Weekends are Killer

If I could get through the weekends without eating/drinking like a horse, I would probably lose 5 lbs a week. Another typical week has gone by. Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday and (even though I'm not Catholic or religious) I decided that it might be a good idea to eliminate pop from my life for 40 days. First few days went okay. Definitely did suffer from caffeine headaches (which SUCK) on Thursday but made it to Friday without pop.... then came Friday night.

Typical Friday night in good ole Byron. Headed over to the neighbors for a night of drinks, board games and cards. Wasn't really feeling the beer or vodka/juice drink so ended up drinking Rum/Diets all evening. I rationalized this by saying to myself "only when drinking". Saturday night rolls around . . . same story. Kenny and I drove down to Mankato to hang out with our college friends and had an awesome night! Of course, drank the rum/diets! Man, do I love rum/diets! Another night of pop drinking.

Then on Sunday (after NO sleep), ran the SMJTT in the morning (hugely successful by the way) and then went back to the cities to bowl in the MN Women's State Tournament. By the time I got to actually bowling, I was EXHAUSTED! So who did I look to for relief . . . yep that's right . . . Good ole Mr. Diet Pepsi. After the excruciatingly painful three games were done, headed to Chili's with the family to enjoy a birthday dinner with the little bro . . . again had to hit the pop cause I was sleepy! So this whole giving up pop idea was NOT successful this weekend. Trying to get back with it today.

Now, let's talk about food . . . I love food and it SUCKS! Definitely ate out a LOT this weekend which was not so good. Gary's Pizza on Saturday night in Mankato (delicious) and Jimmy John's after the bars (can't break the Mankato/Jimmy Johns tradition). After the tournament on Sunday morning, it was a quick stop at McDonalds, followed by dinner at Chili's (and of course at Chili's, I had the 1500 calorie salad and a birthday brownie dessert). So now, it's Monday. I'm feeling bloated, dehydrated and sleepy. I think I need to work on this weekend thing!

Want to send a shout-out though to everyone that I saw this weekend! Got to spend time with two of my best girls in Mankato, future groomsman and his bride, some of my favorite gals from the Linds Northern Stars bowling team and spend time with both sets of parents!

Because I have been failing on my blogging skills, I would like to inform you reader that I did in fact weigh myself last Thursday AM and I came in at 197.8 lbs. Trying not to be too upset about gaining a bit of weight because I started strength training last week. My bestie sent me an early birthday present: Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and so far I am LOVING it! It is only a 20 minute quick circuit workout that kicks your @$$! I did it four days last week and took the weekend off. I also have been trying to mix the elliptical in with the new video but I need to find the right combination so that I can get both the cardio and strength! Thanks so much Kris for the awesome gift!

If you have made it this far, you are probably sick of reading about my crazy, hectic life so I think I'm just going to leave it at that!

Thought for the day (since my weekend was not the healthiest):



Talk to you soon readers!

Not My Greatest Week

So I decided to wait until this morning to weigh myself because I was feeling extra full yesterday morning still from Valentine's Day. I weighed in at 197.8 which is 0.8 up from last week. I can't really complain too much because it was a tough week for eating for me. My parents and best friend Kris were in Rochester to enjoy the weekend and to go skiing. If you know my mother, you know that she always brings WAY too much food so it definitely was an eating weekend. Then on Valentine's Day, Kenny and I got two pizzas from Papa Murphys and also ice cream from Flapdoodles. Definitely delicious but also a set back. Luckily, I did work out a good chunk of the days last week.

Happy Friday! I am very excited to get out of work today. Kenny put a roast in the crockpot this morning so we will be able to enjoy that when we get home! Then I plan to work out before we head to Oakdale for the weekend. Tomorrow, we are heading over to St Cloud with Kenny's parents to hopefully pick out a venue for the groom's dinner.

Currently, I am feeling the strain from the working out. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my elliptical and have been using it like crazy which has been great but I am starting to feel like I need to do other things in order to enhance my whole body. I feel like I am getting a good workout but I feel like there could be more to it than that. I have been trying really hard to find extra strength workouts that I can do from home. I also have been considering rejoining Workout World so that I can use the weight-lifting machines over my lunch break a few days a week. Decisions, decisions!

