Today, the scale was kind (Dang it! How often can we say that?!) I'm currently sporting 171 pounds, so that means I'm almost to my 10% goal. Woohoo! The first goal prize is something from my half.com wishlist. You know, that list tortures me. I love movies and I get updated when a movie hits my price range. Do you know I have three of those damn updates in the past 4 days? What's that about? Nine times out of ten, those items will be long gone by the time I get this pesky pound and a half off of me. The one that really frosts my cookies (an old co-worker of mine used to say that. Isn't it great?) is that the Superman collection was up for twenty dollars. Twenty dollars!! I've been waiting and waiting for that one to drop and it never does. I'm sure it's gone by now. Oh well, I guess I'll have to pick from the other 30 or 40 from the list (I know, isn't that terrible? What an addiction.)

For one of my bigger goal prizes, I'm going to buy the Alexis Vogel set (I'll have to kind of save up for that one. Even on eBay, brand new, it isn't cheap). I'm not sure if it will make yours truly look like a super model or whatever, but it's bound to help. I don't wear makeup, typically, just a little lipstick or gloss when the lips get a bit crispy. I really do it up on special occasions like parties. It will be the second part of what, I hope to be, a major transformation. The third part will be the extreme hair color (if I can actually go through with it).

Well, it's back to my regular workout, today. Last night, I was so exhausted! I had lunch out yesterday and didn't do my elliptical training at lunch. My hubby (the personal trainer) said that, even during this short time I've been doing that extra workout, my body has begun to adapt. Can this be true? He also said that was why I was so tired, last night because the mid-day workout gives me energy (it doesn't take it away...but dang, it sure feels like it does). Anyway, I'm back on track today. The gym bag is sitting right next to me on my desk waiting for me to whisk it away at 11:30.

One step closer everyday!

Woohoo! I can almost breathe, even! They're a pair of capri, black jeans my hubby bought for me sometime last year. I could wear them with no problem in early 2003. Then, when the weight started to creep up, I had to retire them to the back portion of my closet. A couple of weeks ago, I tried them on and had trouble getting them over my hips. So, to have them buttoned while only leaving a slight imprint on my belly is a triumph indeed! Last night, we had baked chicken tenders with barbecue sauce, fresh steamed broccoli and Betty Crocker garlic mashed 'tatoes (without the butter, of course). I don't think I would have gotten into these pants if we had eaten anything other than that delightful, light meal.

I did some browsing on the Fit site and found many wonderful and inspirational journals out there. I'll have to take some time and write to these folks one weekend. They are truly miraculous!

Today, I'm having lunch with one of my co-workers. The best way to do an "out of office lunch" has been to plan ahead. So, what I'll do is determine what I'll order before I get there. If it's in my mind before hand, it's harder to stray. The place we're going is more of a deli, so I can't get into too much trouble anyway. They do have the bestest rice krispie treats and I've given myself the "thumbs up" for one of those.

Tomorrow is weigh day and I'm wondering if Saturday's number will be what I see. I truly hope so, but I kind of doubt it. (Water weight's a bitch, isn't it? ) I've told myself that I won't wear any over-the-knee skirts until I'm in the 160's again. I hope that happens sooner rather than later because this weather is screaming for cute skirts.

As I stated yesterday, we went tile pricing. We also purchased lighting fixtures for the bathroom, storage room and water heater room. For dinner, we went to the Golden Corral. I tried being good, but lost my mind during dessert. I don't think it was really necessary to get two more oatmeal raisin cookies on top of the two I had already eaten. Then, there was the piece of fudge that was calling my name (you get the picture). I went over a big chunk on my calorie allotment Saturday, but did better on Sunday (even though we did go to McDonald's and I ate a large order of fries).

The best part about Sunday was the weather...absolutely beautiful, here. We took my daughter to see Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. Pretty cute, but it just reinforces the skinny issue. Sarah Michelle Gellar and I are the same height and that girl is tiny. She's also able to wear just about anything, which I'm really looking forward to. After the movie, we strolled around the mall and I took a look at some of the spring dresses they have out, now. Super cute and a lot of them I can actually get into, but I'd love to buy a smaller size. I'm hoping that day is near.

