TGIF

Greetings Again:

Pleased to report that I lost another 1.6 lbs this past week and my grand total has now allowed me to reach the 5% milestone at Weight Watchers.   You get some recognition and a nice big sticker to put on your tracking packet.  I had actually forgotten about the 5% loss goal.   Jon is actually getting close to losing 10% of his body weight.  

I'm still at work at the moment but I plan to go home soon so I can grocery shop (yippee for payday) and straighten up the house.   Gavin has a friend coming over so some of the rooms need tidying.   I plan to do some more work in our storage room in the basement too.   I've been looking at the bins of clothes I plan to wear again and I have an incredible amount of denim.   I think I may have commented about it in the last entry but I keep finding pairs of jeans.  

I'm also happy to announce that we are going camping next weekend.   We didn't camp at all this summer due to time and the unpleasant weather conditions.  I'd rather camp when it's cool outside than sweat to death due to the humidity, heat index, etc.   We are trying to find some camp grounds that are not closed.  

I'm keeping this short and sweet today.    LeAnn reminded me that I didn't mention my Weight Watcher performance so I wanted to include that information before the next weigh-in.

Adios!

Here Comes October

Greetings:

I'm very excited about the fact this week marks the end of September.   I'm a BIG fan of October.   It's a fabulous month.   I started putting a few Halloween decorations out last night.  My search for Halloween items actually led to the cleaning and organization of our basement.   I was able to unpack some more boxes and make things look a little more tidy.   We have a considerable amount of items for a garage sale next year.  I located my box of coats and another container filled with fall/winter clothing for work.   I was shocked by the number of jeans I had in a few boxes.   I apparently went on a denim shopping spree in previous years.   The cool thing is that many pairs were a size smaller than I am at the moment.   I won't have to buy many new jeans at least when my caboose and waist shrink further.

I had some work to do for DMACC last night which is another reason why cleaning took priority.   I'm more than happy to clean a bunch if it means I can put off computer work.   Nevertheless, I got my work cranked out and did some grading too.   I was able to listen to "Julie & Julia" too.  I'm not sure why I like that movie so much.  I'm actually thinking about getting that cookbook to see if there is anything I can create in my own kitchen.  French cuisine isn't my favorite but I like the idea of putting a lot of thought and hard work into a good meal.   Considering that cookbook as been reproduced and released more than fifty times, you'd think I'd be able to find a cheap copy somewhere.

 I'm curious to see what the scale says tomorrow at Weight Watchers.   I'm trying to be more mindful with my eating but I'm starting to snack more than I should in the evenings again.  I'm also not diligent about tracking my food.   I'll start assuming that I'm still in my point range for the day and I may have gone over.   I was happy to count my manual labor last night so that got me some extra activity points that I could convert to food.   I could be more active every day though.  I'm really going to regret not being outside more often when the snow flies in a couple months.  I really want to solidify good habits now too so Halloween candy, Thanksgiving food, and Christmas goodies don't shift the number on the scale immensely.   Apparently many Americans gain at least 10 lbs over the holiday seasons in November and December.   I'm not surprised by that at all.   I actually read an article in the Des Moines register last week about our obesity epidemic.   Right now 29% of Iowans are obese.   If the trend continues, 54% of Iowans will be obese.   Scary!!  It makes sense though if you consider the age demographics in Iowa.   There is an increase with the amount of overweight children and adolescents.   Those kiddos are going to be the adults in 2030.   If you are overweight/obese during your youth, it will most likely follow you into adulthood.  Here's the article if you're interested:

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012309190050&nclick_check=1

On a different note, I now have my temporary crown for my most recent root canal.  The procedure went very well.   The hygienist didn't read very well when I arrived though.   She started prepping me for a root canal when I sat down in the chair.    She seemed surprised when I notified her that I went to the endodontist to  get the root canal weeks ago.   And of course, two minutes later she finds the information in my file.   Anyway, my mouth is now a total of 2K richer with the recent procedures.   I get my permanent crown in three weeks. 

I'm hoping to cruise through this week and have some fun this weekend.  Gavin's having a friend over on Friday night.    Hopefully we can visit the local orchard on Saturday or Sunday.   I'm not thrilled that it will be super busy but it's a cool place so crowds are to be expected.   I want to do more work on the basement organization and do some grocery shopping too as payday is on Friday.   It's nice to finally get a full paycheck from ISU.   The part-time work in the summer and the partial paycheck in August weren't comforting my checking account very well. 

