www.PeanutButterandWhine.com     Here it is June 3, 2010 and I am still going strong!  Please follow me!!  Thank you!!!

www.PeanutButterandWhine.com

 Please follow me there!  Thank you!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9_amg-Aos4 Incase the video doesn’t come up.  I would REALLY hate for you to miss this one!!!

Hey I did it!!  Yup, yup…. it didn’t rain all day!!  But it was COLD!!!   Making chili was a great idea.  And of course, once again, my eyes were bigger than my stomach.  I had 2 bowls of Chili with shredded cheese!  Ummmm yea …. not such a great idea.  It was SO GOOD!!  But way too much, I’m uncomfortably full.  Why can’t I just have one bowl like a good girl… wait about 10 minutes and see if I’m still hungry?  WHY!?  Seriously, wouldn’t that be a smart rule to follow?  Yes, it would… maybe starting tomorrow?

I’m so GRUMPY!!  G R U M P Y!!! gruuuMMMPY today!  So other than doing my part to dry out California, with my cold weather cooking… I would say today should have a rewind button cause I think I need do overs.  Please.

We’ve gotten so much rain this week, I thought I would share what I’m looking at for my new mode of transportation. Okay, that’s it tonight since the power has started flickering I think I’ll unplug my laptop and go light some candles just in case!!   (Selena don’t get all excited…. I’m not really buy a kayak so nooooo you can’t borrow it)

I think all this rain is lulling me to sleep!!  I sat down with my computer, turned it on, was waiting ever so patiently for it to boot up and  …….. next thing I know the  laptop has made my lap unbearably hot and  40 minutes have gone by!?  Say WHAT!?!?  I just SAT DOWN!!!!  I think that means it’s bed time!!  Only I wish I wasn’t so comfy right here ….. right now…. cause it’s makin’ it really hard to want to get up to go to bed!

It rained harder today than it has in California in a REALLY long time!  (5 years! according to 10 News) It took longer to come home (Ohhhh okay so that is my way of saying I’m using my free pass to get out of using the Wii YourShape game MAN!! That didn’t take long did it!??!)   In my defense I don’t get off work till 7pm on Monday’s. (I got a TON of excuses!! I’ve had LOTS of practice) Yesterday I worked out 30 minutes instead of the 15 I had promised.  (That kinda makes today skip a little less ummmm not buyin’ it are ya?)  I will work out tomorrow.  I can’t believe I am using my free one already!  UGH!!  WHO made this deal anyway!?!?   UGH!!!

I know I am.  It’s my weekend off and I’m enjoying it 100%!!  I have been beyond lazy today!!  YEA ME!!! 

I hope you have a relaxing weekend as well!

Yea…. there was NOTHING ‘diet’ about my day!!  Ohhhhhhh I was so bad today!  Even having bread and lasagna after 9PM?!!?  WHO eats that late?!  (I mean that heavy… that late…….. ON A DIET!!! Ummm yea….  that would be ME!!) As a matter of fact I think I better get to bed NOW because there is a pudding cup in the fridge calling my name and I’m tempted to go listen!!  See ya tomorrow.

Kaki and I aren’t walking tomorrow morning………. on one hand I could get up and exercise on the Wii. That would be the smart thing to do.  On the other hand cozy and warm in bed for an extra hour!!  When I exercise first thing in the morning I have energy all day.  But lazy could be good too right?  I mean I’ve heard that getting more sleep will help you lose weight.  Really!? Why isn’t there just a pill I can take and wake up skinny!? WHY is losing weight and toning up have to be such hard work?! UGH!!!  I’ll let ya know tomorrow who wins…. Good Connie or Lazy Connie.  (I’m so funny!!  like we don’t already know who wins this!!!)

I tried to think of an interesting ANYTHING to blog about…… and came up with NOTHING!!  Not a thing!!   I hope your day was more interesting and exciting than mine!!

Now I’m off to eat all the left over fruit and Jello Mousse!  YUM!!

Tomorrow is my “Your Shape House Party for the Wii!”  I’m so excited.  This game (I think you still call it a game? I mean it is exercise… but it’s fun…..but it’s a workout….ohhh whatever it is… ) it’s really COOL!!  The camera attaches to the Wii console and then your image is on the tv.  So Jenny McCarthy actually tells you when you are doing the exercises correctly… or in my case when you are still doing them WRONG!! And in my case… it’s REALLY fun to watch other people being told they aren’t doing it right either. 

After we are done with the Your Shape game then we’re playing the “Just Dance” on the Wii.  OHMYGOSH now THOSE! should be posting worthy pictures!!!   Yes, that means I’ll see you tomorrow (maybe with party pictures!!)

Okay, I still think I’m supposed to stop blogging… but I received a really nice email from Trudi at Channel 10 telling me she would be in touch next week about my prize, she didn’t mention the blog.  Hummmm mayyyyyyyyyyybe I’m thinking “how long can I go on?”  and the folks at Channel 10 are thinking “how long will she go on?!”

Happy Anniversary Miss Barbara!!   I am a lucky girl to have been able to work with you these past 8 years!!!

Now…  I really had intended on getting to bed early tonight….. but that ship has sailed.  But I’m headed that way now!  Night all…

Today would have been a good day…. if I could have stayed in bed ALL DAY!!!  Or maybe gone home from work at say…. 9:30?!?!!  Did everyone drink GRUMPY-ARGUE with the receptionist JUICE?!?!   UGH!!!   The best part of my day was a free taco from TacoBell http://www.drivethrudiet.com/ The new Fresco soft taco’s are only 180 calories.  I think I found a new favorite!  Click the link and print a coupon for your free taco.  You can thank me by being nice to the receptionists!! 

Now… like the Dread Pirate Roberts in Princess Bride “Good work. Sleep well. I’ll most likely stop blogging in the morning.”

Okay fine!  I’m still here!  But you KNOW the people at Channel 10 are going “Okay…. she knows she won right?  She knows she doesn’t have to keep blogging doesn’t she???”   So I’m pointing at YOU and saying it’s your fault!!  

I still can’t get over the “I’m STARVING” holiday stomach syndrome.   You know… where you’ve eaten so much during the holiday’s that your stomach is all stretched out and it seems to always be rumbling!!  I did sooooo good getting my stomach shrunk!  I was full quicker, I wasn’t always hungry (except for M&M’s and fudge which don’t count. I can eat those anytime.  Hungry or not!)   Alright… I might be back tomorrow, we’ll see.

I also wanted to know if anyone else is confused about WHAT DAY this is?!?!  I was late for work today because this seemed like it should be SUNDAY!!  It isn’t!  Which means when I woke up this morning I was moving like a mini tornado to get to work!  So for the record today is Saturday! 

The blog is still up… so I’ll see ya tomorrow (I think!)

After I placed all the pictures in the blog…. in the order I did……. it makes it look like I got drunk and fell into a tafetta, netting, foo foo puddle of sparkling princess dress.  For the record that is my first glass!  HONEST!!!  Would I lie to you!?!? (besides… it’s just too funny to change the order!)   Happy New Year!!  NOW back to that bottle of champagne!  See ya tomorrow!

Okay tomorrow December 31, 2009 last day to vote.  (HEY!!  Was that a sigh of relief I just heard??!)  http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html

Okay, I’ve already admitted I ate wayyyyy too much during the holidays.  But now I need to know ‘when will my stomach shrink back down so I’m not RAVENOUS all the TIME?!?!?!‘  I’m soooooooooooooooo hungry!!  It’s all I can do not to beg for food… like FUDGE and fruit cake (I still have Brandy Sauce left only we ate all the fruit cake… ) Noooo I do NOT want carrots! (unless of course it’s in carrot cake… you know… with the really good cream cheese frosting?!?)  WOW if you weren’t hungry for junk food before you read this I’ll bet you are now cause I’m starving!! So I think I will go drink a really big bottle of water and go to bed.  Otherwise I am going to go thru the cupboards!!  See ya tomorrow.

http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html  I’m kinda a pain in the tush with this vote for me… vote for me… aren’t I??   But only for a couple more days.  BTW you have voted right?  More importantly… you did vote for me!? Right??

http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html  you know… the voting site… in case you haven’t…… you know……. voted.  For me!

