Spring is here!

It's been quite a while since I blogged! Just a quick update before my idea.

I've been pretty busy with work.. picking up extra shifts each week. The paychecks were nice, but it totally wore me out. I had several days off last week as I celebrated my birthday. =) I made sure I had a good time. My husband got me a gift certificate at a spa for a massage, body wrap, and facial. It was soooo nice! I've always wanted that kind of thing. I also spent time with family and friends and had a great week.

I haven't been perfectly eating and no formal exercise to speak of in a while. I'm determined to get back on track and be strict about it. I went to the gym today and did a cycle of the weight machines. Then we went to eat and I had turkey breast, green beans, cabbage, and salad. It was good. Made a trip to the grocery store to get some legal snacks and a few other things. I came home and did some cleaning and watched some tv. I love how exercising makes me want to do other healthy things and makes me want to be active. If I get to bed soon, I'm gonna try to get up earlier than usual and go to the gym tomorrow before work. I want to get back in the routine of working out (not to mention that the beach trip with my bff is less than a month away. Eek!!) I know I won't have a supermodel body, but surely I can improve a little bit by then. Either way, it's a step in the right direction toward my goals and I'll feel better.

So these are the snacks I have now:
cucumber, green pepper, celery (which I cut as soon as I got home. Prep is the key!) and ranch
peanuts
SF pudding
pork rinds
sugar snap peas
string cheese

I also got smoked sausage dogs, tilapia (frozen in a box. Never had it, but it looks good. We'll see.) asparagus, ham, and tuna. I have plenty of frozen veggies too. Now I have no excuses for the next couple days. ;-) I got a bottle of that new Mio water flavoring to try. Have you had any? I got berry pomegranate. mmmm Hope it's as good as it sounds!

Now... Spring is here! Although off and on these days, the warmer weather makes me think about summer and all of the things that I want to do. Beach trip next month, Steelers training camp in August, and all the other outdoor activities and daytrips I want to do. So as I was catching up on my dvr'd Heavy episodes, I was curious about fitness retreats. Now that may not sound like fun to some, but there's something about them I think I would love! Well.. I'll probably never know because holy crap those things are expensive!! lol So I thought, why not have my own?! No it wouldn't be at some luxurious hotel, but I could take a few days off and do the whole scheduled day kind of thing. So that's in my plans. When I have a few days off in a row, I'm  going to sit down and look at my Y classes and schedule myself to attend several in a day for a few days. In between classes, I'll have lunch and work out in the weight room doing cardio and weights. I figure if the fitness retreat people can do it, and the people on The Biggest Loser and Heavy can do it, why can't I?

This is a sample day at a retreat in Florida that I found on Google:

Breakfast
9am Warm Up
10am Beach Boot Camp
11am Pilates Mat
Break/Lunch
2pm Cardio Kickboxing
3pm Yoga
Relax/Spa/Dinner

They also listed various other classes.

The only problem I would have is that Y classes are in the mornings and evenings so I'd be on my own for the mid day thing. That would put me either doing stuff ALL day or having a huge break in the middle of the day (in which I might get unmotivated.) I don't know. I haven't figured out all the details, but I think it's a great idea. If I do it and like it, I may try to schedule myself for several days off every few weeks and keep it up.

What do you think? Any suggestions?

Got skin problems?

I ran across this article when I pulled up my Yahoo homepage. Eat this for gorgeous skin 

Basically, without saying it, their advice is to eat low carb. Score!! I invite you to read the whole article, but here are the highlights.

~ A research study of some residents of New Guinea and Paraguay had fabulous skin. What they didn't have in their diet? "the simple carbohydrates — such as white bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and sweets — that are the basis of our modern diet. These carbs send our insulin levels soaring, and researchers speculate that this sets off a series of reactions that leads to breakouts." AKA Low Carb

~ Eat plenty of essential fatty acids. "Fish is a great source of essential fatty acids (EFAs) like omega-3 and omega-6, which reduce inflammation in the body..... EFAs are also found in almonds, hazelnuts, and flaxseed." Not specifically LC, but very common foods in a LC diet

~ Avoid these: "certain foods and beverages, such as spices, cured meats, MSG, and alcohol (particularly red wine), cause blood vessels to dilate, bringing on facial redness" Also advised in a LC diet, except maybe the spices part of it. Spices are recommended for flavor, but they often contain additives that add carbs so they should be used in moderation.

~ FATS are NOT bad for you. "If you're getting fewer than 20 grams of fat a day (roughly 2 tablespoons of oil), your skin may not be able to lubricate itself and your body may not absorb enough vitamin A, which your skin needs to prevent premature aging." Enough said.

 Now, I know many of you eat low fat and I'm not bashing here. My motto is.. whatever works. Everyone is different and you should do what you can stick to and enjoy. All I'm saying is to think about some of these facts. Try to work some of this advise into your eating plan and see what happens.

I personally love low carb because of the awesomeness of my lower blood sugars and not needing insulin and because it helped me lose weight and keep it off. The science behind it makes sense to me and it seems more natural than all the processed low fat foods. I doubt our ancestors ate low fat cream cheese and bagels.

Anyway... My skin is NOT perfect, but I can definitely tell a difference in how it looks and feels when I eat low carb and when I don't. I still get zits here and there, especially during that time of the month and if I've been picking at my face (oops!) but I don't seem to get huge breakouts like I used to. Something to consider if you're looking for something new to try. =)

Busy week and thanks

Wow, what a busy week this is!! I worked Monday thru Wednesday and half of Thursday. Then Friday night is my niece's 13th birthday party. (awwww!!) and Saturday night I'm going out with my bff. Sunday and Monday I will basically rest (and hopefully get some exercise in) before I work Tues-Thurs next week.

So I've been slacking on eating right. Ugh! Trying to get my motivation back. Summer will be here soon and I also feel like CRAP right now. Too many carbs. Too high blood sugar. Too little energy. Blah. But, soon I will have something to keep me on track...


