No Time For Negativity

OK this is the deal. I realize that when I started this blog, I said that I was looking forward to the accountability, but I was not expecting people to be so nasty. I realize that a lot of you have been super supportive, but I will not stand for people bringing my daughter into this. Very few of you know me personally, so I am just words on a screen to you, but make no mistake, I am flesh and blood, and I have feelings. The comments on my blog just kept getting more and more ridiculous, and frankly I am just done with all of the negativity. I am not giving up on me, but I am choosing to surround myself with people that care about and support me. People that encourage me and build me up. This will be my last post, but I am continuing with my weight loss goals. Thanks to those of you that have truly been supportive, and good luck to those of you that are struggling with weight loss.

Decisions Decisions...

Well, it has been a rough couple of weeks. In the past, going to work was a no brainer. I have held a steady job in one form or another since I was 16. Now, going back to work is the worst thing I can think of. How do you put a price on the peace of mind that your child is safe and well cared for? Why would I pay someone to do the job that I want to do and I already do for free? I have been struggling with these thoughts for a while now, and even though I have been submitting my resume and putting myself out there, I am nauseated by the thought of someone else caring for my daughter. I know it has been a couple of weeks since I last posted, but Eddie and I have been trying to make some life altering decisions, and this is the first time since Amelia was born that we have reached such a major crossroads. Normally we are full speed ahead…no stopping, no slowing down, but now, with a baby under foot, everything has changed. Decisions that would have been no problem in the past now leave us gut wrenched, running for the Pepto! The things people don’t tell you about parenthood! Who would think that such a little person can change you so profoundly?

I have decided to take a hiatus from boot camp for a while, because that reality is that I have been spending too much money in gas just going back and forth, and while there is definite value in the knowledge Marilyn has, I could no longer justify the money spent each week when we are struggling so much just to pay our basic bills. I do plan to stay on track with eating and exercise, I am just going to enlist the support of my husband, and we will get up in the mornings and go for a walk, or do some exercise here. I got an awesome workout set for Christmas. It has a balance ball, a medicine ball, and resistance bands. I will just have to break out the palliates DVD and get to work. I am happy to report that I lost 5 pounds last week as of Tuesday (for those of you that are keeping track, the math doesn’t add up because I gained 3 pounds over the week of Christmas. So, I went from 393 to 385 to 388, and then to 383…I have been on a bit of a roller coaster) I am almost out of the 380’s, and I am looking forward to the 370’s. I was down to 374 when I got pregnant with Amelia, so I Am almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight…woohoo!

Food Today:
Breakfast: Cheerios with 2% milk
Lunch: Turkey and Swiss on wheat with Mayo with Olive Oil (a much better alternative than light mayo)
Snack: 100 calorie yogurt pretzels
Dinner: Veggie Omelet with a side of grapes and a tangerine

I also have a favor to ask. Could each of you please post a low calorie, low fat recipe that I can make for under 10 dollars. I am finding it difficult to maintain a food budget, and I could really use some advice. Something that would also provide leftovers would be ideal. I hope this post finds you well. Have a terrific weekend. XOXOXOXO

Christmas, Catch-Up, And Thoughts On The New Year

Amelia had a wonderful first Christmas. I hope all of you were blessed this Christmas with the company of loved ones and the spirit of our savior. I would like to first start by apologizing. I made a comment on my last blog at a time when I was feeling beat up, stressed out, and overwhelmed. I am very grateful for those of you who are rooting for me.

Honestly, my blog was the last thing on my mind over the past couple of weeks. We are currently in transition. I am not at liberty to discuss any details at this time as my blog is so public, but I will let you all know what is going on when the time is right. Until then, I am just going to keep my chin up and stay positive.

I know that I did not post on my weigh day last week, but I did weigh in. I lost 8 pounds. I am down to 385…good bye 390’s…it’s about time. I guess running myself ragged before Christmas paid off on the scale, but now I think I have a sinus infection. I have another weigh day tomorrow as well.

