It's so easy....

and yet it's so hard!

You know - that's it in a nutshell!  As I was talking with a friend yesterday who has struggled with her weight for years and she truly is a yo-yo'er.  She gets down to a really low weight and then just stops doing what she was and gets back up in weight.  And every time she gains more then where she started from.  It's a vicious cycle, but she told me that she just is not ready to change.

If this journey were easy, everyone would be thin, right?

But it truly is as simple as the card above says.  If we just do the right things and string several of these "right things" together, life becomes simple.

I was asked today what my triggers are.  I know I have triggers, but sometimes they come out of nowhere.  Today I walked by a table and on there was these oreos covered in white chocolate.  And I wanted one SO BAD.  It surprised me a little because I haven't eaten processed type food like this for so long it usually doesn't trigger me the way home-baked goods do.  I looked at the package and they were 100 calories - EACH.  Nope - not worth it.  

It is just simple.  I DON'T EAT THAT STUFF.   Period.  No debate, no questions, no nothin'.  I just don't eat those things.  Simple, right?

Of course we all know it's not that EASY, but it is that SIMPLE.  We complicate things when we try to bargain - like - "I'll cut out 100 calories from dinner."  What are you going to sacrifice?  Protein?  Vegetables?  For an oreo.  Nope, don't complicate it.  

To what lengths are you willing to go to be fit and healthy?     

Restaurant review: Applebees

Yesterday I took my mother out to eat for her birthday which is this weekend.  She wanted to go to Applebees.  I don't eat out very much anymore, so the first thing I did was take my own advice and look at their online menu and then went to their nutritional site where calorie counts are listed. 

Since we were going out for lunch I logically went to their lunch menu and looked at the Pick 'n Pair lunches where you can order 2 of a salad, soup, or 1/2 sandwich.  I decided that I would have the tomato basil soup with a 1/2 of the roast beef sandwich.  That also comes with a breadstick.  All to the tune of 220 for the soup, 480 for the sandwich, and 130 for the breadstick.  This is many more calories then I normally eat for lunch, but I thought that I would have a small dinner instead.

Then we got to Applebees and I remembered ordering a soup and salad combo the last time I was there and the portions seemed really small.  So I began looking over the menu again, and saw that they have several selections under their under 550 calorie menu.

I then - somewhat skeptically - decided to try their Grilled Chicken and Portabello Mushroom entree off of their "Under 550 Calories" menu.  I was shocked when they brought it to me.  It was a huge piece of chicken, COVERED in big chunks of mushrooms and a lot of onions.  It had a very large portion of herb-roasted potatoes and they were incredibly tasty.  There was also some zucchini, and in my opinion they were a little skimpy on that, but what was there was seasoned perfectly.  The chicken was done perfect and tasted great.  All to the tune of 450 calories!  I was stuffed when I was finished - for almost 300 calories LESS then a cup of soup and 1/2 sandwich would have come to!

Here is a picture from their website and the actual entree looked very much like this - which in my experience is very unusual for these chain restaurants!

So, needless to say, I was very happy with the meal.  It just goes to show that you should review the menus while out this holiday season and you can find some yummy AND healthy meals even at chain restaurants!  I'm going to have to go back and try one of their steak entrees, now!

 

My fit dogs...

I thought some of you would enjoy seeing this video that Marc recorded.

Our dogs love to run.  Being Boxers, they are very high energy.  In the winter it's sometimes hard to get them adequate amount of exercise.  Especially since when I arrive home it's dark out.

It didn't take them any time at all to learn to run on the treadmill and - as you will see in the video - they like it so much we don't even have to tell them to get on!

Yesterday I didn't run outside at lunch because there was snow on the sidewalks and I am so afraid of falling and hurting myself.  So I ran on the treadmill when I got home.  Boy, their noses were really out of joint that I had the NERVE to run on "their" treadmill!!

So see, not only are we changing our fitness, but the dogs are getting fit, too!!

Things I Love - PB2

Whenever I mention this product to people, I am SHOCKED at how many haven't heard of it.  It's called PB2 and it's made by Bell Plantation.  Essentially it's peanut butter created from pressing the peanuts into powdered form, so you get all the good taste of peanut butter without the fat and calories of regular peanut butter!  It comes in regular peanut butter flavor as well as chocolate.  

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE peanut butter.  I seriously could sit down and eat half of a huge jar in one sitting.  But it has a lot of calories at 190 for two tablespoons.  It also has a lot of fat.  While it's mostly good fat, there's still some saturated fat.  

