So I am Officially 39...Yee Haw!

Happy birthday to me! Today is my "almost 40" birthday. I am 39, feel like I am 29, and am so excited for this year!! The last year of my 30's.... The last year before I have to check a new box on surveys...The last year I will be able to say I am in my 30's and not be lying. My 30's have been my favorite decade. I love me in my 30's. I feel like my life began in my 30's. I became a parent. I grew up. I am more successful. I am no longer insecure. I am strong. I am confident. I am sexy as hell. Yes, I have loved my 30's. I am excited for this year because I think my 40's are only going to bring more of the same greatness. And like I have ranted about for the last month, I will start the next decade of my life much healthier, definitely much more fit, and damn sure not wearing the same size.

My friends and family have made this birthday special for me in so many ways. It has been a GREAT birthday weekend. My celebration actually started Friday night with sushi and drinks at happy hour with my girlfriend and then continued last night with a date night.


Because my husband loves me, or because it was my birthday and he had to, he took me to see It's Complicated with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. I we laughed our asses off! It was a great movie and even better that my husband had to admit that I was right and it didn't suck! And I ate popcorn and Junior Mints...(remember, I was off the WW wagon this weekend, though I DID go to Body Pump yesterday morning and ate well ALL day)...

We then met my BFF sister and her husband for teppanyaki, sushi and saki bombers! I'm petrified to even try to add up how many points that dinner was; I wouldn't even know where to start! We had a blast and I wasn’t the only person at the table celebrating a birthday. Of course my birthday mate was 13 years younger than me! I remember what I did for my 26th birthday and I remember being so hung over the next day that I spent the day in the bathroom while the Denver Broncos beat the Atlanta Falcons in Superbowl XXXIII...yeah, I had to look that one up, but still...I remember...

Anyway, we ended the night with coffee and dessert at the Cheesecake Factory. This is what I ate...it was so delicious and I am not the biggest chocolate fan. However, German Chocolate cake is my FAVORITE cake ever. For those of you WW fans, you will be so proud of me that I didn't eat even half of it. I ate several delicious bites and brought the rest home for my son! How cute is the plate?

Anyhoo...I had a fantastic night and a great day today. I had breakfast made for me, went shopping with my sister and spent a couple gift certificates I received for my birthday. Look what I bought:

For those of you who know me, you know I am a huge Brighton fan. The earrings match the necklace one of my employees bought me for Christmas and the bracelet is something I can wear everyday on my watch wrist. So, for those of you who gave me GC, they went to VERY good use today! THANK YOU! Not to mention this little beauty perched on the middle finger of my right hand. My baby sister gave me this:

I am so proud of my husband too. He is so NOT on board with the whole gift certificate thing, he thinks it is impersonal, and I love him for that. What is so great is that he actually went to my nail place and bought me a gift certificate for a pedicure. He DOES pay attention! I am also very excited for my Women's Health magazine subscription and iTunes gift card. Thank you baby!!

The highlight of my entire day was having my 70 year old father call me and sing Happy Birthday to me. I feel so loved, very spoiled, and oh so happy today!

Thanks to all of you for making my birthday great. NOW, onto my 365 day countdown. It is officially on like Donkey Kong starting today! Um....okay...starting tomorrow. :)

What is blonde, loud, and weighs 1.2lbs more this week?

That's right people, it's me and let me tell you, this has been a crazy week for me! I haven't had time to keep up with my blog and I promised not to neglect it...see how I am? A big fat liar! I am so excited to see that I have new readers, especially excited to see those dots over there ==> on my cluster map!!! Woo hoo...even if some of them just accidentally stumbled across my blog looking or hoping for something else by the name of my blog, I don't care. I am still excited that I have people watching me on my journey this year! And a big thank you to my BFF April for referring her many readers to my page!

