Sunday - Goals Day! (Week #8) - ON MONDAY

Ok, so I forgot about this yesterday. But like I said, I was enjoying my time with John. I don't get a whole lot of time with him these days where he's relaxed enough to enjoy himself. So, we enjoyed it! Watching movies (Takers - which was good, Megamind - which was cute, and Unstoppable - which was AWESOME) and playing cards. It was good.

So, how did I do from last week? Well, I didn't lose too much - 2 pounds though! I'll take it. That puts me at 193 pounds. Not too shabby. At least it's a loss this week!

And, well, my goals were ok. I wanted to eat better, work out more, and write down what I eat. I did fairly well with this stuff. I can't say I did amazingly well, but I did ok. Obviously if I hadn't had those couple of really slack days I would have lost more, but it's ok. I need to not complain about 2 pounds. That's a healthy amount of weight to lose.

So, what are my goals for this week?

#1 - Keep writing all of my foods down

#2 - Maintain healthy eating

#3 - Workout, workout, workout

#4 - Drink lots of water

Should be easy goals, since the first 3 were fairly attainable last week.

Welcome to the first week of March everyone! It's currently -31 plus the windchill - can you tell how NOT excited I am to leave the house? I might not. I was going to go and apply for some jobs today, but I just don't want to leave the house. I might just stay home, workout with the Biggest Loser and walk on my treadmill. It'll be a test of will - being stuck in my house with food all day long is not preferable, but I have mostly healthy foods here anyway so it's not too bad. I made John take all the cookies I made this weekend to work so I won't eat them. I can't stop at one or two! Just can't!

Have a good Monday!

Sunday - Goals Day! (Week #8) - ON HIATUS

I forgot all about blogging today, again! John and I just played cards...fun! Yes, that's what we do when it's too cold to go outside! I won gin, he won crazy 8s, and then he killed me at Chinese Crib. Lame-o. Normally I kill at cards, but not tonight. Oh well.

Off to bed to watch a movie. I think I just shocked John because I've never watched Dumb and Dumber, and I really don't plan on it. Lame-o once again.

Night all!

Hmm...

I really have nothing to talk about...this is weird.

I'm going to bed. Maybe something interesting will come to me tomorrow.

Friday Night

So, tonight we're going out to a comedy show. It feels so nice to be going out! I haven't done my hair or put on makeup for a while. Feels nice!

I think I'm going to start the job search Monday. I've got a lead on a job, so I'm going to go and drop off my resume. I'm getting really bored. And not to mention, I hate that I don't have money coming in too. I mean, I think we're fine in that regard, but what if we go more into debt because I'm not working? I don't like that. So, I need to get something. I was thinking I need to volunteer, but now I'm thinking I need to get a job. Something to bring some money in. I'm just not comfortable not making money. It's just bad news.

So, that's it for me today. Excited to go out!

Sick in Bed

Yup, I'm in bed. Been in bed most of the day. Damn stomach. Going to miss Oil Wives tonight. I just don't think I want to be out of bed for too long. Thank goodness that we have cable in our room now. I'd be so bored otherwise. Hopefully I feel better tomorrow!

Almost Forgot!

You know, I've been so busy today (well, my kind of busy) that I almost forgot to blog!

Today has been "wash the blankets" day. I've washed 2 handmade quilts, 2 comforters, and 3 fleece blankets, plus 2 loads of sheets and towels. Only one more comforter to go, and then my couch covers. I think that'll have to be left for tomorrow though. Busy washer/dryer today!

I've also recently gotten hooked on Jersey Shore. Don't ask me why, but I'm loving it. They are so dumb! Did you know that The Situation and Pauly D thought that Canada was actually "Canadia"? So stupid! But so addicting! Damn MTV.

Now I've just finished watching America's Next Top Model and now I'm watching the new show Shedding for the Wedding. Jam packed TV day today!

Today was my "rest" day for working out, so I did a quick 15 minute workout, then went for a walk at the track for about an hour. Not too shabby.

Have a good night!