So this PB2 has only 45 - yes, I said 45 - calories for 2 tablespoons.  It also has 13 calories from fat instad of the 130 that regular peanut butter has and it has no saturated fat.  What you do is take your two tablespoons of the powdered peanut butter and mix with 1 tablespoon of water (I actually like mine a little looser so I use a little more water) and stir it up and TADA!  You have peanut butter for lots less calories.  

So I know what you are wondering - how does it taste?  Well, to me it does not taste exactly like peanut butter - it's not quite as rich tasting - no duh since it doesn't have all that YUMMY fat in it.  But for someone like me who has had to switch to lower fat and calories foods, this is something I'm used to!  I still use "real" peanut butter at times, but this is great for a snack or for when you are trying to keep calories down in the day.  It still tastes really good - I had this in a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich over the weekend and it melted up so well and was delish!!

I have this for breakfast a lot when I spead it over a banana.  It tastes GREAT like that.  I know a lot of people use it for baking, but since I don't bake, I haven't tried it, so I can't attest to how that would taste, but I've seen a ton of posts from people who have tried it and loved it.  

As far as nutrition goes, it does not have as much protein as regular peanut butter, but still has 5 grams a serving (the chocolate has 4) and has low sugar - 1 gram (chocolate has 3 grams). 

For me, I can get the taste of peanut butter without the guilt.  I get mine off of Amazon, and you can buy it in your local health food stores.  

Try it and let me know what you think!!      

Getting it together feels great!

This is a bracelet that I bought myself during Black Friday shopping.  It totally describes how I'm feeling today.  I feel like my life is in control.  My weight is back to where it was Thanksgiving Day which is a feat in and of itself.  I ran 10 miles on the treadmill yesterday despite how much the treadmill sucks, and I also wrapped about 75% of my Christmas gifts!  

Losing the weight has given me so much more energy and ambition.  I remember when wrapping gifts was something I hated.  It took so much energy just to get out all the supplies and then pile the gifts up and then the time of wrapping.  Not to mention putting everything away!  But not yesterday - it was just something that I did while watching football.  And what a feeling of accomplishment to get that task done!  I even had time to do an hour of yoga because I felt really tight after the tready run.

I sometimes worry that when I make posts like this it will come across as braggy or preachy.  I hope none of you feel that way.  It's just for me, when I feel like this, I want to spread it to EVERYONE.  If you are out there feeling stressed, tired and/or discouraged it doesn't have to be that way!  Trust me!  You too can have this feeling!  You can feel strong, empowered, fearless!!  I promise!  

Ok, can I make a small suggestion that I use that might help some of you out there get organized for the holiday season?   I know that buying for people and keeping track of the money spent and everything can get overwhelming and can be stressful - especially if you have a lot of people to buy for.  If you are a computer person, do this in a word processor.  If you are not, do this with pen and paper.

Create a table with 5 columns.  Under Column 1: put NAME; Column 2: ITEM; Column 3: PRICE; Column 4: *; Column 5: +.

Now for the obvious - under the first column add all the names of people that you need to buy for - give them each their own row.  Under the 2nd column, add either what you HAVE bought or WANT to buy for them - you can put 1 thing or many things in this row.  In Column 3, put how much that item cost.  In column 4, add a * when you buy the item(s) and in Column 5, add + when you have wrapped the item(s).  It's an easy peasy way to keep track of who you have bought for and how much you have spent and whether you have it wrapped or not.

The other nice thing is that if you save this under a different file name every year, you can see what you bought people in the past, and you'll have all the names already there and can easily add people or, if they were naughty, delete them!

I hope this suggestion was useful - the more organized you are the better you control your life!!

The next 30 days.

Ok, everyone!  Thanksgiving is over and my calendar says that it is November 25th.  That means 30 days until Xmas.  Tis the season - of cookies, brownies and every other temptation known to us!  What's your plan between now and then?  How do you want to end the year?

I know what some of you are thinking.  You ate too much Thanksgiving Day.  Then you ate too many leftovers on Friday and maybe even Saturday.  So this is what you're thinking - "Aw!  I screwed up so bad!  It's hopeless.  I might as well eat whatever I want between now and Xmas and start fresh in the New Year."  

NO NO NO NO NO!  You have 30 days!  Don't undo any good you have done by giving up and giving in!  TODAY is your fresh start.  Maybe you won't lose 10 pounds between now and Xmas, but you can certainly lose some or even maintain.

