Pink Hope Barbie

You support and encourage - you inspire......You are a classy, beautiful, inspiring Barbie that has an important message!!! Even with all of that you still get to be bitchy and whiny - people just love YOU for it!!!

I promise to uphold the Barbie ways which include whining when you feel like it, being bitchy on cue and knowing that NO MATTER WHAT or WHO (yeah even if she is a rich, plastic surgery induced, exercise obsessed, bubble head) comes across your path - that you are Barbie.....beautiful and worthy!!! Size 6 or 60, Porsche or Pinto, flat belly and good boobs or pannus and dried prunes - we are AWESOME!!

It's been another long week...

My Friday is almost 1/2 over and I feel like I have a million more things to get done. I think I said this yesterday but the last week of the month SUCKS for me. Subcontractor billings are processed, which means Owner Change Orders, Sub Change Orders and the dreaded Upper Management Review Meetings...I had mine this morning. This meeting is basically, myself, the other PM, and the Supt explaining every line item in our budget to the CFO and CEO of our company. Our project is fairly on schedule and budget but they are never fun, everything is scrutinized and stress levels are high. The basic concept is to scare us that we are spending too much money and not moving fast enough...it works. I'm just glad I got this done before leaving for vacation. I have to get some meeting notes out and a bunch of budget revisions done before 2:30 today...wish me luck, please!!

I didn't get much moved at home last night. The "production" was amazing. I had really bad gas though (sorry TMI)...Derek made hot dogs and "Black Bean Brownies" for dinner with a side of broccoli, it didn't sit well! I felt bad for the couple sitting next to us. The group behind me was annoying so I say "serves you right"!!

Derek is done early today so he is going to work on laundry and cleaning, how lucky am I? I am hoping to have everything at least sorted through before I leave tomorrow morning. We are leaving at 6:30 am so I will need to have everything ready tonight.

Well, I won't be able to stay up with everyone next week, I am going to be lost without you all. Have a wonderful weekend and week everyone. I'm outta here!

B - 2 Clementines (1)
S - Yogurt (1)
S - Fiber One (0)
L - 1/2 turkey sandwich (3)
L - Kettle Chips (3)
L - Carrots (0)
L - Rice Bar (3)
D - Hot Dogs (2)
D - Whole Wheat Bread (1)
D - Broccoli (0)
S - Bean Brownie (2)

Day 2 Points Used: 19/19

Activity Point Used: 0
WPs Remaining: 35!!

Moving Home

It's official, I am moving back home!!! I can't wait. It feels like a brand new house, maybe I will re-arrange my furniture...probably not, I like it the way it is. I went in for my final walk-thru last night and it looks pretty good. A couple of the walls I had painted needed to be replaced so I will need to decide if I want to re-paint and what colors. The mattress in the guest bedroom tested high, I could probably steam it but I just don't want to risk having this mold back in my house so we threw it out. We really don't use the guest bed very often, I might look at a futon or something smaller to replace it.

Since I moved out in such a hurry everything is a complete mess. I am normally a very organized person and this mess is going to drive me crazy. I really want to get everything back to normal before I leave. Derek said he would finish painting the garage and paint the walls in the upstairs if I picked out paint next week since he will be home alone. He also said he was going to work 12 hour days for some extra cash so we will see what happens! It will be hard for me to leave on Saturday if everything is still torn apart, hopefully everything goes smoothly.

Derek, my sister, my BIL and I are all going to a production tonight (sounds fancy huh?) I am excited, we are going to see Monty Pythons Spamalot at the Ordway in St. Paul. My grandfathers company (the company I work for) built the Ordway in 1985, since they are busy tonight, we were given the tickets. I am so excited! The last week of the month is always my busiest at work so I am going to pull out of here early. I washed my hair this morning and let it dry curly. I will change quick when I get home and hopefully Derek will make some dinner for me so I won't starve! Hopefully I am not too much of a mess when we leave for the show!

B - Yogurt (1)
B - Fiber One (0)
B - Orange (1)
S - Apple (1)
L - Mac and Cheese (5)
L - Carrots (0)
L - Mushrooms (0)
L - Pudding (1)
S - Cinnamon Crisps (2)
D - Chicken Breast (3)
D - Potato (3)
S - Ice Cream Treat (2)

Day 1 Points Used: 19/19

Activity Points Swapped: 0
WPs Remaining: 35

Found but not lost...

Sorry I didn't post yesterday, I had a lot going on at work and a lot on my mind. I started to write a post about 4 different times but everything sounded so negative and my mom always said "if you don't have anything good to say...don't say anything at all". I always hated that phrase, still do...stupid. Anyways, I have been mostly OP, not tracking because I am just plain lazy. I will start tracking again today since I will be leaving for vacation and need to save my FP for the weekend.

