Greetings:
It's time for an update. It also helps that I'm sitting at my parents' house and pleasantly have nothing to do. Didn't need to bring work with me and my email duties are already done for the day. I weighed in on Wednesday and was surprisingly disappointed that I had gained a pound. I say it was a surprise due to the fact that both Jon and I worked out more and I was mindful with my food tracking. The leader reminded me that I should be using some of my extra points and eating protein to help my body recover from workouts. I'm trying to be better with that this week. Being back in full gear with work has really helped with my activity points. Most days I'm reaching 100% with my ActiveLink or going past 100%. That means I usually earn 3-4 extra food points a day and those accumulate throughout the week if I need extra points for meals. I've been trying to not use any of those extra activity points and I usually don't feel like I need to either. I'm going to try to sneak in more yogurt. I'm already eating a ton of eggs as omelets are a common food for me. I'm also trying to keep some deli chicken in the house as it's wonderful on sandwiches. It's a pesto chicken breast. Hy-Vee slices it for sandwiches and sells it at their deli. It's a tad bit pricey but worth it.
Working out has been enjoyable but I have to admit the crowds at the gym suck. It's only happened once but I had to stand around and wait for cardio equipment. Jon and I are trying to be logical with the time we visit the gym. My hatred of the elipitical is officially gone. It's been easier to bump up my time on the machine to about 40 minutes of continuous "elipticalling". I was always amazed with how fast some people go on them (especially women). I've been nosy and looked at some of their set-ups. I could go a million miles an hour too if the resistance was set at 1. I always aim for 4 to 7 as a resistance. Oh well, whatever burns calories for people. I've only been focusing on cardio in the recent weeks but do need to spend some time with the weight machines. My arm feels almost 100% so doing upper body work isn't so worrisome. My butt is still rather bruised and tender though but luckily it doesn't affect how I walk or move. Only hurts when I sit too long or lay too long.
I didn't reach my goal of being down 20 lbs by the end of January. I'm extending the goal to the end of February. I'm officially down 16 lbs due to last week's gain. My body is always so tricky when it comes to losing the first 20. It usually causes me to fall off the wagon but fortunately that's not the case this time around.
I don't really have any recipes to share as the meals we tried last week weren't that great. I found out that Jon isn't a great fan of cilantro. The different version of chicken chili wasn't as great as our original taco chicken chili. I also made stuffed green peppers and wasn't very impressed with them either. Oh well. I have other things to try that hopefully appeal to us.
Stay warm! Happy Groundhog's Day!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Dusted off the Treadmill
Woohoo!
I knew I wanted to work out tonight after work. The cold temps made it quite undesirable to go to the gym across town. I plugged in the treadmill, checked the good ol heart rate monitor, and did a short workout. I was able to jog for 30 minutes straight! It did help that I had a movie on the TV...I've found the TVs on the elipticals at the gym distract me nicely too. It still blows my mind that people can read while using an eliptical or treadmill.
I was also pleased how quickly that "runner's high" feeling kicked in too. I'm sure my attitude helped how I felt during the run. I was anxious to do it and not dreading it. I'm going to head upstairs and eat some of our leftover chili so I can finish this movie without starving. (I'm watching the sequel to "Elizabeth".)
Stay warm!!
I knew I wanted to work out tonight after work. The cold temps made it quite undesirable to go to the gym across town. I plugged in the treadmill, checked the good ol heart rate monitor, and did a short workout. I was able to jog for 30 minutes straight! It did help that I had a movie on the TV...I've found the TVs on the elipticals at the gym distract me nicely too. It still blows my mind that people can read while using an eliptical or treadmill.
I was also pleased how quickly that "runner's high" feeling kicked in too. I'm sure my attitude helped how I felt during the run. I was anxious to do it and not dreading it. I'm going to head upstairs and eat some of our leftover chili so I can finish this movie without starving. (I'm watching the sequel to "Elizabeth".)
