Ice, Out

Goodness things have been busy. But I need to take 5 minutes to check in and make sure I'm keeping my focus. The ice kept me home on Monday and yesterday morning. Today is actually a normal day and it is nice. I did not work out enough while home and I didn't eat as well as I would have liked. For instance, one meal that should have been fish and vegetables was cheese and crackers.

However, I did stay within my calorie goals and managed to be very productive around the house. I have found that workout avoidance guilt is really good for household productivity. So all in all, I didn't go nutters and I'm still on a downward trend. Acceptable.

I can confirm that I lost 1.4 pounds last week. Nothing earth shattering but a completely acceptable loss.

Food

Breakfast - Peach Greek Yogurt & a granola bar (& coffee)
Lunch - Leftover Home Chef Mahi Mahi
Snack - Strawberries and nuts
Dinner - Leftover Home Chef Chimichurri Pork Chop

I continue to feel like Home Chef is a good plan for me right now. I get to cook, the food is healthy and it is portioned well. My next box comes tomorrow and I'm all set to cook on Sunday!

Fitness

Today I got back to it after not working out since Sunday's Mavs day.  I ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes and went about my average pace. Which brings me to a little Fitbit discussion. It sounds like several of my friends are having Fitbit fatigue about the same time. Several different friends posted this article on Facebook over the last few days.

My feelings about the Fitbit are similar to any other device. If it helps you, then use it to its fullest! But if it is hindering you...whether it be the scale, a fitbit, blogging...cut it out. No one, including yourself, should guilt you into using something that is not doing you any good. Even BFF said hers was bugging her. When I asked her why she was wearing it, she didn't know.

Here is why I'm wearing mine: today as I was running on the treadmill (which I hate so very very much) I was having a tough time. The whole first half of the 30 minute run, I was telling myself that it was too hard and I needed to slow down because it was too hard. Wahhh. Each time, I looked at my watch to check my heart rate and every time it was under my target. So I told myself it wasn't too hard, it was just my brain wanting to be lazy. FINALLY, 17 minutes in I hit my target heart rate and it was like my lungs expanded threefold! The last 12 minutes were so much better. If I wouldn't have had my Fitbit, I would have stopped running. I would have convinced myself that my body couldn't take it today. I would have lied to myself. But my Fitbit wouldn't let me do that and I was able to push through it.

I'm meeting the Debster at yoga tonight too. Before I started yoga, I kind of expected it might help my flexibility. I did not expect it to have an effect on my lung capacity, but I really thing it has. YAY

Fashion

I really wish I would have taken a picture yesterday without my jacket because I LOVED my Gwynnie Bee dress. You can't really tell, but it is a blush lined black lace dress and it was perfect for Kinky Boots which BFF & I went to see last night.

Here is a BFF selfie at the show:

Today, I meant to take a picture before I worked out, but I forgot. So I had to have Godmother take a picture of me after. Pardon the disgusting hair and sweated off makeup. :) This is also a Gwynnie Bee and darn it if you can't tell in this picture how flattering it is. Oh well.

It probably would have helped if I would have buttoned up the jacket for the picture, but damn it, I was roasting hot at that moment. I do love that necklace a ridiculous amount though.

Hugs!

Icepocalypse 2015

North Texas does not do sleet and ice. Our offices are closed along with most of the metroplex. I did take a quick walk to Starbucks to check out the situation. In my ear flap hat, running jacket, raincoat, two pairs of gloves, leggings, sweat pants and rain boots, I was somewhat comfortable on my 3 block walk. I watched cars try to move after being stopped at a light going uphill...it was not pretty. My walk back was a little more challenging because it started sleeting again and I was walking into the wind. I'm super glad I don't have to go anywhere today!

Checking In

Lots has happened since I last posted. My fitness was great. Jazzercised on Saturday and did a lot of walking and Jazzercise yesterday. I didn't eat super well, but I consumed less calories than I burned each day, so yay!

We did the halftime show during the mavericks game. You can watch below. I'm actually on camera mid 2nd song. Luckily the cameraman cut away just as I (and the person next to me) totally screwed up. Go cameraman!

We had floor seats and got to see the players up close and personal. We were playing the Charlotte Hornets and Cody Zeller grew up in the same area I did, so I was glad to see him play.

 Cody

 Floor Seats

VIP Lounge

Weekly Check In

Since I'm iced in, I don't have access to the information I keep logged at work, but I think I lost 1 pound for the week. Not lighting the world on fire, but continuing in the right direction. Next weekend it will be time to measure again.

Food

Breakfast: Starbucks (sticking to the non-fat) Since I was home, I cooked up a little breakfast sausage and eggs.