So what is new this week?...hmmm...well, I made it to the gym 4 times and am planning on going tomorrow morning with my sister. This is good, because I didn’t do so great at the scale yesterday. I gained 1.2 pounds...Not sure what is going on. I am looking at my daily food logs to see what my problem is. I'm sure it is salt...either way; I am trying my best not to let this small setback get me down. The mind is a cruel SOB sometimes and can have its way with your confidence. Because you KNOW I got out of the shower today and saw that 1.2 pounds right on my ass! Either that or my husband is playing a cruel joke and installed carnival freak show mirrors in my bathroom. He loves me like that...don't be jealous ladies...he is ALL mine.

I am going to be kind to myself and take a break this weekend to celebrate my "almost 40th" birthday on Sunday. That means anything I want for dinner and cake for dessert. I am going to take a hit next Thursday, but I will be o-kay because I know the following:

1. I have exactly one year from Sunday to lose 33 pounds- TOTALLY doable... 
2. I have already lost 8 pounds in 3 weeks, so I am WAY ahead of the game and a piece of cake isn't going to make me gain 8 pounds 
3. I am still motivated by the support of my friends and family, and the feeling of my pants being loose on my hips 
4. Because I am a stubborn ass and refuse to fail on this journey
5. 1.2 pounds isn't the end of the world. It could just be water and I will pee it out before next weigh in right?
6. My birthday only comes once a year, and I can celebrate anyway I want to! This year, I choose sushi and saki bombers and hopefully a little action with my husband afterwards!
7. A new motivator was introduced this week when my oldest niece asked me to be her Matron of Honor in September. WOO HOO!!! I am so excited I cannot see straight...And being able to fit into that slinky red number, is motivation enough for me!!!

 That's all for now...I need to go and pay some attention to my family...

Constant Cravings

Do you ever have those days where you are craving something, but no matter what you eat, it doesn't quite hit the spot? Yeah? It sucks doesn't it? Well, it sucks even worse when you can't afford the calories/points to find out what it is...

This has been a tough weekend for me food wise. Right after the high of losing 3.4 pounds last week, my body decides to take me to  rock bottom and tell me it is CONSTANTLY starving this weekend! And not for food, but for SUGAR! And not just ANY sugar..I've tried the ww low point "sweet" snacks.., no...it wants BAD sugar. Ice cream...candy, cookies, and Hostess cupcakes. The very foods that got us into the situation where losing 40 pounds is necessary.

It doesn't matter what I feed it to try to stay in my point range for the day, like cottage cheese and an orange which normally does the trick. Today, it just pissed off my stomach more. Made it scream louder...WTF!!!!??? I am trying to be healthy. I am following all the rules and I feel like my body is fighting against me this weekend...we are supposed to be a team.

Could be hormones, the weather, the stars...who knows! I do know after spending some time on FB I am not the only one with this problem today. And while that is comforting...my BFF who has cleaned out her refrigerator trying to calm her cravings. doesn't have 2 oz to lose off her body let alone say 32lbs!.....GRRR....

I know what you are thinking...give in to your body just this one time and eat those hostess cupcakes or that butterfinger heath blizzard from Dairy Queen...but I'm not going to...I'm going to "lock it up", eat dinner, eat fat free jello with cool whip and strawberries, drink tea, and count the hours until I can go to bed!

Tomorrow will be a new day...and hopefully, my body will be back in the game with me.

For any of you who have been in this same situation and have any helpful hints, I am all ears...which is better than all ass... :)

Shhhh....

Don't tell my husband, but I am having an affair with another man...... He is amazing too! He motivates me. He is hard. He pushes me. He gets my heart beating well into my target heart rate zone...He excites me. I cannot wait to see him every morning...or at least every Tuesday and Thursday and twice on the weekend.


Who is this man you might ask? Well his name is Les Mills and he has created the most incredible suite of fitness classes offered at my gym! Body Pump, Body Flow, Body Step....oooh, I get hot and sweaty just thinking about it.