Well, it is Wednesday, or in Matty's world WI day! I didn't think I would get home to use the scale this morning so I weighed in yesterday and guess what? The scale FINALLY moved and it moved...DOWN 1.1 lbs!!!!!! As that annoying little brown haired explorer would say "We did it, we did it..." I can't believe it, I finally saw 125 on that pathetic little screen. Not to get super spiritual or anything but I had a Major Matty Meltdown (yes, there are major and minor one's, this one was big) and I searched to hear my grandfathers voice or feel his presence, I have been fighting to see this loss for quite a while and I truly believe it was his way of telling me he is here. Sorry, I know not everyone is spiritual, I don't always think like this.

Alright, I am going to get some work done. I am going to be good today, I am going to stay within my points and I am going to drink my water. I am trying really hard to stay positive for a week as hard as it can be, I have been very down lately and I need to get over this thing! Have a great day everyone!

Out of Sorts

This weekend kind of flew by, nothing seems real right now. Not knowing what is going on at my house and living day to day. Friday night we went to the game, I had fun and splurged on a Brat with the fixings (it was delish).

Saturday morning Derek had a car show so he was up and out before I was even thinking about getting out of bed. I got up and my sister picked me up to bring little Rosie to have her pictures taken at the mall. We made a morning out of it and got lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. We both had the salad bar and split the turkey minis, I wasn't really hungry so I ate my one mini and a large salad and was full (this rarely happens). I didn't feel like sitting around all afternoon so I took off for my girlfriends house around 2 and hung out there until almost 11. We hit a bucket of balls and made salads for dinner. Not too bad of a day!!

Sunday was interesting. Derek didn't get home until almost 4 in the morning so he slept in pretty late. We went to the store and picked up some chicken and corn to make on the grill. I don't know what is up with my eating but I wasn't hungry until almost 7:30 pm on Sunday. I actually forced myself to eat an orange and some crackers because I knew I needed to get something in me. I should have ran on Sunday but the Air Quality Index is at its worst here and with my allergies it is dangerous for me to be outside (scary)!!

Anyways, I don't have much on updates. I finally gave in and took next week off from work. I NEVER take time off so this is going to be interesting. Andrea, Rosie and I are going up to the cabin to tile the kitchen and have some sister time!!! I can't wait!

No Filter Friday...

It seems the guys at work left their comment filters at home this morning. Maybe it's the grungy jeans and white fitted t-shirt but whatever I did this morning sure has gotten me a lot of attention. So far I have gotten the following comments:

"I like the new look (in reference to me not drying my hair straight) it's kind of trashy and sexy all at once."

"Working the bed head and working it well (with a wink...would have been better coming from anyone other then the guy that said it)"

"You could be twins with Grace (in reference to Will and Grace actress Debra Messing)"

"You look really different" (Not sure, so I took it as a compliment)

and then there were 3 random "hellos" while walking through the site, usually people just ignore me...I guess they think I am "scary" because I work in the trailer.

Ha, just thought I would share. Most of the comments were in regards to my hair being curly but it is kind of strange because I have worn it curly for over a week now and these are the first couple comments I have heard!

Breaking Down

First off, thank you EVERYONE for the support yesterday. I was (and still am) pretty down about the situation, it is all for the better and I was surprised at how fast they are working to get this resolved.

I don't know if it is the house mess or frustration at work but I can feel myself breaking down. I went for a 2 hour run after work yesterday with some friends and I felt like I was dying. I couldn't breathe right and my mind was telling me I had enough. I got through it though and then I crashed on my friends couch. I usually get a lot of energy from my runs but yesterday it took everything I had left out of me. When I finally got to my temporary home I made a Smart One and a NH Hot Dog I found in the freezer. It wasn't a gourmet dinner but it worked.

I got to bed by 9:30 to ensure my 8 hours of sleep last night but I must have woken up 10 times during the night. I just couldn't get comfortable. Fridays are normally pretty quiet here at work but since I was out most of yesterday I have a lot of catch up to do. Hopefully that will make the day go by quickly, hopefully. I should work-out tonight but we have tickets to the Twins game and I think I might just go and have a fun night out. I am planning on running 8 miles tomorrow and skating 10 on Sunday (partially because if I want to eat I will need the APs)!!

I didn't get as much water in as I had hoped yesterday, I am going to pour some in my mug right now though. Here is my menu:

B - Caribou Smoothie (2)
B - WW Chocolate Cake (1)
S - Chocolate Splurge (5)
L - Hot Dog w/bun (6)
L - Chips and Cheese (5)
L - Miller Lite (2)
D - WW Mac and Cheese (5)
D - FF Hot Dog (1)
S - Ice Cream Sandwich (3)
A - 2 hour run (7)

Day 2 Points Used: 30/19
Activity Points Swapped: 5
FP Remaining: 26

I'm a 24 year old...

