After the long weekend, going back to work today was the last thing I really wanted to do. But, despite today feeling like a Monday, it was very productive. I didn't workout today because my entire body is still sore from the sunburn I inflicted on myself Sunday. I can say that my legs don't hurt as much today as they did yesterday but now my arms and shoulders are so sore that even my t-shirt is irritating.
Although I didn't workout today, I did keep a very close eye on my food. I haven't had any junk food at all which makes me very happy. I recently learned that there isn't any sugar in non-dairy creamer so I've been drinking coffee when I'm craving something sweet. I don't drink it at night though because I'd never sleep. Here's what I ate today:
Breakfast:
2 whole wheat English muffins with butter
8 cups of coffee
Lunch:
1 turkey burger with cheese, 1 bun, light mayo, and 1 slice of tomato
1/2 cup classic pasta salad
Snack:
6 cups of coffee
Dinner:
Grilled steak
1/2 cup classic pasta salad
1 small ear of corn
Not too bad, huh? I'm pretty proud of myself. I can't wait to start working out because I'll start to see results a little faster than just watching what I eat. It's time for me to get going. I've got homework to do start, dishes to do, and lunches to pack.
Memorial Day Weekend
Well, we kicked off the weekend with a barbecue for family and friends on Saturday. The pool was open and the weather was hot, hot, hot. The day was cut short by an impromptu thunder storm, which is common this time of year. The weather gets so hot and humid that thunder storms are inevitable.
Yesterday we spent the day in Ocean City at the beach. Might I always recommend using sun screen! I got so burnt yesterday that I've spent today in the house with the air set for 65 degrees. It was a great time, though, because I was with my mom, my sister, my husband, and my boys. We went up on the boardwalk and got some Thrasher's fries; a tradition in my family since before I can remember.
Before our barbecue on Saturday, my mom told me about an herb that helps with metabolism. She couldn't remember the name of it but we stopped by Wal-Mart on our way to the beach to see if she could find it. She did! It's called chromium picolinate. I bought a bottle and started taking them yesterday. I bought the 500mg bottle so I take 1 pill twice a day.
I'm not sure if today was because of my sun burn or my vitamins but I haven't eaten much today at all. I had a huge burst of energy today and cleaned the house and finished all the laundry. My legs are terribly sore but I've not let that stop me. My husband is so wonderful that he was going to do all of the housework so I could rest. By the time he got back from running a few errands, I had the kitchen spotless and half of the laundry done.
After everything was said and done, my husband and I sat down to discuss my weight loss goals. Here's what we came up with:
- I'll purchase an article of clothing 1 size smaller to use as motivation
- The first 50 pounds I lose, I get a new Coach handbag
- Once I've lost 100 pounds, I get a full day at the spa
I'm looking forward to getting started. But, first, I need to get my legs feeling better so I can start working out. My legs feel like the skin is going to burst open if I stand up straight. The worst part is that all of this is self-inflicted. Okay, it's time for me to get going so I can get a few more things done and spend time with my boys before they head off to bed. Have a great evening!
Yesterday we spent the day in Ocean City at the beach. Might I always recommend using sun screen! I got so burnt yesterday that I've spent today in the house with the air set for 65 degrees. It was a great time, though, because I was with my mom, my sister, my husband, and my boys. We went up on the boardwalk and got some Thrasher's fries; a tradition in my family since before I can remember.
Before our barbecue on Saturday, my mom told me about an herb that helps with metabolism. She couldn't remember the name of it but we stopped by Wal-Mart on our way to the beach to see if she could find it. She did! It's called chromium picolinate. I bought a bottle and started taking them yesterday. I bought the 500mg bottle so I take 1 pill twice a day.
I'm not sure if today was because of my sun burn or my vitamins but I haven't eaten much today at all. I had a huge burst of energy today and cleaned the house and finished all the laundry. My legs are terribly sore but I've not let that stop me. My husband is so wonderful that he was going to do all of the housework so I could rest. By the time he got back from running a few errands, I had the kitchen spotless and half of the laundry done.
After everything was said and done, my husband and I sat down to discuss my weight loss goals. Here's what we came up with:
- I'll purchase an article of clothing 1 size smaller to use as motivation
- The first 50 pounds I lose, I get a new Coach handbag
- Once I've lost 100 pounds, I get a full day at the spa
I'm looking forward to getting started. But, first, I need to get my legs feeling better so I can start working out. My legs feel like the skin is going to burst open if I stand up straight. The worst part is that all of this is self-inflicted. Okay, it's time for me to get going so I can get a few more things done and spend time with my boys before they head off to bed. Have a great evening!
