It's all good

I am feeling so proud.  I have already accomplished so much with my new lifestyle and sticking to things. I drink water, water and more water. I haven't had Soda at all in 2012.  I have made wiser and healthier choices.  I have managed to do some sort of exercise every single day.  My legs were getting pretty tired of walking/running on the streets so tonight I took a break, I stayed inside and did Tae Bo Cardio (yes, I have a really old DVD of Billy Banks Tae Bo, don't you? haha), then I did some strength training from sparkpeople.com and even proceeded to do a few minutes of Zumba cardio dance.  So I rocked my exercise tonight despite staying indoors.

I also mailed in my entry form and payment for not one but two races.  I am going to do a 2 mile race Feb 12th and on Feb 25th I am doing my first ever.... are ready for this? My first ever 5K! :)  I am not doing this one for speed as much as just to do it.  The big 5K I want to have a good time (good being under 40 minutes probably) will be a month or so later on.  I am stoked about it, and enjoy having something to look forward to.

I haven't weighed lately, and last time I was still at 172 lbs.. again the number on the scale doesn't mean as much to me as the way I am feeling and benefits that I am already reaping. It's all good! :)

Bitten

I think I must have gotten bit by the bug... the exercise and eating right bug?  Is there one?  I have never enjoyed it as much as I have lately.  I mean I look forward to my walk/jog and don't want to miss it... I have NEVER been that person... but I sure do like her.

I have been eating my breakfast and lunch at work, we have a fridge and only two employees so I have finally made use of that fridge by buying fruits and vegetables to keep at work, and healthy breakfast and lunch options to choose from.  I had a sweet tea addiction a few months ago where I went to McDonald's for breakfast every day and ordered a breakfast burrito with hot sauce and two large sweet Tea's.. (Yes, I said two of them!)  What? They were only a dollar each and they tasted scrumpcious to me at the time and I could drink on one from 8am-12pm and the other from 12 pm to 5 pm... it was cheap way to stay hydrated right? WRONG! Each one of those was over 200 calories so that was 400 or more wasted calories every single day (I MEAN EVERY SINGLE DAY!).  Now, I buy Milo's Tea sweetened with splenda and have a glass of that a day while at work.. then drink water the rest of the day, on in to the evening, no caffeine or soda usually at all from that Milo's tea on.

I use my keurig to have a nice coffee/tea every morning that is only 60 calories. Then, when I get to work I have a simple breakfast of either raisin bran and fat free milk or (this is sorta funny), uncrustable sandwich... you know the ones that are frozen made by smuckers.  I found they are only 210 calories, they have them in wheat bread... and the peanut butter gives me protein.  I warm them in the microwave and I am loving them! :)  Then, on for breakfast I have a pita sandwich with carrots (lean meat, low fat cheese) I often have lettuce and tomato on the sandwich too which makes it delicious and helps me add vegetables to my day. I have an orange or something like that as a dessert to my lunch and my lunches are running around 400 calories.   

My dinner's are planned in advance, and I have found some low calorie meals so most of my dinners are 500-600 at most and I usually even fit in a skinny cow for dessert or snack later in the evening after a meal. My family has been enjoying the meal selections without any fuss, and my man has been preparing most of the meals for me while I am out on my walk (this is awesome, I know!).   I only have up to 1500 calories a day.  I don't even think about wanting more then that either.  I feel satisfied and don't feel like I am dieting... because I am not!  I am eating healthier!  I have managed to eat out a few meals and still keep most of them under the 600 calorie mark. 

So, as you can see I am doing much much much better than my 3500-4000 calorie diet I was on.

Exercise?  OMG! I have been doing something every single day!  I have burned not hundreds but thousands of calories already in this new year.  I am walking mostly but trying to incorporate jogging/running in to my schedule.  I want to do a 5K as you might have read in my previous post and I now have an awesome trainer (Brigitte) who is working on teaching me proper running form and how to possibly go from walking to running a 5K.  I am super excited! 

My dog is loving me as I am taking him for a walk and he is getting much more exercise too.

I haven't weighed in a couple of days, but last weigh in I was 172 lbs and that was 18 lbs down from the 188 lbs I was back in November.  Slow and steady wins the race... I am getting there.  Not so much of a number goal set on my weight loss as the fact that I just want to feel better, live better, and be stronger.  

So if this is an effect from a bug that might have bitten me I sure hope it lasts forever. I don't want to lose this feeling. I need to remember it and that is the reason for this blog post.  I need to remember how good it feels to be active and eat better.  There will be good and bad days to come... This is a really good day that I can reflect on.

UGHHHHH

You wanna know what my dumb ass did?,  I paid my mortgage payment out of the wrong damn bank account.  The bank account that I use for my personal stuff, that didn't have anywhere near the money for that bill.  WHAT WAS I THINKING?  That totally sucks, now I have transferred the funds but it is probably going to cost me more then I want to even think about because of a stupid, stupid mistake! UGH is all I can say because that just makes me sick.