Lunch: leftover vegetable budin which is kind of a mexican lasagna

Snack: strawberries and pecans

Dinner: Home Chef mahi mahi

All of my Home Chef dishes look great this week! The vegetable paella is the prettiest:

If you are interested in trying Home Chef, I can have a free box to send someone. Just leave your email address in the comments and I will send out.

Fitness

My challenge for today is to get in some exercise even though I'm iced in. It can be anything, I just have to do something.

Fashion

I'm in sweats today, so I got nothing here. :-)

I'm going to go under a blanket and check my emails. Stay warm out there, folks!

Hugs!

TGIF

Check In

Yesterday was another good day. I ate exactly as planned and I went to Jazzercise. Yay!

Food

Breakfast - I did upsize to a Grande this morning. Bacon Frittata Muffins.*
Lunch - Pei Wei Small Shrimp Lo Mein Bowl
Snack - I don't think I'm going to need a snack today, but if I do it will be a boiled egg.
Dinner - Crab legs at Joe's. It has been a LONG time since BFF & I have done our geriatric early bird dinners, but I'm really looking forward to it. I can even have a drink!

* I have heard a lot of people talking this year about how giving up meat on Friday during Lent is silly because it doesn't serve its intended purpose. For instance, me having crab legs for dinner certainly isn't any kind of sacrifice. I have a couple of thoughts on that:

1. I think that is mostly true. Just giving up meat and simply replacing it with other "luxury" foods doesn't really fulfill the Lenten commitment.
2.  However, everyone's journey (just like weight loss!) is different and we can't judge what others do. Why would we want to? I couldn't care less if the practicing Catholic sitting next to me at church abstains from meat or not. Similarly, if they only abstain at lunch but eat it for dinner...why should I care? So, while giving up meat may not be important to one person, it might be to another.
3. I contemplated God more this morning while picking out the delicious bacon from my muffins this morning than I have in a while. You just never know...

Fitness

Nothing today. I'm going to Jazzercise tomorrow morning. Sunday is our Jazzercise halftime show with the Mavericks, so we will be practicing a lot and running around most of the day. Did I mention that I get to sit courtside? My life is awesome.

Fashion

Today's Gwynnie Bee shirt:

Lizard sure takes a flattering picture, doesn't she? :) Minimize those hips, baby! I look forward to skinny jeans going out of style. Bring back those flared legs! I need volume to balance out my thighs... Oh well, whatevs. It's a cute outfit.

Challenges

The weekend is here again. Tonight I'm having crabs which I love and surprisingly don't have a lot of calories. I don't use the butter. Except that one time when they spilled the whole liquid butter container in my crab bucket. I still ate it. Let's hope that doesn't happen again!! Because I'm here to tell you that I will eat it. It isn't even a question.

Tomorrow should be okay because I will be busy. I have to get all of my normal chores (which I spread over the weekend normally) done in about 4 hours on Saturday. So I think I will be very distracted.

Sunday morning I have to get up and cook all my Home Chef meals and be ready to leave by noon. I'm not going to run this weekend because of all the Jazzercise. I just have to take one good choice at a time.

I will leave you with this post I saw on Facebook:

Absolutely no question about it, my answer would be my grandma who passed away several years ago. <3 What about you?

Hugs!

Going Strong

Good morning! As you all probably know, yesterday was Ash Wednesday. I think I wrote yesterday about how I am tying my healthy choices with my Lenten promises.

(Sidenote: I do love my new necklace!) But this morning, I added a new promise. Every morning, I get so frustrated with traffic and the dumb things that drivers do, that I will be in a bad mood by the time I get to work. This is silly for so many reasons not the least of which is that my commute is tiny! So I have promised myself, at least for 40 days, that I will not get mad at other drivers, that I will have a more peaceful drive to work. This morning I felt a difference although I have some work to do. :)

Checking In

Yesterday was another successful day! I made good choices and yoga felt great. No confessions needed. :) I found myself lately drinking more soda which I wanted to stop. I love water and drink a ton of it throughout the day but find myself wanting something different at dinner. I recently had La Croix water at a friend's house and bought some for myself. Last night I had the peach-pear flavor. It is peachy without being sweet. I like it! I'm hoping that it will give me that "different" I crave without triggering sugar cravings.

Food

Breakfast - Coffee and bacon frittata muffins
Lunch - Leftover Chicken and Sausage bake with quinoa from BFF
Snack - Apple
Dinner - Leftover Home Chef Mushroom Rissotto (I tried this for the first time last night and it was delicious!! My new Home Chef delivery comes today. YAY!)

