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07 FebBetter late than never.

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January 29th was the date I chose to reach my goal weight. It’s my wedding anniversary and just over three months from the first day of my diet. An attainable goal. January 29th came and went while my weight plateaued right over my goal, laughing at me. For weeks the scale would say you only have one pound to go, now you have three pounds to go, getting closer two pounds to go, oh sorry, three pounds to go. Hovering just over that damn number. But with 28 pounds already lost I wasn’t going to let the scale get me down since it’s been so good to me lately.

Then Sunday morning I weighed myself at the Y just before my Pilates class. The scale landed right on my goal. My first thought was the scale was off. It’s not the scale I use on a daily basis so it just must be calibrated differently. Then Monday morning I weighed myself again on my normal scale and there it was, the number I have waited to see for months, well years really. And it’s been holding there ever since.

This is my new heavy weight. A weight I don’t want to go above. Now, if I were to lose 10 more pounds I wouldn’t complain. But for now I am happy right where I am.

Category(s): Just Dirt

01 FebHow do you take your coffee?

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We take it one cup at a time. That’s because for our 3 year wedding anniversary Tom and I bought a Keurig Single Cup Brewing System. And we love it! We tried so hard to be good coffee making people with the lovely Cuisinart Coffeemaker we got for our wedding. We premeasured the coffee, added water the night before, set the timer, etc. etc. But it just didn’t stick. Brewing coffee never became part of our routine. Not even on the weekends.

But all that has changed. Now with the Keurig not only do we make hot, fresh coffee in the blink of an eye, but I have become a better wife. That’s because I make Tom’s coffee every morning so it’s the perfect sipping temperature when he leaves for work. I wonder if my one push of a button every morning makes up for all of the dinners he cooks or all of the times he has let the dogs out in the middle of the night or all of the Saturday mornings I kicked him out of bed to get me coffee from Dunkin Donuts. Umm, yup. We’re square.

Once we get through the 88 K-Cups that came with our system we will purchase a reusable coffee filter for both economical and environmental reasons. Tom may be on his own when that happens.

Category(s): Just Dirt, Tom

23 JanFamily Reunion – Before & After

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Melissa, Blonde Things, mentioned in a comment that I “totally look like a different woman compared to the last family reunion picture.” So I thought I would take this opportunity to put the two photos together. They were taken approximately one year apart, though my weight loss has happened in the past three months. There is a third photo to this series taken in 2006 when I was at my peak weight. But we won’t go there.

In the before picture I am wearing an ivory sweater in the after picture I am wearing pink.

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Category(s): Just Dirt

20 JanNot Farm Fresh

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My mom was in town for a small family reunion this weekend and before she headed back home this morning we went to brunch. She ordered a veggie omelet that sounded delicious but nearly spit it out on her first bite, something was not quite right with the eggs. When we asked the waitress about the eggs she informed us, rudely, that they were liquid eggs and if you don’t like them she will take the omelet off the bill and promptly walked away from the table. Minutes later the owner came out and explained that they only served liquid eggs for health reasons and that the menu did not state farm fresh eggs anywhere. Which he repeated at least three times, “I must reiterate that the menu does not state farm fresh eggs.” Huh? Tom ordered the french toast and I have to tell you, not so good dipped in liquid egg.

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But don’t worry, we didn’t let one bizarre foam omelet get in the way of an otherwise delightful weekend with family.

Category(s): Family, Just Dirt

13 JanI guess I could talk about my diet.

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I don’t talk much about my diet (aka lifestyle change) on this blog, but trust me I obsess about it all the day long. Basically it consists of 1500 calories a day ideally in three meals with no snacks. Currently I am three pounds away from my goal weight. And right on schedule. I want to be a skinny bitch by January 29th, our three year wedding anniversary. To the naked eye it will look like I am celebrating wedded bliss that night at dinner when really I will be stuffing my face out of pure starvation* because when I hit my goal I will eat – oh yeah – I will eat!

But why stop there? As soon as I hit that goal I am going for 10 more with grand delusions that the next 10 will come right off my belly. Seriously what is it with belly fat…go away…go away now! My date to lose The Last Ten by is April 4th when we go to Florida. If I keep starving** myself at the same rate I should be right on track.

I still workout four times a week and continually improving my side planks, balance, and flexibility so if I slip on the ice during this next Nor’easter I will be able to catch myself with one hand gracefully landing in a split. But don’t put money on me in a street fight, I’m still not strong enough to kick ass, unless I’m drunk, then all bets are off.

