How I Lost 50 Pounds

I'm sure that at least some people who come to my blog come here looking for tips, so I decided I would post the things I've done that have helped me to lose 50 pounds in 7 and a half months. Remember, this is just what I did! I'm not saying this is the only correct and true way to lose weight.

1. I count calories – I use SparkPeople.com, which provides me with guidelines to follow. They have given me a calorie range of 1,200 – 1,550 calories per day that I am supposed to stay within, and I actually try to stay between 1,250 – 1,300 calories per day. I recently refigured my “maintain weight” calories, and I need to eat around 1,730 calories to maintain my weight (not taking exercise into account. The exercise I currently do actually puts me at 1,830 to maintain), so I need to stay right in the range of 1,230 to lose a pound a week, which is pretty close to what I’ve been doing (although losing has become much harder since I’ve gotten so close to my goal).

2. I eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day – This pretty much speaks for itself, just try to find opportunities to snack on fruits, always have some sort of vegetable with your dinner, things like that are what I do to get all my servings in.

3. I drink 2 gallons of water a day – Yes, 2 gallons! Sounds like a bit much, but I didn’t start drinking that much right away. When I first started trying to lose weight, I concentrated on drinking at least 12 cups a day. After a while (I don’t remember how long), that got easy, and I started drinking 16 cups a day, which is 1 gallon (128 oz.). The more water I drank, the more I wanted to drink, and soon I was drinking 20 cups a day. It continued like that until eventually, I got to 2 gallons a day. I won’t drink more than that, though, because too much water can actually be dangerous. But try to drink at least half your weight in ounces a day (meaning I weigh 139 lbs, so I should drink at least 70 oz. a day).

4. I exercise for 30 minutes 5 times a week – I own a treadmill, so I walk every single weekday. I started out going really slow (like 2.0 mph), and I eventually worked my way up to walking around 1.9 miles in the 30 minutes. I have always focused on increasing my speed, and keeping my time the same. If you don’t like treadmills, that’s ok, the point is just to get some exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

5. I make sure I get enough fiber – I always get at least 25 g of fiber a day, usually more. This is really important to your digestive health, and to keep things “moving.” I try to eat whole grains, which have more fiber, and fruits and vegetables with fiber in them. For some reason this is hard for people, but I really recommend working on your fiber intake. Be sure to increase your fiber intake slowly to avoid painful bloating and stomach problems. Also, make absolutely sure you drink enough water if you’re going to increase your fiber intake. If your body has excess fiber but not enough water to flush it out, it can cause constipation.

6. I try to keep my sodium low – below 2,300 mg a day. Most of the food I eat isn’t very processed, so I don’t usually have to worry about it too much, especially with as much water as I drink, but you would be surprised how much sodium some people get in a single day (myself included, back in the day). This small change could make a huge difference.

7. One of the most important things, and one I almost forgot, is that I write down everything I eat! Not “pen and paper” write down, but I use SparkPeople’s nutrition tracker, and I do actually “pen and paper” write down foods that have to be measured (apples, bananas, bread…). Yes, I am obsessed with my calorie count being as accurate as feasibly possible. And just because the package may say that one pita pocket weighs 35 grams and is 80 calories, doesn’t mean that it does or is. Case in point: yesterday’s pita pocket weighed 41.5 grams and was 90 calories. It’s not necessary to be as exact as I am; if a close estimate is good enough for you, role with it! The important thing is to write it down!

Most of the things I’ve done to lose 50 pounds sound like the same old thing you hear every day about how to lose weight, but you know what? That’s because these things work! Give it a try, and I promise you, you will see results.

I’d also like to address the fact that although I have lost 50 pounds, my weight loss has slowed considerably. This is because once you get very close to your goal, your body adapts and it doesn’t need to work as hard as it used to. It also requires less calories to function than it used to, so you need to eat even less to see the same results. I’ve always eaten around the same amount of calories, but that used to create a much bigger calorie deficit. Now the difference between the calories I need/burn and the calories I consume is not so big, so the weight comes off much more slowly. Your body also has what are called “set points,” which is when your body is comfortable at a certain weight, and thinks that is where it is supposed to be. And sometimes it is, so listen to your body! But even if it’s not, don’t expect to get there within a matter of weeks. Like I’ve already said, the less you weigh, the harder you have to work to weigh even less.

If you’re having trouble with the last 10 pounds, here are some great resources (thanks, Shanti!):
http://www.fitfaq.com/2005/02/lose-last-10-pounds.html
http://www.glamour.com/health/feature/articles/2006/07/10/tenpounds06april
http://ask.metafilter.com/73022/How-to-lose-the-last-ten-pounds

I am not a doctor, a nutritionist, or a trainer. This post is just about what I did, and what worked for me. But I hope I was able to help at least someone out there!

Disjointed*

*What today's blog post is going to be.

My thighs feel like jelly today. They were feeling like jelly yesterday, but I exercised anyway. At least I know my muscles are working, eh?

Been making some changes over here at TPOH, what do you guys think? I posted a poll above, please take it and let me know! The poll will be open until midnight (MST) on Saturday, so hurry! Not that I'll go back to the old template if no one likes the new one, but, you know, it's nice to know what people think. I'm so glad I now know enough about HTML/CSS to change Blogger's default templates, but I still can't figure out how to get rid of the damn lines in between each blog post/widget. Any web designer people (I'm sorry, I don't know what you're called) out there want to help me out??

Did I ever mention that there's a girl in my math class who used to live in Marietta, GA? Anyone know who else lives there? Anyone? Anyone? That's right, the amazing Alton Brown lives in Marietta, GA. I swear I'm not a stalker.

I haven't given an update on my progress toward "walking" to New York in a while. I have currently walked 243.238 miles, so I am 84.8% of the way to Amarillo, the first city I will hit on my way to New York, and I am 13.9% of the way to New York. Pretty good progress, I'd say!

It's really hard to give your full attention to anything when you're studying for finals, you constantly have at least 50 new blogs in your Google Reader, you have probably 30 YouTube videos to watch, you're putting off finishing your last English paper, and you're writing a book. Thus the disjointedness.

Great post tomorrow, I promise. (At least I hope you think it's great.)

That is all.

Song of the Day: Jewel - Foolish Games

School's Almost Over!

So, NSV (non-scale victory) last night: Our microwave went out, and I completely freaked out because I use the microwave every day, to heat up my egg muffins, and I was just like what the freak am I supposed to do? I got so frustrated that I couldn't microwave my vegetables that I almost wanted to give up on my eating plan for the day. Stupid reason, I know, but that's how I react to stress. I want to stuff my face. But, I took a breath, calmed down, decided it wasn't worth it, and ate only what I had planned for. The only extra calorie I had (1.8 calories, to be exact) was a mint after dinner. So proud.

