Michele, take care of yourself. The bug that has been going around town here is pretty nasty. It's been two weeks since the last day I had a fever and I'm still coughing and congested, and that's par for the course with this bug.
Steph, what Michele said is spot-on. If what you're doing to maintain works for you, it doesn't matter what anyone else does. I've had some ups and downs, but have maintained for seven years (pre-pregnancy), and my routine doesn't look anything like some of the people around here. I don't need to count and measure in order to *maintain* my weight, only in order to *lose* weight, I generally eat a high-carb diet, and the only time I ever exercised for two hours in a day was when I was training for a triathlon. Everyone is different and what's important is finding what works for YOU.
So I just got to work after having the most hilarious doctor's appointment ever. The OB's have this little handheld doppler device that they use to listen to the babies' heartbeats without needing a full ultrasound. Apparently the device has been getting interference from local short-wave radios lately. She turns the thing on and there's a bunch of static, then puts it on my belly, and a man's voice comes out of the speaker saying, "Hello!" I was laughing so hard it took a while to manage to keep still enough for her to find the actual heartbeats. (Ever time she moved it and we heard a snippet of people talking, I started laughing again!)
Weekend plans for us: haircut and highlight for me, which will make me feel much better and less frumpy (or less "fat", as the case may be), either dinner or brunch for FIL's birthday, and Sunday dinner with our cooking club. We're making French onion soup and DH is going to spend tomorrow making broth out of beef bones. Sounds yummy!
Missed your post Jen - speaking as someone in a state without a lot in the way of benefits, I don't know if I'd be able to leave the job situation you have either. My DH has a great benefits package - 31 days of PTO, 15 of it from day one for a new hire, great insurance at low cost to the employee, flexible work hours, lots of great things. BUT - his company is based in Israel and they don't really think like most American companies. That would be a tough decision to make... Does DH want to move out of state?
Right now it's a non-issue, because we would never leave until Father in law passes - we live 1/4 mile from him and DH checks on him daily and helps him out with everything in his life. But I have always HATED the cold and snow, and DH is sick of the weather, too, so we'd like to move some place warmer.
I could get a government job in another state, but I'd be starting over - right now I have about 12 years in the NYS state retirement system. Oh well, only 19 years until I can retire... LOL
Michele - sorry that you are feeling sick! This year has been CRAZY for illness! I've managed to avoid getting really sick, knock on wood! Hope it clears up soon!
I've been pretty dang vigilant for the last couple of weeks with eating and exercising and saw 118 on the scale this morning. 117 is where I want to be, so I'm pretty happy. It's a little insane, though, isn't it - I was really frustrated being stuck at 121 and now I'm happy to see 118 - like those 3 pounds make all that much of a difference!!
Jessica-- that is hilarious! I'm chuckling just picturing it!!
Jen-- if I was you I would totally move somewhere warmer! The cost of living in many places is much lower which would help to compensate if your income was lower. I lived in Connecticut and Massachusetts when I was younger and I would NEVER live anywhere cold again. I despise the cold. The warmer the better for me!! I grew up mostly in Houston and then we lived in South Africa and now Northern California. Dh and I are both thinking Arizona for retirement when the time comes! My poor girls had never seen snow since I hate cold weather so much. When we moved to California, we took one short trip to Tahoe so they could see the snow. That was enough for me. Older dd is in grad school in Washington State-- she thought she wanted to live somewhere cold-- after one winter she was cured of that. She wants to move to Texas this summer hopefully. Younger dd is in Arizona but wants to transfer to BYU (Provo, Utah) next year-- we'll see how she handles those winters if she gets in! I told her I won't be visiting in the winter!
Michele~Utah county (where Provo is) and SL county yesterday experienced freezing rain. They had to close down SL International Airport due to ice on the runways. DH's cousin reported on FB that her 1/2 hour commute had lasted 1.5 hours and she still hadn't made it to work. My niece showed a short video of kids "walking" to class at the U of U--it was a giant ice rink. Ick! I'm so glad I don't live there anymore!
Jessica - I'm greatly entertained by the image of the ultrasound wand talking to you. LOL
Steph - you maintain in whatever way works for you, you are doing great.
Michele - I hope you stay well. I've been sick now twice this year and it hasn't been fun.
I got an escrow overpayment returned from my mortgage company and my payment is being dropped by $48 a month. After last year staying the same and the year before actually increasing even though my house was worth a lot less I'm pretty excited. And my freezer from Home Depot is delivering tomorrow, so I'm moving in the right direction. Now if I can only make time to exercise tonight after the boys are abed.
"We dont need no stinking freezer" right now, LOL. It's freezing outside and we're worried that the water pipes in the basement might be vulnerable. The efficiency of out new heating system means that there's less wasted heat keeping the basement warmish.
I remember winters in Salt Lake. When my Mom made a big batch of soup, she'd store it on the stairs in our garage. It was often colder in there than the fridge and we usually had to break the ice off the top before we could ladle some for reheating! Can't do that here! However, it did go below freezing a few times in the past couple of weeks and we had water leaks in both our current warehouse and the new one we purchased.
I'm feeling pretty good from a money standpoint right now - i hesitate to say it out loud so as not to jinx it... I got that escrow overpayment back and my house payment is dropping per month, I sold a piece of fitness equipment on Amazon for a profit of $256, we did our taxes and our state refund will pay our federal owed with a surplus of $400, I have a good budget in and if I stick to it I'll be able to pay off at least $5000 in debt, maybe more, in 2013. I'm pretty excited by this. Maybe we'll actually be able to afford an anniversary trip or family vacation this year. We've spent a lot of money over the years and have lived the way we wanted - dh said we live like we are dying in two years. Well, hopefully we aren't so we have to do something. My parents are the same way, so I learned living outside my means from a young age... I need to fix it so I don't teach it to DSS.
