Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Weigh-in Wednesday - Week two!

Weigh in Wednesday!

 JAN 24-30, 2013

 Starting Weight (Jan 1, 2013): 155
 
Last Week's Weight: 153

 Current weight: 152.2

 
 
Welp, looks like I finally lost some weight!  I've been working hard this week.  I worked out three different times, which was my goal, and charted my food throughout the week.  The weekends, I am learning, are where it's tough.  I can't seem to stick to a set number of calories.  I didn't gorge or anything like that, but I could have done better.
 
The balance of weight and yummy food is so hard for me.  For so much of my life, food has been such a huge part of my social existence.  Fairs, football games, BBQs, date nights...  I just love food, but obviously I can't eat like I used to, and I am finding it hard to balance good food I want to eat and still maintain a healthier diet.  My momma's southern cooking was delicious, but definitely not healthy.
 
That's the struggle though, I think.  The balance.  Plus balancing work, school, homework, our pets, Joel, all while trying to maintain a healthy and spiritually strong existence.  Guess this will be my big challenge.
 
Found here.
 

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Six weeks from today...

Guess where I will be?
 






This trip will truly be a dream come true.  I am amazed and humbled by this opportunity.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Monday, Monday...

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend.  I didn't, actually.  It wasn't awful or anything, I just didn't really do much and Joel is off playing military man somewhere, so I had a really unproductive weekend.  So, instead, I am going to talk to you about something I did a few weeks ago that was super fabulous!

If you've been to St. Louis, then you know that the downtown area has sorely been lacking a movie theater,  Some of our favorite restaurants are down on Washington Avenue, but it's at least another 15-20 minutes if we want to do dinner and a movie.  Well, my prayers have been doubly answered.  A new movie theater opened up right where I always hoped one would, plus it has the added bonus of ordering a yummy dinner (if you want) right from your seat.  Joel and I were some of the lucky few (or 300 or so) theater goers that were able to attend their grand opening.  No food service was available (yet), but we were able to taste some of the many samples and order popcorn and yummies for the moves.
A blurry selfie of me and Joel.
Marshmallow popcorn.  I die.  Sounds weird...but totally delicious!


Me (and apparently my big forehead) trying out the shrimp toast.
The opening was a little crowded, but well attended.
I was looking forward to this new theater, which boasts en entire menu of food, plus a bar and the usual concession stand.  The seats were pretty fun, and you could lift the armrest for a little coddling up.  And of course, I was stoked to see that they were playing Les Miserables, so I had to go and see that, right?
A view of the theater.
Pros:  Super diverse menu, yummy food (from what I tasted), three different theaters, for diversity, a non-traditional atmosphere, and superb service.  And ordering from a tablet at your seat?  Genius.

Cons:  The menu was chef created, so those that might be picky eaters could have a hard time finding something.  Also, the chairs weren't very comfortable, although they looked like they would be, so that was tough for a really long movie.

Overall, though, this was just the kind of spot we were looking for, so bravo to the STL Downtown team.  And if you're in the area, I would recommend checking MX Movies out.  Oh, and if you aren't tempted by their menu, Pi is located in the same building.  Can you say yummers?!

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Weigh-in Wednesday

Brrr...I said it's cold out there!  It has been lower than the teens the past couple of days on my drive into work, and I have been none too happy about it.  We also got a dusting of snow, and if you know me, you know I loathe the snow.  Sure, it looks pretty and all.  But, I hate shoveling it and dealing with stupid drivers when it snows.  Snow is definitely on my s***list this week.

I am going to try something new for Wednesdays, so here goes.  I am also going to try and make a little button for it, but I'm not sure how to, so we'll see when (if?) that gets done.

In order to keep me accountable for my new health resolutions, I am going to start a weekly update chronicling my ups, downs, weight, and healthy actions for the week.  I need to keep myself accountable, and I'd really like to see how far I've come.  Well, at least how far I hope to come.  So here goes nothing!

Image found here.
 
 
Weigh in Wednesday!
 
JAN 17-23, 2013
 
Starting Weight (Jan 1, 2013): 155
 
Current weight: 153
 
Non-Scale Victory of the Week (NSV): Tracking my food intake during the work week.
 
Work-outs during the week: Big Fail!  I felt pretty craptastic last week, so I only got one quick jog in.  I did meet with my trainer Monday, and she gave me a physical assessment test, but the real fun starts on Tuesday with our first work-out.
 
Things I need to work on:  Lots.  While I charted my food during the week, I totally bombed over the weekend.  I pretty much snacked way too much, and even went out for cupcakes.  I have a crazy bad sweet tooth, so I need to try and get that under control.  I also need to get my workouts on the schedule and stick to them.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

A good weekend gone all too soon...

I find that it's hard to blog on the weekends.  They seem to come and go way too fast, and as of right now at least, they are jam packed with stuff I want to do and things I have to do.  No rest for the weary...amiright?