Greek Yogurt & Other New Things

Have you had Greek yogurt? I've heard so much about it, and I know that I had had it before, when I lived in Kamloops, and I do not remember it too fondly. BUT! I talked with my sister today, and she told me to try it, so I thought, ok, why not? Especially when she described it as "delightful" - I knew I had to try it! So, I found a multipack, and bought it. Little did I know that it wasn't the "good" Greek yogurt with lots of protein, but, I figure it's good enough to get the taste (and I'll feed it to John until it's gone and I can buy the good stuff) and I LOVED IT!! There is a coffee flavoured one, and let me tell you, it is delightful. So delightful. John didn't like it, but that's ok - I think it's delightful!

And, my sister also told me about her love of quinoa. I didn't find any at my regular grocery store, so I have to go to the health foods store. Has anyone else tried it? I better find some to try. Ashley told me to get the white or red, not black because of the texture.

Now to watch the hockey game - Canucks and Habs. I have a hard time with this one. It's my favourite team from the East and my favourite team from the West. Either one winning is good for me!

Another Frustration

So, today started out really well. Food's been awesome today. I think I should come in under 1400 calories for the day! As long as I can keep to the plan, that is. But, as for working out, it hasn't been good at all.

I was supposed to meet my mom for a walk today like normal. I was early into town, so I stopped in to see her before I hit the track to kill some time. All she could talk about was herself! I got so pissed. She was like "I'm going to walk 25 laps, I don't care what you do, but I'm walking 25 laps. When I was walking 25 laps I was doing the best, and I need to lose those 3 pounds that I gained" and just went on and on about herself. It was frustrating. I mean, look at me! I've gained back like 12 pounds since before Christmas, and obviously, I need help. It's not like she doesn't know I'm having problems! When I get the chance to talk when we're together, I talk to her about how I'm gaining and I can't find a way to motivate myself again, and she just ignores it. She gains a few measly pounds, and that's all she can think about. I'm 195 pounds again and all she can talk about is her 3 pounds to get her back down to 173!

And now I'm bawling because I'm so frustrated.

And poor John tried to help, and all I do is snap at him because I'm so mad. I've been getting annoyed with my mom for a while because she's not supporting me at all, and I don't want to seem selfish, but when all she can think about is her own goals, I don't know what to think. I need help! Seriously. Like, I only walked for about 40 minutes, and I doubt that I'll work out again tonight unless John and I do something. It's just so bad. I thought when I quit my job I'd be able to get back on track, but I obviously need some help.

And now I feel like I'm whining. I'm going to go cry some more now. God, I hope this stop soon. I can't handle much more of this.

Sunday - Goals Day! (Week #7)

Well, my first week of not working is over. Time to get back into losing weight!

I weighed in this morning - ready for the scary news? I weighed in at 195 pounds. I'm very disappointed with myself. I thought that I left the 190s behind last year, but nope, they're still present.

Now I have to start thinking realistic goals. What can I do to get this weight off? What was I doing back when it was working? First things first, I know I was writing down everything I was eating. Even if it wasn't something that I should have been eating, I was writing it down. And I was exercising more. So here are the goals (and I am damn well sticking with them this week!):

GOAL #1 - Write down the foods that I eat. That's really the first step in getting this weight off!

GOAL #2 - Work out more! I did ok this week, but I could do better, I know it!

GOAL #3 - No cheats this week! No junk food! No chocolate! Just the good stuff! And if I make it all week, maybe I'll go out and have an ice cream or something to celebrate. One ice cream isn't as bad as several chocolate bars or bags of chips!

I think, with a lot of hard work, I should be able to get to 190 this week. I'll take any loss, but I think I could do it! We'll see how this week pans out!

On a side note, my little niece, Teagan, turns 2 today! I can barely believe it! She was so little at my wedding less than 2 years ago! Just seems crazy. I'm sure I'll go through the same thing around her big sister, Tyhlar's birthday - she's going to be 6 this year! Nuts!

Saturday AM

Up early this Saturday morning. I've been having the strangest dreams lately. I can't even describe them. They're believable without actually being believable. They always include people I know, but the events are so random that they don't make sense. Anyway, this one woke me up early.

I think I'll get ready and go do some grocery shopping. While I do have all week to do it now, I still like getting up Saturday mornings and getting it done. I started making Christmas presents yesterday (yup, I did say Christmas presents) and I need to pick up a few things. I start them really early because I make most of my presents. I started this shawl, and I don't think it's going to be adult size. It's looking more like it's going to be for a child, which is ok because I have a couple of nieces, it's just disappointing that it's not going to be adult size, which is what I wanted. I'll have to see how it goes. I still have 8 rows to go, so we'll see.

