And I'm out...

Hey ladies, just a heads up that I'm outta here! I am heading home tomorrow morning for my little brother's wedding and Easter. I could write a real entry but I have so much to do tonight. So, have a great week and weekend!

Thoughts....

Hey Ladies:

I wanted to blog again this weekend. Weight loss is difficult! I'm still struggling with my night/evening snacking. I wanted to start the first week of Weight Watchers right but I cheated frequently. I also didn't bump up my exercise either. Sigh.

I had severe bouts of stress this week too! My job has been nuts. I want the rest of the semester to fly by so I can relax a little bit in May. The work ethic of students in my department is ridiculous. Life is frustrating when you cannot make other people care. Today was filled with laziness. I didn't plan to be so lazy but I honestly think my mind needed a day to just be blah.

Here are my goals for weight loss:

-- reduced snacking at night; perhaps not eating after a certain time (e.g. 8pm)

-- increased exercise that needs to take place 3-4 days a week

-- decrease in at least one clothing size (preferably pant size) this summer

-- reduce my triglycerides over the summer

-- reduce my overall cholesterol and maintain a high HDL level

-- eat more fruits and veggies

-- eat more protein and meat on a regular basis (4-5 dinners a week)

-- improve sleep patterns (in bed around 11pm and up by 7am)

-- do not eat when watching television or movies

-- only eat out 1-2 times a week; one of those visits needs to be Subway or another healthy option

-- utilize portion control

-- eat only when I'm hungry and prevent emotional eating

All of those goals will be utilized for specific weekly goals and for journaling purposes. They've been floating in my head and I wanted to put them in writing.

Greetings!

Hey Ladies:

I've been meaning to blog since yesterday....well actually I should have blogged last week. I wasn't very exciting last week though so there's my excuse. I spent Spring Break doing some extra work with the Red Cross but didn't make as much progress as I wanted with some ISU duties. I'll have to work on Saturday to help pick up the slack with ISU work. I did get to spend some substantial time with Jon so that was great. He had Wednesday off so we attended the St. Patrick's Day parade in Des Moines. His father joined us so that was interesting. His father is 70 so the age difference between his parents and mine is amusing. I guess that can happen when the youngest child in one family dates the oldest child in another. I was very happy to get Gavin back though on Sunday. It was bizarre not being in "mom mode" all week.

I had a revelation on Monday. I had to dress-up for work because I was conducting meetings with student teachers and their cooperating teachers. I put on one of my button down shirts from Lane Bryant and did not like how it looked on me. I have figured lately that I'm probably at my heaviest weight ever. Hadn't taken the initiative to actually step on a scale or anything but I can tell by how I look and feel. When driving back to Ames on Monday afternoon I decided that I HAD to do something. I went to a Weight Watcher meeting that evening. I need accountability. For months I've been contemplating change, making some preparations (mostly mental), but I needed to take some action. The big news I received at the meeting is that my weight wasn't as high as I assumed. I made them weigh me three times because I was surprised. I'm looking forward to journaling my eating and activity. Gavin and I will be participating in a research study in April too which will require journaling and tracking. Might as well start those habits now.

I'm really excited about the change of season because I think it will boost changes in my lifestyle. I want to be outside and I cannot wait to go biking, walking, and even jogging (if my shins can tolerate it). I want to start losing inches so I can enjoy the clothes I own. I want to improve my endurance and overall health too. I had a nasty backache/shoulder pain last week and I doubt it would have been so bad if I were a healthier weight. I've also had some pain in my left knee (off and on) and I know that joint is not happy about the weight it must support.

I do plan to start posting my weight loss and actual weight but I want to get a good start first. I'm really not pleased with my current weight even though it was less than I expected.

Happy Hump Day!

Freakin' Fantastic Turkey Burgers*

*this is the most accurate description I could come up with for them :)

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 bell pepper finely chopped (any color will work)
1/2 medium onion finely chopped
1/4 c. finely chopped mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices cheese
buns
Any toppings you like

Instructions:
1. Take onion, mushrooms and bell pepper and cook to soften. You could saute in olive oil but I just cooked them in the microwave until they were tender.

2. Combine meat, veggies and seasoning. Make 4 patties (about 180 calories each).

3. Grill or cook in non-stick pan. Be careful when handling because these are more delicate when raw than hamburgers. Cook thoroughly. Try to minimize number of turns.

4. When done melt cheese on top (optional) and serve on bun with toppings of choice.
-classic toppings are great: ketchup, mustard, mayo, tomato, lettuce, pickles etc.
-make great Hawaiian burgers with pineapple, bacon and bbq

Happy Spring!!!

OK, I know that the weather might not be as springy as it was earlier this week but it's officially SPRING!!! I love the spring so much. It means that the snow is almost all gone until next winter (emphasis on the word almost)and that things are going to start becoming green and wonderful! I've been meaning to blog all week but I haven't had much to blog about so I thought I'd just share some random thoughts about my week...I know, not terribly exciting but it's all I've got for you today :)

1) Kim and Hicham are finally engaged! She spent the night at my parent's place last night and he drove over today and surprised her. She was still in bed when he got there and she was completely surprised. They aren't planning on a big wedding at all and if he gets a job over the summer, he's a grad student at UNI, they will be having a small ceremony at the mosque this May. I wish them the best of luck!

