Weigh in Eve

Hi all!

Thanks for all the warm wishes. I promise tons of Italy pictures on my return ;) Until I leave though it seems like nonstop preparation to get ready! I've already begun packing, I have all my pertinent papers (including copies of my passport) printed out, and am heading into the home stretch with getting things settled! Anything you can think of that you ALWAYS forget or wish you brought with you when travelling? Post a comment with items I might and I'd love you forever...I am forever forgetting ONE stupid thing or not thinking of something I need. <3 I have decided packing is good exercise.

Food has been very good! On Sunday I went out with my dad and I had already done my menu before I left. I ate exactly what I said I would and drank a big glass of water when I was out. And I had a great time! We went to see the movie Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close...wow, that was an AWESOME movie and made me cry my eyes out. But it also made me laugh and smile. GREAT flick. Definitely not for kids. It's rated PG-13 but...honestly, I almost wish they put an R rating on it. There's really no cursing but the violence and depictions of the 9/11 attacks were hard for me to swallow...and I'm not 13/14 years old either! I think this could be traumatic for some people.

In other news tomorrow is weigh in day and I am also going to the psychologist. I'm looking forward to both appointments! I've been doing really good food wise although exercise has been lacking...I really hope that I see a loss on the scales this week! Aunt Flow has been really bothering me lately...last week when I weighed in, that night she came for a visit but only lasted one day. And after being over 6 week late, I was expecting more out of her. And then today I feel really crampy and it's all in my uterus...so I'm thinking she might make a real appearance sometime soon. And that may not help me out in weigh-in land. But oh well, I'll take what comes! My pants (even my "skinny" jeans) are starting to get really loose again...it won't be long until I'm in a size 18, I can feel it!

So far my goals are going well! I've been eating up what's in my fridge and freezer (in a healthy way), cleaning piece by piece, and taking care of business!

I hope your week is going excellent too! Skinny vibes to all, especially my Wednesday weighers!

Superb Sunday!

This is my last Sunday in town before I am in ITALY! Yes, it came up super fast...I can't even believe it. A lot of people have been asking about our trip so I thought I'd post a bit about it...because my corner of the blogosphere will be very quiet from Feb 5-20th while I am away!!!

Me and my sister...the only picture I could find. Oops.

My sister is an engineering student who decided to study abroad for a year and get her masters in Engineering!! She's a super smart cookie. Her classes are taught in English (although according to her some of them don't speak very good English at all) and she's been working super hard. School in Italy and across Europe, is a little bit more laid back than in the US. They have shorter work days, more days off of work...she only has classes a couple times a week. And they take the whole month of February off (yes after taking 2 weeks off for the Christmas/New Year hols). So that's why I have decided to go in February, so we can see as much as we possibly can AND spend as much time together as we want with no school looming over her head!

Our tour starts in Milan where my sister goes to school. We'll do some shoppping, walking around, and in the evening we have tickets to see the symphony at Teatro Scalla. Then in the morning we fly into Naples and explore there. Then it's on to Sorrento, Amalfi and exploring around the Neopolitan area. After that we go to Pompeii and Rome; we were going to go to the vatican and the sistine chapel BUT (as I mentioned above) they take a lot of days off. And the time we're there happens to be a day off for them! Boo! But we will do tons of exploring and finding cool things! Florence is next up on the list and we are going to see all the sights! Verone comes after that, we're going to do all the Romeo and Juliet things (I'm a total lover of Shakespeare). Our next night is the most exciting because we're going to Venice and it's the Lenten season starting up so there's the Venice Carnivale and there's a pubcrawl that looks fantastic! We're going to take a Gondola ride too! And then it's back to Lake Como and Milan where we're going to see some of my family's roots. Sadly, then I will be returning home :(. But it's going to be an exciting, super fun trip. My sister and I are staying in hostel and roughing it a bit. There will be lots of food...but also TONS of activity. So I'm not going to be too worried about my diet. With all the walking, climbing stairs, hiking...and some indulging on yummy Italian food...I think it'll all come out in the wash!

So this is my last week to set goals before I'm away! So I need to make them count!

Let's take a look at the last week.

NSV:

1) I will read ONE BOOK cover to cover.

2) I will do my deep breathing exercises x7 days
3) I will start packing up for ITALY!
Exercise:

1) I will walk at least 2 miles daily.
2) I will wear my pedometer every day.  - Got flushed midweek :(

3) I will try ONE NEW EXERCISE this week per SCC minichallenge - I didn't :(

4) I will ride exercise bike x2 this week. - No...

Food:

1) I will track daily on Sparkpeople.com

2) I will make TWO RECIPES and post it on my blog.
3) I will make good choices when going out to eat.

I don't know what's wrong with me when it comes to exercise. I feel so tired when I get home from work, I can't even think about exercise. The very thought of it makes me want to cry. I do a lot of walking at work, yes, but I know that it is not enough. If the walking was enough, I wouldn't have put on so much weight in the first place. I need to work on this...and there's no one who can do it but me.

The week ahead:

NSV:

1) I will finish packing for Italy.

2) I will clean the house from top to bottom, until it shines like the top of the Chrysler Building.

3) I will do my deep breathing exercises x 7 days.

Exercise:

1) Walk 2 miles daily

2) Exercise Bike x1 time (I'm hoping smaller goals will help me get moving)

3) Weights 1x

4) Stretching every day.

Food:

1) Track on Sparkpeople

2) I will eat up what is in my fridge/freezer and not buy any JC food this week.

3) I will post 1 recipe on my blog!

4) I am going out for my birthday today with my dad but after today, no eating out x1 week!

Slow Cooker Saturday

On a weekend when I've been working hard all week...the last thing I want to do is slave over a hot stove or, honestly, even think about cooking. It's one of the reasons that my weight spiralled out of control when I started working full time (after college). I didn't want to cook or count calories and it was so much easier to call the delivery guy to come rather than put together a meal. But I did love my slow cooker, especially during college where I would throw things in it before school and come home to a delicious meal!

Now that I'm making positive changes in my life...I still am tired after a long week of work. AND I still love my slow cooker. And this one...is the best of both worlds. You don't have to precook anything. You literally dump in the crock pot and GO. And come home hours later to a delicious healthy meal! How can you beat that? It's only 9:50am and already dinner is made, clean up is done, and I'm good to go!

So you want this awesome easy recipe! Well here you go! Fulfilling my goal of making and posting 2 recipes this week :D

Crock Pot Chicken Sausage Sauce

Ingredients

1 lb fully cooked chicken sausage
28oz Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes w/ Basil
2 cloves Garlic

Vegetables from your fridge:
I used

0.25 cup chopped onion
0.25 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms

Spices to Taste (I don't measure spices like normal people):

3 dashes parsley
1 dash oregano
2 dashes basil
5 turns of cracked black pepper
1 dash thyme
1 dash sage

Directions

1) Remove sausage from the casing and put into the crock pot, breaking it up with your Clean hands (You have to use fully cooked sausage. I reccomend Al Fresco brand)

2) Add in chopped veggies, can of tuttorosso crushed tomatoes.