I feel like this is my place now to write something witty but I honestly am lacking the motivation today to come up with anything so perhaps instead, I will leave you with a funny picture for your weekend!

Twas the Night Before Weigh-In . . .

Happy belated Valentine's Day readers! I hope that everyone was able to enjoy the day. Kenny and I ordered a heart-shaped pizza and had Flapdoodles ice cream. It was delicious but not even close to being healthy. Typically, my weigh-in day is Wednesday (today) but because of my crappy eating yesterday, I decided to postpone until tomorrow AM. I still am nervous because I ate kinda crappy this week again. I did work out 5 out of 7 days last week which is AWESOME but I'm still struggling. I did go skiing with my family on Sunday which should provide a little bit of a buffer.

In other news, I dyed my hair today at Nova in Rochester. It turned out very nice. It is a brown violet color and there are two highlights that are light pink! Definitely something fun to have before I have to dye it for the wedding. The big day is coming up so fast! It is already mid-February. Only a few more weeks until my birthday!

That's all I have for now. I will report my weigh-in tomorrow! Good night!

If Not Now . . . When?

Today is a semi-lazy day at work so I decided to spend some time on Pinterest browsing for fun and new ideas! For those of you who haven't tried Pinterest, it is the most AMAZING site right now. In my mind, it comes pretty close to being better than Facebook. Recently, I have been perusing the Fitness Category on Pinterest to find motivation for getting in shape. There are TONS of blogs out there pertaining to weight loss and overall fitness. Also, I love all of the motivational quotes that are sprinkled in the threads.

As most of you know, I am getting married exactly 7 months from today. I am definitely starting to feel the crunch to start to get in shape for the "I do"s. Because I'm starting to feel the pressure, I have been reading other people's weight loss blogs and today I finally thought, "why can't I blog about my own journey?"

So this is the new direction that I am going to take my blog. It will be not only be an area for me to vent about my frustrations with my weight but also a place to talk about the other ups and downs of life as well! I want to keep everyone informed of my activities!

A little background about my journey so far:
I have always been kinda pudgy. Some thought I would grow out of baby fat but (and I blame this on my love of ice cream), I never did. On my birthday in 2011, I decided that it was finally time to make a change. Myself and one of my best friends joined Weight Watchers. I loved the program and I enjoyed being weighed weekly by the Weight Watchers staff. I kept with Weight Watchers for approximately 6 months and lost 20 lbs! After hitting this milestone, I decided that I didn't need to continue to pay for the program and that I would be able to continue on the path on my own . . . we all know how this story turns out. I gained approximately 10 of the lbs back in the next 5 months (stupid Christmas with your awesome food and treats!) Luckily, I have the most awesome and supportive man in my life and for Christmas, he purchased an elliptical for our home. I am very happy to say that I have gotten into a fairly steady routine with my new friend Chuck (that's what we named our elliptical, kinda fun to say "I'll be down riding Chuck! Corny, I know). Since I began tracking my weight again on December 29, 2011, I am down 7 lbs!

I want to use this blog to begin tracking my weight loss. I'm even willing to post my weight (not something I normally would do but I'm not ashamed and I want to be proud of what I accomplish).

Today, February 8, 2012, I weigh 197 lbs.

I am not going to set a long term goal because those really don't seem to work for me and I don't want to set goals that are unattainable so I am going to start my goal to lose at 10 lbs. I also am going to set the goal to continue to work out 5 days a week on Chuck. I also would like to begin mixing workout videos/strength training in with my elliptical training. The last goal I have is to run at least a good chunk of the Color Run on July 15, 2012 in the Twin Cities!

Hopefully these are some awesome goals that I can stick with and I look forward to tackling this journey.

Remember - The hardest step is the first one out the door!

Talk to you soon!

Some things just don't make sense . . .

I have always sworn off of politics. I hate arguing, I hate tense situations, I hate debates. I know what I believe about all of the issues but I tend to take a very passive approach. Who am I to judge what others feel and believe? I don't want to be judged by my views on the world.