Since my unfill, I'm finding that while I get A LOT hungrier in between meals, I don't think that it always takes much to satisfy the hunger. I'm trying to eat only what I need, not just eat it because it is there. For instance, I just ate about 1/2 of my leftovers today. If I get hungry and eat it later, I'm totally fine with that.

Fitness

I had planned to go to yoga tonight, but I changed my mind and I'm going to Jazzercise instead. I need some cardio!

Fashion

Gwynnie Bee dress of the day with and without my own jean jacket:

I look a little cranky in that second one. I swear I'm not!

I don't have any huge challenges for today so it should be smooth. But the weekend is coming and it will be one ginormous challenge!

I have started reading at night again, which is great but I this is me:

If you are a long time reader, you know I'm a huge fan of the Team USA men's indoor volleyball team. Their summer scheduled came out today and BFF are buying our plane tickets this afternoon! Our choices were the Chicago 'burbs, LA or Long Beach. I think we would enjoy any of them, but the timing works best for Chicago.

Speaking of BFF, I sent this to her yesterday for a giggle and I thought you all might like it. I'm not sure which of us is which though.

 Hugs!

Ash Wednesday

Daily Check-In

Today is Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. Each year I do something or give up something during this time and I wanted to think of something this year that could really let me focus on my priorities.

This year my Lenten commitment is to focus on my weight loss goals. While I have given up chocolate or some such thing in the past, I don't recall ever tying my weight loss ordeal with Lent. I think I was always scared that I would mess up (as I always seem to do with diet and exercise) and then feel doubly guilty. I'm not going to talk about the specifics, but I wanted to mention it.

Yesterday was a true challenge. First, I ended up eating the entire serving of BFF's leftovers for lunch. BFF cooks clean and healthy and I was legitimately still hungry. I'm glad I made that choice. After lunch I went to a (VERY BORING) class that lasted the entire afternoon. Around 3:00 I started to get hungry but when I went to reach for my emergency apple, I realized I forgot to bring it. Ugh! All they had at the class were cookies. Damn, damn, damn.

Let me stress how boring this class was. First of all, it was a tax accounting CPE class so the content wasn't even interesting. It was a video. And the sound was simply coming out of the computer at the front of the room, they didn't even have speakers. So basically, I could hear the sound overflowing from the ear buds of the guy behind me almost as clearly as I could hear the presentation. Then the girl behind me starting eating her McDonalds out of the paper bag...one fry at a time. Not only could I not hear anything, the smell probably didn't help my hunger. I do have to give kudos to the class though because no one cracked up when one of the guys woke himself up snoring.

Anyway, at 3:30 I just couldn't take it anymore and was trying to make excuses for a cookie. I decided instead to get my wallet and go out into the lobby to see if there was a vending machine. Maybe I could find something...probably not, but I was going to try. And then like a little food miracle, there was a granola bar in my purse under my wallet. Hallelujah!

After the class, I went back to work then BFF & I headed to dinner. I settled on a salad with turkey breast. I did eat 4 of BFF's potato chips, but only 4. No drinks, no dessert. Then we went to see Book of Mormon and it was AWESOME.

Don't get me wrong, it is totally offensive, but it is by the creators of South Park, so that is expected. My favorite two songs from the show are Turn it Off and But Mostly Me. Have a quick listen if you are interested...

I ended a day with no workouts, a meal out and a challenging snack situation with over a 600 calorie deficit. Nice!

Food

Breakfast - I had my tall nonfat latte again this morning. Bacon frittata muffins (although I have to pick out the bacon for Ash Wednesday.)
Lunch - Leftover Home Chef Swordfish
Snack - Apple
Dinner - Home Chef Truffled Mushroom Risotto

Fitness

Back to yoga today!

Fashion

My Gwynnie Bee dress of the day:

Yes, another bathroom picture. I LOVE my new Stella & Dot Bloom necklace!

In honor of the concert Monday night, I will leave you with these:

So pretty.

Hugs!

Taking Challenges One by One

Checking In

I want to start taking a quick moment each day to determine if I have "paid my rent" so to speak. My blog is here to keep me accountable, but sometimes what happens after blogging gets a little lost and I don't always face it head on.

I at least get to start on a good note. Yesterday was full of good choices. I mentioned yesterday that I ran even though I had to do it inside on the treadmill. For dinner, we went to a new place and I got the pan-seared sea scallops with kale and a carrot puree. BFF got the same thing and had a severe issue with the portion size. I totally get it, but for my purposes, it worked perfectly (albeit a little expensively). I did have a small deviled egg as well, but no drink and only one bite of dessert!

After dinner we went to the Maroon 5 concert and I have to give a shout out to the slightly annoying girls that stood in front of us the whole time because they gave me an excuse to stand almost the whole concert and dance! I got over 20k steps yesterday. Woohoo!