3) Spice to your taste.

4) Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours. This it to let the flavors marry, this sauce is fully cooked, you could eat it cold out of the pot right now if you wanted!...but please don't.

Serving Size: Makes 6 (1/2 Cup Servings)

Nutritional Breakdown

Tonight I will be pairing this with some delicious Dreamfields Rotini pasta. It is very carb friendly, DELICIOUS pasta. And so much more wholesome than regular white pasta. 2 oz has 5 whole grams of fiber, 190 calories and 1 g of fat! It's much better than the white stuff for sure!  Total nutritional breakdown for this hearty meal YUM! Enjoy!

Calories: 318
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 54
Protein: 16
Cholesterol: 0
Fiber: 5g

YAY!

TGIF

The View from my FAVORITE red chair <3

Wow, it's a nasty, chilly, rainy day out. It was the kind of morning I thought about hitting the snooze button a few dozen times. (Interesting fact, I've NEVER pushed the snooze button in my whole life. It's all or nothing with me, either get up or stay in bed). And can I just remind everyone that it is a LAW in Connecticut to have your lights on if its precipitating...man were people NOT following this law today. GREY cars that you almost cannot even see in the fog coming out of nowhere. And people were driving incredibly fast and erratically. Heard about quite a few accidents on the radio and saw a fender bender pulled off to the side. Remember all, better late than never when it comes to getting places in your car!

Today is nearly done and food has been a success. I'm eating well, tracking and drinking tons of water. And tea, because it's warm and delicious! I saw all of my patients in the morning one right after another, so I was able to come home and chart on them, call doctors and families, and effectively manage my workload! Hooray! I also lit a lovely candle from Yankee Candle called Drift Away. It smells yummy and clean, kind of like soap. But there's a hint of lilac that takes me to a very zen place. I also love the Yankee Candle Macintosh scent. The smell of crisp apples seems to make me less hunrgy, believe it or not. I'm thinking about researching candles (well, scent) and weight loss!

After my pedometer in the toilet incident I went shopping around for a new pedometer...one that goes on my wrist this time. And I found a really nice one that I purchased!



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00478K3ZS/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details

Click the amazon link to read about it. It looks really cool and I'll have to wear a chest band to monitor heartrate with it. So I'm wondering what that'll be like. I'll let you know if I like it! I used a giftcard to bring down the price of this one, so it wasn't so bad. I hope it's worth the money! It got great reviews...and the chances of me dropping it in the toilet and it getting flushed are small. And did you see where it says waterproof? Yup! I'm not taking any chances this time! Because there is a chest band you have to wear, I may not bring this to Italy. I do not want to be traveling internationally with any metal band or device strapped to my chest. I think that's fairly frowned upon when travelling these days...

But I will see if the device works without the strap or possibly pack it in my bag. We shall see! I also don't want to take anything I don't have to because 1) it could end up costing me if my bag is over 50 pounds, and 2) sometimes things get lost or stolen... or flushed, so I want to be as careful as possible.

There's a little over a week until I leave for Italy and I'm so excited! Woo hoo! Cannot WAIT! I just got space bags and I'm planning on starting packing this weekend! I hope you all have a safe happy Friday and a relaxing weekend. I will try and check in over the weekend. I'm going to dinner and a movie with my dad on Sunday for my birthday so that should be fun!

Have a blessed day!

Dangers of Loose Pants

Okay.

This is an UNBELIEVABLE event that happened to me today. And it's a major reason I need to change my goals for this week.

I was having a hard time keeping my scrub pants up today. They are elastic and so they've been able to stay on pretty well even though I've been shrinking. Well that is definitely not going to fly anymore. I was in the bathroom and adjusting my loose pants. I leaned over to flush the toilet...my pants slipped and I grabbed for them...and my PEDOMETER FELL IN THE TOILET AS I PRESSED THAT STUPID HANDLE. Flush...

GOODBYE PEDOMETER. It got sucked down the stupid toilet at my house! This same STUPID toilet that can barely get a piece of toilet paper down on some days that swallowed my pedometer!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I was super mad. But I was also laughing because...it's stupidly hilarious.

In any event, this will prevent me from tracking my steps the rest of the week. Ugh! I'm looking around online for one...but I JUST BOUGHT THIS ONE. :( And now it appears I will need to invest in some new scrub pants. It just never ends! I did just get a few pair at the goodwill so maybe a trip there this weekend to see if there's any more will have to be on my Pre-Italy list!

I want to thank you all so much for your delightful birthday wishes. I adore you all <3 You are my motivation and my rock, helping me do this thing one pound at a time! I went out to dinner with my mom and I had planned my menu all out. I was going to have the portabello mushroom sandwich and all the fries...well what I ended up doing was taking the bread off and just eating the yummy mushroom inside (it's in a balsamic reduction, not a HUGE amount of calories). And I only ate TWO FRIES!!!!! And then I shared a piece of cheesecake with my mom...so I stayed right within my calorie range, made excellent choices eating out and continued on my merry way!

Today has been good...before my pedometer dropped into the toilet I had already walked 1.1 miles. And consistently his week I have done 2 miles or above. Now...I don't even know. I'm going to have to buy a new one. (I'm still not over it, sorry). I'm still going to be doing lots of walking though, folks! Don't worry about that!

Also, I'm building up my repertoire of recipes. The second recipe I'm going to do should come Saturday night. I have a slow cooker recipe that's to die for! And healthy! I also got myself a few birthday presents...

Hooray new recipes! I hope everyone is having a good day. I'm off to look around for scrubs...

Weigh In Wednesday!

Hehe. I love that cartoon! Today is my 24th birthday and it's been a pretty good one so far. I went to my weigh in at Jenny Craig...and it was pretty disappointing! I'm once again dancing with 270...but I firmly believe that a lot of it is fluid. I am not too concerned about it, actually! I have been back on track since I got home and although I'm going out to eat tonight for my birthday I know I can make good choices!

Starting Weight: 267.6
Weigh In: 271 (+ 3.4 OUCH)
Target Weight: 240
Pounds Until Goal: 31.0

I'm also super excited that the JENNY CRAIG CINNAMON ROLLS ARE BACK!!!!!!!!! And they're a permenant item. HOORAY! I love these little cinnamon rolls. It's like eating a donut (2 donuts) but with healthy fiber and low calories/fat. I love them, love them! :D

In any event, I'm headed to my appointment at 11am today and in the meantime I'm getting some laundry done! Last night I fulfilled my goal of reading a book! Yes, it was a cheesy romance novel but I greatly enjoyed it! Nothing better than that if you ask me!

I hope everyone has a fabulous Wednesday!!

Weigh In...and BIRTHDAY EVE!

Well,

Tomorrow is my 24th birthday!