Stay warm!!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Chicken Taco Chili
I'm not a huge chili fan but I wanted to share this recipe. I do really like this version of the chili and it makes for a great meal. We snacked on it a lot this weekend. We use Fritos Scoops to make it more of a dip at times. I think Jon added some cheese on top of his and the recipe states you can add sour cream too. A very easy crock pot meal!
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/11/crock-pot-chicken-taco-chili-4-pts.html
I need to look at the Skinny Taste website more often. Lots of good recipes there.
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/11/crock-pot-chicken-taco-chili-4-pts.html
I need to look at the Skinny Taste website more often. Lots of good recipes there.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Killing Time
I have about 20 minutes before I need to start teaching a CPR class so I thought I'd try to crack out a blog entry. In theory nothing should distract me or interrupt me as it's after hours and practically no one is still at work. In theory...not holding my breath on that.
I had an entry started last week but couldn't devote solid time on it so I scraped it and started over with today's entry. Last week I was pleased as I dropped 5 lbs and got back on track with Weight Watchers. I really want to be down an official 20 lbs at the end of the month. Eating went well this week and we went to the gym so I was hoping for another 1-2 lb loss but alas not this week. I actually gained 0.2 according to their scales. I wasn't a happy camper but I'm anticipating to see a decent loss next week. I've been doing really well with my ActiveLink contraption. I'm usually earning 3-4 activity points a day due to all the walking around at work. My workout at the gym on Monday actually gave me a total of 4 points in less than an hour. A lot of people use those activity points to be able to eat more food but I'm really trying to just bank them and have them result in more weight loss. I'm sure I'll have a week that I need some extra points but I don't foresee that soon. (I'm making sure to buy Gavin a mini cake at Hy-Vee so baked goods aren't a problem this weekend.)
Regardless of the gym visit, I need to continue to boost my activity further. I really wish I was more perky and useful in the mornings. I know I could get a nice running workout done if I'd get up around 6am. Sigh.
I need to upload some photos of our living room for the next entry. We now have an accent wall in the living room. It's cardinal red and matches our front door. It looks freaking sweet. Still need to work on some trim work before it's officially complete. We are going to put a large picture of Chicago on the wall (black and white) to somewhat tone down the color. Pictures soon!
The last piece of news is the fact that I'll have a full-fledged teenager in my home this weekend. I'm very blessed and lucky to have such a good kid. I see and hear "wonderful" parental stories of kids doing poorly in school, getting into trouble outside of school, etc. Knock on wood but that really hasn't been a problem. He's still extremely helpful at home (a little more grumbling on some days though). It's also a relief to know he's responsible and get let himself in after school and stay at home alone for extended periods.
Ok...time to teach!
I had an entry started last week but couldn't devote solid time on it so I scraped it and started over with today's entry. Last week I was pleased as I dropped 5 lbs and got back on track with Weight Watchers. I really want to be down an official 20 lbs at the end of the month. Eating went well this week and we went to the gym so I was hoping for another 1-2 lb loss but alas not this week. I actually gained 0.2 according to their scales. I wasn't a happy camper but I'm anticipating to see a decent loss next week. I've been doing really well with my ActiveLink contraption. I'm usually earning 3-4 activity points a day due to all the walking around at work. My workout at the gym on Monday actually gave me a total of 4 points in less than an hour. A lot of people use those activity points to be able to eat more food but I'm really trying to just bank them and have them result in more weight loss. I'm sure I'll have a week that I need some extra points but I don't foresee that soon. (I'm making sure to buy Gavin a mini cake at Hy-Vee so baked goods aren't a problem this weekend.)
Regardless of the gym visit, I need to continue to boost my activity further. I really wish I was more perky and useful in the mornings. I know I could get a nice running workout done if I'd get up around 6am. Sigh.
I need to upload some photos of our living room for the next entry. We now have an accent wall in the living room. It's cardinal red and matches our front door. It looks freaking sweet. Still need to work on some trim work before it's officially complete. We are going to put a large picture of Chicago on the wall (black and white) to somewhat tone down the color. Pictures soon!
