Last Party Tonight!

Tonight is my last real party of the season. And I think I am prepared. I'm carrying a bottle of water, and a WW muffin. And I might even carry some fruit just to be safe. I have 15 points left, and most of my WA. So I should be more than fine.

Unfortuantely the weather is sucky today. So I didn't get a walk in. And with my husband still having a monitor sitting in the middle of the floor I couldn't do a video either. I'll make him move that tonight though.

Well, I'm off to get ready for my party. Everyone have a Happy New Year, and if you haven't signed up yet, check out the 2007 challenge in the sidebar!

Movie Time

With the time off the hubby and I have watched some movies.

At my parents' house we watched The Descent. It was actually pretty good, but they screwed up the ending. Definitely a renter though.

Last night we watched Talladega Nights. Very funny movie. Should be watched once.

Tonight we are watching Superman Returns. This is a movie for the Lex Luther fans. He is just the way he should always have been. AND he is Kevin Spacey. We haven't finished the movie yet, but it has been kinda awesome so far. Although it isn't wonderful.

Tomorrow I plan to watch The Devil Wears Prada. It'll let you know if it is worth watching.

On a different note, I have done well tonght. I got 2 activity points for my walk today. I have been on program food wise. I am down to just my milk intake. That will require a couple of WA points, but that is okay. I'm still good. Hopefully tomorrow will be just as good, if not better.

Just a little exercise...

I got up this morning intending to start the Couch to 5K. I'm not up to that. I walked over to the outside track on campus and tried my best. I couldn't make it through the second jogging interval on day one. I barely pulled myself back to the bnch where I left my stuff to sit down. So, I won't be doing that this month. BUT, I will be working towards it. With a little work, I might be ready in February. And I know that everyone says it is easier to do indoors, but I hate treadmills. I've just always preferred to walk outdoors.

On another front, I have actually had breakfast today. This is something that I seriously need to work on. Since I'm challenging myself to workouts in January, I might challenge myself to breakfast in February. We'll just see where the next month puts me.

Thursday After Thanksgiving...

Meeting was wonderful. The topic was "All I Know About Weight Loss I Learned From Noah's Ark". I really like that it had a slightly spiritual theme. I think that for those of us that are religious, it is important to include that in our weight loss attempts. Studies know show that it will help you to loss more weight and keep it off longer. As far as the meeting, Noah's Ark was as close to spiritual as it got. God was not mentioned at all. But, that makes since. And if I stepped on anyone's toes with these comments, get over it! I love you all, and am who I am.

But, to get off that note, the total group lost 34.5 pounds, which was fantastic. 1.5 pounds of that was ALL ME! I am so happy. I stared at the display for a minute before asking my leader if it said what I think it did. She laughed at me and said it did.

So, now I am off to finish some shopping.

I'm having so much trouble getting started today. And I KINDA know why. I stayed up until 2:30 last night. But I wasn't sleepy after having slept during more than half of the drive home yesterday. But tomorrow I will start waking up on schedule. That's the only way I will be able to do it come Jan. 2.

I actually had to work this morning. And I felt REALLY bad that I didn't get to it until 1:30ish. I have to check the work voicemail and respond if required. And there were a couple of semi-important messages left this morning. But the people didn't seem upset. And I still got to them in plenty of time for them to make their deadlines. But that is another facotr to making me get up with my work schedule come tomorrow morning. Although those two messages well hopefully be the only ones I get.

I'm actually starting to feel nervous in reagards to my minisession course starting Jan. 2. And I don't know why. It's Intro to Computers. I work in tech support, why should I feel nervous about this???

I feel nervous about my weigh in tonight too. But it will what it will be, and that is it. I was actually down a little when I weighed in last night at home. I think that's what might have be nervous. I should SO not do that. But, getting week 3 of the new material is kinda exciting. So I will definitely not miss.

Well, off to start on a little housework now. I HAVE to get started on that to do list!

Thank Goodness I'm Home!

The hubby and I got back from my parents' house this afternoon. And the diet was SO not on while I was gone. But those three days can't have doen more than 3 pounds damage, right? AND, I'll find out the extent of the damage tomorrow night.

I've joined Michelle's challenge, 12 Months of Health, Fitness & Fun. If anyone else is interested, she is taking challengers until Jan 1. This month I will be exercising. That has been my biggest hurdle recently.

I'm going to avoid any resolutions this year, but I will make a list of things that I have to work on this year. With any luck I will manage to be successful.

Holidays

Josh and I had lunch over at his Uncle Donald's house. I feel sorry for UNcle Donald and Aunt Molly. They have their three kids and the four grandkids living with them. It's a good thing that he works offshore. It keeps his sanity, and keeps all the mouths fed. Anyway, that was with the whole Williams family, minus his cousin Lacey and his cousin Anna's boyfriend. And it was fun.

When we got back to Josh's parents' house, we exchanged our Christmas presents. With Josh being an only child, they spend a little bit more money. On top of all the regular stuff they got us (all requested items) we got a Samsung 30" widescreen HDTV. We don't have anything with HD, but it is awsome to get a new tv. Ms. Cindy got a 42" HDTV, an HD Dish box, and a new tv stand. After setting up her new tv, we brought ours to the apartment. It is set up now, and it looks GOOD!

Now, I just have to keep Josh away from it long enough to see how my new Billy Blanks DVDs look on it!

I may not be posting again until after Christmas, so Merry Christmas everyone! Have a safe and enjoyable holiday!

Holiday Update

So far, the holiday is going well. The living room is mostly clean. I will finish it after visiting with my folks next week.

Josh and I exchanged Christmas presents yesterday. He loved his DS, game, desktop darts, zen meditation balls, and magic cards. I'm really glad he liked everything. I bought him a copy of Brain Age, and he picked up the New Super Mario Bros. last night at GameStop. I received a 2.3" 60 gig hard drive, which I have already put my wedding pictures on. A regular wall power adapter for my zen micro, and three books: A Morning Cup of Massage, A Morning Cup of Meditation, and A Morning Cup of Balance. I just love this series. AND I got a huggable Mumble plush, from the movie Happy Feet. He also told me that he wasn't able to get a couple of the things he wanted to buy me, so he will get those as soon as he is able to find them.

We ate out last night and I think I did really well. I have half a steak in my fridge to eat later. Although I honestly don't know when I will eat it with everything going on. I'm seriously considering it for breakfast though. I would hate for it to go to waste because it was cooked PERFECTLY!

Last night we also went to see Happy Feet. I've wanted to see it since the documentary came out. And it was good! Definitely worth seeing on the big screen because some of the scenes are just AWESOME. And the voices are really good too. All I'm going to say about it, a different baby penguin strikes out on his own for his dream. I would love to say more, but I don't want to ruin the movie for anyone who hasn't seen it.

Well, Merry Christmas all!

Day 1...

Of keeping in touch over the holiday. I think I might be doing ok. I didn't comment, but I did check everyone's blogs.

I slept entirely too late this morning. But I don't care!!!!

I went to eat with my hubby and our friend's Joe and Lynn. That was fun. Got to see the baby Raegan. Although I might have to stop calling her baby, she's 14 or so months old now, and getting BIG!

I went to do some shopping and ran into my friend Dee. Between work and school (for both of us) we don't see each other often enough. I hope she can get the job at the Univ that she applied for. More Dee time!!!!!