Yesterday could have been a total mess, but I made good choices and turned it into a positive. It is a good feeling and I need to remember this.

Food

Breakfast - When BFF & I drive together, we always stop at Starbucks on the way to work. I always get a Venti Latte. Since we are probably driving together 3 days this week, I changed to a Tall Nonfat Latte. BFF almost had a heart attack. If I want more coffee, I will have the regular stuff here at work. I can't stress what a big win this is. I will have my Breakfast Mini Frittatas later.

Lunch - BFF's leftover chicken & sausage bake with quinoa mac and cheese. BFF gave me the recipes and when I plugged it into My Fitness Pal, they are way too many calories, so I'm going to have to be satisfied with 1/2 a portion.

Snack - I have a training class this afternoon and as boring as it will be, I will be in a place that can help me not snack. Plus, I'm not working out tonight, so there is no real need for a snack. I will take an emergency apple.

Dinner - Okay, we are going out again. I'm trying to decide between (1.) the wild boar meatballs over smooth black beans appetizer, (2.) Salad with turkey breast, lettuce, grapes, bacon, blue cheese, nutty croutons, cider vinaigrette, (3.) wood grilled turkey sandwich without the bread (although I think it comes with potato chips but I could probably sub the seasonal green vegetable), or (4.) wood grilled pork chop with the seasonal green vegetable. What do you think? No drinking, no appetizer, no dessert.

Fitness

Since I have a class this afternoon and a show tonight, there will be no workouts today. Yikes!

Fashion

Last night's concert outfit. The pants came from Gwynnie. You can't see them well, but they are a cammo print. Why yes that is an AAC bathroom. Classy!

Today's Gwynnie Bee dress. My favorite color.

Remember when I said I splurged one night and bought a new purse? Well it is on the shelf until I meet a few goals, but at the same time I got something a little less expensive and I get to use it today.

 Now that I have a clear goal of losing weight that correspond with decreasing my foot pain, it feels like I'm re-inspired. I know that motivation is a precious commodity and I will work to use it to my advantage for as long as possible.

I will leave you with this...

Hugs!

I did it! At least for one weekend.

Weekly Check-In

Loss for the week: 2.8 pounds

I'm never ever going to be disappointed with a loss. That being said, for the work I did this week, that is low because this is mostly bloat loss. It's okay though, maybe it will catch up to me this week because it is going to be a bit of a challenge.

I had an amazingly healthy weekend. Food was in check. I Jazzericised on Saturday and ran on Sunday. Usually, if I net zero on the weekends, I consider it a win, but this weekend I had a 1,500 calorie deficit. 

Food

I made my first Home Chef meal on Saturday after church for me and BFF. It was the Bangkok Style Pad Thai. It wasn't good. I didn't even finish it. But in all fairness, the protein was tofu and neither BFF nor I are vegetarians. If it would have been made with meat, I think we both would have been fine. It was just all one texture. But I wanted to try it, so there you go.

Breakfast - Bacon Frittata Muffins These are absolutely delicious. However, instead of using bacon as the cups, I chopped up and put it in the mix. But because of the cream and ricotta, the cups had a hard time staying together. I'm going to work on this recipe a bit because they taste amazing!

Lunch - Swordfish steaks from Home Chef. This recipe was GREAT! It was a bit heavy on the lemon and capers, but I liked it a lot.

Snack - apple with almond butter

Dinner - TBD We are going to the Maroon 5 concert tonight (woohoo!) so we are eating out. We are going to a restaurant that rotates their menu, so I'm not 100% sure what will be available. But there should be a healthy fish option. I'm going to go for that. No appetizer, no drinking, no dessert. I'm going to allow myself a diet soda at the concert, because quite honestly if I don't, I will probably cave and have a drink. Debi said she would help me stay accountable! I love her.

Fitness

It is gross gloomy and cold outside today, but I can't really gripe because unlike the rest of the country, we have had some great weather this winter. I made myself go downstairs on the dreaded treadmill. Since this is the only day I can run all week, I had to do it. My pace was a bit slower than yesterday, but I worked hard. According to my Fitbit, I burned 515 calories in 35:00. That is truly amazing.

Fashion

Here is my Gwynnie outfit of the day. Nothing too exciting, but cute! And I finally got to wear my red Stella necklace that I have had for a while. I forgot to take the picture before I worked out, so this is me sans makeup and wet hair, but it's not so bad. I'm changing for the concert tonight and I will try and remember to take a pic of that as well.

