The Home Stretch

I am taking a mini-break from finishing my student teaching binder.  I am really thinking I will be able to turn it in on Monday - miracle!!!

I had a good week weight loss wise - I am officially 27.2 lbs lighter than I was in August.  It feels great but what is even better is that I pulled a pair of jeans out of the "jean graveyard" in my guest room, jeans that I have not worn since summer 2005 and they fit!!!  Hooray!!!!  The fact that I spent Thursday night barfing my guts up probably contributed to the weight loss but I am not complaining.

I got the job at LOFT and start Tuesday.  Was supposed to start yesterday but was so weak from puking - and not sleeping due to Spy waking up exactly 15 minutes after I stopped puking at 4am and then staying awake until 7:30am - that I had to cancel.  I was so bummed because I could not wait to get started...sigh...I hope they don't write me off as some irresponsible person because I bailed on the first day of work.  Although I am sure they would not have wanted me potentially vomiting on LOFT customers so I guess in the end it worked out.

Despite my fantastic weight loss I am not doing a good job of exercising so I went out and got an exercise mat to try and squeeze some ab work in on those days when Spy wakes up so gosh darn early that I want to scream...I might as well try to wake up with some ab work while Spy runs around like a mad man in the AM.  I swear this kid is the earliest riser ever...where the heck did he get it from?  Clearly not Dan nor I.

OK, kiddies, back to my Diagnostic Profile.  Until next time.

You have a brown tooth...

So my weigh in on Sat went really well.  I was down 4.2 lbs (yikes!) so my total weight loss is 26.2 lbs.  I am very pleased with myself even if I am still not able to run more than 3 minutes at a time. 

I subbed today at my old pre-school in the 3 year old classroom.  It was so much fun...I really miss being a teacher at this school.  The woman that I worked with when I was there is retiring so I am hoping and praying that they will hire me in September to replace her.  In the meantime I have an interview tomorrow afternoon at Ann Taylor LOFT...totally random, I know but we could use the extra income and my wardrobe could definitely use the discount.

I think my favorite part about today was one of my little monsters telling me that my "tooth was really brown and I should brush more often."  Hummmm, I was kneeling down and looking at him right up close trying to explain to him why he needs to keep his hands to himself. Way to change the subject and disarm me, three year old sociopath.  Just kidding, he is not a sociopath but he is a bit of a terror.  And yet I had a blast today jumping back in, breaking up the "fights" and reading stories and playing with Playdoh (sp?).  I want to do it all the time!!!  Oh and for the record I asked around and I DO NOT have a brown tooth.

I am on my laptop or else I would post some pictures of the Dominican.  I will promise to do this soon...one of the times I post from our desktop.  In the meantime the weather is supposed to be getting nicer this week so I am looking forward to many walks and some playground time with Spy. 

Speaking of Spy...it hit me the other day that my baby is no longer a baby but a little boy.  I cried as I watched him try to walk down the two stairs in our family room without turning around and crawling down.  He made his way over to the wall, held onto the gate, and walk down the stairs...sniff, sniff.  Where did the last 15 months go?

Catching Up

What a crazy night.  We went to La Locanda for my Dad's dinner party and I ended up having to leave because I felt like crap.  Mom took Simon home with her so I could sleep, lest I ended up vomiting all night, which thankfully I did not. 

I went for a run outside yesterday and I almost barfed up a lung.  That should have been my first clue that I was not feeling well but I chalked it up to not having been able to work out since before my trip to the Dominican (will post pictures next).  I definitely gained at least 5lbs during my vacation...many many Pina Coladas at happy hour will do that to you.  When I weighed in on Sat I was up 3.2lbs so I was able to lose some before the meeting.  I tried out a new meeting with my friend Dawn and I really liked it.  Sometimes it is good to shake things up and it is nice to have Dawn there to bounce ideas off of.  I really miss my old leader, Jess, but she switched to a different meeting too far away from KOP.  The person that replaced her was ok.  So I decided to try the Collegeville meeting and it was good.

I am not sure if I am going to be able to run a full 5k on April 17.  I am still going to sign up for it and try but I am still only running about 3 minutes at a time and no more than that.  But that is 3 min more than I could run in Jan so I am happy with that.  There are others walking this particular race so worst case I run and then walk the rest of the way.