On this lovely Sunday morning of Labor Day, on a trip into Rochester to pick up food for a BBQ later with the family, I bought a Pioneer Press to get the coupons. Unfortunately, there were NO coupons in the whole paper. What a bummer! I then figured I may as well read the paper since I had bought the thing for a whole $1 (now that I own a house, $1 is a lot of money to waste)!

Glanced at the front page and happened to catch an article about a topic that I do have an opinion about and I do support. I posted a link to the article below in case anyone is interested:

http://www.twincities.com/ci_18816313?nclick_check=1

If you choose not to read it, the article is about the MN State Fair and the appearance of pro and anti groups for the upcoming marriage amendment next year. For those of you who don't know, and honestly I hadn't before I read the article (shows how much news I read haha), in 2012 there will be a vote for marriage to be defined in MN as being between a man and a woman.

Now, like I said before, I typically do not get into the whole debating thing. I prefer to live my happy little life and not create reasons for people to attack or ridicule me but this is the one and only issue that I have a real passion about. I am against the amendment to make marriage solely between a man and a woman.

I look around at how far our country has come. Considering in the past that there has been much discrimination because of age, race, gender . . . really the list goes on and on. I look at how our country has adapted and handled these issues. Of course, there were times of hardship and it took a long time to change the views of our society as a whole and of course you still see people who do discriminate (just not as vocally). I just don't understand how we can look at our struggling country, what with the economy, the current weather disasters that have caused major flooding on our East Coast, the still rather high costs of gas and cotton, the millions of animals that are in pounds and humane societies (and this list is just a few of the several hundred other problems that are happening) that we can get all worked up over two people who are of the same gender who want to show their commitment and love for each other by getting married.

One thing I have always stood for is HAPPINESS. I think that every person in the whole entire world deserves to be happy (as long as what makes them happy doesn't involve the physical/emotional harm to another living thing). If what makes me happy is to have a commitment with a woman and I want to solidify that by taking it to the next level, why should I not have the right to do so.

If you did read the article, you read the comments from Alan Lifson and Isabel Hart-Anderson. I really think they hit the nail right on the head with their comments about the amendment. I cannot understand why people believe that by allowing two people of the same sex to get married, that it harms the idea of marriage. Especially since almost 50% of marriages (and I have to think that virtually all of these marriages are between one man and one woman) end in divorce. Shouldn't divorce be the issue here? If marriage is so sacred to these individuals, why don't they protest for stronger prerequisites that couples are required to complete before getting married or why not protest to make divorce more difficult thus making marriage more of a commitment than it is in our society nowadays. Heck, Britney Spears was married and divorced in less than a week (not sure anyone remembers that anymore).

I'm sorry to be long-winded about this issue and if you have made it this far, I appreciate you taking the time. I am not the type to try to persuade anyone but I want to keep this issue in people's minds. One of my best male friends is gay and I want nothing better than for him to be in my life and at my future wedding with his partner. I also someday hope to be a part of his wedding if he and his partner choose to take it to the next level. Why don't they deserve the chance at happiness and marriage like everyone else does?

This Crazy Little Thing Called Life

Made you think twice I'll bet. If you happen to take the time to notice, I wrote a blog with the same title almost a year ago to the DAY! Amazing how time flies when you are having fun.

Here is my quote for the day!

Remember that life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out!

Honestly though, this is how I feel about life right now! This last year has been FULL of ups and downs, tears and joy, good food and great friends, love and laughter! It's amazing to think that my life could be this wonderful. A fact that some people may not know, I spent many of my younger years in a semi-depressed state of mind. I never was picked first in gym class. I never got asked to the prom. I never had a real close group of girlfriends in the dorms. I did not get invited to all of the fun parties. Despite all of these things, I still considered myself to have a pretty good life. After this last year in Rochester, I truly feel blessed for the friends that I have, the memories that I have made and the attitude that I have.