It's been a year of ups and downs for me. But overall I've made some positive life changes! I've been losing weight, hooray! I'm committed to a positive healthy lifestyle. I'm working on my stress issues...which is why tomorrow I'm going to see a psychologist. I am working on my total, overall health as a person. There's so much to people than what they look like on the outside, that's just a wrapper for what's on the inside! And I think talking through some things with a professional would be very helpful. I don't need medication or anything; I just feel like I will improve my overall stress and mental well being to share everything I keep bottled up!

I'm also weighing in tomorrow and pretty much expecting a gain after eating out all weekend. Not worried about it, honestly! I'm back on track! And thank goodness, my stomach still feels off from the weekend of bad eating! I'm back on track and meeting my goals...

And speaking of goals!

I tried out a new recipe and here it is. I LOVE GINA AT SKINNYTASTE.COM! She is amazing and I love her recipes and tinkering with them!  This recipe is adapted from this one: Low Fat Baked Onion Rings. Check out the original recipe at the link!! But I've made some yummy, spicy changes!

Low Fat Baked Onion Rings and a Boca Chick'N Patty...mmmmmmmmm.

Ingredients:

1 Medium Vidalia Onion - Cut into approx 1/4 inch slices
2 1/4 Cup Low Fat Buttermilk
1/4 Cup Frank's Hot Sauce
3/4 Cup Italian-Style Panko Breadcrumbs

Tools Needed:
Shallow Baking Dish (I used an 8x8 pyrex dish)
Plate
2 Baking Sheets
2 Baking Racks

Instructions:



1) Slice onions and place them in the baking dish. Mix butermilk and the hot sauce, pour over the onion in a shallow baking dish and let sit for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

2) Preheat oven to 450.  Place panko on a plate or shallow baking dish. Set up a breading station and coat the onions.

3) Place the breaded onions on a baking rack sitting on a baking sheet. This makes them super crusty and crispy.

4) Bake for 10-12 minutes until brown. Enjoy!!!

Calories: 74.7 • Fat: 0.6 g • Carb: 14.7 g • Fiber: 1.6 g • Sugar: 1.7 g • Protein: 2.9 g  - Taken from Gina's Skinny Recipes! There are 2 servings in this recipe. TWO!!!!!

Got to LOVE new recipes!!!

Update on goals! Been walking 2 miles every day so far and tracking religiously! Also have been doing my breathing! And starting to get things organized for Italy!


Skinny Vibes to all my Wednesday Weighers!!

Monday! And NTTC'S Giveaway!

For those of you who don't follow No Thanks to Cake you're in for a real treat! Kelly is a Jenny Craig soul sister who's a total inspiration! She's 15 pounds away from her goal of losing 91 pounds...and she looks fantastic! She has a giveaway for a Weight Watcher's cookbook. And hey, who couldn't use a new cookbook to spice things up? I sure could...I'm struggling with my goal of finding two new recipes to make for this week! Have to find something new and exciting and fun! If only it were that simple! Check out the link to the giveaway here: http://nothankstocake.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-favorite-cookbooks-and-giveaway.html Do it! What have you got to lose...besides weight? And we all want that!

Last night I made more bad eating choices and my stomach was not feeling good. I do not eat out very often and a whole weekend of it made for a very upset tummy. This morning I was very nauseous and I couldn't eat. I drank some water and went along my day...and by lunch time, I was starving. I made a Jenny Craig chicken marsala and it really hit the spot! I'm planning on some hummus for snack, and then a boca chick'n patty for dinner...it's the last one in the box. OH NO! I definitely need to get some more!! And I'm trying to stay on the lower end of my calorie range today and tomorrow but I'm expecting a gain on Wednesday. But I'm not stressing about it...I had a great birthday weekend, there's ups and downs to every weight, and I'm back on track now! WOO!

Goals are going well. Still haven't been able to get any time to read a book but I have been doing my deep breathing and tracking my food on Sparkpeople. Wearing my pedometer today as well and getting very close to 2 miles. So far it hasn't been a terrible Monday. It's a bit grey and cold and we're expecting ice (please no!) but nothing major.

Happy Monday all and I hope it's a great one!

Home Again! And Week 4 Goals!

My little trip away with my mom was excellent and I had a really great time! It snowed to beat the band on Saturday and so my mom and I made the executive decision to go up a night early and stay over. It was really great. We grabbed some Mexican for dinner and enjoyed a few too many margaritas and then ended up talking until midnight! Saturday we got up late and enjoyed some coffee (I had tea) while watching the snow fall. Finally we got up and showered and went to this adorable little bistro for lunch. We braved the storm and poked around in some shops including a cute bookshop called Bearly Read which was all old, loved books. It was great! Then we came home and watched TV and my mom took a nap before our big evening out at Longfellow's Tavern, America's oldest running tavern. It was amazing...I had the prime rib and it was to die for.

This week has been one of many many downs for me and I totally enjoyed myself and relaxed. I so needed it. I really did. I did not, however, make good food choices. But I also didn't go NUTS. I ate my lunch at the bistro and actually only ate half of my burger and a few fries then brought the rest back. And I ate it that afternoon...but dinner was at 8pm so I had it as a snack. Then at dinner I didn't even finish everything on my plate and didn't have dessert. I was proud of myself for not eating until everything was gone off my plate and I felt sick. Which...I've admittedly done a lot in the past. Today I'm going to take it easy and eat a bit lighter, this isn't a step back as far as I'm concerned!

As far as the scenic walk, it was so dangerous on the roads on Saturday there was no way we could've done this. It was so snowy it was hard to even get out by vehicle. But I still logged 2 miles Friday and 1.2 miles Saturday on my pedometer. Not too shabby, eh?

Let's look at last week's wrap up!

NSV:

1) I will do 2 minutes of deep breathing each day to help with stress relief. - 7/7

2) I will organize and print out the papers that I will need for going to Italy in February

3) I will do one thing just for me, haven't decided if it'll be a haircut, mani/pedi or something else!

Exercise Goals:

1) Exercise Bike for 20 Minutes 3x - NOPE.

2) Wear Pedometer Every Day and Track Miles - 6/7 - I forgot on Wednesday :( oops

3) Do Exercise DVD 2x this week - EH.

Nutrition:

1) I will track religiously on Sparkpeople.Com - 5/7

2) I will drink at least 80oz water daily - 7/7

3) I will make good choices when going out to eat! 50/50 on this one.

Overall I need to work on my exercise goals...there is simply no excuse for not doing it. Stress wise I loved my deep breathing and will continue doing it. I made good food choices...but the exercise I need to bump up.

SO... on to week 4 goals!? (how is it week 4 already?)

NSV:

1) I will read ONE BOOK cover to cover.

2) I will do my deep breathing exercises x7 days

3) I will start packing up for ITALY!

Exercise:

1) I will walk at least 2 miles daily.

2) I will wear my pedometer every day.

3) I will try ONE NEW EXERCISE this week per SCC minichallenge

4) I will ride exercise bike x2 this week.

