Surprise!

My boss came over to me yesterday and said...."you should 'work' from home tomorrow". WOOOHOOOO Surprise extra day off for me.

Wow...that was nice. Guess what I did....

I went for a walk. :) okay... I slept in a little as well. But got up - threw on the old clothes and headed out to the park. It was HUMID today. All that rain has pumped up the temps here in H-town. I was a little tired and sore but it was still nice to just get out and move.

Tonight we are doing a late dinner with another couple. The husband and I are going to share 2 appies between us instead of major meals. Then we are going to retire back to the friends house for some libations and to see in the new year.

I'm not a drinker - so I'm bringing my favorite Pink Grapefruit Perrier water. I love that stuff.

I stepped on the scale today and I am just a little bit lighter than I was last week. Dec 31st 2010 I weight 258.5 (down .3lb). This is the lowest that I've been in 2 years.

2011. Bring it! I can't WAIT to see how I master this year. Happy New Year to All!!!

Back in the Saddle

Back at the office for day 2 from holidays... omg its hard to get back into this routine after taking a break. Of course - there is really not a lot going on here that is keeping me busy.

Which lead me to my first epiphany of the year....

Stopping doing something for a significant amount of time makes its twice as hard to get back into it. I'm no rocket surgeon, this is not news. You all know where this is going. Lifestyle....Diet.... Exercise....Water consuption....

I'm really happy to report that I didn't say "EFF IT" over Christmas and just go all out on the eating and laying around. It would be three times as hard to get back into the water and eating habits if I had stopped.

As it was, I didn't track all my days of water and I guestimated a little more than usual as I had a less structured day. I'm finding it a little tough to get back into logging in my spreadsheet and making sure I have all the details. But I'm making myself do it.

Last night I had a little victory. I got home and the weather was HORRIBLE. Its bee pouring rain and storming... but I knew that I needed to get some exercise in. I asked the Hubby if he was interested in a quick walk in the walk in the rain. He was not. I had a fleeting moment where I thought, "I can make it up later". And then snapped out of it.

Later NEVER comes for me. Its always about here and now.

So I told him I was going out there - put on my long pants, long sleeve shirt, vest and a ball cap and headed out to the park. It was deserted, but I did my walk - I even did a couple little stints of ...*gasp* running. You know...just to try it out (need better bra!!).

Woke up this morning with that slight nice heat in my legs to tell me that they had done something. Pounding back my waters and had a big cottage cheese and pear breakfast. The rain is still here - but today is looking brighter already.

Back at work.

Oooooh, this morning it was tough to get out of bed and get showered, dressed and out the door. But... I did it!

Oatmeal for breakfast. About to go and get my coffee for the morning. I am planning a walk when I get home this evening. Dinner is salad with diced chicken.

Oh...and I'm wearing a 1x sweater today that I've had for 8 months...waiting for me to get into it. I put it on and couldn't believe that it fit. I wish that I had taken a picture of what it looked like 3 months ago.

*Big Grin*

Monday Weigh In!

Weigh in this morning....

285.8lbs

That is down 3.7lbs this week. YAY!!!!

I've been on this terrible "two steps forward, one step back" phase for the last 6 weeks and even though it is frustrating beyond belief, the end result this week is the lowest weight I've been at in a LOOOONG time. A year to be exact.

This graph says it all:

Last year on December 27th I was 297.8lbs. A 12lb difference to today. Wow. I'm really pleased with my water intake and my calorie counting and boy howdy, has it made a difference for me in the last 8 weeks.

Since October when I weighed in at my highest weight even (306.2) a short 10 weeks later I'm down 20lbs and setting myself up for real success.


This is the best gift that I have ever given to myself. I can't wait for 2011!

Post Xmas Shakedown

Here is a little pic of my christmas display. No tree this year... just this forest!!

The last few days have been pretty tame. Christmas morning was pretty easygoing. A stocking for me with some fun girly stuff in it. The Annie Lennox Christmas CD and the Savor Top 100 magazine for the husband. And of course - admiring of our new TV. Still a great idea.

We had a walk, then a lovely Irish breakfast after coming in from the cold. Crumpets (dry), 1/2c Heinz beans, 2 slices of irish bacon, and 2 poached eggs. Very nice!


The afternoon was goofing around with books and Netfix. I enjoyed the National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. One of my all time favorite movies.

Dinner was the most amazing bison roast, fingerling potatoes and asparagus. So yummy!!


Later in the eveniong we met up with friends to go and see TRON 2 in IMAX 3D. I was impressed. I know that there is a lot of ragging on it in the papers, but I thought that it was awesome. I go to the movies to be entertained and I was!

We had a nightcap and some great conversation over a drink and grilled cheese (shared with the husband). I know... very strange combo.

Yesterdays Food:

This mornings weigh in for the Challenge was up from yesterday by a pound, but still back down to under what I was the week before last. I am looking forward to my Monday morning weigh in! Getting my water in me today, and about to head out on a walk around the park! Its nippy out, but I'm going to layer up and go.

Todays food is:

Was the night before....

Christmas, and all through the house
not a crumb of junk food, not even enough for a mouse.


Todays walk was lovely. There was sunshine and crisp air. I love walking out in the park on days like that. Lots of people out smiling and walking dogs. Very nice morning.

I headed over to battle it out in the HEB. We needed the veg for tomorrows roast beast and some salad stuff to hold us over until the weekend passes. I got some more cottage cheese as well. I'm loving that stuff, even though I've not had any today or yesterday.

Tonight, since the husband is going to be doing a significant amount of cooking tomorrow, I'm taking him to dinner at a fabulous place called Ziggies Healthy Grill. There is some really amazing food there. Healthy is of course, "arguable". But they do a great job of outlining everything on the menu and not adding in sugar and extra fats.

Tomorrow morning will be my traditional "irish breakfast". I couldn't find any black and white pudding sadly. Damn SPECS was sold out. So its heinz beans, roasted tomatoes, irish bacon and poached eggs. I think the husband picked up some whole wheat english muffins as well.

We will set out for a nice big long walk in the morning. Pre-breakfast. Then the late afternoon roast bison.

TRON Later with friends and then really... back to normal life. Christmas is really not that big a deal without family and kiddies around. They are the ones that really make it.

I'll give the grandparents a call, and my brother and his family, talk to my mother, then call my bestie and let her tell me all the adventures of her family Christmas. Their little boy is 3 now. PRIME Christmas loving age.

In terms of the rest of me and this weight struggle. I'm feeling really good today. I have noticed a number of things that are going on. I suppose that I will hide them all down here at the bottom of this Loooong ass boring post.

NSV:
1. New dress pants... in 22! That is a size down!
2. Went to trim my toe nails and found that my legs got shorter...or is it just that I can REACH them easier!!
3. pulled on a tshirt today and did not have to spend 2 minutes stretching the thing out with my elbows to be able to wear it.

Not too shabby for a trio of Christmas gifts to myself.

Alright. Time to get productive. Too much time on the computer today and in front of the TV.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

procrastination!

I've been procrastinating on my morning walk!!! Must get it done.

Going ... NOW!