Day 27 - Feeling the need to tell a funny story

Okay, so it may just be funny to me alone.  But I think that sh**s and giggles, I should share it with you guys. :)

Several years ago, I'd say in 2002 or 2003, I went to a conference in New Orleans for my work.  It was tough to be in such a great city.  Really.  Okay... truthfully?  Let's just say that I didn't actually see a lot of the conference. What can I say?? I was in New Orleans. I'm a history buff. And it's a beautiful city!  But anyway, one of the days we were there, a group of us went on a haunted tour. It was a lot of fun - full of haunted places and historical facts.  We had a great time.  One of the places we went was a bar called "The Morgue", which used to be the morgue in New Orleans.  (Photo acknowledgement: http://jaybarrymore.com/NewOrleans.aspx)  We decided on the spot that we were going back there that night.  Unfortunately, I have found out that it closed not that long after.  And I was really sad to hear about that!

The five of us were walking down Bourbon street on our way to St. Philip street where the bar was located, arguing about which street we were supposed to turn down. (And for the record, Lynda and I were right. ha ha)  As we are walking, this lady, and I use the term loosely, approaches us.  "Where y'all goin'?"  Us: "The Morgue" Lady: "Well, come on. I'll show ya." And by the way, I'm from the south. I have an accent, so I'm not making fun of it.

Now at this point, we are all thinking "Okay, I'll give her a couple of bucks for showing us where it is."  So here's this tiny, tiny woman in her fatigue pants and t-shirt leading us down the street.  Then she's telling us how she works at a Voo Doo store.  Then she pulls out the "D'y'all get your readin's yet?"  Us: "Umm.. Rachel and Julie did."  (Rachel and I wanted to be able to say we had our readings done in the square.  And we joked afterwards that they all say the same thing. )   She pulls out this ratty tarot cards, so old and tattered, you couldn't even tell what they said.  She's tossing these cards out and she's talking so fast, I don't even know to this day what she said.  All I heard was that Rachel was fertile and Lynda was coming into money.

Then....... she tells us how much to pay her.  I honestly can't remember how much, but it was more than we were planning.  And we give it to her!!!!!!!   We get to the bar... we get our drinks.... and we're really quiet. We're all just sitting there, not talking.  And then we start looking at each other and say "Did we give her money???  We gave her money!!  We got screwed and didn't get to enjoy it!!  SHE PUT A VOO DOO CURSE ON US!"  So about a quarter down into my drink, I was feeling pretty good.  It was called "Embalming Fluid" and was served in a huge cup.  Rachel and I were getting happy and we decide we are going to get some of our money back.  And we decide to go on Bourbon street and tell people we are there for a palm readers conference.  After all .... they all say the same thing anyway!

Did we get our money back?? Yes and no.  Actually money? No. Getting our drinks paid for the rest of the night? Yes.

Here's how it would usually start:
"You've been really hurt in your past..... and you've built a wall.... but you're going to meet someone and you are going to want to take that wall down.... "blah blah blah.

Which is usually followed by:
"Wow!  How do you know that?!"  Usually said in an awe-filled voice.

People would come up to me and say "Your friend is really good.  She knew so much about me!" Me: "Yeah, she's been doing this for a long time."

Am I a bad person???  It may have been bad... but I have an excuse!!  We were drunk. And you do stupid things when you are drunk.  At least I didn't do something stupid like take a guy back to my hotel room.  Wait.........  is that a good thing or bad thing?? Ha ha ha ha ha

This story may be funnier in my head.   But I thought you may enjoy it. :D

Day 25 - And it all leads back to......

I have to admit, this weekend has been really....... trying.   And I believe it all comes back to one thing.

The Curse

Okay men....  time to look away.  I'm about to talk about female things.  Like Aunt Flo, bloating, and cravings.  So if you don't want to hear all of it, turn away now.  Run!!  Run away while you still can!!


