Monday, February 14, 2011
30 Day Challenge--Day 3
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show
Even though it's been off the air for years, Friends is probably my all-time favorite show! Having all of the seasons on DVD means whenever I'm sick or having a bad day, I can pop in a disk & laugh my butt off for a few episodes! They're never not funny to me!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
30 Day Challenge--Day 2
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest
As far as friends go, I've had excellent friends, and been very close to all of them at some time, but at different times in my life--not consisently from childhood til now. I actually can't name a friend that I've been super close to for my whole life, up til now, except for my mom.
As I mentioned in my last entry, my grandparents adopted me, so this mom is actually my biological grandmother. She's raised me since I was a baby though, and she still tells the story to this day about how she was in the room when I was born & I grabbed her little finger & melted her heart. This picture was taken at our wedding in August 2009. Not long after our wedding, my mom was having a lot of falls at home, so for the month of October 09, she had to be in the nursing home. I was doubtful that she'd get to come home, but she did after a month, for about 6 more months. On April 30, 2010 though, she had to go back to the nursing home, where she's been since. I don't know if she'll ever get to come back home again or not, but I do know that no matter where she resides, we'll continue to be close.
As I mentioned in my last entry, my grandparents adopted me, so this mom is actually my biological grandmother. She's raised me since I was a baby though, and she still tells the story to this day about how she was in the room when I was born & I grabbed her little finger & melted her heart. This picture was taken at our wedding in August 2009. Not long after our wedding, my mom was having a lot of falls at home, so for the month of October 09, she had to be in the nursing home. I was doubtful that she'd get to come home, but she did after a month, for about 6 more months. On April 30, 2010 though, she had to go back to the nursing home, where she's been since. I don't know if she'll ever get to come back home again or not, but I do know that no matter where she resides, we'll continue to be close.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
30 Day Challenge--Day 1
Several bloggers that I read have been doing this 30-day picture challenge on their blogs. I enjoy seeing/reading all of them, so I thought I'd do my best to take part. I can't guarantee I'll post 30 days in a row, but I will complete all of them eventually, that's for sure! It's fun to learn more about the people behind the blogs, and I've learned some stuff I never would have known if it weren't for this challenge! Hopefully you'll learn some stuff about me too!
Here is the outline for the challenge if you're interested in participating yourself!
Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.
*******
1. I married my best friend on 8/22/09 at a location that I've dreamed of being married at since I was a teenager--Allerton Park in Monticello, IL
2. I was adopted by my grandparents when I was in 2nd grade. This makes for a lot of confusion for people because I call both my bio-mom and grandma-mom by the name of "mom". It gets especially hilarious when I talk about when my mom (grandma-mom) gave birth to my dad (bio-dad).
3. I was raised an only child, but I have seven half-siblings.
4. Four of those siblings were adopted by other families when they were very young. In the last year I've gotten to meet two of them after over 15 years.
5. I can't straighten my arms all the way, never have been able to. They only straighten to maybe a 45 degree angle. No idea why, never got them checked out because it's never really inhibited my life in any way.
6. Friends is my favorite TV show and even though it's been off the air for years, I still quote episodes or relate situations to how "this like that one time on Friends when...". I also have all 10 seasons on DVD.
7. I have about a zillion hobbies, but I don't take the time to actually do any of them anymore. This is something I'd like to change.
8. I wouldn't ever drink pop if it wasn't brought into our house. I don't purchase it on my own and never order it at a restaurant, but if Eddie brings home a case of diet coke, I drink it. If it wasn't there, I wouldn't think twice about it.
9. I always wanted to have a daughter and name her Emily Rose. Then I married a guy with the last name LaRosa. So much for that one.
10. My favorite color is pink. Sometimes I buy things that I wouldn't normally want/need, just because it comes in pink.
11. I collect Willow Tree figurines. I don't have a huge collection, but they are filling up space on our fireplace mantle nicely. I always wanted to collect something.
12. We have 3 cats and a dog. I adopted two of the cats from the humane society when I got my first apartment as an adult. The third cat was inherited about a year later when I had a client unexpectedly die (I was a case manager for adults with developmental disabilities who lived on their own in the community but needed some support/guidance for some things). She had a kitten & an adult cat. The kitten was easy to find a home for, but the adult cat had vertigo & was kinda "special". I decided to take him in & it was the best decision ever. He's a sweet boy. Dora is our dog, and we got her a year after we were married. She's a little over a year and a half. There was a time when I wanted to give her back, when she was a puppy, but I'm glad we stuck through it because she's a great dog now!
13. I have a professional certification, but it's one that most people have never heard of. The letters after my name are CADP (Certified Alcohol & Drug Preventionist).
14. I have been at my job for nearly two years. This is the longest I've stayed at a full-time job, and I still enjoy it!
