Let The Celebrating Begin!

This weekend we are going to really celebrate my birthday! Since I am in school four nights each week, we didn't really get to do much besides grab dinner (which was awesome! Mom and Dad took us to MK Sushi for dinner - LOVE that place!!!), I am meeting David in South Padre to kick back and relax. I am actually missing class tomorrow night (this is a first since I have been back in school!!) and flying out to start the weekend. He still has to work Friday, but I can lounge and read and sleep. This is just what I need! It's been a really nice birthday, though. One of my co-workers (who is more of a friend than merely a co-worker!) made me a special birthday cake. (His name is Bryan, by the way.) Bryan and his partner made me an angel food cake with fresh strawberries and fat free cool whip! How awesome! And Sandra brought in fresh fruit for breakfast! (I could have cried it meant so much to me!) They brought me cards and took me to lunch and I felt really special. And they didn't have to do any of it! They're just very thoughtful people, and it means more than I can say. :) I took pictures and will post them tomorrow when I have time to upload them.

I can't wait for tomorrow! I am going to get up at 7am and go for a good hour-long workout and then come home and clean the apartment. I have to pack ( and I am taking my running shoes so that I can keep on with the exercising!) and then head to the airport around 2:45 to give myself plenty of time. Tonight I have class, and my professor is letting me take tomorrow's quiz tonight so that I don't have to miss it. Although she's not the best teacher, I do think she's a nice person and I am grateful to get to take the quiz early.

It's going to be a busy day wrapping things up in the office. Stay cool, everyone!

Older and Maybe Wiser, Too

Another year older today, and I have to tell you that even with all the jokes about being 29 again, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't go back. As I get older each year, I think there are things about me that get better. Like this year, I am physically and mentally stronger than ever before. I have lost 35+ pounds to date, and have already achieved goals I didn't know I could. I am powering through school and working toward that goal with great success. I really feel proud of what I am accomplishing. All this comes with sacrifice, though. I don't have much of a social life anymore, but somehow I am okay with that. These things that I am doing are making me feel better about myself, and I am hoping that those who love me will continue to be patient with me. I won't always be in school, although sometimes it feels that way! It's all worth it to me, though. All the hard work and the time I have to put in means something and when it's all said and done I will be able to feel so proud of myself. And all the cautious eating and early morning workouts are already paying off, so I don't even have to justify that. :) I am pleased to say that my co-workers made me a sugar free and fat free angel food cake with strawberries for my birthday - how cool is that? And it's home made!! I am a blessed girl. So am I having a big birthday party? No, there's just no time. This birthday will come and go quietly, but I'm very okay with that. I'm looking at a much bigger picture and I like what I see. :)

Friday Wrap-Up

I am exhausted. Truly, truly exhausted. Summer school is wearing me out, and I feel like all I do is work out, go to work, go to school, and go home. Last night I did get to have dinner with Christy, but it was a quick dinner and then home. I am really glad the weekend is here, although it's a busy one. Tomorrow I have WW (which I am hoping will be another good news weigh-in), a trip to the farmer's market, back home to make a salad, and then off to David's parents' house for the day. We're making dinner for them, and lounging in the pool. I am looking forward to that. (And I love going over there to visit!) Sunday we're spending with my family to celebrate Dad and to start celebrating Grampa's birthday - he'll be 90 on Tuesday!! I should be so lucky to have lived a life like his. And we are so thankful to have him in such good health, too.

So it's a busy weekend, but it's going to be a good one and I am looking forward to it. David comes home tonight and that's going to be nice, too. I've missed him like crazy! (even though he only left Tuesday!)

Have a great weekend, everyone! Keep cool in this Texas heat!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Just a quick note to wish my wonderful mother a very happy birthday, and many many more! I love you!

The Best Feeling

I did it! I did the 5K, not in record time, but in a good time for me! I wasn't first or last, but because I crossed the finish line I feel like I won. :) My parents were there, and it was the best feeling ever! They had made a sign and were cheering loudly. I remember hearing a whole bunch of people cheering for me as I headed in, so I picked up the pace and ran it in under and hour. For anyone else, that time would be lousy, but for me, it may as well have been the time that won the Boston Marathon. I have the satisfaction of knowing that because I finished, I feel like I won.