A Typical Day
I'm sure by now most of you are familiar with the term virtual assistant but do you actually know what we do and how we do it? Here's a peak into a typical day for me. Are you ready?
6:00 am: Get out of bed and drink as much coffee as possible
Get my oldest up and in the shower
6:30 am: Time's up on the shower for my oldest and he moves on to breakfast
My youngest is usually up by this time so he needs attention, too
7:00 am: Time for my youngest to get in the bath to get ready for school
Oldest is taking his meds (he has ADHD) and finishing up his morning chores
One of many loads of laundry is started
7:30 am: My husband takes my oldest to school
Youngest is out of the tub and is eating breakfast while I pack his lunch
8:00 am: My husband takes my youngest to school
I wash the breakfast dishes, start another load of laundry, and take out something for dinner.
8:30 am: I fire up the laptop, log on to Skype, open email, and make another cup of coffee.
I make myself a toasted whole wheat English muffin and hit play on the DVR
9:00 am: The work day begins. Since most of my work is on the West Coast, I have a few hours to play catch up from the day before (I log off at 2 pm PDT).
Once I'm caught up with yesterday's email, I start another load of laundry, fold the laundry that's done and take the dog out.
10:00 am to 5:00 pm: Work! All my West Coasters are online so things get pretty busy. I'm usually on the phone (Skype) for about 3 hours per day and I instant message all day.
12:00 pm: Lunch (microwaved), which I eat at my desk.
2:45 pm: Oldest is home from school. It's time for his afternoon meds (remember, he has ADHD) and his homework. He also starts his afternoon chores, like putting his clean, folded laundry away.
3:30 pm: Youngest is home from school. He starts his afternoon chores, like feeding the dog, and does his homework.
3:40 pm: The house is no longer a quiet place to work.
5:00 pm: Quitting time! I try my best to log off at 5 pm every day but sometimes that doesn't happen. Yesterday, for example, I was online until almost 6:00. My husband starts dinner and we sit on the deck enjoying each others company.
6:00 pm: Dinner! I've looked forward to this all day! Now is when we all sit down together, enjoy the delicious meal that my wonderful husband made, and tell each other about our day.
7:00 pm: We're out on the deck enjoying the last part of the sunshine, after I've finished the dinner dishes and set the coffee pot for tomorrow.
7:30 pm: The boys get their snack and get ready for bed. I get out my textbooks and work on homework for a little while.
9:00 pm: The boys head off to bed. My husband and I sit down and hit play on the DVR.
11:00 pm: We head off to bed. We have to do it all over again tomorrow.
Did you notice that workout wasn't listed anywhere in my typical day? That's because my typical day didn't usually include working out. With everything on my plate, I never found the time for it. All of that is about to change; even if that means I have to get up an hour earlier.
So, what do you think of working from home? It has its pros and cons, like any other thing in life, but I absolutely love it! I see my kids off to school in the morning and I'm here when they get home in the afternoon. I may not always be in a position to give them my undivided attention but they know I'm always here for them.
I'd love to hear what your typical day is like and how you manage to get everything done that needs to get done. Don't be shy...
I'm off schedule now because of writing this post. It's time for me to change my Skype status to Online and get busy. Have a fantastic day!
6:00 am: Get out of bed and drink as much coffee as possible
Get my oldest up and in the shower
6:30 am: Time's up on the shower for my oldest and he moves on to breakfast
My youngest is usually up by this time so he needs attention, too
7:00 am: Time for my youngest to get in the bath to get ready for school
Oldest is taking his meds (he has ADHD) and finishing up his morning chores
One of many loads of laundry is started
7:30 am: My husband takes my oldest to school
Youngest is out of the tub and is eating breakfast while I pack his lunch
8:00 am: My husband takes my youngest to school
I wash the breakfast dishes, start another load of laundry, and take out something for dinner.
8:30 am: I fire up the laptop, log on to Skype, open email, and make another cup of coffee.
I make myself a toasted whole wheat English muffin and hit play on the DVR
9:00 am: The work day begins. Since most of my work is on the West Coast, I have a few hours to play catch up from the day before (I log off at 2 pm PDT).
Once I'm caught up with yesterday's email, I start another load of laundry, fold the laundry that's done and take the dog out.