I have resolved to the fact that nothing is perfect, and all I can do is all I can do. I did set a goal to loose 100 pounds in 1 year, but I guess I didn’t realize how hard the journey would be with so much outside criticism. I will be the first to admit that things have not gone as planned so far. I would also like to say that I appreciate all of the helpful suggestions that many of you have given, but I am not in a place financially to do anything more than I am doing right now.

I will be posting a new poll about a kickball date soon, just let me start feeling better first. I am really looking forward to it. Marilyn found a perfect park for kickball…especially for those of us with children. It’s in Westchase, and I will get the address out once we nail down a date.

I hope this post finds all of you well. I wish you all health and prosperity in the New Year. I think 2010 is going to be a great year. My New Year’s resolution is to keep my life centered on God. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Philippians 4:13. I am going to take some more Tylenol now. Have a terrific week.

Re-Boot Camp

I have pressed Ctrl Alt Delete, and I have rebooted my life. Over the past weekend, I feel back into some bad habits eating junk, so suffice to say that I was disappointed yesterday when I stepped on the scale. I didn’t lose anything, and then when I was a boot camp on Tues, I learned that starting next week we will not have boot camp for 2 weeks…not good!

I did buckle down and go grocery shopping yesterday, and the closest thing to a snack in my house now, is a rice cake. I got a bunch of frozen and fresh fruits and veggies and some chicken and lean beef. I am not going to give up. I have let too many things stand in my way in the past, and I am not going to quit this time. As I said before, this is a marathon. It is going to be a long and hard road. I have some bad habits to break. I am doing the best that I can right now, and I know that I will be successful.

I am sorry that I have not addressed kickball lately. I think it will be best to postpone kickball until January. I am super busy for the rest of the month with family gatherings and such as I am sure all of you are also. I will put up another poll after the first of the year to see when is best for everyone.

I have boot camp again tomorrow, and I am actually looking forward to it. I have found that when I am feeling stressed and life gets hectic, it really helps to do something physical. In the words of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde “people that exercise are happy because exercise releases endorphins and happy people just don’t kill people” I am not feeling particularly homicidal, so I guess she’s right.

I hope you all are doing well. I am so sorry that my posts have been so infrequent lately, but Amelia is growing up before my eyes and I have been just enjoying being a mommy. She is starting to stand all by herself without holding on to anything. She is learning and growing so quickly, and I don’t want to miss anything. Have a great rest of the week.

My Goal Is Back In Focus

Yesterday was weigh day, and I stayed the same. No weight lost this week, and I am completely disappointed. I am sick of being in the 390’s so I have decided to really buckle down with my eating. I need to make some changes, and I plan on putting more fresh foods in the hose as soon as we can make it grocery shopping. Eddie doesn’t get paid until Friday, so I am going to make that a priority. It has been a hectic month, but failure is not an option. I am rededicating myself to my goal. I have not made weight loss a priority for a few weeks now, and I need to regroup.

I am doing well with exercise. I did go to boot camp yesterday, and I will be going tomorrow. I enjoy my workouts, and I have noticed a huge improvement with my endurance while I have been playing with Amelia. It is such a great feeling knowing that I can keep up with her. That is something I was worried about before she was born.

I am taking my little munchkin to urgent care tonight when Eddie gets home from work. She has a runny nose and thick mucus in her throat. I have been trying to keep her nose clear with the aspirator today, but she is completely miserable. This is a first for me. The most I have dealt with as far as her not feeling well has been a fever due to a reaction to vaccines, but this runny nose stuff is no fun at all. She can barely suck her bottle without choking, and her eyes are all water. I just want her to feel better.

My food today:
Breakfast: Cheerios with 2% milk
Lunch: Peanut Butter sandwich on wheat, 2% cottage cheese, sugar free Jell-o, and pineapple
Dinner: Pork tenderloin and corn

I hope everyone is having a great week so far. Only 2 more days to the weekend. I am going to go for now. I need to start getting ready to take the baby to the doctor. I will post more soon.