BABY. Yes, you heard me right, I am a baby and to prove it to everyone I cried and threw a fit last night. REWIND. A few weeks ago I blogged about the mold issue I am having in my new home, so since then I have been negotiating "nicely" with the builder and trying to work out a resolution. Well Monday afternoon I get a call from the flooring contractor that works with my builder and he tells me they are going to 'gut' my house in order to ensure nothing is left. I was feeling pretty good at that point and then Tuesday rolled around, I received a message from the flooring guy again asking me to give him a call when I had a chance (didn't sound urgent) we had Rosie's birthday game that night so I decided I would call him Wednesday. Upon returning this phone call I was "made aware" that I would need to pack up and move ALL my personal belongings...okay, sure I expected I would need to do this...and then..."BY THURSDAY MORNING".
This phone call was followed by shock, can they honestly do this??? I called Derek and let him know he would need to be home right after work and to call anyone and everyone he knew that could help me. I called/emailed everyone in my contact book...it was going to be a long night. We had a lot of help and did manage to get almost everything moved (well thrown, stuffed, piled in any sort of fashion) to the garage/basement. My house looks like a disaster and my belongings are so disorganized, it took me nearly 45 minutes this morning to find my shoes that somehow got set outside (this was actually Derek's attempt at helping me so I could find them in the morning...ha) anyways, I am tired, I am crabby and I want my organized house back.
It hit me about 7:30 last night how upset I was about this whole thing. I started out by balling my eyes out (claiming that I got dust in them so nobody knew what a wreck I really was) and then anger set in. I threw an entire pile of neatly folded shirts down the stairs and boy did it feel good. I continued with the rest of my clothes not thinking about the fact that I should have taken out at least two weeks worth of clothes for during the construction (oops)!
We finished up and everyone decided to go grab a bite at Don Pablos. I had 7 points left for the day and if I do my math correctly I ate about 10 points, not too bad for Mexican. Today is going horrible so far. My sister was trying to cheer me up this morning so Rosie and her came over before work to bring me a fruit smoothie from Caribou. It was so sweet and of course seeing Rosie made me smile. 2 points for 1/2 a smoothie and then I found the only food left in my house 1 point WW chocolate cake, 3 points at 9:30 in the morning, not too bad. I pulled into work and found chocolate in my purse, there goes another 4 points so I have demolished 7 points today with a lunch meeting at noon...good thing I have FPs!
I am certain this is one of the worst blogs I have ever written, I am tired though and I just needed to vent a little. Hope everyone is having a good day. I don't have a home right now so I may be a little quiet over the next few days/weeks until everything is back to normal!

Poor planning and a stomach ache...

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes, Rosie had a wonderful first birthday (even though she was a bit over-tired). The game was fun, but I didn't plan well. I was starving with 10 points down and 9 points left for the day when I got home and decided to have some chips and salsa, I definitely ate more then one serving :( bad idea. I thought about making dinner but I was rushing to get ready and I couldn't think of anything "fast". I held off and ended up having to find dinner at the game. BAD IDEA. My sister bought me a Bratwurst served with a small bag of chips. I ate EVERYTHING, it wasn't great and my stomach feels like it is about to hurt me.

On that note, I got on the scale curled over to help the cramps this morning. I couldn't believe it...I am EXACTLY the same. I haven't gained or lost anything in almost a month, time to try something new. I was very good at tracking last week and got at least 5-6 servings of fruits and veggies in everyday. I am horrible at water though, it's hard when you don't have a bathroom at work to use. I brought my water mug with me today and my goal is to get three in while I am at work and another 5 when I get home for the rest of the week. I have a huge workout planned for tonight and a 5 mile run tomorrow. I am also going to make an effort to get more sleep, even if I need to take a nap everyday, my goal is 8 hours every night for the week. If these steps don't make a difference, it's back to CORE for a week or two until I can get this weight loss jump started again.

Alright, I have to share these. The first one is from last year. I deleted this picture because I hated the way I looked, my sister kept a copy and I am ready to share it. The second picture is from last night. I don't know if the difference is as much as I feel it is...

Happy 1st Birthday Rosie!!

