Friday, May 29, 2009

Bacon

I love bacon. It not only taste good but is so versatile- many uses to liven up any dish. My boys like to eat bacon with their oatmeal that has been drizzled with maple syrup. I like mine anyway I can sneak it in with minimal impact on my thighs. There's no substitute for it-no matter how many people try to convince me turkey bacon taste the same...it doesn't. Why have bacon if you're not going have real bacon?

Being on this new way of life eating has been very interesting. The old me would devour whatever bacon would be left on the plate in addition to what I had already eaten. Now, I cut one slice in half and eat it slowling and leisurely making it last. Then, I walk away. It's 1.5 pts. I still get to eat bacon. I just don't a whole hog's worth anymore.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Baby's Got Back!

I've heard many times that I needed to switch up my exercise routine in order to avoid "muscle fatigue" or whatever where your body gets used to a certain exercise so you don't get the same effect as when you first started doing it. I really enjoy running. Now instead of running 3 miles, I run 4.5 to 5 miles and sprint here and there. Well yesterday I challenged myself to try the spinning bike for longer than 10 minutes. I dislike biking but I hate the elliptical machine more.

So, off I went spinning my little heart out for 30 minutes and I stood up the entire time except for three 10 second breaks. Can you say sore buns? Painfully sore. I am envisioning my buns looking like Beyonce or J.Lo after this workout. I looked in the mirror...nope. Just pain. Can't even laugh about it b/c it hurts too much. I even downloaded Sir-Mix-Alot's "Baby's got Back" for motivation on my MP-3 player. I'm definitely going to spin once or twice a week to rest my knees and perhaps burn a few more calories.

P.S. I weighed in at 129.2 last night.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Birthday Cake


A friend of mine is a very talented cake decorated and she made this wonderful cake for S.E.'s birthday bowling party. The cake was chocolate and the frosting is to die for. I always make allowance on my WW plan to eat this cake. I don't care that it's like 8 points. Totally worth it. It was so much fun to see the little kids bowl, eat pizza, cake, and not have to clean up afterwards. Beautiful. I highly recommend it if you can budget the cost in.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

rainy days and Mondays always get me down...

What I hate about my lovely having a day off from work for vacation or holiday time is I get used to having him around all the time just to have him leave back to work. I love having him around the house or at my fingertips when I want to hug or kiss him (sorry if it's TMI kids). I love having him around so much, that I literally mourn his loss the morning he leaves back for work. As he got up this morning to get ready to head into the office, I snuggled up to his pillow and smelled his scent. I grunted and whined that I wish he had just one more day at home. Tragic huh? I'm sad my lovely's gone but logically I know he'll be back in the evening. It just doesn't seem like enough time...can't he just retire now? Oh yeah, you can't live on love alone...reality stinks.

I can't even imagine what it's like for a little one to have to be left at daycare each day without the timeframe to know what time parents are returning to get them.

Friday, May 22, 2009

New and improved rolls?!

If there is one thing that is discouraging during this weight loss journey, it's the disproportionate distribution of the fat. While I notice a difference in my overall size, my thigh and belly rolls are still there and present. I asked a trainer what I do to tighten all the wiggle and jiggle around my midsection-he mentioned that it was going to be the last to go and no amount of spot training alone will shrink it. Eating habits and Cardio. What did he think I've been doing this past five months?

I know I'm being picky and vain but bathing suit season is on my heels and I need to not let my jelly roll around this summer while I am at the water park with my kids. I just thought weighing less would look different you know? It's like when I had my boys and weighed a lot less a week after delivery-however nothing fit but maternity clothes. Note to body: stop shrinking my girls and instead attack the bellyfat...please?!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

And the winner is...Kris Allen?!!!!?!!?

No. Way.
Five months of tuning in and voting and Kris Allen wins?! No one expected this.

For the past three seasons, my lovely and I have been watching American Idol faithfully. We danced to it, we had AI parties inviting our friends over for dinner to watch the show, and just plain cuddled up to each other to watch regular people sing different versions of familiar songs. We make sure we vote for who we want to advance. Plus, we love Simon Cowell and his antics. I love a good sourpuss who says it like it is.



So, after rescheduling my life every Tuesday and Wednesday for five months. Tuesday night was the finale and we voted our hearts out for Adam Lambert who is undoubtly the frontrunner and most talented...he lost to Kris Allen. I am in shock and disbelieve. Oh well, at least there's always next year.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Spring cleaning

All it takes is the weather to change and I can't remember where I left the boxes of the boys summer clothes to send me into my "Is this the beginning of Alzcheimer's?" panic which results in purging and re-organizing closets that have been stuffed with all the junk I've shoved in there for the past year or so. After two days of purging, I was able to locate the boys boxes of summer clothes and I am calm again.

This is how my spring cleaning kicks into full gear. Also the beginning of garage sale season is here and I need to make room for all the "maybe I might need this" stuff I bring home.

Other then the fear of losing my mind, the only time I get my butt into deep organizing is when my extended family call me up to say "we are coming to visit this weekend". Yikes!!!

After that much purging and cleaning, I feel like I can move around my house without the fear of hurting myself whenever I open a closet door or drawer.

Now...where is that ice cream maker?! Here we go again...

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Happy Birthday to S.E.