I was lucky enough to win a Fitbook from Kerri at Kat's Adventures in Dietland in a giveaway on her blog! (Go check her out!) I am SO excited to try it. They have a Fitbook Jr also that is geared more toward kids. I think I will get that for Monkey if it helps me stay on track like I think it will. I love writing stuff down and organizing it and all that jazz. Monkey is kinda like that too so I'll see what she thinks of mine and go from there. She's overweight and wants to lose it and Fitbook might help her to succeed. I can only control so much with her. She makes pretty good choices much of the time, but not as often as she should. She also needs to get more exercise (like mommy.) They just don't get out and play at school or home as much as I did as a kid. Anyway, I can't wait to get my Fitbook. Woooo hoooo!!! =)

I also won a bottle of Vidazorb probiotics from Colleen at Bee Fit recently! (Check her out too!) I'm excited to receive those also. I've never used probiotics, but I've heard good things about them. Apparently I have some good winning mojo lately! lol

I wish the mojo would transfer to other areas of my life as well! I'm having some money issues right now due to insurance taking ALL of my check that I should be getting this Friday. If you've been reading my blog for a little while, you know that I was out of work for over 3 months because of a sickness. Well, my insurance ran out toward the end of that time due to non-payment. Well, duh.. I'm not working! So they took my paycheck. It wasn't a full check, but still.. I need that money! I have nothing to fall back on. Now I won't get a check for 2 more weeks and have to hope that we can make it AND that they won't take any more of my money! *Note to self.. call Benefits!*

So that's been my week. I haven't gotten any formal exercise, but I've been super busy at work and for the most part, only sat long enough to document a little at a time. My legs definitely feel it so I'm counting it as walking. lol

Do you use Fitbook or Fitbook Jr?
Have you ever taken probiotics?
Would you like to send me money? haha 

Tell me your experiences with either and/or let me know how you've been! I am so behind on reading your blogs. Work is evil! lol

Worn out and busy

Phew! Going back to work has wiped me out! lol I work 12 hour shifts, so on the days I work I don't do much else. Just wanted to let y'all know that I'm still alive and kickin! Working again tonight (3rd in a row) and half a shift on Thursday. Insurance took my whole paycheck that I should be getting on Friday to pay back from when I was out. Great. How am I supposed to survive?!! SO mad. Anyway, I'll post soon. Doing good with food and I'm rarely off my feet at work, so that counts as exercise, right? =) Goodnight!

Pampered Chef invite

I had my Pampered Chef party tonight. Man I love that stuff!! It motivates me to cook, which is always a good thing when you're trying to eat right. ;-) I don't have nearly as many items as I want though! At some point, I'd like to become a consultant, if for nothing else than to buy stuff for my own kitchen. lol We made barbecue chicken pizza. SO good. Not low carb, but it was planned so I didn't feel guilty. It was very quick and easy... my kind of cooking!

I'm gonna put this out there... I'm not closing out my party until Sunday. If you would like to order some PC, I'm inviting you to order under my show. I don't care if it's $5 or $500 worth. You can order online and have it shipped directly to you! It would really help me out and who doesn't love PC?! =) Just go here and click "shop online." Enter my name as the host and shop your healthy heart out. (Leave me a comment with your email addy and I'll email you my full name. I moderate comments before they are posted so I'll email you and delete your comment so nobody will ever see your addy.)

I love all the home party type businesses. I've sold Partylite, Tupperware, Mary Kay, Avon and thought about several others. lol I recently discovered Thirty One and fell in love. Someone at work is selling it I believe and I want the whole catalog! Cute stuff. Obviously, I also love PC. I could spend SO much money on all of these products. I might need a 2nd job so I can get my fix. haha!!

Do you like home party businesses? Which ones? Do you sell anything?

Better night

Tonight was a better night. The day started out kinda crappy because I had to get up early and go by Occupational Health and went through a bunch of junk there and I have to get up early tomorrow to deal with the same junk, but I'm much better emotionally right now. I had a good night working my 6 hours. I'm pretty tired, but hoping that as I get well physically and get back into working, that I'll get used to it again and won't be so tired. Talking so much really wears me out. I can tell that I strain a lot more than I used to do. I still have a lot of work to do on my voice, but hope to get better quickly. *crossing fingers*

I ate well before work, but on the way home I was SO hungry and knew I didn't have anything to eat at home, so I stopped and got a burger and fries. Ugh. My eating is so off lately. I do good for a meal, then bad, then good... I need to get back on track and stay there. I had been really good at logging my food in a notebook and it kept me motivated. Gotta get back to that.

I haven't gotten any "formal" exercise this week, but work is busy and I'm constantly on my feet and walking and pulling and all that other nursey stuff so it's better than sitting on my butt all night. It might not sound like much, but after I graduated school and started working, I lost 15 pounds without changing anything else. Nursing is a very physical job and although it doesn't take the place of planned exercise, it does help to keep me active. Gotta work out my gym routine too. I just got my schedule for the next 6 weeks so I'm gonna try to sit down and plan out my exercise. Schedule it like appointments and see how well that works. It's a process... lol Right now I just have a calendar for work nights and appointments, but I think I might try to write in my exercise days and times too.

Ok.. off to bed so I can get up early and take care of big company politics. Sigh. Hope everyone has a great day!

How do you plan your exercise? Do you have it all written out or just wing it? 
Do you have a fitness/diet log and if so, what do you use? (I just ran across Fitbook and found it interesting. I might try to get one for me and the Junior one for my daughter that wants/needs to lose some weight. I think she would enjoy doing that with me.)

Back to work

I went back to work tonight for the first time in months. It was a little overwhelming, but I'll be back in the swing of things in no time. I only worked my 6 hours and I'm glad because I do NOT want to go backwards, healthwise. The thing that bothered me was that a few people had attitudes toward me. I just don't get it. I didn't enjoy being out of work for so long or feeling like crap or going to so many doctor appointments. I wouldn't wish any of the past few months on anyone. I was glad to be back! I mean.. it's work, ya know, but I was still glad that I was healthy enough to go back. I try not to let what others think bother me, but I have to work with these people and I hate feeling the way I do right now. I'm mad and hurt. Blah. It just reconfirms how much I want to find a new job. I love most of the people I work with and that's what has kept me where I am, but I'm so ready for a change. I just don't like it and I'll be damned if I'm going to spend a day more than I have to being miserable. I love nursing, but not where I am. Especially now... why would I want to work somewhere, where people that should be glad I'm back, give me looks and make smartass comments. I hope they never have to go through serious health problems, and until they do, they need to NOT f'n judge me. Yeah.. I'm mad.

Normal life.. maybe?

Last Thursday I went into work to do some education on things that had changed since I have been out of work. I wasn't feeling well, but wanted to get it out of the way because I am going back to work this week. Yep.. finally! I'm still not 100% since getting this recent cold, but I do feel a lot better. At the advice of my nurse educator, I had the Dr write me a note to work 6 hours per shift, instead of 12, this week so I don't have a relapse (hopefully!) Luckily, I am able to do this because for the next 2 weeks I will be on "orientation" with another nurse to get back into the swing of things before I'm on my own again.