What are these classes you ask? Well, they are ass kicking workouts played out to incredible music by the best fitness instructors. I LOVE them. I am addicted to them. I have been doing them for a little over two weeks and I am already feeling stronger! Body Pump is an all over cardio weight training class that makes you limp and groan when you sit down for a couple of days...Body Flow is a combo Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates class that makes me feel incredible. and Body Step.....well let's just say I burned 700 calories and earned 8 activity points in one 60 minute class!...

There are actually quite a few different classes, but I have only tried these three. I needed to test them out to make sure I didn't kill myself or worse, look like a total dumbass in a class full of experts. But now that I have these three down...next week, I am going to try and mix it up....gonna get crazy and add Body Combat, a workout that resembles kickboxing, and RPM which is a spin class.

Tomorrow is my next weigh in...and I'm feeling great and hoping for a loss. I had a couple of challenges this week as my client was in town which generally means a two day gorge fest. BUT, I am proud to say that I prepared for it and only used 8 of my extra points this week. The true test that I am serious about this goal? I passed on the delicious, oh so tempting, and downright mouthwatering brownie, cookie, and carrot cake tray from Paradise Bakery. If you know me, and most of you do, you realize what an accomplishment that was!

yeah me!

I will do my best not to neglect my blog this week. I have so many things to share on the recipe and eating front, so stay tuned.

Today there is a Little Less of Me...

Check out my progress ticker to the right....see what I see? That's right boys and girls, I lost 1.2 pounds this week!!! Woo Hoo...that is .2 pounds MORE than my goal of 1lb per week! It is also impressive considering I wasn't so great with my eating last Saturday, and by not so great, I mean I was awful...ate tons of "non WW friendly foods"...starting the morning with Butter Braid bread and ending the evening with a Peanut Buster Parfait from Dairy Queen...It helps that I was surgical with my diet the rest of this week, ate tons of vegetables and lean protein, drank a ton of water, and got a couple of workouts in before weigh in!

And speaking of working out...I made good on my promise yesterday and got to the gym this morning and plan to do the same tomorrow morning...Anyhow, I am proud of myself and want to share something with you that has helped me get through the last two weeks. Our WW leader gave this to us and it is a pretty awesome way to keep things in perspective, stay focused, and you will reach your goal!

If I Lost 1 LB. Each Week of 2010

By Valentine's Day I'd be 7 lbs lighter

By St. Patrick's Day I'd be 11 lbs lighter

By Easter I'd be 16 lbs lighter

By Memorial Day I'd be 23 lbs lighter

By Flag Day I'd be 25 lbs lighter

By Independence Day I'd be 27 lbs lighter

By Labor Day I'd be 36 lbs lighter

By Columbus Day I'd be 41 lbs lighter

By Halloween I'd be 44 lbs lighter

By Thanksgiving I'd be 47 lbs lighter

By Christmas I'd be 51 lbs lighter

By New Year's Eve I'd be 52 lbs lighter

I look at that list everyday and imagine how I am going to look and feel in just a few short months! I will be celebrating Memorial Day in a bikini!!!! Like I said in my earlier post, I cannot wait for Halloween this year! This list is like a checklist for me. And I cannot wait to begin checking off the holidays this year. They are going to come and go whether I lose weight or not...why NOT tie them to something else meaningful this year?

Exercise schmexercise....

Let me just start by saying I had a great time tonight. I went to happy hour to catch up with good friends, the Vegas girls...and I am proud to say I resisted the chips and queso dip...and trust me, if you have ever been to dos Gringos, they have the BEST queso dip on the planet...crack is easier to resist... anyhow, one of the girls I met up with tonight has recently lost 29 pounds on WW, and she looks amazing! I am so happy for her and am so grateful of how supportive she has been of my 40before40 goal! If that isn't motivation, I don't know what is!