Soooo… anyone wanna come over and finish my laundry so I can go to bed early?! 

http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html   AND!!!! you only have to hear me beg for votes for a few more days!!  December 31st, is the last voting day.  (What?  You thought I would forget to add this link?!?!  Have we just met?!?!)

Merry Christmas from all of us (even our daughter & her family in Michigan via webcam) to all of you! 

See ya tomorrow!

Mom’s mobile if finally empty (with the exception of a few large things my daughter Selena & I needed help moving).  The mobile is clean (okay NO white gloves allowed within a mile, but at least it can be shown if then need arises)  Mom is mostly unpacked.  I’m exhausted!!  But, I took every opportunity to make today my workout (I plan to eat whatever I want on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!! So I need to store up exercise credits… that will work right?? I took tons of trips up and down stairs.  Scrub floors on hands and knees. Did squats using boxes as weights. 

Now I’m off to make my homemade Cranberry sauce and my Christmas Day quiche.  Ohhhh makes me hungry just thinking about all the goodies to come my way!!

By now you know the last paragraph by heart…. vote for me!!  PLEASE!!  And I’ll see you tomorrow!

http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html

http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html You know… incase you haven’t voted yet!

Tomorrow is moving day for my Mom….. soooo if you wanna schlep boxes come onnnnnnn over!!  Otherwise I will see you tomorrow night. 

Don’t forget to vote! (I am not competitive! I don’t know where you got that idea! But you have voted… right??)    http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html

Okay you know the drill at the end of the blog…. I’m making sure that there is a link to the voting site at the end of every post just in case you still haven’t voted.  My hope is you’ve found my journey inspirational and you will vote for ME ME ME!!  One vote per email address here is the link http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html so you go vote…and I’ll see you tomorrow!

(Yes, I cheated this is the exact same ending as yesterday… but I’m HUNGRY!!!  I want FOOD!!)  See ya tomorrow

BUT! I have a fix to the holiday weight gain!  I’m so excited!  I get to have a House Party and try out YOUR SHAPE it’s a new Fitness game for the Wii staring Jenny McCarthy.  The game arrived today.  I’ll get it set up this weekend and practice a little before my party.  The game looks pretty cool!  It has a motion tracking camera that projects your workout on the tv. The game has over 400+ exercises. I’ll let ya know what kind of a workout I get (hopefully!) this weekend.  Cause with all the munching I’ve been doing I need a boost in my workout! 

Just so you know, I’m making sure that there is a link to the voting site at the end of every post just in case you still haven’t voted.  My hope is you’ve found my journey inspirational and you will vote for ME ME ME!!  One vote per email address here is the link http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html so you go vote…and I’ll see you tomorrow!

I missed my blah blah blah post last week.  It’s amazing how the holiday’s throw life into fast forward! This week I walked with Kaki minus the weighted vest but added the new Sketcher Shape Up shoes.  I dunno if this would make anyone else say “hummmm I wonder…..” But, I have these nice new and expensive shoes ($109!!) would adding the 30 pound weighted vest make the soles wear out faster?  Would it do anything to the curve of the shoe?  I think it’s just me being a ding-a-ling.  I mean I was 28 pounds heavier…That’s almost the vest weight.  So wearing the vest shouldn’t make a difference.  Right? Anyway, I added the jump rope 3 days this week.   I was sorta good with my food choices.  It’s CHRISTMAS TIME!!  There is so many temptations!! Homemade cookies, fudge, breads.  IT would be RUDE not to sample!!  (Besides I think I heard somewhere if you stand balanced on one foot calories don’t count!?  Ya know like if you eat over the sink they don’t count either.  I’m sure that has to be right!!) It’s just so hard to stay on track!!  (Did I mention I’m making Biscotti tomorrow?! And fudge?!  I’m not real bright sometimes!!)  Anyway, I’m down 28 pounds!  YEA ME!!  2 pounds to go, but, with a Christmas party this Saturday I’ll be happy if I can keep from gaining 5 pounds!! 

Okay here’s the beggin’ part….. vote for me … vote for me!!  One vote per email address here is the   http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html so you go vote…and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Did ya vote?  Okay wait… did you vote FOR ME!?  http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html  Thank you!!

WOWOWOW!!  I went to Kohl’s after work tonight shopping for a pair of jeans.  (Now my disclaimer here is the jeans I tried on had stretch to them but STILL!!) I HAD MY BUTT IN A SIZE 4!  That is a FOUR!  The last time I have EVER been in a size FOUR there was a T following the 4!  A FOUR!!! A SIZE FOUR pair of UGLY jeans.  Which is one of the reasons they didn’t come home with me.   The other reason is I would have left that sticker down the thigh that said 4 on the pants…. and really!?  I’m obnoxious enough without the sticker.  A FOUR?!!?  I even went out and picked up 2 other colors convinced that the jeans were marked wrong.  They weren’t!  I could zip them up and STILL BREATHE!!!  Just to be able to say I own a size FOUR pair of jeans I may have to go back tomorrow.  Ugly or not a FOUR is a FOUR!!  A FOUR!?  I am still amazed.  A FOUR?! WOW!!

Now it’s the VOTE for ME!! plea. Click on the link below.  The voting box is up on the right hand side. Do I have to remind you the name?  It’s Connie… Me ….. (you know …. that girl in a size FOUR PAIR of jeans?!?!?!)  Did I mention I could even SIT DOWN IN THEM!?!?  Okay sorry… I’ve never been in a four before! I’m a little A LOT amazed and shocked!

http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html 

Do you really want a really great ab workout?!  Go to lunch with a good friend!  Wait… not the lunch part exactly. But go to lunch with a girl friend that makes you laugh like crazy!!  Tita THANK YOU!!  My stomach still hurts!!  I’m even counting lunch as my exercise today! I would have walked this morning but you’all know I can’t walk without Kaki!  (So it’s all Kaki’s fault I slept in!)  BUT! I really do try to have to have SOME type of exercise everyday and today I picked eating  laughing!    See ya tomorrow!

Here comes my plea for votes!!     http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html

I’m exhausted!  But floors are scrubbed, laundry is done and even the fish tank is clean!!  Oh this feels GREAT!!!!  Wouldn’t it be great if you could do a deep clean on your house and have it stay that way for ohhhh EVER!?!?  Or at least a week!?

I forgot to update you about the Sketcher Shape Up shoes.  I wore them all day on Thursday and then on Friday I was SORE!! From wearing SHOES!?  How amazing is that?!  The shoes are comfortable.  But they do make you stand up straight.  They do make your abs contract. The shoes work your glutes, calves and thighs!  I recommend these shoes!   The Shape-Ups make me wish I could wear them with a skirt!  

Okay, I’m off to fold that last load of laundry and wrap some packages that have to get mailed this week. 

See ya tomorrow!  

Ohhh and did you remember to go vote?  (As in vote for ME?!)  It’s only one vote for email address.  So yes, Ray you and Lael can both vote for me!!  http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html

If you haven’t had a chance I’m hoping you will take a few moments and go vote for me!  (Me as in Connie!)  Thank you!!  THANK YOU!!!!

http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html

Oh and Happy Birthday LEE!!!!  You’re HOW OLD?!?!?

The voting box is up on the right hand side.  It looks like this time you have to enter your email address and date of birth.  You won’t get any emails from Channel 10!!  It’s just a validation step. 

So please go vote!!  Ohhh wait!!!   Now would be a great time to show before and after pictures wouldn’t it?!?! 

http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html 

Okay now you can go vote.  See ya tomorrow. 