I told you all that I STUFFED myself on Thanksgiving Day.  I was up 6 pounds according to the scale on Friday.  But guess what?  Today I'm at 118 - almost back to where I was Thursday morning!  One or 2 days of bad eating does not give you permission to throw it all away.

At least plan to maintain.  If you need to indulge some, go ahead, it's the holiday season.  But don't throw caution to wind.  And keep up an exercise routine.  Get organized and make goals so you don't get stressed out or overwhelmed - we'll talk more about that tomorrow....

 

The other side of the looking glass

I hope everyone out there had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying the long weekend if you're lucky enough to be getting one!

My Thanksgiving started with the 5K Turkey Trot.  It was packed there!  There were a total of 777 runners and an additional 700+ walkers!!!  I came in 148th place overall with a time of 24:12 and was the second fastest female in my age group.  So I wasn't thrilled, but wasn't disappointed either.  

As for dinner, well I did exactly what I planned - I ate whatever I wanted and as much as I wanted.  Which meant that I ate too much.  Which I was and still am totally okay with.  The scale is showing me WAY up - about 5 pounds.  It'll take a few days to know where I really stand.

Friday night I braved the crowds and went shopping.  I scored some FANTASTIC deals.  I've been wanting to get a new, expensive, high thread count sheet set since I hit goal in July and there was such a great deal going on at Kohl's that I couldn't resist.  OH WOW!  It was like sleeping on a cloud last night!

Yesterday I spent the whole day cleaning and then putting up the Xmas tree.   I still have some more Xmas stuff that I need to get put up, but the tree and lights are the most time consuming, and I'm glad I got those done.

Marc added some lights to the front entryway...

Here is the tree:

And I bought a lighted garland thing during my Black Friday shopping and decorated our mantle for the first time:

I ate about 90% on track yesterday.  But I didn't exercise.  Weirdly, I'm almost proud of myself.  On my journey down the scale, a day of overeating followed by a day of no exercise would have put me into an extreme state of anxiety and overwhelming guilt.  But I'm not feeling that at all.

I believe that this weekend in maintenance is a learning experience for me.  I got a lot accomplished yesterday which I feel great about.  And I am going to do a workout video this morning and will eat on track the rest of this weekend.  And if my weight is still up a few days from now, I know that I really have to buckle down. 

I hope and believe that this is a healthy mindset.  I believe the borderline obsessive behavior on the way down might have been somewhat unhealthy, but it definitely led to success.  Now I'm learning - I hope - how to act to maintain this lifestyle change for the rest of my life!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Hey readers!  I'm getting busy getting everything organized for tomorrow, how about you?

I'm making a wild rice and mushroom stuffing, a green bean casserole, and a fruit salad to take over to my sister in laws.  Marc and I will be running a 5K race tomorrow, and then we'll be heading over.  Then we plan to hit the stores at midnight!   Going to be a long day!

So Happy Turkey Day.  I wish you all luck sticking to your plan, whatever it is!

The ripple effect.....

I have been writing this blog for several months now and it gets many hits per day.  But is it really helping anyone?  I have no idea...  Has it helped people lose weight, start exercising, get organized, set goals?  I don't know, but that's what I hope for every day that I write an entry.  I've had people call me "inspiring", but aren't you only "inspiring" if you actually INSPIRE someone else to change?  I can only hope that something I've written has done that for someone else. 

Why do I bring this up?  Because you don't have to have lost as much weight as me to be an inspiration to someone else.  As we are nearing the end of the year, I want everyone out there to think about what they can do to be a positive change in someone's life which will ripple out and out and out.  I believe in the Buddhist philosophy that we are all interconnected and what we do for others can only be positive for us.

What if you see a friend over the holidays and tell her that you have lost 25 pounds?  And what if that inspires her to make a lifestyle change and she loses weight?  And what if that weight loss mitigates her PCOS and she gets pregnant?  And what if the child she has grows up to be a teacher who inspires untold number of students to change the world?

What if you tell a co-worker about you journey to get healthy and what you didn't know was that he has been struggling with depression and he decides to start walking every night and that eases his depression?   Or lowers his blood pressure.  And what if that makes him live longer and he does something remarkable? 

What if you start implementing some organizational ideas and that gives you more time to spend with your family and you all get closer then you are?  And what if that makes your child say no when he is at a party and offered pills?