And even though I still have three pounds to go I would like to give a shout out to my nutritionist Ellen who put me on this hellish amazing plan, the website fitday an awesome free calorie counting site for which my weight loss would not be possible because what the hell is a calorie, and the website calorieking the pay website I currently use because of its layout and database full of brand name foods.

So though I don’t update this site with the daily ins and outs of life on a 1500 calorie diet just know that every minute of every day I am counting calories. And since my chances of dying from poor health have recently diminished drastically I may just go crazy instead from all the counting. It’s just that bad. But I look just that good.

* I’m actually not hungry.
** No really, I’m not.

Category(s): Fitness/Diet, Just Dirt

01 JanRead More

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I asked Tom at brunch today what his New Year’s resolution is. He said exercise. Since neither of us are morning people and one of us has to come home after work to let the dogs out we needed to establish a joint custody YMCA agreement. We decided I would keep my Tues, Wed, & Thurs classes and Tom would get Mon & Fri. We both get weekends at our leisure. Not a perfect system, but a start. Just as long as Tom doesn’t start this Friday cuz I’ll be hitting the town with the girls and will need him to let the dogs out.

After some thought I decided my New Year’s resolution would be to read more. Seriously, how much TLC can one person watch? I am pretty sure I am caught up on all episodes of Jon & Kate plus 8, Say Yes to the Dress and Little People, Big World not to mention the occasional episode of Moving Up, What Not to Wear, Miami Ink and Flip this House. Yup, time to pick up a book.

Tom and I were in Borders today (or Barnes & Noble, I really have no idea which one) and yet I resisted picking up a new title. Why? Because my nightstand has five unfinished novels and they are all yelling at me, “Finish me, finish me! Or at least *cough cough* dust me!” Poor books. The other reason I didn’t pick up a new book today is because one of the departments I work for has an underground you must read this amazing, I couldn’t put it down, book club…and I want in. I am thinking with five unfinished novels I may not exactly be picking masterpieces.

And it goes without saying that I will stick to and continue to improve my diet and exercise routines. Just today I had a little one on one with my PiYo teacher about back strength. She showed me a couple of moves on a machine that is straight out of a torture chamber to help. It started with a conversation about my inability to do one frigging push up. One people, one. Let’s make that a resolution shall we? A push up…this year.

So as I sit here and stare at my five dusty unfinished books all I can wonder is, what’s on TLC?

Happy New Year!

Category(s): Fitness/Diet, Just Dirt, Work stories

22 DecI can’t wait to wash my hair.

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I work for fabulous people. And generous ones too. At Thursday night’s work holiday happy hour (our group tends to skip lunches and dinners and goes right to happy hour in times of celebration) a department that I work for gave me a gift certificate to the spa. I go to PiYo with the woman from that group and since she has seen my toes in class this gift makes total sense, cause eww! But a pedicure is no longer in my future, rather washing and styling my hair with Bumble and bumble. products is…Yum! The product line description says it tames flyaways. Tames flyaways? That will be a Christmas miracle.

I happened upon the way too expensive to ever buy with my own money gift set while Tom and I were doing some last minute Christmas shopping today which was totally unnecessary since we were already done shopping and within budget, but somehow that didn’t stop us from getting last minute add-on presents to round out the bottom of the tree. And gift certificates, like cash, burn holes in my pockets and this particular gift certificate was no different. At the end of our Saturday before Christmas therefore it’s mandatory shopping spree Tom said he couldn’t believe I spent that much on shampoo. But really I didn’t – technically it was a gift – which is going to make my hair that much silkier (or oomphier…per the label). Lather, rinse, repeat. Can’t wait!

Category(s): Just Dirt, Shopping

15 DecNew perspective on weddings.

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My mother-in-law eloped today. We were invited to her house under the guise that it was a holiday party. All of the immediate family, on both sides, arrived with bells on. When in fact it was a wedding reception.

Within minutes of our late arrival Tom and I were pulled aside by his mother and her new husband for a secret. At that moment they held out their left hands which were draping with sparkling diamonds and glittering gold. I GASPED! 80% surprise and 20% disappointed.

Not disappointed for them, of course, but for us, their children. While still in a state of shock I blurted, “Now I know how parents feel when their children elope.” Then congratulations all around.

I am happy for them. I actually really wanted this for them. I guess I just wish I could have been happy for them all along. Within a few minutes, a few long minutes, I was already getting used to the idea of not being told about the nuptials before they happened. They are happy. They are glowing. And in the end they did what was best for them and I can’t argue with that.

Looking back I am really glad I told all of my friends and family about getting married. The warmth and support and love that surrounded us for the four months that lead to our wedding were just as memorable as the day itself.

Category(s): Family, Just Dirt
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