This has not been the best week for me in the activity department, and my list of workouts is starting to resemble a pathetic list of excuses...though I deserve some credit for my creative note for today's exercise. I set my alarm to get up and go this morning, but before I knew it, I hit snooze a few too many times, and it was 6:00. My heart needs to have a serious talk with my body...that or I need one of those alarms clocks that physically drags my ass out of bed!...either way, I missed my workout today. Truly...I thought about it all day.

Work, sleep, responsibilities, kids, husband, family, friends....the list of excuses goes on...and finding one hour out of my day to be kind to my heart shouldn't be so hard! I spend waste more time on Facebook on a daily basis. If I worked out one minute for every hour I spend on FB, I would be a lean mean fighting machine!...

So...my personal goal is to finish my workout plan for this week. That is 4 days of excercise...I can do this!

Next weigh in is tomorrow and I feel lighter....I am thinking good things about what the scale is going to say about me! And if not, I won't cry...I promise!

Stay tuned....

I Can't Date You Because You are ...."FAT"!

dislcaimer: this post may sound like the rantings of a fat ugly girl, jealous of those hot, crack whore skinny, blonde girls who dance on the bar at The Library, but if you know me, I am neither fat, nor ugly , not jealous, and it isn't ranting...I find those girls hot too...No this post is about my issues with my body image and is by no means meant to judge what others find attractive. Like me, everyone is allowed their opinion, and just because it is different than mine, I am okay with that...mmmmkay?

I was watching the news recently and there was actually a story about this dating service kicking members out for get this....wait for it...


Gaining weight.

Okay, before you say anything, I am all for having age, image, sexual preference rules on dating websites...I mean if I were single and using a dating service, I would want to make sure I was with a service that encouraged members of my similar "interests" to participate. I get that...it isn't that they have rules about weight that is bothering me either...no...the thing that has been bothering me since I watched the story is the woman, who called 3 on Your Side, or whatever could not have weighed more than a buck 25. She was very attractive, had a nice body, all of her teeth, was articulate, a catch for any single man. She goes on a date, the date tells the service the woman was fat, and bam, she is out of the club. WTF?

I sat there in an amused state that this is what is actually considered newsworthy these days...but the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me....asking the question, what is body image and who decides what is "perfect". And should it matter if you are healthy and are happy with the way you look??

For most sane people, the answer is a no brainer...but for me, the answer isn't as easy. And to be successful in my personal weight and health goals, I need to answer that very question.

I have never been "skinny" but I am by no means fat, by MY definition, and my decision to lose 40 pounds has more to do with health reasons than vanity. BUT, at the same time, I want to look good as a reward for all of my hard work, who wouldn't?

My husband and many of my close friends will tell you, and me, that I care too much what other people think of me. I base how I FEEL about myself on opinions that really don't mean crap. And they (you) are all right! I care way too much and have let people make me crazy chasing this image, that is a.) Unrealistic and b.) Unhealthy.

So here's the deal, and the answer to my question....I know I look good just the way I am right now. People love me for who I am not what I look like. Even better, the proof has been there for the last 16 years of my life. Through 2 pregnancies, 2 miscarriages, 33 extra pounds since marriage...plastic surgery, and every diet I have tried and given up on...the man who has told me time and again, there is no one better than me when I feel good about myself...he is my husband and he finds me as sexy today as he did when we first met. He still flirts with me, sends me racy text messages, and tells me when I look great...and he NEVER let's me catch him checking out hot women unless I bring them to his attention...I love him for respecting me like that...I may be doing this for me and only me, but he will benefit from it too...wink wink...

Thank you to my friends and incredible family for helping me pull my head out of my butt...I have been listening to you for years, but now I finally HEAR you! And I am telling you all, the insanity stops now! Hold me to it! I will no longer allow people in my life to make me feel < than. What you see is what you get, and if it doesn’t “fit” your idea of “perfect”, that is you’re too bad. I will be one less amazing person in your life!

PS...for those of you who are dying to know the name of the dating service...here is the link www.beautifulpeople.com

i'm out....

It's THAT Time of Year Again....Girl Scout Cookies..God help me!

