Its 11am and I'm hungry...

I've had coffee and a half a banana. I've recorded it. I'm hungry but I don't want to blow it today.  I find if I eat less during the day - its harder to eat a larger dinner.   If I eat more during the day, I'm able to eat much more for dinner.  Since I am going out to dinner before the concert tonight and I don't want to screw up today.  I have to leave in 2 hours and I'm going to make myself work out for 45 mins, take a shower, do my hair and make-up, and plan my outfit for tonight.  I also have to clean my car since I'm driving everyone to the concert. 
Not sure where we'll end up for dinner but I am committed to making the right choices today.  I don't feel good about how I look today - but perhaps if I jump on the treamill - work out a little which I'm noticing makes me feel stronger mentally - it will curb my hunger and make me feel better.

This constant rain isn't helping either with the moods.  I need some sunshine!!!  See you all tomorrow - hope you have a WONDERFUL Tuesday!

Off to a great week!

I worked out today!  And I kept my calories in check!  Not only that, I faithfully tracked my calories and work out on caloriecount.com AND I resisted the Dove chocolates in the cabinet! Woot!  I was surprised how much I went over my calories and consumed 1700 calories yesterday and I actually thought I was doing well.  Today is much better.  I was very impressed with the new updates on caloriecount since it now analyzes your day and gives you a very detailed readout on calories, nutrients, protein, fats (sat and unsat), cholesterol, fiber, calorie deficit vs. overage customized to you.  I'm surprised that I was low on some nutrients and fiber but met the protien.  It helps me to decide what to change and what to add into my diet tomorrow.
Something I am learning since I am eating the foods I'm supposed to - if I keep eating - and push past what i should be eating, my stomach lets me!  And the more I eat.....the more I can eat!  If I stop early on, it almost seems like the food doesn't get used to going through the band.  It feels tighter.  If I push it - and eat more than I really should - the band just seems to loosen up and let me!  If it stayed this way, it could be a good thing.  It would occasionally allow me to eat but restrict me most of the time.
Today, for example, I packed a tunafish sandwich.  I could only eat less than half before I worked out.   I know that's because I didn't eat breakfast - only coffee.  I ate the other half of the sandwich driving back to work after I worked out.  I was quite full - but satisfactorily full.  I had greek yogurt and a bananna still that I had packed that I couldn't eat.  No way.  Then tonight I had about 1 cup of chili.  Just right.  I feel good - satisfied.  (smile)

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Charlottesville, VA with 3 other girls (one is my sister) and we are going to see my boyfriend John Mayer!  Woohoooo!  We're going to drive home afterwards so I won't get home until about 3am.  Going to have to fuel up on the Sbux!  I can't wait!  I hope I'm able to sneak my camera in - its one of those with the detachable lens that most places won't let you bring into a concert.  I hope I have lots of great pictures to share!  And if you're wondering how I feel about his lastest screw up in the Playboy article - I think he was stupid for what he said.  Hopefully he learned something from it and grew up a little.  Sometimes you have to learn the hard way.  Well, I do still like him for all the other reasons I liked him before.  People say stupid things sometimes, no excuses, but I'm going to enjoy the concert tomorrow! :)   

Eating the right foods

This week I am going to work on the types of food that I eat.  I have been eating foods that are easy with the band and those almost always equate to high calorie foods.  It truly is amazing how the food that is the WORST for you is the easiest to eat and for the band to tolerate.  I have not been eating salads - I've been eating cheese, nacho cheese, refried beans, chips, salsa, ice cream.  But mostly cheesy things.  WHAT exactly was I thinking?  I have not been regularly eating vegetables - like steamed broccoli, greens, beans, etc.  I realized I have avoided them b/c they are hard to eat.  Since I have been consciously improving what I'm eating, I'm getting stuck a lot more.  Yuck-O!  Anyway, I am consciously counting my calories again and I am planning and concentrating on planning my meals.  That's what I'm supposed to do!  I usually lose control at work b/c I am always rushing - I don't eat breakfast before I leave b/c I'm so busy trying to get the kids ready - one on the bus and take the other one to the sitter.  I the rush to work, grab a cofffee and get the day going.  I don't eat until 10am - or I just plain forget until its noon and then I just eat lunch.  I go for what's considered a slider food - pastas, gravies, soup, cheesy things.  This past week, however, I brought a great salad, a turkey and swiss sandwich the next and you know what?  They were difficult to get down.  I was hungry, rushing yet again to gulp it down.  I realized that's why I never eat the way I'm supposed to b/c I DON'T ALLOW myself enough time to eat them.  It takes me about 45 mins to get the salad down.  About 30 to get the sandwich down.  Well - that's how its supposed to work!!    For lunch today, I ate about a cup of butter beans and potatoes - awesomely good leftovers from last night.  A very COZY lunch!  This is all I ate - I could have had more - but I stopped at this: 