And I finished up with the hubby's Christmas stuff. I just needed to pick him up a game, and that is done. And I'm happy to be home out of the rain.

I've also gotten to see my friend Donna this week. She is finally divorced, and so happy about it. We went to see Eragon last night. Good movie, but leave the book behind when you watch it. Now I'm making copies of the wedding pics for her. So I get to see her again before she heads home to Colorado. Which is unfortunately this weekend....

Merry Christmas everyone!

Cool Day

Today is kinda awesome, kinda strange, and kinda off.

Today is the last working day for the university. I'm off!!!!!!! I just have to survive until noon. 2 hours left. The university technically closes at 2, but I'm leaving early.

I slept a little late this morning. I had all kinds of awesome plans for my morning alone time, but I had forgot to reset the alarm clock, so I didn't get up until 6. There went my free time. But I was ready to go on time. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the end of the Angel episode that was on this morning. And now I still haven't seen it. Oh well!

I got to William's to pick him up at about the same time as usual. I knocked and waited. Knocked and waited. I could hear him moving around. SOO, I knocked again. And he answered in a towel. He didn't get up until 6:10. And that's only because his cat was freaking out for some reason. But, I still got him to his ride on time. No problems. And I got to play with the cat. Poor Panda isn't going to know what to do without me showing up for two weeks. Because she DEFINITELY knows when it is time for me to show up.

And now, I will let you figure out for yourself what is awesome, what is strange, and what is off!

Just In Case You Didn't Know...

I hate my university. I've decided to set the dear hubby and myself up as memebers of the Univ. Gym, The Payne Center. Well, I decided to wait until the end of the semester because we wouldn't have a chance to really use it this time (by the time I decided to do it). Well, when I called today they told me the rates were going up, but I would get the old rate if I signed up today or tomorrow. Well, NOT THE CASE when I get there.

I know I shouldn't complain because it will still only be $32 a month for the two of us, with lockers, but I hate being lied to. It seriously sucks. AND, had I known this, I would have went ahead and signed up earlier in the semester.

But it's ok. We will be members and hopefully we can get moving. I want to take the Belly Dancing classes, if they offer them again. And a girl from work wants to do that with me. And hopefully I can get my husband in there somehow. A couple of our friends have memberships.

SO, that's the end of that. I'll try not to complain about it again.

Geek Factor!

I found this on Dr. Anonymous's blog. I thought I would check out the quiz for myself, and found that I am in fact a geek. Why don't you try it out?

Your Geek Profile:

Fashion Geekiness: High Gamer Geekiness: High Movie Geekiness: High SciFi Geekiness: High Academic Geekiness: Moderate Music Geekiness: Moderate Geekiness in Love: Low General Geekiness: Low Internet Geekiness: Low

How Geeky Are You?

Well...

I didn't lose any, but I didn't gain any either. So it was a complete surprise to my husband that my mood wasn't ruined. But getting As in both my classes can defintely counteract not losing any weight this week. Especially considering I expected a gain. AND, I'm going to have a loss when I go back on the 28th to weigh in.

Oh, and I updated my tracker too...

Well...

I didn't lose any, but I didn't gain any either. So it was a complete surprise to my husband that my mood wasn't ruined. But getting As in both my classes can defintely counteract not losing any weight this week. Especially considering I expected a gain. AND, I'm going to have a loss when I go back on the 28th to weigh in.

Oh, and I updated my tracker too...

Grades OUT!

Grades have been posted at Southern for the Fall 2006 semester. I got 2 As. I'm so proud. That brings my cumulative GPA up to a 3.606.

In my Accounting course an A was guaranteed.

In Visual Basic, it was dicey. I accidentally clicked a wrong button and submitted a test with 9 unanswered questioned. That cost me a letter grade on the final. Only a program clitch in his grade averaging allowed me the A. I reported that to him, but I guess he decided not to fix it. Which is fine with me.

I might have to go get myself some sort of happy tonight to celebrate, although I don't know what I would get...

Christmas To Do List

I have posted in the sidebar my five MUST DO items for the Christmas break. I also made a point to not bog myself down too much with it, which I tend to do. I think this should be manageable. And if I can get other things done, well...More power to me!

Cleaning the living room will involve A LOT. Including cleaning the kitchen WELL. Our apartment is kinda small, so there is a lot of stuff in the living room that can find a home in other places. BUT, it had to find a home. Not just get dropped in another place.

With any luck, I won't find it a problem to keep up with everyone over the holiday. I hope to keep my schedule fairly regular. However, I will admit upfront that I might not be online between the 24th and the 27th. I will be out of town then I may not get online.

I have been having trouble doing a regular work out lately. I think it is important to use my time off to try and get back into the habit. And I think it should come fairly easily.

Make a meal plan - Possibly one of the most important. I will spend time going through all my cooking magazines and cookbooks to pick out meals. This should keep the hubby and myself eating well.

Read a good NONFICTION book. I love to read, but mostly read fiction. SO, I want to venture into new horizons. So I need a little help here. Can y'all suggest something good to pick up?

A New Week

Well, it's the start of the week, and I think I am doing ok. I have thus far refused my craving for a mocha. I'm proud. I just hope I can do that all day long.

The weather here kinda sucks today. It's so foggy out that you get wet walking around. Hopefully it will clear up this afternoon.

I'm not really looking forward to weigh in tonight. I expect another bad week, but that's ok. All I can do is move forward, right?

Up and About!

I'm actually up and about like I'm supposed to be on a Sunday. I'm proud of myself for that this morning, even though I didn't sleep very well. The hubby and I haven't been to church in a while. But we plan to get back in the swing of things. And we are starting this morning. So, I have already showered and will soon be getting up to get ready.
I'm actually excited to go to church this morning because the new sanctuary opened a couple of weeks ago. No more gymnasium services for Temple West! The new sanctuary seats 3,000 people, counting the choir loft. I'm going to have to get Josh out of the door early so we can find a place to park since the have dropped down to one service now.

Anyway, I actually wanted to post about something that came to mind this morning. I think I know one of the reasons I ended up as fat as I have. Well, it's an excuse, but aren't they all? When I was in high school I tried to lose weight several times. I would lose a few pounds, plateau, then give up. Well, I wouldn't get any comments about my weight loss until I have started gaining weight back. If I actually GAINED a few pounds, people would comment about the pounds I had lost. And this was people that saw me EVERY WEEK. Kinda strange. AND this happened whether I had just gotten off a weight loss streak or not. BUT, my aunt (probably the most guilty) actually commented on my weight loss at Thanksgiving. So maybe I will actually be getting all that support this time.

Michelle has a great idea over on her blog that I can't wait for. It will be awesome. AND, on top of that, There is going to be a team based Biggest Winner competition at Southern this Spring. I've put my name in for a team from my department. That's going to be fun. I should have lots of motivation to do well this coming year.

Well, I think that is all for this morning. Hope everyone has had a good week, and has a great week leading up to Christmas!

Yesterday went fairly well. I'm still on target.

I have a Christmas dinner at one of the local steak houses tonight. I'll have left overs for tomorrow.

I have finished the important Christmas shopping now. All I have left is to pick up some stuff for a few friends, and those gifts can be gift cards. And, actually, some of them WILL be gift cards.

