Back on track

I suppose since this started out as a journal for my weight loss, I should pay a little more attention to posting more about losing weight.

Well, I would if I were losing weight. In order to not get frustrated, I've shied away from posting about it. That's not helpful for me or those of you who read this looking for hints or tips about weight loss. Although I will still wander occasionally, there will always be something in every post either with an update or a tip I'd like to share that I use or that has helped me. If I forget, don't hesitate to send me a comment and let me know!

I've been going to the gym 3 times a week. I've taken a break from training and trying things on my own. It's not going well. I'm stuck at 127/8 pounds. I've been there for over a week. I've decided to make smaller goals inside of my big goals (winning Waist Watchers and Sexy by Summer). I have a long piece of paper on the wall behind my desk with a countdown to May 6th which is the end of WW's. Each day I write which exercises I do. Why? Because I'm a visual person. I look at it every day and my goal is to do at least three 30 minute cardio sessions a day. Sometimes it happens sometimes it doesn't. Occasionally, life with 4 kids gets in the way of "me" time. I DON'T want to see a single blank day. I'd rather see 3 entries for each day, but I can only do my best and sometimes that means only getting in 1 or 2 workouts.

I have 3 important dates coming up in a few weeks. The first is March 25th when Channel 10 is supposed to bring the Waist Watchers contestants back on the show to see everyone's progress. This is big deal for me being the smallest contestant. The weekend after that is the one year anniversary of meeting my biological parents after searching for them for 17 years. I don't know what's planned for the anniversary but whatever it is, there will be lots of pictures taken and I definitely don't want to look how I look now! The 3rd is a slumber party with my girls who I've named the 9-5 Ladies (because we entertain each other during their work days). Again, lots of pictures and LOTS of food. Douglas isn't going to want to read this part, ha ha. I'm not going to go crazy on junk food but I am going to enjoy some good-tasting-as-healthy-as-possible-but- probably-not-yummy food. We'll probably be dancing around like fools burning off whatever we ate anyway!

So, there's your Slacker Fattie Tip for the day. Set small goals for yourself. You're less likely to give up if you do.

Sexy Meal Plan Tip – wash and peel carrots and put them in water in your fridge, same with celery (well, you don't have to peel celery, though). All you have to do is grab and eat for a quick, healthy, fiber-filled snack.

I'll stick with my desk top, thank you.

I have to share my desk top with the kids. Yesterday when I got up to do my first cardio exercise, Carson wanted to play nickjr.com. He was still on after I finished so I decided to use Reyna's laptop. I'm new at these things. I don't really like them other than the fact they are easily moved.

I spent 10 minutes untangling 2 mouse's from several other computer related cords because this is my biggest issue with laptops. I like my roll all over the desk mouse. After struggling to get them separated, I turn the laptop over and over, around and around looking for the place to plug in a mouse. I can't find one. Maybe there's some secret hatch that opens up so I can plug one in. (I later am told by Hubby that it takes a certain mouse, like the one he used to have before I ran it over with the vacuum cleaner.)

I saw a switch on the front of the computer for the sound so I turned it off because I didn’t need the sound on. I turned the laptop on and double clicked on the internet symbol. It said yahoo couldn't be found. Hmmm. I tried again. I thought maybe I was in a bad spot for the wireless thing to work. A few minutes later I turned it off. I figured I would try again later. Oh, well, I needed to do another cardio anyway. (I burned 150 calories dancing around while folding laundry. Who knew it could be so much fun and such a good workout?)

When Reyna got home from school, I told her I tried to use her laptop but the internet didn't work. She asked if I turned it on. I said, "Of course I turned the computer on, I'm not an idiot!" She said, "No the internet." I told her I didn't know you had to turn it on.

So she goes and gets her laptop. She points to the "volume" switch and asked me if I moved it. I said, "Yes because I didn't need the sound." She looks at me like I AM an idiot and rolls her eyes. Then she says "That's the switch to turn the internet on and off. I can't wait to tell Daddy!"