That's how I started my morning: scooping up a 100+ pound dog's, droppings. What fun! You can't imagine that one dog can do that much in a week. What made it extra nice is that our state was hit with a cold front, yesterday. Our 75 degree weather dropped into the 30's and 40's, so I was out scooping in the snow (not a lot, but snow nonetheless).

I took a chance and got on the scale today, just to see if yesterday's craziness made a difference. I'm down two pounds (but it won't make a difference until I weigh on Wednesday). I hope that I'm able to at least wear something pretty for Easter. I'm tired of wearing my big girl clothes. My husband's bought me a plethora of spring dresses and I'd like to be able to wear one without looking crazy (you know, not like I'm suffocating as I wear it).

Yesterday, our electrician friend/neighbor came in and worked on some of the electrical in our basement. All of my recessed lighting is in and it looks fabulous! Tomorrow, he'll put in the two ceiling fans. I can't wait until we can actually use the area as a living room. The living room area, now, is supposed to be our sitting room. It's jam packed with furniture, our '52 t.v and bookcases full of DVDs. Honestly, the room looks like it's about to explode from all the stuff. Today will be pricing tile for the entryway and bathroom lighting.

Talk about not having all of your cylinders firing. Normally, I'm in bed by 8, 8:30 at the latest (yeah, I know) because I get up at 4:00 (yes, that's am); however, last night, I decided to be little Miss Stubborn and prove to my hubby that I could meet all the expectations of getting our house clean for company tomorrow (I know, it must have been the sausage I had for dinner...the nitrates were affecting my brain). So, I started the laundry.
Now, this may not seem like a big deal, but our dryer is a used Queen Speed that doesn't work worth a crap. It takes at least two cycles for anything to get dry (can you say, c..on...ser...va..tion?). Therefore, starting at 7:00 would mean the laundry wouldn't get done until around 4 or 5 in the morning (see, I told you it was the nitrates). Anyway, at around 9 or so, I started getting really sleepy so, what did I do? I changed and hopped on the treadmill (it just gets better and better, doesn't it?) Thirty minutes later, the endorphins were popping and I was raring to go, but hubby was so irritated with me that he just left (that was at around 11:30). Half an hour later, he's back and ready to talk. I wasn't and coped an attitude for another 30 minutes. Finally, I realized what an ass I'd been and began to rationalize (about time, right?).
So, around 1:45 am this morning, we turned in (after make-up sex, of course. So I guess it was really around 2:30). The alarm played it's melodious church bells at 5:30 and for the first time I silently cursed every cathedral ever made. So, I have 30 minutes to get myself and my three year-old ready. Pretty good, huh?
Well, what have I learned from this experience? First, you gotta know when to bend. It isn't worth trying to win every argument, nor is it worth trying to prove something to your husband, when there's nothing really to prove. I actually got the reality check from him that my job is really starting to get to me more than I thought. It's time to go, but where to go when the economy sucks? Guess I gotta wait till Kerry gets elected.
As for today's dietary note, I purchased a big log of Canadian bacon at Sam's club last night. Four slices (one serving) is only 60 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. I've been trying to find protein sources to eat with my breakfast that don't completely kill the point of the process (most sausage and bacon is so fattening, just smelling it will put on the pounds). I've been doing the garden burgers and Morning Star sausage, but that's too expensive. I can't stand yogurt (it's the texture or something...it's always been hard for me to eat...that and Jello. Can't do jello either). This alternative should work out nicely, as long as I can tolerate the taste. Hey, McDonald's uses it, so it must be okay! Also, with last night's extra walk, that puts me at three workouts, yesterday (and no need for one today, in my opinion). Happy weekending!

Howdy, all! I've actually found the time and energy, now to begin and continue posting. Let's see, where to begin...why the beginning, of course! I was born in Atlanta and when I was two, we moved to L.A. At 8.5 years old, we moved to Nashville. I went to college in Clarksville and now, I'm currently living in the land of mormons...Utah. I've been here since '98 and let me tell you, it's like no other state I've ever lived in. Talk about culture shock! It's like the freaking stepford wives, here! Everyone is exactly the same. It's like someone took a cookie cutter and went bullistic! Anyway, I must like it a little bit because I'm still here.

