We got back from our trip to St. Louis late yesterday afternoon, and we had a great time! The hotel had an awesome fitness center, and all of the exercise equipment had their own personal TVs with cable! It was great to use the elliptical and watch TV at the same time. They also had some free weights and some weight machines, and these super cold towels to use after your workout. I could have gotten used to that fitness center, believe me! All in all, I exercised every day we were there, and I'm so glad I did. It's the first time I've ever exercised while being on vacation, and even though we spent a good deal of every day walking, I wasn't too tired to work out at night.
The good news is, I weighed myself this morning, and I lost .8 pounds while on VACATION! I'm so pumped that I didn't gain weight, which I was expecting to do because I really didn't eat all that great. (I did try, but there's not really a whole lot of healthy food at Six Flags or the zoo, you know?)
Now that we're home, we've got grocery shopping and laundry to do, but I will return soon with pictures and more trip details. I hope everyone is doing well!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Time to Test My Self Control
Tomorrow Stephen and I are leaving for a little vacation to celebrate our anniversary, and while I'm really excited about getting away to St. Louis (and grateful that Stephen's parents are taking care of Bailey for us), I'm incredibly anxious about the food we'll be eating. We'll be eating out for lunch and dinner every day, and I'm just wondering how in the world I'll be able to stay in my calorie range every day. I've tried looking up nutrition information for some of the places I know we'll eat, and I've made note of some options, but there are other places that don't even have nutrition info posted. The good thing is the hotel where we're staying has a 24-hour fitness center, so I'm determined to exercise every day we're going to be there. We'll also be doing a good deal of walking around and being outdoors, so I'm not worried about getting in enough cardio; I just hope I don't blow it with the food!
The Summer 2008 Book Project has commenced. I went through the bookshelves and gathered all the books I have not read, and the total came to only 16, which was pleasantly surprising. I was thinking there were about double that amount. Here's the list:
The Complete Fairy Tales by George MacDonald
Phantastes by George MacDonald
When Sinners Say I Do by Dave Harvey
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Beloved by Toni Morrison
All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
There are a few sad things about the list. First, I've tried to read about half of these at least once, if not more than once (I think I've attempted Anna Karenina 4 times), and I haven't finished them. Second, the Dickens, Hardy, and Eliot books are ones I was supposed to read in the Victorian novel class I dropped after I got mono, and the Warren book I was supposed to read in the 20th century novel class, but I only made it halfway through. So I've had opportunity to read almost all of these books, but haven't managed to, so that will make this little project all the more challenging (and all the more fulfilling). I'm taking the George MacDonald books on the trip with me because they're ones I haven't tried to read before, and I am really interested in his writing after reading The Light Princess.
Anyway, we're off in the morning, so say a prayer for me if you think about it, and I'll be back next Wed., hopefully not any heavier than I am now!
The Summer 2008 Book Project has commenced. I went through the bookshelves and gathered all the books I have not read, and the total came to only 16, which was pleasantly surprising. I was thinking there were about double that amount. Here's the list:
The Complete Fairy Tales by George MacDonald
Phantastes by George MacDonald
When Sinners Say I Do by Dave Harvey
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Beloved by Toni Morrison
All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
There are a few sad things about the list. First, I've tried to read about half of these at least once, if not more than once (I think I've attempted Anna Karenina 4 times), and I haven't finished them. Second, the Dickens, Hardy, and Eliot books are ones I was supposed to read in the Victorian novel class I dropped after I got mono, and the Warren book I was supposed to read in the 20th century novel class, but I only made it halfway through. So I've had opportunity to read almost all of these books, but haven't managed to, so that will make this little project all the more challenging (and all the more fulfilling). I'm taking the George MacDonald books on the trip with me because they're ones I haven't tried to read before, and I am really interested in his writing after reading The Light Princess.
Anyway, we're off in the morning, so say a prayer for me if you think about it, and I'll be back next Wed., hopefully not any heavier than I am now!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Hodge-Podge
I can't believe it's been over a week since I blogged last. Although in my defense I will say that I was swamped with research papers and grading, but that is now over, as I just submitted the final grades for the semester (and they're not even officially due until next Tuesday). I am beyond glad this semester is over; it's been a very strange semester, one I am sure I will always remember because of what happened on Feb. 5, but I am not sad to bid it farewell.