So I rewarded myself and I bought new shoes!! I bought a pair of Sketcher Shape-ups for walking.  (DH can’t make a fuss over these….. because exercise shoes don’t count as real shoes!)  I’ll let ya know what I think next week.  I wore them on my walk with Kaki this morning and I didn’t feel any difference, but the video says you may be sore in your thighs and glutes the next day.  Trust me you’ll hear about it if it’s true.

Okay now you can go watch the after video.  Here is the before picture to remind you where I was when the Half Year Resolution started on July 1st. 

(Do you think it’s lazy if I re-post this same entry on Monday when voting starts??)  

See ya tomorrow.

I may not have exercised this morning, but, I’m sure the hyper me runnin’ around like a crazy person burned a lot of calories. I’m taping my 60 second commercial at Channel 10 tomorrow.  I need to dazzle and intrigue people to come read my blog and vote for me.  So far I’ve ruled out begging Paaaaaaaaaaleeeeeeeaseeeeeeeeeeee for 60 seconds. I figure that MAY NOThave the desired effect, cause my voice will get all high pitched and nasaly…. naaa not a good idea.  So…. words… I have to have words.  I also need to figure out what to do with my arms. Don’t be surprised if in my little commercial my arms are over my head and “dream talk mumbling” is pouring out of my mouth. Oh it’ll be funny to you… entertaining even!  But will it make strangers vote for me?!?  Probably not.  So, other than the whole words thing…… I’m ready.  Dani at The Loft Hair Design in Escondido cut and styled my (very cute, if I don’t mind saying so myself!)  hair.  My outfit is picked out.  My toes are painted… I’m ready!! Except ya know…. for the words thing.     See ya tomorrow.

P.S. I love you guys!!  I really am such a lucky girl.  Thank you for all the comments and notes from yesterdays blog.  You made my day!

I will be back to post tonight…… this was just a test… had this been a real blog post there would have been ……. oh never mind.  I will be back!

Congratulations to Dan and Heather who are in Las Vegas with my daughter Selena.  They ran the Rock and Roll half marathon today.  Dan finished with 2 hours 46 minutes.  Heather finished with 2 hours 20 minutes.  HOLY MOLY!  That exhausts me just THINKING about running that far. I mean REALLY!?!  Running that far… and no one is chasing me with a hatchet?  … I don’t think so.   So now I’m off to do a Jillian Michael’s DVD work out.  Since I DO plan to have a hot cocoa with little bitty marshmallows with my dinner.

Ohhh I had to come back and beg for votes again!!   Whew… that was a close one!   Thank you so much for voting!!!!!!!!!!   http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html  I’ve heard from several people that my links are cutting off the voting box on the left hand side. So if that happens please copy and paste the address into a new browser window. That seems to work.  Thank you again!!

Quick reminder to go vote!!!  If you’ve found my journey to be inspirational as well as entertaining I’m hoping you will VOTE for ME!!  I’m wayyyyyyyy behind in votes!  So please vote now!!  Thank you so much!!  (That’s Connie…….. me me me!!!)   http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html 

See ya tomorrow!

The voting site is up!!  I am hoping you have found my journey to be inspirational as well as entertaining. If so please… VOTE for ME!!  If not… well, vote for me anyway!!   (As in me me me Connie me me me!!!)

Don’t worry you don’t have to go thru withdrawals quite yet I will continue to blog up till the very last day that Channel 10 will let me!!   The voting box is up on the right hand side.

http://www.10news.com/halfyearresolution/index.html 

I need a ‘can’t sleep’ night every once in awhile, cause I got tons done this morning all before 7am!  Now if I could just get that momentum back tomorrow (my day off) I’d be a happy girl.  Wait… the cleaning part won’t make me happy (I haven’t completely lost my mind! YET!)   BUT, the CLEAN house will make me feel sooo much better.  I’ll crank up the music and make it my workout too!!  Okay, that’s the plan!  Now let’s hope I don’t ‘snooze’ button myself into laziness!!   See ya tomorrow!

DH went to the doctor today.  He is on the road to recovery, but he should expect about 2 more weeks of the same aches, cough and sore throat.  It’s a nasty cold, thankfully nothing more serious.  Now, the part that no doctor has ever in my 51 years ever said to me…… But to DH the doctor says ”Your weight is getting to low.  You really need to eat!”   Nope… never ever heard those words from another living soul …. let alone a doctor!!   I get a cold and I gain weight!  Of course, even when he is well, DH says he wants to lose a couple pounds and 15 minutes later BAM!!  pounds gone!!   I would ask to trade places for a couple weeks… but boys have cooties!   Anyway, thanks for all the well wishes for DH.  I’ll see ya tomorrow!

Let’s see….I’m trying to decide what to blog about tonight.  I don’t want to tell you I had Pizza AND CAKE for lunch (Happy Birthday Dr. Louie!).  I don’t want to tell you I didn’t exercise today. (Kaki’s sick… remember I can’t walk alone…. scary ummm big dogs??  Okay fine I’m just lazy).  DH still sick.  House still an overwhelming mess.  And what I really really want right now??  A big Reese Peanut Butter cup.  Yummmm.  It’s a good thing I’m as lazy as I am or I would be sitting in the middle of candy wrappers with a chocolate mustache right now. 

Instead?  I’m off to bed.         See ya tomorrow.

Today’s post is earlier than normal, No time to sleep!!  It’s BlackFriday!!!  MY FAVORITE day of the year!!  4:30 a.m. I will be in line at Walmart. If you’re up bring me coffee please?  (I would add and a danish… but this is kinda a diet blog and that would be BAD!!  So I’m writing NO CHEESE DANISH ohhh wait… you can’t see my eyes… never mind)  Then of course since you would already be up, you could maybe stand in line for me??  Watch for Tweets while I’m in line…… or I should say lines!!  There’s Target, BestBuy, ToysRUs….           See ya tomorrow!  (or later today if I have anything exciting to report)

Today is what I call SUCCESS!!!

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!! 

See ya tomorrow. 

So far my vacation has been a lot of packing and cleaning….. no exercise… lots of whining….. and a sick DH.  I think I need a vacation from my vacation!!! But for now I’m taking my tired body to bed.  See ya tomorrow!

On a positive note my Mom’s mobile may have found a buyer!  Moving really burns calories!!   That sound upbeat and positive didn’t it?  I’m thinking positive…. moving firms muscles…. I hate moving….. burns fat…… I really hate moving.  Okay okay so I’m working on the whole positive part!  That’s it for now.  I’ll see ya back here tomorrow.

But tomorrow is another day!!

I’m on vacation for this whole week!!  But, I sure hope today (and the past week too for that matter)  isn’t an indication how this week will go!!   I have NO energy at all!!  It’s 6:30 and I really think I could go to bed and sleep all night.  Add to that, poor DH and even Miss Gracie (our Lab) are both sick.  Not that we had plans to do anything this week….. but being sick??  On vacation?!  That’s just not right!!!

There is a rule every dieter knows!!  YOU do NOT GO TO THE GROCERY STORE HUNGRY!!!  It means you WILL buy BAD foods!!  Some of those bad foods won’t even make it home!!  Just thought I should remind you …..  I wish I would have reminded myself!!!

I was REALLY good diet wise.  Oh don’t be too impressed it’s only because I was too lazy to get dressed and go buy desperately needed groceries.   

But, all in all it was a great day off.   I’m all relaxed and ready to go back to work tomorrow…. relaxed and hungry!!

HOLY MOLY!!  I’m so glad I am feeling better because today was one of the busiest days I’ve had in a while.  Course I was still playing catch-up from Monday so that didn’t help.  Last night, I took some Tylenol Cold and Flu Nighttime.  WOOOOHOOOO I slept like a rock all night and then some this morning…. so yes I was late for work.  (Be thankFUL you weren’t on the 78 this morning and if you were…. well, I’m sorry!!  SOOO SORRY!!) 

