Five for Friday, vol 77

1. You always think in beautiful and sexy, even when I don't feel that way.

2. You always find interesting articles and videos to share.

3. "You might want to think twice before crossing the Mason-Dixon over here."

4. You think a two-story inflatable reindeer would be a nice addition to our Christmas decorations.

5. You re-did all the aforementioned Christmas decorations because I wasn't super enthusiastic about them at first. But now they look fantastic.

I love you.

GET EXCITED!

It's WeVerb time again!!


I am really looking forward to participating in WeVerb once again this year. I've been in a blogging funk lately and this is such a great way to find some inspiration while reflecting back on the past year.

The party starts December 1! Be sure to visit the link above to sign up and view the prompts!

Instagram Life, Nov 17-23

wakey wakey

Christmas presents!

dog log

kitchen helpers

pilgrim butter

3rd annual friendsgiving dinner

want popcorn realllllly bad

ootd, 11/21

awesome

hi, i'm luna

tired penny

tiny poodle topiary at work

see?  i actually do get a workout done in the morning sometimes

sparkly boxing gloves! want!

thankful for him

thanksgiving week wore penny out

bump = penny

kenny's apple drop biscuits

 

putting up christmas decorations took 10250 steps and burned 560 calories.  also, i need better storage containers.

the thanksgiving sandwich - turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, and cheese

snuggle friends

On the Weigh: So thankful.

WI: -1.2

A loss during Thanksgiving week! Could anything be better? I'm pretty pumped.

My plan is apparently working.  It's almost annoying when it works, because it really is that easy.  I aim for netting around 1600 calories, eight to ten servings of fruit and veggies each day (only one to two of them being fruits), 100 ounces of water, and a minimum of a thirty minute workout (or 10,000 steps).  Logical. Practical. Liveable.

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving.  Welcome to the holiday season!  Typically a challenging time when you're trying to be healthy.  I will be getting through it by burning extra calories, taking one day at  time, and prioritizing what is truly special and what's not.  Sounds easy enough!  There's no reason to wait until January to get on track. 

Five for Friday, vol 76

1. The Trendsetter Dance.

2. K: "you keep calling it the 'half bath' but I don't know what you're talking about."
M: "the bathroom downstairs, the only half bathroom we have in the house."
K: "Oh ... I like to call that the poop deck."

3. You sang a Christmas carol inspired by and dedicated to your Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich.

4.  You spend at least an hour every day throwing balls for Penny to tire her out before I get home, rain or shine.

5.  I've never seen someone so excited for a new washer and dryer. 

I love you!

Thankful...

For being able to celebrate Thanksgiving with both my family and Kenny's family around one happy table.

For all the carbs.

For having almost as many dogs as people.

For my dad's advice, expertise, and insight.

For my mom's ability to visualize and play what-if.

For Penny completely missing my Kate Spade bag when she barfed on me in the car.

For hilarious tweets during the Jets-Patriots first half.

For leftovers.

For stretchy pants.

For being in bed and Kenny snoring before 10, and for already having the alarm off for tomorrow morning.

For our silly, warm, loving, cup-runneth-over life.

What are you thankful for today?

Thanks ...

Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!

Instagram Life, November 10-16



wake up call

Veteran's Day

No really, Penny, I don't have anywhere else to be.

Daddy's girl

drinking all the water lately

favorite weekend breakfast + meal planning

We yelled so much during the Mizzou-Tennessee game that Penny hid in the other room.

nurse maids

recovery supervision

our monogram is not worth many points

Five for Friday, vol 75

1. You accidentally left your wedding ring at the office and I had to talk you down from driving back into the city to get it.

2. It is incredibly exciting and oddly fulfilling to start putting together plans and ideas for a dream house. Lots of ifs, but still so fun.

3. You took excellent care of me after my surgery. I wouldn't want to wake up next to anyone else after getting anesthesia.

4. Thanks for taking a wrong turn that ended up at the jewelry store. That was fun.

5.  I'm going to wear you down on this holiday decoration glitter ban.  Just you wait.

I love you.

Here's to preventative care.

Please excuse me for a moment while I talk about my insides ...

I am very fortunate to not have health issues.  Aside from childhood allergies that have all but gone away, it's rare for me to be sick.  I hardly even feel side effects from medication or get seasonal  hay fever symptoms.  Like I said, pretty lucky.

