Weight Loss Challenge....Take 2

Well, project "maintain weight" went well....until Thanksgiving.  Then everything fell apart.  In the past month, I've gained (I'm gulping VERY HARD RIGHT NOW) 10 pounds!

Realizing that I won't be able to to fit into my work clothes come Tuesday when vacation is over, I became motivated by anger, and frustration.  The time has come to once again seriously get back on track, or I will quickly find myself at the weight I started at last June!

I've spent the last few days rereading my blog entries, and remembering all that I did to be successful when I lost weight over the summer.  The biggest problem I've had is finding the time to exercise since school started.  I've been swamped, and exhausted.  Well, I can't use those as excuses anymore.  Even if it's just for 20 minutes every other night, I WILL exercise.  If I can do that, and get back on the healthier eating track, I should be able to loose these 10 pounds in the next two months or so.

I'm thinking slowly again; over the summer I lost almost 10 pounds each month.  I know that won't happen now because I won't be exercising as much.  Shooting for 5 pounds a month is a reasonable goal, and what I'm going to start with.

I went grocery shopping today and I've stocked my fridge and cabinets with all the foods I ate over the summer that were so wonderful.  I ate a red bell pepper the other day and couldn't believe how much I'd missed it!!!

So here's to the next chapter in the weight loss challenge.  Every one is allowed to "fall off the wagon".  I've not only fallen off, but I can't even see the wagon in the distance anymore....it left me behind!  I'm now running to catch up to it, and I will try this again.

Here's to 2012, loosing 40 pounds, AND DOING BETTER AT KEEPING IT OFF!!

Star Wars Saturday.....on Sunday

Wow, I haven't done this in so long, I've almost forgotton how blogging works!

This morning, on Facebook, my cousin's son, (my first cousin?) posted this to his account.  We ALL know what a huge fan I am of Star Wars, so how could I resist?  I HAD to post this!




Okay, why do I think this is blog worthy?  First of all, hearing just the cello play The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme), The Star Wars Main Title, and Duel of The Fates was a wonderful twist to the usual versions.  There were some nice added rhythms that made it fun to listen to.

But let's face it:  what a unique idea!  And for once, the Darth Vader costume looked real.  Most of the time on a YouTube video the costume looks like someone made it; this one, not so much. 

For me, the video just didn't look stupid.  Parodies often are.  I thought everything that was done added to the cleverness.  And what a fun way to promote learning how to play a musical instrument!  But that is just my opinion, and I am, after all, obssessed with Star Wars!

What did you think?

Thanksgiving

So, yesterday I attempted my first Thanksgiving dinner.  Yep, I'm how old and I'm just now cooking Thanksgiving dinner?!?  What can I say....I DON'T COOK!  And when you have a husband who loves cooking turkey, there's no need to learn.

However, this year, Nick worked Thanksgiving morning at Target, so it was up to me to get the turkey in the oven, and do basically all the cooking.

I did pretty well.  The turkey was done, and looked lovely.  My problems came with the timing of the rest of the dinner.  There were potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, and gravy to make.  Unfortunately I made a beginners mistake, and started making all the other dishes BEFORE the turkey was finished.  Needless to say, the turkey wasn't finished when I thought it would be, so all the other food was cold by the time we got to eat it!  

Needless to say, I was bummed.  Oh, who are we kidding; I was BEYOND bummed.  I had very high expectations (my first mistake), and the perfectionist in me took over.  Nick and Brandon loved the food, and Nick attempted to make me feel better, reminding me that this was my first time doing this, and that my turkey turned out better than the one he cooked last Christmas (that was very sweet of him to say!)  Oh well, live and learn.  

I found this picture today, and it made me laugh.  My dinner might not have turned out the way I really wanted it too, but at least my Thanksgiving didn't look like this:

It says, "And you thought YOUR family was dysfunctional"

However, knowing me, I probably would've LOVED to be sitting at this table!!

What Week Are We In???

Well friends, until life slows down.....(like next summer), my weight loss challenge is over, and maintaining my current weight continues.  Call it an excuse, call it whatever you want, but there is simply no time to exercise. 

I miss not being able to exercise, I really want to loose that last 20-30 pounds, it's just not going to happen for a while.  So I will take with me the tools I've learned and keep using them until I can really get back on the bandwagon and do this right again.

I came across an article a few days ago, and I still can't decide how I feel about it.  A man named Drew Manning, who is a personal trainer, has decided to go from being extremely fit, to fat, and then fit again to help show people how it's done.  Read his story here.

Someone please explain this to me.  I can't figure out if I'm offended by this, or if I should be applauding him for wanting to help so many people.

Pros to what I think he's doing:
- learning how hard it is for people who struggle with their weight; that it's like an addiction to many
- his transformation has been disgusting to watch; something that might help people realize how quickly they can become obese

Cons:
- he's a personal trainer....do you really think it will be that difficult for him to shed this weight?  He's got access to all the right equipment, he's got all the knowledge, and HE'S A MAN....we all know they loose weight easier than women!!  If I could afford a personal trainer, and someone who could cook for me, I'd be down the last 20-30 pounds too! 