I can't believe that a year ago today I was sleeping in the hallway of the busy hospital "patiently" awaiting the birth of my first niece or nephew. We got there around 6p.m. the night before and I insisted on staying until the baby came. I had no idea little Rosie would wait until almost 6 p.m. that night to finally say hello to this world. I remember the feeling I had when we saw Ryan walking into the waiting room. He gave me our signal and I shrieked as I exclaimed "It's a Girl, It's a Girl" my eyes instantly teared up and I didn't know what to do first. I got on the phone to call the list of people my sister wanted me to call and just as I finished calling the last person they came to let us know we could go in. I must have looked like a kid in a candy store, skipping and smiling as I inched my way down the hallway. It was the one time I didn't mind the musty smell of the hospital, I don't think I even thought about it. I wasn't the first person in the room but I was able to squeeze through the grandparents to my front row spot where my sister was waiting to see my expression. She was beautiful, tiny and I loved her more then I knew was possible the minute I saw her. I know Andrea and Ryan had held her before we got in but I still felt like I was the first person to hold her. I sat down in the chair next to the window and my protective but caring grandfather reminded me "be careful", I didn't care or listen, I would never hurt her, and it felt like she knew me right away.
Our first visit was quick, Baby and Mom needed rest and so did we. I remember driving home and all I could do was smile, I had only gotten about 2 hours of sleep the night before but I was wide awake, picturing that sweet face. I called everyone in my phonebook on that drive home, I was so proud of this miracle. I will never forget that day, July 17, 2006.
A year has passed and I have so many more memories with Rosie, my heart honestly hurts when I think of my life before Rosie, not knowing how it feels to have this little person trust and love you even though they don't understand what is really going on. The smile that comes over her face and mine when I see her for the first time in a while gives me the same feelings I had the day she was born. I am not the best Aunt in the world, I am sure but what I do know is I would do anything for that baby girl, and I will always be proud of her. I love you Rosie, Happy 1st birthday!!

Alright, sorry for the long trip down memory lane, I have so many pictures and emotions going through me today. Yesterday was great. I worked a short day because I needed to be at the dentist by 1:30. After I got home I had the munchies (probably the result of not eating much the day before) I had a couple snacks and then hit the road for a long run. We didn't take anything out for dinner so I threw a potatoes and some hot dogs in the microwave and we relaxed. Today (if you haven't heard enough times) is Rosalie's birthday. We are taking her to the Twins game tonight and hoping to get on T.V.!!!! It is usually pretty hard to find a healthy choice at the Metrodome, if I can get out of here early enough I will probably eat before we leave.

Well, this is long enough already, so here is my menu from Monday:

B - Cherries (1)
B - Yogurt (1)
B - Fiber One (0)
S - WW Cake (1)
L - Carrots (0)
L - Pudding (0)
L - Mac and Cheese (4)
S - FF Popcorn (2)
S - Ice Cream (2)
D - Baked Potato (3)
D - Cheese and Sour Cream (1.5)
D - FF Hot Dog & Bread (2)
S - Ice Cream (3)
A - 5 Mile Run (+4)

Day 6 Points Used: 21.5/19
Activity Points Used: 2.5
Weekly Points Remaining: 15

Is it really Monday?

The weekend flew by and I am exhausted. Friday night we went to dinner and bowling with some old friends, it was fun and I stayed OP. Saturday was hectic, got up and went for my walk and then ran errands for hours. I had really wanted to spend some time with my niece so we headed out to my sisters house around 4. Turns out they had a bunch of people over and were going out to Texas Roadhouse for dinner, we tagged along (against my wishes). I ordered the grilled chicken with a baked potato and house salad. Even though it was a "healthy" choice, I felt guilty and only picked at my plate.
Sunday was the big 1st birthday party!!! I got up early to go skating only to find my knee was pretty swollen, so I hopped on the treadmill for 30 minutes instead. Since I had some extra time Derek and I decided to go over to the golf course and hit a bucket of balls quick, I love the upper body work out from golfing so I felt pretty good. Andrea picked me up a little later and party set-up began. My darling little niece decided she did not want to nap at all so by 4:00 when everyone was starting to show up she was getting pretty tired. She managed to stay awake and entertained with everyone there though. It was so much fun, she loved her cake and her presents (she even shared a piece of her special bear cake with Auntie, no one else though!!).

Sorry about the rambling today, I am still have asleep and just trying to get through the day.

The air was on high yesterday...

because I was venting all day long! After I vented on here a little, my manager made the mistake of asking me "how things were going" (oops) I kept it short but let him know I was very un-pleased with how things have been going lately. After work it was off to a short meeting were one of my friends I don't see very often let me download for about 30 minutes. I felt pretty good but it was a long day at work which meant I was STARVING when I finally pulled into the driveway. I was so drained and I knew we had plans to go out for my friends birthday that night so I decided to relax for 30 minutes before getting ready. I popped some FF popcorn to hold me over until the late dinner (I wish I would have made a low point dinner instead but my friend really wanted everyone to have dinner there).

