Since our trip to Washington, I can't seem to get my act together. Part of it is the cooking. I have to get back into the swing of cooking on a regular basis. The way to do that is to get more sleep (we seem to be getting to bed later and later, which means less sleep at night, which means a lot more tired in the mornings). Hubby has been bringing Isagen.ix home and I've decided to really take a look at the material and, perhaps, give it a go as a cleanser. Maybe my plumbing is gunky and needs some help. Maybe I can "Jump start My Heart" into action again.

Last night, we did the "quick fix" and picked up Wendy's for dinner. Although I didn't go incredibly over board, we ate much later than usual (around 8:30pm). We've been eating later and that definitely will thwart any kind of progress. The weight is creeping back on and I'm not happy about it. To try and help myself from last nights damage, I worked out on the elliptical for 74 minutes which totaled 1000 calories burned. I was thinking I might go at it again (if time permits) but, we'll have to see. The babe has dance class tonight so my time is sort of all over the place.

Meanwhile, I still have my goal insight. As I said, I'm going to research Isageni.x and then I'm going to work hard at getting my eating back under control, along with my sleep. I'm going to restrict my alcohol intake to the weekends too (nightly cocktails are not helpful to the process). It's all about eating clean again. Fish, chicken, oatmeal, egg whites...bring it on!

I'm always very aware of when my cravings start before TOM (approximately two weeks), but I still cave into them. Yesterday, anything I could get into my mouth was my mode for the day...let me qualify this - anything salty or sweet. Of course, I paid for the damage with the unfriendly number on the scale, but I'm doing much better today. I have to remember to use my *help* on those days to help stave off cravings. My workouts haven't stopped (thank goodness, because this is also the time when I say, "I need a rest day," or some such garbage). I've kept it up. I almost didn't this morning, until I remembered that I wouldn't get a work out in tomorrow.

I mentioned a few posts ago that I wanted to keep track of my dietary stuff on here again too, but that hasn't been consistent. I'm going to continue to try. I look back on posts and it's good to see what I was eating and doing and what worked the best. So far, I can say that eating buckets of salt and sugar does not work. Working out consistently and eating "clean" works very well. I haven't been cooking as much and I can definitely tell the difference in my weight loss. It has slowed down and I know it won't pick again until I'm grilling chicken, steaming brown rice and veggies, and drinking my water and tea regularly again.

I am excited about my trip this weekend. I know there will be lots of splurging, but I will temper the splurging with wisdom. It's supposed to be quite cold there and I know that automatically makes me want to scarf down the comfort foods.

Well, for an anniversary day present, the 159.2 on the scale was probably the best gift I've gotten in a long time. So, I'm officially in the 150's and approaching the college weight. I can't believe it! Hubby and I spent yesterday splurging, so I'm sure the 150's are a distant memory today, but I hope that I'll have them back in a couple of days (at least by the next weigh day). I will order my perfume though (it's a goal weight, after all).

My hope is to be a couple pounds down for my trip to Washington, next week. I don't know if I can do it but I'm sure going to put my best foot forward. I'm also planning on watching the figure video whenever I need some motivation (I finally got that sucker burned to disc...next, I'll add it to YouTube).

To read more about my anniversary adventures yesterday, check out the other blog.

Yesterday, my nifty 20% coupon arrived from Bed, Bath and Beyond and I was thrilled. I could buy my scale and begin my tracking again. Hubby was training away from the office, yesterday and ended up at one of his favorite bargain-basement stores. He purchased a Thinner scale (like the one shown here) for $18, they normally retail for about forty. Talk about irony! It's the exact same scale I would have purchased and even with my coupon, I wouldn't have gotten it for the price he did (he wins again).

So, this morning, I set up my profile and weighed myself...dreading the worse. When the scale flashed 160.8 and then scrolled through the many other numbers it calculates, I couldn't believe it! After all the splurging and craziness I've been through, I've managed to maintain my weight. Of course, I have been keeping up with my workouts and I have to believe that's what's made the difference. I just wonder if now that I'm back on track, I'll begin to see losses again. I sure hope so. I changed my computation on The Daily Plate to record me as a mildly active person, rather than sedentary. I don't think I qualify as a sedentary person anymore.