Hope everyone's well! 

Maintenance...It's a Good Thing

Greetings:

I decided to stay on track at work today and not work on this blog.   I attended Weight Watchers on Wednesday and was happy to see that I only gained 0.2 lb in the last week.  I was striving to lose of course but was also accepting of simply maintaining due to the food I ate while in Chicago over the weekend.  I'm grateful we did so much walking.   The scale would have been scarier had we taken taxis or buses.

We took off early on Saturday morning and decided to just hang out at the hotel for a bit before heading into the city.  We did eventually venture in for an early supper at Harry Carry's Italian Steakhouse.   Jon had his bison filet and I had my Pesto Pasta dish.  It was delicious as expected and actually quite different eating so much food in one sitting.  I also indulged in an alcoholic drink and had a Moscow Mule.   Sadly the martini I wanted was no longer offered. 

We took the train into the city on Sunday and took our time to the north side for the Cubs game.   I got to experience riding the subway on the way up and the "L" train on the way back to the train station after the game.   The homeless population makes rides on public transit interesting.   We got to the game plenty early and I got myself a nice big serving of nachos.  Nachos are my sport-event food choice.  I also got a hotdog and some CrackerJack.  It was quite warm though and I actually got a sunburn.   You'd think I'd realize that the sun would sunshine on a baseball game.   I have a nice fairly fully container of sunscreen in the closet at home (Thanks Nicole) and yet I rarely remember to use it. 

The ride home was rather tough since we were both tired.  I couldn't stay awake after we got into Iowa.   It was also tough to be perky for work the next day but I got it done!!  Another thank-you to LeAnn for supervising her nephew over the weekend.   He was happy to see pizza again...we've not had that for awhile.  

I'm going to have a long Friday due to a full day with ISU and a seminar for DMACC in the evening.   The light at the end of my tunnel is the fact that I don't have a lot planned for the weekend.   I hope Saturday morning begins with some sleeping-in action.   We're transporting a basset hound to its new home in the middle of the day.   I may focus on unpacking further....yes I still have boxes in parts of the house that still need to be unpacked.   I have too much crap.

Another biggie for the weekend is exercising more.  I need to at least go for some walks or something.  

TGIF!!

Figuratively Buried Alive

Greetings!

I've decided to take some time to myself and enjoy much lunch and blog in the next hour.  Life's been stressful and I'm slowly but surely burying myself in work.   It's clockwork though.   Each new semester, I find myself overwhelmed and kicking myself for not being more proactive with prep work.   I'm wishing I had done more with my prep work this summer when I was only working part time.   I've been feeling disorganized in the last week and it seems like I have a million things to do each day.   I'm trying to not use my free time on weekends either.   I want to devote that time to tasks at home, ventures out & about, church, Jon, and Gavin.  We've been busy on weekends too so even if I feel like I truly need to work, I usually can't.   I'm a little worried about this weekend's venture to Chicago.   I'm more than excited to go but I have a nagging voice in the back of my head saying "You're going to be so behind come Monday morning."   Stupid self-conscience. 

Despite work being stressful, I do have a lot of good things happening with my health.   I'm pleased to announce that I lost 6 lbs this past week.   I honestly thought it was about 1 pound.   I gained last week due to poor tracking and my wonderful time of the month.   I wanted to lose that 2.8 lbs that I gained but I'm not going to complain about losing an extra 3.2 lbs.  I'm especially pleased because we attended a wedding on Saturday and my attention to the foods on my plate really helped at the scale.   I'm not a huge cake fan.   I seriously contemplated a piece of cake but decided to eat some of the delicious mints they offered.   You know those mints....I think they are made from cream cheese and molds are used to create flowers, bells, etc.   I had them at my graduation party back in 2001.   In the past, I would have still grabbed a piece of cake simply because it was there and everyone else was eating a piece.   Heck it would have probably been 2 pieces of cake.  I was also mindful with my other food choices.   I didn't load my plate down with chips.   The savory food item I did feast on was deviled eggs.  I love those things and they were wonderful.   I kept track of my points and did use some of my extra points for the week.  

