Monday, September 5, 2011

Crazy Posting

Ya'll may have noticed that my blog kinda got a bit overloaded with posts last night. You can blame that on or thank my sister for that. Whichever you prefer. She felt that I should copy over my blog posts from SparkPeople so that all my posts from anything were saved in one place. So I did.

I understand that to go from books to weight loss is a pretty drastic change in my blog, but since I haven't written pretty much anything at all since March about books, maybe it isn't so drastic after all.

I'll try to keep the actual weight posts to a minimum while copying over those that are more normal will continue.

Hope everyone is ready for Fall and that ya'll enjoy your Labor Day.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Why September is NOT my favorite month of the year anymore


Thursday, September 01, 2011

I used to ADORE September. School had been in session for two or three weeks already and fall was in the air. Then, I grew up. And got a "real" job. And now...September is my LEAST favorite month. Let me explain.

I work for a company that resells IT equipment and maintenance to the government. September is the government's end of fiscal year. The month when they spend the most money. My job is to process the orders from the govt and to send the new orders to the vendors. It's relentless, mostly mindless work. I hate it on a normal day. In September, the work triples and quadruples. Breaks become a thing of the past. Eight hour days....what are those!?! Try 12 -16 hours on for size. My boss and her boss are insincerely sincere in their thanks and praise at the work getting done. What they're really saying when they say thank you in September is....why can't you work more hours in a day, and HOW did you NOT get all of your work done? Why didn't you ask for help if you were so far behind in your work? *Hannah's reply* Oh, you know...I really don't have THAT much work (sarcastically, of course). I really just like to talk my head off instead of work...no, wait...that's YOU!

Bitter? Absolutely. The thanks we do receive are all so two-faced and insincere that I have begun to abhore this job. One day, I'll get out of it. But, until that day...i'm going to continue disliking September.

exhausted and wanting a day off


Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Of LIFE. I'm tired, worn out and ragged. I honestly don't WANT to go outside for my cardio workout today. I really just want to crawl into my bed, under the covers and go to sleep. Do you think anyone would mind if I did? Well, other than myself? I'd hate myself for letting points for my House slip by me. So, I'll get going now. To make food for dinner and then make my way outside to get my 30 minutes over with. Then, it's a shower and early bedtime for me, baby! 

Summer Term Week 9 Day 2 aka Tuesday


Tuesday, August 30, 2011

I scared myself this morning when I was getting ready for work. I opened my ring box to put on my wedding band and engagement ring and neither one was in the box. I panicked. Couldn't remember having taken them off last night before bed. When did I take them off? *sigh of relief* Oh right, I took them off in the car to put lotion on my hands when I was driving home from work yesterday.

Continued as usual with my morning preparations, put the dogs in their kennels, and headed into the garage to leave for work. As I backed out of the garage and down the driveway, I slipped my rings onto my finger. It was then that I truly realized just how much I need to go to Claire's at the mall this week. Claire's was recommended to me since they carry plastic ring guards.

Once again, I was struck with what I have already accomplished. I've lost enough weight already that my hands have slimmed down. If I shake my hands to get the last bits of damp off of them after drying my hands, my rings slide down my finger to the point of falling off. I may not see my weight loss in my thighs, hips, belly, or arms, but my fingers show it. And THAT is incredibly encouraging to me.

I know I've lost weight. My clothes fit looser and I can wear medium tops without any reservations, but I still don't necessarily see any physical changes. So knowing and seeing the difference in my hands keeps me going. My rings were re-sized right after my engagement to my husband to size 5, then re-sized again after I gained weight to a size 8. I'm hoping to get that size down to a 4 before I'm done. And, by golly! I'm getting there! 

Weekly Weigh-in 8-29-11


Monday, August 29, 2011

Good Morning, my loves! And believe me...it is a GRAND morning! I just got back upstairs to my computer after weighing in for the week and I am SO excited to share that I lost 3 lbs. last week. THREE! I've been pretty consistent about the weight I've lost since I came back to Spark People in earnest back in June. Each week has been between 1 and 2 pounds. The only thing I did differently this week is play outside with the neighborhood kids instead of doing the 30 Day Shred. I think I must have been starting to get stuck in a rut with the Shred. But that's okay, because I realize now that I can't rely on only one method of exercising to reach my goal.

Wish me luck this week, friends. I've been challenged to take my cardio outdoors this week and as long as the weather stays nice, that shouldn't be too hard mentally, but let me just tell you that playing with the kids leaves me with more bruises than I can even count anymore. Can't wait for this afternoon! 

The Mirror of Erised or My Heart's Desire (8.27.11)

(Formerly posted on SparkPeople on Saturday, August 27, 2011)

For those of you who don't know, The Mirror of Erised is a mirror from Harry Potter that shows the person that looks into their heart's greatest desire. The Challenge of Harry Potter contained a daily challenge of blogging about that topic this week.

