Doing the Happy Dance! :) Hello Roaring 20's! :)

Happy Weekend to you!!
I hope you all are enjoying a nice weekend.  So much going on in our town - from Comic Con, to horse races, to Over the Line tournament.  I'm ignoring all of it (except for all the out of town yahoo's I encounter on the road!), and opting to just take it easy this weekend.  I have kind of had that "I don't wanna" attitude the last 48 hours.  Luckily, I snapped out of it enough to finally get my rear to the gym later today.  I've had a great week of working out.  Have felt great, no real aches or pains other than the fractured toe from the 5K.  I increased my speed to 3.4 mph and incline to 3% this week.  Have been doing 35-40 min walks and then 10-15 mins on the elliptical at level 4 five days a week.  These increased workouts and 5Ks the last two weekends have really paid off, which I'm thrilled with.  I lost 3.8 lbs this week, to give me my 50 lb loss charm! :)  That brings the total to 51.4 lbs since January and 61.4 lbs since last year.  AND, hellooooo 220's! :)  Gosh, I haven't seen you since my wedding in 2010!  My doctor was giddy with happiness yesterday.  Not to get ahead of myself here, but when I saw that number, I was like, WOW, 199 is not that far! :)  I mean, if I've come this far and done 60, 20 feels totally doable and within reach!  It is a shorter distance to keep going forward now, than it is to go back!

I try not to give myself many food rewards as that is one of the reasons we got into this predicament in the first place!  But, TOM just ended and I was still craving red meat.  Soo, a Habit burger and fries it was tonight for dinner!  Dang, it was almost orgasmic. haha!  I savored every bite.  It was freaking awesome and worth all 27 points!  As our leader said today, it better be a party in your mouth to be worth it.  It was!

The last few weeks of this journey have been, um, dare I say... fun?! :)  I've actually been enjoying the journey, the process.  I like seeing what new things I can do, or fit into.  It's like opening a Christmas present every week! This week I climbed the 3 long flights of stairs at work next to my CFO while talking the whole time (and not stopping, or keeling over at the top.....or, opting to take the elevator!).  That felt awesome.  I have to fly in August for a work trip and I'm not even panicking about not being able to fit in the seat or buckle the seatbelt.  Those worries are gone!

I'm excited and grateful to have you all along on my journey and I'm even more thrilled to be a part of and support and celebrate yours!!  Hubby lost 4 lbs this week which brings him oh soooo close to a big milestone.  Hoping he gets it next week! Was so happy to hear from a good friend today and she is doing well on her journey. I'm just beside myself for her that she is in a good place and making forward progress. Yay! :)  Three other friends are chugging right along on their journey, stepping over pebbles and not letting them become boulders.  Ladies, we ROCK!! :)

I wanted to let you know of 3 upcoming 5Ks I'm thinking of doing and would love to have you join me!  It would be great if we had a "team"!  They are more for fun then they are about the times.  They are: Bad Prom 5k (in October), 80's 5K (November 2nd), and Iron Girl (December 8th).  What a great way to celebrate my anniversary (friend's bday too!) and then my birthday.  With health and friends!  Let me know if you want to join in!

Alrighty folks, that's enough happiness and celebration for one day. heehee! :)  Wishing you a beautiful Sunday and be good to yourself (and others!).  Hugs.

Cheers,
Jessica

A Brutal but Satisfying Week........

Happy Saturday to you!!
I cannot be more thrilled it is the weekend!  I  hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather.  Oh my aching head this was an absolutely insanely brutal week! :(  But, I survived.  Work has just become crazy crazy crazy the last few weeks.  So many deadlines all at once, too much work and not enough time, too many meetings, vendor dinners, and conflict.  Add to that working 12 hour days, eating lunch at 2pm, finding the restroom once a day, and not getting to the gym on regularly scheduled days, and you have got one VERY grumpy girl!  Calgon, take me away!!!!!

But, I got a bit of satisfaction for all my trouble and hard work lately.  I finally got my promotion!!! :)  Just call me Mrs. Director now. :)  I say finally because I was told I was being put up for one about 3 months ago.  It just seemed to drag on and on.  I tried not to think or worry about it.  Politics like crazy were going on.  At one point a month ago, I even inadvertently found a document (left on my desk!!) that listed everyone approved for promotions.....but my name was not on it. :(  I tried to think positive that maybe there was a reason or that wasn't the final list.  I hate being in limbo!!  Days went by and I soon pretty much forgot about it.  Until Wednesday, when my boss called me out of a meeting to tell me the news, and he hugged me!  I think he really had to fight for me, as there is only so much money/people that can be promoted each year.  I was very grateful.  But, now that I am a Director, it means I get an office in the new building we are moving to in December!! :)  I got to go pick it out.  Hope I chose right.  Couldn't be more happy!  No more personal calls talking to drs on the phone about UTI's or yeast infections, where the entire world can hear!  Ugh!  I think I'm most thrilled about the office!  I am nervous though.  Because, now I have to be part of the Steering Committee meetings and other many long meetings that include our CSO and other "C" level folks.  Hope things can come out of my mouth coherently when needed! :)

I did manage to get to the gym on Wed and Fri (my normal off days) to make up for what I missed.  I had some great workouts.  I've been doing about 50 min of cardio now, 5 days a week, and trying to up my speed or incline level every week.  I feel great!  I got a charm today for the 5K we did last week and I'm looking forward to the formal Blood Bank 5K tomorrow morning.  The fruits of that labor paid off this week, as I lost 4 lbs at WI!  Yep, I hit another goal, 230! :)  I'm only 3 lbs away from getting my 50 lb charm!  Cannot wait! :) I feel good in my clothes.  I actually look forward to getting dressed in the am and choosing what to wear, instead of dreading the few items I could fit into that make me look like an unmade bed.