Now please don't take this the wrong way, I LOVE my college friends and I would not trade them for anything but unfortunately the roads of life led most of us in opposite directions. Two of my best friends remain in Mankato, another is living in the Quad Cities, even more have moved to the cities. I love all of them and they all hold a special place in my heart but it has been so wonderful to create new friendships in Rochester! I am on a softball team that is in the semi-finals for the league in just a few short hours! I also am on a volleyball team with co-workers which has been a blast! Also (yes I know, I'm very busy), I joined a women's golf league and have made some new friends there as well!

This has been an awesome summer! Definitely one of the best to date! On July 3, 2011, Kenny asked me to marry him and of course I said YES! We are getting married September 8, 2012 and I couldn't be more excited! Wedding planning has been so much fun so far and I am so thankful to have one of the best bridal parties a girl could ask for! I also am so glad that Kris agreed to be my maid of honor!

Also this summer, Kenny and I are in the process of purchasing our first home! Definitely the summer for big events! We are currently set to close on a home in Byron, MN on August 26 and we both couldn't be more excited! Especially Kenny haha! The day after he looked at the house for the first time, he brought boxes home from work and has started packing! He is looking forward to having a yard to care for and having no neighbors so that he can finally get the surround sound system he has been wanting since we were in college. Riley and Kole are excited as well because they will have a fenced in yard to play in! Definitely going to be a new adventure! Keep your fingers crossed for us!

I think I should leave it at that for today! I know this wasn't a witty post but I have to fine-tune my blogging skills again! Don't worry, they should come back shortly!

This Crazy Little Thing called Life

I haven't written in forever! Seriously, life has been an amazing journey this past month. Definitely a roller coaster of emotion. Lots of serious ups and downs!

You know the quote "No one said life is going to be easy, but it is definitely going to worth it"? I feel like this is the quote of my life right now. The last few months have been crazy trying to adjust to my new life but I have met so many wonderful people and made so many great friends! I am so thankful for each and every person that has helped me along with this new adjustment.

What else is new in my life? The last time I wrote, I was talking about our new soccer team. Let's just say this, I definitely have NOT gotten any better at the sport. I have had a good time trying something new though and we even won our first game a few weeks ago!

We also have recently started softball practice. I am running a co-ed fall ball softball team! I am much better at softball than I am at soccer (which isn't saying much). At least I can semi-hit the ball. I also have discovered that I have a small amount of talent in the slow-pitch department. I'm planning on being the full-time pitcher unless one of the boys steals it from me. I have discovered though, that pitching can be dangerous. I took a "comebacker" in the leg last week from a co-worker. Basically the biggest and nastiest bruise I have ever seen. It semi-reminds me of the bruise in "A League of their Own." Definitely not something I want to ever have happen again. It's been over two weeks and I still have a bruise! Thanks Drew!

So let's take a minute to talk about the MN Twins (my most favorite team)! I have only been to one twins game so far this year in the new stadium which is kind of bumming me out so I finally bought tickets for the game on Sept 20 against the Cleveland Indians. Me and a co-worker are going and I am very excited for it because I bought seats right on the third baseline. Hopefully it's a good game even though it's against the worst team in the division.

One more thing about the Twins . . . it seems as though every year, they send all of their fans on a roller coaster of emotion. They start off amazing, then start losing every game, and then finish out September with a 20 game winning streak to tie the division and go into Game 163. It seems as though this cycle repeats itself every year. I do hope that it continues this year because it would be awesome to be at a game that has something on the line.

Here's another issue I would like to address: the potential threat of cutting the MSU Women's Bowling Team . . . what a bunch of bull****. I would like to mention that MSU is currently in the process of trying to build an amazing new outdoor rec center which would compliment their already amazing indoor rec center but they are sacrificing 4 sports teams to do it. Now I understand that the bowling team may not be top priority to some people but to strip these girls of their scholarships and chance to compete especially when some of them came to MSU to represent our school . . . that just seems bogus to me! I remember being the first person signed to the team and how excited I was . . . . it was just 6 short years ago. The program never got the opportunity to soar especially without a proper coach. I had kind of thought last year that this may be a potential threat in the future but I never thought it would be this soon.

I probably should wrap this entry up here but I am going to try very hard to start writing again at least once/twice per week!