What if?  You are but one person, as am I.  But we can have an untold impact on those around us, who then impact others.  And the ripple effect - who knows what far reaching impact you can make in this world just by making a few changes yourself.

What if?

Family!

I think one of my biggest strengths is also one of my biggest weaknesses.  In general, I don't give a shit what other people think about me.  I have a very - let's say - POLARIZING personality.  People tend to either "get me" and love me, or they think I'm obnoxious and can't stand me.  And guess what, I'm okay with either.

So this time of year I hear a lot of talking and stressing about seeing family over Thankgiving and what they are going to say and act around people.  Now first let me say that I realize how incredibly lucky I am.  In both my immediate family as well as with my in-laws, people are nothing but completely and totally supportive of me.  I spend Thanksgiving with Marc's family and I love them and I know that they love me completely and unconditionally.  And as far as my weight loss journey goes, I can't stress how supportive they have been.

So I get that I am lucky and that not everyone out there is in the same situation.  So how should you handle family at Thanksgiving if you are not as fortunate as I am?  Just remember that this is YOUR life!  Some of you are bound to hear comments that you have lost "too much".  Or, the opposite - I saw a post from one woman today on a weight loss site that I am on saying that last year - after she had lost 40 pounds - that a relative commented that it looked like she had gained!  How horrible is that?

Here's the thing people - LIFE IS TOO SHORT.  Don't let assholes bring you down.  I don't care if they are family or not.  You know which relatives are supportive and which are not.  Avoid negativity at all costs!!  Stick to YOUR plan.  Eat what you want to eat whether that's a lot or a little.  Prepare for the comments that you know are going to happen and have a response.  It can be a bitchy response - if that's your style - or you can kill them with kindness.  Don't let them get to you!  It your life, your choices, and it's none of anyone else's fucking business unless you are specifically ask them for their input.

So for those of you who are lucky enough to have supportive family - relax and enjoy.  If you think you are going to experience a less then favorable day - hang in there and you do YOU!

And I'm feeling good!

I don't know what happened today, but I woke up in such a great mood!  I know - you shouldn't question when you feel like this, right?  I need to just enjoy it!

As soon as I woke up, I stepped on the scale and saw that I am back down to 117 pounds.  You wouldn't think that 2 pounds would make a difference, but anyone who has battled their weight and knows how frustrating it is to step on the scale and see that it won't budge, knows this feeling.  So now I'll feel good heading into Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, my plan is exactly what it was the 2 years previously when I was actively losing weight - I will eat whatever I want and as much as I want.  I know that some of you out there may disagree with this and will carefully monitor what and how much you eat.  But for me, the holidays are for enjoying the finer things in life and that includes lots and lots of food.  Fortunately for me, this doesn't trigger me to continue eating like that in the days following.  I find that a day or two of indulgence satisfies me and I can get right back on track.

Anyway, I feel like I've gotten a lot done in the last couple of days, so not only is my weight under control but so is my life.  Today I went for a 10 mile run and felt pretty good.  I won't be running as much this week, as I want to save my legs and will hopefully have a kick-ass time on Thanksgiving morning when I so the 5K Turkey Trot.

I hope everyone else out there is having as good of a day as I am!!

 

 

Life as a series of choices...

And so it begins.  The craziness that is the holiday season is starting to decend on us.  I can't believe that Thanksgiving is next week.  I lost a week somewhere in there!  I already have a huge list of things that have to be done this weekend.  When  I start getting a long list, I start to get anxiety.  I don't know why - I always manage to get things done, but I hate having a list hanging over my head.

This is also the season when eating right and exercising does not come easy.  But life is a series of choices.  What is your plan and what are your goals?  You DON'T have to be perfect this holiday season.  In fact, you WON'T be.  But, as the sign says above, you can make a healthy choice and then another.

The tendency right now is to say screw it and just wait for January 1 to make a resolution and start fresh.  Don't do that!  Now is a perfect time to get in a head start.  Today is Friday.  What choices are you making today?  Have you eaten a healthy breakfast?  Are you going to exercise today?  What can you accomplish today?

I remember back in July when I hit 119 and I was so excited.  Now 119 is the bane of my existance.  I have been stuck there all week.  I really want a buffer, especially going into next week. It is frustrating when your body doesn't cooperate.  On the other hand, in the grand scheme of things, a couple of pounds is just that - it's an arbitrary number.  

