just 10 more

I added up my M-F milage on the treadmill; not too bad, not quite 3 miles a day.  I had 2.50 today because I had to get over to aerobics; as it was I was a bit late, got lost in a book.  Still aiming for a 5K a day.

Well, I didn’t get to bed early as planned to get caught up on sleep last night; my Cowboys were playing; great game and worth staying up for.  Of course the staying up so late then getting up at the usual 5:30am meant a nap today so I’m gonnna be out of kilter again on the sleep cycle.  Husb. had today off so after I picked up A. at 4:30  we all went out to dinner at a bar-b-que joint.  Doing laundry now.  Daughter banished to room as monthly mood swing has arrived w/ enough drama and attitude for a soap opera.

Food today.  Bfsk: oatmealw/ skim, tea w/skim………..snack: a little leftover spagh………..snack: bean salad………….dinner out: pulled pork w/ hot sauce (brought about 1/3 home), 4 little hush puppies w/ a smidge of  butter, baked beans, cole slaw

Is it just the places I eat or do others have any of these problems when eating out???

1. Appetizers that arrive with the meal or even after the main course is served.  This irritates the hell out of me!!!!

2.The man gets showered w/ attention (conversation, drink refills, etc.) while you are almost totally ignored.  If I’m paying, you better believe the tip reflects MY thoughts aboout being ignored!

3. Hand wait staff a twenty for a bill of 12 and change and hear, “Will you be wanting any change?”  Damn right I want change!!!!  Do I look like a bank?

All these seem to be happening more and more.   Just wondering if this is happening elsewhere and how you handle it, other than not going back.

That’s all, chickadees; sleep tight!

Yep, that’s today—what a waste!!!  First, I have to take dau. to school, 2nd day in a row—don’t know if bus is coming really early or really late, but we haven’t seen it.  I did go to the gym (late, cause of the trip across town to school); did warm-up, weight machines, treadmill only 2.78 BECAUSE…I had to come home, get showered and go BACK to the school (after 2nd period) to pick dau. up to go to dr.  Somewhere in there found out I have to re-do about 8hrs. of paperwork for a volunteer organization (which one shall remain nameless!!!).  Got to dr. 10:45am; idiotic computers are down so of course no one knows how to do ANYTHING!!!!!  Finally seen by dr at almost 2pm.  A. has an awful stye on inside of R eye lid for almost a week, eye is just about completely closed every am—been trying to treat with warm wet compresses but not working; anyway got script for antibiotic eye drops—time with dr. was probably less than 2 freaking minutes!!!!! While there got flu shots too.  When done at dr. had to eat cause I knew getting the script filled would involve more waiting so we went to a small Greek place I used to take my mom.  Service was SLOW so we didn’t get medicine and home till about 4:30.  What a frustrating day!!!  I could just scream!!!!

Food.  bfsk: oatmeal w/skim, V8, tea w/skim…..snack: walnuts, 1/2 peach yogurt…………….LATE lunch: 2/3 hamburger steak, small cup beef veg soup, some fries, lemon merangue (sp?) pie!!! (reward for awful day)…….will have a small snack later, probably

I’m tired, didn’t sleep real well last night.  Got a feeling it may be an early night—or maybe not, if I tackle that paperwork again.

Hang in there, chickadees……

Gotta run, just wanted to say 5 down!!!!!  as of this am.  Will add more later.

OK It’s later.  That 5 down is the challenge goal, btw for anyone not familiar, it is NOT my ultimate goal, which is still about 12 away.  It was lost between Nov. 9 and today, the 28th.  So that’s 19 days.  Why is what I’m doing now working; what am I doing different; can I keep it up???  The only major differences food wise is that I switched to oatmeal which is measured in a packet from cereal.  I think ramping up the exercise is what did it.  Remains to be seen if I can keep that up!!  Maybe 5 more by Christmas???  If I could do that, I’d be lower than my plateau that was behind the start of this blog!!  I’m going for it.  I’ve lost 5 lbs. in a month before, but never in 19 days.