Inspiration

I read some of my old blog posts last night. My feet have been hurting something fierce with all of my added running lately and a post from years ago caught my attention. There was a point during my initial weightloss when my feet just didn't hurt much anymore. I was working out like crazy, but the constant pain just went away. What I realized is that I have inched back over my critical weight (well not just now, but over the past few years) and I have to do something about it.

That "critical" point is about 15-20 pounds less than I weigh now give or take. I realize that if I'm actually going to lose 20 pounds I have to sacrifice. All I'm telling myself is to get it done this week. Really...just get it done today. I need to go back to that way of thinking... that I just have to make good choices in this moment and not worry about the enormity of it all.

A friend posted this today...

No more freeloading. :-)

I will leave you with this funny that BFF sent me today:

 Hugs!

FitBit Reviews

There are two reviews in this post. The first is by Guest Blogger BFF on the FitBit Charge HR. The second one is from me regarding the FitBit Surge.

"I love Jazzercise therefore I exercise.  I have been an instructor for close to 5 years; one of the best decisions I have made in my life.  Like many exercise programs instructors receive discounts on certain items.  For Jazzercise that means Ryka shoes and Polar watches among other things.  I didn’t have a strong need to monitor my heart rate or know how many calories I was burning while teaching but they were offering a cool new gadget at a discount price…..I could not resist and splurged for a Polar FT60. 

For several years I strapped on my heart monitor across my chest and monitored my activity.  It was interesting to see if I burned more calories on Monday than I did on Wednesday, etc.  After a year or so I grew tired of wearing the monitor, it would slip out of place and lose my heart rate while monitoring hence skewing the results.  I even bought new straps and tried moving the location on my chest but the results remain the same.  I would catch myself paying more attention to the device strapped on my chest and not on the instruction my students needed during class.  I eventually stopped wearing it and didn’t think I missed having it but I kinda did. 

I could remember on average how many calories I would burn, and that never had been a motivator for me, but didn’t miss it enough to buy a new Polar watch.  My best friend had tried others tracking devices and she was currently using the Fitbit.  The Fitbit was a new gadget and I LOVE new gadgets so I gave it a try.  I bought the Fitbit One, clipped it to my undergarment and away I went.  I liked the phone app, I liked the steps calculator and I liked the sleep monitor…it was FUN to have around.  Eventually I added my water intake and manually added my exercise activity.  I used the One for several years and really liked knowing the data then the Charge HR was introduced. 

Once again, new gadget = MUST have.  I liked having my fitbit “out of sight” and that is not an option with the Charge HR.  I have to wear the device on my arm and honestly wasn’t thrilled about that but I wanted the new gadget so I sucked it up and started wearing it.  Now that I am used to it I don’t mind wearing it.  The Charge HR has many of the functions my One had but manages my day with ease.  With the One I had to either remember to turn on the sleep monitor or manually add my sleep time; the Charge HR knows when I fall into a resting pattern and monitors automatically, SWEET!  I can make adjustments for accuracy but if I don’t, it is no big deal.  I DO have to turn on the monitor when I Jazzercise but I don’t mind – it keeps me mindful that my activity is being tracked without the constant attention the Polar watch required. 

I was concerned that the HR monitor would not be as accurate as the Polar watch but after an hour of Jazzercise my heart rate and calories burned with the Fitbit are very similar to those read by the Polar watch!  The Fitbit One had a carry clip that I replaced several times throughout the years because I would sweat and the seal on the clip would come apart.  It was simple to order a new clip however the Fitbit Charge HR is all-in-one.  What happens when the plastic wrist bands wears out?  Do I need to buy a new one?  I am not going to worry about that for now.  I really like my choice and once again I have data to backup my Jazzercise workout.  Even though it is not the motivating factor for me, it is nice to have the information.  I would recommend the FitBit Charge HR!"

Now for the FitBit Surge...

It all started with a Body Bugg named Jax which turned into Jill. I love statistics and information. When I first got the Bugg, I learned how much I had been misleading myself about calorie counts. This helped me have something to focus on...specific goals.

However, the Bugg had to be worn on the upper arm. It was bulky and honestly, not attractive. Plus, you had to pay to use the corresponding app online. Since there were so many available tracking apps out there for free, that got old. Eventually, I just stopped wearing it and moved on to the original Fitbit. It monitored your steps, calories, distance and stairs climbed. I used it but I think I had gotten used to it and didn't really get a lot of inspiration from it. But it was still useful when I needed to put myself on track.