Have any of you been watching Kitchen Boss on TLC? It's the Cake Boss guy, Buddy, but doing Italian meals instead of cakes. I'm obsessed. It's on during the day, but you can get all the recipes on TLC's website. I'm cooking tortellini soup tonight - I'll let you know how it goes!

50th blog post! Time to celebrate! 50 straight days! Pretty impressive for me!

Have a good Saturday everyone! I'm going to brave the -27 to go get groceries now!

First Week Off

Well, the first week is over! Can't believe it. I did get my last paycheck, so it is real! I had a moment about that, but it's all good.

Now, incredibly, I get to pay off our credit card debt. Strange thing to be happening since I'm not working, but it's pretty awesome.

More tomorrow folks! John and I are watching a show about building hydro dams in China!

Frustration

So, I'm having a frustration day. I'm frustrated with the lack of weight loss that I'm seeing, even if I know it's my own fault. I'm just gaining and gaining, and even though I'm working out, it's not working. I might just be frustrated with myself, but I'm having a really had time motivating myself to do anything about it.

Yesterday I worked out quite a bit - an hour at the track, plus an hour of the Biggest Loser Ultimate workout and Zumba Fitness with my Xbox. But nothing. Just gain. I was really hoping to find my motivation since I'm not working, but I haven't found it yet. Yes, I'm only on day 4 of being officially off, but I don't know how many days off I'm going to have, and I was hoping to take advantage. Just not happening yet.

Mom and I are trying to figure something out, but so far, nothing.

I want to be able to get outside again, and go hiking, and walk the trails, and stuff like that, but it's -26 outside right now, and it's not an option. I want to get out on my snowshoes, but I still can't do that because it's too cold. Yes, that is an excuse, but seriously, there's a windchill warning for being out for more than 5 minutes. That's just impossible. It's supposed to get warmer out this weekend, so I want to take advantage, but I can't keep waiting for the warm weather.

Yesterday I went to the track even though I wasn't planning on leaving the house, which is good, but it's even getting monotonous. For me, it's just like going to the gym. Gets boring after a while. I mean, everything does. But I need to find a way to push through it.

I keep thinking about why I'm doing this. I'm actually pretty comfortable with my body right now, which is unusual. But I think that might be the slump that I'm in. Really, I need to start thinking more about WHY I'm doing this. WHY am I trying to lose weight.

1. To eventually have a baby. I know that you don't have to be skinny to have a baby - lots of overweight people have babies. But I want to be at my healthy weight when I have a baby to give it the best chance I can to be healthy. And, if I'm healthy while pregnant, it should be easier on me.

2. To be healthy. Not just for the reason I just said, but for myself. My family is riddled with health problems (on both sides - diabetes being the biggest on BOTH sides of my family, not just one) and I need to get my weight down to keep some of those things at bay.

3. Self esteem! HUGE! I was so much more confident when my weight was in the 160s. Right now, that's over 30 pounds away. So far. But, I felt so much better about myself. I know weight really doesn't matter to the people who matter, but you know how it is.

So, I know that there may be more reasons to want to get healthy, but these are mine. Now I need to figure out how I'm going to achieve it. I've tried Slim Fast, and had success. But I'm at home now. All the time. Slim Fast is not an option. I know that I should be trying to follow another diet, but the restrictions really get to me. My sister has told me about the Eat Clean Diet, and maybe today I'll stop in to Coles and pick up the book to see what it's like. I just don't know. If anyone out there has any tips for me, please message me! I'm just having a hell of a time. Need some ideas!

And I think support is an issue. John's too busy to really think about supporting me, and I get that, but maybe I need to sit down and have a chat with him about what I need from him. My mom is trying now, but it's hard too. She works a varying schedule, and right now it works for me, but once I'm back to work I'm pretty much on my own again. And that's really hard for me. That just means I need to figure this out on my own, I guess! Sigh.

Ok, time to get my butt in gear. John's expecting lunch (I forgot to make it for him last night so now I have to bring it to him) and I still haven't had a shower! Time to get my ass moving!

Have a good day all! If you have any ideas or inspiration for me, I'd love to hear it!