I got ready, felt great and we headed out to the bar. All day I went back and forth on whether or not I should have a drink or two...I ordered a small glass of wine, which turned into two and then some guy ordered my girlfriend and I a shot and even though I should not have I took the shot with her. The bar she picked out was nice, they had a lot of fatty bar foods so Derek and I ordered a small chicken pizza to share and dinner salads with FF dressing. I feel fat and bloated this morning...probably a combination of the 2nd hand smoke and the little bit of alcohol I consumed.


Small vent and NSV before I post my menu. NSV first, I did not worry about my stomach or weight the entire night, I felt great and I flaunted it!!! My vent, I have lost 20 lbs and my supposed "best friend" hasn't said a word about it :( I know she notices but she has decided she will ignore it. Oh well, I am still proud of how far I have come!!!

Here is the menu, I am really not happy with how high my points have been the last two days. I am going to keep accountable through the weekend and maybe I will break through this mini plateau this week, finally!!

B - Muffin (3)

B - Cherries (1)

S - Cinnamon Twist (1)

L - Soup (4.5)

L - Yogurt (1)

L - Fiber One (0)

S - Pudding (1)

S - Popcorn (1.5)

D - 2 small Slices of Pizza (9)

D - Side Salad (0)
D - 2 glasses wine (3.5)

D - 1 jigger run (2)

Day 2 points used: 28/19

Activity Points earned: 0 (no excuse, my knee has been hurting)
Weekly Points remaining: 23

I'm All Ears, Usually.

In the past two weeks I have had two of my girlfriends leave or dump their boyfriends and I have been all ears for both of them. I have wished so bad I could just snap my fingers and make their pain and doubt go away but it's never that easy. Well yesterday I kind of exploded. I was so sick of hearing the same thing over and over again and I snapped, I controlled myself when I was talking but I needed to get out of there and I needed a chance to vent myself. I love my friends and I want the best for them but sometimes I feel like they don't feel the same way about me. I listened to one of my girlfriends for nearly 4 hours (for the 5th day in a row) go on and on about how much she loves this guy but it just isn't going to work, nothing new to say, just complaining. Never once did she ask how I was or if anything was on my mind. In fact, I don't remember the last time she let me vent to her, about ANYTHING. I started to talk about something at one point and before I even finished my thought she was back onto her problems.
Luckily for me (and unfortunate for you guys) I have a blog were I can vent as much as I like! I'm sad, down and frustrated. I miss my grandfather, I can't stop tearing up every time I think about him and it literally kills me to know he will never see me walk down the aisle or hold my first child. I keep having memories of him and I know he is still with me but it hurts, a lot. I am frustrated with my job, I get no respect and I feel like I am running into a brick wall at full speed. My house is a mess, actually it's spotless to the eye, but underneath all that is MOLD and ishy things I can't even honestly talk about that right now. I know everyone has problems and mine are tiny compared to most but I feel like a very full glass bottle ready to break somedays. This will get easier I know.

Alright, back to yesterday. Eating was pretty good, I dug into my flex points a little, had I said no to the fruit smoothie at the salon I would have been fine, or maybe it was the chicken salad I had for dinner...either way it was worth it, I needed some protein and my body was very thankful. I ate a large amount of fruit with my chicken salad dinner and due to my stupid allergy to fruit I couldn't eat or drink anything the rest of the night (my mouth swells up and burns when I eat most fruits). So here it is, the first day of the week:

1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One (0)
Cinnamon Struessel (3)
Yogurt (1)
3 Tbsp feta cheese (2)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (0)
1/2 oz portabella mushrooms (0)
Croutons (2)
1 cup pineapple (1)
1/2 cup chicken salad (6)
3/4 cups strawberries (0)
3 Waffle Fries (1)
1 medium orange(s) (1)
Smoothie (4)
Cinnamon Twists (3)

Day 1 Food POINTS values total used: 24/19
Activity POINTS values earned: 2
Weekly points remaining: 32

Walkers 4 Knockers...Knocking Breast Cancer Right out of the Park!

We did it! Our goal was to raise $9,600.00 by August 24th, 2007 for Breast cancer and we raised:

$10,736.00

I am still in a little bit of shock on the final amount. The support and kindness we received from our family and friends was amazing and we are so thankful to have everyone a part of this journey. Unfortunately raising the money was only the beginning of this journey for us. Our focus has changed to one thing: TRAINING! We have a 60 mile walk right in front of us and we need to make sure we are physically, mentally and emotionally ready.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support!

Maybe there is something wrong with me?

