Weird... I'm posting before Mid-Night

So things have been rather busy for me, so I'm actually super surprised that it's before mid-night right now. I think this might be a record for me this week (or maybe it just feels like it).

Oh - and you know what stinks?! I weighed myself this morning and I was down an additional 1.5 lbs from yesterday. Now is that the cruelest joke my body can play on me or what?! But I should be honest - I haven't been eating that great. So why am I losing weight? It's because I'm eating LESS. When I'm working, I hate stopping to eat, or even drink. My work times are spread out throughout the day and are short, concentrated amounts of time. So when I work, I work. But working is coming to a close soon... which means I'm going to have to get back to eating better. 

But enough about that - I need to remind everyone about the Challenge! So go get two cans of whatever you want and start standing! (... and holding ... ) So just remember, stand with your arms straight out holding your cans 'palms up'. Once your arms start sagging - you're done. 

I wanna see some big numbers ladies ( and men if there are any reading, but I really don't think there are ... well, besides my dad ) so put on your competitive sweat pants and get going!

Accomplishments Anyone?

Here we go again! Time to check in and talk about what we were really great at this past week. So if you feel like sharing, you KNOW I'd love to hear about it! As for me ...

I lost

.5 lbs

... well ... at least it was a loss this week. 

I'm really seeing how being busy screws me up. Seriously. I'm one of those people that can get totally focused on something ... so much so, that I tend to have tunnel vision at times. I should be completely done with all my orders by the end of this coming week (if not by mid-week) and then I feel like I can re-focus on other things. 

Which I know what you're going to say... I should be able to do both. In fact, that's what my life kinda requires at this point, but it's tough. Not an excuse, but just an explanation. It's hard for me. Obviously - that's why I'm doing this whole blog in the first place. But even though my progress isn't what I want it to be at this point, I'm still not giving up. I'm still here. I'm in it for the long haul. I keep saying it week after week... so hopefully this week something will click. Or I'll just get a bit more motivated. 

But enough about me. Let's hear about you - how did you all do?!

Quick Shopping

Again, another quick post. I'm nearing the end of my last promotion and should be completely done within a few days. So things will totally slow down and life will go back to normal (although I have big plans for February... but no worries, they aren't time consuming activities). 

But to try and keep on track, I did a quick browse through a store. Burberry. Love it. But waaaaaaaay out of my price range. I did find this little dress and think it's super fun. But not over $600 fun. Which makes it a perfect addition to the virtual closet. Because there is NO WAY I'll be dropping that kind of money on a dress. 

So good night for now. I'll be seeing you all soon.

BORING ... again

Sorry guys. I'm really tired and I have a slight headache that I haven't been able to shake all evening. I'm trying to finish up my orders and still have a ways to go... which means it'll be a busy weekend. But that's okay as the husband is home this weekend (his last, as Jury Duty is supposed to end on Monday... so sad... oh so sad...)

So I really have nothing much to say. I'm just super tired and need to lay down in my bed. I've weighed myself a few times this week and technically I'm down (but I won't say how much) but with my luck I'll shoot up the scale on Sunday morning... as that seems to be my MO as of late. 

Alright. I'm off to bed. My eyes are closing.

Food Fridays

So did anyone come up with any recipes that contained Graham Crackers? I'm sad to say that I didn't. It's been SO BUSY for me right now with my little business that I really haven't had time to do anything else. All the busy-ness will come to an end in the next few days as my promotions will be done and my orders will be shipped. So I'll totally be able to do the next Food Challenge. And with that ...

The Main Ingredient for Next Week is:

GROUND TURKEY

yeah, for reals. 

I know some people hate Ground Turkey but it's really high in protein and low in fat. So I'm SURE there has to be some great ways to cook the stuff. So get your creative juices flowing and start experimenting!

Get Your Jook On

In honor of our great participant, Shannon, who has been waiting so patiently for me to post my Jook recipe, I thought I'd go ahead and post it for all to read. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

I have to say, this tastes a lot like an over-cooked chicken and rice soup ... which I happen to love. This website is full of fantastic Korean recipes, so if you're feeling adventurous - give it a try!

Oh - and here's my 'Cliff Notes' version:

To save on time, I do use a few substitutes. I think it tastes the same - or pretty close to it when I don't have 3 hours to kill.

