Weigh in this week

I was actually very suprised this week to see the scale drop 1.8 lbs. It has been creeping along slowly but surely for the last month it seems. When it said 167.2 I got very excited. I was having trouble getting all my water in the past few weeks so I started substituting Crystal Light in the afternoon. It was so much easier to get all my liquids in during the day that way.

I'll be posting an updated picture soon.

Girls Night was a SUCCESS!!

Saturday night was my turn to host our monthly girls night poker game. I spent all day cleaning my house, 3 of the girls had never been to my house so I needed to make a good impression. Kim already knows I'm not the neatest housekeeper, but she loves me anyways. So I got up really early, about 6am and started my chores. I even shampooed the carpets. After getting everything spic-n-span I started cooking. I served lasagna, garlic bread, salad and dessert. I made a blackberry cobbler using frozen berries and a yellow cake mix. I thought I screwed it up because I baked it in a 9x9 pan instead of 9x13. I was afraid the cake mix wouldn't bake in with the juices and would end up being a golden crust with an inch of powdered cake mix and berries on the bottom. I did cheat a little because I sweetened the berries with splenda (they didn't even notice). I ended up making a backup dessert also. A Reese's peanut butter cake (this was actually something I had bought for the kids, but I needed it just in case).

The girls arrived about 5:30 and dinner was just coming out of the oven. After the tour of the house we gathered in the "favorite" room, the kitchen. They actually thought I had made the lasagna from scratch, but I came clean and confessed it was Stouffer's. Why spend $20.00 on lasagna ingredients when you can get a really good one for $11.00 already prepared. Before we sat down to eat we had to decide the winner of this months theme. The theme for this month was gaudy Easter bonnets. Chelsea was the bonnet judge and she determined that Kasey was the winner of the gaudiest bonnet. Her prize was a great smelling candle.

As the girls were getting their plates filled with the garlic bread and ooey gooey cheesy lasagna, I was preparing my dinner (NS lasagna). I didn't fill deprived at all. I had a large helping of salad and it was very filling. After dinner we played a game of Cranium and Kim and I kicked their asses this time. It was alot of fun. Then the girls decided it was time to try the cobbler. They cut a piece, microwaved for a few seconds and globbed on vanilla ice cream. The oohs and aahs wouldn't stop. You would have thought it was sex the way they were going on about it. I had my NS chocolate mochachinno dessert bar, which was very good. The stopped eating when they saw what I had and were very interested, "What's that? It looks very good." "It is very good." I replied.

After everyone was full we got out the cards for poker. We play no-limit penny Texas Hold'em. Ante is a penny and then you can bet whatever you want. I won about 3 hands, probably about $6.00 which was the most won. Kim won $1.75, Diana and Frankie split a pot which was up to $5.00 about. Kasey won the last hand which was around 85 cents.

It was a fun evening, I was able to stay on program 100% and the girls departed around 10:30pm. Next month Kim is the host - she doesn't cook at all so it should be interesting, but if it's warm enough to get in the pool we really won't care what we eat.

Girls night this Saturday

This Saturday it's my turn to host the girlsnight. The host prepares dinner, creates a theme and plans the evening. Usually it ends up being a texas hold'em night, which is probably what we will do this time too. The problem is I have NO idea what to fix for dinner. Since I'm doing NS and plan to stick to it 100%, I'm trying to fix something that will be close to what I'll have. So I think I'm going to do this the easy way and make a frozen lasagna, texas toast, salad and dessert. That way I can have my lasagna, salad and my dessert. Making a dessert for the girls and not eating it is going to be soooo hard. The plan is to make a brownie with mint chocolate chip icecream layered with hot fudge and cool whip. There only thing close to this in the NS plan is the Mint Chocolate bar, I think I might put it in the microwave for a few seconds and them put a dollop of fat free cool whip on top. I've got to be strong and make good decisions. I'm so close to the blue bear I can't take steps backwards.

