Mah.

My mom and I went to Ikea today for a little post-Christmas shopping fun. I bought a coffee table, and two small book shelves- one for home and one for school. All three pieces were on sale. I'm pretty excited about putting them together.

My vacation has been flying by and I haven't been able to get done all I've wanted. It's not over yet, of course, but I'm starting to feel the pressure of going back to work. That stinks. I've decided that tomorrow I'm going to do things just for myself. I'm going to sleep in, I'm going to buy myself a new pair of shoes, I'm getting a massage (gift card from Chris), and Chris and I are going to Ruth's Chris for dinner( Chris got a gift card from a client) . I'm hoping that it'll be a lovely day that will help remove this feeling of dread off of my shoulder. I think this stress I'm feeling is because I'm tired. I had a lot of plans today, including a nap, but the trip to Ikea took about 2 hours longer than I had intended...mostly because my mother insisted on going to the Christmas Tree Shoppe on the way home. Bah.

All this, plus I'm still not "spot on" with WW, but I'm getting a little closer each day...at least that's what I'm telling myself. I'm also making plans to start lifting weights again. Those workouts will probably be laid out in detail on my other Amazon blog....of course I'll mention them here, too. Basically, I'm gearing up to re-begin Phase 1 of the Next 10 Challenge.

Speaking of The Next 10 Challenge, I need some input. I think that Phase 1 should be getting under 165 (or 1?5/2?5), but what should the time frame be? Any ideas? I don't want to make it so short that it's impossible, or so long that it's not a challenge. Let me know, ya'll.

New Outlook, New Goals

I know there is going to be an onslaught of New Year resolutions and so on and so forth and blah blah blah. However, I'm going to talk about what I'm giving myself for Christmas. I know I've totally screwed up this week and I know that I will have gained by this Sunday. I'm considering this to actually be Phase 0. It's official. Phase 0 is on!

Phase 0 for me is to:

• not gain too much and to hopefully have it back off by Dec 31
• get back into the gym next week
• set goals for the re-issuing of Phase 1 of the Next 10 plan

After years of not keeping New Year Resolutions, I've got to remind myself that this is my gift to myself and has nothing to do with the beginning of a new year. It's merely a coincidence.

By the way, I hope I didn't offend anyone who does the resolution thing. I just know they don't work for me!

Anyone else for a change in plans?

Are there any others who are doing the Next 10 Challenge who would like to call these next couple of weeks Phase 0..where we're try not to gain enough weight to be in the 10 pounds heavier range. I think that sounds more doable at this time of year.

Anyone with me?

Phase 0?

Things are not going well for me Challenge wise these days, it's almost like I'm in Phase 0 of the challenge...the planning phases. The holidays plus the 3 days of being sick and not really following plan (100 calorie packs and toast are my friends)./ I know I'll get back on track soon, but I'm so distracted between work, being sick earlier in the week, and trying to get ready for Christmas (which is a struggle). I know it'll all fall into place one of these days...or even one of these upcoming moments...I just need to concentrate, but I have no energy for it.

That's my brief update, and now it's back to work for me. I'll be back later on tonight when I'm at the library.

I'm not sure where this is going to go....

But I'm posting, anyway.





I'm hoping that this Reuben link will work, so let's give it a shot:


http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=c91ddcdfbebbd94462b7f76G06121908








My week thus far has sucked dinosaur egg. I left the library early on Sunday because I didn't feel well. I left school yesterday because I didn't feel well. I stayed home from school today because I woke up tired and still somewhat headachy and I have more than 40 sick days banked, so I figured, "why not?" I've also been taking pictures this week, so I figure I'll share them....

7:30 am Sunday, the police came to the door...granted it was my cop brother just getting off duty bringing around his old surround sound so we could have it. But still, you think he would have changed into sweats and not rolled around on my floor in his uniform and gun (look at his Right hip)

Reuben decided that he's tired of me knitting. Either I knit him something, or I teach him how to knit. I don't know what he expects...no thumbs.

Reuben's newest hand-me-down. It was mine until the other day when I discovered a small hole in it. Reuben doesn't care, he's a dog and has very little taste.


I'm noticing that this post is super weird. I think it's time to take another nap...

I just don't even know

I feel so lousy today. My head is "woogalie" (Alanna-ese for fuzzy and head-achy) and I feel vaguely nauseated. I'm certainly tired. The topper might be that I don't feel like eating. I'm hungry, but I'm afraid of what will happen if I eat something. Plus, I was up in the middle of the night with stomach issues. Blah.