The last piece of news is the fact that I'll have a full-fledged teenager in my home this weekend. I'm very blessed and lucky to have such a good kid. I see and hear "wonderful" parental stories of kids doing poorly in school, getting into trouble outside of school, etc. Knock on wood but that really hasn't been a problem. He's still extremely helpful at home (a little more grumbling on some days though). It's also a relief to know he's responsible and get let himself in after school and stay at home alone for extended periods.
Ok...time to teach!
Friday, January 4, 2013
Car Maintenance Galore
Just hanging out at a car dealership waiting for The Fusion. Decided to be a responsible car owner and get some of the recommended maintenance as I'm close to 90,000 miles. Plan was for an oil change, tire rotation, and transmission flush. They actually took me back a bit ago and showed me my front brakes. Not good. My back brakes aren't great either but luckily they can wait until next month when I have another paycheck to draw from. I need a power steering flush too but hopefully that can wait too.
I was in quite a sour, pissy mood yesterday after attempting to have my first productive workday of the new year. I was quickly reminded about my workload when I got to the office and didn't accomplish a sliver of what I needed to yesterday. My main goal was to clean my office. I didn't even get started due to my email, distractions, etc. My teaching evaluations were released yesterday and I wasn't pleased with the remarks from my HS 275 class. What really pisses me off is the whining about my notes policy. I spend HOURS and DAYS working on my PowerPoint presentations. I refuse to just post those to Blackboard and give them to students. I refuse to alter my PowerPoint presentations so students can fill in the blank or complete them. It takes a lot of time to alter them and I don't have that extra time. Most of my classes in college required ME to buy a notepad, invest in a pen, and jot down my own notes. They were rarely given to me electronically. Furthermore, a lot of the content I review and teach isn't difficult. If they'd read the book ahead of time, they'd realize what they truly need to take notes over rather than trying to shorthand everything I say during the 50 minutes. *end of rant*
I also review all of the graduate teaching assistant evaluations as it's my job to ensure they are doing a good job. I also got a little fired up about some of the remarks from students as it's evident that some of our TAs are lazy and don't seem to undrerstand that students are customers. They paid to take a volleyball class, weight lifting class, etc. When the teachers don't have energy, initiative, or proper communication skills it really shows the department doesn't care about the educational experience. I bust my butt to help improve the quality of the classes and teaching but I have a few TAs that don't give a crap. (Kudos on the resolution Nicole but it's been almost impossible to not curse in the last 24 hours.)
On the positive side of things, I had a great day of healthy choices yesterday. Despite my stress level being through the roof, I didn't eat to feel better. I thought out my food choices and played some Wii to attempt to be more active in the evening. I really want to be at a 20-25 lb weight loss by the end of January.
I almost need to set a resolution or major goal about procrastinating. My tendency procrastinate affects all parts of my life. If I procrastinate with grading, I end up working at home, going to bed late, ignoring Jon and/or Gavin, etc. If I procrastinate with other work tasks, I throws off my preparation for teaching and I feel mentally disorganized all day. I often just get distracted at home and our plans change easily. Many trips to the gym were canceled due to that problem. We'd even eat better if I better used my evenings or early mornings to prep food or the crockpot. Sigh. The amount of structure needed in my life is scary.