Food:

1) I will track daily on Sparkpeople.com

2) I will make TWO RECIPES and post it on my blog.

3) I will make good choices when going out to eat.


Upcoming things for me. My actual birthday is Wednesday so I need to make good choices when going out to eat! I am also going to see a psychologist on Wednesday for the first time in my life...I have some stress issues and a high stress job makes it harder for me to manage them. So I'll update you on that as I go along!

Have a great week all!!

Away for the Weekend!

Yes it's finally here! I am going away with my mom this weekend for my birthday!! As pictured above, we're going to Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudsbury, Massachusetts for a wonderful 2 night stay! Originally we were just going to go on Saturday but it looks like the weather is going to be nasty. So we're going to get out of town early! I'm super excited!! I made great choices for eating today. For breakfast I cracked out the Banana Nut vitatops which is a 100 calorie breakfast that filled me up ALL DAY! It has EIGHT GRAMS OF FIBER! Holy moley! Then for lunch I made some air popped popcorn so I can save calories for going out to dinner tonight and eating out tomorrow.

I know this weekend is going to be a bit of a challenge but my mom is supportive of my weight loss and we have activity planned into the weekend so I can stay on track even if I splurge a bit! I have my trusty pedometer at my side...so far I've already walked 1.8 miles without any planned activity! Woo! Time to work on that goal of making good choices when going out to eat!!

So far this week I have fulfilled this goal. On Wednesday I got my manicure and pedicure and then I felt like having Subway which is right down the road. I got a 6 inch Veggie Delight with provolone and had just a little oil and vinegar on it (for some healthy fats). It was a good, healthy, hearty lunch that really satisfied my craving some something spicy and yummy. Since I put lots of jalapeno peppers on it, it was extra spicy! The woman behind the counter thought I was a nutball.

Today I also had my supervisor with me on a visit and I felt very confident in my abilities. They go with us once a year for a supervision, which is a part of normal protocol. She had very positive things to say about my performance and how I deal with my patients. I felt like it was a good experience! So that was a good thing! And people were very happy and in a good mood today, so that's always good!

Here's to everyone having an excellent, stress free weekend. I hope that you all enjoy it and if the weather is bad in your area that you stay warm and safe!

My Other New Obsession

It's popcorn.

Yes. But not that stuff that comes in a bag. This is delicious, wonderful air popped popcorn. It's low calorie, whole grain goodness that I cannot get enough of!!! Don't get me wrong, I like bagged popcorn. But this doesn't even compare. It's fluffy and crispy and even without any butter or anything on it, it reminds me of hot popcorn you get at the fair. Mmmm. And at Target they have a variety of 0-5calorie toppings you can put on there. I got a white cheddar, a kettle corn and a cinnamon toast flavor that were in clearance in a pack of 3. And holy moley, they are SO good. Seriously, I can't get enough! Or I've sprayed it with a couple spritzes of I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray...yummo!

It's been another bad day for me at work...I'm counting down the days until my vacation. I don't know how much more of this I can take. But it's not forever. I know this above everything else. Everything happens for a reason and this is just a stepping stone in my life. I'm trying not to focus on the negatives.

I forgot my pedometer today...ooops. But I made an effort to take the stairs, park far away and walk as much as I could even though it was bitterly cold today! But I'm averaging 2-3 miles of walking a day. YAY! That's pretty good! Other exercise...I need to step it up. Hope everyone is havin a good Friday eve!! I'm excited for the weekend with my mom!

Weigh in Wednesday Suprise!

So I slogged my behind out of bed early and got into my new pair of weigh in pants!! I bought them at Target and they arrived...in a size XL! When I started my weight loss journey I was barely fitting into a 3XL pants and shirt. Well the XL fit PERFECTLY! I love these pants and they're going to be awesome for working out too because they wick sweat away from the body and keep you from getting all drenched (which I hate!). Traffic was a bear this morning and when I arrived my regular consultant was not there yet... it was 8:10 and my appointment was at 8:15am.

There was another consultant there who I worked with the last time I did Jenny Craig (who I didn't care for due to the fact that she discouraged meals on my own...and still does to this day). I had a quick consultation with her...after my very shocking weigh in!

Starting Weight: 269.6
Weigh In: 267.6 - HOLY MOLY TWO POUNDS DOWN!
Target Weight: 240
Pounds Until Goal: 27.6

I had a feeling I was holding onto some fluid at my last weigh in. I didn't splurge or anything but I definitely felt a little bloated. Still no sign of Aunt Flow, by the way...the search for her continues. But WOW! TWO POUNDS since Saturday! HOORAY! Must mean I'm doing something right!!

Right now I'm eating Nutrigrain Blueberry Waffles and mmm mm they are good. Some sugar free syrup and a glass of milk...I'm starting my day right! In a few minutes I'm going to head off to my manicure/pedicure appointment, yay! I'm getting all pampered and I can't wait!

Hope everyone has a great on plan day and good luck to my other Wednesday weighers!

Weigh In Eve...again!

Today was a really good day. I had a nice long talk with my boss and I feel like everything got straightened out. I did my breathing exercises in the car and when I got home...and would you believe it worked like a charm!? I'm looking forward to my weigh in (although it is at 8:15am which I'm not AS excited about) but I've been really good...since Saturday, haha. Maybe we'll see a loss? Who knows!!

I thought today I'd share my new obsession for dinner... Boca Spicy Chick'n Patties.

 I am OBSESSED. They taste like those delicious fried chicken patties they used to serve to us at the school cafeteria. And only 4 points plus (also known as about 160 calories). They're loaded with fiber and good yummy things. Compare that to a chicken patty that has 226 calories and so much fat that we don't want to talk about it! Put it on a light bun, a slice of reduced fat cheese and I had some Alexia chipotle sweet potato fries with it. Oh dear god...it's amazing. It's like splurging on fast food...but not. You do have to cook the boca patty in the oven otherwise it doesn't get crispy (the way I like it). But believe me it tastes good even if you microwave it. Mmmm mmmm mmm...

Today I walked a lot, approx 3 miles! WOW!! That's without any planned exercise...which I have barely had time for. It snowed last night and my mom stayed over, so I had to be up and out early this morning. It took me over an hour to get to my first patient (usually takes about 30 minutes) due to ice, driving carefully and safely...and a few idiots who don't know how to drive...but I'm working on it. Tomorrow I'm planning on doing my new exercise DVD that I bought at the goodwill. I'll let you know how it is!

I have a lot of chores to do tomorrow in addition to my Jenny Craig appointment. And I made an appointment at this cool salon to get a manicure/pedicure. YAY! Getting things done for me!! I'm going away this weekend so I want to have nice looking nails and toes ;) I also printed out everything I needed for Italy tonight and put it in a nice easy to access folder! Getting things accomplished! Hooray!

NSV:

1) I will do 2 minutes of deep breathing each day to help with stress relief. - 3/7

2) I will organize and print out the papers that I will need for going to Italy in February

3) I will do one thing just for me, haven't decided if it'll be a haircut, mani/pedi or something else!