My Week At A Glance

It has been a busy week getting ready for the Holi-Daze! Let me catch you up on what has been going on. Starting on last Thursday, Eddie had an impromptu visit to the ENT doctor, so I didn’t make it to boot camp, I swear after this ordeal is over, I am going to insure his ears…kind of like J-Lo insured her butt right lol! Friday and Saturday is a blur. I think we were home for 2 and a half seconds on Friday and Saturday. Here are some of the things that we did over the weekend (in no particular order): Picked up the Christmas pictures and discovered that there was a huge mix up and I wound up with copyright released pictures of someone else’s underage children on my picture CD! I made a trip back to the portrait studio were I spent what felt like forever making sure that Amelia’s pictures were not on anyone else’s order. They weren’t…thank God, but I was more than annoyed about the situation. We got Amelia’s Christmas ornament engraved and attempted to pick up her stocking, but that was screwed up too, so I am still waiting for that to be corrected. We went to Wal-Mart to find some Christmas lights, but they had a horrible selection. I did score a sweet deal on picture frames though. I got a set of 13 picture frames for 13 dollars, and I have already put them to good use. My hallway is now wall papered in Amelia. God help me when we have another child. I don’t know where I will find room for more pictures. Boot camp was canceled on Friday due to the nasty weather, and on Saturday evening we went to church. I also found out that my uncle passed away this weekend. He lived in Kentucky and was suffering with cancer, and although I don’t have the resources to make the trip for the funeral, I spent a lot of time trying to help my dad find a cheap flight and car rental with no success. He is going to end up driving I guess. That’s just all of the stuff that I can remember off the top of my head.

Yesterday was cleaning day. Holiday cleaning is like an Olympic event in my house. It requires strength of mind and body as well as endurance that would rival any gold medalist. I am pleased to announce however that we made it through the day without any causalities. Amelia was such a good sport. She spent most of the day in her crib since we don’t have a pack and play or a play yard, but she did a pretty good job of keeping herself entertained.

I was back at boot camp bright and early this morning (in the rain no less), and I was happy to be there. I love it when my days have structure. I am usually very organized, and am happiest when things go as planned. I can be a bit spontaneous at times, but for everyday stuff, I prefer to have a pretty strict schedule. I have boot camp again tomorrow, and of course it is weigh day again.

I hope everyone has a great week. We have some Christmas shopping to do this week and we still need to get our Christmas tree (that is one tradition that I plan on keeping forever…there is nothing like a real tree for Christmas). It is already shaping up to be another busy week again this week, but busy is good. Busy burns calories. Happy Monday to you, I will post more soon!

Another Successful Weigh Day

Today was weigh day, and despite Thanksgiving, I lost 2 pounds. I am so happy that I am going in the right direction again. I have been dreading my weigh ins for the past couple of weeks, but I was pleasantly surprised today, and I plan on keeping this positive momentum going for next week also.

I am so happy to be back at boot camp. Yesterday we did the 12 min walk run test, and I improved on my record by 1/3 of a lap. Today I pushed myself a little harder than I should have and ended up getting dizzy and light headed. I was doing crunches and had a hard time regulating my breathing. I nearly hyperventilated. I made a full recovery in time to finish the rest of my work out though.

My food today was good.
Breakfast: Cheerios with 2% milk
Lunch: Meatballs with Prego Traditional heart smart sauce
Snack: Peach and strawberry yogurt smoothie
Dinner: Grilled chicken and strawberry salad with balsamic vinaigrette

I hope everyone is having a great week so far. I am cracking up right now because we are watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I swear Clarke Griswald could be one of my relatives. I love this time of the year. Christmas movies are the best. I also love A Christmas Story! I have to find out when that is coming on. I am going to go and watch the rest of the movie. Have a good night

Stuffed Like A Turkey

I hope all of you had a wonderful thanksgiving. I did pretty well with eating. I did have a 2nd helping of green bean casserole, but my mom made it with 98% fat free soup, so it wasn’t such a bad choice. Some of the other holiday fare consisted of sweet potatoes, stuffing (I only had like 2 bites), ham, corn, potato salad (my mom makes the best potato salad), baked beans, and of course pumpkin pie, but I shared a piece with Eddie instead of eating the whole thing myself.