Food today.  Bfsk: oatmeal w/ skim, V8, Tea w/skim……….snack: f.f. cottage cheese, walnuts…………lunch: bean salad, hot & sour soup,,,,,,,,,,,dinner: spag. w/ olive oil and garlic, about 1/3 of a Greek salad, 3 spoons of chocolate gelato………….Snack: 3 prunes

Exercise:  had to take A. to school, late start at gym……….treadmill: 3.23 miles w/ slight incline, just over a 5K (3.1miles), ladies lite aerobics……..I’m still wearing the pedometer, trying for 10,000 steps a day; currently @ 10,238

Will get on the scale again in a few days.  It’s funny, some weigh every day; I used to, and some put the scale away and totally ignore it.   Some go by clothes.  To each his own.  But the object here is to lose weight and it’s a just a “tool of the trade” so I think that to ignore it completely is kind of like trying to build a house w/o using anything to measure.  Scales are such love/hate things!!!!!

Sleep tight, chickadees!!!

Food….bfsk: oatmeal/skim, V8, tea w/skim…………snack: 1/2 blueberry yogurt w/ extra blueberries, 1/2 pear, walnuts………. main meal: Turkey tetrazinni on noodles (made healthy as I could—lots of mushrooms, fresh broccoli, no fat sour cream, low fat cr. of celery soup), red grapefruit……….dinner: 1 soft boiled egg, 1 piece whole wheat w/ 4 sprays Parkay, about 1 c. hot and sour soup………….snack: 1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese and 2 Kashi roast garlic and rosemary crackers (just got these–wonderful taste!!!), handful sunflower seeds

I went to gym on my day off!!!  Did usual warm-up, weight machines (which I didn’t do yesterday), 2.81 (so, not quite a 5K) on the treadmill, 7 min. on rower…….will be back there again in the am.

Made 2 more pumpkin pies today per request…..no more for me!

A few weeks ago I mentioned how much I LOVE my electric mattress pad.  Got a sale paper from Sears today and they have theirs for half price Wed. and Thurs.  I swear these things are the best invention ever—I am happier with mine than anything I can think of that I bought probably in the last 20 years!!!

Off to bed…and that heavenly mattress pad, chickadees!

Food…..bfsk: oatmeal w/ skim, tea w/ skim…………….main meal: mushroom soup, 1/2 turkey sandwich (w/just pepper), peas, V8….dinner: 1 Stouffers stuffed green pepper, mixed greens salad w/ tomatoes and balsamic vinegar dsg., 1/2 pear……..snack: 1/2 Wasa multigrain cracker w/ 1 slice Alpine Lace Swiss cheese

Exercise: 3.16 mi. treadmill, ladies lite aerobics

It was a good day for sleeping.  After gym and grocery, I came home, ate, then slept from 1pm to 3:30pm—how lazy is that??? I just could NOT keep my eyes open! Tonight I’m gonna have a hell of a time sleeping!  A. had violin practice tonight and it’s still misty, warm too; close to 70.  I didn’t get a full work-out today so I’ll try to get to the gym again tomorrow for a bit.  I’m wondering if I can keep the milage above 3.1 on the treadmill–that’s a 5K.  I’ve gotten a large print library book so I can actually read and SEE what I’m reading while on the machine.

G’nite and stay dry, chickadees.

Today I’m making my turkey; have a 12lb. Butterball–better late than never.

Yesterday was OK food wise except I bought pistachios and then ate WAY too many.  Bfsk: oatmeal w/skim, V8, tea………..lunch: southwest salad @ Wendys (no crunchy strips, very little dsg. and sour cream on it)…………….snack: pig out on pistachios………..dinner: very sm. cup of chicken noodle, 1/2 small Greek salad, 1 piece pizza       

 Could have done w/o the pizza and pistachios—this was my first major transgression since I restarted.    And no exercise to speak of!! Shopped, took A. to her mowing (now leaf cleaning) job, and saw a movie (Enchanted—Susan Sarandon does a mean evil step-mother!!!)

