No excuses

Happy Thursday! It's almost Friday! Woo-hoo! I'm really looking forward to the weekend...this is the first full 5-day week I've worked in several months and it seems to have exhausted me. I haven't been sleeping well this week though so I think that has more to do with it.

Yesterday I didn't go do my run at lunch. No excuse...I had the time, I had my stuff, just didn't do it. But I'm not beating myself up about it since I have put in some serious running time this week and (this sounds like I'm being a big baby) my feet hurt from that pounding. I've got to get new shoes soon and I've already started looking since it takes me forever to find a pair I like. On the way home from work, I got really sick on the subway. If you have to regularly use a subway/lightrail you'll know what I'm talking about; yesterday it was so jerky! I felt so nauseous, I couldn't read, listen to my MP3 player, even keep my eyes open. I had to take off my glasses, close my eyes and think about something other than the way I was feeling for the entire 45 minute ride! At times like that, I hate having to ride the subway to work. So when I got home, I ate some crackers and drank a Diet Sprite trying to calm my tummy down. The crackers and a bigger portion of lasagna than I'd planned for put me over on calories yesterday. I should've eaten a smaller portion of lasagna but by the time we ate dinner, I was pretty hungry. I was only 400 calories over and I've got an entire week to burn that off before next Wednesday's weigh-in so I'm not worried at all.

I'll end this post with a funny thing that happened to me on my way to work this morning. I walk from the subway station to my building (and get off a few stops before I have to just to get in the extra exercise). So I'm walking along carrying my gloves since it wasn't really cold enough for them and about 1 block before my building as I'm crossing the street, there's a car waiting on the light and the passenger starts motioning to me and yelling at me. I'm thinking "wow I must be looking pretty good today." So I'm feeling really confident and start walking with more confidence. About 1/2 a block before my building I look down and realize that I'm missing one of my gloves. I look back and it's in the middle of the intersection I'd just crossed. Luckily, no one had driven through the crosswalk so it wasn't dirty but I went back and got it. So that's what the guy in the car was trying to tell me, I'd dropped my glove. He wasn't hitting on me at all, he was being nice. I had to laugh at myself for automatically assuming the guy was hitting on me!

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I lost 2.8 pounds this week! Woo-hoo!! Basically, I lost my holiday pounds so I'm back to where I was before Christmas but I'm excited! Even though my calories weren't great over the weekend, I still lost so I'm happy with it. This weekend I will do better though. I've been getting great workouts in the last couple of days and hopefully it doesn't rain today at lunch and I can continue with getting my exercise outside. So my goals for the upcoming week are to continue with staying under 1800 calories/day and the same exercise goals as last week (3 cardio/strength days, 2 high intensity cardio days, and 1 low intensity cardio day). The eating might be a challenge beginning Sunday. My dad is coming into town for meetings so he will usually take Stephen and I out to eat several times. I'm still going to make good choices though! We're actually cooking dinner for him on Saturday night. Friday is Stephen's birthday and I'm going to make his favorite meal (and it's actually really healthy--orange and onion salad, pork tenderloin, green beans, rosemary potatoes). We decided yesterday that we would wait to have his birthday dinner until Saturday and then have my dad over to celebrate with us. I'm pretty excited about having him over as I have never entertained anyone in my apartment being that it's 400 sq feet. Plus I love my dad a lot and he's one of my favorite people...it's actually my stepdad but he and I are so much alike, it's crazy.

Well, that's a very rambly post...just have all these thoughts going through my head. Later gators!

My Exercise Motivation

Hey everyone! I had such a victory last night...I got home and really wanted a glass of wine but knew that if I had one glass it would likely spiral into drinking the entire bottle. So instead I had a Diet Sprite and sipped on that while I was cooking. Quite honestly, I didn't really miss the wine so much. I was actually thirsty and Diet Sprite does a much better job of quenching my thirst than a glass of wine does. Yea me!

