Resolution Round-up April

It has been 4 months since I hopped back on the healthy wagon after my holiday hiatus. So, it is time for my Resolution Round Up. 

1. Get down to goal weight of 127 pounds. Starting weight: 149.5, so -22.5 pounds. About ½ pound per week.
My weight on Friday was 139. That is down 3 pounds since last month and more than 10 pounds since the beginning of the year. I am almost halfway to my goal – which is good, since it is almost ½ way through the year. My Hashimoto’s disease seems to be under control again – meaning that I am not constantly hungry and have more energy to be active. Blood tests next week will show where my levels are.

I want to kick up the weight loss a notch because I need a little ego boost. So, I am going back to something I used to do; I am planning out my points for the day first thing in the morning. That way, I know exactly what I can have and am less tempted to use extra points. I will share some of my 29 point menus with you, since I seem to get a lot of hits from people looking for guidelines to a 29 point day.

PS - Yes, that is a concert t-shirt from the U2 360 tour. It was awesome in Atlanta! I am going to see them again on July 2!

2.      Log 130 workout hours (the equivalent of 30 minutes, 5 times per week). I chose total hours instead of times per week because I will inevitably be sick for at least a week and then feel like a failure for not exercising.

This month I logged just ten hours, which gives me a total of 59.2 hours for the year. A bad thing happened when I hurt my back and couldn’t exercise for two weeks; I remembered how much happier I am when I am not working out. I realize that is the exact opposite of what I am supposed to say, but I am not going to lie to you. Exercise bores me; it takes up precious time that could be spent reading, cooking, playing cards with my husband, cleaning the house, or catching up with friends.  It was so nice to have that time back while my back was recovering! Once my back was better, I had no desire to return to exercise.

I do realize that working out is good for me, so am trying to find ways to fit it back into my life that don’t suck the joy out of me. Lucky for me, it is spring! That means, gardening. 

And, trust me, gardening is great exercise - especially if you happen to live in a house that experienced the flood last year.

After a flood, you will fight weeds like you never have before. Yesterday I spent over an hour pulling up wild strawberries. It is not just weeds, either. Tree seeds love saturated ground. I have excavated 20 baby oak trees out of the ground so far. 

I promise, I am back on the wagon. I will have better numbers for you next month.

PS I was chuffed to find baby birds in my honeysuckle and a baby rabbit hiding beneath the hydrangea.

3. Make plans to do something special with my best friend once a month. We talked about it; I will plan one month, he will plan the next.

This month was a bit different. We had a packed schedule – full of grad school assignments, work events, family visits, and church -  and were despairing about our date. When could we get out? We couldn’t. But, I still managed to plan a date.

We had Simon with us for dinner, but as soon as my sister picked him up we got started on our night in. Stone got the wine; I got the dessert. The wine was a delicious orange wine from Stonehaus winery. The dessert was, of course, from Julia’s.

After enjoying our decadent treats, we played a couple of games of cribbage. We had great fun laughing, talking, and egging each other on. 

Finally, we settled down to watch an episode of House on hulu (thank goodness for hulu or I would never, ever see TV).

Overall, a very good date. 

PS That ridiculously good looking confection from Julia's Bakery is called an apple blossom.

4.      Take my nephew out to do something special at least once per month.

Simon and I had a great date, and we even dragged Stone along. First, we attended a fish fry to raise money for a local cemetery. Then, it was on to the playground for lots of swinging and sliding. Finally, we took him to the library to play with puzzles, gaze at fish, put on a puppet show, and – of course – read. It was an excellent day.

5. Go on two vacations. (I really want three, but two seems more achievable).

Check one for Helen, GA. I will be in the Ozarks in just over a month, enjoying vacation number 2.

  
6.Update blogs for a total of 5 updates per week.

Since I took one of my blogs down, I am not counting this one this time. I am thinking about doing another blog on a more food/travel theme. It is still just an idea.


7. Finish editing the book of short stories I wrote last year. Contact at least one agent.

Not done. Will work on it this summer. Really, I will. 

I had dinner last week with a friend who wanted to know how the book is going. I managed to distract her with a chicken wing. 

8.      Pay off the remaining loan on my car.2,792.61 which I owe to a relative who does not ask me to make regular payments.

Okay, this one took me forever to figure out because I had accidentally left off info from a February bonus.  The total to be paid off is now $1494.57.

9. Participate in a 5K.

I am checking to see about participating in a  1 1/2 mile walk in July, just for fun. I am trying to find a good 5K for the fall.

10. Make time to do things that make me happy.

This was a very happy month. On the top of my list is the Lenten season. I had a great time coloring eggs, just like I did as a child. 

 

11. Make an effort to be a better person.

I decided last month that this one had to go. It is too abstract. I have decided to replace it with: Cross one thing per week off my giant to-do list! In order to facilitate this, I am in the process of creating giant lists of things I want to do, need to do, and probably will never be able to do but dream about. When the list is done, I will make a note with some of the highlights. I will probably not post the whole thing as it is several hundred items long already. 

Thank you so much for sticking with me through this long entry and for being part of this wonderful blogging community. I continue to feel welcomed in the blogosphere and am always in awe of your outstanding creativity, honesty, and humor.