(PS: I did go to the bookstore today to look for the Eat Clean Diet book, but being as lame as usual, the bookstore did not have it, so I went back to my standby - The Biggest Loser. I bought the 30 Day Jump Start, so I'm going to take a read, figure it out, and make Monday the day everything changes. I'm still going to work out and things at home here and at the track, but I will definitely be changing it up - stay tuned!)

Books of 2011 - #6

Hard Truth by Mariah Stewart


Pretty interesting book. Another one from my friend Trish. Seems to me that this one is part of a series, and I am interested in reading more. It start out really slow, but it was interesting. You could definitely tell who was the killer about 3/4 of the way through, but I was unsure right up until the end. Read it if you like a but of a thriller, but more of a calm thriller, if you can understand that!

Unemployed - Day #2

Good day so far today! Right now I'm watching the Hawaii 5-0 episode from last night and vegging out. Today's pretty much just a veg day. This morning was pretty much a write off, I slept in too late and didn't get anything done. And then I had lunch with the Oil Wives, which was good, but the food was lame. I tried eating healthy and I did not enjoy myself. So, now I want to just eat and eat and eat because I wasn't satisfied. I guess I know now to stick with what I want when I'm out for lunch. I don't do it very often so I guess I can just enjoy myself. Then I went for a walk with my mom. Not too shabby.

But not I should get some housework done, and then start on dinner. Making Shepherd's Pie for dinner, and I've never done that before. I've been thinking about all the cool things I can try to make now that I'm not working. John's going to get fat...LOL. Now hopefully I can start losing more. The guys at work are loving that I'm not working so that they can get baking. Lots of it. I love to bake, but I really shouldn't be eating all of it!

Now to crochet. I finally got the ball of wool I needed to finish a baby blanket and I think I should be able to finish today or first thing tomorrow. Check the photo below!

Not the best photo, but you get the point.

And hello to my first follower (official, I know there are a few of you that read regularly!) - another wonderful woman named Kara! Another blog for me to follow!

Valentine's Day

What a good night tonight has been! And the awesomest first day of not working!

I made a super dinner. Like super supper. Pork roast marinated in an awesome Jamaican jerk spice, potatoes, mushrooms and asparagus. So freaking yummy. Now John and I are watching a movie and drinking some wine. Good night!

I had an incredible first day off. Cleaning the house, baking, and relaxing.

Time for movie! Good night all!

Sunday - Goals Day! (Week #6)

So, goals. This is a different kind of week. Usually, I have to make my goals around work. No work this week! So, I should be able to do a lot! So:

Goal #1 - LOSE WEIGHT. I will weigh in tomorrow morning, and chronicle this week

Goal #2 - Exercise at least twice a day

Goal #3 - Drink lots of water, and eat lots of fruit & veggies

Have a good week everyone!

Spending Spree

So, today mom and I went to GP and went on a bit if a spending spree. Fun! My mom is amazing. Like, ok. So, my mom used to be bigger than me. Like, if you looked at us you would wonder where Mother Nature went wrong. Anyways. My mom bought size 9 jeans today. SIZE9! Seriously! I barely got size 9s on. And she was like "Whabam!" and looked so good! I am so proud of her! She told me today that the smallest pants she ever wore were size 12 before I was born. So proud! She looks fantastic! She's withering away to nothing before our eyes! So awesome! Now for me to follow suit!

Not really going to happen right now. I've drank most of a bottle of wine, and the rest is going down quickly. BUT! I did just quit my job. I deserve a celebration, even if it's sitting at home with my hubby, watching the Canucks play the Flames and drinking a bottle of wine. It's always fun watching the Canucks play the Flames because John's step-dad, Lloyd, is a Flamer. And we like to make fun of each other...a lot. It's good. Apparently I'm a hick and Lloyd's a Flamer. It's all good. I'm too drunk to care. As of 9:41PM the Canucks are winning, and that's good!

Have a good night all!

Freedom!

So excited! I'm done! It's over! It's sad too though, because the last few weeks were so amazing. But I know it's much better for me to be gone. Now I can focus on myself for a bit, and figure myself out.

Right now I'm just laying on the couch, watching "Say Yes to the Dress" and cuddling with Zahara. Grande Prairie tomorrow with mom as a bit of a celebration.