I WILL eat right today.  I WILL exercise.  I will make choices that lead me to my goals!  I will do this today.  How about you?

Things I love....Lipton Tea and Honey

I've decided to post occasionally about things that I love and that I feel have assisted me in this weight loss journey.  

The first item I'm going to talk about is Lipton Tea and Honey flavor sticks:

Now let me first say that I realize that some people are not going to be thrilled with me promoting these because they contain sucralose.  But as I've said here before, I think that artificial sugar has been around for a long time and that there is virtually no evidence of any long term negative effects from using artificial sugar in moderation.

For me, I drink a LOT of water, and sometimes I just get sick of drinking water all the time.  So I use 1-2 of these flavoring sticks per day (10 calories in a packet) to spice up my water.  It also works well to encourage me to drink on the days that I don't feel like drinking.

These packets come in a variety of flavors.  Personally I like the Strawberry Acai flavor and DH likes the Peach Apricot.  I also like the Mango Pineapple and Blackberry Pomegranate.  I'll warn you that in my opinion the Black Currant Raspberry takes like fried ass.  I'd stay away from it.

So anyway, I recommend these very low calorie sticks to flavor up your water.  They also trick my body into thinking that I've eaten something when I want to nibble out of boredom.  

Anyone else use and like these? 

Who says you HAVE to?

After being spoiled rotten this weekend with temperatures in the 60's, it is back to reality today.  Temperatures dropped like a rock here overnight.  It is in the high 30's today, cloudy and was spitting snow earlier.  UG!

So I sat here this morning in my toasty warm office and drank some nice dark roast coffee and went back and forth in my mind about running during my lunch hour.  Not only did I not want to run outside in the cold, but I found that I absolutely did not want to exercise at lunch at all.  Even the thought of doing a DVD in the spare room I use sounded like to much to bear.  I wanted to sit on my rear and read a magazine.  So the old me sat on one shoulder trying to tell me that it was okay to skip working out, and the new me sat on the other shoulder and insisted that I do something. 

Which got me to thinking - either do this or don't - make your choice.  As Gandhi said - in the grand scheme of things, it is totally insignificant.,  It is insignificant whether I exercise today.  It is also insignificant what I weigh.  We are all just blips on the screen of life.  

But because we are blips, that's what makes us so important.  It is the reason we need to make the most out of the life we have.  So we can either make the life that we want, or let life pass us by - not being happy, not making the most out of our tiny lives.  

Make your choice - it's up to you.  Eat the candy bar or don't.  Go for that walk today or don't.  Nobody is forcing you to do anything.  You life is in your hands.

Me?  I ran.  6 miles.         

Another busy weekend!

I think that President Obama, now that he has won the election, should decree that every weekend have 3 days!  LOL!  

I've had a busy weekend so far and it's amazing what you can do when you know you have that extra day!  We have been having what amounts to a heat wave here in Northern NY - it was in the high 60's yesterday!  I started the day off with a 13.1 mile run.  It's only the second time I've run that far.  My hips are really sore today.  After getting home and showering and having lunch, we decided to go for a hike at a state park about 30 miles away, right on the Canadian border.  The dogs were ecstatic!  We only went just over 4 miles, but it was fairly strenuous hiking.  I think I earned my steak dinner last night.

Here are my boys enjoying a break...

I am very disappointed that my weight has continued to be up after last week's indulgences.  I've been holding pretty steady at 119, which is still within my "okay" zone, but I'd like to be down at LEAST to 117, especially given that Thanksgiving is next week!  I thought I did okay last week - but apparently I snuck a little here and there.  Interestingly enough, though, I have lost an inch in my hips and waist!  My waist is now 27" and my hips are 31".  Sometimes the scale is not the best reflection of progress.

We have **ALMOST** got our kitchen put back together, a few more finishing touches can be done today.

 Here's a before pic:

During

New framing and insulation added:

And after...

It doesn't look ALL that different, especially since I kept the same sunflower theme.  The color of the walls is different as is the trim color and we have the new floor and light fixture.  But now we're finally insulated and won't be hemorrhaging heat this winter!

Why am I fat?

I read an interview yesterday with Melissa McCarthy, star of the series "Mike and Molly" and it really frustrated me, so I wanted to talk about it today.  First and foremost I don't want anyone to think that this is a bashing session - it is NOT.  I think Ms. McCarthy is hysterically funny - I watch Mike and Molly every week and she was brilliant in the movie "Bridesmaids".  Also, from everything I have read on her, she seems like a genuinely good and down to earth person.  