I just bought a small container of precut carrots/onions/celery from Trader Joes. I'm going to try that the next time I make Jook (which should be soon). I also get a rotisserie chicken and chop that up. Then I take the vegetable stock and put the veggies and rice in it and bring it to a boil. I let it boil for a good 15-20 minutes. Then I add the rest of the stock and cook it on medium heat for another 15-20 minutes (so it's at a slight boil... if that makes sense. I'm not a good cook so I have no idea if what I'm doing is right, or what it's technically called). 

Then I put the lid on and turn of the stove and go about my business. The longer it sits, the more the rice absorbs the liquid. Or if I'm super hungry, I go ahead and eat it :)

My son loves this stuff as he's been eating rice since before he came home. And when you're sick (like I was last week) it just a warm comforting type of food. 

So while this has nothing to do with weight-loss, it's something I do love to eat. And that's kind of related... right?

Were You Up for the CHALLENGE?!

Okay - I really hope that people did the challenge this week. I haven't seen anyone make comments beforehand... so let's see how you all did!

I 'held' my bridge pose for:

1:31

(as in one minute and thirty-one seconds)

As soon as I started I thought I would immediately fail, but some I got through the first minute. There was a fleeting moment where I actually thought I could get to two minutes, but then the burning in my chest started happening and my body started breaking down. So I decided to just get to 1:30 and I barely did that. I think I got the extra second because my body was so stiff it couldn't collapse right away. 

So how about all of you? Did you do it? How long did you hold it for?! FILL ME IN!

And for next week's Challenge... I have something kinda funny in mind. But I think it'll be really hard too. 

HERE ARE THE STEPS:

1) go to your pantry and get two cans of something

(like 2 cans of soup or green beans or whatever you choose)

2) stand with your arms stretched out to either side

(like you're making a 'T' with your body)

3) with your palms 'up' - hold a can in each hand

(cans should be horizontal on your palm, not vertical)

4) see how long you can hold it for

In theory this could take a while ... it mostly depends on your arm strength - but here's the thing, you're 'done' when you can't keep your arms perfectly straight. Once you start to 'sag' - you're out. A traditional can of 'whatever' doesn't seem very heavy, but after a bit - it will SOOOO seem heavy. 

So there you go. Game on. 

Oh - and thanks for all the input on your sleep schedules. I'm glad to know that I'm not getting way more sleep than everyone else, but I AM bummed to think that I should start adjusting my schedule. In reality it makes more sense to start the day earlier... especially since my daughter really should be getting some type of formal education ... but giving up my precious work time ... that's hard to swallow. 

Fortunately we're not in any major rush, but I think I'm going to have to take some time to really plan out a schedule that will work for us. 

Sleep

So here's a question for you all. I've heard that getting a good night's sleep is essential for healthy living and  even losing weight. So how much sleep should a person be getting? I love to sleep. It's fantastic. And I love my bed. I love just lying in it all cozy and engulfed in pillows and comforters ... but that doesn't happen very often any more. Nap time for the kiddos is a prized possession at this point. My daughter stopped taking naps right around the age of two, so now that my son sleeps for a good 2 hours in the afternoons, I find that those two hours are packed full of things I need to get done. 

I guess I'm just curious to hear how much sleep you all get - and when do you go to bed? My prime working hours are after the kiddos are in bed, so I tend to go to bed after mid-night... and closer to 1am. When I have big projects I tend to stay up until 2-3am. Fortunately, my kids sleep late. Till 8:30-9a. That has been my saving grace up to this point. But my daughter needs to go to pre-school in the Fall. I tried to do it at the beginning of January and when we did a trial run (where she would visit the pre-school) she had a total and complete melt-down because I had to wake her up early. It was bad news. So now we're waiting until the Fall when I can slowly transition her into an earlier wake up time. But I'm sure I'll procrastinate that till the last minute ... 

But I digress ...

So tell me your sleep schedules. This inquiring mind wants to know. 

And don't forget to time yourself doing 'the bridge' for this week's challenge. Wednesday is going to be here before you know it! (like tomorrow)

Accomplishments Anyone?

Okay - here we are ... another week has come to a close and I'm curious to hear how you all did!

As for me ...

I lost

NOTHING

so I'll take it as it also means I didn't gain anything as well. 

The good news is that I can breathe through my nose without the assistance of any medication and I think the swelling in my throat is starting to go down. All good stuff - which means I need to start getting more active and making better food choices. I've slacked in that department. I need to get back to where I was when I started back in November. Where is that girl? I need to get re-aquainted with her again. 