15. I took four years of Spanish in high school, but I can't speak much of it at all anymore. If you don't use it, you lose it!
Let me know if you decide to do this challenge, or if you're already doing it, I'd love to keep up with you!
Here is the outline for the challenge if you're interested in participating yourself!
Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.
*******
2. I was adopted by my grandparents when I was in 2nd grade. This makes for a lot of confusion for people because I call both my bio-mom and grandma-mom by the name of "mom". It gets especially hilarious when I talk about when my mom (grandma-mom) gave birth to my dad (bio-dad).
3. I was raised an only child, but I have seven half-siblings.
4. Four of those siblings were adopted by other families when they were very young. In the last year I've gotten to meet two of them after over 15 years.
5. I can't straighten my arms all the way, never have been able to. They only straighten to maybe a 45 degree angle. No idea why, never got them checked out because it's never really inhibited my life in any way.
6. Friends is my favorite TV show and even though it's been off the air for years, I still quote episodes or relate situations to how "this like that one time on Friends when...". I also have all 10 seasons on DVD.
7. I have about a zillion hobbies, but I don't take the time to actually do any of them anymore. This is something I'd like to change.
8. I wouldn't ever drink pop if it wasn't brought into our house. I don't purchase it on my own and never order it at a restaurant, but if Eddie brings home a case of diet coke, I drink it. If it wasn't there, I wouldn't think twice about it.
9. I always wanted to have a daughter and name her Emily Rose. Then I married a guy with the last name LaRosa. So much for that one.
10. My favorite color is pink. Sometimes I buy things that I wouldn't normally want/need, just because it comes in pink.
11. I collect Willow Tree figurines. I don't have a huge collection, but they are filling up space on our fireplace mantle nicely. I always wanted to collect something.
12. We have 3 cats and a dog. I adopted two of the cats from the humane society when I got my first apartment as an adult. The third cat was inherited about a year later when I had a client unexpectedly die (I was a case manager for adults with developmental disabilities who lived on their own in the community but needed some support/guidance for some things). She had a kitten & an adult cat. The kitten was easy to find a home for, but the adult cat had vertigo & was kinda "special". I decided to take him in & it was the best decision ever. He's a sweet boy. Dora is our dog, and we got her a year after we were married. She's a little over a year and a half. There was a time when I wanted to give her back, when she was a puppy, but I'm glad we stuck through it because she's a great dog now!
13. I have a professional certification, but it's one that most people have never heard of. The letters after my name are CADP (Certified Alcohol & Drug Preventionist).
14. I have been at my job for nearly two years. This is the longest I've stayed at a full-time job, and I still enjoy it!
15. I took four years of Spanish in high school, but I can't speak much of it at all anymore. If you don't use it, you lose it!
Let me know if you decide to do this challenge, or if you're already doing it, I'd love to keep up with you!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Highs & Lows
This week was a rollercoaster, health/fitness-wise.
Let's get the Lows out of the way first... I like to end on a high note.
1. I ate crap this weekend. Not ALL weekend, but portions of the weekend. No idea why, other than just boredom/laziness. I have a plan though--my plan is that I need a plan! No, seriously. I'm going to start a weekly meal plan/workout plan list so that I don't lose focus during the weekends. It's so easy to just be lazy (I didn't get dressed at all Sunday, no joke) and get off track when I don't have a structured day.
2. I didn't get Day 3 of C25K in during the first week. Our weather here was crappy, and I am an outdoor runner, rather than a treadmill runner, and I didn't get the third day in.
3. Also, I had to stop once during day 2. I paused my podcast and picked up where I left off, but I needed a 20-30 second break to get my breath--trying to focus on my breathing, in thru nose, out thru mouth, but sometimes I forget.
4. I'm thinking that realistically, I'm not going to be able to run a 5K by April 29--not the whole thing, anyway. I realize the C25K program is designed to work up from nothing, but week one is a challenge for all 300+ pounds of me... We'll see, I just gotta keep at it.
OK, now that that's out of the way, let's evaluate the highs from the week, shall we?
1. I RAN ON THE TREADMILL. Don't get me wrong, it certainly wasn't a "fast" run... in fact, some people could probably walk the pace I jogged (3.2), but it was a huge huge huge accomplishment to overcome my fear of not only running publicly, but also to do it on the treadmill. I wasn't sure if I'd actually do it, I was so scared/terrified, I actually wanted to cry, but I bucked up and I did it. I did NOT enjoy it, in fact, I think I held my body so tense the whole time that I ached the next day because of the tension, not the actual exercise! But, I did it. Will I do it again? Maybe, but certainly not as my first choice.
