So Scott installed Windows 7 on my computer. It is like having a new computer. Which is great, and frustrating at the same time. Woo hoo - something new to play with, but dang it, I can't find things as fast. Oh well, I will adjust. I'm really excited about the Snap feature, I just have yet to get it to work - that is on my list for tomorrow.
In other random items, I cleaned off my desk. My reasoning was that if I was cleaning up the computer then the desk should be clean as well. I even dusted, I estimate it will only take a couple of days for a layer of cat hair to make its way back onto the desk.
I think I finally understand what people are saying when they are feeling their age. I over did the workout yesterday, I feel like I did 10 years ago when I was starting the Vegas Stage Combat Workshop - only it was 25 minutes - not 10 hours. And I apparently didn't increase my water intake enough either, when I got up this morning (and I had every intention of going through my workout), my legs were swollen. I drink 8-12 glasses of water a day when I'm not working out - I guess I need to drink at least 4 more glasses when I do work out. So instead of doing the second day of my 30 day challenge on Wii Active, I had to settle for Yoga, balance and strength training for 25 minutes on the Wii Fit.
This week I will be baking 96 muffins for my graduate seminar Coffee, Cookies and Conversation hour (a better way of saying Show talk back time). So I'm making banana nut, blueberry, cranberry and spice muffins - from scratch. I'm trying to decide if I should wait and bake them all on Wednesday night, so they are fresh for Thursday morning, or if I should spread them out over two evenings. All of the muffins come from the same basic recipe in How to Cook Everything cookbook. I've used the recipe so much that the book automatically opens to the page. It was originally Scott's cookbook, but he never used it until I started to use it and now it is a standard in our house. We even bought the How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, which has already proven its worth and we've only had it four days. I might attempt an extra dozen muffins of one type or another - after all it isn't really nice of me to bake muffins and then not have any for Scott and his dad to try. I might up it to three dozen of each type, simply because I have three 12 cup muffin tins - and I'd hate to have to mix up two different batches of muffins and then only be able to bake a batch and a half at a time....(these are the things I think about and obsess over when I am trying not to stress about my defense - and it works too!)
February 6, 2010
February 5, 2010
Owww and Woo hoo
I woke up sore from my 30 minutes of Wii Fit Yoga and strength training. I almost talked myself out of doing the Wii Active, but I didn't (yea me!) Although, I probably won't be saying that tomorrow morning. So I got up at 6:30 this morning and almost didn't workout, but I had two cups of coffee and watched an episode of The Sanctuary and decided to get my butt in gear. So by the time Scott was walking out the door for work, I was starting my workout.
The Wii Active kicked my butt In retrospect, I probably should have started with a low intensity workout. I like the exercises, especially the target boxing, the only exercise that I I'm not thrilled with at the moment is the inline skating. I never seem to jump in time for it to register - so my screen self wobbles on the landing. I've also discovered that I need yet another new sports bra, as it has been 30lbs since I've done any fast exercise and things are not staying in place. Even after the warm up run that the program had me do today I just started to realize how much I need to tighten up the abs. My core is very weak, I never realized how much weight I was carrying around and how much that effected my muscle tone. In some ways it is like I'm going through adolescence again - each day my body changes and I have to get used to it again. Go figure.
The workout did the trick. I was able to sit in one place and work today - and actually accomplish something. I finally finished the consent form that has to go into my Human Subject Research packet, now just tweaking the questions I will ask my participants, and finishing touches on the intro letter and that can go to the HSRB committee next week. Finishing this has helped me to focus and start to layout my prospectus. I'm no longer dreading it, I'm actually looking forward to putting it down on paper. My biggest problem is focusing on the small items first rather than overwhelming myself with the big picture. I read in a book (can't remember which book) How do you eat an elephant? - One bite at a time, focusing on just that bite before looking to the next one. Weird, but it works.
It is snowing again...I'm really tired of the winter weather. I get depressed in the winter - lack of sunshine. So each day I try to find something to be happy about, no matter how odd it is or how bad I feel - cause things have been worse. So today when I got home and was bumming about the gloomy weather I picked up my cat Ares and hugged him. Well he had just woke up and so was still in that warm sleepy kitty stage - so he was purring and giving lots of kitty kisses. So I just buried my face in his neck and let his warm and comforting kitty smell soothe me. And wouldn't you know it - the weather didn't suck so much anymore!