The bad news is that my super crazy week officially starts in the morning. Who knows - maybe this advertising outlet I'm trying for the first time will be a total bust and I'll be so NOT busy that I'll have nothing better to do with my time than exercise. And not only that - but if it truly doesn't work out, then that'll mean that I won't be making any money - and my expenses will be a total loss, which means I won't be able to buy food ... wait a minute ... maybe that could actually be a good thing ....

But enough about me - let's get on to you!!! What have you accomplished?! Did you lose any weight? Stay the same? Passed on that 3rd helping of pasta? What was it? 

(and don't forget to time yourself doing the bridge... Wednesday will be here before you know it!)

Totally Missed My Deadline

In case you didn't know, when I originally started this blog I made the commitment to post each night before midnight. I've broken that promise to myself a couple of times, but this one takes the cake. I'm over an hour late. Shame on me. 

But here's what going on:

For my business, I advertise through various outlets. I just completed a fundraiser for my cousin, and then I was following it up with a feature on a discount retail site towards the end of the coming week, and then a feature on a popular blog at the beginning of next week. Well... things have changed. Now everything is happening within the next few days. So while I originally thought I had at least a good solid week to prepare for these two events, I now I have one more day. Not what I expected. Fortunately I am starting to feel better, but it's still pretty chaotic for me. My 'To Do' list is super long and the tasks I need to complete are TIME CONSUMING... so that doesn't help either. 

Anyway - it's not that I'm trying to slack on my weight issues, but my life just got busier these past couple of days. (the changes to my schedule were made on Thursday... so I didn't have much notice to 'adjust'). 

Thank goodness the husband is on jury duty for the rest of the month as it allows for him to be home more. And he's super great about helping me out with both my business, and taking care of the kiddos. 

Okay - so it's 1:30am... I'm off to bed. I'm too tired to go searching for clothes for the virtual wardrobe, so instead I'll show you what I would want to put in my virtual garage:

But the likelihood of that happening is equal to that of me waking up tomorrow 20lbs lighter. I mean... I guess it could happen ... but it would be highly unlikely. 

Still Boring

Sorry guys. I'm still not feeling well (even though my BFF tried to tell me that I didn't SOUND as sick I made myself out to be and that I wasn't allowed to fake being sicker...) and I actually have a ton of work to do that turned into a HUGE amount of work that I need to get done this weekend. 

So I'm just checking in quickly. I think this weigh in might not be that great. I'm not that hungry - but I've been eating a lot of rice. I make jook (which is a Korean rice porridge) and when you have a sore throat, it feels nice and warm going down. So while it may make eating a bit more pleasurable, it is not calorie friendly. But what are you going to do. At least I wasn't craving cheeseburgers or something like that. 

Alright, I'm out for the night. I'll be back to virtual shop for my closet tomorrow. 

Food Fridays

On the suggestion of a super great reader (April) I think I'll officially launch 'Food Fridays' where I think it would be fun to have a recipe day. I'm thinking it'll be done like the Wednesday Challenges - where I'll pick a main ingredient, and then on Fridays everyone can post their recipe in the comments and then we'll have a ton of stuff to choose from. 

HOW FUN IS THAT?! RIGHT?!

So as a 'Shout Out' to my Aunt Jeanine who posted the recipe of the graham crackers with cool whip (and freeze) this week's Main Ingredient will be:

Graham Crackers

So start thinking of recipes that involve graham crackers - and next Friday we'll post our yummy recipes! Oh - and try and get the calorie count if you can too. 

I'm actually really excited about this. So get your culinary brains a turnin' and be creative! My stomach is counting on you!

I'm still sick

So I have absolutely nothing interesting or entertaining to say. My throat is still swollen and I have approximately 48 minutes until I can re-load on my meds. But according to the husband I can take them sooner. Also - tonight is the 3rd night I can take Afrin... I think I can maybe squeeze out one more day, but I'm kind of afraid of taking it too long (it can make symptoms worse). 

And with that. I'm going to get ready for bed. 

Were You Up for the CHALLENGE?!

