Sham Days

Somedays, I really hate to work out and today was one of those days. I would have been perfectly content sitting at my desk all day. I woke up this morning with a scratchy throat and a bit of a headache. On the bright side, I got to see my sweet little nephew one more time before my sister and her family headed back to their neck of the woods. I sure hope the little one (or the parents for that matter) don't catch any of the bugs that seem to be floating around my house lately.

Anyway, back to feeling like crap. Yes, crap. There really isn't another word for it. I really can't decide if working out today, while feeling like crap, was a good idea or a bad idea. I got on the elliptical for 10 minutes and let me tell you it was a struggle to stay on there for 10 minutes. I was so bored and couldn't stand the thought of being on there for another 60 seconds. So, off to the treadmill I went. Walking just wasn't going to do the job, so I decided I would attempt another try at Couch to 5K Day 1 workout. Well, it could have gone better.

Let's go with the positives first. Technically, I should not make positives plural because I only discovered one good thing. The running wasn't nearly as torturous this time, so I guess my lungs are getting in better shape. Wahoo! Better lungs to yell at my husband with. YES! Onto the negatives. I only got through two running portions of the program. Yes, I was huffing and puffing and ready to fall down like a twig house, but that's not what stopped me. My dang ipod and shirt were driving me insane. I don't have an armband for my ipod, so I was holding it as I was trying to run and the cords from the earbuds kept whipping me in my face. It was awesome. And the tshirt? It kept creeping up and I kept having to pull it down. After about 10 minutes of that, I just said to heck with it and called it a day.

Lesson learned? 1) Get an armband for my ipod 2) On the days I plan on running, wear a big loose tshirt that won't ride up. Because the breathable shirts I typically wear just wasn't cutting it.

Oh, and one last thing. I found a GREAT way to lose an instant 4 lbs. Trade your old unreliable scale for a fanch schmancy new Biggest Losers scale. I LOVE my new scale. The first time on it, it told me I lost 4lbs. How sweet.

Evil Addictions

Hi. My name is Kayla, and I have an addiction. It's gotten pretty bad. It started out so innocent, like most addictions do. There was a sweet little voice in my head saying, "Go on...do it. Just one isn't going to hurt." And we all know you can't stop at just one. Well, now the addiction is out of control. While the sweet and encouraging voice was telling me to give into my temptation, there was a more rational/stable/ANNOYING voice (my husband) to tell me to be strong. I may or may not have told him to buzz off (that's the nice and edited version) and to leave me to my glutenous temptation. He promptly shut up. Smart man.

What is this addiction you wonder? Marshmellows and chocolate. You see, my addictions come and go. One week it's cheesies (what I call cheese melted on a corn tortilla), the next week it's saltine crackers...by the sleeve-full. This week just happens to be marshmellow and chocolate addiction week. And boy has it gotten brutal. It started out so innocently on Sunday night. I was tired, needing to relax, and just wanted some chocolate dang it. Actually, I felt the need (Yes, it was a need. Don't question it) for melted chocolate. Jason and I have a tradition of going out for fondue on our anniversary and I knew I couldn't wait another two months for melted chocolatey goodness, so I grabbed some chocolate chips, added a little bit of heavy cream, and let sweet sweet magic happen in my microwave. Ofcourse, you can't have melted chocolatey goodness without something to dip in, enter the marshmellows. I was kind enough to share some with my sweet husband.

Then came Monday night, which was a repeat of Sunday night.

Then came Tuesday night. Only this wasn't a repeat. Instead of just a few marshmellows, I got about 10 and double the chocolate. And I only shared one marshmellow with Jason and I had barely left any chocolate for him. It was a total kid caught with the hand in the cookie jar moment for me.