Anyway, I should end this on a positive note. Here are some perks in life right now:
I was in quite a sour, pissy mood yesterday after attempting to have my first productive workday of the new year. I was quickly reminded about my workload when I got to the office and didn't accomplish a sliver of what I needed to yesterday. My main goal was to clean my office. I didn't even get started due to my email, distractions, etc. My teaching evaluations were released yesterday and I wasn't pleased with the remarks from my HS 275 class. What really pisses me off is the whining about my notes policy. I spend HOURS and DAYS working on my PowerPoint presentations. I refuse to just post those to Blackboard and give them to students. I refuse to alter my PowerPoint presentations so students can fill in the blank or complete them. It takes a lot of time to alter them and I don't have that extra time. Most of my classes in college required ME to buy a notepad, invest in a pen, and jot down my own notes. They were rarely given to me electronically. Furthermore, a lot of the content I review and teach isn't difficult. If they'd read the book ahead of time, they'd realize what they truly need to take notes over rather than trying to shorthand everything I say during the 50 minutes. *end of rant*
I also review all of the graduate teaching assistant evaluations as it's my job to ensure they are doing a good job. I also got a little fired up about some of the remarks from students as it's evident that some of our TAs are lazy and don't seem to undrerstand that students are customers. They paid to take a volleyball class, weight lifting class, etc. When the teachers don't have energy, initiative, or proper communication skills it really shows the department doesn't care about the educational experience. I bust my butt to help improve the quality of the classes and teaching but I have a few TAs that don't give a crap. (Kudos on the resolution Nicole but it's been almost impossible to not curse in the last 24 hours.)
On the positive side of things, I had a great day of healthy choices yesterday. Despite my stress level being through the roof, I didn't eat to feel better. I thought out my food choices and played some Wii to attempt to be more active in the evening. I really want to be at a 20-25 lb weight loss by the end of January.
I almost need to set a resolution or major goal about procrastinating. My tendency procrastinate affects all parts of my life. If I procrastinate with grading, I end up working at home, going to bed late, ignoring Jon and/or Gavin, etc. If I procrastinate with other work tasks, I throws off my preparation for teaching and I feel mentally disorganized all day. I often just get distracted at home and our plans change easily. Many trips to the gym were canceled due to that problem. We'd even eat better if I better used my evenings or early mornings to prep food or the crockpot. Sigh. The amount of structure needed in my life is scary.
Anyway, I should end this on a positive note. Here are some perks in life right now:
- Still taking a daily multi-vitamin on a regular basis. Taking one about 6 days a week.
- Still flossing regularly and my mouth is truly healthier. I hope the dentist concurs.
- Still eating breakfast better than I had for years. It doesn't happen every day but most work days.
- I visited my counselor yesterday and we had a good chitchat. It's amazing how I'll go with a topic in mind but she'll help me realize something else that's more important to focus on. The stress that Jon has been experiencing with his job has been affecting me a lot and she's trying to help me alter that.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
2013
Greetings!
I'm hoping the completion of this blog entry will tucker me out so I can hit the hay before 2am. I slept earlier today due to not feeling well and I'm way too perky but I've been productive at least. I paid some more bills, watched reruns of "Sex in the City", prepared some January birthdy cards, worked on some laundry, and organized Gavin's thank-yous that he'll hopefully work on tomorrow. I'm hoping I can wake up at a decent time in the morning so the day is productive. We have to run up to Ames as I need to make an appearance at work, visit Sam's Club, and take Gavin to an orthodontist appointment. We have an ISU basketball game to attend too.
New Year's Eve was lowkey which is preferable. We went to our favorite chinese/thai place in Des Moines for a calorie-filled supper. We could have just gotten one entree and split it as it was too much food. We got home soon after that as people were driving poorly and apparently drunk driving is popular on December 31 and January 1. We watched a marathon of Roseanne way past midnight.
I had a good time putting the Christmas decorations away. Left out some snowman decorations though as it's going to be winter awhile longer. Sounds like our tree is going outside tomorrow to wait for its pick-up on January 14. I'm impressed so far, it was easy to keep alive. And hardly any needles have fallen off...I'm sure that will change when we haul it out of here. I also redid my address book which was oddly enjoyable too. It's amazing how many addresses I had in my original book and I've not communicated with some people for 9-10 years. I had more than 5 different addresses for some people too so it was nice to organize that part of my life. Nerdy yes.