So ladies, what is it about that time of month??  I always know I'm about to head down the Kotex path.  I start crying at movies, or commercials, or hell, the bug that got squashed on my windshield.  "Really now, how bad can it be??" you ask.  Well, I will tell you.  Yesterday, I started crying at the movie, "The Rookie."  The Rookie?!  Really?!  Yeah, the one with Dennis Quaid about baseball?  What the hell?!?  A couple of days ago, I was watching a movie channel when I saw that "My Life" with Michael Keaton was coming on.  I had to turn the channel before just the name of the movie made me break down in tears.  As if, in this state, I could watch a movie about a guy who has brain cancer.  Oh HELL NO!

Then what happens is that I want to chow down on everything in sight.  And when I say everything, I mean everything.  That kind of sucks when you are trying to lose weight.  I haven't gone overboard, but let's just say that I'm not expecting a huge weight loss this week.  *le sigh*  (Btw, I did eat some bread yesterday.  I had to throw it away before it became the unfortunate victim of pre-menstrual bread-icide dismemberment and slaughter.  After which I just might have been put in a cell, talking to Clarice about fava beans and chianti.)

And let's not talk about the bloating.  That's just kicking someone when they are down.  I bet Mother Nature also practices her drop-kick with little defenseless puppies too!

Thank goodness this is only for a few days a month.  Again I say, how the heck did men get out of this?!  They get all of the easy stuff.  (And for those guys who just might have read this, you can not compare getting kicked in the privates as compensation. Unless you want me to come to your house every month and rack you one. Just sayin'. ;)

/end rant

Have a good week everyone!!

Day 23 - I just signed up for what???

Today, I was catching up on my favorite blogs.  Mrs. HotAss at Did I Just Eat that Out Loud suggested that we check out the "My Long Hot Active Summer" challenge.  I hop right on over....  and signed up.

Wait....

I did what???

Crap.

But in all actuality, it should be fun!  And a motivation to get out there and be active even when you don't feel like it.  What do you guys think?? Want to do it with me?

Challenge Blog:  My Long Hot Active Summer

Day 22 - And the elliptical saga continues...

First of all - I just have to say...
I lost 2.4 pounds this week!!!! *does a little happy dance ala Numfar Dance of Joy* (Buffy/Angel fans will get that reference.)
So YAY ME!  Just gotta keep going now.

MOVING ON...
I finally had the technician out to fix my elliptical.  (Yeah, I got it almost 5 months ago and it's been broken the whole time.)   And even the technician said "Man.  This is seriously messed up."  And the parts the company sent are pretty much useless,  even if they had sent enough parts to fix both parts that are broken, which they didn't.  (I'm not a big fan of Icon Fitness who owns NordicTrack.  I had to threaten to call a lawyer just to get things moving.)

So now not only is it not fixed, but the technician took the parts home to see if he could try to get it fixed there.  This means I can't even use it until he gets it back.  But I can deal with it as long as it gets fixed!  And really, it isn't too bad of a situation since my knee is still sore from catching myself after stepping on the end of that dang power cord.

All in all, not too bad.  Hope everyone is having a good week!

Day 21 - Chubby buddy or Chubby competition??

I wrote this blog for Day 21.  However, me being the brilliant person that I am, hit "Save Now" instead of "Publish Post."  I'm just smooth like that.  So here's yesterday's post.... ummm.... a day behind. :D


I was watching Kirstie Alley's Big Life the other night.  It's actually really funny.  Anyway, Kirstie is embarking on a weight loss program, one that she and a team developed and are now selling. (I am not doing this program - just watching what I'm eating and exercising.)  In the first episode, she asked her handyman, Jim, to be her chubby buddy and lose weight together. He agreed.


It's been really funny - seeing the way they handle their trials and tribulations.  Not just in the weight loss journey, but in every day life as well.


But this week's episode, Jim talked about how they embarked on this journey together but that now Kirstie did not act like his teammate anymore.  See, he has steadily lost more weight than Kirstie - probably because he weighs more and, well, he's a guy.  (Side note: What the hell is it that makes men lose weight faster than women??  We have a periods, and childbirth,  AND we can't lose weight?!?!  How the h*** did guys get off so easy?!?!)  


