Making progress

See the ticker below.

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

Another pound lost. Or as my friend V says, "released". I like that one a little better. "Fly! Be free little pounds! Find your way home!" Just don't find your way back to me, thankyouverymuch.

I have a cold today, probably courtesy of my DS who has been coughing much of the weekend. That means that while I have slept all day and my appetite is now completely off, I am still a bit bleh, so I have nothing useful to write. Next time, Gadget.

2 weeks in...

Wow. I didn't realize it had been over two weeks since I last posted. I really am a terrible blogger, aren't I?

It has been a busy two weeks. School started on the third, my husband and I have been hot and heavy into our house hunt, and my 4yo son has been potty training. I feel pulled in lots of directions, but I am handling the stress amazingly well.

I seem to have mostly sorted out the sleep issue, although I admit to having help from pharmaceuticals (OTC, mind you). They are just enough to take the edge off my insomnia and let me sleep soundly. Maybe too soundly, though, since I have chased my DH to the couch a few times with the snoring. No, I have not made the ENT appointment, yet, but all the doctor appointments will be scheduled by the end of the week.

Once I started sleeping better, I could focus a little more on paying attention to what I eat. With the help of a nice app I found in the Android Market called "MyFitnessPal" (connected to a website of the same name), I have been able to track my calorie intake. I am not great about doing it on the weekends, or when I eat out, but I am great during the work week when I eat on a regular schedule and pack meals from home. Initially, I set my maximum level at 1200 calories, with a goal of losing 2 pounds per week. But after a couple days, I realized that I was not ready for that level of sacrifice, and it seemed overkill anyway.

So I took a long, hard look at my goal of losing 110 pounds, and decided to approach it as I do my degree pursuit -- it is going to take years, not months, and I should plan accordingly. So instead of 2 pounds a week, I set it to 1 pound a week. Sure, it is going to take me 2+ years to lose the weight, but the weight will still be lost, so who cares? Anyway, this change means I get to max out at 1640 calories per day, and I have found it to be MUCH easier to stick with.

I am eating more frequently throughout the day and including more salads. I find that packing food from home accomplishes two fundamental and necessary things -- saving money and controlling my food. I also find this schedule helps keep my energy level up, and I do not have that nasty crash as badly as before... at least when I get sleep at night.

I even take care of my sweet and salty cravings by accounting for chips and baked goods. It is just like budgeting my money, only involves more chocolate. YAY!

The program also tracks various nutrients such as vitamin A, calcium, etc. as well as protein, fat, and carbs. So it's not just about the calories, but making sure all the good stuff goes over, and the bad stuff stays under. I don't stress about that as much, so long as I am not binging, which has only happened one night so far. I hit my stress limit because of a cold and just let myself go.

Over this past weekend, I was a little fretful because I did not log in and track anything from Friday morning to Tuesday morning. And as we were house hunting and gaming, we ate out and had a lot of munchies. But in the end, I did not do too badly.

How did I do in those two weeks? Exactly two pounds. Right on target.

Only 108 more to go. Hehehehehe...

Created by MyFitnessPal - Nutrition Facts For Foods

Resolutions

I had a thought today -- New Year's resolutions are kind of silly. Nothing has changed about you from one minute to the next, really. The person you are doesn't become someone newer, stronger, more resolved in the space of an instant. So why do we persist in setting these damn resolutions? I am beginning to feel like they are just a recipe for failure. As in, "I have now set this unreal expectation that I will suddenly be a better person from this day forward. Go me!"

I am just not going to do that this year. Yes, I did start blogging again at the beginning of the year, but that's pretty much an annual tradition for me, starting back when my journals were in shiny new notebooks every winter. Therefore, not really a change.

I am not going to say that I will magically eat healthier, workout regularly, blog daily, or whatever. Because I just do not have the time. I will try to pay more attention to all these things.

For example, I did not use the elevator at work today. I ate a breakfast and lunch that I brought from home. I also grabbed a candy bar late in the afternoon. I will not feel guilty.

I did not wake up early this morning and work out because I am STILL battling insomnia, and even though I am tired, I cannot sleep. And I do not sleep well when I finally get there, mostly because I know I have to wake up soon. Add to that the fact that I then fall asleep at my desk after lunch, and it is not a pretty picture. I think I need to get this issue resolved before I worry about fixing anything else. Go back to taking either melatonin or Valerian root, I guess. My friend suggested Tylenol PM, which might also help with the sinus congestion.

Two promises I will keep this year: I will see an ENT about my snoring/chronic sinusitis, and I will see a dermatologist to get a suspicious mole removed. I know you are all soooo glad to hear that. ;-) If nothing else, I can take care of certain aspects of my health.

Happy New Year

Well, hear it is, 2011 already, and I really accomplished nothing weight loss wise last year. However, I took 2 Calculus and 1 physics class, and I got 1 A and 2 Bs, so I am still feeling good about myself.

I came to realize that I just have TOO much going on right now to pretend that my weight loss is going to be a major focus. I really wish it could be, but I have enough difficulty finding time to sleep when I have work, school, toddler and husband as well as a desire for some form of social life, and if I make time for actual work outs, I will be sick in a week from the exhaustion.

In fact, I battled severe exhaustion this last quarter. That physics class was rough.

Now, I am not giving up, so please don't read that into this posting. I am still all about getting healthier, but I am admitting it publicly that it will take more effort that I have right now. So I will do what I can -- eat healthier, take the stairs at work, etc. Little things that are changes not requiring a lot of time or effort. I hope.

I am still going back and forth about rejoining Weight Watchers now that they have changed their program. I kind of hate logging all the food I eat, and I feel silly saying I spent 5 minutes climbing stairs.

In other news, I am still really excited about school. This quarter starts for me on Tuesday night, and I have the same professor from last quarter. But I am more prepared for her system this time around, so I am confident I will not run myself so into the ground.

Also, DH and I are trying to buy a house. We've seen a few, tried to make an offer on one, and are still looking. It is a HUGE step, and it freaks me out a lot, especially with all the timing. But if it is meant to be, it will happen and happen relatively easily. We are already approved for the loan, and we have pooled the down payment together, so that much is done. Yay!

Brightest blessing, everyone. Thank you for reading.