Apparently I wasn't, because I FAILED to complete the challenge. That is right - I did NOT do a 5K this week. Here's the thing - this was a crazy week for me. I was trying to get everything ready for the Adoption Fundraiser I did for my cousin and the 'good weather report' that I thought we were having... yeah... it was cold and foggy and we even got some rain. Today there was actually some sun ... but I'm totally sick. I'm not even kidding. I woke up just knowing that it was going to be a good day. Something is up with my entire left side. My left nostril is totally blocked, my left tonsil is swollen, the left hemisphere of my sinuses are under great distress and earlier today when I blew my nose I swear some brain tissue came out. 

But I promise to do the next challenge .... which is:

HOW LONG CAN YOU DO A BRIDGE?

and in case you need a little visual - here you go:

So the plan is to see how long you can hold this position. When I used to work out with my trainer, I think my limit was like 60 seconds. And in case you've never done this before - it's hard. So don't be sad if you can only do a few seconds. The key is try and have really good form. But this is a toughy. 

Alright - so everyone needs to tell me how many 5k's they completed this week - because I KNOW you all did better than me!

A New Little Mini-Goal

So today I had a conversation with one of my main clients for my business. They're someone that I really want to continue working with as they do really decent sized orders. Anyway, to make a long story short, this company is located out of state. If I want to, I could fly out and have a meeting with this company and basically 'map out' the rest of the year in regards to what kind of orders we could do - and when. 

This is a pretty big deal as I would really like to have a schedule for the year of what my projects are looking like. It would make things SO much easier ...

But here's the thing... I'm kinda not looking forward to meeting them in person because I want to lose more weight. I don't want my first impression to say 'dumpy-stay-at-home-mom-who-makes-stuff-in-her-kitchen', but more like, 'business-owner-who-works-out-of-her-home-while-raising-her-children'. Big difference, don't you think?

So I'm hoping to try and swing this trip in March... and if I do mid-March... I have about 7-8 weeks. So I'm thinking that I really need to focus and see what I can do for this new little 'mini-goal'. 

Do you think it's doable? How should I tackle this challenge? I know in my mind I probably have a completely unrealistic idea of what I'd like to look like, so I know I need to scale that back a bit and get a good dose of reality... but I'll be honest, I really do want to make a good impression, and as superficial as it sounds, your image really IS an important part of your business. 

Anyway - thoughts? concerns? questions? LOL... but really... I'm going to need some crazy encouragement these next few weeks... so expect alot of whining from me.

Accomplishments Anyone?

Let's cut to the chase:

I LOST

2lbs!!!!

{and with that I give a huge exhale}

So now that I've just about lost all my water weight from the weeks before, it's time for me to get back to losing actual poundage. So may this be my week! I feel like I have the knowledge and now it's just a matter of a little thing called follow-through. But that 'little thing' for some reason is a super big challenge for me. But I'm pumped. It's a new week and I'm ready for it (plus the weather report is looking pretty good as well). 

But enough about me ... what about you? What were your accomplishments this week? Was is a good one? Do share - and let me encourage YOU for a change :)

It's Almost That Time Again ...

... you know, to weigh in. I'm so hoping for a better number. We'll see what happens. You know, right before I sat down I realized that I was 47 calories short of hitting my calorie burn for the day. So I went and tried to run in place on the Rebounder... I only did it for like 3 minutes... but now I'm down 11 calories and I have 12 minutes left... at least according to my computer clock at this exact moment...

But let's move onto some clothes. It's time to fill the closet again. This time I stopped by Nordstroms to check out some super cute skirts. Here's what I found:

Seriously - I LOVE this skirt. 

I know it's super short and I'm too old to be sportin' it ...

... but if I could ... I SOOOO would!

and before you think I'm just a hoochie mama

I thought I'd throw in this tweed pencil skirt.

LOVE this. I really do. I think pencil skirts are quite sexy 

when worn correctly.

I also love me some plaid. For realsies.

You know - this actually reminds me of when I 

was in highschool. I didn't go to a Catholic School

but a girlfriend of mine did and she has this super cute plaid

skirt and I used to wear it. I know, totally lame. 

Wanna know something lamer?

I wore a pleated plaid skirt to a 

Counting Crows concert when I was in high school.

Let's just say that made it pretty obvious 

that I wasn't a true fan of the music.

Okay - so believe it or not, I actually love this skirt too.

It reminds me of Matilda Jane clothing - even though she's never

done anything remotely close to this.

... oh ...

what was that?

why it was the alarm on my display

guess who just hit their calorie burn with 3 minutes to spare?