Speaking of my dinner last night, it was delicious! I had a bean burrito, made with just canned pinto beans (I used Bush's), 2 tablespoons of light sour cream, and 2 tablespoons of Pace chunky salsa, on a whole wheat tortilla. So good!! I also had some mixed vegetables, it was Birdseye brand, asparagus, white & gold corn, and baby carrots. They were pretty good too, but the carrots were a little dry, so I kind of just scarfed those down first to get them out of the way.

Did my regular exercise routine last night, 1.862 miles in 30 minutes, and I burned 136 calories. Consistency is a good thing.

That's all today. Oh, I got a 97% on my third math exam, and my overall grade right now is a 94%! That means in order to pass the class, I have to get a 21% on the final. Yeah, I can fail the final miserably and still pass the class. Do you know how awesome that is? It's pretty awesome.

Song of the Day: Eminem - My Dad's Gone Crazy

Confessional

I have a confession to make. I did not count calories yesterday. Yes, I planned to, but when the day rolled around, I just didn't have it in me. I am back on track today, and will be for the rest of the week, because it's a lot easier to be on track on weekdays, I just hope I see some change with my weigh in this week. I hope any damage I did yesterday can be undone in 5 days of healthy eating.

I've got my meals all planned out for the week, my egg muffins made, my carrots all bagged up, and I am ready. Bring it on.

My goal is to get back on "weekend track" next weekend, because it's the first weekend in August, so I figure that'll give me a fresh start. Sunday is the only day I really need to work on, and if I just put my all into it, I know I can get back where I was with my Sundays 4 weeks ago. And maybe being out of school for 3 weeks will help. Less stress.

So that's all I have today. As usual, I have about 50 new blogs to read in my reader, so I'll probably get to those, and get commenting, later this afternoon. Y'all have a great day!

P.S. Anyone miss weigh in?

Song of the Day: Eminem - Crazy In Love

Linky Sunday

What up, y'all?

Counting calories today, going to try to stay in between 1,250 and 1,300 calories this week (might end up a little lower than 1,250 a couple days), looking forward to next week's weigh in to see how this all affects it!

Weigh in was yesterday, if you happened to have missed it. Of course, I know you all check my blog every day. Right?

Ever wondered how many calories an orgasm burns? Redbook addresses this question and more here. Sorry, Mom.

AOL Health published a list of some great, and some not so great, ways to avoid binge eating, here. Hold your breath, don't look at food, and eat blindfolded. DON'T go out to eat in groups, but DO go on a date. Or, just get married. Great for a good laugh, and some good tips thrown in for good measure.

This website is donating 20 pieces of kibble to hungry shelter dogs for every person who goes there and answers a trivia question every day! I go there every day, as should you.

Think you're bad at guessing peoples' ages? I know I am. This game will show you just how bad you really are.

My husband started a blog yesterday, so he'd appreciate it if y'all would stop by, here!

That's all I got for ya today, peeps! Check y'all later!

Live life without limits, wooh!

Weigh In Day... Steady Steady Steady

Hey guys, stayed the same this week, but it's ok! Really! You'll see.

P.S. Here in Albuquerque, we have an ethnic market called Talin. Today my mom called me and said, "I think we're going to go down to that Taliban market." Oooook, mom, you do that... LOL I just thought that was hilarious. Carry on.

11-25-07: 190
12-2-07: 185.5
12-9-07: 182
12-16-07: 180
12-23-07: 179.5
12-30-07: 178.5
1-6-08: 174
1-13-08: 176.5
1-20-08: 173.5
1-27-08: 176
2-3-08: 175
2-10-08: 172.5
2-17-08: 170
2-24-08: 169
3-2-08: 166
3-9-08: 164.5
3-16-08: 163
3-23-08: 162
3-30-08: 159.5
4-6-08: 158
4-13-08: 156.5
4-20-08: 156
4-27-08: 153.5
5-3-08: 154.5
5-10-08: 151
5-17-08: 150.5
5-24-08: 150
5-31-08: 148
6-7-08: 146
6-14-08: 144.5
6-21-08: 143
6-28-08: 141.5
7-4-08: 140
7-12-08: 140
7-19-08: 139
7-26-08: 139

I Am Not Giving Up.

Ok, I really need to clarify something. Apparently some of my recent posts have been misunderstood, so I would like to set the record straight. I mean no offense to anyone by posting this blog, but I just want to clear some things up. I AM NOT GIVING UP. I never said I was giving up, I never even implied I was giving up. All I was trying to say was that I am more comfortable with my body now than I have ever been in my life. That does not mean I don't want to look better, and it does not mean I am going to stop trying to look better! In all honesty, I will probably try to get below 130. I will probably try to get down to 127. Ok? So whatever I've said and however it was misconstrued, this is what's going on in my head right at this moment. I am not giving up. I do not plan to give up. I simply understand that even if it takes 18 weeks, even if it takes 27 weeks, even if it takes 36 weeks to lose the last 9 pounds, I will, I WILL lose the last 9 pounds! Ok? And no, I am not planning on it taking that long. It's not like I'm going to slack off and say, oh, it doesn't matter how long it takes. Yes, I would like it to only take 9 weeks to lose the last 9 pounds, but I understand that because I weigh less, because my metabolism is slower, because I have more muscle and can retain more water, it might take longer. And that's ok. That's all I was trying to say. I AM NOT GIVING UP. Just because I decided to eat 50 more calories a day this week than last week, as an experiment (I thought maybe I wasn't eating enough, we'll find out tomorrow), just because I took 2 whole weekends off in a row (god forbid, that must mean she's giving up, right?), which I might or might not do this weekend, does not mean I am discouraged, does not mean I am losing my focus. It just means I am trying different things, which I think everyone needs to do at some point or another. Ok? I'll say it one more time: I AM NOT GIVING UP.

That is all.

Do I Sound Discouraged?

This morning my mom sent me an e-mail telling me that I do look good, but not to "settle" or give up on my goal weight because I'll look even better, so I called her and asked her why she would say that, because I hadn't planned on giving up on my goal. She said she thinks I get discouraged at this point and that it makes me want to give up, and I said, "I'm not discouraged at all!" She said, "Well, you sound a little discouraged that it's taking so long", and I said, "No, I said it wouldn't be the end of the world if it takes longer than I thought, and that if I were to inexplicably stop losing weight, for no reason at all, that wouldn't be the end of the world either." So I wanted to ask you guys, did I sound discouraged yesterday? Because if I did, I'm really not! I'm not giving up at all, I'm just coming to terms with the fact that now that I don't have as much to lose, it's not going to come off as fast, but I'm not going to stop trying to get there. I mean, I even said earlier this week that I'm trying to eat at least 1,300 calories, and anyone can tell you, that is not a maintenance number, that is a losing number. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you all knew that I'm not giving up, or even considering it. In fact, I would say I'm encouraged, not discouraged.