Today was a very hectic day at work, we are switching to a new system and we have mandatory training classes this week and next week which makes it really hard to get the regular work done. It addition to the training we have to complete homework and quizes after each session. But after the training I realized what today was, we have a massage therapist come to our office every other Thursday at 3:30pm to give us 30 minute table massages. You would not believe how good you feel after a massage. After sitting at a computer all day and the stress of the job it is the best thing in the world to have someone get all those nasty pressure points that cause neck and shoulder pain and the headaches, after 30 minutes we are all so happy and nice.

Remember in my last post the guy on light duty who really isn't hurt that I was going to fire? Well, I didn't actually fire him on Tuesday because he had a dr's appt and I didn't want him being upset about losing his job and tell the dr that he was in such horrible pain, blah, blah, blah so anyways he went to the dr, had the test done, the next day he was so sore he couldn't bend his leg so he went back to the dr. He came in after his appointment and said the dr released him and inside I'm singing hallelujah and then the door hit me in the face. I read what the dr wrote, yes he released him with a permanent work restriction. Which means I may have to keep him on light duty forever or until he quits. My only out is on Monday when he turns in his timecard, if he writes in that he worked 8 hours on Monday I have him because the lady at the nursing home that he was reporting to said he did not work on Monday and she would sign something to that fact. So I can fire him for falsifying his timecard. Let's hope he's the worm we think he is.

So as I sit here at the computer, I'm relaxed and calm. The crap of today is gone for the time being.

Wish me luck with the girls night and if you have any better ideas for dessert (that won't be so tempting) leave me a comment and let me know what I should do...

Monday, Monday

If was definitely a Monday today. My assistant called this morning and wanted to take 1/2 day PTO time, because she drove to Houston this weekend for Easter. I didn't really blame her, I wouldn't have wanted to come to work after driving 10 hours to get home. yuck...but it did put us in a tailspin. Monday's are very busy for us, we run Help Wanted ads in Sunday's paper and the phone is ringing when we walk in the door on Tuesday. I don't know if I've ever told you want I do for a living. I'm the Operations Manager for a Manufacturing Support company. We don't like to call ourselves a temp service, because we aren't - all of our jobs are full time 40+ hours per week and ALL of them have the potential to become permanent placements. The job market is very high right now in our town and the candidate pool sucks. Most of the people we see don't really want a job, usually their wives want them to work, or their parole officers.

I'm going to have to fire a guy tomorrow, he's been working a modified duty job because he got hurt at work (I think he's milking it for all it's worth) anyways, he turned in his timecard today for 40 hours but it wasn't signed by his supervisor so I called her. She said he'd only been at work a couple days last week and that most of the time he sits in his truck and listens to the radio. Apparently the last couple timecards he turned in were forged. So he's gonna be history tomorrow. He knows somethings up because we called him at 3:00 (he doesn't get off work until 4:30) and he answered the phone. I told him he wasn't to go back to the nursing home but to report to my office at 8am. He hem hawed around and finally agreed to come to the office.

I've got another guy who has been on modified duty in our office (knee injury) he left at noon to go to lunch and about 15 minutes before he was supposed to be back called and said he fell down at home and hurt his knee again, he wanted to stay home for the rest of the day. (probably has an appointment with his attorney). Work Comp really sucks for the employer, especially in an industry like ours.

Oh well, hopefully tomorrow is better.

Happy Easter

The first thing I want to tell everyone is I HIT MY EASTER GOAL WEIGHT! 169lbs and dropping.

What are you doing for Easter? How old is too old for the Easter bunny? Do you go to church every Sunday, just Easter Sunday or not at all? Do you have family traditions? These are questions that people asked me this week. Here are my answers....

I'm probably going to clean house and try and start mowing the 2 1/2 acres of grass that won't stop growing, if you watch really close you can actually see it getting taller. (if I ever win the lottery - I'm blacktopping my yard).

My kids are 20 - Happy Birthday Davy! and 17. I don't hide Easter eggs, but I did make them up a little somthing. I bought each of them a cute Easter coffee cup, jelly bellys, chocolate eggs, an OU t-shirt (go Sooners) and a $20.00 gas card.

