Day 103 - Abducted by Aliens

Who are you and what have you done with my husband?

In the same day, my husband, whom I often refer to as "Daddy,"

1.) Offered to babysit the kids so that I could get out of the house and socialize with my adult friends

2.) Called me from work JUST to tell me that the chicken that I had grilled the night before was absolutely perfect and very delicious

3.) Only called me one time while I was spending time my friends (and it was only to verify the amount of medicine to give to Lil C, so it doesn't really count), and

4.) Had the dishes done and the kitchen cleaned when I got home.

Suspect, I tell ya, but I'll take what I can get.

He might actually feel bad for me since I've been stuck inside for 7 days with sick kids, or he might be seeing signs that I'm about to crack and he'd rather take the offensive and be proactive than be on the receiving end when I actually DO crack.

No, I didn't work out today. I DID, however, do 20 kitchen counter push ups at the BFF's while her hubby opened a bottle of wine for me. I can't really count that as exercise, though. I was just warming up for my 8oz bicep curls.

On an AWESOME note, I'm down 10 lbs. Yep, you read it correctly. 10 lbs. AND, my belly button ring has come out of hiding. I'm celebrating by wearing a tube-top tank today. Yay me.

Photo is of my jeans. I think it might be time to retire the fat jeans and go shopping.

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Day 73 - Pimples & Periods

She's BAAAaaaaaaccckkkk.
The grouchy monster has arrived... right on schedule. While this means very bad things for those around me, it means 4-5 days of sassy, spicy blog posts for YOU! Starting tomorrow, of course.

I was going to head out to the gym tonight after dinner. Instead, I was side railed by a large pimple on my shoulder blade, just out of my reach, brought to my attention by a chuckling 37 year old man who lives in my house, sleeps in my bed and shares DNA with my son... this, coupled with a missing tube of Neosporin and a house full of people who refused to go upstairs and get it for me.

I finally got my Neosporin and Lil C applied the camouflage band-aid for me because no one else would come near me. He hasn't been around long enough to recognize the fact that it was clearly time to run. Big C (Daddy) coincidentally started his exercise regime tonight, and Sierra decided to hang out in her bedroom after I scolded her for leaving her radio on all day long, running up the electric bill.

I didn't make it to the gym, but I did manage the following while watching Cougar Town and New Girl. Perfect timing, ABC. ....... THANK YOU!

40 Kitchen Counter Push-ups
40 sit-ups
30 Planks
30 Sit-Up style Leg Lifts
25 Side Leg Lifts

Most people complain about this time of the month, but I get more done in these 4-5 days than I do the rest of the month.

Day 71 - Harry Potter meets The Beverly Hillbillies

Sunday. Charlie and I decided to go check out the Gun Show at the Florida Expo Hall. I really don't know why I was so surprised by what I saw, but that was a freaky group. What scares me the most is the fact that all of those people were gun-carrying citizens. Some didn't look intelligent enough to get through life, much less have the money to purchase expensive weaponry.

There were those who were clearly hunters, decked out in their camouflage. Then, there were those well-dressed folks who I assumed might be collectors. Aside from those two groups, it looked like Harry Potter meets The Beverly Hillbillies. I think Gandalf from Harry Potter was there...he was wearing overalls.

We didn't stay long.

When we got home, I felt very tired and so I decided that I would rest one more day before jumping back on the wagon full force. My body was telling me something and so I listened. Good thing. I slept for about 2 hours on the couch. I should be good to go tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

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Day 66 - Truth, Love & Consequences

I'm back on my daily wagon, but, boy, am I feeling the repercussions of eating fast food three times last weekend. My wedding band is tight and I can feel the swelling all over my body - especially in my face...around my eyes and cheeks. If you're a chronic fast food eater, there is no way to sugar coat it. You need to stop. On a monthly basis, we might eat "fast food" three times, with two of those times being pizza from Bosco's or Marco's. This weekend, however, I ate fast food 3 or 4 times. We were going non-stop all weekend and fast food was easy and cheap.

In the past, I would blame it on my busy schedule, however, now, I know that it's not because of a busy schedule. It's a simple lack of preparation on my part. It's not difficult to pack a lunch and a few snacks in a cooler and throw it in the back of the car. It would take less than 10 minutes to prepare lunch and snacks for the entire family, pack it in a cooler and put it in my car. Pure laziness. SMH. I'm paying for it now. I'm hoping that if I drink lots of extra water this week, I can flush out the swelling and get back to feeling normal.

I hit the treadmill again today. Managed 45 minutes before my episode ended. While I was walking, an older gentleman opened the door and just stood there. I watched, curious as to what he was doing. Turns out he was holding the door for an older heavyset lady, who I assumed was his wife. She came into the gym on a motorized wheelchair. My heart broke. Here is this man, who loves his wife so much that he loads her into the car, drives her to the community gym, helps her out of the car and onto her wheelchair, and then helps her squeeze into the gym (it's a tight entrance...but I'll be up there tomorrow to re-arrange the equipment for her). He goes to, what I can imagine, a great extent, just so she can do pull-down exercises while sitting in her wheelchair. You could tell that they had been at this routine for a while because once she was in, he let her go her own way. She did her arm exercises while he did the elliptical. They didn't speak. They didn't smile. Then they left.

