Weigh In Saturday!

Well, I don't usually weigh in on weekends but due to being at an all day conference where I had to get up extremely early (plus the combination of my date that evening so I wanted to look spiffy) I did not have time. So I had decided to weigh in on Saturday!

Honestly, I am suprised that I LOST! HOLY MOLEY! My eating has been average...and you know what? So was my weight loss! I know that after some splurging in NY with my mom and then going out to dinner Wednesday, I wasn't going to be looking at a big loss. In fact, I was expecting a bit of a gain! But so far I have been doing well with exercise. I still need to do that exercise bike this week to meet my exercise goals but I've been walking and parking far away from my patient's homes and doing everything I can to get extra work during exercise.

So...

Previous Weigh In: 257.2
Weigh In 3/31/12: 257 (-0.2)

0.2...better than nothing! And it's just the beginning of this challenge! So I can STEP UP MY GAME! I'm going out to the movies and the Cheesecake Factory on Wednesday with Brian again but I'm not too worried about making good choices. I am going to be eating lightly, getting activity, and then picking a healthier option when we go out! Piece of cheesecake!


Today the rest of my furntiure comes. HOORAY!!!!!!!! I'm so excited. The couch with the memory foam mattress for guests and the ottoman are arriving today! I am beyond excited! It's going to be super awesome. I will take some pictures when they get here! I will probably update when the furniture arrives so at that point I'll be posting the hungry girl Sesame CHicken recipe that I made, of course Lisa Lillen made the recipe but I made a few changes that made it better for me!

Also...I just want to say that it's snowing here right now. Boo. Come on warmer weather!

FRIDAY!!

It feels like this week has been one of the longest I've had in a while...busy weekend followed by a solid week of working (I went to that conference on what was supposed to be my day off). And I'm just ready to relax! The rest of my new furniture is coming tomorrow! And thank goodness they are not coming at the buttcrack of dawn! Last time they were at my house at 6:45am. That's a little early...especially when you live in a condo and have neighbors! Tomorrow they're slated to arrive around 11:45am. Much better! And man am I soooo excited to get my new furniture. YAY!

I actually have been doing good! I've been making good food choices! Last night for dinner I made Hungry Girl Sesame Chicken...I'm going to post the recipe this weekend. It was GOOD! I have to say the sauce was too sweet for my taste but when I put in some spicy sriracha sauce onto my chicken, it was fantastic! I've been sticking to my Sparkpeople regimen and no wavering for me! This morning for breakfast I made myself and my mother Hungry Girl's All American Egg Mug (my way) which is posted on my blog. She loved it! And it was a great meatless meal (I use maple flavored veggie sasuage!). Then for snack I had a 90 calorie special K bar and some fruit. And lunch was a Lean Cuisine Shanghai Chicken. And for dinner I'm making lemon pepper fish and some green beans! YUM! I figured I should stay meat free this one Friday before Palm Sunday, lol.I've been a really bad Catholic. Honestly, I feel like I just get so busy that sometimes I don't even realize its Friday until its too late! I know God will forgive me <3

So I had such a crazy week but today was lighter. I got home around 1pm and did some charting while I ate lunch. And then around 3pm I decided to go out for a walk...down to the gas station 1/2 a mile away and buy myself some Megamillions Tickets. The lottery jackpot is 546 million dollars...I am not a gambler. I haven't bought a lotterty ticket since the day I turned 18 (I did it because I could). LOL but DARN! That's AMAZING. I couldn't pass it up!!! Everyone's all hyped about it, I'm just buying a ticket in case its my lucky day! I guess I should not have reminded God I forgot to abstain from meat on Friday for most of Lent right there :/ Hehe.

Laundry is going, the dishwasher is going...I'm going to be changing the sheets on my bed tomorrow. This weekend is about ME! I also decided it was time to really go through all my clothes. I have to donate my scrubs that are 3XL. I can barely keep them on me anymore and I only have 2 pair of the XL scrubs. SO I bought some new ones online from the same place. And they were on sale, which is quite rare for Cherokee Workwear scrubs (If any of you are regular scrub wearers you'll know what I mean!). I got three new sets for $78 (that included shipping and such). I also bought some new clothes from Old Navy. I put on a pair of my jeans to go take a walk and they were literally coming down around my knees. And the bagginess made me look bigger and bulkier. It wasn't attractive...

