The day has come...

It has finally happened. I've turned into that stereotypical mom that you see in movies and on sitcoms. You know the scene...mom stumbles out of bed, puts on her ancient, ratty, 10 year old robe and trips to the coffee maker. She then stands over the machine until her blessed coffee is ready and drinks like its the nectar of the gods. Her hair is sticking out in eighteen different directions and she then yells insane one liners like "No Sportscenter before 8 AM" or "You can't check your fantasy football lineup before you leave for the bus stop" (this is at AIDYN, not Chas!) and "No, today is not a mohawk day...how about rockstar hair instead?"

Yep...that's me. And funny thing is...I don't like coffee that much. I mean...I love coffee in the Starbucks or Panera coffee-shop sense...mocha lattes and caps...I love the richness of the whole cream and the flavor of sweet syrups...so good! Plain, black coffee never held a great appeal for me. Maxwell House was for my grandmother. But lately, it has become the panacea to all that ails me. I've even begun to justify the 26 calories I have to add to each cup...1 tsp of sugar and 1/8 cup skim milk. This morning, for fun I used unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze for a little change-up. No more french vanilla roast or hazelnut blends...plain, black coffee. What's become of me?

On a side note...funny story yesterday. I went to Wal-mart site-to-store to pick up my mom's Zen for Christmas. This is not a public announcement...Aidyn already told her that she was getting it, so she actually picked out exactly what she wanted. Anyway...I show the girl my ID and she calls over a supervisor...she thinks the ID doesn't match me. I love the incompetence of Wal-mart at large. I had to explain to the supervisor that I had lost 80 lbs since that ID picture was taken. I showed them my college ID as proof that I was indeed me. A very intricate process to get the Zen...but it kinda made my day. I hadn't had anyone look at my ID and not actually think it was me. Even the incompetent Wal-mart girl and her unreasonable fear that I somehow hacked into someone's email, stole their bar code receipt and credit card, as well as two IDs simply to get a mp3 player made me smile.

Now I'm off to put in my treadmill time...

The weather outside is frightful...

The weather outside is frightful...

Well, okay. Frightful is a bit strong of a word. But its blustery and cold and wet and altogether unfit for woman nor beastie dog to run outside anymore. When I took Aid to the bus stop this morning, it took all I had in me not to start up that car and sit down there, letting off exhaust fumes and polluting the air like the rest of the moms (who were toastie warm in their SUVs). No...I stood my ground and stomped my feet to keep up circulation. And I threw in the towel and decided that a run today would be out of the question unless I wanted a massive asthma flare to follow me through the day.

So I come home to my trusty treadmill...and oh how I hate my trusty treadmill. Some people swear that running on a treadmill is so much easier than actually running on turf. These people have apparently never run on the fossil/relic of a treadmill that I have acquired. This is torture akin to Bush tactics and the shin splints are nasty to deal with. However, I can't use the gym at school for another month, so I am going to have to deal with the inconvenience of my dinosaur treadmill and run.

That said, I think that I'm going to jump into the middle of the C25K program to get back into treadmill running. I know it sounds insane, but I am definitely going to have to build up my treadmill endurance to make running this winter feasible. I think if I start at week 4 or 5 I should be alright...say a prayer for my shins now.

Other than my whining and pining for the gym, nothing else to report. I did finally make a facebook profile, so if you guys are over there, feel free to add me. The entire reason I got a myspace profile was to keep in touch with my friends, but they all seem to be hanging out over there...so now I trot over like the sheeple I am. Oh well...I'm sure once the next craze comes along, I'll still be a year or so behind it as well.

This is for all the ladies (and gentlemen, I guess...)

who are looking into healthier alternatives to old favorites. I have noticed several of my friends are kicking a healthier lifestyle into high gear and I applaud you!! The difference you will feel is tremendous. There is nothing in the world liking fitting into the next size smaller pants or buying a new, trendy item of clothing that your old body never would have looked good in before!

This is not an easy road to follow...you will stumble. But pick yourself up off the couch after that ohh-so-bad splurge on pizza (or my arch-nemesis, chicken wings!) and eat clean the next day. Your body will thank you for it. Just remember...those three lbs that it took you a month to lose will be on the scale tomorrow after that splurge. And don't panic...they will come back off after another week. Don't get discouraged. Just live with it.

So here are my tips of the week...

1. Get thee to the library today! I went there myself yesterday to pick up my copy of Hungry Girl by Lisa Lillien. Awesome cookbook on how to turn favorites that are super bad for you into something you can fit into your calories for the day. Look through and find some ones you like and put them into your recipe file.

2. Seriously think about watching your intake on a place like Calorie Count (google it...). Its free and takes only about 10 minutes out of your day to log calories. You will be shocked how much you are eating without even realizing it. Spend a week logging calories before you even try cutting back.

3. Find out what your BMR (basal metabolic rate) is. You can do this on lots of sites on the net. This allows you to cut your calories to the appropriate amount to lose. For instance, my BMR is 1970 calories approximately. This means that just by existing I burn that many calories. If you exercise, its even more. So I know that I can cut calories to the appropriate amount to lose. If you weigh more, you can eat more and lose more with more calories. Otherwise your body will hold on to that fat for dear life! Never cut more than 1000 calories off of your BMR and never go below 1200 if you are a woman or 1500 if you are a guy.

This means that at 1970 burned daily-1250 calorie intake=720 calories a day deficit for me...
That calculates to 5040 calories in deficit a week and about 1.5 lbs a week loss. (5040/3500(3500=calories in a lb of fat)). Figure yours out and set your calorie target around it!

Just keep trying!! Special shout outs to Lisa and Reina for trying to get into the swing of things!! Keep going ladies! It can be done...

The continued attacks being waged by Halloween candy...

If that is true, I have recently turned into either a Reese's cup, a Snickers bar or a KitKat. The scourge of Halloween has hit hard in this household. But I have retaliated...I think that I will be able to resist the lure of the remaining candy. How you ask? Simple, really. I have eaten everything that I like...the rest of the chocolate went home with my mom and the stuff left here is chewy/gummy stuff that is lacking in chocolate or peanut butter (both essential nutrients!)

I've gained about six lbs in a week...or at least I think I've gained three lbs of chocolate and about 3 lbs of water weight from being dehydrated. So now I'm back at being good...AGAIN. Its not so terrible. We have a wedding in three weeks that I was hoping to be at 185 for, but I think I am going to have to settle for 190 and be glad for that. The chocolate has a hefty fee...lol.

All of this aside, I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now. You know that feeling you get when you've actually accomplished something you figured you would put off indefinitely? That's me today...its a nice feeling. When I posted those weight loss pics I really took a look...and I am proud of myself. Even if I don't lose another pound, I have done something great for myself. That is an accomplishment!! I know that I will lose more weight, but I find that I am coming to grips with the slower loss and I'm okay with that. It will all eventually disappear!