To make a great day better, I lost 3.2 pounds at WW for a grand total of 31.2 pounds gone now!

I also got to welcome home a unit of soldiers from Iraq. My friend Anne's husband came home from his year-long deployment, and that was special to see. I took pictures, but that was a very personal moment and I think those pictures are just for them. I was honored to even be there. Everyone that deployed made it home, so God took very good care of them. (Thanks God!)

Hope everyone's week was wonderful!

A Little Anxious

I am doing my 5K tomorrow, and I am feeling nervous. I have a lot of what ifs...

What if:

• I'm the slowest one there?
• I can't finish?
• I somehow manage to make a fool of myself?

But here's the thing...who cares if I'm the slowest? I know I can finish, so I don't even need to worry about that one. And how many times a day do I make a fool of myself on a regular basis and never give it another thought? So I should be just fine! I don't know anyone there, so it's not like my reputation is at stake, and it's a church for Pete's sake...I'm sure they are lovely people! And besides, my parents will be there to cheer me across the finish line. Does it get better than that? No, it really doesn't. :)

So that's my big thing this weekend! Wish me luck tomorrow!!

Weekend Update

It's been a busy weekend! Friday night I hosted study group for a test in Spanish class. That was fun, and I made chicken tacos for the girls. Saturday was WW (I lost 1.4 pounds for a total of 28 now!), and then we went to the Farmer's Market in Dallas. I love buying lots of fruit there. They have some of the best oranges, watermelons, and cantaloupes!! After we got home I made a yummy Crunchy Avocado Salad (recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay) and we took it over to our friends Jake and Diane's house to enjoy some fun pool party action. We got home late and slept in on Sunday, which I never do! It was fun to sleep late, and I guess my body needed it. :) We made a yummy fruit salad for breakfast and spent our afternoon so far cleaning. Tonight is more studying and making dinner, but it's all good. :)

I have a Spanish test tomorrow, but it should go well. I hope everyone else has had a good weekend!

NSV

In Weight Watchers lingo, that means Non-Scale Victory. In other words, something that reflects success besides the number on the scale. I had an NSV this morning! I was able to put on two different pairs of pants that I had bought last August and couldn't wear. Not only do they button, they fit nice! One pair of pants has a matching suit jacket, and that fits, too!! I was so happy that I stood in my closet and cried while David hugged me. :) All this early morning workout stuff is paying off, and I am feeling great!

That's really it for now. It was just such a nice surprise I just had to share!

Okay, So Spanish Might Not Be So Bad...

There were a couple of people in class on Thursday that weren't there on Wednesday, one being a really cool girl named Sara who is much closer to my age, and we hit it off, so now I have a friend at school. :) I think I'll make it through the summer! LOL!

So I weighed in yesterday and have officially lost 26.6 pounds now!! I had posted it on Facebook and got lots of positive comments, so I am feeling pretty good today. I'll be going to the gym here shortly to work out. I am doing my 5K on June 13th, and that isn't too far away, so I have got to spend time on the treadmill for sure today.

It's been a nice weekend. Not too terribly productive, but I spent Friday night sleeping on the couch all evening, and it was wonderful! David had gone to Greg's so I have the place to myself and I was so lazy!! I hadn't slept well the night before. My blood work came back from the doctor showing that my triglycerides were high and my A1C was elevated and my HDL was too low. But all of these are things that should improve with the weight loss, so I am not going to let all that news get me down. I know I'm doing all the right things. :) I'll just keep it up.

I think that's about it for today. My brother in law and his kids are coming over later and we're all going to head to the pool and get some sun. I'm looking forward to that!! Have a good one!