Okay, sorry about that. I sometimes can't help myself.  Anyway - what was I saying?? Oh yeah, Kirstie and Jim are chubby buddies, losing weight together.  But this week, Jim was having a problem because he felt as if they weren't chubby buddies anymore.  It wasn't about doing it together anymore, but more like a competition.


And that's the question -- do you have any people in your life who are also trying to lose weight?  Is it a partnership or a competition?  Do you do better in your weight loss if you have someone to do it with or do you prefer to do it on your own?


For me, I'm a highly competitive person.  But I am still always happy for someone to lose weight.  And I like having people around me who understands what I'm trying to do, what kinds of setbacks and victories come in the process, and can push me and encourage me.  I, of course, want to do the same for them.


However, I do know people who would either want 1) for me to stay the same weight so they can feel more comfortable with where they are with their weight or 2) to beat me at the weight loss game.


It's frustrating to be sure.  But what's important is that I stay on my journey and I'll get to my goal when I get to my goal.  And just hope that people come along for the ride. :)

Day 19 - Something to think about.

As a catchup since I didn't blog this weekend: I started my no complex carbs thing over the weekend. (For reactionary purposes due to being on a meds that increases cholesterol and triglycerides. Yay.)   So far so good.  I haven't been missing out a whole lot.  Then again,  I haven't seen bread and if I do, I may attack it like Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre leaving only a splatter pattern of crumbs in my wake.  I may have to stay out of the bakery section of the supermarket when I go.  It could be quite embarrassing.

In the midst of my blah filled weekend, albeit self-imposed, I watched G.I. Jane again.  Now, I find the movie really good, in fact, I own it.  But it is completely and utterly so far from what happens that I just have to grit my teeth and suspend disbelief.  (You should check out the Navy SEALs BUD/S Class 234 series from Discovery.  Really cool.... and okaaaaaaaaaaay... hot guys too.)

I digress.  (Hot men tend to do that to me.)  What I meant to talk about was the poem that the master chief quotes:

          Self Pity by D.H. Lawrence
          I never saw a wild thing
          sorry for itself.
          A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
          without ever having felt sorry for itself.

And it really got me thinking.  I sit here and complain and say a "Woe is me" and talk about how rough I have it.  But really, I have it pretty good.  Yes, I am going through a struggle right now.  However, I have to realize that I will come out on the other end. Hopefully, I will be stronger and more appreciative on the other side.  It could be that I just needed to go through this now to teach me a lesson.

Maybe the lesson is to not have self-pity about where I am.  That small bird D.H.L. talks about probably has to be alert all the time.  Making sure there's not a bigger predator after it, making a home from twigs that it has to search for, and finding bugs for it to feast upon.  That little bird doesn't sit there and mope.  It flies.  It's free.  And so can I be.

And really - on a positive note,  if the Earth gets hit by an asteroid and food supplies decrease.... I will live longer than the skinny little toothpicks, because I have some (okay, a lot of) fat to metabolize.  Who's laughing now twiggy?!

Day 16 - Scales are inconsequential... maybe

*trying to kill herself by paper-cutting her wrists*  Well, that doesn't work.  Just as an FYI.  I guess I'll just have to persevere.  *le sigh*

So, I tried the scale again this morning.  And it's the SAME as yesterday.  But I'm comforted by the knowledge that in order to have gained weight, I would have had to eat lots of extra calories. I know I didn't, so I'm trying not to freak out.  Trying!  On the good side, I measured myself again yesterday.  And in those few days, I lost 3 1/2 inches.  So yay me!


I was looking at possible reasons that the scale has become possessed.  (Other than it is Satan's scale.)  I'm hoping that it is water retention.  Seeing as how I am close to that time of month.  Was that TMI?  That was TMI wasn't it?  Sorry.  What??  Aren't you interested in my personal bodily functions?!  I don't see why not.  Heh.  My question is: how the he** did men get out of the whole monthly weight gain thing?? I mean, really.  What about our evolution caused men to get the easy way out??? Grrrrrrrr.