Exercise Goals:

1) Exercise Bike for 20 Minutes 3x

2) Wear Pedometer Every Day and Track Miles - 3/7

3) Do Exercise DVD 2x this week

Nutrition:

1) I will track religiously on Sparkpeople.Com - 3/7

2) I will drink at least 80oz water daily - 3/7

3) I will make good choices when going out to eat!

Manic Monday

More like Maniac Monday.

I don't know why I'm suddenly the office scapegoat...or why people feel the need to be rude and nasty to me when I do nothing but work SUPER hard to make sure that my patients are well taken care of. But you know what? I did 2 minutes of deep breathing today...and I suddenly feel a lot better. Usually when you do an exercise (or just exercise in general) it takes a while to see the result. You see the scale move --but not immediately--you see your muscle tone improve, but definitely not that minute. But a few seconds after I did my breathing exercises which I found here! I've been doing all three but I love exercise #2 because it really does relax you. You have to focus on the counting and the breathing and not think about anything else. It really does work! Is my stress all gone? No. But I feel better able to manage everything and that's a good start.

I put on my pedometer today and without even trying, I've walked 1.5 miles. WOW! That's not bad. Walking between visits and around the house is adding up! Plus I'm fulfilling my goal of wearing my pedometer every day! Hooray!
 

NSV:

1) I will do 2 minutes of deep breathing each day to help with stress relief. - 2/7

2) I will organize and print out the papers that I will need for going to Italy in February

3) I will do one thing just for me, haven't decided if it'll be a haircut, mani/pedi or something else!

Exercise Goals:

1) Exercise Bike for 20 Minutes 3x

2) Wear Pedometer Every Day and Track Miles - 2/7

3) Do Exercise DVD 2x this week

Nutrition:

1) I will track religiously on Sparkpeople.Com - 2/7

2) I will drink at least 80oz water daily - 2/7

3) I will make good choices when going out to eat!

Weekend Update & Week 3 SCC Goals

I just want to start out with an apology for having made all of you listen to me rant and rave my stress at you! It's a stressful job I have and I'm taking steps to work through it all! On another note, my computer completely died...so my day started off by going to Best Buy to pick up a new one that was on sale. Sigh! Why don't they make electronics like they used to? My first laptop lasted 4 years before it died! Then I bought one that I thought was good...the cord caught fire and I had to get rid of the entire unit. That made it through my senior year of college and a year beyond that before it crapped out. Now this laptop I had only lasted a year! Now I am not rough with my computers and I really only use them for Microsoft Word, Facebook and blogging... WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?

But in any event I have a new computer and I'm still working out all the kinks!

This week of the SCC Challenge my starting weight is: 269.6
I am weighing in on WEDNESDAY which is only three days away...so I'm not sure that there's going to be any big loss, haha! That's what I get for having to postpone my WI day. Looking for staying the same or a small loss when I go!

The SCC mini goal is no sweets...now... I don't know about this one. I am not a big sweets girl. I'd honestly prefer to have salty snacks. I bought an air popper and I love to do popcorn; salt and vingear is my weakness. However I do eat skinny cow ice cream a few times a week as part of my plan...and it helps keep me on track. I think that cutting this out would be setting me up for failure. I only have a limited amount of food items at home because I do Jenny Craig! And I just went to Target YESTERDAY and bought a whole bunch of skinny cow ice cream because it was on sale and I didn't get my usual snack things because I am on a very tight budget. So I am going to bow out of this challenge for financial reasons, sorry ladies! I will do another week with no sweets to make up for it!

The upcoming week is busy and will be full of stress. And next weekend I am going away with my mom for my birthday! My birthday is on January 25th but she asked if I wanted to do a girl's weekend with her for my birthday and we're going to a quaint historic inn in Massachusetts. There will be temptations but we're doing a 17 mile walking tour that should hopefully solve any issues! I'll update you on the trip as we get closer ;)

Let's look at last weeks goals.

NSV:
1) I will watch 1 movie start to finish. - Finally saw Easy A, haha that was cute!



2) I will buy a new pair of weigh in pants. (Mine are too big and almost fall off my butt)Bought some at Target online. They've shipped out!



3) I will try on a pair of jeans in my closet that were too small last month. Maybe they will fit? Will post picture. - Going to do this one tomorrow hopefully!



Exercise:

1) I will do the 30 Day Shred 2x - 1/2 - Plan on doing this Saturday morning

2) Do Weight Loss Yoga 2x- 0/2

3) Do Exercise Bike for 20 minutes- 2/2

Nutrition:

1) I will track my calories religiously on Sparkpeople.Com EVERY DAY!
2) I will drink at least 80oz (10 glasses) of water EVERY DAY!

3) I will try 1 new recipe and post it on my blog (I think I have one in mind!) - Check back tonight!!


Exercise goals...major, major fail. I am not happy at all. However! That does not mean I'm giving up. I just need to reevaluate my goals for next week.


So let's look at WEEK 3 GOALS!


NSV:


1) I will do 2 minutes of deep breathing each day to help with stress relief.


2) I will organize and print out the papers that I will need for going to Italy in February.


3) I will do one thing just for me, haven't decided if it'll be a haircut, mani/pedi or something else!


Exercise Goals:


1) Exercise Bike for 20 Minutes 3x


2) Wear Pedometer Every Day and Track Miles


3) Do Exercise DVD 2x this week


Nutrition:


1) I will track religiously on Sparkpeople.Com


2) I will drink at least 80oz water daily


3) I will make good choices when going out to eat!


So here are some goals! Lets see if we can make this week awesome!

Weigh in Saturday

Weigh in Saturday is not as fun as weigh in Wednesday... there were a ton of people running around at Jenny Craig and it was super busy. I felt rushed and kinda hurried. Plus I had my mom with me because we were going to go shopping afterward. So there was that added pressure...

But I weighed in and lost 1.6, WOO! I honestly was expecting to lose more...I feel like my clothes are so much looser. But Aunt Flow is definitely coming around the mountain and I may be retaining a little bit of fluid. Plus I slacked off a pit in the exercise department so...that isn't good. But I got in a LOT of walking today and that's a good start!

Starting Weight: 271.2
Weigh In: 269.6 - FINALLY BELOW 270! See the Picture Update in the side bar <3
Target Weight: 240
Pounds Until Goal: 29.6


My mom came over last night and helped me talk through some stress but I also made the decision to talk to a counsler. My insurance will cover all the visits...but first I have to meet my 1500 dollar deductible. Which is insane. So I need to see what I can afford for sure. I think it'll be a good idea to have someone to work through my stress with and to relax. I'm working on my physical health but I also want to work on my spiritual and emotional health as well. My birthday is coming up January 25th and it's really time for me to focus on myself. I've been focused on school and my patients and my job...but that's not the most important thing.