Yesterday was so great. The workout video was a success, and now we just have to figure out how to edit it. I ended up working out for almost 2 hours yesterday morning. I have boot camp again tomorrow morning, and I am looking forward to getting back to my regular routine.

Please take a look at my poll, and vote if you are planning on joining us for kickball. I was looking at the first Saturday in December, but figured I would ask you guys to find out the most convenient date for the majority due to the holidays.

Happy Sunday. I hope everyone has a great week. I am going to run for now as I think I hear my munchkin waking up from her nap. She is going to be expecting lunch, so I better get busy!!

Happy Thanksgiving

So, yesterday was my weigh day, and I gained 2 pounds. I have to admit that I just wasn’t focused last week. I am back on track now, but Aunt Flo is visiting…so that is no fun. I have lower back pain and sever cramps…yuck!!

I am going to break out my Windsor Pilates DVD today while the baby is napping. Since there has been no boot camp this week, I have been pretty bummed. I did walk around the mall and Wal-mart for 5 hours yesterday, so I got in a bunch of cardio.

Just a reminder…we are shooting the exercise video Saturday morning. This is a perfect opportunity to work off Thanksgiving dinner. Please join us at 8 am at Baybridge Park (10017 Bridgeton Dr, Tampa, FL) in Westchase. I hope to see many of you there. The class will be filmed, and could be on Good Morning America at a later date. Marilyn has kindly agreed to offer this special class at no charge, so please come and join us.

So far I have only had breakfast (Total raisin bran), but I think it will be a peanut butter sandwich, cottage cheese, and jello for lunch, and I am not sure about dinner yet.

I hope all of you are doing well. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and while I am not planning on being restrictive as far as the types of foods I eat, I do plan on exercising portion control. I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy spending time with your family. This is Amelia’s 1st Thanksgiving, and I am so grateful for her. Since becoming a mommy, I really understand the meaning of being thankful. I wish many blessings to you and your family this holiday season.

Just Another Day In Paradise

OK, so I know that it seems like I have dropped off of the face of the earth, but rest assured that I am still here and I am still on track. I have just been super busy and a bit stressed financially. It makes me wonder what happened to the days of trading livestock for goods and services. I guess those were simpler times…before APR’s and Interest only loans…if only we could go back. Of course, I don’t have any live stock to trade (with the exception of 2 domestic house cats) so I guess I would be in the same boat as I am now!!

I received the sad news that boot camp is canceled next week due to thanksgiving, but I am planning on doing some walking and sit-ups and stuff on my own, so I will hopefully not fall too far behind. We are however shooting the exercise video on Saturday the 28th, so if any of you that are local would like to join us, please feel free to come and enjoy a class at no charge. Just be aware that the class will be filmed and could end up on national television lol!

My grandfather is out of the hospital, but we still don’t know what the problem was. He is feeling a bit under the weather still, and isn’t quite back to himself yet. Thanks so much to all of you for your thoughts and prayers.

My food was pretty good today…
Breakfast: Total raisin bran with 2% milk
Lunch: leftover pork tenderloin with rice and broccoli
Dinner: 2 scrambled eggs, 2 sausage links, fruit, and a cup of oatmeal

I hope everyone is having a terrific weekend…so far mine has been pretty uneventful (just doing some laundry). I am going to call it a night. Have a happy Sunday.

Get Well Soon

I know that I didn’t post yesterday, but I wasn’t feeling well still, and my grandfather went to the hospital by ambulance yesterday. I still don’t know what’s wrong, but they have narrowed it to either the flu or food poisoning, but he is an 84 year old war veteran, so if he says he needs to go to the hospital, it’s not good. He has to be there another night because his blood sugar is still high. I hope he gets released tomorrow.

I didn’t make it to boot camp yesterday. I was not feeling well at all, and I totally overslept. I rested a lot yesterday, but I didn’t forget to weigh. I lost a pound last week, so that makes a total of 21 pounds. I am hoping for a better result this week.