2. I lost weight this week! I was worried about my progress this past week because of being sick, plus being on meds (steroids included) that can tend to make you hold on to weight. However, I was amazingly surprised/shocked on Thursday to see that I had in fact lost. A whopping 9.2 pounds! I was so floored in fact, that I insisted I get off the scale & get back on it to verify its number! That means that I am at a weight I haven't seen in a very long time, and also one that puts me only 4 pounds away from using our home scale (I've been over the weight limit for quite some time)
3. In addition to losing a large chunk of weight this week, I reached/exceeded my 5% WW goal! I was so happy to FINALLY reach that! I had been flirting with the same 10-15 pound loss/gain for like 6 months, then this past month I've finally committed to things again & I surpassed that 10-15 pound mark & I'm at 22.8 pounds lost in 2011!
4. I was also the biggest loser at WW this week! Eddie had claimed that title for several weeks running (damn men and their fast weight loss!), but this week I earned it! (He did have a substantial 4+ pound loss this week too though!) It felt good to do so well!
5. I actually noticed weight loss in my face in the last week. Usually I don't notice a difference in myself when I lose weight, until it's been a drastic amount. However, last week I looked in the mirror after getting ready for work & I thought "you know, your face looks thinner!" So I snapped this picture:
For comparison, this was me back in October with our baby niece:
Surely the difference isn't just in my head. LOL.
So yeah, highs and lows... they're always gonna be there, I just gotta hope that the good outweighs the bad in the long-run!
Let's get the Lows out of the way first... I like to end on a high note.
1. I ate crap this weekend. Not ALL weekend, but portions of the weekend. No idea why, other than just boredom/laziness. I have a plan though--my plan is that I need a plan! No, seriously. I'm going to start a weekly meal plan/workout plan list so that I don't lose focus during the weekends. It's so easy to just be lazy (I didn't get dressed at all Sunday, no joke) and get off track when I don't have a structured day.
2. I didn't get Day 3 of C25K in during the first week. Our weather here was crappy, and I am an outdoor runner, rather than a treadmill runner, and I didn't get the third day in.
3. Also, I had to stop once during day 2. I paused my podcast and picked up where I left off, but I needed a 20-30 second break to get my breath--trying to focus on my breathing, in thru nose, out thru mouth, but sometimes I forget.
4. I'm thinking that realistically, I'm not going to be able to run a 5K by April 29--not the whole thing, anyway. I realize the C25K program is designed to work up from nothing, but week one is a challenge for all 300+ pounds of me... We'll see, I just gotta keep at it.
OK, now that that's out of the way, let's evaluate the highs from the week, shall we?
1. I RAN ON THE TREADMILL. Don't get me wrong, it certainly wasn't a "fast" run... in fact, some people could probably walk the pace I jogged (3.2), but it was a huge huge huge accomplishment to overcome my fear of not only running publicly, but also to do it on the treadmill. I wasn't sure if I'd actually do it, I was so scared/terrified, I actually wanted to cry, but I bucked up and I did it. I did NOT enjoy it, in fact, I think I held my body so tense the whole time that I ached the next day because of the tension, not the actual exercise! But, I did it. Will I do it again? Maybe, but certainly not as my first choice.
2. I lost weight this week! I was worried about my progress this past week because of being sick, plus being on meds (steroids included) that can tend to make you hold on to weight. However, I was amazingly surprised/shocked on Thursday to see that I had in fact lost. A whopping 9.2 pounds! I was so floored in fact, that I insisted I get off the scale & get back on it to verify its number! That means that I am at a weight I haven't seen in a very long time, and also one that puts me only 4 pounds away from using our home scale (I've been over the weight limit for quite some time)
3. In addition to losing a large chunk of weight this week, I reached/exceeded my 5% WW goal! I was so happy to FINALLY reach that! I had been flirting with the same 10-15 pound loss/gain for like 6 months, then this past month I've finally committed to things again & I surpassed that 10-15 pound mark & I'm at 22.8 pounds lost in 2011!
4. I was also the biggest loser at WW this week! Eddie had claimed that title for several weeks running (damn men and their fast weight loss!), but this week I earned it! (He did have a substantial 4+ pound loss this week too though!) It felt good to do so well!
5. I actually noticed weight loss in my face in the last week. Usually I don't notice a difference in myself when I lose weight, until it's been a drastic amount. However, last week I looked in the mirror after getting ready for work & I thought "you know, your face looks thinner!" So I snapped this picture:
So yeah, highs and lows... they're always gonna be there, I just gotta hope that the good outweighs the bad in the long-run!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Branching Outside My Comfort Zone
Throughout the course of a long journey, sometimes you have to take detours... to go a different way than you were used to going. Maybe a different way than you've gone your whole life. Usually when you're used to going a certain way, you get pretty ticked that you have to take a detour--think about it, you're driving to work the way you've always gone, you know exactly how long it takes you to get there, what traffic will be like, etc, but then there's construction & you have to take a different way. It's frustrating because now it's going to take longer to get there and it's unfamiliar territory. But sometimes when you take that detour you discover things you would have never known existed if you had gone the "usual" way.