Hope everyone else is having a good start to the holiday season!

Good start

Ok, I'm doing good on the eating this week. I'm not up to par on the exercise, but I'm getting there. It's just been a bit hectic. But have gotten in a decent amount of walking around everything else.

AND, I'm making a bit of progress on my to do list. Nothing major, but a start on some of the items. I think that is pretty good considering I'm not off yet.

AND, if I can ever get my camera and laptop to agree, I'll post a pic of my Christmas tree. I think it looks pretty good.

Weigh In

Well, like I expected this was another not so great weigh in. Up another pound. But that's ok. I am going to do this. It's just not easy. Then again, nothing worth having is ever easy.

What sucks is that I wasn't able to stay for the meeting. And the new program comes out this week. BUT, I looked over the materials last night and not much has changed. Basically, the change is in how you determine you daily points target. It uses more than your current weight. It factors in sex, weight, height, age, and basic activity level (ie, activity related to profession). I actually get more points now. I thought that was interesting.

Anyway, I plan to lose weight this week. It will be done.

Feeling Sorry.....

I haven't been keeping up with blogging here recently. I feel bad about it too. I just haven't been feeling all that wonderful myself, and haven't kept up with the comments. Sorry to everyone. I promise it's not personal if I haven't commented. It's just me feeling funky lately.

On that note, with the close of the semester and Christmas upcoming, I PROMISE to do better. I plan to get in gear. I'm going to do a lot of working out, and eating planning, in the upcoming break. My last day at work is Dec. 20th, and then I'm off until Jan 2nd. I'm also going to keep up with my blogging while I'm off. I'll admit that it might not be daily, especially the few days I go to my parents' house, but I will be consistant. And I plan to figure out my holiday goals and seriously keep track of them.

Preliminary Goals
1. Get in a GOOD workout at least every other day.
2. I plan to get the apartment (with the husband's help) to very liveable conditions. While it isn't filthy, it is very messy. I'll admit that some of it is mine, but there is an entire room that is his. And he never straightens up. I would LOVE to have the apartment looking the way I have wanted it to look since we moved in. IE, not so many boxes.
3. I plan to PLAN my food. I will attempt to make a plan that will go at least through the middle of January. That should get me throught the back to school rush.
4. I plan to keep up with all my blogging friends over the holiday. I have a tendancy to avoid everyone over the holiday. It's a bad habit that I intend to remedy this year.
5. I'm POSITIVE that there is something I'm forgetting right now. And I will remember it by the Christmas break!

I'll be putting these in the sidebar as soon as I think I might have them in stone.

Blog Problems

BIG Thanks to Arlene for alerting me to the fact that there have been problems with my blog. Apparently the word verification is having issues. When I checked, it would not show the picture box for that. So I have turned that feature off and was able to post a comment myself.

If anyone continues to notice a problem with this, PLEASE e-mail me at jarlynn@gmail.com.

Why I Hate Neighbors

I had to work until 10 last night. (That's 12 hours on the clock, one hour lunch, one hour supper.) Needless to say I was REALLY tired and sleepy when I got home. I was paying more attention to finding a parking space outside my apartment than watching the ground in front of the car. Opps!!! I ran over someone's not empty wine bottle. BYE BYE TIRE!!!!

I cleaned it up this morning and one of the maintenance workers at the complex helped me change the tire because I couldn't break the lug nuts loose. Neither could the hubby.... And my donut was low. They guys were convinced that I could make it to the Jr Food Mart to air it up. I made it to the end of the street. So I now have a ruined tire and I ruined spare.

The hubby and I took the regular tire to the tire shop so they could tell us they would have to order a new one. $90 for the one tire. Why can't I ever just get a flat that can be patched or plugged?

Anyway, that was my night and morning. It was a lot tougher than it seems here though. I promise.

And, I have been recently informed that my father-in-law has found me a new spare. So I should be able to take the car in Monday or Tuesday to get the new tire. That is the upside to my day.

OH! On a WW note, one of the professors brought my office a BIG tin of cookies this morning. And I've been a good girl!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Which language would you like to learn and why?

Japanese. It's a beautiful language that belongs to a beautiful culture.

Soup
What's the funniest thing you've heard or read so far this week?
Order of the Stick

Salad
Which movie was so bad you couldn't watch the whole thing?
The Dungeonmaster

Main Course
If there were a holiday in your honor that didn't use your actual name, what would the day be called?
Dragon's Celebration

Dessert
Name one movie which is coming out soon that you would like to see.
Eragon

Trip to Georgia

I don't have a lot to say about this trip. We drove from Hattiesburg, MS, to Atlanta, GA. It was not an incredibly fun trip. Josh and I do not like Atlanta traffic. We stayed at the Marriot. We ate at Olive Garden and walked around the mall. It sucked. We only stayed one night. And I never want to do that again. Although, chances are I will. Because I won't make Josh drive out there by himself if he is ever sent back.

RENN FEST

The Renn Fest on Saturday was AWESOME! I spent at least 5 hours on my feet, but that's what sneakers are for!

As our large group slowly made its rounds we gradually broke apart. I ever lost my husband for a few hours!

We all started out by throwing axes, knives, and stars. I sucked! Then I ended up with Shay, Dee, and their boys for a few hours after the hubby disappeared. We saw the Royal Tigers (White Bengals) and had our picture taken. We also saw the Joust. It was a pretty good show, but Dee said she had seen much better.

After a lot of wandering around, and buying an ale bottle ($1 refills forever and eternity), we eventually found my husband again. We watched the Duelists (a very funny show) and then saw Jameson the juggler. He was awesome too.

Then the hubby and I wandered around on our own for a while. We checked out different jewelry and clothing booths. And he checked out the sword shop. I also went to see the tigers again with Josh, but we didn't do a picture.

Then we meet up with several other group memebers and watched a short version of the Pirates show. It was Shantyman and Bonnie Lass. They were really funny too.

Then, the entire group meet up as the festival was closing and watched a fire breather perform.

We didn't carry nearly enough money (then again, didn't know too!). I got a bottle to take back next year, a dragon tote bag, a dragon cedar box (a christmas present from Josh), and we both bought food. A lot of our money went to tips for performers though. I can not wait to go again next year. We'll be going in costume then!

Weigh In

Well, I went and weighed in tonight. I gained a pound. I dont think that is too bad considering I went to a Renn Fest on Saturday, rode to Atlanta Monday and back on Tuesday, and weighed in three days late this week. I'm not sure I'll necessarily get it off by my Monday WI, but I should by the next one. I'm just glad it was that small.

I know I am fighting the same pounds over and over, but the overall trend is down. That's enough to make me proud. (That AND my aunt asking if I had lost weight when I went home for Thanksgiving!)

Four Things About Me

Tigerlilly, I DID finish this meme. Sorry it took so long to post it!

