Re-Charged

Well I am back from Spring Break and my batteries are re-charged. I have so many new ideas about what to do  with myself. If it all works out, I will be a thinner, business owner before years end. More details to come as I work my way through the maze.

Come along for the journey if you wish. I will be blogging more now that my energy is back. Gym tomorrow and then step one of my new venture. Soon you may get to vote on a name for my business......it's pet sitting still but with a broader purpose. Why should I be the only one who has all the fun?

For my creative friends, send a gender neutral company name to me. The Furry Godmother can't be for men so I will most likely have to re-brand. My local clients most likely won't care.......they all call me by my name anyway.

Push

Well last week was a push. Nothing lost and nothing gained. I know that is going to happen sometimes but I still want to run out and buy some cheddar popcorn and Dr. Pepper. I kind of feel like having a "party in my mouth" as Dr. Phil would say.

I am re-directed in a new area at home. I am finally washing a million loads of laundry a day to keep up with my busy family. After everything gets caught up I am calling in a maid for the work I am incapable of doing. I am only incapable because I can't seem to get everything together all at one time. I think a little help would go a LONG way. It would be nice to know if those baseboards are still white:)

The kids sporting activities are getting back into full swing. Lacrosse, baseball, soccer and horseback riding. Each kid wants to play additional sports this season.....you know,"Mom my life is so BORING! I only have something to do after school 3 days a week."   AY, Yi, Yi! Why do they think being so busy is so wonderful?

Just Do It

I am going to the gym, I am, I swear.....sometime today I am going to the gym, it's just down the street. I am going to get there......sometime today. UGHHH! The weekend is coming. I need to go to the gym. The fat isn't just melting away on it's own.

Okay so I talk to myself sometimes. I'm sure I'm not the only one. But sometimes it's an all out war with myself. I  know I need to go to the gym today but I just don't want to. At church last week we talked about discipline. How lots of people have good thoughts but it's the follow through that is hard to summon. I guess that's where Nike gets it's "Just Do It" campaign. I guess they are talking directly to me. Well I guess in a lot of ways I am saying the same thing to myself. Just do it! Discipline. Follow through. Go to the gym.

I am getting motivated. If I go right now I can still make it to the Parent/ Teacher conference with a shower. oHHH! I'm outta here....I am really going to the gym. I won the war in my own head. YAY!

Boot Straps

I think I lost my boot straps. But I am going to try to find them. It's been hectic and crazy around here lately. The kids had a four day weekend. Lots of snow, lots of kid food, lots of fun.  

I guess I took the whole week off last week. But I am going to find my momentum. Luckily the weight loss momentum kept rolling and I lost 2 pounds. Which makes a total of 10 pounds so far. YAY! I lost one unit! 9 more to go. 

I am going for my facial today. Then kids parties at school.

Clarifying some Questions

I have seen a number of friends who have asked about my last post. The one where I posted what Dr. Oz suggests as a proper waist size. Apparently, we all have a different idea as to where our waist is on our body. So here is the official measurement suggestion from Dr. Oz.: Measure yourself directly over your belly button wrapping the measuring tape around your back and stopping above your belly button again. You MAY suck in as hard as you can (YAY! Bonus inches.)  This measurement should be at maximum half of your height.  If it is not then you are at a greater risk for heart disease and diabetes.

I re-measured sucking in as hard as I can and it's still no where close.....heck, I tried as hard as I could to suck in 17 inches but I only managed about 1 inch.  So new goal, lose 16 inches around my middle in addition to the 100 pounds.

I have a new way of thinking of my weight to lose. I am going to think of it as units. I have 10 ten pound units to lose. I am on my way to dropping the first one. So far I am 8 pounds down. OH! I went to the gym this morning and weighed myself and I lost 2 pounds last week. Which is great but not great enough to get my facial tomorrow:(  I hate it when Aunt Flo interrupts my fun! Well I am re-scheduling for next week.  2 more pounds is all that keeps me from my reward. I know I can do it!

Doing the Math

Dr. OZ is on Oprah. Okay usually I don't watch this stuff but it's about diabetis and both my parents have it so I am probably at a higher risk rate, not to mention the fat. He just said your waistline should not be more than half your height. So I am 5'8" tall. That equals 68" which means my waist should be NO MORE than 34" at the max.

I guess besides a weight goal I now have a measurement goal.  My waist is currently 51" so I need to lose 17" around the middle.  HOLY COW! I am going to lose a 100 pound teenager with a 17" waist. Literally I am going to lose a person. A GROWN person.

