Happy Girl

Turns out that there is a scientific reason that I might appear more happy than some other people. According to an article by AOL (not the bastion of scholarly research, admittedly), there are key roadblocks to your happiness. The roadblocks are Expecting the worst all the time, Passing the buck, Thinking life should be perfect,  Not thinking of others, and Expecting life to be fair. Lucky for me, I don't really have those qualities. I am an overall happy or cheerful person most of the time.

Don't get me wrong - I can be a grump! But my overall outlook on life, and how I treat people, is pretty rosy. I wouldn't change even the bad things I've been through, as they've made me a very strong woman.

So, I am overall pretty happy . . . I just want to be healthier. Does being happy help you get healthier? I don't think Santa would say so (should I say so, so , so?). Today it's ok though. I'll use my rosy outlook to know that I'm on the right road, as are you, friends. We'll do it together!

Make it a great day.

The not-much-to-say post

Ever have one of those days where you feel like saying something, but know you really have nothing to say? That's where I am today. I had a fantastic weekend . . . too good, food wise. My mother took me to a lovely French restaurant last night to celebrate my birthday (translation . . . French = calories). We also went to a Nebraska watch party and I overdid on the yummo nibbles. So, what am I to do with my week this week?

I'm not looking back. As I have done with this new journey in the past . . . I will not beat myself up, even if the scale goes up a smidge this week. I begin with each meal and move forward. I make good choices. I deserve good choices.

So, how about you? How was your weekend, and your choices? If you're still on your journey with me, I always love to hear from you. Email me or post a comment below.

Make it a great day.

Birthday Wishes

So, yesterday was my birthday. Don't worry, you didn't have to get me anything (family excluded). ;-) If you're wondering, I turned 39 for the first time. Time will tell if I decide to turn 39 again next year, or if I jump into my 5th decade (man, that sounds a LOT worse than 40s!) with my husband. ;-)

So, on my birthday, I like to reflect on my blessings (which are numerous) and my wishes (much less numerous - the way it should be). I have so much more than I could have ever dreamed. Yes, I want future financial security for my family. Yes, I want to be a better person . . . but, really, my wish is to be healthier. I don't mean just because I exercise (4-letter word). I mean, I want to be healthier all over. I want to choose healthier food consistently because I want to, not because I have to. I want to want to exercise. That is my wish. To be healthier. To want to be healthier.

What are some of your birthday rituals or wishes? Do they depend on others to make them come true, or just you? Interested in your thoughts.

Make it a great day.

FMM - Frends-Making-Monday

Hosted by blogger Kenz, here are my Monday questions to help you get to know me better! If you would like to participate, please leave the address of your blog in the comments, and I'll check yours out as well.

1) If you could magically change one thing about your body, what would it be? To shrink back to my natural hour-glass shape rather than my current several-days shape.


2) What is your best physical feature? My lips. Accentuate what you have!


3) Do you weigh yourself daily? Hourly? Weekly? Bi-weekly? Never? Weekly for sure. Sometimes more often. It just depends on how 'off' or 'on' I feel that week.


4) Do you workout regularly? If so, how does if affect you from day to day? Ugh. No. My biggest nemesis! I do not work out regularly at all. I know that when I work out I feel so awesome! I just let life and schedules give me an excuse to ignore it.


5) What is the healthiest thing you do for yourself on a regular basis? I drink lots of water (oops - saying that as I realized I forgot my big water bottle today!), I eat whole grains and organic whenever possible, and I really don't indulge in junk foods that often. (By junk foods, I mean candy or fried food. I do still drink diet soda, and I have my skinny cow ice cream.)


6) If you could look like a celebrity, who would you choose to look like? With or without makeup? ;-) I really don't look at celebrities and think of them in any sort of 'human' way. I've always been ok with who I am, although I would like less of who I am sometimes.


7) What do you do to make yourself feel pretty/handsome? I line my lips . . . take time with my mascara . . . I know it should be something exciting like pampering myself, doing a mani/pedi, etc. Ok, I like those too, but I was thinking more on a daily basis.