-4 jobs I've had
Helpdesk Technician
Network Technician
Library Assistant
Teacher's Aid

-4 movies I watch over and over
The Cutting Edge
Snatch
The Librarian

-4 places I've lived
Pontotoc
Hattiesburg
Columbia
USM Campus

-4 TV shows I watch
Without A Trace
The Closer
X-Play
Bleach

-4 places I've been on vacation
Gulf Shores, AL
Eureka Springs, AK
Tula, MS
Deluth, GA

-4 websites I visit every day
Blogger
Gmail
Loserz (Checking for updates, and they've been coming lately)
Order of the Stick (Although it only updates MWF)

-4 favorite foods
Chicken
Green Bean Casserole
Rolls
CHOCOLATE

-4 places I'd rather be right now
As I'm at work currently....
Home
The Beach
The Mountains
Library

-4 favorite bands/singers
The Eagles
Michael W. Smith
Steve Conte
Yoko Kanno

-4 bloggers I'll tag
Jackie
Brandi
Cat

Missing In Action

I feel so bad for not having been reading and posting the last few days. Life has been a whirlwind of activity around here lately.

The end of the work week was a bit busy. And there was the schoolwork to do to. And that isn't finished yet, but I'll be done come Monday night.

Saturday we went to the Louisianna Renniasance Festival. That was SUPER awesome. I'll write about it later. I PROMISE!

The hubby and I drove to Georgia on Monday. He had a half day seminar on Tuesday, and we drove back afterwards. That was fun and not fun at the same time.

And then yesterday I stayed home sick. And then did some light Christmas shopping last night along with a few groceries.

And I have Tigerlilly's meme finished.

Weight Loss

I can't change my tracker because the site that I create it on won't let me log in. However, I just wanted to let everyone know that I lost 1.5 pounds this past week. So that puts me at 6 pounds down. And I would like to lose at least 10 pounds by New Years. But, if I don't that's ok. I really don't want to put any major time lines on my weight loss. It will take as long as it takes.

I ended up celebrating my weight loss this week with a migraine. So today isn't going wonderfully. It was a friend's birthday yesterday and he wanted to eat Japanese. I, unfortunately, get a migraine every time I do. And my husband has been after me to try Japanese again. He wants me to find something (through trial and error mind you) that doesn't make me sick. SOOO, I decided to order something at the restaurant. I was visibly ill before we left. And had to stay at home today. But, I don't think he is going to pester me anymore about going to eat Japanese. And since I see the same results with Chinese, that should stop too.

Luckily I do feel relatively better today, although my head is still hurting and I am still feeling sick. But I should be fully over it by the weekend.

Christmas Song Meme

Tigerlily tagged me!!! Thanks. That improved my mood a bit.

CHRISTMAS SONG MEME: This one is pretty easy. List (at least) five of your favorite Christmas songs and tag (at least) five of your favorite blog friends to keep your MEME going.

I sometimes have trouble picking Christmas songs. It's a long list that I have...

Carol of the Bells -- I just can't help but love this song. I actually sang it for the first time last year in a pagent.

Deck the Halls -- Fa la la, la la la, la la la. I don't know why, but that is my favorite part of the song.

Grandma got Run over by A Reindeer -- It's a song that just gets stuck in your head.

The Twelve Days of Christmas -- I never can remember all the lyrics of this song, but I truely love it. I find it funny that I managed to learn all the music for the Christmas program last year, yet CAN NOT remember the lyrics to this.

Crap! I can't remember the name of any other songs!!! Well, I'll go a head and post this, and I'll edit it later.

And I'll be tagging: Jackie, TC, Kelley, Brandi, and Arlene.

So, I'll get y'all tagged this afternoon, and you can let me know when you have your post up!


Edit: Thanks to TC for reminding me of that other song name. I also like Mary Did You Know. It's an awesome song. I feel stupid for forgetting the name. But, then again, I SUCK at remembering names and artists....

Ok, now that Thanksgiving is over I'm actually feeling pretty good about it. I don't think I really over-ate any day. Just ate more than I usually eat. And on Thursday I never got hungry after lunch, and since I had gotten all my veggies in I just didn't worry about it.

I will probably show a gain this week at weigh in, but I don't think it will be that bad. A little bit is to be expected. And I KNOW I can do better this week.

Like Jeannie I plan to do Christmas cards this year. And I am more than happy to send some to anyone interested in a piece of mail. And I don't promise anything grand; they will probably be cheap ones. So, if you want one, send me your address (jarlynn@gmail.com).

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and is ready for the Christmas celebrations to begin. At least these will be spread out a little more!!!

Dark Dreamers

I just read this anthology this week. It is wonderful, and I recommend it to anyone that enjoys gothic and paranormal romances.

The first story is Dark Dream by Christine Feehan. This is a wonderful Carpathian story. It is the story of Sara Marten and Falcon. If you are up to date on her full length novels, this one happened before some of the latest ones. If not, it mentions things that are more prominent in other novels.

The other story is A Dream of Stone and Shadow by Marjorie M. Liu. I really don't want to give anything away, other than that it really fits in the with other. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to lay my hands on some of her other works. (Just what I need, another author to collect!)

I've also read Nora Roberts book Morrigan's Cross recently. Since I am supposed to be getting my hands on books 2 and 3 of that series this weekend I will wait to make a review. Let's just say that I almost bought book 2 instead of waiting. I really want to find out how the story ends.

Start of a Hard Week

I feel good going into this week. I lost a pound last week, so that gives me a good start. I'm not doing the wendie plan this week. It was good last week, but not practical this one. I'll be eating light all days EXCEPT the three with dinners. IF I can spread my 35 points across those days, and be active, I should be ok. I just won't be able to snack for the rest of the time. :)

I'm going to try to get McDonald's passed today so I can get a salad. It's not EXTREMELY point friendly, but it will work. That would have me some veggies. And then something decent tonight. I think I will be able to make it.

I think my biggest problem this week might be activity. I haven't be very active the past few weeks. But this week that has to change. I probably won't get a whole ton of activity points, but I WILL get in 28.

So, Goals for Thanksgiving week:
-Eat 5 Fruits and Veggies EVERY DAY!
-Don't overeat my points. I only have 231 for the week. That's 28 a day and an extra 11 for the meals.
-Get in at least 28 activity points. Something has to counteract those fancy meals!
-Don't worry about the scale. It's number on Monday night IS NOT IMPORTANT!

So, how has everyone else planned to handle the holiday?

Pre-Thanksgiving

Down 1 pound this week! I think that is pretty good.

In order to minimize the damage this week I am avoiding all unnecessary Thanksgiving meals. Which means the last minute one at work. One of the divisions decided today that they were going to do a Thanksgiving meal. And they sent out the e-mail. They are doing it tomorrow. I decided that I wasn't interested. I don't think anyone from my office is going to participate.

I have three meals I will have to participate in. Two with Josh's family and one with mine. At least I know that Momma will try to make things more friendly to my new eating plan. But I'll be severly limiting my food at the William's two dinners. The only safe dishes will be the ones I bring. But I can manage. I'll take my own water and salad mix.

Well, hope everyone else will do well with the holiday meals. We just all have to remember to eat free for the other meals each day!!! Yay for zero point foods!

OK. So I know I'm late blogging today. Who cares? Not me. Sorry....

I think I did fairly well over the weekend, but not great. I think I might still have managed a loss. Which would be wonderful. I'll be okay with whatever I get though. I've decided not to be to concerned with the weigh ins. I'm just glad I get to go to the meeting tonight. I was supposed to work until 8, but they cancelled that. YAY! I get to go. I was actual more upset about not getting those recipes for y'all than I was about not being at MY meeting.