I'm going out with Brian again next wednesday. We're going to see The Hunger Games and then going to Cheesecake Factory (which is across the street from the theatre). So I think it'll be fun! I'm also seeing my primary care doctor that day for a physical. I haven't had one since 2008...yeah. We'll see. I know I'm still obese but whatever, I'm making progress one pound at a time! They just have one nasty APRN in the office who tends to be rude about it. Oh well!

Everyone have a FANTASTIC WEEKEND!

Post-Date Update

I don't know if anyone really cares about hearing about my dates, lol. But it helps me if I can do a postmortem on what happened. I have to say...I think there's something fundamentally wrong with me. I don't know. The guy was really nice and I liked him...but every time he told me I was beautiful (three times) or that he liked what I was wearing, I got very uncomfortable. I wanted to tell him that I wasn't beautiful... which is how I honestly felt. And I could barely make eye contact when he told me how pretty my eyes were. I need to work on this and I'm planning on discussing it with my LCSW when I see her next Wednesday. Self-esteem is something I have struggled with my whole life...but I'm only just realizing it now. And I really want to overcome it.

So the date. I was at a conference on CHF all day today from 7am-4:30pm. So it had already been quite a day but I was looking forward to going out with this guy. So I got there a little early, earlier than I expected, and had some time to relax. I of course got bogged down with my boss calling me...it just never ends, I'm telling you!

 But then we went to this little Italian place that was really excellent. Not really authentic but I had this arugula salad that was TO DIE FOR. It was baby arugula and bitter greens in a very light citrus dressing with sliced pear, a little bit of goat cheese, some pecans and tomato and then I added 4 grilled shrimp on top. It was amazing! So tasty! And I did get some dessert but I savored every bite and did not feel guilty! Brian, the guy, was very nice. He's very TALL. I guess I didn't realize, haha. He's also working on getting healthy and losing weight so I think that's good; I've been very open with him about having lost 50 pounds and that I'm working toward a goal and he seemed very supportive. He was very pleasant and we laughed a little. I just don't know if we 'clicked'. If that makes sense... he was perfectly nice and was a true gentleman (He's an Army veteran, so very traditional values). At the end of the evening he gave me a hug, I didn't feel pressured for sex or anything...which I honestly did feel when we started texting each other. I had to put him in his place because it got a little too much for me (but he was very respectful and took it very well). So I don't know...I think I'd have to get to know him better before I say it wouldn't work. This guy at least had clean teeth and listened to what I had to say! We are making improvements! Little by little!

He's texting me right now, actually, saying what a great time he had. So... what do you think? Second date? I'm thinking so!

Hope you all are having a good evening!

Varying Degrees of Success

I am working hard on my goals but this week seems to be giving me some trouble...or is it all in my head? I tracked religiously over the weekend and today. There was an inservice at work today and I was told they were providing lunch. Hey, free lunch! I'm not complaining! WEll I get there and lterally there are 2 large pizzas and 2 bottles of soda. That's the lunch! NO salad, nothing. At this point I am STARVING. I have to say, I overdid it a little...yes, I ate 4 pieces of thin crust pizza and a cup of diet soda. Not my most shining moment. But I tracked it, I ate a light breakfast (Finished up my last Jenny Craig cinnamon rolls, waa!) and a light dinner. And have a light snack planned for tonight so I don't feel deprived...and I met all my nutritional goals for the day! So...not a total failure?

Tomorrow I have a full day conference where they're feeding us breakfast and lunch. This is at a hospital so I'm really hoping there will be healthy choices! Breakfast I'm sure I can do fruit and something. And lunch they usually do sandwiches and salad. So I'm not too concerned...then tomorrow night...I have another date! So that means eating out all day tomorrow...but I can be good. I know I can!