The Wii Active kicked my butt In retrospect, I probably should have started with a low intensity workout. I like the exercises, especially the target boxing, the only exercise that I I'm not thrilled with at the moment is the inline skating. I never seem to jump in time for it to register - so my screen self wobbles on the landing. I've also discovered that I need yet another new sports bra, as it has been 30lbs since I've done any fast exercise and things are not staying in place. Even after the warm up run that the program had me do today I just started to realize how much I need to tighten up the abs. My core is very weak, I never realized how much weight I was carrying around and how much that effected my muscle tone. In some ways it is like I'm going through adolescence again - each day my body changes and I have to get used to it again. Go figure.
The workout did the trick. I was able to sit in one place and work today - and actually accomplish something. I finally finished the consent form that has to go into my Human Subject Research packet, now just tweaking the questions I will ask my participants, and finishing touches on the intro letter and that can go to the HSRB committee next week. Finishing this has helped me to focus and start to layout my prospectus. I'm no longer dreading it, I'm actually looking forward to putting it down on paper. My biggest problem is focusing on the small items first rather than overwhelming myself with the big picture. I read in a book (can't remember which book) How do you eat an elephant? - One bite at a time, focusing on just that bite before looking to the next one. Weird, but it works.
It is snowing again...I'm really tired of the winter weather. I get depressed in the winter - lack of sunshine. So each day I try to find something to be happy about, no matter how odd it is or how bad I feel - cause things have been worse. So today when I got home and was bumming about the gloomy weather I picked up my cat Ares and hugged him. Well he had just woke up and so was still in that warm sleepy kitty stage - so he was purring and giving lots of kitty kisses. So I just buried my face in his neck and let his warm and comforting kitty smell soothe me. And wouldn't you know it - the weather didn't suck so much anymore!
February 4, 2010
Envelopes, Budgets, Chocolate and Anxiety
I am very proud to announce that I have not used a credit card in two months! As intended, I went to the Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Northwest Ohio and enrolled in the debt management plan and all of the credit card companies have accepted the terms. By May 14, 2014 I will be debt free (credit card debt - student loans - that is a different matter completely). I was only paying the minimum payments, and at that rate I would never get out of debt - now I pay half of what I did. I'll be saving $12,000 in interest by the time I pay off the last card in 2014.
I also went to the Student Money Management Services on campus and got help setting up a budget/system to keep track of my spending. A lovely woman name Patricia introduced me to a yearly excel spread sheet, that for my little brain seems to be working pretty well. I've also implemented the envelope system. I have an envelope for each day of the week and at the end of each day I put the receipts in the day's envelope. And each week, I take my cup of coffee, turn on some tunes and go through my receipts and update my spending plan and budget. Until I started tracking some of my expenditures, I never realized how much money I was spending on coffee. Yes, that is right - I have a coffee habit. I used to get Starbucks 6 days a week, most of the time it was just coffee, but often times I'd have a cap or a frap or some other drink - and the price really added up. Now, I've cut back to 3-4 times a week, during the work week - I only get a grande coffee and in my Starbucks travel mug (save $.10 per cup), and one fancy coffee drink on the weekends. Also during the week I can only by my coffee with change I have with me - so no cash, no coffee. So the whole spending plan and budgeting thing is really paying off so far.
I passed another milestone in my weight loss 73.2 lbs. I have 19.6 lbs. until my goal - 150 lbs. That might sound heavy, but to me that is skinny, especially when at my heaviest I was 250lbs. To date I have gone from a size 20-22 to a size 9-10. I can fit into an 8, but won't wear it out in public yet. I know that I've lost weight - really I get it - people don't recognize me sometimes (which I find weird, but that is beside the point) - but I still feel like I'm a fat woman. I spent so much time overweight that it is difficult to accept that I'm average size now. I've also developed another odd bit of paranoia - I feel (and I KNOW this is ridiculous) like people are watching what I eat and just waiting for me to put all the weight back on. And don't even get me started in shopping for clothes - I went and picked up an eight at Old Navy, and was sure that everyone around me was thinking, "Who does that fatso think she's fooling by buying an 8!" So needless to say I have some mental adjustments to make as I embrace this new body.