So my weigh in this morning didn’t happen.  The walk didn’t happen.  The jump-rope (WHO”s stupid idea was it to mention I even OWN the jump-rope in the first place?  Oh yea… it was me…. never mind…. didn’t do it.  But I will.  Yea yea yea I know… I will.  I promise! Where have we heard that before??)  So tomorrow is my weekly phone call with Tyler and I’ll add the weigh in then too.  See??  Now you have something to look forward too tomorrow.   Thank you for all the get well quick wishes!!  They worked like a charm!!

I am not spoiled…. I’m not…. I’m not….. I’m n… okay maybe a little bit.  DH just bought me a new Blackberry Tour.  Woooo HOOO!!   It’s awesome on so many levels!!  I played with it all evening and forgot to eat!!  Course, I did nothing else either. I think I better do a little extra exercise this week to make up for being lazy this whole weekend.  Maybe I will actually get that Jump Rope out?  Hummmmmm maybe….

THIS is the kind of day I’ve had………..  now I’m going to bed early!!

One final note for the day.  Happy Veterans Day to all our Military!!  With a very special thank you  to my 2 favorite Sailors Selena & Lael.

Click here to see  Tyler at WellStrong Fitness.   He’s talking about ME!! 

So of course I have to share!!  I’ll wait here while you go watch the video.

I want to win the Little Debbie CUPCAKE car!!!   How adorable is this car??   AND since I’ve lost weight I would fit in it just fine!!

This car just makes me smile!

I have 8.5 pounds to lose!!  I should stop saying lose…. losing something means you will find it…. I want to give away this last 8.5 pounds… any takers??  It’s free!  I won’t even charge shipping and handling!!  (I am THAT nice!!)

I still have a lot to learn when it comes to dealing with stress without eating.  My Mom needed a trip to the emergency room yesterday.  The vending machine and I became great friends.   UGH!!  I do know better HONEST!!!   I did tell myself “No no no!”  but I ignored that voice.  To top it off… I didn’t exercise (unless you can consider pacing exercising… ohhh wait… yes I DO! consider pacing exercise).  

So today Mom is back home.  Sore, a little bruised and whole lot tired.  I swear if I didn’t have to work tomorrow I wouldn’t get out of bed all day!!

Goodness sake everyo… I was going to say “Everyone around me is getting sick!”  Then it dawned on me by “EVERYONE around ME” could lead you to believe that I’m the cause…. sooooo instead how about “I know a lot of sick people”  Wait… that’s not right either.  Okay Mom, Ms. Barbara and Dr. Louie get well soon!!  Please…. and it’s NOT my FAULT!!  HONEST!!!  (No really… it’s not me!)

Anyway, I’m off to play Florence Nightingale to my Mom.

And here is the rest……….. I walked everyday with my weighted vest.  I stopped eating fruit at night.  I really did great with my food choices … until Tuesday night!  (Seriously?!  What was I thinking?!?!?!?!)  I did a couple of nights of yoga and did my ab work too.  (Aren’t I just like the best student ever?!!)

MAN! I have a lot of clocks in this house!! 

Well, at least the candy crisis is over!  Course, now I am stuck with a big ole’ bag of candy I don’t like!!   That was a genius plan that totally backfired!!  But at least I won’t gain any weight because of Halloween!  Yea me!!

Happy Halloween!  I can’t wait for the little kids to start delivering candy right to my door! (Insert evil_laugh)  Ohhhhhhkay fine I won’t really steal any candy…..   I did guarante I won’t eat any candy I have here either!  I only bought Halloween candy I don’t like!  YEA ME!!! (Smart me!!)

My weight loss is really starting to show.  I’m starting to get a lot of comments from my daughter, to the girls I work with and the patients that we see from year to year.   Boy if compliments aren’t a big diet boost I don’t know what is.  It might be a big enough boost to make it through Halloween without eating mass amounts of candy!   But, I should probably put on a really tight pair of jeans …. so tight I can’t eat just to be on the safe side.

I also have to brag a little here my son Zachary’s friend,  Jeff Diamond has released a new cd 30 Trips around the Sun .  My favorite song is “In The Shadows Beyond The Light”.  Jeff is really talented!!!  And not to be all cougar like here….l but the album cover shows just how cute Jeff is too.  (NOW I know you really want to go look don’tcha???)

 Hummmmm…… can’t decide if I am happy or I am sad.  When I got dressed this morning  I decided to see if an old favorite pair of jeans fit yet.  Yea….. someONE should have checked several pounds ago because they were so big a belt wouldn’t even have helped keep them up!!   I can’t believe how big the ‘to go’ pile of clothes has gotten!  My family better decide soon when this Garage sale will happen!

I know I shouldn’t admit this…. but I stayed in my jammies allllllll day too!!

This week was exhausting all the way around.  If I sit still too long I start to dose off!!  A sure sign I need a break!

Luckily, it’s my weekend off and I have NOTHING planned except to sleep IN!!!!  How great does that sound!?!?!?   I bet ya’all wish you were me!!

I had my weekly phone call with Tyler today from WellStrong Fitness.  Since I lost this week we aren’t making any changes.   I’ll be sticking with the extra walking, eating lean proteins and less starches.  Now I’m off to put my pumpkin out!

I’ve tried a couple of different exercises this last 2 weeks.  From the defective hula hoop fiasco.  To adding a little extra time walking with Kaki.  My weighted vest is now weighing in at 26 pounds.  I’ve added ab work (probably can’t count that because I only did 4 days worth…. mostly cause I forget!  Which is insane because if I actually do 5 minutes of ab work a day my stomach really does show results!!).

For the record…. no…. that is not me in the trash can.  Gotta love the internet you really can find a picture of anything you want!!!

 It’s official…..  I can no longer stay up all night and still function the next day!!  I’m thinking of hitting the pillow by 8pm???  OH COME ON!!!!!!!!  HOW (and when!?) did this happen?!?!  But tired or not I still walked this morning.   I can’t say I walked as fast as normal…. but I walked none the less.  I even had fruit and yogurt for dinner.   I’m SOOOOO responsible!!   (wellll about food today anyway!)

I’ve had a bad week.  I didn’t exercise like I should have.  Actually, I didn’t exercise at all!  That is so BAD for me!!  And I paid for it to!!  No weight loss and I was tired all the time!!  (Okay saying it out loud is making me feel worse!!)  In my perfect world I would have more energy if I slept in….. chocolate would be one of the 4 basic food groups too. (The big group!!  I’m a greedy girl)  But in the real world if I walk and sweat I have energy all day??!  I sleep in?  I drag all day.  Shouldn’t I be tired AFTER I sweat and exercise??  This week has just been so hard.   I was unmotivated, overwhelmed and tired of dieting! (eating healthy… ugh whatever!)                                                                       

BUT the pity party stops NOW!!  I have to get back to work!!  I have a Challenge to win!!!   And really not a lot of time left!  I better find where I hid that motivation!  Seriously!  WHY is losing weight SO DANG HARD??!?!?  (Waaaa waaaa waaa Okay I’m done.  Honest.  I mean with the oh poor me part.  Tomorrow I’m walking AND doing crunches!)

Oh and thank you for keeping your fingers crossed about the car.  The coolant thermostate went out and needed replaced.  Not overly expensive…. but I really can’t afford to break anything else.   (Good thing payday is soon!!)

Now as far as exercise for the weekend…. shopping counts right??  

Okay OKAY!!  I’m off to do a work-out on the wii fit.  MAN!  You guys are STRICT!!!

I bought one called  ‘acu-hula-hoop’.  It has these silver 1″ wide METAL balls inside the hoop (okay okay I know….I know… YOU would have kept shopping…after YOU saw the metal balls.  I on the other hand… well… never mind!!) anyway everytime the hoop falls it hits my knee.  (I have a very nice silver dollar size bruise on the outside of my knee) and have yet to get the dang hoop to go around a full time!!    I am NOT having fun!  I am having pain.    Stupid hula hoop!!  I’m going back to hula hooping on the wii… where I still suck ……… but at least it doesn’t leave a bruise.  Anyone wanna buy a used weighted hula hoop?  (It’s too late to say “works great!!” right?)