On the other hand, I went back to the dermatologist's office today.  I may not have mentioned this, but I'm now on a medication that has the potential to raise cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  And guess what?? It did.  It isn't outrageous, but my dermatologist said I needed to be on a lean protein, no complex carb diet.  Like, no milk, no red meat, no pasta, no potatoes, no....  everything.  That also means, no latte coffees.  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!  *falls to her knees*  Why hath thou forsaken me?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

*breathes deep*

Okay, I can do this.  But at least eating lots of fruits, veggies, and lean meats will be good for me!  Wish me luck!

Day 15 - What the ****ing h***?!?!

Slightly perturbed this morning.  I don't think I should weigh in on Thursdays anymore. They seem to be cursed for me. Seriously.

Because we all know that I weighed myself on the 12th.  But today?? Today, I was 0.4 lbs heavier than I was three days ago.  How is that possible?  I exercised, I was really good about my diet.  What the hell?!

So I thought, maybe there is something wrong with the scale.  That has to be it, right?  I waited a few and let the scale reset.  Stepped on ... and I was 1 lb heavier than I was on the 12th.  I've decided that the scale is acting weird today so I'm going to do my official weigh in tomorrow.

And no giving me crap for it! :)

Day 14 - Fat Americans No more!

Have you ever been over seas?  If so, did you hear "You Amereeecans. You know noth-een about ze food and ze health. All you amereeecans are fat, lazeee, peepul."  To which you find the urge to say "American? No, I'm Canadian. Eh. You hoser."

The reason I bring it up: I just read an article on Yahoo, Why Americans are Overweight and How the Rest of the World is Thin where they discussed the reasons why there is such an obesity problem here in the U.S. versus the rest of the world.  The only thing is, the obesity problem is spreading all across the world now.  There are a lot of good points in this article, but let me just talk about a few.

Obesity boils down to a just few facts.  We are eating more foods with less flavor, more calories, and bigger proportions, and moving around less.  Big shocker right??  Nothing we don't already know.  But let's think about it.  I don't know about you, but when I was a kid, I spent all day outside playing, running around, or biking.  Today, kids spend all day inside watching TV or playing video games. Probably because with the rise of reporting of child abductions, etc., people are scared (and rightfully so) to let their kids out of their sight.

Also, when I was a kid, my mom (or my dad) used to cook dinner.  She wasn't a stay at home mom either. She worked all day long.  And it didn't have to be something elaborate either.  We had a home-made dinner and we ate at the table.  There was no eating dinner on the couch in front of the TV.  It was great family time with good food.  The other thing is, we only really ate out (or ordered in) after our (my sister and my) piano lessons on Tuesdays.  I remember how I was always so excited on Tuesdays, because it was a big deal to have our pizza nights. It was a special occurance.  Now, families are eating out at fast food places so often, it is mundane.  Nothing special here.

There has been a lot of talk over the years about how Europeans are more active than Americans. And let's face it, it's true.  But here's one thing I noticed last time I was in England.  They walk or bike everywhere.  Granted, it is easy to do when you don't have to go very far.  This is a point that many Europeans don't grasp how big our country was and how traveling by vehicle is a necessity about living in the U.S.  For example, I was in a museum in Cambridge, England talking to one of the docents about her recent trip to the states.  She and her friend had bought a rail pass thinking that, like in continental Europe, you can hop on a train, and be at your next destination by tea time.  It was shocking to her that they spent all day on a train and hadn't made it to the next destination.  She said that she really hadn't understood exactly how big the U.S. was.  Even in the cities, it is different.  When I was in Cambridge, you could walk wherever you wanted easily.  Not so here in the states.  So next time a European gives you trouble, just remind them about the vast difference in size our two continents are! :)

The scary thing is, with the spread of fast food franchises, etc. to other countries, along with the on-the-go mentality, obesity is spreading.  The good news is - we, as Americans, are starting to be healthier and being more conscious of the things we are putting into our bodies and being more active. That's a good thing.