As of two hours ago, I got back on a regular exercise routine. I did my Wii Fit for the first time in 543 days, as it so lovingly pointed out. It was cool my Mii doesn't look like a bowling ball with legs anymore, however the thing still says I'm overweight. And I must admit, I was not too happy with the couch potato comment when I wasn't balancing well during one Yoga pose. It will take some adjusting, I was used to carrying all of that extra weight and now that I don't have it I'm having to relearn how to balance again - and wow are my abs weak! So this getting into shape thing is going to be difficult - but worth it. I felt much better (mood wise) after I went through the Yoga. Tomorrow it is on to my Wii Active.
In other news, I defend my specialized portfolio with my full committee next Friday. What does this mean? Well, if I pass then I can continue on in the program (ie prospectus and diss), if I don't pass then I'm done. So think positive thoughts that day. I'm getting really anxious about it - which in a way is kind of silly since it is really out of my hands at this point - but I find it hard to focus and get things done. If my bitchbarn crew was closer I'd say we need to have a "Get Macaela Drunk Night" and see what antics I would attempt while intoxicated. But since we are scattered, I will have to try something else instead. Suggestions? I should knit, but that would require me to sit in one place for longer than five minutes and I haven't been able to do that this past week - but I will attempt it again. Before when I was anxious I'd eat. It is a good thing there is no ice cream in the house. It is at these times that I miss pizza the most!!!! I have nutritionally designed chocolate candy I can have - but it is no substitute for a real piece of chocolate - and I'm not talking Hershey. If only I could buy single Ferraro Rochers at the grocery store.... Le sigh.
I also went to the Student Money Management Services on campus and got help setting up a budget/system to keep track of my spending. A lovely woman name Patricia introduced me to a yearly excel spread sheet, that for my little brain seems to be working pretty well. I've also implemented the envelope system. I have an envelope for each day of the week and at the end of each day I put the receipts in the day's envelope. And each week, I take my cup of coffee, turn on some tunes and go through my receipts and update my spending plan and budget. Until I started tracking some of my expenditures, I never realized how much money I was spending on coffee. Yes, that is right - I have a coffee habit. I used to get Starbucks 6 days a week, most of the time it was just coffee, but often times I'd have a cap or a frap or some other drink - and the price really added up. Now, I've cut back to 3-4 times a week, during the work week - I only get a grande coffee and in my Starbucks travel mug (save $.10 per cup), and one fancy coffee drink on the weekends. Also during the week I can only by my coffee with change I have with me - so no cash, no coffee. So the whole spending plan and budgeting thing is really paying off so far.
I passed another milestone in my weight loss 73.2 lbs. I have 19.6 lbs. until my goal - 150 lbs. That might sound heavy, but to me that is skinny, especially when at my heaviest I was 250lbs. To date I have gone from a size 20-22 to a size 9-10. I can fit into an 8, but won't wear it out in public yet. I know that I've lost weight - really I get it - people don't recognize me sometimes (which I find weird, but that is beside the point) - but I still feel like I'm a fat woman. I spent so much time overweight that it is difficult to accept that I'm average size now. I've also developed another odd bit of paranoia - I feel (and I KNOW this is ridiculous) like people are watching what I eat and just waiting for me to put all the weight back on. And don't even get me started in shopping for clothes - I went and picked up an eight at Old Navy, and was sure that everyone around me was thinking, "Who does that fatso think she's fooling by buying an 8!" So needless to say I have some mental adjustments to make as I embrace this new body.
As of two hours ago, I got back on a regular exercise routine. I did my Wii Fit for the first time in 543 days, as it so lovingly pointed out. It was cool my Mii doesn't look like a bowling ball with legs anymore, however the thing still says I'm overweight. And I must admit, I was not too happy with the couch potato comment when I wasn't balancing well during one Yoga pose. It will take some adjusting, I was used to carrying all of that extra weight and now that I don't have it I'm having to relearn how to balance again - and wow are my abs weak! So this getting into shape thing is going to be difficult - but worth it. I felt much better (mood wise) after I went through the Yoga. Tomorrow it is on to my Wii Active.
In other news, I defend my specialized portfolio with my full committee next Friday. What does this mean? Well, if I pass then I can continue on in the program (ie prospectus and diss), if I don't pass then I'm done. So think positive thoughts that day. I'm getting really anxious about it - which in a way is kind of silly since it is really out of my hands at this point - but I find it hard to focus and get things done. If my bitchbarn crew was closer I'd say we need to have a "Get Macaela Drunk Night" and see what antics I would attempt while intoxicated. But since we are scattered, I will have to try something else instead. Suggestions? I should knit, but that would require me to sit in one place for longer than five minutes and I haven't been able to do that this past week - but I will attempt it again. Before when I was anxious I'd eat. It is a good thing there is no ice cream in the house. It is at these times that I miss pizza the most!!!! I have nutritionally designed chocolate candy I can have - but it is no substitute for a real piece of chocolate - and I'm not talking Hershey. If only I could buy single Ferraro Rochers at the grocery store.... Le sigh.