I took Amelia to the playground today. I walked there and back, so I got in about a mile and a half walk. She totally loves to swing. It was so much fun. I would have posted sooner today, but my cable has been out all day…why not the last 3 days have been crappy…I must be on a streak (I hope it’s finally over)!

My food today:
Breakfast: Total raisin bran with 2% milk
Dinner: Lean pork tenderloin, mashed sweet potatoes, rice, and steamed broccoli
(Dinner was so good. It was my first shot at the pork tenderloin, and it was fabulous if I do say so myself)

Amelia has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow morning, and she has to get another flu shot. I hate it when she has to get shots…it’s no fun for wither of us. She makes this horrible sad face with this quivery lip, and I just want to cry. I hope everyone has a good rest of the week. I hope to make it for a walk tomorrow, but it all depends on what happens with my papaw. I will be back soon with an update! Goodnight for now.

Under The Weather.

This weekend was super busy, and I am feeling totally worn down. Friday, we had family holiday pictures (Amelia looked adorable). Saturday, was my cousins wedding in Merritt Island (driving for 4 hours with a 7 month old in the car is not my idea of a fun time), and the Sunday I was out with Amelia and my mom all day. Getting a 16 pound baby in and out of the car all day is no joke, so by the time I picked Eddie up from work I was completely exhausted. You can imagine my enthusiasm when I realized that we still had grocery shopping to do. We got some more frozen veggies, chicken, and a lean pork tenderloin. We finally got home around 10:00, and I proceeded to put all of the groceries away. Have I mentioned how much I hate grocery shopping!! I finally made it to bed around midnight after falling asleep on the couch for a while.

I woke up this morning for boot camp with a sore throat. I attributed it to post nasal drip, and went anyway, but I just haven’t felt right all day. Today was the first day in 7 months that I didn’t feel 100 percent, and it was a rude awakening. Mommies do not get sick days.

My food for today was pretty good. Raisin bran with 2% milk for breakfast. A turkey and Swiss sandwich on wheat with light mayo and some pistachios for lunch, sugar free jello and cottage cheese for a snack, and a grilled chicken salad with strawberries, walnuts, and blue cheese crumbles topped with balsamic vinaigrette for dinner.

Tomorrow is weigh day, and I hope I am feeling better by the morning, because tomorrow is also another day of boot camp. I am not going to get to go on Thursday because my daughter has a doctor’s appointment, so I really want to get a good work out in tomorrow. That’s it for now; I am going to hit the hay and try to sleep off this funk. I hope everyone had a great Monday. I will be back tomorrow with an update on the scale.

The Price Of Gas...

Yesterday totally sucked! We had a long day of doctor’s appointments. Eddie is still seeing his ENT doctor and Audiologist about once a month or so, and the mapping for his Cochlear Implant takes at least an hour. We were out of the house from noon until 9:30 pm. I was exhausted when we got home and so was Amelia. She was asleep for about an hour and then woke up for a bottle. I guess being captive in her car seat for most of the day caused a gas build up because she was awake again at a quarter till 2 in the morning wailing like a wild woman. I was finally able to get a burp out of her 45 minutes later and she fell asleep almost immediately after that. I wasn’t sure what was wrong at first because she hasn’t been gassy in a while. I was getting so frustrated because she just kept screaming. I will be so glad when she can tell me what the problem is.

I was a zombie when I woke up this morning at 7 am for boot camp. I almost hit the snooze and went back to dreamland, but I knew I would regret it, so I sucked it up and got out of bed. We did some weight and band work and some cardio. It was 59 degrees this morning, and I ran out of the house in Capri’s…I was so tired that I didn’t realize I was freezing until about 10 minutes into my work out.

When I got home from boot camp, I made the bed, washed and sterilized the bottles, got some laundry done, and straightened up the bathroom, living room and kitchen. My mom and her friend, Monica, came over today to help me make some headbands for the baby. They are so cute. We have a few more to do, but we made some good progress today.

Disclaimer: I need to go grocery shopping, so my food intake was well below par today. All I had was a salad and 3 bread sticks. We were going to have tuna for dinner, but I took 2 bites and almost hurled. Eddie didn’t like it either. It was terrible. I think it was because of the low fat mayo that I bought…it should be called low flavor mayonnaise.