I used to go to church every Sunday, in fact I've been going to the same church (First Christian, Disciples of Christ) since I was 12 years old until a few years ago. To be honest, I've never felt like I fit in at that church. I was the only kid in my age group, everyone was either 2-3 years younger or older than me, so I was put with the little kids and felt stupid, or put with the high school kids and felt unworthy. Even when I grew up I felt like an outcast. My ex-husband wouldn't go to church with us and at the time there wasn't a class for young married couples, so I went in the class with my parents, don't get me wrong it was a great class, but I was 20ish in a room with 45+year old people. Then about the time I got divorced, the church decided they needed a class for the young adults. Guess what, everyone was married except me. They would have monthly get togethers, parties, etc. and I just didn't fit in. But, I still felt like I had to go to church even though I was always on the outside. The reason I stopped going was because the kids stopped going. Davy was in the youth group band and when the youth music leader quit and went to a church in another town it just wasn't the same for the kids. They didn't want to go anymore, and I wasn't going to force them to go, because I knew what that felt like. I guess the other reason is I just don't like organized religion. I believe in God and that Jesus Christ is my savior and I pray and try to lead a good life. I am a very spiritual person, I'm just not religious. Alot of people will probably say I'm going to hell. But while I was watching the Passion of Christ last night, I don't remember him saying anything about not going to church equals going to hell. I remember him saying those who believe that he is the lord and savior will join him in paradise one day. So to answer the question...I don't go to church at all.

Enough of that....on to the next question - We used to have family traditions, (church, easter egg hunt, big fattening lunch, lots of chocolate and gooey candy, but since Mom and Dad scattered off to Colorado, the kids grew up, and I'm on NS now I don't think we are going to stick to the tradition. No chocolate bunnies for me this year.

We celebrated Davy's birthday last night (I just can't believe he's 20 years old), my sister Leigh and her husband Brent, Chelsea and their friend Tyler joined us. My niece Alyssa was our waitress and my nephew Baryn had to work at McDonalds. It was fun, Leigh Ann (she's also doing NS-just started, her NS screen name is bumpey, send her an email of encouragement) and I had a grilled chicken breast sandwich (but we didn't eat the bun) with tomato, lettuce, pickles and onion topped with a little mustard and tiny bit of ranch dressing with a side salad. I also had 2 (very small) bottle caps - fried jalapeno slices. They were very good, but I was proud that I just tasted and didn't binge on them.

I hope everyone has a nice Easter and don't eat too much candy.

It's hard to get the Blue Bear

The first 20lbs came off really very easy. I've earned the red and purple bears now, I'm in possession of the red bear and the purple bear was supposed to come in my last shipment, but they missed me (hopefully I'll get it in next shipment). I've struggled alot trying to get the next 10 lbs off, I want that damn blue bear under my belt. Last week I lost 0.8 and this week it was only 0.6. Two weeks and barely lost 1 lb. I will admit that I didn't do ALL my exercising that I commited to, but I did walk on Monday about 1/2 a mile and yesterday I walked the whole mile. I didn't walk last Friday or Sunday. I promise myself that I will walk the full mile at leat 4 times every week.

What is it that the others do? I read profiles all the time and there are all these people losing 3-4 lbs each week. How are they doing it? I stick to the food plan 100%. I've been getting all my water intake, I've limited my caffeine. I just want to see a 2lb loss next week.

Okay, no more whining!!! A loss is a loss, at least it wasn't a 0.6 lb gain. I'll be quiet now.

UPDATE Since this morning...
A former employee came to the office today, she quit last May to get married to an army man and moved to Texas. Now he's in Iraq and she's about to have a baby. She actually noticed my weightloss. I was very excited about that.

