Score!

I am not one to be shy and let everyone know when my birthday is, and as we all know, this past Sunday was the big day!  Needless to say, I celebrated all weekend!  Between lounging by the pool, shopping, and eating at great restaurants, it was a pretty darn good weekend!

Oh the eating... Saturday my family went to Columbia Restaurant. Possibly one of my favorite Spanish restaurants, solely for their 1905 salad and bread!  Warm Cuban bread with butter = heaven on a plate!  And lets not forget the sangria - yummy sangria made table side! After the immense amounts of Spanish food - of course there was cake, Carvel Ice Cream cake to be exact!  Chocolate crunchies, you are my fav! Food coma ensued and we just sat around the condo and played Mexican Train for the rest of the night. 

Of course the next morning we went to IHOP for breakfast so I got one of their Simple & Fit meals.  Definitely nothing to be excited about, but I had to save my points for dinner because, of course, I was going out to eat again - this time with my friends, and we were going to Carrabba's!  I had the best time at dinner with my friends, and really tried to make the time about hanging out with my closest friends and not all about the food.  I totally got the small Pollo Rosa Maria, which I had planned for the whole time, with the Italian green beans instead of the mashed potatoes.  I still had a carafe of wine, and bread dipped in olive oil - so there was no denying myself, but just tried to be a little more conscious of what I was ordering!

I'm here to tell you - working out at Zumba, and just making a conscious effort of what you are eating totally helps!!  I weighed in last night at WW, and I lost 0.6lbs!  That's a total win in my book, especially considering the celebratory weekend I had!

The best part to this whole story...  today I had a co-worker tell me that she can tell I've been losing weight!!  There are only a few people here in my office that know I'm doing WW, and she isn't/wasn't one of them.  She said she can tell in my face and body that I've lost weight...  She totally made my day! Woohoo!!!!

Weigh In Blues

I went back to Weight Watchers last night and it happened....  I gained!  I gained 2.4lbs.  I was expecting a gain since I always pre-weigh Monday mornings, but I was secretly hoping my scale at home was wrong!  I wasn't totally surprised since I was on travel last week.  I tried making better choices, but I'm sure the drinking involved didn't help my cause!  I tried to make up for the food and drinking by going to Zumba 4 days in a row, but I think my body started to revolt and EVERYTHING hurt yesterday!  My WW leader says that because I worked out so much, my muscles might be retaining water to repair themselves.  That gave me a little bit of hope that its not all for not.

But on the up side... this is the first time I've gained anything the past two months of my journey.  And it helped me make even better choices when I went grocery shopping right after my meeting!

Plus I have an AMAZING support group of friends... they definitely keep me going!

Now - off to make this a good week!! :)

The future

One of my good friends texted me this morning that she had a dream about me, where I had lost a bunch of weight and I told her that I was at 161lbs. She was so excited and said I was wearing tight workout clothes and flaunting it.

This small text means so much to me because someone can visualize my future....  And it's achievable!!! As I sit here typing this on my phone...  I can't stop crying  because I want that dream to come true so badly. It just gives me the encouragement  and determination to keep at it. So thanks,  Mel...  for being a great  friend and visualizing me where I want to be!!! Where I will be!!!

And now I will stop before the guy on the plane next to me thinks I'm crazy for randomly crying uncontrollably.  :)

30 Day Squat Challenge

To ensure that my body hates me for the next month, my co-worker (a-hem, Lauren) has decided to do the 30 Day Squat Challenge that has been floating around Pinterest, FB, and Instagram - and has recruited me amongst other co-workers.

If you have never heard about it.... see below:

In searching for this image, I found there is another 30 day challenge for crunches and another one for planks!

Yeah - that's a LOT of squats!  What makes me slightly more insane for doing this, is that during Zumba and TurboKick, there are already a lot of squat-type moves, if not full on squats incorporated.

All I can say is that I better have amazing legs/butt after all this craziness!!

So - anyone want to join the crazy train?! :)

Back on the Wagon

Weeellll.... it's be about 2 weeks since my last post and I kinda fell off the wagon.  Life got a little busy and we were eating out A LOT!  I've come to realize that when you constantly eat out, making the right choices becomes harder and harder until you just eat whatever looks good.  And trust me, the big ol' bacon cheeseburger, or philly cheesesteak is what ends up looking good.

I was also traveling for work last week, and the same day I got home, I had some friends staying with us through the weekend.  They were great houseguests, and even cooked dinner for us on Friday.  She made the most amazing Chicken Parm with Spaghetti, cesar salad, and garlic bread.  She even apologized when I got home and said - this is not a WW friendly dinner! Who can say no to a dinner made for you!?!?

BUT - I started tracking again today and went to Zumba again this morning.  Man, it was hard getting out of bed at 5:15 this morning for Zumba!! And it was very obvious I haven't done much the past week and a half - I was dying through class!

I managed to get some Activity Points last week amazingly enough.  8 pts for the week and average of 78% to goal.  Ever since I upped my baseline two weeks ago, hitting goal is much more difficult!  Guess I need to be more active - even though I feel like I'm much more active that I was a month or two ago!

Nothing too exciting going on otherwise - we are starting to get the house cleaned up and doing all the fixes required so that we can rent it out if we find our dream home anytime in the near future.  That is a never-ending search - plus we can't firm up if we want to buy a house or build one.  I think as picky as the hubby is, building would be our best bet.  I'm pushing for it at least!!

Ohhhh - the biggest news is that we got a new kitty!!  We picked him up from our friends one week ago on Sunday and have spent the past week trying to make our current herd not hate him!!  I mean,  who could hate this adorable face!?!?

Gizmo

Encouragement

I just read a Dear Abby column (don't judge!) where someone who is overweight and has to lose over 50 lbs was walking with a friend and was ridiculed by a passerby.  This post brought me to tears (which isn't hard, but that's besides the point) because I know all too well how hard it is when you are overweight to exercise - and then when you do, you get made fun of!!

It's easy for people to tell you to brush off people's comments, but when you are overweight and self-conscious about it, words hurt more than anything else.  I still remember being made fun of in middle and high school.  The hurtful comments from classmates have never left.  Even comments from family or friends who love you, which aren't meant to be malicious, leave hurtful impressions. I know what it feels like going to a party or get together with family and/or friends and barely eating because you feel like you are being judged because, "Look at the fat girl - look at what/how much she's eating".  Regardless of if anyone is thinking that or not... that's how we feel because of those hurtful words in the past come creeping back in when you least expect it.

I've finally come to a place in my life where I know the family and friends I surround myself with love me for me, and don't judge when I eat a big ol' burger, or pizza.  But I've also come to a point in my life where I'm ready to make a change.  I've started WW for the 500th time (it seems), and this time making a real go at it and I've started exercising.  And to be completely honest...  the strangers at the Zumba and TurboKick classes are the most encouraging about exercise.  I'm without a doubt the biggest girl in the class, but everyone tells me how great I'm doing.  I remember a specific lady in class - I have no idea what her name is, and I don't even know if I've seen her again - but she made a point to come over to me during class and tell me, "Keep it up - you are kickin' butt!!"  Those words, whether she knows it or not, have kept me going back and feeling good about myself.  

So this is  me...  a big girl, making a fool of herself during Zumba or TurboKick, but having fun and keeping at it in order to continue my journey to happy and healthy!