I'm nervous about going back. I'm glad, but things change quickly around there and I'm afraid I'll be too far behind. I'm also worried about a few of my coworkers that probably think badly of me for being out so long. I wish they understood that I didn't enjoy being out for so long. I didn't WANT to be broke or not be able to walk without being winded or have a tube shoved up my nose and down my throat to look at my vocal cords. I didn't enjoy any of that. I would've rather been miserable at work like the rest of them. lol But I guess I can't worry about what others think. I had to do what was best for me.

I've gotten really behind in blogging and reading other blogs. I think part of the reason is that I haven't been doing so good at eating or exercising. I haven't been motivated and didn't feel like writing. I didn't fall off the wagon, but I'm not the driver right now either. Starting tomorrow, I will get back on it. Maybe getting back to "normal" life will help. Summer will be here before I know it and I want to wear a bathing suit and look the best I can when I go to the beach! I don't want to look back at all the time I wasted. So I will STOP the cheat meals and snacks and bites. I will START exercising regularly again. I enjoy it, but it's so hard to get back into when I've been out of the routine. It's been nicer outside lately, so that does help. I'm going to have to figure out how to work exercise into my work schedule again. I had gotten used to just doing it when I felt like it because I didn't have anything to work around. I need to do it though. No excuses!

I'm gonna try to catch up on some of your blogs now. I feel so out of the loop! lol Send me good thoughts tomorrow night! =)

Still around

I'm still around. Last week I was pretty busy. I went to the speech therapist and did some vocal exercises with her. I actually heard my real voice for the first time in months! I have to work at it to talk right though and surprisingly, it wore me out. So I was working on that and getting laughed at by my kids when my voice would go out and I'd have to kind of do this "ohhhhhhhmmmmm" thing to get it back. Gotta love it. lol

So Monday afternoon I woke up (yeah, I'm still on vampire hours) and got ready. Hubby and I were going out to dinner. Well, my oldest had plans so we ended up taking the youngest with us. I started feeling bad. I had a headache, sore throat, and just all sinus-ey. Hoping it was just allergies, we went to dinner. Later that night I had the worst pain in my stomach. I just KNEW I had the awful stomach bug that my daughter had earlier. The stomach thing only lasted a few hours though. Currently, I have a head cold, sore throat, fever, and cough. Please send me good thoughts! I was JUST getting ready to go back to work and this happens. I hope it goes away quickly. I can't handle another serious bronchitis thing like I just got over.

Ok.. I'm going back to sleep. Just wanted to post a quick update. Hope everyone is doing well!

Superbowl Sunday!!!

It's Superbowl Sunday!! The best day ever... especially if your team is in it (and wins!) Go Steelers!!! That's what is on my mind today. Well.. that, and the fact that my Bug has a stomach bug. =( But we are gonna think positively on this post. She's feeling a little better than she was earlier this morning.

We'll be chowing down on wings, dip with celery, pork rinds, and maybe some pepperoni chips and flax chips, and mixed nuts. I might make tortilla pizzas or naked cheeseburgers and maybe a salad. I'll have to see what kind of mood we're in when dinnertime gets here. I also have plenty of Mich Ultra and the amount consumed will depend on how the game goes! lol

What will you be eating on this glorious day?

Just call me all 7 dwarfs

Quick! Name them before you read!


Yes I mean it!

Ok.. ready?





Happy- The ENT appointment went well. No cancer or anything else bad that shouldn't be there. Yay!! The scoping wasn't nearly as bad as I was imagining! Plus, it was kinda cool to see everything from the camera after the Dr was done looking.

Sneezy- The numbing medicine has worn off and now I'm sneezy, snuffy, and sinusy. Oh and my throat is sore too.

Sleepy- Yeah, I haven't been to bed since 10pm last night.

Grumpy- Well, only a little bit. Hormones and the ups and downs of all this health stuff. Plus I have to go to speech therapy because one of the common causes of this lingering laryngitis is because you get used to straining your muscles to talk and after the infection or whatever is gone, you have to retrain your voice. Another common reason is "silent reflux." I've never been prone to heartburn, in fact the first time I EVER had it was when I was pregnant with my first daughter, but ehhhh. I'll give the meds a try. (Plus I have to go back to work, which is good, but it's work! lol)

Dopey- I'm normally kinda loopy anyway, but I'm reaaaally tired and it's getting dangerously dopey in here....

Bashful- My throat is kinda red and irritated. That'll have to count.

Doc- Well, I'm a nurse... you know, the one that's with the patient for 12 hours and does all the work?! hehe

How many dwarfs did you get right?

ENT in the morning

I have to go to the ENT doctor in the morning. I admit, I'm very nervous about what's going to happen and what he's going to say. I'm usually ok about Dr appointments, but this one is getting to me.

In case you're new around here, here's a quick recap...

On Oct. 23rd I came down with a cold, including laryngitis. That turned into bronchitis. I was VERY weak and fatigued, had shortness of breath, and a cough. After the cold symptoms disappeared, I still had the weakness, shortness of breath, and laryngitis. My lungs were clear on xray and I had very little wheezing, but for me to walk to the kitchen to get a drink wore me out. It was awful!! I went to my family Dr several times, then to the pulmonologist a few times. Last week he referred me to the ENT for my laryngitis since the other symptoms are gone now. Yes, that's right.. I haven't had a full voice for over 3 months!! It's crazy.

So tomorrow I go see what the ENT Dr has to say. I don't know if they're going to scope me to look at my vocal cords tomorrow or not. I'm assuming that's what they'll do to see what's going on. That's what the Pulmonary Dr said too. I just don't know when to expect it and I think know that's part of why I'm so anxious. Then of course, there's the thought of some camera on a tube being shoved up my nose. Yeah.. so not ok with that!

Being a nurse (and even beforehand) I've always been a pretty good patient. I'm friendly and try to do what I'm told (assuming I agree with it. You have to advocate for yourself!) But I swear they may have to knock me out. lol I had a flu test done once. The kind where they stick a culture stick up your nose, past the point where anything should go, and omg that was terrible! Of course, I had another kind done during this most recent fiasco when they had to flush saline up both sides and back out. I guess it was like how a netti pot would be. I personally don't see how anyone could do that to themselves! Fluids shouldn't go up your nose. They just shouldn't. Sorry.. got kind of off track there.

Being anxious, I'm feeling munchy. I'm NOT hungry and I know that, but I sure wanna munch. Stupid emotional eating. There's no junk food in the house, but there are things that are too high carb for me, even though they are healthy. Like that banana that's calling me. I love banana and peanut butter. Technically I could have half, but even though I'm on maintenance and can have higher carb stuff in moderation, I try to stay away from it for blood sugar reasons. I decided to have celery and peanut butter (and some with whipped cream cheese) instead. Go me! =) Good thing I don't have any nuts. I'd eat the whole jar. And THAT'S why I didn't buy them. I usually do ok with them, but last time I went overboard. Figured I needed a break from them.