Just when I was happy going along my merry way, going to the gym, losing weight, feeling GREAT, I get hit over the head with a FB post reminding me it is time to order Girl Scout Cookies!!! Holy shit, is it really THAT time of year AGAIN? . Now don't get me wrong, I love the Girl Scouts, love their calendars, love their cookies, I was a Girl Scout, I cannot wait for my daughter to be a Girl Scout. But, MUST they tempt me EVERY spring with their diet wrecking, fat ass creating, artery clogging, crack like cookies? Which by the way will now cost $4 a box?

Remember when GS cookies used to only be available through an order form and cost $2.50 a box? If you missed it, oh well, you had to watch with saliva dripping out of your mouth while your co-workers received their cookies and wait for another year to get your chance. Those cookies, that not only tempt me to buy them in the break room at work, by neighborhood girls, and any cub scout in my sons pack that has a sister in GS, but now tempt EVERY time I walk into a grocery store, Target, Wal-Mart, etc for three to four weeks! Don't even get me started on the marketing genius who came up with that concept!

It isn't the fact that it is THAT time of year that has me in a tizzy, it is that I am going to have to dig deep inside of my core to muster the herculean strength it is going to take me to resist them this year! You don't understand my friends...well my husband does...but I used to buy at least $100 in cookies over the course of their campaign. I would order from friends, family, co-workers. And would top off my purchases giving into those cute girls in pig tails dressed in green soliciting me in front of establishments I HAD to visit and buy more! I mean, what if I ran out? Was I going to have to wait an ENTIRE year to get them again? My Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Lemon Chalet's? Eff no! I was justified to stock up for 12 months! And the price didn't deter me. I justified the overinflated cost of these cookies because they were GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!

All of those boxes....all of the freezer and cupboard space, all of that FAT. Jesus give me the strength.

To calm me down this afternoon, I did some WW friendly research. For any of you WW girls who have the same affinity for these cookies as I do. I stuck to my favorites, but you can get the nutritional content on http://www.girlscoutcookies.org/ or www.girlscoutcookies.org/nutrition_info_2009_2010.asp

• Thin Mints 4 points for 4 cookies, or 1 point a piece...but who in the hell can only eat ONE thin mint cookie? I could blow two days of points allowance with one sleeve during the movies!
• Lemon Chalet- 4 points for 3 cookies, or 1.3 points a piece
• Tagalongs- 4 points for 2 cookies, or 2 POINTS EACH!
• Samoas- 4 points for 2 cookies

Again, I am not blaming the GS for my poor eating habits. But, eating lard right out of the container is less points than a box of these cookies. And admit it people, you HAVE eaten a box of them in one sitting...

So listen up you tiny and cute green little cookie selling monsters, this year, please don't be offended if I pass right on by the order form in the break room, don't answer my door when you ring my bell, avoid any Cub Scouting events you will be soliciting at, or walk right on by you like I didn't hear your cute little sales pitch. I still love you. I just love my soon to be healthy heart and skinny ass more.

Smoooch!

Weigh In

I am so excited to share the result of my first weigh in....drum roll please.....3.4 pounds down!!!! Woo hoo...you can't see me right now but I am doing cartwheels! And as corny as it sounds, I am very excited about the "bravo" sticker I received at the WW meeting at work today for sharing my story and making the right decision to change my behavior...a gold star if you will. :)

3.4 down, 36.6 to go with 388 days to do it. If I lose 1lb per week from here on out, I will actually be at my goal by October. Just in time to celebrate Halloween in a sexy "little" costume I always wanted to wear, but couldn't get over my ass.

I am motivated, happy, and taking it one day at a time to keep me calm and on track. Another cool thing I have started doing based on a recommendation from a friend and fellow WW member (thanks Hogg), is to actually USE the WW cookbooks in my cupboard to make dinner. My first shot was tonight and guess what?! It didn't taste like cardboard, it didn't leave me starving or craving ice-cream, it wasn't my usual chicken breast rice and broccoli dinner, and most importantly it didn't suck! It tasted great and my husband agrees.