BOOYAH!

This Will Be A Quick One

I gotta run. I'm trying to get my 'Outlet Store' stocked and ready to go as I'm holding an Adoption Fundraiser for my fabulous cousin. If you find that you're in the market for some hair accessories, please come check it out!

Oh - and before I read any of your comments I decided to go with long hair. The husband actually said that I should grow it out and this is the first time in the seven years of our marriage that he's actually had an opinion on my hair. So I think I'll run with it. Although it's jacked up right now from the previous haircut I got before going to Korea ... so I may have to cut it shorter to even it out so that I can grow it back out again. 

If that ends up being the case - then it looks like everybody won. 

Well look at that. A happy ending. 

Long or Short?

Okay - so this is kinda off topic for the whole weight loss thing, but it's KIND OF related so I think I can get away with it. 

I really need to get my hair cut. Like in a majorly bad way. But I'm kinda torn on what to do. I've been keeping my hair on the short side - and I actually really like it short. But now that I'm on this whole 'I wanna be a kpop star' journey, I'm thinking I should grow my hair out. I mean, a true kpop star would have long hair. Rightttttttttt? But then I'm like, 'Do I really want to wait that long to grow it out? What if I don't reach my goal weight... would it all be in vain?'

Well for starters, of course it would be vain because this is a very vain subject that I'm talking about. 

I guess I some how connect long hair with being thin - but I really like short hair too. I haven't had long hair in almost 3 years. My hair is thick so having short hair really cuts down on the 'getting ready' time. But when you exercise, it's kind of a pain to have it short because you can't pull it back. 

Oh what to do, what to do. 

Again, super lame topic, but I really gotta make a decision soon... my hair is driving me nuts!

What would you do ...

... if you were at your ideal weight? Would you try something that you've never done before? Would you wear something that you didn't have the nerve to before? Or would nothing change for you?

I've discovered that I'm a SUPER visual person. In fact, the older I've gotten the worse it's become. Like if something is out if sight - it is LITERALLY out of mind. Ever since I had kids (or rather, adopted them) my short term memory is shot. But I digress. Anyway, I decided to begin the art of 'visualization'. Apparently they say you should visualize your goals - seeing yourself achieve them is supposed to help you or something like that. 

I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to do it, or if there's some method I'm supposed to follow, but every now and then I'll picture myself in a cute outfit. I decided that right now I'm in a 'retro' phase. I'm even sure what exactly that means, or what that fully entails, but I like the sound of it. I like the ideal of wearing something that is 50's-ish inspired, or even more throw back than that. 

As for doing something... there is ONE thing that tops my list at the moment. I'm sure there will be other things that will be added over the course of time, but right now there is something that I'd really like to be able to do. 

And that is to go back to Korea and see my son's Foster Mom. Koreans in Korea (and I'm sure here in the states too...) are SUPER thin. They have very high standards of what is considered 'thin' or 'fat'. Well... I was definitely in the fat category when I went. In fact - there was a time during our 'meeting' (when I met my son for the first time with his Foster Mom) where it got really uncomfortable. And I just knew that something was said about my weight. And the translator didn't translate ... and it was just kinda awkward ... and uncomfortable. 

So I want to go back thin. And I want to have another meeting with our Foster Mom, and I want Toby Keith's 'How Do You Like Me Now' softly playing the background as I stand with my back towards her and then once she comes in and sits down, I will slowly turn around and break into a choreographed danced/lip synched version of Miss A's 'Bad Girl, Good Girl' all while wearing the most fabulous outfit that has yet to be determined. 

Now THAT is some phat visualizations skills.

Am I right? OR.AM.I.RIGHT?!

Were You Up for the CHALLENGE?!

Dude. Push Ups are like wayyyyyy hard. My Mom can actually do a ton of them and she's over 60. So it's kind of embarrassing to say that I did

20 girl push-ups

But I'm super excited to hear what all of you guys did - because I'm sure it was fantastical. I'll be kinda lame and say that my arms were already tired from all of the sewing and gluing that I've been doing... but the truth of the matter is that I'm just weak. So I guess that's something I should start working on. 

So what is next weeks Challenge?

complete a 5K by the end of the week

Here's how this is going to work. Basically - you have an entire week to walk/run/skip/whatever an entire 5K. Which is equivalent to 3.1 miles. Totally doable. Oh - and this is 'extra' from whatever you normally do. So again, for all the 'over achievers' out there - see how MANY 5K's you can do this week. Seriously. Show me whatcha made of. 