The smart thing would have been to get right back on the diet  life style change wagon today……. but noooooooo not me!!   I’m telling you right now I am SO NOT WEIGHING IN ON WEDNESDAY!!!  You can’t make me…. you can’t make me!  NO NO NO!!! 

I also received my weighted hula hoop while I was in Vegas (seeing Cher!) and ummmm yea…. I can’t HULA HOOP???!!!  I don’t remember hula hoops being THIS hard to do.  Maybe I have a broken or defective one.  Yes, it’s round….  no it doesn’t have holes or a gap in it…. but I can’t keep it from hitting the ground! It must be BROKEN!!!   I can’t be that uncoordinated!?!?  Can I??  WAIT….don’t answer that!  I will keep trying.  But so far I can’t get it to go one time around.

Thank you DH for the most amazing seats!! WOW! I SAW CHER!!  LIVE!!!

   Zachary made it back safe and sound from the Pacific Coast Kikker Knock Out run to San Francisico.  

On the other hand….. I am so broke!  Vegas TOOK ALL MY MONEY!! TOOK IT!!!  (HEY!  They named it a one armed bandit!  That right there says I can claim VEGAS TOOK my money!  So stop laughing…. send money!!)

Vegas also MADE me gain weight!!  (Okay now I know I pushed my luck with that statement……) so tomorrow morning it’s back to work on diet and exercise.  

But WOW what a great weekend! SO worth an added pound (okay maybe 2) and being really broke till payday! (Seriously… donations… ohhhh wait…. maybe I’ll call my new BFF PARIS!!)

BFF = best friend forever. 

So slight change of plans…. I will be seeing Cher TONIGHT (Saturday)!  So pretend this is brand new news…. woooo hoooo!!  Seeing Cher tonight!!!  Yea yea yea… I know…. but just work with ME HERE!!

Besides….. this way you get a costume change even in the blog!  WAIT! Maybe I did this whole thing on purpose just so I could post more pictures of Cher!!!  (Yea… we’re so going with that!)

I guess I should add some diet/fitness stuff too I have walked a ton!  I have stood in endless lines as well, but totally worth it.  I have pictures to post when I get home of Paris Hilton and me!  (Seems someone forgot to take her memory stick out of her laptop after updating the blog yesterday with Mike Tyson pictures!!  GRRRRR!! But I still managed to get a couple of shots with Mick Fleetwood but I’ll have to scan the one with Paris Hilton and myself when I get home…. wait…. I was talking diet.  I’m made really AMAZING food choices… mostly because I’ve been too busy to eat!!  So exercise… check…. food…. check… sleep…. not so much… hyper?  Oh yea!!

I also posed with Mick Fleetwood!  I’ll post pictures when I get home tomorrow night….. because I don’t have time right now…. I am on my way to see CHER!!!   Betcha all wish you were with me in Vegas!!!    OH  DH you are SOOOO OUT OF TROUBLE!!!!   WOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Better pictures coming in a few weeks.  But I had to send something!!   I mean HELLO!!  I hugged Mike Tyson!!!

It’s completely portable.   It would be a great item to slip into my suitcase.  SEE???  I could exercise on vacation!!!  (‘Course……will it really come out of the suitcase?  In VEGAS?! VEGAS?!?!  Well, ummmm we’ll see… )

On the flip side of that I have a charlie horse in my thigh!!! (Okay not so much my thigh but more bit higher up….)  that REALLY HURTS!!!                                                                     

But (I made a funny!) so worth it!  I have high score! 

Aaaaahhh who are we kidding?  I’m getting an apple fritter tomorrow!  Just don’t tell anyone!

That’s REALLY COOL!!  I’m in a Channel 10 commercial!!  WOO HOOO!!   I wonder where my paparazzi are hiding??  

Nothing else to report today.  Pretty uneventful actually.  Walked with Kaki.  Work was busy. I ate healthy.  And watched Channel 10 just to see if I could see myself on TV.  (HEY!!  A girl has to have hobbies!!!)

(I just wish I could get a better picture! One that shows just how CUTE this bowl is!!!!  Thank you Netta & Krystin!!! You made my day!!)

 The Carlsbad Marathon may very well kill me!! 

I could just hold a fund raiser…. get Selena back her $75.00 entry fee. 

I could  hire a stunt double that looks like me… and will whine and complain the whole route…

Then it dawned on me…. the Half Year Challenge blog will be over by race time I can say “I’m going to do it!!  FOR ME!!”  Everyone will be impressed and proud of me…..  but and NO ONE WOULD know if I chickened out!!  Wait… forget this last part.  Let’s just go back to everyone being sooooo impressed!!! 

                                                                                                                                                                           Mom, Guess what you and Dan are doing together in January??   Yep, I bought my running slot a long time ago and thought I would be good for it by now but it looks like I won’t be.  Better get training.  It will be a ridiculously rewarding achievement.

My first, second, third and FOURTH reactions is a RESOUNDING NO!!!  No, thank you.  No way.  NO!!  NOT gonna do it!!   After a visit with  Selena, she assures me I do NOT have to RUN the entire thing.  I can walk/jog it.  So my fifth reaction is ummm I dunno..(no!)… I’ll think about it.  Ohhhhh wait!!  I think that’s the weekend I have the flu!!!

It’s amazing how much better compliments will make you feel!  People I haven’t seen in a while have noticed the weight loss…. that’s a great boost…. that and presents.  Presents always good! Especially jewelry!! My dear friend Nanci sent me a beautiful pearl necklace.  She is an amazing jewelry designer. Handmade with Aloha    So between the compliments on the new hair do…. my weight loss … I’m sportin’ new jewelry!  How can you NOT have a good day??? 

I can NOT get a good shot of my new necklace.  It’s just the softest shades of pink, blues and cream.  It’s just beautiful!!!  Thank you NAN!!!

Anyway, here is the blah blah blah part, my weekly progress report.  I stayed exactly the same.   I am happy I didn’t gain. And pouty that I couldn’t have at least lost a half pound, that would have been nice.  (ohhhh don’t I sound like a spoiled little kid?!?!  Well, phffffffttttt!!  I soooo should have lost at least that!!!)

I didn’t do any evening exercising.  I did walk with Kaki in the mornings.  I weighed myself with my vest on today and  it weighs in at 28 pounds!  It’s amazing to me that at one time I carried that much weight around and then some!!  

Okay I’ve giving my self tonight to finish playing pouty girl…..

Tomorrow starts a whole new week.  Complete with no more whining!   (Okay I mean like no whining tomorrow!  Not never.  Cause really?  HELLO!!?!  That’s asking for an awful lot!!)

I’m proud of myself though, the last 2 hectic days didn’t send me diving head first into a bowl of candy (Truthfully, only because A. I don’t have any and B. I’m too lazy to go anywhere and buy some) that goes for alcohol….. peanut butter……..donuts… wait…. this is NOT helping!   

Now that I’m thinking of all that great junk food I forgot where I was going with this blog…. ohhh look over there… shiny! 

(I don’t know why you think I get distracted easily?!?)

Gracie on the other hand…. enjoyed a gift from Dr. Louie and didn’t worry about her diet.  Dr. Louie and Barbara keep Gracie well supplied in peanut butter jars. Tonight it was tempting to keep that jar because MY peanut butter is still MIA!!!                                    

I made my version of Weight Watchers zero point soup.  The soup is really filling and mostly vegetables. In a very large pot add: 1 pound of stew meat (I chop those pieces into smaller pieces, I want more vegetable than meat)  Add a head of fresh cauliflower & one of broccoli, carrots, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, 1 can stewed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of beef bouillon, 2 cups of water (or more) depending on whether you want stew or soup.   After the veggies are tender I take about 1 cup out and put that in the blender, add back to the soup to make the soup a little thicker and give it a nice rich flavor.  Let simmer about another 30 minutes.  Then serve or do what I do and divide the soup into containers.  I put 5 containers in the freezer.  1 container in the fridge.  One for my lunch tomorrow.   (For the true Weight Watchers Zero Point soup skip the meat & bouillon)

The best part is I don’t have to back to that scary room again for at least a week…. maybe 4.  Wait… when is Thanksgiving?? 

