Resolution Round Up for June

Last month I didn’t get to my Resolution Round up, and this month I wanted to leave off since I am not happy with my progress in regard to my first goal. However, this is meant to keep me honest and on task – so away we go.

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. Yes, that is exactly what my weight was two months ago. I am not a happy girl (well, in general I am, but just not on this particular topic). It is my fault for having indulged too much over the summer.  Having to publicly confess this is kicking my pride pretty hard. I don’t want to have to post that weight again at the end of July!

A blurry attempt to take my own picture in a Monteagle Inn downstairs bathroom. Yup, exactly the same size as last you saw me.

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.

I logged 10 hours – just 10 – in May due largely to illness and 25 in June, which gives me a total of 94 hours for the year.  I am enjoying having more time to work out during the summer; we have taken many a long walk, fixed up our bikes, and bought a new workout program for the wii. My diet may have been off this summer, but I am still feeling stronger through exercise. 

This is a shot from one of our favorite walks in the Stone's River National Battlefield. Unfortunately, due to it's Civil War history, this spot is part of what is known as "the slaughter pen". 

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.

One of the benefits of being unemployed every summer is that I do have a lot more time to take care of things during the day – which leaves more time for dates. We had more than one this past month, including one that was featured on this blog.

This is a pic from a date I didn't feature on the blog - a night out to see the play Godspell followed by dessert at the Gateway Grill inside Embassy Suites Nashville SE - Murfreesboro.

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

I had so much fun taking Simon to see Sesame Street Live.

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

Check one for Helen, GA. Check two for the Ozarks of Missouri. Check three for a quick getaway to Monteagle.
  

This is the blueberry cobbler I had to bake in order to convince my husband that we were headed to his parents' house instead of a romantic getaway in Monteagle (he would never believe I would go to lunch without making something to take along). 

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.

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

I said I would work on it this summer. I lied. I have decided I am a terrible writer – the book is terrible – no one would ever publish it – I should burn it. Stone says I sound like an author. I say that I sound like a realist.

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.

The total left to be paid off is now 1105.41

9. Participate in a 5K.

I am thinking that I may be doing this 5K indoors if the weather doesn’t get better. Three digits is not a temperature; it is an article in the Geneva Convention.

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

This is too vague and must change.
  

11. Cross one thing per list off my giant to do list.

I include part of my list here and attempt to update it as I can. It has been quite fun to keep this list. I have to give a shout out to Shannon at My Place in the Race for inspiring me to share my list on my blog. If you haven't visited her blog, you should. She is very cool.

Here is a pic from one of my goals: getting a group of friends together to provide a meal for the homeless shelter.

Thank you again for sticking with me through this entry and for being part of this wonderful blogging community. I am very blessed to have "met" you. 

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. 

Resolution Round Up

It has been 3 months since I hopped back on the healthy wagon after my holiday hiatus. So, it is time for my Resolution Round Up. This is late (it was due on March 26), so my apologies for my tardiness.

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 yesterday was 142. If you look back at my last resolution round up, you will see that this means I have gained two pounds. Not exactly what I am going for here. You may think that this is a result of going on vacation and eating things like this from Betty's Country Store... (those are on a dinner plate, btw)

Or drinking things like this hot chocolate (from a bakery I will not name, since their amazing food was offset by poor service).

But, alas, the truth is that I had gained three pounds before even going on vacation. I have Hashimoto's disease, and it was not under control. At the end of last month I began having increased symptoms - two of which are constant, ravenous hunger and weight gain without another cause. Blood tests and a trip to the doctor confirmed that I needed a higher med dose. I am starting to improve and have lost one of the pounds I gained. I should lose the rest of it as my metabolism restabilizes. Alas, I am still sad to report a gain.

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 19 hours before injuring my back, which gives me a total of 49.2 hours for the year – still ahead of my goal. After gaining an inch of muscle on each thigh last month, I tried to balance my cardio with plenty of yoga and pilates to lengthen those muscles out. It was a bit of a relief, to be honest, because I absolutely love yoga and have missed it while concentrating so heavily on burning fat.

I also got some creative exercise on vacation, hiking through the Blue Ridge Mountains with my nephew on my back.

We found some great views, like Ana Ruby Falls.

I haven't done anything other than gentle walking since throwing my back out Monday, but I am looking forward to being more active when I am fully recovered.


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.

Stone and I did run out on the family to enjoy a night in Helen. We had so much fun at our favorite Helen eatery, the Hofbrauhaus. I am super picky about schnitzel, and theirs was the best in Helen (this is half of the order- wow!).

We enjoyed a walk around the town and bought some sweets for the family from Hansel and Gretel's Candy Kitchen.

 Chocolate covered graham cracker for Simon

Chocolate dipped caramel apple for us.

Taffy for the other grown ups.

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

We had a lot of fun this month. We went on our date to the Thai Bangkok. We also had a great deal of fun together on the family vacation.

Here we are shopping at Jolly's Toys, where - of course - I bought him a new car.

 And here is a picture of a family outing to Charlemagne's Kingdom, where we all enjoyed the model train version of Germany.