Weight loss is no different. Oftentimes an overweight person knows just as much about nutrition and "diets" as a non-overweight person. Most of us have TRIED to lose weight before, it's not that we lack the knowledge necessarily, but something derails us over time. I'm no exception to this, as you know if you've read this blog for a longer period of time. Maybe the thing that derails us though is doing things as we've always done them... taking the familiar "dieting" route. Yes, you know what works for you at first, but sometimes you have to take a detour from that comfortable route after awhile. I know I'm not alone in saying that the first few weeks eating healthy & moving more, you're really motivated... you're eating great foods, going to the gym, etc... but then maybe you get bored. Or tired of eating the same low cal/fat/carb/whatever foods. So you quit. I've been there. I've done that.
But maybe what we need to do is take a detour--go off the beaten path that you've made time and time again and spice things up! What that means to you will be very individualized... to me though, that means trying new foods and trying new activities. I used to get stuck in the rut of buying basically the same groceries every week because I knew points values and it was easiest. Figuring out new recipes or snack ideas took longer and took more effort. And exercise? Forget about it! I hated to exercise in public at all, let alone running on the streets of my town! But you know what? I need to do those things. I need to take the detour every once in awhile, and while it might take me longer to go that route, and it might be scary because it's unfamiliar, in the long run, branching outside that familiar, comfortable zone is going to be the key to my success.
I'm starting with small steps--doing the Couch to 5K program, working out at a busy gym (when before I would have gone home if I'd seen that many people there!), and trying new foods that earlier in life I'd declared that I "hated".
Weight loss is no different. Oftentimes an overweight person knows just as much about nutrition and "diets" as a non-overweight person. Most of us have TRIED to lose weight before, it's not that we lack the knowledge necessarily, but something derails us over time. I'm no exception to this, as you know if you've read this blog for a longer period of time. Maybe the thing that derails us though is doing things as we've always done them... taking the familiar "dieting" route. Yes, you know what works for you at first, but sometimes you have to take a detour from that comfortable route after awhile. I know I'm not alone in saying that the first few weeks eating healthy & moving more, you're really motivated... you're eating great foods, going to the gym, etc... but then maybe you get bored. Or tired of eating the same low cal/fat/carb/whatever foods. So you quit. I've been there. I've done that.
But maybe what we need to do is take a detour--go off the beaten path that you've made time and time again and spice things up! What that means to you will be very individualized... to me though, that means trying new foods and trying new activities. I used to get stuck in the rut of buying basically the same groceries every week because I knew points values and it was easiest. Figuring out new recipes or snack ideas took longer and took more effort. And exercise? Forget about it! I hated to exercise in public at all, let alone running on the streets of my town! But you know what? I need to do those things. I need to take the detour every once in awhile, and while it might take me longer to go that route, and it might be scary because it's unfamiliar, in the long run, branching outside that familiar, comfortable zone is going to be the key to my success.
I'm starting with small steps--doing the Couch to 5K program, working out at a busy gym (when before I would have gone home if I'd seen that many people there!), and trying new foods that earlier in life I'd declared that I "hated".
(the first time I ate McDonald's in over a month--Fruit & Maple Oatmeal! Only 7 Points Plus!)
So what are you doing to step outside your comfrot zone? What detours will you take? Ultimately we all want to end up in the same place--happy & healthy, but sometimes we have to take a different route to get there!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Couch to 5K
Well, this week started week 1 of c25k. It's Thursday, and I've only done day 1 because we've had a nasty winter storm this week, but I'm hopeful that I'll get out there tomorrow & Saturday and finish up my first week!
It felt so good to actually complete w1d1. Let me just state that for the average person, jogging 60 seconds & walking 90 seconds consecutively for 20 minutes probably wouldn't be a big deal. But I am not your average person. I'm like 2.5 average people put together. And I haven't ran since high school, and only then because I had to, not because I chose to.
However, I did it!
By the end, I was SO ready to be done, and my "jog" was more of a "bouncy walk", but I freaking did it... willingly... without someone chasing me! (in the snow, no less)
It felt so good to actually complete w1d1. Let me just state that for the average person, jogging 60 seconds & walking 90 seconds consecutively for 20 minutes probably wouldn't be a big deal. But I am not your average person. I'm like 2.5 average people put together. And I haven't ran since high school, and only then because I had to, not because I chose to.
However, I did it!
By the end, I was SO ready to be done, and my "jog" was more of a "bouncy walk", but I freaking did it... willingly... without someone chasing me! (in the snow, no less)
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