That’s it for tonight. I am going to try and get a good night’s sleep tonight because we are taking holiday pictures tomorrow, and I don’t want to have luggage under my eyes. I hope everyone is having a terrific week. We are traveling to the East coast for a wedding on Saturday, so if you don’t hear from me over the weekend, don’t worry. I will be back with an update on Monday. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

This Post Is Brought To You By The Number 20

My scale earned some much needed brownie points this morning. She said that I had lost 4 pounds this week…now that is what I am talking about! I almost picked her up off the floor and gave her a hug. I was so excited…that means I have lost a total of 20 pounds. I just have to do that 4 more times, and I will have lost 100 pounds. It doesn’t sound impossible when you say it like that right?

Well, I ended up having half of a Publix sandwich yesterday for dinner. It was a BLT with lettuce, tomato, and mayo on whole grain bread. It was so good, and a nice switch from chicken and broccoli.

Wow…two days in a row. I came home from my workout with the bed made and the dishwasher going. A girl could get used to this kind of treatment! I am so thankful that Eddie has taken it upon himself to show me how much he supports me. It is a nice reminder that I am in a loving relationship and can rely on him even if I don’t need to. I am blessed beyond words.

I am reluctantly adjusting to these AM workouts. It is tough for me to roll out of my comfy bed all snuggled up next to my honey knowing what is in store for me at boot camp. We did A LOT of cardio today. We did some football drills and this crazy circuit that almost killed me. We started with 1 push up, then 2 sit-ups, a sprint, and a tricep dip. We continued with 2 push ups, 4 sit-ups, a sprint, and 2 tricep dips then 3 push ups 8 sit ups a sprint and 3 tricep dips. This torture continued until we reached 10 pushups. All I have to say is holy crap! I was barely awake, and I had to run. I have heard of sleep walking…but never sleep running!

That’s it for today. I was going to wait to post later this evening, but I couldn’t contain my excitement. I am going to go shout from the roof tops now…I LOST 4 POUNDS THIS WEEK!!

The Early Bird Gets The....ZZZZZZZ

Today was my first morning boot camp session, and it threw my entire day out of whack. I do have to say that the awesomeness of my husband never ceases to amaze me. He knows how much I hate getting up early, and for me to drag my butt out of bed and go exercise first thing in the morning shows true commitment on my part…trust me. When I got home from boot camp, the dishwasher was loaded, the bed was made, and the living room was straightened up. So, all I had to do all day was play with the baby…and find the missing cordless phone. One of our phones has been misplaced for 2 days, so finally I had my mom call and I followed the ring until I found the phone hiding in the couch cushions. Amelia was laughing hysterically at me as if to say “ha ha I hid it and you can’t find it”. She is a mess. I was super tired today for the rest of the day, but Amelia only took a 30 min nap, so no nap for me!!

Tomorrow is weigh day, and I am anxious and excited. I am hoping that all of my hard work will finally pay off on the scale tomorrow!! We shall see.

Food today
Breakfast: Leftover strawberry chicken salad
Snack: Whole wheat toast with 2 tbs apple butter
Lunch: Broccoli and rice
Snack: Weight Watchers Ice Cream Bar
Dinner…Not sure yet (If I eat chicken and broccoli one more time I am going to scream)

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. Eddie worked on Sunday, so my days are kind of screwed up…I hate shift bids!! Have a good evening. I will be back tomorrow with an update on the welfare of my scale!!

The Great E-steak

So much has happened since I last posted! The New York Yankees have clinched their 27th world championship. It was an amazing game, and the win was well deserved. The Yanks had chemistry this year, and even though it has been 9 long years, we are finally back where we belong…on top!