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

We had a very lovely time in Helen, Georgia - so, check off one vacation. We now have two more trips lined up. One is a visit with my parents in the Ozarks of Missouri toward the beginning of the summer. The other is a trip to visit one of my oldest friends and his family in south Indiana. We are looking forward to both. Just because I am having such fun showing you vacation pics, here was a sign we couldn't resist snapping.

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

I have fallen behind since the crashing of the desktop computer. It is being worked on and will hopefully be working again by the end of next week. I am having some definite blog withdrawal.

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

I am almost finished editing and giving thought to whether I want to do another major overhaul of the whole thing before moving on.

I enjoyed reading the writing of others this month.

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.

This month, that just didn't happen. With vacation and a root canal, we actually went over our budget this month. We did make some changes that we hope will improve our finances. Although we miss her, our dog went back to her original owner this month. We were caring for her while her owner was getting back on her feet after a job loss two years ago. She was a rather expensive dog, as vet bills go. Also, we replaced Stone's giant, gas guzzling truck with a fuel efficient car. We had to trade the truck in, use our tax return, and still take out a small loan. However, we are hoping that the difference between 16 miles to the gallon and 32 miles to the gallon will pay off in the long run (for the earth as well as our pocket books).
9. Say no more often.

I am replacing this one because I have decided that it is to abstract. Therefore, number 10 is now Participate in a 5K. Fab friend Lisa says she will participate with me.
10. Make time to do things that make me happy.

This one always requires effort on my part. I continue to feel selfish taking time for myself, but I also see the rewards of being fulfilled. One thing that made me happy this month was trying something new - I had prime rib for the first time and loved it.

11. Make an effort to be a better person.

This one also is too abstract. I have not yet decided what will replace it.

I had a lovely list of shout outs for the month, but of course it was lost with the crashing of the computer. I remember some, but I am afraid that I might leave someone out and hurt his/her feelings. Therefore, I am going to forgo that section for this month and hope to have no more technical difficulties in April.  

Resolution Round Up February

It has been 2 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 (weigh in day) was down to 140 – a loss of 9.5 lbs so far and 3.5 pounds since last RR. Looking at it from a purely mathematical standpoint, I am doing well and am ahead of my goal. I have also received many positive comments from friends – including one friend’s husband who told me, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look hot!” (My friend was right there and thought it was hysterically funny.) The problem is that I don’t see any change in myself. To be honest, I don’t see much change in myself since 73 pounds ago – I still look in the mirror and see the Michelin man. Which makes me think that I need to start doing some serious psychological work on myself, since my view of myself is not matching what others tell me they see.

Here I am, last night, before trouncing Stone at UpWords (best board game ever)…

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 23.5 hours, which gives me a total of 40.2 hours for the year – far ahead of my goal. I tried several things to mix it up this month, but I am still mainly using my wiiFit for exercise. I did add about 20 minutes a day by creating these little cards after searching the internet for “exercise at your desk”.

In each of my classes, I take periodic breaks and let my kids take turns picking a card from the deck. Each card describes an exercise that is suitable for the classroom. We spend about 3 minutes per class doing the exercises. I have noticed that some of my more challenging students have really calmed down since we started this and many of them have started to talk more seriously about being healthier.

Because I have tried to concentrate on burning fat, I have been doing a lot of aerobics. This means that I have been doing a lot of jogging around the house and step aerobics and such. There is a downside to this that I did not foresee. In the last month, I have lost ½ an inch off of each arm, ½ an inch from my bust, ½ an inch from my waist, and ½ an inch from my hips. I have, however, gained an inch on each thigh!!!! Yes, I know it is muscle. I don’t care. It means they are bigger and that ticks me off. Since doing those measurements, I find that I am very unmotivated to work out.

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.

We had a lovely and eventful night out last week! Here is another glimpse of Amy Grant with Michael W. Smith at the Ryman...

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

We had a lovely month. We spent a lot of time together being artistic. We had our little pizza date, of course. Also, we went to Barnes and Noble to enjoy story time in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

And, we went to the ultimate toddler paradise, Chuck E. Cheese!

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

I take my first one this year in less than a month! The countdown has started! The destination... Helen, Georgia.

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

Obviously I have managed this! I have so enjoyed blogging and reading your comments. My very favorite recipe from this month was Cornish Game Hens in Cranberry Sauce. It was so delicious, I could eat it daily.

Here is another happy food that I will give you the recipe for when I get the chance. Stir fried broccoli...

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

I finished editing it last month and have been typing up the edits (I have to edit on paper). I have 176 pages of 225 edited in the computer. I grow more and more apprehensive the closer I get to the next step. I am now convinced that my writing is terrible and that I should burn the whole book. I think that is probably quite normal.

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.

 I managed to make a payment of 192.51 in January. That puts me still owing 2600.10.  Still a very large chunk of money, but at least it is less than it was.

9.
Say no more often.

Doing better, bit by bit. This applies to many areas of my life. For instance, I bought this bag of doughnuts and apple fritters and gave every single one of them away.