I don't want to be that couple. When Charlie and I retire, I want us to be physically healthy. I want to go on cruises and travel the world, not be confined to a wheelchair. I want to believe that 2012 will be my turning point. 300 days to go.

Photo courtesy: www.sodahead.com

Day 60 - IN YO' FACE

I spent much of today getting my two photography blogs up and running, with tags and keywords and content and photos and links and OMG. I was so drained by 4pm that I could barely keep my eyes open. Managed to cook Charlie some dinner, chat with the BFF for a few minutes, make plans for the weekend and then had to head out to my 8:15pm hair appointment.

As soon as I got there, I was graced with 5 minutes of free time before she was ready to get started. BAM! 25 push-ups. She finally finished wrapping up with her previous client, started my foils, and then about 3/4 of the way through, she had to leave and go mix another small batch of color. BAM! 25 push-ups.

She finished the foil and then headed out to make a few phone calls while my "highlights" processed. BAM! 25 push-ups. She came back in a few minutes later to check the color. "Two more minutes," she says. Guess what... BAM! You guessed it... 25 more push-ups.

Now, if my calculations are correct, that would be a total of 100 push-ups.

BAM! (Or as my 7yr old would say: "IN YO' FACE")

The only problem is, because I was so preoccupied with getting my push-ups in, my stylist and I had some sort of miscommunication and now I'm a brunette. Oh well. I'm down another pound. Still just a total of 7 because of my shenanigans last weekend.

7 lbs in 60 days, not dieting, just eating smart proportions 85% of the time, and eating chocolate cake and ice cream the other 15%. WINNING!!!

Day 56 - Poker, Pizza and Push-ups

Had an amazing night of poker playing up in Dade City at my BFF's house, even though I didn't win. Also met some very cool people, two of which live in my neighborhood in Wesley Chapel. It's a small world, for sure!! I had the entire day to myself and did NOT go to the gym. Regretting that, since I decided to munch on all of the Poker Night goodies, which I'm sure were NOT low-fat or even in the neighborhood of being "healthy."

I DID, however teach one of my new friends how to do Kitchen Counter Push-ups. He made fun of me as I did sets of them in between stuffing my face with bites of greasy pepperoni pizza, so I challenged him to try a few. His arms were hurting the next day. Told ya so, Kevin. They're not for weenies. Try doing 200 of them. My "guns" might be water pistols right now, but come summertime, I'll be packing heat for sure.

It's not often that I meet people that I actually like, so to meet 6 new people in one month - and actually like them all, it's a friendship miracle.  Yay friends!!! Julie is still my favorite, though.

Day 54 - Birthday Mission Completed

Today is my Birthday. I'm 38. I'm ok with that, but ask me again in two years and I might still be 38. My mother has always told me that her 40's were the best times of her life. She said something happens and you start thinking less about what others think, and more about what YOU think. Sounds good to me.

So today, my friend Amanda suggested I walk 4 miles and then get a pedicure. The conversation went something like this:

Amanda: Happy birthday!!!!! Treat yourself - walk 4 miles & get a pedicure ♥

Me: I'm thinking 2 miles and a new pair of kicks.

Amanda: no. i said 4.

Me: Challenge accepted.  

I don't take challenges lightly. I am competitive to a fault. Always have been, always will be. It took one and a half episodes of Grey's Anatomy to get there, but I did it. My legs felt like jello when I finished, but I did it. I had to pull out my inhaler when I got home, but I did it.

Plus, I did it in my brand new kicks!!! I went with Saucony Pro-Grid Guide 5, and donated my old shoes to charity.  Putting my Birthday money to good use!!! Check out my video below.

I wish I could say that maybe I'll lose an extra half-pound, but I know how much pizza and chocolate cake I ate yesterday. I might be back at square one, but I had chocolate cake, so I'll call this a "Win." 

My new kicks:  <3 PINK <3 (And they match my ear buds!!)

My new kicks IN ACTION:

Day 52 - Time Travel Camera

Light is a funny thing. You can't see it, but without it, you can't see. Plus, when you take a picture of yourself in the mirror with light coming in from the back, it lets you see into the future. I snapped this photo this morning and the light bending around my waist took off a good 3 inches. Don't be fooled. Those jeans are size 13.

It's a fabulous camera trick, if you can get it just right. I once lost half of a bride's neck in a very similar situation. It wasn't an important shot...so she never saw it. Ha!

I had 45 minutes to exercise today, (and by that, I mean that I procrastinated up until I only had 45 minutes left), so I used every single minute that I had left, truckin' with Grey's Anatomy. I'm almost finished with Season 6...then pulled back into the garage just as Lil C was getting off of the bus. Whew!

I still can't believe I'm walking for 50 minutes at a time, and it's a breeze. I remember the day when it took everything I had to stay on for the entire 20 minutes that I started with, and I can't imagine where I'll be on December 31st, 2012. Hopefully looking something like I do in that photo up there!