I'm not sure if I made any sense above.  But just something to chew over. (No pun intended.)

Day 13 - Lean Cuisine Pizza is made by Satan.

You know how there are those items that you either 1) can't buy or 2) must by just one of?

I have discovered that Lean Cuisine's Four Cheese Pizza, with it's temptation filled cover showing all of its (fake) gooey cheesy goodness, is one of those for me. I mean, just look at the box:

EVIL!!!!  EVIL I SAY!

I have to just buy ONE if I do buy them in the future.  I swear, they are evil.  Probably made by Satan.  In Hell.  With crack.  A special crack called.... sodium.  That salt gets me every time!  I'm still on track for my calorie count today but still, I had 2 of those things! Two!  I know.  I am horrible.

Let's see, what other items can I not buy or buy one of??

1) Hostess 100 Calorie Chocolate Cupcakes (They really are good and only 100 calories, but it doesn't help if you eat all 6 packets.)  
2) String cheese (I have a tendency to eat more than one.  But I think with my new found willpower, it's doable.)
3) Baked Lays (It's that damn crack... I mean, sodium.  I start with the intention of eating one serving.  And I succeed.... if one serving is an entire BAG.)
4) Milk Duds (It's the sugar crack.)

5) Bread of any kind... especially if it has Jess' tomato pesto on it.
I'm know that there are TONS of others but I can't think of them right now.

What about you guys?  What things can you just not buy?

Day 12 - And the scale addiction....

I woke up this morning... the sun... well, the sun wasn't shining. In fact, it was raining. But that's beside the point.  I groped my way to the bathroom.  And there... in the corner... was The Scale.  It was just sitting there. Taunting me.  Reminding me of the almost crack-like high that comes from stepping on that little platform. (Not that I have ever done crack, but I imagine it would feel like that.)

I tried to resist.  Really.  I did.  But yes, I gave in.

Now, keep in mind that my official weigh in day is Thursday. But as of today, I lost another 1.6 pounds. YAY ME!  We'll see if that was a fluke weigh in or not on Thursday.  But cross your fingers for me!

Thank goodness Monday is over. On to the next!

Day 11 - Weekend Antics

So I've had a busy, but fun, weekend.  And guess what?  I didn't go beserk on my eating!  I know - it's shocking.

Saturday, I slept in.  They say that to lose weight it is imperative to get your sleep.   I must have taken it to heart because I woke up at 11am.  I had my coffee, which is a must!   Here's a tip for coffee drinkers!  I, as you might now from one of my first posts, am addicted to coffee.  And my favorite is a Starbucks Venti Iced Caramel Latte.  Oh.  My mouth just started watering. Damnit.  But in order to cut back calories, and money, I have switched to making coffee at home.  I use the Via packets from Starbucks (the medium strength, in the orange box), which are instant coffee packets, but actually quite good.  And then I add a hot chocolate packet to it.  I splurge and use the Swiss Miss milk chocolate packets, which are 120 calories.  But you can use sugar free which will cut down both calories and sugar.  And it's really good!  At least I think so anyway.

After my late start, I ran out the door without much to eat.  Bad. I know.  I made my way to the hair salon.  Purple hair no more!  It looks really great, if I do say so myself!  But as much as I love my stylist, she takes her sweet time on things.  So after 4 hours at the salon, yes I said four hours, I had to go directly to Yuri's Night to see the planes fly.  (Did I mention I'm a plane/flying fanatic?)  I didn't stay long because, well, I was hungry!

Even with my bad eating habits that day, I still didn't go home and binge eat because I was starving.  So yay me!! So at the end of the day, I'm feeling pretty good.... I had a good day... got ready to snuggle up in bed.  You know that feeling of anticipation before getting all comfy and snuggled in bed??  Yeah... well, I sat on the bed and..... *SNAP* *bed goes plop*  *insert tons of cussing here*

Yup -- you know you need to lose weight when... YOU BREAK YOUR FREAKIN' BED!

I believe it is fixable, but in the meantime, at least I found a use for some of my old text books:

At least it allows me to sleep in my bed right?