I'm not sure how I feel about the health changes I need to continue to strive for in the new year. The dietary always seem a little easier than the physical activity side of things. In theory I still have a membership to a gym here in Ankeny and I need to start using that with Jon. (However, they've never deducted money from my bank account so I'm not sure if my "key" will work for entry) I'm going to spend some time and research more recipes as I'd like to freeze more meals and use the crock pot more often. It would be nice if I started these healthier habits now while life is a little slower because I'll let work become an excuse come January 14. I would really like 2013 to be filled with a lot of sustainable weight loss. Not even sure what I weigh right now but I'm sure I've gained some back over the last weeks. I'm not too thrilled about Weight Watchers in the next months as people's resoultions will involve membership which results in very full meetings and long lines. The crowds die down toward the end of Feburary though.
Guess that's it for now. Happy 2013!!
I'm hoping the completion of this blog entry will tucker me out so I can hit the hay before 2am. I slept earlier today due to not feeling well and I'm way too perky but I've been productive at least. I paid some more bills, watched reruns of "Sex in the City", prepared some January birthdy cards, worked on some laundry, and organized Gavin's thank-yous that he'll hopefully work on tomorrow. I'm hoping I can wake up at a decent time in the morning so the day is productive. We have to run up to Ames as I need to make an appearance at work, visit Sam's Club, and take Gavin to an orthodontist appointment. We have an ISU basketball game to attend too.
New Year's Eve was lowkey which is preferable. We went to our favorite chinese/thai place in Des Moines for a calorie-filled supper. We could have just gotten one entree and split it as it was too much food. We got home soon after that as people were driving poorly and apparently drunk driving is popular on December 31 and January 1. We watched a marathon of Roseanne way past midnight.
I had a good time putting the Christmas decorations away. Left out some snowman decorations though as it's going to be winter awhile longer. Sounds like our tree is going outside tomorrow to wait for its pick-up on January 14. I'm impressed so far, it was easy to keep alive. And hardly any needles have fallen off...I'm sure that will change when we haul it out of here. I also redid my address book which was oddly enjoyable too. It's amazing how many addresses I had in my original book and I've not communicated with some people for 9-10 years. I had more than 5 different addresses for some people too so it was nice to organize that part of my life. Nerdy yes.
I'm not sure how I feel about the health changes I need to continue to strive for in the new year. The dietary always seem a little easier than the physical activity side of things. In theory I still have a membership to a gym here in Ankeny and I need to start using that with Jon. (However, they've never deducted money from my bank account so I'm not sure if my "key" will work for entry) I'm going to spend some time and research more recipes as I'd like to freeze more meals and use the crock pot more often. It would be nice if I started these healthier habits now while life is a little slower because I'll let work become an excuse come January 14. I would really like 2013 to be filled with a lot of sustainable weight loss. Not even sure what I weigh right now but I'm sure I've gained some back over the last weeks. I'm not too thrilled about Weight Watchers in the next months as people's resoultions will involve membership which results in very full meetings and long lines. The crowds die down toward the end of Feburary though.
Guess that's it for now. Happy 2013!!
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas!
It's still December 25th so it's fair to still proclaim "Merry Christmas" at 10pm. It was a very low key day. I'm not used to Christmas being so easy going so it was a change. We all slept in until about 10am and spent a little time opening gifts. Gavin had the majority of the packages under the tree so it was fun to watch him open up his goods. He's finally at an age where he appreciates clothes for Christmas. I went to Old Navy yesterday and got some amazing deals. He now has athletic pants, jeans, and lounge pants that fit. And I only spent $40 for about $125 worth of merchandise.
I'm trying to pull all the random facts and information that's been floating around in my brain lately. I should have blogged a few times since the end of November but I let my grading duties take priority (obviously). After the semester ended at both ISU and DMACC, I wanted nothing to do with my computer so I've not logged onto this for awhile. I was thrilled to get through all my grading duties earlier this month. The last two weeks were 60-70 hour work weeks for me. Sadly I'll have the same thing happen in April/May when finals approach again.
