half-hour grilling session. It was awesome. I told them about everything from food rules to PBs: the good, the bad, and the very ugly. I think they appreciated it, even the part about sliming. There was, as always, someone there who "had a friend with a band" and knew everything about it already. Whatev. 

It got me thinking... my surgeon is now doing cases at the horse-pistol (get it?) where I spend my days. What if I visited post-surgical patients to answer questions or just say, hey, recovery doesn't last forever! Might be interesting...

I'm working through a major chocolate craving right now. Trying to stave it off with Crystal Light. I know, it's a disappointing substitute at best. There is also a tub of tex-mex snack mix calling to me from the cabinet across the room. Maybe I need to go take a walk!

BOOBS fun idea!

So that title is bound to earn me some creepy search traffic!

Anywhoozle, any BOOBS out there interested in doing a Chicago Untouchables tour Friday or Saturday? I will get more details tomorrow so that Steph can officially post it. I've wanted to do this every time I've been to Chicago, but I've never managed it. I was also looking at Chicago Detours, and they look like the might be interesting. They got better reviews too.

Day one for me has gone well. I will cop to having a spoonful of hot fudge sauce this afternoon, but other than that I've been on plan. I also learned that I absolutely cannot have ice cream anymore. Ice cream = dairy. Duh. It's like colon blow for me. At least that should help me get my vacation poundage off.
 

Sunday Night Refocus - Hardcore Style

This Sunday night refocus session is actually a little exciting for me. Having just had a not so good food week on vacation, hubs and I are both starting a major overhaul tomorrow. I really didn't pig out too badly on vacation -- it helps that my inlaws eat really healthy, it was more that I drank EVERY night. It's just not something I do. FIL and I did do a 40 minute walk on a dune trail one morning, and MIL and I took the kids out for lots of walks, but there was not much real exercise happening. I decided not to bum myself out too much and I avoided the scale Saturday, and then I just totally flaked on weighing this morning for the BOOBs challenge. Oh well. Tomorrow I'm back on it for realz.

Our plan is, as usual, nothing fancy. Meat, veggies, minimal fruit, no liquid calories, and alcohol no more than once a week. We have lots of good stuff in the freezer so there is no excuse to eat garbage for dinner. Breakfasts for me this week will be either a protein shake or bacon and fruit from the cafeteria. Lunches will be either soup/leftovers from home or chicken/fish/veggies from the cafeteria. I'm even avoiding salads because I can't control myself with the blue cheese dressing. Dinners are planned out in advance:
Monday: buttermilk herb chicken with broccoli slaw
Tuesday: beef chimichangas with corn relish
Wednesday: rotisserie chicken with spinach
Thursday: dijon pork loin with zucchini
Friday: fish tacos with leftover corn relish

I'm hoping this vacation was enough to recharge me for work. The last week was super stressful, and I'm hoping that being away from everything will help me to look at things a little differently or at least not get so worked up about stupid crap. Oh yeah, and I finally found some work pants! New York & Company to the rescue! They're 18s, but I don't care -- they fit really great and do not cut into my gut when I sit down. Awesome! I may just manage to look professional a couple days a week!

Grace's and my train tickets for Chicago arrived in the mail this week -- makes it seem that much closer! Whee!

Vacation and survey

Vacation has been awesome already. It's nice and hot, and even the lake water is warm. Yesterday morning my FIL and I went over to one of the nearby state parks and walked the dune trail, so I even got some exercise in.

Can I tell you how awesome my in-laws are? Last Saturday they did the Warrior Dash. If you've never heard of it, click that little linky there because it is amazing. They did it all, 18 foot wall of cargo net, mud, barbed wire... the whole bit. How cool is that?!

On to the survey...

1. What is your occupation right now ?

Supervisor of a small division in a hospital.

2.What color are your socks right now?

No socks -- I'm at the beach!

3. What are you listening to right now?

The sound of the fans cooling the house.

4. What was the last thing that you ate?

1 molasses cookie and a cup of coffee

5. Can you drive a stick shift?

Nope.

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?

Father in law.

7. Do you like the person you stole this blog from?
Yes, Dawna is the bomb, and I can't wait to meet her in Chi-town!

8. How old are you today?

35

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?

Hockey is pretty much the only sport I will tolerate on TV.

10. What is your favorite drink?
Iced tea

11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Yes

12. Favorite food?

Pasta

13. What is the last movie you watched?
Tangled

14. Favorite day of the year? .
Any day my kids sleep past 6am.

15. How do you vent anger?
Throw things. Lift weights. Go for a walk.

16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Roller skates. I even had this sweet case to keep them in!

17. What is your favorite season?
Fall.

18. Cherries or Blueberries?

Cherries

19. Do you want your friends to blog this survey?
Go for it!

20. Where is you favorite place to escape?

Up north to the lake (like where I am right now!)

21. Favorite Tv Show?

CSI (all of them), Criminal Minds, all the SyFy shows (Eureka, Warehouse 13), the USA shows (Royal Pains, Burn Notice, White Collar, In Plain Sight)

22. Living arrangements?

3 br ranch with my hubs, two kids, and three cats

23. When was the last time you cried?
In May when I had my last kidney stone episode

24. What is on the floor of your closet?

My knitting bag, shoes, gym bag, makeup train case

25. Who is the friend you have had the longest?

I have known my friend Nicole since 7th grade!

26. What did you do last night?

Hung out with my in-laws and ate junk food and drank adult bevarages after the kids went to bed.

27. What are you most afraid of?

Losing my kids or my hubs or any of my family for that matter.

28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?

cheeseburger

29. Favorite dog breed?

 Golden retriever

30. Favorite day of the week?

Saturday

31. How many states have you lived in?

Just Michigan.

32. Diamonds or pearls?

Diamonds.

33. What is your favorite flower?

Magnolia