I am not as nervous as I was for the last one...even though that one wasn't very good. This guy seems very...shall we say, pushy? So I'm going to have to show him that I'm nobody's fool ;). You don't lose 50 pounds without knowing how to kick some butt, hahahahaha. Anyway, he's a US Army Veteran who's going to nursing school on the GI bill. So I feel like we have a lot in common. He seems very nice and despite being a little clingy I think it could turn out well. I'll keep you posted ;). We're going to a very upscale Italian restaurant so it should be nice. I'm going out with him right after my conference so I hope I don't look awful! Wish me luck!

All in all, I think I'm doing well. But am I at my potential? No. I need to get my BUTT in gear. I need to be READY FOR SUMMER when this challenge is over...although, my pants are falling down! I went to the Goodwill today and I got 2 new pair of jeans (SIZE 16!!!!!!!!!!!!) One pair fits well but the other is just a little too small. I can button them but the muffin top it makes isn't good. But holy crap...I started at a size 26...and now I can fit into a 16? WOOO. THat's a NSV if I ever heard one! PLus I got this amazing Antropologie sweater in a Large (down from size 3XL) and it looks great. I'm going to wear that tomorrow with some black slacks, black flats, and a pretty blue shirt.

Hope everyone is having a nice Tuesday!

Get on the Wagon Monday! And WEEK ONE READY FOR SUMMER!

It was a bit of a crazy weekend but it was so much fun. The six hour car ride each way was a bit hard and my shoulder and back were really achy on Saturday night and Sunday. I think too the mattress at the hotel was basically sooo soft. I like my firm mattress and it is very supportive. One night on it and I was back to 100%!

Food wise this weekend, I could have done better. I went out to dinner Friday night but made excellent choices. Then Saturday I snacked a bit too much. I was really nauseous in the car and I ate a few cheez its which helped soak up some of the acid in my stomach, probably from the coffee I drank. It was a small iced coffee but I had a touch of cream and one splenda in it (I can't drink coffee without cream without major heartburn). And then we packed lunch so I had made myself turkey and lettuce on a La Tortilla Factory low carb wrap and ate it with some carrots and hummus. That night we went out to a mexican place and I had one frozen watermelon (YUM!) margarita, ate literally less than 1/3 of my GIGANTIC mexican meal...but then I was snacking on Easter candy. Which wasn't good. I didn't go nuts but I definitely overindulged. Sunday we ate continental breakfast at the hotel, I had a bagel and some cream cheese. And then for lunch I ate half a hamburger (I ate the other half for dinner). So all in all, I don't think I did THAT bad.

And today I'm back to tracking and healthy choices! Nothing can stop me now!

I am trying some new Healthy Choice dinners. They have less sodium than Lean Cuisine *very slightly less* but were on sale. So I thought I'd give it a try.  But I also bought some delicious chicken breast, ground turkey, tofu and veggies to cook things with! I also got some nice fresh mozzarella and basil so I'm looking forward to some yummy recipes coming up!!

I am SWAMPED at work right now. Today I didn't even have time to go to the bathroom between patients and ended up not being able to eat lunch until 3:30pm. I did have a Fiber One bar in the car and that saved me! Then I came home and made a Lean Cuisine from the freezer and ate while I made the 6,000 phone calls I needed to get done! (Okay that might be a slight exageration). But I do have some really big things coming up and I'm going to wait a little bit to share what they are...but big changes could be coming my way!

I may postpone weigh in wednesday this week because I have a huge conference to attend on Congestive Heart Failure. And of course that's usually my day off. I will have to leave my house extra early to drive an hour down to the conference to be there for 7:15am... so... I am going to do weigh in Saturday this week! I get the rest of my furntiure that day so I'll be up fairly early! And I can relax and blog about things!

Today I am setting my GOALS!

NSV:

1) Get my house organized and ready for new furniture.

2) Enjoy the conference I'm attending Wednesday and use the knowledge in my clinical practice.

3) Buy some new clothes at the Goodwill (I'm falling out of everything)

Weight Loss Goal:

* - Lose 1lb this week.

Nutritional Goal:

1) Make good choices when eating out. Food is provided at the conference and I have a date that evening at the Cheesecake Factory. HEALTHY dining out choices.