2) My sister Karla has started seeing a guy named Justin and things seem to be going really well. He actually called her last night and asked her if she wanted to meet his family. I was surprised because it seems like it's a little soon to be meeting the family but she said that she could see this being serious with him. I'm so happy for her because she always gets involved with men who I feel are assholes and this guy seems to be the total opposite!

3) My mom has her back surgery on Tuesday. I can't hardly believe that its already happening...it seems very fast. She's nervous but I would imagine that that's a fairly normal feeling right before a major procedure. I'm really sad that I can't be there for her but I guess being there a week after isn't too bad.

4) I was terrible in regard to exercise this last week. I didn't get in any real workouts and it made me sad. I think I'm just going to call a mulligan and start over next week. With the weather being nicer out I'm trying to get outside and walk/jog instead of working on the treadmill. I had a lot of running to do after work this week and by the time I got home I just didn't do it. I need to start getting my running done on the weekends so I have nothing to do after work.

5) I stuck to my menu for the week really well. It's been over 4 weeks since I've eaten out and I feel great about sticking to it. I actually made these really great turkey burgers this week. I'll post the recipe in another post. I've always liked the concept of a turkey burger because of the health benefits over ground beef but they are always so dry...I found a way to add more flavor and some moisture!

6) I haven't finished any books recently and that makes me sad. However, I did Netflix a few good movies so I thought I'd share them with you. The Time Traveler's Wife was FANTASTIC. I really enjoyed how well they stuck to the book and I feel like they made really smart choices in regards to what they should cut out. I also watched Whip It. It's the latest Ellen Page movie (she's in Juno) where she joins the roller derby. It was entertaining and worth renting if you like quirky movies. I also have Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant. I intend to watch it today as the weather blows.

7) I really like all kinds of music. I grew up listening to everything and really enjoy it all. Even though I tend to lean towards the rock and punk end of things I really like country music. I tend to listen to a lot of the country that was popular when I was in middle school and high school but every once in a while I tend to get back into a country phase and I'm in one now. I really like Zac Brown Band. However, it would be a lot easier on me as I go through this phase if Taylor Swift were not taking over the world. I know that she's the golden child right now but I just do not like her music. To be fair there are a few songs that I don't mind but in general I really dislike her sound and her lyrics.

8) My co-worker is leaving for a 7-day cruise today. I'm really jealous of her. I've never been on a cruise but a 7-day sojourn in tropical weather would be amazing right about now!

9) In two weeks my little brother will be getting married! I cannot wait!

10) Despite my hopes and desires there is no such thing as cleaning fairies :( This means that I should wrap up my blog and get my butt to work.

Have a great weekend ladies!

Three Weeks

Happy Wednesday ladies. I hope that you're having a wonderful week and that you're not floating away yet. I have to admit that I have been loving this spring like weather that we've been having here in Michigan. You can't beat 40-55 degree weather with lots of sunshine. The rain is supposed to be starting today but even that will be welcome here. We didn't get nearly as much snow as you did back in Iowa, so fortunately we don't have to worry about the flooding like you do.

Things have been going really well here in Michigan. I haven't blogged in quite some time so here's what you've missed:

1)I've been spending a lot of time with my friend Chris because she really needs her friends around her right now. She has a doctors appointment this afternoon where she'll be having an endoscopy. This is the test that will determine if her oncologist is going to do any chemo/radiation therapy before surgery to remove her mass or not. The consensus is still that she's at stage I but they want to double check before beginning treatment. She is handling all of this so well, I can't hardly believe it. She has been quite the inspiration.

2)Last weekend I went to see Shutter Island with some friends. It was fantastic. I will be honest when I say that it was not what I thought it would be at all. From the previews that I had seen it looked like it was going to be a scary movie, possibly with ghosts, but it was not. I don't want to give anything away in the event that you might see it but it's set on an island that houses an old school psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. The basic plot is that a patient has escaped and Leonardo DiCaprio's character is a U.S. Marshal who is called upon to find her. If you enjoy psychological suspense/thrillers then this is a must see movie.

3)I'm going to be taking a class at the church that I've started attending. It's the class that they use as their new member's class and it meets on Sunday's for seven weeks. I don't know that I will formally join the church but the head pastor wrote the book that we will use in the class so I think it's a really great way to become familiar with the beliefs and ideals of this church.

4)Work has kind of blown this week. Some of my co-workers have been seriously slacking and I've had to pick up the extra work. I don't mind helping out if they're busy but when they spend all day playing games and shopping online I feel like they shouldn't be leaving their work for me.

5)My Lenten resolution is going really well. It's been 3 weeks since I've eaten out and I don't really miss is all that much. I've really enjoyed cooking for myself and I love that I'm not spending the extra money. I have had some pop since starting but I've decided that as long as it's in moderation it's ok. I think I've had 3 pop in the last three weeks and half of the last one I had is still sitting in my car because I didn't drink it all.

6)My step-sister's engagement is off again. They had an arguement about a superficial thing and apparently that means he's not proposing now. My mom put her foot down, which is good for her, and told them that she's not doing this any more and that they need to decided if every little squabble is going to send their relationship off the deep end. If it is then maybe they shouldn't be together. I guess we'll see what happens.

7) It's only three weeks until I get to come home for my brother's wedding and I cannot wait!

OK, that's it for now. Good luck getting what you need to get done accomplished this week!