Ok.. I think I'm gonna take a xanax and just try to relax and not think about tomorrow. I'll update sometime after the appointment. Please send me good vibes! I don't want any bad news. I really don't know WHAT I want them to tell me, because if they don't find anything, that would suck too. lol

New things

After being inspired by Jewlia Goulia's New Years resolution to try one new fruit a month (which she is doing in epic proportions!) I decided that I would like to try some new fruits and veggies also. I didn't make any specific plan, but while walking through the produce section, I saw an eggplant. It was calling out to me with all it's purple mysteriousness... buy me. try me. it's ok, you'll find that recipe for me, that you don't even remember what it was, but you'll find it and like it. So I did. I bought the convincing eggplant. My hubby asked what I was gonna make with it. I said "hmmm. I'm not sure yet." He started laughing. I gave him "the look" and asked why he was laughing at me. He said "I got a picture in my head of you holding one hand to your chin like The Thinker and the other hand holding the eggplant." I must admit, that's pretty funny. I will update you on the eggplant tastiness after I figure out what I want to do with it.

 

Recently, I posted about doing 30 Day Shred. Well, it's been too long I think, so I'm gonna restart it. But I got some 2lb weights to use this time. Monkey (the 11yr old) picked them up and said "these aren't heavy!" I explained how heavy that light weights can get after using them over and over. She seemed satisfied with that answer. 

Today starts a new 6 week challenge at work. The rules to complete it are to log at least 1000 minutes of exercise AND eat at least 5 servings of fruit/veggies a day. That should be no problem for a low carber like me. ;-) The incentive is a long sleeved t-shirt. I've done a few of these challenges, but the 2 most recent ones involved exercise plus another requirement. Before, they were only certain exercise rules. This fruit/veggie part should help with the experimenting of new ones. And the exercise part should help get me re-motivated. Yippee!!

Have you tried anything new lately?

I'd like to thank...

I just received my very first blogger award! Maybe it's silly to be so excited, but I am. =) Thank you Bethany at B getting hot!. I give you one right back!

With this award comes a to-do list:

1. Link back to the person who gave the award to you
2. Share seven things about yourself
3. Pass the award on to 15 recently discovered great bloggers (or as many as you can).
4. Contact those bloggers and tell them they’ve won.

So here are 7 things about me:

1. I want a weenie dog. Bad. As soon as we move to a place where I can have one, I will. I also kind of want a BIG dog so that I can walk them both at the same time. How cute! hehe
2. I grew up in Montana and still consider it my hometown. I'm grateful for the small town values I learned there.
3. I found out I was a type 2 diabetic when I was 18, just after graduation. I wish I knew about low carb then!
4. I'm a total 80's hairband girl to this day. I do like some newer rock, but most of the time my Sirius is on Hair Nation.
5. I can say my alphabet backwards. The weird thing is that my bff (also named Brandi) can do it too. <cue Twilight Zone music>
6. I am determined to figure out a way to go to NY and have a makeover done by Carmindy (of What Not To Wear fame.)
7. I love flip flops. Insanely. I love Old Navy's 2 for $5 ones and I have a ton of them. Flip Flop Heaven we call it. =)

Now here are my nominations in no particular order:

• Skinny Emmie
• The Great Fitness Experiment
• Escape From Obesity (This is the first blog that I found and caused me to become addicted to them. Lyn is amazing! So is her low carb meatloaf recipe that led me to her. You gotta try it!)
• Diary of a Mad, Fat Woman
• Operation Shrink Charlie's Big Butt
• All Day I Dream About Food
• Goodbye, Fat Girl
• The Right To Bare Arms
• Plump Nonfiction
• Scale Junkie Weight Loss Blog
• Smaller Fun Pants
• Fit & Healthy by 2012-2
• 2 Fat Chicks With A Mission
• Jewlia Goulia 

I hope you check these blogs out. I really enjoy them. Now I'm off to notify these people and catch up on them myself!

Yummy peanut butter

My poor little neglected blog. Can you ever forgive me?

I haven't posted in a few days. I haven't done much of anything the last few days actually. Sunday I watched the playoffs and I'm SO excited that my Steelers are going to the Superbowl!! I don't talk about it much here because this is more of a health and fitness blog, but I LOVE the Steelers. I'm super pumped and can't wait for the game. I hope they win so I'm not sad and depressed. lol Football makes me very emotional... more so than it should. (eek!) I took a xanax to pre-medicate in case the game didn't go my way. It ended up knocking me out so I was kinda in and out toward the end of the game. My back was hurting too so I was lying on the couch (which didn't help the sleepiness.)

On Monday, we went to my mom's to eat dinner. It was beef stew and biscuits. Higher carb than I normally eat, but it was very good and since money is tight, we weren't gonna turn down a free meal cooked by mom! It was good to just hang out and talk with her. I love my mommy. =) When we got home, a friend asked if I wanted to come over and chill out so I did. Had a lot of fun there too! It was a good day, even though I didn't get any exercise done.

Tuesday I didn't do much. My back was killing me! Today I had a Dr appointment with the pulmonologist. He finally referred me to the ENT (ear, nose, throat) Dr. I go on Tuesday. I don't know if they will evaluate me and then schedule a later appointment to scope me or if they'll do it then. I hate not knowing what to expect. Yikes! I may need some major anti-anxiety meds. I'm SO not comfortable with someone putting a tube with a camera up my nose and down my throat to look at my vocal cords! I get nauseated putting an NG tube in a patient. Ughhhhh!!!  {happy thoughts. happy thoughts...}

So I might try to Shred again tonight, but the coffee table is kinda mocking me. Maybe I better wait til tomorrow when my hubby can help. lol

I made cookies.. from scratch.. tonight. I haven't baked in quite a while. My lil monkey helped me. We had fun. I used to bake ALL the time. Especially when I was a teenager and early 20's. I baked and cooked often. Rarely went out to eat. That's just how I was raised. Somewhere along the way, I got warped. lol Anyway, I made chocolate chip cookies for hubby. He did me a huge favor and I told him I'd get him cookies. He buys the Pillsbury tube kind, but I had the stuff, so I just made them. I substituted half the sugar for Splenda and I admit I did have a few. Then I decided to make some low carb peanut butter cookies since I had a recipe and I wanted a legal treat. The recipe I had was...

1 C peanut butter
1/2 C Splenda (another recipe called for 1 C. I just did 1/2)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Roll into balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Press with fork tines. Bake 10-15 minutes at 325.

These didn't expand too much, but they were a nice little treat.