8) What are you most attracted to in the opposite sex? Brains!!! I love a man who challenges me to think about the world in new ways, and who is witty and wise. I am blessed to say that I have that in my wonderful husband, who is a darned handsome catch to boot!!!


9) Have you ever avoided situations because you didn't want people to see your body shape? Hello! I live in Florida!!! Beach/swimming avoidance is my middle name. Yes, avoid always. Other than also being one of the whitest people on the planet, body shape hasn't helped. Buying close is also not a favorite, but better now that I'm not in plus sizes anymore.


10) How do you feel about your overall appearance? I think I have a cheerful disposition, which conveys to a pretty cheerful appearance. I'm always self-conscious about my shape, clothes, and weight, but have tried to tell myself that others aren't evaluating me as much as I am. You're not, right? ;-)

Whether or not you have a blog, I'm interested in your answers! Please respond to the same 10 questions in your blog or in the comments. Let's get to know each other!

Make it a great day.

Dose of reality

The day had to come. My husband bought a new scale. The old subjective scale is still in my bathroom - but lately it has been so subjective that even I know it's on the fritz (170? Yeah right . . . wishing). So, today I went downstairs to the garage (the only floor where there is no tile, and an absolutely flat surface) and did the deed. It wasn't what I had hoped, but I also wasn't surprised.

I'm still 56 pounds down from my heaviest, and I'm at least 13 down from mid-July. I know I'm not going up, as my clothes indicate . . . but I'm not going down quickly. I'm ok with that for now. I know that exercise would help jump start this journey, I'm just struggling to find the time. Yes, I could do it at 5am - but then no one would want to be around the grumpy me who gave up precious sleep to exercise. I will find a way to make this work.

I've 'fit' good food choices into my life. Exercise just has to be part of that. (By the way, I am still taking the stairs every morning.) I just re-read that first sentence in the paragraph . . . wait? I fit it in? Hmm. That's an issue. I should fit in good choices, should I? They should just 'be'. Maybe that's an issue for reflection . . . So, I hope you are better at 'being' with your choices than I am with currently 'fitting' mine in. Share your triumphs here. We want to celebrate with you!

Make it a great day.

Throw off all that burdens you

Today I read a blog by Jennifer (jenbythesea); she had read a devotional that charged us to throw off all that burdens us so that we can run the race. Those are thoughts for reflection. What burdens me? What has previously prevented me from being successful at long-term weight loss and weight maintenance?

I'm not going to pull out that old mix tape (see previous posts) telling myself I'm too lazy, too whatever . . . there must be something else. I think it is fear. I'm not sure what I'm afraid of - being healthy and looking good sounds pretty great. But, when I think about that new me, my stomach flips like with fear. Am I afraid I can't maintain it? I'm not sure. I will just have to take the Scarlett O'Hara approach to this issue and 'think about it tomorrow.' If I focus on the fear today it will paralyze my journey, and I will not give it that much control.

I am remaining focused on my daily weight loss journey; making good food choices at each meal, and not focusing on how long it will take or where others are in their journey (although I will rejoice with you and your successes!). That is my peace. That already feels like some burden is coming off.

I joked with Jennifer that if I threw off all that burdens me I might be so light I could float. Wouldn't that be nice? What kinds of thing can you throw off today to lighten your load?

Make it a great day.

The small victories

This weekend was a whirlwind! My 8-year old played in his first football game, and the 4-year old is now a 5-year old . . . festivities all weekend! My in-laws also celebrated their anniversary. So, let me just disclose right out that I could have made some better food choices throughout the weekend. BUT... here is my victory ...

In the past, if I have found myself making poor choices, I let that 'oh well, I've already blown the day (or weekend)' mentality slip in. I was able to compartmentalize and make choices about where I was willing to make poor calorie choices. Case in point - yesterday we had my son's birthday party. He had demanded we all eat breakfast for dinner, so I was planning for some extra calories at dinner (breakfast - you get the point). For my lunch, we went out to eat (he wanted breakfast for all THREE meals of the day). I ordered egg whites on a bagel. Hello? Me? Yep.