Yeah, I don't think I like this.  It feels like a slap in my face.

His challenge is almost over and then loosing his weight begins.  It will be interesting to see just how quickly, and easily he does it; because I have NO DOUBT IN MY MIND that he will look just like his before picture, in no time at all.

Be sure to check out the link at the bottom of the article; he has a blog, and many videos on YouTube where people have told him what he had to eat each week.

The Neverending Move to Utah

There's a running joke in my family about my mom.  Every time she drives to Utah, something goes wrong.

The first time she came, last year when Nick and I moved, she was driving my car, and Nick was driving the moving truck.  Towards the end of the trip we were separated.  Mom and I ended up in nearby Cottonwood Heights, while my brother-in-law guided Nick into Sandy.

When she came for Christmas, she took the train, so there were no problems.

Mom came to visit us during the 4th of July weekend this past July.  Again, she ended up in Cottonwood Heights.  That has also become a joke:  we believe she will eventually live there since she seems so drawn to it!!

Friday night mom moved from California.  We thought it wouldn't happen until after she retired, but life has a funny way of turning the tables on you and pushing you the direction you need to be going.  My brother-in-law, (BIL for short) took the train to California to help mom pack up, and drive the truck.  She rented a trailer for her car to be pulled on, and they were on the road by 8pm California time.

All was going well until 4:15am Saturday morning.  In the middle of NOWHERE, 30 miles out of a town called Winnemucca, they had only five hours left til they would arrive.  Mom was driving and felt the truck jerk.  A few minutes later she looked out the rear view mirror and noticed sparks coming up from behind the trailer.  One of the tires on the trailer had not only blown, but was smoking and completely turning into tar.

She called the truck company and they told her it would be 2 HOURS before they could get someone out to them.  Mom asked if she could just take the car off the trailer and leave the trailer behind.  She could, but it would be considered abandoning the trailer and she'd be liable for it if anything happened.  They decided to wait.

2 hours comes and goes......and no one comes to fix the tire.  She calls back again.  Apparently the truck company had two other trucks with problems and instead of making it clear that there was now a THIRD truck, they accidentally told the tire company it was only two trucks.  The tire guy had already fixed one truck and left.  It would be another two hours.

Four hours pass and a Highway Patrol Officer notices their truck and stops to find out if they're ok.  They tell them the situation and he lets them know that he will drive past again in about two hours to see if they're still there.  I would've thought he could do more, being a Highway Patrol Officer, oh well.

Now six hours into the mess, the tire guy shows up to fix the trailer.  He takes one look at it and realizes there is no fixing it.  (Yeah, I think my mom and BIL had already tried to tell the "powers that be" all about that!)  The truck company is called back and they have the NERVE to actually tell my mom that they have to stay with the truck until sometime SUNDAY before they can get another person to them!  The lady on the phone tells the tire guy to just leave them there in the middle on nowhere.  Oh, and by this time both of their cell phones have died.

The tire guy gets involved asking to talk to the person in charge of the truck company.  He explains that HE WILL NOT leave them there with this truck, stranded.  They are finally told that they can leave the trailer and that my mom won't be held responsible for it.  Gee, didn't mom try to do that 7 HOURS AGO?!?

So then my BIL gets into mom's car to drive it off the trailer.  The tire guy immediately notices that the trailer the company gave mom is too big for her car, and that if she drives it off, it will probably damage the undercarriage of her car.  They continued to drive it off, and it made a lot of noise on its way down....something was probably damaged.

After spending nearly 7 hours stranded, waiting for a company that claims to provide 24/7 roadside assistance, they finally got back on the road.  Five hours later, they arrived.

There are so many things wrong with this situation.  When mom first called in to report the problem, they were more concerned with the condition of the truck than the people who were in it.  They NEVER asked how they were doing; if they had food and water, etc.  The company screwed up the maintainence order and they had to wait 5 hours for someone to arrive.  After discovering it couldn't be fixed, they had the NERVE to try and tell mom she had to stay with the truck until who knows when on Sunday, without a cell phone, in the middle of nowhere!  And during one point in this mess it was also discovered that the trailer the company rented to my mom was NEVER SUPPOSED TO LEAVE THE YARD!  It's a PIECE OF JUNK and had problems to begin with!  Gee, you think?!?  We all wondered how it made it out of the yard.....do they not put signs on these things that say "Out of Order", or "Do Not Rent"?  Shouldn't they?!?

This company is going to get an ear-full, that much I KNOW.  Mom had to spend more money on this trip since she ended up having to gas up her car twice.  She will also have to pay to have a mechanic look at her undercarriage, and fix it if any damage was caused driving it off the faulty, too large trailer they gave her.  We all think she should demand they not even charge her for the truck and trailer at all.

We are all grateful that mom and my BIL were together.  It helped keep both of them calm, thinking clearly, and continued to help pass the time while they were stranded.  The situation could always have been worse, but it was ridiculous enough as it was.

But they made it, and now mom is onto new adventures in Utah.  We are so excited that she's here!

To be continued......