So, here's what I got for today:

50 minute workout on elliptical trainer
1 L-Carnitine (& help)
1 pancake (no butter)
1/8 cup serving of Country kitchen syrup
Tofu
1 cup of decaffeinated tea

Yesterday's dinner consisted of 1/2 mesquite grilled chicken breast
hash browns with light ketchup
2 slices of whole wheat toast with light jelly (these were leftovers from Sunday breakfast)
the last 1/3 of my small, choco cherry blizzard

Hubby and I went up to Park City with the girls this past weekend. I ate a very good breakfast (Jimmy Dean Delight sandwhich and small bowl of Fiber One cereal) and then we traveled up the canyon to the ski resort town for shopping. We were on the hunt for gymnastics and dance gear for the oldest. We found it and a whole lot more.

By the time lunch rolled around (2 ish or so), we were all starving! Not a good thing to be when you're surrounded by fast food joints. I had a Wendy's stack and some fries (along with a light Minute Maid lemonade). Then, because I was still so famished, I had another stack. Damage done, right? Wrong!! When dinner time came around? Where did we go? Dairy Queen! I had two double cheeseburgers and a small blizzard (which I did not finish, thank God). I keep thinking that if my scale were functioning, I could see the damage and do something about it.

Since the weekend, thankfully, I have been better. Today I'm pretty hungry, but I'm not letting it rule me. I figure I'll do a weight training workout this afternoon and then eat a good, solid protein-filled dinner. That ought to take care of things (I did work out this morning, btw; 50minutes on the elliptical). I burned around 650 calories. I definitely need more weight training, as I've said before. It's the muscle that's going to do me the most good.

Here's to hoping that 20% off coupon for Bed, Bath and Beyond is in the mail today. Yeesh!!

So, I'm going to try and keep up with what I'm doing on this site as well as my calorie site. I don't know how successful I'll be, but I'd like to have an additional record of what I'm doing, just in case one site dies/crashes/disappears.

I'll try to keep it simple. I'm not sure how many other people are viewing this site, so the simplicity is for me. Retracing my steps is a lot easier when there's not a lot of muck to step through.

Workout - 50 minutes (661 calories) Elliptical trainer

Breakfast - Fiber One Caramel Delight cereal with fat free coffee mate. A second bowl of Fiber One Honey Clusters with fat free coffee mate (I was starving this morning. I should have found a protein source, but I wasn't in the mood for fish...which was the only quick source available).

Lunch - haven't prepared it, but will have tofu and brown rice. I'm looking for a vegetable (most likely dry coleslaw mix.

I didn't weigh this week because my scale is deceased. I hope to buy another one soon. I have no idea where I am or what's happening with my weight...I'm wishing for 150s, but I think that's in vain after last weekend's splurging.

So, after hubby's show this weekend, I have more motivation to try and tackle the whole figure physique. I think if I lost thirty pounds (Phew! That seems like a whole, heck of a lot) and had the muscle I'm carrying now, I could do pretty well. My weight training will have to pick up. As I mentioned before, I've been doing crazy cardio as of late (burning somewhere in the neighborhood of 700-800 calories per session). I've also been eating more because of this, but not always the best items. I've got to get back into the Oats-eggs-tuna regime. It's so boring, though!!

I didn't weigh last week because TOM showed up. Then, a couple of days later, hubby stepped on the scale and it responded with a flashing "CAL" which normally means it's calibrating; however, this usually goes away after a few seconds. Not so that time. It flashed like a disco ball for nearly a minute and a half. Not a good sign. Now, the screen is dark. You try to step on it and no response. I tried replacing the battery and...nothing. The scale is officially dead. When I get another one of those 20% off coupons (that we all get) for BedBathandBeyond again, I'll be purchasing a new scale. I don't feel that I'm a slave to it anymore, I just like to gauge what's happening. I also need the numbers for my goal rewards (haven't had one of those in a while...sigh). The next one is perfume. (Que A Chorus Line..."God, I hope I get it...I hope I get it!")

My legs are like rocks, did I mention this? Seriously. They are hard where the muscles are. The flabby part isn't as flabby, but I'm thinking I'd like the flabby part to be taut as well. The arms need serious help! I can tell I've lost fat in them, but it looks like the air has been let out and they are swinging. Yikes! My triceps are beautiful when I flex, but I want them to look like that even when I don't. I've seriously got to get to work. As I looked at the women at the show I thought, "You know, I could do this." The only draw back is that I don't have a gym membership. Perhaps my goal will be to see if you can compete without a gym membership. Can a person place in a show who only has her free weights, her cardio equipment and her videos? I wonder...

It will probably be a year before I can even attempt as much and that's if I can keep myself going without interruptions like sickness, work weirdness and kid drama. I guess it's a wait-and-see game.