I plan on writing an amazing recap of my super fun weekend, but in the meantime, I have to pay the dentist a visit.  And you know what...I am petrified of the dentist.  So, for now, please think good thoughts for me.  And after, I will try to muster the energy to actually write about more appealing topics.

Picture found here.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Working on my fitness - update!

Is it really already the middle of January?  I swear, the older I get, the more time flies.  Well, anygettingofftrack, although I haven't lost any weight so far in the month of January, I am working on getting my rear in gear (ha, I just rhymed...I'm hilarious, wink, wink) on this whole fitness thing.  There are a few changes/decisions I have made to help me accomplish my goals.

1.  I downloaded the Couch to 5K Running app.
I started this program (C25K) over the summer, and had a lot of success with it.  I made it to week five or six before Joel got back from his deployment, and then dropped it like a bad habit.  It got some glitch or something, so I deleted it off of my phone.  Since I had that awful run time, I thought it was time to go back to the basics and start over.  Week 1, Day 1 completed.  Week 1 Day 2, to accomplish (hopefully) tomorrow.

Great and free!


2.  I bought a heart rate monitor.
Now, I don't know if this is total BS or what, but Joel listened to a fitness guru talk about how you should train your body within your target heart rate.  I wore it for the first time when I did the above run, and at about halfway through it, I never got back down to my target heart rate.  Now, I don't know what to really do about that, but I will be having a googlefest to try and figure out how to get back in my target heart rate while doing the C25K program.  And while I don't have much experience with heart rate monitors, I have to say the one I bought was super comfortable to wear and program, so if you're looking for one, I would definitely think it's a good one for the basics.

Bought from Amazon here.

3.  I hired a personal trainer.
Some might consider this cheating a bit, bit I'll be the first one to admit I need help.  I bought some kettlebells for home and I have a yoga DVD, but I find that I never want to do them.  I would much rather go to a yoga or exercise class.  I know trainers cost an arm and a leg, but there is a fellow milspouse that does personal training on base for much less than normal gyms start at.  I know where I am weak at, and that's pushing myself.  But, I am excellent at staying on a schedule, so having her there for accountability will be the push that I believe I will need in the beginning.  My first meeting with her is on 22 January.  I hope I'm ready!

Image found here.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

It's Ok Thursday

Link up here!

Its ok...that I look like Fatty McFatterson at work today.  I'm going straight home after work, so nobody else will see me.  And frankly, I don't care enough what people at work think.

Its ok...that I got the opposite of a PR on my 5K last week.  I got the worst time I have ever gotten.  That's what resolutions are for, right?  I am vowing to do better, and already have another 5K on the horizon.

Its ok...despite what my husband thinks, boots are a necessary part of any girl's wardrobe.  While I don't consider myself a fashionista, I do love all of the pairs of boots that I own.  All eight of them.

Its ok...that I cried when the dog we were fostering got picked up to go to her forever home.  She was one of the sweetest dogs that I have ever met, but she had a habit of chewing on everything.  Including the boots mentioned above.  Hopefully her new family will give her all the love she deserves.  Yay for pet adoption!

Its ok...that school starts back up next week.  Wanna know why?  It is my last classroom semester in my grad program.  So even though I totally don't want to go, I know I will have my summer free.  Well, except for work, of course.

Its ok...that the weather has been a little on the unusual side.  It's been in the fifties this week!  I'll take it!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Sometimes, being a military spouse blows.

I'm about to get all deep up in here.  You've been forewarned.

I never grew up around the military.  I was born in the same house that I graduated from high school from.  Indiana was home, and the only home I could ever fathom myself living in.  When circumstances brought me over to Germany, where I worked for the U.S. Army, I become involved in a world that seemed foreign to me.  I think I had a romanticized view of the military.  Getting stationed exotic places, having get togethers and being friends with all of your neighbors, and living in this sort of secret society that few know about.  I learned quickly that's not what the military life was like.  I saw heartache after heartache due to long separations, moves far away from any family support in sometimes undesirable locations (North Dakota, anyone?), gossipy support groups rather than supportive ones, deployments that took away best friends and spouses, sometimes forever.  I will never forget the day that a friend's husband, one who I had over to my house for football games and holidays, etc., died in Iraq.  I vowed that while I loved and supported our men and women in uniform, I was happy to just support them, and not ever become a part of a military family.

Well, obviously plans changed.  While I was minding my own business dreaming of where the army would take me next, Joel happened.  He changed my view on lots of things: men, commitment, life.  I couldn't help but fall for him, even though I knew what that meant.  I was in a good place in life.  A college graduate with a pretty good job, great friends, living over in Europe, and comfortable.  That all changed, of course, after I said "I do."  I love Joel with all of my heart, but this post isn't about him.  While I will never ever regret becoming his wife, I wish that we had found each other a different way.  Of course, with me being from Indiana and him from Oregon, that kind of a situation would be unlikely.  So, I'll take what I can get.