Update: It didn't cost me ANYTHING!!! Luckily I paid by my Regions bill pay acct and they saw my mistake and didn't send the check, and didn't charge me anything! I simple transferred the funds back to the appropriate account and resubmitted for the bill to pay and it was done.  No fees! I feel like I escaped some natural disaster unscathed. :)

5K Training

I said I wanted to run a 5K, I am taking baby steps toward this goal.  I have no idea how to run as I never ran as a kid, and well really never have in my life.  I try jogging some and I am like to need to land heal first or not?  How should my stride be? I mean it seems my stride is super short, I mean I am short and have short legs so maybe its suppose to be short or should I be concentrating on trying to correct my stance or just run as I feel comfortable and hope for the best?  I mean I am beginning and now before starting bad habits is the time to actually learn how to do things correctly I would suspect, right?

I noticed that Fleet Feet has a 5K training program for 10 weeks.  The cost is $95 dollars.  Which is steep for me.  I mean I really feel this program would help since I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING about running a 5K, and would like to meet some people with the same goals that I have, so yes it is worth the money to me, but still hurts the pocket book if you know what I mean.  The best thing about this program is that it is in Madison.  I live in Decatur and work in Madison.  There are no training programs in Decatur or atleast non that I could find online.... but this one in Madison is very doable for me, close to work and after I get off so I could just change clothes and go.  I am seriously considering this.  Plus the investment I will be making into this program will help ensure I keep my goal in sight and actually reach it this year.  Still thinking on it, and when I think $15 per week it seems much easier to bite that bullet.  I think I may sign up for this when I get paid on Friday.

Day 1 of 2012

It has started out great!  I got up near 10 am which was marvelous to get to sleep in without a clock dictating me to get up before I wanted to.  Thomas got up and made Farmer's Breakfast which is in the oven now (torturing me).  We have our staples for New Year's Dinner, Here is an article about the Southern tradition.  Collard greens and cornbread to bring your money,  Blackeyed peas to bring your luck, and Hog Jowl (I have always heard was to bring you health).  So my family will be set for 2012 in the food department.

We have pretty much been lazy since we all got moving around, and that is the BEST way to spend New Year's Day.

I took my dog for a walk.  We walked just over 1 mile and we did that mile in 16.25 minutes.  He is a little yorkie and it usually takes us 20 minutes to do that same walk.  It was windy as crap out there, wind blowing in our face for half the walk, and we still did it in 16.25 minutes.   I am proud of this!!!

I got on my new scale this morning, after my morning pee (hehe I said pee), and the scale was super good to me! It said I weighed 175 lbs.  Last night after my huge meal it said 177.... so I knew it would be less today but it looked so good to me!!!  I weighed 172 when I quit smoking over 6 years ago.  I haven't really seen that weight since then (only one time and it was too brief to count haha).  So now just a few more pounds to meet a sort of milestone in weight loss.  I started at 188... not huge, but still progress.  I am feeling super good about 2012 and it being the year of Tonya.  The year I meet goals for me and do things for myself and my health.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Scaling it down

OH MY GOSH!!! Are you sitting down?  I have been needing a scale for about a month now.  I last weighed on my scale 188lbs.  This was back the end of November, and the battery was getting weak and the scale was looking ratty from use so on  a cleaning day I just threw it away.  Said I was going to buy a new one.  Well this month I have ate different at work, walked the dog more and tried to pay a bit more attention to my snacking.  Now, I have not dieted really.  I have not done without.  I have simply tried to do a bit better.

I bought my scale today, my first step on it amazed me.  I weighed 177 lbs.  That is 11 lbs.  Now my other scale could have had me off, but I do feel like I have lost this weight, so I am going to consider this progress.  I honestly do not care what I weigh,  I just want to get in better physical fitness.  I want to get up off my chair more.  But, this my friend was a happy time for me to see the scales today has reminded me that I can do this.  It might not happen in a month or 2 months or even 6 months, but I will get in better health which ultimately will have me lose the pounds, the inches and gain the strength.  Tonight I simply feel stronger. :)

NOTE: I also want to make note that I weighed myself at 9 pm after a HUGE meal and a glass of wine and a margarita haha...tomorrow may be even more amazing! :)

New Years Eve

Well, it's that time of year again.  Time to make resolutions for the next year.  I suck at keeping resolutions for the most part, but I am hopeful this year will be unlike others.  I am looking forward to the changes that may come with my new resolutions to make 2012 an amazing year!