No Me Gusta la Classe de Espanol

Yeah, I'm not jazzed about my Spanish class. I'm the oldest person in my class, apart from the professor. Everyone in there appears to be relatively fresh from high school. And then there is the whole having to get up in front of the class and I hate doing that. We had to learn to introduce someone to the class in Spanish, and I felt really self-conscious. Honestly, I'm only there to fulfill a degree requirement. I miss having a buddy in class. One of the things I really love about going to TWU is that there are lots of people my age who are there to be focused and are also friendly. TCC? Yeah, this isn't my crowd at all. And of course, I'm the old chick, so that isn't helping. I always make friends quickly in class, but this one may be more of a challenge. And I'll need to make friends, because we're going to have to do a couple of group projects/oral presentations. This all makes me think that next time I am in class with someone older, I am going to go up and make friends with them on the first day of class. It's no fun feeling like this, and I totally know this is just my own issue, but I just hate it. At least it should all end quickly. And most of these people will be in the second summer session with me so it's not like I'll have to start all over again.

Ugh...enough. David spent the day yesterday sweeping and really cleaning the patio. It looks so good! We bought some beautiful new patio furniture and we have lots of plants, so he went the extra mile to make it really nice out there. He also made me dinner and cleaned the kitchen, which was a huge help for me! He told me that since I work all day and then go to school he wanted to make sure he did what he could to help me out. Seriously, I love this man so much! He takes such good care of me and I feel so special! It's nice to know he cares so much. :) It helps that he enjoys cooking so much, so I know he'll be helping with dinner and making things easier on me when he can. I'm so blessed!!

I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday! If this work-week was any longer I don't know what I would do! Hang in there, everyone...we're almost to the weekend!!

It's Back To School For Me!

Tonight begins a summer full of school. I start my Spanish class tonight. Bueno! I'll take the second Spanish during the second Summer session, and I also plan to take my speech class then, too. If I pull it all off, I'll have 11 hours out of the way this summer, and that seems worth it to me! I'll be in class Monday through Thursday, and no break between sessions, but it's really okay with me. Class is from 6-8pm, so I still get to kick back for a bit after work, and I'll still have time to goof around before bed. (But not much time!) I'm just glad to be getting stuff out of the way!

No big news. It was a busy holiday weekend, but a good one. I'm really having a case of the "don't wannas" at work this week, but it's all good. I've been good and worked out like I should, so things are moving along there, too. :) I went to the doctor yesterday and still managed to get the weight lecture, but I'm doing something about it so I won't feel too badly. The hardest part is sticking with it, and I'm doing that!!

I really don't have much news at the moment. I hope everyone's day is wonderful!!

Anxious

I have been a good girl all week...ate carefully and worked out as I should, but I am anxious about my weigh-in this morning. For some reason I feel like it's going to be a week where the scale won't move, and it's not my fault. I hate those weeks, but they happen. I have eaten carefully and worked out 5 days this week, so I know I am doing all the things I should do. I just want that scale to budge in the right direction!! But if it doesn't, I'll just keep plugging away. I have to keep reminding myself that it's a marathon, not a sprint. But when you work hard at something, it's a bummer not to get the results you hope for. But I know my body, and I did have a large loss last week, so it's about time my body plays catch-up. And I am also building muscle, so there's that, too. Mom is going to come take my measurements today so that we can track things that way, too. Sometimes that is where I see results, not the scale. So anyhow...I'll update later with how it went. I've lost 21 pounds now, and I'm really happy about that. Especially since I did it in a month!!

UPDATE: I lost 2.2 pounds this week for a total of 23.2 pounds gone! I am quite pleased with this, and really happy to have lost this week!! :)

40 Before 40

I was thinking recently about where my life is going. I like my direction, and I feel really good about things. So I couldn't help but start to think about what I wanted to accomplish before I turn 40. I don't have a complete list but here goes...

1. Graduate with my BA in Psychology
2. Start Grad school
3. Buy a house
4. Do the Breast Cancer 3-Day
5. Get to my goal weight
6. Go whitewater rafting
7. Do a zip line tour at a tropical location...maybe Jamaica or Antigua

That's what I have so far. All are very do-able. And I plan to do them all! It's cool to be putting this list together. I think I am capable of achieving all of this, I just have to set my mind to it. and making it public means that it's out there in the universe and I have somehow managed to commit to doing it. So here goes!