On One Hand...but not the other.

Yes, I am still sore from pilates. I am not sure which part hurts worse my bum or my abs. But at least I got the first class out of the way and so that makes going again easier. It's always the first one that scares me. The skinny minnies and their mats all ready for war on their bodies. Well guess what? I am a warrior too and I am buying a mat today. Pilates I'm coming back at ya next week.

Today I am heading out to the gym to do my tried and true workout. The elliptical trainer and weights plus stretching. I hope it will work out some of the soreness my bum is feeling. If not then tomorrow is not going to be any picnic. But I have to do it, I really want that facial.  Oh and I am meeting a new friend for lunch after the gym so I am looking forward to that too.

If only I could get this motivated about cleaning the house. Why when I focus on one part of improvement does everything else go to hell in a hand basket? My "to do" list is getting longer and my "to do" attitude is getting shorter. If any one of you send me The Fly Lady list I am going to scream. I do not want to see it! I will get to it......EVENTUALLY.

Good News!

First, I made the salmon for our family the other night. It was delicious! I DO NOT like fish, much less salmon. But I found a recipe that made it taste good.....even my littlest loved it. He ate it all in about 45 seconds along with his salad and veggies. I couldn't believe it. I am going to post the recipe at the bottom for those of you who also are fish haters but are trying to get into a healthier lifestyle.

Next I lost 2.5 pounds last week. Which brings my running total up to 6 pounds. I have a goal of losing 10 pounds before Feb. 10 so I can get the facial I scheduled after my first week of work outs. If I don't make it, I'm not going. This is a reward. Too often in the past I would just reward myself whether I met the goal or not, but this is the new ME and I am going to make it. Today is 2/2 which means I have 8 days to lose 4 pounds. A completely reachable goal. I am proud of myself!

I am also proud of myself for mustering up the courage the join the skinny minnies in pilates today. I made it through the whole class, doing what I was able to and resting when needed, and I can tell you I will go again. But I did look at the clock 30 minutes in and think......."OMG, OMG, OMG I'm not going to make it!" "Can the other people in this class smell me......because I sure can" then toward the end with 3 minutes left I thought "I'm going to make it" "I can't believe it" "I DID IT!!!!".  So you can see a range of emotions running through there. We'll see what I think tomorrow when my CORE is screaming......"WHAT did you DO?"

Here's the recipe:

Barbecue Roasted Salmon

Yield: Serves 4
Comments: Flavored with pineapple juice, brown sugar, chili powder, and cumin, this easy entree can transform any weeknight meal into something special. Try serving it with steamed basmati rice and a spinach salad tossed with mandarin oranges, sliced red onion, and fat-free poppy seed dressing.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cooking spray
Lemon wedges (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Remove fish from bag; discard marinade.
4. Combine sugar and next 5 ingredients (sugar through cinnamon) in a bowl. Rub over fish; place in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with lemon, if desired.

Bikini Body

Tonight I am cooking salmon. I've never cooked salmon before. I have no idea if I even like it but I'll let you know tomorrow how it turned out. I guess it's the care taker in me. I want to make heart healthy foods for my honey now that he's had his heart scare. But truthfully, I think this is probably great for my diet too:)

As for the diet fore front, I only made it to the gym 2 times this week. Of course I could go out for a "last chance workout" tonight after dinner. Weigh in is tomorrow! Okay I'll keep that in the back of my mind for now. Two weeks into a new me and I've lost 3.5 pounds. Not too bad but I am hoping to add to that figure tomorrow. I have scheduled my facial for 2/10 so if I have not met my 10 pound goal before then I will have to cancel. I need to hit the gym.......this week I gave myself a reprieve since J was in the hospital.

My reprieve included candy bars, my favorite white cheddar popcorn, 2 burritos, 3 slices of pizza and NON-DIET Dr. Pepper. Holy Cow! LOL! No wonder I weigh what I do, and I am hoping for a weight loss this week.......man I need to do more than hope.  I need to work. That "last chance workout" is sounding more appealing after typing out that list of diet killers.

I am going to leave you with a quote from my little man, "Mommy next year I want you to be straight (translation thin) so you can wear a bikini at the Great Wolf Lodge and people can see your tummy."  LMAO! As if that will ever happen.