I’m sure that Brunswick will be contacting me soon to sign on with them for the 2010 Pro Bowler Tour.  Yup…. I’m that good.  Okay fine.  Maybe not.  But I haven’t touched a bowling ball in 6 years and I still wound up with a 125 average.  Not too bad.  The boss showed everybody up with a 237.   (Ohhh I wish I could say the staff let him win… but this group is way too competitive for that)

Bowling really is a fun way to get your exercise in for the day.  I don’t know why I don’t bowl more often.

After bowling, I was ready to pig out on pizza,  cake and ice cream.   But sometimes the fates are watching out for me.  No pizza, no cake, no ice cream.  Kathy made some amazing cupcakes, I had only one.  Then I resisted the urge to grab the whole container and run to my car. 

So great night, great company, great cupcake and I’m still on track with my diet.   WOOO HOOO!!

I can best describe the last couple of days & especially nights as ………

          With all the tossing and turning and NOT sleeping ……… I’m starting to get a little (LOT) grumpy and short tempered.  I could REALLY use a WHOLE nights sleep!!  PLEASE!??!?!?!?!?!?!?  Otherwise SOMEONE is going to get hurt!  And since it’s just DH and myself in the house GUESS WHO I PICK!??!?!?!?? 

I did really good today.  I ate smart.  I exercised this morning for 45 minutes with Kaki.  But tonight I feel bloated like I just went on a candy free-for-all…. WHY!?!?  WHY??!?!  That’s not fair.  I WAS GOOD!!  EVEN when no one was LOOKING I was good!!!  What’s UP WITH THAT!??!  Is it because I said I was going to cheat later this month?  My body just said…… fine… we’ll show you!?!?   Or is it this stupid menopause thing?!  It would be nice if the hot flashes and night sweats at least burned fat!  It’s the least they could do!!   (ohhhh someone is a LITTLE testy tonight aren’t I??!!  Good thing DH went to work already.  HEY!!! wait a minute …. is that why he left early?!?!)

All that said I have some major challenges coming up!  This weekend is the bosses birthday party.  Pizza and bowling.  I love pizza.  I put pizza right up there with M&M’s and peanut butter (added the M&M’s just for Dr. Louie).  Then the end of the month I have a Las Vegas trip.  Ohhh I think I better check how many weeks I have left with the Challenge!!  Cause that will for sure tell me how much I can cheat this weekend and at the end of the month.  (wait…. that’s VERY wrong!  I should  NOT do that….shhhh don’t tell cause I’m doing it anyway…. but at least I KNOW it’s wrong!)

I need ya’all to go out and buy this dvd set so Dan can afford to buy Selena an engagement ring I need a GRANDBABY that lives close to me PEOPLE!!!!!  I’m not gettin’ any younger!!  (I’m soooo gonna hear about this post!) 

+greens, + yellows, +reds  etc…..                             

I know it works!   I always feel better immediately.

Then my darling baby sister sent DH a way to keep me outta the peanut butter (that is if I could find the stupid jar!) She’s in trouble too!! 

The long weekend is coming to a close.  I did pretty good sticking to my healthy food choices.  I didn’t do a lot of exercising but I am getting on the wii to challenge DH as soon as I post this.  Kaki and I resume our morning walks tomorrow.  So I think I will be fine on Wednesday for weigh in day.  (But keep your fingers crossed for me just in case!!)

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend.

Also….. the last race is NOT the time to pick 6.

 I am down another TWO POUNDS!!!  For a total of 13 pounds.   I am so excited! 

Kaki and I walked again this morning.  Weighted vest (Extra weights added).  I’ve been careful with my carbs and sugar intake.  Slow but sure it’s comin’ off. 

Now the trick is…. not gain anything on the long weekend.  PLEASE!!!!!  I need to stay busy and not munch away my 2 pound loss.

So if you see me in public with food….. never mind…. I may bite you if it’s something I really REALLY want.  So never mind…… so for right now…. Happy DANCE!!

For now, I’m wondering why, when I KNOW I have an important event coming up (known for a year!) WHY WHY WHY do I wait till the last month before I decide “Okay seriously let’s POWER DIET now!  Cause I can loose 20 pounds this month….  rrrrighhhtt…. me that’s taken 8 weeks to loose 11 pounds!  Sure!!  Another 20 in half the time is SO DO-ABLE!!!  Heck! I’ll probably wake up skinny tomorrow!!  I’m really optimistic about the power of this 8 hour sleeping cycle that I feel skinnier already.  Yup yup….I feel pounds just snoring away…… by the way… I’ll be putting the Coronado Bridge on eBay tomorrow be sure and get your bids in early.

85 days till Black Friday!!! (I love BLACK FRIDAY!!!) and 113 days till Christmas!  I thought you would like to know!  You are soooooooo WELCOME!!  I knew you would appreciate the information. 

My darling daughter Selena says I sure have a lot of excuses not to exercise.  Well….. HELLO!??!?!  I’ve got 51 YEARS worth stored up!!   (Okay that might be a slight exaggeration I didn’t start exercising straight from the womb…. but I’m sure I was starting my list of excuses then!  Just like thinking of places to stash M&M’s and Oreo cookies.  It takes talent to hide them from siblings, children and other loved ones!)

I did very well today food wise, but I’ve been bad about my water lately.  So that’s my goal for tomorrow drink 8 glasses of water.  (You would think with as hot as it’s been, water would be the least of my worries!  But noooooooo not me!)

In the meantime I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.  Slow but steady.  I keep thinking 11 pounds isn’t much but when you add in toning it really is!  This week alone I’ve fit into 2 skirts and one dress I haven’t been able to get into before.   I also put another skirt in the garage sale box!  WOOO HOOO!!! 

Pacific Coast Knock Out: 1000 Miles on a Kikker HardKnock 

Me?  I’m going to go to bed before I go dig around in the fridge for food.  I did really good all day and all of a sudden 10:15 at night and my stomach is growling.   You know it’s true, there isn’t anything that you can’t fix with duct tape……… that reminds me 1000 miles… better call Zac and tell him to buy duct tape. 

BTW do you know how hard it was to type DUCT instead of the proper name DUCK?!?!? 

Okay now for something totally off the wall.  (IMAGINE that!  FROM ME?!?!)   This is the coolest clip!!  I recommend listening with your eyes closed the first time then play it again and watch it.  It gives me goosebumps  everytime!!    

Okay, fine….. well, at least it wasn’t a gain.  I am firming up though, because I wore 2 skirts this week that I have never had on!!   (They still had tags on them!!  YEA YEA YEA ME!!!) 

I walked with Kaki, did a couple nights with Jillian Michaels DVD.  But, over all I’ve just felt unmotivated and and ….. and….. blah.  I can’t think of a better way to say it.  Just BLAH! all this week.  But tomorrow starts my new week so I’m going to shake this off and get back to work!  Next week I will post a loss!  

BTW… thanks for the finger crossing… made it to the gas station just fine this morning.

I was going to use this little picture…. but let’s get serious!  I’ll call DH and he would come rescue me…….. so it’ll be more like this:   (ohhh and he doesn’t look happy….. so really…. about 8:15 tomorrow morning keep fingers crossed!  Maybe toes too just in case!)

WOW…. never mind I guess I did find something to blog about…… so erase erase that first part!    WOW 222 words for someone who had nuttin’ to say…… is…….. well……. me.

Even though Monday is my late night,  the Wii Fit  sounded like fun, got everything all set up…..  only to find out the batteries are dead….. (Do I have  creative excuses not to exercise Monday nights or WHAT!!!!)   But I did do some ab work so all is not lost.