By the way, the previous paragraph was in no way to complain about my mother. It was just that she was the one who thought I sounded that way, and I figured if she did, other people might too.

One of these days I'm going to sit down and write a really profound post about body image and health, and I will blow all of your socks off. Until then, you'll just have to deal with my daily drivel.

P.S. Last night, I started writing my novel. No, for real. I'm up to 700 words. I'll let y'all know how that goes.

P.P.S. I hate it when you say a word so many times that it doesn't even sound like a word anymore. Encourage, encourage, encourage...

UPDATE 7/24/08 12:54 PM: Ok, I'm a little confused here. I got a comment from AmyMarie, and she says I seem like I'm losing focus. Does anyone else think that? And if so, why? Because I've taken 2 weekends off in a row? Because I'm now eating 1,300 calories instead of 1,250? Because I talk about things other than weight loss? What am I doing that makes me seem less focused? Because I really don't think I am.

Song of the Day: Eminem - Rain Man

Self-Esteem and Acceptance

It happened again today! I walked into the bathroom after I got dressed, and I thought, "Wow, I really am looking good!" I totally don't mean to sound arrogant, but it's just really nice to actually like what you see in the mirror. I've always liked my face, but now my body is starting to become what I want it to be. Honestly, if I were to just flat out stop losing weight right now, I don't think I'd mind too much. Yeah, I'd like to get down to 130, and I'd like to fit into a size 8, but it doesn't feel like it'd be the end of the world if I didn't. And it wouldn't be the end of the world if I do get there but it just takes a long time.

I really need to figure out something for Scott and I to make some extra money. I'm going to try and get some more Avon customers, like I was planning on leaving some brochures in the bathroom at work, so hopefully that will help us out, and hopefully the affiliate programs I've signed up for will bring in a little extra. Other than that, I don't know what to do.

Scott really wants to get another dog, because Tina just gets so bored by herself sometimes. But I'm worried that if we get another dog, Tina won't get as much attention from us :( Plus, she goes to my parents' house on weekends to play with their dog, and if we had 2 dogs, that would be 3 dogs for my parents to take care of on Saturday nights! Plus, Tina's a very jealous dog, so I don't know how she'd do with another dog around all the time. She does fine with Shy, but what if she and the new dog didn't get along, then what would we do?

Anyway guys, that's about all I have time for right now. I did a post yesterday about the new header I made, check it out and let me know which one you guys like better! Although I already think I know which one I'll end up using, I still like hearing your opinions!

Song of the Day: Nellie McKay - The Dog Song

Which Header?

I redesigned the header again, but I can't decide which one I like better. What do you guys think?

#1


or

#2


Photo Credits:
Laura Brandon (myself)
Steve Woods (fresh food)
Dora Mitsonia (measuring tape)
Sanja Gjenero (empty track)

For today's regularly scheduled post, scroll down or click here.

Here's to Hoping for a Better Day

Mmm, Chicken Surprise last night. SO good. I think that's my favorite thing that I know how to make.

I think I'm going to try an experiment this week: eating no less than 1,300 calories a day. That's what I did last week (unplanned), except for Friday, and I ended up losing a pound. And this week I really don't mind if I only lose half a pound, or even stay the same. So I'm going to see what happens.

I did my full work out last night! Yay, for once I didn't crap out at 20 minutes on a Monday! Go me! 1.862 miles in 30 minutes, same as last week.

Do any of you do yoga? I'd really like to start doing it, but I've never done it before and I'm afraid of hurting myself. I used to a have a "Yoga for Weight Loss" DVD but it was really hard! Does anybody have any recommendations for any Yoga DVDs that would be good for a beginner? I found this DVD on Amazon, Yoga for Beginners, with instructor Barbara Benagh, and it has 4 and a half stars, but one of the reviews said this video was not for beginners, and that worries me! I also found this DVD on Amazon, Element: Yoga for Beginners, with instructor Elena Brower. It had 4 stars, but it also had similar reviews, saying that it was too advanced for beginners. I don't want to spend any money on something and find out it's too hard for me, but I think whether or not something is hard is a fairly subjective thing. Another DVD I found was Essential Yoga for Inflexible People, with instructor Maggie Rhoades, and it got 5 stars. It also had no critical reviews, out of 15, so that's probably a pretty good sign, right? But, does it teach you how to be more flexible, or is it just for people who have no hope? I wish I had money to just sign up for a yoga class. Do any of you have experience with yoga DVDs?


Last night, I did the initial test for the 100 Push Up challenge again, but this time I did "girl" push ups. I managed 10. I actually did 10 against the wall before I decided that was too easy and switched. I'm going to try to do the whole program this way, and then I'll try real push ups once I've mastered the girl ones. So, I will start tomorrow: Week 1 Day 1, here I come (again)! How are the rest of you coming along on your 100 push up challenges? I feel bad for quitting, but I think I was a little too ambitious last time. I'll probably be more successful this time. Wish me luck!

And here is my 3rd video for the Lucky 7s Challenge:

I think that's about all for today, loves! Catch y'all later!

Song of the Day: The Wreckers - Leave the Pieces

Nothing Feels Right.

I'm having a weird day today. Nothing feels right, and I'm having a bad anxiety attack. No clue why.

I ended up being off plan for the whole weekend again, but I decided that's ok because I'm not trying to focus on getting to 130 as fast as possible. This morning I walked into the bathroom and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and I immediately thought, "Woah, I look skinny!" Let me tell you, that was a great feeling. I used to walk past the mirror and think, "God, I look like a cow."

I have about 50 new blogs to read in my Google Reader, so I better get started on that. Catch y'all later!

Song of the Day: Regina Spektor - No One

Lazy Sunday

Hey guys, it's Sunday, and you know what that means, right? It means there's a whole lotta nothin' going on over here at TPOH.

I'm checking out this blog I just heard about (how do I not hear about these things? I seriously must live under a rock.) It's called Monkey Me Monkey You, and it's about a sock monkey who is travelling all over the states! It's really cool, and I wish I had known about it back in April, because I would have had Monkey come here to New Mexico! I already know what we would have done together, too. Oh well, maybe I'll get my chance some day!

Anybody know of any other cool links that I should be aware of? I want to start doing a link post on Sundays, like MizFit and Cranky Fitness do on Fridays! They do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

I leave you with this:

P.S. The cat was not drunk, it was sedated after a visit to the vet's office. It is very dangerous to give alcohol to pets, so please, DON'T DO IT!

Weigh In Day... Triumph!

