Summer in the City

I have heard a lot of people talk about having to resist the urge to curl up with a blanket, hot cocoa and a good book all winter long instead of exercising. I am sure the urge to "hibernate" is strong during that time. Here in good old Florida there really is no real winter. In fact winter is when we have the best weather of the year. People often think of Florida as having wonderful weather all year. But in the heat of summer I have to resist the urge to strip down naked, lay down in the lounge chair, turn the flan on high and drink pink lemonade all day. Today was the first day I felt this way since last September. It's about 94 degrees today but the heat index says it feels like 98 degrees and it does! Anyone who has been to Florida knows that it is not just the heat but the humidity. It's so sticky that as soon as I leave for work I wonder why I even showered. I feel like I need another shower almost immediately. This definitely discourages exercise. I have been wondering if I should possibly take up swimming again as one form of exercise so I could actually look forward to it. Membership to the country club pool is a bit pricey though. I took water aerobics last year during the summer and loved it. My mom paid for the classes as my birthday gift. I may look into that again. I am also thinking about getting up earlier so maybe I can beat the heat before the sun comes up. I'll have to let you know how it works out. Now if I can just kick this craving for nice cool refreshing ice cream every night the summer may go by with out a hitch.

Monday Weigh In: 338

I have been exercising like a champ, but my eating has been tough to control. I have been so hungry. I have been eating so healthy though. I think I need to go back to drinking my cinch shakes. I was never hungry then, but I got bored.

What about in your neck of the woods?

My mom's friend made an interesting comment the other day. She just moved from Miami to the Mid-West a couple months ago. She called my mom and said "You know, your daughter would fit right in up here." Yes, the comment was a little offensive but it got me thinking. She said in the places she has been up there a many of the women have been over weight. Not just the older women, but all of them, even a lot of the teens. She did say that they seemed to be less concerned about there appearance in general. (Keep in mind, she was not saying they were ugly or unkempt just that it was so different from South Florida where most of the women dress to the nine for the grocery store. Everything is about designer labels. Everywhere you look you see over made, fake tanned, fake boobed thin girls.) I began to wonder if I truly would have fit in better over there. I have been in south Florida my whole life and the pressure to look good to have any value has been pushed down my throat always. I tended to think that the whole country was the same. I felt we all read the same magazines and watch the same media so we must all be affected. Do you think being heavy is more acceptable in some parts of the US? I would love to hear views from people all over the country.

Corporate Hell

Layoff's at work again. This is the 4th time since I have been here. It depresses me. I usually would cope with food. Hubby and I plan to go to the gym after work. I hope my friends who were let go can find work they love fast. So sad.

Tuesday Weigh In: 338

Yeah, so I stayed the same, so shoot me! :)

I had a great start to the week, I was prepared, I was feeling great, exercising again and eating right, but the three day weekend kicked me right in the balls. I had a little to much fun, did a little too much relaxing and ate a little to much food. Oh well. It was a great weekend.

Monday Weigh In: 338...The cold, hard, ugly truth.

Well, after weeks of problems, and me refusing to weigh in because I was so afraid of the damage done, I finally did it and I cried. I think I have gained 10 pound since the last time I braved stepping on the scale. I am hoping some of it is because I wasn't eating as much fiber or drinking as much water. I am hoping these 12 pounds can come off quickly so I can get going again on new weight loss. I hate losing the same pounds twice! So I can sit here and be mad at myself, get depressed and gain more weight, or I can take the set back and push on toward the prize. I am pushing on baby! Woo hoo!

The Alcohol Affect

Alcohol certainly does a little number on my life when consuming more than one serving. And when I say a little number don't mean the Cha-Cha, the Salsa, or Electric Slide. (Although that would be fun huh?) I am seeing more and more how Alcohol is bad for the good life style changes I am trying to implement. I think half the reason I have been doing so badly as of late, especially last week is I have been drinking too much Alcohol. I don't mean I have a drinking problem or that I am a alcoholic. I just feel my good intentions are hindered dramatically by drinking. Let's take a look at this vicious cycle.

1) I am with friends and family celebrating and am not feeling so comfy in my own skin, I have a drink to loosen up.
2) I am starting to feel good, I have another drink.
3) I am wittier, cuter, and more relaxed. I have another drink.
4) All this drinking has given me the munchies, I snack and drink and snack and drink.
5) Even though I told myself I would only eat a little and they would be healthy snacks, I threw caution to the wind and ate what I wanted.
6) I wake up the next morning, sleep deprived, dehydrated, feeling fat and bloated and bad about myself.
7) I can't possibly exercise since I am feeling so crappy so I lay around all day.
8) I am with friends and family that night and am so drained from the drinking, so I put back a few to feel more perky and fun....and so the cycle continued.

I am not saying it is always like this and truly I usually only drink 1-2 times per month unless we are doing some big time celebrating like at Stacy's wedding which happened to be a week long event including pre wedding party's, BBQ's, Beach Days, rehearsal dinner, and the whole nine. I am just thinking I really need to limit the alcohol I consume especially in these beginning stages of weight loss and life style changes. I get thrown off track to easily by other things I do not need to push myself even further on to the wrong path by drinking. Not to mention all the extra calories and sugar. I am going to give it up for the next few months, no matter what the occasion is, I will have a fun DRY celebration.

The Beautiful Bride and I on May 12th 2007

Wedding Day

Well one of my greatest friends of all time got married on Saturday. The week was hectic, crazy, and out of control but the wedding was in a word perfect! Stacy looked gorgeous, like a bridal model in a magazine and the wedding came together as a beautiful tribute to the love they have for each other. I was so blessed to be the Matron of Honor and was happy to stand beside her as she married this glorious man. I may post a picture tomorrow.

What does this mean for weight loss? I think I have gained a lot of weight since I last posted my weight. I feel fatter. I haven't had much time to get to the gym and I have been entertianing many friends which means a lot of eating, not much sleeping and a lot of drinking! Almost every evening was spend with a 6 pack, at least. We had a great time but I am very disappointed in myself. Today was supposed to be the last I got back on track but because my house is a mess and I still have no gone to the grocery store I have not made any great effort. I did not over indulge today but I did not keep myself in check like I should have.

On a good note, my husband came to me yesterday and says he really wants to shed some pounds as well, and wants to create a plan for the two of us to work together over the next few months. I think it will be fun to plan healthy meals together and have a gym buddie again. Hopefully we will work on that plan this week. Um, well yeah, thats what life looks like right now.

Monday Weigh In: Still don't know, but it might be scary!

I had at a seminar for my job yesterday and didn't have time to write. I still haven't weighed myself. I don't want to get even more stressed out than I already am. Stacy's wedding is in 10 days and there is so much to do! I am just trying to get through the next two weeks and then I plan on getting completely back on track.