I chose 3 recipes, stopped at the store on my way home...note to self: NEVER go to the Fry's at Ellsworth and Broadway at 5:30 at night, yikes!...anyway, I bought all of the ingredients I needed to make all three recipes, and when I got home, I let my husband pick which one I made tonight! He chose Pork Chops with Herbed Mustard Sauce. I added mashed potatoes and broccoli as sides and viola...the whole dinner had 7 ingredients, including the sides and took a total of 15 minutes to cook! I would calculate the cost at about $15 bucks only because I bought the family pack of pork chops, enough for two meals, and had to buy the mustard, fresh herbs, and half and half. Break it down and that is actually $7.50 per meal. Which serves four people, which is delicious, and time friendly!

As promised in my very first post, I am going to share the recipe, with my helpful tips, for this pretty yummy dinner:

Pork Chops with Herbed Mustard Sauce

4 Points per serving

Prep 3 minutes

Cook 6-10 minutes

4 (4ounces) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Cooking Spray
3/4 cup fat-free half-and-half
1/4 cup course-ground mustard (such as Grey Poupon Harvest) this ingredient adds a lot of the flavor to this recipe, so I would go with the one they recommend
1 TBS chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (you couldn't taste this ingredient in the recipe, so I say using dried parsley is fine)
2 TBS chopped fresh thyme (same note as the parsley, dried will be just as good and less expensive if you make this frequently)

1. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork chops; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned (actually about 3 minutes on each side). Remove pork chops from pan; cover and keep warm.

2. Add half-and-half and next 3 ingredients to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Return pork chops to pan. Cover and simmer 2 minutes or until done (done was about 10 minutes on low). Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 2 TBS sauce)

Let me know if you try it! Next recipes will be the two my husband didn’t pick: Lemon Glazed Chicken with Mushrooms and Seared Scallops with Spicy Red Pepper Sauce, which was the one I really wanted…

Now, I have to get to bed. I am getting up at the crack of dawn to take a 5:15 step class.

Next post: Is there a cure for a sore ass and legs? :)

The "goal" Changing Interview

So I went to a Bodyflow class at the gym last night. It is basically a combination of yoga, tai chi, and Pilates and it isn't as easy as you would think. This is the class my husband calls "fake" yoga because it is at the gym and not a yoga studio...who cares the venue, this class kicks your ass from the inside out.... I was proud of myself just for making it to the parking lot.. not to mention how incredible I felt after an hour of balancing, stretching and twisting my body into shape for 60 minutes! It felt great, I felt great!

During the meditation portion of class, I was thinking of how happy I have been the last few days. Just having something to focus on and look forward to, to distract me, has been refreshing. Then my thoughts drifted to how I was going to go about actually accomplishing losing 40 pounds. It is easy to say "I'm gonna lose 40 pounds"...doing it, well, that is something altogether different. I mean, that is A LOT of weight people...it is a 6 year old. I was thinking that once I take it off, I need to KEEP it off and how was I going to do that?? It started to become a little overwhelming thinking about it. There is a reason they say "take it one day at a time"...because the overall picture is just too damn scary. At that moment, I realized I am going to need someone to help me with a plan, to keep me motivated, focused, to kick my ass into shape...I also realized this Tony Robbins, Arnold Schwarzenegger kind of help wasn't going to be cheap.