10:00 am to 5:00 pm: Work! All my West Coasters are online so things get pretty busy. I'm usually on the phone (Skype) for about 3 hours per day and I instant message all day.
12:00 pm: Lunch (microwaved), which I eat at my desk.
2:45 pm: Oldest is home from school. It's time for his afternoon meds (remember, he has ADHD) and his homework. He also starts his afternoon chores, like putting his clean, folded laundry away.
3:30 pm: Youngest is home from school. He starts his afternoon chores, like feeding the dog, and does his homework.
3:40 pm: The house is no longer a quiet place to work.
5:00 pm: Quitting time! I try my best to log off at 5 pm every day but sometimes that doesn't happen. Yesterday, for example, I was online until almost 6:00. My husband starts dinner and we sit on the deck enjoying each others company.
6:00 pm: Dinner! I've looked forward to this all day! Now is when we all sit down together, enjoy the delicious meal that my wonderful husband made, and tell each other about our day.
7:00 pm: We're out on the deck enjoying the last part of the sunshine, after I've finished the dinner dishes and set the coffee pot for tomorrow.
7:30 pm: The boys get their snack and get ready for bed. I get out my textbooks and work on homework for a little while.
9:00 pm: The boys head off to bed. My husband and I sit down and hit play on the DVR.
11:00 pm: We head off to bed. We have to do it all over again tomorrow.
Did you notice that workout wasn't listed anywhere in my typical day? That's because my typical day didn't usually include working out. With everything on my plate, I never found the time for it. All of that is about to change; even if that means I have to get up an hour earlier.
So, what do you think of working from home? It has its pros and cons, like any other thing in life, but I absolutely love it! I see my kids off to school in the morning and I'm here when they get home in the afternoon. I may not always be in a position to give them my undivided attention but they know I'm always here for them.
I'd love to hear what your typical day is like and how you manage to get everything done that needs to get done. Don't be shy...
I'm off schedule now because of writing this post. It's time for me to change my Skype status to Online and get busy. Have a fantastic day!
Hangin' In
Things have been kind of rough in my household this week and it's only Tuesday. While I posted yesterday about the silver lining, the end didn't end on such a positive note. I guess it was around 10 pm when I got the munchies. Know what I ate? Two Reese's peanut butter eggs.
Today started out rough because I overslept and my youngest was home sick again. This time with a low grade fever. Between trying to care for him, get myself motivated, and the housework, things started falling apart. I was in a meeting for work (I work from home) this afternoon and I ate 3 peanut butter eggs! I was bored and I knew it. What else was there for me to do? What do you do in situations like that?
I always get the munchies between 2-3 pm and then again after dinner. I have healthier alternatives in the cabinets but I never think of them when I'm rummaging around trying to find a snack. I think I'm going to start keeping a bag next to my computer with healthy snacks in it. Those that don't have to be refrigerated that is.
So, that's the day I've had in a nutshell. It's creeping up on that time of night when I usually get the munchies and dinner isn't even finished. Everyone's had a rough one so at least I'm not alone. Keep hangin' in there and it will come is what I keep telling myself. I need to learn to be more patient.
Today started out rough because I overslept and my youngest was home sick again. This time with a low grade fever. Between trying to care for him, get myself motivated, and the housework, things started falling apart. I was in a meeting for work (I work from home) this afternoon and I ate 3 peanut butter eggs! I was bored and I knew it. What else was there for me to do? What do you do in situations like that?
I always get the munchies between 2-3 pm and then again after dinner. I have healthier alternatives in the cabinets but I never think of them when I'm rummaging around trying to find a snack. I think I'm going to start keeping a bag next to my computer with healthy snacks in it. Those that don't have to be refrigerated that is.
So, that's the day I've had in a nutshell. It's creeping up on that time of night when I usually get the munchies and dinner isn't even finished. Everyone's had a rough one so at least I'm not alone. Keep hangin' in there and it will come is what I keep telling myself. I need to learn to be more patient.
A Silver Lining
Today started out on the right foot but has taken a nose dive into a typical Monday. All was well with the world until I got a collections letter in the mail. I spent the better part of my afternoon on the phone trying to resolve this issue.
So, what's up with the title of this post? I try to always see the silver lining in every situation. Sometimes it's not easy at all but, I bet if you think about it, you can always find a silver lining. I certainly did today.
When I was consumed by stress, my first instinct was to grab something to eat, and I did. That's right, I ate an energy bar. The silver lining in this case is that I finally became conscious of my emotional eating and I avoided it! Any other day, I would have grabbed the first thing I saw but today I didn't do that. I made a conscious choice to stick to my plan and I succeeded!