Jon and I are planning to visit a nice steakhouse in Chicago this weekend.   I'm planning to get a pasta dish that incorporates pesto and asparagus.   I had it last year when we visited the same eating establishment.  Jon is planning to get a bison steak.   I'm planning to have a martini or two as well.   Alcohol is a bitch on Weight Watchers (alcohol sugars = a lot of points) but I want to indulge a little bit on our mini trip.   We also plan to walk a lot and burn calories. 

I've also been pretty diligent with taking a daily vitamin.   I'm taking a basic multi-vitamin for women (One a Day brand).   Ironically, I didn't take one this morning due some issues with oversleeping and severe panic with getting out the door on time.  Taking a vitamin on a regular basis has been a goal of mine for YEARS.   My mom helped reinforce this habit when I lived at home but I fell off the wagon when I left home in 2001.   I had some success when the gummy vitamins were introduced a few years ago.   I'm back to taking a basic non-chewable tablet.  

I'm also flossing like a champ lately.  I'm getting really sick of paying the dentist oodles of money so I want to prevent cavities in between my teeth.   I also have receding gum lines and flossing helps to slow that.   It's become a nightly ritual.   I've been scolded about flossing for as long as I can remember.   Hopefully my dentist sees improvements at my next 6 month check-up. 

Exercise and extra physical activity continue to be a challenge.  My Weight Watcher leader made a valid point last night.   I need to write my planned workouts in my schedule.   If it's in my schedule, it gets done.   If I keep it on my mental "to do" list, I continually put it on the back burner or let my fatigue at the end of the day take precedence.   I'm paying about $20 a month to use a gym.   I want that bill to actually relate to how much I use the gym.   I could be doing more exercise in the neighborhood too.   There is a walk/run path in the park across the street....come on Jenny. 

I was actually concerned about this week's weight loss because I did do some nightly grazing in the kitchen in the last two weeks.   I sit down in the evening, the TV is on, and I get that urge to snack.   I need to keep a handle on that too so I'm not eating extra, unnecessary calories right before bed.   If I'm truly hungry that's one thing....if I'm just eating to eat, that needs to stop. 

So the good news is that I'm almost at a 15 lbs weight loss.   I hope to be at a 20 pound lost at the end of October.   The season of food is starting up though.   Halloween candy, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas goodies.   Sigh.   Bring it on. 

Sweet Relief (I Hope)

Howdy:

My day started with a wonderful root canal.  My dentist made an emergency appointment for me with an endodontist in Ames this morning.   She couldn't tend to my cracked molar hence her reference to a different specialist.   My 8am appointment was supposed to be a consultation.  He took a good look at the molar and immediately suggested he complete a root canal.   He had time to do it this morning so I figured I might as well get it taken care of...I would have really stressed myself out if I let it go another week or so.   He was very understanding about my issues with anesthetics and dental work.  He tried a different numbing drug and it worked!!!  It still wasn't the most comfortable procedure but I'm grateful he did it.   It's pretty sore at the moment but I'm sure this pain will be completely worth it.   I need to make another appointment with my dentist as she needs to take care of the crown for this root canal.  Needless to say...I have more debt now.   That hour long root canal cost me $1,000.00.....blah!!

I haven't been tracking my eating very well in the past days.   I'm fairly certain that I've gained some weight.   I've been impulsive with my choices.   I'm also close to my fun time of the month which is contributing to my desire for salt and not-so-healthy foods.  I've also not exercised much thanks to my mouth.   I'm hoping to hit the gym on Thursday after work.   Regardless of that, I do feel better.  I'm sleeping so much better.   I have better energy (even when my mouth hurts like hell).  I'm waking up easier in the morning and getting more done throughout the day.   It's truly amazing how much you can get done in the morning if you get up on time.   I'm eating breakfast, packing my lunch, cleaning up around the house, even doing laundry some mornings.   It's nice. 

We got bad news about Gavin's football program today.   They had too few 10-12 year olds enroll so they canceled his league in the program.   I'm making it a priority to watch the basketball deadlines so I get him into a great program for the winter.  

Work has been extremely busy.  I'm working much longer hours this semester.  I can't come and go between home and work easily so I find myself working longer in the office.   It's helping me keep work at work and not bring things home.   I'm constantly having to prep for my methods course for health education and my new DMACC online course.   I can't seem to get ahead in those classes.   Oh well.  

Well that's enough for now.   I plan to share a recipe this week.   My coworker introduced me to a Mexican Lasagna.  I created my own version this weekend and it was OK.  It can be easily tweaked.