 Eventually I moved on to the FitBit One. It clipped to your bra like the original version. It added a feature to track your sleep. FitBit syncs with My Fitness Pal and the MFP database is huge. This is a big convenience. On occasions I would forget to clip on my One, but not often. The only time I didn't wear it was when I went braless which wasn't often and mostly when I was dressing up for special occasions. I liked it fine, but again, mostly I saw it as a tool to get me on track when I needed to right myself. I did really like the sleep tracker but often I would forget to log my sleep which had to be done manually.

In the middle of all of that, I bought a Garmin running watch that had all sorts of bells and whistles. I used it a few times, but honestly it felt too complicated. I thought I would start it for my run, but midway through I would look and it wasn't running. I would spend more time trying to get it started correctly at the beginning of a race than I would focusing on the run itself. I didn't end up using it often at all.

Lately, I had been thinking about using a running app, but I don't like running with my phone. Then FitBit came out with the Surge. It combines the FitBit Charge HR with a running app. I LOVE IT!

There are only two cons for me. First and the most important is that it is a watch. It has to be worn like a watch because it is big (2" square.) The second is that you still have to remember to start and stop when you run or want to track a workout, but I would imagine that you would have to do that with anything.

First, it does all of the things that I liked in the FitBit One which is good. Plus, the sleep tracking is done automatically.

My favorite thing is that the running app is within the application itself and using the FitBit app is free. It isn't complicated to start, stop and understand what the screen is telling you. The main screens swipes through a clock, step count, current heart rate, distance, calories burned, and floors climbed. You click the left button to get to a screen that swipes through options for exercise, alarms, settings, and run tracking.

Another super awesome feature is that I get my texts straight to my watch. How cool is that? I can't respond or see emoticons, but I have found it to be helpful. Additionally, the watch will buzz if my phone rings...also helpful, especially when my phone is on silent.

I have only had the device for a couple of weeks, but so far I love it. It will be interesting to see how long I can stand wearing it as my only watch (I have several beautiful watches and changed them out regularly) but other than that, I would have no issues.

If you have a question about the FitBit Charge or Surge, feel free to ask. If you like data, having one (or a similar gadget like a jawbone) is great.

Hugs!

 

TGIF

It's like I can feel the pollen in the air. Oh, allergies. I swear trees want to kill me. It's either allergies or the FedEx girl gave me the germs when she sneezed on me yesterday.

Fitness

Let's see, I think I have three excuses here for not running today at lunch...

1.  My feet are killing me from Jazzercise last night. Really it is just the left foot/ankle. It isn't plantar fasciitis which I have battled before. I'm not really sure the problem, but the side to side motion in Jazzercise really angers it. (Which stinks because otherwise Jazzericse is super fun.)
2. Allergies
3. Work is really busy right now and I did use the time to work on some things that needed to be done. This isn't a real reason, just a silver lining, I guess.

Next week is going to present some challenges in this area. I'm Jazzercising tomorrow morning (morning seems better for my feet so it should be okay) and I'm really trying to convince myself that another Sunday morning run is in order. I will let you know how I do.

I have things to do two nights and 4 of the lunchtimes during the work week. That means I can run only once and go to yoga twice. That is not much for me at all.

Food

Even though I did not run at lunch today, I stayed in to eat. Friday night dinner is always a challenge, but tonight I'm going to my godmothers house for polenta. BFF & I have neither tried it so she wanted to make us some. She always cooks very healthy so it should be a win.

Last night I got my first shipment from Home Chef. They sent me a chocolate bar as a thank you. WTF? I did not eat it. I didn't even open it. I'm fixing the Pad Thai meal for BFF and myself on Saturday so maybe we can share some of the chocolate then. (Side note: BFF is scared of the Pad Thai and is bringing an alternative dinner in case she doesn't like it. Ha! The fact that she makes no bones about it and this does not bother me in the slightest shows you the level of our friendship.) My other two meals in the shipment are Truffled Mushroom Risotto and Swordfish Steaks. I will let you know how they turn out. I plan to make them both on Sunday to have for leftovers during the week.

I'm eating out Monday and Tuesday evenings so I have to rise to the challenge. But before I get there, I have to have a successful weekend.

Fashion

I was unable to get a snapshot of my outfit today, but I'm wearing this shirt from Gwynnie Bee:

The polka dots are actually hearts so it is great for Valentines day.

Here's to the freaking weekend! Hugs!

Ten Things Thursday (tm Laura Belle)

1. I'm slightly angry at myself for not pulling something out of the freezer last night or this morning for dinner tonight. There is no reason I can't defrost something when I get home, but it will make it that much harder to make good choices. It is a dumb thing to do to not be prepared. I have some very delicious soups in there I just need to warm up.

2. Breakfast, lunch and snack are the same as they have been all week. It really makes a difference when I truly like what I have cooked. Especially later in the week. I have one more batch of leftovers tomorrow and even though not going out to lunch with the gang on Fridays stinks, I'm going to try and run instead.