I have to start doing some core training - the running is not going to be enough to help me reach my final weight goal by the end of the year.  I think I have a new incentive - if I reach my goal and maintain my weight for 6 weeks and make it to life time I am going to get one of my tattoos redesigned.  I have 2 that are old and fading that need to be touched up but I think that I might have one redesigned in honor of my son.  I have been thinking about it for a while so hopefully by the time I reach my goals I will have figured out what design I want and they will be able to do something over the existing tat I have.

OK, I have to get dressed and pic up Simon.  Pics of the Dominican to follow in the next post.  Ciao!

Mother Nature is a hater.

Snow, snow and more snow.  I am really tired of looking out the window and seeing white.  And we are supposed to get more on Monday. Really?  Is Mother Nature that much of a hater?  I guess so.

Due to the lovely weather I was unable to weigh in last week.  I was also unable to run outside.  I ran a few times inside but for some reason the treadmill makes it seem so much harder so I was unable to run any longer than 90 second intervals.  Oh yeah and I had a death cold this week as well.  Being stuck in the house meant having no where to go when I felt a feeding frenzy come along so needless to say I gained 1lb this week.  Which honestly is not bad since I really thought it would be more.

My cousin still has not e-mailed me her workout program or answered my e-mails so I am just going to go ahead and assume that I will have to find a way to work out my core on my own.  Which is fine really because I found some really great circuit routines in Fitness Magazine which may suit my needs.  Now the issue is finding the time to squeeze them in.  Now that Simon is no longer in daycare and I am at home I will have to do the workouts when he naps which also means less house work gets done.  This then becomes an issue with my hubby...sigh...it never ends.  But today's WW meeting was about making yourself a priority so if the only time I can work out is when I am supposed to be doing chores then so be it.  At least for now, getting in shape and being able to run a 5k is my priority.

I realize I have not posted pictures of Spy in a while.  I apologize and promise to remedy this ASAP.  I am also recently obsessed with moving into a new house to be closer to my parents.  Yes, I know this is crazy in this market but my continuous watching of HGTV has made me house crazy.  We are just checking out what is available closer to them now and see what is out there.  It may never happen but I wanted to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later in case we find something we love.  There is no way we can have a second child unless I have more support and that translates into being closer to Mom and Dad.  And I was the one who swore she would never move back home...never say never...

The Cold Is My Least Favorite Thing About Winter

Uggg, more snow last night.  And it is frigid and icy out today.  I had to use the treadmill to get my run in which meant I had to dust and vacuum my attic lest I get an allergy attack from the dust.

I am down 2.2lbs this week making my grand total 25lbs since August.   Yesterday I put on a pair of jeans and they were loose - these used to be my tight party jeans - I would wear them out because they were a bit tight and they would remind me not to over eat.  Luckily I am a jean hoarder so I just have to go into my stash of smaller jeans to find a new pair of "party jeans."  So even though daycare is sucking every last penny out of us I can still "shop" in the closet in my spare room for clothes that fit.  I will take what I can get.

Still waiting on my cousin to send me my first 3 minute crush routine.  Next week will be my last week of student teaching so I am going to have to figure out how to fit my runs/exercise in...I guess I will just have to use the treadmill while Simon naps or else wait until Dan gets home to run outside.  Once the days get longer this should not be a problem.  What is important is that I do not use this change in schedule as an excuse to not exercise.  I have come to far to let this happen...also I am a bit addicted to it now I have to say which I guess is good.

OK, I have to finish up my lesson plans for this week...one last batch before I am on "vacation."  Until I find a new job that is.

Lazy Sunday

Hello all. Just an update. Down 2 lbs this week - yay!!!

I went on my run today and have to admit it is getting so much easier.  I am running now for 2 minute intervals something I never thought I could do.  I think I am starting to get addicted - the feeling I get when I finish my run is amazing.  Almost like I am taking a drug.  I know people say that exercise is the best medicine for the blues...jeeze they were not kidding!

In other news...I have 2 full weeks left of student teaching.  I am torn - in a way I am glad to be finishing...I need the time to finish my student teaching binder and my exit portfolio.  At the same time I am really going to miss my students.  They are my shining stars and I am sad that I will not be able to see them through to the end of the year.  It has been exciting to celebrate their successes and help them through their difficulties.  I will probably cry like a baby on my last day.