Gotta work some more on laundry, read the paper, get turkey started…..will up date later, chickadees–hopefully!

OK it’s later.  First, the turkey was 10 1/2 lbs, smaller than I thought I bought.   Secondly, my husb. proved once again that he can’t carve the bird.  Honestly, if we had just grabbed a hunk of meat and pulled, it wouldn’t have looked any worse!  I have told him not to dare touch the other side of the breast—I’d like to have slices, not hunks for sandwiches.

Food for today…..bfsk: oatmeal w/skim, V8, blueberries,  tea………..snack: pistachios (of course!!!)……………dinner: turkey, mashed pots. w/ gravy, cranberry sauce, peas, stuffing, and pumpkin pie—-there is only the 3 of us so I stuck to the basics; believe me, no one went hungry.  I would have done sweet potatoes but I’m the only one who eats them and the traditional green bean casserole but A. wanted peas.  I am full, not stuffed, but fuller than I’m used to.  Don’t think I’ll be wanting a snack tonight!!!   and the pistachios are gone…….

I should hop on the bike but we all know the chances of that happening are just about zero.  Tomorrow is gym and I’m gonna need it.

Sleep tight, chickadees…..

Oh, it started out auspiciously enough—I actually got over 7, yes 7 uninterrupted hours of good restful sleep, something that might happen 3 times a year.  I got up, dressed for the gym, ate bfsk., read the paper waiting for A. who was going with me.  Before we left the house I worked on a grocery list for after the gym and checked for my ID and credit card.  I had neither and thus ensued a frantic search with blew my bliss from the great night I’d had to smithereens.  I remembered the last time I used it was Wed. after gym in the grocery.  I was probably distracted because one of the men from the gym was behind me in line and I was hearing (in great detail!!) all about his upcoming holiday hunting trip.  So with much fear drove over there and asked at the service desk.  The woman unlocked the little safe behind her and pulled out 2 stacks each at least an inch thick—- one of ID’s and one of credit cards!!!  My ID was right on top of the ID stack and my credit card about 4 down in the c.c. stack.  WHEW!!!!  I went weak with relief!!  We did our shopping and forgot about the gym; I gladly left a nice tip for the employee who turned them in.

Other than make lunch and pumpkin pies; hope they last till Sunday, I did nothing much–I think I was recovering from shock.

Food—-Bfsk: oatmeal w/skim, V8, blueberries, tea………lunch: mixed greens salad w/tomatoes and olives and balsamic vinegar dsg., hamburger stroganoff over no yolk noodles, banana…….dinner: Healthy Choice blackened chicken dinner…………..snack: a few walnuts, 1/2 slice Alpine Lace Swiss

Exercise: 30 elbow to opp. knee sit-ups, 30 chair dips, 30 wall push aways, 35 leg curls w/ 10 lb. dumbbell.

G’nite, chickadees! 

I got on the scale this am—-very early this am, I was up at 4:30—and found out I’ve lost 2 more lbs.; these 2 plus the other 2 1/2 mean I have only 1/2 lb. to the goal!  I thought we were aiming for the end of Nov. at first so I guess that’s what I set  my mind to.  I don’t know what changed inside me that kicked my determination in high gear again and gave me the strength to say no, but I’ve been really driven to do this challenge for some reason.  It is probably realizing how much I slipped backwards.  As it is now I’m still at 13 more than my goal and 4 1/2 higher than my lowest back in June or July.  If I can keep this up (PLEASE, pretty please) maybe I can blow through the plateau that resulted in starting this blog in the first place. Of course this depends on the scale not being the lying piece of slime it has proven to be in the past.  Will hop on it again in a few days.