*** and just as a reminder, we'll be working up to doing a MARATHON in a week... but that will be way down the road... not next week or anything ***

Last Call

Okay - so this post is late because my daughter had a nightmare tonight and I had to lay with her for a bit... which kinda turned into me falling asleep... but only for a short time. Then I was trying to work on some projects I have going on... 

Anyway - I weighed myself again today and lets just say the scale was SO much better this time... I guess I had a mean case of water retention the night before. Crazy stuff.

Okay - so today is the last day to do this weeks Challenge! In case you forgot, you just have to do as many push-ups as you can without stopping. And they can be 'girl' push-ups. But if you think you're all strong and stuff, by all means, do the 'boy' ones. Seriously, I'm not threatened by that in the slightest. In fact, I would happily lay on the couch and count your numbers for you... just saying.

Don't forget to post your results TOMORROW on the blog post. I'm going to go ahead and play Prophet and guess that I can do 7. I'm actually kind of scared that I won't even hit that number. I also foresee a ton of yelling/laughing/arm shaking and probably some laying-on-the-floor action afterwards. 

Alright - I'm out for the night!

Accomplishments Anyone?

It's that time of the week again ... where we get to share our accomplishments for the week. And I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you ALL had a much better week than myself because ...

I GAINED another

1 lbs.

I'm actually pretty angry about this. More just angry that I wasted another week. I actually weighed myself yesterday morning and I was DOWN .5lbs from the previous week. So I ate Korean food for lunch ... and then for dinner (since I had left overs and couldn't waste it - right?). I mean - I totally realize that the Korean food that I love has a ton of salt... but a pound and half of weight gain, or water retention over night?!

And then there's that whole not enough water bit. I've allowed myself to drink diet soda this past week. Well actually, it's probably been a few weeks now. And when I do that, I drink less water. I used to be really good about drinking all my water FIRST and then have a soda. But I got lazy. And I made allowances. And once you make little allowances, they turn into ... well ... a one pound weight gain. 

So I'm done with this. This is supposed to be my year. My time to change my life and accomplish any goal I set out to do. And I'm blowing it. I'm literally looking at each week and just waving good-bye as I sit on the couch. What is the world is WRONG with me?!

I keep saying that I'm going to get back into my routine and blah blah blah. Now look at me. I've gained back almost all the weight that I initially lost. Pathetic. 

But instead of wallowing in my self pity and going to the pantry to soothe my pain, I'm going to focus on the fact that there is indeed a tomorrow. And with that new day I can make better choices. And I can choose to be more active. And I can start all over again. Because I'm not going to quit. I'm still going to chase after my goal and change my life. I am. I am, I am, I AM.

Still Tired

So I made a lot of progress again today with the order that I've been working on. And of course - there was some good calories being burned (but I ate Korean food... so I think it's a wash for the day....)

But I'm just sooooooo tired

The weigh-in tomorrow isn't going to be that great. For one, I drank way too much soda this week, and I actually SEE that my stomach is bloated. Seriously - it's crazy. So I know I'm retaining SOMETHING. Plus the water consumption was down a bit. But hey - no use crying over spilt milk. Another week is ready to be tackled. So I will focus on that.

Oh - and since I haven't done it in a while, here's a new dress to add to the virtual closet. I wish it was in a different color, but I'm too tired to try and find a similar one. You can purchase your own at Banana Republic if want one in your literal closet. 

I'm tired

Literally. I'm like way super beat right now. 

I've been working on an order so I've been working as much as I can today since my parents took the kiddos all day. 

And I'm stoked to say that I finished the part that I needed to before midnight. There was a time where I didn't think I'd finish tonight, so this is icing on the cake. (and if I could, I would be eating white cake with chocolate frosting ... which is my favorite!)

I'm not exactly sure where I came in on my calorie consumption today - but it was relatively close to where it should be. Maybe under or maybe slightly over. But I burned 800 calories OVER my goal today... so that's pretty awesome if I do say so myself. 

Okay. Enough. I'm going to bed.

mmmm ... that tasted good!

I met up with my BFF tonight for dinner. The great thing about this girl that we've known each other forever. She likes to point out that she's younger, but I like to point out that I'm way smarter, cooler, and she has to do what I say. (I'm kidding! She trumps me in all areas - for realsies) She gets my humor, laughs really hard when I try to be funny and totally understands me - sometimes even more than I understand myself. 