Yesterday was another OP day. I ate exactly my 19 allowed points and felt good about my choices. I didn't get to go skate because we had very high winds and the path is not protected. I probably could have found a different route, but I took the night off. Derek and I had a couple errands to run so we did that, made stir-fry at home for dinner and watched the MLB All-Star Game.

I weighed in this morning and was DOWN 1.8 lbs. !!! This makes up for my gain of 1.2 last week so I am happy about that.

Okay so to my title...this is about the Fiance and I so if you don't want TMI...STOP READING! Last night we went to bed and I fell asleep instantly. I had a bad stomach ache and I have to be out of bed by 5 a.m. during the week. I was sound asleep and I could tell it was pretty far into the night when I felt him touching my back and trying to get "close" I was so tired I didn't move and kept trying to sleep. He didn't give up though and continued to think he was going to get lucky. I finally jumped up looked at the clock, looked at him and yelled "WTF? It's 2:30 in the morning, what are you doing?" He responded "I woke up". I was so tired and I knew I needed my sleep so I grabbed the blankets, turned the other way and fell back asleep (he got my point). This morning he was a little snappy with me and I started to feel guilty like I don't give him enough attention, is there something wrong with me? I love him so much and love the time we have together but when I lay down to go to bed I want to sleep and I certainly don't want to be woken up at 2:30 a.m.!!! I have an appointment tonight so I won't be home until late. I hope he doesn't feel like I am ignoring him.

Back to my original topic, here is my menu from Tuesday:

B - Cherries (1)
B - Yogurt (1)
B - Fiber One (0)
L - Carrots (0)
L - WW Macaroni and Cheese (5)
L - 100 Cal Pack (2)
S - Pudding (1)
D - TJ's Beef Stir Fry and Pot stickers (5)
S - Cinnamon Strusel Muffin (3)
S - 2 Marshmallows (I need to get rid of these) (1)
S - WW Cake (1)

Day 7 Points used: 19/19

Flex Points Remaining: 0

Right Back on Track

Vacations and Holidays are always a quick way to get of course on eating for me so I am very happy to report I had a perfect OP day yesterday. I stayed pretty satisfied through-out the day and really only got "hungry" once in the late afternoon. I got in a 1-hour run after dinner and even managed to get all my errands done!
I haven't been sleeping very well the past couple of weeks and I know it has to do with stress from my house and work. When I built my home a little over a year ago the builder messed up some of the plumbing and this caused a small flood in my upstairs laundry room. I tried to dry up the flood as well as I could when it happened and immediately called the builder to get someone out there to lift the carpet up. The builder insisted I didn't need to worry about pulling the carpet up. A few weeks later I was having troubles breathing and my throat hurt every morning. I called a specialist who thought we needed to test for mold growth. Sure enough large growths had already spread from the laundry room into the hallway and into my master bedroom. The builder agreed to rip out the sub floor and replace the carpet pad but would not replace the carpet (which had mold right on it). So a year passes and I call the specialist again to have them test once more for mold growth and not much to our surprise the carpet comes back with mold growth on it. I call the builder and they say..."we don't agree, we will not do anything". I filed the report, they brought in their own guys, their guys agree with my guys, builder is mad at me, I am mad at them...arghhh.... Last night the builder emailed me (he refuses to call me) and says the carpet guys want to come in and we need a key to your house. EXCUSE ME?!?! I don't think so! I am calling a lawyer today, my stomach hurts because I just can't deal with all of this right now.
Sorry about the ramble, I just needed to write it out. Okay so here is my menu from yesterday, I ate exactly ALL my points!!

B - 1 cup Cherries (1)
B - 1/2 cup Fiber One (0)
B - Yogurt (1)
S - WW Cake (1)
L - Carrots (0)
L - Grilled Chicken Marinara (5)
L - Pretzels (2)
S - Pickle (0)

S - Turkey Pepperoni (.5)
D - Baked Potato (3)
D - Broccoli (0)

D - FF Cheese (1)
D - Pretzels (2)
S - 94% FF Popcorn (2)
S - 1 Marshmallow (.5)
A - 1-hour (2)

Day 6 Points used: 19/19
Activity Points Used: 0
Flex Points Remaining: 0

Tortellini With Pepperoni and Gorgonzola Cheese
POINTS® Value: 7 Servings: 6

Ingredients
4 Tbsp corn oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
4 cup frozen cheese tortellini, without sauce,
1/8 Tbsp red pepper flakes
2 clove garlic clove(s)
1/4 cup arugula
1/4 cup sweet red pepper(s)
3/4 medium green pepper(s)
1 small onion(s)
1 Tbsp basil
2 oz Pillow Pack Turkey Pepperoni
1/4 oz Gorgonzola cheese

Instructions
Cook pasta according to package and set aside to cool.In large frying pan cook turkey pepperoni in 1 tbsp. corn oil for 1-2 minutes. Place on paper towel covered plate and set aside.In the same frying pan heat 1 Tbsp corn oil. Saute onion, peppers and spices until tender, 3-4 minutes.combine pasta, veggie mix and pepperoni and mix together. In a small bowl combine vinegar and remaining oil. Drizzle half of oil mixture over pasta until desired consistency. Stir in cheese and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Before serving drizzle remaining oil over pasta.