Challenge-wise, this week was a bust. I went to meeting this morning, but I didn't weigh in. I felt discouraged due to my nighttime stomach aches. So I went, I listened, I joked, but I did not weigh in. Next week is another week and it's sure to be better. I just have to be very decisive about what I'll be eating and when. No Panera bread bowl lunch for me this week. It's too risky. If I have enough points left next Saturday, maybe I will treat myself to it then. Then if I only have a few points left for the rest of the week, it's only about 12 hours. I can live with very few points for a coupla hours, for cryin' out loud.

Here's to Phase 1, week 2 of the Next 10 Challenge!

Strugglin' at the library

I am having another rough night at the library...I don't know what it is. I think that eating sashimi for dinner is awesome, but the lack of carbs is killing me. I've got to plan better for next Thursday because this is nutty. I feel as if I could eat my way through a cardboard box. Sheesh. I am totally struggling though. I've got 4 flexies left and a dinner party to go to tomorrow. I'm doing the best I can, but it doesn't seem to be good enough. My plan is to tread lightly and do the best that I can.

On the upside is that I've had about 4 people tell me recently that I look like I've lost weight, I haven't, but I think my body is rearranging itself and that's totally cool.

I'm totally going to have to eat another dinner when I get home at 9. I don't know what to eat, but there has to be something. Seriously, next time I'm going to the sushi place that's 15 minutes from home to get brown rice sushi rolls, because the sashimi just ain't cutting it.

Okay, so this has totally turned into a rant of monumental proportions. I just can't help it, I'm really hungry.

I'm still in the game

My Next 10 Challenge update: I'm still in the games, but things are getting tight. They wouldn't be this tight if I had kept up with the exercise part of the challenge...but there is still time. My fatal flaw was that I forgot to pack a snack to eat with my sugar free latte between work and tutoring, so I got a crispy rice bar at Starbucks. My thinking was this: The prepackaged rice crispy treat bar are 2 points each, I figure 5-6 points tops. Come to find out 11 points. ELEVEN Points. I am dumbfounded. I would have done better with a bagel for crying out loud. Oh well, it's done. It's over. (I'm still astonished, though)

Anyway, I still have flexies left, and if I get in my 30 for the next 3 days I'll be able to up that.

I'm glad that there are about 5 of us doing this challenge:

• Marta
• Jeannie
• Tigerlilly
• TrixieBelden
• Me

If there are more of you, let me know! You can join at any time...we are in Phase 1, which ends on Jan 1st. I'm also looking for phase 2 suggestions.

Hmph!

I am having trouble commenting on my friend's blogs! I don't like it. I might have to switch to beta blogger just so I can still be friendly. Harumph.

I did get the bike trainer set up, and it looks pretty awesome. I'll have to post a picture later. To answer Marta's trainer question: Yes, it is a contraption that you use to make your bike a stationary bike. I love it! It's a tad loud, but my landlord is half deaf, and I won't use it past 8pm, and it's above his guest room, so it should bother him too much.

That's all I've got for now. I'll check in with ya'll later.

Day 2 of 21

Things are going well here in Phase 1 of the Next 10 Challenge. Here are the stats:

• 29/35 Flexies left (ie no fudging has taken place)
• 0/90 minutes exercise done

That pedicure is going to be MINE!

Things are looking good. My major goal for the evening is to clean up the computer room enough to set up my bike trainer so I don't have to leave the house to get some exercise in. That'll be cool, right? It will eliminate one of my biggest excuses...the dreaded...well I don't have time to actually get to the gym, find parking, and wait for a machine. I will have a machine right in my own apartment. Clever, eh?

Getting my duckies in a row

I'm currently waiting to do about a million things at once. I'm:

1. waiting for the auto glass guys to call and tell me when the parts will be in and when I can drop off the car
2. making polenta chips. The polenta is cooling on the stove right now as I type this.
3. wondering why after my email explanation to my department as to why I'm not at work today, the crazy one had to share that her husband was in a very minor fender bender this weekend...but pretty much nothing else. Apparently, she's gotta do everything, and I mean everything, that I do and when I do it, too. Lol. I'm sure it's just a bad coincidence, but she didn't need to send me a whole email about it.
4. avoiding Christmas cards...I should be doing them as I'm home and all, but I'm still procrastinating.