Do you have a favorite treat or snack? RECIPE SWAP!! =)

Day 1 of 30 Day Shred

I finally got my copy of Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred dvd that I ordered with exercise points from work. Since I didn't make it to the gym today (I blame Mr. Sandman!) I decided (at 3am) that I was gonna do it. I hadn't exercised since Monday and that just wasn't gonna cut it. So I had my husband help me move the coffee table out of the way so I'd have room to fall over dead. haha I think I tweaked my back a little moving the table. I was lifting and he was pushing. We weren't on the same wavelength. I'm not positive, but I didn't notice any pain before the table incident and it was before the video, so that's just my educated guess.

So the table is moved and I'm ready. It's only a 20 minute workout so that is very cool. I don't like that I will have to listen to the intro every time, but oh well. Not that big of a deal. There are 3 levels. Of course, I started on level 1. She does what she calls 3-2-1 intervals plus a warm up and cool down. It's 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio (or the other way around?) and 1 minute of ab work. I don't have light hand weights so I just did the exercises without. I guess I could've used cans or something like I've heard before, but I didn't. I did all of level 1 and only had to stop to catch my breath during cardio a couple times. Jump roping is evil. Just sayin...

Then my hubby says "Let's see what level 2 is like." For the record, he started level 1 with me, but there just isn't enough room for us both to do it at the same time. I think he was ok with that. So, we put it on level 2. I decided I would be a (crazy) trooper and see what I could do of that also. I have to say, I did about half of it. We watched part of level 3, but then I decided I REALLY needed a shower so we turned it off. I went to shower and he went to bed.

I can't guarantee that I'll do this for 30 days in a row, but I'd definitely like to work it into my routine. Especially on days when I can't go to the gym or run outside. It's only 20 minutes which is a definite plus. The only downside is moving the coffee table. haha

I've heard people talk about how tough it is. I'm NOT saying that it's easy, but I was kind of expecting more. I'm sure I'll get it on the next levels though. I used to do Slim in 6 and I found that to be harder on level 1. Maybe because Si6 is twice as long (I have the old one that's a little longer) or maybe I was more out of shape then (is that possible??) but I look forward to seeing how well this works. Either way, I have a love/hate relationship with both Jillian and Debbie from Si6. lol I'm gonna measure tomorrow so I'll have a baseline. I haven't measured in a couple weeks so I definitely need to do that. I hope it helps whip me into bikini ready shape and lose the muffin top in my smaller jeans. Eek!

Have you done 30 Day Shred? What did you think? Did it work well?
How about Slim in 6?
What videos make you wish you had a voodoo doll of the instructor?

Soul Shine

"Let your soul shine,
It's better than sunshine,
It's better than moonshine,
Damn sure better than rain.
Yeah now people don't mind,
We all get this way sometimes,
Gotta let your soul shine, shine till the break of day."
 ~Allman Brothers

No, I didn't invite you here for a sing-a-long (although you can if you want!) There's just something about that song that speaks to me.

I laid down early tonight.. about 2:30.. and tossed and turned for about an hour before I decided to get up for a little bit. As I was trying to sleep, I realized that I was CRAVING yoga. Body and soul. Too bad more places don't cater to night workers. The only time you (as in general public, not you as in you sitting there in the blue shirt with the donut. Put it down!!) think about us is when you need a trip to the ED or have a craving for <insert junk food here> at the convenience store. Ok, maybe that's not quite true, but sometimes it seems like it. haha

I did BodyFlow on Monday and that seems like SO long ago! I knew I liked it, but I didn't realize just how much I needed it. I like the poses and the feeling I get from doing it. I like the environment of the class, even though it's not a real yoga studio. There is a class in the morning (just a few hours from now.. ugh) at 9:30 that I would really like to go to, but because I can't sleep, I probably won't make it. That stresses me out. I've become addicted to the classes even though I can't seem to make it to them nearly as often as I'd like. I enjoy the weights and running too, but I like to do all of it and I feel like I'm missing something when I don't go to a few classes a week.

I've always been drawn to a couple other cultures. As a kid, and still somewhat now, I liked the Native American life. I was curious about it and even have a dreamcatcher tattoo on my leg. I'm also drawn to Eastern ways. Alternative medicine, yoga, that kind of stuff. I don't know a whole lot about yoga... I mean there are a LOT of poses and several styles of yoga, but I love the idea. I'd like to study it more in depth, but I don't really know how. I don't know what kind I'd enjoy most and certainly can't afford a yoga studio class anyway. I know several basic poses, but I don't know the practice well enough to feel like I could do it at home and flow properly without the direction of a video. I'd like to get to the point where I could go to the beach or the mountains or the parking lot down the street and do it correctly. One day... ;-)

Well.. now that I've blogged and the cats are all wound up, I'll give sleep another shot. Goodnight!

Do you ever crave a certain type of exercise or just exercise in general?
Do you practice yoga and what style do you like? Why?

RevolutionaryAct.com | Being Healthy Is a Revolutionary Act

(I told you I wouldn't make it to sleep!) Anywho... just wanted to pass this on really fast. It's a great idea. I think most of us could stand to improve our health. Check this site out and if nothing else, download the pdf to read. I liked it. Hope you do too. Let me know what you think!

RevolutionaryAct.com | Being Healthy Is a Revolutionary Act

Vampire hours

I've been out of work for almost 3 months (!!!!) and I can't seem to break my vampire hours. I work 7p-7a so I sleep during the day. I rarely flip flop my schedule, like some do, because I'm more of a night owl anyway. I've tried several times since I've been out of work though. I just can't seem to make myself fall asleep at a "decent" hour, nor get up early enough to be tired by said decent hour. I mean, it's 3am and I just made myself a smoothie. Sigh.

Nighttime (after the family is in bed) is MY time. It's when I read blogs and write in mine. I watch Investigation Discovery channel or A&E or wherever else I can find strange interesting shows. I tend to get very inspired. Very motivated. I make plans for tomorrow. I'm gonna get up early and go for a wog (walk/jog.) I'm gonna go to the gym, no, I'm gonna wog TO the gym THEN workout! I'm gonna work so hard, I'm gonna leave a size smaller! (Ok.. maybe that's a bit much, but you get the point.) But you wanna know what happens?

pssssttt It's 3am and I'm still wide awake...

I won't be able to sleep until 6 or 7. Then I'll sleep til 4 or 5. Then I have to figure out what to fix for dinner. Breakfast? and I won't make it to the gym.

That's what has happened the past few days. I need a 24 hour gym, but I really like the Y. The whole family can go and I like their programs. So I need to MAKE myself go after I wake up in the evening or I need to MAKE myself flip flop my schedule until I can go back to work. Something's got to give. Sigh.