And I wonder why the scale isn't moving that much this week. Hmm...it's not rocket science. I know with absolute certainty that I will not be able to resist my latest addiction. I can already taste the wonderful silky chocolate....which is why I desperately IM'd my husband to ask/beg him to PLEASE hide the chocolate and marshmellows. Side note...my husband SUCKS at hiding stuff. I always find it. So, for the sake of smaller pant sizes, looking good in a bathing suit, and sunbathing with pride on vacation in St. Lucia, I really really really hope he hides it well this time :)

Reality Bites

For whatever reason, even though it's definitely not my style, I have always loved the movie Reality Bites. I have never been a fan of Ethan Hawke and I've been ticked at Wynona Ryder ever since she turned down Laurie's marriage proposal in Little Women. Okay, technically it was Jo that turned down Laurie's marriage proposal, but still, the role totally ruined it for me for Wynona Ryder. While the movie is full of actors I really can't stand (except for Steve Zahn...love that guy), I just really like it.

Well, this past weekend I had my own reality bites moment. I recently discovered Picasa, which by the way is the most amazing program out there. I don't know where it's been my whole life! Well, I was having fun editing some photos in Picasa when I came across some older files that had pictures of me in it. Wow. Talk about depressing. These are pictures that weren't taken all that long ago. I think the one that really annoyed me the most was the one taken about 5 years ago. Yes, I was overweight then, but the difference between then and now was like night and day. Honestly, it's so aggrivating to look at those pictures because I was not that far away from my goal weight at that point. And now? Well, now I am a LOONNNGGGG ways away.

So, without further ado, here is what I gave up on and where I am now.

Do you notice me?

Let me know that I am not alone! You know when you first start working out/change your diet (for the better), within a few days you are studying your every move in the mirror. You are looking for the tiniest change that your efforts are paying off. Worst case scenario, you may even be thinking you can already fit into the coveted pair of "skinny day jeans." And maybe, by some miracle, the scale will drastically drop 10 lbs. But it's only been a few days! I just hate how long it takes for results to show. Wouldn't it be nice if we would see some kind of results in the beginning, rather than weeks/months later? Ok, end of rant.

It was quite coincidental that I was ranting about results because I just happened to come across some very useful information on pinterest. I told you I was addicted! It said, "It takes 4 weeks for you to notice your body changing, 8 weeks for your friends to notice, and 12 weeks for the rest of the world to notice." Talk about putting time into perspective. So far, this seems to be pretty inline with what I have been experiencing. I believe it was last week (which was 3 or 4 weeks since I started working out) that I noticed maybe, just maybe my butt was getting smaller. I immediately asked my husband if this was true. I know, I know. You are NEVER supposed to ask your husband/boyfriend/brother/dad/any male if your butt has changed size/shape. However, I somehow seemed to snag the most brutally honest dude on the planet. Not only that, but he can't lie very well. So, I know when he's telling the truth and when he's fibbing. Are you wondering what his response was? It was a shrug of the shoulders followed quickly by going back to work on his math homework. Translation? No, it's not looking awhole lot smaller. Which means, I have about 4 more weeks of torture at the gym until he notices...Lovely.

Flaky Derailment

I'm a total flake. I went to the store last night to get the ingredients for Sassy Water, and I couldn't do it. I can promise you that if cucumbers and ginger are in my water, I would die of dehydration before I drank it. Seriously, what was I thinking? I don't care how sassy that water is, it just sounded downright gross. So, I went with Plan B. Good ol' high quality H20 with lemon slices. I'm sure it would taste even more freshing served by Bobby Boucher (kudos to those who got my lame attempt at a joke).

Last night my sister came up to me and asked if we could have a Sister Weekend. Basically, this means that we will laze around and be bums, work on crafts, watch WAY too many cheesy and poorly done Lifetime Movies, and eat way too much crap. Well, the hubs is out of town this weekend, so this is perfect timing for a sister weekend. In attempt to not completely derail the progress I'm making during the week, I REALLY need to be good on the weekends, but I wouldn't mind a few yummy splurges. Enter in my brilliant idea. I sweet talked my gym into giving me a 3 day pass that I'm going to give to my sister as a "little prize." Aren't I sneaky? Now I can drag her butt to the gym and torture her as part of our sisterly bonding. Muahahahaha

My latest addiction, and I mean ADDICTION is pinterest.com. I seriously need a 12 step program. I'm dragging everyone down around me. I even have my husband hooked. Well, last night, the hubs couldn't stop laughing and saying "Hun, you gotta see what I found on pinterest." And every...single...thing...he showed me, I had pinned. Oh man. That's sad. However, during my pinning frenzy, I found this quote, "I'm not losing weight. I'm getting rid of it. I have no intention of finding it again." Pure genious!