Hey guys! Good news this week, I'm down a pound, and I'm the 130's!! I'm so excited!

11-25-07: 190
12-2-07: 185.5
12-9-07: 182
12-16-07: 180
12-23-07: 179.5
12-30-07: 178.5
1-6-08: 174
1-13-08: 176.5
1-20-08: 173.5
1-27-08: 176
2-3-08: 175
2-10-08: 172.5
2-17-08: 170
2-24-08: 169
3-2-08: 166
3-9-08: 164.5
3-16-08: 163
3-23-08: 162
3-30-08: 159.5
4-6-08: 158
4-13-08: 156.5
4-20-08: 156
4-27-08: 153.5
5-3-08: 154.5
5-10-08: 151
5-17-08: 150.5
5-24-08: 150
5-31-08: 148
6-7-08: 146
6-14-08: 144.5
6-21-08: 143
6-28-08: 141.5
7-4-08: 140
7-12-08: 140
7-19-08: 139

New Domain Name and Look!

Hey everyone, just a quick update to let y'all know that my domain name is now http://www.thepursuitofhealthyness.com/! If you use a feed reader, you shouldn't need to update it, but don't quote me on that! I also created a new logo for my site, do you guys like it? I got the stock photos from this free stock photo site, stock.xchng, which is an awesome site. Enjoy!

Photo credits:
Laura Brandon (myself)
Shannon Pifko (strawberries)
Rebecca Rice (salad)
Zsuzsanna Kilián (water)

Pasta Woes

I bought some of that Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta to use this week because I knew I was going to run out of Trader Joe's pasta this week, and I didn't want to drive across town to get more. Well, let me tell you, I won't be buying it again. Yes, it has less calories (180 compared to Trader Joe's at 190), but the fat is the same, fiber is the same, it has more sodium, it has 9 grams more carbs, and it has 3 grams less protein! And my multigrain pasta that I get from Trader Joe's has just so much more flavor! I mean, not that Ronzoni tastes bad, it's just not the same. I really wish I'd just gone to Trader Joe's and gotten my regular pasta. So I'm going to finish this box, which should be done by the end of next week because next week is Chicken Surprise week (so excited!!) and I'll use the same pasta in it. But I will not be buying it again!! **If you buy this pasta, and you like it, that's great! I just really prefer the kind I'd been using.

Shanti gave me a great idea yesterday, and that was to calibrate my scale with weights! So I took a 15 pound weight that Scott has, and weighed it, and it weighed at 14 pounds. So I think it's safe to say that if I get a new (better) scale, it will probably weigh me higher, but probably only by about a pound. And I don't plan on getting a new one until I reach goal anyway. But don't you think that's a great idea? I think you should all calibrate your scales, just to see what happens!

Weigh in tomorrow! I hope I have a loss this week! But you know, even if I don't, I decided it's ok if these last 10 pounds take a while to come off. I was talking to a friend the other day, and he said now that I've lost all the weight I really needed to lose, and I am now in the "normal" BMI bracket, the last 10 pounds are just pounds I want to lose, not need to lose. So they don't have to come off as fast. So it doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying (not at all!!), it just means I don't need to freak out if I don't lose a whole pound every single week.

Be sure to remind me of this post the next time I don't lose anything and I freak out.

P.S. Dark Knight!

P.P.S. I really want to see Hancock!

Review of Schick Quattro for Women

A couple weeks ago, Cranky Fitness was giving away some Schick Quattro for Women razors, and I happened to be one of the lucky winners! My razor arrived yesterday, and I was very excited to hop in the shower and get shaving! The first thing I noticed about the razor was that it felt so much more substantial than those cheap pink plastic razors you buy by the bag. I liked that, it felt like it was actually going to last a while. Then, I noticed that it has those little protective wires across the blades, and I was like, "Man, that means it's not going to shave very close." But when I started shaving, I noticed that it actually was giving me a very close shave! My skin felt very smooth, and I didn't cut myself once, which I tend to do because I tend to shave too quickly. I also liked that the moisturizing strips lasted throughout the whole shave, and seem like they will last for a couple shaves more. The moisturizing strips on the cheap pink plastic ones I buy usually start falling off during the second shave, and sometimes even the first, so this was something I appreciated. Then when I got out of the shower, it was cold so I got goosebumps right away, and I was like, "Great, I'm already going to have stubble," but this morning they were still smooth! The only thing I didn't like was that the shower hanger didn't work in my shower, but I think that's because my shower is fiberglass, so suction cups don't stick to it. All in all, I liked it! Now, ask me again when I have to buy expensive new cartridges for it. But, it will probably be worth it. Especially since the razor itself was free. Thanks Crabby!

For today's regularly scheduled post, scroll down or click here.

Vitamin C, Anyone?

Ok guys, I figured out the secret. How do you not think about food?

Get sick.

Seriously, when it takes all the concentration you can muster just to breathe, you really don't think about food. Although that didn't stop me from eating 1,392 calories yesterday. But the scale was down this morning... yay!

I'm feeling a little better today, I went home early yesterday and got some extra sleep, and I went to bed about an hour early last night. My throat still hurt really bad this morning when I first woke up, but I seem to have gotten my sense of smell and taste back. For now at least.

I did end up working out last night, after I woke up from my nap, and again I went 1.862 miles in 30 minutes. And it wasn't really that bad, even though I wasn't feeling great. I think all that movement actually cleared up my nose a little, because breathing wasn't a problem while I was actually walking.

That's about all I have time for today guys, I've gotta run to school now! I'll catch up on all your blogs later, I have about 42 blogs in my Google Reader to get through!!

P.S. Did you guys know that the more muscle a person has, the more water their body can hold? I didn't.

Making Progress

Guess what? I walked 1.862 miles in 30 minutes yesterday! That's 3.7 mph, and an average 16:07 minute mile! And I think I figured out what I'm going to do. I think I'm just going to stay at this pace until it's actually easy, and at that point, I'll start thinking about running. I can't push myself too hard too early because then I won't be able to do it and I'll beat myself up. I did actually up my warm up and cool down. Now I'm doing 1 minute at 2.8, 1 minute at 3.0, 2 minutes at 3.3, and 1 minute at 3.5. And it made a .033 mile difference (that's 174 feet, or 50 meters). I'd say that's pretty good! I also burned 137 calories yesterday (according to CaloriesPerHour.com), which is more than I'd been burning last week.

So, I'm feeling pretty good today. Other than the sore throat and sickness. But I mean, I'm feeling good about my plan again. And I think I figured out why I was starting to slip a little. Last week, I was busy setting up my new computer, and my brain was occupied most of the time, but this week that's all done, and I have nothing really major coming up to worry about. So I think I was just honestly bored, and so my initial reaction was "Find something to eat!!" So now that I know why I'm feeling like I just want to eat, I have to find a way to keep those thoughts at bay. Maybe I need to study a little more, or start reading more (I've been reading the same book for the past 5 weeks), or, I don't know, exercise more? Something to keep me occupied.