I was catching up on everyone's blogs today and I was reading where one of you went to a nutritionist - and she stated you should be at 900 calories.  Gosh that seems so low - but I'm going to shoot for that b/c I the same height at 5'4".  I've gotten a week behind me of regular exercise - I'm going to keep that up too.  I feel good that I'm getting to place where I am back on track.  I just know I am.  I'm not going to fail at this.  I'm not going to let that happen so I'm going to do something about it.

I also just got a new phone - its a Droid which is Verizon's version of the iPhone.  I'm going to figure out how to subsribe to all your blogs and get updates.  I'm also able to use caloriecount.com on it.  I know many of you love thedailyplate.  I'm not sure which one is best or what the advantages are.  I just know I need to track my calories and I'd really like to be able to do it from my phone so I can update it throughout the day. 

On the craft front, I'm on the last sleeve on an Easter sweater I'm making my daughter.  I'm about half way done and soon I'll be able to sew it up and try it on her.  I think I'll actually make it by Easter!  Sweaters take a very very long time to make - especially when you have NO free time.  I'll share pics on her when its done - here's how it looks right now:

WHAT???????

SARAH!  WHAT??  ME???!!!  Thank you so much. 
I am finally catching up on some blogs and I JUST read this nomination from SARAH.  I can't believe it.  Really!  I've always seen blog awards on other people's blogs and thought they are a pretty cool thing and always deserved, which is why I am just....well....beside myself.  How cool!  I really appreciate it and so pleased that you find me remotely interesting!  You have not idea how I've needed something to boost me and I'm telling you - this has really done it for me.  As you know, I've been absent from blogging for a few weeks b/c I was just in a funk.  Well, funk no more! LOL.  I actually got my butt up and worked out yesterday and now this?  Way Cool!

And to take from Sarah, the rules: 
Thank the person who nominated you for the award;
Copy the award and post onto your blog;
Link to the blog of the person who nominated you;
Tell seven interesting things about yourself;
Nominate seven bloggers; and
Post links to the blogs of your nominees

Seven things about me:
1.   I work in a very technical field but I am really more of a creative person.  I have the opportunity to change all of that in the next year as I am accepting severance from my job in 2011, staying at home for 2 years to pretend I'm Martha Stewart, then pursuing my creative side instead of my technial management side for my career.
2.  I love MS Excel. I actually 'think' in EXCEL most days to solve problems and people always come to me to teach them and I love to show them cool tricks and what you can really do with that program. 
3.  I secretly wish I could get married again (to the same guy) on a beach in the Islands or Hawaii and this time feel more beautiful than I did the first time.  I was about 170 the first time and felt like a very overweight bride........I know! I'd be so happy to be there now!
4.  Like Sarah, I love to organize things but you'd never know it looking at my house.  I take vacation days off from work just so that I can clean my house because it makes me mentally overwhelmed when my house is wreck - which is 95% of the time.
5.  I don't always wash my face before I go to bed.......:(
6.  I really think I can dance.  I never dance in front of anyone - but I'm tellin'  ya - I've got rythm!  SWEAR!
7.  I make my own handmade soap.  I love making french lavendar, green tea, Oatmeal, Milk & Honey soap.  Its the best soap in the world to me with the most dense, thick lather.  I also make my own body cream - its very thick everyone asks me to make it - especially people who use tanning beds b/c they tell me they can't find anything that works better.   I love to make something that people really like - its really a great feeling to see them sniffing away and then asking me to make more!

My Seven Nominees (wow - this really IS hard! There are so many out there that are really fantastic - many of you already have Beautiful Blogger awards!)