So, I'll get on tonight or tomorrow and post those recipes for y'all! And let you know how I did. (Although I did pretty good with the Wendie plan eating, I didn't exercise. So don't expect any miracles!)

Super High Day

Today I have 43 points for food. Wow. What to do with those darn things. EAT FATTENING FOODS! You know, those that you like but generally stay away from. And drink some soft drinks. At least this feel on a Friday. I'll be staying up until midnight or so. So that should help me to get my points in. I do plan to be smart about most of them though. Like trying not to eat straight lard, stuff like that. :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. And a good, weigh in safe one for those of us that weigh in the next two or three days!

Inconsiderate Prick

All of my friends know that I am trying to lose weight. They are proud of me for trying. But they are not exactly considerate of the situation.

I ate lunch at Raising Canes today (acceptable with a low point supper) and my husband was supposed to cook while I'm at work since I won't be home until 7:30 today. Well, our friends (ie, one or two of them) have decided to make plans. And they, I think, consist of hanging out. When my dear husband called to find out what was going on he was told fast food, and to show up at the Gamer Sanctuary, one of the gaming places in town.

Well, I certainly can't do fast food. And they won't tell him anything. Two of our friends now the what and everything. But all they are willing to share is that there is something. Now, you think that friends would understand. That friends would be willing to work with you. But NOOOOOO, mine have to be PRICKS!

In all honesty, I really can't hang out anyway. I HAVE to work on homework tonight, and need to work out. So, I'll get home around 7:30, or get to where the hell ever, and then have to fit something from Applebees into my points. Not so incredibly easy. I'm just lucky to have a Applebees Weight Watcher pamplet from my meeting this week. I'm thinking the grilled tilapia. I looks good anyway......

So, does anyone else have this kind of trouble? Or is it just me with the incredibly inconsiderate friends...

Clothing Selection

I don't know why, but I was just thinking of a red dress that my mother made me years ago. I absolutely LOVE that dress. It's a short red dress with a keyhole on the front.

No matter how much weight I lose, and how much boob I lose after I lose the weight and get a reduction, I don't think I'll ever be able to wear it again. I'm about three inches taller than I was when she made it. And it was above the knee back then. And for some reason this depresses me this morning. (And depresses looks like it's spelled wrong, but the speller checker thing says it's right!) Just thought I would share that.

I had another good day yesterday and stayed on program. I think I'm running a little off this morning, but it will be ok in the end. I'm on my second soft drink. I just don't have the energy to stay awake this morning. I almost called to say I would be late, but I decided against it. I'm also tempted to back out of the over time tonight, but I'm not doing that either. I'm going to work, and make the husband cook dinner. I'll even give him a choice as to what he gets to make. :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Good Day 1

I was a good girl yesterday, even if supper was PIZZA! I stayed on points, had my water and everything. However, I didn't get to exercise. But I worked 11.5 hours yesterday too. To be honest, exercise doesn't look incredibly likely tonight either. I have to work 8-6:45, AND Josh has really been wanting to eat at TGI Fridays. Which appears to be open now. So we may be doing that.

I would have exercised this morning, but I didn't get up unitl 10 til 7. Josh decided to wash the sheets last night, and they weren't finished and on the bed until after 11:30! Needless to say I didn't get to bed early enough to get up. But I will get up tomorrow because I will be in bed on time! 10 PM is bedtime now. Especially with me needing to get up by 5:15 in order to get in my morning routine and shower and stuff. No more late nights and mornings for me for a LONG time. It has the potential to be February before my best friend has a vehicle again and leaves my mornings free. But that's ok. I don't want him to get one before he can afford it.

OK! Enough with my whinning. I can't do that anymore! I have to be upbeat and positive now. SO, today I have 33 points and spent 10 on breakfast already. But I have my dairy in. 23 points and a lot of day left! I'm on a ball!!!!


Edit: That very last statement doesn't really make sense, but I'm leaving it. I think it shows my current state of mind really well!

The Wendie Plan

Ok, I've mentioned this plan several times, and have been asked about it each time. So I will make a post just about it.

This plan is Weight Watchers, nothing different. It just provides a little more structure than the regular plan, and it is based in the Flex plan, not Core.

Wendie, the designer, looked over months and months of her journals to discover why she had stopped losing weight. The gist of what she learned is that the body gets used to what is put in it if the same thing is put in each day. So, she basically discovered that you need to eat a different number of points each day. She also discovered that you shouldn't have two high or two low days in a row. They need to alternate.

For example, my points target is 28. Below is my points schedule for the week.

Day 1: 28
Day 2: 33
Day 3: 29
Day 4: 43
Day 5: 28
Day 6: 32
Day 7: 30

This plan incorporates your weekly allowance already, and you do not eat your activity points. So, if you tend to need more to eat on your big exercise days, don't do much on days 1 and 5. Instead, save your exercise for your high point days. You should also plan for your high point day to be as far as possible from your weigh in day.

You can view more info on the plan at The Wendie Plan and view the points ranges at the MSN group. The MSN page now requires that you join the group, and I am in the process of doing that now. It's free and all that.

I don't plan to do this particular plan all the time. I just want to use it when I seem to be stuck. Like right now. Hopefully that will jumpstart everything for me for the next few weeks. And if y'all need any more info on it or anything, just let me know!

Edit: I don't like the way the MSN page is done now, so I have created a page that has the table on it. Don't laugh TOO much at the page. I just created a freewebs account and put the table on it.

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone for the comments this past week or so. They have helped so much, and will continue to help.

But my big thanks goes to Tigerlilly. I knew there was a reason yours was the last blog I went to today. I wasn't having a good morning because I had overslept. But I got to her blog and you were thanking us bloggers for our support. That just really made my morning. Sometimes it's amazing how little things like another's appreciation can pick up your day. I never know the right thing to say to anyone, and always feel inadequate in that area. But to have done right by somebody at least once just makes me feel good inside. So thank you Tigerlilly, for vastly improving my day!

As for the rest of life, as I've mentioned several times before I am starting the Wendie plan. I have written each days points on their respective pages and must remember that I do not have extra points. I also hope to not need my activity points this week to make me full. Even after lunch at McDonald's I still have 15 points left for the day. Since I don't have my dairy servings in yet I should be able to get through everything today. 28 points is the lowest day of the week. And Friday I have to figure out how to spend 43! I think I am going to eat a couple of big fattening meals in order to get it in. Even on my bad days I don't think I've managed to eat that much in one day. But I intend to persevre. Or however that is spelled. And we all know that spelling is not one of my strong suits.

It's a loss!

I'm down another half pound! I was so happy.

My leader asked me how I was doing as I stepped up to the scale and I said I was doing pretty good. With a big grin I just said 'I'm ready to see this gain so I can turn it into a loss next week.' I think I surprised her. She told me to stand up real straight and not move. Then she wrote down 233.5. I was estatic.

I think I did alright on my Thanksgiving meal too. I wrote down foods totally 18 points. But, then again, one of the items I knew before hand that I would make with less points than they would say. I think they had all their points values defined as nearly as bad as the food could get. But that's ok. I know I will eat a lot over Thanksgiving. But I will make it through ok. Ms. Lois, my leader, is supposed to bring us a couple of recipes next week too.