I can't begin to tell you how hard this topic is for me because I don't really know that I even HAVE a greatest desire. I mean, aside from working a lousy real-life job, I am content. I have everything I need as well as the greatest husband a girl could ever ask for. I suppose...well, I suppose there is one more thing I would love to have.

Children. Of my own. I grew up in a family of seven children and therefore never lacked a playmate. However, I have a problem that my mom has never had. I have an irregular menstrual cycle. So irregular, that I've gone as long as two and a half years without a period that wasn't caused by pills. I honestly don't know if I am even capable of having children. And, my dears, I WANT children. I want a large family like the one I grew up in. Yes, I AM serious. I DO want alot of children. Call me crazy, but if God will provide the means to take care of them, what right do I have to limit the number of children He gives me?

This is why I began my weight loss journey. My lifestyle change. I got tired of making excuses about why I may never be able to have children. See, I don't have polycystic ovary syndrome. I don't have a hormone imbalance. I don't have any reason that I shouldn't be having a normal period. But I don't have one anyway. So, I figured, maybe it IS related to my weight. If I can change even that ONE thing...maybe it will help. Because I want to be a mother. I want to change smelly diapers. I want to teach my own children. I want to see them grow up. And not just in my dreams. For real.

This, my dear friends, is what my Mirror of Erised shows me. A large white house with a wrap-around porch with my husband and I standing on the front stairs to the porch surrounded by little brown and blonde haired children (boys. not girls). A few dogs thrown in the mix and my Mirror is complete.

If I can, personally, do nothing else other than change my lifestyle to be more healthy and more fit, than so be it. BUT, I WILL change. I WILL do everything I possibly can to actually own a REAL picture that matches what my Mirror shows me.

My Week in Hogsmeade (8.21.11)

(Formerly posted on SparkPeople on Sunday, August 21, 2011)

Monday my friends and I from Hogwarts traveled down for a week long visit to Hogsmeade.

Tuesday, when we hit Dervish and Banges, I learned a little bit more about how the lack of exercise affects my daily routine as I did my first 30 Day Shred in about a week. Never realized how fast muscle went away despite reading about it constantly.

Wednesday at Zonko's Joke Shop, my coworker and I had more than a few laughs to help alleviate the stress of our job.

Thursday, when we visited the Post Office, I met a few more people from the House of Slytherin. Now THAT was probably my favorite part of the week since I hadn't met many Slytherin's since starting school at Hogwarts.

Friday, we stopped for refreshment at The Three Broomsticks, and let me just tell you that I don't believe I have EVER drank so much water in one day before! 17 cups of water had me feeling like I could do laps around a swimming pool at my work desk.

On Saturday when we stopped at Honeydukes' I didn't actually get to participate because I went on a date with my husband (a straight up Gryffindor!) to Pei Wei.

And Today....today we are at one of the bestest shops ever opened...Scrivenshaft's. This is the day I get to share with you what I did this week.

I think if I had to choose a shop that I needed to visit more often, it would have to be The Three Broomsticks. The chance to earn house points for every single cup of water that I drank in one day motivated me to help my house as much as I could. A visit like that every day of my time at Hogwarts would help me more than anything else. And you know..most of that would be because the more water I drank, the less food I ate. LOVED that!

After such a GREAT time spent in Hogsmeade this week, I am definitely looking forward towards our next term at Hogwarts. See, I'm planning on helping my fellow Slytherins win the house cup this year. Cause we deserve it! 

Weekly Weigh-In 07/25/11

(Formerly posted on SparkPeople on Monday, July 25, 2011)

So, I figured it would be a good idea to publish my weigh-ins each week if for no other reason than to see my progress in actual writing. Of course, earning a few more SparkPoints in the process doesn't hurt. :-)

This week, typical to me, I ate under calories almost every day of the week. If you had asked me before I started tracking my food how much I ate I probably would have given some super high number of calories and I probably would have been correct. My problem, I think is, with me switching to more nutritious foods, I am still eating the same VOLUME, but now, the volume is ALOT fewer calories. So tell me, how can I pump up my caloric intake without FEELING like I'm overeating?

On a brighter note, my husband is absolutely loving the new healthy me. But wait...not necessarily in the way you might think. He loves me because with my counting my calories, I've been cooking dinner. I hate cooking. I always feel like it takes too much time, BUT, I dislike this weight more than I dislike cooking. Besides, I've been able to find some pretty time efficient recipes so far this month. AND, it helps to have Joseph's iPod dock in my kitchen now so I can listen to my k-pop while I cook. K-pop makes Everything better. Oh, and the other thing that makes cooking enjoyable...FRESH vegetables. Like, FARMER fresh. Best part of the summer is farmers markets and BOY am I putting them to use this year!

Anyway, enough about everything else. Here are the numbers.

Last week (07/18/11) - 188.5 lbs.
This week (07/25/11) - 185.0 lbs.