A bit of happier babble.. I got to see my bff today (it's been way too long!) and I had to go by work to put my next schedule in, so I got to see some of my work people. I haven't seen them in even longer! lol

I went to my bff's Pampered Chef party. I *love* their products, but have just a few little things because I usually can't afford it. I agreed to have a party next month and might buy a kit to become a consultant. My thought is.. I can buy the kit, which includes a lot of product, for a great price. Then if I can sell it, great! If not, I have many of the things that I want. Soooooo if any of you want some Pampered Chef stuff, let me know. I'll be happy to take your orders. =)

Ok.. I'm gonna TRY to relax and maybe sleep. Oh who am I kidding?! But either way, I'm done sharing my fascinating news for now. Hope you have a great day!

Do you work nights and if so, do you flip flop your schedule?

I won!

Last week I entered a contest to win an EatSmart scale at Scale Junkie's blog and I won! I'm so excited! My old scale has been fluctuating a lot. It didn't used to do that. I don't know if it's the scale or if I'm really going up and down that much from day to day, but I guess I'll have a better idea when I get this one. =) Thank you so much!!

I didn't make it to the gym today like I had planned. I must have been exhausted because I slept ALL day! (Even though I haven't been working, I still seem to be on my vampire hours.) I hate days when I planned on exercising and I don't make it. Blah. Maybe I'll do some crunches and leg lifts or something tonight. Maybe some yoga. These days I feel so lazy and blobbish when I don't work out. That is such a weird feeling for me. I used to be a person that could sit on the couch in my pajamas for days, just watching tv and be content with that. I like the active me much better. ;-)

Variation

I think it's important to keep life interesting. Same goes with exercise. If you get bored with it, you're more likely to quit. When I first started going to the gym again, I did the same couple of things every time... treadmill, cycle of weight machines. That was pretty much it. Once in a while I'd do a little bit on the bike or *attempt* to do the elliptical (am I the ONLY one who can't do that thing more than a minute or so???) Lately I've been taking some classes that I have taken in the past. I love them! I've also been running outside which is nice.

The classes I've done so far are:

BodyPump which is a cardio-strength class. There are 2 instructors and loud, pumping music. You have a bar and plates and they tell you when to add or take weight off. I kept it light the whole time and felt it for days. lol But in a good way.

BodyFlow which is a class that mixes yoga, pilates, and tai chi. It's quite a workout, but in a different way. You do the typical poses, but the pace is faster than a yoga class. I really enjoy it.. even when I can't balance and tip over. haha!

Yoga is cool too. Last Thursday I did BodyPump then yoga. Both classes are an hour long. The yoga really helped me stretch and relax after pumping it up. I think that's why I wasn't as sore as my husband was. hehe

There are a few other classes I'd like to check out also.  

BodyStep is a fast paced step class from what I can tell and BodyCombat is more martial art-ish. (That one kinda scares me. I don't know if I'll be able to do it.) RPM is a bike class that's part of the same exercise series. The Body----- classes are intense so I know they would be a great workout!

I'd like to try Zumba, but ask anyone who's seen me at the bar, I'm not much of a dancer. ;-) But I'd like to do it at least once.

I want to take the Pilates class too.

(You can find out more about the Body---- classes here. The BodyFlow class I talk about is called BodyBalance there. No clue why.)

I'm still doing the Couch to 5K program and hoping that I truly will be able to run the whole time by the end of it. I do the weight machines too. I've been running on the track instead of the treadmill. I just seem to like it better when I'm changing speeds, but will use it again when I want a steady pace. I'd like to work more cardio machines in to my workout. For now, I'm loving the classes and running outside.

One of my goals (see the tab above) is to run a 5K this year. Run. Eek! I have 2 that I'm interested in. One in May and one in September. I kinda like running (who said that?!) but I don't want to ONLY run. I really enjoy BodyFlow and yoga. It helps me relax and workout at the same time and I just feel like I'm more holistic when I do them.

I can't wait until I can run. Until I have a lean, toned body. Until I'm fit and healthy. I'll never be a supermodel, but I can be the best ME that I can be and that's what I'm focused on.

What are your goals? What exercises do you do/enjoy?

Priorities

I'm really trying to improve my health. I want to be fit. I want to be happy with my body and how I look and feel. I want my diabetes to be well controlled. I've been making those changes over the past year. In February of 2010 I restarted Atkins for the umpteenth time. I did very well.. stayed focused and motivated and I reached a goal I had set by the date I set it. I went to the gym several times a week and stuck to my low carb way of eating. I rarely cheated and felt great!

In June I started cheating more and more. I quit going to the gym. I had gotten out of the routine and it was HARD to get back into it. I maintained my weight, but I didn't feel as good. It took me a few months to get back to it. In September I quit all the cheating and started low carb strong again. I still couldn't get the gym routine back though. I lost a few more pounds in spite of that. Then in October I got sick. I have been sick for months. Recently though, I have been feeling better. I still get some fatigue and shortness of breath, but not nearly as bad as before. A few weeks ago, I started going to the gym regularly again. My weight hasn't really changed. It fluctuates between 131-134 day to day. But I feel great going to the gym again!

Thursday I went to a BodyPump class (a cardio-strength class that kicks ass!) then went to a yoga class to stretch and relax afterward. Friday I didn't make it to the gym, but I went outside and did my Couch to 5K program. I had planned on running down a sidewalk on a street near where I live, but it was getting dark so I just ran around a circle in my apartment complex so I could stay closer to home. It was cold, but I was determined to get some exercise in. My bff swears the pod people have taken over. Sometimes I think she's right! But I'm trying to stay motivated. I want to get in shape and I do actually enjoy exercise, it's just getting TO the gym (aka off the couch) that I have a hard time with sometimes.

This has been on my mind and I want to share it. The other day, someone told me that my priorities had changed. Normally I would've been proud that I'm putting my health above some other behaviors (couch potato-ing), but I sensed that this wasn't coming from a good place. They said that they were happy for me that I was happy and feeling good and I believe that, but I felt like they thought I was putting exercise above relationships. I felt horrible that they felt this way. I certainly never meant to make anyone feel like that. Just because I've put fitness higher on my priority list does NOT mean that I've lowered anything else. The people in my life absolutely mean the world to me and without them, there would be no point in trying to improve myself. Who would care? I hope that my people know just how much I love them! I've just spent most of the last 2 1/2 months on the couch because I wasn't physically able to do much. Now that I can do more, I want to get out there and do it. I want exercise to be a regular part of my schedule again and I want it to be a habit before I go back to work so that I will fit it into that schedule too. I'm hoping that some exercise will help me get better so that I CAN go back to work too. (I need some beach money!! hehe) So, to all of you out there... make your health a high priority, but make sure that your people know that they come first. Tell them how much they mean to you and that they can never lose you. Ever. =)

Reverb10 catch up

Dec. 26 Prompt: Soul food. What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul? 