Alexis - from The Swensen Family.  She is gorgeous and real - she speaks honestly and I love all the pics she shares of her ever shrinking self!  She and her hubby are such a cute couple and she's done so very well!  She also lives in a beautiful part of Pacific Northwest - I miss not getting to travel there for work anymore.  I miss The Pink Door restaurant! :)

Dinnerland - She is doing such a great job!  She really is determined and that's inspiring!  She writes well and I appreciate the detail.  I learn a lot from her posts because I can relate to them.

LapbadGalsjourney- She's lost 60lbs already!  She posts a lot of pictures - most recently of her airplane seat belt success!  Great job!

Yana in New York - Girl Meets Band - she just got banded in December and is already knocking out goals - keep up the great work!

Robyn at Improving Life - She's also recently banded.  She is dealing with some new issues in her life which makes it hard when you're a stress eater (like me).  She's going to be really successful!

Thanks again Sarah - you're really made my day!

I worked out this week!

I'm still on the bandwagon - the exercise one!  That alone is great news for me.  I did what I said I'd do and that's find time to work out this week.  It wasn't easy - but gosh - it felt great to have done it.  To have accomplished it, I mean.  My back and shoulders hurt most - because I'm so tense when I work out it causes my shoulders to cinch up and I get tension headaches from it.  I need to remember to relax my shoulders when I'm walking and jogging. 
I need to work out today to finish the week strong and also work out tomorrow (Sun) to start the week off right!  I did lose 2lbs - those 2 wierd lbs that hovered up are now back down.
I am excited to go with my sister and friends to Charlottesville this Tuesday evening to see the currently controversial John Mayer.  Its going to be great!  I honestly thought that I would be in the 190's and my goal was to be in the 180's by this concert.  But I didn't work out so I sat on this plateau until I did what I know I need to.  Work out!

How am I going to work in time to exercise this week?

Monday starts a new workweek and a challenge for when I'm going to work exercise into my day.  I didn't get up at 5am to workout so that means I've got to either do on my lunch hour or when I get home tonight.  Lunch is more realistic but it will mean I have to stay at work longer since working out 45 min at lunch means I'll be gone from the office for an hour and 15mins.
I made fish and a good salad last night.  I'm bringing the leftover salad to work and plan on eating a bananna and coffee for breakfast.  I also brought yogurt as a snack.  I sure hope I can keep my eating on track today and avoid brownies and chocolate chip cookies that DH made. 
I've got such tension in my shoulders which is causing me bad headaches.  I know this is a result of how I run - I need to relax more and be conscious of it.  I've also got my ipod with me which will count my steps all day today.  I do look forward to uploading the data afer each workout.  I easily do 5000 steps when I do the treadmill for 45min.  That is positive reinforcement for me. 
How many of you have the bodybugg and is it worth it?  I'd love to know your thoughts on that!  Its expensive and I know some people swear by them.  But what are the advantages over say, the ipod pedometer that I have?  Would love to know your thoughts!
The sun is finally out here - after many gray winter days!  I can't wait to wear flip flops!!!

This is a cake, by the way.  How cute is that?  From this site.

Worked out again - feels good!

It feels good to have that accomplished.  Its always rough at first but it felt good to work out some of the soreness from my muscles.  I ran for 10 mins of the 45 - the rest I walked on an incline.  Knees don't feel as bad as they did the first time.  I listened to a craftsanity podcast interviewing a knitting designer I like a lot the whole time which is a change of pace for me.  I know - boooring for most - but its interesting for me!  I did complete knitting booties and a cute little hat for someone who recently had a baby at work.  It felt good to accomplish something with my hands instead of with my brain.  A tangible result of work completed.
On the eating front: I can't believe I blew it last night eating.  Nachos with cheese did me in.  This after making myself broiled salmon with steamed asparagus while the kids ate pizza.  Not sure why I fell off the wagon like that - I was feeling stressed b/c of the kids and frustrated that I hadn't worked out yesterday. 
I'm going to eat the other half of the salmon with the rest of the asparagus for lunch.  I don't know why I crave cheese all the time.  cheese and crackers, nachos with cheese, blue cheese on my salad, grilled cheese.  Its really nuts.  I know I get enough protein, so its not that.  And I never really was a big cheese person before.