2) Track religiously at Sparkpeople.com

Fitness Goal:

1) Walking x 7 days. BIG walk on Sunday w/ mom

2) Park far away from clients' homes and walk extra distance with weight of supplies.

3) Exercise bike x 1.

Weekend Update

Hi all,

Thanks for all your supportive comments about my little situation. I never give out my phone number to guys unless I'm really sure its going to go somewhere and we've already met (for my safety!). So I don't know his number...but he hasn't made any effort to contact me so, I hope I'm in the clear? I have another date on Wednesday with another guy...not really sure if this one is going to pan out either. But it never hurts to try! I'm going to be attending a day long conference on Congestive Heart Failure at a local hospital. I was asked to go by my agency even though its on my day off...I'm getting paid for the day so...I guess I can't complain. Plus it should be very interesting and I'm looking forward to it!

This weekend I'm going on a little roadtrip to bring my brother back up to school since Spring Break is over. Eating this weekend is a little difficult... yesterday I ate on plan and had a small splurge dinner. But then I had a couple glasses of wine and ended up doing some munching. Oops! Back on track today, I am at my mom's house who doesn't seem to have anything for breakfast. I decided to have a serving of pistachios. They have good protein and good fat, so I'm not too concerned about it! Lunch I packed up a turkey and lettuce wrap (La Tortilla Factory wrap) for lunch. Tonight we're going out for Mexcian but I think it will be fine! I brought my swimsuit and we're going to be doing some swimming and there is a fitness center too. But beyond that it's a BEAUTIFUL day and we're going to be doing some walking. It is just too nice to be inside.

Need to watch my alcohol intake...I don't drink very much. In fact since last night, it has been quite some time since I've indulged. And we're going to a Mexican restaurant so...FROZEN MARGARITA MADNESS. YES PLEASE. I'll have one. I don't do it often!

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend! Get some activity! Make good choices! See you soon!

Post-Date Update

You know,

When you tell people you're a nurse...it seems to automatically equal them telling you everything in their entire medical history. Usually over dinner. Now, I am pretty used to this. But I was really hoping that this might be different. This date was probably the worst in my life. First of all, I nearly had a panic attack before I went to meet him. I was on the verge of throwing up...possibly peeing my pants...and there was the thought of not even getting out of my car. Thankfully Taryn talked me out of it... or maybe not so thankfully (KIDDING TARYN I LOVE YOU!).

This was a good foray back into the world of dating. But the date was absolutely horrible. Sorry...the guy was absolutely not like his profile at all. He seemed to have some personal hygiene issues. His teeth looked like they had never been brushed. Also, if you don't know this about me...the smell of salmon makes me tremendously nauseous. I have gotten physically ill from it before! I casually mentioned it before we even ordered how it made me sick. What does he do? ORDERS SALMON. Which okay whatever buddy... but I literally just said it makes me nauseated. I ordered a spinach salad with grilled chicken which was delicious! I used the restaurant website and it came out to about 450 calories and about 13g of fat for my whole meal. TOTALLY on plan. Even if I was nauseous as hell eating it. Did i also mention he took 2 hours to eat the salmon? I was about to lose my cookies.

Perhaps the worst part of this date was not the fact that he told me that at 27 he already had gout and diabetes... but the fact that he literally did not stop talking about his Ipad and his computer the entire date. He even interrupted me a few times to tell me about his computer or something he looked up on his Iphone. How about you date your Ipad buddy...he told me he takes it into the bathroom with him. Right.  Needless to say, I was not that impressed. He didn't seem to care that I was even THERE. He just wanted to play with his little phone and talk down to me like I didn't know how to use a computer. Not good.

But I might have made a mistake...please don't throw anything at me. He asked me out again and I panicked and said "yeah". I really wanted to say no but I was really afraid of hurting his feelings... yes, I was a coward. Now I am not sure how to fix it. I kind of want to ignore it and hope it goes away...is that wrong?

Anyway, I came home and relaxed, finished up some things for work, did laundry, and got all the nerves out of my system. My mom says you have to go through a few bad ones to find the good ones. I guess that's true in my case! Dating horrorstories? I want to hear them. Lol also...anyone have a brother or a cousin? Man oh man. LOL.