Next Thursday, Stephen and I head up to Illinois, where we will drop off our baby, Bailey, with Stephen's parents. The next day we head out for our vacation to St. Louis! I'm so excited to be getting away, and I haven't been to St. Louis in a long time, so it should be a great, relaxing trip. We scored a 4-star hotel on Priceline for $46/night, thanks to my hubby's amazing skills. We'll be in St. Louis through Tuesday morning, and then we'll end up back in Jackson that Wed. It's a trip to celebrate our anniversary (we couldn't get the hotel during our actual anniversary date) and Stephen's birthday, and I hope it's a great one. (I can't believe I've almost been married for a year!)
Last week we saw Iron Man, and it was an excellent movie. I had no idea what it was about except that it was based on a comic book, and I was pleasantly surprised. Robert Downey, Jr. did a fabulous job in his role, and all in all the movie was incredibly entertaining and engaging. I definitely recommend it and wouldn't mind seeing it again.
For my birthday last October my great friend Diana got me a reading journal, in which I list each book I've read since then and any other information I want to list, like the dates I read it, who wrote it, what I thought about it, memorable quotes, etc. It was a great gift, and I was really good about using it, but somewhere in the middle of the semester I fell out of the habit. My goal this summer is to read all the books I have at home that I haven't read, and I'm going to record each of them in the journal. I don't even know how many books that is, so that goal may be amended, but that's where I'm starting. I'm bad about buying books and then not reading them because I get drawn to another book, and I want to be able to say that I've read every book I own.
I'm also going to revamp my exercise routine. During the semester I've been somewhat limited in the amount of time I can spend working out, but now that I have the entire months of June and August off, I'll have a lot more time, and I want to use that time to continue shaping and toning my body (I have a looong way to go). I'm going to try and get in 35-45 minutes of exercise 6 days a week this summer, and I want to do with a variety of different exercises.
I don't want to waste the time I have this summer, so I want to be diligent with my time, making Bible reading and prayer a priority along with my weight loss. I have a tendency to become a complete lazy bum when I don't have a set schedule, and I don't want that to be the case this time around. Sloth does not honor God.
Now that I've rambled about nothing, I'm off to lunch with my dear husband!
Next Thursday, Stephen and I head up to Illinois, where we will drop off our baby, Bailey, with Stephen's parents. The next day we head out for our vacation to St. Louis! I'm so excited to be getting away, and I haven't been to St. Louis in a long time, so it should be a great, relaxing trip. We scored a 4-star hotel on Priceline for $46/night, thanks to my hubby's amazing skills. We'll be in St. Louis through Tuesday morning, and then we'll end up back in Jackson that Wed. It's a trip to celebrate our anniversary (we couldn't get the hotel during our actual anniversary date) and Stephen's birthday, and I hope it's a great one. (I can't believe I've almost been married for a year!)
Last week we saw Iron Man, and it was an excellent movie. I had no idea what it was about except that it was based on a comic book, and I was pleasantly surprised. Robert Downey, Jr. did a fabulous job in his role, and all in all the movie was incredibly entertaining and engaging. I definitely recommend it and wouldn't mind seeing it again.
For my birthday last October my great friend Diana got me a reading journal, in which I list each book I've read since then and any other information I want to list, like the dates I read it, who wrote it, what I thought about it, memorable quotes, etc. It was a great gift, and I was really good about using it, but somewhere in the middle of the semester I fell out of the habit. My goal this summer is to read all the books I have at home that I haven't read, and I'm going to record each of them in the journal. I don't even know how many books that is, so that goal may be amended, but that's where I'm starting. I'm bad about buying books and then not reading them because I get drawn to another book, and I want to be able to say that I've read every book I own.