Worked the 10K today.  Arrived 6am, helped with set up then registration till race time, afterward with door prizes, then with awards.  Finished up just before noon.  Since we are grubby by then we ususally go to Boston Market for turkey afterward.  Today we got there only to find that the menu offered was severely lacking our usual sides so we were back on the street looking for a meal.  With no reservations and looking like something the cat brought in, we had few options and ended up at Shoneys—believe me not great, not even worth the 9.00 each.

Food today–bfsk.: oatmeal w/skim, low sodium V8, tea w/skim……..lunch (Shoneys): mashed pots. w/ gravy, green beans, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, 1/2 cornbread muffin (awful!), cantalope—didn’t have a lot of anything as it really wasn’t very good……..lite dinner: 2 pieces of deli thin sliced turkey, bean salad, 1/2 blueberry yogurt w/ extra blueberries, 2 prunes

Exercise: 40 bicep curls each w/ 10 lb. dumbell, 5 push-ups, 20 chair dips………I know I should do more but I’m beat and just want to see a bed.

Hope all you chickadees had a better meal than I did!  G’nite!

my little heart out!  I’ve decided to ramp up the exercise a bit to see if it helps….nothing too drastic, add a little more treadmill milage, do a bit on my days “off” from the gym.  Today was a gym day.  I did the stretch and exercise mat, weight machines—new-added 16 incline sit-ups, 3.53 mi. on treadmill, 8 min. on rower.  I am REALLY not happy about the ground lost since Sept. and determined to meet this 5 lb. challenge. 

Food so far…bfsk: 1 pkt. oatmeal w/ skim, decaf tea w/ skim…………….snack: f.f. cottage cheese, 1/2 multigrain Wasa w/ p.b., lo sodium V8……………will try to get back later and update food….OK; It’s later (9:30pm) main meal: 1 Stouffers stuffed green pepper, 1/3 baked sweet potato, banana…….lite dinner: bean salad, peach yogurt, several walnuts, 2 prunes…….

Someone emailed me asking about the shredded potato crust on the quiche, it’s easy.  Pre-heat oven to 400.  Spray pie dish w/ non-stick spray, place hash browns in dish and mic. til thawed.  Gently press pots. onto sides and bottom of dish. Spray again lightly and bake 15 min. Pour filling and bake as directed.    There you go!!!

Tonight we spent 4 hrs. doing work getting ready for the race tomorrow….will be back on site by 6:00am.  Big race: 14oo so far with more registration tomorrow.  They had pizza toward the end of the evening but I stuck with my yogurt and walnuts!!!!!!  I am proud of me!!!

G’nite and sleep tight, chickadees!!!

to turkey day.  We don’t do it like the rest of you—-A. and I help put on a huge 10K.  Since I can’t be 2 places at once, I don’t make my turkey till the next day or sometimes even not till Sunday.  Last year it was freezing cold and raining.  Better weather this year!!!

I am just about wiped out, think it’s gonna be an early night as tomorrow is gym for me and A. only has a half day of school.  I’m gonna try to see “Dancing With The Stars” tonight cause Michael Flatley (Riverdance) is supposed to dance as a guest.  I’ve never been a fan of the show or watched it—except for when Emmitt Smith was on–gotta support my Cowboys!  (who are doing JUST fine BTW!!!)

Exercise today: dog walk with neighbor, 25 min. on stationery bike, 25 chair dips

Food: bfsk: oatmeal w/skim. 1/2 pear, decaf tea w/skim…………snack: 1 slice Alpine Lace cheese, blueberries, walnuts………main meal: quiche made with shredded potatoes for crust, filled with red bell pepper, onion, ham, egg ,  salad of mixed lettuce and spinach w/ balsamic vinegar dsg. , small piece of sweet potato pie…………..lite dinner: very small piece of quiche, bean salad, 3 prunes.

Good night, chickadees—everyone travel safe and have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!!