Slowly But Surely, I'm Getting There

So I had a great weigh-in Saturday morning! I am proud to announce that I have now lost a total of 21 pounds! (I'll post a weight loss update again when I've lost a total of 40) I am hoping to have a total of 30 off by my birthday, so I have to keep up the workouts. Eating right seems to finally feel normal to me. I was at the Dallas Farmer's Market yesterday and bought some beautiful fruits and veggies. (I bought into a CSA, which is a community owned local organic farm, and each week I get fresh goodies grown on the farm. I went in with Samantha and Kevin so we all share when we get each week. It's really cool!) Anyhow, after going to the market, we went to a vegan diner called Spiral Bakery. It was absolutely amazing! I had a wonderful veggie wrap, Sam had the tofu scramble (VERY tasty!) and Kev had the veggie burger. Seriously good food!

I went out with a group of old friends last night and had a wonderful time! It's been forever since I've really even gone out like that, so it was good to get to see everyone. David was flying in from Houston and couldn't make it, unfortunately. But we had a blast and saw the new Star Trek movie, which is awesome so go see it! We had dinner at Uno's Pizza downtown, and I had the gluten-free veggie pizza and a glass of red wine. YUM!!! :)

Enjoy your Sunday, everyone!!

Friday Fun

TGIF!! It's been a long week, but it's been good. I have caught myself enjoying my job more, which is a vast improvement from how it's been. It's still a means to an end for me, but I want to be able to tolerate it until I am done with school.

I bought Twilight on Blu-Ray last night and watched it. I like it...didn't love it, but that's because I usually prefer the book to the movie. The book has so many intricacies that the movie just can't cover. But I still enjoyed the movie, don't get me wrong.

Tonight after work, I am going to go to the gym. I didn't go this morning because I wanted to have time for a full hour, and I was carpooling today. I'm looking forward to just hopping on the treadmill and getting into my own world. Maybe I will load a movie onto my iPod. That's GREAT for making the hour pass faster! Tomorrow I am taking Cleo to the vet for her follow up to make sure her meds are working. Little prayers for Cleo, please!!

I also have WW in the morning. Hopefully the scale moves in the right direction this week!!!

That's about it in a nutshell. Everyone enjoy the weekend! The weather is supposed to be nice!

Twilight and Other Things

First of all, have any of you read the Twilight books? I hadn't until last week, and I have just finished book 3...I can't put them down! Rarely does a book(s) do this to me, but I am absolutely obsessed with reading them! Thankfully, my cousin Beth is right there with me and she understands. And like every other 16 year old girl, I am swooning over Edward! *sigh* (Not the movie Edward, the one in the book...I like the Edward in my imagination much better.) So I am about to start book four, and it's the last one. That makes me sad! I wish it took me longer to read to I could stretch it out!

On to bigger news...got my grades for the semester and I have a 4.0 GPA! Now I get to be on the Dean's List again, and this time with a special 4.0 designation!! I worked my booty off to get there, let me tell you. My finals really took it out of me, but it's all good. :)

And yes, I am still working out at 5am...I'm dead serious about sticking with that, too. Apparently it's my body's optimal time to go. At least it's out of the way early!

That's it for now. I sure am glad tomorrow is Friday!

Beat Down and Brain Dead

I have worked all weekend long on six assigned papers for school, and a 10 question take-home essay test. I am mentally exhausted. I still have 2 questions left on the test to write, but everything else is done. And I am completely whipped. Not to mention I have upped my workouts from 30 minutes to an hour now, so now I'm really wiped out! I did 60 minutes on the treadmill yesterday, and I did 40 minutes of weightlifting and 20 minutes on the treadmill this morning. I am tired! Oh, and I'm cramping. Lovely. But I'm trying to power through. :)

It feels good to be working out, and I really think it's becoming part of my routine. I'm doing a 5K on June 13th and I am trying to improve my time. Last time I did a 5K I did it in an hour and eleven minutes. Not a great time others, but not bad for me. But this time I am trying to get it under an hour. I have a bit to go, but I think I can do it. No one cares about my time but me, and but it's important and it's one of those goals I can measure. After no movement on the scale, I need to be able to mark improvement somewhere!

So today I take my papers up to school to turn in to Dr. Hall. I like being in his class, and I have him for Crisis Intervention in the fall. I think it's going to be a good class! I do need a little break, though. I don't start summer school until the 27th, so I have a little time. (Yay!)