3. Speaking of fitness, I went to yoga last night and it was lovely. I can really tell a difference from the beginning. I have a LONG way to go but I definitely see improvement.

4. I took the picture below this morning and was shocked at how my face looked. So I compared it to one from two months ago:

 

Then I realized that it was probably the angle, so I took another one that was more the same angle:

It isn't as dramatic, but you can definitely tell a difference. There is virtually no weight difference between the left and right pictures...MAYBE 4-5 pounds max and at my weight, that is a small fluctuation. This is a great visual representation of the measurement difference I noticed last week. It gives me motivation that the scale has not.

5. Running is what does it. I mean it kind of pisses me off because I hate running. But there is no denying that it does for me what nothing else does. CrossFit did great things too but as far as weight loss or losing inches...running is what does it for me.

Well, damn it. I'm Jazzercising tonight and Saturday, but I'm trying very hard (as I mentioned above) to make myself run tomorrow at lunch. I would REALLY like to break this plateau I have been on for a while. (See how the scale talk just weaseled its way back in there. Ugh.)

6. Another way I'm trying to break that plateau is through food. I joined Home Chef and I got my first delivery today. I will absolutely let you know how it goes.

7. Here is my Gwynnie Bee outfit of the day:

It is cute! You can't really tell from this angle, but my boobs look huge. Ha!  Plus, my neck looks longer. Maybe it is the yoga? :)

8. While I'm posting pictures, here is one of my new headband:

I forgot mine for yoga last night and they had these for sale for $3.50. First, it fit my ginormous head and second, it really soaked up the sweat. I'm a fan! I will have to get a few more.

9. My new purse is here. It is in a box I can see from my desk as I type this. I'm waiting until I get home to open it. It will give me something to do while I wait on my soup to defrost. But I'm super excited!

10. A little while ago, I asked my Facebook friends for their favorite workout tunes because I needed something new. Here is the playlist that resulted:

 

I absolutely LOVE Suit and I think the I Bet My Life song is my second favorite although as much as I hate to say it, the Rihanna and Kanye song is pretty awesome. Yes, that is Let It Go on there. It was a surprisingly good running song for me. :)

So what are your favorite workout tunes?

Hugs!

Tired but getting it done

Wow, I'm super tired today. I went to bed early, but I had a restless night. I could serious lie down and take a nap which is unusual for me. On a happy note, in the last two days I have lost my 5 pound bloat. I KNEW that it was hormonal gain, but it certainly feels a lot better when the scale proves it.

Food

Checking in from last night to say that it was a success. I chose to have two bourbon drinks, but my entree was grilled salmon with corn relish (which was basically corn and some peppers tossed in a light oil dressing.) I was about 75 calories over my budget yesterday and I'm totally cool with that.

Breakfast: Breakfast meatloaf with boiled egg
Lunch: Sweet Tomatoes...I had a salad with lots of veggies, a little blue cheese and honey mustard dressing, a small sweet potato and a serving of sugar free chocolate mousse.
Snack: sliced turkey
Dinner: Leftover salmon and corn relish from last night and some leftover tortilla soup from BFF

Fitness

Going to yoga tonight!

Fashion

Here is my Gwynnie Bee item of the day (the cardigan). I it is a little more hippy chic than I usually wear, but it is cute. Plus, the picture angle made me look super skinny. Ha!

I will leave you with this:

Hugs!

Tuesday Quickie

Today is a bit of a quickie. I could skip a daily post, I mean they aren't very exciting. But if I'm honest with myself, once I skip one, then I skip another. Next thing I know it has been a month and I'm so far off track. If I'm blogging, I'm at least staying within some sort of boundaries.

Food

Breakfast - Breakfast meatloaf & boiled egg
Lunch - Paleo Sliders and brussels
Snack - mixed nuts
Dinner - TBD We are going out for our monthly girls' dinner, so I want to balance trying something different and fun with being conscious not to eat extra calories just because. I'm currently deciding between the catfish tacos and the bbq salmon. At least the food looks fresh and farm to table.

Fitness

I ran today! That makes THREE DAYS IN A ROW!! Seriously, that is like a record or something. I didn't run quite as fast today as I did yesterday, but there was a stronger head wind coming back today. According to my Fitbit, I almost as hard...just a few calories less. Still over 400 in 30 minutes, so not too shabby.

FYI...I want to use my Fitbit at Jazzercise before I review it. I have also asked BFF to review hers. I should have them published by Friday or Monday.

Fashion

I had to show you the party dress I got last night from Gwynnie Bee. This is the front view:

Cute, right? But here is the side view...