Hope everyone has a good week. I'm starting the Wendie plan tomorrow. Turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch and chicken for dinner. With an apple snack and whatever veggies the husband chooses.

Okay, if you visit my regular blog, then you may have read my weekend post. Well, I know this morning I was talking about how discouraged I am. Several of my weight loss friends are feeling that way now. Kinda makes you wonder you started spreading the contagion. But that doesn't matter. What matters is one of us starting a contagion of good feelings and success.

Anyway, I wanted to share her my NSV from this weekend. I hadn't really even thought about it until I started writing my post on The Dragon's Lair.

A girl asked me to go dancing with her! Not asked our group, but asked me in particular. It was kinda cool. I even got her phone number. Now, I wasn't really feeling the dancing this time, so I stayed home with the hubby and the guys we had over, but I have a rain check. I've never had anyone ask me to go dancing before, so I think that is kinda cool. I haven't lost much weight, but apparently something is showing somewhere.

Anyway, I weigh in tonight, and hope the gain is small. And if not, oh well. This week starts the war anyway!

Apathy and Discouragement

The past few days I have really felt apathetic, and occasionally discouraged, about this weight loss journey. It's so weird to feel that way when not to long ago I was chatting about how upbeat I was and how I actually had goals in mind. I was reading my friend Arlene's blog this morning and she is feeling similar to me.
Looking back on it, I can't help but wonder when the feeling started creeping up on me. Was it while I was spouting inspiration to myself? Have I been lying to myself about how I'm doing and feeling? Quite probably. I have a history of lying to myself about a problem for a while before acknowledging it and doing something.
I had said last night that I would be going to Weight Watchers today. I will go after work and I will be staying for the meeting. I know I need to go, and I know I need the support the meeting will give me. Even if I do need to actually do things like go grocery shopping. That will just have to wait. I don't like the idea of going to the meeting though. I don't want to step on that scale and see the numbers have gone up. I deserve to see them go up though. I just haven't been doing the program. I've just been pretending to do so. But today I just have to look it square in the face and say I will do better next week. I have decided to start the Wendie program next week. I think I need a little more self control and a little more structure to get going than what I have been allowing myself. I'll just follow it strictly for a week or two and see how things go from there.

I CAN do this. I have DONE this before. I just have to look at the previous success, and not the following failure, and keep on going. I REFUSE to fail on this important journey. I don't consider giving up on getting my degree, so I have no excuse to even consider giving up on this.

Tonight's Plans Crashed

Tonight's plans have gotten sunk. Aunt Margaret is at Wesley, so we'll be at the hospital tonight. That means no pork chop dinner, and possibly no Tae Bo. I'm somewhat disappointed. Life just keeps throwing these curveballs at me. Damn it!

Oh well. I'll just do the best I can.

I also have a funeral Friday that is going to tear me in half. The l5 year old girl of a family friend died last Friday night in a car accident. It's going to be VERY difficult to make it through the after funeral festivities without eating very much. And, of course, it will all be not good for me food.

OK. Now, on to good thoughts until I get off work. Thanksgiving is almost here! I love being off work. :)

Dreams

I visited my friend TC's blog this morning and she had up a picture and said that she wanted to look like that girl. It got me thinking about a lady I know at work. I was in a meeting with her yesterday and just thought that I would like to lose my weight, tone up and look like her.
I can honestly say that I do know she works out, although I don't know how much of it is that she has to keep of weight, or that she just enjoys it that much. I have absolutely no clue how she eats. But, I do know that she works with the wellness programs on campus and that teaches classes at the gym. My mother-in-law has even done yoga under her.
I won't post a picture of her because a. I don't have one, and b. I don't know how she would feel about that. I'm not even listing her name because I don't know how she would feel about having it splattered across the net.

I don't know if I can look like her, I don't know that my bone structure would let me. But, I also know that while keeping the goal of looking like her one day, I have to keep my physical limitations in mind. If I am just not able to do it because of my body, that's ok. The overall goal is just to be as healthy as I can possibly be. But I think that it could be helpful to always have a real person in mind to try and model myself after. I mean, everyone has a role model. Much better that I have a healthy, honest role model than one of those runway models you see where you can count all their ribs!

Morning Changes

I just found out that I will be losing my morning work out time. I normally leave my apartment between 7:20 and 7:25 to head to work. A carless friend of mine has gotten a new job and will have to be on campus by 7:00 at the latest each morning. I will have to leave my apartment by 6:40 at the latest now. And that will be pushing it to pick him up and get him where he has to be on time.
The only good thing about this is that he will be making enough to have a decent downpayment on a car within 2 months. Of course, this is assuming that he doesn't waste all his money as soon as he gets it.

Is it bad that the only feeling I really have on it is that I will miss my morning workouts? Because there is NO WAY I will ever manage to get in bed in time to get up before 5. I have trouble doing just that.

News

Well, I weighed in at lunch. Stayed the same. But that's ok. I deserved it. I actually deserved worse. But it will be much better this week. The DH and I are BROKE. So we can't eat out. I'll just have to cook everyday. I think that is pretty cool. Forced to cook. Although I don't have a clue what I'll be cooking. I know tonight is tenderloin and tomorrow is pork chops. I just don't know about after that.

I scored today on something else though. A lady in one of the capmus organizations gave me the textbook for one of the classes I'm taking in the spring. That saves me $50 on the spring semester. All I will have to purchase is an online course code that I can get cheap from the publisher. That perked up my mood a bit. Save the Money!!! Save the Money!!!

This Past Week

I didn't do so well this past week. Things have been getting away from me. But I was better yesterday. And I worked out, which makes me feel better today. I'm going to weigh in at lunch today because I have to grocery shopping tonight. And I haven't even made a list. but I did clean out the fridge yesterday, so it will be really easy to see what I need to get!

WATER!!! NO!!!

Well, I am determined to be good on water today. So determined, in fact, that I brought 2 new quart bottles of water to work this morning. Well The first bottle I had out on the counter seemed to be weating a lot because I kept having water around it. So I put down a paper towel to catch the water.

Turns out it has a hole in the bottom. So I wiped out a glass I've had up here as best I can and poured most of the bottle into it. Unfortunately, I have lint and stuf floating around in my water. But I doubt it will kill me. No worse than what I end up breathing in from the the air around here.

It just upsets me though. I was planning on swaping the bottles out as they got warm. Guess I won't be doing that today!

Challenges

I see challenge posting on the Weight Watchers boards all the time. While I was prowling today I decided to jump on board with a few of them. I'm not interested in participating in the ones that focus on x pounds lost in x period of time. As my friend Deondra told me, there are so many things that can make you not meet that goal.

So I have joined two challenges that focus on activity. I have added them to the sidebar so everyone can hold me accountable for actually doing it. If anyone else is interested, just hope on board!!!

Teethies!!!

Well, I went to the dentist this morning. He said all was good with my teeth and to come see him in 6 months. He also mentioned that my wisdom teeth will eventually have to come out. :( But he said not to worry about that until they start to bother me again. And they haven't bothered me in over a year.

I was happy to find out that all is ok in my mouth. Problems there can affect weight loss, and general health.

Another good thing, I'm picky about eating for the first few days after I get my teeth cleaned. So, I should stay good on my eating for the next few days.