The weekend is almost over and I can get back to the business of loosing weight!!   I don’t know why this weekend was so much harder than most.  I was lazy and hungry all weekend.  Sooooooooo NOT good!  I’m going to have to work hard straight thru till Wednesday just to stay even let alone show a loss.   Do you think I could just NOT eat till Wednesday?  Naaa me either. 

To celebrate 11 pounds I went for a hair cut!  It’s amazing how much better a cute hair cut and style makes you feel!!  There is a brand new salon in Escondido called (I removed the name on 9-25-09.  Rosa doesn’t work there anymore!!  VERY SAD!! New guy didn’t even wash my hair?!?!  For $50!  I at least want my hair washed! Hate the new ‘trim’ never had so much hair cut off for a trim before.  I miss Rosa already!!)  Rosa is WONDERFUL with the scissors! I’ve already gotten so many compliments on my hair!   That’s always a great boost!   Thank you Rosa!!!

I walked the week days with Kaki, weighted vest and all.  (It’s even time to go shopping for new walking shoes)  I did the Jillian Michaels dvd 2 different nights.   I made good food choices.  ANDDDDDD it paid off with another 2 pound loss!!  YEE HA ME!!!  That’s 11 pounds down!!!!  WWOOOOO HOOOOOO    

Now I’m motivated again to work out with Jillian Michaels and have fresh fruit for dinner!

Tomorrow I will exercise with Jillian.  Tonight? I’m going to bed early!

Now the drum roll…………….. down 3 pounds!   So total weight-loss is 9 pounds.   I have to keep reminding myself ‘slow weight loss is better for you!’ but MAN I would love to just wake up at my goal weight I mean really …. why not?  I’ve learned my lesson… I’ll eat healthy, I’ll exercise and just because I’m stressed doesn’t mean I’ll feel better after I eat a one pound bag of M&M’s … soooo what are the chances I’ll wake up skinny??

Isn’t that the prettiest tomato?!     To bad there was only one.   Do you think that much gardening could be counted as exercising??    I mean I did have to walk to the patio….. back to the kitchen….. no?    FINE!   GESH!!   Jillian Michaels DVD here I come.

(Don’tcha like how I always have a REAL good excuse if I’m not going to exercise???)

Princess Susan  (I always say I AM the princess.  My middle name is Sue).  Mood Winner (Menopause makes me moody) and Mean Heat(ahhhh can you say HOTFLASH!??!)  HOW does that combination NOT win!??!?  Easy…. I bet on it.  Oh well, had fun.  Only had a diet coke.  I also was parked so far from the track it HAD to count as exercise!

My darling daughter Selena loaned me her Jillian Michaels “The biggest winner” boxed set.  So I loaded all 5 disks in the player and hit random….. Jillian is AMAZING (and really mean! tough!  no mean… I’m sticking with mean)!!  As she introduces everyone in the class she points to one young lady and tells you to follow her if you are new….. but “It’s still going to be really hard.  Really…. well, I’m sorry”   Jillian didn’t lie.  I’ve been done for a half an hour and I’m still catching my breath!  WOW!! 

Those are my abs!  (okay well, not yet…. but those are the ones I want!  Think Jillian would trade??)

So I have nothing to report for week 5.  I stayed exactly the same, which is really good for me.  Next week though……… look out!!  I’m gonna have all sorts of weight loss to report!!!   (WOW!! how about that for adding stress to my week!?!?   I’m not real bright sometimes!)

My daughter and her family are on their way back home now.  So no more excuses…. I have to get back on track to loose the rest of this weight.  I don’t think we have anything else coming up that revolves around food.  (Right?? Guys?? Right??)  Seriously!! Every get together our family has have to center around FOOD?!?!  Maybe I’ll learn to say “Oh no thank you….. I’ll have celery?!?!”  (ha ha ha!  Connie made a funny!)

It was a GOOD day because for the first time I got to babysit my PERFECT Granddaughter Emma while her Mom & Dad went to a business dinner. (just for the record the only reason this is my first babysitting opportunity is because they don’t live in California… otherwise I would make holding, cuddling and kissing Miss Emma my full time job!!)   What an AWESOME night!!   Emma is such a good natured baby!!  No crying. No fussing.   I held her almost the entire night!  She is a PERFECT BABY GIRL!!!!!!   Wanting to be the Grandma that sets a good example we had fruit and yogurt for dinner.  Okay well, Emma had a bottle… and could have cared less that I didn’t have nachos…. I still made good choices and had fruit.   (do ya like how I tied my diet in with the Grandbaby?  I’m good! I tell ya!)  

But it was a BAD day because today would have been my baby brother’s 47th birthday.  He passed away on Christmas Eve 2008.  It was just a hard day.  It would have been a real easy day to bury myself in food and have an amazing pity party.  Instead I played with Emma and hugged my own kids.  Happy Birthday Mikey. 

Soooo trust me on this…. go outside and walk around the block…. you will have enough energy to last all day.   And now since I didn’t walk or exercise today I’m going to bed at 9:30pm because I’m exhausted from laying around all day!! 

People are going to start thinking we have big family BBQ’s every weekend!  But our daughter and her husband and MY perfect Granddaughter Emma are in town for a couple of days.  Emma is the sweetest baby on the face of the earth!!  SO GOOD natured!  I think she was out of my arms for 9 minutes total.  Anyone who has held a baby that wants down knows what a work out I had!  So see??  I worked off those chips and dip.  The carrot cake… well … I may have to actually do some real exercising to burn off. 

I really want to know why I can’t make grass grow but weeds flourish?!?!?!?   Why can’t grass have the roots that weeds do?    Actually how come I can’t have a pool in the backyard instead of weeds and dirt?  Okay everyone my house…. tomorrow bring a shovel…. here is what I want!

I had my weekly conference call with Tyler at WellStrong Fitness.  Tyler suggested a work out DVD system called P90x (be sure and add coach Myles at check out) which looks amazing.  But, $119 is a little out of my price range.  So I sent a list of DVD’s that I already own, hopefully one of these will be ok to add.    So, this week the only change I’ll be making  is add a dvd work out.

Before everyone arrived I did clean the house top to bottom!  I sweated so much it definitely counted as exercise.  I cleaned when they left too. So I worked off at least a quarter of that cake.  (It was reallyyyyy good cake!)

One GOOD SON?!?!  One GREAT son!!!    Happy Birthday Zac

I have to pat myself on the back today was my 9th year anniversary at work!!  9 YEARS?!?!  HEY!!  I thought I was a temp? 

 Then we went to see the new Pixar movie UP with NO popcorn!  (WHO AM I?!?!?!?)  The movie was FANTASTIC!!  Absolutely hysterical!!  GO!  See this movie you won’t be disappointed.  (I’ll bet you a large popcorn!!)

I’m still using my 20 pound weighted vest when I’m on my walk with Kaki and my counter push-ups.  Still doing my crunches on the Bean and the exercises that Tyler at WellStrong Fitness emailed for me to do. 

Okay that’s my weekly update.  Thank you everyone for all the great comments and encouragement!!!

 Doesn’t this look REALLY GOOD?!?!

I did make up for the bacon and hash browns with a fresh fruit salad with yogurt for dinner.  Not to mention tons of water.  No activity today unless you want to count cleaning the fish tank.  It was a great Sunday for relaxing but not really great for weight loss.  

I wonder if I can feed DH chocolate while he is sleeping and not get caught?  WAIT!  MAYBE that’s why my weight loss is slow??  Maybe DH is feeding ME?!?! 

Is anyone buying that? No? Well, it was worth a shot.

Also I want to clarify the whole “PUSH UP” thing………..

Kitchen counter  +    Weighted Vest

                                                                                   = Push Up    

And it’s not as easy as it looks.  Go… go on … go do 20.  I’ll wait here.

Tyler from WellStrong Fitness and I had our conference call today.  He thinks I’m doing great.  I’m continuing on my less carbs more protein food plan.  I am sticking with the same exercises.  Tyler did give me a great idea for going out to dinner.  Plan ahead!  Salad.  No bread basket. When the entre’ arrives cut it in half!  (HEY!!  Look…. lunch for tomorrow is already made!) He suggested trying the sugar free chocolate and hard candies…. I’ll let you know about that one.  If it tastes REALLY bad Tyler will hear about it first!

