Decisions decisions...opinions please

The one thing that I have really learned this past week of it just being me and my littlest one is that it is SO much easier to use a frozen meal like WW Smart Ones or Healthy Choice than it is to cook a full meal.  I am able to prepare a healthy meal for myself, at the same time I am preparing one for her.  You see, I am really good about making sure my kids get the whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, proteins, etc.  And for whatever reason, I don't do it for myself.  (That's a whole other discussion!)

With my husband being away most of the month, I could easily stock up on these kinds of meals (the Smart Ones calculate the total points for you and then you just have to add "free" foods to supplement.) and then prepare healthy meals for my hubby when he is home.

I actually never saw myself as one of those dieters.  Not that there is anything wrong with it--no flamers please!  I just never saw myself doing that.  I tried Nutrisystem back in the day as well as WW, Diet Center (do those exist anymore?) as well as countless other diets and lifestyle changes.  Nothing ever lasts for long.  And I am just thinking that if I could get some of this off, oh heck I don't know what I am thinking.  I just want to do something because what I am doing now is not working.

So it's decision time....and I am thinking that WW or JC is the answer except that I would probably have to include my teen on this plan as we are sorta doing it together, and therefore WW might be cheaper since the meals are around $2-3 each.  Course with other supplements and stuff it is like $10-12 per day each.  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I would like to hear from those of you who have tried both and see what you think of each plan.  You can email me privately if you like.  Either way, i am going to have to do the online version of WW or JC because of time constraints...and probably because I am making excuses and am really just shy about meeting new folks...and with JC, that is my only choice as there is no JC center here.

Hit me with the info and opinions ladies.  Be gentle.  :)

A little of this and a little of that

So, here we are....another day is ending and I can actually say that I ate very well today PLUS got some exercise!  It's not to say that I haven't been craving a Peanut Buster Parfait from the Dairy Queen all day.  Oh no, THAT I have been doing.  And when I did, I drank water or went outside or did something else to distract my mind.  So it is doable huh? 

I bought some of those Weight Watchers Smart Ones because they had them on sale at the store, and it was like 101 on Monday and I just haven't felt like cooking.  Course today was like 65.  But I digress.  They are actually rather good.  I added honeydew and watermelon to them, and found that I enjoyed the meals very much.  Hmmmmm so I got to thinking that maybe it would be a great idea having those on hand for these moments when I just do not feel like cooking, but am hungry so run the risk of going to McD's etc. 

I talked with Trishkaa and she recommended Jenny Craig.  So I checked it out.  We don't have one where I live!  I was surprised.  Well, regardless, I have to find something that works for me in these moments.  And I keep knocking back up against WW's door.  Now I like the idea of following it but having some freedom to make choices, so I am just not quite sure how to do this.  But at least I am working on it right?

So, off to the Ab Lounge I go.  Man oh man, I do love that thing.  OH I am going to post some pics of Snoopy when I get them but until then, there is one of him when he was only a little guy (he's now 6.5 months old) and it is in my Photo Gallery.  So you can check it out there until I get more.

Off I gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo....

Cue the Jaws music.....I'm baaaaaaaaack!

So I am finally back from my travels across this great nation of ours.  We had such a great time!  And now my hubby has taken our teen daughter and our 4 yr old son with him for one last trip.  They will be back next week sometime.  So it is just me and the littlest one home alone.  Which is lonely and exciting at the same time.

OH OH OH my new puppy finally arrives today!  His name is Snoopy and he is now 6 months old but I am really excited to get him.  And I am super excited to be back here.  I MISSED YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!  Soooooo.....off to read your blogs and then I'll post more later or tomorrow. 

Loooooooser!

Yep, you heard it here.  I am a L O S E R .... LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSER!  And I'm pretty darn happy about that.  I am down two pounds this week.  Woohoo!  I know it is because of my new toy.  Sadly, and happily, I am off on vacation again so I will miss my Ab Lounge and all of you.  I will try to check in if we get somewhere that I can go online.  We are headed to WA, Northern CA and then to Boston again!  Back in two week probably.  Take care!!  Happy losing!