I enjoyed my energy bar but what I enjoyed the most was the strength I displayed. As a reward, I'm now enjoying some fresh strawberries sweetened with Splenda. Yum!
Oh, and I was able to get the collections letter taken care of without having to spend a dime (I had already paid that bill but the company didn't update their records). Ahhh, it sure feels good to feel this good!
So, what's up with the title of this post? I try to always see the silver lining in every situation. Sometimes it's not easy at all but, I bet if you think about it, you can always find a silver lining. I certainly did today.
When I was consumed by stress, my first instinct was to grab something to eat, and I did. That's right, I ate an energy bar. The silver lining in this case is that I finally became conscious of my emotional eating and I avoided it! Any other day, I would have grabbed the first thing I saw but today I didn't do that. I made a conscious choice to stick to my plan and I succeeded!
I enjoyed my energy bar but what I enjoyed the most was the strength I displayed. As a reward, I'm now enjoying some fresh strawberries sweetened with Splenda. Yum!
Oh, and I was able to get the collections letter taken care of without having to spend a dime (I had already paid that bill but the company didn't update their records). Ahhh, it sure feels good to feel this good!
Ready, Set, GO!
This weekend was absolutely fabulous! We spent Saturday at a friend's house celebrating their oldest child's birthday. The weather was gorgeous, which was nice because it rained almost every day last week.
Today is the dreaded Monday and it's shaping up to be a wonderful day. I feel great and I'm very conscious of what I'm eating today. I have my journal by my side, my Biggest Loser cookbook, and my notes from "Reshaping It All".
I'm taking things slowly this time to ensure that I get it right. I'm not going to freak out if something doesn't go as planned. I could actually use that advice in my every day life and I know I would live better and, maybe, have less stress. Darn this Type A personality! :)
Okay, it's time for me to get some work done. Have a wonderful day!
Today is the dreaded Monday and it's shaping up to be a wonderful day. I feel great and I'm very conscious of what I'm eating today. I have my journal by my side, my Biggest Loser cookbook, and my notes from "Reshaping It All".
I'm taking things slowly this time to ensure that I get it right. I'm not going to freak out if something doesn't go as planned. I could actually use that advice in my every day life and I know I would live better and, maybe, have less stress. Darn this Type A personality! :)
Okay, it's time for me to get some work done. Have a wonderful day!
Hopeful
I've struggled with my weight all of my adult life. I've tried diet after diet after diet with only limited results. I had come to the conclusion that I'd always be a large woman. That is, until I started reading "Reshaping It All" by Candace Cameron Bure. I downloaded it to my Kindle last night and it's already helping me.
I have to admit that I had some reservations about purchasing this book because Candace is very religious. That's not to say I'm not religious; I was just concerned that she would force her beliefs on me, which is something I cannot stand. But, I'm thrilled to admit that I was wrong. While the Bible is quoted quite often, I don't find it pushy and the quotes are appropriate to the content.
I've highlighted quite a few lines and I'm only halfway through the book. One of the things I find most interesting is that Candace doesn't count calories. I've always heard that counting calories is the best way to lose weight. I'm not sure if you've taken a look at Candace these days, but she looks phenomenal! So, I'm going to give that a shot. Another interesting point is that Candace doesn't deny herself; she indulges in moderation.
As a result, I'm feeling hopeful that I'm going to finally get this right. It's time I stop being lazy and get my body in motion. I'll be using this blog to share my adventures, set backs, thoughts, and everything in between.
I have to admit that I had some reservations about purchasing this book because Candace is very religious. That's not to say I'm not religious; I was just concerned that she would force her beliefs on me, which is something I cannot stand. But, I'm thrilled to admit that I was wrong. While the Bible is quoted quite often, I don't find it pushy and the quotes are appropriate to the content.
I've highlighted quite a few lines and I'm only halfway through the book. One of the things I find most interesting is that Candace doesn't count calories. I've always heard that counting calories is the best way to lose weight. I'm not sure if you've taken a look at Candace these days, but she looks phenomenal! So, I'm going to give that a shot. Another interesting point is that Candace doesn't deny herself; she indulges in moderation.
As a result, I'm feeling hopeful that I'm going to finally get this right. It's time I stop being lazy and get my body in motion. I'll be using this blog to share my adventures, set backs, thoughts, and everything in between.
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