On the heels of Mother's Day, my firstborn S.E. turned five today. He looks so big and small at the same time. I am so grateful to the powers that be for allowing me to be his mommy. I love him to bits. Things about S.E. the 5 year-old:



  • loves playing with Transformers, Power Rangers

  • learned to answer the phone today to talk to family and friends wishing him a happy birthday

  • hates shirts with tags attached in the back

  • LOVES ketchup on everything

  • can't bribe with sweets

  • compassionate and thoughtful to others

  • king of run-on sentences that make NO sense together (example: "Mom I run faster because I'm five now and it makes me run faster to wear these shoes")

  • great tree climber (but very cautious)

  • saves his Preschool snack cookie wrapped in a napkin to share with is brother

I love you baby boy and I will forever look at May 13th as the day you defined me by giving my life a purpose.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Duped into doing something awesome!

Here's the conversation last Wednesday with my training partner.
"Can you believe we actually did Bloomsday?! We ran 7.46 miles!!"
"We can do this again."
"I think we should go for a long run Saturday."
"I think I have a route in mind that might be 7 miles."

So off we went with our friend C.B. on Saturday to go for our close-to-7 miles. My legs were sore for the first two miles and I was a little worried that I collapse but at around mile 4 (I'm guessing mind you), I was in a zone and felt like I've already gone this far-what's another few miles?

About a mile from my house where we started, there's a killer hill on Hall Street (one that makes Doomsday hill seem like a molehill), my training partner took off and was in the lead. She was awesome!!! Considering two months ago, she had to walk a part of it-it was amazing to see her progess. All this while her shoes still didn't fit right. At the end, we were tired but not as much as when we finished Bloomsday so we went off happy.

Yesterday, curiousity got the better of us and we drove the run to figure out how far we ran. We ran 8.2 miles!!! Whoa!!! We started laughing because I think if we knew ahead of time that we were going to go THAT far, I'm not sure I would have done.

How neat was that?! I am so grateful for my training partner and C.B. for being there to push me along.

My new nickname for my training partner is Hall Slayer.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

130 lbs!!!!

Last night at my WW meeting, I was nervous for the weigh-in because it was a make or break moment. The past four weeks, I've been up and down 0.4 lbs. and it was frustrating. Well, on the heels of the 12k run, I weighed 130 lbs.!!! What!!! That was a 3 lbs. lost this week. My body sure feels it because I am still sore from the workouts. But the biggie was I kept really good track of my points and didn't stray (not a bite undocumented).

Backtrack a few days ago when I got home from my 12k run, my husband cleaned our bedroom and filed paperwork into our filing cabinet. He found the file of old driver's license cards and found my driving permit one (I was 15 1/2 years old). The weight on it was 130 lbs. He was excited and thought it would be great motivation for me to visualize what I would look like at that weight. I laughed hard when I saw the card posted on our bathroom mirror because didn't he know everyone lies on their driver's license about their weight?! (I think I shaved off 5 lbs. on that particular card).

So, I am officially that weight for real. Now if I can have the smooth skin and energy of a 15 year-old...

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

sew, sew, sew your chair


(Before and after of my kitchen chairs)

I have been doing some amatuer upholstering and sewing for about 4 years. I really love it. My mom makes custom draperies and re-upholsters furniture for a living. She is awesome at it and she's about to retire so I want to learn. What lead a science geek to go into upholstery?!

When Koo was a few months old, I developed contact dermitis from being in constant contact with chemicals causing my skin to break out in red, itchy bloches all over my body. It still is a problem to this day. I know chemicals like chlorine, hand sanitizers, and some ingredients in soap plays havoc on my system. But I digress, so thinking that one day I would have to go back to work once my little boys start public school-I want to have a flexible job that I can be there for them at a moment's notice. Plus, I want to continue to spend time with my lovely husband at lunch.

Due to my skin problems and family, I most likely won't be able to return to labwork because of all the chemicals used. So that's what has lead me to upholstery. Plus my mom gave me a few industrial sewing machines that rival any sweatshop.













Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Airing out my dirty laundry

I don't like doing laundry. I don't mind the washing and dry part. I hate not being able to get all the stains out usually because I just shove the clothes into the washer. Then I get anxious about having a load sit there for more than four hours because of the mold smell that might develop. Usually, I shrink something I don't mean to because I forget to not dry it. Then the worst of it all, folding and ORGANIZING stacks and stacks of clothes to put away into drawers that are messy because I have to shove the stacks in there to make it all fit. And just when I think I'm done and all caught up and let my guard down...I turn the corner and like a Chia pet, I've got an overflowing basket of dirty clothes piled up.

Monday, May 4, 2009

12K

My workout partner and I ran our first 12K this weekend. Here's what I know:


  • I didn't collapse running the longest distance in my life

  • How much faster I ran (finished 1 hour 28 minutes)

  • How many young kids participated (I hope my boys will want to do this in the future)

  • How many people wore bad/wrong shoes for running

  • How many people stopped for an ice cream bar in the middle of the run?!

  • How much my arms hurt (now I know why distance runners have such nice arms)

  • How quickly I said "Now we train for a half-marathon"

I couldn't have done this race without the support of my lovely husband. He made it possible for me to train by looking after our children and for working so hard so I could get the help in achieving this feat. This run was huge for me because I am afraid of large crowds being so short and how out-of-shape I was...

Last but not least, I couldn't do this without God. Thank you God for looking out for me.