A week? Really???

I let a week pass me by and didn't write here. Wow. It's been awhile since that's happened I think. How's everything in your worlds?

Mine is freakin' fantastic. I feel amazing. Truly blessed beyond my wildest dreams. I am still busy with my life and it seems that spring is upon us here in Lake Havasu City. Yesterday we worked in the front yard. Well, actually Tee did most of the work because I was not as into it as she was but I did pull some weeds and talk to her.

I know it's dangerous to be so happy because she is sober but I am. I am so happy to have her back I can't even begin to express it. She is feeling good and that makes me feel really good. That said, I am very aware of this slippery slope and I'm building a strong foundation in Alanon for myself so that I can have something to fall back on if she relapses again. It's been two months and I really feel like she is back. It's a beautiful thing to have my best friend back in my life again. I feel like we were separated for so long. So that my friends is why I have been absent from the computer.

I went to an all day workshop on Saturday in Kingman, AZ and it was really a lot of fun. I made some new friends and they are wonderful. They did tell me it's time for me to get out and explore the town since I've been here 6 months. I realize this. I know we have become so safe in this little cocoon we have built and it's time to venture out. So I've been thinking of joining some kind of fitness club, like hiking or kayaking or something. Just thinking about it so far.

I've not lost any more weight but I'm holding steady which is just as good for me. I am still doing Tae Bo 6 days a week and strength training 3 days. My arms are getting so lean and strong and my legs and waist have shrunk considerably. I have also added some walking and light jogging to my routine. Xena is loving it. And the streets are so hilly here that it's a great workout for my hips and legs. I am getting sideaches though. I haven't run in a really long time. I want to start running again. Like real laps around the track.

I can't believe the role nutrition plays in our health. I have had the most horrendous eating habits for most of my life. This journey is an exciting one. Learning that I eat out of emotional distress. That "that time of the month" induces horrible cravings in me. That water is fantastic!!! That taking vitamins is really good for your nails and hair and bones. I really do feel better than I ever have. And I'm almost 42 years old. It's about time.

I haven't been taking many pictures. I need to get some more. We have more work to do on the back yard now. Lots of plants that need tending. All the rain brought many weeds that need pulled too. And the lemon tree should be producing fruit soon. All the birds around us are getting ready to have their babies. It's so fun to watch them.

One of Grandma's best friends came over yesterday to see us and it was good to see her. She loved all the changes Tee has made to the house. She was worried about us because she hasn't heard from us in so long. We made a vow to stay more in touch with her. Sweet lady.

We also are planning a boat trip across the river to have lunch and spend some time. This is a big outing for us. And a step in the right direction. No word on the job front for Tee but the mortgage is covered for March at least. We are taking it one day at a time and it will all work out. No sense in wasting energy on worry. Life is good. All is well.

I hope to be able to get around to all of your blogs soon. I think of you often and hope all is well in your worlds. Hope you have an amazing Wednesday. I am out the door to my Alanon meeting in about 20 minutes. Talk to you soon :)

Motivation

What motivates you? I was thinking about this today as I had no motivation to exercise.

I have been pretty religious about it and now that I seem to have broken the plateau I was on for months it's getting harder to get motivated.

I have skinny pictures of me on the fridge that I can see daily. I have fat pictures of me too. But they don't make me move off the couch. Instead I think, oh well I'll just eat less today.

That is actually bad for your body. Your body starts thinking you're starving and then when you eat again it holds on to more calories to compensate for the "starving". So that doesn't work. Eventually I will eat again... I can't starve forever.

So then I logged into Sparkpeople and started reading the community forum on exercising. People share their experience, strength and goals with each other and for some reason it always works for me. I then get motivated to get off the couch and exercise.

I wish I could just turn this into a habit, get up and exercise. But it's not working that way for me. If I don't get enough sleep the night before I use that as an excuse. Oh, I'm just too tired. But I always have more energy after I work out.

It's funny how I forget that real quick.

I had my weigh in today and I am at the same weight I was one week ago. That's good. I didn't gain. I didn't lose, but I didn't gain. My weight fluctuates so much in one week though. It's really hard when you are an obsessive scale watcher like me. I never realized how much your weight can fluctuate in just one day even!!

I did my workout today. Motivated by the people on the forum. Motivated by the fact that I haven't worked out since Saturday. Motivated by the fact that I didn't lose any weight last week. Hopefully the workouts become more of a habit someday. But for now, as long as I get them done at least 3 times a week I am satisfied.

Weight is Holding Steady

No more weight loss this week so far. But I haven't worked out since Saturday.