UPDATE: I have made this twice now, I am impressed with how big a serving is and very satisfying. I also would like to note that I prefer the pasta as leftovers then the first night we make it. I think the flavor sets in the longer it sits in the fridge, it does dry out a bit but I think the flavor makes up for that!

I wish I was a kid again!

We spent the weekend at the cabin, there where 13 of us plus baby Rosie, it felt like I was a kid again. We spent all day Saturday in the lake and EVERYONE (except my Dad and I) burned!!! We had to explain about 13 times why we were not bright red like everyone else, "We don't burn"!!!
Food wise I wasn't really tracking but I was being very cautious of how much I put in my mouth. I didn't snack in between meals and every meal I had was small since the heat was making me feel full.
Sunday we got up and went walking right away in the morning and spent the rest of the day either swimming or cleaning up the cabin. I think we took off from there around 4 and finally made it back home at about 8:30 p.m. I am so exhausted and I wish I still had the energy I did when I was 8! This week is going to be extremely busy at work and I am working long hours again. I packed several baggies with veggies and fruits to help keep me satisfied the whole day. If the weather stays clear we will skate tonight.
Some other good news... my Dad has been following the South Beach Diet for about a month now and has lost over 20 lbs!!!! He was diagnosed with Diabetes in May and changed his diet and exercise to keep it in control. He started cooking more and immediately noticed a difference in the way he felt. My Dad is so excited about his results this far, and I am also very proud of him so I wanted to give him a shout out!! Go DAD, I am very proud of you!!!
Alright, I'll be back later!

It's FRIDAY!!!

Hooray!!! Okay so I am so ready for the weekend. I feel like I need to get back on track and I know that this is the last weekend of traveling for a little while. We have a couple long workouts planned and I know that I can keep my eating in control!
I don't know what I was thinking yesterday, I was totally on track and then I got home. My best friend called balling, her boyfriend was moving out and taking the dog with him. She was more upset about the dog then the bf, but it was going to be a hard night on her. I immediately changed my plans and got in the car to go and talk away the troubles. She ended up having plans with her Mom so we chatted on the phone instead. I somehow managed to eat 3 cookies during this phone conversation (I wasn't hungry, they were just there). We made spaghetti for dinner which was fine but then I decided to make a S'more for myself. I don't even like S'mores, but I have been craving one all week. I really could have done without that! Luckily it was only my second day of my WW week so I still had plenty of flex points.
I managed to post a few progression pics, I really am not ready though. I feel a lot better then I think I look. My skin is still very "pouchy" and I am looking into a few methods of removing this. The problem with having a tuck or anything is I want to have kids and the possibility of multiples is VERY high, which means it would be a waist of money. Arghhh...

Okay, enough rambling, take a look at the pics and don't make fun of the saddlebags!!!!!!! Have a great weekend everyone!

This picture is me at about 146 lbs, May 2006.

Here is Derek and I, I am about 136 lb., this was taken March of 2007

Here is the current me, 126 lbs. I still have a lot of baggy skin around my stomach and "saddlebags". The difference is mostly in the face, butt and thighs!

Feeling better already!

Well, I will be the first to admit I was a tad bit crabby this morning and for no good reason. I was tired and bloated but that isn't a good reason! Since then I have had my breakfast (which really calmed my stomach) and logged my points into WW!! I thought for sure I had done a bit of damage but turns out I used 30 points, gained 8 activity points which means I only used 3 WPs yesterday. I still have 32 points for the week and I am not starving like usual. I think it helps that I didn't get to work at 5:30 this morning. It seems like ever since I have been starting that early I have over half my lunch bag eaten by 11:00.
Derek called me and let me know how tired he was. He suggested getting a movie and hanging out at home tonight. I am so okay with that. I have to get the laundry done and packed up to go up to the cabin tomorrow. I think we will take a quick walk after work to pick up the movie (about 5 miles) and then make something small for dinner and relax!! I can't wait, today might just turn out to be an okay day!!!

I feel...