My glasses are bugging me. Damn nosepieces. I'm regretting them a bit. Not cool.

I'm pretty sleepy. Hope I don't fall asleep before John gets home from hockey!

1 day left!

Work is almost over. So close to over I can taste it. Except that freedom doesn't really have a taste!

I'm nervous though. Very nervous. Like, what if I really like not working. What if I really don't want to go back? And, most importantly, what if I don't get another job? It's not like crocheting can bring in much money!

John and I are enjoying a nice lazy night, again. Watching "XXX" and cuddling. Not a bad way to spend an evening!

New Glasses

I got my new glasses today! Such a difference! I hope they're comfy. I know that right now I'm just getting used to them, so hopefully it's just that making them uncomfortable.

Today was pretty good. I didn't workout today, but oh well. Work was decent, but it's sure going by slowly. Now to enjoy my evening with my hubby!

TBL

You know, this was the first episode of the new season of TBL that I actually enjoyed. Drama, drama, drama. I kind of wish the black team had lost the weigh in so that Arthur would have gotten kicked off, but oh well. I'm glad those girls kicked ass. I mean, Olivia lost 16 pounds in 1 week! I want to lose 16 pounds in one week! Damn, I'd take 5! Such a good show! Now my faith in TBL has been renewed. I was so not liking this whole 4 trainers, 2 teams completely pitted against each other, but I think now that there are 2 players on each team that were originally on other teams, that might make it a bit less competitive, teamwise. Who knows? But I am back in love with it! I don't know what I'm going to do when Jillian's not on it anymore...Sigh.

Time to make John's lunch and watch a bit more tube! Night y'all!

~*~*~*4 DAYS*~*~*~

OMG. I'm so excited! Only 4 more days! The bullshit is almost over! I had such a crappy day today. I'm back in my office, which is fine, but because I'm back in the office, I get the chance to notice a whole lot more. Like how 3 people stood around for over an hour, and then started rushing to get stuff done before the boss noticed. Instead of just, oh, I don't know, WORKING? It's bad. I left in such a bad mood. Why? Why am I still letting it get to me? I don't know. But, I came home, did a workout, and that calmed me down. That and a bunch of chocolate. I'm enjoying it this week because I know that it isn't going to be happening once I'm off work. No more junk! I'm tired of being in the 190s again. I thought I left that behind. Obviously I've hit a MAJOR snag, and need to get past it. So, tomorrow, a run after work. And then onto better things...

Night all!

Sunday - Goals Day! (Week #5)

So, I'm not really sure how this week's goal went - the goal of just losing weight. I totally forgot to weigh in. I know, silly me. But it was the first Sunday in a long time that John didn't have to go to work, so I enjoyed it. It's nice to wake up beside someone and start your day, you know? So, no weigh in. So, tomorrow I will weigh. Though, it won't be good. I did nothing today but work on crochet projects, bake, watch football and eat! I called it though - knowing nothing about the last season of football, I said at the beginning that the Green Bay Packers were going to win, and they did! Not that I had anything to do with it - I really only watch the Super Bowl for the commercials and half-time show. I enjoyed BEP & Slash & Usher. Fun! Even if the sound was a bit off. Apparently Christina Agulera sang some of the wrong words to the US national anthem, but since I don't know the words, I can't be sure. I made my very first crochet doily today! I'll post a photo below. I actually really enjoyed my day today. Most weekends kind of suck, but John and I got to hang out all day. We sure didn't do much, but I still enjoyed it.

Hope you had a good weekend! I'm so looking forward to this week - Trish is back and it's my last week! Whoo hoo!

Check out my doily below!

Not your average old-lady doily!

The Talk

I just realized I never really wrote about the talk I had with my HR person at work. It went so well that I obviously forgot all about it. Basically, she let me know that once I told her that I wasn't leaving because of money, or staffing issues, or anything that could be changed, she let it go, and just wanted to double check that things were good. It was really nice. We bullshitted for damn near 45 minutes about nothing. It was pretty rad. Yes, I said rad. I was totally prepared to go in guns blazing, because it really pisses me off that companies like AGI like to throw offers at you after you've quit instead of making sure things are going well while you're there. It's a slap in the face. Like, once you've finally decided to move on, they offer you what you should have had all along. So dumb. But, she didn't offer me any of that stuff, so I'm really appreciative of that. I didn't have to defend why I'm leaving or anything. She understands the relief that I'm feeling now that I know that I'm leaving. And next week Trish will finally be back! She's been running job trailers in Chetwynd at a coal mine since August. She was supposed to only be gone for 3 months, but look at how long she's been gone! She has a young daughter at home too (the dad is not in the picture) which makes it hard. But she finally gets to come home! I'm so excited for her. And now they won't be so screwed when I leave! Good for both of us - her because her life can get back to normal, and me because I can get a life again!