I thought even better things were falling into place when we received orders for our next assignment:  Scott AFB, IL.  I'm a Midwestern girl through and through, and I thought, finally!  A place that feels like home.  Although I would have loved to stay in Germany or move somewhere else overseas, that wasn't what was best for Joel's career.  He spent his entire career up to that point overseas, and needed to get some stateside experience.  I thought that going back (ish) to my roots would be great!  I'd fit right in, love the area, and things would resume to my normal like they had when I moved from Indiana to Germany.

I learned a few things very quickly.  Southeastern Illinois (right outside of St, Louis) is not Indiana.  People aren't near as friendly, the drivers are terrible, and all Midwestern towns are not the same.  Although I really enjoy St. Louis, we chose to live on the Illinois side in order to live closer to base, since we both were going to work there.  We bought a house that I love, but you know...I have only met one neighbor.  There are hardly any waves back to me as I'm out and kids stare at you like you have two heads.  This was not the neighborhood I grew up in.  And for the record, I also learned that I hate the suburbs.  I grew up a whopping 7 minutes from downtown Indy, and I loved the convenience of everything and the diversity of what was around me.  I am a true urban dweller, although I learned that this time a little too late.

And as far as work, well...let's just say that even though there are a gazillion hiring promotions for hiring military spouses (thanks, but no thanks, Michelle and Jill), they are mostly for minimum wage jobs, and not anything that matches my experience or education.  And on base, there's even a stigma that we are going to start work and then either get pregnant or move (again).  I've had employers straight up tell me that they didn't really want to hire military spouses.  I am very thankful of the job that I have.  I like the people I work with and do decent work, but I am just capable of so much more.  I'm having a hard time growing professionally here.

And that awesome group of friends that I was hoping to meet?  echo, echo...  I'll let you know when I find them.  I've met a couple of great gals, only to be dropped like a bad habit when someone better came along.  Most military spouses don't work for various reasons, and I can't compete with the girl that can drop everything and meet for a 9am coffee.  I have one good friend here that I think I could count on, but that's it.  I don't know what it is, because I have never had any issues meeting and making new friends.  Is it because I'm older (a whopping 28)?  Is it because most of my peers have kids and I don't?  Do I suck as a friend?  I don't know.  But it's lonely.  I couldn't even find one person that wanted to go out and watch the Notre Dame game with me last night.  Makes me feel like such a loser.

And home?  Where is that again?  For the next 12-ish years, I will be moving every 2-3 years and having to play this same game all over again.  I can't even truly feel at home because I know we will most likely get orders and be off again next year.  To where?  Who knows.  I am such a planner, and feel so much anxiousness on not being able to plan for the future.  Hell, Joel and I have tickets to see a show next month, and more than likely he's going to be gone doing an Air Force something or another. 

It's frustrating.  It's lonely.  I miss my old life.  Joel is a great support for me.  He is encouraging and sweet, and does everything he can to make things easier on me.  The problem is, there are things that are out of control.  He can't always be here.  And while I pride myself on my self sufficiency, it's hard to be married and still be alone so much in life.

If you got this far, thanks for listening.  I know there are some people that thrive with this lifestyle, and maybe I need to be more adaptable and open.  But, sometimes, it just sucks.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

2013

Happy New Year's, everyone!  I know that's a little late, but hey, what's new, right?  Old habits die hard.  NYE was a great night.  Joel and I decided to keep things low key, and I love it.  I think low key was the theme of our 2012 holiday season.

We normally don't go for chains, but we received an e-mail from Houlihans (one of our favorite chains) that we just couldn't resist.  It was a four course special just for that day, and we just decided to make reservations and go for it.  It was delicious!  Some chains really have it down, and besides the scrumptious food they make, service has always been superb.  Our server that night was no exception, and because we felt bad that he was working that night, we decided to leave a generous tip.

A martini flight with my salad?  Umm...yes, please!
Surf and Turf for me, with a loaded baked potato.  Yummers!
Then we met up with some couple friends who invited us out to a late movie.  For some reason, here in the STL area, I haven't quite found my groove friendship wise.  Even though my friend and her hubby are about 15 years older than me, they have quickly become some of my favorite people.  And it was their 20th wedding anniversary.  They are seriously my heroes: 20 years, cute as all get out, and so in love.  I can only wish I was so lucky.

Aren't they freaking adorable?
We saw Lincoln, which was a great movie!  Even though I am a history lovah, I don't always always care for movies focused anywhere in the 1800s in the US.  But, this was a powerful movie, and I hope that the glimpse that the filmmakers gave us on the personality of Lincoln was accurate.  I just hope that during my lifetime, I can see a President with that much passion.


We got home at about 11:30pm, and it was just in enough time to get settled in and toast the New Year with mimosas and our pets (and foster pup...more on that later).

Happy New Years!