I am also confused about my job search.  At this point I go between wanting to start a job right away to waiting until summer to look for a position in September.  The issue is daycare.  If I didn't have Simon I would start right away but daycare is so expensive I kind of really need to choose my next job carefully.  I won't be certified until at least April so that is an issue as well...sigh...what to do, what to do...

OK, Simon is going to wake up soon. Must run.  Have a great week everyone!

Proceed at Your Own Risk

OK people. I apologize in advance for the temporary blindness that may occur from viewing this post. You see, the thing is, my fabulous cousin Toni, who happens to be a personal trainer, has inspired me to take on another challenge on my road to being healthy and strong. As some of you already know I joined Weight Watchers in August 2009 and as of this morning am 20.8lbs thinner and a whole heck of a lot more healthy for it. Up to now, I have been able to accomplish this weight loss based solely on eating better and making smarter choices about how much and what I eat. The problem is I have reached a bit of a plateau. I have been lucky. Until now I have not "exercised" in the true sense of the word. That is all about to change.

In April I will participate in the 3rd Annual Sunflower Run, a 5K held in memory of Aime Willard, a former schoolmate of mine who was brutally murdered in 1996. I have never run before in my life...I mean never ever.... so this will truly be a personal victory for me. I have started the Couch-to-5K program and and gone on two "runs." I am happy to report I did not die or even barf up a lung which I was sure I would do at the very least.

In addition to training for the 5K, Toni put out a challenge to her family and friends which you can read about on her blog here. I have decided that in order to be fully prepared to successfully run this 5K I will need to be strong. I will need to work my core and Toni has provided me with the perfect motivation. So as per her request I am posting my "before" photos here, Biggest Loser style as well as my current weight which as of this morning is 166.2lbs.























My husband asked me why on earth I would want to post these photos on my blog for my friends, family and random internet lurkers to see. The answer is simple. I have come a long way since August and while I am not perfect I am very proud of everything I have accomplished up to now. If the people on the Biggest Loser, people with far greater weight issues, can bare all on national TV then I certainly can post pictures of myself during my weight loss journey. Like the 5K this is just another way of making me accountable for my actions. And if I can inspire someone else to make healthy changes along the way then even better.

I will do my best to post about my progress in the next 6 weeks. I will also promise to try and post on a more regular basis about Italy, teaching, Spy and the other things that occupy my life these days. I will post my "after" pictures 6 weeks from now so you can see how Toni's program has worked for me.

A presto, ragazzi!!!

Organize to Exercise

Some of you may know about my super cool, extra fit cousin Toni, personal trainer extraodrinaire.

Click here to read an article she just recently wrote about fitting exercise into your lifestyle.

You can also go to her website Training With Toni to sign up for her personalized fitness videos - her 3 Minute Crush Program is amazin and gets results!!!

Remember June (and bathing suit weather) is just around the corner...YIKES!!!

Abs of ... definitely not steel

In an effort to look half decent at my wedding, I have hired my fabulous cousin Toni to whip my ass into shape for the next 5 months. We meet Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7am at the fitness center in her complex. Today was my second session with her. Every single muscle in my body wants to jump out of my skin and run away.

I think that I had convinced myself that Toni was more of a "fitness expert" (whatever that means) than trainer. Boy was I wrong. Today she causally mentioned her friend "Jackie" as in Bravo TV's "Work Out" series Jackie and how she trains with her when she is in LA visiting her sister. I barely heard her since my muscles were screaming and my brain was crying because let's face it - I am an out of shape, middle aged woman, who thinks she is still a size 8 regardless of the fact that she no longer works out and eats whatever you put in front of her.

It was grim this morning when my alarm went off at 6:30. I almost called her and told her to forget it. My abs were so sore it hurt to cough or laugh, every time I turned around in bed last night I was reminded of my work out on Monday and not in a good way. But I didn't call her - I got my ass out of bed and went to see her. How pathetic is it that I can barely do 5 push ups? And my dress is strapless - how sad for my enormous flabby out of shape arms. At least we have 5 months to make this happen. Toni seems confident that it will happen. I am still not convinced.

OK, back to work. I will keep you posted on the results of my training - which also involves a detailed nutrition plan designed by Toni herself. Bye, bye Lime flavored Tortilla chips, Pepperoni pizza and Godiva truffles...hello organic green apples and water!