Still stoked

Yep, I sure am.  I love that Ab Lounge and I love my iRobot even more!  To not have to vacuum and sweep is a DREAM come true!  It has freed me up to do the exercising, to play more with my kids, to read, and to just do whatever.  I have a lot of pets and we have hardwood floors throughout our house with a few area rugs.  And it has always been A LOT of work keeping things clean.  (And perhaps I am a bit anal about it but still.)  So to have this little machine (aka Spot) go around and do the work for me, and all I have to do is empty it every so often....well it is simply wonderful.

I guess that in some ways I am realizing just how blessed I am.  And this is an amazing thing for me because normally when I am suffering through my TOM, I am down in the dumps.  Hormones you know.  But not this month!  Now I don't know if it is because a lot of things seem to be going my way this week, or if it is the exercise, or both or more!  I just haven't felt this happy in a very long time.  Truly happy. 

And last night I went to a parents group I attend and heard the story of this one woman whose husband would rather drink a fifth of Jack Daniels than deal with their out of control teen...and I realized that I have truly been blessed with my hubby because he has always supported me in the choices I have made as a parent.  He never questioned my abilities as a mom, and THAT is huge.  Sure, we have our problems like all couples do.  That's to be expected.  And it hasn't always been "peaches and cream" around here.  Yet through it all, he has been there for me, loving and accepting me without question.  And early on when I had issues with his drinking, and told him me or the bottle (which was really brave of me, I think) he chose me and his daughter not the bottle. 

So here's my grateful list for the day:

1. My hubby who despite not always understanding why I do what I do, always supports me and loves me.
2. My family who I can turn to any time, day or night, so that I truly am never alone.
3. My iRoomba Robot Spot and the freedom he brings to my life.
4. My newfound belief that I "can dooooo it"
5. The fact that I am going home on Sunday for a visit and might even get to go with hubby and the kids on vacation back to Boston yet again!  (I'll keep you posted on that one.)
6. And of course all of you here ... I love you guys!!

Ab Lounge Xtreme ?s answered

Just a quick blog because so many of you asked:

1. The sticker on the machine says it has a weight limit of 275 pounds but I think Tony said on the show that it will hold up to 300 pounds. 
2. The machine requires some minor assembly, but if you read the directions, it really isn't too hard.  I think it took me and my daughter about 10 minutes.  The DVD includes assembly directions too so you can just follow along.
3. Order the machine from HSN and you save $10 on the machine plus $25 on shipping.  The HSN sells it for $149.95 with free shipping PLUS you can get it on flex pay for three payments of $49.98.  There really are no excuses not to get it!  The one year subscription to the personal trainers plus the food and meal plans are included.  (I do not work for HSN by the way, I just stumbled onto their channel the other day when I was meant to purchase this item!!)
4. Don't push to the intermediate on day two like I did....LOL.  My back hurts a little bit today because I pushed too hard too fast.  BUT that is proof to me that this system really does work the abs and back muscles.  So just work your way up from Beginner to Intermediate to Advanced.  I could never do this many crunches or sit ups and yet with the machine, it really is easy.

More later today I hope.  TOM has arrived and yet I am thinking this might just help with the lower back cramps, so we shall see.  :)

All I can say is Oh My Gosh!

This is day two of having my new Ab Lounge Xtreme and IT IS A DREAM!  I really like the workout, and even pushed myself to do the Intermediate workout rather than the Beginner workout.  After only one day!  I can feel it work, and Tony Little really motivates.  I don't think I have ever been so excited about a piece of workout equipment.  And as Tony says, "You can doooooo it!" 

Oh oh oh....and because I ordered this item from the Home Shopping Network (with 4 flex payments and FREE shipping) I also got a one year membership to Tony Little's Personal Trainer Hotline.  I can call during business hours and talk with a personal trainer who will help me coordinate my exercise plan as well as provide nutrition guidance, etc.  And during off hours, I can leave a msg and they will call me back the next business day.  It is worth $150!  And I got it free!  Needless to say, I honestly am beginning to believe that this is the ANSWER to my prayers!

I couldn't be happier.....BUT WAIT!  It gets even better today!  I got the letter from the State approving our adoption of the two little ones, so we just need to get some paperwork to them this week, and then three or four days later they send it all to our attorney, who we then meet with to schedule the court date....and then in a month or so....they are ours FOREVER!!!