I was starving last night and kind of "binged" but not too terribly. My binges lately have been light. I used to binge on chips and candy and bad stuff. Last night I started with two pieces of toasted wheat bread with butter. Then I drank water and waited to see if I was satisfied.

Still hungry, I then re-heated some leftover Salsa Chicken from the other night and added a dollop of sour cream and ate it with some corn tortilla chips.

Still hungry, I ate two bite size snickers and a candy cane. Then an apple.

I managed to stay within my calorie range even though I over ate. I just get really hungry at night sometimes. But I drank a lot of water in between and didn't gain any weight. Thank God!

This morning I woke up and ate my oatmeal. That has filled me up. It is now almost 2:30 and I'm not hungry for lunch. I may just eat an orange and wait until dinner. I hate that I am on this late night schedule but it could be worse.

I have a meeting tomorrow at 10 am so I can't stay up as late tonight. I will be up at 7 and working out by 7:30. I have to do my official weigh in tomorrow too. I am so far 1/2 pound up from last Wednesday. That sucks but it could be worse. With me each little progress is a good thing.

Hope you are all having a wonderful day.

I am also at Journalspace
http://greeneyes67.journalspace.com/

I will keep this blog for diet and fitness stuff and my other one will be more personal.

Quiet Sunday Morning

I am enjoying the morning. It's quiet in here. No TV, the only sounds are my own. I like that. It's my time. I read my meditation book and it was on letting go. That's always been a hard one for me. Once I'm friends with someone I have a hard time letting go. Or else I just shut myself off completely. It's always one extreme or the other. I am trying to find a balance.

This picture is of my brother and I back in October. His 38th birthday is today!! It really makes me feel old now that my siblings are approaching 40. I am the oldest so you'd think I'd feel that way already but I haven't. I can't believe my little brother is getting up there with me! I am so proud of him. He teaches English at a high school in Phoenix. He has been sober for two years already!!! What an amazing gift recovery is.

You see all the fat around my middle in that picture? It's gone now. Almost completely. I was about 12 pounds heavier there. I seem to have gained just in my midsection this time around. Some in my arms and face too. Well, I am not sad to see that go. Actually this picture is what made me see how fat I was getting. I looked at it and said "That is not what I look like"!!! My brother goes "UH, yes that is you!" Thanks a lot little brother!! lol

It made me get off my butt and start doing something though. I can't let myself get in the danger zone. There is too much obesity in my family.. I have to start getting healthy now. So that's what I'm doing.

I did work out yesterday and it hurt like hell too! Today I am resting my muscles. I think we'll probably watch football. The Cardinals won last night! Woo Hoo! We kicked their butts 33 to 13. It was an amazing game. Go CARDINALS!!! Superbowl bound for sure :)

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday...

Saturday Morning!!

Wow, I woke up late today. We stayed up watching movies last night. I wasn't on here much yesterday because I finally got my Sims installed. Now I'm addicted again!! lol

I drank so much water yesterday I thought I would float away. And I cut WAY back on my sodium intake. The result? I dropped 2 and a half pounds! Yay!! Now if I could just stay at this weight for at least a week it would stick. I am only 11 1/2 pounds away from my goal weight. That is exciting news for me. It is definitely showing. In my waistline especially.

Today is the anniversary to Tee's Mom's death. 2 years. I can't believe it went by so fast. I feel great today, T. not so much. But life goes on. We have to keep moving forward. I'm tired of living in the past. It's a new day.

So, I need to get off the computer and do my workout. I am procrastinating by being here. It's so hard to exercise sometimes. I have to force myself but I always feel better afterward. Hope you all have a great Saturday. I'll try to get by and visit you guys today. I didn't make it around much yesterday.

No Sims for me until I make my visits and exercise. That's the plan...

Breakfast

Do you eat breakfast? You know, I was stuck at a weight for a couple of months and couldn't budge past it. I was working out 3 to 4 times a week and nothing was changing.

I started eating breakfast regularly and cutting calories and the weight is coming off now. It's amazing how it's helped!! It kick starts your metabolism for the day. I stay more full throughout the day so I am less likely to binge and it's working!! Sometimes I have to force myself to eat though, I am used to coffee and a cigarette in the morning.

This morning I had oatmeal which I have grown to love for the taste and the nutritional value and it actually gives me energy. I get up and drink water, then I work out. Then I eat my oatmeal. Now I am getting ready to begin my day for real. I spend a couple of hours reading online and creating my meal plan for the day.

Today we are going to start a store on Ebay to start selling jewelry. I hope it's not too complicated. I have never done it before.

Time to move.. Have a great afternoon everyone :)