Anyway, that's my revelation for today. Gotta run now, but I'll catch up with y'all later!

P.S. Did any of y'all ever hear about the Kimkins diet scam? I just heard about it a couple days ago, and I've been doing tons of research on it ever since. It's just insane. I don't have time to get into it right now, but if you guys get a chance, Google Kimkins scam. People have actually called it "Atkins meets Anorexia." Also, I hope none of you were affected by the scam, but if you were, you can join the Class Action Lawsuit.

Song of the Day: Jewel - Goodbye Alice in Wonderland

Tag!

5 things found in your bag:
1) My journal
2) My wallet
3) My iPod
4) My phone
5) Blistex

5 favorite things in your bedroom
1) My oh-so-comfy bed
2) The picture of my maternal grandmother
3) My paternal grandmother's jewelry box
4) My old journals
5) My baby blanket

5 things I have always wanted to do
1) Learn Italian
2) Run a marathon
3) Travel
4) Write a novel
5) Record an album

5 things I am currently into:
1) YouTube
2) Losing 10 (more) pounds
3) Tattoos
4) Regina Spektor
5) Protein

5 People I want to tag:
1) Kelly
2) Christi
3) Shanti
4) Tali
5) Alli

What Is Wrong With Me?

I've started this entry about 4 times. I can't decide what attitude I want to have. Part of me wants to say, "Laura, you are a failure," while the other part of me wants to say, "You are allowed to have slip ups! It doesn't mean you're going to give up and gain back all 50 pounds that you've lost!" And I realize that I am allowed to have slip ups, and that I don't have to start on that path of giving up completely, but when I set a goal for myself, and I just don't meet the goal, it's hard not to feel like a failure.

What am I talking about here? Well, I only managed to punch out 1.239 miles in 21 minutes last night. I did run, though, twice, for 1 minute each time!! It made me really tired, and the air conditioner wasn't on, and I already had a headache, so I had to stop. Plus I think I'm getting sick. I think I'm just going to do 20 minutes this week, instead of 30, because that running takes a lot out of me. Or maybe I just started too soon, since I didn't really get a complete week of exercise in last week. I might just do the same as last week for the rest of this week (with the full 20 minutes at 4.0). Yeah, I think that's what I'm going to do. So the original plan I set for myself this week didn't work. So what do I do? I get a new plan.

Here is my Lucky 7s update for this week, it's really short!

I'll be catching up on all your blogs later on today.

Song of the Day: Pink - Family Portrait

I'm Better, Really

Hey guys, I'm feeling a lot better today, in case any of you were concerned. I did end up having an "off plan" Sunday so this morning's weigh in wasn't pretty, but I have everything for the week all planned out, I will be perfectly on point with my food and my exercise, so this week will be good. I still might not have a great weigh in on Saturday because of my binge weekend, but as long as I don't have a gain, it's ok. Like I said, I will get there no matter how long it takes. I've only been doing this for 7 and a half months, and I've lost 50 pounds! That's a long way to come. A lot of people can't do that. I know people who have been doing this for years and haven't lost as much as I have, so I should be grateful, and not be upset that I'm not at goal right this second, or that it might take a little longer than I would like.

So, I ended up not being on plan on Sunday. I could feel myself starting to slip, thinking, "Well this obviously isn't working so why bother?" Exactly as I've done in the past when things don't go my way. But I'm working really hard on not letting myself go back to those old habits. And there's no point in feeling guilty about yesterday because I can't undo it, so I shouldn't even expend the energy it would take to beat myself up about it. Learn from it, and move on. Next weekend will be better, I already have a plan in mind.

Exercise: This week I will be doing normal warm up and cool down (2 minutes at 2.8, 2 minutes at 3.0, 1 minute at 3.3), and then I will be doing 4 minutes at 4.0 and 1 minute at 4.3, 4 times (maybe 6, I haven't decided). 4.3 is definitely a jog for me, so this is the week! I'll let y'all know how it goes tomorrow.

That's all I have today. I'll be back later with my Lucky 7s update, and I'll be checking in on all your blogs from work.

Do You Like My New Picture?

Pigged out yesterday. It was Saturday. Whatever. I'm not giving up on this ever again, no matter how long it takes.

Angelina Jolie had her babies yesterday evening!! A boy, Knox Leon, 5 lbs 3 oz, and a girl, Vivienne Marcheline, 5 lbs! Congratulations, Angie and Brad!!

(I'm probably more excited about that than I should be.)

I have nothing else today. Except that I really am not giving up. This is the point where I would usually slowly start to give up, but not this time. This time it's for real, and it's forever. So I pigged out yesterday. So what. It was Saturday, and we were celebrating my mom's birthday, and I drank 2 gallons of water, and I'm always back on track on Sundays.

I think I might stop reporting my weight every day. Not stop weighing in every day, just stop reporting it. I don't even remember why I started doing that. It makes my weekly weigh ins seem less important.

That is all.

Weigh In Day... Hmph.

Hey y'all. Weigh in day. Stayed the same this week. And yeah, I'm upset about it.

Watch the video.

WARNING: Political Tangent Ahead
I was reading through my Google Reader just a minute ago and I read a blog entry that said, "It really is time for Bush to leave office," (paraphrasing). I just want to say, I really hate Bush Bashing. Yes, this is America, freedom of speech and all that, and it's great that we can bash our president without fear of having our heads chopped off, but that doesn't mean we should. He is the leader of our nation. He might not be brilliant, and he might not be the best public speaker, and yes, he may have made some mistakes over the past 8 years, but he is also the most powerful man in the free world, he is the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. How many of you could go to D.C. and run a friggin' country? Let alone do it while keeping EVERYONE happy, as you all seem to think Bush should be doing? Not many of you, I'm sure. I just think that while it is great that we have the freedom to say what we want about the man who is keeping us free, we should also show him a little bit of respect because he is keeping us free.