I'm a southern girl at heart, but I don't plan on ever moving back. There are a lot of things, however, that I miss like how green everything is. You really take that for granted, or at least, I did. Moving to a desert will do it to you. I also miss the food. Ah, yes. The greasy, double deep-fried goodness that is the south, which is what brings me to my next thought.

I'm just under five feet, three inches in height and I weigh approximately 173 pounds. What's crazy is, I've been much heavier. After having my little girl, I was tipping the scale at 195 pounds. What a nightmare! I suppose I was in denial because everyone kept saying, just after I had her, "You're so skinny! Look, no more belly!" I guess I let that get to my head. Duh! Of course I looked skinnier. I wasn't carrying six pounds of belly in front of me anymore. I felt lighter, and therefore, I must have been, right? Wrong with a capital "W"! No one at my height should ever weigh that much. I hadn't even glanced at a scale, since before the baby was actually born.

During the 2002 Winter Olympics (held here, by the way), my sister and I were getting ready to go the Medal's Plaza to see Nelly Fertado. I was fully clothed and wearing enough layers to keep a whale warm. For giggles and kicks, I decided to step on the scale and to my horror...188 pounds. Ughh! I couldn't believe it! Even with all the layers and the fact that it was the end of the day, I was still mortified. From that moment I swore to make changes and I promptly did.

During the following months, I adopted better eating habits, began exercising and changed my total outlook on being healthy. By June, I was down to 176 and by September or October, I was down to 160. Unfortunately, the holidays came and that was it for me. It was the maintaining that proved to be so hard, especially during those months (Now, remember I'm a southern girl and we know how to put it away)! I couldn't believe how fast the weight came back on! So, here I am again with my new frame of mind.

In January, my office relocated and placed us square behind a fitness gym. As a perk, all employees were given free memberships (a sign). Then, my husband found a killer sale on a proform treadmill. He promptly purchased the treadmill (another sign). Oh, and in January I turned 29 and by God if I'm going to be an overweight 30 year old! So, it was off to the gym and on to the treadmill.

Now, I'll tell you, I have no problem with exercise. I can walk circles around retired mall walkers. It's the getting started that's tough. Why can't you just start where you left off? It sure would make things easier. I really hate doing the granny speeds, but that's exactly what you have to do when you haven't been at it for a while. So, 3.2 was my starting speed with no incline. I thought I was gonna die, that first day and I felt like a total wussy! Fortunately, I'm up to 3.7 and now I'm incorporating the gym during my lunch break (elliptical trainer - burns lots of calories in a shorter amount of time). I started at 180 or so and now I'm down to the weight I mentioned above.

Anal at heart, it's an absolute necessity that I journal everything I eat. That way, I'm held accountable. I also like to give myself goals with rewards to make the process a bit easier. The first reward is one of the movies from my Half.com wishlist. I absolutely love movies. My hubby and I (before we had our daughter) used to go every weekend. He's an officer, so we got the best discounts and sometimes we'd do two or three in a weekend. I sure miss those days. I can never get enough of them! (but I digress)

My plan is simple and can be found on lots of websites. Of course, most people know that you can't go under a calorie intake of 1200. That places you directly in the path of starvation and your body will hold on to every calorie for dear life (literally). So, I do about 1200 (a little over or under, some days). Also, I drink the recommended 8 glasses of water a day (which works out to be 1/2 gallon.) They also tell you to drink 8 ounces for every 25 pounds you want to loose. I'm not drowning in that much water yet, but I'll get there. Plus, I do know how hard it is to suck it down. It can really get old, quick. The newest trick I've found is to bring a 32 ounce bottle and put 1/2 a tub of crystal light (generic Wal-Mart brand for me) in the bottle with the water. There are not enough calories to matter and it's sweet. I get two down before the work day is over. (I'm also having a torrid affair with the office restroom).

Anyway, I do the low calorie intake, the buckets of water and I also keep it under 30 fat grams. Any dietician will tell you that the only way to loose weight is to burn more than you consume. Logically, that means taking in less and burning off more. It's not rocket science, but we sure have a hard time doing it, don't we?

Well, I've prattled on for long enough. I'll give details of the days, from here forward. Feel free to write. I'd love to hear your suggestions.