Whoo Hoo! 

In the words of my sister... (6.24.11)

(Formerly posted on SparkPeople on Friday, June 24, 2011)

That's right, folks. I'm headed to Myrtle Beach on Sunday so the remainder of this week will be spent doing laundry and packing for the beach. Maybe just a little bit more shopping to to pick up those last minute items like SPF 15 sunscreen. I am so excited about this vacation. I've needed it for longer than I care to admit.

However, I'm just a tad bit worried about keeping up with my diet while I'm down south. I'm not worried about my exercise. I mean, I've got a computer and I've got my 30 Day Shred, but seafood buffets....YUM. I suppose I need to start researching now the number of calories in my favorite seafood dishes so that I can plan my meals accordingly even though we Will be eating out. Fun. Fun.

So, cheer me on my friends, I'm gonna need all the encouragement ya'll can spare, if you don't mind. Now, I gotta go pack! 

Ridiculously Excited (6-23-11)

(Formerly posted on SparkPeople on Thursday, June 23, 2011)

I don't own a scale. I don't WANT to own a scale. So normally, if you would ask me how much I weigh, I would tell you whatever I weighed when I last visited my family doctor. However, the building that my job is located in has a free gym and it has a scale. So I determined that I would try to weigh in for SparkPeople every other week. Today was an "every other". If you've seen my status you know that I weighed in at 195 lbs. That's 10 lbs down from what I weighed at my April doctor's visit. 10 lbs. in two months. For me, that's unheard of.

I can see daily, the impact my eating habits have on my energy levels. Since I've gotten back on SparkPeople, my eating has gotten healthier and healthier (ignore today's dinner). My coworkers have noticed and comment all the time if they think that I'm contemplating cheating on my goals.

When you put it all together, I'm losing weight and I'm feeling better. What more could a girl ask for? 

To Stay Motivated (6-20-11)

(Formerly posted on SparkPeople on Monday, June 20, 2011)

What I think of to stay motivated in no particular order:

My goal to be fit enough to run with my friend who runs cross country races for George Mason.

My Husband - the occasions when he tells me that I look really good

my future children (praying that exercising will help me even be Able to Have children)

My goal to be able to lift a full sized motorcycle with no help from anyone else

My dream of being able to fit into that perfect dress from college again. (even if i don't hit my end goal weight, i'll still be able to fit into that dress again)

Being and Eating Healthy.

Strengthening my back - I don't want any more problems with my back ever again

I know some of these goals are much more future oriented, but every one of them is reachable and THAT is my biggest goal...Having attainable goals and dreams. And making the ones that seem to be UNattainable...attainable anyway.

What is YOUR biggest dream/goal? 

Trying to get back on track (6-13-11)

(Formerly posted on SparkPeople on Monday, June 13, 2011)

I suppose I should start with letting you know that I have a wonky back. I don't know where it all started, but every so often I'll aggravate my back and throw off my whole workout routine. Of course I would go and do JUST that as soon as I get back onto SparkPeople. But, I'm determined to not let it discourage me. I can still do minor exercises and dumb bell exercises. But I MISS my long morning walks with my coworker. And I miss yelling "Go Bald" at Jillian Michaels as I struggle to remain upright in the side lunge in Level One of The 30 Day Shred. So, I'm going to suck it up, and try to do a little of the Shred today. My back's feeling better, but still not up to par so I'll have to watch it, but I just can't stand sitting around anymore. It's literally killing me.

In other words, pray for me my friends...it may get ugly.

The vegetable I hate eating (6-9-11)

(Formerly posted on SparkPeople on Thursday, June 6, 2011)

I pretty much despise carrots. Ask my husband at any point and he'll quickly confirm this. In fact, he is always telling me that I NEED to eat carrots for all of the good they'll do my eyes. Honestly...I don't care. Carrots are dry. They taste nasty. They turn my fingers funky colors when I peel the outsides off. I don't even like them with brown sugar or butter. If I have to eat them raw, I end up eating more dip than carrot. At least, that's how I felt about them before lunch today.
I purchased a fresh bunch of organic carrots this morning because I really AM trying to eat healthier foods and of course I'm counting calories and such. About an hour ago (11:30ish) my stomach started going crazy for food and all I have here at work with me for lunch today are those organic carrots. So, I peeled three. Spooned out my slightly heaping 2Tbsp of French onion dip. And headed back to my desk. And I honestly have to admit, I'm eating more carrot than dip right now. These carrots aren't dry. They aren't leaving a funky aftertaste. They actually have a slightly sweet flavor to them. They DID still turn my fingers orange, but if I can eat carrots that I will truly enjoy?...I'll deal with the orange.
I guess the point of my post here is to say that sometimes stepping out of my comfort zone and reaching for the foods I typically avoid can be an eye-opening experience. Maybe I don't hate eating carrots after all!