A Huge THANK YOU and Hugs to All

I just have to say thanks to everyone that has been commenting last night and today. Your support has really helped my attitude today. I came in with the new day perspective and said the past week was behind me. But honestly, it was still nagging in there. But everyone's comments have helped me to move on.

THANK YOU ALL!!!

New start!

I woke up with a headache, but still managed to crawl out of bed in time to do my Tai Chi and strengthening exercises. I just hope that this headache doesn't get any worse. I need it to get better so I can have a good day.

WI Night

I gained 2 pounds this week. :( But I know I deserved it. This just goes to prove early on that I have to be very deligent every week and every day. I can't lose just because I will it anymore. Damn, I hate this getting older bit! But that's life.

Tai Chi and Strength training first thing in the morning. I enjoyed the Tai Chi exercise this morning, so I can't wait to try it tomorrow! And then Tae Bo in the evening....Not nearly as much fun, but much needed.

WI Day

I weigh in after work today. I feel horrid going in. I just KNOW that I gained this week. There's no way around it. I just didn't do well enough last week. But it's ok. Everyone gains occassionally and I won't let it affect this week in a negative way, nor will I let it affect my frame of mind today.

However, with WI this evening, I'm thinking a salad would be good for lunch. At least that will be fairly light.

I do feel really good about one thing though. I did my 15 minutes of stretch this morning. I only did a quick run through of the Tai Chi though. I know I should have spent at least 15 minutes instead of 5, but I was HUNGRY when I woke up. I just couldn't wait for the food any longer. But I'll do better tomorrow. And tomorrow is strengthening!

This Week

I did manage to break 2,000 points on PC, but I haven't been as active as I would have liked this week. I strive to do better next week. That's all I can really do. There's no sense in beating myself up over it. This was an abnormal week anyway.

I picked up some fitness books last night. A Morning cup of Tai Chi, A Morning Cup of Stretching, and A Morning Cup of Strengthening. I'm planning to use these for morning workouts. Maybe my days will be better if I get a little activity in when I wake up.

Hope everyone has a good week!

25 Years!

Well, today is my 25th birthday. And I'm sitting at work. But that's ok because it was my decision. I could have taken off if I really wanted to.

A couple of people in the office wished me a happy birthday. I thought that was cool. Guys (in my experience) have some trouble remembering that kind of thing. I told my boss that I ordered the rain up special just to make everyone suffer. :) I was actually a bit disappointed by the rain though. I had left both of my umbrellas in the car last night.

Josh bought me Kinetic. It's an exercise game for the PS2 that utilizaes the Eye Toy. I think it will be fun, although it will probably be a bit difficult to. But that's ok. I'll try it out tonight or tomorrow. It'll be something fun to add to by list of work out options.

Well, as much as I don't mind a rainy birthday, I wish it hadn't come with the tornadoes. They aren't a great present!

Weight Watchers Community

I have been prowling the WW messages boards this week. They are very supportive. I haven't posted a lot, but it's fun to read, and try to give some support when it's needed. Since I've done WW in the past, I'm not a full-fledged newbie. I like that because I can give other newbs advice. :)
Also, I know I will need some support someday. And I know all these lovely people there will help me out then.

Anyway, just wanted to give a plug to them. They've helped me get through this week at work.

Tonight's Workout Plans

Well, the Tae Bo idea didn't work out well. My knees just weren't up to it tonight. After 15 minutes I wanted to cry. It's disappointing.

However, I did put in a lot of weight training instead. I feel better for that, even if it isn't the work out I wanted. And I have managed 1197 points on PC the three days this week. Tigerlilly's suggestion is looking like a possibility...

Lack of Exercise

I had so much trouble getting up this morning. I know some of it was just not wanting to go to work. (I SERIOUSLY considered coming in a little late.) But I think it was mostly this week's lack of structured exercise. I've gotten a lot of activity in the past couple of days, but none of it was really structured. It was all just hte by product of being incredibly busy. And I sat on the couch all last night because we had company.

Tonight that changes. I have no commitments outside of home (with the exception of driving a friend home after work.) I was planning to cook, but there are enoguh left overs from last night to just open veggies. I'm going to do my Tae Bo video, and maybe some time on Yourself! Fitness if I still feel like it. And I KNOW that I will feel better tomorrow because of it.

And thanks for the comment Tigerlilly. I haven't had a wonderful morning, so that really picked up my day!

Goal Revision

I think I may have to revise my activity goal a bit. It's only Tuesday and I already have 774 points on PC. It's cool that I have the points collected and all that, but it means I won't have much to work for after tomorrow. One session of Tae Bo will put me over 1,000.

I guess my new weekly goal will have to be 1,500 points.

Walking for Life

The Walk this evening was great. Ms. Sumrall, a lady at the university, said she thought there were a lot more people this year. I know there sure were a lot of us! I got a t-shirt and a waterbottle. And I walked in memory of my grandmother. It was nice to wear that sign on the back of my jacket.

Between that walk and the shopping this evening I put in 456 points on PC. I don't start counting activity points until tomorrow, but it would have been 10 if I was doing that today. WOW. The majority of the evening was spent walking around. But it was worth it.

I also stayed within my points today, so I'm proud to say that I had points left in my allowance this time!

Weigh In Complete

I went to weigh in at noon. Lost 3 pounds!!!!!!! That's 5.5 total! AND that's after overeating some this week. I'm so happy! I think I'm floating. :)

And I have planned out the dinner schedule for this week, so hopefully I will stay fairly well on track.

Weigh In Day

I am going to weigh in during lunch today so I can make it to the walk after work. The walk actually starts at 5:30, so I can't manage my normal Weight Watchers meeting. But that's ok. I'm feeling pretty good this morning, although I'm a bit hungry. I was running late and didn't get breakfast in.

Normally, I would eat something here, but I can't really get anything point friendly. So I'm just holding out with coffee and water and waiting to eat until after I weigh in.

And I'm REALLY looking forward to the Walk for Life. The proceeds go to the Deanna Favre Hope Foundation. If anyone in the area is interested, the entry fee is $10 and registration starts at 4 pm at The Dome on the USM Hattiesburg campus. The foundation supports breast cancer awareness programs. Even if you don't have breasts, you know and love someone who does!

Weekend

I think I did fairly well even with the family get together this weekend. I only went a few points over yesterday, and still have several points left in my allowance.
Tomorrow is weigh in and I'm looking forward to it. I pre-registered for a Breast Cancer walk tomorrow on campus. I have to check and be sure I can weigh in and get to the walk in time. I hope it is registration at 5:30 and not the walk. That would make my day kinda suck. I'll have to find out in the morning. I REALLY hope it works out that I can manage both!

Oh, and I managed 1,563 points on PC!

Well, I'm about to head out for the weekend. I walked to and from work (15 minutes one way) and did a 15 minute flexibility session on Yourself! Fitness. I figured that would be a good way to balance the long drive. Hope everyone has a successful weekend. Mine might be a little tough because I only have 16 points of my allowance left. But that's ok. I'll make it. That or I'll go jogging for a few miles! :)

Goal Met!

Ok. I have now earned 1063 points on President's Challenge for the week. And today was only day 4! Tonight's Tae Bo work out threw me over. And I have to do at least 30 minutes another day just to get my star. I'm proud of myself. I might just do that as a walk. As a matter of fact, I might just walk to work tomorrow. That would get it in no problem. And I'm only working until lunch, so I don't need the car to take my coworker home. Yay! Plans are made!!!!