December 29, 2009
My year without pizza
March 7, 2010 marks the one year anniversary of the last time I ate a piece of pizza. Do I miss it? Sometimes - but my health has improved. Since March of 2009 I have lost 70 lbs. I have 20.6 lbs. to lose before I reach my goal. I have lost 23 inches, and 10 sizes.
Last year I reached the point where I couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror and I hated seeing pictures of myself. So I made a new year's resolution to change it - and I have. I have so much more energy now. I truly believe that the changes I've made in how I eat, what I eat, and how much I eat have made a lasting impact on my mood and over-all health. I'm confident again - something I haven't had in a very long time. And that confidence helped me to write again as well - I defended my in house portfolio in October and will sit my out of house defense in January (February at the latest).
Since setting my mind to things has really paid off - I'm going to take it further this year. I am in debt up to my eyeballs. I'm in so much debt that there is no way I can get out of it at this point. My credit card payments (minimum) are more than I make in one pay period. I'm 30 years old and on occasion have to ask my parents for money. I'm done with it. I'm taking the steps to get financially stable now before it is too late. I won't bore you with how many credit cards I have or the amount of credit card debt. I never really learned how to handle money - and after my divorce my spending got worse - partly out of necessity and partly out of shopping therapy. So I'm paying the price now.
One thing that has helped me lose the weight is to think positive and celebrate small victories. I look at my weight loss in 5-10lb increments rather than thinking of the entire 90lbs at one time. I'm going to keep a positive attitude about my financial situation as well. I could feel sorry for myself that I might have to declare bankruptcy, but instead I look at it in the positive and count all the blessings I have in my life. And I will approach spending the same way I did the weight loss. If I am grocery shopping and I have an impulse to buy a bag of Cheetos, or chocolate, or what have you - I stop and ask myself if I am hungry? Why do I want that particular item? (usually it is a comfort food). And my favorite question - If I eat this, will I feel better? The answer is almost always no. I'm going to do the same thing with spending money. Now that my credit cards are out of the picture - I'll I have is my debit card or what cash I have on me. I used the credit cards as an excuse to spend. No more.
So here starts my year without credit cards.
Last year I reached the point where I couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror and I hated seeing pictures of myself. So I made a new year's resolution to change it - and I have. I have so much more energy now. I truly believe that the changes I've made in how I eat, what I eat, and how much I eat have made a lasting impact on my mood and over-all health. I'm confident again - something I haven't had in a very long time. And that confidence helped me to write again as well - I defended my in house portfolio in October and will sit my out of house defense in January (February at the latest).
Since setting my mind to things has really paid off - I'm going to take it further this year. I am in debt up to my eyeballs. I'm in so much debt that there is no way I can get out of it at this point. My credit card payments (minimum) are more than I make in one pay period. I'm 30 years old and on occasion have to ask my parents for money. I'm done with it. I'm taking the steps to get financially stable now before it is too late. I won't bore you with how many credit cards I have or the amount of credit card debt. I never really learned how to handle money - and after my divorce my spending got worse - partly out of necessity and partly out of shopping therapy. So I'm paying the price now.
One thing that has helped me lose the weight is to think positive and celebrate small victories. I look at my weight loss in 5-10lb increments rather than thinking of the entire 90lbs at one time. I'm going to keep a positive attitude about my financial situation as well. I could feel sorry for myself that I might have to declare bankruptcy, but instead I look at it in the positive and count all the blessings I have in my life. And I will approach spending the same way I did the weight loss. If I am grocery shopping and I have an impulse to buy a bag of Cheetos, or chocolate, or what have you - I stop and ask myself if I am hungry? Why do I want that particular item? (usually it is a comfort food). And my favorite question - If I eat this, will I feel better? The answer is almost always no. I'm going to do the same thing with spending money. Now that my credit cards are out of the picture - I'll I have is my debit card or what cash I have on me. I used the credit cards as an excuse to spend. No more.
So here starts my year without credit cards.
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