I took off work early today and went to the salon, got a cut and color. Now my hair is dark aburn with blond highlights. It looks alot like Debra Messings hair color (Grace from "Will & Grace") Then I went and bought some new pants (Size 12) yeah!!! and some tops to go with the pants...tops are a large, down from XL. But I've got huge boobs (36DD) so I may never be in a size small. So being so discouraged this morning about only losing 0.6 was just a pity-party and I'm over it, I'm down another pant size...and one day I'll be at goal.

Why do I have animals?

We live in the country where fences are not required. We have 4 cats and 2 dogs. Cats are really keep to themselves creatures, but the dogs take so much work. Someday I'll try and get a picture of all the animals posing for a portrait. (That should be interesting). But until then, I'll try and give you the image. The oldest is K.C (Kitty-Cat) he is 17 years old and a snowshoe. A snowshoe cat has the markings of a siamese, except they have a white mask in the middle of the dark mask around their nose (kinda tri-color, tannish-gray, black, white) and they have white on their toes. Then we have Meeko she is around 11 years old, white with patches of tan all over and the momma to Crystal who is an 8 year old gray tabby, very skiddish only wants to cuddle if you are sleeping. And to finish off the kitty collection we have Joe. Joe, is a big big gray tabby (probably weighs 20lbs) who wandered up to our house as a kitten about 7 years ago. Thinking we had a boy he was named Joe, once we went to the vet we found out he was a she, but the name stuck. The dogs...Sampson (Sam) is a 6 year old Rat Terrier and a little crotchity. He gets nervous alot and shakes, the past year has been pretty hard on him - his sister Delilah (Deli) was murdered last year by the neighbors golden retriever (Popcorn) on our front porch. Sam was tramatized by that ordeal and seemed depressed. We had been talking about getting another friend for Sam, but I knew I didn't want a little dog.

Sam hasn't been real thrilled that Chelsea brought home a lab/border collie puppy and the cats haven't bonded yet either. Beau is about 4 months old, black with white on his chest and tip of his tail and a holy terror, we got him when he was about 10 weeks old. It had been along time since I'd potty trained and house proofed for a puppy. I think he's going to be a smart dog, the potty training went well - we still have a few accidents if we don't pay close attention, but he will scratch on the back door to go outside. His vocabulary is growing everyday. Outside, potty, cookie, NO, sit, lay down and get down are the words that he knows right now. He is into everything. Just this morning as I'm here at the computer reading NS profiles, I hear him crunching on something. I looked at him and all I see him chewing is his baby (a stuffed animal). I continue reading and decide to get up for a bottle of water and see red wet spots all over the carpet. Immediately I look at him and said, "What did you do?" Sheepishly he lowers his head and then I see the bottle of Cloreseptic throat spray. David had a sore throat last night and I guess he left the bottle on the coffee table. Beau chewed on the spray top, somehow got the top unscrewed and poured the liquid on the floor. As I'm cleaning that mess up and hoping the red doesn't stain I hear another peculiar sound. "Beau, where are you?" Now he's in the kitchen and has gotten a chunck of chewed bubble gum on his mouth, stringing from the top to the bottom. I had to get that gooey junk off of him before he has it all over the couch or God only knows where. I made him go outside and within a few minutes he's at the back door wanting in. As I opened the door and he came barreling in I noticed something in his mouth. "Beau, what do you have?" He ran into David's bedroom to hide, but I found him and his deer remains. Yes, that's right. He brought in about 6 vertebra of a deers spine. What's next?

Right now he's lying on the floor next to my feet being the sweet puppy I fell in love with. The bad part is, he's going to wake up soon and then we'll start all over again with something else being chewed up or drug into the house.

That didn't last long, now he's tormenting KC.

Sleepy Saturday

I've been really lazy today. Got up pretty early for a Saturday 7:00am, woke Chelsea up because she had to take the ACT test this morning. Logged onto the NutriSystem site and ready some profiles and the Daily Dose. Had breakfast, mixed berry crunch (I love this) 1 cup of mixed berries microwaved for 3 minutes to get really hot and bubbly add 1 pkg of splenda and then top with the NS low-fat granola cereal, couple squirts of ICBINB spray and microwave for about 30 more seconds. Yummy it's like eating berry cobbler for breakfast.