Besides, I'm sure Barack Obama or John McCain will both have just as many haters as Bush does. You can't please all of the people all of the time. Americans will always find something to complain about.
END TANGENT

11-25-07: 190
12-2-07: 185.5
12-9-07: 182
12-16-07: 180
12-23-07: 179.5
12-30-07: 178.5
1-6-08: 174
1-13-08: 176.5
1-20-08: 173.5
1-27-08: 176
2-3-08: 175
2-10-08: 172.5
2-17-08: 170
2-24-08: 169
3-2-08: 166
3-9-08: 164.5
3-16-08: 163
3-23-08: 162
3-30-08: 159.5
4-6-08: 158
4-13-08: 156.5
4-20-08: 156
4-27-08: 153.5
5-3-08: 154.5
5-10-08: 151
5-17-08: 150.5
5-24-08: 150
5-31-08: 148
6-7-08: 146
6-14-08: 144.5
6-21-08: 143
6-28-08: 141.5
7-4-08: 140
7-12-08: 140

Seven Eleven

140.5 today. Do you know how pissed I am to have to type that? You must all be thinking, well, she must have gone off track yesterday. But guess what? I didn't. I ate 1,276 calories AND I worked out yesterday! I even drank 2 gallons of water yesterday! Maybe my body is punishing me for not exercising regularly this week. Maybe it's retaining a bit of those 2 gallons of water because it got dehydrated on my extra long walk? I don't know. What are the odds I can actually lose a pound this week? I have 24 hours to go from 140.5 to 139. I don't see that happening. But it's ok!! Because even if it takes longer than 10 weeks to lose the last 10 pounds, I WILL lose the last 10 pounds!

First things first. Last night I posted some videos of me singing Jewel songs, so I'd like all your opinions!

Foolish Games
Who Will Save Your Soul
You Were Meant For Me

Please everyone let me know what you think!

Last night I walked 2.544 miles in 43 minutes! That's only average 3.5 mph, and a 16:54 minute mile, which is not that good, but it's longer and farther than I went on Monday, and I burned more calories, so I'm cool with that! What I did was my normal routine (warm up, 20 minutes at 4.0) and then when I started the cool down, instead of only going 1 minute at 3.3, I went 14 (10 to make up for the 10 I missed on Wednesday and 3 to even out the numbers in My Stats), and then I did the normal 2 minutes at 3.0 and 2 minutes at 2.8. So I'm happy that I'm getting back in the groove! Even if my scale isn't happy about it at the moment. Hmph.

I think that's about it, y'all. My Google Reader only has 14 new blogs for me to read today, so I'll get to those at work. Hope you all have a good Friday! TGIF!

Song of the Day: Lindsay Lohan - Nobody 'Til You

Kick Me!

139.5 today, yay! I'm in the 130's, even if it isn't official until Saturday!!

Ok guys, I really need someone to kick my butt into gear. I missed working out last Friday because it was the 4th, this Tuesday because I got my new computer and was completely distracted, and last night I only managed to go 1.142 miles in 20 minutes. I had planned on going for an hour but I think the thought of walking for a whole hour just made me tired! I seriously felt like I was going to fall over after that 20 minutes. But tonight! Back to my regular schedule!! I'm not going to try to do more, but I'm going to try to do as much as I did on Monday. I can do it! I will get back on this exercise horse!

Meanwhile, my eating has been great, so at least I'm not completely off the wagon. And I'm almost done setting up my new computer, so I should be able to get back to my regular schedule soon.

At UNM, there is a choir called the University Chorus that anyone can join, you don't have to audition, and it has about 110 members every semester. I think I might join it for the fall. I haven't sung with a choir since high school, and I seriously miss it! I think it would be so great to have something like that to do that I love so much! I'm going to look into it when I get home tonight, see what I need to do to join.

I think that's about all today guys. I might be back later to post a Regina Spektor video. Catch y'all on the flip side!

UPDATE 7/10/08 12:35 PM: I got a 102% on my second math test! Woohoo! Even without the curve I had a 92%! I'm pretty sure I had the highest score in the class. Go me!

UPDATE 7/10/08 1:11 PM: So apparently there's a small blog war going on between Roni and some chick named Carrie. Carrie basically accused Roni of pushing the "I must be skinny to be happy" mindset, and Roni is simply defending herself. You can read the whole thing here, here, and here, but this was my response:

I've read Roni's blog for over a year now, and I have never once thought, "Wow, she's amazing, too bad I can't be like her." Quite the opposite. She inspired me to try to live a healthier lifestyle, and to accept myself the way I am, and to be happy with my life no matter my weight. And I am. Just because I would be happier with my APPEARANCE at a smaller size does not mean I would be happier with my LIFE. Also, just because a person is happy doesn't mean they should be stagnant and never try to better themselves. Trying to become healthier is just another way of bettering themselves. Being overweight and eating unhealthy foods truly makes me feel BAD physically. How can I say I'm happy when I feel like crap? If I physically feel better, it's a lot easier to feel better emotionally, too. So I try to eat healthy, and move more, and live a good, healthy, active lifestyle, and weight loss just happens to be a byproduct of that. And yes, I do have a goal weight, but no, I do not think "My life will be so much better if I can just reach this weight and fit into these jeans." I just think, wow, think how much better I will feel, physically, when I lose this weight, because I will be able to move better, I will be able to sleep better, I will be able to run races, and have more stamina, etc. I also think it's extremely rude for you to act like you're having an active, productive conversation with Roni, and then come to your blog and say you won because she posted your words. That's just how Roni is, she feels that everyone deserves to know what's going on, and she gives everyone a chance to voice her opinion. You shouldn't feel like you "won" just because she posted your conversation. Why do you even bother to read her blog if you so whole heartedly disagree with it?

Mini-Update 1:22 PM: Apparently she responded again. You can see it here. She has apologized for her tone, but I still stand by my comment, because I think there are also some people who read MY blog (here, second comment down) who need to know this information.

P.S. I am perpetually behind on the blogs I read, so I apologize if I haven't commented yet. I'll get to it.

Song of the Day: Regina Spektor - Raindrops

Midterms... Yuck.

140.5 today. Heading in the right direction... Oops, there I go again, leading with my weigh in. Guess that must mean the scale defines me. God forbid I share my weigh in on my WEIGHT LOSS BLOG.

Anyway. Didn't work out last night because I was playing with my new computer till like 1 in the morning... I almost didn't even eat dinner. Tonight I definitely will though. I might do an hour tonight, to make up for missing last night, and I might work out on Saturday to make up for missing last Friday, or I might do an hour tomorrow night too, I don't know. I feel bad for breaking my streak though! I was doing so good! Oh well, I'll get back on it today.

Today is my mom's birthday! She's 39.. again.. Happy birthday Mom!!

My thighs are killing me... I think it's because of the full 20 minutes I did at 4.0 on Monday. But that's a good thing, it means I'm challenging my muscles!

I think that's about all I have today. And I have like 50 unread blogs in my Google Reader, because I never got to it yesterday, so I'll probably catch up on those at work. Catch y'all later!

P.S. Go read this. Now.

Song of the Day: Regina Spektor - Chemo Limo

New Computer Tuesday!

141 today... better than yesterday... I want to lose a pound this week, so I want to be at 139 by Saturday... 4 days to go.