On WW note, I'm naming today as day one as the "Next 10 Challenge". Marta and I are looking to get into the lower set of 10 numbers on the scales...the dreaded 150s. I don't think that we'll be able to get there by January 1st realistically, so really this is phase 1 of a larger challenge. So for phase 1 I'd like to be under 165 by January 1st. If you want to join it, but all means do so. Here are the points of the challenge this far:

• Sticking to your eating plan. No fudging it on Core or Flex. If you're on another plan, that's great, but you know how to "fudge it" and you've got to avoid it.
• 3 days of exercise a week, a minimum of 30 minutes at a shot. I'm talking you've got to break a sweat kind of exercise. Not sweating buckets, but rosy cheeks, slightly moist kind of sweat.
• Set a realistic goal. Mine is to get under 165 by January 1st. If my WW is open on New Year's eve, I'll try to get it done by then, but that's a personal note.
• Think of a good reward. I'm going to treat myself to a pedicure if I get below 165. (Once I get into the 150s and my size 10s fit nicely on a consistent level, I'm going to treat myself to really good, really expensive jeans.)

I also took note of my bodily measurements this morning (hey, I'm really bored and a glutton for punishment). I'm going to start recording them once a month. I think they are far more important than what they scale says. Hell, I wouldn't care if I weight 186 again, if I had a 26 inch waist and I fit into a size 8 pants comfortably. I would probably be green and be able to lift cars over my head, but I'd be healthy and that's the point.

Regardless, I'm open to any suggestions.

WHAT?

Yeah, I woke up this morning to find that someone smashed both of my driver side windows. My brother (cop) and another officer came by and decided it was a hit and run. There are speckles of white paint on my car, white smudges on my rood rack, both driver side window smashed....but my driver's side mirror is untouched. They believe it was either a white SUV or a truck that bounced off my car (maybe twice) and possibly was carrying a load which put paint on my roof rack. It's just very odd. I suggested that because it happened between 1 am and 7:30 this morning that maybe the person not just carrying a load, but maybe loaded as well. Poop.

I did go to meeting this morning, and I'm up a pound. I'm not too upset with that. It'll come off again. We also went over all the changes in the new program, and got to look at all the new materials that you can buy. I bought myself a new 3 month journal. It's pretty cute and I think it'll work out for me.

Thankfully for me, but not for the library.... It isn't open today, and may not be open tomorrow because there was a small fire in the boiler room and now there is no heat in the building. I told the woman who called me, "Well, thank God we're moving to the new building soon" which made her laugh. I might call into work tomorrow and use a personal day, as my insurance agent will be calling me with all the details tomorrow and I'll have to set up times to get new windows put in and so on and so forth.

I think I'm going to go have a big drink now, I think I could use it.

A Post about poor Reuben

First Chris teases him about grooming his "baby"









Then SHE's back...Una the terror. At least they're getting along for the moment...

Blogger Beta

Anyone out there know the advantages/disadvantages to Blogger Beta? I've been asked if I want to switch and I'd like to know what I'm getting into...

I'm frickin' starvin' over here!

I'm at job #2 and I am so hungry I am getting cranky. I already ate a banana, mango, and sashimi. I have 9 flexies left between now and Sunday morning. There are cookies in the staff lounge and my candy machine, which I could easily open up and eat some dark chocolate M&Ms. I'm trying to resist, but I must admit, it's getting difficult and it's not even 7pm!

Calgon, take me away!

Update

I did not eat any of the cookies or candies. I went home, put my pajamas on and hung out under the voers and didn't think about food. And I'm okay. Yay!

Wednesdays are long

Wednesday is not a fun day to have as a long day. Granted, the stuff I get done with worthwhile. I do my regular 7:45-2:25 job, then I tutor from 3:35-4:45, then I run a few errands and wind up at a second meeting. Long? Yes. Worth it? Yup...especially the tutoring. Good cash in that gig.

I've got an "almost core" ww mac and soy cheese casserole in the over. Reuben has eaten and done all his biz. I can relax in front of the tube, knit, and day dream about how the department meeting is going to go tomorrow considering admin is questioning why I've done most of the testing even though I have a tighter schedule. Nutjob is starting to sink into the abyss of her own making. I pity her in a sense...she's caught in a lie and can't find her way out. Oh well.