Does everyone know who she is?

She has made no bones about her weight struggles personally and her character's weight and attempts to lose is a main plot device on her show.

So in the interview, she said the following:  "I don’t really know why I’m not thinner than I am," she says, adding, "I don’t really drink soda; I don’t have a sweet tooth, and we eat healthfully at home."  She adds that she does Pilates and takes tennis lessons.

I have seen a lot of this type of talk on weight loss forums and have heard it from people in person lementing that they "should be" thinner because they eat right and exercise.

Well, let me tell you Melissa and all those other people.  I know why you aren't thinner - you eat more calories then you burn on a regular basis.  It's that simple.  Weight loss is not a mystery.  It's a matter of calories in and calories out.  The difficulty is not in the KNOWING it's in the DOING!  Which, trust me, I totally get!

When I was morbidly obese, I ate a ton of fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats.  I also worked a full time job and was very active hiking with the dogs.  I did have bad habits, like my soda addiction, but I wasn't a binger and I've never been a sweets type person and I RARELY snacked.  But when I ate a meal, I ate A LOT.  So it was no mystery why I was fat.

So it's just that easy and just that hard, you have to burn more calories then you consume in a given period of time to lose weight.  Now we all know that it's not quite that simple - our bodies are funny and some times they hold on to weight for no reason, or we get a "whoosh" and drop 5 pounds in 2 days.  And weight can be effected by salt intake and a woman's time of the month and how much you exercised the day before.  BUT, in general, if you are consuming less calories per week then you are burning, the weight comes off.

We all know my lectures about exercise, but you can't rely on pilates and tennis lessons to be thin if you're eating isn't in order.  For example, yesterday I ran 6 miles at lunch.  According to my heart rate monitor, I burned 448 calories in the 47:09 it took me to run it.  Let's say I decided to stop at Starbucks on the way home for something to drink (I didn't, by the way, I'm just giving an example).  And let's say I decided to order the White Hot Chocolate - doesn't that sound YUMMY?  And let's say that because I'm trying to "be good" I tell them to leave off the whipped cream - aren't you proud of me?  So I order this in a large (16oz.).  According to Starbuck's website, I just drank 420 calories - yikes!  So in one fell swoop, I just undid almost all the calorie deficit I got from my hard earned running.   

Melissa also said in the interview that she sometimes wishes that she was "magically a size 6" and never had to give her weight another thought.  I spent YEARS of my life wishing that the weight loss fairy would visit me in my sleep, wave her wand and I would wake up thin and fit.  Alas, it never happened.  It took me getting off my ass and getting to work that made me "magically" a size 2.  

Finally I want to say that Melissa states that overall she is pretty happy with herself and her life.  She indicates that she is healthy and doesn't want to constantly focus on her weight.   I sincerely think that is fantastic - she should not lose weight unless SHE wants to.  But let's not pretend that it's baffling why people are overweight...  

The 80's are back, Baby!!

So as soon as the weather started getting cold, I went to the fall/winter side of my closet and saw that I had virtually NOTHING to wear.  Last year at this time I was about 35-40 pounds heavier then I am now.  When I was larger, a 40 pound loss wouldn't make that much difference as far as how clothes fit, but I've noticed that when you get into the smaller sizes even a small weight loss can make a huge difference in how clothes look on you.  So now that I am in about a size 2-4 and xs/s, the dresses I had in large didn't look good.  So once again I cleaned out that side of my closet and went shopping.

I was estatic to see that 80's fashion is back!!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, the 80's.  Everything about it!  I love the hair, the clothes, the music, the way people talked - yup, I am an 80's chick through and through.  So I totally went for it as far as buying clothes that were totally 80's derived.

Today when I got up and it was cold, it was the first time I decided to wear some of the gear I picked up.

  

Leggings, booties, big belt, long sweater!!  I am in heaven!  LOL

And on my way to work - as if the universe was acknowledging my choices, I was flipping through the radio stations and what did I hear?  "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany!!!  Remember her?  I haven't heard that song in years and they played it today.  

Tell me the truth you all - love it or hate it??

Election Day!

I haven't talked on here much about politics.  Even though I have very strong feelings and opinions about politics and the world, that isn't the purpose or scope of this blog, so I've kind of stayed away from discussing these type issues.