We've had some super fun times together. Usually we laugh over the really stupid stuff we did when we were younger - but now we get to talk about parenting, married life, you know - grown up stuff. And it's super fun. We were trying to figure out when the last time was that we got together, and we couldn't remember. But since we talk almost every day, I think that skewed our perception of time. 

Anyway - she has been my biggest cheerleader and supporter of me for as long as I can remember. She has picked me up when I was down, and brought me back to reality when I've gone too far. Simply - she is the best kind of friend to have. 

So girlfriend - thanks for the great night, and I want to remind you of two things:

1) I burned more calories than you

2) It was NOT a mix tape. It was a burned copy of a CD - and all of the songs were by the same artist.

Okay ... it's time to get SERIOUS

I'll admit ... getting back into my routine has been a teensy bit harder than I thought it would. I'm thinking that I've gone over my calorie count - but I've been exceeding my calorie burn - so that's good. Hopefully that will even things out a bit. 

So I have an order I have to fill and I've been a bit worried because my prime working hours are after the kiddos go to bed ... but that's also when I do my trampoline jumping ... but low and behold I discovered that I burn around 4 calories a minute when I'm working. Honestly - that's pretty darn good! (again, I owe that tidbit of information to my arm band thingy - the best investment I've ever made)

Tomorrow (or actually today if you're reading it on Thursday) I'm meeting up with one of my all time favorite girlfriends for dinner. We chose where we wanted to eat based on calories so I'm super excited. In the words of Dora, it will be delicioso. I'm planning on getting a salad with the dressing on the side. So hopefully I'll be really disciplined all day so that I can have a bit of fun at dinner. 

Alright - I'm off to bed. The husband has on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' and it's really making me hungry. 

yeah ... I think there's going to be a BIG problem ...

Alright - so I just did the challenge. 

Dude. That was crazy. 

I'll be honest - I was sooo not feeling it tonight. I was cursing myself for coming up with this blasted challenge and to make matters worse, I had jeans on. And of course I'm way too lazy to go upstairs and change into my comfy black stretchy pants, so I just grudgingly peeled those pants off and felt like a total idiot lying on my side, wearing a sweatshirt, underwear and ankle socks. (I mean, I guess it could be worse... my socks could have been black... and that would have made it SO much more unattractive - right?)

The husband is manning the clock and says he'll give me a 5 second countdown when I'm ready. 

Okay ... I'm ready ...

5...4...

this is going to suck

3...2...

I really don't feel like doing this

1...

And then I start. And the laughter sets in. 

Seriously - that was way crazy. First, I felt like I had nothing to grab onto for traction. Oh - and I'm not super flexible so my leg probably didn't go up as high as the rest of you. But the first side - I got into a groove and was feeling decent. But the last 10 seconds were tough. Oh - and the roll over?! I KNEW from the moment I switched sides that it was going to be no good. I kinda had to yell during that entire minute to make it through. 

So here are my numbers:

First Leg: 70

Second Leg: 52

Dude - my hips hurt. Like I felt wobbly when I tried to get up. It is SO going to be bad news tomorrow when I wake up. I just know it. 

So how did you all do? What are you numbers? Log them in! Did you have a good laugh? (even though I was in pain I totally laughed ... as did the husband). 

Oh - and the challenge for this week:

HOW MANY PUSH-UPS CAN YOU DO

WITHOUT STOPPING

these can be girl push-ups. there is NO time limit.

{over-achievers can do 'boy' push-ups if they so choose}

you need to keep a 'steady rhythm'

it can be as slow as you want

but when you have to 'break' your rhythm ...

YOU'RE DONE

Obviously - honesty is going to play a huge roll here. 

But I trust you all 

really - I do!

Last Call

So today is the last day to get your 'Challenge' done. I'll remind you how it works: Basically you lay on your side and lift your top leg as high as you can, and then drop it back down. Now lift again and repeat. Do this as fast as you can for one minute. Then roll over to your other side and repeat the process for an additional minute. 

You should be doing it for a total of TWO minutes. Also - as a tip: Lets say you are facing your TV when you lay on the ground. When you roll over, roll to the front, or to the back. Just be sure your BACK SIDE facing the TV for the second round. You don't have to sit up and put your 'head' where your 'feet' were. Does that make sense?