I did a lot of running around today, returning things to store in the mall.  (I hate the mall.)  But this evening, I went over to a friend of mine's for dinner.  I was prepared to kind of blow my diet.  But the great thing is, Jessica is already healthy and fixed a healthy dinner.  I am hoping to get some recipes from her and I'll post them if I'm allowed.  We had some french bread de la campagne with this really great sun dried tomatoes pesto that Jess made. Omg - I could have kept eating that forever. It was so good! For dinner we had pork chops and couscous.  And some chardonnay.  It was so good!

Guess what??  Even with all of the deliciousness of dinner, I came in on my target calorie count for today!  WOO HOO!  I'm telling you... if I don't do well on the scale this week, I'll be very frustrated.

So that was my weekend in a nutshell.  Hope you guys had a good one!

Day 9 - Holy s***balls Moments - Part 2

Wow.  Part 2 came right on the heels of "Holy s***balls Part 1".  Didn't see that one coming.
 You know, today started off as any other day, except that this seemed like a blah kind of Friday.  I'm in the lab this morning, doing mundane stuff, wishing I was outside in the sun.  Still bummin' about my 1.5 pound loss this week, but trying to be appreciative.  And then..... I read MrsFatass' blog for today.


Go ahead and go read it.  I'll wait here.


I know right?!?!  
*bangs head on desk*


Let me tell you what this reminds me of....  (Warning: I am getting serious here.)  A little over a year and a half ago, one of my best friends was diagnosed with cancer.  

 (Good looking guy, huh??)

I wanted to go visit him where he was living as he was getting treated etc.  In preparation, I got my butt on the treadmill because I wanted to lose some of the chub before seeing him again.  Every time I was on that treadmill and wanted to quit, I would think "You know, Scott is having chemo right now.  He'd kill to be on this treadmill." And I'd keep going.


He passed away that October.  And did I honor him by staying on the path to get myself healthy again?  Nope.  In fact, I let things go to hell in a handbasket.  And MrsFatass reminded me of that.  Not in a bad way... it wasn't like she was saying "Jules.... you know, you are such a slackass.  You should be ashamed of yourself."  Well....... maybe she was saying that, but the MrsFatass in my head definitely wouldn't. :)  


The point is: her acknowledgement of those who have the spirit and the personality, but whose body doesn't allow them to do all of the things they want to do reminded me that I have a body that is capable and willing to be active and healthy.  She reminded me that I need to appreciate the health that I have and that I am capable of living a healthy life.  She reminded me to stop punishing my body with crap food and to cherish it with foods that are good for me and that will fuel it for what it needs to and wants to do.  She reminded me that I need to appreciate that I can get on the treadmill, or elliptical, or heck, just go take a walk - because there are some many people, like Scott, like my dad, who would have given anything to have the abilities that I have now.  


So thanks MrsFatass.  Today's cardio session is dedicated to you.

Holy s***balls moments - Part 1

This is Part 1 because I'm sure there will be other holy s*** ball moments.  There always are. :)


It's all skinny jeans and cute tops until you realize your health is involved.......

Day 8 - Weigh in Day. Are you kidding me?!

I'm trying to remain calm, cool, and collected here. I really am.


I've been really good this week.  Seriously.   Using Daily Plate, I've been following the calorie count to lose 2 pounds per week with my normal lifestyle activity level.  (Not including any exercise.) On top of that, I had 4 days of cardio.  So I should see a bit more than 2 pounds right?  In fact, I figured it out.  I should lose around 2.5 pounds. But I'm shooting for 2 pounds.


I got up this morning and was pretty excited to be honest.  What's that scale going to read??


I climbed out of bed.  Groggily (I'm so not a morning person) made my way into the bathroom.  Did my normal morning business. (You know what I mean.  Everyone makes sure they pee before weighing.)  Pulled off my clothes, because seriously - who wants to see excess poundage from clothing.  Step on the scale.


1.5 *BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*in' pounds? Are you kidding me?? I worked that hard for 1.5 freakin' pounds??