I went shopping at the Goodwill today for some new clothes in transitional sizes but I didn't have too much luck. I got a cute jacket and a pair of scrub pants. AND I got  a curves workout DVD for 3 bucks!!!! Then my  mom and I went to homegoods and I got Anne Burrell's cookbook. It looks really good and I feel I can make a lot of the recipes in a healthy way!

Lastly we went to Target and I got lots of goodies! I got things for Italy, I got workout gear. Check out some of my spoils! I got some healthy groceries, an air popper, and...

Balance ball with workout DVD and handweights for my 30DS and for working out! I also got some 5 pound weights too. Yay! Fun workout things to get me motivated to get my ass moving!

Friday Weigh in Eve

Finally the weekend. It was another stressful day today with everything...but I'm just trying to focus on the positive. It IS the weekend. I have two BLISSFUL days off to rest, relax and not worry about any work crap. The phone is off, my charting is done...and I am taking time for myself!

Tomorrow is weigh in day and I'm excited! I feel like there will be a loss! Even if I've been slacking on my goals. Oops. I haven't been doing as much exercise as I've set out to do. That is not good. But I've just been overwhelmed. I need to step it up.

Here's a goals update:

NSV:
1) I will watch 1 movie start to finish. - Finally saw Easy A, haha that was cute!
2) I will buy a new pair of weigh in pants. (Mine are too big and almost fall off my butt)Bought some at Target online. They've shipped out!
3) I will try on a pair of jeans in my closet that were too small last month. Maybe they will fit? Will post picture. - Going to do this one tomorrow hopefully!



Exercise:

1) I will do the 30 Day Shred 2x - 1/2 - Plan on doing this Saturday morning

2) Do Weight Loss Yoga 2x- 0/2

3) Do Exercise Bike for 20 minutes- 2/2
Nutrition:

1) I will track my calories religiously on Sparkpeople.Com EVERY DAY! 5/7

2) I will drink at least 80oz (10 glasses) of water EVERY DAY! 5/7

3) I will try 1 new recipe and post it on my blog (I think I have one in mind!) - Check back tonight!!

Thursday.

Just one more day.

I don't think I can deal with this crap anymore. But I'm just trying to get through one more day. I'm tired, I'm annoyed, I can't kick this stupid stress headache. And then I got a call that the Excedrin I take has been recalled...crap! I have taken half the bottle over the last 6 months or so. Who knows what the heck could happen to me! Also...still no period. I was due on the 8th. I am wondering if stress is causing me to be late. I've been really good the last 3 months being regular. Since I started losing weight, I was almost instantly regular after YEARS of being irregular and having period issues. I really hope this isn't a foreshadowing of things to come. In any event I had some cramps this morning but they passed...maybe Aunt Flow will show up tonight.

In happier news, I got a new fitness toy, hooray! I ordered a balance ball, weights and a weight training DVD from Target that I'm waiting for. But in the meantime I got a groupon e-mail about a pedometer on sale for 10 bucks (including shipping) and its a really nice one.

Look its pretty!
I'm so stressed right now, I can't even function. I made a Kashi pizza for dinner and I stayed right within my tracking levels no problem. I even have hummus and some pretzels for a snack, Yum.

Right now I'm just trying to make it day by day. Life is so stressful right now. I can't wait for the weekend!!!

Portabello Mushroom Burgers

SORRY MAREN!

But I love mushrooms. Especially portabello mushrooms...when they're grilled up in this recipe...mmmmm. They taste like rich, sweet meat; not at all like the mushrooms you may have had before on salads or in other dishes.

These Portabello Mushrooms burgers are TO DIE FOR. And I hope you like them. I'm going to post my recipe exactly how I did it (YUM) but I'm also going to end with suggestions on how to make it better. HOPE YOU ENJOY!

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Wishbone Light Italian Dressing
4 Portabello Mushroom Caps
4 (approx 1/8 inches) slices of onion
4 light wheat buns
4 Fat free american singles

Directions

1. Place the mushroom caps, smooth side up, in a shallow dish, pour dressing over them at let them marinate at room temp for approx 15-20 minutes

2. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.

3. Use nonstick grill spray on the grates. Place onions on the grill and cook for 5-6 minutes before the mushrooms go on.

 

4. Place mushrooms on the grill cap side down. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until tender. Brush with marinade frequently. Top with cheese during the last 2 minutes of grilling.

5. Place the mushroom on bun, add grilled onions on top. Top with your favorites! BBQ Sauce, Chipotle Sauce, Dressing, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles, ETC (not included in calories)

Serving Size: Makes 4 Burgers

 

Nutritional Breakdown

 

Can you beat that???

 

Verdict:

 

These were amazing. AMAZING. SO good. My mom loved them, I loved them...the only reccomendation I have is that next time, I think I'm going to use balsamic dressing instead of Light Italian. Don't get me wrong, the light italian was great--you could barely taste it at all. Just occasionally you would get a light taste of the dressing. OR if you  want just spray with nonstick cooking spray and take out the calories from the dressing altogether.

 

Whichever way you slice it...this is a DELICIOUS recipe. And I hope you all enjoy it.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Okay...

I have had just about the worst day. Today was supposed to be my day off. Well I worked from 8am-3pm...and some of you may be saying, oh well that's not so bad. At leaast you're getting paid. Um no. I'm not. I didn't get paid AT ALL because I'm a salaried employee, not an hourly employee. So pretty much I had to work my entire damn day off with absolutely no compensation. At all. I had to deal with crap ALL day...everyone had a damn emergency and kept calling me about it. And I care too much about my patients and their families to just not do anything or "pass the buck" onto someone who won't get it done. No. No way.

But then it leaves me in a tough place because I got absolutely no time for myself today. I was supposed to go to Jenny Craig and get my food, I was supposed to check things off my blog list... and now I feel stressed and sick. And what does my boss say to piss me off even further? Oh, you volunteered for this...did I? Or did I volunteer to do you  favor that's blown up in my face. You better believe I'm never doing this again. EVER.

Sorry, vent over.


On a positive note, I tried on those jeans in my closet that I bought. They are a size 18/20 and they didn't fit last month when I tried them on...

HOORAY! THEY FIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bad news? I hate the cut. They are low rise and I hate low rise jeans... the back actually gaps open, you could stick your whole hand in there. So in some ways I guess the pants are too big for me... but in every other place they fit well. I think I'm going to return them though, like I said, I hate the cut.

Still planning on doing my recipe tonight however I needed to get out some of my anger in blogland before I even thought about taking some me time. And I haven't cooked it yet so if it really sucks, I'm not going to post it haha. But look for that later this evening!!!

NSV:
1) I will watch 1 movie start to finish. - Finally saw Easy A, haha that was cute!

2) I will buy a new pair of weigh in pants. (Mine are too big and almost fall off my butt)Bought some at Target online. They've shipped out!

3) I will try on a pair of jeans in my closet that were too small last month. Maybe they will fit? Will post picture. - Going to do this one tomorrow hopefully!