Sassy Water, Hmmm

I ran across something quite interesting today on Pinterest; a recipe for Sassy Water. What the heck is sassy water you ask? Basically it looks like a whole lot of yucko. However, if you are wondering, it's water (obviously) cucumbers, lemons, spearimint, and grated ginger that is steeped over night. If you could do away with the cucumbers and ginger, I might be excited about this, but sadly in order for this water to be sassy, I guess you need those two ingredients. Supposedly this recipe is part of the Flat Belly Diet, which I have never heard of. Honestly, I need some sass in my life (my husband might not agree), so I'm going to give this water a whirl, but not because I think my belly will magically shrink in a few days (one of the benefits of Sassy Water is banishing belly bloat).

I have a serious addiction to flavored water. You know how some people have that gene that makes green veggies taste bitter? I swear I have the nasty water gene. Arrowhead water makes me want to vomit, I turn my nose up at tap water, and I even get queesie at the taste of water from my water bottle. I know, weird, but I'm telling the truth. The only way I can stay hydrated during the day is to dump a Crystal Lite packet into my water bottle. Yummy, yes. Good for my body, no. I realized today that I only have one Crystal Lite packet left and immediately the panic set in (ok, not really panic). While I was tempted to run to the store after work to pick up some more, I realized this might be a great time to break the habit. However, I don't want to go cold turkey. Hence, the Sassy Water. Every review I have read says it's refreshing and quite delightful. I'm not completely sold that this water will be "delightful." If I find myself gagging over the cucumber and ginger taste, I'll just go for Plan B and guzzle lemon water. And who knows, maybe Sassy Water will be my new addiction!

Happy Monday!

I was on dangerous grounds this weekend. I woke up Saturday morning to snow. Normally, this would put me in an ornery mood, but my excitement for fall/winter has been in overdrive lately. I stayed in bed as long as I could and then ran downstairs and instantly turned on Christmas music...in October. Normally, I have a strict no Christmas songs policy until November. My husband will whistle Christmas tunes all year long and it drives...me...nuts. However, with the beauty of the first snow fall, I just couldn't resist.

So, how is this dangerous grounds? Oh my. Cold fall weather turns me into a baking/cooking maniac. Over the course of the weekend, I made Chicken & Bacon Corn Chowder (AAHHHmazing), Beef Stew, Texas Roadhouse Rolls (to die for), and a smore pie (aka...more chocolate and marshmellows than you could ever want), grilled pork chops, and last but not least...mashed potatoes. I learned this weekend that A) I CAN NOT be left alone with leftover chowder. I was scarffing down my second bowl before I bothered to inhale and breathe. B) Eating two fattening bowls of chowder put me into such a guilt trip, I couldn't even bring myself to drink my coveted hot chocolate and C) Even I have my chocolate limits. After two bites of the Smore Pie, I was done. That was WAY too much chocolate in one bite. Ick!

Needless to say, after this weekend's comfortfood extravaganza, I hit the gym hard. I'm still coughing and I'm PRAYING that it's my lungs that are just out of shape and not that I'm getting sick. I made sure to buy a box of EmergenC this past weekend, so I'm going to drink that like it's going out of style.

So, remember that picture taking adventure I told you about? Yep, I'm still taking pictures. It's become quite the routine. Everyday I come home, drag my hubby away from his homework (he's such a bookworm) and pretend to be a model for about 2 minutes. Actually, it's more like pretending to be a criminal beings I feel like I'm taking a mugshot (not that I've ever had that done) every time I pose for the pics. I'm going to take a look at the pics after I have 4 weeks worth and I'm DYING to see if I notice a change.