Weekly Goal Progress

My goals for this week have been to lose at least one pound during my weight watchers week and post at least 1000 points for my President's Challenge week.

While I can't make any guarantees on meeting my goal weight, I only lack 248 more points on President's Challenge. Even with me spending the weekend at my parents' house that shouldn't be a problem.

I'm considering trying to find out the difference between my home scales and weight watchers so I can weigh mid-week and see if I'm doing well. But I'm not sure if I really want to do that or not. We don't have a place for me to leave the scale out, so I have to recalibrate it each time I weigh on it. I know that will be fine when it comes to maintaining my weight loss, I'm just not sure how well it would work now.

Anyway, I feel really good being so close to my activity goal this week. Even if I hit the 1000 really early, I am going to keep trying to hit 30 minutes of activity each day. But it will be great if I don't have to REALLY concentrate on that this weekend.

I feel really good this morning after my workout last night. I sleep WONDERFULLY! Unfortunately, I sleep through my alarm clock.
I got up at 6:45, and I normally get up by 6:15 at the latest. But I still left the apartment in time to do everything I had to do this morning.

I said I was hurting about around my bulging disc last night. Today's there's only a slight ache centered right around it. That pleases me greatly. As for what happened to it, never figured that out. I just finally went to the doctor after several years of pain. It's something I've had trouble with since I was a teenager. But last year my doctor released me from my quarterly visits. She told me to just call and leave a message for her nurse if it started bothering me again. I still get some occasional pain, and even the occasional bad headache from it. But I can live with that. As long as it isn't constant! :)

Work Out

I tried out my Tae Bo Fat Blaster work out tonight. It's my first time at Tae Bo. I'm pleased with how I did even if I didn't do the whole thing. I did everything I could out of it. And with the exception of some pain in the muscles around my bulging disc, I feel pretty good. I knew a good work our would make me feel MUCH better.

Feelings

I'm feeling defeated today. And I'm not really sure why. I felt fine this morning. I didn't follow through with my lunch plans. I'll admit to that. But I like the way I have rearranged things to handle that. It's my second day of week 2 at Weight Watchers. I shouldn't be feeling defeated right now. Coming off last week's loss I should still be on cloud nine. Maybe I just didn't get enough exercise yesterday....I'll get some tonight.

And the news is...

2.5 pounds lost! YAY! I actually lost weight. I'm so happy. I also taught another lady how to use her points finder before the meeting started. I think I'm going to try and keep up with her and the two girls she started with. They were interesting and we are in similar boats.

Oh yeah, when I went back and really thought about what I did yesterday and entered it on President's Challenge, I did manage 1000 points there last week.

My goal for this week is to enter 1000 points on PC, lose another pound, and drink all my water.

Weigh In Day

I did perfectly AWFUL this week. It doesn't help that I was sick part of the week, had Homecoming (complete with traditional tailgating) on Saturday, and a wonderful visit by TOM.
I just KNOW that I actually gained weight this week. It's a pitiful way to start Weight Watchers. But I KNOW that I will do much better this week and have a loss by next Monday.

President's Challenge

I think I said in an earlier post that I had signed up on presidentschallenge.org. I did this more as a way of keeping up with my activity than anything else. But, over this week, I have really enjoyed being able to put some time into it. One day I didn't even put in a full thirty minutes, but it was still exciting to be able to put something in. And it's fun to see the points stack up.

I've always been impressed that we have a president that is so active right now. Whether people like Bush or not, he is a role model for the country. I think the President's Challenge program is a great initiative in our dangerously overweight country. We need to make a change at a national level, and make it something that is easy for anyone to participate in. This program has done that.

The only thing is, I don't think they have put enough effort into marketing this program. Sure, it's free to sign up for the program. And they keep the awards at a cheap price if you want to purchase them. But not enough people are aware of this program. I had to go to Weight Watchers to find out about it. I did a check to see how I compared against people of my age in my city, there was one other person that fit the criteria. You think that something like this would be marketed well to college areas. It's important to teach activity at a young age to people. The habits that these kids set in college will likely stay with them for years.

I also like that you can create groups on President's Challenge. I just hate that there isn't a group for me to join in my area. It would be nice to be able to join some people in being active. And I'm competitive enough for that to make me aspire to even higher heights. But I don't feel comfortable creating a group at this time. But if I don't find a group in the next few months, maybe I will gain the confidence to create one. Since I found out about this at Weight Watchers, I could always try to start a group with people there.

Anyway, this long spiel actually started simply because I wanted to post a goal. I have a goal to earn 1,000 points a week on the site. That really shouldn't be TOO difficult. It's only 40 minutes of moderate walking a day. And you can post in as little as 5 minute incriments if you need to. So far I have 605 points this week. I'll have to be a little more active this weekend to reach that goal this week, but not worries if I don't. I refuse to belittle myself if for some reason I am unable to get in the activity one week. I can only accept what I am able to accomplish and strive to do better.

Weight Watchers

I joined Weight Watchers last night. And I WILL work the program. And I intend to have fun doing it.
I weighed more than I thought I did, but that's ok. It just means that I will have to work in more smaller goals that I would have if I didn't weigh as much. Of course, it also means that I get to eat more right now too!

I also went to presidentschallenge.org and signed up. I need to be active for at least 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. I don't think that will be too difficult. If I weren't enjoying driving a rental car so much right now walking to work and home again would take care of everything for me. But tonight I have to go shopping so that will be a good bit of activity.

Weekend Journey

Well, I've spent the entire weekend sick, and still feeling kinda bad. But here I am at work today. I think I did pretty good on eating this weekend. Everything I ate was healthy (even if I did include a little chocolate in my diet) and I don't think I really went overboard either.

I tried the Special K thing this morning. I didn't really like the cereal and couldn't finish it though. I think it might just be because I'm still feeling bad though. I missed work because I was sick Friday. Hopefully it's nothing major though. And hopefully I can sleep it off tonight! I tired of feelign yucky.

The Special K Diet

I have been planning to go on the Special K diet for a while now, and am going to start it on Monday. I would start it now, but I'm going to visit my parents. I think it best to hold off until I get back to start something drastic.
And I found a news article that supports this move. I'm kinda proud about that.

Starting Fresh

I've been attempting to lose weight for a while now, with no success whatsoever. If anything I've been gaining. I am willing to lay all blame at my feet. And then stomp it into the ground.

Work's been a little crazy, although not enough to cause this.
There have been ants in the kitchen so I can't cook. (This is one that is somewhat legitimate. We declared the kitchen ANT FREE just last night!)
My knee's been hurting a lot lately. (DUH! It's the stupid weight gain. It'll hurt m ore unless I loose some more weight.)

This list could be longer, but I just don't feel like going further. This isn't about laying the blame for what has been done wrong. It's about changing my behaviors and starting to do it right.

For the rest of this week I plan to just work on my mindset. I'm not even going to check the scale right now. I'm not counting calories or points. I'm not even going to worry about getting exercise in every day. I think this is where my problem has been. I havent' been able to get my head on straight where this is concerned. Today it all changes.

Thanks to Twisted Cindy for the motivation. If you can do this, I know I can too!!!!