I'm also going to revamp my exercise routine. During the semester I've been somewhat limited in the amount of time I can spend working out, but now that I have the entire months of June and August off, I'll have a lot more time, and I want to use that time to continue shaping and toning my body (I have a looong way to go). I'm going to try and get in 35-45 minutes of exercise 6 days a week this summer, and I want to do with a variety of different exercises.
I don't want to waste the time I have this summer, so I want to be diligent with my time, making Bible reading and prayer a priority along with my weight loss. I have a tendency to become a complete lazy bum when I don't have a set schedule, and I don't want that to be the case this time around. Sloth does not honor God.
Now that I've rambled about nothing, I'm off to lunch with my dear husband!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Pep Talk Time!
I've officially lost 20 pounds, but I've been so busy I haven't had time to really celebrate, and it took me 15 weeks to lose it, so I keep telling myself that I'm not making enough progress. This attitude is ridiculous of course because HELLO, I lost 20 pounds! The fact that I'm making progress at all, given my tendency to start projects and goals with lots of energy and then flake out after a week, is extraordinary for me. And some of my pants are getting to be somewhat absurd in their largeness; others are just starting to fit more like they should instead of being too tight. No more undoing the first button after a meal for me! Because I need to encourage myself to keep doing this, I'm going to list all of the things I'm doing right. I'll worry about the wrong things later. :)
1. I count my calories faithfully every day. Some days I may not get everything entered because I don't have nutrition information for it, but most days I get everything entered.
2. I stay within my calorie range at least 5 days a week, if not 6. (I give myself one "splurge" day, so I never have a perfect week, but I'm okay with that because perfection is an impossible standard.)
3. I exercise every day but Sunday, if my general health allows it.
4. I opt for healthier snacks. I love eating grapes and oranges, and I just don't buy things that I know I'll only feel guilty about eating.
5. If I know I'm going to eat out, I plan what I'm going to eat ahead of time to see that I stay within my range. This practice is a bit more challenging when restaurants do not make their nutrition info readily available; I really think there should be legislation that requires restaurants to release this information to the public.
6. I watch my portions. If a serving size is 12 chips, I count out 12 chips. If it's 1/2 cup, I'll measure out half a cup. I do this especially with snacks because otherwise I would eat the whole bag of cheddar Chex Mix (130 calories for 1/3 cup!).
7. I try not to let the scale dictate how I feel about myself. I succeed at this probably 50 percent of the time, but that's an improvement, so I'm counting it!
If these aren't the marks of a healthier lifestyle, I don't know what is. One of my reasons for doing this, if not the primary reason, is to be healthier, and I'm already achieving that. So if it takes me 20 years to lose those 80 pounds, at least I know that I'm healthier for having done this, and I'm taking care of the Lord's temple in a way I've never done before. That makes it all worth it.
1. I count my calories faithfully every day. Some days I may not get everything entered because I don't have nutrition information for it, but most days I get everything entered.
2. I stay within my calorie range at least 5 days a week, if not 6. (I give myself one "splurge" day, so I never have a perfect week, but I'm okay with that because perfection is an impossible standard.)
3. I exercise every day but Sunday, if my general health allows it.
4. I opt for healthier snacks. I love eating grapes and oranges, and I just don't buy things that I know I'll only feel guilty about eating.
5. If I know I'm going to eat out, I plan what I'm going to eat ahead of time to see that I stay within my range. This practice is a bit more challenging when restaurants do not make their nutrition info readily available; I really think there should be legislation that requires restaurants to release this information to the public.
6. I watch my portions. If a serving size is 12 chips, I count out 12 chips. If it's 1/2 cup, I'll measure out half a cup. I do this especially with snacks because otherwise I would eat the whole bag of cheddar Chex Mix (130 calories for 1/3 cup!).
7. I try not to let the scale dictate how I feel about myself. I succeed at this probably 50 percent of the time, but that's an improvement, so I'm counting it!
If these aren't the marks of a healthier lifestyle, I don't know what is. One of my reasons for doing this, if not the primary reason, is to be healthier, and I'm already achieving that. So if it takes me 20 years to lose those 80 pounds, at least I know that I'm healthier for having done this, and I'm taking care of the Lord's temple in a way I've never done before. That makes it all worth it.
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