Happily Home From the Hospital

Well, my husband decided to get in on the health kick too. He challenged a co-worker to a one mile race exactly one month from now. He hasn't run in a while, but his competitor runs daily. Nevertheless, my honey is sure he will win the race. So Monday night he heads out in the cold weather to begin his training.  Training to him means go out and try to kill yourself apparently.  He tears out the front door at high speed, rounds the corner and all of a sudden his heart starts beating wildly. He decides he hasn't run far enough to be having this kind of feeling so he picks up the pace. But his heart also picks up the thudding. Feeling dejected he ends up walking home.

He sprawls himself on the sofa, announcing, "I don't feel so well." Well......being married to a man who ALWAYS overdoes exercise, I just didn't pay that much attention. After about 2 hours he say, "I'm not recovering from my run very well, I have a sinking feeling in my chest."  We decide to go to bed. Then he asks me to feel his pulse. It is WILDLY out of rhythm. So off to the ER we go.

After several hours at the ER they transfer him via EMS to another hospital and admit him....about 4:30 a.m.  The cardiologist comes in, checks him out and says, "He is in no danger, but tomorrow morning I will sedate you and SHOCK your heart back into a regular rhythm."  With the paddles? "Yes, like you see on the TV show ER but at a much lower voltage." GREAT!!!

Luckily for us his heart converted to a regular rhythm on it's own and we are home now without any volts.

Daisy Disco

Well our puppy Daisy has a new game. Daisy is our 5 month old black lab puppy. She reminds me of Marley. If you read the book Marley and Me you may remember that Marley would do the Marley Mambo whenever she had something she wasn't supposed to have and thought that it was great fun to play keep away. Well Daisy has a version of this game too. I like to call it the Daisy Disco. Today when I returned from the gym I found she had pulled the cover off the sprinkler.  She managed to get in there and eat some wires. When I walked out saying Daisy "NO! NO!" She takes off at a full sprint with the cover in her mouth. Chasing her at this point is useless. I just got back from the gym and my legs are exhausted!

I pretended to not have any interest in what she was doing and she finally stopped dancing around but every time I try to get the cover she takes off with it again. I can tell she wants to play. Luckily the kids will be home soon! I just hope I can make it to the bus stop without the crazy black blur running out the door.

Going to Gym SLOWLY

I am so lowly motivated today. I almost don't want to go to the gym, but I keep reading back over all of your comments and it is giving me strength.  Thank you so much for all your support. Some days the laziness just kicks in and all I want to do is hang out and watch TV on the sofa with the dogs.

But I am getting moving. Just writing this down makes me see how ridiculous it would be to waste my day. It's just sometimes the mountain looks so big.....I lost 3 pounds. 97 to go........NINETY SEVEN! That is so huge. I guess you don't climb a mountain in one leap though, it's a lot of little steps. Hopefully, Monday will show some progress to the summit.

I must go.......I must go.......I must go....JUST DO IT!!!

I did it! I must say I feel much better than earlier. Now the kids are home and when they asked, "Did you go to the gym today?" I could say "YES!" A minor triumph. Now what's for dinner?

For Better or Worse

My husband loves to open things. He opens the cabinets, the pantry, the bath room door but for some reason he never CLOSES them. I have, after 12 years, come to accept that EVERY cabinet door in the kitchen is open after he goes to work. I don't mind really since he is the one who puts away the dishes. I really prefer the help and I can always go behind him and close them all once he leaves.

But now he has gotten into the habit of leaving the toilet seat up! Now this is just UNACCEPTABLE.  He never did this before but for the last month he just "forgets" to put the seat down. He even went as far as to say "Well you're in there just put it down." AYI ya YAI! Is this some kind of passive agressive act? I mean if it is what would he be secretly trying to say......."Fall in honey, Fall in". That is just absurd.

I worked out today and joined the gym. If I could have walked my 3 miles with a butt cheek in each hand I would have, they hurt.  I actually wonder what people would have thought. "Look that woman is just barely holding it together" Well they would probably have been right.  I swear I looked at that clock counting down my work out minutes at 12:56 then 12:32 then 12: 25.........HOLY CRAMOLY........I can't believe I still have 12 minutes left......12:13, 12:07 then I just watched it tick down to make sure it wasn't just starting over at 12 every minute. It finally ended 1 hour on the treadmill and not one grab for my cheeks. A successful day if I do say so myself. I hit the weights, spilled my water and called it a day. WOO-HOO! 

Number 3

I lost 3 pounds last week. YAY! I wish it were more but I'll take it. Let me ruminate on the number 3. 