I believe in preventative care.  Before last year, that was purely a philosophical stance.  Women's care and health screenings have been a hot topic of discussion and political fervor recently, and more than ever I believe that everyone should have access to routine exams.  Things happen, things pop up when you least expect it.  It certainly did for me.  After ten years of nothing but clear exams, my doctor found high grade dysplasia on my annual visit.  One year, two colposcopies, and three additional paps later, nothing had changed.  Yesterday I went in for a leep procedure that (hopefully!) eliminated all of the pre-cancerous cells.  We'll know for sure in a couple of weeks, but my doctor is confident that everything will be fine.

post-op, loving pain killers

It's been nerve-wracking and scary.  It would be for anyone, but it has been especially disconcerting given my complete lack of medical history for this sort of thing, for any sort of thing.  What has helped me most has been the ability to share my experience with several people and find out that this is actually really common for women my age to go through.  It has been a huge comfort to be able to talk about it.  So many people have had these procedures, these same sort of test results, and it's really made me appreciate having people out there who can relate.  It's really helpful to me and for my family to know I'm not alone, and that everything has gone exactly according to procedure.

This has done nothing but reaffirm my believe that all women should have access to these sorts of tests.  I am doing just fine today (thank you, percoset!) because this was caught early and treated aggressively.  This is my PSA: preventative care is the best care.

Here's to health!

Best of St Louis!

I look forward to St Louis Magazine's best restaurants edition every year.  We really enjoy going out and trying new places, and the culinary scene in the area has been getting better and better in recent years.  Right before I moved here, a friend of mine complained that St Louis had no good places to eat, and I don't think the comment could be further from the truth!

On a budget:

Cafe Osage

Local Harvest Cafe

The Fountain on Locust

Try the dill pickle soup!

Taqueria Durango

Shu Feng

Pearl Cafe

On a first date:

Santuaria

Pi

Mosaic Modern Fusion

Mai Lee

Siete Luminarias

Robust

Milagro Modern Mexican

Salt

Bridge Tap House and Wine Bar

Winslow's Home

Trattoria Marcella

Farmhaus

amazing local food!

 One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar

Coastal Bistro

Three Sixty

Cleveland-Health

Vino Nadoz

Pappy's

On a third date:

Dressel's Pub

Vin de Set

the best view and some of the best martinis in town

 The Tavern Kitchen and Bar

Harvest

Scape

Brasserie by Niche

Oceano Bistro

Balaban's Wine Cellar and Tapas Bar

Paul Manno's

random location, excellent Italian

 Peel Wood Fired Pizzas

I Fratellini

Five Bistro/

Riverbend Restaurant and Bar

On a Special Occasion:

Cielo

Perfect for a post-wedding mini-moon

 Truffles

The Crossing

Niche

Atlas Restaurant

Herbie's Vintage 72

Sidney Street Cafe

Tony's

Stone Soup Cottage

Annie Gunn's

Water Street

Top Sandwich Shops:

Carl's Drive In

Fozzie's Sandwich Emporium

Blues City Deli

Woofies

Adrianna's

Restaurant of the Year:
Home Wine Kitchen

Once again, the list has made me realize how few of these places we have tried!  We have some dining out to do!

{all photos via google images}

Practical Hardwork.

My mom, cousin, and I frequently exchange emails with inspirational quotes and messages as we all try to lose weight and get healthy. We call this our TFTD - thought for the day. Its a nice reminder that we're all in this together, and that we have people out there cheering us on or lifting us up (as needed). In the last year since we started this little exchange, my cousin has had amazing success. She's over 50 pounds lighter, and has completely overhauled her eating and activity habits. Like i think most people would do, I asked her secret. Feeling like I'm up against a little wall myself, I think I wanted to hear about something revolutionary. Don't we all?

Erin's plan...

"I’ve been doing group training 2 days a week and a boot camp 3 days a week. I like it because I fit in different exercises between the two options, so I get a wide range for my body rather than sticking to the same thing every day.

I don’t do WW anymore, and I don’t really count calories. Honestly, I cut back on portions, meaning I’m sticking to the serving sizes a lot more, and I’m just making healthier choices. I don’t eat things (maybe on a rare occasion) like French fries, potato chips, candy, sweets, etc. If I want a burger, I take off one of the buns (usually the top since it has more breading) and go for the burger. I don’t add mayo or anything like that and I make sure to keep the lettuce and tomato, no ketchup or mustard, etc. Instead of fries, I’ll go for a salad or vegetables, but most of the time I am full by the time I’m done with the burger and I can’t eat anymore. Or if I go to a sandwich place for lunch, such as Subway, I will only get the sandwich instead of going for the “chips + drink” combo. At first I thought I would be hungry, but I’m finding this is certainly filling for me.

I eat snacks a couple times a day (10:00 am & 4:00 pm). This is usually string cheese, cottage cheese with tomatoes (all colors), Fage Greek yogurt with my own fruits put in there. You can buy frozen fruits and vegetables and get the same nutrients from the fresh ones because they are “flash frozen”, so you’re not losing anything and it’s cheaper and last longer. I still get the fresh stuff too, but for lunches and snacks, the frozen stuff has been helpful and cost efficient. I try to add spinach to as much stuff as possible, especially because it doesn’t really have much of a taste. If I get a salad, I’ll ask for spinach instead of lettuce. And I have a protein shake for breakfast almost every morning. On the weekends I’ll have eggs or oatmeal, depending what kind of mood I’m in.