I met with a trainer and shared my goals, my honest goals with him. We did the numbers, weight, height, body fat% (mine is 32%)!!! He told me the outrageous cost(I will keep you posted on the conversation I need to have with my husband about that)...The cost didn't disturb me...I WANT to be healthy, I WANT to be in shape, and let's face it, I WANT to look good naked! None of that disturbed me as much as this....the trainer balked at my 40 pound goal! Not because he thinks I need to lose more... I would have kicked HIS ass for that...no he thinks I will be TOO lean if I lose 40 pounds. That I should focus on bringing down my body fat to less than 20%...to not focus on the number of pounds, but the number of inches. I know what you are thinking "what's the problem?" and trust me, it isn't the problem. I get all of that! I honest to God believe it. I don't give a rats how much I actually lose, as long as I meet my three goals above! No, the part that bothered me was that I was so excited about my tag line "40 before I am 40". It is clever, it sounds good, it has a ring to it....people get it! So on my way home last night, I tried this one out... "Lose 40 pounds or 14% body fat before I am 40"....just doesn't quite roll off of the tongue does it? :)
No matter...I am ON track! I am motivated and have taken it one day at a time, and 4 days have already passed!!! I have met all of my nutrition goals. Obviously met my water intake goals. Have tracked everything I have eaten… and worked out twice this week..I am o-kizzay...
First weigh in of the year is tomorrow...stay tuned!

For the Love of Water

If Wheaties are the breakfast of "champions", then water is the drink of weight "losers"...At the end of the second day of my journey, I realize how water is the key to my success. Maybe because I have consumed no less than a gallon each day! Maybe because the minute I put down the diet coke and picked up the water my stomach stopped hurting, my skin stopped breaking out, my mood changed, I am no longer secretly wishing for a nap by 2:00 in the afternoon, and I practically meet my 30 minute activity requirement from all the trips to the bathroom! I'm not kidding either... It amazes me how quickly it can become a habit for me and I bow to mother nature for this incredible natural resource...

I love water. Plain water, not the jazzed up drinks that pack themselves with sugar, sugar substitutes, fake vitamins and artificial flavors and try to pass themselves off as water...nosiree, just plain ole water. And I am happy I do not have the issues that my fellow WW buddies have in which they would rather eat dirt than drink water. No, I have always loved water. It makes my skin look and feel amazing, I am not tired, nor bloated, and as long as it is handy, I will drink as much as I can. And good thing, because according to Dr. Oz my body is made up of over 50% water and that the average adult should drink 8 8oz glasses a day. Drink less than the RDA and risk dehydration. For those of you who have ever been dehydrated it ain't pretty. Actually, it sucks....literally.

However, I have a confession to make..to you AND to me...Though I'm sure my husband has known about my little problem for a long time, I have been in denial that this actually IS a problem for me. BUT I have to overcome denial. Denial hinders my success. Denial is that warm Snuggie like blanket that makes you justify stupid shit like what I am about to tell you...Ready? OK...

I can drink 4 times or more the RDA of water everyday, ONLY as long as I have a vessel to refill throughout the day. Well duh you say....but you don't understand people, I'm not talking about any vessel such as a Styrofoam cup, or an 8oz glass my cupboard is full of. Oh no..my water vessel must be at least 32oz. When I don't have at least a 32oz cup pictured below or water bottle handy I don't drink water during the day.

Plain and simple. Even if I had 4 8oz cups that had auto refill, I still wouldn't drink water. It is easier for me to purchase and drink 6 cans of diet coke...which is another confession altogether....And I won't use a smaller cup available to me in the break room or my kitchen. It HAS to be a 32oz water bottle, Harkins cup, Subway cup, etc...that way I KNOW I am getting 32 oz of water, and that I only need to drink two of them to meet my RDA...How dumb is that? That is a rhetorical question and one NOT to be answered by my husband who has long since had to put up with my dumbass neurosis and half full Harkins cups of water all over the house for over 16 years.

And I know I won't change, but it feels good to admit to my ridiculousness..my husband will have to continue to wash and store those stupid movie cups that I love to drink water out of, and I will continue to make sure I have a 32oz water bottle at my desk at all times this year.......Have to run...gotta fill my 32oz Smartwater bottle for the 5th time today, well....after I run to the bathroom for the 15th time today...ahhhhh that is the bugger of a fact they leave out of the RDA...there ARE side effects to drinking too much water!
 