I knew I was going to have more calories at dinner, and I purposefully made good choices for lunch (I hadn't had breakfast, because I never eat before I sing on Sundays). Yay for me!

Upon reflection, that simple meal choice proved to me that I am in control of this journey. I choose each meal. If I make a poor choice for one meal, that doesn't mean that everything is lost. The very next meal is the next opportunity to make a good choice.

Yay for choices. Yay me. I'm on the right path. Make it a great day.

Count your blessings instead of sheep . . .

I haven't slept well in over a week. Various members of the household have been coughing all night long, I've had dissertation discussions and revisions on my mind, it's the beginning of a new semester, and I've just been generally unable to turn off my mind. Other than dragging to get out of bed, I've done pretty well (ok, my exercise commitment has really suffered). Let me rephrase that - my food choices have gone well. I haven't had a stuff-my-face smorgasbord event that I've normally had 6-8 weeks into a new program. I feel good and am starting to see results (even with my subjective scale that shows a nearly 40 pound flux now - ok, probably time for a new one).

These sleepless nights also allow me to do one thing I love . . . count my blessings. I regularly pray for my family, and envision their safety and happiness every night - but I have had the opportunity to really evaluate my blessings. I have the most wonderfully supportive, handsome, funny husband - who is a fantastic father. I have two smart, handsome, and amazingly witty sons who love me. I could just go on and on (and I did last night, for hours!). I hope that you take the time regularly - if not each day - to give thanks for the good things in your life. Especially when it seems that you are overwhelmed with so many other challenges and life stresses, that is the time to stop and breathe - and count your blessings.

I love old movies, and I love hearing Bing Crosby sing, "If you have worries, and you can't sleep - just count your blessings instead of sheep. Then you'll go to sleep counting your blessings."

Many blessings to you. Make it a great day.

Handling Stress

This week I'm getting a lesson in how I handle stress. Overall, I would say I have not been that great at it; HOWEVER, I consider it a positive that I recognize the signals and am not giving in to the stress as much as usual. Let me just state up front - I didn't make my exercise goal this week. Bummer. Normally that would give me a great excuse to forget it next week. Not now. I will brush it aside and try again. Normally stress would let me make excuses for extreme overeating marathons - for several days. This week? Nope. Not one!!!

I haven't slept well, but overall I think I've handled this week well. I have taken a bath or had a glass of wine (and counted the calories) instead of feeding my face. I've tried to feed my soul rather than my mouth.

I am learning! So, lessons and small victories this week. Also, I put on the dreaded Mom Jeans today, and they are looking less lumpy. All lumps lost are good - like gravy. (Ok, probably a bad example . . . ). ;-)

I know Candy rocked the exercise challenge. If anyone else did, please comment or email me. For the rest of us, no worries. We have this next week!!!! I hope you have a great long weekend.

Make it a great day!

Today I'm a grump.

Do you ever have those days when you are just grumpy for no reason, and you're ok with that? That's me today. Nothing in particular happened - in fact I got some good news on my dissertation. I'm just being a grump today.

Maybe it's because I'm wearing a blouse that is just a shade too small (you know, the one that reveals that you didn't make the best undergarment choice to match your shirt) . . . maybe it's just the day. In any case, I find it sort of liberating to be a grump sometimes. Don't worry, I don't take it out on anyone (that I know of). I try really hard to steer clear of everyone else on the days I'm like this . . .

I was going to take the elevator this morning (because of the aforementioned grump status), but I trudged up those stairs, knowing you would hold me accountable. Today I am going to work out. Grump or not. Maybe I'll do a Zumba video. Doing a latin dance video should perk me up - or make me laugh at my awkwardness. ;-) Either way, it's a date with me. When was your last date with you? How is your exercise coming along? What are you doing for you today?

Make it a great day.