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Day 51 - Fried Cheese

I skipped breakfast AND lunch today...surviving on 3 cups of coffee and a diet pill. No joke. Oh, you don't have to tell me how bad that is, I know exactly how bad that is for me...but the fair only comes once a year and so I sacrificed my health for one day in the name of caloric intake. No biggie.

Today had to be hard core because I knew I would be going to the Pasco County Fair with the BFF and kiddies... and I knew I'd be eating some fried bits of heaven. Corndogs and Fried Cheese to be exact. Oh yeah. I did it. I'll probably gain a pound or two...but I have 316 days left in the year to adjust for it. That's .000632 pounds per day. I think I can manage.

Talk about a freak show. If you're in the neighborhood and are into people watching...you have to check out the Pasco County Fair. I have absolutely NO idea how some of these people survive daily life. Lots of crack or lots of inbreeding. Makes me thankful for my crazy-normal life. Love you all. Have a wonderful week!!!

Be sure to check in tomorrow to see how much a corndog and fried cheese can wreck your diet.


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Day 49 - Big Fat & Juicy

Wow. Now THIS is something new. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with all of the physical activity I've incorporated into my life, but I'm thinking it might. After taking my "twenty" (which is now "50") on the treadmill watching McDreamy throw the Chief under the bus in an attempt to take his job, Charlie and I made plans to meet some of our best friends for dinner at Gator's Dockside out by USF. Did I order a salad and vegetables? Heck no!! I ordered the fattest, juiciest BBQ Bacon Burger on the menu. However, when the lady started listing my choices for side items, I should have stopped her at fries, because when she got to "veggies," my conscience kicked in and I couldn't very well order the fries knowing that veggies was an option. So, I got my burger and chased it with broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and squash.

I ate half of the burger at the restaurant and finished the rest at 10pm that night. Normally, when I eat something of this magnitude, I wake up feeling bloated and literally 3-5 pounds heavier...water retention I'm sure. This time, however, I woke up and weighed myself only to find that I was the exact same weight (to the tenth) as I was the day before.

Does this mean I'm going to start eating big fat & juicy burgers all the time? Nope. But, it sure does feel good to be able to do it once in a while without the guilt that I would normally carry with me the next day. The guilt that would then begin the cycle of failure, which would lead to more burgers and less exercise. Not going down THAT road again.

Photo: Not my photo. Found using google search. It IS, however, the big fat & juicy burger that I ate.

Day 48 - The Arrival

It has arrived.

Day 48.

The day of the invalidated excuse.

Today I spent a good part of the day sorting through receipts, e-mails and bank statements preparing things for my tax accountant (Mr. Joe Pitcher, for those of you looking for an awesome accountant).

Unfortunately, the feeling of relief that I felt as I entered the final document did not last long. I decided to check my voicemail from the day before, only to hear a message from a realtor who wanted to show my house in 3 hours. Wha???? So now, instead of spending the next 3 hours resting my eyes and brain, I spent it running from room to room, cleaning up all of the messes in the house, scrubbing toilets and sinks, vacuuming and mopping floors, etc. It lasted for a good 2 hours, and I was sweating.

Technically I could have claimed this time as my "twenty," but I didn't. I had a fully acceptable excuse NOT to go to the gym, but I didn't use it. I set the excuse aside, grabbed the iPad and my headphones and headed out the door. (Photo of McSteamy, my Grey's Anatomy workout buddy)

I win.

Day 46 - Used Earbuds???

I just purchased my very first (ever) pair of earbuds....and they're PINK!!! I've never been really big into music, to the point where I would need to purchase a CD or a song for my iPod. I don't even own an iPod. Every other member of my family does...even Lil C. Plus, the old hard earbuds never fit in my ear...even the ones that "guarantee" to stay in your ear. What's the guarantee? They refund your money if they don't fit. I don't see what the big deal is with a guarantee like that....Doesn't EVERY company allow you to return earbuds if they don't fit? Maybe not...that would be kind of gross...buying 'used' earbuds?? Ewww.

Now, an iPad on the other hand...don't think I could live without one now. (Thanks for the iPads Meme & Papa). Heading up the the gym shortly with it...... and my new pink earbuds. 

Well, I finally made it back on the wagon. Not sure if it was 2 or 3 days that I went without "really" putting in the time and the sweat. I know that this started out as me just taking 20 minutes for myself...doing whatever I wanted to do, but I've at some point I started holding myself accountable for the effort that goes into my time. We had lots of family in town this past weekend and I suppose it took me a day or two to get back into my rhythm. But I'm back on top now and decided to add 5lb weights into the mix as well as add .3 speed to my pace. For 45 days I've been trucking along at 3.5mph for 50 minutes, so I'm upping the ante and will start pushing 3.8mph from here on out...maybe. Hey, it IS my time. As for the weights...eehh...if I feel like it, I'll use 'em. I'm down a total of 6 pounds in 46 days. You can do the math. I'm outta here.