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

I am working at finding out what exactly makes me happy. Time with family – definitely, and I enjoyed a lot of that this month. I also started scheduling more meetings for the club I sponsor at school and am enjoying the wonderful students who come together to talk about health and fitness. I would like, this month, to find a bit more time for some of the friends I haven’t seen in awhile.

Having this on my finger makes me happy...

11.
Make an effort to be a better person.

My hardest resolution. Baby step by baby step, I am trying.


Thank you all so much for the support you give me! This blog is one of the best self improvement tools I have.

Special thanks to Mateja, the Food Hound, and Ann for choosing to give me awards this month. All three of their blogs are fabulous! Please visit them.

I was tickled pink when my favorite Diva featured one of my recipes on her blog. It was a thrill to be spoken of kindly by someone who inspires me so much!

It was an honor to be included in two of Tiffanee's Friday Favorites! She always makes my mouth water with her list of yummy recipes from delicious blogs!

Resolution Round Up

It has been 1 month 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 -21.5 pounds. About ½ pound per week.

My weight last Friday (weigh in day) was down to 143.5 – a loss of 6 lbs so far. Now, because it is a truer picture of my weight loss journey, I wanted to share a few things. First, 149.5 was my weight at the beginning of this blog but a far cry from my highest weight ever. About 2 ½ years ago, I weighed somewhere above 213 (213 is the last time I consciously remember stepping on the scale). I don’t really remember how much above but probably around 220 – well into the obese category for a 5’3” female. I tried to lose on my own, and was down to 193 last February. That is when I started making revolutionary, Weight Watcher’s style changes in my life. I will tell more about my weight history another time.

Here I am today (hiding my greasy, no make-up, snow day face). Check out my awesome claw grip on that camera. Argh....

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.

Before starting this blog, I was not committed to physical exercise. The closest I got was wearing my Shape-Ups every day. I have now switched to Fila’s, which I love (thank you to Stone’s mother for both pairs of shoes).

I added wii Fit Plus to my workout as a way of getting moving. At first I felt guilty for not going hard core on the treadmill or something, but the point is that I am moving every day. It turns out that some of those wii Fit Plus exercises are hard! I have logged 16.7 hours so far.

Here is my little personal trainer, telling me what to do next.

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.

As you can see, we enjoyed a very nice night out. Also, he is now my boyfriend (I hate that word, it makes me feel 12 – I need a good alternative).

Here is a grainy picture of Stone playing with Simon last year.

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

We didn’t get to do what I wanted because we were snowed in on the day I had set aside. I did take him to the Discovery Center, though, and we had a blast. I also took him to get a cookie at Julia’s one day, and did lots of fun stuff with him at home.

Snack we made at the Discovery Center:

One of our crafts from afternoon Auntie Antics:

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

I have one vacation booked for later this springJ

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

Obviously I have overshot this goal. I have a total of 66 blogs this month between my two blogs. One blogger pointed out to me that blogging every day may get annoying to one’s readers. If that is the case, I apologize. Since I have just started, everything I cook is a “new” recipe for this blog. If it’s good, I put it up (believe me, there have been some not worth sharing). As time passes, I will still be cooking these recipes and won’t have as many “new” to share. I am sure my blogging will slow down.

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

I have 200 of 225 pages edited. Which is great. I am starting to get super nervous about contacting an agent, though. Emotionally, I hadn’t dealt with anything beyond editing. Now that editing is drawing to an end, my thoughts center on the basic idea that my writing sucks and no agent in the world would be interested. 70% of me believes those thoughts. The other 30%, which says, “Go for it anyway” is going to have to start talking a lot louder for me to actually send a letter off.

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.

Since the budget month of January is not over yet, I can’t assess this one yet.

9.      Say no more often.

I’m working on it. I am 1 for 3 right now – I can think of one time that I stood up for myself, and two times I caved in. Progress is progress.

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

I gave up a huge, time consuming hobby – couponing. It was taking up a good 14 hours of my week. With that gone, I am cooking a lot more often, which makes me very happy. Also, making a concerted effort to spend more time with Stone and Simon has been fantastic. They are both so important to me and make my life richer, calmer, and more joyful. As for the lost “savings” of couponing – those are not the foods I needed to be eating, anyway. How often do you see coupons for fresh fruit, veggies, and lean meat? I have to be more careful with my grocery money, but I also saved money by eating at home almost every night (I only ate out three times this month).  

Here is something I really enjoyed cooking this month, Diet Coke Brownies:

11.  Make an effort to be a better person.

I am trying. My other blog was a starting point, forcing me to spend time in thought and meditation.

This blog has been an eye-opening, splendid experience so far. Before I started this, I had no idea who many amazing people were out there – pouring your hearts out, practicing your creativity,  making wonderful food, and inspiring others through your stories. I am always humbled when I see that someone has visited this blog, and I greatly appreciate your comments. I owe a special thank you to two of my favorite bloggers for making me feel extra welcome by including me in their own blogs. Thank you to the fabulous diva of Sizing Down the Diva for including me in your blogroll and to Taking Less Space (i.e. Lynda) for including me in your Food Bloggers post.

See you next month for another Resolution Round Up.