The scale does NOT define me.

Exercise: I went 1.829 miles in 30 minutes last night... that's an average of a 16:24 mile. Getting better, I tell ya! I'm also going at an average pace of 3.7 mph, which I think is pretty good. Next week I start my 1 minute bursts of 4.3, and I think I will have to jog those. Which can be considered running, right? So next week, I'll be running! Yay, go me! I may have given up on my New Year's Resolution of writing in my handwritten journal once a week, but I'm still working on that goal of becoming a runner!

Today, a friend of mine told me I don't need to lose any more weight. It was a long distance friend, so he's only seen my progress pics, not me in person, but still. I'm actually to the point where people (ok, person) are telling me to stop losing weight. Never thought I'd hear anyone say that. Makes me feel kind of good.

Well, it's 3:34 and the computer has not been delivered yet. I'm giving FedEx until 4:30, and then I give up, because it's being delivered to my mom's office and she said the FedEx guy usually doesn't come any later than that. I'm sad, but at least I know I should for sure have it tomorrow. Although that's what I thought today, too, because the FedEx website says it's "on vehicle out for delivery." I was really looking forward to my first video chat on Skype tonight! Oh well. Maybe it will still come.

I think that was about all for today, guys. I'm now off to clear out my Google Reader (a.k.a. catch up on all your lovely blogs), so I'll catch up with you guys tomorrow!

Song of the Day: Dark Lotus - Call Upon Your Gods

Lucky 7s Challenge

Mandy started a new challenge today - Lucky 7s. 7 weeks to lose 7 pounds. Totally doable, so I'm joining it. My starting weight is 140, since that's what I weighed in at on Saturday.

Back to Reality

141.5 today. Hmph. Is this week going to be a repeat of last week?? The scale does not define me, the scale does not define me...

So, I've been reading a lot about running races... and it's something I really want to do. So I'm going to start looking up races here in Albuquerque (since I really can't travel for a race right now) and start thinking about registering for some. Runner's World has a really awesome database of local races, so I'm going to take a look at that and see what I can do. On August 31 we have the New Mexico Marathon here in Abq, and they have a 5K event, so I might think about doing that. There are a couple 5Ks this month but I really don't think I'm ready for that yet. But by the end of August, I can probably do it. I hope...

I feel like I haven't exercised in weeks, but it's only been 3 days! I'm getting back on the treadmill today, and I'm upping cardio again this week. Normal warm up and cool down, and then a full 20 minutes at 4.0! I'm really looking forward to it!

I think that's about all I had today. New computer tomorrow! It better get here on time, according to the FedEx site, the last time it was scanned was on Friday in Olive Branch, MS. I don't know how far that is from NM, but the website says it's supposed to be delivered tomorrow. I can't wait!

UPDATE 7/7/08 11:33 AM: Congratulations to Nicole Kidman, who gave birth to her new baby girl, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, this morning!

Song of the Day: Lindsay Lohan - My Innocence

R & R Sunday

141 again today, but it's only Sunday. 6 healthy days to get down to 139... I'm almost in the 130's! Yay!

I ended up not exercising again last night, because I didn't get home till around 10:50 pm and I still needed to eat dinner. So I might do it today, or I might just say forget it. Missing 1 day is not going to make me gain back all 50 pounds that I've lost. Although I do feel a little bad for breaking my streak of not missing a scheduled day since March. :( Oh well, nothing I can do now I guess.

Doing my usual Sunday thing today, will probably end up around 1,325 calories today. Still haven't decided what I'm going to do about the push up thing... I'm thinking about doing wall push ups. Like, getting those down and then trying girl push ups, and then real push ups. I don't know what I'm going to do.

My new computer is supposed to be here on Tuesday, and I can't wait! I'm so excited! And I'll have a webcam, so I might start doing more video updates, and I'll be able to do video chats on Skype! So exciting!

I think that's about it for today guys, sorry, Sundays are usually pretty boring. But hope you all have a good day!

Song of the Day: Lindsay Lohan - Confessions of a Broken Heart

Oof. Too Much Food.

141 today, definitely less than I was expecting after the 4th of July madness!

I totally and completely pigged out yesterday. It was like the old days. And I completely forgot I was supposed to work out yesterday, and by the time I remembered I was so full I knew I'd throw up if I even tried. So I'm just going to do it today. It's like I completely switched Friday and Saturday! I'm going to eat my regular weekly menu today, to make up for yesterday's Cheat Day! It's ok though, because this gives me 7 days to eat healthy before next week's weigh in, which will be back to Saturday as scheduled.

Let's see, I started with a normal bowl of cereal for breakfast, then at my parents' house I had regular (meaning not reduced fat) wheat thins with cheddar bacon canned cheese (I couldn't help it, that stuff is addictive), some multi-grain Tostitos, some lime Tostitos, some blue corn sesame seed chips (really good), a taste or two of that Tostitos queso (not very good), 1 turkey dog (go me for not having 2!) on that Sara Lee soft white whole grain bun (it's like Soft & Smooth whole grain or something like that), some pasta salad my aunt made with different spiral pastas, zucchini, cucumbers, and carrots, marinated in I think some sort of Italian dressing, fruit salad (strawberries, grapes, cantaloupe, and walnuts, he meant to put banana in but he forgot), a baked onion (baked with lemon pepper and some I Can't Believe It's Not Butter), 2 devilled eggs, and half a diet Dr. Pepper. Then when we went to go watch the fireworks we had to go to Wendy's for Frosties (yes, we had to, my mom and aunts can't survive a weekend without a Frosty), and I had a small oreo Twisted Frosty (kinda like a McFlurry or a Blizzard... it was good). Then, when I got home, I got into some food my aunt had given Scott that she had bought for my cousin's son, and knew she wouldn't eat herself. I had some puffy Cheetos, and some Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. And I tried to drink 2 gallons of water again, but I only managed to drink 1 and a half. But, I didn't gain too much, I will work out today, I'll get my water in, I'll eat my normal healthy food, and like I said, I have 7 days to make up for it.

You know, I really wish we could bottle up feelings, so the next time I think I might want to eat like that, I can just briefly remember the way it feels afterwards, then I won't want to do it anymore.

How was everyone else's 4th of July celebration?

Weigh In Day... Happy 4th of July!

Yes, I'm a day early, because I wanted to be able to eat the 4th of July meal without worrying about my weigh in for tomorrow. And I did great! 140 today! I have a "normal" BMI now, and I'm 10 pounds from goal, boo ya!!

Progress pics were updated today, so check those out!

The rest is in the vid... sorry if I talked to fast, I was trying to make it quick!