I'm not sure why I'm awake so early this morning, but here we are. I still have a bit of the headache from yesterday, but I think it might just be that my back is out. I think I'm going to book an appointment for the chiropractor this week, and then book a massage for the week that I'm off. Then start working on my core muscles! Obviously I'm having an issue with them if my back is out so much. And I could use some motivation to get me losing weight. I've been eating so bad, and barely exercising. Today, I have to go in for one guy and grab some stuff out of freight, and then I might go to the track for a few laps, and then I'm supposed to meet my mom after she gets off work to go again. I think I should try for twice a day on the weekends. Maybe it'll get my metabolism going. And I think it'll be easier for me to run without my mom. She doesn't have much interest in running, and I love to run. It feels so freeing. I want to see if I can do more than one lap. A lap on the inner track is a 1/4 mile. I was running a mile in the summer, so technically I should be able to run 4 laps at a time. I'll try it today. I know when we went skating I couldn't do more than 2 and a bit laps without my legs shaking, but I think that's because I'm not used to skates. I'll let you know how it goes!

Well, since I'm up really early, and don't want to go into work yet, I'll maybe go do some dishes or something. Start the cleaning of the weekend. I need to stop letting my housework slip to much during the week - it feels like all I do on the weekends is clean!

Pizza Night

Yay! Friday night = Pizza Night! Not the best for when you're trying to lose weight, but whatever. I LOVE pizza. I'll try to make up for it tomorrow.

So, I'm on call, which sucks, but it's the last on call I will ever do with AGI! So exciting! 5 more business days left! Now if only my head would stop hurting, it would be all good.

TO

So, John and I are gearing up to start planning our trip to TO for his cousin's wedding in September. Yes, this is quite a long ways  away and a long way to travel for a wedding, but why not? It's not like we're going to have lots of reason to go there, other than big occasions. So, we started planning. Even though I'm not going to be working for a bit, we should still be able to afford it. And, we're going to road trip! Here's the plan:

Wedding is in Guelph. Then, the day after the wedding, we'll head off to London, where I have some friends. Then to Detroit - Motor City! Then, Toledo, Ohio (where Klinger from M*A*S*H is from) and Cleveland. Then Ashtabula, Ohio, which we know only because of a David Francy song. Then, Niagara Falls! And then TO. Fun!

I'm looking forward to it. And basically, I have our bills figured out so that we'll be able to just bank my paychecks (once I have them again!) so we can afford this. Something really good to look forward to.

And, also, my friend Ashley is getting married in August this year. She and her husband-to-be have asked me to take their wedding photos! How exciting! Now I have to really start practicing with my camera!

Night all! Gotta make John's lunch and then I think I might have a bath!

Books of 2011 - #5

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda


What a great book! It's very moving, and super easy to read. It chronicles a few people's lives that are intertwined - a mother, daughter, and her adopted mother. It takes place mostly in India, Bombay to be specific. I love that this book lets us in a bit on what the culture is like, and really, it tells of what life is like for most Indians, in a mild way. I'm sure it's much worse than what is in this book. My mom bought me this for Christmas, and I'm glad she did! So good!

Blah

Another blah night. Had an Oil Wives Executive Meeting, and boy, I have a lot of work to do this month! Oh well. Lots of typing, which is something I can do!

Came home to John with a giant gash on his hand. Apparently he broke a cup, and there was still a huge chunk of skin on the glass. Yum. Had to play nursemaid. 

Now, off to bed. A few minutes left in the Canucks game to watch. They're doing good. 4-1 with 3 minutes left. They're doing damn well this season. Hopefully they can keep it up throughout the playoffs and not lose like every other year! The cup needs to be in Vancouver this year!