3 Miles. The number of miles I will walk per day this week.

13 Pounds. The amount of weight I have to lose to get back to the weight I was when I swore I would never gain another pound.

30 Days. The length of time it takes to form a habit.

33 Weeks. The amount of time it will take for me to get to my goal weight at 3 pound per week.

$37 The amount of money I will pay a month for my gym membership.

A Day of Reward

All the hard work during the week has paid off.  My muscles are no longer screaming. I worked through it,despite my sometimes negative attitude. I ate right and today I am rewarding myself. Even the weather is rejoicing in my accomplishments. It's sunny and fabulous!

I went to my mini facial this morning. I thoroughly enjoyed it along with a morning mimosa. I scheduled a full facial (this morning was a free one offered at a local spa) for a month from now. So now I have a reward to look forward to as I continue my work out regiment.

My aunt sent my a qoute today which really lifted me up and helped me realize that I am moving in the right direction. Here it is:

'May today there be peace within.

May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.

May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content with yourself just the way you are.

Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.'

Today I have peace within, I am moving in a positive direction. The results will show in time. My weigh in is tomorrow and I have no fear.

Let the Circus Begin!

In ring one we have Cynthia. An overweight mom trying to get the first week of workouts completed so she can take part in a self appointed reward for finishing 5 days of exercise.

In ring two we have Mom. A schedule challenged mother running 4 kids to multiple sporting events, sleep overs, and let's not forget the Science Fair........ oh please, don't forget the Science Fair.

In ring three we have Honey. The wife to a wonderful man who helps out with the circus when he's not hard at work. Honey needs to clean the house today and make a great dinner with desert and plan entertainment.

And this week we are adding a fourth ring. That one occupied by the compassionate, animal loving Furry Godmother.  She needs to take care of clients pets while they are out of town this weekend.

It's FRIDAY and the 4 ring circus is gearing up!  There is no rest for the Ring Master. With plenty of rings in play I have to remember not to let MINE drop. First order of business today.....the workout. So tomorrow I can reward myself with a mini facial. That facial will cause me to miss a kids basketball game (anxiety...sigh) but I must find time for ME in this crazy big top circus. I'm undertaking a reinvention and I am WORTH IT!

Finding my Inner Masochist

I have a thought. How about we change everything? How about the skinny people all get fat and the artists start painting beautiful portraits of women with rolls again? Hell I could be a super-model. It would be so much more fun and less painful. Is everyone on the planet masochistic?

I guess I am going to have to find my inner masochist. Beat myself into shape. Can you tell how the gym went today? For some reason it's getting harder! Day 3: muscles aching, Aunt Flo in for a visit, busy day. I guess this was a true test of if I have the mental strength to follow through, and I did! I pushed it harder today than any day before.  YAY ME!  But I'm kind of bitter and pissed off about it. Maybe that's Aunt Flo's fault.

As for the rest of the self improvements. I have made a new and startling discovery about myself. I am interested in art.  I guess I never really thought about it before, but as I search myself I realized the soothing effect some painting have on me. So yesterday I bought a new piece of art for my house. We are moving from  traditional to an eclectic modern not retro.  I love the shape of traditional furniture but I am finding modern designed fabrics to be very soothing. So I see furniture recovering in the future for some key pieces in the house.  I am going to blend the modern fabrics with the traditional furniture and I think I will get a unique look that I will LOVE. I guess the house will be mismatched for a while, but what the heck, it is what it is.

Tonight is date night. We are going to a work function but I'll take it! A night out without the rug rats:) I have to cook chili.......it's a competition of some sort? Anyway, I'm getting ready to throw down some awesome Red Raider Chili. I hope these Europeans can handle the heat because I'm bringing it Baby! Downside of this.....I probably need to eat before we go and only taste the chili's. Not to mention the big boss is in town and he always buys a case of the most fabulous red wine for everyone to enjoy.......1 4 oz. glass= all my time on the elliptical trainer today. I guess I'll cross that chicken when I get to it.

Leaving Insanity Behind

Why was the second day harder than the first? It has a lot to do with the fact that my rear end feels like it is going to detach itself from my hips and legs. Oh.....SOARNESS!  But I did it! I already went to the gym, did my workout, then went to the grocery store and bought good stuff. Stir fry veggies with grilled chicken for dinner.  Sorry kids........mama's gotta loose the junk in the trunk.