I was not as organized as usual either with my Christmas shopping. I didn't really start until after Final's Week so there was some scrambling. I didn't even wrap some of Jon's gifts as we went shopping this past weekend and he just picked out some clothes and goods at Kohl's. We kept things simple this year too and I didn't get Gavin a ton of stuff either. (Thankfully he realizes that Christmas isn't about quantity.) A recent order to Amazon didn't come on time either so a couple items were missing from the tree. I blame the snow storm more than my procrastination.
The weightloss has been a little craptastic. We've been eating out more and more impulsive with our choices. Example: ordered pizza last night due to laziness and cravings. Really need to get my butt in gear for 2013. I got a Christmas card from a high school friend and she has dropped a lot of weight. It's actually bizarre to see her so thin as she's been heavy set since I've known her. I don't know how she did it but it was motivating to see her photo on the Christmas card. The Activelink gadget has also been reminding me of my sloth-like tendencies. I'm rarely making my daily goals for movement. I've been sleeping a lot lately...too much actually. It's amazing how a person can sleep in super late, be kind of productive, and feel exhausted by 3pm.
I haven't read anything for pleasure. Should be, but haven't dove into any books.
If you're in the mood for a semi-realistic historic movie, check out "Elizabeth". It was a random movie on my Netflix list and we watched it prior to Christmas. It was really good and the history in the movie was interesting. I have the sequel on it's way about the same character. Who know a queen of England could be so interesting? I haven't been wowed by any other movies though.
Anywho, I should sum things up so I can get to bed somewhat earlier. We depart in the late morning for Waukon for a few days. It will be nice to see the family and have some good times before it's back to the daily grind for ISU. (not sure if I'm teaching for DMACC yet....would be nice to find out if my classes have enough enrollment)
Merry Christmas!!
I'm trying to pull all the random facts and information that's been floating around in my brain lately. I should have blogged a few times since the end of November but I let my grading duties take priority (obviously). After the semester ended at both ISU and DMACC, I wanted nothing to do with my computer so I've not logged onto this for awhile. I was thrilled to get through all my grading duties earlier this month. The last two weeks were 60-70 hour work weeks for me. Sadly I'll have the same thing happen in April/May when finals approach again.
I was not as organized as usual either with my Christmas shopping. I didn't really start until after Final's Week so there was some scrambling. I didn't even wrap some of Jon's gifts as we went shopping this past weekend and he just picked out some clothes and goods at Kohl's. We kept things simple this year too and I didn't get Gavin a ton of stuff either. (Thankfully he realizes that Christmas isn't about quantity.) A recent order to Amazon didn't come on time either so a couple items were missing from the tree. I blame the snow storm more than my procrastination.
The weightloss has been a little craptastic. We've been eating out more and more impulsive with our choices. Example: ordered pizza last night due to laziness and cravings. Really need to get my butt in gear for 2013. I got a Christmas card from a high school friend and she has dropped a lot of weight. It's actually bizarre to see her so thin as she's been heavy set since I've known her. I don't know how she did it but it was motivating to see her photo on the Christmas card. The Activelink gadget has also been reminding me of my sloth-like tendencies. I'm rarely making my daily goals for movement. I've been sleeping a lot lately...too much actually. It's amazing how a person can sleep in super late, be kind of productive, and feel exhausted by 3pm.
I haven't read anything for pleasure. Should be, but haven't dove into any books.
If you're in the mood for a semi-realistic historic movie, check out "Elizabeth". It was a random movie on my Netflix list and we watched it prior to Christmas. It was really good and the history in the movie was interesting. I have the sequel on it's way about the same character. Who know a queen of England could be so interesting? I haven't been wowed by any other movies though.
Anywho, I should sum things up so I can get to bed somewhat earlier. We depart in the late morning for Waukon for a few days. It will be nice to see the family and have some good times before it's back to the daily grind for ISU. (not sure if I'm teaching for DMACC yet....would be nice to find out if my classes have enough enrollment)
Merry Christmas!!
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