But today is election day, and I can't let it go by without saying something.  As someone who works for New York State, I get today off to exercise my right to vote.  We will be leaving in a few minutes and will take Marc's elderly father over to vote as well.  I jokingly told him he doesn't get a ride unless he's voting for Obama!

I remember voting 4 years ago, because it was so historical.  I wore my Barack Obama t-shirt that I got for donating to the campaign to the voting place.  It was a size 3X.  4 years sounds like a long time, but it is just a drop in the proverbial bucket.  My life is SO different today then it was 4 years ago!

Days like this give us reason to reflect.  Where do you want to be 4 years from now?  On Election Day 2016, will you remember reading this blog and saying I COMMIT NOW - to whatever goal you want to attain?  

Do it people!  And don't forget to vote today!  It sounds trite, but there are people  in this word that literally risk their lives for this privilege!

Detox time!!

Marc and I spent this weekend with Marc's niece Sarah and her boyfriend Erik.  We had an awesome time.  We are so busy all the time that we don't often get to just "hang out".  As couples, we have a ton in common, so we always have a great time.

I did not fall off the eating well wagon over the weekend - I took a FLYING LEAP off.  Ate a TON at every meal and had dessert all 3 days.  I guess the one positive with that this was a conscious and deliberate decision on my part - there was no feeling of being out of control or powerless.  I just decided I was going to have a weekend where I didn't constantly worry about the calories I was eating and just eat what I wanted.

We did go for a fairly strenuous hike on Saturday and then on Sunday I got in 6 miles running before breakfast.  Why can't every weekend contain an extra hour??  I reluctantly got on the scale this morning and was "rewarded" with a 5 pound weight gain!!  Of course, I did not gain 5 pounds, but I certainly did some damage.

So what now?  What am I to do, and what should you do when you fall off?  First of all, nothing drastic.  The instinct is to severely restrict calories for the next week or so.  Bad idea.  That can lead to an all out hunger binge and you'll do more damage.  My plan for this week is the following - drink lots and lots of water to flush the system.  I will cut back on calories, but not severely.  I will continue to exercise.

I'll give it a week and let you know how quickly - or not quickly - I get back down to maintenance weight.

 

8 weeks....

I can't believe we are already into November!  Crazy, huh?  Where did summer, let alone fall go? 

With Halloween over, I'm already hearing people ask about how to prepare for the holiday season.  As I count it, we have about 8 weeks left to the end of the year.  What do you want to accomplish in the next 8 weeks?  What are your goals?

This is NOT the time to say to hell with it.  Now is a great time to have good habits.  Like I always say - PLANNING is key.

Let's take for example Xmas shopping.  You are going to be going out Xmas shopping.  Stop and think for a minute - will you be eating lunch or dinner out?  If so, know WHERE you are going to eat and WHAT you plan to have BEFORE you leave the house.  I never go to a restaurant without knowing what their menu consists of and what is healthy to eat.  If you are eating at a chain restaurant, it is easy.  Simply google the restarant's name and nutrition.  Almost all of them have menus and calorie counts of items.  You will be shocked at the calorie counts of some things - even the salads. 

Take for example Applebees.  Grilled shrimp and spinach salad sounds extremely healthy.  It actually has 960 calories!!!  Even without the dressing you are looking at 630 calories.  So drop the dressing that comes with it and get a fat free dressing served on the side.  OR, better yet, look at their low calorie section - you can get a whole dinner of  grilled dijon chicken with mushrooms and sides for 470 calories!!  Don't rely on assumptions, rely on facts! 

Eat a good and hearty breakfast before heading out the door.  This will keep you from being starving and over-eating.

Even though Xmas is 2 months away, parties and potlucks will be starting soon.  We'll talk more about that as Xmas gets closer.  If you plan, you can be successful.  This is not just a matter of willpower, it is a matter of determination and planning.  

Keep exercising - this time of year can be hard.  I ran 5.5 miles on the treadmill last night as it was cold and rainy all day yesterday.  I didn't want to, but once I was done, I was SO glad that I had burned those calories.  It feels good to be in CONTROL of myself.  

Practice good habits NOW and think about how you will look when you see those relatives at Xmas.  In 8 weeks, most people can lose a good 10 pounds or more depending on what your weight is right now.  

Finally, remember that you have a life.  You are not going to be perfect.  Walk that fine line between giving yourself a break and giving yourself permission to throw everything out the window.  It's not easy, but if it WERE easy, everyone would be skinny!