Thanks for reading...peace out!

Happy New Year

Goodbye 2009 and HELLO 2010! So 2009 is gone and I cannot say I am sad another year flew by like a bullet train. It was a great year with the exception of a couple of pretty serious losses in my life. These events were tough, but as humans, we learn from our mistakes, and other people's mistakes for that matter, and take life one day at a time if we are smart. But we aren't always smart are we? We take things for granted- family, friends, money, jobs, health....they are all balls that we juggle on a daily basis. We take our family for granted because hey, they are supposed to love us right? We take our friends for granted for pretty much the same reason. As for the money and job, we figure if we lose this one, we can just get another one. We have become quite the masters of juggling. One of my favorite analogies is the one where we are to imagine those balls are made of glass, which one would actually bounce if you dropped it? The answer is obvious...but not to everyone. It is about priorities, and I figure with a whole new decade in front of me, it is about damn time I got mine straight! So...with the help of my supportive husband, I decided to create a list of things I want to accomplish this year. Things I always thought would be fun to do, good for me to do, but never found the time....or usually had a damn good excuse as to why I didn't have the time. This is not your average New Year's Resolution list people, you know the one you make but know in your mind you aren't going to keep? This list is more than that to me, on my quest for better health both mental and physical, this list is about setting goals and actually accomplishing them. I am a habitual procrastinator. I'm not lazy, I am just restless, ADHD, void of tangible goals that actually mean anything. The "goal" of this list is to prove to myself that I can do it! I can set a goal and accomplish it, no matter how big or small. And let me tell you, if I actually complete this list, there is going to be one hell of a party and you are all invited...:)

So on with it already...Of course the top of my list, the reason for this blog, is my ultimate goal of losing 40 pounds, but here is the rest of the list...

1. Lose 40 pounds before I am 40- scale will read 135 or less on my last weigh in before 1/31/2011!
2. See the Grand Canyon (I have lived in this state for over 30 years and NEVER seen it!)
3. Read Gone with the Wind- my all time favorite movie, I bet the book is just as amazing
4. Explore my faith- I am a spiritual person to my core, I am just very conflicted about religion
5. Take an unplanned road trip with my family, just get in the car and drive somewhere we haven't been
6. Spend alone time with my children individually each month- mommy and me dates if you will
7. 30 days of sex in April- I told you my husband helped with this list...but honestly, this one will be fun!
8. Take golf lessons
9. Play 18 holes of golf
10. Complete the WW Couch to 5K by March
11. Go to a Suns game and sit in seats that don't make my nose bleed
12. Go to a Cardinals game in the new stadium
13. Upgrade to First Class on one of my monthly business trips...round trip!
14. Play craps in Vegas
15. Start and finish baby girls first year scrapbook
16. Learn a new language- more than likely Spanish though Korean would be helpful when getting my pedicures... :)
17. Learn to do tile backsplashes and do one in my kitchen and back bathroom
18. Save enough $$ to buy a pair of Jimmy Choo black pumps- come on, I needed one shoe goal!
19. Rub my husband once a week
20. Schedule appreciation dates with each of my sisters individually
21. Do not commit to plans with friends and bail at the last minute
22. Deactivate my Facebook account- this is going to be a tough one!
23. Pick one room a month and toss out all of the useless crap I have accumulated over the years
24. Do not purchase OR read any gossip magazines including People, US, Star, OK!- Hell, the money I save on that will help me check off goal #17.

I realize this is a lot and I may add to the list as necessary. But root for me, I KNOW I can do this. For those of you that will participate in and benefit from this list know up front, that I do love and appreciate you VERY much! And my answer to the question above is, YOU are the glass balls that won't bounce if I drop you.

Today also marks Day 1 of my 40 in 40...Current weight (don't judge me people, this blog is for me to be honest with myself isn't it?!!) 177 lbs

Next weigh in Thursday, January 7.