Have a good Monday, everyone!

Frustration

So I weighed in this morning after a disciplined week of careful eating and faithfully working out and what did the scale do? Absolutely nothing. I didn't lose an ounce!! Everyone has quickly reassured me that after the tremendous loss last week that this is normal. I know, I know. And top it off with it being "that time" of the month, I should have known, but the shock and disappointment were overwhelming. I'm okay and not depressed but I was just really disappointed. I know I can't let it get me down, but it's a little hard not to. But my body isn't fighting me, it's just learning to let go of the weight. I know how it works...been there before. It's just a bummer, that's all. So I'll keep at it and be just as determined this week. And who knows? Maybe next week the news will be better! (I do plan to try and kick up the workouts a notch, though!)

I helped my mother with a wedding reception for her friend's daughter today. It was a good amount of work but it went off very well. The bride was very pretty and it was a lovely afternoon. I allowed myself to share a piece of cake with mother, and it was worth it! (Very tasty strawberry cake!!!) I am going to go grab some dinner and then get back to writing essays and papers. My deadline is drawing near and I am getting into crunch time, but that's when I start to really do well. Somehow, I just do well under pressure. I hope that remains true!

Everyone enjoy their weekend!!

Becoming Who I Want To Be

I've always wanted to see myself as more of a physically active person. Maybe even athletic, although none of that has really ever described me very well. It was something I wanted but I never really worked for it, so I guess I didn't want it too much after all. I have always been the heavy girl, and somehow I learned to live with that. I wasn't okay with it, but I managed to accept that because I had friends who loved me for who I was. (Am I am so thankful for that, believe me!) I am blessed with a husband who loves me for me and I allowed myself to just accept that.

Until now.

Now, I am really wanting to see myself make those changes. I really WANT this so much...I want to see myself differently. It's not about aesthetics this time. It's about being healthy and active. And athletic. I still have fears about going to classes at the gym. There is a Sunday Yoga class that I'd like to try, but I'm really just not ready yet. The difference is that I know I will get there when I am ready. I can feel my attitude about fitness changing. I think I might be evolving slowly into someone who refuses to miss her workouts. I was concerned this morning that with David gone and not there to help motivate me at 4:30 in the morning that I might not get myself to the gym, but I did it!! I hit snooze once, but I did it. And that is a HUGE change for me! The old me would have decided that no one had to know, but the new me says that even if no one else knows, I will know and I am only in this for myself. No one cares as much about my weight loss as I do, so I would only let myself down. And I went, and it felt good!!

Now I am at work and enjoying a breakfast of cottage cheese and an orange. I have my meals planned out, and I am feeling really on top of things. I have wondered why I waited so long to get myself back into this place, and I don't have an answer for that. But I only care that I am in my zone now, and going strong. Maintaining that mindset won't always be so easy, but the key is pushing through. I sometimes imagine Jillian Michaels in my head when I am on the treadmill. Sometimes I just want to stop, but then I hear her telling me that a quitter would never reach her goals.

I'm not a quitter. Not this time. I'm finally in the right frame of mind and I'm in this for the long haul. And I like it!

Besides...for once in my life I'd like to my husband's arm candy! ;-)

A Day Of Rest

My body needed the day off from working out, so I slept in to a more human time this morning. (aka 6am) It felt good, too! But I know I'll be hitting it again at 5am tomorrow. It feels good to really be developing a routine and actually not dreading the alarm! I think it's paying off, so I'm happy to go with it!

Not much news this week. I will be buried in papers and exams until the 12th. Then I have a little time to relax before summer school begins. I'm taking Spanish both summer semesters, and I am excited to get that knocked out! I need to start prepping myself for Algebra. Going to take that this spring at TCC and get that done, too. I really need to finish my GEC coursework, but I am working on it. Slowly but surely!

WW is still going very well, and I am still very focused. I am having to make sure I eat my daily allotment of points...it's actually harder than I anticipated since I am so careful about what I eat!

David is enjoying his week in Denver. He'll be back Saturday evening, and I will be happy to see him!

Stay dry today!!