Exercise:

1) I will do the 30 Day Shred 2x - 1/2 - Plan on doing this Saturday morning

2) Do Weight Loss Yoga 2x- 0/2

3) Do Exercise Bike for 20 minutes- 1/2

Nutrition:

1) I will track my calories religiously on Sparkpeople.Com EVERY DAY! 4/7

2) I will drink at least 80oz (10 glasses) of water EVERY DAY! 3/7 - Working on this one

3) I will try 1 new recipe and post it on my blog (I think I have one in mind!) - Check back tonight!!

Weigh in Eve: Postponed.

Well, Tuesday night is generally weigh in eve. I get ready to go to Jenny Craig on Wednesday and weigh in. This week, I'm swamped at work. I have a bunch of patients who are VERY high acuity and require a ton of nursing intervention. Putting another nurse in here would be like throwing them in the deep end of the ocean in their underwear. It would be impossible for them to figure out...therefore, I'm stuck seeing them on my day off. I have a regular visit, a resumption of care and an admission of a patient who I've care for before. Not to mention I contacted my Jenny Craig center and they can't accomedate me for a quick visit in the morning to weigh in and get food... and I really don't wnat to work all day, eat my meals and THEN weigh in. That wouldn't be an accurate representation of my weight at all.

So what I did was I moved my weigh in/getting food to this Saturday at 8:45am. So therefore, you're going to see that I don't update my weight until then. Boo. But like the cartoon says! I didn't fail...I just have to postpone my success!

So work is stressful, I'm very crampy and waiting for Aunt Flow's visit. Yuck. Really wish she would stay home...but then again I've been regular for a few months so I'm hoping this isn't things going in the wrong direction again. I'm going to be trying to make the most of my """""day off""""" (yes notice allll the quotes) and cross some things off my to-do list. I'm really slacking on my exercise goals. I've got a horrible headache I can't shake and I did so much running around today, I don't feel like doing anything. Maybe I can kick myself into doing some exercise later. Update: I felt like a lazy lump so I did 20 minutes on my bike and told myself to stop whining.

Update on the goals for the day!


NSV:
1) I will watch 1 movie start to finish. - Finally saw Easy A, haha that was cute!

2) I will buy a new pair of weigh in pants. (Mine are too big and almost fall off my butt) Bought some at Target online. They've shipped out!

3) I will try on a pair of jeans in my closet that were too small last month. Maybe they will fit? Will post picture. - Going to do this one tomorrow hopefully!
Exercise:

1) I will do the 30 Day Shred 2x - 1/2

2) Do Weight Loss Yoga 2x- 0/2

3) Do Exercise Bike for 20 minutes- 1/2

Nutrition:

1) I will track my calories religiously on Sparkpeople.Com EVERY DAY! 3/7

2) I will drink at least 80oz (10 glasses) of water EVERY DAY! 3/7

3) I will try 1 new recipe and post it on my blog (I think I have one in mind!) - Still planning this for Wednesday. ;)

Monday, Monday

Once again its Monday...but as Mondays go, this one was pretty good! It's been pleasantly busy for me. I've had to do a lot of case management on my patients but hey, I'm a case manager! What did I expect!? Haha. And BONUS, no one has screamed at me today :D Hooray! Although it is only 3:30...maybe I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch. It's been a stressful few weeks for me and I'm ready to have things settle down!

I need to do some exercise today but I'm really sore from the 30 Day Shred...and my head is pounding. I may take a break today. I always get one break day. So maybe this is going to be it. I'm really feeling headachy and nauseous...Aunt Flow is a day late (chance of pregnancy: 0. Chance of Immaculate Conception Part II: Slightly higher than chance of pregnancy) so that could definitely be why!

And one thing that helps me relax is crossing things off lists. Like for example crossing things off my SCC list!

I thought the challenge to eat things with your nondominant hand was funny...because I'm an oddball who does this all the time. I write with my right hand but I eat, throw a ball, paint my nails, etc with my LEFT hand. I switch back and forth easily with eating. No problemo! I would definitely not say I'm ambidexterous...because I can't write with my left hand. It looks like a 3 year old wrote it...but I guess as a nurse I've learned that I need to use BOTH hands equally, haha! You can never have enough hands, that's for sure!


NSV:
1) I will watch 1 movie start to finish.  - Finally saw Easy A, haha that was cute!

2) I will buy a new pair of weigh in pants. (Mine are too big and almost fall off my butt)  Bought some at Target online. They've shipped out!

3) I will try on a pair of jeans in my closet that were too small last month. Maybe they will fit? Will post picture.

Exercise:

1) I will do the 30 Day Shred 2x - 1st time done 1/8/12
2) Do Weight Loss Yoga 2x
3) Do Exercise Bike for 20 minutes 2x

Nutrition:

1) I will track my calories religiously on Sparkpeople.Com EVERY DAY! 2/7

2) I will drink at least 80oz (10 glasses) of water EVERY DAY! 2/7

3) I will try 1 new recipe and post it on my blog (I think I have one in mind!) - Look for this on Wednesday <3

SCC Week 2 Goals!

Hi everyone!

Coming to you live from Connecticut is my Week 2 SCC goals! I got up a bit late this morning (9am) and I decided to get a jumpstart on my week two goals. It was kind of a good thing I got up late because I decided to do 30 Day Shred with the horrible Jillian Michaels. And I didn't want my neighbors downstairs to pitch a fit while all 271.2 pounds of me does jumping jacks...yikes. I got up and drank a big glass of water, put on some workout clothes and my sneakers and SHREDDED IT OUT!!!! Followed by a very huffy and puffy shower. I then ate my Jenny Craig Apples and Cinnoman waffles and drank two MORE glasses of water.

Then I sat down to read some blogs and thought about my goals for the next week. As we know:

Starting Weight: 271.2
Target Weight: 240

I weigh in on Wednesdays so this number will change midweek ;) I do NOT have a scale at home. This is because I drive myself batshit crazy weighing myself every day and then I get frustrated when I see the scale go up and down. It's better for me not to have one, believe me.

Okay so here are my goals for the week:


NSV:
1) I will watch 1 movie start to finish.
2) I will buy a new pair of weigh in pants. (Mine are too big and almost fall off my butt)
3) I will try on a pair of jeans in my closet that were too small last month. Maybe they will fit? Will post picture.

Exercise:

1) I will do the 30 Day Shred 2x - 1st time done 1/8/12
2) Do Weight Loss Yoga 2x
3) Do Exercise Bike for 20 minutes 2x

Nutrition:

1) I will track my calories religiously on Sparkpeople.Com EVERY DAY!
2) I will drink at least 80oz (10 glasses) of water EVERY DAY!
3) I will try 1 new recipe and post it on my blog (I think I have one in mind!)

There are my goals for the week! Can't wait to see what everyone else has planned!

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!

Holy Moley!

I've been tagged by the awesome Poison who's blog is one of my favorites!! She's a rock star!! Check out her blog here!