I went for a 6 mile run/walk yesterday and lunch and loved it! It was so great being outside and not freezing. I plan on doing it again today. Usually I try to mix up my cardio a bit more but when the weather's this nice, you have to take advantage of it!

So there's something, actually someone, I've been wanting to mention for a while and she's a such a motivation to me to exercise. She's someone I work with and actually has the same job title as me but is at least 15 years older. I don't want to mention her name just on the odd case that someone I work with stumbles upon this blog so I'll call her Awesome Co-worker. Now Awesome Co-worker used to be a professional ballerina! She toured with several big ballet companies overseas and all over America. She has a fantastic story about meeting her husband in Italy. After she got married she went back to school and got her degrees. But, here's the sad part...she was diagnosed with MS a few months ago and uses a cane most of the time to get around. MS basically slowly shuts down your nervous system; there's no cure for it, only treatments to prolong the envitable wheelchair confinement. I was talking to Awesome Co-worker a few weeks ago and she was saying how much she misses being able to exercise and just being able to move freely and walk around without fear of falling. This got me to thinking...I have no medical reason why I don't exercise more. Most of the time when I don't workout, I'm just being lazy. Why do I not take advantage of my reasonably healthy body and exercise? It was really an eye-opening conversation to me. Ever since then, on the days when I don't want to exercise, I think about Awesome Co-worker and the conversation we had. I stop feeling sorry for myself and go get some exercise. I know it's a bit depressing but I don't want to someday be unable to exercise and regret not doing as much now as I can. And, on that note, later gators!

The Monday Report

So it's Monday (just in case you didn't know) and my eating over the weekend was okay. I got into this mindset on Friday that I wasn't going to count calories so I didn't. My eating was actually pretty good but the alcohol consumption wasn't. That has to change! Most importantly, I remembered this weekend how much of a mental "game" weight loss is. The second I thought, "I don't need to count calories. I'm tired of this. I need a break." I was done for the weekend. It was my whole approach to the weekend...I looked at counting calories as depriving myself instead of taking care of myself. I'm done with that mental picture. I've deleted it from my mind. And the way I felt last night was gross and disgusting and I'm tired of feeling that way. So I'm done with "bad" weekends and I'm back to the "nourishing" weekends.

It was actually a very relaxing weekend for me. We didn't have too many errands to run and since there were no movies showing that we wanted to see, we spent a lot of time at home. Which can be boring but after being gone for a week, I enjoyed it. I also cleaned my oven which was a big chore that I've put off for weeks now. I made a big pot of chicken noodle soup for lunches this week as well as the Hungry Girl's Oven Baked Omelette. I'm having the omelette for breakfasts this week...it's good and a nice change from oatmeal.

I am thoroughly looking forward to running outside today at lunch! It's going to be nearly 70 degrees here today (and most of the week) so I'm ditching the gym while it's nice. I caught myself smiling while walking to work this morning thinking about being outside during lunch...I was getting so tired of the gym, this will be a good change for me!

I'm ready to make this week fantastic!

It's Friday!

I had a craptastic night of sleep (and most people at work are still out until Monday) so I'm working from home today which right now consists of watching "The Hills." I've only seen this show one other time...it's so fake but I can't stop watching it! This is why I don't like to watch reality shows b/c once I start watching them, I can't stop, even if the entire time I'm watching it, I'm saying "This show is so fake! Why am I watching it?" But I can't turn the stupid thing off! Crazy, huh?

I didn't make it to the gym yesterday. I just couldn't get out into the cold to walk there. I sat in my office with my coat and scarf on for the entire day...it was that cold in there! I'm seriously considering joining Weight Watchers online. I like the WW program but there aren't any meetings close to where I work and/or live. But I want to make sure I'll actually follow the program before I sign up.