So, Marta and I are trying to come up with a good challenge. She suggested a 19 day challenge for following plan perfectly and getting to the gym 3 times a week. I like those ideas. I'd also like to do a challenge eventually that has something to do with losing inches instead of pounds.....I don't know if this is the time. anyone out there have any ideas, or would like to join us?

Baby, it's cold outside

It is finally getting cold around here. I saw flurries this afternoon, and I'm telling you, it had better full on snow soon or I might go mad. the cold is making me crazy hungry today, though.

Reuben is certainly trying to dress for warmth...my mom dug this out for Reuben to wear today:

Awesome, right? Reu just knows how to look cool.

Changes and Motivation

I'm getting really antsy about the changes Weight Watchers is making to the program. I know that they are rolling them out this upcoming week, so I should find out on Sunday, but I'm excited. With new additions come new products, so I'm hoping for a revamped journal. I'm hoping that the changes will keep me motivated. I'm hoping that they'll help the rest of you who are getting the holiday-lack-of-motivation-blues.

And speaking of motivation, Marta, do you have any ideas for a challenge that we can do since we're both are in the 160s and are desperate to come out on the 150s side? Should it be an activity challenge? And eating challenge? A weight loss challenge, or a combination of the 2? and what would the winner get? So many choices! I just don't know what to do.

She's crafty....

This post is inreference to Trixie and Marta's responses to this post.

I haven't done many quilts in my life, maybe 4 of various sizes. A couple of wall hangings, the one you saw in the picture with Reuben, and another one that is still just a quilt top and actually needs to be quilted...ooops! I saw them completely by hand, except for the first step in the binding process....I've got to learn to sew a straight line on my machine....I did that on the big quilt to increase the sturdiness of the binding.


Here are my current projects:

• Flying geese quilt made from scraps and fat quarters I've got lying around.
• Green cotton scarf
• Blue micro fleece scarf

Reuben's current projects:

• sleeping
• snoring
• dreaming that he's chasing squirrels

Down and not out

I am please to announce that I am back down to 167 this morning, according to the official scales at Weight Watchers. There are also rumors that Weight Watchers will be unrolling the program changes during the week of Dec 10-16th, so I am excited to see what the changes are to the Core program. Plus, my WW center hasn't had any 12 week books in a while, so my leader thinks they have probably reworked them somehow. I hope it's awesome and not a horrible change...I try to use the 12 week book to keep me centered during the week. I hope the new version doesn't suck eggs.

So, because I'm down 3 pounds, I'm not out of the running for WW. I'm feeling pretty motivated right now and it helps that when I asked Chris what he wanted for dinner tonight he told me I could make whatever I wanted to eat. I'm thinking fish and veggies....maybe even brussels sprouts if I can find them at the grocery store. (They are hard to find sometimes)

In other news:

• I seem to have twisted my knee in my sleep, so now I have a hot, slightly swollen knee that hurts shin I do pretty much anything. I think a stop at the orthopedist might be needed. Poo.
• I have yet to take pictures of my new quilting squares, but I think I'm going to have the time to do so tonight, so I hope you enjoy them when I post later.
• The worms are fine. I'm going to be separating some out and putting them back into their old container so I can bring them to show the 1st graders I work with. They are totally excited about it.
• Chris told me yesterday that my in-laws were going to come for a visit today while I'm at work. This prompted me to wash all the dishes (had to do it twice, because there were so many), swiffer the kitchen floor, organize my work/tutorial/committee bags. He called me at the library a little while ago to let me know he's going to their house because his mom isn't feeling well. I'm happy about that because I don't feel the apartment was as clean as I would have liked it to be for them to visit and I'm also happy that the original plan made me get done a bunch of things I had been putting off.
• I'm giving up temporarily on knitting socks. I don't feel ready to turn a heel, or make a gusset. I am going to use my grandmother's circular knitting needles to make a nice scarf or two, as my old one is currently biting the dust.

I think that's all I've got for now. I'll be back later, provided I have the time to take pics of my current projects.....

Update

Okay, so it's only been like a half hour since I wrote this post, but I had to tell you that while I was leaving the library on break I nearly ran into my first serious boyfriend. I'm glad it was nearly, because to this date, I'm pissed that I let him treat me badly during our last month or so together, and I also would be tempted to flaunt the fact that I never got back together with him, even though he begged, and that I'm married and he ain't. Phew.

I also made a trip to the grocery store that's down the block and bought brussels sprouts and bananas. Score!