Here are the rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things yourself.
3. Answer the questions the tag­ger set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new ques­tions for the peo­ple you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them that you've tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tag­ging sec­tion about ‘you are tagged if you are read­ing this.’ blah blah blah, you actually have to tag 11 peeps!

OKAY HERE WE GO. 11 Things You Never Really Wanted to Know about Me.

1) I am obsessed with the color Red. My childhood bedroom was beige and one wallwas wallpapered and when I was 12, I ripped down all the wallpaper, moved out ALL my furniture and forced my parents to paint my bedroom fire engine red. I don't have any red walls in my new house but I had red living room furniture, pops of red in the kitchen and red bedsheets!

2) I was almost a professional bassoonist. I started looking for colleges in 2004/2005 before I graduated high school and I had my heart set on going to music school. It was a spontaneous last minute decision to go to school for nursing!

3) My favorite movie is Labyrinth. David Bowie's package works for me. I also know just about every word... and own the soundtrack.

4) Bulldogs are my favorite kind of dogs. And someday when I live in a house, I'm going to have a whole bunch of bullies!

5) I hate talking on the phone. I have a cell phone and a work phone and a home phone...and I really wish I didn't have to have any of them. I just don't like it!! You can just text, blog me, e-mail or facebook if you want to talk to me, haha.

6) I'm obsessed with travelling. I've been to Germany, Ireland, and in February 2012 (just a few weeks!) I'm going to visit my little sister in Italy!

7) I love romance novels. I have just tons of paperback novels and books on my kindle. The dirtier the better, hahah.

8) I love cleaning. It's true, I'm a freak. I worked in housekeeping for several years while going to college and also in highschool. I had private clients that I would clean for. And I love when everything is in its place, shined up and smelling fresh!! Can't stand a mess in any way, shape or form.

9) I love crazy patients. Seriously, the crazier the better. Psych is totally one of my loves. I have a lot of experience working with psych patients of all ages and stages and levels of crazy. They make my day!

10) My dad used to call me Peabug as a kid. And my father's family calls me Katebug (to this day). I don't know where the nickname came from but it's something that's followed me!

11) My favorite thing to eat is mushrooms. I buy 4 pounds of sliced mushrooms a week. And I eat them all. I'm not kidding. Mushrooms. Yum.

Here are my questions from Jen (Poison)!

1 - What do you want done with your body after you die?

 

I'll get back to you on this one. I'm terrified of dying...

 

2 - Would you rather receive a practical gift you need or something silly that means something special?

Hard one! I'm a practical girl at heart...but I do like to be suprised with something cute and silly. But at the end of the day I have to say practical.

3 - How many pets do you have and what kinds?

 

 

 

No pets. :( In Febuary 2010 I opened my home to a rescue bulldog but unfortunately I like on the third floor of a condo and she was an older dog, not to mention weighing 65 pounds...it was very hard for her to go up and down and she almost fell a couple of times. And when I was gone during the day the neighbors complained she barked and I got letters from the assocation. So she had to go back. I was devestated. Her name was Shea! I still miss her so badly. I cry all the time missing her.

4 - If money weren't an issue, what would you buy?

 

Hybrid SUV, buy a big house with a fantastic kitchen, a personal trainer

5 - What is one thing you plan on doing before 2012 is over?

Visiting Taryn in CANADA. Which means hitting my halfway goal. GET READY GIRL.

6 - How did you spend your last birthday?

 

Working. 3-11 then 11-7 double shift.

7 - What are you hoping your next NSV will be? (Non Scale Victory)

 

Fitting into my new ModCloth dress

8 - What is your favorite healthy snack?

 

Sabra Supremely Spicy HUMMUS!

9 - Do you like crunchy or creamy peanut butter?

Crunchy! I can't stand the texture of creamy!

10 - Do you wear your shoes inside your house?

 

No! And you can't either! Na na na booboo! I want clean floors!

11 - What kind of car do you drive?

 

2006 Ford Focus ZX3 (2dr hatchback) in...RED!

 

 

 

NOW!

I am going to tag 11 people. And the questions are as follows:

 

1) If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?

 

2) If you had a sensory disability,would you rather be blind or deaf? Why?

 

3) What's your favorite vegetable?

 

4) How do you de-stress from your day?

 

5) Do you believe in God(s)?

 

6) If there was a fire and you had time to grab one thing from your life, what would it be?

 

7) What is one thing you love about yourself?

 

8) Who is your favorite musical artist and why?

 

9) What is the most scared you've ever been?

 

10) If you were a color of nail polish, what color would you be and why?

 

11) What is your ideal weather?

 

Now I have to find 11 people to tag...crap...

 

1) Kelly!

2) Carbie!

3) Blog Wobble!

4) Mama on the Move!

5) Sarah!

6) Cassy!

7) Enyonam!

8) Tori!

9) Julie!!

 

...I'm stuck after that! Anyone want a tag!?

 

I'm also realizing I don't know a lot of people's names. OOPS!. Sorry <3

Superbusy Saturday

Woof today has kind of been a whirlwind. I needed to do my CPR recertification this morning which was a three hour class. It wasn't bad...it was as fun as any CPR recert class can be. Followed by going to visit a couple of my friends. We ended up going to the Olive Garden for lunch. I had a cup of minestrone soup and one serving of the salad with low fat Italian...but then I blew my good meal with a piece of cheesecake. I've been craving it and I made the decision to have it. And I don't feel bad about it...but I counted it in all my calories and I'm a little over for the day.

So extra exercise to shred those extra calories is in order! I've already done by required 20 minutes for day but I'm planning on more this evening before dinner. Right now I'm cleaning the house, doing laundry, and moving. It's also a form of exercise! So I hope this one splurge isn't reflected in my weigh in on Wednesday! I'm not too worried though, I enjoyed myself and sometimes a few extra calories (I only went 250 over for my daily allottment. I already put in my breakfast and my plan for dinner) can help kick your metabolism in the behind. SO hey...good choices, good plan...we'll see what my friend the scale has to say!

Tomorrow will be the last day of this week's goals...and I think I have some good ones for next week! But let's recap!

NSV:

1) I will not let any one tempt me with leftover holiday goodies.

2) I will take time to read a magazine cover to cover without any interruptions.

3) I will take down all of the Christmas and Hannukah decorations and put them away.

Exercise:

1) I will exercise for at least 20 minutes each day.

2) I will work up the courage to try the 30 Day Shred

Nutrition:

1) I will track my calories religiously on Sparkpeople.Com EVERY DAY!

2) I will drink at least 80oz (10 glasses) of water EVERY DAY!

3) I will do at least 2 meals on my own on my Jenny Craig program.

As far as I'm concerned we can say SUCCESS!!! I met my goals for the week!! I am still working on water today but I've already had 6 glasses and I usually have 2 with dinner and then 2 in the evening when I start to get hungry. RIGHT on track!

Hope everyone is doing great with your goals this week! I'm loving reading all the new blogs of my SCC chickies!

Happy Saturday!