Here goes:
1) Wake up at 5:45 am on my non-clinic days.  I have clinic days that I wake up at 4 am all other days I sleep until the very last possible minute which is usually 7 am.  If I get up at 5:45 am, I should be able to make it to the bathroom to brush my teeth, wash my face and get on some exercise clothes.  Then grab my dog and take him for a mile walk to let him re-leave himself, and get my body woke up and warmed up.  I should be able to do all of these in 25 minutes or less, then bring my dog back home to continue back out for another mile at my own pace which should be a bit faster than my little Yorkie's pace (should be).  As I get in a better fitness level I can try to go further in my time but only allow myself another 30 minutes of exercise.  Then, its back home to shower and get ready for work.  I need to make breakfast if I am making it at home (but most of the time I eat breakfast at work).... and get out of the house at 7:30 am.  That has me up 1 hr and 45 minutes before I actually have to leave the house.  I hear that it takes about 21 days to make something a habit... so lets see if I can't make this a priority of mine and as Nike says "JUST DO IT".  I already dread the clock going off though, so this will be a big accomplishment for me if I stick with it.  This will also help me meet some fitness goals ensuring that I am getting exercise in.  The only times I will cut myself some slack is when it is raining in which times I may do my exercises inside, but I still need to get the hell up and out of bed.  My clinic days however will be non-exercise mornings, so I must fit it in when I get home from work, and weekends I can fit it in anytime during those days.... so that damn clock will not be going off then! lol

2)  Certifications:  I hope to get one if not two certifications this year.  Windows 7 and Security +.  That is the only goals I am setting just to accomplish these two things this year.

3) 5K:  I have yet to do a 5K and I want to get in shape and sign up for one.

4) Food: Watch my portion control, drink less soda, and try to think before I eat.

5) Cussing:  Stop with the F Bombs and possible some other cussing I do mindlessly.

Maybe the number 5 is good?  Makes since to have one or two lol but I need to do all 5 of these!!!!

Last year has been an amazing year full of ups and downs.  2012 is going to be even better.

What to do?

I have so much I want to do.  Like....
1) Get physically fit and healthy
2) Eat better (which is part of #1)
3) Study to pass Windows 7 Certification (step one in becoming an IT specialist, The IT crowd got to me haha)
4) Have a clean home (haha, this is a joke!)
5) Read more (for enjoyment)
6) Spend more quality time with my man
7) Spend more quality time with my kiddos

The problem is... THERE IS NO TIME TO DO THESE THINGS!!! I have been trying to figure out a plan/schedule so to speak to fit it all in, but nothing seems to work.

Here are my possible solutions:
1)  I think I need a job closer to home, that will add 1 hour to my day (you know the hour I spend on the road to and from work).
2) Get up an hour earlier in the morning for exercise.
3) Schedule 1 hour a night for studying
4) Read over the weekend
5) Have everyone in family clean for 30 mins every night and 1 hour on weekends
6) Make a menu plan and stick with it
7) Go to bed at 9 pm every night with my man.
8) Schedule fun time for the kiddos

lol these might work... but it all seems like so much work!!!!!!!!! Geesh, after working all day the last thing I want to do is work some more.  I need an assistant haha.

Oh well, back to studying. Which is what I have dedicated this hour too (and I am merely taking a break since my mind was wandering on other things I need/should be doing and I thought it might be a good time to write down those thoughts and move past them)... only 35 more minutes of studying.

Ham Dumplings

I have one word... YUM!

That is how to describe the Ham dumplings that Thomas made for us for dinner.  He used the left over Ham from our Christmas dinner.  We have tried to figure out ways to use the ham as to not have it go to waste, and give us a variety to eat.

He said something about Ham dumplings and I was like "ewww" and he said "you have never had ham dumplings?" I said "ewww".  He said "I have to make you some".  So he did.

In the pan

In my bowl.

And these darn Ham dumplings KICK ASS!!!! 

Now, while making those he decided to he would make my lunch for the following day.  He baked me a potato, then put that potato and ham in a pan along with some other "secret" ingredients and came up with "Baked Potato Ham Soup"... I devoured it today at lunch... it was absolutely delicious!  I know you are jealous.... eat your heart out! :) haha

Movies I have watched recently

I watched Water for Elephants with Thomas and Desmond and parts of it made me cry. I did doze (which I do often) for a few minutes in one part which to me means it got a bit slow.  But, overall the movie was very entertaining and held my attention.  I do recommend watching it and would love to read the book.

I watched Larry Crowne with Thomas and I really loved it!  It is one of my favorite movies now.  We got it from Redbox but now I will have to own it because it is one I will have to watch over and over again.  I highly recommend as an easy to watch film.  I like this kind of movie and I am a huge Tom Hanks fan.

Mr. Hobb's takes a Vacation. If you know me, you know that I ♥ Jimmy Stewart and view him as one of the very best Actors of all time!!!! I had never seen this movie until the other night when I watched it with Thomas and Desmond.  It was hilarious! It was everything I thought it would be.  This is a must see. :)