Decisions, Decisions

Sometimes, decisions are so darn hard to make. This morning, I had to make one that changed the course of my day. Yes, it was pretty dramatic and excruciating to make. Let me back up though.

The moment I catch a whiff of the cool fall air, or see a weather forecast for a cold and rainy fall day, I turn into a super happy person. Seriously. This girl loves nothing more than a cold and rainy fall day. The kind of day where you find your fuzzy socks, put them on, and don't get out of your p.j.s all day. It's pure heaven for me. Well, there's one more piece to this puzzle. Hot chocolate. YUMMMM I love hot chocolate like a fat kid loves cheese pizza. I can say that right? I mean, I'm still pretty chunky, and I don't have a problem saying so...Anyway, yesterday in Sam's club, the heavens opened and a light shined down on what I have been craving since the first warm day of spring (aka, the end of hot chocolate season)...Land O'Lakes hot chocolate. Oh my goodness. Talk about heaven in a box. I quickly grabbed the boxes and tossed them into the cart. I have already warned my husband that the Graham Cracker Hot Chocolate is mine. If you haven't tried it, DO IT!

So onto the decision making. This morning, I woke up in a happy mood because it's Friday and I had a packet of hot chocolate waiting downstairs for me. I had planned all last night to have some hot chocolate at work today. Then...I hit the brakes. A quiet little voice in me told me I had better check the calorie content...140 freakin calories (every one of them worth it though). I knew, I just knew I couldn't take it to work. I know myself, and I know I'm going to want to curl up on the couch tonight, wrapped up in a blanket, and wearing my fuzzy socks and sip on my first mug of Graham hot chocolate of the season. I can justify one packet on a Friday, but 2? I don't want to start my weekend on bad, I mean fat note :)

Unfortunately, I know that if I want to get to my goal weight, I'm going to be making many more of these small decisions. It may not seem like much, but small indulgences add up quick. I once heard the quote "Nothing taste as good as skinny feels." I've never felt skinny, so I don't know if this is true. But I do know one thing. Hot chocolate is da bomb diggity and I love it. And if skinny feels better than hot chocolate tastes, then I'm willing to sacrifice a few sips here and there :)

Death to Oatmeal

Years ago, when I was about 10, I spent the summer with my mom's parents in Arlington, TX. A summer with grandparents can be quite eventful. I was given full and endless access to Lucky Charms. YUM!!! I was spoiled wrotten by my uncle with trips to Six Flags and plane rides. My grandmother introduced me to family history and took me to probably every single cemetery in Texas to track down family gravesites. Sounds morbid I know, but to this day I still can't resist a good walk through a very old cemetary...during the daylight...with someone else. I'm WAY too chicken to ever be caught dead (no pun intended) to go to a cemetary alone or at night.

That summer, I also found out something about myself...my extreme dislike of oatmeal. On the days it was my Papa's turn to fix breakfast, it was always oatmeal. Sure, he jazzed it up with butter & sugar, but nothing you do to oatmeal could/can make me like it. I've tried every flavor combination under the moon, but always end up with the same results: Me gagging like a kid eating brussel sprouts. I really hate the stuff, yet I eat it because it fills me up and is good for me.

Well, today I had had enough. I was very close to going next door to the gym to grab something to eat, when I realized the freezer at work was full of meals I had just put in there. Granted none of them were "breakfast" foods, but at this point, I really didn't care. I just didn't want to eat oatmeal again for the 4th day in a row. Needless to say, I was one happy girl when I found something else to fill my belly with.

I think the lesson I learned here is always have a stash of healthy food on hand. Also, take it one step further and have a variety of healthy food. When you have it at your desk, or in the break room, your odds for making the healthier choice rather than the vending machine go way up.