And no, I haven't tried it yet. I was going to today, but I'm just too tired. I really think I need to go to bed. 

So here's where I need a little 'pep talk' (and I'm not talking a Jillian Michael's kind of pep talk - but a NICE pep talk... like from Bob). I have a small business (emphasis on small) and I'm just now getting back into the swing of things after taking 3 months off. Well... over the past few days quite a few things have transpired and now I have a TON of stuff that needs to be done this month. All of which are good and great and I'm super excited about, but it's a bit overwhelming. I need to sit down and really just hammer out my thoughts and make calendars and lists and all that good stuff, but who has the time to just sit and think?! I don't. Even writing this post - and I had take a 'break' from the work I was doing so that I could post on time. 

Anyway - I guess I'm just needing someone to say, 'Calm down, take a deep breath, and take some time to get yourself in order. You can do it all - eat right, exercise, work and take care of your family. Take some time to plan - and then be disciplined to follow through with that plan. Don't let yourself go back to how you were. Continue pursuing the person you want to be. You can do it and you will do it.'

Hmm. I think I just gave myself a pep talk. And I'm already feeling encouraged. For reals. 

So before I go grab a calendar and start charting out my month - I'm leaving you with this little gem:

This is my new favorite snack. It's a Cinnamon lollipop from See's Candy. The BEST 70 calories you'll ever put in your mouth. They last forever (because if you try and chew it you'll break all of your teeth) so you feel like it's a super big snack. The only problem is that the See's Candy by me is TOTALLY SOLD OUT OF THEM. So if you have a See's near you, please get me these lollipops. I'm not even kidding. I'll not only pay for the product, but I'll pay for your gas as well. I'm so sad to think that I might not get these again until next year... as the super sweet lady working told me that she wasn't sure if they were coming back for Valentine's Day.

So please. Help a sister out. 

If you find them, email me at iwannabeapopstar@yahoo.com - and I'll be your best friend. Or invite you to my birthday party. Or whatever it is that's cool these days.

***** EDITED TO ADD: I just went to their website to do a 'store locator' search so I could call all of the nearby locations and I discovered that I can order them online. They are currently taking pre-orders for a January 14th shipment. So rest assured - I will get my lollipops. *****

Accomplishments Anyone?

Alright - it is 2011 - and it is time to hit it - and hit it hard. 

So let's do it!

Did anyone weigh in? Anyone looking for a new start?

 Check in and let me know where you're at!

As for me

I gained

.5 lbs!

Yeah. I totally don't even care.

Seriously.

I'm just ready to DO THIS!

who knows, maybe I'll start training for a marathon.

yeah RIGHT!

I'll NEVER do that. 

(and you can quote me on that one)

Alright - well, I suggest you start warming up 

your legs because before you know it's going to be time to 

log in your challenge numbers!!!

oh - and I threw away the rest of my cookies.

and then I made the husband fish them back out

so I could eat a couple more.

{hahahahaha - I'm kidding! Wow... I really hope no-one believe that}

but I did make him take them out of the bag

so I couldn't actually do it.

(I mean, it's better to be safe than sorry right?)

So who's with me? 

We're in this together and for the long haul - right?

(ohpleasesayyesohpleasesayyesohpleasesayyes)

Organization = Calories Burned

My eldest child (my daughter) doesn't grow very fast. And she's super tiny. So I have a TON of clothes from the past couple of sizes and I've been meaning to sort them for quite some time. Since the husband had today off (gooooo Holidays!) I was able to spend some uninterrupted time in her room (which is kind of impossible to do unless there is someone watching the kiddos).  Anyway, to make a long story short, I got everything done (or at least in color coded garbage bags in the closet) and her room is looking pretty darn fabulous. 

Other than that, I just sat around and played on the computer. And then I met one of my girlfriends for dinner. 

When I got home I checked my calorie burn for the day to see how much I missed my goal by, and low and behold, I HIT MY BURN! Not only did I hit it, I surpassed it by over 200 calories. 

So basic housework burns calories. Who knew?!

(oh - and it's a good thing that I went over on the calorie burn because I'm pretty sure that piece of chocolate peanut butter cheesecake that I had put me wayyyyyy over my calories for the day. I know what you're thinking... and oh yes I did! But the new year is here and I'm ready! Really - I am!!!)