I tried hot yoga with a friend in the city Thursday evening and I think I liked it! It won't replace my hatha yoga or other workouts, but I will do it again next time I go up there. At least until the summertime. I spent so much time sweating outside in the summer - I get paid for the heated experience, don't need to pay to experience it! I'm hosting sushi night for my girlfriends at my house tonight. These will be wine, sushi, and I'm right back OP tomorrow. Today, exercise and cleaning up. Tomorrow, same thing.
It is interesting living with a dieter. I'm usually in the opposite position! I'm trying to let BF do his own thing, not intrude unless he asks me something, and cook the same healthy meals I always do. And I've been keeping the endless salad bowl full in the fridge for both of our benefit. But I have to limit my comments when he says "You can't eat steak on a diet!" Or when he only takes half a portion of the 265 calorie/portion tamale pie to eat with salad for dinner and I worry he's not eating enough. I'm trying to consider what I would like said to myself in the same situation before I speak. He hasn't said whether or not he's lost weight, but his BP is already showing signs of improvement, so good for him.
Jessica, doesn't a nice haircut just make the world brighter? I'm laughing so hard at your sonogram "hello?" Are you sure that isn't just a practical joke the doctor's office plays? It would make a good one!
I grew up between PA and CT before I moved to the panhandle of FL at age 22, which is where I still am. I could see myself becoming a "half-back" and moving to somewhere in the middle, the Carolinas or somewhere in there. I wouldn't mind a slightly colder winter, but not too much colder. I also detest the hot, humid, and endless Florida summers and wouldn't mind getting out of them. My parents are thinking of retiring in the Asheville, NC area but may end up a little further out to lessen COL.
In PA winters and now in NY, my mom would take advantage of the cold during Christmas when the fridge would be extra full. The extra milk etc would go in a cooler on the porch and stay icy cold.
Shannon, I'm glad to hear you're on-track financially, and it's great that you're trying to set a good example.
I've lived in NY my whole life and hated it literally as long as I can remember. I am about 30 miles south of Canada, right off the lake, so we get tons of snow and cold. My dream is to move to West Virginia - we vacationed there years ago and I loved everything about it!
I am thrilled today because I stepped on the scale and I am back at my "ideal" weight of 117. That's puts me at before Christmas numbers, so I'm back on track.
Hearing you talk, Megan, I have to get into a Yoga class sometime. I do a lot of Yoga DVD's, but have never done a class and have never once had anyone look at my form to tell me what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong.
Ok, off to see if I can stand taking the dogs for a walk since it is 10 degrees out!
Glad you liked hot yoga Megan! I stayed away from exercising yesterday as I do think I have a cold. I don't feel too badly though so I may go to yoga today. I will see how I feel as I sure don't want to make anyone else sick if I could be contagious.
Good for you Jen! I haven't weighed yet this morning as I'm up early and not going to meet my friend to weigh for 2 hours but I think I'm down. Still not where I want to be yet but getting there. I'm debating rewarding myself with a lululemon yoga top or outfit when I get to a certain weight but I'm not sure what that weight is. Ideally I want to be under 120 but I haven't been there iin many, many months, so maybe 122 is more realistic. I'll have to stay there at least a few days before rewarding myself.
This is the strangest cold I think I've ever had. It started with a really mild sore throat on Tuesday. I've had a little cough tickle since last week, but nothing productive. Yesterday afternoon someone turned on the faucet in my nose and I couldn't stop the running. Last night I woke up and was so stuffed up I could hardly breathe. And this morning I feel as if it's all resolved--just a little lingering nose stuffiness.
My vacation weight is slowly coming off. I can't ask for anything more.
Golf may be postponed. It rained ALL day yesterday and it's still quite cloudy with "rain tapering tonight" and a cold snap tomorrow. I don't think either forecast is good for someone recovering from a cold.
This morning I need to go release Mama kitty who we trapped Thursday and had spayed yesterday. She went into heat while I was on vacation, but the vet said it didn't appear she was pregnant.
Shannon, can I send my budget to you ? Just kidding, but it sounds like you are a genius at money management.
Here's the funny part, Bargoo. Or maybe sad. I'm really fantastic at money management. For years I taught budgeting classes to my employees when I worked for Burger King, and I still hear from them today telling me how impactful those classes were to them. I can set up reasonable and survivable budgets that don't make you feel choked and make progress, with net worth updates and easy steps to follow. I work in HR but have a pretty good head for numbers. I however have to fight with myself to actually follow my budget, and when I'm stressed I toss the budget and spend. Or eat out every day for two weeks. DH is just like me in that respect. For the last six months he and I have both been very focused on being budget conscious - traded in my car for one with a lower payment, made some positive steps. Having both of us on board has really helped.
Shannon, do I understand, I definitely do. I was a Loan Officer and later a Branch Manager at a Credit Union. I have seen many financial statements, I could tell someone how to repair their credit or balance their checkbook but I am not so good at taking my own advice. To me money is power, not that I am going to be buying Trump Tower but I have to watch for those impulse buys. Something comes over me when I go into a store, any store, it's like the walls are calling out, it is all here for you to buy and you have money. Most of the time I restrain myself pretty well but just let me see a half off sale or buy one get one free any come on is apt to suck me in. I am better than I used to be but still have to get stern with myself sometime.