Walked Monday thur Friday with Kaki. I’ve added my weighted vest to my walking attire to burn more calories.  The vest has weights you can add or subtract.  I have 20 pounds in the vest now.  (Think Ghostbusters and the StayPuft marshmellow man) 

Monday, Wednesday and Saturday I did the exercises that Tyler at WellStrong Fitness emailed for me to do. ( Except the push-ups.  I’m obsessed with being able to do push-ups so I do them more.  Right now I wear the weighted vest and do the push-ups using the kitchen counter.  I can do 40 but only in sets of 10 rest……. 10….. and so on.  I haven’t tried to do them on the floor again, maybe next week).    

I did incorporate most of the food changes that Tyler recommended, I started having oatmeal in the mornings.  I’ve started having a lean protein and salad at dinner time.   I’ve had less carbs.  I’ve added a lot of fruit too. 

 Tomorrow is my weekly phone conference with Tyler I’ll update you tomorrow.   Thank you all again for the great comments and encouragement!  You guys are keeping me honest!

Where chocolate was supposed to make everything better what I think I really need is a punching bag and channel Rocky Balboa!  GGGRRRRR!!!

Anyway for me BIG improvement.  I didn’t sit and eat mass quantities of food.  I enjoyed my tiny bag of M&M’s and then did a whole set of ab crunches! 

This is progress.

Weekdays my routine is pretty much the same.  Up at 6:00 (okay so snooze button till 6:30 FINE 6:45 gesh!  This honesty thing thing is so outta hand!) walk with Kaki from 7:00 am till 7:45.  Shower/dress/breakfast and fly out the door by 8:30.  Work 9:00am till 6:00pm (Lunch 1 to 2)  Home by 6:30 or 7:00pm.    When I get home DH is already asleep.  I grab a light dinner.  Check email.  Blog.  Do the exercises Tyler has assigned.  Bed by 11. 

Weekends.  UGH!!!  Too much free time I guess because I want to snack all the time!  I did good today anyway… DH cut up a tub of watermelon for me.  I ate all that…. I’m still hungry.  I drank water…… still hungry…..  I have all sorts of ‘good’ food in the fridge but I want something ‘bad’ I want CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!!    I think my solution will be go to bed early. 

Tyler also gave me a modified way to do push-ups!  YEA!!!!!!!  I can actually do 2 sets!!  (Tyler still thinks that I’ll be able to do them on the floor in a month or 2.  (OHHHH I wish you could hear the laughing in my head it’s soooo loud!!)

Now that I know I can keep my peanut butter I have to go chase down Gracie and find a spoon.   ;  )

Tonight after work I walked at the mall…. okay so it’s really called window shopping (but I like for you to think I’m just always exercising!  Like a MACHINE!!) I drooled on the new Blackberry 8330 .  Didn’t buy the very cute strappy red heels.  AND didn’t even go near the food court.   So see??  That’s exercising not shopping!

Now I’m going to try to work on the push-up thing.  Tyler at WellStrong Fitness said 20 reps and 2 sets.  I can’t do even ONE!   I’m going to try those everyday till I can do at least 2!   I did move up to a bigger water bottle.   Now I’m drinking at least 2 (but usually 3) bottles of 24 ounces of water.  This is what I call PROGRESS!! 

Thank you everyone for all the encouraging comments.  I really appreciate the support!  

Today Tyler emailed me 4 pages of exercises (a total of 8 exercises) Tyler wants me to do 20 reps per set and 2 sets.  3 times a week to start.    Pffftttt easy as PIE as I read thru the exercises and looked at the pictures!  HELLO!?!?  There aren’t even any weights!  I’ll breeze right threw those!!!     

NOTE TO SELF!!!  DO NOT MOCK THE EXERCISES!!!!!!!!!!!  (OHMYGOSH!  Someday Tyler is adding weights to these moves?!?!?!   WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!)

This is the goal…… the Princess dress!  I was in it 3 years ago…. I want back in it!!    Now excuse me I need some Bengay.

And yes I went back and wrote that I had the butterscotch candy OKAY FINE!  There were 5 of them!  MAN!!  Gracie will rat me out the first chance she gets!!! 

Brengle Terrace Park fireworks were awesome!   This shot was taken from my driveway.

Now DH and I are grilling up some chicken and fresh veggies for dinner.  Then I do believe there has been a challenge issued me to a game on the Wii from my DH.  (Ohhh prepare to be whooped my dear!)  

I hope everyone has a safe happy 4th! 

After the movie I’m planning on putting on my head phones and boogie thru the housework.  That is the extent of the sweating I plan to do today.  (and no there is not a  picture of me dancing thru the house….. trust me…. it’s not pretty!!)

Well it’s 7pm and I never did get around to the  housework. I managed to go grocery shopping.  Why is eating healthier so much more expensive than junk food??  Then my son stopped by for a quick visit…. remember I said my kids cause me stress because they do what they want now that they don’t live at home??  WELLLLLL!!!  My son built and is driving a Kikker Hardknock motorcycle soooooo Southern Californian’s drive careful!!  My son is out there!   (And yes now there is a picture!)

Tyler from WellStrong Fitness and I will have our first consultation on Monday morning 8am.  I’m so excited to get started officially but I am doing small things that I know I need to do.  Like the water……. hey!  As promised I’m on my 3rd! (that’s THIRD people) bottle of water!  HA!!  20 ounces more than promised!  Wooo hoooo yea me!

I did pretty good food wise today.  Had grilled chicken and steamed veggies for dinner.  What I really need is to up my water!!  I’ve gotten so bad at drinking water and I know it is really important to weight loss.   Not to mention making me feel and look better!  So tomorrow I’m drinking (2) 20 ounce bottles of water.  Okay so that doesn’t sound like a lot to some of you …. but for me that might as well be a 5 gallon jug soooo NOW let’s here “WOW! you are really going to drink all that water?  In one day!?!?”  (that’s better.  Thank you!)

I’m off to have a Weight Watcher fudge bar and watch some DVR stuff.

51 brought along menopause (okay seriously!  I can have a hot-flash and a pimple at the same time?  How is that fair!??)  I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism a couple of years ago which makes me feel sluggish and tired all the time.  

My wonderful husband brings his own type of stress.  (noooo not just for being a man) My husband has Multiple Sclerosis.  I’m always worried about him.  Heat is really hard on MS patients so doing things together outside is usually out of the question.  Walking for any amount of time puts him into hours of pain.  So we spend a lot of time watching movies and staying where it’s air conditioned.

Children.  LOL stress and kids that’s almost a no brainier.  Everyone worries about their children.  My kids are all older  (29, 30 & 32) since they don’t live at home they are no longer worried about being grounded so they don’t clear things with me anymore.  I don’t know which is worse, waiting up till you know they are home safe and sound or not knowing they’ve been out all night!!  I really am kidding, my kids are great.  Each one is doing amazingly well.  Both of my daughters spent time in the Navy.    My oldest daughter then went into law enforcement.  My other daughter is a wife and mother of one PERFECT little girl (I may have mentioned that before).    My son runs his own successful business.   

Work.  Of course there is stress. It’s WORK!  It’s a four-letter word even!  My job is to be upbeat and happy.  EVEN during a hot-flash. 

But I’m excited to have been choosen for the Channel 10 Half Year Challange.  I was even MORE excited and less stressed after meeting with Trudi, Patti and David at Channel 10 and finding out the official picture taking didn’t involve spandex or biker shorts and bra top.  (My children! They do know just which buttons to push to freak me out!!   SO HA!!!  No spandex!) 

I’m excited to get started!  Is it bad to really want that bag of m&m’s to kick start this diet?  (am I skinny yet?)  ummm well Gracie thought that was funny anyway. 

I also need to add Happy Birthday to my dear husband Randy!