Hmmm.. The first thing that comes to mind is ice cream at Fat Matt's in Myrtle Beach. Is that bad? Probably, but it was sooo good and I had the best company ever!

Dec. 27 Prompt: Ordinary joy. Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?

I love hearing my girls giggle. It's such a simple thing, but when they start, it makes me start too. Happy children is a good thing!

Dec. 28 Prompt: Achieve. What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.

I'm gonna keep this short and sweet. I have a goal page that is a work in progress. The link is at the top of this page. Check it out. 

Dec. 29 Prompt: Defining moment. Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year. 

Everytime I chose to do something good. Whether it was for my health. For my happiness. For someone else. I think all of those moments affected my life. I'm in the process of improving myself and that is neverending. There is always room for improvement is various areas of our lives. We just have to recognize it and work on it. 

Dec. 30 Prompt: Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What's the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?

Love. From family and friends. I am very lucky to have the most wonderful people in my life. I wouldn't be the person I am if it weren't for them. They are always there to make me smile and give me support when I need it. I love each of them unconditionally and try my best to always be there when they need me.

Dec. 31 Prompt: Core story. What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.)

Wow. I'm just a small town girl, livin in a looooonely world... Oh wait. That's not me. Well, it kind of is, but.. I don't know. I just try to be a good person to others and to myself. I'm a mom, wife, friend, and nurse. A sister, aunt, cousin, neighbor. I'm a lot of things and each one has a different story. (I feel like I should be talking to a psychiatrist all of the sudden. haha!) I'm just me and my story changes daily. =)

Dr appointment

I went back to the Dr.. again. It's still snowy and icy around here, so the office called to see if I could come any earlier than what my scheduled appointment was. Well, by the time I woke up and got the message and got ready, I was only 30 minutes early. They told me the doctor had gone home because they were closing early and didn't I get the messages at home and on my cell? What?! They said NOTHING about closing early. Ugh.. However, there was another Dr. there that was able to see me. Thanks doc!

He looked through my chart and did the basic checking me out. Asked some questions and said he would update the other doctor. He was surprised that my voice has been gone for so long (since Oct. 23rd!!) He said to talk as little as possible, preferably not at all, for the next few days. Eek!! Ok, I really doubt it'll help because my voice shows NO improvement after waking up from a nice, long slumber, but I'll do it just to say I did. Who knows.. maybe I'll be surprised. I told him I hadn't smoked since Dec. 27th (go me!) and he was happy about that, but obviously that wasn't what was causing my laryngitis.

I haven't talked in 12 hours. Twelve. Hours. Luckily, my husband is a good guesser and he knows me extremely well. I've had to write a few things down, but for the most part I can just motion and he gets it. Makes me wonder if all his stories about his wild 20's were real or if he played charades at all his parties. Hmmm...

Anyway, I'm going to try my best not to talk until Friday. Thankfully I can still type and text! I go back to the Dr. in 2 weeks. If things aren't improved "they may have to go down and look at my vocal cords." Yikes! But really, that probably should've been done by now. I mean.. Oct. 23rd!!

I didn't get any exercise done today. I wish I had more space in my living room. Then I could do my videos when I couldn't make it to the gym. But instead, I was a slug today. Hopefully I can make up for it tomorrow.

What do you do when your exercise plans don't work out? Are you a slug or do you make alternate plans?

Monday I made alternate plans and wogged outside. Tuesday I was a slug. I guess I do some of both!

I ain't never seen nothin like you

Last week I went to the gym 4 days in a row and felt SO good. For various reasons, I didn't go Friday through Sunday. This is very strange for me to say, but I missed the exercise! I hated sitting around for 3 days. My lovely bff says I have been taken over by pod people. She may be right...

Today it snowed. It started around 3pm or so. I was determined to get some exercise today! I didn't want to go to the gym because I figured they might close early or something. I decided to go do my Couch to 5K outside. in the snow. at 27 degrees. Who am I?! I love snow.. always have. I love to play in it, but I never saw myself jogging down the sidewalk in the snow. I'll tell you what though, I felt SO ALIVE!! I absolutely loved it! I was chilly at first, but had layers on and as I started to wog (walk/jog), I warmed up. The snow hitting my face was cold, but at the same time it was great. I went 15 minutes one way, then turned around and came home the other way. As I was finishing, the song Do Ya by Ace Frehley came on my iPod. I love that song, but the line "I ain't never seen nothin like you" really meant something to me today. It made me feel accomplished. Big smiles. =)

 Normally I probably wouldn't post a picture of me looking like this, but I was so damn proud that I don't care! hahaha

I'm still up 3 pounds and can't get rid of them, but with regular exercise I'm sure it'll go down (or up from muscle gain which is ok.) I'm more interested in losing inches anyway. That's what really counts.

On to a healthier me...

The good, the bad, and the seriously?!

It was kind of a mixed day. I slept a little later than I meant to (because I couldn't fall asleep as early as I wanted to. Sigh.) and I just couldn't get myself awake. I'm blaming that evil TOM for zapping my energy. Pure evil. So I got up and made it to the shower. Got ready and went to wait in line at the school bookstore with my husband. Why would I put myself through that torture? Because I wanted new pens. I'm a pen person. It's sad really. So after I got my pens he got his books, we went to a local park that has a walking track. I've been to the park before, but never walked the track and I wanted to check it out. It was a little chilly, but not too bad. Would've been warmer if I had run it, but I just walked. We did 3 laps then left. Nothing major, but it was nice to be outside and now I know a good place to go when it gets a little warmer. Yay!

We went to Subway.. again. Hubby thinks he's Jared. haha! But they do make a good salad so it's all good. The same guy has been there everytime we've gone. {B2.. no it's not Scrabble Boy. lol} We're always in gym clothes. He must think we live there. That's kinda cool. Hmmm... After I got fuel in my body, I decided I wanted to go to the gym afterall, but I didn't want to do the usual stuff. I wanted to do a class. We decided on Bodyflow. It's a mix of yoga, pilates, and tai chi I believe. I really enjoy that kind of workout and it's different than what I usually do so it keeps me from getting bored. I'm fairly flexible, although I could definitely improve on that. My balance is what really needs help though. Yikes! Some days are better than others, but I sure would've fit in with the Weebles during class! I weebled and wobbled BUT I didn't fall down! =) I had fun and sweated my butt off. I left the gym feeling refreshed and worked and glad that I didn't just sit on the couch. Poor hubby didn't feel the same. He said he liked the class, but the fact that he's so inflexible and can't balance made him not like it. He did say that he'd go again though, so I'll take that as a win.