Hubby didn't have such a great week, his first gain since he started. :(  But, he's pressing on and not letting it derail him!  We are a team, in this together!  This has been a lifestyle (not a diet) that we can definitely live with for the rest of our life.  We have committed to WW in that it will be a part of our life until the end (6 ft under end, not goal weight end), just as AA is for other folks.  But, I'm definitely enjoying the splurges along the way though too!  It is not about deprivation, but about incorporation and moderation and finding balance.  Wednesday evening I enjoyed the most scrumptious butterfish dinner, a piece of appetizer, skipped the alcohol, and shared 3 small desserts with 8 people.  Now that's the way to do it!  Enjoy and satisfy your taste buds, without all the points!  Friday we had lunch catered at work and I ordered a very yummy shrimp salad.  It was so good, I didn't even use dressing.  But much to my surprise, dessert was ordered too.  A toffee brownie cupcake like thing.  I've been resisting all the "extras" at work since I started, so I gave very little thought (internal debate) to this and just had it, enjoyed it.  Of course, everything I indulge in, I account for.  Gotta keep it real and honest.  And, it was worth every bite! :)

I hope you all are finding satisfaction in your daily lives and if not, put that on your list to try to seek out this week and incorporate!  It makes all the difference in the world when working towards a long term goal.  Cheers to you and have a fabulous Sunday!

Can I Have Another Day Off, Pleaseeeeee???!!!!

Hello Ya'll!

This is coming to you from a blurry tired eye slightly sunburned exhausted girl. Who sooooo does not want to go back to work tomorrow! I hope you all enjoyed a very Happy 4th of July and great weekend! Let's see if I can even remember the last 5 days?!

Wednesday evening I hit the gym for a long workout after work and then grocery shopped for the 4th. Thursday am we spent getting ready for family to come over for a BBQ and fireworks on the evening of the 4th. We paced ourselves with the shopping, picking up, cleaning, etc. But of course, let's throw in steam cleaning the carpets in the am! They looked great, but uh oh, they were damp.......for a long time. Go figure! :) Oh, and a car wash! I'm weird like that. When the cleaning or organizational bug strikes, it's on fire! With all the racing around and being on my feet all day, I earned 4 AP without being at the gym! Wow! As soon as all the people and food arrived, I took a few minutes (more like many) and tracked most everything I was going to eat and figured out how much I could have. It was really yummy food! Cheeseburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, beans, broccoli slaw, fruit, veggies, guacamole and chips, mini cupcakes, and brownie bites. And some Mike's Hard Light. I enjoyed every bite of everything! Things went as planned for the most part. Didn't end up having alcohol though. But, did have a few more chips/guac and an extra brownie bite. Wanted some more, but I really was full. All in all, it was a 68 point day. Holy cow, I've never eaten all my daily points and almost the 49 weekly in one sitting. I'm glad I saved the points! The hubby on the other hand, he used most of his weekly points LAST Saturday which left him with only a few for the 4th. Poor planning! :( But, he did okay. :) After the fireworks, I had to come in and do some work until 1am because I was taking Friday off but my co-worker needed a document. Sooooo tired.......

Friday I went to the gym and did a hard workout. Over the last week, I've increased my speed to 3.3 mph and 3% incline for 30 minutes. I've then also added the elliptical for 20 minutes at level 4. Going to try to move it to level 5 next week. Then, we met our friend at the movies. That was nice. We shared some light popcorn which was tasty. Since we had WI the next morning, we opted to eat dinner at home (which consisted of yummy leftovers!).

Saturday we went to WW meeting and WI. Hubby went with me because he got his 10% award! :) He also lost 2.8 lbs. Even he was shocked! So proud of him! I wasn't sure what would happen for me, but wanted a loss of anything. I got it. :) 0.8 lb loss. I'll take it! Then, off to the gym for another long hard workout. Later I met my friend for dinner and that was so great to catch up. Since I had had so many burgers and hot dogs the last several days, I opted to not have steak at the steakhouse. :( Bummer. But dinner was good. And we did well OP, considering we were there for 5 hours with a bread basket in front of us! She's also doing great in her weight loss!! Got home late again and crashed hard.

Which brings me to today, Sunday. I could not fathom going into the gym AGAIN. So, hubby and I went to Liberty Station on the water and walked 3.61 miles! It was great to be outside. But, it was warm and sunny! I wanted to do a trial walk of the 5K I'll be doing next weekend. Yep, no problem. :) But from the sun, wind, heat, etc. my eyes are dry, tired, bloodshot, and ready to close!

It was a very nice weekend but now it is time to put this weary girl to bed. Because, I did poor planning, and hubby took tomorrow off (but not me)! Wishing you all a spectacular week and Happy Monday! Cheers to Health and Happiness!