Not much going on here for this weekend. I plan on making Hungry Girl's breakfast casserole thing from yesterday's email and a soup or chili for next week's lunches. We'll probably hit up a movie and we've got a trip to Costco to pick up some meat for the freezer (pork tenderloins, chicken, flank steak, etc.) and other "weekend" stuff like laundry. Nothing too exciting.

Like Sara, I am looking forward to next week...it's supposed to warm up here so it'll be warm enough to run outside! Woohoo! I always forget how much I enjoy being outside until I can't do it for a few weeks b/c of the weather.

Well, I think it's time for a bubble bath and just some "Marissa" time. Have a good weekend everyone!

Why is it so cold?

I am freaking cold today. I cannot get warmed up. I hate feeling cold. You know what else I hate? Waking up and hearing the wind howling outside. Normally I get up without a problem but when the first thing I hear is wind blowing, it sounds so cold and I just want to stay in my warm bed curled up. I'm trying to get myself ready to go to the gym in an hour or so. Since I have to walk 7 or 8 blocks to get there, I'm not looking forward to the cold wind outside. I'm really hating my sister and mom since they are flying to Hawaii today! I bet it's warm there!

Alright, enough negativity. I have a confession to make: last night I had two glasses of wine. It's totally against my no alcohol on the weekday rule. I'm okay with it though, and here's why: 1) I'm aiming for 1800 calories a day so I have 200 calories a day for "treats" 2) Wine is my biggest vice, not chocolate or ice cream or sweets but wine. I do need to stay with one drink a day since that's better health wise but I'm going to modify my no alcohol on weekday rule (for now) and say that I can have alcohol on the weekday but only if it's one drink and approximately 100 calories. (And really that should go for every day of the week, not just weekdays. Baby steps, baby steps.) I think I will try to get back to no alcohol on the weekdays rule but over my Christmas trip I got used to having 3 or 4 drinks a day so I need to ease back into moderation. You all probably think I'm an alcoholic since I talking about drinking a lot (I swear I'm not!) but having a drink with dinner is something I've gotten used to over the last couple of years. It's relaxing and I enjoy it but I'm working towards a more moderate amount of alcohol consumption.

Is anyone else as excited as me that tomorrow is Friday? Woo-hoo!!

Warning! It's going to be long!

Hey everyone! I'm so glad to be back! The trip was good. Stephen's mom was so surprised. I got to see some things I've never seen before like Mt. Rushmore. But I'm so happy to be back to my apartment and my kitchen. Stephen's mom is nice but she's very OCD about cleaning and her house...to the point that I was uncomfortable putting dishes in the dishwasher b/c it's not how she would have done it. I just felt out of place. My eating was out of whack and off schedule. Plus it's cold in South Dakota and that just made me want to eat more food. There was only one day that it was above freezing! I don't know how you Canadians do it, that is too cold for me!

I started my Valentine's Day challenge today and weighed in to a not pretty number--186. So it's obvious my eating wasn't good during the trip. But I'm back to my routine today and am looking forward to hitting the gym in about an hour.

I got some nice gifts for Christmas from Stephen's mom and her friend Pat. I got a Eating Well cookbook, a super nice pen, and a book about South Dakota...all three gifts I really like. I also got my birthday present from Stephen's mom and it's a Black Hills gold necklace that I love! (Stephen also got me my Valentines Day present while we were in S.Dakota...a pair of Black Hills gold and pearl earrings. They're classy and something I can wear for the rest of my life.) Now for the bad present I got: Stephen's mom got me a purse that I really don't like. She was all excited about giving it to me b/c she loves hers but it's just not my style. I'm picky about purses and I want one that's so big but not too big, that's certain colors, etc. This is just not me.

I'm going to see if my grandma would use it and give it to her. I used it in South Dakota for appearances but honestly, I really hate it. I tried to like it but I don't like the color or the "backpack" feel of the bag.

I kept up with everyone's blogs while I was gone but didn't have time to make any comments. I'll be back to that today.