It's become a family joke how completely computer illiterate Mommy is.

I'll stick to my desk top, thank you. I have enough trouble figuring that out as it is.

Happy Memory

I was driving towards downtown in The Bus and I pulled up behind a little 2-seater convertible. Well, actually it was a tiny 2-seater and not just tiny because I was in the bus. It wasn't much bigger than the Smart Car (more on that later). As I looked at the tiny car a childhood memory came flooding back to the days when Daddy had a white 1980 MG.

That was his baby. Before we got an automatic garage door opener (thank you thief who broke the manual one but curse you for stealing the tools), he would pull up in the driveway and honk for me or my sisters to open it. This mostly happened when it was raining. We hated rainy days. Especially the ones that started out sunny but then became rainy later which meant Daddy left the top down. He'd put on a rain slicker and drive home (I don't know why, I learned not to question him). When he got home, we'd have to wipe the inside of the car down. Yay! Oh, wait, this was supposed to be a happy childhood memory.

Mom had a Toyota station wagon. It was brown. I guess if you had to have a station wagon, you may as well make if even uglier by making it brown. This was the car we all fit in and took whenever the family went out. However, Mom decided to go back to school and get her Master's Degree in Education leaving Daddy with 3 girls and a tiny car.

Sometimes while Mom was at school we'd want to go somewhere. So, we'd load up into the MG. This was before seat belt laws. My 2 sisters would sit in the passenger seat and I (being the youngest) would squish my butt in-between the two seats into this little hole thing under where the top was stored. I don't think it was supposed to be like this, but if I looked down I could see the ground under my feet. I know, not the safest way to travel but we got out of the house and had a blast driving with the top down.

I loved the MG days. They just seemed so carefree. Running errands, laughing, getting bugs in our teeth (not really but it would have been funny). We all loved that car. I was supposed to get it when I turned 16 but Daddy figured I'd be happier in a car with 4 doors. He bought me a Hyundai Excel...............are you finished laughing yet? I still miss the MG. But, even though we no longer have it, we still have the memories!

Be Perfect Today

When I got to AnyTime Fitness today, I asked Chris who works there, if he knew how many of the Waist Watchers contestants came in to do their official weigh in. Seven. Seven? Seven! Out of 25. Ummm, hello people! Free trip to NYC! Come on!

At the very least they could have had 3 months free at the gym. Most said it was too far to drive as we had to use the South Tampa location....did I mention it was free? There are 3 AnyTime Fitness locations closer to me but I drive the 15-20 minutes because it's FREE. Apparently one woman came in for a consultation but was never heard from again. Then there's The Guy. The only Guy in the competition, I think. The Guy seems to be my biggest competitor since he seemed very confident the day I met him at the kick-off. Plus, no offense, The Guy has a lot more to lose than me. I hope someone did his fat percentage because I want to blow him out of the water on that! But, alas, the rules are whoever loses the most. Well, me and my measly 25 pounds that need to be shed are still going to work hard. As I've said before, even if I don't win the contest, I'll still win because I'll have my body back. The one that my kids stole from me. I'm taking it back, kids! It's mine! mine! mine!

Douglas issued me a challenge. To be perfect for a week. No food cheating. No skipping out on cardios. Can I do it? I'm sure going to try. My mom always told me to do my best and that's all I can ask from myself.

Later, I received a text from my favorite trainer (ok, he's my only trainer, but he's really good). It said "Be perfect today!" Three simple little words with such a huge meaning. They are now in standby on my phone (that means that whenever I check my phone those 3 words are on the screen). Behind those words is a picture of my ultimate goal. I'm not sure if I'll ever get there but Jennifer Nicole Lee's before pictures were worse than mine. She issued a challenge for herself like I did. Baby steps, though. I'm busy working on being perfect this week. Actually becoming perfect is a different story all together!