I look preggo! My waist is the one thing I have always loved about my body. Well, loved might be a strong word, but it was definitely a plus. This dress was so unbelievably unflattering. It was so sad that I cracked up. I think it might have been too short-waisted. I don't know. I didn't have anywhere to wear it anyway. Back in the blue bag!

Here is what I wore today:

Not the most exciting garment, but it is a fun "one wear". Then I will send it back tomorrow.

I have noticed that I'm doing a lot of retail therapy (for what I don't know...) Last night I ordered this:

In my defense, Kate was having a huge sale and I got it at over 60% off. Does that help?

Anyway, got to go. I will check in with you tomorrow and let you know how successful I was tonight!

Hugs!

Mondays aren't so bad...

Weekly Check-In

Weight Loss/(Gain) for the week:  (2.0 gain)

Yuck. I almost didn't weigh this morning because I started my period over the weekend and I'm bloated like the Stay-puff Marshmallow Man. Whatever, it's fine. Still focusing on all of the good things.

Food

Breakfast: Breakfast Meatloaf & boiled egg.
Lunch: Paleo Sliders & Brussels with bacon (I was going to do broccoli but the Farmers market had some gorgeous brussel sprouts this weekend so I did them again.)
Snack: Turkey lunch meat (& a small portion of whatever is brought in for Dessert Monday)
Dinner: Tortilla Soup

No complaints about my food this week. It is delish!! I'm getting to be a very decent cook. I did join Home Chef this week and I look forward to telling you all about it! My first box comes Thursday and I will cook over the weekend.

Fitness

Being out of town Thursday threw my whole week out of whack. I didn't work out until Sunday, but I got up then and did a 2.15 mile run in downtown Dallas. There were a lot of hills and it felt good. My GPS malfunctioned a bit, so I don't really trust my results. BUT, I ran for 30:00 and that is what is important.

I ran again today at lunch and I ran the same route as I did a couple of Fridays ago. Interestingly, I ran almost the exact same distance in the same amount of time, but according to my Fitbit, I burned 50 more calories this time. Cool!

Debi isn't going to make it to yoga tonight, so I'm going to have to be extra motivated to get there. This is the only day I'm planning a two-fer all week, so I need to just make it happen.

I'm working on a challenging and interesting project at work. I love learning new things! I'm trying to develop a dashboard in Excel that will give my bosses all the information they need to know about one of my departments at a glance. I'm getting there!

The Gwynnie Bee stuff I got on Friday I sent right back. This was my worst shipment. Both items were too small and not attractive enough to re-closet in a bigger size. I have more coming today!

I will leave you with these:

Hugs!

Another day

Today I'm starting with my favorite picture of all time:

This is why I love unicorns and rhinos. I'm the misunderstood rhinoceros working to become a unicorn someday. :-)

Food

Breakfast - meatballs & egg
Lunch - went to Salata, built a salad: lettuce, mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, pepitas, blue cheese, and herb vinaigrette dressing. No bread, croutons, etc. I felt good about it.
Snack - turkey hummus roll ups
Dinner - crab salad with crackers

I didn't end up going out to eat last night, so I had crab salad & crackers. I will have the rest tonight.

Fitness

I'm leaving for Austin early tomorrow morning and have to be at the airport around 7am. I almost talked myself out of going to yoga tonight with the excuse of getting ready for my trip. But in reality, there isn't anything to do. I'm just flying in for the day, so I don't have to pack. I don't even have to be at the airport that early because I don't have bags. I was just making an excuse.

But my accountability partner said she was going and it made me realize I was being dumb. Now I am determined I will go!

Fashion

Here is a close up of today's dress with my new Stella Birdie necklace.

It is awkward to take a picture in my new mirror because my temporary office has window walls and everyone would see me. So here is my bottom half. :)

It pulls at my belly a little more noticeably in the picture. I think because my arms were up. It is really pretty. I'm obviously having a lot of fun with my Gwynnie Bee subscription.

Today I'm teaching myself how to make dashboards in Excel by listening to You Tube videos. I'm sure there are people here that could do in 20 minutes what it is going to take me 3 days to do, but I like to learn and if I set it up, I will know better how to maintain and/or troubleshoot it.

I mentioned that I'm going to Austin tomorrow to do some site visits for work. I don't love travelling for work, but the site visits do seem to help build relationships between me and the on-site teams. Also, it is fun to see the things that we build in person! FYI...I work for an apartment developer and contractor. We have built all over the country. I'm the head of our Treasury and Risk Management groups. I actually love my job and my company. Speaking of, back to work I go...

I will leave you with this thought:

Hugs!