Eddie and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary yesterday. I spent the day cleaning up and doing laundry…such is the life of an everyday house wife lol! Amelia took a really long nap yesterday, so I was very productive! We had 8:00 dinner reservations at The Rusty Pelican in Tampa. That is where we held our wedding reception, and we return every year for a super special anniversary dinner. The difference this year is that instead of a reservation for 2, it was a reservation for 3. Amelia joined us, and we were so excited to show her “where mommy and daddy got married” We snuck into the Grand Ballroom, where we danced the night away 4 years ago, and Eddie took his daughter for a little spin around the dance floor. Eddie and I were both so emotional yesterday. It was surreal having a baby with us. Sometimes I still can’t believe that she is real. We wanted a baby so badly, and once that became a reality, we were completely awe-inspired. Our daughter completes us on a level that I didn’t know existed. Having her with us made it the best anniversary ever. Dinner was the main event, and it was delicious. We started with raisin walnut bread and then a caesar salad prepared tableside. When our entrees arrived I was almost giddy…let me explain. I have not had a steak in over a year. I didn’t eat it while I was pregnant because you are not supposed to eat under cooked meat, and I like my steak medium. After the baby arrived, there was not an occasion that warranted a steak until now. I am a bit of a steak snob, and refuse to settle for a cut of meat that has not been aged. I know that probably sounds gross to you, but once you go aged, you never go back! I had an 8 ounce Ribeye and a loaded baked potato. Eddie had Veal Oscar with asparagus and a crab meat cream sauce and a loaded baked potato. We did indulge in some dessert…Crème’ brulee and Tiramisu…delicious! Our dinner was fabulous and although it was a calorie fest, I don’t regret it. I made a decision about what went into my mouth which is an improvement from mindlessly eating crap and feeling unsatisfied.

Today was a new day, and I got back to it today without even so much as a hesitation. Breakfast was 2 packs of oatmeal, Lunch: a grilled chicken breast and broccoli, and dinner: Grilled chicken over rice and another side of broccoli. I also had a berry (blueberry and strawberry) yogurt smoothie today as my snack. All in all, I think it was a pretty successful day. We are going for a walk as soon as I publish this post. I am hoping to work off some of the calories that I accumulated yesterday. It is finally the weekend. I hope you enjoy it. I hear my sneakers calling, so I am going to run for now…pun intended!

Wacky Workout Wednesday

I stumbled out of bed at 6:30 am after having about 2 ½ minutes of sleep last night. Amelia woke me up 4 times. Her teeth were hurting I think. She bounced back and forth from my bed to her crib all night long. The last time she woke up, I went to change her diaper. Well, we have a lot of noisy crap in our house, one of which happens to be Amelia’s baby monitor. If there is no movement in her crib for 20 seconds, an alarm goes off. I forgot to turn the monitor off, and the alarm began to sound. I ran to shut off the monitor in the midst of changing her diaper as to not wake my husband, and she peed everywhere. After having a sleepless night and having to pee myself, I was at my wits end. I called for my husband to come and stand by her as she was on her changing table so that I could go and pee before I made a bigger mess. When I got back to the nursery, my husband had a diaper on her, so I figured he had cleaned her up and had taken care of it. It wasn’t until I got her back into bed with me that I realized that she was still covered in pee…I was completely PO’d…pardon the pun. We finally got out of the house this morning and I met my mom. I actually had a pretty productive day. We managed to find the perfect Christmas dress for Amelia, and we went to Sam’s Club to load up on some frozen fruit and veggies. I got blueberries and broccoli.

Today was Boot Camp, and it was my last evening session. I am so going to miss all of the friends I have made…tear! I did get an amazing workout tonight. We had a fantastic warm-up, and I was able to use 10 pound weight during the strength training portion of the class. I was so impressed with myself. That is a 5 pound increase, so I must be getting stronger. Don’t get me wrong, my muscles are not at the point of breaking through my clothes like the incredible hulk, (don’t make me angry, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry) but 10 pounds is a considerable mile stone for me. I also ran up and down the hill 3 times today, and it was easier than I remembered. We also had an awesome cool down and stretch. I think that was my favorite part because I was exhausted!