*deep breath*


Well, I guess that 1.5 pounds lost is better than 1 pound... or losing nothing... or heaven forbid GAINING.  But man.....  it's hard to shoot for something, think you've got it, and see it fall short.


But I will endeavor to be happy about my 1.5 pounds and not be disappointed. It is, after all, 1.5 pounds less than I weighed last week.  I think I'm going to start tracking my inches so that I know that I'm losing inches even if I don't lose a lot of pounds.


Hope you guys are having a good week!

Day 6 - And the battle against stress eating

DAMN YOU TAXES!!! DAMN YOU!!!!!


*deep breath*  Okay, now that is out of the way....  *clears throat*  I'm sure that when our founding fathers thought "We should have some taxes to pay for government programs" they weren't thinking about little 'ol me 234 years later and the possible effect taxes could have on my diet.  If they were.... shame on you Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and all the rest of you founding parents of our country! 


But the point it, I've been doing well... chugging along on the weight loss path.  I'm feeling good.  And then..... I had my mom's tax person check my return.  And BAM!!!!  What?? What do you mean I have to add this checkmark on my return?  It's going to add HOW much to my taxes owed??  Where's the nearest cookie? Seriously!  I need a cookie.  NOW.  Don't stand between me and my cookie!  If I have to,  I will mainline it.


But really, what is it that makes you want to chow down when things get stressful?? The urge to shove anything (well, anything available anyway) in my mouth was so overwhelming.  However, I did realize what was happening and I ended up having a yogurt and getting on the elliptical for 20 minutes instead. *pats herself on the back* 


I hope that I can continue dealing with the stress in a somewhat healthy manner instead of shoving food in my face!  Cross your fingers for me!  


And if you are betting on if I will cave in or not, put me down for $10 that I'll stick with it.  (I need the money anyway. :)

I'm FREE!! I'm FREE!!! - Day 5

So... the two people who read this might have noticed I haven't been around.  I had been working 14 hour days trying to get my part done for this project at work.  But I'm done!!!!  I'm FREEEEEEEE!!!


*Jules imagines herself running and leaping through a field of wildflowers singing "The Hills are Alive... with the Sound of Muuuuuusssiiiiiic..." while her incredibly good looking, smart, funny, accomplished, and great in bed boyfriend waits for her with diamonds and champagne* 


Dreamworld screeches to a halt when reality raises its ugly head as my dog sitting beside me farts.  Oh life. *sigh* OH! My lungs! They are burning!


Okay, I just had my oxygen feed going to help my lungs after Farty McFartenston Dog tried to kill me by gassing me to death.  He doesn't mean it.... no really, he doesn't really snicker in his little doggie way as I'm gasping for breath and diving through the window screen to get fresh air. He's a good dog.  *cough*  Moving on!


So as I said, my work has been KILLING me lately.  But I am finally done with this project. Just in time to save my sanity.  And good news boys and girls. I actually got off my toosh and started doing something about my weight.  I know! I'm shocked too.  But it definitely feels different this time around - like a part of my life. 


 I decided that I was going to start this journey on April 1st.  (How weird is it that I picked April Fool's Day to start this journey?)  So I'm only on day five, but I'm feeling pretty good.  I'm using Livestrong's Daily Plate to keep track of what I'm eating and counting my calories. And I'm not even cheating!! (You know we all say "Ummm.. it's that many calories? I bet I didn't have a full serving.")


I also started working out on my elliptical too.  My friend, Katie, came to visit a couple of weeks ago, and I'm afraid to say, she used the elliptical more in her 5 days here than I had in a couple of months.  *hangs head in shame* I know!!!  But, I have since corrected this situation.  This is day 3 on the elliptical, but I'm taking tomorrow off.  I do love having an elliptical in my apt so I can watch the tv and no one can see me huffing and puffing.  


Now that I have bored you guys... let me pose a question... When you guys work out, what do you like to watch??  Do you need something action packed, or can you watch the grass grow?


Okay - off to sleepy time!