So far it’s working for me and all of my eating tips have come directly from a nutritionist that I see once a week for ½ hour. It’s been such an amazing journey so far and I feel so good, I just want to continue to get healthier and feel better. My ultimate goal is to lose 100 lbs. I absolutely LOVE that I’m more than halfway there, and I just feel like there’s no turning back now, so I keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep on going.

So to be totally honest, for me, it’s just about making smarter/healthier choices, and watching my portions. I still have my moments where I eat what I want to eat, but as long as I continue to balance eating and working out, I’m unstoppable."

I am incredibly proud of Erin's progress so far. She's been through a lot in the last year and what has struck me most is the grace and resiliency in how she's responded. She really is unstoppable. I love her take-charge attitude, and most of all, I love how real and how practical her whole approach to getting healthier has been. She makes it seem so easy! Getting active, eating well. It's so simple! It always comes back to those most basic components.

Keep up the good work, Erin! You're an inspiration!

On the Weigh: This shit is hard.

WI: -0.2

Well, loss is a loss is a loss. 

But in reality, it's taken a lot of work to net that little number.  At least, a lot of work for the last three days.  Workouts. Portion control. Sleeping normal hours.  Hard work.  I started the Firm Express this week.  It's intense.

Three workouts a week, twenty minutes each.  So far I have averaged over 300 calories burned each time.  And the bursts (tabata-style high intensity intervals followed by rest)? UGH. I die.  And it will only get harder from here.

it feels like this.

All in all, it was a better week than the last several have been.  I've been feeling super woe-is-me, very defeated and depressed about my weight for months now.  I am an incredibly self-conscious person, and it feels like there's a spotlight on my struggles sometimes.  I hate feeling this way, because I know how unproductive it is, but the devil on my shoulder is constantly whispering those things to me.  Sometimes I am better at ignoring them than others.  While I don't regret doing the metabolism reset, the weight gain that has resulted from it (and stuck around), has been incredibly frustrating and I feel like I am starting over ... again.

After a couple of good pep talks from my mom, my cousin, and a few friends, I woke up late in the week feeling refreshed and refocused.  If everyday was like the last few, I would have seen a lot more than just a couple of tenths lost on the scale.  But it takes time and patience and more than just two days, as it were.  And you should never disparage a loss, this I know.

I'm cleaning up my recent bad eating habits and working on activity goals.  With seven weeks left in the year (OMG), I have a goal of averaging five workouts a week.  If I succeed, I'll be rewarding myself with joining a bootcamp class in January with a friend from work. Rewarding working out with more working out?  Weird, I know, but I really enjoy bootcamp-style classes and I miss them. 

Lately it seems like everyone I run into who has had weightloss success has done so by adding a lot of activity to their daily routine, but I know for me that it's not all about exercise.  I definitely fall into the "80% of the weight is lost in the kitchen" category.  One good habit I have maintained in this recent malaise has been consistent tracking on MyFitnessPal, for better or worse. 250 days logged in and counting.  So between now and the end of the year, I'll keep counting those calories.

Every single one of them.  1600 a day, plus or minus what my FitBit says I get from activity.

My mom joined the MFP party this past week, as well as several friends.  It's nice to have some people in the same boat, you know?  I have to remind myself that it's not a competition, of course, just support.  No fair comparing my WLJ with someone else's, no matter what.  I have a big goal in my mind, a smaller one, and then some mini ones.  I am eight pounds away from my first mini goal.  That doesn't sound so bad, right?  I feel really optimistic right now, just about the opposite end of the spectrum from where I was a week ago.

My goodness, I've been so sad over the whole thing!  I get so caught up in the "I used to be thin. I can't believe I let it get this way" spiral.  It's really hard for me to look around and feel like I am the minority in my group of friends who seems to be struggling like this.  I am trying not to dwell - it's really pointless and gets me no where.  This my journey, my life, my health.  It still makes me sad to see the closet full of clothes that don't fit, to look back at old pictures and watch the pounds creep on, to feel like I've wasted a lot of my life feeling sad over the whole thing.  See what I mean about a spiral?  I have to learn how to put all of that away and move forward.  I'd love advice on how to make that happen.

One day at a time, as it seems.  As it always seems.  That's what everyone always says.  There's no magic bullet, just taking things one day at a time, and doing your best with what you've got at hand.  Make one good choice, and then repeat.  I guess that doesn't sound so hard.

And in the meantime, I have some work to do to get super excited about eating a lot of fruits and veggies and a whole lot less carbs.

Yeah, about like that.

Am I at goal yet?

Cheerleader Crab says, "YOU CAN DO IT!"