Some of my favorite food to keep on hand at work include: Cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, hummas, cottage cheese, lentils, apples, peanut butter, and my most favorite snack of all...Lean Cuisine Spinach & Artichoke Dip single snacks. Cue the angels singing that stuff is AMAZING...and only 200 calories. For those two reasons alone, I can overlook the fact that it's probably loaded with preservatives. Oh well, you can't win all the battles :)

Adjusting the Attitude

I know we have all heard that timeless saying that "attitude is everything." Depending on the day your're having, it can be one of those annoying reminders that we need to kick out butts in gear every once in awhile. Yesterday was one of those days I needed an attitude adjustment, atleast when it game to the gym. I was a perfect angel in every other aspect of my day :) I had zero desire to work out. However, if there is one thing I hate, it's wasting time. I have the most random routines down pat that are designed to help me be the most efficient that I can. Yes, I know. I'm weird. I'm told that daily. Anyway, back to workout out and wasting time. Even though I really didn't want to work out yesterday, I did. And I made sure it was a good workout. I didn't want to drag myself to the gym only to put forth minimal effort. Why waste your time if you're not going to give it your all?

Well, today was a different story. I had gotten my first workout of the week out of the way yesterday, so I was in a better mood today. And boy did it show at the gym. Even though I pushed myself yesterday, I found that I was pushing myself even harder today because my attitude was in the right place. Not to mention, there were two insanely fit ladies working out in front of me. Talk about motivation. They were the types of ladies that make you want to hide out in the locker room wearing a Snuggy so they can't see how out of shape you are.

I got a text from my sister this morning saying she had just worked out using the Brazilian Buttlift exercises. And just to clarify, this is the sister that just had a baby 2 1/2 weeks ago. She's crazy. I'm already working hard enough. I don't need my post baby sister showing me up. Uh oh, sounds like I need an attitude adjustment...again.


Oh, and incase you were wondering what those fit ladies looked like, I took a picture and posted below :)

Weekend Shenanigans

Well today's workout was a doozie. In all reality, it didn't go too bad. I was a sweaty mess by the time I left, which is a good sign I worked out hard...I just felt "blah" the whole time. It probably had something to do with the gallons of soda, 2 meals from McDonalds, and an insane amount of pizza that I consumed this weekend.

However, I couldn't have had a better weekend. I got to spend 2 glorious days hanging out with my sister, brother-in-law, my husband (ofcourse), the new love of my life, my adorable little newphew Cort. I'll admit, I've never been a baby person. I'll be the first person to pass on the chance to hold a newborn. When kids get to the goofy laughing phase I'll melt, but babies? Not really my thing...until I met this little bundle of joy. For the first time, I really understood why others love babies so much. I already miss that little guy and can't wait to see him again!

I did manage to share Cort when it was time to bring in the goats. My sister and her husband live on the family ranch and each evening, they have to bring in the goats. Jason jumped at the chance to terrorize me on a 4 wheeler and I jumped at the chance to see exactly what "bringing in the goats" entails. I think I could sum it up into a smelly and dusty mess, that somehow turns into a lot of fun. Yes, I did scream and yell at Jason everytime he took a corner too sharp or went over a potato pile too quick. I don't think you're supposed to have that much fun while "working," but I sure did. I think I could live on the ranch if that was my one job. Other than that, I'm sure I would be an epic fail when it comes to ranching. I think I would try to save every cute baby animal on the ranch. Oh, and Jason caught me waving to a goat. It seemed perfectly normal to me. It was just standing there staring at me, so I waved. I don't know what possessed me to do that, but like I said, it seemed normal at the moment.

While I did spend most of the weekend sitting on the couch snuggling my adorable nephew, I did manage to get in a small amount of exercise yesterday. My little brother went to State for golf, so Jason and I made the trek to Gunnison, CO for the golf tournament. We only stayed for the first 9 holes, but man...that was a lot of walking. I had a blast watching my brother and I was amazed, like truly amazed at how far those kids can hit a ball. (I'm sure I phrased that all wrong, but yesterday was my first encounter with golf, so please excuse my lack of knowledge :) Jason wants to go golfing when we go on our vacation, and I'm tempted to learn how so I can go golfing with him. However, considering I once lost a game of putt putt to a guy that was legally blind, I think I'll pass!