I'm having a bad cigarette craving. I don't know why. I'm not stressed or anything, but I keep thinking about one. Been having smoking dreams the last few nights too. Ugh. Chantix blocks the cravings so it's more of a habit craving, but it's driving me crazy right now! I don't want one though. I'm proud of not smoking since the 27th. I like not smelling like smoke. I like not going outside in the cold to smoke. But I sure want one. Blah...

I want this. This is my goal. I want to run. I want to be on the beach. I want to run on the beach. I will this summer. And that's why I don't want to smoke. I do worry about my knees though. I have grinding in one knee already. I need to talk to someone and maybe find some physical therapy exercises for it. DON'T crack your joints!! I know some say that it doesn't cause arthritis, but I'm only 36 and have had arthritis in my hands for several years and this grinding in my knee for a couple years. I've cracked my joints since I was a kid. You do the math.  Ok, now I'm just babbling...

On a roll

On Monday, my husband, youngest daughter, and I went to the gym. He used the treadmill and free weights while the lil one and I walked the track. I did Week 2 Day 1 of the Couch to 5K program. I liked doing it on the track better than the treadmill. I might not get as intense of a workout because my speed my vary more, but it felt natural and was more comfortable. I think I'll continue on the track or outside unless I'm going to just do a constant pace. Then I might use the treadmill. After I finished the 30 minutes, I did 100 crunches and 30 bicycle crunches then went to the weight room and did a 1 set cycle of the weight machines I use. My daughter did really well! She walked/jogged the track almost as long as I did and then did sit ups and other exercises on a matted area. I was so proud. She's a little overweight and wants to lose some weight and I want to teach her the importance of health and exercise while she's young (almost 12yrs old) so it will stay with her and she won't have weight issues as she grows up.

Tuesday we went to the gym again. Hubby did the treadmill for 2 miles. Daughter went to the track. I focused on weights. I did 2 sets on each machine. I started feeling like my blood sugar was low toward the end of the cycle. (A good diabetic would have her meter and glucose tabs in her bag. Oops!) So I didn't do the treadmill. Instead I bought a small granola bar and we left to eat dinner. It all worked out. I started TOM so I didn't feel so great anyway. Blah.

We went to the store and got some mixed nuts and peanuts, diet cherry pepsi, and a few kinds of SF candies. I'm proud of hubby for sticking to eating better. He wanted cookies at Subway, but didn't get them. I wonder if he would've if I wasn't there though... Hmmm... lol By the way, if you think you can't eat LC at Subway, you couldn't be more wrong. They will make any sandwich into a salad for you. I got the Subway Club salad. Delish! Give it a try sometime. Anyway, he doesn't like many veggies so I tend to always have green beans with dinner for him. I need to find more that he'll eat. He's a trooper though. He'll always try a bite of mine if it's new. I give him credit for that.

I haven't smoked in about a week and a half. Yay! It's still hard sometimes though. I get fleeting desires to grab one out of habit. Then I remember that I quit, but I still think about it for a minute. Blah. I *know* I don't want one, but sometimes I still kinda do. I try to think of how bad it would taste after not having one for so long, how my clothes and breath would smell, etc. That usually helps... kinda. I'm very proud though. It's nice to not worry about having cigarettes or when I can smoke my next one or going out in the cold to have one. I'm still fighting for non-smoker status. =)

I got some magazines at the library to make my vision board. I've been wanting to do one for quite a while. I have a bulletin board that I'm going to use. I think I'll just tack some blank paper to cover the board and glue the images to the paper instead of using a posterboard. I hope there are some good/fitting images and words in the magazines. I'm excited to get started on it.

I'm still way behind on my Reverb10, but I'll make another post soon and try to get them finished. I'm kind of sad that it's over. I liked the thought provoking-ness (yeah I made that a word) that it provided. Anyway.. I'll get to it soon.

Happy New Year!

1-1-11... It just doesn't get cooler than that. It's the epic "new start" date. Awesome!

My friend asked what my resolutions were for this year. I told her that they were to continue to eat right, exercise, and stay a recovering smoker. If I do all of those things, I WILL reach my goals. How cool is that?! I'm so glad I'm already on the right path to improve myself. I want to be a stronger, leaner, healthier, more active me. I want to run, yes run, a 5K this year. I have 2 picked out. One in May and one in September. That's plenty of time to get in shape for them. I'm very excited. =)

I went to Target the other day and was trying on jeans. In one particular style I could wear a 6! I was ecstatic. lol I know that they probably run on the big side, but I didn't care. I was wearing a size 6. hehe My goal is to consistently wear a 6. I went to the gym 3 times last week. I want to continue that and go at least 3 times a week, if not more when possible. That will help me so much. I'll be leaner, more fit, less stressed (maybe?), and more motivated to eat right and stay non-smoking. When I exercise, it just inspires me to do well in other areas of my life. Does it do that for you?

I got my hair cut. I never liked myself with short hair, but since I've lost weight, it looks really cute. I'll try to add a picture soon.

Ok.. here are some Reverb10 posts....

Dec. 21 Prompt: Future self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)

(Wow I'm WAY behind!!)

Current self: Continue doing what you're doing. Exercise. Low carb. No smoking. You're on your way to a fabulous you! Keep it up.

26 yr old self in 2001: In June, you're gonna meet your future husband. You're not going to date at first, but once you get him, don't ever let him go. =)  Toward the end of the year, you're gonna be really happy, but it will end in a severe depression. Don't let it beat you! Your children are amazing. You're doing a great job. Be proud. 

Dec. 22 Prompt: Travel. How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year?  

I went to WV in January. NOT my favorite time there. Went to the beach in May and September. Both were a blast. This year I want to go to the beach again and make it to Steelers training camp. Anything on top of that will be a bonus!

 Dec. 23 Prompt: New name. Let's meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why?

Just call me Mrs. Depp. hehe Ok, seriously I wouldn't change my name. I've grown to love it. I used to play school with my sister and would always change my name, but I've since realized that it's part of me. My parents chose it just for me and I love it.

Dec. 24 Prompt: Everything's OK. What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead?

Over the years, I've learned that it's always gonna be ok. It may be rough as hell until it's ok, but it'll work out in the end and it's not the end until it's ok. ;-) My husband helps me remember that. He totally rocks.

I'll have to get back to the Dec. 25 prompt. It asks for a picture and I'm not prepared at the moment.