11-25-07: 190
12-2-07: 185.5
12-9-07: 182
12-16-07: 180
12-23-07: 179.5
12-30-07: 178.5
1-6-08: 174
1-13-08: 176.5
1-20-08: 173.5
1-27-08: 176
2-3-08: 175
2-10-08: 172.5
2-17-08: 170
2-24-08: 169
3-2-08: 166
3-9-08: 164.5
3-16-08: 163
3-23-08: 162
3-30-08: 159.5
4-6-08: 158
4-13-08: 156.5
4-20-08: 156
4-27-08: 153.5
5-3-08: 154.5
5-10-08: 151
5-17-08: 150.5
5-24-08: 150
5-31-08: 148
6-7-08: 146
6-14-08: 144.5
6-21-08: 143
6-28-08: 141.5
7-4-08: 140

Yay for Thursday!

141 today!! Woohoo! I think it was just TOM announcing her arrival a few days early.

I had this big ol' speech planned about how my health is not determined by the number on the scale, and how far I've come, and that I shouldn't let 1 pound derail me, and that's still all true, but it just didn't flow together well, with my relief over NOT having that extra mystery pound. But, you know, just so you know, I know.


Day 2 Week 3 of the 100 push up challenge tonight... my abs are still sore from Tuesday night! I hope I can do the whole set!

And that's about all I have time for today. Oh, last night there was some crazy funny shiz going on... Kelly, Shanti, Christi and I were talking on Skype, and Kelly and Christi were watching those gross internet videos you always hear about (like 2 Girls 1 Cup) and making reaction videos, and posting them on YouTube. Much hilarity ensued. Check out Kelly's YouTube, Christi's YouTube, or Shanti's YouTube to see!

Later guys!

Song of the Day: Regina Spektor - December

WTF.

STILL 142.5 today. I'm seriously starting to get pissed off. This is not fair. How do you eat less than 1,250 calories every day, work out every day, and not only not lose any weight, but actually gain a pound??

Yesterday on the shuttle from the car to school, I caught myself thinking "I am never going to lose the rest of this weight." All because I'm still up a pound even after 3 days of "low-cal" eating. It's only Wednesday! Just because I'm up for some crazy reason does not mean I will never lose these last pounds! Get with the program, Laura. Lighten up. Although the fact that I have only 3 days to lose 2 pounds if I want to actually lose a pound this week does NOT help.

I calculated the points in Monday's food: 21.6. I seem to be pretty consistent in the 21-22 range.

So since I upped my cardio again this week, I'm now walking 1.809 miles in 30 minutes, which averages out to a 16:35 minute mile (3.6 mph). Getting better every week!

I managed to complete Day 1 Week 3 of the hundred push up challenge last night, but let me tell you, it was not easy. That's pretty much all I have to say about that.

My computer is becoming a complete nightmare. It won't install ANY updates, hasn't since April. Pretty much every time I go to open any Microsoft Office applications, it acts like it's reinstalling them instead of just opening them. Sometimes when I try to open a new webpage, it will say "Operation Aborted" and not load the page. Then, it won't let me do anything else on the page, and I have to close it out, and it will say "Window Busy. Are You Sure You Want To Exit?". It won't let me look at my control panel, or pretty much any of my system files. It won't even let me see the properties of my hard drive unless I restart it. It no longer talks to the network in our house, so I can't transfer files to/from Scott's computer, or print anything, because the printer is on Scott's computer, and it's shared so that my computer can use it. But it can't because it won't talk to the network. I even tried restarting both of our computers, and setting up the network over again, but it still won't. It says I don't have permission to access the network and that I should contact my system administrator. Yeah, that's me. But Scott's computer prints fine, so it's not the printer itself, and it can access the network fine. I've run anti-spyware software and a virus scan, and some stuff came up and was removed, but it didn't help anything. Last night I did a disk cleanup, and I defragmented my computer, but today, still nothing. I curse the day I ever decided I was going to get a Dell computer. This is the computer I want to get. Consider this: my computer came with a 60 GB hard drive, a 1.6GHz Intel Dual-Core processor, 1 GB of RAM, and a 15.4" wide screen display, and I paid over $1200 for it in September of 2006. The computer I want has a 250 GB hard drive, a 2.00GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core processor, 3 GB of RAM, integrated webcam and microphone, a 5-in-1 media card reader, and a 17" hi-def wide screen display, and it comes out to $897.74 after tax. I can't even find this same configuration for under $1000 anywhere else. Anybody know where to get good cheap computers?

What also makes me mad is the fact that I got a bigger hard drive just over a year after I got it because Dell had installed their recovery files on my hard drive, and with the 60 GB hard drive I literally only had 30 GB of free space, which I didn't notice until all of a sudden my hard drive was full, so I got a 120 GB one. Then, that hard drive crashed this April, so the one I have now is basically brand new too. This is all so irritating. Don't ever get a Dell computer.

Anyway, enough about my computer woes. I'm off to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned, I'll catch up with y'all later. And hopefully a miracle will happen and I'll actually manage to be down to 140.5 by Saturday. Maybe my scale needs a new battery.

June Recap

STILL 142.5 today. Seriously, what the crap. This better be TOM weight and it better frickin' be gone by Saturday. I have NEVER gained from TOM, and I have no reason to start now.

Month recap: Here we go, guys, the good, the bad, and the ugly:

The Good:
-I started school
-I lost 6.5 pounds
-I got stressed without overeating
-I upped my cardio by .3 mph
-I tried some new recipes
-I ate out during the week without going overboard
-I saw Brad Paisley and Jewel live in concert (!)
-I learned about whole grains
-I started wearing a size 10
-I started the 100 Push Up challenge
-I worked on my push up form
-I quadrupled the number of push ups I can do in 2 weeks
-I started making video posts
-My sister told me I'm going to be an aunt (!)
-I got a B on my first math test
-I added egg muffins to my breakfast menu, for the protein
-MizFit gave us some great ideas to battle emotional eating
-I worked out with a headache
-I logged 630 minutes on the treadmill

The Bad:
-The Bachelorette, Deanna, got rid of Graham
-I didn't get enough protein
-I found out Men In Trees got cancelled
-I tried wearing my retainers, but they hurt too much
-I didn't start running like I thought I would

The Ugly:
-I microwaved an egg muffin cheese side down
-My computer got worse every day

So, a pretty good month I'd say! Now, here's to hoping this stupid extra pound will disappear by Saturday. I don't care if I break my streak of losing 1.5 pounds every week, but I have to at least lose something! I refuse to have a gain when I'm not even doing anything to deserve it! Seriously! Don't believe me? Here is my food log for yesterday, and for Sunday.

Goals for July: Keep upping the cardio, (maybe) start running this month, finish 100 push up challenge (possibly), keep working on upping protein intake.