FAT, BLOATED, CONSTIPATED and GASSY (sorry that's TMI)!
I don't know what my deal is today, I weighed in yesterday, the same stupid number came up again. I know I am still about 6lbs. away from my goal but I was really happy with where I have been at and I really didn't think I needed to lose much more. I got on the scale this morning and I was up 2lbs!!! WTF? Who does that? I really watched myself yesterday, the worst thing I ate were some reduced fat Ritz crackers with cheese slices, and that was before I played an intense hour of tennis with my buddies. I got in all my water and all my veggie/fruit servings. I also went swimming for an hour or so. Why does my body hate me? I wish I hadn't got on that scale this morning, I feel like I have failed myself, like the unhappy loser I was last December.
I could cry right now, I don't know what my deal is. I had such a fun 4th but it ended quickly. We had a very late dinner and that might be why my stomach hurts a bit. I grilled some mushrooms on the grill and threw them on a 1pt bun to make a "mushroom sandwich" for myself along with a small piece of corn. This was at about 9:30 last night, I never eat this late, I am not sure what happened.
Well, I have a bunch of stuff to get caught up on at work and I need to go down to the bathroom, my stomach feels like it is ready to hurt me. I hope everyone else is having a better 5th of July. I promise to be in a better mood later!

My brain most be on vacation

I totally forgot to post my blog this morning. It is super busy here because all of the guys take off for their fishing trip tonight and will be gone Thursday and Friday. I however will be "holding down the fort" and don't take off for the cabin until after work on Friday.
Yesterday was such a boring day for me. I take my rest day on Monday since my weekends are the most intense for the training. I most have ate about 8 servings of veggies/fruits yesterday, they just tasted GOOD! Derek ordered pizza for dinner, I had a little but really wasn't in the mood to eat.
Tomorrow we both have the day off and we are planning on getting a long run in as well as go swimming at the lake. I don't usually eat a ton when I am busy so I am not too worried about that. I think I will take out the Chicken Burgers from TJs and grill them up with some corn or something for a festive BBQ dinner.
I am very excited today because my Dad gave me the go ahead to start picking out tiles and counter tops for the cabin!!! I have had plans to redo the bathroom and kitchen for awhile and he keeps saying "maybe next year". Since I work in construction this sort of renovation project really gets me excited, maybe too much!!! I am going to go pick up some tile samples tonight to bring up with us this weekend. I am thinking of taking a week in August off to go up and start the project!!!!! I can't wait!
Have a great OP 4Th everyone and a great weekend for all those who have vacations planned!! Stay safe and report back as soon as you can!

Training

Just in case anyone is interested in the training schedules I have followed for the past couple of weeks to get ready for the 3-Day walk visit the website for a copy of their recommended training schedule.
I have used a combination of this schedule and a marathon training schedule, similar to one from Hal Higdon. I have 3 days of walking/running and 3 days of inline skating each week for 19 weeks. I stretch everyday for 15-20 minutes and try to incorporate strength training in different core muscle groups each day.
These training schedules are not recommended for someone trying to "diet", it is VERY important to keep your body hydrated and enough protein and vitamins to replenish after training sessions. If anyone is interested in the training schedule I am following send me an email and I will forward it to you (the file is in Excel).
The personal trainer I worked with was very helpful in adjusting my eating so that I was still able to keep with my WW lifestyle. I made it clear to her that I was not on a "diet" rather I was changing my lifestyle. Her suggestion to me was to drink plenty of water mixed with sports drinks before and during workouts (these do not count towards daily point), as for APs if I earn over 4 points I need to use the points during that day (example: if I earned 8 points I would use 4 points that same day in APs). This will help to make sure you are getting enough calories and your body doesn't start to store fat. I received the same information/tips from several people and so far I have either maintained or lost just about every week. Much of my loss is in inches, in the 8 weeks of training I have completed thus far I have lost over 12 inches overall!
Hope this helps anyone interested in what I have been doing.

She wore an itsy bitsy teeny weeny...

green and white polka dot bikini!
I wore it and without a t-shirt!!! I still felt like I needed to put a towel over myself but I am so not used to wearing a bikini in public! The cabin was great and we had beautiful weather. Saturday morning we got a 9 mile walk in and Sunday we skated 10.5 miles. It felt great and I wasn't exhausted afterwards! I didn't eat great but I still have 14 flex points left for today and tomorrow.
I really think I took control this weekend. Usually I would use the excuse of being at my cabin to not stay with my training program and eat whatever I wanted. We are going back up to the cabin this Friday and I am not worried at all. I know what I can do to stay on plan and still have a fun time!!
I am planning on taking the camera up this coming weekend to get a new progression picture. My legs and stomach have really slimmed up so hopefully I can get some comparisons up!
Hope everyone had a great weekend!