My food today…
Breakfast: 2 egg beaters, 2 turkey sausage links 1 tomato slice and a cup of plain oatmeal with 2% milk and Splenda
Lunch: Michelina’s Lean Gourmet (it was the last one) ½ cup unsalted peanuts
Snack: ½ cup fresh pineapple
Dinner: 6” veggie patty sub with light mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, and black olives
Snack: ½ cup unsalted peanuts

The Yankees are kicking some Philly butt, so I want to finish the game, and tomorrow is my 4th Wedding Anniversary, so I will be taking a little break tomorrow. I have given myself permission to have a nice dinner and possibly a little dessert. I will be back on Friday with a full report. Only 2 days left until the weekend. Have a great rest of the week.

The Tides Of Change

Today was my weigh day, and I gained a pound. It really sucks, but obviously I need to make a change. Please spare me the lectures. I know I know you have already told me. I plan to write down a schedule for myself so that I know exactly when I should be eating. I am also going to incorporate more fruits, veggies, and dairy into my meal plan. Failure is not an option! My daughter is counting on me to be the best me that I can be, and I cannot let her down. I feel like junk, but I own the numbers on the scale...no matter how frustrating it is. I have no one to blame but myself! OK, I am done complaining…time to move on.

I went a walk today (my regular 3 mile walk) and it was good. I made it in 62 min. There is a portion of the route that is kind of uneven where I have busted my butt several times, so I try to take it slow and steady during that partof my walk/run. I picked up the pace on my last mile and made it in 16 min. That is my best time so far. A small victory for today, but I will take it after my run in with the scale.

My food today
Breakfast: 2 packs of lower sugar apple cinnamon oatmeal and 2 tangerines
Lunch: Healthy Choice chicken pasta alfredo with pineapple in pineapple juice, a cup of sugar free jello, and ½ cup of 2% cottage cheese
Snack Another tangerine
Dinner: Grilled chicken sandwich with light mayo, lettuce, tomato and a side of steamed mixed veggies.

I hope everyone is having a great week so far. I have boot camp again tomorrow…I will let you know how it goes.

A Rude Awakening!

Today started with our obnoxious alarm. Because my husband is hearing impaired, we have the sonic boom alarm clock…lucky me. Not only does it make the most ungodly sound that you have ever heard, but is also vibrates the bed, and is connected to the lamp so that the light flashes on and off (what a way to start the day right). I reluctantly rolled out of bed and got ready to take my husband to work. After I dropped Eddie off, Amelia, my baby brother, and I headed out to look at Christmas dresses. Corey (my brother) had no idea that was the plan. I guess that’s what he gets for agreeing to hang out before he asks what we are doing. He was a good sport though. Amelia loves her uncle Corey. Unfortunately, I didn’t find quite what I was looking for. I want to hurry up and get a dress for the baby so I can get pictures taken in time for my Christmas cards…the search continues.

As you are aware, I had boot camp tonight. We did some abs and arms and a lot of cardio. We had our cardio test today to see how far we could get in 12 min. I made it 3 laps. 5 laps is a mile. I also met Joyce. She has joined me at boot camp after reading about it in my blog. I was so happy to meet her. She is a total sweetheart. Wednesday will be my last class in the evening because my husband’s schedule is changing due to a shift bid…ugh. I am going to have to start going to the 8:30 am class, but maybe the switch will be good so that I can get my metabolism going first thing in the morning.

We have nailed down a few dates for a couple of upcoming events. We will be shooting the workout video on November 28th. I hope to have it ready to upload by the following week. We also have a date for kickball. We are planning a family day at the park that day, so please pack a picnic and join us for kick ball and some family fun. The date is December 3rd. The time and location is to be announced. We are looking at somewhere either in Carrollwood or Westchase. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for a park with a softball/kickball field and playground for younger children.


My food for today consisted of the following
Breakfast: Egg white sandwich on whole grain flat bread
Lunch: Grilled chicken sandwich with light mayo, lettuce and tomato
Snack: Whole wheat bagel with peanut butter
Dinner: 96% lean beef burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup and mustard on a wheat bun and a side of steamed broccoli

The Yankees are loosing, but they are up by 2 games, so I’m not too worried. I want them to win the series in NY anyway. I will be back to post tomorrow as it is my weigh day. I hope everyone has a great week.