Did I mention I went to the grocery store directly from the gym? That's because, although I may have been stinky, I figured shopping for groceries while your muscles are screaming might reduce the amount of crap I put in the cart. And guess what......it did? Nothing even looked good.  The thought of jamming some M&M's in my mouth two steps away from the register just seemed INSANE!  Maybe that's where I've been for the last few years...in insanity:) I have to admit it was fun while it lasted, but I am Reinventing Me now so I must leave insanity behind.

High Anxiety

Today I joined a group on facebook led by another mom from the area. The group started today. It's the biggest loser online. We had to post our weight and goals on Facebook. I am by far the heaviest to weigh in today by at least 50 pounds. I am so embarrassed!

I did it though! You can't change what you don't admit, right? Being held accountable for weigh in every Monday on Facebook is torturous but not being held accountable let me gain 40 pounds last year. I swore I would never buy a larger pair of pants than the ones I bought last winter. But last week I went out and got some new jeans. One size larger than the last! I know I have to do something. I know it's unhealthy. I know my kids want me to lose weight. I know I will feel better.

Here's to just doing it! I'm going right NOW to the closest gym, 24 Hour Fitness and getting a free 7 day membership.  I will make those 7 day! Baby steps right now! Get to the gym, get good groceries, eat in moderation, drink water, have a support system.

Please support me! Mom that means you too!

Secrets Revealed

   Today I am excited about the Post Secret Exhibit which will take place in Denton.  I love reading the post secret books and the website every Sunday.  I am going to make a post card and send it in today. 

    Does anyone want to join me?

Me, The Ring Master

   So, there are two types of mom's of multiples. There is the mini-van mom and the SUV mom. The mini-van mom is likely to be seen in her sweats and sneakers at noon; whereas, the SUV mom is likely wearing her svelte designer jeans and toting a latte. Neither mom is inherently better, but they are different.
   For instance, I am a minivan mom. This morning the temperature in Murphy was in the teens. So I ran out to turn the van on and warm it up for the kiddos and myself before we made the half mile drive to school. A drive to school almost always involves 2 dogs and 4 kids in my Honda Odyssey. I feel the Odyssey is aptly named because it reminds me that driving around with this crowd is an adventure, not a chore.

   Back to our morning drive. With temps this low, it is not uncommon for the automatic sliding doors on the van to freeze shut. But one would think if you warm up the van that ice would melt...at least before we get to school. WELL.....one would be wrong! Upon pulling up to the school, with SUV moms in line behind us, I realize that yes the doors are still frozen shut. I grab the over sized puppy, open the passenger side door to the front seat and the 4 kids file out one by one, jumping out of the car to the tune of the woeful dog howling and screaming her goodbyes. This event immediately brought to my mind the clowns at the circus climbing out of the tiny car.

   Upon exiting the parking lot my chic SUV mom friend pulls in, latte in hand, make up perfect and waves with a huge grin. Glad I could amuse you today! It's my life as the ring master.

Well at least today I have the date right, 1-06-10, a step in the right direction. It's cold outside with promises of more to come in the dark hours. Temperature in the teens tomorrow...I'm gonna freeze my chilly willers off.

Ok, so about ME. Is this narcissism at it's best or what? To make improvements means to engage. I need to engage my mind in something new....

Today I will check the community college catalog for courses that might interest me, and look into volunteer opportunities around here. I have a high interest in the homeless. If anyone out there knows of something let me know.

I spoke with a new friend yesterday about crocheting. She volunteered to re-teach me....my Maw-Maw taught me originally. Watch out, you may be on my future afghan list.

The 4th Day of the New Year but the 1st for ME

Today is the first day of the new year for me, 2010. I know that in reality it's the 4th but I rarely deal in reality, so why start now. I guess that is a part of me I don't need to reinvent. As for the other parts that I would like to open up and shake the dust off of I am starting today.

Is it a resolution? I guess, in a way. Then maybe I should have started this with the very clever, "I resolve to" but as I am not exactly sure what it is I am resolving to do I will just start with the feeling. I feel like I need to get moving. Like I need to explore more avenues, beyond just weight loss which is HIGH on my list. But which does not speak to my inner desire to just get out there and do something.

No I am not a shut in........thanks for asking. But I am a mom dominated by over-scheduled kids and a overly stuffed house. This feeling I have is much more than a feeling to just organize closets. Although if you have neat closets....KUDOS to you. I doubt I'll ever be there. Another part I should reinvent but I just don't care enough about to target right now.

So what am I trying to reinvent? ME! What does that mean.........well that will be the adventure of this blog. I'm not sure where I'm going right now but I'm headed out!