After breakfast I got ready and went to the grocery store. Does anyone out there know the money/time equation at Wal-Mart? It's $100.00 per hour. I spent exactly 1 hour and 7 minutes in Wal-Mart this morning and my bill was $113 and some change.

Came home, put the groceries away, chopped up my veggies and made a big salad to have on hand. Ate lunch (NS sloppy joe - I love these too!) Has anyone tried the new Diet Dr.Pepper Berries and Cream? It is sooooo good, it tastes a little like cream soda with a hint on berry.

After lunch I planned on walking a mile, but instead ended up taking a nap. Woke up with a sinus headache that took forever to go away. Around 6pm I got hungry and had the homestyle chicken and noodles (not my favorite) with greenbeans and a banana. I still need to drink 2 more bottles of water before today ends, shouldn't be a problem.

Hope everyone has a more productive Saturday than I've had.

If I could turn back time

I want to look like this again. Isn't she gorgeous? She's my baby, almost grown up. I look at pictures of myself when I was her age and we could have been twins. Well, maybe she is prettier than I was. I'd love to look like this again, but I'd never give up what I've learned over the past 25 years.

Like a Turtle

Slow and steady wins the race...that's what the turtle said anyways. This weeks weigh-in was a loss, but I was really hoping for a 2lb loss this week instead ended up with a 0.8 loss. Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled with any loss.

I up'd my exercise this week, taking 1 mile walks 3 times. Oh wait did I lead you to believe I increased my exercise routine? Sorry, I began an exercise routine. I hate exercise, but I know it's got to be done to really make this a success. I've tried every exercise out there and can't find anything that I will stick with. I tried yoga, belly-dancing (that was just sad), eliptical machine, I joined a gym for women with a sauna and free tanning. I had to sign a 1 yr contract and they took 56.00/mo out of my bank account. I think I actually went to the gym for about 1 month maybe 2, but that is probably stretching it. The really really sad thing, the gym is in the same complex as my office. I just had to walk down there after work and I couldn't make myself do it. My year contract ended March 16th, they tried to get me to resign - did they think I was that stupid. I think I mentioned something about bike riding in an earlier post. That wouldn't work either. Walking is easy, I just have to make myself get off my butt and go. So that's my plan for right now. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday I'll walk at least 1 mile, then I'll try to increase that to 1.5 next week.

My son's birthday is on Easter this year, he will be 20 years old. I can't believe I've got a kid that old. My goal weight is to lose 2lbs by Easter. 1 1/2 weeks I should be able to reach that goal.

Wow, this year is the year for holiday birthdays in our family. Like I said, David's birthday is on Easter. Chelsea (my daughter) will turn 18 on July 3rd. I always tease her, if she'd actually been born on the 4th of July her name would have been Liberty Bell Harmon. My mom's maiden name is Bell. I thought it was cute, she would have killed me. My mom's birthday is Mothers Day and my niece Alyssa is turning 19 at Thanksgiving. The kids dad's birthday is 3 days before Christmas. Interesting isn't it?

My promise to myself this week - exercise, moving a tad faster than the slow and steady turtle.

Look at that chin

I don't have very many pictures of myself - this is me, 2 weeks after starting NS. I had lost about 10 lbs at this mark. I look awful, but we were having fun. Girls night, playing board games. Our normal girls night is eating rich fattening foods, drinking foo-foo drinks or wine and playing Texas-Hold'em or just visiting. We get together once a month and the party is hosted at a different persons house each month. The hostess decides the evening, theme, prepares the meals, etc.

We've had girls night 3 times since I began NS and I've never slipped. I taked my own food and snacks and Diet dr pepper is my drink. This month I'm the hostess, April 22. The theme this month is gaudy Easter bonnets. Everyone has to make their own and then we will vote and have a prize for the winner. I don't know what I'm going to make for dinner - should I make a dinner or just have snack food. I'm not sure what to do?


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