All in all, a great couple of days huh????  :)  And I don't even care that my TOM is looming because hubby will be home in a couple of days, and then we are heading to WA to pick up our Beagle puppy finally! 

Life is great...God is great....I'm so happy I could fly!  :)  (Now the next time I'm down, remind me to reread this post k?????????????)

It's here!! It's here!!

My Tony Little Ab Lounge Extreme arrived today!  And I have already set it up, watched the DVD and ........... drum roll please ....... EXERCISED!!!!!!!  And it was fun!  I loved it and I could totally feel it working my abs.  And I worked up a good sweat, but never felt hurt or tired or anything but energized and GRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTT!!!!!!

I think that maybe just maybe, I have found something that will work for me!  Doin' the happy dance!!!!  Woohoo!!  (Am I excited or what?  LOL)  I even got my teen to do it .. and we both did great. 

Oh, and I also got my brand new iRobot Roomba vacuum.  It is so darn cute and works like a dream on my hardwood floors and rugs.  Yep, a great day for me.  Oh, and I actually managed to get in all my water and green tea today, plus ate pretty darn close to on target AND I stink!  LOL  Cuz I worked out so hard!  It's a good thing, honestly! 

Off to the shower I go.....woohoo!!

Realizations

So I am reading Trishkaa's blog and she talked about how she was on the way to onederland.  And it got me thinking.  I have been in the 200s for HALF my life.  Half my life, which equals to almost my entire adult life.  What the heck?  I never really thought about it before I guess. 

It makes me so darn angry that I have wasted all those young years when I could have looked so damn hot.  I fooled myself by saying that I didn't really want to wear the clothes that others in their early 20s wore.  Nah, I told myself that I wanted to dress like a matronly old fart.  I wonder, is that why I took jobs working in offices when in reality I never wanted to do that?  After all, who could wear lo-rise jeans and sexy half shirts when you are working for the local cardiologist?  Nope, must wear a dress or suit.  OMG I really really never thought about it like that before. 

I have always said I didn't want to wear the current fashions because i was modest and they were expensive and slutty looking.  Well you know what?  I am modest and they are expensive and slutty looking....AND I DO WANT TO WEAR THEM!  I want to walk in a bar or restaurant and have heads turn, not because I am the frumpy fat lady but because I look fantastic and sexy.  And trust me, people probably weren't looking at me as the frumpy fat lady either.  That is just something we tell ourselves.  And how vain is that?  Sure, some people do look, but honestly most do not.   

And when my husband accepts me for how I look, that's great.  But where is the motivation in that?  I mean honeslty I am sure that I can look even more amazing and have even more energy, and that he would love that.  And my kids, wow to have a mom who could actually play on the toys they are playing on at the park...or ride the rides with them at the fair...wow that would be amazing.

So what keeps me from doing it?  What am I telling myself unconsciously which keeps me from actually reaching that weight again?  I know I started packing on the pounds when I was married to my EX who made me feel like dirt and who was emotionally and physically abusive to me.  So many nights I remember laying in bed, desperately wanting him to touch me, and knowing that he would reject me once again as he had for the previous 11 months (yes, ELEVEN months of no sex or even touching) and I would get to hear him say, "Look at yourself!  Nobody would ever want someone like you."  And somewhere along the way, I bought into that hook, line and sinker.  And no matter what, I simply cannot get the voice to stop echoing inside that I am not worthy...I am a piece of garbage that nobody will ever want.  Isn't that why he cheated?

It took me years to believe my current husband wouldn't cheat on me because why would he want someone that looked like me when there are so many beautiful women in the world that he could have.  And I put him through the ringer on that.  Those doubts spike every now and again, but I do know that he is in it for the long haul because he loves me.  After all, he has known me since I was 12 so he has known me through the thin years, the awkward years, and the fat years.  Right? 

So where does this leave me?  Knowing these things and actually believing in them enough to change my life are two completely different things.  So how does one get from one to the other??

Where is everyone?

I have noticed that not only are people not posting a lot on my blog or other blogs, but people aren't blogging as much either.  Hmmmmm must be the summer curse or something. 

Hope all is well with everyone.  HUGS